Everyone seems to love Rihanna except those die-hard Chris Brown fans that just can’t let things go. But, in all seriousness, Rihanna has earned her position on the charts and with this new album, she seems to be getting better and better.  Ever since she cut off most of hair, she’s been asserting her bad girl image, and after “Talk That Talk,” her fans will know that the more rebellious side of Rihanna is here to stay.

Five out of 15 of the songs on the deluxe addition have love in the title, so it’s safe to say that love is this album’s theme.  She must be hyped up about her new boyfriend, model Dudley O’Shaughnessy.

There are ups and downs to every album, but Rihanna’s new album has more ups. Songs that have already hit the radio are “You Da One,” “Where Have You Been,” “We Found Love,” “Talk That Talk,” and “Cockiness (Love It).” “You Da One” and “We Found Love” have been making headlines with their controversial use of marijuana in their videos.

Rihanna, a native to Barbados, has a wonderfully unique accent that sadly has not always been reflected in her music. However, every song featured in her latest album, “Talk that Talk,” showcases her fabulous vocal talents. Songs such as “You Da One” and “Roc Me Out” are obviously dance songs, but they stay true to Rihanna’s roots.

“Talk That Talk” focuses on upbeat instrumentals that are combined to define the album as a dance record.  Each song is unique and utilizes interesting instrumentals and beats to create a substantial meaning for the album.

For example, “We All Want Love” opens with instrumentals that mirror classic 90s rock songs. Each song’s instrumentals find consistency in not only their dance quality but their message. The album is unquestionably about being passionately in love. Songs such as “Fool in Love” and “We all want love” clearly state the album’s theme.

The album is one of Rihanna’s best, however it probably could use some slower beats that would truly give fans a new appreciation of her voice. “Talk that talk” will sure top the charts for the coming weeks.

Eva Bialobrzeski is an A&E Editor and Imani Love is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

Many were impressed with this album, and Drake never fails, however, not every song on the album was a hit. For example “Take Care,” featuring Rihanna, was the song that I hated the most. Maybe it will grow on me, but as of now, I’m not a fan. The song had Rihanna all over it, not Drake.  The tempo was not something expected of him. His trying of new things aren’t bad, but it will have to grow on some listeners. Another song that didn’t really move me was “HYFR” featuring Lil Wayne. While listening to this song, the listener might wonder when Drake was going to take a breath. He rapped almost the entire first verse without stopping.
Talent? No. Annoying? Yes. Not to mention the chorus doesn’t… wait I’m not even going to butter it up, the chorus sucks.

But moving on to bigger and better things let me list the top five songs listeners definitely should press play for. “Over My Dead Body,” “Marvins Room,” “We’ll be fine,” and, “Make Me Proud” featuring the black Barbie herself Nicki Minaj are all songs that might become hits.   Also “Lord Knows” featuring the huffing, puffing Maybach Music boss Rick Ross and the bonus track “The Motto” featuring Young Money and Drake’s president, Lil Wayne, showcase a lot of talent.

This album also features another Toronto native artist on the rise, The Weeknd. He’s pretty low key, but one of his most popular songs was a remake to one of Drake’s songs “Trust Issues”. The Weeknd is featured on “Crew Love” which he also co-wrote. For all the young lovers out there this is the song you listen to during the car ride after the movies.  So two Canadians on the mainstream, will we be able to live with it? As President Barack Obama would have said in 2008, yes we can.

Drake’s not really giving us the farewell yet.  Be sure to watch out for the songs that didn’t make the cut for “Take Care” on his Birthday Edition of the album being released at a later date.

Imani Love is a Sports Editor for the JCpatriot and JCpatriot.com

The album kicks off with a powerful rendition of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” sung by Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones).  Her soulful voice and high vocal range put the song on the same talent level as Carey’s.

