Daft Punk & 7 Other Great French House Acts: From Dmitri From Paris To Justice

May 20th, 2013 // Leave a Comment

With all the fanfare surrounding their comeback smash “Get Lucky” and this week’s release of Random Access Memories, it’s easy to forget that French house ambassadors Daft Punk have been around for nearly two decades. Thanks to a sound that’s always been ahead of the curve (and robot helmets to mask any wrinkles), the duo of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter seem positively ageless more than 15 years after they first wowed us with their debut, Homework. That they’re still managing to surprise and influence the international pop scene is a testament to their distinctive retro-futuristic groove!

That groove, however, wasn’t created by Daft Punk alone. French House (or French Touch, as the sexy call it) has its roots in the clubs of Paris, where DJs and dance music disciples found inspiration in old Europop and space-disco records and mashed them up with state-of-the-art beats. Basically, when it came to making booties bounce along the Champs Elysee, Daft Punk didn’t act alone! So get your Gallic groove on and pay tribute to the forebears of French Funk with our terribly chic playlist below. Tout le monde danse maintenant! More »

Janet Jackson’s ‘janet.’ Turns 20: Backtracking

May 20th, 2013 // Leave a Comment
Bad Turns 25
Michael Jackson Bad
We look back at MJ's legendary album. Read More »
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Backtracking is our recurring look back at the pop music that shaped our lives. Friends may come and go, but we’ll be spinning our favorite albums forever.

“We had the kind of night where morning comes too soon…” So goes the seductive spoken intro that launched Janet Jackson’s fifth album, janet. — that’s a little j with an emphatic period — released on May 18, 1993. Following the social consciousness of her previous blockbuster, 1989’s Rhythm Nation 1814, Jackson returned with a fresh sound and look, and free-spirited confidence. The new music was everything from pure pop to candles-in-the-bedroom grooves, balancing the sweet, the erotic and the playful.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the album that launched nine singles, Idolator spoke to Jimmy Jam, one-half of Jackson’s legendary production team, Jam and [Terry] Lewis. Looking back on the recording today, Jam feels the muse is obvious.

“Janet was in love. My partner [Lewis] was with someone who he was very much in love with at the time, and I was with someone I was very much in love with,” Jam says. “Love was in the air… when we did Rhythm Nation, everybody called it the ‘What’s Going On’ album, and then they called janet. the ‘Let’s Get It On’ album.” More »

Billboard Music Awards 2013: Watch The Performances

May 19th, 2013 // 1 Comment
BBMA 2013: Winners
Billboard Winners List GFX
The full list of Billboard Music Awards winners. Read More »

The red jacket. Those moves. That hair. Is it just us, or was Bruno Mars looking a little extra Michael Jackson-esque, circa Off The Wall and Thriller, as he tore through “Treasure” at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (May 19) night? Oh, it’s just us? Sorry — too much boxed wine at dinner time.

Bruno and his band kicked off the Billboard awards at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena , amid a disco ball-strewn set that looked straight out of a 1981 episode of Solid Gold. Then Selena Gomez twirled through her “Come & Get It” Indian schtick in all gold. And Chris Brown sounded terrible and looked crazy while knocking of better artists’ dance moves.

Watch these magical moments and many, many more below! More »

Billboard Music Awards 2013: The Full List Of Winners

May 19th, 2013 // 1 Comment
BBMA: Performances
bruno mars billboard music awards 2013 treasure
Watch Bruno, Taylor, Miguel & more. Read More »

Well! It’s the Billboard Music Awards tonight, which features majorly star-studded performance from some great artists, and some ones you don’t care about at all, and a lot of inexplicable appearances from the stars of ABC sitcoms you’ve never watched! Oh, what a wonderful party it is.

We’ll be updating the list throughout the night, so stay close to see who’s taking home the big awards. More »

Watch Miguel Nearly Decapitate Two Helpless Fans During The Billboard Music Awards

May 19th, 2013 // 1 Comment

Just as we knew he would, Miguel turned out a charismatic performance of “Adorn” at the Billboard Music Awards tonight (May 19). That is, until he made the ill-advised decision to try to leap across the mini pit to the other part of the stage. Surely he pulled off the move in rehearsal, but in rehearsal there aren’t throngs of people with their hands in the air. This slight alteration, of course, requires that he jump a little higher and a little farther. So as we saw him do his live leap, our brains began processing that it wouldn’t end well, and moments later, hair and limbs were flailing everywhere. Miguel landed on his ass, no idea that he absolutely CLOBBERED two poor women in the audience.

As you can see in the GIF and Vine below, his left foot hits a woman square in the head, and her head subsequently smacks into the stage. The girl who got clotheslined by his right leg faced a slightly better fate. According to Miguel’s tweet (which you can see below), at least one of the girls is OK, so we don’t feel as bad watching the disaster on an endless loop. More »

Billboard Music Awards 2013: Ke$ha, How Do You Plan To Sit In That Dress?!

May 19th, 2013 // Leave a Comment

Ke$ha was wise enough to know that glitter was not necessary to raise eyebrows at the 2013 Billboard Music Awards — at least not when you arrive wearing a dress that’s essentially MTV’s Undressed from the front and a Skinamax flick from the side (if you follow our 90s TV metaphor). Yes, the beard-obsessed pop star took the term “Little Black Dress” to a whole new level as she stepped onto the BBMA blue carpet in a mini dress with a slit up the side so high we imagine the showgirls in Vegas blushed when they saw it. The star of My Crazy, Beautiful Life completed the jaw-dropping ensemble with nude heels, simple studs and a sleek ponytail.   More »

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