Music Hype

Having released a varied album back in 2011, called F.A.M.E., containing R&B, hip hop, dance tracks and more, Chris Brown is now releasing a new album called Fortune. The album, that was released on the 26th of January, is said to contain energetic pop songs, to rival his previous album.
The first single to be released from this album is Turn Up the Music, which features R&B components, synthesizers, as well as canned percussion, and is an homage to LMFAO’s famous comedic song “Sexy and I Know It”.
Turn Up the Music is expected to become a hit, and the album to be yet another success of the young singer, and critics are already wondering what he’ll come up with for his next album, to top this one.

Whatever it might be, Brown said that it will definitely include a collaboration with Nas, a creator Brown has said he wanted to work with for a long time now.
But despite releasing a new album, Brown’s manager says Chris will stay out of the media’s eye, and try to focus more on performing songs from the album as well as starting to record a new one any day now. Meaning Brown will avoid interviews for the near future.
Some speculate that the move away from the media’s eye is due to his relationship with Rihanna, which rumors say might include a wedding in the near future.

Which is pretty surprising, considering they broke up with a bang, having their breakup announced on almost every media outlet out there, three years ago. But according to their Tweeter accounts, the two might get back together, and rekindle their affair. They both stated they miss each other and would have preferred if things hadn’t become so volatile and abusive.

Simon Cowell, the American Idol judge everyone enjoyed hating, is now apparently working on an international American Idol-type show to find the next great DJ. After judging shows including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and American Idol, Simon Cowell just might judge a DJ talent show. It isn’t clear what connection Simon Cowell has to DJing, but it’d be interesting to see him move away from singing, and try his hand at a different form of art, and DJing getting a more respected place in popular culture.

Simon Cowell’s firm, Syco Entertainment, has reportedly joined the Smiths’, Will and Jada Pinkett, firm, Overbrook Entertainment, to develop this live, prime time international TV show, to air first simultaneously in the UK and US, together with Sony Pictures Television. The people involved have said they hope this show will become as successful as American Idol, and that like American Idol, it’ll have international equivalents, or at least reach international audiences, apart from its planned US & UK audiences.

The show has apparently been in development for over a year, which might explain why Simon Cowell decided to leave American Idol, a role in which he got plenty of publicity, but might have clashed with his new planned show. Simon Cowell has stated that partly why he came up with his new TV show was because “DJs are the new rock stars”, and that the time is right for making a show about them. Jada Pinkett-Smith also stated that they will scour the world to find the next best thing in DJing, and won’t limit the search for just one country.
It would be interesting to see what type of reward the creators have come up with, since a few shows and an album isn’t what the intended audience is really looking for. DJing is all about a long live performance, each one different than the one before.

Etta James, a famous black singer, who has been the inspiration for an entire generation of female singers, has passed away at the age of 73.
James died on Friday in California, US, after a long battle with various diseases, including leukemia and kidney failure, and even dementia. The singer has been seeking treatment since December of last year, and was soon after her health deteriorated and she was put on a respirator. But her ailment has gotten the best of her sooner than that – James stopped being active in the music industry ever since 2010, because of her Alzheimer’s disease, and eventually retired from music after writing one last album – The Dreamer.

Etta James’ style of singing has been dubbed soulful and emotional, and many current pop stars have lamented her loss and confessed of the high appreacitation they have for her, and the high amount of inspiration they drew from her works.
Her career has spanned most of her life, during which she produced over 30 albums, and almost double that in singles.
Despite being a singer most recognized for her work in past eras, she has been lauded and celebrated during modern times quite a lot, including in a film starring, among others, Beyonce Knowles – Cadillac Records.

The movie depicts Etta James rise to fame and her start in the business, which took place mostly during her long sting with Chess Records, a famous soul & rock label that has been the home to many nowadays-famous black musicians, Etta James among them.
For her long spanning career and many achievements, James has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll & Rockabilly halls of fame, has won a lifetime achievement award, as well as an R&B Founders award, as well as three Grammys & more than a dozen nominations for one.
She’ll surely be missed.

