Simon Michael Davies

WWE Review: WrestleMania XXVIII

Last night saw WWE pull out all the stops for their biggest show of the year, resulting in the best Wrestlemania in recent memory! Get the match-by-match low-down here.

World Heavyweight Title Match: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus 

Kicking off the evening with Smackdown’s main event provided an interesting situation with the match lasting a mere 18 seconds! After Sheamus delivered a powerful kick to the head, he became the new champion. On the one hand, this could be seen as a waste of a match but for me it was a genius idea and one that nobody saw coming. Quick, shocking and effective. The match gets a good rating simply for its clever twist. Rating: 3/5

Randy Orton vs. Kane

The second match on the card was a decent one. Orton and Kane both put on a good show and the chokeslam off the top rope was a nice way to end the match. In my opinion however, both of these two should be back in the title race and I especially hope a title shot comes Kane’s way soon. Some decent back-and-forth action and a nice filler match. Rating: 3/5

Intercontinental Title Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show

This match proved much more entertaining than I was expecting. Whilst it was a short one at 5 minutes, I did enjoy it. The ending may have been predictable but it was nice to see Rhodes put up a good fight rather than just have Show destroy him. It’s also nice to see Big Show back with a title around his waist again and I believe the emotion shown at the end was totally genuine. Rating: 3/5

Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix & Eve

There were some brief entertaining moments here with Kelly Kelly surprisingly stealing the show with a glorious move off the top rope. However, on the whole, this was a fairly pointless encounter and easily the weakest match of the night which is a shame as Kelly, Eve & Beth all have so much more potential than what they were able to showcase. Pretty dull. Rating: 2/5

 The Undertaker vs. Triple H

The ‘End of an Era’ Hell in a Cell match was, without a doubt, one of the greatest matches I have ever seen. The action went back and forth, with many occasions where I genuinely feared for The Phenom’s streak. Shawn Michaels as referee proved far more successful than I thought it would be and all three men did a great job of showing emotion throughout. The ending of the match was powerful and effective with ‘Taker delivering a shot to Triple H with his own sledgehammer followed by a killer of a tombstone. The genuine show of love and respect by the three men following the match was poignant and powerful with Michaels, Hunter and ‘Taker embracing at the top of the ramp. I think this will go down in history as one of the best Wrestlemania matches to date & stole the show on the night. Rating: 5/5

Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy

This was a great showcase of the talent within the current WWE roster. Clearly a replacement for the absent Money In The Bank Ladder Match, this one was full of exciting action with nobody taking a moment to even breathe. Edge of your seat stuff with Ryder & Miz stealing the match. My only criticism was the involvement of Eve at the end in a match that, storyline wise, was very important. Rating: 4/5

 WWE Title Match: CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho

This bout got off to a slow start with the early part of the match being actually rather boring. However, when the action finally did kick in, both men did a strong job of showcasing some exciting back-and-fourth action. Interesting ending as I was expecting a Jericho win but a surprising ending is always a good one! Again, there were several moments where the result could of gone either way and was generally a good title match. Rating: 3.5/5

John Cena vs. The Rock

The main event was what everyone had been waiting for and they were not left disappointed. As a critic, it was not the greatest match of all time but as a fan it was perfect. Cena & The Rock both did enough to please both new school and old school fans in a match that after a slow start became both exciting and thoroughly enjoyable. The Rock was in great shape and didn’t miss a step but in no way was Cena upstaged, who put on one of the greatest performances of his career to date. It was clear that everyone in attendance was fully focused on the spectacle of the event and you could feel the atmosphere coming from inside the arena. Fans could not really have asked for much more. Ending wise, I was unsure right up until the end which way I wanted it to go but I now feel the right person won - and the finish was very exciting. Rating: 5/5

Overall, with the exception of the divas match, every bout was worthy of it’s spot at this years Wrestlemania. It may not have been their greatest ‘Mania ever, but WWE managed to provide an event which was better than any others in recent years and gave hope to fans that things can only go up from here. Veterans like ‘Taker, Michaels, Triple H & The Rock stole the show, as was expected, with Cena especially rising to the occasion also. This one may even be worth the DVD purchase! Overall PPV Rating: 4.5/5

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Movie Review: This Means War

Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy star in this mixed bag of a comedy flick about two best friends who fall for the same girl…and they just happen to be spies.

