RuPaul's Drag Race - Rupocalypse Now

It's that time again. Thirteen queens have gathered together to compete for the title of America's Next Drag Superstar and the cash prize of $100,000. A lot is on the line for these girls and they've got a lot to prove -- and they'd better hurry up because the end of the world is rapidly approaching.

Song of the Week - Hangin' On

In an effort to make myself seem less two dimensional that I really am, I have chosen a song that is outside of the normal "Song of the Week" realm. Instead of a generic but amazingly fun poppy song, I've chosen a rock track. Yeah. Homos liking ROCK N ROLL! Get over it.

I have never heard of this band. I know practically nothing about them. But I like this song. Every now and then scouring the "Just Added" section of iTunes can pay off. Never be afraid to preview a song from a group you've never heard of. Every now and then it may surprise you.

This song has a lot of amazing guitar action. Sometimes I get so caught up in electronic keyboards and "wah-wah" dubstep crap that I forget real instruments exist. These guys do an amazing job. Maybe I have been out of the rock scene for too long, but they remind me a lot of old school Coheed and Cambria, but less obnoxious. Either way, this group deserves the credit.

You can buy the track on iTunes here. For 99c, it's not a bad idea.

Girls' Generation and the Laziest Album Ever

So I've gained a reputation in the blogger community for being the "goody goody." Well it's about time I started throwing some shade, don't you think? Let's start with my love-hate-hate relationship with Korean girl group, Girls' Generation.

Back in October, Girls' Generation, Korea's only band (so it seems), released their first English language single. This excited almost everybody. Even I was excited. The song by itself wasn't spectacular, at least not until the remixes came out, but it was still an awesome step forward. These girls have great voices, and actually can speak English quite well.

Then they released their first US album.

This is where my problem with this groups started. The album has twelve tracks with English titles, but only one of them is actually in English. The rest of the tracks are sang in Korean, making their "English language debut" kind of pointless at this point. Why would you only record one English song for your US premier?

The songs aren't bad, per say. A few of them are lazy sounding and not as well produced as a top notch girl group should be, but I don't hate the songs. The problem lies in the presentation. This album's lead single was in English, leading all logical thinkers to believe the rest of the album would be as well, especially given the song titles. It was a huge let down.

As if they weren't lazy enough beforehand, it gets worse. Tacked to the end of the album is the ENTIRE "BOYS" EP. Nothing new here. Just the EP you probably already bought. I can't even begin to tell you how annoying it is to be forced to buy something over again. Speaking of which, the album also features the exact same cover art as the EP did as well. I think these girls take the prize for laziest US debut ever.

It could have been worse. They could have re-recorded a Ke$ha song and not even bother to redo her vocals. What? They did that, too? Damnit!

Video Review - Hot Couture

Yeah. I know the video has only been out for a few hours. Do you not trust me to do a review in such short notice? How dare you! Anyway, this video is sickening. No really. There is no other word in the entire English language that could describe this video, but I'mma do my best to sum it up for you guys.

Drag Race New Extended Promos

Thanks to Matt from Logo's Online Marketing division, I got the heads up on the newest promo for Ru Paul's Drag Race season four! Actually, there were two. The first promo is an actual episode one preview, showcasing the girls' first challenge. This one, my friends, is gonna be a tough one. Dead and forgotten queens such as Raven, Pandora Boxx, and Ongina have come back from the grave as zombies, and the new crop of girls have to risk their lives to scavenge clothes from them. This won't end well. May the best woman live!

More RuPaul’s Drag Race Video - Logo TV

If that wasn't enough to get you going, the series extended preview was revealed as well. Ru says that this season, the bar is raised so high they have nowhere to go but OVER the top! Sounds exciting. We learn that the challenges will involve a wrestling match as well as the return of the fan favorite challenge -- The Snatch Game (though all that is revealed is Chad doing a Cher impression, go figure). If you pay attention, this promo more or less gives away the first few queens to hit the road, so viewer beware.

