The revolution will be feminized. She who betrayed Jesus, she who betrayed Adam, she who bears the weight of said world on her naturally sinful shoulders, in her superseding of submission, will ascend to prominence; born to blossom, bloom to perish, just as man destroyed that which he cannot create, so in the wake of destruction and suspension in social smolder, here woman returns to bear life again… Strong enough to bear the children, then get back to business

Who run the world? Girls. Girls, women, females have the unparalleled capacity to create life. Despite all social constructs, religious constraints, and artificial inferiority women are able to create something lasting, something outside of themselves, and from their sin comes the succession – well, that, or a dance nation… my persuasion can build a nation #literally

#inanutshell Self-reference and atmospheric concept #letsbeyhonest #independentringonit

Flash, Tally, and Snapp: Who run the world?

M.I.A.: Born Free over a Diplo beat

Beyonce: The female version of a hustler… the lights that keep the streets on – are the very same lights that break dawn

Hope you still like me, If you hate me
My persuasion can build a nation
In this our, our love we can devour
You’ll do anything for me

… because while from the female womb a world can be reborn, a man’s mind can melt in her very palm… he’ll do anything for she – like a sir hooker to the government of female supremacy

… and crazy in love with the self-referential style and choreo

Willow Smith: 21st Century Girl… a dime-sized diva spawned from deserted desolation

Rihanna: Run this mother, hard as a mother

… and this town #watchthethrone #hovishome #andohyeahyeezy

Nicki Minaj – Massive Attack of the Militaristic Mistress

Splash of Britney choreography… from head-to-heel-toe #literally #goodface

Girls on Fire… Bey and a battalion of Edies

Cleopatra Jones – Pre-Foxxy Lot of Woman

#andAGAIN #asalways Angela Bassett #woosah #breathe

Watch This Space: On the brink of Black Stallions and Highway Unicorns… #spearheadedstallionistas #headsup #crowndown

I’m sitting here about to get my next tattoo at a popular tattoo shop in downtown Atlanta. This next tattoo is the one with the most meaning. It’s maktub. Maktub is Arabic for ‘it was written’. A strong, spiritual sentiment that eludes many to think of faith and destiny, all heavy religious concepts automatically once the denotation is learned. I picked up the phrase from one of my favorite books, The Alchemist. But I’m getting it tattooed on me. So, a religious thought is becoming a fashionable trivial decoration on my body. This trend is not rare in our society. I’m participating in seemingly the bastardization of a sacred world. Making things that are of God be also in vogue, no matter what the eventual results may be. Even when those results are most commonly breaking the sacred and holy.

The needle is drilling into my flesh, the blood drips on to my skin, running down. The pain of this tattoo is a right of passage. The more pain, the more you can later gloat about how you overcame it and got a cool piece of art on your skin. The needle drills harder, blood runs faster. The outlining is becoming almost complete. The thought that is going through my mind is a common one; when the fuck will this be over? The thought that followed isn’t as common. I thought to myself; is this how Jesus felt? His body being in pain, but his mind knowing the end result because was all-knowing. That fine balance of knowledge that it will all be okay, despite your body being put through torture by someone else’s hands.

No, I’m not Jesus but perhaps subconsciously I want to be? Of course, most Christians want to be Christ-like, but are we jealous of Jesus also? The perfect one? God’s son? The attention he gained, the magic he made, the lives he changed, the followers he garnered. Jesus was the first pop star and it seems like we’re all trying desperately to catch up in our own ways to prove that we can compete with his celebrity. Michael Jackson might have moonwalked, but Jesus walked on water. Wiz Khalifah and Kanye might have had Amber Rose. Jesus, however, was the first to turn a hoe into a megastar with Mary Magdalene.

Picture your favorite performer on stage. Her hair is flowing, the lights are glowing, and she’s probably levitating on stage like some holy angel or resurrecting from underneath the ground like some born-again holy crusader. Beyonce in her angelic, glowing silver dress singing about halos or Lady Gaga birthing a universe through her kaleidoscope of a uterus and singing about how Judas betrayed her. Are these just findings of a conspiracy theorist gone mad with too many ‘People’ magazines? Or are these ladies highlighting what’s in all of us? We all want to be closer to God, but how scary is the thought that we are actively envious of our savior, as well?

