Music in the UK

I cannot describe the thrill from downloading my favourite songs from iTunes.

I've been digging out a couple of old songs from memory. In the early '00s I was obsessed with the music that was coming out of the UK. There were cheesy #1s (yes the stations were forced to play Bob The Builder when Can We Fix It? became #1) and there were epic chart battles (S Club's Reach lost to Sonique's Feels So Good, which went on to stay #1 for 3 weeks). Those were the songs of my life and truth be told, not many of my friends were in sync with the music I was in to.

I loved the distinctly British sound and character, always quirky, fun, never taking itself too seriously, yet producing some of the most wonderful voices (Gabrielle and Simply Red spring to mind). There were the amazing dance-tracks that ruled the chart, those days were DJs could be number one with epic dance tracks that spun and gained fame in the underground before exploding into mainstream consciousness (Roger Sanchez's Another Chance, Rui Da Silva's Touch Me). There were the already mainstream acts like Atomic Kitten, Blue, Kylie and Daniel Bedingfield, S Club 7, who relentless notched up hits every couple of months. The Spice Girls broke up and found #1s - Geri Halliwell's Bag It Up, Mel C's I Turn To You, Emma Bunton's What Took You So Long?. Victoria Beckham bagged a huge, huge #2 with Out Of Your Mind (I bought the physical, CD single), losing out by a small margin to Sophie Ellis-Baxtor's Groovejet!

To me there's always a bit of magic in British music. Something unexpected, something surprising. The songs on the chart don't sound much like each other - it's hard to capture in a single adjective (except those Westlife singles, for which the word would be "bleargh!").

My favourite artistes (except Britney Spears) have all come from the UK. However it took a relatively young, unknown, dramatic songstress (not you Cheryl) to blow everyone worldwide out of the water with her amazing vocals very very recently. It's about time, you know, for British music to surface to English-speaking territories far and wide instead of rolling in the deep.

The Born This Way Ball

Off the top of my head, 10 things I loved about last night's The Born This Way Ball.

1. Singing Born This Way while playing with a little Lady Gaga doll that was thrown up on stage

2. Edge of Glory reminded me of the amazing performance on Idol where she fell off the "cliff". Here, she climbs all the way to the top of the castle.

3. Squeezing the biggest hits at the front, the ones that she's best known for... quickly escalated the atmosphere into a feverish pitch. Just Dance - Love Game - Telephone in Act II was amazing.

4. The moving banter during Hair. Always proves that she's got a story to tell while singing songs that mean something to her. I was surprised that she didn't do more slow ones with the piano choosing instead to go with production and choreography for most of it! But it made Hair all the more special.

5. Everyone, the dancers, to us, were hot. The nice, sweaty, warm, dance-like-mad kinda of hot.

6. The costumes were... I think it's a given that her costumes were memorable and top-notch. Especially loved the white "vacuum-cleaner" outfit where she glided across the stage.

7. Again, the dancers. There was one in particular, I really liked. Especially... well, I shan't name names!

8. The fact that she looked like she wanted to be on stage. That she was going to die on that stage even if it killed her, she'd want to perform. As she said, even if the money, the costumes... if everything were gone, she'd cherish the connection that she had with all of us. In any true musical experience like this, it's really what you take away from the concert. Not the material stuff but the atmosphere and that connection.

9. The audience was crazy. She attracted a different kind of music-lover. She induces a different kind of fever. She was outrageous and the audience followed suit. Everyone dressed for adventure, one notch higher. She even highlighted a queen in the crowd, standing right up there at the front. She must have queued for a real long time to get that position in the monster pit!

10. It was so brilliant to see her grow as artiste, since I last saw her in Singapore in 2009. She promised to be back and she really brought a show to remember. A set that put her relatively unplanned for Fort Canning gig to shame. A presence that evolved and commanded grandiose yet aware that any one of the hundred over shows that she planned for this tour, she must be intimate and find the connection and make every session different.

Truly, the best concert I've ever been to.

For Every Occasion

I had to do some music recommendation for my hall publication thing so since I've already written something, I thought I'd put it up here. Just for kicks.