What ensues is a series of gags that are absolutely ridiculous and totally unbelievable, but somehow, they still work. Admittedly, there are moments in this film that are just not funny at all but there are also several genuine moments of hilarity. 

Tom Hardy and Chris Pine have excellent on-screen chemistry as the loveable CIA agents and each exchange between the pair is better than the last. The best moments of this movie are the ones where Hardy and Pine are left alone to bicker between themselves. That is taking nothing away from Witherspoon, who puts in a very good performance with the material she is given to work with. The real hidden gem here though is Chelsea Handler, in the role as Trish, who is genuinely hilarious and makes the most of every bit of screen time she is given.

There are action scenes here too but they are nothing new, nothing exciting and seem to have been thrown in there to try and entertain any male viewers who have been dragged to the showing by their girlfriends. The movie is directed by McG - the man behind Charlie’s Angels - and it shows. A better director could have perhaps done a better job with the budget given. 

The ending too, is all a little too obvious. It would have been nice to have seen a different conclusion but the climax of the movie all seemed to happen far too quickly. Just as I was getting into the swing of it, the credits began to roll.

What I did like about this movie however, was the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The script allows for some fooling around and the whole thing feels very playful. One particularly good and clever scene shows Witherspoon’s character singing along to her radio, unaware that the spies are moving around her planting cameras.

All in all, this movie is nothing too special and has, for the most part, all been seen before. However, it is a nice piece of escapism, providing a few nice laughs along the way, with the cast doing the best job they can with the material they are given to work with. Worth a one time watch but won’t be remembered as a comic classic. Rating: 3/5 

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Movie Review: The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe breaks away from Harry Potter in this genuinely chilling, good old-fashioned ghost story.

From the opening scene of three young girls committing suicide, it is clear that this is not one for the faint hearted. A 12A it is not - how on earth this movie got away with that classification I will never know. That aside, ‘Woman In Black’ is pure genius.

What I like about this movie is the fact that it does away with all the gore and violence of recent horror flicks and instead opts for a more old-fashioned approach to scaring audiences - and it works perfectly.

In place of torture and knives we get creaking staircases, locked doors and freaky toys. The movie gives a chance for suspense to grow with every scene so that when something does happen, the audience quite literally jump out of their seats.

It should also be noted that there are some stellar performances here. All the cast do a wonderful job adding to the mystery of the story whilst Radcliffe does an impressive job in the lead role, showing just how much he really has matured. Also, she doesn’t have much to do apart from standing there looking scary, but Liz White is terrifying as the Woman In Black and deserves recognition for that.

My one main criticism of this film was the bizarre ending. I will not spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet but for those who have, hopefully you will understand me when I say that i’m not sure whether we are supposed to be happy or sad at the films resolution. Whilst I understood it, it was all rather strange.

Up to that point however, the movie never once lost my full attention and I genuinely was scared. If you enjoy a chilling ghost story with plenty of suspense and thrills, then this is definitely for you. If this is the direction Hammer Horror is going in, the future looks very bright for the studio and British horror in general. Real edge-of-your-seat stuff. Rating: 4/5  

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Movie Review: The Vow

Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams have genuine on scene chemistry in this heart-warming flick inspired by true events.

Leo and Paige are happily married when a car accident leaves Paige in a coma. When she awakens, she has suffered severe memory loss and does not remember Leo, forcing her husband to win her heart all over again.

