Pop Bites: Lopez, Thicke, Brown and more
Jennifer Lopez continues to ease back into her more urban “Jenny From the Block†days after years of mining Euro-pop beats for hits. The pop diva enlisted DJ Mustard (2 Chainz, YG and Young Jeezy) for her buzzy club banger, “Girls.†The bouncy ladies anthem got an added dose of street cred with a remix featuring Young Money emcee Tyga. Having also logged studio time with Big Sean, French Montana, Future, Chris Brown, Robin Thicke, Wiz Khalifa and Maxwell, we haven’t been this excited for a J. Lo album since George W. Bush was in office. (Kevin Mazur / Wireimage)
Dishing what’s sweet, and sour, from the week in music. By Gerrick Kennedy
“Blurred Lines†scored Robin Thicke the biggest hit of his career, but the abundance of negative press that followed his romp with Miley Cyrus during last year’s MTV Video Music Awards has affected the R&B-pop crooner’s personal life with a highly publicized separation from actress wife Paula Patton. Thicke isn’t going down without a fight though. After he canceled a few dates of his tour, he broke down onstage and told fans he’s “trying to get my girl back,†before delivering an emotional rendition of his 2007 smash “Lost Without U.†Hopefully Patton forgives him. The rest of us, however, are still owed an apology from that messy MTV performance and that tepid pairing with Chicago at this year’s Grammys. (Paul Morigi/Invision/AP)
“Let It Go,†the showstopper of Disney’s hit “Frozen,†unsurprisingly nabbed the Oscar for original song, beating out tracks from Pharrell Williams, U2 and Karen O. But the performance of the winning tune during Sunday’s Academy Awards was an absolute catastrophe. First John Travolta butchered Broadway veteran Idina Menzel’s name to something along the lines of “Adele Nazeem†(whoever that is) and then Menzel’s performance was a head scratcher. Was she off? Was the orchestra off? The soaring number sounded rushed and incredibly pitchy. But every performance fell flat after Pharrell’s gleeful clap-along “Happy†literally got the crowd — including nominees Meryl Streep, Lupita Nyong’o and Amy Adams’ shimmying. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“Glee†star Lea Michele finally issued her highly anticipated debut album. “Louder†shows a different side of the star who stole viewers’ hearts as the ambitious overachiever Rachel Berry with a knack for spontaneous singing on the Fox hit. There’s club-ready dance anthems and sweeping ballads, some beautifully crafted by pop expert Sia Furler. The album is big on showcasing Michele’s rafter-reaching voice, which shines on standouts like “Cannonball,†“Battlefield†and “You’re Mine.†Those wondering how she’s holding up after the tragic passing of her boyfriend and co-star Cory Monteith last year get the answer on the album’s stunning closer, “If You Say So.†(Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
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A judge ordered Chris Brown to stay an additional two months in a Malibu rehab where he’s been receiving treatment since October. The embattled R&B singer has reportedly made great progress, however the singer’s well-publicized troubles may be the result of previously undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. Brown still faces trial for an assault charge in Washington, D.C., which could affect his probation from his 2009 felony assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna. It’s great that the singer is getting the help he needs, but it’s difficult not to wonder how his long-gestating comeback album “X†(slated for May 5) will be received after a long series of personal and legal woes. (Nick Ut / AP Photo / File)
After pleading guilty to theft charges, a former executive with Pearl Jam was sentenced to 14 months in prison. For years the band was getting shafted by their chief financial officer, Rickey C. Goodrich, who allegedly bled them of $380,000 (more than half a million bucks when investigative costs are factored in). Goodrich allegedly blew the money to pay for credit card charges to wineries, hotels and spas on his wife’s American Express account. The man could’ve at least had the decency to splurge on rock ‘n’ roll staples like cars, strippers and bags of cocaine. (Jason Oxenham/Getty Images)
