The debut album from Critics’ Choice winner Emeli Sande more than meets expectation

Since her appearance on Later With Jools Holland in September 2011, Emeli Sandé has been one to watch on the British music scene. After being named as the recipient of the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2012 BRIT Awards- a title won previously by such acts as Adele and Florence + the Machine- expectations were high for her first studio release “Our Version of Events,” which was released this past Monday.

Sandé’s album mixes everything from dance to hip-hop, with a single thread of continuity provided by her mesmerizing vocals. Opening with her hit debut single “Heaven,” and closing with “Read All About It (Pt. III)- a continuation of her chart-topping collaboration with Professor Green- “Our Version of Events” sees Sandé tackling well-worn themes of heartbreak, regret and new beginnings in ways which feel authentic, and refreshingly uncontrived.

Lending itself to this authenticity is the fact that Sandé either wrote or co-wrote every single track on the album, demonstrating that she was not intimidated by the contributions of established artists such as Alicia Keys, with whom Sandé worked on the album’s penultimate track, “Hope.”

Admittedly, Sandé’s debut will suffer in some circles, in light of its repeated exploration of lost love and mending hearts. Following what has come to be dubbed as the Year of Adele, Sandé’s repeated exploration of emotions stemming from lost love might cause one or two spectators to yawn.

However, after listening to the record in its entirety, there is no denying that she has produced something of significant merit. This is achieved by the way in which Sandé embeds many of her personal experiences into her lyrics. In “Maybe,” for example, she sings about the final days of a previous relationship:

When we first moved in together/Couldn’t keep hands off each other
Now we’re lying back to back/And silence in the black
We use to laugh until we cried/You would look at me and smile
Now we hardly say hello/And feelings never show

But it is in “Clown” that this album hits its peak. A stripped-back number, “Clown” lets Sandé’s voice shine as she lays bare the disrespect she has endured at the hands of an unnamed individual. Whether the average listener was exposed to Sandé through the feel-good- albeit formulaic- dance hit “Heaven,” or through her supporting role on Professor Green’s aforementioned track, “Clown” dispels any doubt over whether she can captivate her audience. On this track, she captivates- and then some.

It was a genius move by Sandé to close the album with her melodic, sweeping variation of “Read All About It.” Perhaps following in the footsteps of collaborator Alicia Keys, who released her own broken-down version of Jay-Z’s hit song Empire State of Mind, Sandé takes full possession and breathes new life into Green’s over-played track, leaving the listener reeling from her confident, no-holds-barred lyrical message.

With all the promise that this debut offering has to offer, it will be an exciting year for Sandé, beginning with her much-anticipated appearance at next Tuesday’s BRIT Awards, during which she will both perform and take to the stage to accept her Critics’ Choice Award. With an additional nomination in the category of British Breakthrough Artist, it would appear that “Our Version of Events” is a delicious and thoroughly enchanting taste of what is to come from this young performer.

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After a long wait, Timbaland has announced that he and fellow collaborator Missy Elliot, are both planning on releasing individual albums this upcoming June, according to the Rolling Stone magazine.

“Right now, we’re just preparing to get both our videos, our first singles, shot kinda at the same time,” Timbaland told MTV, ”We want to do it as a movement and spontaneously. I just don’t want to move too ahead of her, and she doesn’t wanna move too ahead of me.”

The duo came out with a single in 2011 titled ‘Take Ur Clothes off’. It was released in January and was offered for free. However it did not manage to make much of a splash on the market.

For Timbaland this will be his first full length release since Shock Value II, which was released in 2009. HipHop DX reviewed the album, and while it gained some respect within the Hip Hop industry, it did not live up to its predecessor, Shock Value. However, Timbaland has helped many other artists gain fame over the years and has produced numerous works that cross and exceed the labels within hip hop.

His biography states that he has worked with artists such as Jodeci, Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Destiny’s Child, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Jay-z, Justin Timberlake, The Fray and even Bjork. For Missy Elliot, this upcoming album will be her first since ‘The Cookbook’, which was produced in 2005, marking a seven year itch. In the meantime, however, she revealed to The Juice that she has been diagnosed with Graves disease, an autoimmune disorder.

“I’m 30 pounds lighter because I’ve been exercising.” the MC told People last year. “My thyroid is functioning, so I haven’t had to take medication in about nine months. [But] you live with it for the rest of your life.”

