Return of the Divas!

It's official. Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" has ousted Usher's "Love in This Club" as the number-one song on Billboard's Hot 100. After years of hip-hop and dour rock songs, a song by a big-voiced diva has hit number one. Not only that, Madonna's new single "4 Minutes" has hit number one on Canada's iTunes, and Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" has hit number on U.S. iTunes. The divas are back!

Donna's new song -- it's on fire!!

Fans of Donna Summer are anxiously awaiting her new album, entitled "Crayons", later this spring. It's hard to believe, but it's been 17 years since Donna released an album proper (unless you count her excellent Christmas album from 1994). She's released a few singles in the interim, but not a full-length album, so you can understand her fans' anxiousness about her new project.

"I'm a Fire" is the first single from Donna's new album, and it's a great song which will undoubtedly be huge in clubs. Thankfully, Donna is not going the route of other singers of her age and releasing a - yawn - covers album. She's sticking to what she does best - dance music. After all, she is the Queen of Disco, and she's a serious contender for Queen of Dance music if it were not for Madonna. While music fans are buzzing about the upcoming releases of Madonna and Mariah Carey's new albums, I'm equally excited about Donna's. Having seen her in concert two years ago at Casino Rama, the almost-60-year-old diva still has those powerful pipes (and they sound better than ever on "I'm A Fire"). While most of her contemporaries have lost their vocal power, Donna can still hit those notes with ease. In fact, I think she sounds better than she did 30 years ago, and I attribute that to clean living and proper vocal training.

So, when "Crayons" comes out on May 20th, be sure to pick it up. And if Donna comes to your area, be sure to see her live. She's worth it!

"Release Me" from this Guilty Pleasure!

I don't care what anyone says... I love Wilson Phillips' "Release Me". I was a huge fan of the female trio in the early '90s. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing their hits "Hold On", "Impulsive" and "You're in Love". But my favourite WP song has to be "Release Me", their second single. It hit number one on the Billboard Pop charts during their hot streak of chart hits. Say what you will about WP, but on their first album, they had beautiful harmonies even if the songs were a little cheesy. You could sing along with their music, and their songs actually had melodies!! (Remember them??) I think this is their best song because they really let go and SANG on this song with gusto! I never get tired of this song. Almost 20 years later, it's still a great guilty pleasure!

Smurfs!

Remember Saturday Morning Cartoons? If you grew up during the '80s like myself, you'll remember shows like Muppet Babies, The New Archies, Scooby Doo, and so many more. And of course, you'll remember The Smurfs. I have a habit of collecting retro cartoons, particularly from the '80s. So when I heard that Part One of Season One of The Smurfs was going to be released on DVD, I couldn't resist buying it. I think there's a part of us that wants to tap back into the past, to a time when life was (or seemed) more innocent, when we didn't think of bills or RRSP's or mortgage payments. Essentially, I bought the Smurfs for nostalgia, not because I think it's a great cartoon.

While it was fun to watch it again, I can't say that I really want to buy the subsequent seasons. The Smurfs is cute. But I'm no longer five years old, so the show doesn't have the same hold on me at 31. I'm now into shows like The L Word or Project Runway -- they're not exactly The Smurfs.

However, there is a certain sadness watching The Smurfs. I remember the good times about my childhood, but also the tough times. And I think back to that five-year-old, full of hopes and dreams, who loved watching Smurfette tease the male Smurfs, or Gargamel trying to thwart the poor Smurfs; the boy who couldn't wait to be an adult, but had no idea what being an adult involved. All in all, I'm glad I bought The Smurfs box set, but it's been a bittersweet experience.

Found the Cure: Buy this Collection

Ashford & Simpson are the extremely talented singer/songwriter duo who wrote countless Motown hits including Diana Ross' mega-hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and her disco classic "The Boss". The pair went on to a successful recording career with Warner Bros and Capitol Records. Warner Bros. has just released an excellent 2-disc compilation of the duo's 70's disco-oriented material entitled "The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes and Rarities". It features disco classics such as "Found A Cure", "It Seems To Hang On" and "Over and Over", which sound as lush as ever. The second disc features new remixes of these classics, but the remixes stay faithful to the originals. This is a collection that demonstrates A&F's talents as singers and songwriters and also proves that disco did not suck!

Revisiting the classics: "Summer Rain"

An Australian website recently compiled a list entitled "The 50 Gayest Songs of All Time". Of course, the usual suspects showed up: Madonna's "Vogue", Diana Ross "I'm Coming Out", and the number-one song, "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. But one of the surprises on the list was Belinda Carlisle's 1989 minor hit "Summer Rain", coming in at 34. I say "minor" because the song was not a big hit in North America (peaking at #30 on the U.S. Billboard 100), although it was a bigger hit in Australia.

The third single from Belinda Carlisle's third album "Runaway Horses", "Summer Rain" is one of her loveliest songs, and perhaps her most underrated. The song continued in the style of Carlisle's summery, feel-good pop music she did so well in the late '80s on hits like "Mad About You", "Heaven Is A Place on Earth" and "Circle in the Sand". "Summer Rain" is one of my favourites of Carlisle's, and it seems to be a favourite of many others, as it has become one of her enduring singles. Check it out!

Madonna's "4 Minutes" Leaked!

Madonna's much-anticipated new single "4 Minutes" has been leaked to radio. On Friday, Madonna fansites were buzzing about the leak of her collaboration with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on French radio, and soon enough, files were being swapped around furiously over the web.

So, what's the verdict?

Personally, I think the song is in keeping with Timbaland's skills as a producer. "4 Minutes" has great beats and solid production. But the problem with the song is that Madonna is featured very little in it. She's basically a guest on her own song. Timberlake definitely gets the spotlight here, and most shocking of all, he is the one who sings the chorus!! Many comments on the fansites chalk up Madonna's lack of presence on the track as "LQ" (low quality), but I'm not buying it. If so, then why does JT sound so crystal clear.

The cynical part of me suggests Timberlake's bigger role is a chance for Madonna to get back on American radio, where her status has declined in recent years. The days where songs like "Live To Tell", "Like A Prayer" and even "Frozen" and "Music" would get guaranteed spins on radio are long gone; Madonna is no longer a sure bet on radio. By hooking up with Justin Timberlake, arguably the hottest male singer out there right now, and Timbaland, perhaps the hottest producer in music right now, Madonna is guaranteeing herself a radio hit.

She may have a hot song, but it's not her contribution that guides the song; it's Timbaland and Timberlake. As much as I enjoy the song, as a Madonna fan, don't you want the actual superstar on her own song??