day 2.271

the other sound of summer

if katy perry's "california gurls" wasn't exactly your cup of tea then maybe you'll like this. and maybe you're a little weird because you don't like that song, but that's a different story. anyway, sara bareilles is back with a new track after nearly three years of no new music. "king of anything" is the lead single off barielles' upcoming release (it's not until september, sadly), kaleidoscope heart. the song sounds like it would fit in with barielles' last effort, little voice, which makes me happy. i'm all for artists exploring news sounds and getting creative, but sometimes you just want someone you can rely on. and barielles' is definitely reliable. check out the tune above - it's just as catchy as "love song." and it's stuck in my head. hopefully it will get stuck in yours, too.

speaking of miss perry, a second single from her upcoming album (teenage dream) has hit the interwebs. "e.t" has a harder, edgier sound, but still fits into the katy perry aesthetic. it's very now. it's very on the curve. check it out below.

it will be interesting to listen to teenage dream in whole because "california gurls" and "e.t" are on opposite ends of the pop spectrum. the disc doesn't hit shelves until august, so we'll just have to see what else leaks out between now and then to get a feel for the record.

really, this is it?

continuing today's musical theme, here's "love is your color," a much anticipated duet between leona lewis and jennifer hudson for the sex and the city 2 soundtrack. to be honest, it's kind of a big disappointment. it's slow. it's ballady. it's boring. i'm not sure j hud and leona's voices compliment each other. they more so sound really odd together. they both have very soulful voices, but in very different ways. the song would probably be better if it were just leona or just jennifer belting it out. check out the track for yourself above. p.s. leona is touring with christina aguilera this summer if that's your sort of thing.

ok, so i was just reminded about this track, christina aguilera's "woohoo" featuring nicki minaj. i haven't decided how i feel about it yet. i really like the beat and the whole "woohoo" thing gets stuck in your head, but i feel like christina's vocals are wasted here. like had a britney or miley done this - someone without the range and more about performance - then maybe i'd be more instantly attached to it. for now, i'm unsure. decide for yourself below.