November 20, 2001, Enter M!ssundaztood Alecia “P!nk” Moore hit the scene in 2000 with Can’t Take Me Home, her debut album that was largely a pop-tinged R&B affair. Led by the She’kspere produced “There You Go,” plus “Most Girls” and “You Make Me Sick,” P!nk seemed to be yet another addition to a […]
Mariah Carey is so Christmas that she’s been respectably elected as a permanent fixture of the holiday season, right alongside Santa and co. This year, Carey’s annual declaration to the start of the season involved a shattering of pumpkins in full diva mode – a glittering ensemble and a wind machine, […]
Like Whitney, Mariah, and Céline, Adele is a one-name artist, who needs no shock value or theatrics to entertain, but simply a microphone and a stage. With over 120 million records sold worldwide, off of three albums released across a matter of 13 years, Adele has already become one of […]
“Artists are here to disturb the peace,” concludes a James Baldwin quote projected during the extensive opening sequence of Madonna’s Madame X tour. It accompanies a typing silhouette of Madame X herself, and a brilliantly choreographed dancer who falls to a cacophony of gunshots. It’s a strong (and long) opening […]
It was surreal to be at Pier 17 watching Wyclef Jean, Pras, and Ms. Lauryn Hill, AKA the Fugees, standing shoulder-to-shoulder on stage for the first time in 15 years. The trio announced their reunion less than 48 hours prior to taking the stage at what was initially a secret […]
“I want to have fun” Janet Jackson says on the introduction to 2006’s 20 Y.O. The album’s album cover reflects that sentiment. It’s the third consecutive Janet Jackson album to feature a beaming Jackson on the cover. These jovial covers contrast the quad of classics that all feature a more serious […]
By 1981, Aretha Franklin was finding her musical footing again. The 70’s had started strong for Aretha, producing some of the most significant work of her career, but they ended dismally. After departing Atlantic Records for Clive Davis’ Arista Records at the turn of the decade, Aretha opted for a […]
In 2009, Maxwell made a triumphant and long-awaited return to music with BLACKsummers’night, his first album in 8 years. The melancholic lead single “Pretty Wings” soared, proving that Maxwell just gets better with time. To the delight of fans, he announced that BLACKsummers’night was the first installment in a trilogy […]
What You See Is What You Sweat isn’t at the forefront of the Aretha Franklin canon. In fact, the 1991 album helps bring up the rear, and there’s been very little written on it since its release. It’s just not a solid representation of the tenacity of Aretha Franklin musically […]
I still remember excitedly hurrying down to my hometown Sam Goody in July 2001. I was 11. The copies of Mariah Carey’s new single “Loverboy” were in stock and I was getting mine. It was my first full album cycle as a Mariah fan, and I was prepared to devour […]
