As I Am CD Review

From the moment Alicia Keys dropped onto the music scene in 2001, one thing was clear, this girl was a star. With a few simple words stretched out to blasting piano underscored intensity, “I keep on fallin, in and out of love with you,” Alicia Keys roared onto radio with an album (“Songs in A Minor”) that would garner her both critical praise and a slew of awards. With 2004’s follow up “The Diary of Alicia Keys,” we saw the singer amp up her game enlisting some of the hottest producers to bring her musical vision to life. A prestigious piano player, all the songs acted as a showcase for her raw vocals, and amazing piano skills.

Next week brings the release of her eagerly anticipated album “As I Am,” and it’s both strikingly different than her past two albums and strikingly similar. Those seeking out more of Keys’ piano driven ballads about heartbreak, newfound love, and euphoric romance will be pleased to know that Keys has delivered fourteen songs with her signature killer hooks that seem radio friendly and original at the same time.

"As I Am (Intro)" - It's short, as one would expect from an intro. But it's good. It' her doing what brought her fame; playing elegant piano.

"Go Ahead" - Her voice starts warm, sounds like her counterpart India Arie. Near the end of the song, you might recognize that the beat is reminiscent to 70s icon Queen's "We will Rock You."

"Superwoman" - Bluesy and soulful while being inspirational and beautiful. One of the best tracks on the album

"No One" - Raw and emotional song. while most people either love or hate this song; this song drew me into the album.

"Like You'll Never See Me Again" - If you've seen Alicia in concert, or even watched her perform live on TV, you notice her voice is smoky and sultry. This song sounds exactly like who Alicia has evolved into. This is what she'll sound like when you see her live.

"Lesson Learned" - This is a collaboration between Alicia and John Mayer. Wonderful! Two talented musicians working together. It's not a duet in the truest sense of the word. John only provides back up vocals, and some singing on the hook. But his guitar is present throughout the entirety of the track. It's beautiful to hear both of the musicians ramp up toward the crescendo. This deserves a video more than anything.


"Wreckless Love" - Not the Alicia you remember. Here, she laments on the loss of wreckless love. She sings about going back to the type of love one experiences early in a relationship. Before things become old, staid, and safe.

"The Thing About Love" - one of my favorites! It breaks away from the expected. This composition shares more in common with Radiohead or U2. The piano takes on a personality, that of a lonely soul. There are rich, yet subtle strings to support the grandiose mood. Also, there is some organ cleverly laced within to add some old time spirit. Alicia shines!"I Need You" - In a word, "funky." This is the one expected to hear repeated over and over from cars passing by. It's complex, and at the same time, smooth. Infections! The hook "I Need You" sounds like a familiar but hard to place 80's R&B hit.

"Prelude to a Kiss" - Intense and powerful at only 2 minutes and 9 seconds long. Prelude for real. The last two songs -

"Tell You Something (Nana's Reprise)" and "Sure Looks Good To Me" - defy simple categorization. They certainly breach the parameters of contemporary R&B. Again, there are vocal arrangements and musical compositions more akin to a rock ballad. It's not the kind of song that would get guaranteed play on black radio, but it could be a breakthrough hit on mainstream pop stations. And don't take that as a jab. She steps outside of the prescribed zone for soul singers, without compromising her integrity. She still packs the soulful punch we expect of her.

There is variety and range, though. Some songs you might choose to repeat, others might require the skip. Most of the tracks might not instantly command your attention. But pay attention, because this is a great CD. Well worth your pocket change.

Grade: A-

Holiday Movie Preview: Winter 2007

The next two months are packed with enough holidays and new movies to warm even the Grinch's Heart. Get set for a nonstop banquet of action blockbusters, family-friendly fairy tales, spicy comedies, upscale horror flicks and the kind of deep-dish dramas that make the Oscar's take notice. Sure, there may be turkeys -- but trust me, you'll go home with cinematic gifts galore.

"Grace is Gone," a father (John Cusack) embarks on a road trip with his kids, hoping to find the courage to tell them that their warrior mother has been killed overseas.

