Video Premiere: KRISTINE W "Walk Away"

Hi all!!

Well, the time has finally arrived: time to unveil a new Kristine W video for "Walk Away"!!

You might remember we showed you the first picture from the video shoot a few weeks back... well, now we've got the full video for ya... and I believe the appropriate word is "FABULOUS"! Check it out:

Walk Away directed by Mike Ruiz

Add to My Profile | More Videos

The clip was directed by Mike Ruiz and stars Kristine W and a really hot body :) haha. When I saw the pic a few weeks back I thought the guy looked too beefy (plus he wasn't really my type). But between the sepia tones and glistening sweat, he suddenly looks so much better ;)

Kristine looks FIERCE in this video. Love it! I don't think she's ever acted so angry and pissed off in a video, and I'm liking the look on her. That's some diva acting right there.

I know that there was a little bit of a problem with the wind on this video shoot, too... supposedly they topped like 60 miles per hour. Must have made it awfully inconvenient, but it was a blessing in disguise... the blowing hair and dress action is so dramatic!

Enjoy, everybody... and here's hoping we have more new music from Miss W soon... it's been too long!!

Lotsa love,
JADE

PS. Okay, I've watched it like three times now and I do have one confession: I still can't get into that lime green background/white wig look. The others are all fab, though ;)

ERIC PRYDZ - The "CALL ON ME" Parodies!

Hey everybody,

Hope you all had an awesome weekend!

So Saturday night I was out at this video bar in Boston... my cousin was in town and I wanted to show her and her friend a good time. We gathered up some folks, did a little bar-hopping, and wound up at this fun club. The VJ there was broadcasting dance music videos on the monitors all around, and he picked some great ones... Ultra Nate "Automatic," a bunch of pop remixes, and this 10-minute long medley of Madonna hits, with clips from her videos, live performances, etc. Pretty sweet stuff! We had a blast.

It got me thinking... with dance music as with all music, sometimes a music video can totally MAKE a song. Y'know... sometimes you see a visual with a song and it finally HITS you in a totally new way. Unfortunately, it's tough for dance videos to get airplay in America... except for in video bars like the one where I was. But MTV? VH1? Yeah, right... they're too busy doing reality shows with B-list "celebrities" trapped in a house... or on an island... or in a cardboard box, whatever :)



Anyway, I was debating with my friend over the "best dance video" of the last few years. We were left without a definitive answer, but I voted for Eric Prydz "Call On Me." The video was hilarious and danceable, but it also did dance music a service by becoming a video phenomenon in and of itself... even with people who aren't necessarily dance fans.

So I got home, a bit buzzed, of course :) And I decided to search for the video on YouTube to check it out once more. Well, that's when I discovered that in addition to being one of the best dance videos of the last few years, it is also (apparently) one of the most parodied!

That says something right there... I mean, it's not every day that pop culture lampoons dance music. You won't turn on Saturday Night Live and see someone doing a Kristine W impersonation :) But apparently this video made enough of an impact!

I went through and tried to scour for some of the funnier parodies. That said, I wouldn't bother watching the full clips... I mean, they each get kind of old after a while. But it's funny to see the different tracks people took!

Have a chuckle... we all need one on Mondays! ;)

THE ORIGINAL:

Parody One: An all-guy cast, with all-girl workout clothes. Sports bras will never be the same! (There's even a "blooper reel" at the end)



Parody Two: This one is great - these guys do their hip thrusting aerobics in public, which leads to some pretty priceless facial expressions from passerby!

I'm the same boy I used to be,
JOHNNY

LEAKED: Clip from new MADONNA song!!

AHHHH!! To quote on of her Madgesty's earliest hits, I'm "Burning Up" over this news...

We've got a 19 second clip of one of the newly recorded Madonna songs, tentatively being called "Candy Shop." You might remember we leaked the lyrics for you a few days ago... ;)

Anyway, I don't want to turn this into a Madonna-blog, but she IS the biggest mainstream dance music artist... so anything she does is big news and tends to have ripple effects throughout the dance music universe.


Are you guys ready? No, really, are you ready??

Bear in mind it's super low quality, and the verse you're about to hear is actually the bridge that comes right before the chorus...