1. Good to mug with



Madonna – Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005)

"I wanted a record with no ballads. I wanted there to be no breaks, with one song segueing into the next -- just like in a disco,” said Madonna. And she recorded this album.

The songs on this album go on and on and on. The tracks don’t stop. There’s no silence in between. It’s a never-ending loop. Similarly, one should not lift their butt off the chair while studying. Take a break only at the 55th-minute – the length of the entire album.

2. Wake up with



Good Charlotte – Good Morning Revival (2007)

“It felt like a new start and Good Morning Revival is kind of a cool way of saying that,” said Benji Madden, guitarist of Good Charlotte.

The lyrics on this album go on about misery being good company, about living in a beautiful place, being victims of love and marching on till you see the sun. It’s for people who have pain and issues and need a push and shove to get up in the morning. Bright, cheery, morning-people have a soundtrack for waking up in the morning – the bloody birds chirping. For the rest of us, there’s Good Charlotte.

3. Cure insomnia With



Rachael Yamagata – Elephants... Teeth Sinking Into Heart (2008)

Sleep is of great importance. It is not a joking matter to insomniacs and us hard-working, driven people who need our energy every day. Therefore I’m taking no chances by recommending Rachael Yamagata.

It is an album of acquired taste. The first couple of listens might bore you with its “blues rock” feel and smoky voice, putting you to sleep. A couple more listens opens your subconscious to the lyrics and how beautifully they sum up each day.

4. Release tension with



Beyonce – I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008)

First of all, with all due respect to Beyonce, one of the most talented artistes of our generation and one of my favorite singers, the album title’s hilarious enough to warrant a 5 minute laugh.

What kind of name is Sasha Fierce?

Then of course you could get up and parody Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) just like Justin Timberlake did. Or you can bust your lungs and vocal chords singing If I Were A Boy. Or sob to Broken-Hearted Girl. Or grind to Scared of Lonely. There’s a track to fulfill every single means of relaxation so spin it, choose your poison and release your tension.

Madonna - Give It 2 Me

It's been a long time since I've talked about music. I used to put aside a space every week, whether it's a chart or recommending 5 songs but I never seem to be able to keep to it. However I'm now inspired and will keep at talking about something which is huge in my life - music.

And what better way to kick it off than introducing everyone to the second single of Madonna's latest album Hard Candy. Give It 2 Me is insistent as its predecessor is triumphant. Holding the track together is the tireless beeping at the background which seems to have a life of its own! Producer Pharrell has really worked his magic on this track. Although it's nowhere near the lines of the sweat-drenched funk that is Slave 4 U, he tickles with the beats and remains entertainingly present in the background (to the left left right right, right?).

There's nothing very challenging about singing the melody, although I'm sure the actual challenge is in putting on a Performance. "There's one thing you can't download and that's a live performance. And I know how to put on a show," proclaimed Queen Madge in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.

It's the most inspirational track on the album, with the lyrics trumpeting self-belief and well, Maddy's endurance in dance and sex. We know that you can go on and on and on girl, being 50 isn't stopping you, I get it! Geez. I prefer to concentrate on:

What are you waiting for
Nobody's gonna show you how
Why wait for someone else
To do what you can do right now

See Madonna give it live in Paris here, or listen to Paul Oakenfold remix the track on Imeem.

Food Fair

I need to stop taking the good weather for granted. I was so surprised that it rained this morning when we've been having sunny skies for almost every day for the past 7 days or so. I almost died walking to the train station in my frictionless slippers.

Liqi and I made our way to the Singapore Expo, where it was really happening, with at least 3 fairs making their presence felt. There was, the most famous of them all, the Singapore Food Fair.



I love the variety of food that we tried. We ate everything from the chicken rice to the awesome otak from Defu! We also sank our teeth into a cheese chicken wing, 10 different types of fried seafood stuff from Dodo (all for $3) and the grass jelly from Mr Bean!



We also got the opportunity to sample countless other stuff. Tomorrow's the last day so get yourself down there while it's still open. It's bound to be super crowded at night though so for those having holidays, it'll be good to get there at 11AM!



