Lady Gaga - Do What U Want (Remixes)

Due to some unexpected behind the scenes issues with her management, the release of the remixes and the video were put on hold, however, it appears that those issues have been resolved. Dance mixes by DJ White Shadow, Kronic, Samantha Ronson, Steven Redant (with and without Amp Lexvas) will be released on February 25.

DJ White Shadow's remix is at a similar tempo as the original and has the R. Kelly vocals. This has fun 80s vibe. Kronic's EDM heavy mix is a tad noisy, however, it includes some additional vocals not heard in the other versions. Samantha Ronson's mix is interesting, however, it lacks cohesion. Steven Redant delivers 3 different mixes that include the Christina Aguilera vocals. His Madrid mixes are more mainstream while the Barcelona mix is more suited for peak hour. The third mix with Amp Lexvas is in an Inner City throwback style complete with those "Good Life" keys. It is also at a lower tempo, allowing the vocals to sound a little less frenzied. The separation of some of the ad libs and backing vocals adds nicely to the mix.

-Listen to all of the mixes here (YouTube, on Lady Gaga's official channel)

Grade: A

Lady Gaga feat. Christina Aguilera - Do What U Want (Remix)

There had been some rumors swirling since late 2008 that the two divas had a feud after Christina made some comments about Lady Gaga, however, it looks like any animosity that existed has subsided. Lady Gaga performed this song as a duet with Christina on The Voice earlier last month sparking discussion of an official remix. The wait is over and the remix has been released. Christina replaces controversial R&B star R. Kelly on the second verse and adds her signature growls and high notes throughout the song. Many had pointed out how Gaga's voice bore a striking resemblance to the Christina's when the song first came out. The two singers' voices blend perfectly resulting in a great remix.

-Listen to a clip and purchase the remix here (iTunes)

Grade: A 

Christina Aguilera - We Remain

This song was recorded specifically for the 2nd Hunger Games movie. The midtempo ballad is very much in the same vein as some of Christina's own Stripped era sound. While she has been known to showcase her vocal prowess on her ballads, she chooses to hold back on this and delivers a more subdued, softer vocal. There are a few parts where she appears to be straining, but that may be intentional given the subject matter of the movie.

-Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: A-

Ke$ha - Crazy Kids/Supernatural (Unofficial Mixes)

There have been many unofficial remixes of these two Ke$ha songs making the rounds lately. There are a few that are really worth checking out.

Crazy Kids
This mashup mix of "Crazy Kids" with Christina Aguilera's "Let There Be Love" by Country Club Martini Crew works so perfectly. The familiar, mainstream sound of the Christina song meshes nicely with the vocals. CCMW also did a mashup with the Christina vocals over the Ke$ha song which works well too, giving LTBL a totally different feel.

Listen here:


Supernatural
The sexy electro/pop song gets turned into a tribal floorfiller courtesy of Tyler Nelson. The underground sounding mix takes the song up several notches.

Listen here:

Christina Aguilera - Let There Be Love (Remixes)

This is reportedly the 3rd single off of her Lotus album. The uptempo is produced by Max Martin and Shellshock. The song's production immediately calls to mind Ke$ha's "Tik Tok", Katy Perry's "California Gurls", Usher's "The DJ Got Us Falling In Love", and Madonna's "Girl Gone Wild." While the song's lyrics aren't terribly exciting, it's still a lot of fun. Christina sounds great.

Remixes for the song were serviced recently by Ark Angel, Cutmore, DJ Kue, Jump Smokers, and TV Noise. Ark Angel's R&B/Dubstep mix is pleasant. It has lots of buildups and breakdowns. An edit of that could help it on radio. Cutmore's big room House mix maintains the chord progression but really beefs it up in terms of bass, beats, and synths. DJ Kue's mix is in a similar style, though slightly less melodic. The Jump Smokers doesn't deviate that much from their formula and is good. TV Noise's electro mix changes up the structure of the original and makes it dub-like.

Overall, Cutmore's mix ends up being the best of the bunch.

Listen to streams of all the mixes on Soundcloud (these were NOT uploaded by Sweet Muzik)

Ark Angel | Cutmore | DJ Kue! | Jump Smokers | TV Noise


Grade: A

Christina Aguilera - Your Body

There had been some rumors since late last year that this single would be released to start off Christina's new album era, however, it remained unreleased and unheard until now. The Max Martin-produced song is a Dance-oriented R&B midtempo. The sexy song is far catchier than some of her earlier first singles. Compared to her last outing with "Not Myself Tonight", this one is much more subtle. "Fuck Your Body" was the original name for the song as she sings that line in the chorus, but there are edited versions coming out that reportedly change "fuck" to "love". Vocally, Christina shows a bit more restraint limiting her signature runs and ad libs. Overall, this is a really strong lead single.

Grade: A

Maroon 5 feat Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

This is the highly anticipated collaboration between the two The Voice judges. The uptempo song isn't much of a departure from the usual Maroon 5 material. The Disco/Pop production is uplifting, complementing both Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera's vocals. Christina only sings the bridge. She is good and effective reminding us again of her vocal prowess. Structurally, the song immediately calls to mind the Disco standard "Relight My Fire" by Dan Hartman & Loleatta Holloway. Just like on that song, the female guest vocalist doesn't jump in until the bridge. Whether that was intentional or not, it works well.

