Blondie & the Beat – Page 2

Ariana Grande: Armed & Dangerous

May 21, 2016May 21, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

“Something bout you, makes me feel like a dangerous woman,” are the words slithering out of Ariana Grande’s plump pink coated lips. Her third album titled Dangerous Woman branches away from her past musical endeavors as Ms. Grande is now a full grown woman, although she remains at a tiny 5′ 0″ tall with a net worth of $25 million.

Grande has been doing pop right since day one; catchy lyrics, a hop on the EDM wagon, pop synths for days, and flawless harmonies. Dangerous Woman is a lethal album, torching every other pop sound in the way. With the help of musical God Max Martin, who’s worked with almost every pop artist in the game (Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, etc), Grande’s album is destined for success.

Add guest artists like Lil Wayne, Future, Nicki Minaj, and Macy Gray, and the album becomes a show of who can Ariana NOT sound good with. She pushes her musical limits mixing more dance/hip-hop/r&b elements than we’ve heard from the singer before. She also keeps her vocal runs we so desperately crave i.e. “Dangerous Woman,” “Be Alright,” and “Greedy.”

Not only is the album a slice of musical heaven, but the advertising behind it was brilliant in every way. Ariana had originally planned on calling her album Moonlight, then decided to change the name to Dangerous Woman, highlighting the changes she’s gone through over the past year. After posting pictures and quotes of dangerous women in history to motivate, fans became more excited for the album. Her style shifted to more of an edgy vibe; something that suits her well. The cover artwork for Dangerous Woman is Grande in a black latex cat face mask, showing a sexier side of the singer.

It’s very easy to put Grande in a category with every other pop star, but we shouldn’t. Woman is proof of her own sound; romantic pop. Each song takes you on a gorgeous journey through love and relationships. She swoons over her crushes, pain, and longing for real love. “Thinking Bout You” takes on the theme of loss as Grande sings, “I don’t have you here with me, but at least I have the memory.” Her voice couldn’t be more impeccable if she tried. Everything about Dangerous Woman is an addicting force in the music world.

Ariana Grande: The reincarnated pop Queen our kingdom has been longing for.

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Listen to: Pettros

May 5, 2016May 5, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

His new EP, WILDCARD is just that; wild, sexy, and raw. With song titles like, “Rehab,” “Pray,” and “Roll w/U” it’s hard not to imagine the themes that plague this 5-song trip through experimental R&B/hip-hop. Pettros keeps a sauve nonchalant voice throughout each song, making his musical imprint a unique one.

“Rehab” becomes a soothing hymn reminiscent of a racy song you’d hear by The Weeknd. His lackadaisical pronunciations don’t hinder the song, instead, they add to the drainingly edgy sound heard throughout. Pettros sings, “I don’t wanna lie no more” as he talks about the influence of drugs. The song flows directly into the piano driven “Pray” which takes R&B and puts it in a blender with a mixture of alt/electronic sounds. He keeps his verses borderline rap with unique melodic phrasing; something not many people can do well. Most of the verses are poetic and beautiful; “Could it be so many moving pieces?”, “Is it all in my head? no.” The repeating piano melody playing throughout the song adds a contrast that you don’t often hear with R&B/Rap lyrics.

Teaming up with R&B newcomer, Blackbear, Pettros brings hip-hop to the forefront with “Paper” as he brags about gold on his chain, boats in Jamaiica, etc. Blackbear slides in on the chorus with his punchy distinct voice singing, “I got control, I got control of this paper, baby and I’m a smooth operator.” These two make you wish there was a joint album in the works.

Pettros is quickly paving his way through the R&B/hip-hop world and WILDCARD is a fierce push in the right direction.

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Who You Need: dvsn

April 21, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

WHO: dvsn

WHERE: Toronto

GENRE: R&B

TOP SONG: “Hallucinations”

dvsn (pronounced “division”) is quite the mystery. Dropping a subtle album on iTunes in early April titled Sept. 5th , this duo, signed to Drake’s OVO Sound label are making major waves in the R&B genre. Alongside similar artists like Majid Jordan and Miguel, dvsn mixes electronic sounds with R&B beats and the cherry on top? Impeccable vocals from singer Daniel Daley. Standout track “Hallucinations” feels like a cloudy dream as Daley’s vocals swoon you to sleep; “Tryna rewind ’til we’re back where we started, yeah that’s all I want, night after night after night I’m still haunted.” Another hot song off their debut is titled, “Too Deep” with credits going to producer of the group Jefferies, Majid Jordan, Timbaland, the late Static Major, Maneesh, and other dvsn member Daniel Daley.

Jefferies told The Fader he started dvsn to “to explore some stuff that I normally wouldn’t get to do as this quote-unquote pop producer.” And that’s exactly what you hear on this album. Gospel-soul-like sounds that never seem to grace the radio waves. Each track takes you on a crazy trip into another world you can’t seem to get out of mentally (in a good way.) Jefferies has a strong hand in the OVO Sound producing crew and is bound to make you fall in love with him sooner or later. Although he keeps his identity on the low, dvsn might be the end of that.

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5 Things We Want to Hear on Drake’s “Views”

April 13, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

Views, is said to drop April 29.

I’ll be ready…

1.) Another Rihanna collab: “Work,” “What’s My Name,” “Take Care.” C’mon…we can’t get enough of this duo. Rihanna’s raspy voice and Drake’s gentle notes lead you into a romantic trance every time. A joint album should be in the future for these two.

2.) More tropical vibes: “Hotline Bling” had it and his latest single “One Dance” has it. Conga drums, shakers, and a thick beat. Could a Drake-ish “Work” be on Views? Most likely! And I hope so!

3.) Something as hype as “Jumpman”: You just can’t help but rap to it. It has it all; punchy lyrics and an addicting beat. Not to mention, major party power. It gets the people going. Hopefully Drake has his own “Jumpman” on this album that spits some real dirt.

4.) Lyrics about being “friends” with the Kardashians: We’ve seen him at the parties, posin’ for the Gram alongside TV’s favorite family. Now, let’s hear about which one you’re really “friends” with.

5.) Another Majid Jordan duet: “Hold On We’re Going Home,” “My Love”… You can’t deny that Jordan brings just the right vibe to Drake’s soft spoken raps. The two compliment each other extremely well and I can only hope that Views brings us another collab.

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Music Mondays: “Team”

April 4, 2016April 4, 2016by Blondie and the BeatLeave a Comment

Key Item: Suede bomber jacket

Color Concepts: All black paired with nudes

Shoe Situation: Common Projects chelsea boots

Accessory Must: Dior so real sunnies

After what feels like forever, Iggy Azalea is back on the radio waves with her latest single, “Team.” Harsh beats, and more on the electronic side this time, Azalea raps about being her own team, bringing powerful themes in every verse. “Me, baby, no way, watch me while I do my thing…are you f*****g with the team?” Azalea smoothly yells. The music video highlights her bad-assness as she swerves and spins in a fancy sports car, boards a private plane, and breaks out in some dope choreo on the tarmac. “Team” keeps Azalea’s darker tone while incorporating more electronic elements that bring the song to a higher quality. Her new album, Digital Distortion is said to deal with the world of technology that we live in and how it distorts our version of reality. I’m interested to hear more from the sassy and confident Iggy.