On the way we met Zhen De and also... the man we specially came to see was working his charms with the girls from 8-80 years old, my roomie, Daniel! He sure looked like he was enjoying his work despite the long hours and the endless crowd. I think it isn't much of a problem for him - his patience and earnesty certainly worked to his advantage. The chocolates he's selling are really tasty too. Liqi and I bought 2 boxes!

After that we dropped by the Popular Fair. It was like book heaven. I was tempted to grab a couple of books on photography as well as assessment books for my tuition kids - they need it anyway! I don't believe in having a totally study-free holiday after all the shit I've been through the past 13 years (6P+4S+2JC+1Uni) to get where I am!

Well, other than this holiday that is! Wooohooo!

Liqi and I grabbed 80 over dollars worth of stuff before forcing ourselves out of that place. If I could, I would go there and get some more but due to time and monetary constraints, we just had to get out of there!

Ooh, and there's a Robinson's 150th Anniversary Sale going on there too. I'm hoping to go back there before it all ends. It's horrible though, the fact that the Singapore Expo is so damn far away from everywhere else!



I'm still wondering why the Expo MRT station is so beautiful, considering people only visit the place... when they need to!



And this is all the stuff I bought from the Popular Fair! It's unbelievable! Any other ordinary day and this shit would've cost about 80 dollars, but I got it all for a mere $25! Woohoo!

Yeah, it really says something about my warped taste in music. Movie-wise... I haven't caught those two yet, but I'm a bit of a sucker for romantic-comedies lately. They are romantic-comedies... aren't they?

Usher New Music

I haven't talked about music in a long time (not that I've got plenty of time, there're assignments to be done!) but I've heard 3 rather exciting singles to come out recently. They deserve a shoutout. Colin was right to call Mimi's latest single "uninspired", but after It's Like That, I don't think it'll hurt her just yet.

Kicking it off with Justin, Timbaland and Madonna - 4 Minutes To Save The World starts off stomping across the dance floor, but the chorus was just pretty much a snoozefest. If not for the production suggesting that we were welcoming music from made by some of the titans of the music industry of late, the melody is really nothing special. That being said, I'm sure a crazy video by Madonna standards will bring the project to crazy heights. I've just set my eyes on a photo still that had Madge staring into her reflection, which is Timberlake. She base her career solely on music so it'll be fantastic to see what exciting visuals she comes up with (dance, violence, sex) in support of this track.

Jesse McCartney has come up with really cheesy stuff in his short career and there were points in time that I couldn't differentiate him from Ryan Cabrera's music but he has a new single called Leavin'. The video is something that's not often seen in the industry - just a tinge of sexiness without being over-the-top. The music somehow reminds me of Beautiful Girl or Stars Are Blind. It's that kind of breezy summer groove although the "don't stress" bit got my hair standing!

Jaws dropped when the track hit 51-1 on Billboard Hot 100 this week but I'm sure for the record executives at LaFace/Zomba, it was nothing more than meeting expectations. Usher takes his time to release his albums and after the crazy success that was Confessions, which spawned Yeah!, Confessions, Burn, Caught Up and My Boo, the first single from upcoming album Here I Stand is titled Love In This Club. I love how it's a smooth bump and grind groove at most parts but isn't something you'll fall asleep listening to. Can't wait for this album to get released!

Ben C Shi Wen Bin

I just bought his album after singing kbox and playing pool with Daniel today. Anyway, I think Ben C's bloody cool, so now I'm taking a chance and listening to his music. I bought Wang Lee Hom's album yesterday too. That's 30 freaking dollars on CDs already.



I'm pretty impressed with his music, and his voice is fantastic, althought there are a few tracks that still have to grow on me. The lyrics are pretty meaningful as well. I don't regret buying his CD, well, for 10 bucks! He does a lot of composing and production of his tracks. I don't know why he draws me to him, unlike the new batch of male singing 'sensations' Wu Ke Qun and the like.

It took me an hour to make the above blend. I must be pretty bored!

I'm going to book in later as well, and I'm not looking forward to it. On the bright side, there's only IPPT this week and an out camp run. I'm pretty exhausted already, because I have been enjoying my weekend to the max... well, I haven't been sleeping much either. Going back to camp means enjoying 7 sleeping hours again! Yay!

