Rewind back to summer 2010 when Katy Perry was back with a new album, Teenage Dream, and once again on top of the charts ruling the world with another smash summer anthem “California Gurls.” Fitting to help rep the West Coast, Snoop Dogg joined Perry’s response to 2009’s East Coast anthem “Empire State Of Mind,” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

That was only the beginning. “Gurls” wasn’t the only song trying to claim song of summer 2010’s title by her. The title track from Katy Perry’s new album Teenage Dream was also blazing up the charts vying for the honor. Perry was back better than ever and once again on top of her candy coated world of infectiously sweet pop mega hits.

August 24th marks the anniversary of when Katy’s career defining Dream was released via Capitol Records as her second major label album (Katy Hudson dropped a self titled indie Christian Rock album in 2001). In its first week, Teenage Dream debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 selling 192,000 copies.

Both summer smashes went on to top the Billboard Hot 100 and kicked off an era that couldn’t be considered anybody’s sophomore slump.

While a lot of Teenage Dream’s success could partially be contributed to hit factory producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin (also executive producers alongside Perry), it wasn’t just her Luke/Martin collaborations that the world ate up. “Firework” became the inspirational Winter hit that helped propel the album’s success way into 2011. Not to mention, it garnered Perry a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year, only losing out to Adele’s monstrous “Rolling in the Deep” at the 54th GRAMMYs in 2013.

In an effort to introduce new life to the fan favorite album cut “E.T.,” Perry enlisted Kanye West (despite her 2009 Taylor Swift defense tweet: “FUCK U KANYE. IT’S LIKE U STEPPED 0N A KITTEN.”) to add two verses to the single edit. It’s no surprise that with double the star power “E.T.” became the fourth number 1 hit from Teenage Dream. Even zany Ye lyrics “Pockets on Shrek, rockets on deck/Tell me what’s next? Alien sex/I’mma disrobe you/ Then I’mma probe you,“ couldn’t stall the futuristic tune’s chart trek.

How do you top that? One way might be to enlist an all star cast full of characters including Katy’s own Kathy Beth Terry, viral “Friday” phenomenon Rebecca Black, 80’s pop star Debbie Gibson, child actor Corey Feldman, and Kenny G to name a few who make cameos in her sitcom-like video for “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” An album standout upon release a year prior, positioned perfectly for a summer release in 2011 with the epic video, later paired with a Missy Elliott remix and you have Perry’s fifth consecutive number one hit from the same body of work. Perry became the first woman to notch five number ones from one album, putting Katy in the history books alongside Michael Jackson (for his 1987 album, Bad).

Katy’s Dream wasn’t over just yet; there was even more success to come, if you can believe it! Due to the album’s momentum, a sixth single “The One That Got Away” was released and it managed to peak in the Top 5 (no. 3) and bring it’s parent album, released in August 2010, into 2012. Extraordinarily impressive!

At this point you might imagine after a super successful album campaign plus world tour, the California Dreams Tour (February 2011-January 2012), Katy Perry might want a break. Nope, that wasn’t the case at all!

2012 saw a re-release of the mega successful album as, Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, in the works with “Part Of Me,” leading the newly reworked set. The new single officially premiered at the 54th GRAMMY Awards in 2013, and became the twentieth song to debut at number 1 on the Hot 100, and Perry’s 7th number one.

But wait, there’s even more! Katy Perry was working on an autobiographical film Katy Perry: Part Of Me, assisted by the mid-tempo Luke/Martin ballad “Wide Awake.” The track managed to peak at number 2, only held from the top spot due to the inescapable summer 2012 staple “Call Me Maybe.” In addition, Katy ended up snagging a 54th Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance, sadly once again losing to an Adele track: “Set Fire To The Rain.”

Nearly two years to the day of its release you might have thought you heard all Teenage Dream had to offer. Not quite the case. Truly it’s one of the greatest Pop albums of the 2010s. Despite having eight Top 5 singles, the album still boasts more tunes with comparable hit potential.

Most notably, the Tricky Stewart produced “Hummingbird Heartbeat” could have been the perfect sequel song to the album’s second single and title cut. Or perhaps the audacious “Peacock,” which brings Katy back to her more controversially sly lyrics (akin to her 2008 summer smash “I Kissed A Girl”). While she isn’t known for her strength in ballads (see “Thinking Of You” from One Of The Boys stalling at number 29) “Not Like The Movies,” wraps up the standard LP beautifully while showcasing the depth and range of Katy’s talent as both a songwriter and vocalist.

