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I'm sorry guys but she sounds horrible. I mean she always sounds strained but I even went to Alicia Keys' As I Am tour and she sounded fine but this one is a no-go.
What do you think? Drop your comments below!
Your first huge hit with Destiny's Child – Independent Women – was released in 2000. Have you changed over the past 10 years?
Absolutely, yes. Eighteen years old. I was a baby. When our first single came out I was 15. My lyrics, and my goals, are completely different now. In the beginning, I was so happy to be in a studio and so hungry for us just to sell half a million records. Now I want to create something that I'll be proud of 20, 30, 40 years from now – something that will last beyond me. The things that used to excite me just don't any more. I'm always trying to challenge myself.
You've just come back from China on the latest leg of your tour. They must know who you are there...
Wow. The whole experience was pretty overwhelming. I just didn't expect there to be so many photographers and so much media outside [when I arrived]. It was midnight, and they were really excited. To be able to travel the world, especially to places I never thought I'd be... it's really, you know, still fascinating for me.
It's possibly surprising that for someone who comes out of contemporary R&B and hip-hop, your live shows are incredible.
I really believe that when I perform live, I'm the strongest [that I am]. My hand is in everything – from the styling to the designing of the lights to the set list and all the little segues ways. And all of these things take so much time. For the first five or six months of this tour, I'd watch the show back every night, just to tweak and make things a little tighter. I think there's always room for improvement.
Similarly, your records push the boundaries...
I did a lot of things differently this time with my album. A lot of it was [recorded] live, less production with the vocals, I didn't do as many arrangements... that was with the I Am side. Then with the Sasha Fierce side, I tried to do things that were, sonically, a little more modern and a little more electronic. A little bit. But still mixed in with my drum loops. You know, I feel like the only way I can be around as long as I pray that I can be around is to always push the envelope. And it's really exciting that now people are allowing music to just be music... and R&B and hip-hop artists are collaborating with different types of artists. Hopefully we can just continue to grow and just step outside of hip-hop or rap or rock or whatever and it can all just be good music.
You told Forbes magazine: "I've worked too hard and sacrificed too much to do something silly that would mess up the brand I've created all of these years." What have you sacrificed?
I just sacrificed... life. Being able to walk down the street and being able to make mistakes and not have it recorded for ever... being able to have regular relationships and dates... just regular, normal things that people probably don't even think about. Sometimes it's hard.
I was in Egypt yesterday and visited the pyramids and it was so spiritual and beautiful. But then I had the news cameras and the paparazzi that follow me and.... it's really odd sometimes. I haven't had longer than a couple of months off ever in my life, since I was 15. So it's those type of things. But I was raised that anything that's worth anything takes a lot of sacrifice. And when anything is too easy for me I get scared.
You've always kept quiet about your relationship with Jay-Z. Does it seem strange to you that other stars will share the details of their private lives with the public?
It doesn't seem strange at all. It actually seems like the natural thing to do because you're being yourself and people ask and people are interested... But I never wanted to be famous for my personal life. I wanted to be famous for my music and my talent, and I always wished I could cut it out when I left the stage. And Jay was private before I met him. It was just who we were. Even before we were celebrities.
It must be quite irritating for you that you're not the most powerful African-American couple in the world any more…
That is hilarious. Absolutely not! Thank God for that couple.
You sang for the president and his wife for their first dance at their first inauguration ball. What was that like?
I just can't believe I was part of that moment. Everyone had chills, everyone had tears and you could see everyone's admiration for the president. And my admiration: I could barely sing. I still get chills when I meet them.
It felt like the country was heading down a pretty dark tunnel with the previous president.
I'm just happy for the day! I think so many people are more interested in politics and so many young people feel like they were spoken to and we're all a part of the country. And I think the perception of African-Americans has changed so much.
Just to return to the Forbes quote: what is the Beyoncé brand?
I don't really like to call myself a brand and I don't like to think of myself as a brand. I'm a singer, a songwriter, a musician and a performer. And an actress, and all the other things that I do. When you add it all together, some might call it a brand but that's not my focus. My focus is my art and that's what I love to do. I have to be really passionate in order to do something. I've turned down many things that I just didn't believe in.
What do you think about shows like American Idol which have taken over the airwaves?
I don't watch much television but I've watched those shows and I've cried, I've welled up, I'm like, "Oh my God, I hope they win, I hope they get a chance!" And me being from Houston, Texas, there weren't many outlets for me and for the girls [in Destiny's Child]. But don't they perpetuate an idea that fame is just handed to you?
