April 2011

Katy Perry "ET" Song ft Kanye West

"E.T." is a song by American recording artist Katy Perry from her third studio album Teenage Dream (2010). Written by Perry, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Ammo, and produced by the last three, it was released as the album's third promotional single on August 17, 2010. The song was later announced as the album's fourth single and released on February 16, 2011. The single version features vocals by American rapper Kanye West, who also appears in its Floria Sigismondi-directed music video, which was released on March 31, 2011. It is the most recent track to top both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard Dance Club Play charts simultaneously. Over a "stomp-stomp-clap" beat similar to Queen's "We Will Rock You" (1977), "E.T." is an electronic ballad that tells of "falling in love with a foreigner". Extraterrestrial metaphors are used throughout, and West continues these metaphors in his two verses, making heavy use of Auto-Tune at times.

Katy Perry "ET" Song ft Kanye West

Though the song was widely noted for its darker and more mature theme, in contrast to Perry's conventional works, critics were overall mixed in response. West's presence on the single also received divided opinions. The single topped the Billboard Hot 100—the fourth from Teenage Dream to do so—for four non-consecutive weeks and is Perry's fifth number one on the chart. It has peaked within the top five in New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland, as well as within the top twenty in ten other European countries.

The decision to write "E.T." came after its beat was accidentally played in the recording studio—it was originally intended for American hip hop group Three 6 Mafia. Admiring its acoustics, Perry chose to work with the track, wishing to write a "futuristic, alienistic song". Following up to the release of Teenage Dream, "E.T." was released as the third and final promotional single on August 17, 2010. In December 2010, Perry asked fans for their opinion on Teenage Dream's next single, through the social networking site Twitter. Speculation arose that "Peacock" would be its next single, but "E.T." was eventually announced as the record's fourth single through her Facebook page. The announcement was accompanied by the single's artwork, which features Perry with cat eye make-up, bangs, and a sequined top. The single version features vocals from American rapper Kanye West and was released on February 16, 2011.An album track of three minutes and twenty-six seconds, "E.T." is an electronic pop and hip hop ballad, with elements of teen pop. BBC Music described the song as a "rave-influenced quasi ballad". It was written by Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, and Joshua Coleman, and produced by the last three, with Gottwald and Coleman credited as Dr. Luke and Ammo. According to sheet music from Alfred Music Publishing, the song was originally published in F minor and follows a slow tempo of 76 beats per minute in common time.

Perry's voice spans E♭4 to D♭5. According to Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times, "E.T." carries influences from Barbadian singer Rihanna and features Perry using a "hip-hop diva's stutter". The song's instrumentals have been described as "a mishmash and bleeps and blips with a driving drum track". Darryl Sterdan of the QMI Agency noted the song uses the "stomp-stomp-clap" beat from Queen's "We Will Rock You" (1977), while Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted similarities to productions by Ryan Tedder. Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone felt the song was similar in sound to hard rock ballads by Evanescence. Following its single release featuring West, on March 5, 2011, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number twenty-eight with 110,000 copies sold. "E.T." reached number one on the chart on April 9, 2011 in its seventh week, ending the six-week run of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" to make Teenage Dream the ninth album in the history of the chart to yield four number-one singles. This achievement marked the fifth number-one for Perry and the fourth for West. The song stayed at number-one for three consecutive weeks and returned for a fourth following its American Idol performance, selling 344,000 copies, which according to Nielsen SoundScan, marked a new weekly high for the song. The song has sold over 300,000 digital copies in a week thrice, becoming one of four songs in history to achieve this. "E.T." also reached number one on Billboard's Pop Songs chart, number ten on the Adult Pop Songs chart, and number thirty-eight on the Latin Pop Songs chart. As of April 2011, the song has sold over 2,489,000 in the US.

On the Canadian Hot 100, the song re-entered the chart at number eighteen following its single release. It reached its peak of number two on April 23, 2011. The single has charted in Ireland at number five, and has become a top ten hit in Germany and Italy, a top twenty hit in Austria, Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, France, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland, and a top forty hit in Belgium (Flanders). On the UK Singles Chart, the single peaked at number three in its eighth week, becoming her eighth top ten hit there. Elsewhere in Europe, the song charted in its solo version at number twenty-two on the Slovak airplay chart, number twenty-seven on the Dutch Top 40, and number twenty-eight on the Czech airplay chart.Perry has performed "E.T." at several venues, including as a bonus song for her Walmart Soundcheck set, and at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan on December 10, 2010 for Z100's Jingle Ball. The song has also been included on the set list of the California Dreams Tour, Perry's second concert tour. The song was released as a free track on Katy Perry Revenge 2, a game for the iOS application Tap Tap. A lyrics video for the single was posted on Perry's website on March 16, 2011. After playing "We Will Rock You", West performed "E.T." without Perry at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Perry performed the single on the tenth season of American Idol on April 21, 2011. Carried by background dancers, she wore a flickering outfit and was joined by West, who was previously unannounced.

A music video for "E.T." with West was released on March 31, 2011, premiering on MTV.com. The date was announced in a teaser trailer released on March 21, 2011, which showed clips of an unidentified flying object. The video was directed by Canadian Floria Sigismondi, known for her "dark, feminine" music videos for artists including Christina Aguilera and Marilyn Manson. In an interview with NRJ's French radio show Le 6/9 on March 10, 2011, Perry revealed she was satisfied with her decision to collaborate with Sigismondi, after having previewed a 30-second clip. The video begins with the song "Where in the World Can My Lover Be?" by Midge Williams & Her Jazz Jesters playing in the background. In the video, Perry, as an alien, drifts through outer space before landing on an abandoned Earth covered with litter. Clips are interspersed of large felids hunting game. She comes across a broken robot (resembling a spaceman), which turns into a naked male, played by Shaun Ross upon her kiss. It is eventually revealed Perry's legs are in fact those of a gazelle. Meanwhile, West is featured in the video floating in a travelling spacecraft. Throughout the video, Perry wears heavy cosmetics and extravagant outfits, including blue and pink make-up, cat- and reptile-like eyes, and Medusa-esque braids. New York's Willa Paskin compared her looks to "detailed, outlandish, [and] semi-gorgeous rainbow-kabuki". She has also received comparisons to Lady Gaga's look in the music video for "Born This Way", the Queen of Sheba, Ziggy Stardust, the alter ego of English musician David Bowie, and fictional characters Lara Croft, Padmé Amidala, and Jadzia Dax. The video itself has been described as "a sequel to Avatar or a Katy Perry video game".

"E.T." has received mixed reviews from professional critics. It has been noted for bringing out a different side of Perry, with a darker, deeper, and more mature tone. This was praised by BBC Music's Al Fox who enjoyed the contrast from her conventionally upbeat pop tracks like "Hot n Cold" and "California Gurls". Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly felt Perry showed strength on the song, comparing its sound to a combination of American rock musicians Lita Ford and Trent Reznor. Matthew Cole of Slant Magazine disliked the track's inscrutability and said that "E.T."'s backing track was reminiscent of t.A.T.u.'s "All the Things She Said" (2002). Now's Jason Richards called the song "awkward" and Sputnikmusic's Rudy Clapper dismissed its attempt at a more mature sound, calling it "cheesy". Bill Lamb, writing for About.com, gave a three-and-a-half star review out of five: he was disappointed with the lack of a defined hook, remarking the song could have had more potential and that its "edginess builds without release." Reviewing the remix, critics were divided over West's appearance. Kaplan lauded the track as a "great duet", praising the vocals of both performers, a statement echoed by Lamb, who felt West's verses intensified the song. Further, Entertainment Weekly's Brad Wete felt the song was improved with a male perspective. Digital Spy's Robert Copsey gave a review of four stars out of five, but felt, on the other hand, that the rapper's contribution added nothing to the track. Amos Barshad of New York felt West's alien metaphors went into "strange directions".