When you look back on how Katy Perry dominated the first few years of the decade off of one album alone, it’s hard not to consider Teenage Dream one of the top Pop albums the 2010s had to offer. With seven GRAMMY nominations, including Album Of The Year, movie quality epics presented as music videos (MTV’s VMAs will definitely have to award Katy Perry her very own Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award one day), a tour grossing $59.5 million, plus 8 massive singles peaking in the Hot 100’s Top 3 (6 hitting number 1) it’s unquestionable that Katy Perry’s legacy as a superstar was more than just a dream; this album cemented her place in the Pop music history books forever.

LISTEN TO Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream

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In the business of hit-making, there’s no monkeying around! With the release of their fourth studio album Monkey Business, The Black Eyed Peas proved they had lasting power. “Turn up the radio, blast your stereo right!” is exactly what will.i.am, Fergie, apl.de.ap and Taboo said on “Pump It” and had fans doing on this day in 2005 when their infectious jams were in heavy rotation.

Phunking on Top

Setting off the second Fergie-Peas era was the slightly comedic/funky hip pop/dance hit “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” sometimes censored as “Don’t Mess With My Heart” on radio. Still, even the play on words couldn’t stall the Peas from reaching the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 5 and going on to win them their second Grammy Award.

True to Peas form they brought in heavy hitter collaborators, including Godfather of Soul James Brown (“They Don’t Want Music”). Critically acclaimed Hip Hop and R&B talents Q-Tip, Talib Kweli, CeeLo, and John Legend joined them on “Like That.” Plus they ruined with “Where Is The Love?” crooner Justin Timberlake for the Timbaland produced “My Style.”

The Rise of Fergie

Though if 2005’s Monkey Business LP proved anything for The Black Eyed Peas it was that Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson could truly lead a BEP song and stand as a solo star in her own right. The Fergie led track “My Humps” went on to peak at number 3 on the Hot 100 and win The Black Eyed Peas their third Grammy in as many years. Prematurely ending the chart run of second single “Don’t Lie” when it began getting unsolicited radio airplay, the cheeky was the album’s third single. Originally intended for The Pussycat Dolls, will.i.am clearly recognized the song’s hit potential and kept it; effectively making Fergie a star and giving Nicole’s group (and himself) a top 20 hit with “Beep.”

It’s no surprise that less than a year later Fergie ended up releasing her first solo single “London Bridge.” Her debut solo album The Dutchess went on to be certified 5X Platinum and yield three number one hits, including the aforementioned lead single. Fergie’s status as a solo star only elevated status of the The Black Eyed Peas.

Sonic Showcases

Aside from catapulting Fergie to solo superstar status, The Black Eyed Peas 4th body of work continued to showcase how genreless the Peas could be and how vast their influences were. “Ba Bump” showcases the groups fond love for their core base, Hip-Hop. apl.de.ap shows love to the Philippines and his life growing up during the dance floor ready “Bebot” (Filipino slang for babe). The band’s unifying tone returns for “Union” featuring Sting, which interpolates the jazzy reggae vibe of his 1988 single “Englishman In New York.”

Pumped Up Peas

“The energy never died,” track after track, as the infectious dance hit “Pump It” capped off the album’s singles, ending the era on a high just as “Let’s Get It Started” did for Elephunk. It was the perfect end to make listeners crave more BEP jams!

The hits Monkey Business produced perfectly positioned The Black Eyed Peas to dominate the music world when they returned. Even though fans had to wait until 2009 for new music, the band toured during the years in-between to build anticipation.

Its the steady climb from Elephunk to Monkey Business to what may be peak Peas during The E.N.D. that allowed the most recognized incarnation of the band to perform all over the world, break records, win three more Grammy’s and even headline the 2011 Super Bowl XLV Halftime Show. Not bad for Monkey Business!

Listen to Monkey Business by The Black Eyed Peas

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“Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Hurry up and come and save me!” That’s pretty much what Gwen Stefani did for pop music with her debut solo album in 2004.

Riding off of her earlier success, which included ruling the mid 90s and beyond with her multi-platinum certified band No Doubt, joining forces with dance music pioneer Moby for “South Side,” and her Grammy winning collaboration with Eve in 2001 (“Let Me Blow Ya Mind”), it was obvious what Gwen Stefani had to do next to progress her musical evolution.

If Gwen’s solo debut album taught the world anything, it’s how to spell bananas correctly. Pharrel Williams and Chad Hugo reunited with Stefani on The Neptunes-produced number 1 smash hit single “Hollaback Girl,” that had everybody chanting “this shit is bananas b-a-n-a-n-a-s!”