We’re a generation of bosses, superstars, leaders, and iconoclasts. We try our best to make it seem like we’re alphas of whatever endeavor we’re getting into. How many of us want to be the alpha and omega, though? How many of us won’t be satisfied with any level of success because the true control and attention we need and desire is ungodly (for a lack of better words). Jay-Z has millions of albums sold, prestige in most creative circles, and a type of fame that is almost tangible and sticks to your fingertips like dried-up glue. Is it really surprising that a man who desired to achieve that level of notoriety would refer to himself as God? Is it really surprising that our pop stars have formed religions around their brands that go beyond fans? We’re living in a world full of monsters, barbies, and love muffins. We use to live in a world full of Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

Sure, I might be crazy or do too many drugs and listen to too much Pink Floyd while reading Alice Walker books (try it!), but it’s a discussion that needs to be ignited in order to really find out the motivation behind today’s pop culture that usually reveals the motivation behind the people consuming it which is you, me, and them. Why are people falling so easily for these false idols that are ideally American? I have a theory. Hope was killed in 2010 and faith hasn’t been exciting since Ricki Lake has aired. We’re living in a society thirsty for something to believe in, something to praise, and something to pray to. But this time we’re choosing our own God. The Ancient Greeks did it. Our Gods just have catchier choruses, fake eyelashes, and expensive wigs. More important than that, our new Gods are tangible. We can see, feel, and hear them for a fee which is proving to be a better alternative than the blind faith we’ve been settling for free. It’s a scary thought, but it is a mentality that is encompassing the world like the sun above.

The blood from my drilled flesh is wiped with a stark white cloth and ‘maktub’ is being wrapped in regular, tattoo fashion to avoid infection. My tattoo is done. The pain is over and like I knew from the beginning, the end result is something beautiful. I made an appointment for my own personal crucifixion that was perfectly packaged, timed, and made for mass consumption. Nothing is holy.

I suffer from hypoglycemia which means that a missed meal or snack results in shaky hands, blurred vision and heart palpitations. A few weeks ago, I had an episode followed with all of the extreme symptoms. This time however the scenario was worst for it was eleven o’clock and I was stuck in Buckhead. My glucose tablets were not on me and of course I could have just stopped at a fast food place to order a meal, but my bag which contained my debit card, I had left at home earlier that morning. With the petty coins that were in my pocket, there was nothing I could do, but buy a Coke and hope that the sugary caffeinated drink would provide the boost that I needed and attempt the trek home.

I was on the road for about ten minutes before I started swerving and had to pull of at the nearest closest exit. In my sugar deprived stupor, I made no note of the exit that I had gotten off of until I had stationed my car at the nearest gas station. During the two hours that I spent at this gas station waiting for my emergency contact to rescue me, I was solicited by a disease stricken prostitute and a homeless man before I realized that I was stranded at the infamous Fulton Industrial Boulevard. I watched for two WHOLE hours as a cheap African American prostitute clad in absolutely nothing, charging absolutely nothing for her services went from car to car…and was denied. Watching her try so hard, only to get rejected over an over again, began to remind me of Keri Hilson.

Keri Hilson’s recently debuted video “The Way You Love Me” features a musical snippet with Rick Ross and theatrical appearances from “big” names such as Faith Evans, Jojo, Dawn, and Columbus Short. In this six minute and forty six second video, viewers are treated to clips of Keri Hilson’s barely covered crotch, hip gyrations that would make Mother Teresa faint, and dry humping that would make a neutered dog jealous. In between all of these hip grinding scenes, viewers are also given an extra bonus of several which contain Keri sticking out her tongue and licking and sucking on her fingers. As if the video itself wasn’t already oversexed, the song itself is a musical orgy in which Keri is screaming as if she is in the midst of an orgasm yelling, “Fuck me, fuck me” and other obscene things such as “Ooey, It’s so juicy” and “I got that kind of pussy that will keep you off the streets”.

My first time watching the video, my mouth was hanging agape in shock, fear and disgust and I was reaching for my nearest Bible to ward off the evil spewing from my computer screen. Then I noticed the number of views that the video had gotten and laughter took a hold of me. Keri Hilson and her crew had basically uploaded a porno, unto youtube and the number of hits that the video had gotten was a pathetic 500,000. Not to mention the fact that this video has been up on the internet for over a month now. Clearly, no one wants to buy the sex that Keri Hilson is selling. She’s just like the prostitute that I encountered on Fulton Industrial: cheap and desperate. I can’t even begin to imagine how she feels, image prancing around with your vagina propped open and…nothing, not even a whistle.

I give Keri Hilson a few months before her fifteen minutes are over. She came on too thirsty at a time when the industry was at a drought. Her ‘beef’ with a barely famous Ciara was way to juxtaposed with her throwing darts at the queen Beyonce. Everything about Keri Hilson’s career is ill timed, if she had hopped on the scene five years ago when talentless babes such as Cassie and Amerie were getting media play, then she might have had a chance. The competition that is out right now, surpasses that of Keri Hilson. She is attempting to play a game that she has no chance in winning. She is playing a game where her opponents are Lady Gaga, Kesha, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and Beyonce and those on her side are Dondria, Ciara, Tiffany Evans and Shontelle.

Keri Hilson is not that great of a singer, her live performances are mediocre and it isn’t as if she is pulling out these awesome dance moves that would give her an excuse for her voice to sound so strained when she isn’t lip singing. She isn’t a good dancer: watch the “The Way You Love Me Video” clips below and how she is pathetically doing a spiced up version of the macarena and two step. Keri Hilson has no style, she is a ghetto girl playing dress up in Forever21 clothing and Melody Ehsani accessories. A least with Rihanna, when she wasn’t getting any play on MTV or VH1, she had Vogue, Seventeen, and other well known fashion magazine all up her ass. However, what Keri Hilson does have is a cute face. Keri Hilson thought that she could play that to her advantage, do some collaborations with Kanye, Trey Songz and trick us into thinking that she was a great singer, when in fact she isn’t. She came on the scene thinking that she could wow us with her city girl style and country girl smile, but we’re living in an age where beauty doesn’t get you that far anymore. Alas when she realized this, she tried to sell us sex, however we don’t want that shit. For a girl who two songs ago was telling us to “recognize a lady” she seems to have her racy routine down pat having dry sex with Chris Brown at performances and talking about her favorite sex positions on radio talk shows. Maybe Beyonce was right…Keri Hilson should stick to writing music.

Rose Bellefluer
Assistant Editor

1. Adele – 21

2. KeithCharles – BeforeCommonEra

3. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes

4. Britney Spears – Femme Fatale

5. Lady Gaga – Born This way

6. Gorillaz – The Fall.

Rico Washington
Contributing Writer

As far as favorite albums of the year, I honestly don’t have any yet. Sad I have some favorite songs, but nobody’s album has captured me enough to the point that I can play it front to back without skipping or being somewhat disappointed.

Dane Young
Publicist

1. Jennifer Hudson – I Remember Me
This album speaks to my soul, to me it was a perfect feel good release for her. I think it showed us that she is at peaceful place and ready to work. Oh might I add she looks damn good so I can relate lol.

2. Beyonce – 4

I know that “4″ just came out like last week but this album is my ish. It was the direction that I predict for Bey, the perfect fusion of soul R&B and a little pop. Although it does seems a bipolar project but it works….

3. Chris Brown – FAME

What can I say, “FAME” forgiven all my enemies or Fame and Mishaps Employes…either acronym works because this man goes from slapping a girl, who was probablly deserving of, to being back in the spotlight make $$$$$$$$$.

4. Travis Porter “Music, Money Magnums”

OK so i’m definitely team Travy, any Travis Porter song gets me in the mood to party. My bangie gemini side just takes over anytime they are played. It aint no fun if the homies cant have none. lol

