ARAB TIMES, SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2011
NEWS/FEATURES
24
People & Places
Music
‘21’ holds on to No. 1 spot
Adele still ruling
‘Hot 100’ chart
W
eekly charts for America’s
best-selling recorded music as
they appear in next week’s issue of
Billboard magazine. Reprinted with
permission by the Associated Press.
(Platinum signifies more than 1 million copies sold; Gold signifies more
than 500,000 copies sold.):
Billboard Hot 100
1. Rolling In The Deep, Adele.
XL/Columbia.
2. E.T., Katy Perry Featuring
Kanye West. Capitol.
3. Give Me Everything, Pitbull
Featuring Ne-Yo, AfroJack & Nayer.
Mr. 305/Polo Grounds/J/RMG.
4. Just Can’t Get Enough, The
Black Eyed Peas. Interscope.
5. On The Floor, Jennifer Lopez
Featuring Pitbull. Island/IDJMG.
6. The Lazy Song, Bruno Mars.
Elektra/Atlantic.
7. Till The World Ends, Britney
Spears. Jive/JLG.
8. Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO
Featuring Lauren Bennett &
GoonRock.
Party
Rock/will.i.am/Cherrytree/Interscop
e.
9. The Show Goes On, Lupe
Fiasco. 1st & 15th/Atlantic.
10. Look At Me Now, Chris
Brown Featuring Lil Wayne & Busta
Rhymes. Jive/JLG.
11. Down On Me, Jeremih
Featuring 50 Cent. Mick Schultz/Def
Jam/IDJMG.
12.
Hair,
Lady
Gaga.
Streamline/KonLive/Interscope.
13. Roll Up, Wiz Khalifa.
Rostrum/Atlantic/RRP.
14. S&M, Rihanna. SRP/Def
Jam/IDJMG.
15. Super Bass, Nicki Minaj.
Young
Money/Cash
Money/Universal Motown.
16. Written In The Stars, Tinie
Tempah Featuring Eric Turner.
Disturbing
London/Parlophone/Capitol.
17. ... You (Forget You), Cee Lo
Green. Radiculture/Elektra/RRP.
18.
Blow,
Ke$ha.
Kemosabe/RCA/RMG.
19. The Edge Of Glory, Lady
Gaga.
Streamline/KonLive/Interscope.
20. Dirty Dancer, Enrique Iglesias
Wtih Usher Featuring Lil Wayne.
Universal Republic.
Top Albums
1. 21, Adele. XL/Columbia/Sony
Music.
2. Holding Onto Strings Better
Left To Fray, Seether. Wind-up.
3. NOW 38. Various artists.
Universal/EMI/Sony Music/Capitol.
4. My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean.
Broken Bow.
5. Sigh No More, Mumford &
Sons.
Gentleman
Of
The
Road/Glassnote.
6. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two,
Beastie
Boys.
Brooklyn
Dust/Capitol.
7. Turtleneck & Chain, The
Lonely
Island.
Universal
Republic/UMRG.
8. Never Say Never: The Remixes
(EP),
Justin
Bieber.
SchoolBoy/Raymond
Braun/Island/IDJMG.
9. Helplessness Blues, Fleet
Foxes. Sub Pop.
10. Il Volo, Il Volo. Opera
Blues/Gatica/Rentor/Geffen/IGA.
11. Rome, Danger Mouse &
Daniele Luppi Starring Jack White &
Norah Jones. Capitol.
12. Love? Jennifer Lopez.
Island/IDJMG.
13. Michael Grimm, Michael
Grimm. Epic/Sony Music.
14. lovestrong, Christina Perri.
Atlantic/AG.
15. Give Till It’s Gone, Ben
Harper. Ben Harper/Virgin.
16. 19, Adele. XL/Columbia/Sony
Music.
17.
Lemonade
Mouth.
Soundtrack. Walt Disney.
18. Doo-Wops & Hooligans,
Bruno Mars. Elektra.
19. The Way It Was, Parachute.
Mercury/IDJMG.
20. Wasting Light, Foo Fighters.
Roswell/RCA/RMG.
Hot Adult Contemporary
1. Just The Way You Are, Bruno
Mars. Elektra/Atlantic.
2. Firework, Katy Perry. Capitol.
3.
September,
Daughtry.
19/RCA/RMG.
4. Marry Me, Train. Columbia.
5. Rhythm of Love, Plain White
T’s. Hollywood.
6. ... Perfect, P!nk. LaFace/JLG.
7. Mine, Taylor Swift. Big
Machine/Universal Republic.
8. Rolling In The Deep, Adele.
XL/Columbia.
9.
Secrets,
OneRepublic.
Mosley/Interscope.
10. Hold On, Michael Buble.
143/Reprise.
