Case of the Mondays – Focus Artist (s): Lily Allen and BOOTS

Lily Allen is back after a four year hiatus with an album title that is outrageous, yet refreshing: Sheezus. I haven’t taken the time to listen to the album yet, but there are plenty of reviews out already if you’re curious (i.e., The Guardian’s review). For the record, most of them aren’t that great unfortunately.

For this week’s Case of the Monday’s song, we’re focusing on her single “Sheezus.” The lyrics below speak for themselves really. It’s a humorous twist on Kanye West’s egoistical persona, and one that takes a (fearful) stab at some of the leading female artists in the industry.  “now wish me luck, I’m gonna need it I’ll see you on the other side, if I’m still breathing” she sings. Have to give a girl credit for being honest don’t you?

While the idea behind the song is creative though, the execution is a bit poor. The “ha ha” melody is too simple, and it seems like her producers could have taken this to another level. Sadly, even Lily has acknowledged it:

When a fan tweeted that her first new material in five years was “docile pop rubbish”, she agreed, saying her label wouldn’t support “the better stuff” on her third album.
sheezus-lily-allen-cover

So all in – I like this song, but wish she had done more. When basic people realize your song sounds pop-py, that’s bad. “Sheezus” is definitely catchy for our own purposes of Case of the Mondays though!

 

 

 

**Side note**: what do you guys think about this new BOOTS song  feat Beyonce? It’s just ok to me but everyone seems to love it. Let me know your thoughts.

 

 

The Eleven Best Musical Tributes to Beyonce

Since Beyoncé Giselle Knowles Carter has officially taken over the world, it seems only appropriate to look at her journey from a fan perspective. Her music has touched a multitude of people from different cultures, races, and cities. The below videos display some of the best tributes to Beyoncé that are on the Internet, as well as covers of her songs. After 5 albums with Destiny’s Child, 5 of her own, a baby and a husband…you have to wonder how she does it all. While the videos don’t display all of the amazing musical tributes that her Bee Hive has created, it does speak to the influence that she has had on fans around the world–not only in changing the meaning of “creativity,” but in many cases, helping fans propel their own careers to the next level (related: How Artists Get Views on YouTube).

1. Evolution of Beyoncé by Pentatonix

2. Love on Top (Cover) by Syesha

3. Drunk in Love by Ari Lennox

(seriously thought she was lip synching at first)

3a. Had to add this Drunk in Love cover…this kid is adorable

4. Beyonce Dance Series by WildaBeast Adams

5. Run the World (Girls) – Dance Cover by Black Queen

5a. This is also adorable..

6. Best Thing I Never Had by Tori Kelley & Todrick Hall

7. If I Were a Boy (Cover) by Rachel Crow

Yea, this one went viral pretty quickly..

8. Say My Name (Cover) by Flearoy The Band

9. Cater 2 U (Cover) by Passion & Melvin

10. Listen (Cover) by Melanie Amaro

(Let’s be real, everyone did a cover of “Listen” at one point, but this one was pretty impressive…)

11. Hello (Acoustic Cover)

11a. Hello by Rin on the Rox (using the above instrumental)

And as a bonus…remember this amazing live version of Halo by Queen B herself?

Rumor Has It…Beyoncé’s Preggo

Beyonce preggo

After the Daily News came out with the story a few days ago, sources from E! news and others are beginning to confirm it: Beyoncé is pregnant. The speculation took off after the singer was forced to cancel her show in Belgium on Tuesday. Doctors had advised her to rest “as a result of dehydration and exhaustion.”

Oh the life of being a celebrity. Everyone speculates about YOUR stomach, and YOUR future child that hasn’t even gotten through the 1st/2nd trimester. Needless to say, we do love Beyoncé, but don’t envy her right now. Good luck B. And good luck to all of the Mrs. Carter ticket holders who probably just wasted a ton of cash.

Taylor Simone Releases New Song, “Boys Love Shawn Carter”

“Oh there goes Drake speaking for women again…”

Taking her own spin on Drake’s song “Girls Love Beyoncé,” Taylor Simone released a new single earlier today titled “Boys Love Shawn Carter.” The song is catchy, seemingly giving a voice to the women out there, who don’t really want or need Drake to speak for them.

Her lyrics seem to target Drake directly with lines like, “Say my name say my name, cause you kinda outta Practice…yea this ain’t no time for rapping…”

Is it time to start the gender conversation – where men in hip-hop define women through their lyrics, and women accept it by doing nothing? Well…maybe not yet, but Taylor Simone is definitely bringing up the question.

Anyway she needs no real introduction. You just need to know that this song is real. But don’t take my word for it. Have a listen below and decide for yourself: