Pop Shots - Seasonal Music

Welcome to your weekly dose of pop world musings. Covering all things pop culture, this week Pop Shots is hitting you with thoughts on everything from Robin Thicke blurring our summer, to Katy Perry roaring into fall, to Carrie Underwood serenading us through winter, and since it’s Pop Shots you know everything is seasoned with a little bit of attitude.

* Billboard named Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” the song of the summer. They then did in-depth reports on water being wet, the sun being hot, and kittens and puppies being adorable.

* If you watch The X Factor this season don’t expect to hear any Oasis songs. This isn’t because the band has some incredible aversion to the show, at least not that anyone knows of, it’s that Liam Gallagher’s wife, Nicole Appleton, she whom Liam cheated on when he reportedly fathered a love child with a music journalist, will be working with the show, and the higher ups felt she shouldn’t have to deal with hearing Liam’s work. Interestingly, there’s no ban on incoherently mumbling curse words about one’s brother. You’d figure that would be what would really remind her of him.

* Katy Perry’s latest single, “Roar,” is the new number one song in the country, and she just released a Jane of the Jungle, tiger filled, video to accompany it. How she charges her cell phone in the jungle is a bit of a mystery, but... BOOBS! Umm, what was I saying before?


* You know what doesn't roar? A fox. We actually don't know what a fox sounds like, but Norwegian band Ylvis has some ideas in their completely insane, must see to believe, video for their song "The Fox."


* Hey baby boomers (which I’m assuming make up about 1% of my audience), want to hear some of your favorite songs get completely ruined? If so, then great news, Glee will be doing a Beatles tribute show this season. Apparently they wanted the lyric “help, I need somebody” to apply to the viewing audience at large.

* A musical based on the life of Tupac Shakur is coming to Broadway. Stage director Kenny Leon says the show will be an “unconditional love story” with an “anti-violence” message. Sadly, this means we probably won’t get a raucous dance number set to “Hit Em Up.”

* Harry Connick Jr. was announced as the third, and final, judge for the upcoming season of American Idol. Last year he appeared in an advisory role, and actually gave the singers REAL advice on how to be better singers, and work with the songs they chose (advice they ignored because learning things was either too difficult for them, or, in their warped little minds, completely beneath them). With him now being a judge I’m officially tempted to watch the show again. At the very least, his frustration with the “talent” will become palpable by mid-season. Plus, there’s always a chance we’ll see Jill Goodacre in the crowd. Well, as long as she isn’t trapped in an ATM vestibule will Chandler Bing.


* With his new EP on the way, The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. opened up about his past drug addictions in an interview with NME. Hammond spoke about using cocaine, heroin, and ketamine. You know you’re really tempting fate when you’re doing those kind of drugs AND your band’s name is The Strokes.

* On Sunday, Carrie Underwood took over for Faith Hill as the woman who sings a song about football to open NBC’s Sunday Night Football game of the week. A Pavlovian side effect of this is that now whenever I hear her voice I think I should go to the bathroom, and get some snacks.

* Avril Lavigne will be releasing her fifth album, a self-titled effort, on November 5th. My early prediction is that it will be annoying, yet incredibly catchy, and we’ll hate ourselves for liking it. You know what, screw the pre-analysis, here’s Avril and Winnie freakin Cooper fighting crime, or frolicking, or whatever the heck they’re doing in this video. I honestly don’t know. My mind goes to other places when I see Danica McKeller in that get-up.


* For reasons known only to Eddie Murphy, Eddie Murphy is releasing a reggae album. The lead single features Snoop Dogg, now Snoop Lion, and is titled “Red Light,” which, ironically, is exactly what every label should have given him when he pitched the idea.

* Eric Clapton will be reissuing an expanded, and remastered, version of his Unplugged album this fall. The release will include two discs, and a DVD that will feature his entire set, as well as... why am I still typing, where do I pre-order this?

* Finally, I posted a clip by singer Liz earlier this year. She has a late-90s/early-millennial pop/R&B vibe, and her latest video, which is for her song “U Over Them,” is like a children’s cartoon, a fever dream, and an acid trip, all rolled into one (which is exactly how life should be). Also, she’s rockin a Jamal Anderson Falcons jersey, and for that alone she deserves props.


And with that, my time is up for the week, but I'll be back next week with more shots on all things pop.