Geri Halliwell

Geraldine Estelle "Geri" Halliwell (born 6 August 1972) is an English pop singer-songwriter, author, actress and philanthropist. After coming to international prominence in the late 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group, the Spice Girls, Halliwell launched her solo career in 1998 and released her album Schizophonic. Since then, she has released two more studio albums – Scream If You Wanna Go Faster and Passion – and four number one singles at the UK Singles Chart, "Mi Chico Latino", "Lift Me Up", "Bag It Up" and "It's Raining Men". In 2008, Halliwell published a book series named Ugenia Lavender.As a solo artist, Halliwell has sold 12 million records worldwide and been nominated for two Brit Awards in 2000 and 2002.

Geri Halliwell Party Dress

In 1999, Halliwell launched her solo career and released her debut album Schizophonic, with the lead single "Look at Me", produced by Absolute and Phil Bucknall. "Look at Me" would go on to sell over one million copies worldwide,[ followed by further number ones at the UK Singles Chart "Mi Chico Latino", "Lift Me Up" and "Bag It Up". Halliwell performed "Bag It Up" during the BRIT Awards ceremony in 2000, emerging between giant inflatable legs, ripping off her shirt and walking in stiletto heels over the backs of topless pink-haired men whilst performing the song.

Geri Halliwell Beautiful Hair Model

"Look at Me" was released to radio in the United States in late 1999, receiving limited airplay. With only a radio single, Schizophonic debuted at number forty-two on the Billboard 200 before dropping out within the next month. The album was eventually certified Gold, distributing over 500,000 copies. In 1999, she wrote an autobiography If Only, in which described her life as a Spice Girl.

Mylene Farmer

Mylène Farmer born Mylène Jeanne Gautier (born 12 September 1961) is a French singer, songwriter, occasional actress and author. She has sold more than 25 million records and is among the most successful recording artists of all time in France. She holds the record for the most number one hits in the French charts, with ten so far.

Farmer was born in Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada. Her parents moved from France in the late 1950s as Farmer's father, Max, pursued an engineering contract on a dam. Her family returned to France when she was eight, settling in the Parisian suburb of Ville d'Avray. In her teenage years, Farmer was passionate about horse-riding, qualifying as a riding instructor at the equestrian centre in Saumur. At the age of 17, however, Farmer discovered acting and she abandoned the stables to take a three-year course at the Cours Florent, a drama school in Paris. Changing her name to Mylène Farmer as a tribute to her idol, 1930s Hollywood actress Frances Farmer, she began to earn a living as a model acting in several TV ads.

In 1984, Farmer met Laurent Boutonnat, a young film student also enrolled in Cours Florent, after replying to a newspaper ad for an actress for a small film he was working on. Farmer and Boutonnat became friends and forged a creative partnership, writing and producing the music. Boutonnat, whose ambition was to become a film director, was the force behind Mylène’s videos.

Farmer gained fame with songs featuring shocking yet poetic lyrics, and explicit music videos: "Maman a tort" was about the love of a young girl for her female hospital nurse. "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces" contains hints of sodomy; the video, set in the 18th century, featured a caning. "Libertine" is said to feature the first full frontal nudity appearance by a singer on a major music video. "Que mon cœur lâche" was about love with condoms in the age of AIDS; the video for the song features a scene in which God tells Jesus he will not send him to Earth again because the last time "it was a disaster." The videos for "Beyond My Control" and "Je te rends ton amour" were censored at the time because of their sexual and violent content; later released in a video single, the latter one became the highest selling release of that kind in France.

Her most well-known songs include "Désenchantée", "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces", "Sans contrefaçon", "Libertine", "California", "C'est une belle journée", "Rêver", "XXL", "Les Mots" and "Oui mais... non".

Boutonnat and a young songwriter named Jérôme Dahan had written a song, and were auditioning to find a singer to record it. Farmer was eventually chosen and recorded the song, called "Maman a tort" (one of the few songs not to be written by Farmer herself), which was released to good success in March 1984. The video cost the modest sum of 5000 FR but caused a stir in the music world.However, the following single, "On est tous des imbéciles", was met with little praise.