What follows is an emotional and at times poetically funny story of true love which is sure to leave a tear in your eye. Tatum is excellent as the heartbroken Leo who longs for his wife to love him again whilst McAdams gives the best performance of her career to date as Paige tries to rebuild some kind of life for herself, with or without Leo.

This movie genuinely has everything you could ask for in a romantic drama - heartbreak, happiness, sadness and a splash of comedy thrown in for good measure. Everything about it is believable, to the extent that you forget you are viewing a movie and begin to think you are watching real people. ‘The Vow’ is easily the best film of its genre to be released in the past couple of years and that is completely thanks to the near-perfect script and the outstanding performances by two of Hollywood’s brightest stars.

Interestingly, there are also some neat twists in this movie with more strong performances coming from talent such as Sam Neill and Jessica Lange. It’s not all perfect and there are one of two moments which are perhaps slightly questionable, but taking everything into account, this is a damn good movie that should be seen by anyone who enjoys a powerful love story with a bit of a twist.

I really hope that this opens even more doors for Tatum and McAdams, because they both deserve it and hopefully this movie will do just as well with its DVD release as it has done in theatres. If this sounds like your kind of movie, see it. You won’t be disappointed. Rating 4.5/5  

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Movie Review: Underworld: Awakening

After 6 long years, Kate Beckinsale makes her return to the successful vampire franchise, but was it really worth the wait?

Set 12 years after the events of ‘Evolution’, Selene, (who has been captured and frozen), awakens into a world she no longer recognises, where humans are aware of and are exterminating vampires and lycans and where her lover, Michael, is missing.

What follows is an all-out action-filled romp which sees Selene searching for Michael, slaying one enemy after another as she goes. The fight scenes here are impressive enough and are by far the best feature of the movie, but whilst the 3D element to the film is interesting, I do not feel it is at all necessary. 

Beckinsale herself is on fine form as the cold-hearted heroine and gives her best performance to date as the character. If possible, Selene is even more violent and aggressive in ‘Awakening’ than in its predecessors and the actress portrays this well. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the cast, who don’t really look as though they can even be bothered. Charles Dance does his best as a vampire elder, but comes nowhere near to being as interesting as Bill Nighy in the earlier films.

This brings me onto a very important point - where is Scott Speedman? His presence is sorely missed here with an awkward double stepping in for a few moments during the movie. His absence could be the genuine cause for what is a rather weak script, as the whole story has been built around the characters disappearance.

My main problem with ‘Awakening’ was that whilst the action is fun and provides some great entertainment, when you sit and think about it, it seems to merely cover up the weak storyline. Something about the film did not feel the same as its prequels and to me felt more like the first film in a new trilogy than a fourth film in a franchise and that is a real shame.

I should point out that this is by no means a bad movie and should provide wonderful escapism for action movie lovers during its short 89 minute running time. However, if you are looking for an intelligent script and wonderful performances, look past this one. If the franchise is to continue, a lot needs to change. It’s good, but not great. Rating: 3/5 

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Single Review: Toni Braxton - ‘I Heart You’

Legendary diva Toni Braxton unleashed her new single, ‘I Heart You’, as a gift to fans mere moments ago and what a gift it is!

Set to a pulsating dance beat, Braxton’s sultry vocals glide smoothly over the thumping instrumental. Toni is back and she is letting the world know. Without a doubt, this track is better than anything sitting in the current top 40 and wouldn’t feel out of place on a David Guetta album - it’s that good, if not better.

With a chorus to die for and written and produced by Braxton herself, the track opens in a ballad-esque style, but this is merely the calm before the storm as moments later listeners should find themselves dancing around their rooms to this infectious rhythm. Here, Toni is hitting us full force with both her iconic voice and the catchy instrumental and she succeeds in leaving us wanting more. If this is a sign of what is to come on her new album, this will easily be Braxton’s best body of work to date. I, for one, could not be happier.

