Batson's Blog

Some singers collaborate and they are like peanut butter and jelly.  Their voices complement each other, their attitudes are similar or they are so different that it just works. Pink and Nicki Minaj Cardi B is the 'it' girl these days but I kind of prefer Nicki Minaj.  Her pop songs are catchy.  Pink and Nicki seem like a good combo. Pink has collaborated with Kenny Chesney, Eminem and, of course, the other singers on 'Lady Marmalade.'  Nicki did one of the best collaborations since 'Lady Marmalade' when she teamed up with Ariana Grande and Jessie J for 'Bang Bang.'  This just seems like it would be a fun collaboration in music video form and in song form. Chris Daughtry and Eric Church These two North Carolina boys who both love rock music could put together an incredible song.  While Daughtry is more rock and Church is more country, they both have some overlapping themes and sounds in their music. Both have delivered very good albums not too ...

Pink revealed on Ellen last week that she’s coming out with a new album in April. Well, damn!   The Truth About Love came out in 2012 and Beautiful Trauma was just released in 2016.  Usually there’s a space of a few years between her albums. Since I realized I purchased but never actually listened to all of the songs on Beautiful Trauma , I figured I’d better take a listen before her new material is out. The post-motherhood Pink has been kind of hit-or-miss.  She turned a direction with her Greatest Hits …. So Far! album.  The new tracks on that release ('F**kin’ Perfect,' 'Raise Your Glass') had attitude but didn’t feature the rebellious nature that her previous work had.  They were rebellious, but in a more positive way.  Those songs lead into ‘Just Like Fire’ and ‘What About Us.’   Gone is the poetic angst that put her on the map.  It’s replaced by a fighter for equality and her perc...

Pigs have flown. The world has ended. Peace at last! Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera teamed up on the season finale of The Voice to perform Gaga's single "Do What U Want." After the seemingly back-and-forth war that was going on between them for years, it was kind of surprising to see them partner up. Then again, Gaga said earlier this year that she's a big fan of Christina. It seems Gaga wasn't miffed over Aguilera's 2008 comments in the LA Times . The partnership may have been a surprise, but it was also very fitting. For two women who have similar vocal styles, outlandish (at times) looks, and similar sounding songs, it seemed appropriate that they collaborate for a performance. It was one of those 'it's never gonna' happen' combinations that actually ended up happening and worked really well. There have been several really good duets this year actually, whether it's a one-time-only kind of duet or one that is forever cemen...

Part 1 and Part 2 were good, but I think there's some definite look-a-likes this time around. I'll get right to the comparisons, but let me know what you think? Am I spot on or what? I saved the very best (and closest comparison) for last this time, so make sure to scroll to the bottom of the page. On the left: Edge On the right: Jamie Campbell Bower May as well start with a wrestling-related one. It seems those pro wrestlers have doppelgängers all over. I'd mentioned before that Wilson Bethel resembles Edge . I still stand by that statement. However, I think Jamie Campbell Bower looks even more like Edge. Jamie Bower, for those who are unaware like I was, is an actor who has quite an impressive resume already. I just watched The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (review to come later) and that's the first time I saw him...or so I thought. Jamie was in the final three Twilight movies, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts 1 and 2 , and t...

Last month Bruno Mars was announced as the half time performer for Super Bowl XLVIII . He's a fresh choice and an amazing singer. It should be a highly entertaining show if they can select some PG-rated songs in his repertoire. Who opens the show though? Who is the National Anthem singer? Miley Cyrus From a publicity standpoint, the obvious choice would be Miley Cyrus. The twerking, tongue-wagging, foam finger-waving Cyrus has been grabbing headlines since before her performance at the Mtv VMA's. If they want headlines, then NFL and Fox executives would be smart to choose Ms. Bangerz . It wouldn't be a bad decision on Miley's part either. After all the disparaging headlines and remarks she's gotten lately, it would be a nice change of pace for her to deliver a great version of "The Star Spangled Banner." Hunter Hayes If you take a look at the history of national anthem singers at the Super Bowl, most tend to be female. There are som...

The 2013 American Music Awards nominations were announced by Kelly Clarkson and will.i.am in New York City this morning. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis lead the pack of nominees with six nominations. Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake are right behind them with five, while Rihanna, Robin Thicke and Florida Georgia Line received four nominations each. I was happy to see Pink announced as a contender for Female Artist of the year. Her competition includes Swift and Rihanna. She's also nominated for Favorite Artist - Adult Contemporary, but she'll have to beat out Bruno Mars and Maroon 5 for that. Artist of the Year? Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake are all up for that one. Meanwhile there's a new category for "Single of the Year." Thicke's "Blurred Lines" is, of course, up for that award. Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" was also nominated. "Thrift Shop" was appropria...

A few 'WTF' moments I've noticed recently... I've watched Grey's Anatomy before, but it's been a while. I noticed that they had a new season on Netflix, so I was getting caught up with the latest hospital drama. I noticed, while watching it, that Miranda Bailey was wearing earrings while in the operating room. Now maybe that's the way it really works. Maybe the doctors and nurses have dangling necklaces, watches, rings and earrings while they are in the O.R. I wouldn't actually know since I've never been in one. However, one would think that earrings would not be appropriate to wear in the operating room. After Kramer's Junior Mint incident on Seinfeld, you'd think anything not needed in the O.R. would not be in the O.R. Granted, the Junior Mint incident was fictional, but who is to say a surgeon couldn't actually lose an earring inside a patient while operating? All I know is that I wouldn't want to be the patient wi...

