There is no question that the queen of music right now, Beyonce, has been on top of her game for quite some time. It is also without question that with the release of her 4th solo studio album, fans and critiques alike were all filled with an overwhelming anticipation. On Tuesday, June 28th Beyonce’s album, entitled simply 4, hit the selves.  I, being the absolute fan of Beyonce that I am, could not let the day go by without making the purchase. I am for the most part, pleased.



I must say that this album is actually quite refreshing. I honestly feel that Beyonce put her own feelings, emotions and style into this album. She seems to have a very heartfelt sound, belting out some incredible notes with an undying passion, displaying her developed range and strength. This album shows her growth as a vocalist and woman. Beyonce is no longer the cute young girl that we first met in 1996, she is a grown woman, and this album is definitely fitting for her age (Beyonce turns 30 on September 4 of this year). You can really tell that she poured her entire heart into this album vocally, and her artistry absolutely shinned.

Beyonce alone is the executive producer of her entire album 4 (meaning she is getting paid!!!). She also co-wrote and co-produced a significant amount of the tracks on the album. She teamed up with some of the music industry’s top producers and writers, including: Shea Taylor, Frank Ocean, Terius “The Dream” Nash, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, and the legendary songwriter herself Ms. Diane Warren, to create amazing music. I think the collaborations worked really well producing sounds that were heavily reminiscent of earlier and classic eras, but still consisted of that modern Midas blend of soul and pop that Beyonce is known for.
 There were rumors that the album was not going to do very well in comparison to some of her past work. There were even speculations made that her label did not think that she would have a hit from the album 4.  But having been on the market for only two days critics are projecting that it will top the charts by the end of its first week of sells with a projected 300,000 albums sold. I hope it does well, she has worked very hard and is deserving of the success that has and will continue to come to her. Good Luck Bey!

You can check out Beyonce tonight at 7:30 pm on VH1. It will be the premier of a special entitled Beyonce: Year of the 4, promoting the new album.

Go buy the album!!! In stores, and on iTunes now!!!

Hugs, Luvs, and Blessings from Above!!!




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Check out this awesome video of her live album release concert










Today we live in the world of the independent or “indie” artist. There are a lot of very successful indie record labels, putting out great work. I saw a quote that said this 2011 year, indie artists and labels hold about fifty percent of the Grammy nominations. It is very safe to say that a successful career in the music industry CAN be attained by either doing it yourself (D.I.Y) or by linking up with an independent label and becoming an independent artist. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, hence the reason why I have really been stressing the importance of taking every possible opportunity and chance to develop yourself!

This week’s blog I wanted to focus on some organizations and groups within my niche industry. I could not find the association that focuses on talent development, but the one in which I am about to talk about has a focus of independent record labels and artist. The group that I found is called the American Association of Independent Music or also known as A2IM. Their mission and goals are to provide business and networking opportunities for the independent sector of the music industry. They really are a sort of community support system and society for indie artists. They also provide advocacy and representation in the legal realms for indie labels and groups.
I think this is very important especially because I am an independent (D.I.Y.) artist myself, I see the need for this type of safe haven group to come to and be involved with like the American Association of Independent Music. I am glad to have discovered this group and will actually look into getting involved with it more. If you yourself are an indie artist, then this is definitely something to look at. Check them out here at http://a2im.org/
A2IM has different committees that its members can join to become more active in the actual business of music, aside from just their individual projects. They have the legislative/ legal committee, the licensing/ publishing committee that relays information and issues that happen within the independent music realm that may affect us all.  They are also are affiliated with a few different industry organizations and site such as SoundExchange, M.U.S.I.C., Music First, Copyright alliance, Give the gift of music, and Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies (AARC). They really have an extensive and helpful program and I encourage you to check them out.
HUGS AND LUVS!!!!