Maybe I'm Crazy, But I Wasn't Blown Away By Beyoncé's Super Bowl Performance

There's no question that Beyoncé Knowles is, at this point, the champion pop star of our time. It's the chief reason (along with her long-awaited relaunch onto the pop charts) for the decision to have her headline the Super Bowl XXXXVII.

Seriously, the list of promising halftime show headliners is dwindling.

All of that noted, I have to say that the diva's performance wasn't as amazing as I was expecting. That, by no means, suggests it was bad; I'm not even sure that exists in her vocabulary. However, considering the venue (the most watched televised event of the year, bar none), I was expecting balls-out, knock my shoes off insanity. Honestly, it was quite tepid.

My biggest issue was with the song choices. While the "Love On Top" intro was promising, the set list left a bit to be desired. I mean, where was "Run The World", for instance? Yes it flopped hard, but the sheer bombast of it begged for an epic Super Bowl appearance? The inclusion of "End of Time" was kind of puzzling, as was "Halo"; surely the more iconic "Irreplaceable" could have been substituted, if this was to be a survey of her career. The songs she did perform had many recycled elements, most notably the wall  hologram thing that she did at the Billboard Awards in 2011 (and killed it, might I add). There really wasn't anything new or fresh brought to the table, which was very disappointing, considering this is her first major performance in nearly two years.

Also, I felt that the performance itself was way too short. I mean, Michael Jackson was on stage at the Super Bowl for nearly a half hour, and Madonna's halftime show last year felt that long. She has more than enough chart-topping material to create a mini-concert. And then, where was the new single? I can't have been the only person expecting Beyoncé to deliver the first single from her upcoming album, and guarantee a number-one hit.

Speaking of her career, the biggest surprise was the inclusion of Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Rumors about their appearance were kiboshed by Williams herself, but that was clearly a way to diffuse the leak. They looked excellent together, and there was a clear effort to make them look like a unit, and not Beyoncé's background singers/dancers (although "Single Ladies" slightly defeated the purpose, but oh well).

I was disappointed because I know Beyoncé can deliver a killer, epic performance, and for whatever reason, it just wasn't there for me. I'm glad she performed, though, because there aren't many who could headline a Halftime show.

Here's to hoping she knocks our socks off at the Grammys next week.

Check her performance out below:

Beyoncé's New Video "Countdown" Proves That She Is The Most Functional Pregnant Woman Ever

Beyoncé released the music video for her new single "Countdown", and she proved that pregnancy is not slowing her down. In fact, she flaunts the fact that she's a boss with baby in tow in the video, rolling around the floor in a black catsuit and dancing in her typical colored unitard.

Check it out the video below!

<div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:uma:video:mtv.com:698826/cp~artist%3D1236911%26vid%3D698826%26uri%3Dmgid%3Auma%3Avideo%3Amtv.com%3A698826" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Get More: <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/knowles_beyonce/artist.jhtml" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">Beyonc&#233;</a>, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">Music</a>, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/video/" style="color:#439CD8;" target="_blank">More Music Videos</a></p></div></div>

Album Review: Beyoncé's 4

Article first published as Album Review: 4 by Beyoncé on Blogcritics.

Beyoncé Knowles has reached such a high level of superstar status that she's virtually untouchable.

Being that popular and powerful has it's pros and cons. For one, it allows for greater artistic and creative freedom. Beyoncé has proven tenfold that she can produce amazing work that's successful critically and commercially, so she can afford to take more risks.

On the other hand, there is a lot of expectation for otherworldly greatness, especially from an artist of Beyoncé's caliber. The near-catastrophic performance of "Run This World (Girls)" is a prime example of when these expectations run rampant. People were expecting either a touching ballad or a fierce club bumper.

Instead, she delivered Major Lazer's "Pon De Floor" with new girl power lyrics. The reaction was lukewarm, at the very best.

But Beyoncé was just beginning with "Run The World". Her newest album 4 is the full realization of her risk-taking ventures, possibly spurned or influenced by her dumping her father as her manager. 4 has Beyoncé pushing the limits of her vocal abilities and musical taste, trying out new sounds and harkening back to old styles to create, surprisingly, an incredibly cohesive pure R&B album. It stands as one of the year's best, hands down.

The album opens up with "1+1", which features one of Beyoncé's most affecting and fearless vocal performances ever. The whole album has Beyoncé stretching those golden chords of hers to rip out every ounce of emotion the songs have to offer and lay them out for consumption. Even in the album's most radio-friendly track "Best Thing I Never Had", Beyoncé almost screams her frustration at a disappointing lover. On "I Care" pulls out the power in her lower register, which is very effective with the song's relatively short, punchy phrasing. Conversely, "Love On Top" has Beyoncé slowly climbing keys until the song's amazing climax. Everyone knows that Beyoncé is one of the best singers of her generation, but she has never been more exciting than she is on 4. 


