Solange Knowles wed video director Alan Ferguson on November 16 in New Orleans, LA. As to be expected from the performer, who’s been known to march to her own beat, the aesthetics were unique, refined, and stunningly beautiful.

Knowles and Ferguson arrived at the ceremony on white bicycles and the bride wore a jumpsuit by Stephane Rolland. For the ceremony, Solange wore a gown by Humberto Leon for Kenzo, which made her look like royalty. Her wedding party included a troupe of ladies dressed in white, including her superstar sister Beyonce and rising star (and TFC fave) Janelle Monae.

According to Vogue.com, the singer walked down the aisle to Donny Hathaway’s, “I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry.” See more photos at Vogue.com

NEW YORK, Tuesday, November 11, 2014 – In collaboration with global superstar and seven-time Grammy® award-winner, Taylor Swift, American Express unveiled the American Express Unstaged Taylor Swift Blank Space Experience App giving fans everywhere a never-before-seen, 360⁰ immersive music video experience for her new single, “Blank Space,” from her critically-acclaimed album, 1989. The app premiered on ABC’s Good Morning America this morning and the video premiered yesterday across the online, TV and mobile apps of Vevo, the world’s leading all-premium music video and entertainment platform with over seven billion monthly views globally.

“With American Express, we have been able to create something that no one has been able to give to fans before…a 360-degree, interactive experience where everyone can explore the storyland of the “Blank Space” video,” said Swift. “This video experience is really fun because we have hidden items in the rooms for fans to find, look at and test their ability to find other items. Joining up with America Express to bring this experience as a gift to the fans has been so amazing. This is all for them, and I hope that the they will have a lot of fun with it.” Click here to download the app.

Swift has shaped up to me among the most savvy artists in the business. Her recent move to yank her catalogue from Spotify has kept her, and her new album 1989, at top of mind for fans as well as people that barely realize she’s not no longer just some country music ingenue.

“Because darling, I’m a nightmare dressed as a daydream”

The “Shake it Off” singer’s partnership with American Express is an astute business move as well as a nod to her appreciation for technology, which some have questioned with her statement that Spotify is “a grand experiment.” Perhaps even more important (to us) the new video is an opportunity for the star to show off her model portions in expensive clothes, and with grand decor and a smoldering co-star as accessories.

Screencaps via youtube.com/user/TaylorSwiftVEVO

“Zakee collaborates with fellow Philadelphia vocalist, Res, for the latest single on his sophomore LP,Rise of the Rebels: Assimilations, due out this spring. A sweet ode to a lover, ‘But You’ draws the listener in with a catchy hook that you’re bound to find yourself singing to your boo. First up is Res’s sultry voice on the verse,showcasing a more demure vocal than the soul rock fans are used to hearing from the songstress. Zakee’s familiar raspy drawl floats over a soft bed of stripped down guitar melodies,and their harmony results in a genre-defying, mood-setting lullaby…a lullaby for sexy time.

Zakee notes, ‘I’m a Pisces, so I’m emo by nature. “But You” definitely channels my sensitive side, and I hope it will strike a chord with anyone who has someone special in their life. It’s also really dope to work with Res, because we’ve been friends for years.'”

Prince is one of those artists: the kind that has a long list of hits, but still manages to surprise us often with an oldie from his sizable catalog that still feels as fresh and fun as the day it was pressed. “When You Were Mine” played in the background of the makeover montage, as Prince gives New Girl lead, , some pointers how to dress and how to open up to love. It was the best part of the segment.

Prince fans who tuned in were kept waiting for the whole episode to get what they came for: THE MUSIC. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived show for the icon, as the episode only had time for a short Prince-Jess duet. In any case, the song, which is reportedly called “Don’t You Wanna Fall in Love” is a fun one that makes you wanna dance.

David Bowie is having a definite moment in pop culture; and it’s gone beyond the hipster set to include the posh people, apparently. See Bowie’s appearance in a Louis Vuitton campaign featuring model Arizona Muse. image: fashiongonrogue

Bowie. by eightyjane on polyvore.com

The founder of Pop Africana magazine, Oroma Elewa is the model muse in the video for Theophilus London’s “Rio.” These behind the scenes images, from _oroma‘s instagram feed, show a glimpse of the video’s style. The song is totally infectious and makes you want to shake it, just like Oroma is here. And it’s well timed to be a Summer 2013 staple.

Check out Theophilus London being interviewed at Coachelle 2013. He talks about parties and life experiences in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Superstar Beyonce Knowles is the latest celebrity face for fast fashion giant H&M. The singer stars in the brand’s Summer 2013 campaign, in a long-awaited partnership that was once rumored to be a design collaboration. If a collab would look anything like the disaster that is House of Dereon, here’s hoping Queen Bey sticks to bikini modeling… and singing, of course.

See more of the campaign at Fashion Gone Rogue

I (try to) respect an artist’s right and will to evolve, so I can’t be mad at how my former favorite band has developed into a polished pop thing, while they won my love with their garage grittiness. I’m not mad, but I’m also not buying it. I was hoping the follow up to one of my all-time favorite albums was just glitch in the timeline. I thought maybe Wild Young Hearts was simply the product of the dreaded “sophomore curse” mixed with the inevitable drag of big record business. So when I heard that the Noisettes’ third release was coming up I was still optimistic and ready to open my wallet and my heart to the new collection of music.

But then the band (or label or mgmt or whomever) decided it would be a good idea to stream the entire album on YouTube. Not just previews and not just a song or two – the whole thing. Turns out that good idea was actually a very bad idea. With WYH, the leading single made me nervous with it’s pop-infused pop poppiness, but I assumed there would be better offerings in the mix so I bought it anyway and got 9 more disappointments for my time and trouble. So now that I’ve heard all of the new album, Contact, there are no maybes to look forward to and my heart and handbag remain closed.

Moments of redemption on the new album include the hauntingly sweet “Travelling Light” and down-homey “Ragtop Car” – both of which have some of the most restrained production on the album. In fact, there are other moments in which I can still here the good stuff coming through (Shoniwa’s voice is undeniable no matter what she sings), but then it gets blasted by a can-flavored, movie-themed guitar solo or some other over-produced nonsense. But even these two redemption songs, though pleasant, don’t beg to be played again and again and again and again as I did with What’s the Time Mr. Wolf or even lesser albums by lesser artists. It might be that I’m being a little extra hard on them, though. It’s just that I love the old music so much. I guess I should never have built that indie rock pedestal.

According to an interview the band did a few years ago WtTMW? possesses such raw perfection by accident. “It’s just that the first one had fewer instruments and we produced it ourselves,” says frontwoman Shingai Shoniwa. Clearly, less is a shit-ton more. These new songs, with their additional instruments and lala-land producers sound like songs the group should be writing for Katy Perry are some such person.

Shingai can’t be blamed for defending herself and her band against charges of selling out, but it just can’t be denied that the group’s new status as members of the musical mainstream has influenced their style – and it’s not just a matter of having access to slicker studios. After all, as of right now one of the tracks on the YouTube stream is being blocked by AbsoluteAMD for copyright infringement… which means that on the band’s official channel some jackass publisher (or whatever) is blocking a song? Now if that’s not music biz bullshit I don’t know what is. It seems impossible that the phlebotomizing effect of these big labels hasn’t tainted that pure and powerful audio genius of which the Noisettes are capable.

I still think the two musicians at the core of this group are amazing, and the new sound might be authentic to who they are now. Unfortunately though, it’s conspicuously out of contact with whatever made their first full length so delectable. It pains me to realize I’m not a “fan” anymore, but hey – we’ll always have “IWE.”

Images via the group’s Facebook page.

As a former performer I know that confidence counts as a big part of being able to command a stage and an audience. However, when that confidence tips the balance and far outweighs the talent in the equation it transforms into something far less appealing: DELUSION.

Such is the case with The Voice contestant Erin Martin. The former model was recently eliminated from the singing competition and blamed her demise on her coach, Cee Lo Green’s poor song choices for her. Martin also waved offed her end by saying “it’s a TV show,” implying that the way things played out had less to do with her abilities, than with how producers wanted to entertain viewers. In fact, she’s right: The fact that it’s a produced television show is the only reason she was ever in the running in the first place. I’m certain there were thousands of people will much better voices that didn’t even make it to the blind auditions. A homely girly with Erin’s voice? Yeah right. photo: popcrush.com

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The fact is if she were “the voice” she would be able rise the occasion and sing the hell out of any song they threw at her. Instead, not being able to choose her own music exposed how utterly weak her voice is. It’s true her rendition of “Hey There Delilah” was charming – especially the recorded version. Her live vocals, though, even when she chose her own song, were just weak. She’s a performer, yes, but not singer. At least not yet. And with such an obnoxious lack of humility she may never be.

I can only hope that Martin’s delusional statements are her being savvy enough to cause a media kerfluffle and extend her stay in the spotlight before she is soundly forgotten (note her sliding in the little quip about her albums on iTunes). Even this, though, is not enough to keep me interested in her music. Maybe she should try a sex tape.

Check out Erin Martin’s Music on Amazon.com

In this new, destined-to-go-viral video by current RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Willam Belli, Willam, Detox, and Vicky Vox address one of the fundamental dilemmas of our era: Chick-fil-A is so delicious, but it’s owned by right-wing Bible-thumping bigots. What to do?
In a music video parody of Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On,” Willam, Detox and Vicky play their roles perfectly (just check out Willam’s Chynna Phillips head-shaking impression at 1:47) to get across the message: “Chow down at Chick-fil-A (Even if you’re gay).”

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