However that wasn’t the only reunion on the RIAA 5x platinum certified LP. “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” partners Dr. Dre and Eve rejoin Gwen on “Rich Girl,” plus No Doubt member and ex Tony Kanal hops on to help cowrite and produce “Serious,” and later album singles “Crash,” and “Luxurious,” which featured Houston rapper Slim Thug on its remix.

Stripping down the glitz and glamor of this Harajuku infused Gwen Stefani era, the No Doubt front woman crafted one of her most intimate songs to date, the 80’s inspired “Cool.” Cowritten by Stefani, the song speaks about a journey to forgiveness and continued friendship with an ex, in her case No Doubt’s Tony Kanal, and how they are in fact still cool with each other despite the dissolution of their intimate relationship.

Following the massive success as No Doubt’s front woman, it’s safe to classify Love. Angel. Music. Baby. as yet another storied start and new chapter in the book of Gwen Stefani’s music career and life on top. Even artists like Fergie and Lady Gaga may have utilized some of Gwen’s magic to aid their own solo careers in the years that followed. Gwen’s 2004 album proved she could experiment with pop, hip hop, dance, and fashion that managed to achieve chart success while expanding her ska/rock 90s roots. With the recent boom of rock documentaries, its unquestionable that we should be seeing one about Gwen Renée Stefani in due time! Tick-tock, tick-tock…What you waiting for?

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Believe it or not, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga to the world has been making her little monsters ecstatic since 2008! This week marks the anniversary of the release of her second body of work The Fame Monster, originally slated as an EP, but in many markets regarded as the deluxe reissue of her 3x platinum debut album The Fame (released in August 2008).

THE FAME MONSTER

The eight track set was led by the quotable smash hit single “Bad Romance,” which helped continue the evolution of all things Gaga including another explosive cinematic music video, innovative fashion, and vigorous choreography. To this day, fans and critics regard “Romance” as one of Gaga’s signature songs and, quite possibly, the one that cemented her Pop legacy.

If that wasn’t enough, pop megastar Beyoncé teamed up with Lady Gaga for a second time on this project. Following their “Video Phone” collaboration, the pair opted for a more classic “Telephone” instead, to help continue the hot streak of consecutive  Hot 100 top 10 hits for Gaga, certifying her as the next big pop star to hit the scene. A force which would endure and only grow into new heights during the following years.

Whether the 90s Ace Of Base vibes on the RedOne produced “Alejandro,” or the 80s synthpop inspired “Dance In The Dark,” Lady Gaga managed to not only prove that she wasn’t a fluke of the times, but that she was destined to be a bonafide star thanks to these eight unique, yet still cohesive tracks with the catchy melodies and hooks and her quirky songwriting style.

Moreover, the Monster era was also the peak of Gaga as a visual artist. The music videos for “Bad Romance,” “Telephone” and “Alejandro” are considered the reason why music videos became relevant again and why most artists started putting more effort into the production values of their videos and gathering larger budgets. Lady Gaga brought back the music video as a form of artistic expression, not just a mere accompaniment to the song, in a way that had not been since the inception of MTV in the 1980s.

It is safe to say that The Fame Monster still holds up as one of, if not the best body of work from Lady Gaga to date; whether you consider it as a standalone EP or as an extended version of her solo debut.

Mother Monster’s early work has managed to stand the test of time and undoubtedly will for many years to come as a pioneering album in the early 2010s electro-infused pop music scene.

LISTEN & RELIVE ‘THE FAME MONSTER’

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Camila Cabello had quite a lead up to releasing her solo debut album. Formerly (and dramatically) titled The Hurting. The Healing. The Loving, the album rollout began in mid-2017 with a series of false starts. However, Camila’s road to solo stardom began years ago. Fans initially foresaw solo potential in Camila when she joined Shawn Mendes on his 2015 hit “I Know What You Did Last Summer”.

Ups and downs continued for the Fifth Harmony vocalist. She announced her departure from the group in December 2016, right as her Machine Gun Kelly duet “Bad Things” was blowing up. Had Camila prematurely outgrown her X Factor bandmates? Just that past summer, the quintet achieved their biggest hit single “Work From Home.”

Fast-forward through much of 2017. Singles like the Sia-penned  “Crying In The Club”, “I Have Questions” and “OMG” led to a number of false starts. However, she finally found her footing in “Havana” with Young Thug (released alongside “OMG” in August). “Havana” finally generated enough steam and became her newly retitled Camila’s first single.

Camila

OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder and “Hands To Myself” co-writer Justin Tranter lend Camila a potential smash with seductive jam “Into It”. The song could easily be Selena Gomez’s “Hands” 2.0!

The Island leanings and Latin vibes of “Havana” reappear throughout the album. The Skrillex produced “She Loves Control” finds Camila proclaim “She loves control/She wants it her way/And all it takes is just one taste/You wanna give it up.” “Inside Out” could easily house a Drake verse/remix to make a perfect summer jam.

Cabello slows down the vibe on much of the album too. Prefer the softer side of her like second single “Never Be The Same,” or perhaps 2017’s promo single “I Have Questions”? The stripped back piano ballad “Consequences” and the haunting “Something’s Gotta Give” are perfect, and explore the depth of Camila.

Despite the lengthy start-stop-go build up, Camila stays on the safe side. She doesn’t step far outside her comfort zone or tackle areas her contemporaries (Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and co.) haven’t already mastered. Perhaps the most impressive feat of this solo album is that it truly is (Young Thug feature aside), a solo album. Here’s to hoping she made the best decision for herself in the long run.

Score:
65 / 97

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Once again graduation season is coming to a close. Hats off to the Class of 2017, the latest crop of grads, you did it!

Can you believe it, it’s been 10 years since the graduating Class of 2007 walked across the stage in their cap and gown to receive their diplomas or degrees?!

So let’s take a moment a go down memory lane, and remember some of the biggest hits that the Class of 2007 was jamming out to back during their 2006-2007 school year!

Fergie and Ludacris, “Glamorous”

Justin Timberlake and T.I., “My Love”

Beyoncé, “Irreplaceable”

MIMS, “This Is Why I’m Hot”

Gwen Stefani and Akon, “The Sweet Escape”

Pretty Ricky, “On The Hotline”

Nelly Furtado, “Say It Right”

Jibbs, “Chain Hang Low”

Rihanna and Jay-Z, “Umbrella”

Shop Boyz, “Party Like A Rockstar”

Gym Class Heroes and Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, “Cupid’s Chokehold”

Danity Kane and Yung Joc, “Show Stopper”

Definitely a great year of music! Which songs from the 2016-2017 school year will we be remembering come a decade from now, during the graduation 2027 season?

The post A Year in Music: The Class of 2007… A Decade Later appeared first on THE 97.

Rewind back to 2001. Hip Hop and R&B collaborations were at an all time peak in popularity. Murder Inc was the record label spearheading a major part of this movement with their star act Ja Rule. It made sense to expand, and sign a female R&B singer. Paring an established Ja Rule with an up and coming 21 year old Ashanti on “Always On Time” was perfect for the music climate. The duet eventually hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song continued to elevate Ja Rule’s popularity, and jumpstarted the career of Murder Inc’s own Princess of Hip Hop and R&B, Ashanti.

Foolish

Amped and ready for the solo scene, Ashanti dropped her debut single, “Foolish,” in January of 2002. The song took listeners back to the 80s thanks to a DeBarge sample, with an added Hip Hop flare due to The Notorious B.I.G.’s use of the melody in the mid 90s. Paired with Ashanti’s vocal the song shot to number 1 on the Hot 100 and stayed there for ten consecutive weeks!

The following month Ashanti was featured on Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?” single which became another Top 10 hit for her, only to be stalled at number two by her own single “Foolish”. The two hit singles along with “Always On Time,” allowed Ashanti became the first artist since the 1970s to have three singles in the Hot 100 simultaneously. During summer that year, her Murder Inc collaboration “Down 4 U” (with Ja Rule, Vita, and Charli Baltimore) also managed to become a massive hit and even peak in the Top 10.

Gold

Following the album’s first week of release, another record was won by Murder Inc’s very own Princess. Ashanti’s album sold a whopping 503,000 copies, easily debuting atop the Billboard 200. This made Ashanti earn the Guinness World Record title for the Fastest Selling Debut for a female artist!

Subsequent singles from the monumental album “Happy,” and “Baby” managed to become staples on popular video countdowns such as 106 & Park and radio as well becoming Top 20 hits and helping the album sell over 3.6 million copies in her native, the United States.

Ashanti and Murder Inc had a winning formula. Branding Ashanti as an artist who could fit the sweet and personable role when needed, but also roll with the tough guys and fit in as well. Pairing this with the fact “Hip Hop and R&B” a a collaborative genre was exploding, only allowed for Ashanti to corner in on the market and win repeatedly! A genius plan by label head Irv Gotti who timed the exploitation of Ashanti precisely and perfectly.

Right place, right time, right exposure, Ashanti’s relatable debut album connected with its target audience. Teens and 20 somethings ate it up. To date many fans still regard her debut LP as her best body of work and their personal favorite.

