Gym Class Heroes - The Fighter

I’ll be honest. I’m not always a fan of Gym Class Heroes. They have a unique sound that if isn’t perfected can end in disaster. Most of the time though, when they pair their classic rap/hip hop combo with a well-known singer (think Adam Levine in “Stereo Heart”), the combination is excellent. This happened with “The Fighter.” So apparently, this song has been out for a while, but I just recently heard it and fell in love with it. I feel like any song featuring Ryan Tedder is guaranteed to be good, but that just may be my OneRepublic bias talking. Anyway, I love everything about this song. The intermix of the usual Travie McCoy rap thing and Ryan Tedder’s brilliant vocals transition seamlessly, creating a song with two very different, yet complementary tones. Not to be left out, the lyrics of the verses and chorus merge together to form an inspirational message about never giving up. And hey, who’s not for a song about fighting till the end. It’s like a musical version of Rocky, minus the actual boxing and such. All that aside, I think this song is excellent. It’s a catchy pop tune with just enough hip hop to satisfy the Gym Class Heroes enthusiasts and some really great message lyrics. And like I said, you really can’t go wrong with Ryan Tedder. True fact. - Lindsey

Mat Kearney - Runaway

Mat Kearney just released the deluxe addition of his latest album Young Love, on Tuesday, and my favorite track from the group of new songs he released, is without a doubt “Runaway”… Mat’s latest album had an overall sound I can’t quite explain (but I say that in a good way), and “Runaway” definitely stays true to that sound. The song has heavy percussions along with gritty keys and guitar that really make for a good combination and give the song a style unlike anything that you might hear on the radio right now. With that said, Mat has a serious knack for using/making beats that just make you want to clap your hands and jam out to the song. And I can’t go without mentioning the awesome storyline that’s being told through the lyrics (but I can’t say I expected anything less. All of Mat’s songs have great story lines)… I think this song, along with the others, is a great addition to an already perfect album and really makes me anxious to hear what else Mat has up his sleeve.

Mat Kearney - Runaway by Veronika1

You can purchase that song here. And be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

James Fortune & FIYA - Hold on (feat. Monica & Fred Hammond)

I’ve grown up listening to gospel music all my life. In fact, until I was about 13 that’s pretty much all I was aloud to listen to. Voices like CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, and Donnie McClurkin were constantly playing though out my house as a kid, so I’m definitely no stranger to this genre of music… I chose this song for today’s post mainly because of the message. The music part is great as well (Monica delivers a flawless vocal on this track that really just takes it to a whole new level, and Fred puts the icing on the cake with his signature and distinct vocal style) but again it’s the message that I love so much in the song. We all have tough things we’re dealing with in life and it never hurts to have some encouragement to just hold on and don’t give up… Hats off to James Fortune for writing such an uplifting song. Hope it can be a blessing to you the way it’s been a blessing to me.

Hold On - James Fortune & FIYA ft. Monica & Fred Hammond by sultryfreckles

You can purchase that song here. And be sure to check out James Fortune on Facebook and Twitter.

Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again

Michael Kiwanuka is a British singer/songwriter who has some serious soul. He just released his debut album Home Again today and its full of really great material. My favorite song from the album is the title track “Home Again”... Michael is a true musician and this song makes that so evident. To me, when I listen to him sing its like listening to him tell a story, and his guitar is the one that’s painting the pictures for you. His earthy/raspy vocal tone fits so well with the flow of the track and goes perfectly with his overall sound. Even with the addition of the light percussions and keys in the song, they never take away from the message he’s trying to convey… Overall I think it’s a truly timeless track that really shows a lot of promise from what’s to come from Michael Kiwanuka.

The song is currently iTunes song of the week so you can get it for free here. And be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

Brandy - Put It Down (feat. Chris Brown)

Brandy’s baaaaaackk!!!!... Yesterday Brandy released the first single from her highly anticipated sixth studio album “Two-Eleven”. Where do I start with this… It’s a really strong comeback single for Brandy and I think it’s exactly what she needed. The beat is extremely simple and there’s very little (if any) melody in the song, but the lack of those two main components really allow her to shine. Her vocals make up the meat of the song and are without question what stands out most in it. Specifically her harmonies in the chorus, which are out of this world!! No one in the industry (in my opinion) can match Brandy’s tone. Its absolutely one of a kind and this song really showcases that. Chris Brown’s rap adds a nice touch to the song as well. And even though, (as I’ve stated in past post) I usually don’t like how every song nowadays has a rapper, his part really stands out (but in a good way), because we mainly know him as a singer. And of course having him on the track will just give the song a boost because he’s popular right now… So in conclusion I think it’s a really solid comeback single from Brandy. In no way is it ever gonna be my favorite song by her but I know it's gonna get people talking again (which they already are) and I’m glad because I miss hearing Brandy on the radio!... But I want to know what you think of the new single. Comment and let me know!

The single wont be available for purchase until May 8th but until then be sure to check her out on Facebook and Twitter.

K'NAAN - Is Anybody Out There (feat. Nelly Furtado)

For some reason whenever I heard this song come on the radio I would always change the station, but once I finally took the time to actually listen to it I really liked it… K’NAAN is a rapper/singer from Canada who’s originally from Somalia. I remember first hearing about him a couple of years ago when he did a song with Keane, but this track is the only thing I’ve heard from him since (even though I know he’s put out other music between now and then)... First and foremost I love the lyrics in this track. It’s always really cool to find a song with not only a great message but also a great storyline within that message, and this song definitely has both. It doesn’t have the strongest melody but the vocals from Nelly Furtado more than make up for it (btw she looks absolutely stunning in the music video). The heavy presence of the keys paired with the marching band style drums really makes for a nice beat and vibe for the song overall… I’m sure this isn’t the last ill hear from K’NAAN, but definitely take a listen for yourself.

You can purchase that song here.  And be sure to check him out on Facebook and Twitter.

The Wanted - Lightning

With boy bands like Big Time Rush, One Direction, and The Wanted sitting at the top of the charts, I think its pretty safe to say that boy bands are back and in full affect. I’ve never really been one who was into boy bands (even though I grew up during the *NSYNC, and Backstreet Boys era) but I must admit the music coming from these guys is pretty solid… The big song by The Wanted at the moment is “Glad You Came” but they released the single “Lightning” a few weeks ago on iTunes here in America and I really love the track. Not because of my weird obsession with lightning (I’m not sure why I think its so cool. I just do) but because the song is an awesome pop track. It has big melody, (which is always something that catches my ear when I listen to a song for the first time) and a big stadium sound overall. It’s really synth and percussion heavy (as much of pop music now is) but it goes along with their sound and they really know how to make it work… I think the song is a hit, but take a listen for yourself and comment and let me know what you think.



You can purchase that song here. And be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter.