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Posted 2/14/12 3:15 pm ET by Bradley Stern in Celebrity, Music
It's Tuesday! Time for another round of 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs of the Week!
OMG... It's Valentine's Day, everybody! I hope your day is full of love, laughter and sugary confections -- whether you're trading teddy bears, chocolates and kisses with that special someone or you're holed up in your bedroom all night with a bottle of Merlot watching a "Real Housewives" marathon full of bitterness and resentment because this is the first time you're spending Valentine's Day alone in over six years!
What? Oh, no. Why would I be talking about me? That would be a really awkward over-share. HA! HAHA! YAYYY, Valentine's Day!

1.) Cassie, "King of Hearts"
Apart from Madonna, there's no comeback quite as highly anticipated in my book this year as Cassie. Nearly six years since the release of her chilly R&B masterpiece ("Me & U") and several months of teasing previews and snippets, the half shave-headed New London-born beauty (CT pride, y'all!) has finally returned in the most glorious of ways with "King of Hearts," the lead single from her forthcoming album.
"You are the prince of charm, seduction is your art/You'll never play my love/You're just my king of hearts," Cassie croons amidst chilly echoes, blazing hot four-to-the-floor Ibiza beats and infectious hand-claps. Serving shades of Kelis' Flesh Tone and a hint of Janet's "Rock With U," "King of Hearts" is nothing short of a sexual sonic mini-revolution of 22nd century tranced-out seduction.
Between Cassie's sexy speak-sung delivery and those pulsating beats (not to mention that video, in which the Bad Boy songstress flaunts her luscious lady lumps), "King of Hearts" is the ultimate aphrodisiac for a Valentine's Day romp for the record books. It's honestly just... I need to take a walk. Cool off, cool off!
+ LISTEN TO CASSIE, "KING OF HEARTS"
2.) Nicki Minaj, "Starships"
Take David Guetta's "Where Them Girls At," multiply it with the rallying "Whoa-oh-oh!" chant of Britney's "Till The World Ends," a touch of P!nk's "Raise Your Glass" and divide it all by a bouncy RedOne-produced beat. Carry the five, add the ten... yep: It's Nicki Minaj's bananas o'clock club banger "Starships," the new single off of her increasingly eclectic new record, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded.
"Starships were meant to fly/Hands up, and touch the sky!" Minaj cries out above the blaring synthesizers before the song utterly explodes into an insane beat breakdown. Between refusing to pay rent, dancing all night and championing gay rights ("F--- who you want and f--- who you'd like!"), I'm terrified and completely mind-boggled, but my body just wants to move. Hands up and touch the sky!
+ LISTEN TO NICKI MINAJ, "STARSHIPS"
Listen to more Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week after the jump!

UPDATE, Feb. 10, 2012:
Hey, great news! Cassie's "King Of Hearts" is JUST AS AMAZING as I initially predicted! Blippy beats and handclaps underscore those glacial vox, making it pretty much the most pristine electropop ev-ah. Unlike the preview, the full version reveals some surprisingly inventive production, including dubby shifts in direction and layers of innovative instrumentation. Better still? It's being released on February 14, which means it's the perfect song to listen to at your romantic Valentine's Day dinner, if your Valentine's Day dinner is a meal of black glitter and disco tears. (I know mine will be!)
ORIGINALLY POSTED JAN. 4, 2012:
Just because Cassie's been gone for a minute doesn't mean she hasn't been keeping busy. The wispy-voiced chanteuse had a big hit with "Me & U" back in 2006, but in the years since, she's become best known as a staple on the red carpet for her edgy fashions, which makes sense since she literally always looks impossibly flawless in everything she wears, which I'm really not jealous about at all. Meanwhile, Cassie's been churning out gorgeous tracks in the studio and earning an unexpected spot as one of the indie world's most revered artists. (Also, she shaved half her head. And it looked super hot.)
Cassie's recently posted a one-minute snippet of the demo of her latest single, "King of Hearts," which takes her even further in the dance-pop direction, in the vein of crisp minimalist electro bangers like Rihanna's "We Found Love." Four-on-the-floor beats throb underneath Cassie's deliciously icy vocals on the chorus as she coos, "You are the prince of charm/Seduction is your art/You'll never play my love/You're just my king of hearts." It's such a frosty house track that I had to go put on a sweater, and then I got hot from dancing so I had to take it off. Ugh.
Cassie's already premiered the video trailer for "King of Hearts," which is pretty much the sexiest thing we've ever seen, and the demo of "King of Hearts" is sheer dance gorgeousness. Is it too early to say that Cassie is going to own 2012?
+ Listen to Cassie, "King of Hearts."
Posted 12/13/11 12:22 pm ET by Bradley Stern in Celebrity, Music
It's Tuesday! Time for another round of 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs of the Week!
As the year draws to close, a whole bunch of 2012's most anticipated acts have begun teasing out tracks from their upcoming albums. We'll explore some new tracks from pop royalty -- from the luscious disco pulsations of the Irish Queen of Disco, to the promising new twinklings from a U.K. pop princess, to the fiyah hot club beats from a soon-to-be reigning U.S. R&B princess.

