In the past five years, gangsta hip hop has been fading out of the mainstream and is returning to a more dance-conscious state. Newcomers like Lady Gaga would have never had a chance in 2004 (she probably would of been the victim of a 50 Cent gangbang lyric.) And so now, I present to you the return of the diva to mainstream radio. And it seems they all have had a new single/album this month! Here is a sampling:Mariah Carey
"Obsessed" single
Released: July 6th, 2009
With all of it's attitude and sexiness, this track has the potential to make an instant summer diva classic... so why didn't it become Mariah's 19th #1? Perhaps it's because the producers took a woman who is capable of singing 5 octaves and jumbled her voice into that of a robot. I have no problem with the use of the vocoder, in fact it works amazingly for Shakira...but for Mariah? Really? Her stunning vocal ability needs to be set free, not crunched with mechanical bleeps and blips. Next!
Shakira
"She-Wolf" single
Released: July 14th, 2009
Now, here is the surprise single of the summer. I must admit, I've always felt very neutral about Shakira's music. I moderately enjoyed "Whenever Wherever Whoever" whatever the hell it was called. And "Hips Don't Lie" eventually grew on me after I stopped wondering what kind of lie they might tell. But, "She-Wolf" is an instant classic. Here is a song where the vocoder is used perfectly to enhance the voice and other musical instrumentation. The feral vocal performance and slick dance beats make this track a smash. One word for this song: Fierce!
Madonna
"Celebration" single
Released: July 31st, 2009
Here is a phenomenal Madonna song you won't hear in the good ol' USA. Why, do you ask? When Madonna writes a euro-house dance track with the brilliant Paul Oakenfold, American radio stations aren't interested. Take for instance her 2005 single, "Hung Up." It was a #1 song in 45 countries, made the Guiness Book of World Records and then peaked at mere a #7 in the USA. And unfortunately, "Celebration" is doomed to repeat history. "Celebration" combines the uplifting joy of "Holiday," the sexy spoken-word of "Justify My Love" and the guiltless dance beats of "Into the Groove." Are you ready to dance?
Whitney Houston
"Million Dollar Bill" single
Released: August 18th, 2009
While Mariah, Shakira, and Madonna all went for variations of contemporary dance music, Whitney comes at us with a song straight out of Studio 54 circa 1977. Perhaps she's channeling her former cocaine days with this moon-and-the-spoon track. Whatever her inspiration, she has a stunning comeback song that somehow fits quite comfortably alongside her diva contemporaries. Similarly to Mariah, it's her voice that she is known for. And here it sounds incredible. The chorus is undeniably one of the catchiest of her career. You'll be saying "Oh Ohh Ohhhh!"
Watch video for Mariah Carey's "Obsessed"
Watch video for Shakira's "She-Wolf"
Watch video for Madonna's "Celebration"
Watch video for Whitney Houston's "Million Dollar Bill"
