Leila has already released three albums, a trilogy if you will. In 2009 she started to write a body of work that felt different. Maybe it was being sober, but this one seemed to be about being more direct. Leila first met Mt. Sims at a fancy dress party way back in 2006. Leila went as Leila. Mt. Sims dressed as a Computer Processing Unit fashioned from a cardboard box with strategically placed slits. She had admired his music since his work on Gigolo Records, she was most happy when he introduced himself and said he was a fan.
M.I.A. is ready to take on the scene with her fourth highly-anticipated new album. The singer is on top with her collaboration with Madonna and this new track. The video treatment for “Bad Girls” was filmed in Morocco and is inspired by the Arab Spring. Lovely, we wonder if she is calling her new album after her child or a sibling…
It looks like Erykah Badu did some local shopping recently when she visited Dubai for a concert and took it back home with her. She wore this to one of her Coachella appearances. What do you think?
We are looking forward to the debut of The ArabMuseum of Modern Art, Mathaf, on December 30th, 2010 in Doha, Qatar. The press preview will be on Tuesday December 14, 2010. The inaugural exhibition to be featured is Sajjil: A Century of Modern Art curated by Dr. Nada Shabout. Sajjil meaning ‘to record’. This museum is worthy to note in the region as it is an institution that is focused on growing the region’s appreciation of the arts in a manner that advocates local talent rather than the franchising and branding of museums. We also like this museum as the Chief Curator, Wassan Al-Khudhairi, posted no restrictions on art work that includes nudity or political scenes. The institution aims to be a location for people to visit and start a dialog with others and thus challenging the people’s though process.
Rima Fakih, a Muslim Lebanese-American, has been crowned Miss USA 2010. She is from Dearborn, Michigan. This is a first in pageantry and most people will probably regard this as some sort of accomplishment. Well, pageants are not really scales of social progression. In fact, they are a constant reminder that we live in a misogynistic world filled with double standards and female objectification. At any rate, we wonder if it was politically motived or just by chance or luck. Click below for the crowning.
News is surfacing that Janet Jackson has gotten over Jermaine Dupri and is dating an unnamed Arab that she has being seen hanging around with in Paris. The guy is apparently much younger and is with Janet Jackson on her Paris trip and is seen her accompanying her. Click below for another picture.
Apparently, Madonna has crossed over the dead sea on her trip to Israel to go visit Jordan. And who was there to receive her? None other than Queen Rania herself. This would be Madonna’s second reported visit to the Arab world. Back in the early 80s’ she went to Morocco to shoot something for a French TV channel and absolutely hated it. That is documented in Christopher Ciccone’s tell-all. That’s more than a quarter of a century ago.
Just when we thought that Jad Choueiri couldn’t be more of a cliched tacky wannabe, he goes and outdoes himself. This time, in his quest to propel his drug-persona, he has opted for a house song with some of the worst vocals we had heard in a while (and Heidi Montag has an album coming out). It’s called “Stop Popping Pills,” which is contradictory as we have all seen him tweaking a couple of times. Regardless of what substance he abuses or uses, because he can do whatever he pleases, but it’s only bad because it’s been done before so many times and in the same format. This, still, won’t break him to the English-speaking market he was trying to attain and maintain. This whole album is a failed attempt at trying to cross over and it won’t happen if all he does is regurgitated tracks. If you are trying to break a market don’t try to imitate, but try to add. In any case, his videos are so painful to look at, one can’t help but watch. As my friend puts it: “Stop making videos,” is more like it.
It’s true, she’s bringing her freakshow of a show to the Gulf and we will probably all be glued to it. It’s funny that she decided to cover up for the show “in keeping with local customs.” Whose customs? Dubai is a big party shake-your-booty kind of a town. She’s such a poser. I wonder if the actual contestants are from the UAE or Arab or just anyone living in Dubai.
So, I stayed up ’til 6 am to watch Obama’s speech on live stream through YouTube and I must say it was worth it. Maybe, he came of as too catering to the expectations of the region and, maybe, he gave the conservatives in the US enough material to taunt him for the rest of his incumbency. But, to make recollection, there has never been a US President so humble, understanding and keen on helping the world as he is. It could be just propaganda, but that rhetoric is truly new territory for a President of the US and its foreign policy. He did his research and he looked as confident and direct as ever. It’s nice to have that after 8 years of buffoonery.
OK, aside from the fact that the song is so horrid and has a completely outdated beat and appalling lyrics, this video is all types of wrong. It’s a vile misrepresentation of the “liberal” Arabs, firstly. Secondly, it’s a complete contradiction to what he thinks he is trying to say. I don’t now where he gets off portraying liberalism as a big club orgy of Botox-pumping, hookah smokers who love themselves some “party boosters.” Granted all these things can be fun occasionally, but it’s a far cry from a quality portrayal.
Anyway, from a musical perspective, if he thinks this track will break him into a Western market then he’s in for a surprise. The song is utter crap. The beats are tired and done. The lyrics are complete blather and the “message” in them would even make India Arie cringe. It’s just too two-thousand-and-late.
Also, notice the “Louise Ciccone” tattoo. Oh, he likes Madonna! How scandalous and original. The only authentic thing in this video is his pronunciation of “bombers.” If he wants controversy he should just come out.
One more tip to Jad: the word “funky” has been uncool for a decade and a half now. It just means “bad smell” these days.