The experimentation doesn't stop there. Beyoncé's greatest risk is recording an album primarily full of R&B songs. After hearing the album in full, the release of "Run The World" is even more puzzling, since it's nowhere near representative of the album. Beyoncé plays with different sounds, but it all links back to a decidedly urban, drum-based sound. There's the fun and flirty "Countdown", a cousin of "Get Me Bodied" with horn-driven verses and a dancehall-lite chorus. "Love on Top", one of the album's highlights, offers up a brilliant refresh of the classic Motown sound. She even looks to herself for "Party", which sounds like it could've been on 2003's "Dangerously In Love". "End of Time" has marching band influences, but it is also pretty danceable. Beyoncé's choice to do a full-throttle R&B record is definitely a nice surprise, and comforting amidst the clubby direction other R&B stars are taking.

Even the ballads aren't what we are used to, carrying a slightly darker tone. Album opener "1+1" can only be described as a tour de force. "I Was Here" is definitely new lyrical territory for Beyoncé, a Diane Warren-penned ballad that contemplates a person's legacy. I do think that Diane Warren over-exaggerated about it being a "career song" like Celine's "My Heart Will Go On", but it is a poignant standout. "I Miss You" is both haunting and gorgeous, with an ominous vocal and very sparse production surrounding the beats of the 808 drum.

There have been quite a few mistakes made with the release of this album, the latest being a week three weeks in advance. What 4 shows is that Beyoncé isn't afraid to make mistakes, and actually embraces them. The result of her adventurous nature is a great album of interesting and new (for her) material. Yet, with all of this experimentation and risk taking, 4 is clearly a Beyoncé album, which might be the best risk of them all.

Rating: 8 out of 10


Brandon's Favorites: Love On Top, Countdown, Best Thing I Never Had

Beyonce's "Love On Top" Is A Modern Motown Twist

Unless you accidentally kicked your Ethernet cable out of the wall this week, you know that Beyonce's album 4 has leaked three weeks in advance.

Of course, I've spun through the album, minus the singles (I still have "Best Thing I Never Had" on heavy rotation) to see whether Beyonce has completely lost the plot. An album review is coming later (and will be posted first on Blogcritics.com), but for now, I thought I would hone in on my favorite track from the album.

The track is "Love On Top", and it is one of the album's true great surprises. After the reggae electropop of "Run The World (Girls)", I had quite a few ideas about what the album would sound like (all of which lead to a mess). I certainly did not anticipate that she would take a visit to Hitsville USA. I'm glad she did, because although "Love On Top" is a obvious tribute to the effortless Motown era, it sounds very current and refreshing. It appears that Beyonce found inspiration in sister Solange's 2008 album Sol-Angel and the Hadley Dreams, which was a critical darling for its re-imagination of the 60's sound.

"Love On Top" is also a very nice change of pace from the anger present in "Run The World" and "Best Thing I Never Had". Beyonce sings about finally being put first by her lover, and if the joyous, passionate energy of her voice is any indication, she is very satisfied. She's so happy, in fact, that she pushes the song's key up with every chorus repeat, hitting some incredible high full voice notes.

It's doubtful that this song will ever see the light of radio play (it seems program directors are obsessed with mindless club filler), which in itself is proof of Beyonce's riskiness. "Love On Top" is proof that, despite the troubling lead-up, 4 is an album to look forward to, even if to just see how far pop's biggest diva is willing to push herself.

Check the song out below and share with me your thoughts in the comments.

Beyoncé Is Finally Back With "Best Thing I Never Had"

Forget what I said about "1+1".

"Best Thing I Never Had" is the single she should have come back with.

The diva released the song to radio stations as the official second single from her upcoming album 4. Despite the lukewarm reception to "Run The World", I have a very good feeling that radio is going to eat this song up and put Beyoncé back on the top where she should be.

Ironically, "Best Thing I Ever Had" takes the best elements of "Run The World" and "1+1" and combines them with the most listenable pop melody Beyoncé's put out since 2006's "Irreplaceable". There's her newfound penchant for edgier lyrics and cursing (I'm pretty sure I've never heard her say either "sucks" or "ass" before). Then there's her explosive vocal performance; her singing in this song ranks as one of her best ever. The end of the middle eight alone renders every female pop singer out there right now irrelevant. The song's melody seems to borrow from a few sources (I immediately heard Rihanna's "Fading" in the beginning) but it is one of the best I have heard this year.

The song is essentially an evolution from "Irreplaceable", still one of best pop songs of the past decade. It is exciting to hear Beyoncé try new things without completely deviating from what we've come to expect. She kind of did that with "Run The World", to almost disastrous effect, but "Best I Never Had" is definitely up the right alley. I feel like I can finally say Beyoncé is truly back, ready to take the throne back.

What do you think of Bey's new song?

Download of the Day: Beyoncé's "1+1"

Hey Beyoncé, let's just forget about "Run The World (Girls)", huh?

Tonight, the pop queen surprised fans with the release of a brand new single from her album 4 called "1 + 1" on iTunes. She later debuted the song live on the finale of American Idol.

Switching things up from the loud electropop stomp of her underperforming previous single, Beyoncé brings everything down a couple of notches while she kicks those powerhouse vocals of hers into the stratosphere. With nothing more than a guitar and some tickling of the piano keys, the diva tears into the song's lyrics, where she begs her lover to love her. She's known for her powerhouse belting, but there is restraint in her performance. She wavers between passionate wailing and gentle begging, heightening the emotional intensity with each bar. The lyrics are pretty amazing, especially with lines like this one: "I don't know much about guns, but I've been shot by you". I don't think Beyoncé has ever been so raw or intimate in her music before. It's disarming, it's unexpected, and it's great.