More RuPaul’s Drag Race Video - Logo TV

This season is definitely going to be a blast. Ru says they are going to break all the rules? They better, because according to Wikipedia (reliable, I know) this season is going to have eighteen episodes, two more than last season with the same number of contestants.

If you really want to go Drag Race crazy this season, they are resuming their Fantasy Team contest (which is a bit confusing score wise, but fun to pick your faves) and are starting their own Get Glue stickers, too! Drag Race is on, people, and this time next week we'll all be feeling the heat!

EDIT: The "dead and forgotten" joke was only me rolling with the zombie-queens gag. I LOVE all three of those queens, as well as the others I didn't mention. They are all beautiful and amazing in thier own ways.

Adam Lambert Reveals Album Cover

It's here. Glamberts have been buzzing about it, and the word is quickly getting out that the cover for Adam Lambert's new album "Trespassing" has been leaked to the interwebs. Why don't we have a looksee.

 

It's not another wild goose chase. This time, it's the real deal. I've got mixed feelings about this cover. On one hand, he looks amazing and gorgeous as can be expected. I really like the intense look of the cover, but I can't help but think I've seen this before. The font, the visual effects, and even the highway theme have all be done before, and it gives me an uneasy felling about the whole thing.

Regardless of the question of originality, it looks stunning, and is a good sign of what this album is shaping up to be. With only one track from the album released, fans are grasping at anything they can get for now, and this is exactly what we need to keep our interests while the album gets it's final touches for it's March 20 release date.

Song of the Week - Light Up The Sky

I can't even explain what it is about this song that I like. As a matter of fact, I think I kind of hate this song, but I just can't help myself. I'll try to explain it, guys, but no promises.

This song is a mess of everything electronic and techno you could ever think of. It sounds like a rejected Black Eyed Peas song -- but only because the lyrics are ridiculous. The beat is where this song shines, making everyone that listens want to get up and dance. The lyrics, on the other hand... Well let's just say he says "this is" at the start of every sentence, ranging from your "super sweet sixteen" to your "cheeseburger Happy Meal."

Don't be scared by the Parental Advisory sticker on it, either. The only inappropriate part of the song is the f-bomb being dropped a couple of times in the chorus. The rest of the song sounds like it was written to be included on a Kidz Bop album. I'm not kidding. Why do I like this song so much? Ugh.

If you are into this kind of oddity, buy it on iTunes. If not, no harm done.

Nicki Minaj and The Video of the Year

No, I'm not trolling you. I really do like this video. It may be causing everybody everywhere to rage their faces off, but I really did find it to be a work of art. Behold Nicki Minaj doing her best Lady Gaga and Shakira impressions!




The song is terrible. The video is genius.

MYPHNH(BS) - Cristal Snow

I'd been on the fence with this one for a while. I love Cristal Snow. I have since his try at getting on Eurovision back in 2008. The only problem is that his music isn't exactly readily available in the United States. Then the thought crossed my mind -- maybe if his US fanbase grows, he will be able to put his new music up on iTunes. So let me introduce you to your newest obsession.

Cristal Snow is a Finnish electro-pop singer. His music was on the forefront of the late 00's electronic music movement, but due to his location, he didn't get a lot of credit. He has had two albums out, "The Prophecy" and "God You Made Me Wicked". Both albums explored pop music to all of it's limits, and spawned a great deal of singles and videos.

The biggest selling point with Mr. Snow is his look. Being a former drag queen (predictable, I know), he pays great attention to his makeup and visual style. He always has some form of exaggerated eye make up or design on his face. Each of his looks get more and more drastic and over the top, pretty much meaning they get better and better.

His videos are a work of art. Many of them have storylines, such as "Killing Me" where he slowly reveals he burned down his ex's house. Others are simply breathtaking, the most prominent being "Scarred" where he sings atop a Finnish mountaintop with gorgeous scenery.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, give him a chance. His stuff is all over YouTube, and he is actually a really nice person, responding to his fans on several occasions. I'm hoping that his next album will be released internationally online, at least. Until then, we will just have to admire what we can see online. I'll wrap this little article up with my favorite video from him to date - "Wicked."

Album Review - Supersonique

Just when I thought the art of girl groups was dead and gone, a landslide of female dominated music has made it's way into the spotlight. Perhaps one of the most understated groups of the new decade, Jada has been inconstantly putting out solid hits for the past 2009. All I have to say is it's about damn time they gave us more than just one track!

Song of the Week - Tonight is the Night

The awesome thing about iTunes is that often times, they will promote new artists to garner them more attention. Outasight is an up and coming rapper that delves into places like pop, soul, and funk, which is something the music biz hasn't seen in a while. His new single, "Tonight is the Night" is the perfect introduction to what he is all about. I guess being on a major network commercial for Pepsi kind of helped, too.

Let me start by saying that I technically should be reviewing the remixes coming out tomorrow. They add quite a nice depth to the tracks. I went ahead and nominated the basic song simply to avoid confusion or DJ favoritism even though the original is from September.

Unlike anything on the pop scene right now, Outasight delivers you one hell of a pop song with some smooth rapping in each verse -- and he does it without the help of Kanye West or Lil Wayne. This guy raps and sings, which is something you don't see too often. His singing isn't perfect, but his rapping is where it's at. I guess it's about time we have a few more notable white rappers.

The only complaint I have about the song is that the verses are very short, and it ends up making the whole song feel like one long chorus. It's one long awesome chorus, but you get the idea. It also makes the point of the song hard to get when all you hear is him repeating "tonight is the night is the night" over and over. It's so catchy, though. I just can't stop listening.

You can buy the song on iTunes. Hilariously enough, the song is $1.29, as is it's b-side, but if you pay attention, you can "buy album" for $1.29 and get both songs. That b-side, "Stays The Same" is actually pretty good, too.

I know this one bends the rules of "Song of the Week" but with the remixes just coming out, I figured this song deserved a bit of a nod.

Welcome To The New Domain

In case you haven't notice, I haven't posted anything in the past few days. I've been dying to get back in the game, but apparently buying a domain is stupid as hell and requires an eternity to set up. Luckily, from now on, this should be a thing of the past. I guess what I'm trying to say is

UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS BOOKS

TAKINGOVERTHEUNIVERSE.NET

God that feels good.

Video Review - Werk Me

If you don't love Hyper Crush, we can't be friends. This group is the epitome of what pop needs to be. Electronic, experimental, and fun, this trio knows how to get it done. Their newest video, "Werk Me" hit the web this week, and let me tell you, if you don't like glitter or asses, you probably shouldn't watch.

(Warning: Lots of pictures and ass under the cut.)

Album Review - Young London

Every so often, a band falls out of the sky and into your lap, demanding your attention. This is exactly the case with Young London. This pop duo came from nowhere and landed on the front page of iTunes with their very first single. Their debut album climbed up to #71 on iTunes (or maybe even higher, seeing as I couldn't check often), so they definitely have some bragging rights. Their first album, a self-titled go, really is shaping up to be one of the best of the year.

Aubrey O'Day Celebrity Apprentice Cast Video

Anyone who has ever said anything about Aubrey O'Day's intelligence really should think again. Sure, she may have had ditzy moments on her show, All About Aubrey, but that show was more about her having fun. Her stint on Celebrity Apprentice will be a much more serious matter, and going off this casting interview, I'd say that she has a good chance.




Aubrey's charity is geared towards the prevention of bullying in schools, specifically towards homosexual and transgendered teens. This makes me respect O'Day so much more than I had before. She is making herself into a three-dimensional human being rather than a cut-out pop singer.

As a special bonus, another Celeb App. contestant that I am a huge fan of had quite a funny and touching interview. George Takei is probably one of the most amazing actors of all time. This Space Asian (Spasian?) is also one of my top pics for the new season.




I haven't yet decided if I will be following the show for Taking Over The Universe yet. Is this blog big enough for two reality shows? I'll have to ask around and figure it out. Better yet, let me know what you think below. Don't forget, Ru Paul's Drag Race starts January 30, and the episode by episode reviews will begin again!