Go ahead and take a listen here!!

Madonna_Candy_Shop.wav

What do you think??
I know, I know, it's hard to tell with a 19 second clip. But this sounds like it could be really promising! Supposedly this is one of the Pharrell Williams-produced tracks, and you can definitely hear those urban beats. I was nervous about Madonna working with hip-hop producers, because I would never want to see her compromise her dance-pop sound. BUT this sounds like it's what we usually expect from Madonna; her taking a new genre and giving it a shot of her own style. The bass drum backbeat and the breathy vocals make this sound like a "dancier" version of "Justify My Love" if you ask me. And that's a good thing! I like my sexxxy Madonna, thank you very much ;)

If this isn't good news to end the week on, I don't know what is :) I'm interested to hear what you all think.

Me, I'll be listening to this 19 second clip for the next 19 hours!

Lotsa love,
JADE

STUART PRICE producing new KYLIE album!

Hey everybody,

Damn... it's a hot one in Boston today. I hope you all are keeping cool(er)!!

Speaking of hot, here's some hot news for ya... we've got it on good authority that Stuart Price is the main producer on Kylie Minogue's new, upcoming album!


If you don't know who Stuart Price is... then why are you reading a dance music site?!?! haha. Just kiddin'. You probably know him under one of his production aliases: The Thin White Duke (he did a killer remix of Starsailor "Four the Floor") ... Jacques Lu Cont (under this name, my favorite of his is a remix of The Killers "Mr. Brightside") ... or Les Rythmes Digitales (his project with its own awesome artist album, Darkdancer). Under these names (and his own) he's produced for everyone from Gwen to Missy to Madonna... in fact, he was the main producer for Madonna's non-stop-dance album "Confessions on a Dancefloor" in '05... and then led her band on the Confessions World Tour.

Well, he's gone from the Queen of Dance to the Princess... lending his skills to Kylie's comeback CD. This is her long-awaited return to the music scene after successfully battling breast cancer. Of course, as we reported a few weeks back, some new Kylie tracks got leaked on the internet. They don't really sound like Stuart Price productions... maybe they were demos, or finished tracks that they ultimately decided shouldn't make the cut. I mean, they ARE unmistakably Kylie and definitely new... so they had to come from somewhere. If they're "throw away" tracks, perhaps this lends credence to the rumor that the songs were PURPOSEFULLY leaked, just to get some publicity for her new project.

Whatever the case... what do you guys think about his stuff? Personally, I love it... electro, '80s, dancey.

Sounds like the perfect fit for Kylie!!

Give me some feedback, kids!

JOHNNY

What's next for ULTRA NATE

Hey hey everybody,

If you haven't yet heard, Ultra Nate has revealed her plans for the next single release off Grime, Silk & Thunder. According to her MySpace page...

The next single from "Grime, Silk and Thunder" will be "Give It All You Got" featuring Chris Willis and "Getaway" featuring Dajae.

Plans are in the works for it to be serviced end of August with a brand new video and remixes!

Keep you posted..

u.

Now, I'm a bit confused... is she planning to release two singles? And if so, will they BOTH be getting videos?



I think "Give it All You Got" is a wise choice... though my second pick would have been "Falling."

I guess this only makes sense if you've heard the record... so I've got to ask... anyone listened to it yet? What do y'all think??

Lotsa love,
JADE

Leaked: Lyrics to a new MADONNA song??

Hey everybody,

Hope you all had a good weekend...

Here's something interesting for you: Though she's notoriously tight-lipped about her projects, Madonna may have a leak in her camp! We've heard some "insider" knowledge about her next single, slated for release in late 2007. According to the informant (man, this sounds like serious espionage, huh?), the track definitely has the Timbaland/Timberlake beats that we were expecting from the collaborations, though with a definite, electronic-dance tone, too.

