Tag Archives: Nelly

Why Every Year Is the Year of Miley Cyrus

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Mileysinging

It’s time for the Miley Cyrus bashers to wake up to a stark reality: Miley Cyrus ain’t going away. Not in 2014. Not anytime soon. Why? Because when you peel away the layers of twerk-inspired controversy, Miley Cyrus is creating good pop music. And with a major North American tour launching February 14, Miley Cyrus is going to be in our faces even more than she was in 2013.

I waited until now to pass judgment on Cyrus’s latest album, Bangerz, even though it was released three months ago. Frankly I needed some emotional distance from the phenomenon of Miley (which was wearing me out) in order to objectively explore the music of Miley. After listening to the latest edition of her constantly reinventing sound, I have to say, yeah, she delivers some fun, engaging pop on her first non-Disney album — the kind of pop that will endure if she plays her cards right.

You already know about the big moments from Bangerz — how could anyone escape the much discussed and spoofed video for “Wrecking Ball?”

Miley Cyrus swinging around naked on a wrecking ball got tongues wagging. But the video is just a way (and an effective one at that) to get attention amid the white noise flooding our multi-tasking lives. On the song itself, she reveals the kind of talent that will sustain her. Her vocals soar with the kind of epic style that Alicia Keys attempted with “Girl on Fire,” but without any of Keys’s self-conscious posing.

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Jermaine Dupri: musically social

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Think the world already has enough social networks? Well, get ready for another one: Global 14, launched recently by Grammy-award winning producer Jermaine Dupri. Global 14 focuses on the interests of the rap and hip-hop communities. The site features 500 discussion groups on topics ranging from music to cooking. And Jermaine himself pledges to be an active enthusiast.

As he told AllHipHop.com, “People only know Facebook owner [Mark Zuckerberg] now because of his money. You wouldn’t have hung out with him before you knew what he did. I have an influence on producers, songwriters, artists and creative people in general.”

According to AllHipHop.com, the has secured 10,650 subscribers in less than three months and attracted interest from celebrities such as Nelly.

I recently joined Global 14 and find the site useful for making new friends among the rap/hip-hop world, hearing new music from lesser known artists, and staying on top of news relevant to the community. I need to contribute more wall posts, but so far I’m encouraged that people have responded to my own commentary to date.

Meantime, Jermaine remains connected with his fans and influencers in other ways, too, including a cool iPhone app that contains links to content he creates, such as videos, Twitter, Global 14, and iTunes.

I believe Global 14 is just a hint of what’s to come: more specialized social networks where members not only become friends but share new content such as original music.

I also believe we will see more celebrity-branded networks such as Jermaine’s, where a major brand name can exert his or her influence in a meaningful way.