“Extraordinary Merry Christmas,” a duet of a not-so-classic carol sung by Darren Criss (Blaine Anderson) and Lea Michele (Rachel Berry) is an upbeat pop tune that has a nice dance beat with lyrics that capture the spirit of Christmas.

Santana Lopez (Naya Rivera) has the perfect sensual vocals for “Santa Baby,” giving the tune an edgy flair.

“Christmas Eve With You,” sung by Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester) and Jayma Mays (Emma Pillsbury), is stuck somewhere between a festive love ballad and a feel-good Christmas tune, and altogether isn’t very memorable.

“Little Drummer Boy” is a slight disappointment despite the smooth vocals of Kevin McHale (Artie Abrams).  The acoustic guitar and background vocals overpower the steady drum beat in the background, detracting from the meaning of the carol.

Michele’s extraordinary vocals are showcased as a solo in “River,” but the song itself falls short of the bar set by the rest of the Christmas classics.  The lyrics themselves reveal a negative outlook on Christmas, and the strange rhythms and beats clashed with rest of the album.

The next three traditional numbers, “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” “Let It Snow,” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” remind listeners of festive Christmases past.  “Do You Hear What I Hear?,” sung by Lindsay Pearce and Alex Newell of the reality competition show “The Glee Project” provide strong vocals that shine on top of choral accompaniment.  “Let it Snow” is filled with beautiful jazzy harmonies from Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel) and Criss.  “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” featuring male vocalists Mark Salling (Noah Puckerman), Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson), and Samuel Larson (“Glee Project”), doesn’t differ much from the original and is just as enjoyable to listen to as the well-known version.

“Christmas Wrapping,” sung by Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce), is a uniquely festive rap with a distinctive combination of electric guitar and wind instruments.

Damien McGinty (Rory Flanagan), a new addition to the cast, displays his mellow voice in “Blue Christmas,” a sweeter version than the original, but just as meaningful.

The majority of the cast is featured in the final song, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?,” ending the album on a high note despite a shaky, dark beginning to the song. After this last tune on this fantastically festive Christmas album, everyone will know exactly what season’s coming up.

Brianna Glase is a Managing Editor for the Patriot and JCpatriot.com

All the songs on the album create their own love story. The tunes are upbeat without being obnoxious, lovely without being gimmicky, alternative without being indie, and  catchy without being overdone.

The first few songs on the album are “Endtapes” by The Joy Formidable,  “Love will take you” by Angus and Julia Stone, and “It will Rain” by Bruno Mars. These three songs are clearly in sync, all containing poetic lyrics and wonderful rhythms, a perfect mix for a love story.

“Turning the Page,” by Sleeping at Last and “A Thousand Years,” by Christina Perri, are obvious love letters. Each song is addressed to a specific individual, speaking to them in a beautiful way.

“From Now On,” by The Features, is also a love song, but of a different kind.  Its melodies are adventurous and fun, a perfect road trip song. “Neighbors,” by Theoplis London, on the other hand, is an interesting surprise.  It’s a melodic rap accompanied by a background chorus.

“I Didn’t Mean It,” by the Belle Brigade, and “Sister Rosetta” by Noisettes are both female anthems with a combination of drums, intense instrumentals, and strong female vocals.

“Flightless bird, American Mouth” by Iron and Wine is the most important song on the soundtrack. This beautiful melody is Edward and Bella’s wedding song. Get ready for all the oohs and ahhs in the theater when this song begins to play.

If the movie follows the beauty found in these songs, it will surely be an unforgettable love story. 

In “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” Bublé’s smooth voice is a bit subdued compared to the Jackson 5 version, giving the disco-pop song a jazzy spin. Bublé’s silky vocals and the flawless orchestra complement one another , placing the focus of the song on the music rather than the lyrics.  The instrumentals create an upbeat song, turning a holiday party background song into a tune perfect for dancing.