GREATeclectic
Editor-in-chief

1. Lady Gaga – Born This Way

2. M.I.A. – Vicki Leekz

3. Blaqstarr – Blaqstarr

4. Jaime XX & Gil Scott-Heron – I’m New Here

5. SBTRKT – SBTRKT

6. James Blake – James Blake

7. Britney Spears- Femme Fatale

8. Savvy Society – Tribal Dance

Swiper Bootz
Music & Pop Culture Editor

1. Lady GaGa – Born This Way

2. Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine

3. Cut Copy – Zonoscope

4. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes

5. Maybach Music Group – Self Made Vol. 1

6. Alex Ludovico – Fame Kills

Han Vance
Managing Editor

1. Of Montreal – Thecontrollersphere
EP by Athens, GA greats released on heels of incredible tour.

2. Timi Conley – NERD SEXY
Solo work by eclectic Kite to the Moon (of Athens, GA) frontman.

3. BITERS – All Chewed Up
Retro garage sounds from ATL label, Underrated Records.

Myles Johnson
Contributing Writer

1. Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way”
Just when I thought she was stuck, creatively in a very dark place, she bursts with such life that is so opposite of past stark jams like “Dance In The Dark” and “Bad Romance.” Her first single scared me a bit with it being pretty cliche, but the album is a epic trail from Mexico to Spain to New York riddled with electronic/industrial noises, athem choruses, biblical/religious innuendos, and the over all album has the spirit of freedom and progression. It sounds like Madonna, Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Vanity6, Prince, but really it sounds like an unmistakable form of nouveau, avant-garde pop that takes chances, yet still believes in music being universal that Lady Gaga has formed. Yes, Gaga!

This one was supposed to be easy. A new album from a star as bright as Beyonce is supposed to sell itself. Albums like 4, are more akin to moments in time that will define the era perfectly in retrospect, than just 14 mastered tracks on a disc.

But it wasn’t easy. Things have been awry with 4 since the rushed release of the lead single ‘Run the World (Girls)’. After an early demo that fans and critics alike gave a collective yawn to leaked, the single was released digitally April 21, 2011, ahead of schedule. After failing to make a huge debut similar to past singles by contemporaries, which for preemptive fandombreakdown measures will remain nameless, ’1+1′ was Bey’s answer.

For fans and critics alike that wanted something for the mature Beyonce fan this was it. A song she co-wrote even. Part Prince ‘Purple Rain’ part ode to everybody’s favorite Brooklyn rapper. A much hyped performance on ‘American Idol’ was to be the nail in the coffin, Beyonce’s song of the summer was a ballad. But when ’1+1′ failed to move anybody to do anything but question Bey’s 2nd grade math teacher most were left bewildered.

‘Both singles were left field for Beyonce who’s mainly played it safe musically since ‘Crazy In Love’. Beyonce’s third single came in the form of ‘Best Thing I Never Had,’ a lazy redux of ‘Irreplacable.’ While that was huge, this is just rehasing for rehashing’s sake. Something was building though. A sentiment displayed across the board. Fans and critics alike wanted more from Beyonce, they will always want more. Those who said she went too left field were saying she is being too safe. She can’t win. At this point she’s Lebron James, this time a few weeks ago.

Then, three weeks before a June 28, release date, the album leaked in it’s entirety on the Internet. Knowles even addressed the announcement via Facebook. Even with close to 2 million followers on Twitter she hasn’t tweeted a damn thing. Mark Zuckberg stays winning.

Rumors of a supposed push-back and no hit single in sight have made some question whether 4 is going to be Beyonce’s American Life or 20 Y.O. or worse Bionic. Gasp. It’s pop music. You’re only as good as your last hit. And her last three, well… The album is out today and well, the numbers will speak next week. The worst part in all of this is 4 is a damn good album. Outside out of the aforementioned hit and miss singles, 4 is the best thing she’s done since her debut album Dangerously In Love.

From the smoky, Lil’ Wayne sampled and Frank Ocean penned ‘I Miss You’, to the instant vintage that is combination of Beyonce, Kanye West, Andre 3000, 4 echoes a confident strut that comes to cataclysmic, and dare i say it epic sound in ‘Countdown.’ This is her biggest ode to Jay. Not only a literally livelong, her cadence, flow and clever wordplay on this track bring to mind a strong influence of Jay.

Another missed opportunity for a single comes in the form of ‘End of Time’. Easily the cousin of ‘Run The World.’ While ‘Girls’ was hasty and erratic, ‘End Of Time,’ throws in every influence from FELA! to Timbaland to The Wiz & dutch house. Beyonce vocally at her best, turns the track into a full on Theatrical production. Here’s to Beyonce getting the role of the Glinda in any update of the Wiz. These theatrical moments pop up again on ‘Rather Die Young’ and the lesser Whitney Houstonesque ‘Love on Top.’