And then there are the lyrics. Now, we make no promises that this is the real deal, but I thought I'd post 'em anyway. Again, not sure how real they are... but if you're like me, and have been hoping that Madonna might one day return to that Erotica-era unapologetic sexiness, then your prayers (may?) have been answered! Check 'em out below:



LYRICS:
See which flavor you like and I’ll have it for you
Come on in to my store, I’ve got candy galore
Dont pretend you’re not hungry, I’ve seen it before
I’ve got turkish delight baby and so much more

Get up out of your seat (your seat)
Come on up to the dance floor
Ive got something so sweet (so sweet)
Come on up to the front door
I need plenty of heat (heat)
Form a special connection
Just start moving your feet (your feet)
Move on over to me

I’ll be your one stop (one stop)
Candy shop (candy shop)
Everything (everything)
That I got (that I got)
I’ll be your one stop (one stop)
Candy store (candy store)
Lollipop (lollipop)
Have some more (have some more)

My sugar is raw (erotica whisper)
Stickey and Sweet (high pitched vocoder)
Dance Dance Dance (like erotica moaning kind of echoes throughout whole
song)

All the suckers are not all we sell in the store
Chocolate kisses so good
you’ll be beggin for more
Dont pretend you’re not hungry
Ive got plenty to eat
Come on in to my store
cause my sugar is sweet!

Get up out of your seat (your seat)
Come on up to the dance floor
Ive got something so sweet (so sweet)
Come on up to the front door
I need plenty of heat (heat)
Form a special connection
Just start moving your feet (your feet)
Move on over to me

I’ll be your one stop (one stop)
Candy shop (candy shop)
Everything (everything)
That I got (that I got)
I’ll be your one stop (one stop)
Candy store (candy store)
Lollipop (lollipop)
Have some more (have some more)

See which flavor you like and I’ll have it for you
Come on in to my store, I’ve got candy galore
Dont pretend you’re not hungry, I’ve seen it before
I’ve got turkish delight baby and so much more

Get up out of your seat (your seat)
Come on up to the dance floor
Ive got something so sweet (so sweet)
Come on up to the front door
I need plenty of heat (heat)
Form a special connection
Just start moving your feet (your feet)
Move on over to me

I’ll be your one stop (one stop)
Candy shop (candy shop)
Everything (everything)
That I got (that I got)
I’ll be your one stop (one stop)
Candy store (candy store)
Lollipop (lollipop)
Have some more (have some more)



So whaddaya think?? Are these real or not? If not, they sound like a pretty good imitation. It definitely follows the same kind of word choice, rhyme scheme and song structure that Madonna typically writes.

Of course, the big question is: Now that she's pushing 50, is Madonna too old for "sexy lyrics"? If you ask me... NO WAY! You gotta love a woman who refuses to be told that she's "too old" to be sexy. The lyrics might be a little cheesy, but they're not so graphic that they're undignified. As a mother of two, I wouldn't recommend she go taking off her clothes for another SEX book (soooo glad she did the first one, though ;)) but I don't see anything wrong with her acknowledging the fact that she's still a sexual person... after all, she singlehandedly revolutionized and pioneered the whole "sex in the media" concept that is so much a part of our culture now!

We'll see if these wind up the lyrics to her next single... either way, the fall is going to be busy for Madonna. In addition to her album, she's confirmed to be lending her pipes to the next Annie Lennox album, also due in the fall.

Rumor has it that she's also gearing up to release four more children's book in the fall, plus gear up for a (possible) 2008 summer tour.

No signs of slowing down from this Queen of the Dance Floor.

So... what do you guys think about the lyrics??

Later,
JOHNNY

On the set: BRITNEY SPEARS new video for "GET BACK"

Here's some news I wasn't expecting!

Yesterday was the video shoot for Britney Spears' first video in years... for her upcoming single "Get Back."

Here's a picture from the set!



At least Brit's lookin' pretty good again!



On second thought...

Anyway, no word yet on the release date for the single or video, but supposedly her label - JIVE Records - keeps pushing it back out of concern over her recent "antics." Guess they want to make sure she's ready to keep all her hair on her head before they send her on tour again! ;) Last we heard, the album was slated for a November 2007 release. We'll see if it stays on track!

Anyway, here's what we hear about the video so far:

* Britney was intensely involved in the "story," look, wardrobe and casting of the video... more than she ever has been before.
* The theme of the video has to deal with "rebirth."
* There's a strong vintage, retro theme.
* She choreographed the video herself.

