Alicia Keys' Songs in A Minor - Deluxe and Collector's 10th anniversary editions

Originally released in June 2001, Songs in A Minor sold more than 11 million albums worldwide and earned Alicia Keys win her first five, of 14 total, Grammy® Awards including Best New Artist, Best Song of the Year for “Fallin,” and Best R&B Album.

On Monday, 27th June, MBK/J Records/Legacy Recordings will release new Deluxe and Collector’s 10th anniversary editions of Alicia Keys’ Songs in A Minor, the groundbreaking debut album masterpiece that propelled a then-teen-aged Keys into international stardom in 2001.

Available in a 2-CD Deluxe Edition and a 2-CD/1-DVD Collector’s Edition, the 10th Anniversary sets include songs in A minor era bonus tracks, demos, live performances and more, hand-picked by Alicia for her fans for these editions.

The two disc Deluxe Edition will include the original songs in A minor in its entirety in addition to a second disc featuring two previously unreleased recordings: the original funky blues demo for “If I Was Your Woman” and an early version of “Typewriter,” recorded in Alicia’s Harlem apartment in 1997.  The second disc also features hard-to-find rarities from the era including “A Woman’s Worth” (Remix) featuring Nas, “Juiciest” (Mixtape version), “Fallin’” (“Ali” Soundtrack Version) and “Butterflyz” (The Drumline Mix).

The enhanced second CD in the Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition of Songs in A Minor includes “A Harlem Love Story,” the story behind the inspiration for the “Fallin’”/”A Woman’s Worth” videos, featuring new narration by Alicia Keys.  The original videos and new edit are directed by Chris Robinson.  (“A Harlem Love Story” may also be found on the Collector’s Edition DVD.)

The three disc 10th Anniversary Collector’s Edition of Songs in A Minor contains the complete original album and a second CD featuring a treasure trove of album-era collectibles including the previously unreleased tracks “Ghetto Man” (featuring Poet muMs da Schemer), “I Won’t (Crazy World)” (an original song from Alicia’s first demo) and “Girlfriend” (Krucial Keys Sista Girl Mix – The UK Video Remix Edit).

The second CD in the Collector’s Edition showcases three previously unreleased live performances — “I Got A Little Something,” “Piano Mashup,” and a cover of the Doors’ “Light My Life” — recorded in Seattle on August 10, 2002.

The Collector’s Edition of Songs in A Minor also includes an exclusive bonus DVD premiering a revelatory Songs in A Minor documentary offering an up-close account behind the making of the album.  Family, friends and close collaborators share their perspectives on the struggles and triumphs encountered in the making of Alicia’s first record.

The film combines archival footage from the road, television appearances, music videos from Songs in A Minor, rare photographs and more to reveal the intimate and compelling story behind a legendary album.  This documentary is an up-close and behind the scenes account on the making of Alicia Keys’ first album with interviews with family members, friends, J Records executive Clive Davis, original manager Jeff Robinson, longtime collaborator and producing partner Kerry “Krucial” Brothers and many others.

The influence of classic soul and jazz greats of yesteryear comes to mind when you hear British/Ghanaian Rhian Benson sing. Her songs are effortless, elegant and timeless in a way that is rare in this era of artists.

“It’s a very important song to me. It’s about being true to yourself and being able to find the inner you in the crazy world we live in,” Rhian says of the song. The theme of the song is also reflected in the video. “It’s a really exciting video, very epic, one of the most exciting videos I have done,” she adds.

With the help of Danish rising star production duo, Daniel Fridell and Jonas Rendbo, Rhian has diligently and lovingly cooked up the ingredients for her new album title ‘Hands Clean’, which was released in February. The exciting new sound she drapes her voice across is a stark and soulful collection of pulsating electronic grooves; a hidden ground where Sade meets DJ Shadow. The MOBO Award winning artist’s sophomore album -‘Hands Clean’- represents a strong evolution of her unique style and ventures into fresh and bold sonic terrain for the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter.

The gifted songstress, musician and writer co-produced her debut album, ‘Gold Coast’, in 2003 with Grammy Award-winning producers Bob Power (Chaka Khan, A Tribe Called Quest) and James Poyser (Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo).

Rhian’s self-penned debut single ‘Say How I Feel’ was a Top 10 R&B hit in the US and Top 30 in the UK national charts.  The video for the single featuring the model Tyson Beckford and an iconic looking Rhian instantly became MTV Base’s #1 Most Played video. The BR Gunna remix of ‘Say How I Feel’ went on to become an underground hip hop classic and saw Rhian collaborate with hip hop legends Slum Village.

Rhian has recently been the focus of a CNN documentary looking at her music heritage. The singer also features in a World Bank report on Young Africans Talk Development’ series, where she emphasises the importance of helping young entrepreneurs.

