NUDEsic Review: Two Eleven, Brandy Norwood

This week is full of my favorite songs and albums on my playlist. Well, one of the reasons that I want to show you guys the NUDEsic Reviews on songs that doesn't necesssarily the Hot 100 Billboard hit, or top 40 on the radio right now across the world, but the music that can interpolate feelings, happy or sad and making us, the listeners are more into the stories of the songs. And one of the albums that has been on my top R&B list for now is the legendary, Brandy Norwood's "Two Eleven". Have you heard about her? She is one of the royal R&B queens, aka the Vocal Bible, praised by most critics for the outstanding vocals and her trademark layered vocals that has been an inspiration for the new generation of singers.

After a series of  downturns, she came back hard on the latest new album, Two Eleven. The new album boasts on coming back to her old sound, the traditional R&B sound that made her a star on the 90's, but still keeping it current with mixing dance and contemporary sound. The lead single, "Put It Down" is one of the proof that this new album has been a new-old sound to keep her relevant as one of the R&B divas today. Collaborating on popular acts like Chris Brown, sampling Lykke Li on the track "Let Me Go", Rico Love, Bangladesh, Sean Garrett and many more, she kept it real class and sassy on this album, which is much more interesting as she finally showed more choreo on her performances. 

My favorites from this album, is the second single, "Wildest Dreams", in which she told us how she handled her past bad experiences that took that as a stepping stone in finding her man and how that wasn't in her wildest dreams. The sassy midtempo is also a throwback to her old sound, circa Afrodisiac and Full Moon, which is a love. "Without You" is one of my favorite as well, because it has a soulful tale about longing for the one she loves that she can't live without his boo. The album is mostly filled with sickest beats so far, like "Slower" and "No Such Thing as Too Late", which reminds us of Kelly Rowland's "Motivation". "Scared of Beautiful" is truly of the higlights, not only because it is written by Frank Ocean, but also Brandy's vocals are very raw and inspiring, over the mellow beats.

With many critical acclaims on this album, but sadly it doesn't project so well on the charts, which is a shame that the solid R&B album that managed to debut on top of R&B Albums for a week, with 65,000 copies on its first week. However, she is Brandy after all. So, just watch her in concert to get amazed by the talented lady.

Lips Rate: 4 LIPSS!!!

Must-Checkouts: "Wildest Dreams", "Put It Down", "Scared of Beautiful", "Wish Your Love Away", "Without You".

Check out her performances via YouTube below:

Put It Down (Featuring Chris Brown) MV:

Wildest Dreams MV:

NUDESic Review: Hello... My Name Is... Bridgit Mendler

Her album has been on my playlist for quite a while now, but I have yet to see this young girl with a great soulful jazzy voice ruling the charts again after bombarding the charts with the hippy uptempo "Ready or Not"   a few months ago. The lead single is just a preview on what her debut album sounds like, and "Hello... My Name Is..." by Bridgit Mendler is so much more diverse than that.

"Formulaic at its best!", is what I gotta say for this album, because:

First, the album follows a formula that was inspired by Lily Allen, Cher Lloyd, Kesha and even a little funky Joss Stone and still poppy ala Natasha Bedingfield as well. At first listen, I was already hooked on every song on the album. Even though, the songs are mostly had the same feel, but they didn't bore you at all. It's just keeps on getting warm in the ear, and you just had that feel good vibe coming from the Natasha inspired sound.

Second, the theme of this album represents her really well on how her life is a rollercoaster when it comes to being a rising star on the Disney Channel's "Good Luck Charlie" which earned her the title one of the Disney's sweethearts and also trying to balance her love life, fun times and also coming out as a real musician. But unlike Miley Cyrus, she took a new path on giving different by doing a pop jazz album that showcases her soulful voice in a good pop-ish way. Good, but not sounding too forced at the same time.

Third, aside from her charming personality, good looks and her awesomely good voice, the quirkiness of this album that was really got me into this album more and more. She took the song to the next level on the instruments that made the songs really different one to another. On songs like "Love Will Tell Us Where To Go" which had a japan inspired feel to it, "Blonde" that has a tingly beat reminiscing young Lenka and Lily Allen, and the rap-talk-sing "Hurricane" reminded me of Cher Lloyd mixed Natasha, which came out in a good and unique way. Watch it Pixie Lott, because we have a new contender here.

I am not saying that she didn't have the effort of being Bridgit, but her debut album is really speaking for itself on what kinda artist she wants to be. Although I would like her to do a breakout experimental sophomore album, and more British feel because I could see her success in Europe. If she ever wanted to do Adele-ish ballad mixed with Solange quirktastic beats, I would be blessed by God.. Amen!!

Check-OUTS: "Hurricane", "Blonde", "Top of the World", "Love Will Tell Us Where To Go", "Ready or Not", "The Fall Song"

KISS Rate: 4 LIPSSS!!!

Check out her live performances via Youtube here:

Ready or Not

Blonde (Live)

Hurricane, the next single here:

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Never forget you were in order to stay strong on who you are and who you want to be in the future. Time will catch up and it would be too late to regret later" - Gary Arnandt

Stay on Strong Rihanna!!