Dear Lord... I shudder to think at what could happen when Britney Spears takes full creative control of a situation. I'm scared, y'aaaall! ;)

Here's another leak we came across: TMZ has a video clip of Britney driving away from some paparazzi the other day... and as she drives off, you can hear a few seconds of her own music playing in her car! Maybe this is the new single?? Check out the video clip here to hear it for yourself ;)

I used to be a Britney fan, but she lost me a while back... part of me feels bad for the girl, but she's so many DUMB decisions with her life over the last few years and has only herself to blame!

Here's hoping "Get Back" is a return to the delicious little dance-pop that made us fall in love with her to begin with. So stay tuned for more updates!

There's the inside scoop for now.

Have a great weekend, everybody!!

Love,
JADE

AMBER sings the National Anthem at Wrigley Field!

Hey all,

You know it's not often that a dance diva gets the chance to sing the National Anthem at a baseball game... but leave it to one of our fave ladies, Amber, to change that!!

The famous hit-maker (and our very first "Diva" on the site, might I add!) had the honor of doing the traditional opening song at the world famous WRIGLEY FIELD in Chicago this past weekend... impressive!!

So impressive that even a veteran club star like Amber was nervous. In her own words, she says:

After resting for 3 hours, I had to go to the Wrigley Field stadium sound-check which is quite scary, as the acoustics are HORRID. Have you ever had a delay on a phone call, where you hear yourself talking back a few seconds off??? That is what a stadium does to you.

The people in the stadium take that moment VERY seriously...almost scary. They all got up and took their caps off and got all emotional. I had to really focus to not have a nervous breakdown, and I am NOT easily nervous when it comes down to my profession. I started shaking like a leaf when I walked up to get started! But I made it and pulled through and kept my left ear plugged up to focus on my voice and pitch as much as I could....

On my way out, I received many many compliments, and the sound guy told me that he appreciated the anthems sung in a well-rounded, traditional manner with the original melody.

I had a blast!

Well, we have to say that we'd be getting emotional, too... cause our girl Amber sounded DAMN good!! If the acoustics were that bad, imagine how she would have pulled it off under better circumstances ;)

Without further ado... here's a clip.



PLAY BALL!,
JOHNNY

New Divo album: MICHAEL HENSLEY "Fire Behind Me"

Hey guys!!

Happy Hump Day! (man, that sounds so dirty ;) )

Anyway, you might remember that a while back we introduced you to Michael Hensley... he's a singer/songwriter/producer/one-man-band out of Boston who's making some cool new club sounds. Anyway, we were lucky enough to go to the CD Release Party for his debut full-length album, Fire Behind Me. It was held at SHINE in Boston... and here's my fave picture from the night... Michael getting it on with one of his fans ;)



The album is awesome... it's nice to see a hometown boy giving the dance genre something new to talk about! You know, Boston has a decent track record of churning out dance artists... from Donna Summer to Armand Van Helden to our current DIVA of the month, Rachel Panay. Even Ultra Nate lived here briefly as a kid!

Must be something in that "dirty water" that inspires a groove ;)

Here's hoping Michael reaches those heights soon himself... he's definitely off to a good start!
In fact, he's hosting a free MP3 through his website... it's "This Machine," the first track from the new album. Click here to access it. Or visit iTunes to hear snippets from all the tracks.

Oh, and I love the album art... check it out:




Anyway, look for more from this guy... we can't wait to keep following his career!

Lotsa love,
JADE

Rumor: JANET JACKSON working on a dance-pop album!

Flashback time!

At this time last year, Janet Jackson was on the cover of US Weekly to promote her then-upcoming new album, 20 Y.O. Everyone was talking about how she lost so much weight through a grueling exercise regime, intense dieting, and self-discipline (and if you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you). Remember this shot??:



Well... looks like Janet's traded in carrot sticks for quarter pounders, cause she's packed on the pounds again as these paparazzi pics show!



Word on the street is that Janet is upset that 20 Y.O., designed as a "comeback" CD, was an even bigger flop than her previous album Damita Jo. That one did poorly after Janet's famous "Nipplegate" performance at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Her career took a nosedive as a result, while former-boyfriend Justin Timberlake - who also participated in the performance - has blazed a trail to the top of the charts. And I don't know if you guys noticed this, but it seems like Justin - who now isn't too friendly with Janet - took a potshot at her after 20 Y.O. failed to rescue her dwindling commercial success. Ever notice his line from the hit "Give it to Me":

I saw you trying to act cute on TV
Just let me clear the air
We missed you on the charts last week
Damn, that's right...
You wasn't there!

