MANILA, Philippines--The current charts are a refreshing synthesis of mixed genres that put a premium on rich, fetching melodies over heavily engineered rhythms.
Happily, the trend is slowly ?reformatting? the hip-hop-heavy landscape of pop music?with Michael Bubl?s jazzy standards, Susan Boyle?s old-fashioned tunes, Taylor Swift?s country-tinged love songs, and Lady Gaga?s catchy dance tracks leading the way. Some hard-to-ignore releases:
With ?Animal,? Kesha finally ended Susan Boyle?s long reign at the top of Billboard 200 early this year?and accomplished what many established recording stars like Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Adam Lambert and Mary J. Blige couldn?t manage. The album?s carrier single, ?Tik Tok,? recently became the longest-running No. 1 debut single by a female artist since Debby Boone?s inspirational 1977 hit, ?You Light Up My Life.?
Soundtrack
Taylor Swift continues her winning streak with the release of the ?Valentine?s Day? soundtrack that features ?Jump Then Fall? and the Hot 100 chart-topper, ?Today Was A Fairytale,? which shows off the country superstar?s maturing vocal timber and those familiar,
tweener-baiting lyrics: ?Today was a fairy tale/ You were the prince/ I used to be a damsel in distress/ You told me I was pretty when I looked like a mess??
Josh Turner is also making waves with his No. 1 crossover single, ?Why Don?t We Just Dance?,? which successfully harnesses the country singer?s deep-bass vocals to bring out the playful spirit of his honky-tonk dance music.
Groundbreaking ballad
In 1985, USA for Africa (that included, among others, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Bette Midler, Kenny Rogers and Tina Turner) recorded Jackson and Lionel Richie?s groundbreaking ballad, ?We Are the World,? and raised funds for African famine relief.
Now, 25 years later, Artists for Haiti use star power and nostalgia to raise money for the earthquake-devastated country?by reviving the charity song, this time, with rap music and updated lyrics.
In the remake, archival material of Michael from the 1985 recording is used to allow his sister, Janet, to ?sing? a duet with him. They?re joined by more than 70 singers and celebrities, including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Josh Groban, Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr., Jason Mraz, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Jamie Foxx, Enrique Iglesias, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Nicole Scherzinger, Jordin Sparks, Akon, LL Cool J, Carlos Santana, Kanye West, the Black Eyed Peas, and Jeff Bridges.
Adam Young frontlines the synth-pop band, Owl City, and makes his jump from MySpace to electro-rock musical stardom via the album, ?Ocean Eyes.? The group is riding high with the success of its No. 1 tune, ?Fireflies,? as well as the robot-sounding crowd-pleasers, ?Hello, Seattle,? ?Meteor Shower? and ?The Saltwater Room.?
Australian singer-songwriter, Daniel Merriweather, also has a musical ace up his sleeve: His second hit album, ?Love & War,? contains the brilliant cut, ?Change,? in which he collaborates with rapper, Wale, in a song that demonstrates how a rousing hip-hop beat further enhances spotless singing, a hip-swaying melody and thought-provoking lyrics. The British girl group, The Saturdays, will likewise get you moving on the dance floor with the No. 2 hit, ?Forever is Over,? the lead single of their latest album, ?Wordshaker.?
In Jaheim?s latest collection, ?Another Round,? the 31-year-old R&B singer waxes ?Ain?t Leavin? Without You,? a groovesome R&B/jazz hybrid that takes full advantage of his soulful baritone-bass to breathe musical life into its sampling of George Benson?s ?Gimme The Night.? You can?t get any sexier than this.