Put on your best dress and sing like it's your last stage. Work it like Rihanna. That is my way of saying my love to the gorgeous Ri-Ri when she performed the latest beautiful live rendition of her new single "Stay" lifted from her seventh album in seven years, "Unapologetic". You have done the amazeballs job singing it so hurtful and touchingly and I just wanna cry listening to this heartfelt mellow track.

It was a simple and classic performance, just a simple piano and drums, and she sang it so painful, raw and full of emotion. She was one of the standouts in the Grammys, for me. I felt this era came across a little bit slow but sure for Rihanna. And the tribute to the Bob Marley on the other hand, Happy to the max!! I am in love with reggae a lot more now.

Now, I really wish that she could put up a new album this year with a new hair and very well prepared like her red album "Loud" because I totally into that album as much as "Good Girl Gone Bad", not really much on "Talk That Talk" and "Unapologetic" continues to grow on me (I love "Mother Mary" now as my currently. All hail Rihanna ship and let's sail to a bigger and better masterpiece!!

Check out the two amazing performances via Youtube below:

and here is the Bob Marley Tribute performance:

Super Bowl BADASS!!! BEYOND BEYONCE

photo courtesy from Google

All right. Screw that haters out there who said she lipsynced the whole anthem on the Inauguration, because she made it up LIVE on the very big stage. I am talking none other than my IDOL of all my life. miss baddie bey herself, Beyonce. Yea baby! BEYOND-CE!!!

Now it all began when the news in 2011 that she would go performing on the Super Bowl made me into a madhouse. That even doubles the craziness when a rumor virus began to spread on a reunion of the Destiny's Child, the group that Beyonce was in as a leader disbanded back in 2005. Boy I kept on searching for every truth on the great Google, only to found out that the members "declined" that for the time being. But I wasn't really buying into it, because i thought they hid something and I was right.

February 3rd marked one of my craziest moments in 2013. They say this year, the year of the water snake, will be full of surprises and unexpected events. And as much as I expect the expected Beyonce performances that she never disappointing  she made me looked straight to TV, not blinking (a little overreacted) and opened my mouth and stood up while dancing in front of my laptop. Only the one, and the power of Bey! Beyonce opened the Super Bowl Half-Time Show with an astounding 14 minute opening show, presented her SIXTEEN YEARS of career in that little time and boy, she made everyone WOW-ed from head to toe!

Let me get my thing first. When I first saw Beyonce on TV was back in 2004, when there was her performing "Naughty Girl" on stage. From that moment, the Britney Spears obsession of mine left and enter the Bey Virus. I knew she would be a big icon, when I told my friends at school and they didn't know who Beyonce was. Noted, I was 14, now 22.

Now, back to her. A sexy confident pose in the beginnig, standing on a stage that looked like it was made for her history making moment, which it was. She perfomed a snippet of "Love on Top", before then strutted in "Crazy in Love" (who would forget those oh-oh bootylicious shake? LOL). She went tribal on the revamped not so new choreography for "End of Time". I've always loved that Tribal feel on that song till today. Dirty Wine on "Baby Boy" to wind yo way and Poof!! Surprise! Destiny's Child formed a "Charlie's Angels" pose and yes we could handle it because we missed those girls performing. She went shouting "where my ring at?" on "Single Ladies" and finished the performance on the rock sounding "Halo", a soaring climax to that historical moment.

Don't just read the review. Watch the full perfomance on Youtube below:

Kiss the rate. 5 LIPSS!!!
Whaddaya think???

Quote of the Day

"IF YOU ALWAYS THINK YOURSELF AS A SHADOW, BEWARE OF BEING OVERSHADOWED BY IT. BECAUSE EVERYTHING STARTS FROM THE MIND"

- Gary Arnandt

NUDEsic Reviews : Gone Not Any Longer - SISTAR19

Transparent bench, leg sway, sexy routine, sad song.
That's what I can tell you on this awesome new music by the sexy SISTAR's sub-unit, SISTAR19. The song was released as the title track for their first mini album that was released a few days ago, and went wild on the daily charts. WOW! all I can say is WOW!!

Let me put it down this way. At first, I was jumping up and down on the "dubstep" feel from the teaser. I felt it was kinda new but not so new, but looking at teaser made me even crazier with the sexy routine that the girls have brought to the table. The expectation got higher and fell a little short when the full MV came out. But after a few listens, it does grow on me and I keep playing that on my playlist now.

The routine was a little similar to SISTAR's "Alone", but that's predicted because the one who produced this somber Hip-Hop track is the same people who crafted "Alone", Brave Brothers. I love Bora, her dance moves never dissapoint me. As for Hyoryn, the Korean Beyonce worked it, with the sexy "single ladies" hand flip like a true diva. Absolutely LOVE it!!

The portion of this duo may seem a bit more Hyoryn featuring Bora, rather than a duet. But I think the label has already thought on how to balance these two ladies parts. Hyoryn on the main vocals, and Bora on the raps and dance moves, which pretty much made up the negatives. No shade, no hate, we enjoy the cake. I personally give the song 3,5 LIPS, because of the recycled "Alone" theme, but I wish it would have Bora's killer rap part just a bit more, because the two danced sooo GOOD! Rahh!!

Song LIP Score: 3,5 LIPS!!
Recommended : It's definitely a burner!!


Teaser:

Music Video:                   

                                     

Live Perfomance: 

                                      

Enjoy and tell me whatcha think!!!