Top Gospel Albums
1. Hello Fear, Kirk Franklin. Fo
Yo Soul/Verity/JLG.
2. Something Big, Mary Mary. My
Block/Columbia/Sony Music.
3. WOW Gospel 2011: The Year’s
30 Top Gospel Artists And Songs.
Various Artists. Word-Curb/EMI
CMG/Verity/JLG.
4. Becoming, Yolanda Adams. NHouse.
5. The Love Album, Kim Burrell.
Shanachie.
6. Church On The Moon, Deitrick
Haddon.
Releve/Manhaddon/Verity/JLG.
7. More Passion, Juanita Bynum.
Flow.
8. Make It Loud! Martha Munizzi.
Martha Munizzi.
9. Keep Living, Ricky Dillard And
New G. Light/eOne.
10. Playlist: The Very Best Of
Marvin Sapp. Marvin Sapp.
Verity/Legacy/Sony Music.
Mainstream Rock Songs
1. Country Song, Seether. Windup.
2. Lies Of The Beautiful People,
Sixx: A.M. Eleven Seven.
3.
Rope,
Foo
Fighters.
Roswell/RCA/RMG.
4. Rip Tide, Sick Puppies.
RMR/Virgin/Capitol.
5. Warrior, Disturbed. Reprise.
6. Die Trying, Art Of Dying.
Intoxication/Reprise.
7. Help Is On The Way, Rise
Against. DGC/Interscope.
8. Lost In You, Three Days Grace.
Jive/JLG.
9.
Sick,
Adelitas
Way.
Virgin/Capitol.
10. Fix Me, 10 Years. Universal
Republic.
Hot Country Songs
1. Old Alabama, Brad Paisley
Featuring Alabama. Arista Nashville.
2. I Won’t Let Go, Rascal Flatts.
Big Machine.
3. Heart Like Mine, Miranda
Lambert. Columbia.
4. Without You, Keith Urban.
Capitol Nashville.
5. Mean, Taylor Swift. Big
Machine.
6. A Little Bit Stronger, Sara
Evans. RCA.
7. You Lie, The Band Perry.
Republic Nashville.
8. Honey Bee, Blake Shelton.
Warner Bros./WMN.
9. Tomorrow, Chris Young. RCA.
10. Bleed Red, Ronnie Dunn.
Arista Nashville.
In this CD cover image released by Interscope Records, the latest release by Lady Gaga, ‘Born This Way’, is shown. (AP)
Star launches epic campaign
Gaga blitzes the market
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
T
Top Country Albums
1. My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean.
Broken Bow.
2. Speak Now, Taylor Swift. Big
Machine.
3. You Get What You Give, Zac
Brown
Band.
Southern
Ground/Roar/Bigger
Picture/Atlantic/AG.
4. Paper Airplane, Alison Krauss +
Union Station. Rounder/Concord.
5. The Band Perry, The Band
Perry. Republic Nashville/UMRG.
6. Nothing Like This, Rascal
Flatts. Big Machine.
7. Need You Now, Lady
Antebellum. Capitol Nashville.
8. Every Chance I Get, Colt Ford.
Average Joe’s.
9.
Stronger,
Sara
Evans.
RCA/SMN.
10. Hillbilly Joker, Hank Williams
III. Sidewalk.
Hot Hip-Hop Songs
1. Motivation, Kelly Rowland
Featuring Lil Wayne. Universal
Motown/UMRG.
2. Sure Thing, Miguel. Black
Ice/ByStorm/Jive/JLG.
3. Look At Me Now, Chris Brown
Featuring Lil Wayne & Busta
Rhymes. Jive/JLG.
4. Far Away, Marsha Ambrosius.
J/RMG.
5. My Last, Big Sean Featuring
Chris
Brown.
G.O.O.D./Def
Jam/IDJMG.
6. She Ain’t You, Chris Brown.
Jive/JLG.
7. All Of The Lights, Kanye West.
Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam/IDJMG.
8. Racks, YC Featuring Future. Big
Play/Universal Republic/UMRG.
9. Hustle Hard, Ace Hood. We The
Best/Def Jam/IDJMG.
10. Did It On’em, Nicki Minaj.
Young
Money/Cash
Money/Universal Motown/UMRG.
Hot Dance Club Play
1. Original Sin, INXS Featuring
Rob Thomas & Introducing DJ
Yaleidys. Petrol Electric/Atco/Rhino.
2. Hollywood Tonight, Michael
Jackson. MJJ/Epic.
3. Fade, Kristine W. Fly Again.
4. Till The World Ends, Britney
Spears. Jive/JLG.
5. World Keeps Turning, Sylvia
Tosun. Sea To Sun.
6.
Judas,
Lady
Gaga.