For such an intensely private person, "1 + 1" may be the first truly vulnerable recorded moment that Beyoncé has ever given us. She has said that this album will be one where she takes risks. It seemed like she was taking the wrong ones with "Run The World", but if she continues down this current path, then 4 might just be the album that sets Beyoncé firmly in the icon stratosphere she deserves.

The song is currently available on iTunes, so after you either buy or just listen to the sneak peek, come back here and share with me your thoughts. Is this better than "Run The World"?

RATE BEYONCE'S "1+1":

Video Premiere: Does Beyoncé "Run The World"?

I'll be honest; I really do enjoy Beyoncé's new single "Run The World (Girls)", even though at its core its Major Lazer's "Pon De Floor" with lyrics (ironically, he performed at my school Trinity College's Spring Weekend in April).

The single has had a disappointing chart performance since its release, debuting and peaking at a shockingly low #33 (for context, Christina's "Not Myself Tonight" debuted at #23). As of Tuesday, it slipped as low as #180 on iTunes. In simpler terms, Beyoncé was gearing up for her first real, epic flop.

Thankfully (and finally), Beyoncé and her team released the much-anticipated video, which was proceeded by a bunch of teasers that didn't really do anything for her. Much of the video debuted on American Idol, where she was also mentoring for the week. It follows a trend started by judge Jennifer Lopez and her video for "On The Floor", the results of that are still being seen on the iTunes chart. It was a smart move for the diva, who has done promotion so far that makes Britney Spears look like she's breaking her back working.

So, what about the video?

It's directed by Nicholas Lawrence, the brainchild behind Lady Gaga's epic "Bad Romance", and features the megadiva fighting a righteous battle in the desert somewhere. It's the classic battle of the sexes, except with a lot more couture, and animals. Just like other Lawrence videos of late, its visually striking, and Beyoncé has never looked more show-stoppingly gorgeous as she reveals her dark and wild side (well, as much as Beyoncé ever would) to the masses. The choreography is an absolute killer; any doubts about her abilities as a dancer should and must be squashed with this video. Frankly, not much else is going on, but when you're Beyoncé, what more do you need?

With the poor chart performance of the single (which is improving on the video's release), it may not seem like Beyoncé is running the world, but the clip is proof that the pop throne is just waiting for her to sit on it.

My Five Most Anticipated Music Releases of 2011

The new year has arrived, which means a flurry of new music from our favorite artists. Here are the five albums that I will be checking for in the coming twelve months.

5. F.A.M.E. - Chris Brown
If you took away some of the more annoying elements (like his whining about the media and his undeserving braggadocio), Graffiti could have been a great album. However, the past is the past and he is raring and ready to drop his newest album, F.A.M.E., which is an acronym for For All My Enemies (commence the eye-rolling). The excellence of "Yeah 3x" definitely has me interested in what he's going to  produce and whether he can reclaim his chart glory.

4. Yet to be titled - Leona Lewis
Despite the flop that it was, Leona's sophomore album Echo was truly amazing, showing the British diva exhibiting some artistic growth. Her third album is due out this year, with a single in the spring, so I am really excited to see what she can come up with. Hopefully, it won't be a dreary Ryan Tedder ballad and will instead be a bit more uptempo ("Outta My Head" was the biggest missed opportunity ever)

3. Yet to be titled - Britney Spears
Britney Spears is an American institution at this point. Anything she does can garner at least a third page headline worldwide. Her upcoming album, with the release of the first single reportedly this month, is itching to return her to the top of the pop heap. After the #1 success of "3", and the excellent reception of her past two albums Blackout and Circus, it isn't crazy to expect the best from pop's inimitable princess.

2. Yet to be titled - Beyoncé
This decade's answer to Whitney took a much deserved break in 2010, which for her meant starring in the year's best music video and touring the world. However, 2011 marks the return of the woman who brought us the iconic "Single Ladies". Speculating about the content would be quite frankly pointless, since everything Beyoncé touches goes multi-platinum anyway. It would just be best to sit back with your iPod headphones in and enjoy.

1. Born This Way - Lady Gaga
Either the hype will elevate her to megastar status, or destroy her already impressive career. Either way, everyone is already talking about Lady Gaga's outrageously-anticipated third album Born This Way. In fact, she even pissed off fans when she revealed they wouldn't be able to hear her self-proclaimed best record until May. MAY!

What album are you looking forward to the most? Do you think any of these releases are going to flop, disappointment, or excel?

Brandon's Best of....Top Singles of 2010 So Far

Okay, so the halfway point of 2010 was last month, but as the summer winds down and I head back to college in a few weeks, I thought now would be a great time to list my favorite songs of 2010 so far (well, since the end of July). Luckily for me, this was pretty easy.

First, because I realized there were lots of songs I loved, here is my #20 - #11:
20. Breakeven (Falling To Pieces) - The Script
19. I Like It - Enrique Iglesias
18. Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
17. Memories - David Guetta featuring Kid Cudi
16. I Got You - Leona Lewis
15. Ego - The Saturdays
14. Missing You - The Saturdays
13. Hands Tied - Toni Braxton
12. Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
11. Your Love - Nicki Minaj

Now, for the Top 10:


10. Airplanes - B.O.B featuring Hayley Williams
I mostly skipped over his first single with Bruno Mars, so his second single with Paramore's frontwoman is what really got me interested. Between the effortlessness of the chorus and the true lyrics about wishing for a simpler life, "Airplanes" was clear evidence that hip hop could be more than sparse beats and lame rhymes about money and swag.


