Republic Records

Earlier this year rapper Nelly released “Hey Porsche,” the pop-leaning lead single from his forthcoming album M.O. and today fans get to hear the urban followup. Nelly tapped Pharrell (who is EVERYWHERE right now) and Nicki Minaj for the mellow, but boastful, single. It’s kind of cheesy, but it’s still nod-worthy. Although, I can’t help but feel like I would’ve appreciated it more a few years ago.

The Civil Wars in “The One That Got Away” studio cut

The Civil Wars’ John Paul White and Joy Williams are known for their passionate vocals and undeniable chemistry when performing together, but the studio footage released by the duo for their latest single “The One That Got Away” plays on the fact that the band recently split due to “irreconcilable differences.” Eye rolling, sighing, and annoyed glances are highlighted in the clip, though I’m sure it was edited that way to emphasize the song’s lyrics.

Still, it makes you wonder what happened between two friends who, at one point, could not stop smiling whenever they were on stage together.

Epic

Mistakes happen, but poor Ciara can’t afford any more mistakes.

Today someone put Ciara’s album up for purchase (you had to buy the songs individually, though) instead of pre-order so that means a leak is probably imminent, even though we still have weeks to go before Ciara is officially released on July 9. The mistake has since been fixed and even the snippets have now been taken down, but not before fans got a hold of them.

I wont be posting any of the songs here if they leak, but you can get an early sampler of Ciara, which features multiple appearances from both Nicki Minaj and Future, below!

B. Scott

RCA

If you were hoping for another emotional pop ballad from Gavin Degraw, you may be a little disappointed.

Gavin Degraw has had his share of pop hits, but his new single “Best I Ever Had” finds the singer taking on a folk sound and country accent, while singing about a few of society’s ills over fast-paced guitar strumming. I don’t love it, yet. But it sure does have the potential to win me over with a few listens. And, it’s a tour song for sure!

Sony

John Mayer has never really been good at being subtle. The singer, known for his failed relationships with other celebrities (i.e. the one he had with Taylor Swift a few years back), released a new song, “Paper Doll,” today and it may be about a certain country/pop star. “Paper Doll” is a bluesy jab at a former lover and professional lyric analyzers (fans on Youtube and Twitter) seem to believe the lyrics are a response to Taylor Swift’s “Dear John” (If you haven’t heard that 7 minute masterpiece of a breakup song hear it here).

In “Dear John” Swift sings “You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain,” and in “Paper Doll” Mayer sings “Someone’s gonna paint you another sky.” Mayer also accuses the girl of having quite a few personalities. 22 to be exact.

John Mayer is pretty crafty lyrically so I’m sure he knew this speculation would occur. Pretty smart, if you ask me. I’m not in love with “Paper Doll,” but it sure is a nice way to get people talking about the new album and tour.

“Paper Doll” will be featured on Mayer’s forthcoming album Paradise Valley when it is released on August 13.

Republic

Rowland returns this week with the under promoted Talk A Good Game, the follow up to 2011’s Here I Am. As a member of one of the biggest girl groups and as a solo artist, Rowland has had her fair share of hits, but her solo albums have always fallen short of expectations. Despite having much success with Eurpoean dance hits, Rowland’s albums always cater to her urban audience, but the problem is Rowland is now four albums in and her sound hasn’t really evolved. Talk A Good Game features solid productions, strong vocals and a few standout tracks, but at it’s core it is another album that fails to unleash all of the talent Rowland has to offer.

“Mirrors on the ceiling, cameras on the corners of my bed. I barely know you but I’m feeling like you really did something to my head,” Kelly sings in the opening line of album opener “Freak.” The track is a funky, synth-heavy groove that was produced by Danja and written by Rico Love and, according to Rowland, chosen for the album because it felt “anthemic.” “Freak” is followed by the album’s lead single “Kisses Down Low.” The sexually charged, Mike WiLL Made It produced single was a predictable single choice for the singer who has become known for her sexually explicit hits, but the fun and flirty track is undeniably good and it probably would’ve been a big urban hit with the proper promotion. “Street Life” (produced by Pharrell and featuring rapper Pusha T) isn’t about sex, but the track feels especially ratchet thanks to a beat that feels a lot like CeeLo’s “Call Me” and Rowland’s delivery of lyrics about having a baby daddy and smoking a fatty.

The album’s third single “Gone” is a standout track thanks to a sample of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” melodic vocals and kiss-off lyrics. Wiz Khalifa’s verse isn’t anything new, though. In fact, his verse feels a lot like his verse on Maroon 5’s “Payphone.” The Runners-produced “Down on Love” takes a note from The Whisper’s “Rock Steady” and features more brazen lyrics about Rowland being fed up with love. Rowland finds hope in the end, though. “This is Love” does not feature a sample, but the feel-good track finds Rowland finally giving in and letting love take over. I was hoping for a re-release of the Ms. Kelly single of the same name, but this was a pleasant surprise.

Don’t call it a reunion, but Rowland teams up with Beyonce and Michelle again for “You Changed,” a song that, according to Rowland’s brother, feels like an extension of “Girl.” He’s right, too. The track feels like a Destiny Fulfilled throwaway in all of the best ways and the girls deliver solid vocals and male bashing lyrics just like the good old days.

