Ladies and gentlemen, I'm back with a brand new Destiny's Child edition of new music releases!!! These lovely ladies have been on FIRE on this past year!!! The only thing better would be a complete DC reunion. Billboard named Destiny's Child ranked them as one of the greatest trio's of all time, the ninth most successful artist/band in the 2000s, and finally they rank number 68 in its All-time Hot 100 artists in 2008. So without further a due I give you new singles from the ladies of DC!!!


Beyonce:

(Courtesy of cdn.theatlantic.com)

She is the most successful and well known member of the group after their separation in 2005. She has starred in movies such as "Austin Powers: Goldmember", "The Fighting Temptations", "Dreamgirls" and "Obsessed". Her first album "Dangerously in love" was released in 2003. Since then she has released four other albums including her self-titled surprise album that was just released earlier this year.  Her new song partition is absolutely amazing!!! Between her vocals and the bass in this song it is sure to be a song at party this summer!! Check it out below:

(Courtesy of Vevo/YouTube.com)

Kelly Rowland:

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Since the disbandment, Kelly has also appeared in movies such as, "Freddy vs. Jason", "The seat filler" and "Think like a man". She released her debut album, "Simply deep" in 2002. Along with rapper Nelly, she produced a worldwide #1 single "Dilemma". In 2007 she released her second album, "Ms. Kelly" and in 2011 her third album, "Here I am". Rowland was one of the four judges on this past season of the X-Factor. Her fourth album "Talk a good game" was released earlier in 2013, with the hit single "kisses down low". One of her favorite songs off her new album is "I remember". It has a great beat and her vocals are absolutely amazing. I say work Ms. Rowland work!!! Check it out below.

(Courtesy of Vevo/YouTube.com)

Michelle Williams:

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She is a singer/songwriter, model, record producer, actress and now owns the WNBA team Chicago Sky. Williams released her first album, "Heart to yours" which became the top selling gospel release of 2002. In 2004, she released her second gospel album "Do you know". After Destiny's Child disbanded in 2005, she released her first pop album, "Unexpected" in 2008. Currently, she is making a return to inspirational music with her up and coming album "Journey to freedom". The lead single of this album, "If we had your eyes" features Fantasia. I don't think I can think of a better single to lead off her album. Both women do a fantastic job with this uplifting, inspirational song. Check it out below!

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In my only hope for a Destiny's Child reunion, I give you a bonus song!!! Beyonce and Michelle joined Kelly in the studio and recorded "You changed" to be apart of Kelly's album "Talk a good game". So without further a due, here it is ladies and gentleman;

(Courtesy of Vevo/YouTube.com)

"Music is a powerful thing. A song can change your mood. Make a memory. One song can change your whole life".

Have you ever sat back and thought how influential music really is? Have you ever listened to a song that made you change your mood, whether in a good way or bad way? Do you even notice that it affects you? The real question is how do lyrics affect our behavior, mostly in our younger generation?

When I was younger I listened to mostly pop. My first hip hop cd was "Country Grammar" by Nelly. I remember one or two students had the parental advisory versions, however I only had the edited version.

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I always wondered why I had to be the one that couldn't hear the actual lyrics to the songs. Now looking back I can understand why. For a kid in the fifth grade a lot of the actual material and even words were not appropriate for a child my age.


Many studies have been done about how the different genres of music affect our behavior especially in teenagers. "Rap and heavy metal have especially been characterized as having a negative effect on teens". After truly thinking about it I can see why. Rap lyrics when looked at closely deal a lot with sex, drugs, alcohol and violence. Heavy metal lyrics also have a lot of these similar topics. But let's take this to a whole other level. Yes, rap has been talking about some of these topics for years sex, money, alcohol, violence, the urban lifestyle. Some of today's artists are glorifying these topics.

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What's even crazier is that in just the last 30 years is violent juvenile behavior crime has jumped by more than five hundred. Teen suicide has tripled and unwed teen pregnancy has increased immensely (United States Senate, Committee on Governmental Affairs, 1998). Now this is not just music, it is the media as a whole in general. However, today's teenagers spend about four or five hours listening to music and/or watching it on television and online. So it would be hard to believe that music is not a big influence in children's behavior.

I don't really believe that some artists realize how much of an impact their songs have on the younger generation. However, rapper Kid Cudi has recently come out and addressed this issue and he's making a very good point.

"I think the braggadocio, 'money, cash, hoes' thing need to be deaded. If your gonna be an artist, there's a time where you just have to embrace the responsibility and understand that the power of music is something so special. And to be able to do it on this magnitude where you reach millions of people. It's like why not use that for good? Why not tell kids something that they can connect with and use in their lives?" Cudi said on a recent episode of the Arsenio Hall Show.

Whether Cudi's statement will have an affect on other rappers and artists in general, only time will tell. Until then we can only attempt to monitor what our children listen to and try to explain to them that the meaning of these lyrics are not always positive or right.



References:

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/type-music-child-listened-affect-way-behave-19821.html

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/certain-music-genres-affect-teens-17466.html

http://www.positivemusicassociation.com/resources/article_lijequist1.htm

http://www.policymic.com/articles/85497/kid-cudi-thinks-hip-hop-could-save-kids-lives-if-only-rappers-took-this-advice

I know it's been awhile since you've had some new music in your life, but have no fear I am back with another installment!! This week we have some very talented artists in our lineup. Most are up and coming artists and one is a very popular well known figure. All three artist's songs will have you jammin' while you try and get through the very last of this winter season.

Jennifer Hudson:
This singer, actress and spokesperson is back in action with her new single featuring T.I. Hudson was a finalist on American Idol in 2004, finishing in seventh place. This was one of the most shocking moments when she was surprisingly eliminated. In 2006, she made her acting debut in the movie "Dreamgirls. Her performance earned her an Academy Award for best supporting actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA award, the NAACP image award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2008, she won a Grammy for her debut album "Jennifer Hudson". Later in 2008, Hudson stepped out of the public eye for three months after her mother, brother and nephew were all killed in a shooting. She released her second album "I remember me" in 2011. She recentley cut ties with weight watchers after losing 80lbs. Now she is back with her brand new single featuring TI, "I can't describe (the way i feel)". This song is sure to put you in a good mood. It will sure to be the perfect summer jam for you and your boo. Check it out below:

Mateo:
Iman Jordan also known as Mateo is a pop/R&B singer/songwriter from Cincinnati, OH. He was originally signed with myspace records before departing with them in 2010. He is now signed to the Krucial Noise imprint of Interscope Records. He is under the Alicia Keys imprint, who along with her husband swizz beatz have been featured on one of his songs. Since 2009 Mateo has released five mixtapes and one EP. His latest mixtape "suite 823" was released in 2012. His track "Carry on" has to be one of my favorites. The mix between the catching and interesting beat and his soothing, unique voice, makes the perfect combination for a great song. He is sure to become one of the next superstars, just wait in see. Check out "Carry On' below:

The Kid Ryan:
Ryan J. Garcia also known as The Kid Ryan, was born in Fresno, California. At 10 years old he started singing for his church youth group. It was there where he learned how to sing, play the drums, guitar and the piano. In high school he started to pick up rapping as a hobby. However, it wasn't until after high school that he started to pursue music professionally. At the age of 22, he signed his first record deal. Now on the verge of releasing his debut project earlier this year. His debut single "Run that" is pure fire and when I say that I mean it. His smooth rap skills are highly impressive and I can't wait to hear more from him. To hear "Run that" check it out below:

Don't forget to check back soon to see more new releases!!!!

(Courtesy of Billboard.com)

Beyonce' is one of the most recognizable female pop artist of our generation. However, the focus of today's topic will highlight her business side. I will illustrate the top four smartest digital marketing moves made by Beyonce'. These moves will focus on the recent release of her self-titled new album, "Beyonce."

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Just for fun, we will illustrate her remarkable digital marketing achievements by using some of her most memorable musical titles.

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 "Crazy In Love"

Fan's are "Crazy in Love" with Beyonce and she know's it. She completely understands her influence on her fans, but more importantly, she knows her target audience. With the industry trends constantly changing to a more digital platform, Beyonce did something that had not been dared before. She literally released a whole album with solely the help of digital marketing. She revolutionized the music industry by taking advantage of the technology and the current media trends.

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"Upgrade You"

Beyonce spent years "Upgrading" her online visibility. She utilized every single social media network to push her image, brand, and music. Her social network connection created a unique experience  with fans and allowed her to personally engage her fans on a different level. Not to mention her sold out world-wide tour, documentary, and popular music snippets played a significant role. 

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"Run the World"

Beyonce's exclusive deal with iTunes controlled distribution and created a sense of urgency. Think about it, how many artist can say they caused a world-wide shock simply by releasing their album? Beyonce can! Let me tell you why! Beyonce's album was released strictly on iTunes first. In fact, to get the new content on her album, the consumer had to buy the exclusive videos that came with the music.  Furthermore, with the album only being sold through iTunes, fans could only go to one place to buy her exclusive released content. With iTunes being accessible from any smartphone, laptop, or computer, fans could  literally buy the album and watch the videos that came with the music instantly. She literally controlled the way the "World" received her new content. 

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"Drunk in Love"

Last, but not least,  moving visuals are more appealing then ads. This important lesson was the key to Beyonce's success. She had fans" Drunk in Love" simply by mesmerizing them with her own visual digital promotion. Literally she created a buzz on social networks by the exclusive promotional video she released on her Instagram. Check it out below...

Beyonce literally announced her music via Instagram and caused a riot on all the blogs, social networks, and television shows. She literally revolutionized the way music and cd's are now being released.

So, the lesson you can learn from the Queen B goes as followed...

1. Know your Target Audience
2. Upgrade all major Social Networks
3. Create Urgency and control Distribution
4. Captivate Your Audience with Visual Appeal

These top 4 lessons are the new digital marketing rules for musical artist.

References:
http://simplymeasured.com/blog/2013/12/17/5-things-brands-can-learn-from-beyonce/

http://blogs.gartner.com/jennifer-polk/the-media-the-medium-and-visual-storytelling-what-digital-marketers-can-learn-from-beyonce/

http://instagram.com/p/h2YFO6Pw1d