"Charlie Wilson's War" takes us back more than 20 years to tell the true -- and somewhat blackly funny -- story of a Texas congressman (Tom Hanks) who armed Afghans in their war against the Soviets -- the very Afghans who became American-hating Taliban.

But Brian De Palma's Redacted takes us deep into the belly of the beast, where rape and murder by American soldiers in Iraq are depicted in a pseudo-documentary. Fundamentalist Muslims figure largely in writer Khaled Hosseini's tragic The Kite Runner, just one of many respected and/or superpopular novels that have been turned into prestige pictures for the holiday season. Oscar should certainly have his eye on Javier Bardem, starring in author Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, directed by the Coen brothers. The Spanish actor also appears in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's much-honored Love in the Time of Cholera, directed by Mike Newell.

Newcomer Saoirse Ronan is simply incandescent in writer Ian McEwan's sharply visualized Atonement which also gives Keira Knightley one of her best roles ever. Director Julian Schnabel's demanding The Diving Bell and the Butterfly adapted from a best-selling memoir, has already won the directing prize at the Cannes Film Festival. And Upton Sinclair's 1927 muckraking novel "Oil!" inspired director Paul Thomas Anderson There Will Be Blood a black-gold adventure in Texas that could bring Daniel Day-Lewis a second Academy Award.

Oscar should be making a list and checking it twice, because this holiday season's crowded with extraordinary actors, including Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in The Bucket List, Christopher Plummer, (Man in the Chair), Frank Langella (Starting Out in the Evening), Philip Seymour Hoffman(The Savages), Michael Caine, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe in American Gangster. And there's wild card, acting volumes in a supporting role in Margot at the Wedding. However, regarding "Margot," it must be said: Noah Baumbach's latest foray into scary-funny dysfunctional-family land is fueled by Nicole Kidman, delivering a razor-sharp performance that should, if there's any justice, get a nod from the Academy.


And I can guarantee that, come awards time, no one's going to overlook Cate Blanchett's spooky, seductive incarnation of Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes' I'm Not There The superb Laura Linney goes toe-to-toe, acting-wise, with Philip Seymour Hoffman in The Savages, and the sublime Spanish actress Belen Rueda should certainly earn the Academy's attention for her searing performance in The Orphanage. And there's Hilary Swank, playing a grieving widow in P.S. I Love You Can she seduce Oscar for a third time?

Don't fret, dad and mom, there's family fare galore to delight the kids -- and get them out from underfoot during the holidays! Jerry Seinfeld's finally brought Bee Movie into the hive. Paul Giamatti and Vince Vaughn can be expected to generate nifty comedy in Fred Claus, a yuletide yarn about Santa Claus and his black-sheep brother.

And veggie- and animal-loving kiddies won't complain, not with The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep looming on the holiday horizon.

Starry-eyed grown-ups will surely groove on Enchanted a musical rom-com about a cartoon princess who finds true love in the real world. But the season showstopper on the fantasy front will certainly be The Golden Compass: His Dark Materials the first entry in what its makers hope will be a franchise every bit as gorgeous and lucrative as The Lord of the Rings.

For those of us who enjoy a blood pudding with our holiday goodies, there's Will Smith's postapocalyptic vampire movie I Am Legend and Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Who doesn't love that holiday carol "I'll Be Home for Christmas"? And goodness knows, home for the holidays sounds wonderfully warm and cozy. But given the winter wonderland of film releases coming up, it looks like we might spend a lot of time at the movies this holiday season!

Hollywood Updates

1. Shia LaBeouf Arrested:

The 21-year-old star of Transformers was arrested at around 2:25 a.m. at a Walgreens in Downtown Chicago, Chicago Police spokesman Marcel Bright told the Chicago Tribune. LaBeouf, who is in Chicago shooting a movie, refused to leave the store after several requests by security. As a result, a security guard called the police, Bright said.

The star of the upcoming fourth installment of “Indiana Jones” was cited on a misdemeanor count of trespassing. The complaint was signed by the security guard. Back in June Shia said he avoided the kinds of troubles other young stars have fallen into by dedicating himself to his work. Looks like it worked!

2. The Spice Girls are Officially Back!

They're not in their 20s anymore, but the Spice Girls are intent on staying as sexy as ever. This weekend the Spice Girls Released their new video online for their first single in 10 years called "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)". I'm still unsure about the song but the video is great because it is exciting to see all the ladies back together and looking great! Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham, in particular, strips down to just the bare essentials, while Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell shows off her newly toned abs. Also don't forget to catch Mel B. on "Dancing with the Stars" and Victoria on " Ugly Betty" playing who else...herself!

To watch "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" Click Here!

3. Ashley Olson and Lance Armstrong...a couple?!

I can not say I truely believe this rumor...just yet! If it's true this has to be the oddest couple I have seen in years. The 21-year-old actress, who was seen kissing Lance at New York 's Gramercy Park Hotel's Rose bar on last Monday night, enjoyed a romantic dinner with the cycling legend the following evening as well. Ashley was seen chatting intimately with Lance at Graydon Carter's Waverly Inn restaurant and the pair reportedly couldn't keep their hands off each other.

4. Carrie Underwood Is Number One!

First-Week Sales of 527,101 Deliver the Best-Selling Debut Week of Any Female Artist in 2007, Arriving at #1 on Billboard’s Country and Pop Charts! Carnival Ride Nets the Highest Debut-Week Sales of Any Sophomore Country Album in SoundScan History. For Those of you who did not read my previous blog, this sums it up!

5. Katie Holmes Runs New York Marathon

Katie Holmes was among the tens of thousands of runners participating in Sunday's New York City Marathon, finishing the race in 5 hours, 29 minutes and 58 seconds. Husband Tom Cruise and their daughter, Suri, were at the finish line to congratulate the actress. Holmes had registered under an alias so she wouldn't draw too much attention to herself, event officials said, but her time was listed in the official results under her real name.

The 26.2-mile course travels through all five boroughs of the city, starting on Staten Island and finishing in Manhattan's Central Park. This year, 39,085 runners started the race. Holmes has said she has always liked to run, and took it up to help lose baby weight after giving birth to her daughter, who is now a year old.

Honorable Mentions

*Cate Blanchett Pregnant with Third Baby

*Christina Aguilera FINALLY confirms Pregnancy

*American Ganster is the Number One Film with $46.3 Million

The Hills...Real or Fake?

MTV's increasingly popular reality series, The Hills, has engorssed viewers with the colorful drama between Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt, and the rest of the ensemble. But with the controversy surrounding its fake plot, many fans are now restless and confused about how much of the show is real or fake. To the many restless fans, Hills executive producer Adam DiVello has something to say that will hopefully shed some light into the issue.

The “fake controversy” popped out when DiVello described a scene from earlier this season to TV Guide, when enemies Conrad and Montag ended up at the same club on the same night which evidently was no accident.

“Lauren and Jason [Wahler] were going there, and Heidi and Spencer [Pratt] wanted to celebrate their anniversary. Ketchup was one of the spots Spencer wanted to go to, so it just sort of worked out. It wasn't planned on our behalf, but it is a little fake,” he said. “I hate to say we schedule their lives, but we definitely schedule out what we want to cover.”

Speculations further fueled when photos taken by Pacific Coast News at LAX, which showed Pratt dropping Montag off at the airport, and then picking her up again, when they embrace as if she's been away, call into question the time element and whether the airport scene was staged for convenience sake. According to sources, “the couple changed their shirts but they're wearing the same pants and shoes in each scene.”

While these photos may suggest that The Hills stretches reality a little more than the show should, a spokesperson from MTV says that the photos are not evidence that the series is fiction.

“It was a pickup shot that in no way affected the storyline,” an MTV spokesperson told the New York Post. “This is no different from any other reality show.”

The spokes person also explains that that Montag's “last-minute trip” actually occurred last month, the weekend of September 28 and the producers “put the trip into context” by having Montag and Pratt recreate the airport scenes last Friday.

Amidst the sham issue, DiVello confirms something that's very authentic for him: the Montag and Pratt's relationship.