Credit: Getty Images
1.) Róisín Murphy, "Simulation"
Before Lady Gaga was waving around a disco stick and affixing those adorable hair bows to her head, quirky U.K. songstress Róisín Murphy was already twirling around in furry puffball fashions and avant garde oversize hats, belting out solid disco-pop smashes such as "Overpowered" and "Let Me Know."
As fans continue to wait with bated breath for Murphy's follow-up to her glorious 2007 record Overpowered, a new track has surfaced from the Irish Queen of Disco: "Simulation," an epic 9-minute throbfest of coos, moans and sensual sighs.
Like Donna Summer's grand masterpiece "I Feel Love," Murphy sighs and purrs above a series of space-age synthesizers and vintage beats in the most naughty of ways. "This is a simulation," she advises on repeat. The result is a gorgeous slice of stimulating deep house pulsations, all but destined to get you hot and bothered. + LISTEN TO ROISIN MURPHY, "SIMULATION"
2.) Morgan Page featuring Tegan & Sara, "Body Work"
Two years ago, indie folk-pop sister duo Tegan & Sara teamed up with unlikely collaborator Tiesto in the studio to record "Feel It In My Bones," an almighty house anthem that proved to be one of the shining highlights on the Dutch DJ's sensational indie-meets-dance 2009 record Kaleidoscope.
Now the girls are back to bump up the BPM some more: After hopping into the studio with producer/DJ Morgan Page, the duo present "Body Work," a surging EDM smash due out on Page's 2012 album. "You do your body work/I feel my pulse working overtime," the girls declare on repeat as the track builds and builds, at last unleashing into an insane, hands-in-the-air explosion of alarm noises and booming beats.
At this point, can someone just tell the girls to get on with it and record a dance album already? It would slay the world over! + LISTEN TO MORGAN PAGE FEATURING TEGAN & SARA, "BODY WORK"
+ Listen to more Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week after the jump!
Posted 9/13/11 3:33 pm ET by Bradley Stern in Celebrity, Music
It's Tuesday, which means it's time for another round of Must-Hear Pop Songs!
This week's wrap-up celebrates the upcoming return of two underappreciated pop princesses, as well as singles by three equally promising new talents. I'm now accepting nominations for the Pulitzer Prize for Vaguery in Journalism, thank you.
Read on to hear all the sweet treats!

1.) Tinashe, "Artificial People"
As the former front of short-lived girl group The Stunners, 18-year-old cutie Tinashe has already been hard at work paving her way into the industry. (That is, when she's not busy jumping out of her car during traffic to dance to some Brit Brit.)
Now the young singer's busting out as a solo pop star in her own right, providing vocals on "Artificial People," a rowdy club banger produced by Orange Factory Music (OFM) -- the same hitmakers behind Jay Sean's "Down" and "2012 (feat. Nicki Minaj).
The sassy dance floor thumper finds Tinashe lashing out against some "synthesized" undesirables trying to take over: "We're living in Technicolor/Why you still in black and white?" But what does it sound like? Take the filthy beats of Afrojack's "Take Over Control (feat. Eva Simons)," add in a healthy handful of Dev's bossy taunts à la "Dancing In The Dark," and sprinkle on some "Oh, oh, oh!" chant-y bits from Britney's "Till The World Ends." Sounds like a smash hit smorgasbord, right? That's because it is. + LISTEN TO TINASHE, "ARTIFICIAL PEOPLE."
2.) Cassie, "Skydiver"
In case you're not up on your mixtapes, you might have missed P. Diddy's (P. Daddy's, Puff Dizzle's, P--ugh's, I don't know, Sean Combs') latest free release a few weeks ago: "Bad Boy: The Preview." It's an introduction to some of the label's up-and-coming acts, including one of my very favorites, icy electro-R&B princess Cassie.
The über-cool crooner behind 2006's baddest cuts, "Me & U" and "Long Way 2 Go," ("baddest" as in "goodest"), has been dealt a few bad hands over the past few years, including album push-backs and more than a bucketful of song leaks. Luckily, it seems Cassie's finally hit her stride. During the outro of his mixtape, Diddy announced that the songstress' official comeback single, "King of Hearts," will be out shortly.
Since only a small (but very good!) snippet of the song has been released so far, I've selected one of my favorite unreleased Cassie jams as a placeholder/reminder of her utter flawlessness: "Skydiver," a spine-tingling, smooth-grinding electro-R&B ode to that all-or-nothing kind of love. "My skydiver...I'll fall if you say fall," the singer croons on repeat above the dreamy Chris N Teeb-produced beat. Feel free to parachute down to safety as soon as possible, my Princess -- we need you now more than ever! + LISTEN TO CASSIE, "SKYDIVER."
+ Listen to more Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week after the jump!
Posted 7/13/11 12:19 pm ET by Jamie Peck in Celebrity, Music, Videos
Credit: FilmMagic
R&B singer and Vibe magazine pinup girl Cassie is more than just a pretty face--but that doesn't mean her face isn't still very, very pretty. In a behind-the-scenes teaser clip for her new video, "Make You A Believer," she does all manner of very sexy things: smokes a cigarette topless, drinks seductively from a big red cup, hitchhikes in only her underwear and poses suggestively with a dripping garden hose near her mouth (euphemisms for everyone!). Just another day in the life of a permanently sexy, only occasionally smiley singer/model, I guess.
The fact that "Make You A Believer" features rap veteran Jadakiss only makes it hotter. Homeboy knows a thing or two about "seducing the ladies" (if that's what you want to call it). And clocking in at almost a minute and 30 seconds, this video is only the teaser. Imagine how smokin' the full version should be. I'm guessing surface of the sun: instant crispiness. As if it wasn't hot enough outside, now I have to turn up my AC.
+ Watch the teaser for Cassie's "Make You A Believer" video here (sorta NSFW-ish, if your work dislikes nearly topless babes).
Posted 12/13/10 11:30 am ET by Chris Ryan in Buzz Bites, Celebrity, Music

