Will Smith Restarting Music Career

andPOP Staff — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:39:27 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Remember the 1990′s when Will Smith sold albums by the millions? Well given this new “digital era,” he will probably never repeat that success, but he is returning to the studio nevertheless.

Although he is busy working on the next Men In Black film, rumor has it Smith is getting back into the recording booth.

“We’re working on Will Smith, bringing him back. That’s actually him on the other line right now,” Lamar “Mars” Edwards told XXL Magazine by phone in a story that ran Thursday.

To celebrate this news, let’s watch a classic Will Smith music video:

Under The Rock: Gossip Girl Goes Solo, Sort Of

Emma Renda — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:13:16 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

It’s no secret the Gossip Girls have it all, on and off screen, but I never imagined there would be the time or talent to squeeze in a music career. Turns out I am sorely mistaken.

Leighton Meester, famously known as the beautiful and bitchy Blair Waldorf of CW’s Gossip Girl, is launching her solo music career and made her first stop a guest appearance on Cobra Starship’s “Good Girls Go Bad”.

Now, I have a very hard time buying into the actor-goes-serious-musician career move considering the track record of oh, say, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Scarlett Johanssen, Lindsey Lohan, ad infinitum. And if all logic prevails, Meester will fare no better. I had my doubts that she would ever become anything more than just a Gossip Girl once the series dried up. But then she appeared on the cover of both Nylon Magazine and Cosmo in quick succession and all of the sudden she was everywhere.

To my chagrin, I assumed MySpace would be the last place I’d find her. But there she was, right next to Down With Webster and Anti-Flag. Leighton freaking Meester. I was hardly surprised when I saw that her vehicle for musical success was none other than Cobra Starship, the captains of the scenester team. This band is more connected than Kevin Bacon and to their credit, the bit of Gossip Girl they’ve added to the mix isn’t so bad.

Meester’s brief appearance midway through the song “Good Girls Go Bad” is a welcome break in the usually production-heavy, boy-bandish repertoire of Cobra Starship. But her throaty interlude adds a dose of sass that male deep-V T-shirts don’t quite pull off. With an almost – and I hasten to make the comparison but for timeliness’ sake, here goes – Amy Winehouse-esque whine, Meester’s verse is totally believable.

The song is all about good girls being tempted to the dark side by these dangerous pop-rockers, and Meester fits the bill, simply because of her on-screen persona. Essentially, Blaire is singing about giving in to the rebel type – that is, Chuck Bass – despite knowing just how bad for her it will be. It makes one wonder if Cobra Starship’s musical inspiration is gleaned from the CW’s Monday night line-up.

Granted, it may not be the worst place to turn. Gossip Girl has made a reputation for itself as a go-to trend factory, and music has definitely not been ignored. In one of their recent episodes, No Doubt appeared under the pseudonym Snowed Out and performed an Adam and the Ants song. The rest of the soundtrack ranges from ahead of the curve hip, such as Santogold, Anya Marina and Coconut Records, to an impressive selection of classics by Sarah Vaughn, Billy Idol, New Order and the list goes on. There are even some Canadian appearances by The Dears and Two Hours Traffic. Well-played, GG.

Meester’s tune with Cobra Starship doesn’t skimp on the stars, enlisting Kevin Rudolph (of “Let It Rock” ft. Lil Wayne fame) to producer the track. It’s hardly debatable this song has all the trappings to be a surefire summer hit. And it probably will be. So despite the fact that a full-length album from Meester makes me very, very nervous, I have confidence she has enough connections to at least try to do it right.

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Will Smith Restarting Music Career

Under The Rock: Gossip Girl Goes Solo, Sort Of