Taylor Swift, Gotye and Rihanna win big at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, but here are my top 3 fave performances:

#3: Ed Sheeran – “Lego House”

I’m not on the Ed Sheeran bandwagon yet, but this performance was beautiful and understated—a nice contrast from the other numbers, which tended to be overproduced and indulgent.

#2: Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull – “Live It Up”

Ok, J.Lo’s new song is generic (as usual), but she knows how to sell it. This performance was pure fire!

#1: Bruno Mars – “Treasure”

Bruno Mars’ fun throwback performance was fantastic, as one would expect from the crooner by now. Amazing vocals, cohesive concept, and an undeniable charisma—really, what else can you ask for?

Photo credit: Jonalisblog.com

Less than a year after playing at The Commodore, Marina & The Diamonds brought back her Lonely Hearts Club tour to Vancouver on May 3. The Welsh singer-songwriter was just as brilliant as the first time—although the audience was noticeably bigger and the production, more slick.

Opening with the crowd-pleaser “Homewrecker,” Marina sounded and looked fantastic throughout her 1 and a half hour set. Alternating from her new album Electra Heart and her debut The Family Jewels, Marina thrilled the crowd with pop gems such as “State of Dreaming” and “Shampain.” Marina kept it all about the music: there were very few costume changes and props.

The hiccups were minimal. Although the lighting was generally better than Marina’s concert here in July, it was difficult to see her during the “Starring Role” performance. I also question the choice of “Teen Idle” for the encore—she could have done a lot better here. “Primadonna” would have been an obvious choice, but I think “Power and Control” would have been a fabulous closer.

The highlights more than made up for the hiccups, however. “Radioactive” was fun, and so was “Bubblegum Bitch.”  Another highlight was the piano-driven “Obsessions.” As expected, “How to be a Heartbreaker” thrilled the crowd, which was made up of mostly gay men with their bffs and straight men who got dragged to the show by their girlfriends.

Little Daylight did a decent job of warming up the crowd, although I thought some of their songs felt unfinished. Perhaps they’d perfect their craft with age.

Marina and the Diamonds is one of the few pop acts I’ve seen live for more than once now, and I would happily pay to see her again.

As promised, Mariah Carey premiered her new video “#Beautiful” on American Idol tonight. The Miguel-assisted single has a refreshing vibe, and it’s nice to see that the video reflects that.

The Joseph Khan-directed video features Mariah flaunting her hot bod while Miguel keeps it classy and cool. At one point, Mariah’s gestures almost gets too much—but let’s face it, this is the Mariah we all grew to love.

Check out the video below!

Ah-mazing!

“#Beautiful”—with a hashtag and not to be confused with Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”—marks the return of Mariah Carey and perhaps of RnB. The Miguel-assisted single is soulful and features some gorgeous instrumentation.

More info via Billboard.com:

After striking a completely different chord with last year’s single “Triumphant (Get ‘Em)” featuring Rick Ross and Meek Mill, Carey returns to classic soul alongside the 27-year-old throwback crooner, who kicks off the track with lines like “Hop on the back of my bike, let the cool wind blow through your hair.” The creeping guitar line, crackling percussion and simple, gooey center all scream ‘Motown,’ and Carey has smartly teamed with another vocalist who can effectively synthesize that frozen-in-time sound.

Produced and written by Carey and Miguel, “#Beautiful” will lead Carey’s thirteenth studio album, due out this summer on Island Def Jam and featuring production from The-Dream, Jermaine Dupri, Hit-Boy, Rodney Jerkins and Mike WiLL Made-It, among others. Along with “Triumphant,” which may or may not appear on the forthcoming full-length, Carey contributed the new track “Almost Home” to the soundtrack of the film “Oz the Great and Powerful” earlier this year.

I love the feel good vibe of this song, and it’s awesome that it’s RnB and soul with just a tiny hint of pop. Clearly, this is where Mariah Carey belongs. And Miguel really does a great job of complementing Mariah’s voice—and that’s no easy task.  “Triumphant” bombed last year (and for good reason) but “#Beautiful” deserves to be a hit.

