Album arts + tracklisting: Beni - Red

Beni thought she'd hit the jackpot with Covers, which went on to be the biggest seller of her career and push more units than an Ayumi Hamasaki album. Beni thought she was the teflon don with the sales. So much so that she rushed out Covers: 2 thinking she could match prior success. But she quickly saw that Japan really ain't got no time for that.

Shockingly, Beni has done an Emancipation of Mimi and scrapped naming her albums after Care bears. I was expecting this album to be titled Sparkle, Diamond or Sapphire. But she curve balled me with Red.

How is this woman going to call her album Red, rock a fly red couture dress sat in a red chair, with a red lampshade and not rock a red bottomed Louboutin? Bitch, bye.

1. Intro
2. Reason
3. Satsuki ame | さつきあめ
4. Our sky
5. Fly high
6. Concrete rose
7. Red
8. Angel
9. Sweet danger
10. Sands of time
11. Home sweet home
12. Eien | 永遠
13. AM 2:00

Shockingly, regular contributor and master beat-recycler Daisuke Imai has only contributed to one track to this album: "Sands of time". D.I is a hot producer, but that man recycles beats like Evian water bottles. Given his dwindling output across Beni's Jewel, Fortune and Covers albums, it was only a matter of time until he was slowly kicked to the curb. Beni has instead opted to draft in Hirofumi Asamoto to handle the Lion's share of the album, who last worked with her when she was signed to Avex over 6 years ago. Beni is on that throwback shit.

Album reviews: Bitter & Sweet | Jewel | Fortune

Miming Mimi was set to release her 14th studio album The art of letting go on July 23rd. Then it got pushed back.

Miming Mimi's follow up to her 2011 flop Memoirs of an imperfect set of titties was official. It had a release date, which was followed by a title, which was then quickly followed by a push back. Mariah's 14th studio album The art of letting go was slated for a July 23rd release. Mariah hashtagged that shit in every Instagram photo, put it on her website and everything. And now it's been pushed back to not even God knows when.

But let's not focus on the push back. Let's focus on the album title.

I am thoroughly impressed. Mariah is fully out of that phase of naming her albums after Teletubbies. The slight irony that letting go is the one thing Mariah isn't really that good at and could not teach the art of if her mini skirt collection depended on it. Here are just a few of the things Mariah can't seem to let go of:

1. That she is no longer 29 and ain't got that figure how she did in that "Honey" video, yet continually puts on dresses which are 4 sizes too small and then blames the designer when the zip breaks. Darling, please. 
2. She refuses to come to the realization that Jermaine Dupri is never going to give her another "Always be my baby" or "We belong together", no matter how hard he tries.
3. That same tired font that Mariah has been trolling out for every album since she was kicking her ass back and forth on a swing screaming about how she had a vision of love and that it was all a n***a gave to her.

Miming Mimi has been working on her album ever since giving birth to her children Malificent and Malaysia - regularly tweeting pictures of her singing at her home studio. Contributors to Mariah's album include the usual suspects Jermaine Dupri and Bryan Michael-Cox, alongside The-Dream, Rodney 'Darkchild' Jerkins, Mike WiLL Made it, Miguel and Young Jeezy.

Ever since Memoirs of an imperfect angel Mariah has released songs exhibiting a slightly different sound from what we'd expect from her. From the Motown stank of "Oh Santa!", to the heavy beat laden power ballad "Already home" and the Miguel-centric "Hashtag Beautiful". I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm excited for this new album, but I will definitely check it out. I buy all Mariah's shit. I even bought Glitter and was as in-denial as Mariah was about that whole mess.

Album reviews: E=MC² | Memoirs of an imperfect angel

Single art + info: Beni - Our sky

Beni will be releasing her third original single following 2 years of releasing lifeless covers of other people's songs; completing her hat trick of flop singles following "Eien" and "Satsuki ame".

The latest Beni news to come through the wire is that she will also be releasing a brand new album on July 31. No tracklist or artwork has been revealed as-of-yet. But music outlets have begun listing this date as when Beni's new set drops. And often in J-Pop when this shit happens, it turns out to be pretty legit. So expect album info to surface real soon.

Given Beni's Mariah Carey like penchant for titling albums, we could probably guess what her next album is going to be called. So far we've had Girl 2 lady, Gem, Bitter & sweet, Lovebox, Jewel and Fortune. I say her next album will be called Vajazzle or Diamond. Or be a 2 disc album titled Diamond vajazzle.

I'd be lying through my teeth if I said I was looking forward to this new album of Beni's. She bludgeoned me within an inch of my life with her cover albums to the point where I began to lose interest in her. But I always respond to the muzak. So if Beni's new album drops and she gives me something on a level with Jewel or even Lovebox, then me and Beni will be cool again. I really hope she dials back on the ballads for this new album. She needs to stop chasing the pursuit of that iconic, memorable ballad which everybody will remember her for. Especially when they all sound like boring pieces of shit. 

Album reviews: Bitter & sweet | Jewel | Fortune

The 20/20 experience gets itself a world tour and a second half

Justin Timberlake has announced he will embark on a world tour. Which is about as much news as Pepsiyoncé pussy popping on hers. But the interesting tid bit is that the second volume of The 20/20 experience is 150% FO' REALS and has been given an official release date of September 30th, just before the world tour kicks off - which means he will be performing all of the new material from his albums. D'you hear that Henney's & Maurtizyoncé!? NEW MATERIAL BEFORE A WORLD TOUR! Johnny Wright needs to holla at her people.

The 20/20 experience is a nice album as a whole, which flowed nicely, but was lacking that extra sauce his previous albums had. So I'm rather eager to hear this second part and see if it will fill in the gaps left by its other half. Will it follow the same vibe as the part 1, or will it be completely different? Will Timbaland and J-Roc still be the primary producers of it!? I'd love it if Pharrell produced it in its entirety. I'm beginning to wonder if those studio sessions with Pharrell and Justin I'd heard about were a myth.

I've never been to a JT gig, but would like to go. Say what you will about this dude, but he knows how to put on a show. He is one of the few artists who came up during the pop explosion of the late 90's early 00's who is still around and still able to shut it down live. It's certainly more than can be said for his ex girlfriend...

Album review: The 20/20 experience

Daft Punk "Get lucky" with their upcoming album Random access memories

Daft Punk will be releasing their long awaited follow up to 2005's Human after all in May and they have the Internet ablaze in excitement and anticipation for their 13 track master class in Euro dance, funk and pinpoint production which your fave could never. Random access memories will be released worldwide; with the album touching down in Australia first on May 17th, the UK on May 20th and finally the US on May 21st. This marks Daft Punk's first release via Columbia records, after signing with label at the start of the year.

Daft Punk have released a teaser of the lead / promotional single "Get lucky" which features Pharrell Williams and the music legend that is Nile Rodgers. The song is FUNK OVERLOAD and if it featured even a smidgen more of the stuff, it would have to come with a disclaimer.

I want me one of those jackets. I hit up ebay to find one, but could only find a women's jacket, which I think I can get away with if I go for the bigger size, roll up the sleeves and don't do it up.

Daft Punk's last studio album Human after all was mauled by critics, citing it as rushed and paling in comparison to their previous works. But all signs thus far are pointing towards this album being a return to form. I'm excited as fuck for this album.

Check out randomaccessmemories.com for the latest on their upcoming release and to watch video interviews with the featured collaborators who contributed to the album; each of whom talk in depth about their musical history, how they became part of the project and what it was like to work with the enigmatic French duo.