Music Review: New Madonna Singles Sound Promising

After a few studio demos leaked from her upcoming 13th album Rebel Heart, Madonna took it upon herself to release six studio cuts from the album.

Accounting for about a third of the 19 tracks on the set, the release of six songs comes after the Queen of Pop called the leak of the demos as "artistic rape" and "terrorism".

From the sounds of it, Madonna is making a much better album than her last one, MDNA, with more club fun and the ability to keep growing as one of the staples of modern pop.

The songs were made available on YouTube, iTunes, and other online music stores and streaming services.

Rebel Heart goes on sale on March 10.

Living for Love- What was supposed to be the first official single released in February, "Living for Love" is a typical Madonna pop song, full of love, spunk and fun. A nice blend of modern club music and a throwback to 90's pop (i.e. Robin S., Cece Peniston, Corona).

Track-by-Track Album Review: Maroon 5's Latest ,"V', Underwhelms.

 
Maroon 5's fifth album, appropriately named V, is a better album than their last effort, Overexposed, which played, awkwardly, with elements of SKA and reggae, but they're both still bad. The latest plays with more electronic beats but in a muted way, which is sometimes enjoyable and good. V is a regular Maroon 5 album as far as content, a set of love songs that verge on being bi-polar with how much singer Adam Levine wants someone then doesn't, and on songs that are forgettable as soon as their over.

Here's a track-by-track review of the standard edition release.

Maps- The album's lead single and opener is one of the best things on this album. The good lyrics are delivered beautifully by Levine's voice, yet this fun opener is a false start to another underwhelming album.

Animals- Levine howls on this stalkerish/creepy track about animal tendencies to (sexually) attack a girl. And that's enough of that...

It Was Always You- Slightly techno with scents of the electroc/pop funk of the '80s, "It Was Always You" isn't bad, but you forget why you like it.

Album Review: Not Falling In Love With Kylie's 'Kiss Me Once'

For over 25 years Kylie Minogue has been a staple of pop/dance music. With her 12th studio album Kiss Me Once, her first album since 2010's Aphrodite, Minogue shows no sign of wanting to stop making the world dance, but at 45 she appears to be slowing down on this latest set, yet more focused on sex at the same time.

Since Aphrodite, Minogue has teased us with high energy tracks like "Timebomb" and "Skirt," and then doing an intimate, orchestra cover album called The Abbey Road Sessions. These were all delightful releases but now we have this, a compilation of slower dance tracks and a step backward for the Australian Queen of Pop.

"Into the Blue," the lead track and first single, starts the mood for the album immediately: a nice listen, but not kinetic. not as great as other album openers, but good nonetheless. The pockets of  momentary dance segments  proceed with songs "Million Miles" and the '80s-sounding "I Was Gonna Cancel," and some forgettable "sex" tracks. Her cover of Tom Aspaul's "Indiana," renamed to "Feel So Good," is a bubbly electronic ditty that is just as good as the original, a definite highlight of the album.


The songs chug along until the album's conclusion where we are left to feeling "Fine," which is a good bookend to "Into The Blue" and wants you to dance once more.

Not a great set, Kiss Me Once isn't too impressive the first go around - probably barbecue it's been four years since an album of original content and I was anxious - but there are some enjoyable nuggets to listen to second time around. However, this isn't a really danceable album that we expect from her. Is 26 years in the music industry taking a toll on her? She seems so slowed down on this set. Even Madonna is still performing all crazy at her age, so Minogue needs to be just as lively as she was on "Timebomb" and the albums before this.

Rating: C