4 feels good. It feels powerful and vulnerable at once. Sonically 4 is on point. And if nothing, can be appreciated on a musical level, each track whether ballad of full on dance party bangs with intensity and fire that sounds perfect but unlike anything on the radio. The things being achieved in the production, in the writing, in the vocals are unmatched in pop music.

‘I Was Here, I lived I loved,” Beyonce coos in full on diva mode on the Ryan Tedder produced and Diane Warren written track. Fitting. Though, If Beyonce’s 4 era will be remembered by any statement, it’ll be ‘Where was Matthew?’

Who Run The World? #MatthewKnowles

In the cultural sense: GaGa smited her own spoken futuristic pretense; in the most biblical sense – her lips behave beyond repentance: a miss’ single kiss birthing culture from the crucifix – by all means, sir, take offense.

The Haus’ directorial debut finds none other than Laurie Ann Gibson yet again at the helm…

My name is LaurieAnn Gibson; I’m choreographing Lady GaGa, and today the choreography is outta here – and Lady GaGa is assassinating it. We’ve taken over the dance; we are the dance – you already know: Lady GaGa. LaurieAnn Gibson. LoveGames. #kanyeshrug 2009 y’all: stay focused kids.

Backtrack/Fast forward:

Kids, get focused – 2011. Judas. LaurieAnn Gibson. Lady GaGa. You’ve been known, minds stay blown; they live the dance, they Lord the dance – and Christ, stop asking, they still don’t need pants; but on the Jesus tip – Lady GaGa is assassinating Him. Today the choreography is outta here - culturally speaking: metastratosphere; she’s choreographing Lady GaGa, directing a movement, baptising newborns in blacklight, revving up a revolution on the pages of a motorcycled diary – her name is LaurieAnn Gibson.

BlinkkIt:

Thank God GaGa said “Judas” isn’t a Biblical interpretation, that it’s a cultural statement, and religious art… makes life easier to blinkk when all you’re meming is scene…

#AllDayIMemeAboutScene

In the most biblical sense: the message is in the mania, the record is regurgitation, though you may not know what, why, or for what – if any – reason He calls: you don’t hang up on God at 2am, you call it like he scenes it

#mindvomit

“Judas” is a brilliant motion capture of GaGa the Pop betrayer… and really it is just a cultural snapshot #inthebiblicalsense of a zeitgeist… like Judas, like Jesus, like Germanotta…

We have allusions towards all things forbidden past, present, and future… the taboo tapestry: Gypsy Romas, Romeo + Juliet, Black Jesus, White Judas, unforgivable false idols… Gangs of New York meets Gods of the New Testament… The sonically scriptural tattoos: black leather studded sires and sirens beneath heavy metal veneers, cowhide coutured metallurgists embodying the falsely idolized, sacredly slain Golden Calf. The scene is what it means: it’s a Purgatory Penitentiary for Bad Biblical Bitches… The Elizabethan Era meets Stanton Street, and curbed on the cross streets rests the corpse of celebrity’s false idolatry… Hellacious angels cruising along the coast, GaGa in tow… Year 3 Bonnie and Clyde: the disdained damsel riding shotgun with the dynasty, as GaGa straddles Luciferian Harleys like a honey bee out of Hell’s highway… the detailed diva, and the devil in the midst

“Video Phone” angles building the hype, visually muting all doubt. No longer imploring, but insisting you stop calling her, “Telephone” runs through this antiquated take on slain Pop gods, from choreography, cinematography, and scene cuts, to the conceptual scene itself – celebrity worship  to the most biblical extent…

… and at the core of it all is the bacchanalia, renaissanced artistic revolution: Fellini’s baroque fantasies – the rendezvous of our motley crew… baptizing the cultural renaissance through humanism: the estuary of social brackish – the religious and the secular merged together to create a new movement: Israel and Italy meet, the Old and New Testament, Magdalene as Boticelli’s misunderstood mistress, Parisian Jesus, Romeo Christ, and Mary Magdalene Capulet… timeless tales interwoven… and at the heart of it all we have GaGa’s self-referential greatness… it’s a Bad Romance, it’s a Bath Haus where dirty boys go to clean themselves up… same story, no time or space outside of the Haus – that inescapable time and space void of twain… time after time reiterating her own betrayal – hearkening to the past three years of this beautifully dark twisted cinematic romance…

It is the ultimate in humanism – in creating a new race she is focusing on cultural humanism: merging religion with secular thought; Shakespeare and scripture channeled through GaGa, as she literally writes herself into history, and weaves herself into the Classics; the rebirth of culture through humanism – an evolved human versus, and vindicated through, the death of the mass celebrated, and the self, through the human condition. This constant perpetuation of life, death, and rebirth is as much a piece of human social history as it is the focal point of GaGa’s cinematic anthology… “Paparazzi” where she resurrected to avenge her own death and slay her murderous boyfriend, “Bad Romance” where she roasted her master bedside suitor, “Telephone” where she dropped the world #serialandrepetitiveSundayMassmurder, “Alejandro” where she once again became the slain martyr, “Born This Way” where she emerges reborn – albeit a badder free bitch than from whence she began but reborn nonetheless; and, of course in between birth and death we have life – where we find GaGa just wylin’ cuz she young… just dancin, pokerfacin, with the beautiful dirty rich free ones…

The perpetuated polarity… the water: just as that rock can build a house or sink a dead body, so the water that washes away the sacred stone too has immense juxtapositional power – to cleanse and kill, to drown one’s sins, sorrows, salvation, and self alike…

GaGa is becoming a self-contained circle of life #priderock As far as stories go, tis the long endured tale of the hidden miss, forever the victim of her own compassion… as in the end she alone perishes for her inability to quell her own passions; because she cannot kill the demons of her human nature, the angels of her better nature cannot live…

The revolution will be hellaciously angelic: open wide the 1080 screens, and gaze upon former subway youths ascending to the streets… going HAM on hogs, and rejoicing blasphemous truths…

I wanna kiss you. But if i do then i might miss you babe…

“Just want to touch you for a minute… maybe three seconds is enough for my heart to quit it…” and here we are at the third’s second, “Judas:” the third album’s second single… and neither GaGa, the game, nor the goons have quit. The third’s second: Judas’ kiss; once again betraying the prophecy fulfilled. GaGa’s own self-made prophetic Fame, all but guaranteeing her departure by the third second. We embarked in a LoveGame with GaGa as our Pop piece du jour, as much as she embarked on a fatal ride on Fame’s demonic disco stick. We had a universal understanding that no Pop star of GaGa’s calibre, controversy, kitsch, presumed Jesse-Camp-crazy would last past a first second – much less a second first, or a third anything outside of a lost bet; but three years later: the crazy became socially sane, the clandestine became commonplace, and the sinner’s anthem has become the cultural signature – even Jesus officially loves Judas. So it is, and here we are… so beautifully forsaken by she who staked said claim…

Three seconds after the committed kiss – GaGa remains to betray her own made Fame: celebreality slain

Watch This Space: Lady GaGa entered the public consciousness through the Pop channel with self-made, self-paid, self-affiliated Fame as the starting point. We obliged; understanding through sapience, the defining characteristic of said Fame: its inevitable fatality. Three seconds would be enough for her to taste the beautiful life, and more than enough time for us to leave her by the way side… like every other Famous fad… like Britney, like Bayside. For Judas to “not mean anything” – it means everything; for it to “just be a piece of religious art” it has a lot of symbolism. If God is telling you to put something on a screen – you don’t need an explanation. You don’t question God at 3 in the morning; it could be 3pm, 3 days later, 3 betrayals, 3 years, decades, or centuries later until you go “hm, that’s what it means:” you don’t have to know what youre doing as you’re doing it – you just know that it’s good; and in time it will reveal itself – and that’s what her work has done. If you make something good, and timeless, and classic - and *good* in and of itself you’ll be fine… and that’s what she’s doing. As GaGa wrote herself into fame, catalyzing a career literally with The Fame as a self-scribed jumpoff, the mutual agreement was that after three seconds she would – at best – honorably bow out at the fifteenth minute… and yet, as the clock infinitely strikes 15:01 here we are at the third second – still in love with Just Dance, and sinfully wed with Judas… baby.

With Beyonce & Rihanna it seems it’s one or the other. Now you can have them both with this GreatEclectic presented mixtape of mash ups of the singers songs. Listen and download the mixtape below.