The festivities continue as Buble pairs with the Puppini Sisters to create an animated version of “Jingle Bells” that’s as lovely as it is lively.  The quick tempo of this song set by the always impeccable orchestra is followed equally impeccably by Bublé and the Puppini Sisters.  The Puppini Sisters’ accompaniment fits in nicely, harmonizing with Bublé, despite the number of female vocals outnumbering his sole male voice.

The doo-wop version of “White Christmas”  falls short of Bing Crosby’s beautiful, iconic song.  Still, the ill-fitting background vocals are made up for by Bublé’s surprising partnership with Shania Twain.  This track is quite an eccentric mix of genres, from blues to country to jazz, and the upbeat instrumentals and harmonized vocals make the song worth a listen.

Next on the album is “All I Want for Christmas is You,” but Bublé’s mellow take on Mariah Carey’s hit leaves something to be desired.  For once, a pop song outshines a jazz melody.  Many have tried and failed to hit the high notes in Carey’s infectious, dance-inducing song, while Bublé’s sweet lullaby is more sleep-inducing.

Bublé keeps it classic with “Holly Jolly Christmas,” revamping this otherwise traditional version with electric guitar, accompanied by the sound of sleigh bells and a slow drum beat.

The only true failure on the album is “Santa Baby,” a song that is traditionally sung by a woman, and for a reason.  The seductive nature of the song is playful when Madonna sings it, but creepy when Bublé tries to replace ‘Santa baby’ with ‘Santa buddy.’ The replacement of Tiffany’s with Mercedes and a ring for ‘cha-ching’ makes the gender reversal painfully obvious.

He compensates for attempting to seduce Santa with his melodic recreation of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”  While it would honestly be difficult to mess up such an elegant song, his voice truly does this sentimental ballad justice.

Bublé also redeems himself with his second Mariah Carey remake, “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”  This version is just as upbeat, but made even better by Bublé’s powerful voice that far surpasses Carey’s sometimes pitchy voice. 

Quiet guitar strums paired with Buble’s solemn voice slow things down in “Silent Night.”  In the second verse, his vocals are replaced with those of a children’s choir in keeping with the childlike simplicity of this sacred song.

The jazz band returns in “Blue Christmas,” a song that is typically even more depressing than the title warrants.  “Blue Christmas” is Bublé’s best remake as he makes the song his own, his almost seductive version not even resembling the miserable original. 

The only original tune, “Cold December Night,” is an adequate song, but altogether unmemorable with its predictable lyrics about mistletoe and stockings.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is appropriately poignant with its lonely lyrics about yearning to spend Christmas with loved ones.  This song highlights the elasticity of Buble’s voice as he can transition between jazz dance numbers and bittersweet  ballads.

The holy nature of the holiday is represented in the musical prayer “Ave Maria,” which is kept sacred with Bublé’s opera-like tone.

Lastly, he closes the album with his duet with Latin music star Thalia in “Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad” with a tempo too slow for a song with Spanish flair. Still, the remarkable orchestra’s accompaniment of the chorus creates a unique Christmas tune. 

 Throughout the entire album, the always impressive orchestra complement’s Bublé’s smooth, old-fashioned voice to spruce up Christmas classics.

Cara Reilly is Copy Chief  for the JCpatriot and JCpatriot.com

Roc Nation’s young and upcoming artist J.Cole recently dropped his first studio album “Cole World: The Sideline Story” this past September. When news circulated that J.Cole was coming out with an album, I was nothing but excited, but this is one album that should stay on the rack.

I had to listen to the album twice.  No, this was not because I loved it so much, but because I had to make sure that I was listening to the right J.Cole.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy and there is no doubt in my mind that he can rap, especially from what I’ve heard on his past mixtapes. In this album, he sounds like an entirely different person. He produced most of the music, which might be why it is not so pleasing.

Cole featured four other artists who are known for making hits. Trey Songz is featured in “Can’t Get Enough,” which is a club banger. Jay-Z appears in “Mr. Nice Watch,” which didn’t get my head moving, or even my fingers tapping.