Hmm!!

Anyway, Janet's now signed on to Island Records, and she's already in the studio working on another comeback attempt. But this time, the rumor is she's going to ditch the R&B sound she tried to push on her last two albums. Guess she's figured out that didn't work! We hear that Janet's going to work on a more dance-pop oriented album... something similar to her old Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 days.

I say... good!!

Let's be honest, for fans of current Top 40 hip-hop, Janet is too old and "out of touch" to be taken seriously. Sorry, the average urban sixteen year old isn't interested in "Janet featuring Akon!" or something like that.

If she really wants to make a comeback, she needs to appeal to the crowd that remembers her from her pop days... and it sounds like she's learned that!

I hope it works this time... nothing kicks more than a good Janet album, but it's been a while since we've seen one!


Oh, and while I don't like to take potshots at people's weight, I have to say Janet's fair game... cause she does this EVERY TIME she's in between CDs! She packs on the pounds when no one is watching, and then, right before a publicity blitz, she "suddenly" drops it all and has these cyborg ab muscles and whatnot. She tries to pass it off as some ridiculous exercise routine, but sorry, call me a cynic... I smell LIPO. Be real with us, Janet ;)

Oh well... there's the word for now... look for old school dance-pop Janet to make a comeback (we hope!) in 2008!

Later,
JOHNNY

First Look: KRISTINE W "Walk Away" video!

Hey guys!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

It's been a while since we've heard from one of my FAVE divas... Kristine W! She's got her new single out with Tony Moran, "Walk Away," which is - according to our poll on the site, anyway - one of your favorite songs from her!

However, it seems like it's taking a while for this single to get promoted... usually Kristine's songs are #1 hits straight out of the gate. This one is taking a while to catch fire on the charts, though XM and Sirius radio - which are hugely influential in determining the Billboard Dance Club Play chart - are finally starting to spin it regularly.

It's also taking a while for Kristine's new album "The Power of Music," to hit the street. When we spoke to her back in May, it was slated for a summer '07 release. There's still time to make that happen, but they're gonna have to step on the gas, at this point!

However, looks like there's finally some new progress being made... the video shoot for "Walk Away" is finally wrapped, and Kristine is going to be doing premiere parties for it during her current club tour. Check out the picture below for the first gander at the video shoot!:



Hmm... wonder what the "plot" of this one will be? Kristine wanders the desert in search of hot, half-naked hunks? Well... I guess there could be worse ideas! ;)

So there we have it - the first look at the new, finally finished video for "Walk Away." Bet it won't be long before it's heating up video bars in clubland...

... but here's hoping we get word on her new music soon! I'm dyin' here, Kristine!

Ta-ta for now!
JADE

A new addiction: DDR SUPERNOVA!

Hey everybody,

Hope you're all having awesome summers filled with beach trips, good friends, good drinks, and good dancing!

I've been spending half my summer indulging a new addiction: Dance Dance Revolution Supernova! My buddy's family has a house on the beach where I've been spending a bunch of weekends, and his little brother just bought this game for his Playstation 2. It's insane! I mean, I've done DDR in arcades and stuff and thought it was fun, but the home version is way better. If you haven't played DDR before, you probably would recognize it anyway: it's a video game that shows you dance moves on the screen, and you try to keep up by hitting the right directional arrows on a mat (think old skool - remember the Nintendo PowerPad??).

Playing it at home is amazing... First of all, no one but my friends have to see me flail around like an idiot :) Haha. Actually, I'm not half bad if I do say so myself! It's intense, though... before he had Supernova, his brother had a Super Mario Brothers version of DDR. It didn't have "real" dance songs, more like remixes of standards like "Greensleeves" and stuff like that ;) But Supernova actually has a bunch of regular dance songs... and pop songs. Sometimes they even play the music video in the background, like for Crystal Method "Robogirl" and Cyndi Lauper "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (uhh... not that I dance to that one or anything!)