1. Intro
2. Get Me Rude Boy (GreatEclectic Mash Up)
3. Sweet Disturbia (DJ Ralph Mash Up)
4. Hard Ego (ElDirrtyProductions Mix)
5. Interlude
6. Shut Up and Freakum (GreatEclectic Mash Up)
7. Sweet Fire Bomb (GreatEclectic Mash Up)
8. Rude Kitty Kat (GreatEclectic Mash Up)
9. Interlude
10. Crazy in Music (GreatEclectic Mash Up)
11. I’m a Diva (GreatEclectic Mix)
12. Upgrade U Hard (GreatEclectic Mash Up)
13. Interlude
14. Russian Halo 1 (GreatEclectic Mash Up)
16. Russian Halo 1 (GreatEclectic Mash Up)

No wonder Mad Decent artist J-Wow goes by that name. Listen and download his remix of Beyonce’s “DIVA” and you’ll get it.

MP3: J-Wow – DIVA (Remix) (Right Click + Save Target As)

Here’s the video for Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s new video “Telephone” directed by Jason Akerlund. After all the mess surrounding it I think it lives up to expectations and surpasses them. Lady Gaga will be here for a while. Watch “Telephone” below.

If you were in Atlanta last weekend and didn’t make it out to “Drip,” the launch party for The-Socials.com you missed out. Click here to see what you missed. And now you can hear what you missed. Download the official mixtape, mixed by Art Nouveau Magazine Editor in Chief Kendrick Daye. The mix features mixes of Lady Gaga, Roisin Murphy, Rye Rye, David Guetta, Peaches, and more. It’s not the entire dance revolution that was heard at the party, but it’s close enough. Download link and tracklisting below.

Download: An-Mag.com & The-Socials.com present “Drip: The Mixtape”

Tracklisting:
1. Rye Rye – Bang Bang (Stanton Warriors Remix)
2. David Guetta & Wynter Gordon – Toyfriend
3. Corinne Stevie & M.I.A. – Club_Kidz (GotDion Remix)
4. Peaches – Serpentine
5. Ludacris feat Ciara & Pitbull – How Low (Remix)
6. Britney Spears – 3 (DubStep Remix)
7. 8Ball & MJG – Relax & Take Notes
8. Kanye West & Sade- Say You Will/Cherish The Day (Mashup)
9. Sade – Soldier of Love
10. Rihanna feat Young Jeezy – Hard
11. Noise Porn starring Koohl Cardi, Ben Carson & Corinne Stevie – Noise Porn
12. Ms. Jade & Corinne Stevie- Better Get That (Remix)
13. Lady Gaga & Beyonce- Telephone (Remix)
14. Timbaland feat Justin Timberlake & Twista – Telephone (Remix)
15. Rihanna – Sexuality
16. Roisin Murphy – Let Me Know
17. LMFAO – I Am Not A Whore
18. Solange – Would Have Been The One
19. Theopilus London – Always Love U
20. Kelis – Acapella
21. J*DaVeY – Duh Duh Duh
22. Basement Jaxx feat Maleka, Kelis & Chipmunk – Scars
23. David Guetta feat Kid Cudi – Memories
24. Lady Gaga – Bad Romance (Chew Fu Remix)

We can’t dare sit around and think we are shocked. The 52nd edition of the Grammy Awards occurred last night, and as expected, the recording industry, in the face of declining record sales and a perceived lack of importance made a dramatic stand for the international mainstream, and in the process delivered an awards program that was perfunctory and devoid of intrigue or controversy, a call to norms instead of a call to arms. In many ways the awards show that has become the stamp of cultural importance has become MTV’s Video Music Awards, the 2009 event being landmark for a lack of adherence to any social or moral compass on one hand, and on the other having a fairytale ability to tell the stories of Taylor Swift and Kanye West. But the Grammies soldiered on, and in the 2010 edition, we learned a great deal about how an industry hunkers down and prepares to make a comeback.

The big trophy winners of the night were the Black Eyed Peas, Taylor Swift, Kings of Leon, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Lady Gaga. These were all worthy champions, but in some cases, the most maligned of artists in the past year. In accepting their award for “Use Somebody” as the Record of the Year, the Kings stated they were “drunk, but a happy drunk,” as the cleaned up indie rock gods finally ascended to the throne of pop royalty so richly deserved.

Lady Gaga by comparison to her MTV Awards histrionics was muted, instead of appearing to have lost all semblance of common and sartorial sense there, last night her fashions were wild, but definitely toned down. Her show opening performance with a slightly less than stellar “Poker Face” was more than made up for with the always excellent Elton John doing a duet of The Fame Monster’s torch ballad “Speechless,” and Sir Elton’s “Your Song.” The bizarrely staged spectacle did more than her two gramophone wins for cementing her growing instant legacy as an icon of gay camp blended with immense and universal entertainment value.

Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Carter were front row center and Beyonce’s six wins is a Grammy record for a female artist, as her maturation into this generation’s Diana Ross is near complete, even shining through a curious choice of performing “If I Were a Boy” and a spirited yet misguided cover of Alanis Morrissette’s “You Oughta Know” while flanked by Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation 1814 era recalling footsoldiers. Her husband took home awards for “D.O.A.” and for “Run This Town,” more nods to his cross cultural importance blended with the excellence of the songs. If anything, from doting on Solange Knowles’ son who was front row center, or Beyonce thanking “her husband,” to Jay-Z appearing to be a proud husband, the Carters are destined to reach pop royalty status as the first family of pop excellence.

As always, fantastic performances dotted the evening. Swathed in white linen then once again dazzling the crowd with Cirque du Soleil level mid-air histrionics, Pink’s “Glitter in the Air” was, as was her performance at MTV’s event that duplicated the feat, the most visually arresting moment of the proceedings. Jamie Foxx, T-Pain, Slash, old school rap legend Doug E. Fresh and a full orchestra gave the most energetic performance of the night, Foxx looking like a Civil War general exhorting the orchestra and crowd to feel every word of the R&B Song of the Year. Drake, Eminem and Lil Wayne with backing on the drums by Travis Barker and a live band gave an excellent but expected performance of “Forever,” easily one of the more pop friendly and successful collaborations of the past year.

Darling of the universe Taylor Swift underwhelmed in the spotlight, as her performance suffered from the inclusion of Fleetwood Mac legend Stevie Nicks, who in one minute ofher guest spot singing “Rhiannon” excised from the minds of millions any belief that Swift was a polished and prime time performer worthy of eight nominations and four victories. Her Album of the Year win for Fearless after her performance feeling more like flash in the pan and guide to country success than promise of pop prominence. Country took a beating again in the performance department with Best New Artist winners the Zac Brown Band performing with pianist Leon Russell. As was the case all night long, experienced veteran performers shined with tremendous poise and charisma when next to their younger counterparts. The final “eh” performance of the night were the Black Eyed Peas who in theory gained the most from the night as their venture into underground dance yielded immense profit, but to borrow a line from Jay-Z, the Peas are the leading force of innovation in pop music right now and appear to be mentally already checked out of the success of The E.N.D. and “on to the next one,” the next style to co-opt, infiltrate and make lucrative.

Props need to be extended as well to the likes of Maxwell, who merely walked onstage and proved his talent in a situation where he needed to be successful. His award winning BLACKsummer’s Night album stands to be a big gainer on the Billboard chart due to his composure and elegance in front of an audience that may have never seen him prior or had completely forgotten how understated yet elegant the superstar R & B vocalist is. The 3D performance of Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” was tastefully done and moving, if surprisingly unspectacular. Usher, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and Celine Dion were flawless, but in bookending it with Michael’s oft paraded for pathos children offering paeans for their dead father, it more signaled a need to finally let the Jackson family have peace and closure than anything particularly awe-inspiring.

The Grammy Awards were more substance than spectacle in a post Kanye West world. He wasn’t there, and neither were any fireworks or histrionic behavior. Sadly, these are now perceived as necessity on music award programs instead of happy accidents. In a recession in a depressed and tired society, the sizzle matters more than the steak. The talents that won were certainly deserving, but on a show where the most shocking thing was host Stephen Colbert’s terrible and forced opening monologue, we were all expecting more. Somehow in expecting more from the hype than from the artists shows just how much we as a society have devalued music on a financial and personal level. The Grammys were a tale of excellence and decadence, a plethora of one, a lack of another, thus providing so many answers about the nature and state of the music industry.