Leonard Cohen has a new album, titled Popular Problems, due out next week. He’ll turn 80 the day before its release.
You have to admire that sort of longevity, whatever you think of the man’s music. Not that I imagine many people find much fault with the music.
I’m not as much of a Cohen connoisseur as I’d like to be. The only album of his that I know well is 1992’s The Future, on which the ubiquitous ‘Hallelujah’ appeared. Funny that he already sounded 80 on that album, 22 years ago.
I’ve posted 40 Beatles songs to the blog during ‘Beatles Weekends‘ alone, plus a dozen or so others over the years, but I never got around to featuring ‘Michelle.’
The song has gotten a bad rap over the years for it’s weak French and too-simple melody. It’s an easy punching bag and a ready exhibit for those who claim Lennon was the most talented Beatle.
My general ambivalence to R&B and soul music has kept me from really appreciating Seal, though I generally like what I hear.
I find ‘Kiss From a Rose’ and ‘Crazy,’ his best-known songs, excellent, but I’ve never been moved to listen to the rest of those albums, let alone seek out the other half-dozen records he’s released since.
Billboard’s #8 spot belongs to Sia and ‘Chandelier,’ still one of my favorite hit songs of the year so far. And the ninth spot gives us repeat appearances by two artists — Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.
‘Bang Bang’ is their collaboration with British singer Jessie J (of ‘Price Tag’ fame), who gets top billing here (the song will appear on her upcoming album).
In the seventh spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 is Ariana Grande’s latest single, ‘Break Free.’ Grande has had a song in the top ten for months now — quite a feat for the fourth lead in a Nickelodeon sitcom.
My appreciation for Grande’s previous hit, ‘Problem,’ is well-documented on this blog. It’s my vote for Song of the Summer after a summer that really didn’t produce a clear winner for that title. ‘Break Free’ is ok, but it’s no ‘Problem.’
Meet Me In Montauk 