Oh yeah, and now I get to feel like I'm getting my exercise in between rum runners on the beach ;)

Anyway, here are the songs I've discovered so far in the game... I've highlighted some of the really recognizable dance tunes for ya... though there are a bunch of Asian ones I wasn't familiar with. And of course, there's probably a bunch more songs I haven't discovered yet (you have to unlock more)!

It's awesome... check it out and get dancin', peeps!

Later,
JOHNNY




Battle Without Honor or Humanity - Tomoyasu Hotei
Centerfold (130BPM Move It Remix) - Captain Jack
Come Clean - MM feat. Susan Z (trance remix of Hilary Duff! haha)
Dance, Dance - Fall Out Boy
Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand
Freckles (KCP Re-Edit) - Tiggy
Funkytown - Lipps, Inc.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Heaven is a Place on Earth (German Election Mix) - Julia (move over, Belinda!)
Jerk It Out - Caesars
L.E.F. (Loud Eletronic Ferocious) - Ferry Corsten
Let's Dance - David Bowie
Mr. Dabada (Groove Wonder Remix) - Carlos Jean
Robogirl - The Crystal Method
Shivers (Radio Edit) - Armin Van Buuren
Shout - Lulu
Since U Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
The Other Side (Radio Mix) - Paul van Dyk feat. Wayne Jackson
Turn On the Music (Axwell Radio Edit) - Roger Sanchez
Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles
Flow (True Style) - Scotty D. revisits U1
Fly Away - Chiyotia
My Only Shining Star - Naoki feat. Becky Lucinda
Peace (^^)V - BeForU
Star Gate Heaven - SySF. feat. Donna Burke
True {heart} Love - Jun
Curus - D-Crew
Mugen - TERRA
No. 13 - Taka respect for J.S.B.
Xepher - Tatsh
DoLL - TERRA
Hit 'n' Slap - Asletics

LIVE EARTH - Where was the dance music??

You know, I was expecting that I was going to get a juicy blog entry out of the LIVE EARTH concerts that took place this weekend. Seven continents, a bunch of concerts, dozens of headline acts, all working to promote environmental awareness. Surely there would be somebody worth talking about, right??

WRONG!!



Well, not entirely wrong. There were certainly some awesome performances, but none from dance artists. What gives?!?! I mean, okay... I understand that dance music doesn't provide a lot of marquee names in the USA, so it made sense that the New York concert focused on rock and R&B acts like Bon Jovi, Akon, Ludacris, Dave Matthews Band... but in overseas countries, where dance music is undeniably HUGE (quite possibly one of the MOST popular genres), there was still no dance music representation.

Okay, I admit that I'm not 100% familiar with all of the acts... it's entirely possible that some of the performers - in China or Japan, for example - are dance artists I've simply never heard of. But it doesn't seem that way! Look at Germany, the country that basically birthed trance music... you'd think the organizers would have one of their high-profile DJs out there! Yeah, yeah... I know that here most people find DJ sets to be "boring" to watch, but in Europe they eat up festivals like that!

I don't know, I just found it rather odd. Given how huge dance music is overseas, you would have thought that there would be some divas and divos performing. Ironic, too: the premise of the Live Earth concerts was to show a cross-cultural sense of unity... but the organizers seemed to select acts based around strictly Americanized ideas of "popular music."

Oh well... at least Madonna closed the UK show with "Hung Up." You can always rely on the Queen of the Dance Floor to get the crowd moving... even when she's an exception!

She also performed "Hey You," the charity single written specifically for the concert... check out the link:




What do you guys think? Why did dance fans get the short end of the stick during the Live Earth shows? Or can any of you identify dance acts that I might have missed??

Love,
JADE

KYLIE MINOGUE: Leaked songs from her new album!!

Hey hey,

Good news for Kylie Minogue fans who have been awaiting her new album... turns out that many of the tracks have leaked online! Ah, but there's controversy...

Once upon a time, artists were paranoid about their music getting leaked early because it would hurt their album sales later on... but now, in the day of digital downloads, there are rumors that Kylie's people purposefully leaked the tracks to garner publicity. It's Kylie's "comeback" album after a long battle with breast cancer, so expectations are high. It's also been a while since her last release, 2003's Body Language. That album received mixed reviews from a lot of hardcore Kylie fans (it lacked a lot of the disco-pop sound that they were used to), so there's a sense of anticipation: Four years have passed since a "mediocre" release... will Kylie's fans still line up for something new?

