In 1997, Mariah Carey released her magnum opus, Butterfly, amidst marital and professional turmoil. She not only wanted out of her stifling marriage, but the constricting box she had been stuffed in musically, as well. With few fucks given, she dropped the “Honey” single and music video – igniting controversy about her […]
Kelly Rowland is now notorious for extremely long gaps between the release of her studio albums. Her debut, Simply Deep, was rush released in October 2002. Since then, she’s been in anything but a rush to craft her albums. She waited nearly five years to release her sophomore set Ms. […]
Janet Jackson’s music career officially took off in 1986, with the release of her redefining album, Control. A strong, assertive and commanding new Janet replaced the sugary sweet teen actress image she held prior to its release. With her versatile voice, both in sound and message, Janet commanded hard-hitting beats and […]
At 4:15 P.M. today, J. Cole tweeted a surprise announcement: “No Phones, No Cameras, No Bags, No Press Lists, No Guess Lists” with a place and a time – Gramercy Theatre, NYC, 6 P.M. I had just walked out of work, and immediately set my GPS to the Gramercy. No […]
Goodbye 2017, and goodbye to Mariah Carey’s naysayers. The Queen of Christmas valiantly took the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve stage minutes before the ball drop in Times Square, NYC once more for a chance to vindicate herself after last year’s debacle, and succeeded triumphantly. The pressure was sky high and […]
Exactly 365 days ago, the commercials ran: Mariah Carey headlines Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on ABC, minutes before the ball drops. Unfortunately, Mariah, her team, and Dick Clark Productions all dropped the ball… a little too early. The wrong ball at that. I’m sure you remember what […]
On November 11, 1997, the world was formally introduced to Destiny’s Child. With the release of their debut single “No, No, No” Parts 1 and 2, Destiny’s Child landed on the music scene and scored their first big hit. Thanks to its Part 2, a remix by Fugees frontman Wyclef […]
October 22, 2002. In October 2002, I was twelve years old, eagerly anticipating the release of the second solo album from the ladies of Destiny’s Child. They were, and are, my favorites. I refused to choose a favorite between the three ladies, and that still holds true today. Regardless, I […]
On October 7, 1997, Janet Jackson released what would go on to become the most prolific body of work in her catalogue: The Velvet Rope. Before delving into the many reasons why this album deserves the title of masterpiece, it is necessary to first set the scene: Just over a decade prior, […]
September 16, 1997. In September 1997, Mariah Carey released Butterfly, her self-described favorite and best album. Among her adoring fans, the #Lambily, it is widely considered the fan-favorite and best album as well, though some do differ in opinion. Still, Butterfly remains a sorely underrated classic in the grander scheme […]
