[Free For All Friday]

Free For All Friday time!  Today I will mostly be drinking tea and eating Milky Bar. What a rich and riveting life I lead.

If you don't know the score, here be the rules:

• Try not to get too perverted-this site still needs to basically be "safe for work".
• If somebody starts a controversial subject, try keeping it civil when dealing with it. If things get out of hand please flag the conversation.
• It would be nice if it stuck to music, but it's not a requirement! So talk about news, current events, how you're getting your hair done next time you hit the hairdresser! Whateves, really!
• No nasty comments aimed at other users.

Inappropriate hugs to all y'all and wishing you an awesome weekend!

[Listen] Charice Pempengco Covers Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away" and Sia's "Titanium" On "Chapter 10"

Did anyone else know that Charice Pempengco had released an album of cover tracks? Chapter 10 contains some of the Diva's favourite songs, re-imagined by herself and includes golden-oldies like Toni Braxton's How Could An Angel Break My Heart and Bryan Adams' (Everything I Do) I Do it For You.

Apparently the album is for the Philippine market, with her next international set of original material to be recorded some time soon. But one has to ask why this wasn't released further afield, it's just the kind of music her Glee fans would eat up. [Scratch that, just found it on Itunes....whoops.]

Some of the arrangements on Chapter 10 are a little too "Karaoke" in their production for me- think synthetic strings and drum machines- but there are gems to be found, especially when it's just Charice and a piano. My particular favourites are her take on Katy Perry's The One That Got Away and David Guetta and Sia's Titanium- which I've rather helpfully tacked on to the post!

Enjoy

[Thoughts On] Natalia Kills

Is there anyone else out there on the site who is loving Natalia Kills' sophmore album, Trouble?  I've sat on the album- figuratively speaking- for the last week, but boy was I impressed when I got around to giving it a spin.

Up until now I've always been slightly weary of the British singer-songwriter, thinking she was going to be  a case of more style than substance. This being so, I wasn't expecting much when I forced myself to give the album a chance today. However, her style of brash and bolshy, electro-pop was just what the Doctor ordered! I'm slightly smitten.

I'm even tempted to go back and take a listen to her first album Perfectionist so enjoyable was the experience, but I'm scared I'll be disappointed. Maybe you guys can help me fill in the gaps of my non-existent knowledge on the Diva and why I should worship her like a packet of Monster Munch. Personal opinion is so much more fun than Wikipdia.


Drink that Kool-Aid, peeps! 

[New Music] Anouk Tackles Race and Cultural Appropriation on single "Wigger"

As if none of you have figured, we have a MASSIVE Anouk fan on this website! I'm not sure I even need to point fingers because her love for the singer-songwriter is made known so often (particularly on our " Free-for-all Friday" posts) that you'd have to be a newbie not to have noticed (hello if you are!). So in honour of one of our most vocal members, here's Anouk's latest single, the controversially titled, Wigger.

Being the mother of mixed-race children , Anouk offers a very personal, and informed, take on the subject of race and identity. The guitar-led song is bound to stir-up controversy, as not only does it deal with a subject that make some uncomfortable, but Anouk isn't subtle with the lyric either, leaving little room to hide from its meaning. 

The Dutch Diva was obviously aware of how the song and the title may ruffle feathers, so decided it best to tackle the subject head-on in a Facebook post:

[New Music] Britney Spears "Work B!tch"

Britney Spears' new musical era has begun with the pushed forward release of single, Work B*tch.

The song isn't what I was expecting from the Diva, and honestly I'm left a little cold with the dance direction they've decided to take. Damn you Will.i.am!! However, I've only given the EMD-influenced cut a couple of spins, so perhaps it'll grow on me once the disappointment that she hasn't ventured back into Blackout territory has subsided

Still, it's nice/brave to try new things, so some respect goes to Britney/her handlers for not retreading old ground. (You know things are bad when I'm serving up generic platitudes!) Maybe you guys can help me understand how I should be feeling about the song in the comments.

[Discussion] Celine Dion Speaks About Music Industry And Over Sexualised Young Artists

Celine Dion is clearly a Diva who isn't afraid to give her opinion. Speaking to Access Hollywood on the promotional trail for new single Loved Me Back To Life, the Diva was asked her thoughts on the younger generation of music stars who use controversy to sell their product. But what did she say? Find out below...

[Discuss] Why Did MKS's "Flatline" Flop And What Can Stop Their Comeback suffering A Similar Fate?

MKS performed their first single Flatline live for SBTV in an acoustic fashion- and of course it was amazing. What was so gorgeous about this stripped back performance was how it highlighted how great their voices work together; with the ladies handling the alto, mezzo, and soprano roles of the harmonies without ever losing the individuality of their own voices.