Streamline/KonLive/Interscope.
7. Mirrors, Natalia Kills.
Cherrytree/Interscope.
8. Kick Us Out, Hyper Crush.
Universal Motown.
9. Dancing Tonight, Kat DeLuna.
Global Music Brand/Universal
Music Belgium.
10. Beautiful People, Chris Brown
Featuring Benny Benassi. Jive/JLG.
Continued on Page 25
English artist PJ Harvey performs
during her concert Thursday, May 26,
in Lisbon. (AP)
Variety
NEW YORK: A coalition of musicians is
demanding the Recording Academy restore
more than 30 categories cut from the
Grammy Awards, alleging the reductions
unfairly target ethnic music and were done
without the input of its thousands of members.
A protest was held Thursday in Beverly
Hills, California, at an academy board
meeting. A modest turnout of musicians
hoisted signs above their heads with such
slogans as “Grammys Honor All Music”
and “It’s Not Just About Rap, Rock or
Country.” Some Latin jazz protesters
brought instruments and turned the rally
into a spontaneous jam session.
It was part of a campaign by those upset
by last month’s decision to reduce the
Grammy fields, which this year totaled
109, to 78.
“Reinstate the categories,” singer-songwriter Pepper Mashay told KABC-TV.
“Reinstate all of them. Let the chips fall
where they may on the talent.”
In a letter delivered to the Recording
Academy Thursday afternoon, musicians
ranging from Carlos Santana to Paul
Simon and Herbie Hancock demanded the
reinstatement of the categories. “We will
not be disenfranchised,” the letter warned.
Grammy President and CEO Neil
Portnow said changes would be in effect
for the 2012 Grammys. He urged dissenters
to work with the academy, which would
examine the effect of the changes for the
2013 awards.
But protesters hope the process could be
reversed in time for next year’s Grammy
ceremony if at least one board member
asks the academy to reconsider.
“Hopefully during that time, someone
will rise and be brave enough and do this,”
Bobby Sanabria, a four-time Grammy nominee in the Latin jazz category and a leader
of the movement against the changes, said
in an interview Wednesday. “He’s being
arrogant in saying that it’s written in stone
when we have a chance to get these categories reinstated,” said Sanabria of
Portnow. He has called for the resignation
of Portnow and the board of trustees.
The academy announced the changes
April 6; the move came after a more than
yearlong examination of the awards structure, the first in the Grammys’ 50-plus year
history. Portnow said at the time that the
changes would make the Grammys more
competitive, and the awards more coveted.
But the move upset many academy
members, who were taken off guard by the
he release of a pop star’s album usually comes with the typical cross-marketing splash - strategic magazine covers,
a few major TV appearances, and perhaps
a cosmetics or fashion deal to remind the
public a new project awaits.
Yet the social media-powered blitz connected to this week’s drop of Lady Gaga’s
third album, “Born This Way,” is bordering on epic, with partnerships ranging
from Starbucks to FarmVille, and virtual
giveaways of the album’s 17 tracks. It also
represents the kind of bold, new business
model that could help rejuvenate a deflated music industry.
Gaga already had a slew of magazine
covers, from Rolling Stone to Vogue, and
appeared on every high profile show, from
Oprah Winfrey to “American Idol” to
“Saturday Night Live,” as well as her own
HBO concert special.
But she hasn’t stopped there. Starbucks
- typically home to easy-on-the-ears
artists like Emmylou Harris - is selling her
album as well as launching a “digital
scavenger hunt” for Gaga-inspired goods;
Google Chrome debuted a commercial
with Gaga with a track from the album;
the online fashion outlet Gilt Groupe partnered with Gaga to offer Gaga-inspired
clothing and VIP performances; Best Buy
is giving away the album to anyone who
purchases a mobile phone with a contract;
and Zynga, creator of the popular online
game “FarmVille,” created “GagaVille,”
which allowed fans access to exclusive
Gaga songs.
Campaigns
As if that wasn’t enough, on Monday,
Amazon.com sold “Born This Way” for
just 99 cents as a promotion for their new
music cloud service, creating a demand so
strong it disrupted the online retailing
giant’s servers for a time.
And it looks like the campaigns are
paying off: Gaga’s album is estimated to
sell anywhere between a half-million to a
million copies when the top album charts
are revealed next week.
“It was really about expanding the distribution on this album and going into as
many non-traditional retail partnerships
and non-traditional marketing partnerships as possible,” Gaga’s manager, Troy
Carter, told The Associated Press on
Tuesday. “Just with the diminishing music
labels, you want to find quality partners
where you know you can reach new audiences and being able to push boundaries
as well.”
announcement.