Still Reigning

Ashanti’s self titled debut album solidified her as a force to be reckoned with. In a vast field of young contemporary R&B/Pop vocalists who had there fair share of time as a “hook girl,” Ashanti proved herself. She could hold down a hook with the best but that she could also sell a song, and album, all by herself.

15 years after the release of her debut album Ashanti continues her reign. She tours the world, writes her own music, and now releases music on the independent circuit; her own label, Written Entertainment. The groundwork and blueprint Ashanti left would be a path any new artist should love to have.

Even a decade and half later, this Grammy Award winning album by Ashanti will certainly be one we keep on running back to, for years to come!

Listen to Ashanti’s debut album:

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On the Tropical House tune “It Ain’t Me,” Selena reminisces about a past relationship that has since expired. She coos, “I had a dream/we were back to seventeen/summer nights and the liberties/never growing up.” All before questioning who’s going to be there for her former beau when they need her the most, because frankly “it ain’t me,” Gomez proclaims on the sassy kiss-off.

Hearing the lyrical content of the song while knowing her current love life (recently she has been linked to Canadian Alt-R&B star The Weeknd), it makes you wonder if its actually semi-autobiographical. Selena Gomez co-wrote “It Ain’t Me,” and has had a widely publicized on/off relationship with Canadian Pop superstar Justin Bieber. The Biebs hasn’t exactly responded well to news of his former girl going public with his musical peer.

One thing is for sure, if you have continued public interest with all things Selena, a new power-couple blooming, plus new music just in time for Spring, all could certainly add up to a massive hit for Kygo and Gomez. Expect “It Ain’t Me” to become another hit song for Selena and help her delve further into the EDM realm come time she drops her third studio album. An album likely due out this year if we follow her past release schedule (2013, 2015, 2017?).

Rating:

75/97

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Follow The Chained Disco Balls

Give it up for Capitol Records. Once again they pulled off a unique global marketing campaign, this time announcing new Katy Perry music. Mid-week around the world, chained disco balls appeared, granting fans an early access preview to the new Perry single, “Chained To The Rhythm”. If you found one of the chained disco balls, all you had to do was insert your headphones.

Fast forward to today, and the entire world got to hear “Chained To The Rhythm” in full! When you first listen, “Chained To The Rhythm,” is light and airy, your average modern Trop-House/Pop Dance hit. Think “Sorry,” “Cheap Thrills,” the list goes on. Take some more time though, dissect the lyrical content of the Perry/Max Martin/Sia co-penned track and it tells a whole different, deeper story. A hopeful Perry questions, “Are we tone deaf?/Keep sweeping it under the mat/Thought we could do better than that/I hope we can.”

Is she speaking about the current state of the world due to the recent divisive nature? Absolutely! She even brings along Skip Marley for additional wise words and added crossover Reggae flavor.

Perry recently changed her Twitter bio to “Artist. Activist. Conscious.” The woke Katy Perry is officially upon us. We knew she wasn’t afraid to roar, and fight for equality among all, but now she is set to rise and rebel against the rhythm we all shan’t be chained to!

However, be on the look out for a possible future tweet tirade from the new leader of the free world. After all, he seems to be chained to his Twitter. Grab your popcorn as political Perry arrives in full force!

Grade:
85/97

Stream “Chained To The Rhythm” below:

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Earlier this week Fergie touted something was in the very near future. Something that was ready for release on 11/11. What wasn’t known then, was if it was a new single, music video, or her entire forthcoming anticipated album!

Turns out it was a single, titled “Life Goes On,” strategically released after the 2016 presidential election’s results; which seemed to shock many. However as the lyrics say, “Life goes on, with or without you/It’s up to you, what you gonna do/You could go, or you could stay.” The choice is ours fellow American and global citizens.

“Life” finds Fergie cooing alongside a Tropical House infused Pop melody that would have been perfect as a summer single. Though perhaps Interscope is going for this season’s Trop-House smash like last year’s “Sorry,” which carried Bieber into 2016, notching him a second #1 hit.

Fergie Ferg even spices up the Island themed tune with a rap verse to keep the song exciting. The Black Eyed Peas front woman encourages everyone to, “Go crazy, go insane, go for everything/Get the money, dollar bills in your wallet, say cha-ching/Sign the deal-y, make a milli, sound famili[ar].”

It’s clear to see why “Life Goes On,” was selected as the new Fergie single. It has everything that “M.I.L.F. $” seemed to lack. A modern radio ready beat, an uplifting timely relatable message, mixed with the super chill, down ass chick vibe that Fergie brought to her debut album. With proper promo, plus a push at radio, this may be the life Fergie needs to finally launch Double Dutchess (her decade in the waiting making sophomore LP) for the world to consume!

GRADE:

85/97

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