AAC

WOW, the beat goes hard. It really is all over the place, but oddly thats what I like about it. The hook is really memorable, too. Nicki kills it, as usual. She really went all out on this one. It's not as commercial as I thought it would be, but I think this will be an Urban smash.

Some people say Alicia's work is boring, Paolo Nuitini is the epitome of generic!

It really depends on what you're after. I would agree "The Element of Freedom" is probably her most commercial album. A lot of people found "As I Am" boring, which I can understand to an extent, but the material is just pure soulful R&B at it's best. It doesn't contain big fancy hooks (aside from the killer "No One") but it's Alicia's artistry that makes the record come alive. "Diary" is probably my favourite Alicia record, I think that was her peak, but she's been incredibly consistent.

No old faces, really. Here's a quick rundown of how I thought the show went. Tag Title match - I think this could've been given longer. It was a nice opener. Randy Orton v. Rhodes v. DiBiase - Considering it had such poor hype, it was a fun three-way. Orton shined here, and was really over with the audience. Great ending, too. Money in the Bank - Ugh, I'll go on record and say this was officially the worst MITB match, ever. Some guys hardly got a look in, it really was a clusterf***. Some nice moments with Evan Bourne especially, but everything felt restricted for some reason. It didn't seem like a lot of thought went into the bumps. Triple H v. Sheamus - OK, this was fair. Not great, but not bad. Better than I was expecting. I really thought Sheamus might go over. Rey Mysterio v. CM Punk - A great sprint. Punk's character is seriously awesome. Mysterio looked well in this match. Bret Hart v. Vince McMahon - This was just an absolute MESS. Honestly, I was not expecting anything great, but it was worse than I anticipated. Man, the small angle with Vince paying off the Hart family; seriously, what the f***? Terribly stupid booking. It didn't help that the crowd only came alive everytime Bret teased the Sharpshooter, but to be fair, what did they have to cheer? Chris Jericho v. Edge - A really strong match. Probably one of the best they've ever had. It's a shame the crowd were killed in the previous match, but the false finishes created some drama. Batista v. Cena - Another match that turned out better than expected. The crowd were hot, and the story was fun. Damn I didn't realise how small Batista is now... Undertaker v. Shawn Michaels - I was pumped that this went on last. Match of the night, by far, but I'm not sure if it topped last years. I would've hated to be in the position they were in, but it was still epic. The conclusion to this match was just beautiful. Taker telling Shawn to "stay down", showing sympathy to a near broken Michaels, who returns the favour with a slap in the face (in classic Michaels fashion). Taker then hits a killer Tombstone. Unbelievable moment which really made this match. It reminded me of Michaels v. Flair at Wrestlemania 24, with Shawn mouthing "I'm sorry, I love you" before closing the match with a Sweet Chin Music. Just magnificent. Overall, a good Wrestlemania, in my opinion. Much more enjoyable than last years, and the main events totally delivered.

As much as I love Maryse, I'll have to admit she's pretty dire when it comes to working. She's got a great look and character, but when she hits those ropes, you know it's gloing to be a mess! But I still love the chick. I think Gail Kim is a good worker, but she lacks charisma.

Agreed. And she's definitely the most entertaining Diva since Mickie James. Aside from Maryse, but that's purely down to my obsession with her LOL.

Beth has actually been getting over as a face, chasing Vickie and all. I remember a few weeks ago the crowd were literally going nuts for Beth and the possibility of her killing Vickie. The first real Diva "pop" in ages.

"Scene of the Crime" is literally one of the best songs she's ever recorded. If this was recorded between "Spirit" & "Echo", I'm honestly clueless as to why it was left of the last album. Seriously, it's such a strong track.

Bret had a stroke, which is why he's seemingly not "with it". Batista v. Cena - If this is closing the show, Cena will go over. I think it's been set up for a Cena win, anyway. Jericho v. Edge - This program had so much potential but it's just been so boring. I'm hoping the match will save this feud, however. I would say Edge is the clear winner, but considering how weak they've made Jericho look recently, everything is pointing for a Jericho victory. Undertaker v. Shawn Michaels - Without a doubt, Undertaker is leaving 18-0. If he doesn't, it'll officially be the worst booking move in history, and probably the most shocking. So, I highly doubt it'll happen. WWE have done a great job marketing this match though. Vince v. Bret - I don't think anyone actually thinks Vince will win. I mean, seriously, has Vinnie Mac ever won a Wrestlemania match? Money in the Bank - I'd like to think Christian has a shot, but who knows. Kofi would've been my pick a month ago, but considering he's been going through an absolute murder of a de-push, it's not looking promising. Drew McIntyre maybe? CM Punk v. Mysterio - I think CM Punk will win to further the storyline. If Rey is forced to join his crew, that might make things more interesting (on the part of Mysterio). Triple H v. Sheamus - Ugh, lame. I think Sheamus is going over. Randy Orton v. Ted DiBiase v. Cody Rhodes - Orton has to win. Ted & Cody are just not getting over on thier own, and I don't think a victory in an undercard match over Randy will help them. But it will hurt Randy. Tag Title match - Not sure about this. I think Morrison is going heel, isn't he? He may turn on R-Truth, but who knows.