They’re both great artists, but these are not great songs. “Mr. Nice Watch” was a waste of time.  Drake is featured in “In the Morning,” which is smooth, but still not J.Cole’s best.

And last, but not least, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot is included on one of my favorite tracks off of the album, “Nobody’s Perfect.” Missy is a rapper, so hearing her sing and really use her vocals put a different, good twist on the song. At first her voice was unrecognizable, so discovering that it was her was unexpected in a good way.

“Dollar and a Dream III” made me hit the next button after one minute of the song. The song is slow but the lyrics pack a punch, fitting the song title, but they are still pretty cliché.

One of J.Cole’s songs that definitely deserves kudos is “Work Out For Me.”  It samples Kanye West’s “New Workout Plan.” The song isn’t fast, but there is no doubt that you will get a little work out of your own just from dancing to this song. It also has over 10 million views on YouTube and it’s definitely worth a listen.

I don’t mean to crush all of you J.Cole fans out there, but you and I both know that J.Cole is capable of better. I would throw six of the 16 songs on my iPod, which is not enough to purchase it. This album deserves a C+.   In the meantime, the fans will be curious to see what his plans are for his future album coming out in 2012.

Imani Love is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com

The band, consisting of actress Zooey Deschanel and guitarist Matt Ward, released their holiday album “A Very She & Him Christmas” on Oct. 24.

After releasing two indie albums, the duo took their unique style to create a spin on classic holiday jingles. Songs such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are traditional favorites that Deschanel’s unique voice gives a modern the album an alternative twist, without sacrificing the songs’ holiday feel.

Deschanel’s voice is the most memorable part of the whole album. It’s is a combination of contemporary indie and sixties female vocals.

While listening to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” listeners are sent into a wonderful holiday haze that would only be better if it was snowing outside. Her voice in combination with the instrumental melody allows all of the factors of the song to melt together in perfect harmony.

“Sleigh Ride” introduces male vocals that complement Deschanel’s voice. “Silver Bells” and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” are the real gems of the album. Not only are they holiday favorites, but they truly showcase the vocal and instrumental talents of Deschanel and Ward. The drums in “Baby, it’s Cold Outside” combine with the song’s guitar and vocal melodies, not to create the perfect song, but to create the perfect backdrop for everyone’s holiday memories.

“Blue Christmas” is a complete throwback to the holidays in the 1950s. Everything about the song screams mid-twentieth century, especially the vocals dominating over the instrumentals.

“Little Saint Nick” and “The Christmas Song” are the last two songs on the album. While they are both holiday classics, they are of two very different styles. “Little Saint Nick” is an upbeat jingle while “The Christmas Song” closes the album by sincerely defining what Christmas really means.

“A Very She & Him Christmas” is a wonderful new holiday album. With its classic Christmas songs and unique style, the album is sure to become a classic on its own.

Eva Bialobrzeski is an A&E editor for the JCpatriot and JCpatriot.com

While the album isn’t the worst, it’s a far cry from anything good that pop culture has to offer. It’s quite generic, and the lyrics and beats could have been written or sung by anyone.

The first song “All Night Long” features music greats Missy Elliot and Timbaland, but tries way too hard. It’s a mix between dance and techno with Lovato repeating words in a voice that sounds computer-altered.

Songs such as “Who’s That Boy” and “You’re My Only Shorty” sound as if they are exact replicas of “All Night Long.” Everything from the beats to the lyrics sounds identical. A little variety here would go a long way.

Even the songs in which Lovato tries to mix it up and create something heartfelt fail. “Lightweight” and “Unbroken” are both about pain and heartbreak, but sound as if Lovato is just whining.

Still, the whole album isn’t terrible. Two songs that are somewhat worth listening to are “Skyscraper” and “For the Love of a Daughter.”  While the songs lack any unique qualities, their slow tempos combined with Lovato’s polished voice come together to create something not amazing but at least somewhat good.