9. OMG - Usher feat. will.i.am
Was it a sellout move? Usher went the electropop route on his album Raymond v. Raymond, teaming up with BEP frontman will.i.am. Instead of playing like a cheap trick, it was one of the hottest songs of the year, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and saving what would have been a flop era. While it didn't push boundaries with it's lyrics (Boobies? Are we twelve?) but it did remind everyone why Usher was once the biggest male popstar since MJ.


8. Commander - Kelly Rowland
Who knew she had it in her? After the worldwide (a.k.a, outside of the US) success of "When Love Takes Over" last year, the former Destiny's Child member teamed up with David Guetta for "Commander", a full-stop dance-pop smash, instant on first listen. For reasons that are beyond me, she didn't release it to radio in the States, just as the dance-pop fever hit full force.


7. Dancing On My Own - Robyn
The Swedish dance diva delivered a sweet treat for her first single from Body Talk Pt. 1. With it's mournful lyrics paired with pulsating, somber beats, "Dancing on My Own" embodied everyone's fear of lost love and loneliness while on the dancefloor.



6. Love The Way You Lie - Eminem featuring Rihanna
Domestic violence isn't supposed to sound this good. The two music superstars teamed up on a surprisingly personal, visceral, and accessible duet about the truth behind abusive relationships. Currently #1 on the charts, it goes to show that lyrical honesty can make for an amazing pop tune. Plus, Rihanna plus rappers is always guaranteed gold.


5. Find Your Love - Drake
Last year, he set the pop world on fire. This year, he fanned the flames. "Find Your Love" was an unexpected turn for the Canadian rapper. It was sharp, yet sensitive. Pulsing, yet melodic. Fierce, yet tender. Of course, that's because of Kanye's excellent production and Drake's great vocal performance. It made for a true blue pop hit for him and the confirmation that he may be the future of hip-hop.


4. California Gurls - Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg
Pegged as the West Coast answer to "Empire State of Mind", Katy snatched the summer with what may become her signature hit. It's bouncy electropop sound, the cute and clever lyrics, and an excellent cameo from Snoop made this song a #1 hit throughout the dog days of summer. Even with the sweltering heat, Katy made us wish we were all chillin' on the beach, melted popsicles and all.


3. Alejandro - Lady Gaga
So maybe the macabré video killed the vibe of the song a bit, but "Alejandro" was one of the highlights of an album full of them, The Fame Monster. It's ABBA-esque charm and it's tale of unwanted desire made it an excellent soundtrack to the summer. It also showed that seven singles into her career, she shows no sign of stopping her effortless domination of pop music.


2. Telephone - Lady Gaga and Beyoncé
What happens when you put two of the biggest female singer in the world on one track? Um, how about dancefloor heaven? Okay, so not all the time, but the unstoppable duo's second try together yielded much sweeter fruit. Thrown in a colorful, Tarantino-styled music video and you have a pop juggernaut on your hands.


1. All The Lovers - Kylie Minogue
I had been waiting for this song before I even knew I was waiting for it. The Aussie pop princess threw out the baggage of 2007's X and came back with an absolutely epic first single. Part teary-eyed, part euphoric release, and part dancefloor stomper, "All The Lovers" was a goddess send (the album is called Aphrodite after all). After only three months, it is only the eighth song ever to have over 400 plays in my iTunes. It also made me rabid for two months until the release of her equally as epic new album. Kylie is back!

Lady Gaga Owns 2010 MTV Video Music Awards with EIGHTEEN Nominations

Pop behemoth Lady Gaga has proven why she is the new queen of music videos.

Today, the MTV Video Music Award nominations were announced, and Gaga is nominated no less than 18 times for her videos "Bad Romance", "Telephone", and her feature on Beyoncé's "Video Phone". She is nominated for virtually every award she is eligible, including Video of the Year twice. In fact, she is double nominated in five other categories, and triple nominated for Best Choreography. She has broken the record for most nominations in one year by a mile.

With their shared eight nominations, is it possible that Beyoncé and Gaga will perform together on the VMA stage? Here's to hoping.

Eminem's video for "Not Afraid" comes behind Gaga with 8 nominations, including Video of the Year. Beyoncé also scores eight nominations, despite I Am Sasha Fierce being released almost two years ago.

A big nomination surprise comes from Florence + The Machine, who landed a slot in the Video of the Year category for "Dog Days Are Over". Rihanna is majorly snubbed this year, only being nominated for Best Editing for "Rude Boy".

The VMAs will be held on September 12th in Los Angeles.