Well, this is the last entry for this book out. Take care and Keep Your Cool!

Avril Rox!

It's time to pay tribute to Avril Lavigne. A well deserved one at that.

Her latest single sent to radio Fall To Pieces is another fantastic song, following the success of her previous singles from her sophomore album Under My Skin. In fact, I think I might just get this album this weekend. I find the more mature yet catchy sound very appealing and the lyrics are really one-of-a-kind. Descriptive and deep in meaning, painting pictures of very real-life situations, she is one incredible singer-songwriter.

In fact, Avril has invaded my consciousness with her first album. Complicated was everyone's singalong, Sk8ter Boi was the one with the best lyrics and rock-chick attitude, and I'm With You, the song that made me a huge fan. I'd belt out I'm Wiiiiith Yoooooooooooooooooooououuu uncontrollably everytime I heard it. On top of that, I performed with the band (TWJ, Kherray, David, Mei Zhen, Lim Yang) Sk8ter Boi for Woodstock. One of the most memorable times of my life.



Meanwhile, the woman's been busy preparing for her next album and of course, gotten engaged to frontman of Sum 41, Deryck Whibley. And she's only 21! Check out the diamond ring folks. That's one cool bling bling. All the best to the both of them.

And to end this off, here's a pic of them being lovey-dovey in a park. Kinda sweet, don't you think?



Altogether now: Awww...!

Pop The Music

Pop music is underrated.

Pop music is being trashed by all the self-declared 'real'-music lovers. People who believe that singers should write their own songs to be credible. People who think that music nowadays is becoming too commercialised. People who have the rubbish perspective that sex sells albums. (I think I hear Britney stripping when I play In The Zone dammit.) People who believe that as long as the background music doesn't sound like it comes from a guitar or piano, it means that the entire song has been created from a computer, and for them, that just ain't real.



To all those people who have that much disrespect to Pop - balls to you!

What is pop music? Essentially, it is popular music. Although it has been associated with a bit of cheesy music now and then doesn't mean that it isn't serious, or that it wasn't written or sung from the bottom of the singers heart. Pop music includes Creed's Higher or U2's Beautiful Day. You might want to argue that those songs aren't Pop, they're rock. But that would just be a narrow scope of Pop. The songs became so huge they were impossible to ignore, and everyone knew the lyrics and they therefore are Popular. So why the hell are these Pop songs considered more real and superior to N'sync's Bye Bye Bye or Britney's Toxic?

The growing stigma has got to stop. The music has taken a beating and all I ever hear now on radio is rock bands trying to have a successful Pop song. I say - Fuck it. Don't let me hear it until it becomes popular, till more people have said 'Yeah, that sounds good.'. Don't get me wrong. I love Green Day's Holiday, Caesars' Jerk It Out , Good Charlotte's We Believe and songs that sound like that. Those are, in my honest opinion, good Pop songs. I'm fine with that. Songs that try to rock it out in the pretense of being cool deserve to be canned ASAP.



I've seen Pop music evolve in the past 6 years I've been observing the industry. Bands come and go, some make an impression, some don't. Some formats last (rap with singing female chorus ala Eminem's Stan to current songs like 50 Cents' Candy Shop), some don't (duets like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's When You Believe).

I celebrate songs that make it big, that more people can relate to. Don't tell me that charts don't matter and that they are fabricated for the industry, and record sales don't matter as long as you make 'real' music, and that people nowdays have bad taste because the cheerleading song Hollaback Girl is #1. Don't tell me that N'sync sold 2 millions albums in one week just because they looked cute and had a lot of teeny booper girl fans (it was off the strength of Bye Bye Bye). Don't tell me that they can't sing because if you're looking for real singing, I suggest listening to opera or choirs dammit. From the past to the present, music is most meaningful when, in Madonna's words - it brings the people together.



So if you're bopping to the Spice Girls' Wannabe, crying to Joey McIntyre's Stay The Same, dancing to Backstreet Boys' Larger Than Life, grooving to Madison Avenue's Don't Call Me Baby, singing to a1's Same Old Brand New You or panting to Britney's I'm A Slave 4 U, be proud of it! Pop is always cool. It's never outdated. I'm sure some of the titles bring back memories of time in school, or out having fun. It doesn't have to be something the singers wrote themselves or that they played their own instruments to. It's about feeling GOOD. Meaningful lyrics are a plus, but personally, I don't give a damn if the song sounds good.



