Run The World (Girls) music video
HOWDY WORDPRESSERS,
I have exciting news for you… I’ve switched from Word Press to my own personal website… I’m really excited about the freedom I will have to share with you all more Music, WTH Moments, and more inspiration… If you would like to continue receiving emails and updates from Peauxetic Expressions, please click on the link below.
Please subscribe to my mailing list at www.peauxeticexpressions.com
Thanks again for joining the Peauxetic Expression Family….
Carlos
She’s the “Cool” one in the Crazy, Sexy, Cool trio that dominated the charts in the 90s. No other R & B female group has topped their record sales tally yet (over 40 million albums sold worldwide, not including singles). It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since fans have gotten a new TLC CD. Their last project, 3D, was actually one of their best in my opinion but it was bittersweet without their most vibrant member’s presence, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. Now Tionne Watkins, a.k.a. “T-Boz” is breaking the silence on her new reality show, “Totally T-Boz” (hopefully the name of the show changes). The news was just revealed last week, but T-Boz has kept somewhat of a low profile about it. And what better channel to air the show? TLC. She’s no stranger to reality TV though. Her and band mate Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas went on a search and destroy mission to find one girl to record a single with them and be featured in a once in a lifetime performance. But that was 7 years ago and a lot has changed since then.
Destiny’s Child enjoyed massive success from airing their dirty laundry with their hit single, “Survivor”. But TLC (especially T-Boz) were the real survivors who bounced back from more than a lineup change (the original “C” in TLC, Crystal, was actually the one who created the group and was kicked out to be replaced by “Chilli”). Bankruptcy, sickle-cell, fighting with group members, bitter divorce and most recently a life -threatening brain tumor, T-Boz has weathered more storms than most people encounter in a life time. “Totally T-Boz” will document her recovery from her brain tumor, which included her having to regain her balance, speech and walking ability again. She also just received the key to Atlanta, where they have proclaimed October 3rd as “T-Boz Day” (she has one with TLC as well). Plus, there’s supposedly new music with Chilli to support a possible soundtrack to TLC’s upcoming VH1 biopic. And there has been talk of a solo CD from T-Boz for quite some time.
Will 2013 be the year of TLC? Will T-Boz’s show be a success? Is there still an interest in the front woman behind the hits “Waterfalls”, “Creep” and “Unpretty”? I commend her for at least coming out with a show of substance. We have more than enough Love and Hip Hop and Housewives shows on the air waves. I’ll definitely be tuning in. Will you?
En Vogue’s Never Gonna Get It Right
Cindy. Maxine. Terry. Dawn. You may not know them all individually, but you definitely know them as a collective….1990s R & B group, En Vogue. They are one of the biggest female groups in history with hits like “Hold On”, “Don’t Let Go”, and “Never Gonna Get It”. In recent years, it seems like the group has never gotten it together long enough to reunite with all four original members. And in the past few weeks, things have really come to a head. The group’s lineup has changed over the years going back and forth between Dawn Robinson (lead singer) being in and out of the group. The remaining members enjoyed modest success as EV3, minus the presence of Dawn (who also enjoyed some success on her own as a member of Lucy Pearl- with Raphael Saadiq and Ali Shaheed Muhammad).
The group had seemed to put their differences aside, gearing up for a new reality show, a new CD and a reunion tour. Seemed like a smart move for a group that still has a large fan base…But that hasn’t lasted long. Member Maxine Jones recently learned that she has been kicked out of the group and being sued by Terry and Cindy. Not to mention, Dawn had already left again by this point. And just last week, Maxine and Dawn used Twitter as their venting platform, stating the following:
Maxine Jones @MaxineJonesEV
Yup Terry n Cindy r evil! They took over the LLC n bank acct, forced me out, gave my gigs 2 that chick LOL, and SUING
Maxine Jones @MaxineJonesEV
Real arrogant bitches drunk with power lol! My lawyer and I look forward 2 court! We’re gonna catch it on our reality show 2 lol
Dawn Robinson @dawnrobinson_
@MaxineJonesEV Dont worry about it Max lol! The truth about they’re asses had to come out sooner or later! Do NOT erase these messages lol!
And here’s a piece of what Cindy and Terry had to say about it all…
“….There are always two sides to a story and many internal facts that you the fans aren’t hearing about. In an effort to not air dirty laundry, or appear to point the finger at anyone, we respectfully choose to remain silent on the internal issues…..”
Who knows, this could all be fake and just a ploy for ratings for their new reality show. Do we really want to see En Vogue come back, especially if they’re acting like this? Time will tell, but for now they have plans of making two separate groups of “En Vogue” with new members…SMH
Check out a throwback from En Vogue, “Giving Him Something He Can Feel”. The song was previously recorded by Aretha Franklin for the Sparkle movie soundtrack. The group’s concept for the video was taken from the movie and the remake of it, starring Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks, hit theaters this past weekend.
Nicki Minaj and Foxy Brown vs. Lil Kim???
