My Weekly Top 10 (February 26, 2016) #1 Babyface - I Hope That You're OK

Babyface gets his sixth #1 hit in My Weekly Top 10 this week, as I Hope That You're OK, moves up from #3 to #1.  It's the second top 10 hit from his and Toni Braxton's collaborative album Love, Marriage & Divorce.  It's the current peak position of the song.

It now has 745,043 views in Youtube, an increase of 1% from last week.

Babyface

Babyface has nine top ten hits in my personal countdown.  Six of them went all the way to #1.

This song stretches his chart span to an impressive 27 years from his very first #1 hit to his latest #1 hit.

2016 - I Hope That You're Ok (#1)

2015 - Take It Back (with Toni Braxton) (#3)

2015 - Like You Used to Do (with Anita Baker) (#1)

1994 - Take A Bow (with Madonna) (#1)

1993 - For the Cool In You (#1)

1990 - Love Makes Things Happen (with Pebbles) (#1)

1990 - Whip Appeal (#1)

1989 - Tender Lover (#10)

1989 - It's No Crime (#7)

My Weekly Top 10 (February 26, 2016) #7 Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta

Kendrick Lamar's fourth top 10 hit in my personal countdown, King Kunta, moves from #8 to #7 this week.  It's the first top 10 hit from his Grammy-nominated album To Pimp a Butterfly.

The song already has 62,914,361 views as of today.

Kendrick Lamar

I have been listening to Kendrick Lamar's brilliant album Good Kid M.A.A.D. City, which was nominated for a Grammy award a few years ago, and man, it's a fucking fantastic album!! Probably the best one from last year!  Too bad I failed to see him perform here in Manila, in that big concert in Clark.

However, in his latest Grammy-nominated album, To Pimp a Butterfly, only one song has yet entered my personal countdown.

He now has four top 10 hits in my personal countdown.  One of them went all the way to #1.

2014 - Backstreet Freestyle (#1)

2015 - M.A.A.D. City (with MC Eiht) (#4)

2016 - Poetic Justice (with Drake) (#7)

2016 - King Kunta (#7)

My Weekly Top 10 (February 26, 2016) #8 The Script - Never Seen Anything Quite Like You

The Script's ninth top 10 hit in my personal countdown, Never Seen Anything Quite Like You moves up to #8 this week.

This particular video has had 902,646 views as of today, an increase of 2.6% from last week. 

The Script

The Script has nine top 10 hits in my personal countdown.  Two of them went all the way to #1.

2008 - The Man Who Can't Be Moved (#3)

2008 - Breakeven (#1)

2009 - Talk You Down (#4) 

2009 - Before the Worst (#7)

2010 - For the First Time (#9)

2010 - Nothing (#1)

2014 - Millionaires (#10)

2015 - No Good in Goodbye (#8)

2016 - Never Seen Anything Quite Like You (#8)

The Music of Ravid Kahalani

Thanks to the invite from the Israeli embassy, we were able to watch the show of Israeli musician Ravid Kahalani. It was a fusion of pop, rock, and jazz and Ravid sang in French, Hebrew, Yiddish and English.  It was a fascinating show since it was my first encounter where the sounds and beat were pretty unique.

Lovin' the Ambiance of 12 Monkeys

I have been looking for a music venue to hang out but most of the ones here in Quezon City have a jologs vibe.  I'm old na e and I want to hang out in a much classier place but still have my favorite OPM acts and bands play there.

So I was very happy when our friend Drei, invited us to listen to some Israeli jazz music since it allowed us to see the venue 12 Monkeys Bar at the Century Mall in Makati.  There is usually a cover charge, but that night, we were on the guest list so we came in for free.  The food and drinks though aren't but they're not so expensive.  Soda is at 100 pesos and I had lemonade as well since I had colds, also at 100 pesos.

We got a pizza which was at 400 pesos. So tama lang ang presyo!  Maganda ba ang ambiance and the crowd is more mature, more behaved and less jologis.

In Defense of Lady Gaga as Local Writer Labels Her as a Has-Been

I am just a casual pop culture observer but I am shocked at how uninformed and lazy some of our local music entertainment writers are!

I was reading this article on Lady Gaga's Grammy tribute to David Bowie and this writer says this about Lady Gaga -

"To be brutally frank here, she is “yesterday’s news!” A result of her being too trendy and relying too much on shock value are precisely the very reasons her music career took a nosedive to near obscurity"

"Lady Gaga’s time has passed."

Uhhhh hello sir, not to defend Lady Gaga because I'm sure she doesn't care about your opinion, but as a writer, he should've known that -

#1 Lady Gaga just won the Golden Globe Best Actress - TV Mini-Series for American Horror Story - Hotel last January. (I think her being 'weird' was the reason producer Ryan Murphy hired her in the first place!)

#2 Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett won the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Album in 2015. (Tony Bennett is one of the most-well-loved and respected performers by the American music academy. I don't think he would invite a singer who is already 'past her time' to do a FULL ALBUM with him.)

#3 Lady Gaga is slated to perform in the Oscar ceremony this Monday, February 29, because a song she co-wrote with Dianne Warren has been nominated for an Oscar. And, industry insiders believe they will win the award!

Joskoh, feeling ko, this writer wouldn't even know who Dianne Warren is!

Alam mo, if Lady Gaga wins the Oscar, along with Dianne Warren (who truly deserves to win one na talaga!), it will just show stupid and lazy some of our entertainment writers are.

I mean, how did the Inquirer even hire this guy if he cannot even be bothered to check basic facts. I'm sure if he just googled "Lady Gaga 2016", he would've known that these were the things she was doing these past two years.

Somebody who has "passed her time" won't win (or even get nominated!) for an Oscar, Grammy or Golden Globe in the years she's supposed to be laos.

Get it?

Why I Love Taylor Swift's 1989 Album

I was not surprised that Taylor Swift won last week's Grammy award for Album of the Year for her album 1989. From her hit songs palang from that album, you'd know she achieved a totally different sound from the country songs that she used to do.

However, I was so sick of her last year because I was still enjoying her Red album (which was as expansive as 1989, but country songs lang) tapos she released 1989 agad, so I just shunned her new release - which would be a surprise since some of my friends know how much of a big fan of hers I am! (O di ba, kahit sold out ang concert niya dito, nagkaticket pa rin kami, thanks to you Anne De A!)

Alam mo yung sukang suka ka na sa isang artist, so you let them rest first and just ignore their new work, and get to them na lang pag medyo hungry ka na ulit for them.

Which was a pity really because, it turns out that the best songs from her album, 1989, at least for me, are not even the hit songs!

I mean, why didn't they release 'How You Get the Girl' or 'The New Romantics' or 'Wonderland'!! I am not a radio programmer but these songs could've been potential #1 songs for Taylor.

It used to be that artists could release up to 7 singles from one album (Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson did this regularly) because of the depth of their albums.

I guess, nowadays, they don't do it anymore so that the artist won't be overexposed.

But sayang talaga. Taylor has so much good material in 1989, I could safely say na walang tapon kahit isang song dito. Everything is well thought out and well-produced and executed.

The truth is, she did in a way, encapsulate the sound of 1989's pop music in this album. 1989 was the year of Roxette and Madonna's LIke A Prayer album, Paula Abdul and the B52s and Boy Meets Girl. It was a vibrant year for pop music! It was one of the best years for pop music, at least in my book!

Para ngang bumalik ka sa late 80s e when you listen to the album. The three examples I gave earlier are the most 80's sounding of the songs she has in this album.

This girl, as a musical artist, continues to amaze me. I wonder what she'll do next.

Uk Chart Performance: Jay-z

Legendary rapper Jay-z has 15 top 10 hits in the UK.  Four of them went all the way to #1.

1996 - I'll Be (with Foxy Brown) (#9)

1998 - Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) (#2)

1999 - Heartbreaker (with Mariah Carey) (#5)

2002 - 03 Bonnie and Clyde (with Beyonce) (#2)

2003 - Frontin' (with Pharrell) (#6)

2003 - Crazy in Love (with Beyonce) (#1)

2006 - Deja Vu (with Beyonce) (#1)

2007 - Umbrella (with Rihanna) (#1)

2009 - Run This Town (with Kanye West and Rihanna) (#1)

2009 - Empire State of Mind (with Alicia Keys) (#2)

2010 - Young Forever (with Mr. Hudson) (#10)

2011 - Niggas in Paris (with Kanye West) (#10)

2013 - Suit & Tie (with Justin Timberlake) (#3)

2013 - Drunk in Love (with Beyonce) (#9)

2013 - Holy Grail (with Justin Timberlake) (#7)

UK Chart Performance: Rihanna

Rihanna has 27 top 10 hits in the UK.  She has eight #1 songs there.

2005 - Pon de Replay (#2)

2006 - SOS (#2)

2006 - Unfaithful (#2)

2007 - Umbrella (with Jay-z) (#1)

2007 - Shut up and Drive (#5)

2007 - Don't Stop the Music (#4)

2008 - Take A Bow (#1)

2008 - Disturbia (#3)

2008 - Live Your Life (with T.I.) (#2)

2009 - Russian Roulette (#2)

2009 - Run This Town (with Jay-z and Kanye West) (#1)

2010 - Love the Way You Lie (with Eminem) (#2)

2010 - Whos' That Chick (with David Guetta) (#6)

2010 - Rude Boy (#2)

2010 - Only Girl (in the World) (#1)

2010 - What's My Name (with Drake) (#1)

2011 - S&M (#3)

2011 - California King Bed (#8)

2011 - We Found Love (with Calvin Harris) (#1)

2012 - Princess of China (with Coldplay) (#4)

2012 - Take Care (with Drake) (#9)

2012 - Where Have You Been (#6)

2012 - Diamonds (#1)

2012 - Stay (with Mikky Ekko) (#4)

2013 - Monster (with Eminem) (#1)

2015 - FourFiveSeconds (with Kanye West and Paul McCartney) (#3)

2016 - Work (with Drake) (#3)

UK Chart Performance: Zayn

Zayn Malik from One Direction has one #1 hit in the UK outside of the band.