Kasabian, an English rock group from Leicestershire formed in 1997, has come along way since its early beginnings. Over the span of more than a decade the group have changed lineups, released four studio albums, and recently released a new demo to treat their fans.
The demo, called Table Tennis Boom Box, is only 44 seconds long and contains ping pong sounds which give it its name, and was apparently recorded during a show the band had in Yokohama, Japan, backstage.
It isn’t clear yet whether the group intends to release the demo officially, or just as a joke track for the fans that supported them throughout their long career.
What is clear, is that fans of the group have a lot to look forward to.

Velvet Revolver, a famous hard rock super-group, says it will get back together since their breakup in 2008, and will slowly start appearing smaller shows with the hopes of getting back to form.
One of the band’s latest gigs took place during January 12 for a benefit for John O’Brien, a composer and music supervisor that was found dead at the young age of 45, at his hotel room in Chicago during August. O’Brien is the film composer of such movies as the famous superhero action movie Iron Man and the Seth Rogen comedy, Pineapple Express.

Trent Reznor, which recently has moved away from perfoming live and started working on producing movie soundtracks, has said he plans to get his band, Nine Inch Nails, back from hiatus.
Reznor took part in creating the soundtracks to the movies The Social Network and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Reznor said that he won’t abandon movie work altogether, but that he feels the need to branch out, and express more aspects of himself, which don’t show up in his work with Nine Inch Nails.

It seems Axl Rose recently took part in jury duty. The trial was a short one, only lasting four days, but the singer said he enjoyed the experience and met some interesting people there.
The singer, most known for being the lead singer of the famous & infamous group Guns N’ Roses, is gearing up for a US tour any time now, and is about to be indicted into the rockenroll hall of fame.

It isn’t clear yet if Axl plans to delve into music more actively, or if he plans to play shows every now and then. His much anticipated album, Chinese Democracy, was released back in 2008 and got mixed reviews, from both fans and critics, and didn’t get the effect Rose was looking for.
Fans had to wait for that album for so long, the excitmenet from it being in the works dwindled over time, and little by little people started leaking songs from the album.

It isn’t clear whether Axl Rose plans a new album & tour with his band, or if he had enough of the music industry and is looking to tone it down.
After all, Rose wasn’t very happy to see the album be released, stating he didn’t get much support from his record company, and decided to opt out of the promotion side of things for his new album.

But as of now, it seems Rose intends to tour the world, with only a few select shows in each country, so you’d better get those tickets fast. It isn’t clear how long Rose will stay in the music industry or if he plans a full return to his former glory. So far the experience seems to have taken a toll from him and his bandmates, and that’s not something he wants to experience ever again.

The band Wang Chung, who had a few hits during the 80s, are planning to get back into the studio, after various one-time-only get togethers in recent years, after they split in 1990. The band was formed in London back at 1979 and has become a pop icon and a staple in many different shows due to their various hits. It isn’t clear yet when will their new material will be released. They plan to tour from the 10th of June during this year, but will start their tour in the United States.

Blondie has officially confirmed that she will indeed perform during the Hop Farm music festival, together with various other acts. Blondie will appear at Friday’s main stage together with Van Morrison, Los Lobos and many more. There will also be a second stage for people who want to hear a different kind of music, which will also feature a long line up of performers and bands. The festival will take place during several days, and is planned to start in the near future.

Calvin Harris has announced that he will play at the Papaya beach club, which is located at the Zrce beach in the island of Pag, in which many famous DJs have appeared in. The Papaya club was opened back in 2002 and has been a draw for clubbers and VIPs. During this year the club will feature five different festivals that will take place from anywhere to several days up to a week.

Brandon Flowers, the frontman for the famous band “The Killers”, is planning to release a solo album in the near future. He said that he already wrote several songs and that there will be guest artists in the album – such as Jenny Lewis. It isn’t clear yet when the album will be released.