Demi Lovato never reached the stardom of her Disney counterparts Miley Cyrus or Selena Gomez, and her album shows that in the way that no one single song the album is catchy. While she may have multiple celebrities featured on the album and a few decent songs, none of them will ever be as catchy as Cyrus’s “Party in the U.S.A.”

Eva Bialobrzeski is an A&E editor for the JCpatriot and JCpatriot.com

The album starts off with the single “What You Want.” The band brings in instruments like piano and violin to try to set themselves apart in an industry where auto-tune is a musician’s best friend. The tune, however,  is a plus that distracts from the generic lyrics about a bad relationship, which is a predominant theme that damages the whole album by showing no variation in the writing.

The songs run together and sound the same, such as “Made of Stone,” “My Heart is Broken,” and “The Other Side.”  All include Lee’s wailing voice accompanied by a strong drum and electric guitar.  While Lee’s voice can truly express a range of emotions, she has trouble sounding out words which causes the verses to run together.

The album does have two strong songs, “The Change” and the final track,”Swimming Home.”  “The Change” demonstrates Lee’s range of variation and depth. This song suits her talents better than wailing along with an electric guitar. This song’s epic tone was created by the pace of the drum, the subtleness of the violin, and the powerful sound of the electric guitar.

The final song, “Swimming Home,” is a soft ballad that can only be described as sweet with its echoing sound effects and piano. Lee’s feelings of remorse are clearly expressed through her lyrics.

Evanescence doesn’t accurately showcase the skill and variety that they really do have.  Instead, it shows the band as a one-trick pony that can only play different variations of the same song. While Lee’s voice is powerful and passionate, her voice in this album comes across as wailing which sometimes prevents the song from reaching full potential.

This album is not something I would recommend purchasing.  Instead, I’d give “The Change” and “Swimming Home” a listen and perhaps, if you definitely like what you hear, you can consider purchasing only them off the album.

Chioma Iheoma is an A&E Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.

This album truly exemplifies what hip-hop used to be like before Waka Flocka and Gucci Mane. Fans of G.O.O.D music’s Big Sean and Roc Nation’s J.Cole, protégés of Kanye and Jay-Z, will greatly enjoy this album.

Every single song on this album is lovable. In hip-hop, an important element of each song is the beat, or how the listener bumps to the music. If the song makes the listener jam to the song with no one else around, you have a winner.

But the beat isn’t the icing on the cake. That would be the lyrics, or the flow of the rapper. With Kanye and Jay-Z, there are definitely no problems in either of those departments.
“No Church in the Wild” is the first song on the album that features a member of Tyler The Creator’s OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All), Frank Ocean. This song takes different points of view on religion, which is something that Jay-Z and especially Kanye are known for in their music.

One of the best lines in the song is when Kanye is saying, “Two tattoos one read no apologies/ The other said love is cursed by monogamy/ That’s something that the pastor don’t preach/ That’s something that a teacher can’t teach. When we die the money we can’t keep/ But we probably spend it all cause the paint ain’t cheap, preach.” Everything in this line not only rhymes, but makes sense. It is so true that when we die we don’t get to take our physical possessions with us.

“Otis” was the first song dropped off of the album, and when the DJ on the radio said he had to play it twice because it was so good, he wasn’t lying. It features original Temptations member Otis Redding for the hook. For anyone who hasn’t seen the video for this on TV, they’re missing out on Kanye and Jay-Z remodeling a Maybach and donating the profit made off of auctioning off the car towards drought relief in Africa.

Other songs definitely worth mentioning are “Lift Off” featuring the beautiful, newly pregnant wife of Jay-Z, Mrs. Beyoncé Knowles, the only female on the album. “Why I Love You” featuring Mr. Hudson is also a very relatable song.

Despite some of the foul language, this album was definitely one of the best to come from Jay-Z and Kanye. And every song is worth a listen.

Imani Love is a Sports Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com