Listen to the song here (YouTube)
The song will be released for purchase on iTunes tonight after The Voice airs

Grade: A-

T.I. feat Christina Aguilera - Castle Walls

There has been considerable buzz surrounding this collaboration. The wait is finally over. T.I. delivers his usual fierce rhymes over Alex Da Kid's slick production. Christina only sings the hook/chorus and the bridge. In her small part, her vocals are effective. She shows tremendous restraint, delivering a very haunting vocal. She will leave you begging for much more. One can only hope an alternate version with more of her vocals was recorded.

Listen to the song here (YouTube)

Grade: A-

Christina Aguilera - You Lost Me (Remix)

As has been done with a number of her ballads, "You Lost Me" has been a given a makeover for the dancefloor courtesy of Hex Hector & Mac Quayle. Christina went into the studio and recorded some additional vocals for the remixes. Hex and Mac's dark and moody production fits the song quite well. Christina's vocals, especially the new ones sound really great. Only a couple of places during the verses sound unnatural due to the timestretch. Overall, this is a nice mix.

Grade: A-

Christina Aguilera - You Lost Me

This is the second single off of Bionic. It is a classic Christina ballad. It's a beautiful, emotion-filled song which showcases the Christina that many had fallen in love with all those years ago. The album version is dark and has a sparsely produced, yet layered production allowing for the vocals to be the main focal point. There is a new radio mix of the song which adds a beat to in an effort to make it more radio-friendly. This version feels very forced as the beats feel very artificial.

Listen to the radio mix here (All Access)

Grade: A (for the original, album version)

Christina Aguilera feat Nicki Minaj - Woohoo

After "Not Myself Tonight" underperformed, this is being widely touted as the second single off of Bionic. "Woohoo" is a hypersexual hip hop clubbanger. It features hot artist/rapper of the moment Nicki Minaj. She does the chorus and a verse. Christina's portions are good, however, Nicki really stands out on this song. The song's lyrics are highly suggestive despite only a couple of actual profanities are used. This song could be a summer hit for both.

Purchase the song here (iTunes)

Grade: B+

Christina Aguilera - Not Myself Tonight

The wait is over! The lead single off of her new album Bionic just premiered. Co-written with Ester Dean and produced by Polow Da Don, the song is an uptempo dance/pop track. It immediately calls to mind "Sexyback" in terms of the production. This however has a lot more depth to it, especially with the soaring synths. The song is fairly sexy. She sings about how she is doing things she doesn't usually do. Vocally, the full voice that many have loved is there, and then some. It's a great start to the new album era.

Grade: A-

Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment

This is the much-awaited lead single from his first album due in Noveber. "For Your Entertainment" is an uptempo dance/pop track very much in the same vein as Sam Sparro's "Black & Gold", Christina Aguilera's "Keeps Gettin' Better", and Amii Stewart's "Knock On Wood." Parts of the song instantly call to mind those other ones. That's not a bad thing. Vocally, Adam sounds great. His performance is restrained for a good part of it, but he really lets loose with high notes towards the middle/end.

Listen to it here (YouTube)

Grade: A

Beyonce - Single Ladies

This is one of two new songs from Beyoncé's highly anticipated third album. This one immediately calls to mind the Andrews Sisters standard "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", which was most recently an inspiration for Christina Aguilera's "Candyman." This one is really simple and fun. However, given the fact that many didn't really take to "Candyman" because of how different it was, it is possible that this song may face the same challenge. But given that this is a new kind of song for Beyoncé, this may do fine. This one really needs an Urban-oriented mix to take some of the edge off.

Grade: B+

Christina Aguilera - Keeps Gettin' Better

This is a new song from her upcoming greatest hits collection of the same name. The collection will be a Target store exclusive. Including most of her hits plus two re-recorded ones ("Genie In A Bottle" and "Beautiful"), this is the only new song. Produced by Linda Perry, this song was performed at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month. She made it a medley with the new version of "Genie In A Bottle." Christina's last album Back To Basics showcased a more old school sound. This new song goes in the opposite direction. It's one of the most modern, futuristic songs she has released to date. It immediately calls to mind some of Giorgio Moroder and Goldfrapp's work. Vocally, she really holds back and doesn't overdo it. We already know she can sing quite well so she doesn't have to re-emphasize that with each and every song. This is a very fun and simple uptempo. In other articles, it has been mentioned that Christina is planning to record an entire album with a futuristic, modern theme. No further info on when the next proper album will be released, but it could be as soon as next year.

Grade: A-

Grammy Special on CBS Tonight

There will be a special airing on CBS tonight at 8PM featuring 25 of the greatest Grammy performances as chosen by the fans.

Watch the 50 videos that were in contention.

Is JLo the next Queen of Disco?

Definitely not by a long shot, however, she has gone in the 70's Disco direction with her latest single "Hold It, Don't Drop It" which is currently the lead single off of her much-anticipated new English-language album. This is just one of many other 70's/80's-sounding singles that are currently burning up radio airwaves. And this one is quite nice. It definitely calls to mind Beyoncé's first, true solo hit "Crazy In Love" with the old school-styled orchestral elements as well as Christina Aguilera's retro throwback "Ain't No Other Man." This is is not a carbon copy of either songs, but one can't help but think of those two songs. This may not be an indicator of what Ms. Lopez's forthcoming album may sound like, but if it is, it's not bad at all.

Grade: B+