Do you ever wonder why
This music gets you high
It takes you on a ride
Feel it when your
Body starts to rock
Baby you can't stop
And the music's all you got
Baby come on

This must be - Pop

Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl

This sh!t is bananas! B-A-NAN-A-S!!!
This sh!t is bananas! B-A-NAN-A-S!!!

I'm sure that sounds more than familiar. I don't know why people think the song is overplayed on radio. In my opinion, the song cannot be overplayed. Gwen Stefani's third single off L.A.M.B. rocks. There's no question about it. Hollaback Girl has spent 4 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and it's been a long time since a female solo artist has taken the top spot. She's currently at #2 for a second week, overthrown by Mariah Carey's WBT though. The song is wild, unapologetic and unconventional. A trick that only a veteran in the business could pull off. Also, the fact that everything she does is looked upon as cool prevented this song from being a laughing stock, and this track has turned into some massive anthem for cheerleading.



There's been a lot of discussion over her recent work because it doesn't sound like anything who could've come from the girl who sang Spiderwebs or Ex-Girlfriend. She was supposed to be the rock chick. But she's shown that she can be a pop singer too. She's unleashed this side of her with this solo album, her sound reflecting every bit of her personality - funky, spontaneous and fresh. Sure, this move has upset No Doubt fans, with many not being able to accept her solo style of music. However, her music has drawn new fans to her. L.A.M.B. (2.0million) has outsold every No Doubt album in the USA with the exception of Tragic Kingdom (7.9 million) and Rock Steady (2.7 million). I love her solo style and I'm enjoying every minute of her music.

Bring on the Love.Angel.Music.Baby. !

The Return of Ben Adams

Now do you remember the boyband who gave you Everytime, Like A Rose, Same Old Brand New You and Caught In The Middle? You're right - a1. (My favourite boyband ever. Balls to you if you think otherwise!) They visited Singapore more often than any other foreign act bothered to and have since broke up.

However, 23-year-old Ben Adams (as you may have remembered was the bloke with curtains for hair) has since been waiting for his time to return to the music scene. The distracting fringe (which I disliked immensely) is gone and he's developed an image of brooding maturity. With his first single, Sorry, slated for release in the UK on the 30th of May (Monday), music fans and critics alike have been full of praise for Sorry.

A review by Music Week with regards to his 'debut' single, "Following the success it had with Natasha Bedingfield last year, Sony BMG offshoot Phonogenic has good reason to be optimistic. The first fruit of the former A1 star's solo career is a remarkably convincing effort that showcases a more sophisticated direction which is still utterly pop and is the closest any UK artist has yet got to capturing the feel of Justin Timberlake."

He's not an amateur in this industry so I suppose we'll be expecting huge things from this guy. Watch this space! If you're already too excited about the whole thing there's no better way to get more than to visit - http://www.benadams.uk.com/uk/!

Jolin Tsai - Ye Man You Xi

Who says that I don't listen to Mandopop?

With Jolin's latest offering J-Game, she has managed to combine her bubbly brand of pop with a tinge of sexiness, this time with the leading track, Ye Man You Xi. With it's infectiously cute rap and sassy chorus, it's not a song that you'd be able to get out of your head. Frantic baselines and music that sounds like it was stolen from computer games of the early 90s combine to give the very stylishly produced track a unique sound.

Despite it sounding like a happy-go-lucky song, it's all about the game of life, standing up and facing the challenges put forth by Love, also metaphorically displayed by the song's story about animals in the wild fighting for their right to survival (sounds a bit farfetched but that was from the Jolin interview in the CD). And the dancing for the video rivals the best in the industry, and by that I mean the likes of her Western counterparts.

And if you're wondering which CD I bought 2 weeks ago when I had to choose between Edison, Jolin and Daniel Bedingfield, I suppose you've figured it out already! The album is a fab piece of work! Look out for Tian Kong, guaranteed to be sung at every K-Box around the island!