(Credit: Splash News)
+ Today is Taylor Swift's 21st birthday. The country-pop singer is likely to be celebrating with a winter-themed party. (And a latte?) (MTV News)
+ Nicole Richie and Joel Madden were married this weekend!! (I'm Not Obsessed)
+ Despite being spotted enjoying some breakfast at IHOP, together, Selena Gomez insists she is not dating Justin Bieber. (PopEater)
+ Explore the deep lyrical meaning and visual symbolism of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair." (Idolator)
+ Nicki Minaj celebrated her birthday late last week, joined by Amber Rose, Cassie and Lil Wayne. (TheFABlife)
+ When Adam Lambert rolls through the airport, he rolls casual. But when he rolls casual, he's still wearing Alexander McQueen. (Just Jared)
Posted 5/24/10 6:00 am ET by Chris Ryan in Celebrity, Interviews, Music, PUSH, Videos
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(Credit: Eric Johnson/MTV)
With his self-titled debut, MTV's PUSH Artist Of The Week Jason Derulo has perfected a distinct brand of emo-R&B. Songs like "Whatcha Say," which samples Imogen Heap, and the stomping "In My Head" exemplify this style, combining soaring, lovelorn vocals with incredibly melodic keys and slick beats.
In the clips below you'll get to know this young talent a little better. Derulo talks about the transition from songwriter (he's penned tracks for Birdman, Diddy and Cassie) to artist, the amount of time he spends on Twitter and the flak he catches for it. He also discusses his fashion choices and how he stays in shape.
In the second and third videos, Derulo shares how he followed his dream and what it took for him to get where he is. A holy trinity of influences -- Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson -- inspired him.
Check out all the clips as well as his video for "In My Head," below.
+ More videos after the jump
(Credit: Antonio de Moraes Filho/WireImage, Vallery Jean/FilmMagic)
Maybe someone can explain this whole half-shaved hairdo to me. What's the attraction? Do celebs like Cassie and Mel B think they look sexy? I'm sorry to break the news to you, ladies, but you don't. No sexy times for you with this hair-raising coif.
It kind of looks like a horizontal mullet: Party on the side and "Last Of The Mohicans" on the ... um ... other side. Any way you slice it -- or shear it -- hairstylists need to talk their clients -- that means you, Carmen Electra -- out of getting this 'do.
Please, ladies. Think of the children.
Posted 12/9/09 11:54 am ET by Chris Ryan in Celebrity, Interviews, Music, Videos
Rocking a rather distressed jean jacket, Ryan Leslie arrives this morning to make you a relative expert on his new album Transition, with this episode of "The 5."
Leslie came up through the Bad Boy camp, writing songs for Cassie, Cherie Denis and Danity Kane. But this year he's made a name for himself as a solo artist, and a prolific one at that. Transition, released last month, is his second full-length of 2009, following up his self-titled debut.
In this edition of "The 5," Leslie talks about the globetrotting recording sessions that produced Transition, the role his love-life played in the writing process, the how and the why of all the music videos he shot for the album, and much more.
Check out the in-depth chat with Ryan Leslie below.
Posted 11/18/09 11:15 am ET by Chris Ryan in Celebrity, Music, Videos
If we decide to file Chris Brown's new video, "Crawl" (directed by Joseph Khan and taken from his forthcoming Graffiti album) as another chapter in his never-ending apology to the world and Rihanna (which, let's face it, is exactly what we're going to do), then one thing is pretty clear: Chris Brown sure has a funny way of apologizing.
"Crawl," is a rather pretty ballad concerned with overcoming adversity, something Brown is entirely familiar with. In the video, Brown's mechanical heart skips a beat every time he's haunted by the ghost of a lost love.
Strangely enough, the lost love in question is R&B temptress, Cassie. That may or may not sit well with another R&B temptress we all know and love.
Elsewhere in the clip, Brown perches on a skyscraper (City Of Angels/Wings Of Desire nod, maybe?) and dances in the snow covered streets of L.A..
Nothing says, 'I'm sorry,' like dancing in the snow.
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