#iTunesSounds: Four To Know – March 14, 2016

“Four To Know” is a glimpse inside what’s current in the iTunes Music Libraries of our team members. We’ll provide four songs to grab and a breakdown of what appeals to us in each track.

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

1) “7 Years” by Lukas Graham

The song is currently sitting at No. 1 inside the iTunes Store top songs listing. The Danish pop rock-soul group is headlined by Lukas Graham Forchhammer and will launch their debut album on April 1st. The song “7 Years” is an interesting take on life from a kid through adulthood into the later stages of life. Keep an eye on “Mama Said” as a potential second single after the album drops.

2) “She Don’t” by Ella Mai feat. Ty Dolla $ign

Ella Mai just might have my favorite RnB track of the first quarter to date. She teamed up with emerging star Ty Dolla to deliver a smooth yet soulful output. Her profile and sound is still so new to the scene that she doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page built yet. Given the buzz this song has created that shouldn’t last much longer.

3) “Miley Cyrus” – French Montana feat. Future

French Montana is back folks. This combination is mean with a banger for the spring coming as a result. In typical French fashion, he drops a basic though witty jewel with “I couldn’t Michael Jordan so I J. Cole’d.” Montana has another track called “Figure It Out” with Kanye West and Nas bubbling on the surface as well.

4) “Moolah” by Young Greatness

Along with Desiigner’s “Panda,” Moolah could be the anthem of Spring Break 2016. The video already has over 2.5 million views on YouTube. Hailing from New Orleans, Young Greatness has a hit on his hands with this one. The legendary Jazze Pha produced this monster, and the sound has been in steady rotation on my personal playlist since the top of the calendar year.

Brandon Clay serves as the publisher of PSBPopCulture.com. A self-professed entertainment, music and sports junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. Adding in a SLAM (Basketball) Magazine subscription in the late-90’s had him setup up for lifelong success. Clay is also a founding member of the “Luxury Boys Club” designed to stay on top of whatever is next in the world of PopCulture. You can follow him on Twitter @psbpopculture.

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#iTunesSounds: Justin Bieber – “Purpose” – November 30, 2015

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

Since releasing his debut EP, “My World”, in late 2009, Justin Bieber has become one of the most popular artists worldwide regardless of genre. His latest release, “Purpose”, is his first studio release since 2012 and showcases a distinct sound that is maturing with his age. Over the past three years, the now 21-year-old singer has had some issues away from the music studio. That said, Bieber delivered a hit when needed with this one. We take a look at this latest album.

My Fantastic Four tracks off of Purpose are as follows:

2) “I’ll Show You”

BREAKDOWN: Bieber doesn’t waste anytime addressing the missteps of the past couple of years: the pressure of the fame, stardom and celebrity.



FAVORITE LINE: “This life’s not easy. I’m not made out of steel. Forget that I’m human, forget that I’m real.

4) “Sorry”

BREAKDOWN: This is a hit. From the opening sounds that proceed Bieber’s voice coming on the track to his voice floating over the strong melody. He performed this one at the American Music Awards and I am sure that will see this stay on the Billboard charts for weeks to come.

FAVORITE LINE: “You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty. You know I try but I don’t do too well with apologies.”

8) “Love Yourself”

BREAKDOWN: This is the moment that we all talk about with the significant other who steps in saying everything in life is wrong but them. Friends, family and even the other person. Bieber touches this with a smooth beat and a some lightly played instruments as his voice tap dances on the track.

FAVORITE LINE: “My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone. And I never like to admit that I was wrong.”

Listen to more about this topic on the PSBPopCulture.com Report at the 7:00 min mark:

17) “Trust”

BREAKDOWN: This is my favorite song on the album. The whole sound has a real Timberlake post-NSync feel. The bass line is a perfect compliment to the R&B like production on this one. Bieber does a good job of showing his growing diversity on a track that he can deliver live with a female fan on stage as opposed to having to choreograph a dance for this one.

FAVORITE LINE: “Let’s be honest with ourselves. Did we really come this far just to watch it go down the drain?”

Honorable Mention: “We Are” feat. Nas

BREAKDOWN: Bieber teams up with arguably a Top Five rapper in the history of the game for this one. To my surprise, the track didn’t feel forced even though at 42, Nas could be Bieber’s father.

Brandon Clay is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com through his various genre reviews. A self-professed entertainment & music junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. You can follow him on Twitter @PSBPopCulture.

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#iTunesSounds: Four To Know – November 22, 2015

By: Brandon Clay @PSBPopCulture

Angie Stone – 2 Bad Habits

Stone has long been one of my top R&B female artists dating back to the “Mahogany Soul” release in 2001. Though not a household crossover name like Mary J. Blige, Stone is go-to for quality singles and deep album cuts. Her latest album, “Dream”, is no different. “2 Bad Habits” is the lead single off of this CD and is what I’ve come to expect from the singer. Smooth production with a voice that carries the track from there and turns it into a hit.

Dave East – Forbes List

East went to a real member of the Hip-Hop Forbes List, Nas, for this title cut off of his 20-track debut album, “Hate Me Now.” East pays homage to Nas with the album title as a play on one of the legendary rapper’s classic hits. They both deliver some notable lines in the process.

FAVORITE LINE: “I been literally rich since ’96, would have hit my enemies with a Tek in ’96.” – Nas

MisterWives – Our Own House

MisterWives is an indie pop band who got the ball rolling in 2012. They released an EP, “Reflections,” in 2014. This one slipped right past me with a First Quarter of 2015 release. “Our Own House” is actually the title track off of their debut album with the same title. It’s done well on the U.S. charts reaching as high as No. 31 overall, No. 7 in Alternative. With an uptempo beat and full sound, lead singer Mandy Lee does her thing on this single tying it all together with a catchy sound.

Nick Grant – Royalty

Grant enlisted Cyhi The Prince for this single. Cyhi has been on the Atlanta scene for years and was even signed to G.O.O.D. Music for a while. That said, his counterpart on this track is so new to the scene that he doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page yet. If this song takes off of the way that I think it will, that gap won’t last much longer for South Carolina native Nick Grant. The beat favors a classic rap track from A Tribe Called Quest “Bonita Applebum” and both artists do their thing on the track.

FAVORITE LINE: “Only the Family Matters like Harriet Winslow/AK singing like it’s married to Swizz.”

BREAKDOWN: A play on the 1990’s hit TV show followed by a witty reference to Grammy winner Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beatz.

Brandon Clay is a contributor to PSBPopCulture.com through his various genre reviews. A self-professed entertainment & music junkie, Clay has been on his game since picking up his first Nintendo and Sony Walkman in the early 90’s. You can follow him on Twitter @PSBPopCulture.

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