The femcee has since been featured with Katy Perry and J. Cole, and released a single ‘Best, Best’ in 2008 which was planned to be a taste of a following album, ‘Block Party’. The album, however, was never released. It is unknown whether the album coming out in June will be ‘Block Party’ or something new, said the Rolling Stone magazine.

Missy, much like Timbaland, has also helped keep her name in the charts by worked with a number of varying artists. According to her website, musicians such as Pink, Mya, Busta Rhymes, Lil’ Kim, Mariah Carey, and Puff Daddy (a.k.a. Sean Combs) have had the pleasure of working with the 40-year-old rapper.

One of the biggest questions currently circulating about the upcoming albums is who will Timbaland and Missy be working with and feature, since both are known to work with a range of different artists. Without a doubt, however, the albums are highly anticipated, as both artists have a knack for producing top 40 music.

Image Courtesy of  Nikola Spasenoski / Shutterstock.com

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Ever since the debut of her 2007 single, “Bubbly,” 26-year-old Colbie Caillat has identified herself with sunny vibes, laid-back rhythms, and romantic optimism. Born and raised in California, Caillat is an American pop singer-songwriter and guitarist known for pop songs with a surfer feel. This singer is back with her third album, which includes the same style of music she is always known for.

Debuting in July 2007 with Coco, placing at No. 5, she sings with a girl-next-door charm about love, romance, and everyday situations. While it may be easy to dismiss her as a girly-girl, Caillat is a master of tuneful, upbeat pop songs that become stuck in the head for days to come.

Fans are blessed with another album from this singer, All of You, released on July 12, which lives up to the promise of previous releases. The album kicks off with “Brighter Than the Sun,” along with a music video, proving that Caillat is serious about keeping her style the same. Co-written by One Republic’s Ryan Tedder, the song explodes with staccato vocals, rapid guitar strumming, hand-clapping, and a soaring chorus. Put this song on the “must listen” list of summer songs. This track stands out as effervescent, with the choice of clapping for percussion.

“I still incorporate all the styles that I love that were on Breakthrough and Coco, but it’s a new chapter,” Caillat said in a Billboard interview. “I’ve experienced more and I’ve written with new songwriters who are really talented, but it’s still my same music, feel, and sound. The songs are more up-tempo on this record, and it’s like a full-on summer album.”

Her second single, “I Do,” debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100—in February, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “I Do” jumps headfirst into the vivacious happiness of falling in love. Her inspiration for this track came from finding that person who makes you feel like you are ready for the next big step, marriage, and being unafraid to taking that step. The percussion helps set the mood with a sidewalk-skipping beat.

“Dream Life, Life” takes a look into the hopes and dreams of life and wanting to make them turn to reality. In the song, Colbie remains realistic about her wishes: “There’s no more wasting time on what I think I’m supposed to do/ My clock is standing still so I can have my dream life/Life with the ones I love playin’ all day long.”

“What if” and “Favorite Song” featuring Common, stray from Caillat’s usual sound; the former replaces acoustic guitar with electric and the latter has a hip-hop sound. The title track, “All Of You,” preaches accepting everything about your lover — the good, the bad, and the deep secrets. Featuring a mellow guitar line, the lyrics begin to sound almost like an apology.

“All of You” received an average score of 67 at Metacritic, based on five reviews, indicating “generally favorable reviews.” Entertainment Weekly’s Kyle Anderson was positive, saying that the album “proves there’s more to her than a smile and a hair toss.”
“Caillat plays with rhythmic touches (the high-spirited handclaps on “Brighter Than the Sun”) and adds a dollop of country heartbreak to both her voice and her lyrics,” says Anderson.

On the other hand, Sputnikmusic called this album “her inconsistent album, saying that she deserves some credit for trying to shake up a formula that was beginning to get stale, but unfortunately, she falters more often than she succeeds.” Sputnikmusic gave “All of You” a 2.8 out of 5.

Whatever the case may be, “All of You” is another album on the summer hit list. All the songs have a sun-kissed sound of finding summer love with upbeat tempos. So just sit back, drink a nice glass of lemonade, and blast this album and enjoy the rest of the summer sun.

Track List
1. Brighter Than the Sun
2. I Do
3. Before I Let You Go
4. Favorite Song (featuring Common)
5. What If
6. Shadow
7. Think Good Thoughts
8. Like Yesterday
9. All of You
10. Dream Life, Life
11. What Means the Most
12. Make it Rain
13. Stereo
14. Maria

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