For the record, Kylie's management is denying rumors that the album tracks were intentionally released to excite her fans and gather publicity. Another theory is that these are among the best "left over" tracks from her recording sessions... that they will not be on the final album, but are being released to get some attention for the final project.

Whateva'!

Who knows... bottom line is, we've got three samples for you :)

They're all accompanied by video montages made by YouTube users... it just seemed easier than posting the sound files - plus it gives you some very nice pictures to look at ;)

Enjoy... and let me know what you think of them!!

"STARS"


"FALL FOR YOU"


"SENSITIZED" (my favorite)


Later,
JOHNNY

Hilarious: MADONNA gets the Sims treatment!

Hey guys!!

Hope your week is off to an awesome start... for anyone with the "Monday Blues" who needs some cheering up, may I present this hilarious video... Madonna's "Hung Up" music video - Sims style!!

Sometimes, I wonder how people have so much time on their hands. Other times, I'm glad they do... cause it gives me something to laugh at! :)

Be back with real news tomorrow, but hope you get a kick out of this ;)

Love,
JADE

FOURTH Flashback: One Patriotic Dance Song!

Hey everybody,

Quick update today... I meant to post this yesterday on the actual Fourth of July, but one too many grilled burgers (and okay, one too many beers) caused me to forget/pass out before I was able :) whoops!

That said, I thought I'd remind everyone of a song that's appropriate for the holiday... flashback to 2001, and a song by Pepe... "America the Beautiful."

Anyone else remember this forgotten little gem?? Haha. I have to admit, I'm not a huuuuge fan of it, but I always leave it on my Fourth of July playlist... cause it's just priceless to hear a standard patriotic song like this redone to a ridiculous techno pace.

Click the link to hear a sample and get transported down memory lane... even if it is one of those tacky memories that most of us would care to forget ;)



Either way... Happy Fourth!!... er, fifth. You know what I mean :)

Later,
JOHNNY

SPICE GIRLS reunite for tour, album and movie!

Hi guys!!

I don't think I'd ever be excited about something like this, but my inner geek is jumping up and down: The Spice Girls are getting back together!!

Okay, okay... before the rest of you nerds like me start wetting your Union Jack skirts (eww!) in excitement, let's get one thing straight: by all accounts, it appears to be a temporary reunion. All five of the original chicas are joining forces for a World Tour, a Greatest Hits Album, and a documentary that will follow them around the globe.


The Spice Girls announcing their reunion just a few days ago!

Let's start with the album... I know what you're thinking: "The SPICE GIRLS have enough songs for a Greatest Hits compilation??" Surprisingly, yes!! Naturally, the girls had more success in their native UK, but even in America their entries on the charts are pretty impressive. Here's a handy guide to their past hits below (click the iTunes link to hear samples):

Wannabe (#1)


Say You'll Be There (#3)


2 Become 1 (#4)


Spice Up Your Life (#18)


Too Much (#9)


Stop (#16)


Goodbye (#11)



Uhh... okay... I guess they'll have to delve a little deeper into the non-American hits to come up with a full album, but you get the general idea ;)

But wait... there's more!!!

To support the release of the album, the full Spice rack (yes, even Ginger!) will go on tour. Here are the winter dates announced so far:

12/7/07 * Los Angeles, CA * USA
12/8/07 * Las Vegas, NV * USA
12/11/07 * New York, NY * USA
12/15/07 * London * UK
12/20/07 * Cologne * Germany
12/23/07 * Madrid * Spain
1/10/08 * Beijing * China
1/12/08 * Hong Kong
1/17/08 * Sydney * Australia
1/20/08 * Cape Town * South Africa
1/24/08 * Buenos Aires * Argentina

Uh oh! Only a handful of dates and only THREE in the States?!
Believe it or not, the reaction has been HUGE to the reunion... so huge that the only way to get tickets is to first register at the Spice Girls official website. That way, you're entered into a lottery... if you're picked at random, you get the chance to buy tickets.