‘Be’ has been remixed by Goldilocks, Sioux City Boys  Club and Sona Vabos from indie label Southern Fried Records, which has previously worked with will.i.am, Dizzee Rascal, Kelis and Benny Benassi. The track was also recently featured in the The Right Track: Tunes to TargetCancer compilation and the 2010 Miami ADCOLOUR awards compilation.

Be is the new single from Rhian Benson featuring Jonas released on 6th June.

She Makes Me Wanna by JLS featuring Dev

Pop music boy band, JLS, return with She Makes Me Wanna, their first single from their third album.  Co-written and produced by certified hit maker, Red One, and featuring US recording artist Dev, it will be released on Epic Records on July 24th.

Combining efforts with the musical force behind such big names as Lady Gaga, Nicole Scherzinger and Jennifer Lopez, super-producer Red One, She Makes Me Wanna is a pop-dance smash hit. Synergising the boy’s signature smooth harmonies with the electro ‘sing-talk’ vocals of Dev, who featured on Billboard 100 number one Like a G6 this catchy number is a banger from the radio to the dance floor.

The collaboration came about at Alicia Key’s Black charity Ball last year when they bid £30,000 to win a session with the super-slick multi-Grammy Award-winning producer and this floor-filler is the result.

Ahead of the single release, Marvin, JB, Aston and Oritsé will be opening the Capital Summertime Ball with the inaugural performance of She Makes Me Wanna on June 12th.

Recently adding movie stars to their list of accolades, selling out cinemas nationwide with Eyes Wide Open, JLS’s success has been nothing short of staggering. Sold-out Arena tour. Three UK number one singles. Two multi-platinum albums.  Four MOBO Awards. Two 2010 BRIT trophies.

She Makes Me Wanna by JLS featuring Dev will be released on Epic Records on July 24th.

For more information visit www.jlsofficial.com.

Snoop Dogg headlining the 'I Want my MTV' in Ibiza

Following the recent announcement that MTV are hosting a series of exclusive live Ibiza music events throughout the summer, today it has been confirmed that hip hop superstar Snoop Dogg will be headlining the ‘I Want my MTV’ opening party on Friday 1st July at Amnesia, Ibiza, with Primal Scream closing the Summer parties on Fri 2nd September.

Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg’s ongoing appeal to his legions of fans means he continues to occupy the throne as the world’s most famous rapper.  His timeless and groundbreaking debut album Doggystyle, was an instant classic, selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release and quickly becoming quadruple platinum, spawning several classic hit singles, including What’s My Name and Gin & Juice.  Snoop’s recent studio album, Doggumentary boasts the sort of unpredictable collaborations that have made him a pop culture phenomenon, featuring the likes of Gorillaz, Kanye West and of course the recent remix version of Sweat by David Guetta.

Primal Scream
Primal Scream will be performing their legendary album Screamadelica, originally produced in 1991 by DJ Andrew Weatherall. Their set, which will close the festivities on 2nd September @ Amnesia will be full of club classics from the Screamdelica album, such as; Loaded and Come Together. Despite this being the first time the band have performed live in Ibiza,

‘Come Together’ is probably one of the Islands most played tracks of the last 20 years, a classic in every DJ’s record box and enjoyed by thousands in the clubs at sunrise and on the beaches at sunset. Primal Scream presents Screamadelica will be making their Spanish debut this Summer at Benicassim Festival 14th – 17th July.

Robyn
Also joining the Summer line up is world renowned Swedish singer/ songwriter Robyn, adding to the truly International flavor of the events. Robyn has achieved global success, with nominations this year for her latest album ‘Body Talk’, which features a duet with Snoop Dogg. Nominations include ‘Best International Album’ at The Brits, and ‘Best Commercial Dance Track’ at The International Dance Music Awards, for ‘Dancing On My Own’ which she performed live last year with Deadmau5 at the MTV Music Video Awards.

‘I Want My MTV Ibiza’ will be announcing a further 3 major acts, later this month to add to the current Summer line up, which also includes; exclusive live headline sets from Duran Duran, 2ManyDJ’s, Richie Hawtin and Mark Ronson all performing their first ever Ibiza live shows.

Mark Ronson, Marco Carola, Felix Da Housecat, Tiga, Erol Alkan, Magda, M.A.N.D.Y., Riva Starr, James Holden, Audiofly and Alfredo, will also be joining residents Layo & Bushwacka!

Tickets priced at 50 euros for each event are on sale now on www.MTVibiza.com or via www.ticketmaster.co.uk

The headline sets will be aired in the form of 2 x 1 hour specials called‘I Want My MTV Ibiza’ on Saturday 6th August at 9pm and Saturday 9th September at 9pm on music channels MTV Music & MTV Dance.

‘I Want My MTV Ibiza’ 2011
Fri July 1st – Fri 2nd September @ Amnesia, Ibiza

Opening Night:
Week One (Friday July 1)
MTV Live Room
Snoop Dogg (Live – Ibiza Exclusive)
Felix Da Housecat

Shake It! Ibiza Presents
Magda
Layo & Bushwacka!
Mar-T

Tickets priced at 50 euros for each event are on sale now on www.MTVibiza.com.

FLO RIDA - photo zach wolfe

Hip hop sensation Flo Rida is preparing to release his new dance floor smash Who Dat Girl featuring Akon on March 28th through Atlantic Records.

Taken from the mini album Only 1 Flo (Pt1), Who Dat Girl is the third track to be released as a single following the massive success of Club Can’t Handle Me featuring David Guetta and the previous hit Turn Around (5,4,3,2,1).

Fresh from Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball where Flo performed not only his own club anthems but the top 10 hit, ‘Higher’ with pop starlets, The Saturdays, the megastar is back and ready to continue to reign the charts.

Already having clocked up over 7million YouTube hits, Who Dat Girl is well on its way to the top of the UK singles chart and finds the genre-busting rapper team up with R’n’B superstar and producer, Akon, creating a perfect blend of Flo’s signature stop-and-go flow, melodic sensibility and massive hooks.

The video will help promote the single, featuring party goers painting each other in luminous body paint, as you do.

On discussing the influence of ‘Who Dat Girl’, Flo says he wanted to showcase the experiences his glittering success has brought him since the release of his first two chart topping albums, Mail On Sunday and R.O.O.T.S.

The single Who Dat Girl is released on March 28th and is taken from the mini album Only 1 Flo (pt1) which is available now.

Lupe Fiasco - LASERS

Back on October 15th 2010 a wonderful demonstration of the strength of people power occured when hoards of Lupe Fiasco fans stormed the Atlantic Records HQ in New York demanding that they release the rappers third album.

A few months on and the wait is finally over, first came the release of the excellent single The Show Must Go On released to critical acclaim on February 21st and picked up by Zane Lowe on Radio 1 as his ‘Hottest Record’ while the accompanying video has reached in excess of 7million views since being posted.

The sensational new album is called LASERS, an acronym for ‘Love Always Shines Everytime: Remember to Smile’ and finds Lupe Fiasco aiming his wares at a bigger mainstream audience with this radio friendly crossover album, while hopefully retaining his credibility with his hard core fans.

LASERS is a collection of hit singles in the waiting from the opener Letting Go feat. Sarah Green to the final track Never Forget, a collaboration with John Legend, the album provides endless sing out loud moments as you practise your moves around the house.

This is a collection of  the most substantial melodic and thought provoking songs that Fiasco has ever conceived, throwing his pop sensibilities into the mix with collaborations on record and production alongside the likes of Trey Songz, John Legend, Skylar Grey, Jerry Wonder and The Neptunes.

As you would imagination from a rap artist of Lupe Fiasco’s standing the album brims with political comment, never more evident than on the tracks Words I Never Said, State Run Radio and All Black Everything.

Fiasco takes a swipe at Barack Obama on Words I Never Said as well as unloading his frustration with the media and politics in general, Fiasco makes it clear that he did not vote for the US President.

Fiasco takes a different angle on All Black Everything saying, ” I just started thinking, what if things had gotten off on a totally different foot? What if they just came over to Africa and said ‘We want you guys to work for us?’”

It will be interesting to hear State Run Radio played on our own state run BBC radio, it is an infectious track that has to be released sometime in the future as a single. Whether they notice that it is about stations that constantly play the same handful of records, over and over again, remains to be seen!

Lupe Fiasco – The Show Goes On

Lupe Fiasco releases the sensationl new album LASERS today (March 7th) on Atlantic Records

The song is featured on the album along with other compositions coming from the likes of multi award winners Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Rich Harrison, Ne-Yo and Stargate.

The album follows the US release of Jennifer Hudson’s latest single Where You At, the track was debuted on Ophra Winfrey’s show on February 10th, with details of the UK release yet to be announced.

The new releases mark the welcome return of one of r&b’s true original voices, the singer says:

“I’m excited about this album because it’s almost like a renewal for me, reflected through the chapters of my life. I’ve called it ‘I Remember Me’ because of the journey I’ve been on.  I’ve learned that life constantly surprises you, no matter your plans.  My fans have been so loyal, I feel like they have been on this journey with me and I can’t wait for them to hear the new album.”

Clive Davis, Chief Creative Officer, Sony Music Entertainment states: “Jennifer is the voice of the new generation and she literally soars on her second album ‘I Remember Me.’ Jennifer fulfills all of her promise and all of the prophesies that she will be on that short list of great vocalists of our time.”

Jennifer Hudson – Where You At

Asa - Beautiful Imperfection

On her second album Beautiful Imperfection, Asa once again manages to fuse her Nigerian roots with contemporary soulful pop with a wonderful collection of uplifting, intelligent and well crafted songs.

While her self titled debut album became the vehicle for Asa to sing about her ’state of mind’, writing songs about  social and political issues, Beautiful Imperfection is intended to ‘help people come out of sad moods and feel uplifted’ says the singer.

The album contains the soon to be released single Be My Man, an irresistible retro snapping soul groove pop song, which perfectly fits Asa’s intentions.

As a songwriter Asa stands tall amongst her peers on Beautiful Imperfection, creating wonderful pop melodies with soaring, infectious, sing out loud choruses that others might possibly die for.

The album is an outstanding collection of radio friendly style intelligent pop songs, featuring a singer who is without doubt on top of her game. Whatever style of music she adopts for each of these tracks, she puts her own individual mark on it, from jazz to soul to pop, Asa is a tremendous performer.

Beautiful Imperfection is one of the stand out pop album so far this year, it is like having several of your favourite female singers rolled into one, that’s Asa!

There isn’t a track that is possible to fault and equally as difficult to pick any stand out tracks, but if pushed I would have to say the Sheryl Crow-esque Ok, Ok is stuck in my head, the reggae beats and Hammond organ on Maybe and the foreign language track Bimpè.

Beautiful Imperfection by Asa is released on Dramatico Records on April 4th 2011.

Asa will be co-headlining with Tiken Jah Fokoly at the Barbican on April 4th as two of West Africa’s finest contemporary artists come together on one bill.

Asa – Be My Man

The single Be My Man by Asa will be released on March 13th.

n dubz

In a groundbreaking move N Dubz have created a music video for the track Took It All Away, taken from their latest album Love. Live.Life, on a PlayStation games console.

The video for the song has been created using PlayStation’s LittleBigPlanet 2 game and has been directed by N Dubz and Partizan music video director Henry Schofield.

LittleBigPlanet 2 gives users unprecedented access to animate and create, pushing the boundaries of what it means to game. Since its creation LittleBigPlanet has always had a relationship with hot music acts including collaborations with Lily Allen, The Horrors, Scissor Sisters, The Script, Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk.

The idea for the Play.Create.Share video was to create the biggest and best N-Dubz video of all time taking cues from the band’s previous music promos, elements of the LittleBigPlanet2 world such as key character Sackboy™ and some of the classic formulas used in hip hop videos.

Speaking about the collaboration, Dappy said:  “We have always been huge fans of PlayStation and the opportunity to be immortalised within LittleBigPlanet2 and create a world first between music and gaming is a big a deal for us.”

The collaboration can also be viewed on www.youtube.com/littlebigplanetuk where there is a special competition for fans of the band to create their own LBP2 music videos for ‘Took It All Away’, win the chance to meet the band and see them play at their April arena tour.

The London born singer then took time out to fly to America on what was expected to be a brief visit, to meet up and work with some of the biggest names in US hip-hop and r&b.

The trip turned into a two year break for the singer who lived in New York and Atlanta during his stay and he returned in 2010 to re-launch his career and start work on his new album.

The second album 3D – Determination, Dedication, Desire will be released in the spring of 2011 under the new moniker Starboy Nathan and looks set to demonstrate just what the boy has learnt by hanging out with the big boys.

Working with internationally renowned songwriters such as 2011 Grammy Award Winners Angela Hunte and Janet “J’nay” Sewell-Ulepic and super-producers including, Hip Hop luminary Swizz Beatz, the album will be the perfect showcase for Starboy Nathan’s effortless singing voice and songwriting abilities.

Kick-starting his eagerly anticipated return to the UK with all guns blazing, he has been supporting award-winning super-group JLS on their sold-out arena tour  which has received huge acclaim.

Starboy Nathan will be hitting the road again in March, when he will support the super boy band The Wanted on a Spring tour of the UK.

He will then release his brand new single Diamonds on April 18th.

Starboy Nathan commented “I wrote ‘Diamonds’ to express the feeling when you want to do anything and everything you can for the person that you’re with.  Less about the diamond itself, ‘Diamonds’ is more of a metaphor for the gesture behind it.”

Catch Starboy Nathan on tour with The Wanted at the following venues:

26 March             Rhyl Pavilion
28 March            Manchester Apollo
29 March            Manchester Apollo
30 March            Newcastle City Hall
01 April             Brighton Centre
02 April            Nottingham Royal Concert Hall
03 April            Cardiff CIA
05 April            Plymouth Pavilions
06 April            London Hammersmith Apollo
07 April            London Hammersmith Apollo
09 April            Bournemouth BIC
10 April            Sheffield City Hall
11 April            Wolves Civic Hall
13 April            Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
14 April            Glasgow Clyde Auditorium
15 April            Edinburgh Playhouse