January roars to a close with a ferocious cross-section of great new music to choose from, including what may stand as the two most-anticipated sophomore outings of the new year. Take a look:
Even though it has sold well over one million copies (largely on the strength of her name and of residual goodwill toward her), and even though it’s loaded with drive-time-friendly fare (most prominently, the shockingly frisky “Million Dollar Bill”), pop radio has largely failed to take the bait on the divine Whitney Houston’s underrated latest album I Look to You. But this week brings a reminder that once upon a magical time, she was the queen of pop music, as Arista marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of her sterling thirteen-times-platinum debut with a deluxe edition re-release. Newly added to the record are a trio of dance remixes, a remarkable a capella take on Houston’s classic “How Will I Know,” and a live version of “Greatest Love of All.” Also included: a DVD featuring the album’s four music videos, new interviews with Houston and Arista’s founder Clive Davis, and a rare clip of Houston’s national debut on The Merv Griffin Show.
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names dropped with reckless abandon: 311, Air Supply, Backstreet Boys, Barry Manilow, Beck, Blind Melon, Britney Spears, Buddy Miller, Charles Kelley, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Christina Aguilera, Christopher Cross, Clive Davis, Corinne Bailey Rae, Cyndi Lauper, Dusty Springfield, Emmylou Harris, George Michael, Hanson, Hillary Scott, Hinder, Howie Day, Jason Rae, Jordin Sparks, Julie Miller, Katy Perry, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Lifehouse, Live, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Meat Loaf, Merv Griffin, OneRepublic, Owl City, Patty Griffin, Raul Malo, Reba McEntire, Shawn Colvin, Sherry Ann, Steve Perry, Taylor Swift, The Carpenters, Third Eye Blind, Whitney Houston
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The bikinis are already out in full effect (lord love those becleavaged CenTex beauties), the mercury is already scorching (Austin promises to be in triple-digit territory by next weekend), and the pop has already taken a turn toward the mindless (thank you, Lady GaGa, for reigniting a trend, milady). Means only one thing: the long, hot summer is upon us once again, and spring, with its life-affirming promises of the spirit of renewal, has been sent packing for another year.
Sometime around early April, with the dazzling second act laid down by a white-hot cadre of Colorado boys who call themselves The Fray and the stunning returns to form turned in by Pet Shop Boys, Wynonna, Annie Lennox, and Kelly Clarkson, it became very clear that music as a whole had regained its mojo following a bumpy time last fall, and that, at least creatively, the industry was firing on all eight cylinders. Some damn fine tuneage made its way to the forefront of our collective consciousness in the season just passed; what follows directly is a convincing cross-section of same:
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names dropped with reckless abandon: Annie Lennox, Billy Currington, Bono, Charles Kelley, Charlie Chaplin, Dashboard Confessional, George Jones, Hillary Scott, Isaac Slade, Katie Melua, Kelly Clarkson, Kings of Leon, Lady Antebellum, Marcy Playground, Mary Pickford, Mat Kearney, Paul Simon, Pet Shop Boys, Pitbull, Rob Thomas, Rodney Crowell, Taylor Hanson, The Airborne Toxic Event, The Fray, Toby Keith, Tori Amos, U2, Whitney Houston, Wynonna
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