There's always a new artist that people are fascinated with, and I think becoming famous is not so hard any more but staying... and I don't even like the word famous... staying a celebrity is not so easy, especially now that people have access to celebrities even when they don't want you to. In the end you have to have some kind of talent. When you think about Michael Jackson and Prince, back in the day when they were mysterious... that mystery was attractive and now it's hard to have that.
So what happens next? Is your diary already filled for the next decade?
I usually know what I'm going to do within a year. I have the next year planned out. But for the first time ever, after a couple of dates in February and a couple of award shows, I promised myself that that it's time to smell the roses. I'm going to take – hopefully – a couple of months off. I'm not going to plan anything. I'll perhaps take some art classes, I'll visit some museums and I'll check out some shows on Broadway. I'd like to travel somewhere – maybe back to Egypt – without anyone, without any security, and focus on things I've always wanted to do myself.
Is there anyone left you'd still like to record with?
Oh, where do I begin? There's so many people I'd like to work with still, but I'd like to maybe go outside of the box. My sister [Solange] has put me on to bands like [indie group] Of Montreal and some other different types of artists. I would love to do something like that on my next album.
And starting a dynasty?
I don't know. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. I still have time for myself. I've worked so hard and I need to relax and make sure I'm ready for that and I don't think I am. But knowing I have time off... I don't even know how to feel about that. I'm so excited.
Listen Memoirs remix lp february...no date set working on target exclusive.
RIHANNA has revealed her Christmas wish-list for 2009 – “great food and great sex”.
The singer has avoided the dating scene since ex-boyfriend CHRIS BROWN brutally assaulted her back in February.
But she admits she’s itching for some action between the sheets – and some of her mum’s spicy beef stew – as the festive season approaches.
When asked what she wants this Christmas, Rihanna responded:
“Some great food and some great sex.
“That’s not too much to ask, right? The sex might be a little difficult but definitely my mum is coming to cook me some food.
Teen pop sensation MILEY CYRUS dreams of following in the footsteps of her idol BEYONCE - because the R&B superstar is the "ultimate woman".
Cyrus, best known for playing her Disney alter-ego Hannah Montana on the small screen and concert stage, has now launched a pop career in her own right.
And the ambitious 17 year old hopes her success will match that of the Halo hitmaker - and help her finally elude the tabloids that are more interested in her personal life.
She tells America's Seventeen magazine,
'I want to be like Beyoncé. She is the ultimate woman. You look at her and you don't think, I wonder what her personal life is like. You look at her and you go, That girl on the stage is a superstar. You don't care about anything else; you only care about her music. So I would hope that would be me in the future.'
I think she just wants to stay relevent, she is probably scares she doesnt have anough star power like Britney. [...] Anyway I can’t wait to see Britney and Xtina to shut her down.
I think she’s making a wise move in terms of her career because pop stars today are so disposable, and if she takes a minute off somebody could easily come and take her place.
NOOO!!!! my worst nightmare!!! she’s releasing another crappy album! She NEEDS TO GO AWAYYYYYY!!! OMG this is some greedyyyy asss woman.. seriously! what is so good about her? her only decent album was B’Day and Crazy In Love.. But she is really gettin on my nerves. WE GET IT. U like the exposure. y does she feel the need to be in our faces 24/7! I like the fact that Britney does the same in a better way! she releases her shit and goes away shes not in EVERY fucking TV show promoting and blah blah and still manages to do well! this bitch needs to be everywhere to do well! YES OR NO???
I love me some Bee but she seriously needs to take a break so people can actually miss her.
I'm getting tired of seeing her everywhere...
I’m excited for another album so soon, but still Beyonce needs time for herself too. Enjoy your husband and start a family or enjoy just being a wife. Then come back after living life a little.
CAREY FUMING OVER ILLEGAL DOWNLOADS
MARIAH CAREY has blamed music industry bosses for failing to spot the internet download trend - accusing record labels of letting their artists down by allowing illegal file-sharing to become commonplace.
Carey is adamant label bosses should have realised the potential of the internet a long time before illicit song swapping became prevalent, and she's furious because the practise means many musicians lose out on precious royalty money.
The Hero hitmaker insists that although record labels are slowly beginning to grasp the potential of the internet, they will never be able to repair the damage done by illegal downloads, because many consumers now feel entitled to get their music for free.
She says, "Frickin' idiots! A lot of big, powerful music industry executives made a giant mistake and now we're all paying the price. They gave the music business away on the internet. If they had just sat back and said, 'Maybe let's figure this internet thing out, it could be something cool,' we could have found a way to distribute music online on our own terms, not somebody else's.
"Prince had already shown them the way. He was so far ahead of the curve, putting his records out on the web. Everyone else was stupid."
