Breakaway (Kelly Clarkson album)

Breakaway is the second studio album by American singer Kelly Clarkson, released on November 30, 2004, by RCA Records. The album is a follow-up to her successful debut album, Thankful (2003). Executive produced by Clive Davis, Breakaway sees Clarkson collaborating with various producers and songwriters for the first time, primarily Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Avril Lavigne, Kara DioGuardi, Ben Moody, and David Hodges; the latter two are former members of American rock band Evanescence. Despite the established commercial success of Thankful, music critics still continued to typecast Clarkson as an American Idol winner and were also critical of her attempts of establishing a commercial appeal on her own. Wanting to stray from those, she was convinced by Davis to work with Dr. Luke and Martin in Stockholm, and with Moody and Hodges in Los Angeles, in pursuit of a pop rock direction. This also led her to part ways with her manager Simon Fuller and hire the management services of Jeff Kwatinetz before the album's release. Breakaway is predominately a pop rock album with elements of rock and soul music, marking a departure from the R&B-oriented sound of Thankful; its lyrics explore themes of heartbreak, love, and escapism.

Because of You (Ne-Yo album)

Because of You is the second studio album by American recording artist Ne-Yo, released on April 25, 2007 by Def Jam Recordings in the United States. It features guest contributions from rapper Jay-Z on "Crazy" and singer Jennifer Hudson on "Leaving Tonight". Because of You debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, selling over 250,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 74/100 from Metacritic. It won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2008 Grammy Awards.

Critical reception

The album has drawn mainly positive reviews, with Entertainment Weekly magazine noting, "Indeed, the album is an unmistakable attempt to channel [Michael Jackson's early work such as "Off the Wall"]...and the effort often pays off beautifully...Ne-Yo's lithe falsetto puts the many others who've been labeled Jackson-esque to shame." PopMatters.com called the album "a masterpiece of a record" and praised the title track's blend of "upbeat modern-day funk tempo, beautifully melodic backdrop and love-sick (in a good way) vocals...[it's] the perfect lead single off an album that is filled with number-one hits".Slant Magazine also compared the album's sensual ballads to Janet Jackson.

Addicted (Enrique Iglesias song)

"Addicted" is a soft rock by singer Enrique Iglesias. It was the first single from his album 7.

Song information

Iglesias claims he wrote the song while on tour in East Germany on a dismal day when he was inspired by the Gothic Architecture. It was a modest hit in the UK where it charted within the top twenty, though it failed to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the Spanish version titled "Adicto" peaked inside the top ten on the Hot Latin Tracks chart.

Music video

The music video was directed by Peter Berg through Mars Media and cinematographed by Tobias Schliessler. It features actress Mischa Barton as Iglesias's love interest. In a radio interview with KIIS-FM Iglesias claimed that the idea for the video was inspired by the movie Midnight Express. In the video, Iglesias is depicted as a jail prisoner who receives limited visitations with restricted contact from Barton, implying he is addicted to her, and cannot have as much of her as he wants. At the end of the video it is realized that there is no prison, and he simply is addicted to her. Two versions of the music video have been released, one US version and one UK version, using different shots during the fight scene (3:15–3:25).

Fame

Fame may refer to:

Film, television and stage

Music

Album

Fame (musical)

A stage musical based on the 1980 musical film Fame has been staged under two titles. The first, Fame – The Musical conceived and developed by David De Silva, is a musical with a book by José Fernandez, music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacques Levy. The musical premiered in 1988 in Miami, Florida. As Fame on 42nd Street, it was performed Off-Broadway at the Little Shubert Theatre on 42nd St from 2003 to 2004.

De Silva had produced the 1980 film about students at New York City's High School of Performing Arts. The critically and commercially successful film was followed by a six-season television series, and the musical. The musical is significantly rewritten from the previous adaptations, with an almost entirely new score. The film is referred to several times in the script and in two songs.

It tells the story of several students who attend the High School of Performing Arts, among them fame-obsessed Carmen, ambitious actress Serena, wisecracking comedian/bad boy Joe, quiet violinist Schlomo, "talented but dyslexic" dancer Tyrone, determined actor Nick, overweight dancer Mabel, and poor dancer Iris.

Fame (David Bowie song)

"Fame" is a song recorded by David Bowie, initially released in 1975. Written by Bowie, Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, it reached No.17 in the British music charts and Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the USA during the week of 20 September 1975. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

Song development

With the Young Americans sessions mostly concluded by late 1974, the material was delayed while Bowie extricated himself from his contract with manager Tony Defries. During this time, he was staying in New York, where he met John Lennon. The pair jammed together, leading to a one-day session at Electric Lady Studios in January 1975. There, Carlos Alomar had developed a guitar riff for Bowie's cover of "Footstompin'" by The Flairs, which Bowie thought was "a waste" to give to a cover. Lennon, who was in the studio with them, sang "aim" over the riff, which Bowie turned into "Fame" and he thereafter wrote the rest of the lyrics to the song.

Frontline (band)

Frontline are a New Zealand hip hop music group formed in 2001.

History

The New Zealand hip hop group known as 'Frontline' is a two man hip hop team: Samoan-European MC David Dallas (also known as Con Psy) and producer and DJ Nick Maclaren DJ 41:30. Con Psy won the 2003 Auckland MC Battle For Supremacy and 41 has won the 2000 Auckland ITF Championships.

After meeting in 2001 in Auckland, the pair formed some tracks together & released a mixtape What You Expect?. During this time Maclaren produced tracks for the likes of the Deceptikonz, Mareko and more while Dallas completed a BSc in computing. Without any formal broadcasting or distribution, it sold over 1000 copies.

The duo hooked up with premier New Zealand DJ P Money (also known as Peter Wadams).He signed Frontline to his co-owned record label Dirty Records. He then offered Dallas' skills to Scribe's multi#1 single "Not Many-The Remix!" featured on Scribe's five times platinum album The Crusader.

In 2004, P-Money's second album Magic City saw three appearances by Dallas; "Get Up Slow", "Get Back" (also featuring Dirty Records labelmate PNC) & "321 Remix" (also featuring Skillz & PNC). He also appears on the Breakin Wreckwordz mixtapes Breakin Wreckwordz Vol 1. & Fuck Music, Sirvere's Major Flavours collective & Breakinwreck artist Louie Knuxx's album Wasted Youth. 41 produced PNC's mixtape Ohhhhh On The PNC Tip.