Love this! The incredible Marina & The Diamonds hooked up with emerging artist Charli XCX for a new song “Just Desserts.”  (You might know Charli XCX as the featured artist on Icona Pop’s “I Love It.”)

You can download “Just Desserts” for free or listen to it on YouTube.

I’m usually not a fan of re-releases, but Jessie Ware’s Devotion – The Gold Edition is one album I don’t mind.

The LP, released April 16th in North America, features a few new tracks, including the official remix of “Wildest Moments” featuring A$AP Rocky.  It also includes “Imagine It Was Us,” a perfect pop track with some 90s RnB influences. It’s an unassuming track—an irresistible and delicious ear candy that will have you singing along in no time.

Ware has been compared to Sade before, and it’s not surprising why. In tracks such as “Devotion” and “No To Love,”  her vocals sound luscious. And the production—while sexy and mysterious—never distracts from the voice.

Although enjoyable, the Disclosure remix of “Running” seems out of place in this LP, but adding dance remixes is standard practice for re-releases now. In terms of bonus content,  the LP succeeds better with its acoustic offerings.

I missed Ware when she visited Vancouver recently (I haven’t listened to her stuff before her concert here), but I really hope to see her soon. Ware follows a long line of interesting artists coming from the UK.

It’s a big week for Beyoncé fans as the pop star’s H&M commercial is released this week. The “Single Ladies” singer shows off her toned bod as she frolics on the beach while rocking pieces from H&M’s 2013 Summer Collection.

The Jonas Åkerlund-directed video features a new song, “Standing On The Sun”, which presumably will be in Beyoncé’s forthcoming album.

Also this week, the full version of Beyoncé’s contribution to The Great Gatsby soundtrack leaked, and I’m afraid that it’s not any better than the clip. “Back To Black”, which also features André 3000, is grungy but lacks melody and soul.

On the brighter side, Beyoncé has been performing “Grown Woman” at her Mrs. Carter World Tour, and it sounds fierce—not exactly first single material, but it’s so hot, I wouldn’t mind if it’s released 2nd or 3rd.

King B continues to get lots of promo. All she needs is an official first single now!

The Great Gatsby has some serious star power for its new soundtrack, attracting the likes of The Weeknd, Beyoncé, André 3000 and Fergie. But Lana Del Rey’s contribution is probably the most anticipated contribution. Thankfully, she doesn’t disappoint.

“Young and Beautiful” is another luscious, cinematic masterpiece from the gangsta Nancy Sinatra. Much like Del Rey’s previous work, this one’s dreamy. The layered production allows Del Rey’s vocals to shine in the verses while keeping the choruses catchy and interesting.

“Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful?” Del Rey asks in this song. I’m sure the answer is a big, fat yes.

The video for “Young and Beautiful” will be out shortly, and I can’t wait to see it.

quq

Ok, I have a confession: I never really liked Janelle Monae.  She’s cool, but  I never really understood her music. And seeing her open for both Bruno Mars and Katy Perry—although she did well in both—did not change my mind.

Her new single “Q.U.E.E.N.” might just do the trick. The song, which features Erykah Badu, has an effortless, feel-good swagger. Staying true to her roots, Monae evokes earlier decades in this song—without sounding dated.

More info via Billboard.com:

“This song is inspired by private conversations she and I have had and continue to have,” Monae told Billboard backstage at Coachella earlier this month. “She’s a great friend to me; she’s like a big sister and it’s a song about private dialogue that she and I have had.”

Monae, who notched her biggest hit yet with an appearance on fun.’s chart-topping “We Are Young” last year, kicked off the run-up to her new album with her Coachella debut. The upcoming album, “The Electric Lady,” will be “more personal” than past work, Monae said. A release date remains to be announced, with a tour expected to follow.

Is it too early to declare this the song of the summer?

A snippet of Beyoncé and André 3000′s cover of “Back to Black” has hit the interwebz, and it’s not good.

The Amy Winehouse cover is messy and lacks melody. While the original oozed soul, the cover seems lazy, almost to the point of disrespectful.

I love Beyoncé and André 3000—and normally, I’d postpone judgement of a snippet until the entire thing comes out—but this clip is so bad, I kinda wish they didn’t do it.

Head over to 2dopeboyz to listen.