All hail, Madopop's princess - Jolin!

Australia's Greatest Showgirl - Kylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue is probably the biggest Australian singer of this generation.

Achieving worldwide success with 10 studio albums spanning over 1988 to 2003, giving terribly impressive tours which included the Showgirl tour (which has just been cancelled), and making videos that make everyone go "woah!". And so music industry insiders and fans alike were shocked when Kylie released a statement about her having breast cancer, just when she was about to bring her greatest-hits-filled Showgirl tour to her homeland of Australia.



Tonnes of fans flocked to her website to send her their well wishes, while Madonna also posted on her website. "I was saddened to learn about Kylie Minogue's breast cancer diagnosis. I'm so grateful that they found it early. (Yet another reminder for all women to have annual mammograms.) Aside from being tremendously talented, Kylie's a fighter and I know this is a battle she will win. Let's all pray for her speedy recovery and send all of our best wishes her way. With love and light to you Kylie...Madonna ". Celebrity friends have also offered messages of support for the singer, including Elton John, Irish singer Ronan Keating and Australian entertainer and cancer survivor Delta Goodrem.

Kylie has already undergone the operation and it has been reported that it was a success. Also, since it is in its early stages, the cancer does not seem to have spread.

Personally I have been a big fan of Kylie's music. I haven't realised how much I liked her till this incident. I don't have all her albums or anything like that. In fact the only one that I got was Fever which contained Can't Get You Out Of My Head.



However, when her concerts get played on TV I watch them because there are hardly many acts who has got the kind of showmanship that she has. From dramatic costumes, pyrotechnics and her live singing, her concerts have been labelled "must-watch". I was rather excited that she was coming to Singapore, because it is rare for singers of her calibre to perform in our small country. I hope she recovers soon to perform here in the future.

She has always been undaunted by failures (ie prior the album Light Years) in her career and always striving to improve her music and what she gives in her concerts. She's always been the gem even in the eye of the tabloids. She encompasses sexiness and strength, an image that not many are able to project.

A woman with class, who works hard for her art and an ever-dazzling star...



I wish for her to have a speedy recovery and that she'll be back, more explosive than ever.

Credit: imageshack.com for free image hosting and launch.com for the news.

Kelly Clarkson - Behind These Hazel Eyes

Kelly Clarkson just doesn't stop releasing the hits, does she? After two fantastic singles, Breakaway and Since U Been Gone, the current single Behind These Hazel Eyes is racing up the charts all over the world.

Sounding even angrier than the two singles released previously, her strong vocals impact over the standard background music made up of mostly guitar and drums. After a few rounds of listen, I couldn't help but scream Behind These Hazel Eyes along with the song! Also, the bridge is especially fantastic. It's quite funny how the first American Idol winner went pop (like the delicious-sounding Ms Independent) on her first album and rock on this album. It sounds like she belongs to a rock band, with the cool drums and angsty lyrics, except that she's a solo artist! And a very credible one as well. The sophomore album Breakaway has sold 2 million copies in the US alone. While Since U Been Gone has just moved up a notch to #8 on Billboard this week, Behind These Hazel Eyes jumps up 6 notches to #18 after 6 weeks on the chart. The video is awesome too!

Oh and did you know that her original hair colour was blonde? Talk about trying to break away from the stereotype of young blonde singers!

Weekend

And here of course is a pic of my new cap. It's to comemerate the fact that all us Bravo pioneers have had a chance to have a 4 dollar hair cut again and that our new haircut is no different from a recruit. I know that there are people who look great with hair that short but I'm definitely not one of them. So balls to having short hair. I got this cap done for 15 dollars again and I must say it does look more impressive than my previous cap JS4U which, in case you haven't figured out, stands for Jason - Slave4U. It's not a literal thing. As for the significance of this cap, I'm sure anyone who knows me can see it straight away. I'm quite proud of this one and I'll be wearing it everywhere, even if it doesn't match my clothes.

