In 'Dreamgirls,' Jennifer Hudson is deservedly garnering the lion`s share of praise - but Beyonce delivers the performance of her career in "Listen," another defining moment in the brilliant flick. In this devastatingly beautiful ballad, she shimmers with evocative emotion, rising to new heights alongside a golden melody with spellbinding, rafter-raising production. As Beyonce sits atop The Billboard Hot 100 and R B/hip-hop charts with "Irreplaceable," a mediocre composition with all the distracting bells and whistles of the modern urban template, at last we see that she is a real talent when free of the accompaniment that has long masked her voice.
Hopefully, as adult R B embraces this hit, Beyonce will continue to rise to the occasion. Jennifer Holliday`s "And I Am Telling You I`m Not Going" from the Broadway version of 'Dreamgirls' was that rare song that crossed from the Great White Way to the pop and R B charts in 1982 - and boy, is it a tough act to follow. But Jennifer Hudson`s reading from the acclaimed 2006 movie certainly ranks among the consummate gut-wrenching soul performances of the decade.
It has already gained reputation as a classic cinema moment, with audiences bursting into spontaneous applause at every nationwide showing - nearly unprecedented. As much as Celine Dion`s "My Heart Will Go On" musically defined 'Titanic,' Hudson is doing the same for 'Dreamgirls.' Anyone not affected by this new star`s performance best be checked for a pulse.
Generally speaking, Kenny Chesney`s island-flavored hits have been tasty treats but as light and frothy as a head of suds on an ice cold beer: refreshing to be sure, but not particularly substantive. On the surface, one might think this is another sun-soaked ditty, but the lyric, penned by Chesney himself, reveals a much more introspective soul. Of course, there`s beer and sunshine, but this tune finds the Caribbean cowboy pondering the future in such lines as "So many thoughts/About life, love and the lack of/Too old to be wild and free/Still too young to be over the hill/Should try to grow up but who knows where to start.
" Anyone trying to make the transition from party animal to mature man will recognize themselves in the lines of this well-written song. Culled from his top-selling 'The Road and the Radio' album, this is yet another fine example of why Chesney is country`s reigning Country Music Assn. entertainer of the year.
We were hardly enamored with Breaking Benjamin`s 'Phobia' when it arrived last summer. While thundering first single "The Diary of Jane" was a deserving hit that has logged considerable chart time, we appreciated little else about its parent album. However, "Breath" has convinced us to order a slice of humble pie.
The song`s foot-tapping beats and accessible melody are better appreciated when separated from its closely related siblings. It trades off the harder slam of "Jane" for a solid midtempo pace that peaks with another one of the band`s climactic choruses, which are always tight and catchy. Fans have already pushed 'Phobia' to gold, so we predict this rocker will keep fueling that drive to a platinum finish.
There. That didn`t taste so bad. It`s 'Idol' release week, eh?
The previous single from Clay Aiken`s "A Thousand Different Ways," an inexplicable cover of Mariah Carey/Harry Nilsson`s "Without You," barely connected at AC radio. Follow-up "A Thousand Days" is an original song that delivers upon the potent interpreter`s signature: hand-flinging vocals, a soaring melody and a simple, singable chorus. Aiken`s challenge at this point is more a public relations issue.
As press reports continue to spread repeated tales of his lack of humility and haughty, diva-like disposition, how much longer before fans retreat and any semblance of radio support fades like a Christmas wreath? "You`re Ever So Inviting" has Underoath coming out fighting in the new year, stumbling and flailing at the world. Driven by the overlapping vocals of drummer Aaron Gillespie and frontman Spencer Chamberlain, the former`s traditional singing alternates with the latter`s scratchy screams through numerous overdubs.
"The time has come for you . . .
to . . .
sit . . .
this . . .
out!" Chamberlain shouts in the first line, as if he`s telling fellow screamo contenders to get out of the band`s way. Timothy McTague and James Smith saw the air with their guitars, doggedly carving out the song`s tormented aggression.
"You`re Ever So Inviting" wrings your ears with a twisting grip and doesn`t let go, filling your brain with raw anguish. 'American Idol' season five runner-up Katharine McPhee is arguably the most striking of the high-profile finalists who have gone on to release major-label albums, and there is little doubt that she possesses formidable chops. But the question dogging anyone who studied the singer throughout the season is whether McPhee possesses the internal depth to imbed her soul into original songs, since she seldom demonstrated - in her eyes - any understanding of joy or pain in any lyric she sang.
The mystery remains in debut single "Over It," a lightweight, urban-lite ditty that sounds as if it were lifted from the JoJo catalog. McPhee`s vocals are thin and layered to the point that there`s little unveiling of her personality (it`s also suspicious that there are three female background vocalists contributing). Hopefully, her upcoming full-length disc (Jan.
30) contains more substantial material so that we may discover the woman inside - for instance, the skyscraping ballads that made her a favorite in the first place. At this point, "Over It" offers no favors for long-term potential.
News RSS