But the competition looks like it's gonna be fierce! According to reports...

According to a statement from the group's spokesperson, the site is receiving 10-plus ticket applications a second, following news last week of an 11-city, eight-country tour that kicks off in December. Representatives for the band anticipate five million applications by mid-week.

I have a feeling they'll announce a few more before tickets go on sale (no word yet on when that will be), especially in the US and UK.


The Spice Girls at their popular peak, 1997

Finally, in true "Divas of All Media" fashion, the Spices have also commissioned a documentary to follow them around on their tour and reveal the behind-the-scenes antics. Embarassing revelation: In high school, my friends and I drove 30 minutes in a major blizzard to see the opening night of "Spiceworld." Haha!

Anyway, it sounds like there will be a lot for the documentary to reveal! Sources say that the girls are already having inner turmoil, ego clashes, and personality problems... so much for GIRL POWER, right??

Seems to us that the ladies should get their act together (no pun intended). They've all had MODERATE success as indepedent artists, but not enough that they can afford to muck up the reunion, y'know?

Here's a quick primer:

POSH SPICE
What she contributes: Despite having some of the least success as an independent artist, Posh has managed to remain the most famous face of the group thanks to her marriage to soccer star David Beckham. Now that she's a Los Angeles transplant, she's hoping to be more than a "hanger on" in the US tabloid scene. This could be her break. Assuming she doesn't fall down and break her miniscule body first!

Her current Diva-behavior: She sees the Spice comeback as her "in" to the celebrity A-list. And she's put herself in charge of getting the girls "in shape" with her diet of strawberries, soy products and lettuce. Umm, newsflash, Posh: Being a twig and being "in shape" are two very different things!

Her solo success: Released a few lame singles in the UK, none of which were terribly successful. Although we admit, her last single "Let Your Head Go" (2003) was one catchy exception.



GINGER SPICE
What she contributes: In their "early" days, Geri Halliwell stole the spotlight with her particularly sassy, sexy (or as the Brits say, cheeky) antics.

Her current Diva-behavior: After being the one to break up the group (and, arguably, putting an end to their success), it's now said that Ginger is trying to turn the whole reunion into a one-woman show and hog the spotlight.

Her solo success: She's had decent success overseas, especially in the club scene. And her first solo album, Schizophonic, had the highest Billboard peak in the US for a solo Spice effort (#42). Her best single, though, was one of her most recent: "Ride It."



BABY SPICE
What she contributes: Emma Bunton has managed to keep up a high profile overseas. That's... kinda... it.

Her current Diva-behavior: Apparently, the other girls feel she's not showing the same kind of public enthusiasm and support for the reunion. Of course, she's also expecting a baby this summer... maybe she's just excited for other things right now, ladies?!??

Her solo success: She's had three solo albums, all of which had "okay" success in the UK. She did score two US club hits, including her best song: "Free Me."

If it's any consolation for mediocre success, I personally think she's made the best music on her own! Some of it ain't half bad!

SPORTY SPICE
What she contributes: Mel C probably has the best voice of the group. That's not saying a lot, but hey, it's something.

Her current Diva-behavior: Supposedly she's keeping herself distant from the group, asking to be alone before group press conferences and whatnot.

Her solo success: She's been the most consistently successful solo artist back in the UK (four well-received albums). Stateside, she's had a #1 Billboard Dance Club Play smash, "I Turn to You" (AWESOME track, that one!).

Random fact: She's cowritten 11 UK number-one singles... second only to Madonna for a female artist!

SCARY SPICE:
What she contributes: Mel B is wild and controversial... especially after her recent relationship, baby, and tiff with baby-daddy Eddie Murphy.

Her current Diva-behavior: Same as her strengths: wildness and controversy! The other girls feel she's chronically late, unreliable, and odd.

Her solo success: What success? I guess her remake of Cameo's "Word Up" is kind of okay. Kind of.

There you have it, everyone. The inside digs, the professional plans... and now it's just a waiting game.

Will the album have new material on it?? Will the movie really show them warts and all?? Will the tour sell-out in seconds??

Or will they implode from in-fighting first?

Spicey questions, indeed :)

Bye for now!
JADE