Below is the full list of nominees:

Best Collaboration
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé - Telephone
3OH!3 featuring Kesha - My First Kiss
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

Best Female Video
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg - California Gurls
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Taylor Swift - Fifteen

Best Male Video
Eminem - Not Afraid
Usher featuring Will.I.Am - OMG
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes
Drake - Find Your Love
Jason Derulo - In My Head

Best Hip Hop Video
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes
Eminem - Not Afraid
Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem - Forever
Jay-Z & Swizz Beats - On To The Next One
Kid Cudi featuring MGMT & Ratatat - Pursuit Of Happiness

Best New Artist
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Jason Derulo - In My Head
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris - Baby
Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett - Massive Attack
Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside

Best Pop Video
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dog - California Gurls
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars - Nothing on You

Best Rock Video
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens
Muse - Uprising
Paramore - Ignorance
Florence + the Machine - Dog Days Are Over
MGMT - Flash Delirium

Best Dance Music Video
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull - I Like It
Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor
David Guetta featuring Akon - Sexy Chick
Usher featuring Will.I.Am - OMG

Video Of The Year
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens
Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé - Telephone
Eminem - Not Afraid
B.o.B. featuring Hayley Williams - Airplanes

Best Art Direction
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over
Eminem - Not Afraid
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)

Best Choreography
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé - Telephone
Beyoncé featuring Lady GaGa - Video Phone (Extended Remix)
Usher featuring Will.I.Am - OMG
Janelle Monáe featuring Big Boi - Tightrope

Best Cinematography
Eminem - Not Afraid
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

Best Direction
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
Pink - Funhouse
30 Seconds To Mars - Kings and Queens

Best Editing
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
Rihanna - Rude Boy
Pink - Funhouse
Miike Snow - Animal

Best SFX
Lady GaGa - Bad Romance
Eminem - Not Afraid
Muse - Uprising
Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Dan Black - Symphonies

Breakthrough Video
Dan Black - Symphonies
Gorillaz featuring Bobby Womack & Mos Def - Stylo
Coldplay - Strawberry Swing
The Black Keys - Tighten Up

Some Notes About... Lady Gaga and Beyonce's "Telephone"

Gaga and Beyonce as murderesses in the 9-minute long "Telephone"

Three months after its announcement as the official second single of the pop epic "The Fame Monster", the highly-anticipated video for Lady Gaga and Beyonce's "Telephone" was released in a double world premiere on E! and VEVO. After three days of salivating over this "true pop event" (as Gaga called it), here are some important things to take away...

1. Comparing it to "Bad Romance" is both pointless and inaccurate
People across the Internet have been using "Bad Romance" as an excuse to blast "Telephone" as a failure. The only problem with this logic is that there are two very different videos. "Bad Romance" was a serious, dramatic, layered video (I mean, Russian sex trafficking?). "Telephone" is clearly a parody of both pop culture and the old western films. Gaga and Bey are having a laugh; you should be too.

1b. That being said...
This video, as enjoyable as it is (take away sleep, I have watched this video non-stop, in virtually setting possible at Trinity College), is not better than "Bad Romance". To be honest, I'm not sure Gaga will be able to top that one anytime soon, and that's not a bad thing. 

2. Gaga loves her product placement
If you thought "Bad Romance" had too much, you'll be shell-shocked by "Telephone". Everything from Diet Coke to Miracle Whip featured a cameo in this video. While it could borderline on irritating, Gaga's use of them all is inventive and hilarious. If I'm being honest, I preferred those cameos to Tyrese Gibson's.

3. Beyonce has been revitalized through this video
Yes, Beyonce is untouchable in many areas of popular music. But thank the Gods for Gaga, because she unveiled as a side of the diva we haven't really seen before: her wacky side. Assuming it was a one-off, Beyonce let loose and clearly had fun with the crazy costumes, dramatic makeup, and the careless murder of harmless diners. It was a joy to watch.

4. "Telephone" is 100 times better than "Video Phone"
Let me take it a step further: Gaga should direct all of Beyonce's videos from now on.

5. The video was smidgen too long
While I nearly died at the prospect of a 10 minute long music video from a post-"Bad Romance" Gaga, the actuality was a bit tiring. I'm sure I'll love the eventual TV edit a lot more (with less prison scenes in particular).

6. The sequel to this video is "Alejandro"
Why? "To be continued"  and it has been confirmed. Here's to hoping for another Gagonce collaboration soon (as in not another freakin' four months).

7. The Gaga/Beyonce diner dance sequence is the best dance sequence I have seen in years
Where else would you see these two pop titans dancing amongst dead people? Epic.

8. Alongside "Bad Romance", Gaga has revived the art of music videos
Sometime after Madonna went British and Michael donned devil ears calling Tommy Mottola evil, the thought disappeared from music videos. Most of them just featured a cheap setting with some pretty good dancing. Thanks to Lady Gaga's headline-grabbing, partially banned music videos, there is a legitimate interest in music videos again. So note to other pop stars: step your game up.

9. "Telephone" is currently, and will continue to be, the best music video of the year
Unless Gaga pulls some next level stuff with "Alejandro" (and hopefully "Dance in the Dark")

10. GAGA AND BEYONCE ATE FROM THE SAME HONEY BUN!!!

Am I the only one totally freaking out/loving this? I mean, it's the closest thing we'll ever get to a Beyonce/Gaga makeout session (unless Gaga pulls some next level stuff on "Alejandro")

 

E! To Premiere Lady Gaga and Beyonce's "Telephone" Music Video

It was revealed last night that entertainment network E! will be premiering the most anticipated music video of the year, Lady Gaga's "Telephone" featuring Beyonce.

