Posts By Zara Golden

June 25th, 2012 | 2:49 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Adam Lambert’s Donna Summer Cover is Some “Hot Stuff”

They don’t call him Glambert for nothing.

Adam Lambert channeled his inner disco queen this weekend in San Francisco, where he worked a tribute to Donna Summer into his set at Alice Radio Summerthing’s event in Golden Gate Park. “I love Donna Summer so much!” he effused, before launching into a cover of late disco diva’s classic “Hot Stuff.” “Do you love Donna Summer?”

The crowd cheered because of course they love Summer, and of course they loved Lambert’s rocking rendition. In addition to his signature glam-rock flare, he mostly to the song he brings extra cowbell. It worked though, and made for a particularly nice lead in to “Cuckoo,” off his latest album Trespassing.

“In memory of Donna,” as he says, check the performance out below:
Read more…

June 25th, 2012 | 11:53 am by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Coldplay and Rihanna Go Bare For Acoustic Version of “Princess of China”

Coldplay and Rihanna have unveiled this acoustic version of their recent collaboration “Princess Of China” that will feature on the single’s digital EP. The fourth single off of Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto, “Princess of China” at first seemed like an unlikely collaboration between rock and pop stars, making sense only as a meeting of the giants (and members of Jay-Z’s inner circle). Bare of the bombast and electronic of the original, this version makes room for the its real Princess and the King, Rihanna and Chris Martin

This acoustic cut strips the song of its arena-ready thump and slows the tempo down, keeping only the guitar line. And it kind of works! Mostly because they finally sound like they are singing in the same room, and like they are heart broken by the fairytale break-up they are singing about. Whereas lines like “You’re holding in your hands to halves of my heart” sound a bit corny when washed in the synths of the original, they seem to bear more emotional gravity here. Rihanna’s “ooh ooh”s become “la la”s, and you can almost hear pain in her voice when she sings “You really hurt me” on the hook.

Have a listen above. What do you think of this new version?

Coldplay & Rihanna ‘Princess Of China’ Acoustic Version Released [Huff Post] Read more…

June 25th, 2012 | 10:31 am by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Jay-Z and Rihanna Team Up Across The Atlantic For BBC 1′s Radio Hackney Weekend

Diamonds were up in London this weekend, where Jay-Z and Rihanna played headlining sets at BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend. On Saturday night, the Roc boss wowed the 50,000-deep festival audience with a set that included a surprise appearance by M.I.A., a Watch The Throne detour with Kanye West (much to the enjoyment of Beyoncé, who was caught moshing along to “Ni**as In Paris”), and a performance of “Run This Town” with his onetime protégée.

On Sunday, Rihanna closed the festival with a spectacular set of her own. On an Egyptian-themed stage and in cut-off fishnets and a leather jacket, RiRi surprised the crowd by bringing back Jay – in a black leather Brooklyn Nets cap — out for three songs at the end of her set. They did a reprise of “Run This Town,” and then gave “Talk That Talk” its live debut, before launching into their now-classic hit “Umbrella.” This run of songs, spanning Jay-Z’s 2009 Blueprint 3 to Rihanna’s current Talk that Talk to 2007′s Good Girl Gone Bad really goes to show just how deep that Barbadian star’s catalog goes at this point. “The Roc is in the building, and we love you so damn much,” she said, thanking the umbrella-baring audience. After delivering his verse, Jay slipped off and Rihanna sent fans home with “We Found Love” and a fireworks show. It’s safe to say, not Roc fan left disappointed.

June 22nd, 2012 | 6:15 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Last Lap: The Black Keys Sue Pizza Hut and Home Depot

THE BLACK KEYS SUE PIZZA HUT AND HOME DEPOT
Not so fast, say the popular garage rockers to the very large corporations, that sounds like our song. A lot like our song. [RS]

MARILYN MANSON JOINS SHOWTIME’S CALIFORNICATION
And he will be playing the part that he plays best: himself! [Vulture]

June 22nd, 2012 | 5:00 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Frank Ocean Previews Channel Orange In New York

Odd Future’s Frank Ocean, you’ll remember, has been signed to Island Def Jam since 2009. After growing increasingly frustrated by how long they were taking to get his album out, Ocean posted Nostalgia, Ultra to his Tumblr and watched the “Like” count soar. Def Jam was watching too, apparently, because this summer they are giving Ocean the record release he has so earned.

Last night, Ocean previewed his major label debut Channel Orange, out officially July 17, for a lucky few journalists at KMA Studios in New York. And from the sounds of it, with amped up production and stronger songwriting, as well as all-star guest spots from fell Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt and Outkast’s Andre 3000, this second round will be even better than the last.

