New Music Releases: Week of October 21, 2013

By: Jacob Elyachar

The Top 40 invades this week’s edition of New Music Releases!

I will take a look at two of the year’s most highly anticipated albums and some of the hottest singles that could rock the airwaves really soon.

 

Prism by Katy Perry

The Pop Princess released her third studio album yesterday.  When I heard that Perry was going to make a new album, I was ecstatic because I was a huge fan of Teenage Dream.  However, I grew a little concerned when I heard that in earlier reports that Perry was going to record darker material.  I, for one, was happy when I listened to Prism and noticed that there were a lot of peppy songs.  While Prism has strong tracks, Katy could lose listeners in the halfway point of the album…until her collaboration with Sia and frequent P!nk producer Greg Kurstin rescued the listeners with “Double Rainbows.”  Minus that misstep, it is a good album that shows Perry’s vocal range and good quality productions.  B

Songs to Download: “Birthday,” “Walking on Air,” “Unconditionally” & “International Smile.”

Better Together EP by Fifth Harmony

Last year, Simon Cowell took a risk on five outstanding vocalists and transformed them into an impressive quintet named Fifth Harmony. These girls proved themselves to voters and they began a journey that ended with a third place finish on the sophomore season of The X Factor USA.  Almost a year later, the girls released their first EP: Better Together.  As much as I like the group, I wished that SYCO gave the girls a full-length studio album.  All six tracks are worthy of radio play and unlike certain XF alums, they can hold their own and keep the audience’s attention throughout an entire album.  Good work, ladies and I cannot wait to hear your full-length album soon. A

Songs to Download: “Don’t Wanna Dance Alone,” “Miss Movin’ On,” “Better Together,” “Who Are You” & “Me & My Girls”

 

“Do What You Want” by Lady Gaga feat. R. Kelly

This…song…is…DOPE! When I first read that Mother Monster would be teaming up with R.Kelly…I thought that it was a joke because originally I believe the track would be a train wreck. Luckily, Gaga and the “I Believe I Can Fly” singer created an incredible club track. The beats are addicting and Gaga’s vocals are stronger than ever!  This is one of the best collaborations of 2013! A+

“Under Control” by Calvin Harris & Alesso feat. Hurts

What happens when two of the biggest DJs on the planet team-up? The result is “Under Control.” Scottish DJ Calvin Harris and Swedish DJ Alesso combined their signature hypnotic beats with English synthpop duo Hurts’ vocals to deliver a superb workout track and dance club anthem.  A-

 

“Long Live Rock & Roll” by Daughtry

The second single off of Daughtry’s fourth studio album could not only be an ode to both Generation X and the millennials, but it could also be a mini-autobiographic song as well.  “Long Live Rock & Roll” is a great toe-tapper and a very strong follow-up to “Waiting for Superman.”  I cannot wait to hear the rest of Baptized…because it could be their best record yet.  B+

As always, I do not own the clips that are sprinkled throughout this article. They belong to the artists and their respective record labels!