Welcome to Buzzworthy's "The Week In Pop," where we round up new album releases, talk show musical guests and TV performances by your favorite pop stars and more (so you don't have to.)
This week, we are treated to all the best hits over more than a decade from pop-queen and girl from the block, Jennifer Lopez. Make sure to watch her "Goin' In" video premiering on Wednesday at 7:50 p.m. ET. There's also a battle of the synth bands this week, and everybody wins. Passion Pit releases Gossamer, which chronicles frontman Michael Angelakos working through personal struggles; last week he also announced July tour date cancellations "to work on improving my mental health" via Passion Pit's website. This week, Purity Ring make their stellar full-length debut with the synth-poppy Shrines, The Gaslight Anthem drop their fourth album of rousing anthems (watch them play "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" Friday) and metalheads Slipknot also drop a "best-of" compilation. The weekend kicks off with No Doubt performing live during "Good Morning America" and Hot Chelle Rae on "Today" Friday.
NEW ALBUM RELEASES
+ Jennifer Lopez, Dance Again...The Hits: This is J. Lo's first greatest hits album, and it spans her work from 1999 on through today. It includes classics cuts such as "Love Don't Cost A Thing," a Track Masters remix with Styles P and Jadakiss for "Jenny From The Block," and her current hits "Goin' In" with Flo Rida and "Dance Again" featuring Pitbull. Her Pitbull-assisted megahit, "On The Floor," also makes the set. Other guest collabs and remixes come by way of Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Fabolous and Ja Rule. The Deluxe Edition includes three bonus tracks and a DVD with 11 music videos of her hits.
+ Passion Pit, Gossamer: Singer Michael Angelakos told MTV News their sophomore album was very personal, saying "Everything on the record's true, everything happened to me, I'm the one that made the mess and everyone else had to clean up around me." So where "Take A Walk" sounds like a bouncy political tune, it's actually about specific family members. "I'll Be Alright" plays like a codependency cautionary tale in reverse, pleasingly juxtaposed in a synth-swathed buoyancy. Even the slow jam "Constant Conversations" incites a soulful, hip-swaying groove. Dance yourself to catharsis.
+ The Gaslight Anthem, Handwritten: The Jersey boys return with another great album of fist-pumping straight-up rock 'n' roll anthems on their first album for new label Mercury Records. Brian Fallon's tales of driving, loving, losing and dying are delivered with his passionate grit-dusted vocals, with plenty of searing, soaring strutty guitar lines and "whoa-oh-oh," "Sha la la" and "Hey-ey-ey" shout-alongs. From the raucous "45" and the excellent "Howl" distilled into 2 minutes of awesome, to the wistful and reflective "National Anthem," it's a perfect soundtrack for a road trip or arena-level rock-out.
Check out more new album releases and upcoming TV appearances and performances after the jump.