“They're very much in love when I see them. They're a real couple and definitely engaged. It's not staged for the sake of our show. If they've got something else going on, we've yet to see it,” he said

Personally I don't care because I have always speculated that the show had some false elements just like any reality show. Reality TV is not real at all! Not helping the speculations are reports from Gavin Beasley, the model who took Lauren on a date, claimed that the show was fake but later retracted his statement claiming he was taken out of context. In the end it is good television whether it is fake or real!

Carrie Underwood is a True Star!

Every Publication this week had at least one article written on Carrie Underwood: USA Today, US Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Seventeen Magazine...Carrie's there, in fact she is on the cover of Entertainment Weekly. On October 23 her second studio album, Carnival Ride will be released. Former American Idol season four winner Carrie Underwood was one of the few American Idol winners to take her success from the show to critical and commercial success. Her debut album, Some Hearts, has sold nearly 6 million copies, recently squeaking by Kelly Clarkson's Breakaway to become the most successful record from any Idol contestant. Some Hearts' multiplatinum status also puts it just behind Nickelback for the best selling album of the past two years and was named the best-selling album of 2006 . At 24, she has collected two Grammys (including Best New Artist, the first Idol to do so), two CMA awards, five Academy of Country Music awards, two People's Choice awards, and an American Music award. She's also had four smash singles on the country charts; one of them, ''Before He Cheats'' ended up a pop-radio hit last summer and a mainstay in the top 10 of Billboard's Hot 100.

Underwood went into Some Hearts an American Idol — an assurance of name recognition, but hardly a guarantee of future success. She goes into Carnival Ride a country superstar, the kind of celebrity who gets linked romantically with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and, more recently, Gossip Girl's Chace Crawford. She has two nominations for the American Music Awards, three for the CMAs and a song sung over the credits of the animated film Enchanted, opening Nov. 21.


Carnival Ride Review

On her sophomore album, Carnival Ride, she is ready to crack the dreaded sophomore slump. The first single off of Carnival Ride is So Small. The song is a very strong pop-country track. The song features Carrie's extremely strong voice which makes the song a hit. This is the first song which Carrie has released as a single where she has writing credit on the song. The song is very catchy and has been a big hit for her.

Flat On The Floor is a catchy up-tempo track. The song is more traditional country with a little bit of Rock-n-Roll as opposed to most of the other songs on the album.

I Told You So is a cover of the Randy Travis classic from 1988. The song is very good and at the same level as the original which is hard to do. The song is very catchy and very easy to listen to.

I Know You Won't is one of the ballads on the album. The song is very well written and produced. The song talks about the disappointments in a relationship. Carrie's big voice shines over the mellow track.

Last Name musically sounds like the sequel of Before He Cheats. The song features the playful nature of Carrie over a rock-country inspired beat. The song talks about meeting someone in the club and having a good time and not even knowing their last name.

Get Out Of This Town is a solid pop-country track. The song features a very catchy melody and a great hook.

With this Album Carrie Underwood not only proves to be the superior American Idol but also a superior artist who has a long and successful career ahead of her. Carrie will have you saying "Kelly who?"

Grade: A-

Lindsay Lohan: Post Rehab

Lindsay has been out of Rehab over a week and so far nothing has happened to her! I hope she keeps up this streak and does not relapse! Lindsay Lohan checked out of a drug and alcohol treatment program in Utah that she entered in August on Friday October 5, 2007. Lohan's visit to the Sundance-based Cirque Lodge was her third trip to rehab since January, a frenetic year in which she wrecked a Mercedes-Benz, released the box-office flop "I Know Who Killed Me" and was arrested more than once. Lohan has been prominently in the public eye since becoming a star at 11 in the Disney film "The Parent Trap." She's also appeared in "Mean Girls," "Freaky Friday," "Herbie Fully Loaded" and numerous other films. In recent years, however, she's become better known for nonstop appearances on the Hollywood nightclub scene.

Lindsay Lohan Leaving Rehab with her Father, Michael Lohan

I'm very happy for Lindsay because unlike some celebrities who went to rehab I feel like she is trying to change despite that it has taken her three tries at it. This time she has made some serious progress though. She has mended the turbulent relationship she had with her father. Lindsay has also decided to not return to New York or Los Angeles at the moment but rent a house near her treatment facility so she does not become tempted by the party scene in either city. Also Lindsay found a romance with a fellow participant, Riley Giles. They are both helping and supporting each other through their recovery. Giles and Lohan not only are deeply focused on their sobriety, but write poetry to each other and do yoga together.

Riley Giles and Lindsay Lohan after a quiet Dinner in Utah

Lindsay has a talent and I hope she hones in on her craft and perfects it and starts to once again gain attention for her talent instead of her partying. It is possible because such celebrities as Drew Barrymore and Ben Affleck went to rehab before going to rehab was cool and came out better than ever. I'm really looking forward to Lindsay's return and I hope she chooses a movie that will help propel her back to the A- List celebrity she once was.

Stay Sober!

Two Things You Can Always Count On In Hollywood

The first thing you can always count on in Hollywood is several celebrities getting pregnant at the same time. It usually starts with one and then before you know it more and more make announcements about their pregnancy. I'm not sure what is in the water out there in Hollywood. Now Let's go down the list of pregnant celebrities: Halle Berry. What can you say about Halle? She's stunningly beautiful and an Oscar-winning actress who had been so unlucky when it came to relationships. All the men that she was with screwed her over. I just don't understand who would ever screw up a relationship with Halle Berry but that's me. All Halle ever wanted was to have a baby of her own. I recall her saying in an interview that if she was not blessed with a baby that she would adopt because she could not live anymore without being a mother. After that it is impossible to not feel overjoyed for her and I feel her and her boyfriend Gabriel Aubry make such a great couple. They compliment each other quite well. I can already see two People Magazine covers in the near future: one about the birth of the baby and the other about how Halle lost all the baby weight!

Next up on the pregnancy list is Christina Aguilera. Now, she has not confirmed nor denied she is pregnant but if you can seen recent photos of her it is clearly obvious that she is not just carrying around a little weight. In fact this past weekend Christina and her Husband Jordan registered for their baby shower at an Los Angeles boutique. This does not sound like something someone who was not pregnant would do. I think it is interesting how she has not made an offiical announcement. I believe she wants to keep her privacy and has learned from what other celebrities have been through (i.e. Britney).

Nicole Richie, well I've already discussed my feelings about her exposing her stomach but never about how I feel about her pregnancy. I'm conflicted because I want her to be a good mother and hope her having a child with mature her but I'm not sure how she will handle it. She will either be a good mom or horrible mom. I guess only time will tell and I'm hoping it's good news.

Finally there is probably the most talked about pregnancy on the planet right now and that would be from Jennifer Lopez. At first I thought to myself how I was tired of hearing these stories every week: "Is She Pregnant or not?" Most of the time I believe them to be false until I started seeing photos of her recently. First she began wearing loose fitted dresses when Jennifer normally wheres clothing to show of her toned physique. Then followed the pictures from her concert and it was undeniable that she was pregnant. Not to mention she was toned down her dancing in her concerts, probably to accommodate the new baby. Maybe she wants to take her time to make an official announcement because she is still early into the pregnancy. Though here is hoping the baby looks a lot like her and a lot less like Marc Anthony.

Now comes the other thing you can always count on in Hollywood and that is having two people randomly marry each other or two people who you know it will be only a matter of days or hours before they are divorced. Pam Anderson and Rick Salomon tied the knot on Saturday night in Las Vegas. The couple exchanged their vows in between Pam Anderson's break from her Magic Show. First Off, who knew they were dating? Not Me! This Pam's third marriage and I wonder how many marriages is it going to take for her to understand that maybe she should take it more slowly instead of jumping into things too quickly. Also why Rick Solomon? The only thing he contributed to the world was his sex tape with Paris Hilton. Well, maybe that is what attracted them to one another, their interest in home video production. Though I hate to think about how many diseases are surrounding these two. I shutter to think!

The Planet Hollywood marquee congratulates Pam & Rick