Natalia Kill Releases "Kill My Boyfriend" Video

The time has come once again for Natalia Kills to weird the world out. Her past videos, such as her ode to Little Red Ridinghood in "Wonderland", have always amused me, but never exactly made a lot of sense. Allow her to rectify the situation. This video makes sense. It's about her killing her boyfriend.



"Kill My Boyfriend" was announced as the next single from Kills a while back, and I had almost given up on a video being released, but they pulled it out. Natalia has never failed to make a good pop song, and she definitely never fails at making an amazing music video. This one could have used more naked men like "Free", but I'll take what I can get from her.

She's been featured in a song with nearly every Cherry Tree artist so far, including LMFAO and Frankmusik. Who knows? Maybe 2012 will be the year she finally breaks through into the main stream and get the fame she deserves. It won't come without Gaga comparisons, but then again, doesn't everything always go back to Madonna?

Song of the Week - Melancholy Sky

Please tell me you've heard of Goldfrapp. They are one of the strangest, yet most genius, groups out there right now. With their ever-changing sound, they always leave you wondering what style they will be coming out with next. That is exactly why I love them so.

Melancholy Sky is a very mellow track, keeping to the bare minimal. The only time the song picks up is during the chorus, but even then it is still a very laid back track. The light back track and the haunting lyrics paint a beautiful picture. The lyrics are a depressing ode to a very messed up relationship, as she realizes that it was not her fault by the end of the song.

The song is left somewhere in between Goldfrapp's first two albums. The first being a very airy and mellow sound and the second being a tribute to 80's synthpop, this new song fits snugly in between the two. The slow jam may not be for everyone, but it has an undeniable beauty to it, and can be a nice change from songs that demand you get crunk in the club.

You can buy the song on iTunes. Please do so. I want more Goldfrapp!

Aubrey O'Day For Celebrity Apprentice

It's no secret. Back in the day, I was a huge fan of Danity Kane. I even subscribed to their ghetto phone service where they would call fans with pre-recorded messages of their group updates. Every mix CD I made in 2008 had "Damaged" on it. Then they broke up. I thought that was that, and apparently it was, for everyone except Aubrey.

I was really excited when I heard that Aubrey was getting her own TV show -- that is until I heard it was on Oxygen, a network that I sadly do not get in my area. The show was one of the most popular on the network, and despite only being six episodes long, drew a lot of attention to the singer. She released a single along with the show, "Automatic" (Which can be bought on iTunes), and she continued to release a lot of material on the viral field as opposed to through retailers.

Now, Ms. O'Day is in the spotlight again as she was announced for the cast of the new season of Celebrity Apprentice. Yes, I know I'm a bit late on this news, but I don't keep up with reality TV outside the realm of drag queens, so give me a break. The show is set to premier on February 12, 2012. Other notable stars appearing in the new season are Clay Aiken, Cheryl Tiegs, and a personal hero of mine, George Takei. That means there is a lot of reasons to watch this year.

My hopes are that her appearance on a major network again will give Aubrey the push to release more solo material. She has been talking up an album for quite some time now, but not release date, or even tentative period has been announced, leaving a lot of fans to wonder what is going on. Another theory is that the new material may be tied to a new season of "All About Aubrey", her Oxygen show.

According to her fanbase on Twitter, she is going to be holding an online announcement (most likely via Ustream) to cover topics and concerns from her fans. Hopefully I will be able to attend and get some info on her upcoming music. For now, we will just have to wait. At least we still have our old Dantiy Kane albums to get us through the hard times. What? I'm the only one?

Hyper Crush "Night Wave" Preview

I am confident that Hyper Crush is one of the greatest bands of all time. They have just the right amount of cockiness and attitude to back up their sick music, as well as having one of the hottest chicks ever as their lead singer (Ok, so they are all attractive in their own way). "Night Wave" is going to be their first album out in a long time. They recently announced a release date, and now they've brought us a video with a whole lot more info.