Despite the relative success of her first two singles, Farmer, helped by Boutonnat, started working on her first album. Even if this album was almost entirely written and composed by Boutonnat, it was then that it was decided that Farmer would write the lyrics of her songs and Boutonnat would compose the music and direct the videos. "Libertine", the album's lead single, was released in March 1986 and set the tone for Farmer's musical style. The sensual, romantic lyrics were inspired by 19th-century literature. As for the video, which had a running time of more than 10 minutes, Boutonnat got inspired by the film Barry Lyndon and the novels of the Marquis de Sade, thus giving the video a cinematic style. Farmer, lit by candlelight, is shrouded in mystery and sexual ambiguity, it also was the very first video in which a French female singer appeared full frontal naked. The following single, "Tristana", also met success and the video also had a cinematic approach that impressed the audience. Meanwhile, another single from the album, Plus grandir, also shot in cinematic 35 mm, was released.

In 1988, Boutonnat and Farmer began work on her next album, Ainsi soit je... (a play on the French expression ainsi soit-il, meaning "so be it" or "amen"). This album, infused with a much darker atmosphere, is more sexually ambiguous than her previous one, featuring songs inspired by Mylène’s favourite authors, including the French romantic poet Charles Baudelaire and the American horror writer Edgar Allan Poe. The album sold 1.8 million copies on the back of the Nº2 hit "Sans contrefaçon" as well as the first Nº1 hit of career, "Pourvu qu'elles soient douces". The other singles, "Sans logique" and title song were also hits in France, while the Juliette Gréco cover "Déshabillez-moi" became a fan favourite. Ainsi soit je... is the best-selling female album in France of the 1980s.

In spite of her drama courses, Farmer found it difficult to overcome shyness when in front of an audience. It was only after hesitation that she agreed to make a concert tour in 1989. After singing in a small venue in Saint-Étienne as a test, the singer came to Paris to perform at the Palais des Sports for a week in May. Following the positive response of the audience, she agreed for a full-scale 52-date tour through francophone Europe. A live album documenting the tour was released at the end of the year, titled En Concert, also containing a new song, "A quoi je sers", in which she questions the future of her career. The costumes of the tour were designed by the French designer Thierry Mugler.

It was also during this period that it was noticed that Farmer rarely gives interviews or appears in public, even though she did much more than she does today.

In the latter half of 2010, the media reported that Mylène Farmer would work with Line Renaud and Ben Harper in their respective new releases. After thirty years of absence, Renaud released her new album Rue Washington in November 2010, which contains the track "C'est pas l'heure," a duet with Farmer written by Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat. Also in November 2010, Australian band INXS released the album Original Sin as a tribute to the late Michael Hutchence. Farmer covered "Never Tear Us Apart" with Ben Harper in the album, featuring new lyrics in French written by Farmer.

It was announced surprisingly on 27 September 2010 that Farmer would be releasing a new single "Oui mais... non" to lead her next album in a press release by Polydor. The single was released to radio and debuted on Le 6/9 of NRJ on 29 September. Unlike all the previous musical works by Farmer, Laurent Boutonnat was not included in the production or composition of the single. Instead Farmer hired RedOne, known for his work with Lady Gaga to produce and write the music for the single. The single cover depicts Farmer's left profile with the words "Oui mais... non" tattooed on her upper chest. The single was released to digital downloading markets on 11 October and hit No.1 on the French Digital Chart. One week before the release of the album, the physical CD of "Oui mais...non" was released and helped Farmer garner her 10th No.1 single in the French Single Chart, yet again breaking her own record. Considering the music market crisis, it's her most successful single since 2002. The album title Bleu Noir was officially confirmed on 20 October, and was released on 6 December 2010. The album entered the French Album Chart at No.1, remaining there for three weeks in a row, and the global chart at No.14.

Bleu Noir topped the 9th position in the French 2010 charts with more than 300,000 copies sold in 3 weeks. It has sold so far over 500,000 copies, reaching diamond status within three months of its release. It also broke the record of best debut in the downloads top with 9,000 copies sold, which is quite a huge performance for the French DL market.