Guess Who's Back with a Brand New Track

Turn up the music, steal the night, kill the lights and evacuate the dance floor. Cascada's recent return to the airwaves is just the beginning of a bounty of solo albums to drop in the coming weeks by numerous Grammy-Award winning artists returning from their sabbaticals. Grammy-Award winning and reigning most successful R&B male vocal group of all time, Boyz II Men, (Wanya Morris, Nate Morris, Shawn Stockman) will return their harmonics to the spotlight with a special cover album, "Love," set for release on Nov. 17. "Love" will continue to showcase the group's wholesome image and stretch the trio's vocal limits exploring genres outside of R&B to capture the essence of love. "People would have expected us to do a whole bunch of R&B love songs," says Wanya in a group interview for Decca Records. "Now that repertoire certainly would not have made for a bad album, but it would've made for a more limited album. In going for classic love songs period - not just R&B, not just pop but music, we made an album that challenged us." Working once again with Motown producer and "American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, the men will combine their talents to venerate songs made famous by Bonnie Raitt, The Manhattans, Journey, The Spinners, Sam Cooke, the Beatles and Cyndi Lauper to name a few. Jazz's leading sweetheart of this millennium, Nora Jones, will beckon listeners to come away with her once more. The Multiple-Grammy-Award winner will release her fourth album, "The Fall," on Nov. 17. According to Billboard.com, the album "appears to be a departure from past offerings, as she will forego her signature jazz sound and embark on more contemporary rock." Listening to the album's released single, "Chasing Pirates," one remembers her seductive vocals from past songs, but discovers new instrumentation that has moved beyond the background dining room experience and into a more diverse space. "For this record, I just had a sound in my head," Norah says. "I wanted the grooves to be more present and heavy. And I also just wanted to do something different." New tones, but same Jones, the album features eight songs written by Jones and five co-written. If one needs more incentive to check out the album, Newsweek Magazine commented, "If listening to her old albums was like sipping light beer, "The Fall" is like swallowing whisky straight up." Across the pond, Susan Boyle has done it again. You'll remember Boyle as the quirky and dowdy number that surprised the world with her powerful, heart stopping voice in her audition for "Britain's Got Talent" last spring. Her rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" captured the hearts of millions and instantly became a worldwide YouTube phenomenon. Trading drab for fab, Boyle defied preconceptions, ploughed through her toughest critics and became an inspiration. Boyle's debut album, fittingly titled, "I Dreamed a Dream," is set for release from Sony Music Entertainment on Nov. 23. In recent news, Amazon.com executives have announced that "I Dreamed a Dream," has become the largest album pre-order in the history of the Amazon.com Music Store. The album will feature renditions of famous songs like "Amazing Grace," "Wild Horses," "Daydream Believer" and "Silent Night" just in time for the Holidays. Taking his shades off to reveal a softer side, Sean "Diddy" Combs is ready to bump, bump, again, with the release of his upcoming fifth solo concept-studio album "Last Train to Paris." Celebrating his 40th birthday on Oct. 4, Diddy exclaimed to E News that he has no plans of disappearing over the hill. Diddy said, "One of the things we're trying to represent is emotion. "Last Train to Paris," is a love story and the most vulnerable album I've ever been involved in. It's raw emotion - you get a feeling, a vibe." Under yet another name, Diddy collaborated with Dawn Richard of Danity Kane and singer Kalenna Harper to form the group Dirty Money. Diddy describes Last Train to Paris as an "electro-hip-hop-soul funk" album. The album had been anticipated to release in its entirety in September, but with numerous albums hitting the shelves this Holiday season, Diddy has announced he is going to play it safe and wait for the right time to release. I expect it out the beginning of 2010. Similarly experiencing delays for much of 2009 is Lil Wayne's seventh studio album "Rebirth." However, it is now to be expected in its entirety Dec. 15. According to a Rolling Stone article about the album, Lil Wayne collaborated with artists Lenny Kravitz, Pete Wentz, Drake and Young Money artist Shanell. Now, I know what you're all thinking - these are not regular fixtures of rap. You are correct - Not much is known about the album so far, but apparently this album is Wayne's experimental rock album. To date, the only single to drop from the album is "Prom Queen" which features the most non-rap vocals we have heard of Lil Wayne. Not to offend those that like this song, I for one hope the remainder of this album will erase my doubts about this album flopping. Sticking to his forte, and ready to rock the charts once more after mega hits "Apologize" and "Give It to Me," ever in demand artist Timbaland is reportedly due to release his third solo album, "Timbaland Presents Shock Value II," (simply known as "Shock Value II"), on Dec. 8. As on "Shock Value I," Timbaland collaborates with a diverse selection of artists this time around including Justin Timberlake, Daughtry, The Fray, Gucci Mane, Drake Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, T-Pain, Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, All-American Rejects, Brandy and Nickelback. It's going to be interesting, to say the least, how Timbaland will collaborate a track with Miley Cyrus and then another with The Fray. Are we going to be hearing the next infectious "Party in the USA" song with a crunk beat? I hope so. Confessions Pt. III is here! --ok not really-- instead Usher Raymond IV has titled his sixth studio album appropriately as "Raymond vs. Raymond," as the album's release coincides only months after Usher's very public divorce with Tameka Foster. The album's first released single, "Papers" is catchy and clearly divulges a deeper, more personable Usher than his previous confessional songs. Strong vocals and Usher's passion truly make lyrics like "I done damn near lost my mama, I done been through so much drama" pluck heartstrings. After nearly two years, Rihanna has announced she will be releasing her fourth studio album, "Rated R," Nov. 23. In recent weeks she literally stuck a bullet in the charts with "Russian Roulette." Following a year rocked by her controversial altercation with Chris Brown, it is heartening to see she continued to hold tight to producing music amongst the ever flashing bulbs of the media that continue to critique her personal life. Rihanna worked with the Tricky Stewart (producer of "Umbrella," Mariah's "Obsessed" and Beyonce's "Single Ladies," just to name a few) and Justin Timberlake, to create a compilation of twelve tracks. She also hooked up with Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony, who wrote and produced "Russian Roulette." Ne-Yo told MTV News earlier this year that in working with the starlit, he has seen her mature from a cookie-cutter teen to a woman full of confidence and edge. Describing "Rated R," Ne-Yo related, "The best and safest way I can say this is that Rihanna has some stuff to say and she's going to say it. And she ain't going to make no apologies for it. I've heard a good majority of the album, world, get ready. That's all I'm going to say: World, get ready." I'm ready for these artists' returns. Are you?

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