(Warning: Lots of cursing)

Hyper Crush are calling their fans to go out and buy the album. They have given out a lot of free tracks in the past (I remember getting "Maniac" for free from their site when it first came out) and now they are asking for everyone who has supported them to spend just eight dollars on iTunes and preorder it. This video offers some enticing tidbits for you to pre-order it, too.

First up, they sample random bits of songs. Only a couple of the songs have identifiable lyrics to them ("Chrome Pipes" "Cheap Thrills" and "Bad Boyz" are the only ones I could make out). The songs were lower quality because it was being played on their computer and recorded by an external camera, so no HQ previews yet, but what was heard was impressive. Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure I heard some dubstep in there. I'm going to try and not be scared by that.

If you do preorder the album on iTunes and send the band a picture of your receipt, they will send you a physical copy of the album. I, for one, am taking them up on this offer. I love holding a disk in my hands as opposed to the new digital age, so any time I can swipe up a physical copy of anything I'm digging, I go for it.

The last small tidbit in the video was a few shots of what the video is going to look like for "Werk Me". For not being on a major label, their video is going to be totally amazing. I mean did you see Holly's ass? Ok, I think I might be turning straight. I've heard of pop music making someone feel gayer, but straighter? This is all too new for me. I need to take a break before I loose my mind.

Preorder "Night Wave" on iTunes. If you do, they'll send you a physical copy. No joke.February 7. 2012. Done now.

Helping XELLE Fund "Hologram"

It's rare that I get preachy on my blog (hah!) but I really have to lay it on you, guys. If I can spare the money, so can you. XELLE is one of the hottest rising groups in pop music, and they are promising us a spectacular video for their newest single "Hologram". There's just one little problem: They need a little more money... Well if you consider 6K a little, then yeah.

Ok, so the entire six thousand isn't on your shoulders (and actually, nearly half of that has already been donated), but even a little goes a long way, plus you will be rewarded for your efforts. They are offering prizes to people who contribute even a little. Thank You's range anywhere from a mention on the site, to credits in the video, and for the extreme donators, an appearance on screen in the video itself.

The girls have continued to hint at what the video will be like, but they won't even give me the details! They keep saying that it is going to use an untapped medium, as well as have a story and a few cameos sprinkled in. I, for one, and extremely pumped about this video. They have said they hope to get it out by March. That leaves them a small window of time to get this thing done, and if I know my girls, they're gonna get it done and get it done right.

What's even better is anyone who donates $20 (That's less than I spend a month on iTunes. Is there rehab for that?) will get a special bonus video for another XELLE song before anybody else. You get the joy of knowing you were part of something huge and get rewarded for it with even more music. Where is the negative to that?

I guess I'm done begging for now. I feel very passionate about these girls and their talent. You can donate any amount of money to their RocketHub account.

Album Review - The E.P.

My love for Chelsea Korka knows no bounds. From reality TV, to the Paradiso Girls, to her new solo career, I have had my eye on this lady, and I'm so glad that she has finally released her own music. And what's even better is it's very good. She teased us for over a week with these songs, but it was totally worth it. Allow me to delve into "The E.P." by Chelsea Korka.

Song of the Week - Set You Free

I don't really have an excuse for myself this time. Not much has come out the past two weeks in the music world, and when something like this comes out, it's hard to ignore. Don't judge me, everybody, but this track is by 3OH!3.

This group is one of the most inconsistent of the more mainstream acts I follow. They flop back and forth between hip hop and electronic pop, making it hard to target their exact fanbase. Every once in a while, they release a single that balances the two perfectly making me unable to hate them. "Set You Free" is one of those songs.

I'm not exactly sure what it is about this group that attracts me, or anyone for that matter, but they have a certain charm to them, and their pop stuff if pretty catchy. Now that they are in the public eye, as opposed to being hipstrer cred, fans are putting a lot of pressure on them to make stuff closer to their first album. Going by the album's most popular single "Don't Trust Me", I'd say that they are going in the right direction.

If you really want to, I guess you could buy the single on iTunes. I'm gonna go now. I feel a little dirty.