Congrats to Pink and Nate Ruess on the success of "Just Give Me A Reason." It was dethroned by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us," but Pink and Ruess' collaboration was number one for three weeks in a row. Time for a little bragging now. When I reviewed The Truth About Love , I pointed out that "Just Give Me A Reason" was a song worth some serious radio play: "Just Give Me A Reason – It’s an incredible song – exactly what you’d expect in a collaboration between Nate Ruess, the lead vocalist of fun., and Pink. I didn’t even know Nate Ruess’ name before I Googled it to write this review, but I knew, right off, that it was ‘the guy from fun.’ when I heard him chime in on this track. I’m hoping this one hits the radio because I think it’d do really well. Let’s hope those in charge strike while the iron is hot and fun. is popular. Once again, it's something totally different from what Pink usually delivers." Nice to ...

It's been almost a week, but Pink's performance at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte still has me amazed. I had previously mentioned that I had a small amount of hope that Pink would soar high above the arena the way she does in her televised performances. I wasn't actually expecting it, however, so when she ended up doing just that, I couldn't have been more surprised and entertained. The entire night was like a string of some of her greatest hits, performed just as she does them on TV. In "Try," Pink used some of the same choreography she used during her AMA performance last year. The stunts in "Sober" were changed from her VMA performance, but it worked well. She She added a few new twists though. "Family Portrait," for example, which was performed halfway through the show, was a stripped down ballad, accompanied by a piano. I actually like that version better than the original, which as never been a favorite of...

P!nk is coming to Charlotte in one week. She'll be performing at the Time Warner Cable Arena next Saturday . I got my ticket last year, so I've been looking forward to this for a while. I went cheap on this one, so I won't be getting an up close view. One thing P!nk has proven over the years, though, is that you never know where she'll end up during one of her performances. She may go right past me as she's flying through the air. I'm not sure what to expect with this concert because I haven't read any of the reviews of her previous concerts on this tour. Hopefully the entire night will be a nice surprise -- from the set list to the spectacle of the show itself. Pink is widely touted as one of the best live performers around today. To get ready for the concert, I've been watching some of Pink's previous performances. The concert is seven days away, so let's take a look back at seven of Pink's best performances. 7. God Is A D...

Happiness for the heart. That’s what Kelly Clarkson’s collaboration with Vince Gill on "Don’t Rush" is. It’s kind of a jazzy-country little tune. It conjures up images of blue skies and sunshine while driving down a two-lane road, top down, mid-afternoon, without a care in the world. When I saw the track listing for Kelly Clarkson’s greatest hits album, I was skeptical at how a collaboration with Vince Gill would turn out. While other pop stars like Christina Aguilera and P!nk are doing collaborations with Cee Lo Green and Nate Russ , Clarkson continues to keep one foot (or at least a few toes) planted in the country genre. Much like her duet with Jason Aldean last year, this new collaboration was successful. Kelly Clarkson’s voice has become one of the most recognizable on the radio since she won American Idol a decade ago, but her versatility is truly underrated. She can sing any song from any era and make it damn good. Kelly’s performance alongside Vince a...

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...

The day finally arrived. Pink’s new album dropped. It’s been four years since she came out with a new album, though it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. Maybe it’s because she had a couple pieces of new work on her Greatest Hits….So Far!!! album just two years ago. Like most artists these days, Pink pulls from a lot of different genres and musical styles, creating an interesting amalgam of sounds on The Truth About Love . A lot has changed since Pink last wrote new music. She and her husband, Carey Hart, put their marriage back together. Pink had a baby. Her life has changed and so has her music. It’s still pop rock with an edge of wild and crazy. There’s less swearing, though. There’s not a lot of angst in this album. There’s not a bunch of heartbreak either. It’s every bit as enjoyable as her previous work, but it seems like Pink has less to prove on this album. While I wish her Katy Perry-like success with her upcoming singles, I’m not sure she’ll get multi...

Driving home the other night I heard Pink’s new song: Blow Me (One Last Kiss) . Turns out it’s already a few weeks old. I must’ve been living under a rock because I’m a big fan of Pink . I was never a huge fan of Can’t Take Me Home , but the catchy singles off M!ssundaztood caught my attention. Then I got hooked with the highly underrated Try This . I now own all of her albums. So anyway, I’m driving home, and I hear a new Pink song playing. After I got over the ‘WTF?! When did this happen?’ shock, I cranked the volume and started listening. I haven’t bought it on iTunes (I’ll just wait for the album in September ), but I have been contributing a significant amount of views to her lyric video on YouTube. I can’t say it’s my favorite Pink song ever, but there’s nothing wrong with the song and, after a couple of listens, it does become quite addictive. The song kicks off with a nice techno/dance feel. It’s very reminiscent of Modest Mouse’s Float On actually. Once P...