2016 - Pillowtalk (#1)

Lukas Graham

Lukas Graham is a Danish rock band and they have one number one song in the UK

2016 - 7 Years (#1)

My Weekly Top 10 (February 19, 2016) #1 Yolanda Be Cool / DCUP - Soul Makossa (Money!)

DJs Yolanda Be Cool and DCUP's get their very first #1 hit in my personal countdown as   Soul Makossa (Money) moves up to #1 this week. 

Thanks to the Les Mills program Body Jam #75, I was able to dance to this song and know the band as well!

DCUP

Duncan MacLennan, better known by his stage name DCUP, is an Australian record producer, DJ and remixer. He has one #1 hit in my personal countdown.

2016 - Soul Makossa (Money!) (with Yolanda Be Cool) (#1)

Yolanda Be Cool

The Australian band Yolanda Be Cool has one #1 hit in my personal countdown.

2016 - Soul Makossa (Money!) (#1)

My Weekly Top 10 Countdown (February 19, 2016) # Paramore - Grow Up

Paramore's second top 10 hit in my personal countdown,  Grow Up, moves to #6 this week.  It's their second top 10 hit as well from their self-titled Paramore album.

Paramore

I was checking my old CDs this week and I came upon the last CD I bought of Paramore's and I gave it another spin.  I discovered another gem of a song in it, and it becomes the band's second top 10 hit in my weekl

2014 - Ain't It Funny (#9)

2016 - Grow Up (#6)

My Weekly Top 10 (February 12, 2016) #1 Lyn Paul - Talk Amongst Yourselves

Lyn Paul gets her very first #1 hit in my personal countdown this week as Talk Amongst Yourselves moves up to the top spot.

I discovered this song as I watched Culture Club's 20th year anniversary concert on DVD last Christmas.  I learned that this song was from Boy George's Broadway play, Taboo.

Lyn Paul

British singer Lyn Paul has one #1 hit in my personal countdown.

2016 - Talk Amongst Yourselves (#1)

Sting

Sting has 21 top 10 hits in my personal countdown.  Twelve of them went all the way to #1.

1985 - If You Love Somebody, Set them Free (#6)

1985 - Love is the Seventh Wave (#1)

1985 - Russians (#1)

1985 - Moon Over Bourbon Street (#1)

1985 - Fortress Around Your Heart (#1)

1987 - We'll Be Together (#7)

1987 - Be Still My Beating Heart (#7)

1987 - Englishman in New York (#1)

1987 - Fragile (#3)

1991 - All This Time (#1)

1991 - Island of Souls (#1)

1991 - When The Angels Fall (#1)

1991 - Why Should I Cry For You (#1)

1991 - The Soul Cages (#8)

1991 - The Wild Wild Sea (#3)

1991 - Mad About You (#7)

1993 - Fields of Gold (#1)

1993 - Seven Days (#1)

1993 - If I Ever Lose My Faith In You (#6)

2010 - When We Dance (#1)

2016 - Power's Out (with Nicole Scherzinger) (#8)

Nicole Scherzinger

Nicole Scherzinger has two top 10 hits in my personal countdown.

2011 - Don't Hold Your Breath (#1)

2016 - Power's Out (with Sting) (#7)

Grammys 2016: Kendrick Lamar Should Win Album of the Year

I know the Grammy Album of the Year will still be announced on Monday, but I already have two albums on my list that should figure prominently in the nominations for the Grammy's of 2017 - Adele's 25 and Justin Bieber's Purpose.

We all know that the music academy loves Adele but Justin Bieber will know if his fellow musicians really love him as well, if they bestow him a well-deserved Album of the Year nomination.

But that will have to wait till December this year.

The nominated albums this year are quite an eclectic bunch and I'm not surprised that Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly was there.

When it was released March of last year, I immediately bought the album, because I was really bowled over by his last album Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City.

Disappointingly though, I did not take too well with the new album. There are no clear 'singles' from this album and I found it too artsy.

The jazz influence was very strong and we all know very well that jazz is an acquired taste and you'd really have to have sophisticated ears to listen to it.

If you come from a bakya pop background like me, combining jazz and rap is not an easy palate of music to listen to.

However, I admire the great ambition Kendrick gave in album. He certainly achieved something that is sonically different from what he had done before as he included as many different beats and sounds in it.

Even the way Kendrick raps differs from track to track, depending on the way he wants to deliver his message.

Anyhow, I won't be surprised if Kendrick goes home with the award. It's about time that the academy honors someone from the rap world because they have snubbed the best works of Kanye West and Eminem - and that's fine with me - since I find these guys egotistical SOBs. That maybe the reason ninominate lang sila but the award was not given to them.

Kendrick though is very low key and seems humble to me. Maybe finally, the academy would vote a rapper this time for their highest award.

However, just like Beyonce last year, the spoiler for the award also has strong academy backing.

I'm sure the whole country membership of the academy would vote for Chris Stapleton's Traveller.

So you never really know till the winner is announced.

My OPM Top 10 (February 12, 2016) #1 Gracenote - I Will Wait

Gracenote gets their very first #1 hit in My OPM Top 10 countdown this week, as I Will Wait moves up to #1.  It's also their third top 10 hit.

My OPM Top 10 (February 12, 2016) #2 Up Dharma Down - Tadhana

Up Dharma Down's fourth top 10 hit in My OPM Top 10 countdown, Tadhana continues to move up, this week to #2. 

My OPM Top 10 (February 12, 2016) #10 Matteo Guidicelli - Ipapadama Na Lang

Matteo Guidicelli finally gets his very first top 10 hit in My OPM countdown as Ipapadama Na Lang debuts at #10.

Matteo Giudicelli

Matteo Giudicelli has one top 10 hit in My OPM Top 10 countdown.

2016 - Ipapadama Na Lang (#10)

My OPM Top 10 (February 5, 2016) #1 Jay-R / Kris Lawrence / AJ Rafael - You're the One

Jay-R gets his third #1 hit this week as You're the One, his collaboration with Kris Lawrence and AJ Rafael moves to the top this week.  This is his first ever #1 song in My OPM Top 10 countdown.

AJ Rafael

AJ Rafael has one #1 hit in My OPM Top 10 countdown.

2015 You're the One (with Jay-R and Kris Lawrence) (#1)

My Weekly Top 10 (February 5, 2016) #1 Culture Club - Cold Shoulder

The British band Culture Club gets their 24th #1 10 hit in my personal countdown as Cold Shoulder ascends to the top spot this week.

I watched the 20th anniversary concert of the band on DVD over the Christmas break, and I found some gems from their latest album.  This was one of them.

My Weekly Top 10 (February 6, 2016) #6 Bonnie Raitt - Trinkets

Trinkets is the third top 10 hit from Bonnie Raitt's Soul Alike album and her thirteenth overall in my personal countdown.  This week, the song stays at #6 for another week.

Since there is no youtube video for this song, I decided to just put her compilation album here.

My Weekly Top 10 (February 5, 2016) #7 Kendrick Lamar / Drake - Poetic Justice

Kendrick Lamar's fifth top 10 hit and Drake's 6th, Poetic Justice, moves up this week to #7 in my personal countdown.  It's the current peak position of this song.

My Weekly Top 10 (February 5, 2016) #8 Nicole Scherzinger / Sting - Power's Out

I was listening last Christmas to Nicole Scherzinger's Killer Love album from 2011, and this was the only song that stood out for me, aside from Don't Hold Your Breath, which went to #1 in my personal countdown.

This week, Power's Out moves up two spots to #8 in my personal countdown.

My OPM Top 10 (January 29, 2016) #1 Angeline Quinto - Higher Love

Angeline Quinto gets her seventh #1 hit in My OPM Top 10 countdown, as Higher Love, moves up to #1 this week. It's also her tenth top 10 song.

My OPM Top 10 (January 29, 2016) #5 Bamboo - Firepower

The fourth of Bamboo's top 10 hit is Firepower.  It climbs up this week to #5.

My OPM Top 10 (January 29, 2016) #6 Bamboo - Nothing Like You

Bamboo has two hits in My OPM Top 10 countdown this week.  The first one, Nothing Like You, comes in at #6.  This brings to four, the total number of top 10 hits of Bamboo in my local countdown.

Bamboo

Bamboo has four top 10 hits in My OPM Top 10 countdown.  Two of them went all the way to #1.

2013 - Ikot ng Mundo (#1)

2013 - In This Life (#1)

2016 - Nothing Like You (#6)

2016 - Firepower (#5)

My OPM Top 10 (January 29, 2016): #10 Toni Gonzaga - Got U

Toni Gonzaga gets her 8th top 10 hit in My OPM Top 10 countdown this week as Got U, debuts at #10.  It's the fourth top 10 hit from her last album, Celestine.