During a recent concert in NYC, Nicki Minaj surprised her fans by bringing out one of rap music’s original bad girls, Foxy Brown. The crowd went wild as the two performed together and Nicki Minaj publicly gave Foxy Brown her props and referred to her as her idol (really???). Ironically, both of them have had beef with Lil Kim in the past. Could this really be nothing more than a staged alliance for a combined attack on Lil Kim? Who knows, but since Foxy Brown is somewhat of a has been now, she’s definitely getting the better end of the deal if this is the case. It’s great that Nicki Minaj is paying her due respects to those who came before her, but if that’s the case, shouldn’t she be really thanking Lil Kim (since she copies much of her style)? I’m just saying….
Bland Chance for Spice Girls Reunion
Remember how huge the Spice Girls were in the late 90s? I always thought Mel B and Victoria Beckham were cute, but other than that, I didn’t get the hype about them. They were literally an overnight success (getting on my nerves in the process, lol) and broke numerous records during their brief stint in the music industry. Then, all of a sudden, they just disbanded and focused on marriage, motherhood and solo careers. But after a well received closing performance at the Olympic games in London, there is buzz (mainly being spread by Mel B) that there will be a reunion tour, along with new music. But there’s one problem…Posh Spice (Victoria Beckham). Stating that family life and prior obligations have got her tied up, she says she has no plans for a reunion. But the show may go on without her and she may be left off the tour. Well, reunion tour or not, at least they have their own musical, Viva Forever (based on their hit songs) to look forward to in December of this year.
What’s the deal with women in music (especially girl groups)? And why can’t they all just get along?
I’ve been waiting on the release of Elle Varner’s debut album, Perfectly Imperfect for a while now (released on 8/7). For some reason, it wasn’t available at Target, but I did buy it on iTunes. Check out my review of the song of the week below, “Stop the Clock” from her CD. Make sure to check out the video too to get the full review and my thoughts on Perfectly Imperfect. I will definitely say that CD is worth the buy though if you like R & B music. She’s expected to make a #10 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart this week (roughly 30,000 copies sold). Check it out and see for yourself what the hype is about.
Song of the Week: Stop The Clock (from Perfectly Imperfect)
This song has a 1990s feel to it and I’m hoping she eventually releases this one as a single. It’s an interesting twist to a common situation. Girl gets cheated on. Stays up and waits for guy to come home. Tells herself she will never go through this again. The production here has a thumping bass line and her voice is really strong and may remind you of Alicia Keys. The song starts off with Elle Varner being embarrassed about her current situation and feeling silly. But as the song progresses, she is fully aware of what’s going on as the chorus screams “I’ve been praying for a little bit of light/ Listening for your love all night/With nothing but the sound of the wrist watch/Stop the clock”. Complete with slow dragging horns and catchy layered music, this song is a sure win for Elle Varner and a great addition to her CD. Just a thought, if she ever does a remix, I could really hear Big Boi from OutKast on here.
What do you think of the song? Is it a hit or miss?
Tweet: Day Dreaming
It’s been a while since we’ve heard any new material from the Southern Hummingbird, Tweet. Her last CD, It’s Me Again, was released in 2005 and much has change in the music industry since then. But, if you thought that Tweet was going to look over her to her left and hang up her microphone, think again. She’s prepping for a new CD and has leaked several new tracks recently on what she calls #TweetTuesdays. No word yet on what the CD will be called, but one of the songs she has released is “Day Dreaming”. You may remember the original version of this song by Aretha Franklin. It’s scary sometimes when current artists remake classics, but Tweet pulls this one off extremely well. She adds her own touch while tastefully not altering much of the original version. I’m curious to see if this song will make the final cut on her album.
Beyonce: Dance For You
It’s rare that an artist releases a song that creates a buzz from a CD that’s over a year old. But if anyone can do this, leave it to Beyonce. Although I think she is overrated at times, you can’t deny her talent. Lifted from her 4 CD (one of her best in my opinion), Beyonce released “Dance For You” late last year as a bonus song and video on her concert DVD. I can see why this song wasn’t included on the CD, but it has a timeless energy about it. Maybe because she’s talking about a strip tease of sorts? Lol. But I could easily hear this played in the 90s and today as well. Nevertheless, the song has gained a lot of radio airplay recently and just may be another hit for her.
Mariah Carey Featuring Meek Mill and Rick Ross: Triumphant (Get Em)
MiMi, Mariah Carey, or whoever she wants to be called is back. She recently signed an $18 million contract with American Idol, but she still has an itch to make new music. I think she has one of the best (if not the best) female voices in R & B, but some of her music in the past few years has been hit or miss for me. Ironically, “Triumphant” didn’t seal any victories with my eardrums. There’s a little too much going on here (inspirational message, mismatched production, and awkward guest appearances). I think this song would have been better with just her and Rick Ross (whose latest CD is called God Forgives, I Don’t. Blank stare….really???) She also released a remix to the song on her website, but I’m not too fond of that version either.
Antonique Smith: Speechless
Remember the girl who played Faith Evans in Notorious (the movie about slain rap star, The Notorious B.I.G.)? Well she’s making her debut into the music world now. She’s been dubbed to be the next big thing and a mix of Adele, Barbara Streisand, and Beyonce. Wow…what a mix of artists. I can’t say I dislike her first single “Speechless”, but I’m not head over heels about it either. The production of the song is interesting though and it has a relaxing vibe. We may not be seeing Antonique on the big screen any time soon, but I’m interested to see what kind of noise she’ll make on the music scene once her album drops.
Peauxetic Expressions 