The channel, known primarily for its red carpet coverage, Ryan Seacrest, and the Kardashians, will air the much-delayed video during its E! News program at 11:50pm. At 12 midnight, the video will have its internet premiere on VEVO, YouTube's failed music video website. It is expected to be at most ten minutes long.

The video was filmed in late January, and has been subject to multiple changed premiere dates, the latest being today to Thursday. The song, which is the second duet between Gaga and Beyonce, currently sits at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, two spots away from being Gaga sixth consecutive top 10 single.

BWU AWARDS 2009: Gaga's Eight Sweep, Maxwell Surprise

The winners of the BWU Awards 2009 are in, and as expected, Gaga was the true dominator of 2009.

The "Poker Face" singer won eight awards out of her eleven nominations, including the "Big Four": Artist, Single, Video, and Album of the Year. In the Artist of the Year category, Lady Gaga gained 65% of the vote, but it wasn't her highest winning margin. In the Best Pop Artist category, she scored a staggering 81% of the vote, making her tied for the highest vote margin of the year. The other winner to score 81% of the vote was Taylor Swift in the Best Country Single category; she also won Best Country Artist.

"Empire State of Mind" helped Jay-Z and Alicia Keys bring home two awards, for Best Collaboration and Best Hip-Hop Single. Jay-Z won "Best Hip-Hop Artist", upsetting seven-time nominee Drake. He won Best New Artist. Alicia Keys easily took "Best R&B Artist".

The biggest surprise came from R&B's biggest comeback Maxwell. After a seven-year absence, the singer won Best Male Artist and Best Male Single, an award he shares with Kid Cudi's Day 'N' Nite. The Best Male Artist category was another that seemed to be Drake's pocket in the beginning of voting.

Dominating in the rock field was Kings of Leon, who took home Best Rock Single and Artist, as well as upsetting 8-time nominee Black Eyed Peas for Best Group Single.

The Gaga sweep shut out many nominees from award glory. 8-time nominee and comeback queen Whitney Houston was left empty-handed. Beyonce only won Best Female Single, despite getting 9 nominations. Also felled by Gaga's domination were Rihanna and Leona Lewis.

The full winners' list will be posted later tonight, and the new BWU Website will have full coverage of the 2009 Awards, including pictures, percentages, and more at bwu.brandonsbestworst.com.

Behind The Scenes of "Video Phone"

This is better than the actual video!

Beyonce gives her fans a behind-the-scenes look at her video with Lady Gaga, "Video Phone". While I think the video sucks (not enough of Bey and Gaga together, and no real concept), seeing the two of them working together is so cool. Beyonce really is the nicest person in the music industry (and plus, only she can make conrows interesting) and Gaga is really cute when she takes a break from the wacky art stuff.

I know it won't happen, but if they did a duet album, I might just die.

Check the video out here:

Download of the Day (12/01): Telephone by Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé

Remember when Mariah and Whitney did "When You Believe" back in 1998?

Well, this is just a smidgen better. And a lot more fun.

I don't know how (and I don't really care), but some force brought two of the biggest pop stars in the world together for two songs on their albums. Lady Gaga and Beyoncé joined their respective epicness together on the remixed "Video Phone" and "Telephone", off The Fame Monster.

It's been effectively decided that "Video Phone", even with a guesting Gaga, is a colossal dud. "Telephone", on the other hand, is another smash coming from pop's biggest surprise. Even without Queen Bey, this is a fun, feisty pop song about ignoring a lover's calls while dancing in the club. Described as Gaga's "Fear of Commitment" monster (her album's theme is monsters), it brings back the "Just Dance" style that made her a star and updates it to sound a little more R&B (thanks Darkchild).

And then comes Beyoncé.

The undisputed pop queen of the decade brings Sasha Fierce out full-stop in her verses, adding a thick, salivating layer of sass to the song. You could almost envision her shaking the hell out of her weave as she sings (video, NOW). Yet, I woudn't go as far as to say Bey stole anything from Gaga. In fact, to the surprise of most likely many, they work very well together. Their voices are definitely different, but they don't clash at all.

With that said, prepare for Gaga and Beyoncé to take over 2010. Just like they did 2009. They've proven that, together, they are unstoppable.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Beyonce and Lady Gaga Dominate VMA Noms!

The time has come for the MTV Video Music Awards, and the nominations for the September ceremony have just been announced!

Leading the nomination pack are Beyonce and Lady Gaga, who scored a whopping nine nominations each, including Video of the Year and Best Female Video. Beyonce was nominated for "Single Ladies" and Gaga was nominated for "Paparazzi" and "Poker Face". Gaga is also nominated for Best New Artist. Britney, who saw her first VMA success at last year's ceremony, scored seven nominations for her videos "Womanizer" and "Circus".

This year's ceremony will be hosted by last year's controversial host, comedian Russell Brand. The show will air September 13th.


Video Of The Year
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Womanizer'
Eminem - 'We Made You'
Kanye West - 'Love Lockdown'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'

Best Female Video
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Katy Perry - 'Hot N Cold'
Kelly Clarkson - 'My Life Would Suck Without You'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'
P!nk - 'So What'
Taylor Swift - 'You Belong With Me'

Best Male Video
Eminem - 'We Made You'
Jay-Z - 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)'
Kanye West - 'Love Lockdown'
Ne-Yo - 'Miss Independent'
T.I. feat. Rihanna - 'Live Your Life'

Best New Artist
3OH!3 - 'Don't Trust Me'
Asher Roth - 'I Love College'
Drake - 'Best I Ever Had'
Kid Cudi - 'Day N' Nite'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'

Best Hip-Hop Video
Asher Roth - 'I Love College'
Eminem - 'We Made You'
Flo Rida - 'Right Round'
Jay-Z - 'D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)'
Kanye West - 'Love Lockdown'

Best Pop Video
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Womanizer'
Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester -'Good Girls Go Bad'
Lady Gaga - 'Poker Face'
Wisin y Yandel - 'Abusadora'

Best Rock Video
Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida'
Fall Out Boy - 'I Don't Care'
Green Day - '21 Guns'
Kings of Leon - 'Use Somebody'
Paramore - 'Decode'

Breakthrough Video
Anjulie - 'Boom'
Bat for Lashes - 'Daniel'
Chairlift - 'Evident Utensil'
Cold War Kids - 'I've Seen Enough'
Death Cab for Cute - 'Grapevine Fires'
Gnarls Barkley - 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul'
Major Lazer - 'Hold the Line'
Matt and Kim - 'Lessons Learned'
Passion Pit - 'The Reeling'
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - 'Heads Will Roll'

Best Video That Never Won A Moonman
Beastie Boys - 'Sabotage'
Bjork - 'Human Behavior'
David Lee Roth - 'California Girls'
Dr. Dre - 'Nuthin' But a G Thang'
Foo Fighters - 'Everlong'
George Michael - 'Freedom'
OK Go - 'Here It Goes Again'
Radiohead - 'Karma Police'
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - 'Into the Great Wide Open'
U2 - 'Where the Streets Have No Name'

Best Art Direction
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida'
Gnarls Barkley - 'Who's Gonna Save My Soul'
Lady Gaga - 'Paparazzi'

Best Choreography
A.R. Rahm & Pussycat Dolls feat. Nicole Scherzinger - 'Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)'
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake - 'Love Sex Magic'
Kristinia DeBarge - 'Goodbye'

Best Cinematography
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Coldplay - 'Viva La Vida'
Green Day - '21 Guns'
Lady Gaga - 'Paparazzi'

Best Direction
Beyoncé - 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)'
Britney Spears - 'Circus'
Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester - 'Good Girls Go Bad'
Green Day - '21 Guns'

New Music Alert: Releases From Daughtry, Jordin Sparks, Jonas Brothers, Kanye, and Beyonce

It’s looking to be an interesting month for pop music.

Kelly Clarkson won’t be the only Idol alum to fill the radio waves this summer. Two of the most popular contestants are releasing new singles ahead of their summer album releases: Daughtry and Jordin Sparks.

Daughtry, the band fronted by season 4 frontrunner Chris Daughtry, will premiere their single “No Surprise” on this week’s American Idol results show. Their follow-up to their quadruple-platinum debut album is due in June. The week after, season 6 winner Jordin Sparks will debut her new, Ryan Tedder-penned single “Battlefield”, with a radio adds date of May 25th.

Miley Cyrus may seem to be the leader of the teen pop world with her #4 smash “The Climb”, but she may want to hold off on the crowning. Also coming to radio on May 25th is “Paranoid”, the latest single from Jonas Brothers. “Paranoid” is the lead single from their newest album Lines, Vines, and Trying Times, which will be released in June.

Another “Paranoid” single comes from Kanye West, who is reportedly releasing the remix he made with pop princess Rihanna. A video has also been filmed with a release in the future.

Beyonce is preparing another double single release. Like “Single Ladies”/”If I Were a Boy” and “Diva”/”Halo” before, the diva has paired the ballad “Broken-Hearted Girl” and the feisty “Ego” together for a May release. “BHG” will be released to pop radio, while “Ego” goes to Urban stations.

Stay with BWU for the latest in pop music coming your way…

Download of the Day 4/5: "Smash Into You" by Beyonce

The first disc of I Am... Sasha Fierce is chock-full of ballads, quite the curious choice since Beyonce has found the most success in the booty-shaking hip-hop dance field (a.k.a., the second disc).

Many of the ballads aren't very interesting. They're your typical "allow Beyonce fill-in-the-blank minutes to vibrato the song to death" trcks, which can get really boring after a few listens.

However, some of the songs are really something to click repeat on iTunes about. Alongside "If I Were a Boy" and "Halo" is the deluxe edition track "Smash Into You".

The song was originally written for Jon McLaughlin's record OK Now as "Smack Into You". After he rebuffed the track, composers The-Dream and Christophr "Tricky" Stewart gave the song to Beyonce, who made a change to the title to make it her own (a.k.a., get a songwriting credit).

The song being in her hands, of course, meant it was going to be pretty great. Her version, although virtually the same as McLaughlin, has a few more dramatic flourishes as the song progresses to its powerful climax. Remarkably, the flourishes don't come from Beyonce's voice. Instead of ripping the song to shreds as usual, Beyonce restrains herself. While she does allow herself room to interpret the thoughtful lyrics, she doesn't take it to a level where you wonder when her vocal chords are going to bust. Clearly she recognizes the wonderful melody, because she essentially follows it to the tee. Even her power notes near the climax are still held back, allowing the listener to remember why we fell in love with the pop diva years and years ago.

Kudos to Beyonce for realizing that less really is more.

Rating: 8.5/10

Note: "Smash Into You" is available only on the Deluxe Edition of I Am... Sasha Fierce

The Top BWU Chart Songs of 2008 (#10-1)

After 28 weeks of The BWU Chart, its time to see which songs really made their mark in 2008.

Here are the 10 biggest songs of 2008 (see the full list on the BWU Website):

10. The Loving Kind - Girls Aloud (#1 peak, 9 weeks and counting, 347 points)

It would take a pretty big song to dethrone six-week #1 "The Promise". Who better to do it than the Girls themselves? The week their album Out of Control came out, their rumored second single debuted at #1, knocking their current single to #2. After a few weeks of turbulence, a new single mix and video shoved the song back into the top slot, further extending Girls Aloud's #1 reign to an astonishing 10 weeks, more than any artist.





9. If I Were a Boy - Beyonce (#2 peak, 13 weeks and counting, 362 points)
Beyonce's ballad about gender switching made a strong impression on the BWU Chart, spending three weeks at #2 behind "The Promise". The persistent song ending up with six weeks in the Top 10 including a return after three weeks of dropping. Although it lost out in the fight for #1, it goes to show how strength can reap rewards, like a triple platinum certification this past week.






8. Womanizer - Britney Spears (#2 peak, 14 weeks and counting, 366 points)
I don't care how much you hat Britney or pop music, you loved the hook of the song (Boy, don't try to front, I-I know ju-just what you a-are) and you DEFINITELY loved the video (steamy, wet, naked, toned Britney, anyone). Brit's comeback brought her a #2 debut and five weeks in the Top 10. Add this with her first #1 in a decade on the US charts, it's very clear that Britney's "comeback" doesn't need quotations anymore.






7. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) - Beyonce (#3 peak, 13 weeks and counting, 379 points)
While "If I Were a Boy" had a better start, this booty-shaking R&B stomper has stood the test of time. The song with the most YouTubed dance around has spent its entire run so far in the Top 20, outlasting the former single and outpeaking it on the Year-End. I guess people would prefer if Beyonce didn't delve into differences with the sexes after all.







6. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis (#4 peak, 21 weeks, 389 points)
Another song that peaked before the chart began. Still, Leona enjoyed the second longest chart run with Grammy-nominated pop mega-smash. The song put her on the map, and rightfully so, considering how ridiculously huge it was, with four weeks on the top of the US charts and 3 million in downloads. This song was only the beginning for her, and definitely not the last time you will see her on this chart.





5. Just Dance - Lady Gaga (#1 peak, 19 weeks, 402 points)
THIS. SONG. WON'T. DIE. Everytime you think this song's run is over, it just shoots up again. When you have one of the most exciting debuts of the year, it's really not that surprising. GaGa planted her roots on this chart when she spent three weeks at #1 in the late summer, and now, she still doesn't want to leave. Frankly, I don't mind if she doesn't.







4. Hot N Cold - Katy Perry (#3 peak, 19 weeks, 464 points)

This song surprisingly outlasted her debut smash "I Kissed a Girl", but the bouncing pop of this song deserved its chart glory. While it didn't spend one week at the top, it spent a huge 14 weeks in the Top 20. Despite the song's title, this song never went cold on us.







3. Disturbia - Rihanna (#1 peak, 22 weeks, 548 points)
The chart's first ever number one must have a place in the Top 3, right? Yet, it wasn't RiRi's #1 status that placed here. How about her 13-week run in the Top 10? Or, her 22 weeks on the chart in total, tieing her for longest chart run ever? Yeah, this creepy pop monster should definitely be here. All hail Queen Rihanna...







2. Better In Time - Leona Lewis (#1 peak, 22 weeks, 560 points)
Hold that thought for a second. Leona's second single promptly gave her a rightful claim to the throne. The song spent four weeks wallowing in the bottom half of the Top 20 before skyrocketing to #1 and staying there for a month, the longest chart run until another song came along. 18 weeks in the Top 20 allowed this song to surpass "Disturbia" in October to become the most successful chart song in history. But wait...

1. The Promise - Girls Aloud (#1 peak, 15 weeks, 564 points)

Yes, the Girls, this week no less, snatched Leona's crown from her. Girls Aloud's lead single for Out of Control was going to be massive, but even I didn't expect this. A mind-blowing SIX weeks at the top kept songs from Beyonce, Ne-Yo, Britney, and Kings of Leon at bay, making them cool their heels at #2. Even when the 60's style track fell to #2 (by its own hand, of course), it spent a total of ELEVEN weeks in the Top 5 alone. 15 weeks in, it hasn't left the Top 10, and is now the most chart song EVER. So sorry RiRi and LeLe, the true chart queens are Girls Aloud, and the anthem, "The Promise".

Beyonce Performs "The Way We Were" At The Kennedy Center Honors

I know have been hard on Beyonce lately, but this performance definitely helped me soften towards her. The diva performed "The Way We Were" as a tribute to Barbara Streisand, who was being honored by the Kennedy Center.

Her performance was impeccable. Nothing else to say.