Simon wrote an individual letter to
Portnow asking him to reconsider, writing,
in part: “I believe the Grammys have done
a disservice to many talented musicians by
combining previously distinct and separate
types of music into a catch-all of blurry
larger categories. ... They deserve the separate Grammy acknowledgements that
they’ve been afforded until this change
eliminated them.” Santana and his musician
‘Born This Way’ deserves listening
Gaga delivers goods on new CD
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
oversaturation, it’s easy to get a sense
of fatigue when listening to her latest
effort, “Born This Way.”
Delivering her third studio album in
just a 3-year span after a nonstop juggernaut that included a seemingly endless tour, hit after hit, countless magazine covers and even social activism,
another Gaga offering is a little bit tiring
to those who aren’t part of her army of
“little monsters.”
It doesn’t help that the standard edition of the album is 17 full-length
tracks, clocking in at a little over two
hours.
A little less than a third of the way
through, a “what — there’s more?” feeling starts to sink in, and finishing the
album seems to be a daunting task.
But “Born This Way” deserves that
listen — again and again and again.
Though there are a few songs that
miss the mark — the Madonna-rip-off
title track, for example — overall, the
album, like Gaga, is hard to get out of
your conscious.
“I could be girl/ unless you want to be
man/ I could be sex/ unless you want to
hold hands/ I could be anything/ I could
be everything,” coos Gaga on
“Government Hooker,” a wicked electro-groove that manages to be more
naughty than Rihanna’s “S&M” without
being as explicit. It’s just part of the
provocation — both sexual and religious — that Gaga uses to push buttons throughout the album.
Though there are song titles like
“Bloody Mary,” ‘’Judas” and “Electric
Chapel,” and lyrics tweak conservative
mindsets, at its core, “Born This Way”
is mostly an album about themes that
have been written about from the
beginning of pop music — love, lust
and acceptance.
“Americano,” with its flamencoinspired melody, is a love song — it just
happens to be about two women. “We
can marry, on the West Coast, on a
Wednesday,” Gaga sings slyly. “Hair,”
like “Born This Way,” is a plea for individual freedom via the follicles — “I
don’t want to change, I don’t want to be
ashamed, I’m the spirit of my hair ... I
am my hair,” she declares on the poprock groove, which sounds as if it could
have emerged from the soundtrack to a
1980s teen flick.
Much of the music veers from pulsating dance grooves and the retro
rock that Gaga showcased on “Fame
Monster.” The album’s best track —
”You and I” — sounds as if it could be
the companion to “Speechless,” another ballad similarly anchored by dominating piano chords.
Gaga, who co-wrote every tune on
the record and again worked with collaborators such as RedOne and
Fernando Garibay, doesn’t show particular musical growth, but establishes
a consistency of strong material
throughout most of the disc. Lyrically,
at times she still perplexes — the
whirring “ScheiBe” starts off with
German then segues into a female
empowerment anthem — but it’s those
bizarre moments that are part of the
Gaga-intrigue. (AP)
Among the promotions connected with
“Born This Way” is the Disney Mobile
Tapulous game Tap Tap Revenge, which
gives fans access to the entire album and
other content if they buy the game,”Born
This Way Revenge,” for $4.99. It’s the
first time Tapulous has put out 17 tracks
with a game for that price.
Tim O’Brien, vice president of business
development at Disney Mobile, said this
was the third deal with Gaga, resulting in
the total sale of five million songs so far.
While they’ve worked with other pop
artists with their Tap Tap Revenge app, he
said Gaga - who has 10 million followers
on Twitter and was recently crowned
Forbes’ most influential celebrity in part
because of her tens of millions of follow-
ers online - is an act with unique appeal.
“I’ve never seen anything as powerful
as when Gaga hits her social media channels compared to anyone else that we’ve
worked with,” he said. “I’ve never seen
anything like it in terms of how she’s utilizing social media.”
In pop history, there have been plenty of
attention-grabbing publicity campaigns
for debuting albums: Who can forget the
huge statues Jackson had erected of himself and placed across the world for his
“HIStory” album, or when the Backstreet
Boys hit six continents in four days to
promote “Black and Blue”? Then there
was Jay-Z, who performed in seven cities
in 17-hours for his comeback album,
“Kingdom Come.” (AP)
ady Gaga, “Born This Way”
LWith
(Interscope)
the Lady Gaga-market reaching
Santana
Simon
wife, Cindy Blackman Santana, wrote
their own letter to the academy, saying: “To
remove Latin Jazz and many other ethnic
categories is doing a huge disservice to the
brilliant musicians who keep the music
vibrant for their fans - new and old. ... We
strongly protest this decision and we ask
you to represent all of the colors of the
rainbow when it comes to music and give
ethnic music a place in the heart of music
lovers everywhere.” (AP)