The track tells the story of someone trying to get over the heartbreak of loosing someone. “I think i’m gonna dance my troubles all away”, declares Toni and that is what this song is essentially all about - letting go of your worries and just having some fun. Braxton does more than enough here to please and excite her fans whilst maybe also gaining some new ones. This should be a hit both in the charts and in the clubs and is a more than triumphant return for one of the greatest voices in the industry today. Rating: 5/5

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Single Review: Marilyn Manson - ‘No Reflection’

Almost 2 years after the release of his last album, ‘The High End Of Low’, the God of Rock returns with a bang with ‘No Reflection’, the first single from his upcoming LP.

Taken straight off of ‘Born Villain’, this is Manson as fans know him and shows he is certainly back to his best. As soon as the heavy intro kicks in, we know we are about to hear something special. With its kick-ass instrumental, killer hook and signature vocals, this is quite simply Manson’s best “first single” since ‘The Beautiful People’ - and that is saying something. “You don’t even want to know what i’m gonna do to you”, declares Manson before exploding into an insanely catchy chorus which gets better with every listen.

Here, Manson has taken the personal lyrical growth he has gained in recent years and put it to extremely good use. Whilst ‘High End Of Low’ and ‘Eat Me, Drink Me’ were wonderful albums in their own right, there just seemed to be something missing. Well, whatever that was, it is definitely back. 

Unfortunately, in today’s market, dominated by club, pop and r&b, it is unlikely that a song by an artist such as Marilyn Manson will become a number one record. However, that is not what is important here. For Manson has once again proved his critics wrong and has set himself up for one hell of a successful album with what can only be described as a damn-near perfect track. Rating: 4.5/5

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Single Review: Madonna - ‘Girls Gone Wild’

After a less than successful return to the charts with ‘Gimme All Your Luvin’, the Queen of Pop wastes no time unleashing her new single, ‘Girls Gone Wild’, but does this one hit the mark?

The second single to be lifted from her upcoming ‘MDNA’ album, sees Madonna returning to her dance roots with a killer beat and some excellent production. Fans of the ‘Confessions On a Dancefloor’ album will be sure to love this and it should provide the hit Madge is looking for.

The good news here is, ‘Girls Gone Wild’ is instantly better than ‘Luvin’. As soon as the introduction kicks in, you know Madonna is back and she means business. The chorus is catchy and Madonna finally sounds like Madonna again. (Fans will know what I mean when I say that).

However, it’s not all positive. Firstly, the lyrics themselves wouldn’t seem out of place in a children’s nursery rhyme rather than a pop track! Also, this is all too similar to some of her previous work and for the master of re-invention, that is never a good sign. It is beginning to feel that Madonna and her team are more interested in gaining a hit record than switching up the game, which she once did so very easily.

Having said all that, this is a great pop song and will wet fans’ appetites enough until the release of Madonna’s new LP in a months time. It is a step in the right direction for the hit-maker and will hopefully give her the next hit she truly deserves. Rating: 3.5/5

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Single Review: Rihanna (feat. Chris Brown) - ‘Birthday Cake’

After weeks of anticipation and rumours, finally the full version of Rihanna’s ‘Birthday Cake’ has been released by the singer…along with an extra surprise.

Since the release of hit album, ‘Talk That Talk’, supporters have been dying to get their hands on the completed track, but who would have thought that it would arrive featuring none other than Mr Chris Brown!

Sure to cause controversy amongst media and listeners alike, there comes a time when you have to separate the people from the art & no matter what has happened in the past between these two, nobody can deny that this cheeky number is musical gold. If Rihanna and Chris Brown are comfortable enough to put past events behind them, that should be enough for the rest of the world too.

That said, the track itself is a romp of an affair with Princess RiRi and Breezy exchanging all kinds of explicit messages back and forth. It is enough to make the dirtiest of listeners turn their head. With a sexy beat and raunchy vocals, this has got to be one of the finest collaborations in recent memory and will do wonders for Chris Brown’s comeback campaign as well as helping to continue Rihanna’s reign at the top of the charts. