Beyoncé‘s got a new track out! Sasha Fierce seems to have been retired to wander the beauty supply store, and now it’s just pure B-Day singing about how girls are runnin’ thangs (not the women?). Manhunt Daily‘s primary blogger and music critic genius Dewitt probably has a much more expert opinion on this one. But to me, it sounds like extraterrestrials have set their phasers on stun at some sort of tribal gathering and Jay-Z‘s wife isn’t having it. It’s a little too relentlessly messy to dance to, but anything’s better than “Ring The Alarm”.

- J. Harvey

To hear “Girls (Who Run The World),” Follow the JUMP:

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Attending a live performance by Living Days is a pretty unforgettable experience. Lead singer Stephonik Youth gives off a magnetic energy, working the audience like the androgynous and otherworldly spawn of David Bowie. It’s impossible to not get sucked in. Your body just submits to the music and starts flailing all over the place.

Unfortunately, very few people have actually heard of Living Days, and their debut EP The Make Out Room has become one of the most criminally ignored projects of 2010. While they’re not reinventing the wheel with their emotional, ’80s-tinged style of pop, it’s a must have for fans of The Cure and similar bands from that era.

“Lets Kiss” moves forward with an infectious beat that makes you want to run to the closest person and shove your tongue down his throat. “Go Oblivion” will give you visions of imaginary mosh pits, while “Bury The World” feels like a school dance that didn’t suck.

The EP’s weaker spots come in the form of two slower tracks, “Little White Lie” and “Romeo & Juliette”. The latter sounds like a sixth grade poetry project gone wrong, though the former does more than enough to keep the listener’s attention. Overall? This is definitely worth the measly $4.49 for a digital copy. Don’t sleep on it!

- Dewitt

To listen to the lead single “Let’s Kiss”, follow the JUMP:

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Here’s a word of advice to any up-and-coming R&B divas (who just so happen to be reading a blog about penises). If you’re going to make an album about female empowerment, you probably shouldn’t have Chris Brown on the tracklist. That’s the first of many sins on Keri Hilson‘s latest effort No Boys Allowed.

From the beginning of Hilson’s career, she’s lacked an essential element for any musical artist–a sense of self or personality. Thankfully, she’s a pretty person who knows the right people in the industry, and she lucked out with hits such as “The Way I Are”, “Turnin’ Me On” and “Knock You Down”. However, her luck may have run out on this album…

Although it may sound vaguely sexist, Hilson’s most successful songs have all benefited from the presence of a high-profile male guest star. She tries to recreate this equation with featured spots by J. Cole, Nelly Rick Ross and an impressive list of hip-hop’s elite, but the results fall flat when she lets one of them rap about “shaking your anus”.

For an album called No Boys Allowed, the boys seem to be pulling a lot of the strings, both behind the scenes and within the lyrical content of each song. Noticeably, there are no other female vocalists. Because apparently it’s really difficult to get Nicki Minaj to do a guest verse on your track.

Granted, these aren’t even the biggest issues with Hilson’s sophomore project! The songs themselves are mostly lackluster, aside from guilty pleasure “Pretty Girl Rock” and the fun-for-a-few-minutes bounce of “Beautiful Mistake”. Long story short? You might want to take the advice of the caution tape on the album’s front cover.

- Dewitt

To listen to select tracks from this album, follow the JUMP:

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Liz Janes may appear on the roster of indie label Asthmatic Kitty–home to Sufjan Stevens and a handful of hipster blog darlings–but her latest album Say Goodbye isn’t what you’d expect from a modern-day “indie” project. It’s somewhere between Carole King and the early work of Minnie Riperton. Serene and beautiful, though not quite “hip”.

While Janes set out to make a soul record, she was thoroughly conscious of her limitations. “I’m not a real soul singer,” she stated. “I wanted to make music with real meaning, that would be nourishing and comforting to the listener. I wanted the music to be inspirational and full of light—without ignoring life’s violence.”

You really can’t describe it much better than that. She’s not trying to belt out like a Duffy or an Adele, as her element of soulfulness comes from a place far more significant than the vocal chords–her heart. Yes, it sounds a bit cheesy, but it makes sense once you understand the process behind this album.

The lyrics and melody of each song were written a cappella, captured during those quiet introspective moments of life. Then, Janes collaborated with a group of talented musicians to flesh out each composition, adding the lush instrumentation you hear on the final record.

Sure, this isn’t the typical kind of music you’d hear on Manhunt Daily, but it’s worth checking out if you’re into something soft, jazzy and decidedly unpretentious. For a small taste, take a listen to the album’s lead track “I Don’t Believe”.

- Dewitt

To listen to a preview track from this album, follow the JUMP:

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Don’t rush to the store to pick up Nicki Minaj‘s debut album Pink Friday. Out of the 350,000 copies sold within the first week, a good portion will be discarded into your local record store’s bargain bin by true hip-hop fans. Well, assuming they even bothered to purchase a copy after such blatantly saccharin singles as “Your Love” and “Right Thru Me”…

Thanks to a few mixtapes and stellar guest verses, Minaj propelled herself towards the top of the hip-hop community. She’s easily one of the most exciting female rappers we’ve seen in recent history, equipped with zany cartoon antics and enough clever one-liners to prove she’s more substance than style.

Unfortunately, the overnight success didn’t do her any favors. She tried to please too many people with Pink Friday, resulting in a jumbled mess of eighties samples, bratty delivery and lackluster introspective tracks. And then there’s the singing. Despite how hard she tries, Minaj will never be Lauryn Hill. Quite simply? She doesn’t have the pipes for it.

Frankly, Minaj is best when she’s more “Itty Bitty Piggy” than “Save Me” or “Check It Out”. She achieves this energy on tracks like “Roman’s Revenge” and “Did It On ‘Em”, but it’s practically absent on the remainder of the album. While it’s one thing to be versatile, it’s another to stick with your talents. Let’s put it this way… Nicki Minaj is a dominant top, and she’s fucking herself with this overly poppy direction.

- Dewitt

For additional opinions on Pink Friday, follow the JUMP:

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