Batson's Blog

2013 ended too quick! I didn't get the chance to finish up my 'best of 2013' lists. Today I'll tackle the best albums of 2013 and tomorrow it'll be the top movies of 2013. I didn't get the chance to listen to every album that was released in their entirety, but I did get the chance to check out the 13 of them that were listed below. 13. BEYONCÉ by Beyonce Sorry Beyonce fans, but BEYONCÉ didn't do it for me. While many praised the album for being groundbreaking, I struggled to maintain any interest in it. Overall it was boring. The theme of almost every song was about sex. There wasn't much variety when it came to the music either. Beyonce has a nice voice, which was showcased on a handful of songs on BEYONCÉ, but most of the songs consisted of her trying (and failing) her hand at rapping, singing breathily the way Britney Spears would or simply speaking. Maybe that's new ground for Beyonce, but it's hardly groundbreaking. ...

There were a few things that were learned over the course of the last 12 months. Here are the most important things: If you want a successful movie at the box office, put The Rock in it . The man was the highest grossing actor of the year (even beating out Robert Downey Jr.). Batman is the best super hero of all time . They wouldn’t even let him rest in peace. The Dark Knight trilogy just ended and they're already planning more movies with a new Batman. Even Spider-Man got three years before they rebooted his franchise. Billy Ray Cyrus is not the father of the year . Watch the Mtv Video Music Awards to see proof of that. The Carolina Panthers can be a legitimate team . They've had the best season in over a decade. Super Bowl chances?? We'll see. One thing is for sure: it's Cam Newton's best season yet.

If you've talked to someone at work this week, watched a news program or spent any amount of time on the Internet, then you know that Beyonce released a surprise album last week -- titled BEYONCÉ . It was called a "visual album" because of the fact that she released 17 videos along with the 14 songs -- all at once on iTunes. Without any buildup or promotion at all, Beyonce's album went to number one. Talk about a marketing plan that worked to perfection! While I've never been the biggest fan of Beyonce (I liked a few of her Destiny's Child songs and enjoyed listening to "Crazy In Love," but I wouldn't call myself a fan), I was impressed with the way she released the album and thought I'd check it out. I've seen a lot of people tweeting about it being flawless and mentioning that Beyonce showed a lot of growth on this album. After listening to it, I can't say I agree. More often than not, the album is boring, plain and has ve...

I’m not the biggest fan of Christina Aguilera. She, of course, possesses singing talent, but in my opinion she rarely uses it. The needless screeching and the bellowing she adds in most of her songs just distract from the rest of what was good. I don’t find her too annoying in her new single, “Your Body.” The lyrics – which take being a “free” independent, without inhibition woman to a whole new level – are provocative. There’s no in between on this song. Ms. Aguilera wants it, needs it, and is going to have it. I realized something about the song while it was playing over my car stereo yesterday. It’s very similar to Pink’s, “Slut Like You.” Maybe it’s the questionable lyrics that triggered it. Or maybe it was simply because I just bought Pink’s new CD. The songs don’t sound too similar, but they do send the same message. Pink’s version has more humor in it, but, without that, it’s a very similar song. After reading a review of Aguilera’s new single online, I notice...