June 22nd, 2012 | 3:25 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Congrats! Lil Wayne Scores His 100th Billboard Hit

French Montana’s star studded “Pop That” debuted this week on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart at #57, landing Lil Wayne on the charts for the 69th time as a feature. Combine this with his 31 chart entries as a lead act, and – voila! – Lil Wayne has racked up an astronomical 100 appearances on Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Only Jay-Z and the late James Brown have done that before him.

Is Weezy on track to be the best rapper alive? A quick look at the numbers behind his first 100 suggest that it might me so.
Read more…

June 22nd, 2012 | 1:50 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

The Top 5 Things In The Hollywood Reporter‘s Article That Might Have Got Katy Perry Twisted

“Shame when trade magazines turn tabloid,” tweeted Katy Perry last night, likely in response to The Hollywood Reporter’s June cover story about her. Pegged loosely to the release of her 3-D concert-umentary Katy Perry: Part of Me (opening July 5), the story looks back on her rise to fame and finds a savvy star (“She knows her fan base so well, and her business acumen is incredible”) with a winning vision, and a killer work ethic. Mostly, it’s flattering. Though as her aggravated tweet suggests, the story occasionally strays from the shop talk when they ask about her faith, her family, and her estrangement from Russell Brand. And now Katy’s feeling twisted!

And so, putting ourselves into Katy Perry’s sparkly and probably candy colored shoes:

The top five parts most cringeworthy parts from THR‘s “Katy Perry: Confessions of a Pop Princess:”

Before it even begins, the story compares her public split with Russell Brand to Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries‘ much questioned split. Who would want that?
“Nobody knows what really happened except the two people who are in it.” It’s June 6, and Katy Perry is talking about Kim Kardashian’s 72-day marriage to NBA up-and-comer Kris Humphries, unsure where her empathy lies with regard to the media-saturated spectacle of the split — or whether she feels any at all.”
Labeling her a “survivor of her own short-live whirlwind romance gone wrong,” they suggest that “differences of intellect” may have fueled the divorce. I am not sure if they are trying to imply that Perry is intellectually superior to Brand or vice versa, but I can’t imagine it’s flattering to be called dumb or to be told the person you once loved was dumb. Ouch!

June 22nd, 2012 | 10:10 am by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Tuned In: David Letterman Is Worried About Justin Bieber’s Tattoo Habit

Onward with his release week blitz, Justin Bieber stopped by David Letterman last night to show off his new “Believe” tattoo and to perform “Boyfriend.” Bieber and Letterman have good rapport. Letterman showed concern for Biebs’ burgeoning man. “Honestly,” he asks Bieber while trying to rub off the ”How does that help the way you look?” To which Bieber mumbled antogonistically, ”grandpa…”

As for his performans, Justin still seems to be lip-synching the hook and chorus. Has his vocal range changed too much to hit those notes? He is enthusastic with his whisper-rapping and slick dancing. Backed by a full band and a troupe of dancers, this was definitely more amped-up and swagged-out than performances past. Which was good because, unlike most of his appearances this past week, there wasn’t an audience of teary girls to bring the energy.

Elsewhere in late night…
The Avett Brothers performed on Conan
Metric played “Synthetica” on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Kenny Chesney performed “Everybody Goes To Heaven” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Justin Bieber (David Letterman Live) [MWP]

June 21st, 2012 | 6:00 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Last Lap: D’Angelo Joins the BET Awards Line-Up

D’ANGELO ONBOARD TO PLAY BET AWARDS
He’s been popping up right and left, and this will be his first televised performance in more than a decade and you probably won’t want to miss it. [Complex]

“BAD GIRLS” GETS THE BAD GIRL REMIX IT DESERVES
Missy’s back! Switch throws Rye Rye and Missy Elliott on the remix of the already banging M.I.A. track. It’s going to be a hot summer. [Spin]

June 21st, 2012 | 5:30 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Carly Rae Jepsen Has A “Good Time” With Owl City

While watching the Canada’s MuchMusic Video Awards the other night, we wondered if Carly Rae Jepsen might be in danger of running herself into a rut. That night, she took home three awards and was on stage many more times than that. She performed “Call Me Maybe” and sounded great, and then she joined Flo Rida for “Wild Ones” and sounded great again. For many of us, though, that was a first chance to hear her sing something besides “Call Me Maybe,” and we sort of wished she could have tried something new so we could really see what she’s got.

Well, today we get our wish: here’s a new song that features Carly Rae Jepsen that is not named “Call Me Maybe”!