OH HELL YEAH. The girl's talk is DOPE, simple as. Her vocals in "Unthinkable" are just so hot. It's a pure jam. If I were to compile a list of Top 100, I wouldn't know where to start! Alicia would feature a lot. I keep changing my favourite AK albums, but this will probably always remain #1. The peak of her song-writing career, full of great tracks.

Seriously, I love Mariah, but if she wants hits again (which isn't looking promising), she needs to go away for a couple of years and come back hard. "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" was more successful with critics than it was with the general public. It's a record that will forever hold a lot of substance, full of hot textured vocals but if she wants hits she needs to appeal for the masses. Unfortunately, pop radio will become even less embracing as she gets older. I'm really hoping she can have future success, but she needs to take a break and become inspired.

Love Is Blind - 09 Doesn't Mean Anything - 07 Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart - 10 Wait 'Til They See My Smile - 09 That's How Strong My Love Is - 09 Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready) - 11 Love Is My Disease - 09 Like The Sea - 08 Put It In A Love Song (ft. Beyoncé) - 07 This Bed - 10 Distance And Time - 08 How It Feels To Fly - 06 Empire State Of Mind [Part 2] Broken Down - 09 Through It All - 09 Pray For Forgiveness - 08

Yeah, I don't post excessively, but I can only try. The Queenlicia forum has been a long time coming...

Uh, this is heaven. Easily one of my favourite Alicia tracks, ever. It's started taking off on R&B in the U.S. now, but I don't think it'll crossover to Pop, but I don't think they're worried. Her album sales have been strong. Great melody, with stunning lyrics. I don't know how successful this would be in the UK, though. Surely the commercial "Put It In a Love Song" w/ Bey would be more suitable? Saying that, it flopped hard when released in the U.S., so who knows.

I feel the love. "Memoirs" is, in my opinion, easily one of her most cohesive & artists efforts. It's one of my favourite Mariah albums, one that I know I will keep coming back to. It's just ashame the record is not full of radio friendly material, but then, I don't need my favourite songs to have a catchy hook or poorly constructed melodies...

I totally agree about "Echo" being a strong record than "Spirit". It's more creative, and has a more natural sound that Leona wanted. We got to hear Leona actually developing as an artist. Now, I would much prefer her to cater to the pop leaning R&B music (i.e. "Can't Breathe", which is just phenomenal) as her voice suites that style, but as a fan I totally respect that she's trying to escape the "manufactured" label. That's great, it's just a shame the album wasn't following an utter smash ala "Bleeding Love". Plus, her debut record was marketed really well; they had the whole "The wait is over..." kind of promo. Unfortunately "Happy" was an absolute failure. In the UK, it is definitely considered a hit single (reaching #2 and all), but it's not the hit she needed. I personally think they should just go ahead and release "Outta My Head" and just close this era. I mean, wasn't a video filmed for "Outta My Head" a little while ago? If so then they won't have much to lose. She needs to return to the studio, and converse with her label so they can make the right decisions and come back harder next era. I seriously would hate to see her fade into obscurity, but I'm hopeful that won't happen.

100% agreed. There's no chance WWE would risk losing Smackdown's hispanic hero with such a huge young following. Although, for us fans who are bored of his current shtick, it would probably breathe some life into his character ;)

I wonder what happened to the rumoured "Mask v. Hair" angle they were going with?

I didn't mean to appear defensive, but Leona fans can be crazy at times and are easily offended. I remember reading an article on Billboard a few months ago, but can't seem to locate it. It listed the likes of Craig David and a few other artists who have suffered the dreaded "sophomore slump". Craig David is a good example. Had a huge, platinum (around 1,000,000 sales in the US) selling debut album, but "Slicker Than Your Average" only managed to be certified gold. That was considered an absolute failure, and that was 2002. His singles were epic flops as well. "Echo" has barely sold 200,000 copies, if that, while "Spirit" managed to scan 200,000 in her first week. Yes, "Spirit" followed a major hit, but whichever angle you look at this "Echo" has just been an epic flop stateside. I can't see "Echo" even being certified gold, which is a great shame.

I'm a huge Leona fan, so no it's not an exaggeration. I'm not trying to hate on the girl, I loved "Echo", but it's a fact. It was officially one of the biggest drops in sales from a successful debut album in US history. And no, "Happy" would not be considered a hit in the US. It flopped hard.

I'm surprised there hasn't been a "third album" thread before now, as there have been a few reports cropping up over the last few weeks. It's probably the best thing for the US; she's had literally one of the worst "sophomore slumps" in history. I still think "Outta My Head" should be released though, even if it's not the strongest album cut (in my opinion). It'll show a little diversity which is seriously needed now. All I keep hearing is "Leona just sings boring ballads", you know? I think the label are now aware of this, or at least I would hope they are (even though they should've been aware before the beginning of the "Echo" era).

I've heard a few reports of fans being disappointed when meeting him. It would definitely put me off meeting him, considering I consider him one of the best workers of our time. I wouldn't want to be disillusioned. His comeback has lacked that x-factor because the fans in attendance just aren't as excitable as they were in the late 90's/early 00's. Hell, I think even if it was back in 2006 the crowd would've responded better.

Well, WWE have done their job by actually making people believe Michaels is winning. It's great marketing on WWE's part. With regards to Rey being one of the best wrestlers in WWE at the moment, I would agree. It's just his character that is stale as hell. And his ringwork is much watered down, obviously due to injuries. He's been on a slow decline for a few years now. I think the last Rey match that made me think "$h!t, this was amazing" was v. JBL at Judgment Day 2006. Great performance, with Rey using the limitations he has in his favor. There have been more since then, but his gimmick is so tired. If we're getting a Divas match, I'm hoping we see Maryse most. The girl is still fire!

Wow, a Wrestlemania without Triple H in a World Title match, now that's something special. Undertaker v. Shawn Michaels is being promoted incredibly well. Seriously, when it was rumoured they would meet again at Wrestlemania, I thought it was the most uninspired pairing, but each week I'm becoming more interested in the outcome. I mean, it's pretty clear Taker's winning, with Shawn not working any house shows post-Mania, but it'll be fun to see if they can top last year's match. I'm not sure if they can, but either way it'll be a great match. As Trips is in such a insignificant match, it makes me wonder whether he'll cost Michaels the finish? It was rumoured a few weeks back that he's going to be turning heel, and whatever happens I can't see HBK staying "retired" forever. John Cena v. Batista is lame. I like Cena, but this program has been boring. Chris Jericho v. Edge would've had me gripped if they had've produced better writing for the program. Honestly, this continual "spear" nonsense is just becoming annoying. Oh well, even with a poor build up I'm sure they'll deliver in the ring. Bret Hart v. Vince McMahon. All I'm going to say is Bret should be getting a far better reaction from the crowd than what he has been receiving. I get there are young kids who wouldn't have been alive in 1997, but it's just criminal the crowd don't seem overly bothered with his presence. The match will be a car wreck, but here's to hoping a lively reaction can save the match from being a total disaster. Triple H v. Sheamus, well this is just so irrelevant, but in a good way because it keeps two of the most boring, overexposed RAW main eventers out of the title main event. Randy Orton v. Ted v. Cody - Seriously, this feud is dead in the water. The original plan was for Ted to go face, but instead WWE have realised Orton has been getting an exceptional reaction from the audience and seems to be tweener now. It doesn't help that Ted is possibly the most dreary character in WWE today. Orton deserves better than this failure of a storyline. Money in the Bank. Fun, will be nothing more. It was more interesting when there were six stars in the match. With 8+ there's too much going on for them to have a cohesive match. The best MITB matches have been prior to Wrestlemania 23. CM Punk v. Rey Mysterio - Punk has literally been on fire with the "Straight Edge Society". His promos are gold, so it's a shame he's stuck in this boring feud with Mysterio. Honestly, Rey needs to think about retiring or doing something to freshen his character. He's easily the most stale guy on the roster at the moment. Tag Title match. The Miz is a favourite of mine, so I'm glad he's on the card. I'm indifferent to this. Morrison & R-Truth are an odd pairing, is anyone else sensing a Morrison heel turn? Looks like a fair card for this year's event. It's what you would come to expect from a modern day major WWE event. At least I'm confident nothing will close the show worse than last year's Triple H v. Orton debacle (yes, I'm 90% certain even Cena v. Batista can't come close to the aforementioned piece of trash).

Well, "Raymond v. Raymond" is a more fitting title than the original penned "Monster". ;-) The album is a strong effort. I think I prefer it to "Here I Stand", even if it's sound is a little inconsistent (with the ridiculous amount of producers he used to work on this record). The only song I can't listen to is "Okay". Oh, and I'm not homosexual or anything, but there's something about "Mars vs Venus" that is just orgasmic. That's a sex jam if there ever was one...