MTV Buzzworthy Blog ›

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, Snoop Dogg debuts his rap-to-reggae transformation album, Reincarnated, under his Snoop Lion moniker. (Catch Snoop Wednesday on "Live With Kelly And Michael" and on Thursday's "Late Show With David Letterman.") Also, will.i.am drops his fourth solo album, the Twitter hashtag-ready #willpower (see him on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday). Meanwhile, French indie electro-pop group Phoenix release their fifth album, Bankrupt!, "American Idol" alum Fantasia adds songwriting to her singing credits for her fourth record, Side Effect Of You (watch her on Wednesday's "VH1's Big Morning Buzz Live With Carrie Keagan"), and Sweden's Junip release their sophomore self-titled effort. On TV, get pumped to witness "Ke$ha: My Crazy Beautiful Life" when it premieres Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET on MTV. The week closes with Saturday's "Radio Disney Music Awards": the show will feature performances by Selena Gomez, Cher Lloyd, Cody Simpson, Austin Mahone, Mindless Behavior, and more.

NEW ALBUM RELEASES

+ Snoop Lion, Reincarnated: "There's so much death, there's so much destruction, there's so much mayhem, and there's so much misunderstanding in music. We're losing so many great musicians and we don't love them while they're here. And I want to be loved while I'm here, and the only way to get love is to give love," Snoop Lion states at the onset of his post-Rastafarianism transformation debut, Reincarnated. For his Major Lazer-produced reggae-pop album, Snoop enlists a diverse array of artists. Watch the videos for "Here Comes The King" with Angela Hunte and "No Guns Allowed" with Drake and Snoop's daughter, Cori B., and listen to "Torn Apart" with Rita Ora and "Ashtrays And Heartbreaks" with Miley Cyrus. Also check out the unity track "Lighters Up" with dancehall artists Movado & Popcaan.

+ will.i.am, #willpower: For will.i.am's fourth solo album, he makes 15 soon-to-be ubiquitous dance-pop tunes that are jam-packed with star collabs, including a British-accented (!) Britney Spears (watch the "Scream & Shout" remix video with Diddy, Hit-Boy, Waka Flocka Flame, and Lil Wayne), Miley Cyrus ("Fall Down"), Justin Bieber (watch a hologram'd Biebs in the futuristic "#thatpower" video), and 2NE1 with his BEP bandmate apl.de.ap on the YOLO-minded "Gettin' Dumb." Will takes a break from the dance floor for the midtempo, contemplative "The World Is Crazy" with Dante Santiago, "Love Bullets" with Skylar Grey, and album closer "Ghetto Ghetto" with 7-year-old rapper Baby Kaely.

+ Phoenix, Bankrupt!: The French indie electro-pop band, who recently surprised fans at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with a guest spot from R. Kelly, release the follow-up to their mainstream breakthrough album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Highlights include the shimmery "SOS In Bel Air" with its infectious chorus, and their synth-laden single "Entertainment." The sprawling title track boasts lush instrumentation before the strutty, humorously titled "Drakkar Noir" ushers in back-to-back with "Chloroform," which deals with the more noxious side of love.

Check out more new album releases, upcoming TV appearances, and performances after the jump.

Read More...

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy on Twitter

Tags The Week In Pop, Ke$ha, Mindless Behavior, Will.I.Am, Snoop Lion, Snoop Dogg, Cody Simpson, Austin Mahone, Cher Lloyd, Selena Gomez & The Scene, Phoenix, Fantasia, Junip

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, Mindless Behavior release their sophomore album, All Around The World (catch them on "VH1's Big Morning Buzz With Carrie Keagan" on Thursday), and David Bowie drops The Next Day, his first studio album in a decade. Meanwhile, The Virgins' Strike Gently showcases a new direction, Dave Grohl's "Sound City" documentary soundtrack streets, and "Smash" star Megan Hilty makes her non-musical-theater debut (she's on today's "The View"). On TV, Snoop Lion stops by "Conan" tonight and "Tavis Smiley" on Wednesday to promote his "Reincarnated" documentary, which hits select theaters on Friday. Additionally, Justin Timberlake embarks on a week-long residency on "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" (if their "The History of Rap" multipart series is any indication, it's going to be epic) to lead up to next week's The 20/20 Experience release date.

NEW ALBUM RELEASES

+ Mindless Behavior, All Around The World: Now knee-deep into their teenage years (by July they'll have all reached sweet 16), Prodigy, Roc Royal, Ray Ray, and Princeton add songwriting into the mix for their sophomore album. They co-composed most of the 11-song set, which they recorded while on the road. Watch the videos for "All Around The World" (their romantic dance pop tune is not a Justin Bieber cover, BTW) and R&B jam-out "Keep Her On The Low." Additionally, get a sneak peek of their documentary and concert movie, also called "All Around the World," where the quartet visits the childhood home of their idol, the late Michael Jackson.

+ David Bowie, The Next Day: Before vampire movie franchises existed, there was the vampire movie: "The Hunger." And before MTV was a household name, there was MTV's first day of broadcast. Both trendsetting moments featured David Bowie, the influential artist whose endurance can be attributed to his keen understanding of pop culture and the redefining of it. With his first studio album in a decade, he marks a return to form with stops in a variety of classic Bowie eras, showcasing his diverse genre-bending and emotional range. Check out the strutty slink of "Dirty Boys," the saxed-up "Boss Of Me," the dark and apocalyptic "Heat," and the emotive, vulnerable, and pensive "Where Are We Now?" Also watch the video for "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)," which costars Tilda Swinton.

+ The Virgins, Strike Gently: The Virgins have undergone a few changes since releasing their eponymous debut five years ago. Frontman Donald Cumming cast new bandmates, honed a new sound, and left Atlantic Records to join The Strokes' Julian Casablancas' label, Cult Records. Commenting on how the band was "painted into a corner with this dance-rock thing," Cumming told MTV Hive that Strike Gently's new direction is "definitely a rock-and-roll record... It's just very straightforward." Watch the NSFW "Flashbacks, Memories and Dreams," which costars former MTV VJ Jesse Camp.

Check out more new album releases, upcoming TV appearances, and performances after the jump.

Read More...

Related Content Follow Buzzworthy on Twitter

Tags The Week In Pop, Justin Timberlake, Mindless Behavior, Snoop Lion, Megan Hilty, Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Trent Reznor, David Bowie, Nirvana, Stevie Nicks, The Virgins, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Foo Fighters, Neil Young