Songwriter/producer Kevin Cossom (Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” and Rihanna’s “Jump”) wrote four songs for Talk A Good Game, including the title track (on which he also makes an appearance), “Down on Love,” “I Remember” and “Red Wine.” The latter is a moody nostalgic track that oozes layered vocals and harmonies, while “I Remember” is the closest thing to a dance record on the album. The Runners produced tribal track is no “When Love Takes Over,” but it’s definitely one of the best songs on the album.

Cossom’s contributions are great, but the best song on the album is the second single “Dirty Laundry.” Co-written and produced by The-Dream about an abusive relationship that Rowland was in, “Dirty Laundry” is easily one of Rowland’s best offerings thus far. Rowland is good at making sex and dance anthems, but I really wish she would open up more and dig a little deeper on her albums. She wears vulnerability so well.

Sony

John Legend’s latest single, “Made To Love,” is a tribal groove that becomes more and more complex as the song evolves. The song begins with a very minimalist sound focusing on percussion and a soulful guitar riff, before building into a track that features scatting, synths, a tinkling piano riff and lyrics about the very reason we were all put on this planet. “We were made to love,” Legend sings in the third offering from his forthcoming album Love in the Future, which will be released next week (June 25).

Update: John Legend has confirmed that woman behind those amazing background vocals is Kimbra!

October’s Very Own

Drake asked fans if they would like a tour on his website, but didn’t wait for their response or an official poll to announce that he’s going on one regardless. The rapper announced a new North American tour with rapper Future and R&B singer Miguel this morning. The tour will kick off on September 25 in Portland, Oregon and end November 25 in Los Angeles, California.

We’re still waiting for Drizzy to announce the official release date for his third studio album Nothing Was The Same. I’m kind of hoping it’s within the next few months considering the hip-hop competition this summer is already pretty insane.

Click below to see the dates that fall in between.

September 25 – Portland, OR – Rose Garden Arena
September 26 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
September 27 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
September 29 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
September 30 – Edmonton, AB – Rexall Place
October 2 - Saskatoon, SK – Credit Union Centre
October 3 – Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre
October 5 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
October 6 – Kansas City, MO – Sprint Center
October 8 – Saint Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
October 9 – Chicago, IL – United Center
October 11 – Indianapolis, IN – Bankers Life Fieldhouse
October 12 – Auburn Hills, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills
October 13 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena
October 15 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
October 16 – Buffalo, NY – First Niagara Center
October 18 – Pittsburgh, PA – CONSOL Energy Center
October 19 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
October 21 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
October 22 – Ottawa, ON – Scotiabank Place
October 26 – Hartford, CT – XL Center
October 27 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
October 28 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
October 30 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
October 31 – Washington, DC – Verizon Center
November 2 – Charlotte, NC – Time Warner Cable Arena
November 3 – Raleigh, NC – PNC Arena
November 5 – Miami, FL – AmericanAirlines Arena
November 6 – Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Times Forum
November 7 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena
November 9 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Arena
November 10 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
November 12 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
November 13 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
November 16 – Phoenix, AZ – US Airways Center
November 18 – Sacramento, CA – Sleep Train Arena
November 19 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
November 21 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
November 22 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
November 24 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
November 25 – Los Angeles, CA – STAPLES Center

Chris Brown in “Don’t Think They Know” video

We’re just weeks away from the release of Chris Brown’s forthcoming album X July 16 and today CB dropped the video for his second single, “Don’t Think They Know.” The song features vocals from Aaliyah, a booming beat and defiant lyrics about a relationship that only the people involved can understand. The video focuses on a different message, however. Brown and his friends ride through Compton in the clip wearing red and blue and attempting to bring unity to the community for the sake of the children. And, of course, there are some pretty nice dance moves scattered throughout the clip.

Chris Brown in “Don’t Think They Know” video

Chris Brown in “Don’t Think They Know” video

Jay-Z in Samsung commercial

I guess the downside to being a human being who doesn’t really care about sports is that you miss major announcements from artists (read: Jay-Z) that are big enough to announce major album details during a basketball game commercial break.

Mr. Carter reveals plans to release a new album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, on July 4 in an extended commercial for Samsung, in which he is seen in the studio with Timbaland, Rick Rubin, Swizz Beatz and Pharrell. We’ve gotten a few new songs from Jay-Z this year (“Open Letter” and “100$ Bill”) and heard of Jay’s recent sessions with Timbaland previously so this isn’t a huge surprise. Still, the confirmation is a big announcement.

The Wall Street Journal says Samsung has purchased a million copies of the album for $5 and will distribute them to Samsung Galaxy users via the Magna Carta app 3 days before the album’s official release. Basically, even if Nielson doesn’t count the sales, Jay will still profit from the deal! Billboard notes the huge role that a corporate sponsor played in this announcement, just as it has with Beyonce’s new music this year.

Still no album announcement from Blue’s mama, but her papa announced a new album on Father’s Day.

Life & Times