My weekend's been quite okay. I spent yesterday working on something for Jie Yu. Today's his birthday so... a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the guy who just turned 19! I met Van and we went to walk around and did quite a lot of shopping at Citylink and then also at Bugis. It started raining and then luckily Van's dad came to send her home. I took 960 and it actually took me to Bukit Panjang (where my primary school's at) before taking the expressway to Kranji before arriving at Woodlands. On the way I received fantastic news that Van's accepted into NUS! I'm ecstatic for her.

Today was a rather normal day. I'm preparing for book in already actually. Well, I mean, I should be preparing. WTH. Anyway, went out with my sister to Orchard Road and she did a cap which says EXHILARATED, while I made this cap. I was actually also considering TOXIC or even CHAOTIC, but I made up my mind while I was there. We ate KFC before going off to HMV. Spent quite a long time there looking at CDs and soaking in the music-filled atmosphere. I was contemplating whether to buy Daniel Bedingfield's debut CD which was on sale, Jolin Tsai 's latest offering J Game or Hazy by Edison Chen. And just as I was about to walk out of the store without buying any of them, I couldn't resist it and grabbed one of them. I'll keep that a secret and reveal it next week.

Now I have one more entry to post before rounding up this week. The last post I usually make is of a quote that's motivational. A tad idealistic probably. And no, this week the quote ain't by Britney Spears.

Timberlake's Voice

Justin Timberlake has undergone surgery in Los Angeles to remove throat nodules from his vocal cords, People magazine reports. Timberlake, 24, had the procedure May 5 at an undisclosed facility in Los Angeles. The growths were benign, but it will be at least three months before Timberlake can croon again.

The throat surgery is not uncommon for professional singers and is not expected to permanetly affect Timberlake's famed falsetto. No immediate word from Jive Records on whether Timberlake's recovery will delay production on his follow-up to his multiplatinum, Grammy-winning Justified, but the erstwhile Mouseketeer will have to produce something better than a whisper for his upcoming part in Shrek 3.

The budding thesp landed will voice a teenage King Arthur opposite gal-pal Cameron Diaz in the next installment of the blockbuster-animated franchise.

The film isn't due until 2007, but early recording is expected to get underway this summer.

-Launch.com (editted)

The Mix

A shoutout to all you guys! My fellow psychoianz Zhuan has sent in a house mix to WKRZ. If you're in the mood for some soulful music, tune in to Liberation on the 21st of May. Zhuan's work will be featured from midnight to 1 AM. I'm bloody proud of the him, and I respect creativity and the music. So all you guys take note and if you've never heard house music before, this might just be the turning point. Give all sorts of music a chance because you never know... You might just get hooked onto it!

Ciara - Oh!

18 years old and armed with her #1 hit Goodies, and #2 hit 1,2 Step featuring Missy Elliot, the third single off her debut album has just moved up one notch to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. The song's heavy on the bass and features a rap by Ludacris, upping the cool factor on the song. Oh! is the kind of dark and smooth song that's great to chill to and even better to get on the dancefloor to grind to.

The video's a blast as well, so if you've got time, check it out at www.launch.com. The dancing is amazing and there's an especially memorable moment where she dances on top of a car while Ludacris is rapping. The video effects there are a blast too! It seems that Ciara does have a thing for good choreography.

"The choreography is very intense," Ciara said. "In rehearsals, we just go crazy to find the best moves that we can."

Mariah Carey - We Belong Together

It's official. She's made a successful comeback! Ladies and Gentlemen, scream for Mariah Carey! Her Billboard chartrun as of now for her second single off The Emancipation of Mimi called We Belong Together is 81-61-30-12-*7*! A very impressive one at that! Everyone who knows me knows that I don't like ballads and anything slow just puts me off immediately, unless it's a gem. And this one is! Fantastic vocals, mood, meaning... everything's in there! And here is what Mariah has to say about this track:

"We Belong Together" is my second single from The Emancipation of Mimi. It's probably one of my top three favorite songs on the record. It was a situation where I went back down to Atlanta to work with Jermaine after we had already written two songs for the album. I didn't think we could top the songs that we wrote because I really liked them a lot, but then I got there and we started just going back and forth with concepts and ideas and we came up with "We Belong Together". I feel like the end result was just a really heartfelt ballad that I think people can really relate to. Even though it's a very specific story, I think that everybody can probably apply it to their own lives.