AAC

LOL, I'm the same, but not when it comes to MC! If it's to be compared to 90's Mariah, then it will be "Daydream" onwards. I wouldn't say it's "Daydream" or "Butterfly" part II, but there's a lot of background vocals on the record, similar to the two aforementioned albums. Her voice is like an instrument on some of the tracks, which is what I find so endearing.

Positive review alert! I can see why people are not overly fond of this record, because it's not an album full of major, radio friendly hooks. "E=MC2" was full of catchy hooks (even if the singles "Bye Bye" onwards flopped), but "Memoirs" isn't about that. It's about her vocal layering, strong melodies and intimate lyrics. Sure, the lyrics appear juvenille and they are fun, but they're very personal. I'd actually go as far to say this is one of her best efforts. Maybe that's premature, but it's growing on me more each day. "H.A.T.E.U." is my favourite track (of Mariah's) since "We Belong Together". I'm not sure if it's very commercial, but there are definitely some hits on the record ("H.A.T.E.U." & "Up Out My Face" for sure). I don't know, I would give it a listen and make your own judgment on the record. The media hasn't been that kind to Mariah in the past, so take all of the reviews with a pinch of salt.

Nice debut for Cudi considering the hype has died down considerably since "Day 'n' Nite" was a success. His & Maxwell's "BLACKsummers'night" are my two top records of 2009, by quite a large margin actually.

Agreed. I still love the song, and it's the only track off this album that I would label an MC "classic". It's my clear favourite, although the album as a whole is really strong.

In what way, Dan? I think all of the tracks are positioned really well, gradually leading to the big climax (so to speak) with "I Want to Know What Love Is". I'd like to add that her vocals are really great on this album. Loving the background whispering (reminiscent of "Daydream" & "Buttefly").

Well, I'm in love with the album, especially "H.A.T.E.U.". It's such a laid-back, near orgasmic track that screams smash to me. "Up Out My Face" is another track that needs to be released, with a great hook and typical crazy MC lyrics (which is a positive thing, people). I'm really digging "Candy Bling", too. I know she says "back in the day" and "throwback" a lot, but it really feels like a throwback to 90's R&B Mariah. That's probably why I love this one. Maybe go into more detail later, but I'm really feeling this effort. I don't think it'll surpass "Emancipation" in quality (or success) but it's certainly more cohesive than "E=MC2". All of tracks are fitted perfectly, and fit the sound she was aiming for. Really strong album.

I knew this would happen while I'm stuck at work. ARGH! That's it, I'm coming home just to listen to this bad boy!

I'll agree that there's no "standout smash" on the record, but it's consistent as hell and very emotive.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy that people were going into this expecting vocals similar to that of her earlier records. Come on guys, she's done a lot of damage to her body, and we all know the ageing process can affect singer's vocals. As a whole, the album is very good, and although she doesn't have a same set of pipes, the soul and emotion is still there.

Yet "Obsessed" is rising and staying incredibly consistent. It seems like her performance of "I Want to Know What Love Is" on Oprah actually did more for "Obsessed", ha.

LOL, that's it, I'm booking Oct. 14 off work. I don't know why I feel so obliged to go, I'm never excited about these kind of things. But yeah, I'll be there for sure.

Great track. It's a bit odd that "So Far Gone" has been added to iTunes as an album of 7 tracks, it's more like an EP. AND, only two of the tracks are actually new. The rest can be downloaded free (legally, I must add) on the "So Far Gone" mixtape. I guess they're trying to secure the hype before his debut record drops. EDIT: Oh, and you're so not the only person to like Drake. He's not really taken off in the UK, but as I follow U.S. music (mainly), I've been following him for a while now. He's everything you want in a Hip Hop artist.

I've never seen such anticipation for an album leak across the internet, it's getting crazy. Everday a new source claims they have the leak, only to show their lying. It's killing me!

There were definitely some pre-recorded notes in there, but the majority was live. It still doesn't match her peak, but I don't know why people expect this. It's the first performance in a long time where I thought "man, she's REALLY putting effort into this".

Oh, WWE are nowhere near closure, but the quality of the product has been on a rapid decline for a long time now. A lot of their hardcore fanbase has moved on because of this.

Best performance in a long time.

I'm not expecting "Divas" to have that much of an impact, but I guess if it draws enough viewers it'll give it a boost. I wouldn't be surprised to see a fall soon, though.

^Brilliant!

That's exactly how I feel!

Overkill, once again. These are harsh times in WWE. December is TLC now, so all of the major gimmick matches are just going to be wasted. Hell in a Cell matches used to be the big blow-off to an epic feud, now there's going to be multiple HIAC matches on one card? This is not great at all, ESPECIALLY with the PG rating. I do like the poster, though ;)

#11 on U.S. iTunes & #3 on Canadian iTunes.

It was more for angle development than anything. I wouldn't call it a real, full match. Anyway, PPV was boring, as expected. Damn, I'm getting tired of WWE lately...

You know something, I actually prefer the hook of this over "Beat Again". But then, I found "Beat Again" ridiculously generic and uninspired. Anyway, overall, it's another poor effort. I certainly saw their appeal on the X-Factor last year and I for one thought they'd come back hard, but if their first two singles are any indication, their debut record will be so lame.

LOL, the album cover blows. Where's the correlation between the title and image?

I love the sound of this track. It leaves such a great impression. Alicia sings the hook perfectly, too. I'm so glad this is the next single. Oh, and it's #1 on U.S. iTunes at the moment...