On the heels of its widely successful international debut, Epic Records recording artist SHAKIRA is set to release a special U.S. only edition of her third English language studio album, She Wolf, on November 23, 2009. The special U.S. edition of She Wolf will include bonus tracks that are available for the first time anywhere all on one disc such as "Give It Up to Me" (produced by Timbaland ft. Lil Wayne), "Did It Again" (ft. Kid Cudi), and exclusive live performances. The international release of She Wolf has already become an instant success occupying the #1 spot in 18 countries and selling 1.5 million albums to-date.
The album's infectious first single and title track "She Wolf" saw a worldwide chart topping debut with nearly a million singles sold in the U.S. and topping the iTunes singles chart. The song and video saw a string of #1's including #1 on the hot single sales chart, #1 video debut on iTunes and MTV, and #1 video in more than 7 countries across the globe, making it one of the most downloaded videos of the year. The second single from the album, "Give It Up To Me" (ft. Lil Wayne), is currently being released to radio.
For this studio album, Shakira took her 'pop fusion' sound, which uniquely blends pop with sounds from all over the globe, to a new level. While she was the primary producer of She Wolf, Shakira collaborated with several creative talents to co-write and produce on the album including The Neptunes, John Hill and Wyclef. For one track, Shakira invited renowned composer Hossam Ramzy, who previously worked on Kashmir with Led Zeppelin, to inspire a unique Egyptian orchestral string arrangement on "Why Wait".
Her individuality and creative, yet daring, decisions have helped differentiate her from other artists. More than 60 songs were crafted, but only a handful were carefully selected for the album. Spending more than a year writing songs, Shakira was deeply involved in every step of the creative process. "This was a sonic experimental trip," said Shakira. "I wanted to play around with electronica, beats, synthesizers and I began to research folk from other countries looking for new influences that allowed me to combine electronics with world sounds, tambourines, clarinets, oriental and Hindu music, dancehall, etc."
The album features a predominantly English track listing. Fans can expect an album of new and unique repertoire in Spanish to come in 2010. As an exciting added value for fans, the She Wolf CD, when inserted into a computer, will provide special access to preview the forthcoming Spanish language album.
Critics alike have hailed She Wolf since its international debut:
"...She Wolf has all the markings of a great pop record..." ~ The Sun (UK)
"...Just because she remains poised on the brink of perpetual laughter it shouldn't detract from the meticulous attention to detail that distinguishes this as a superior pop album." ~ The Times (UK): 4 out of 5 stars
"A global artist like no other. ...One of the most eccentric (albums) you'll hear all year..." ~ i-D Magazine
"Yet for all its genre hopping, hurricane Shakira provides backbone and continuity - She Wolf is exactly the sort of endearingly bonkers, hugely likeable often brilliant record all superstars should be making." ~ Evening Standard (UK): 4 out of 5 stars
Shakira boasts a string of chart-topping hits in both English and Spanish and sales of nearly 50 million records. Her last project, Oral Fixation Volumes 1&2, has sold in excess of 8 million albums worldwide with the single "Hips Don't Lie" having earned over 10 million digital downloads.
She Wolf Full Track Listing
1. She Wolf
2. Did It Again
3. Long Time
4. Why Wait
5. Good Stuff
6. Men In This Town
7. Gypsy
8. Spy (Featuring Wyclef Jean)
9. Mon Amour
10. Loba
Bonus Tracks
1. Lo Hecho Esta Hecho
2. Anos Luz
3. Give It Up To Me (Featuring Lil Wayne)
4. Did It Again (Featuring Kid Cudi)
5. Gypsy (Live)
6. She Wolf (Live)
SOURCE Epic Records
1. The Element Of Freedom (Intro)
2. Love Is Blind
3. Doesn’t Mean Anything
4. Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart
5. Wait Til They See My Smile
6. That’s How Strong My Love Is
7. Unthinkable (I’m Ready)
8. Love Is My Disease
9. Like The Sea
10. Put It In A Love Song feat. Beyonce’ Knowles
11. This Bed
12. Distance And Time
13. How It Feels To Fly
14. Empire State Of Mind (Part II)
Bey has soooooooo many outfits!!!! Bey and Gaga are doing a lil dance in white suit on chairs. HOT!!!!!!!!!!!! They are using toy guns!!! No story line but IMO this is by far the fiercest video from I AM SASAH FIERCE!!!!
http://twitter.com/MTVJAMS
@McZincvsMcZinc Beyoncé "Video Phone" is next week's JOTW
@B_NERD we're premiering it Tuesday..A 30 second snippet will run every hour on Monday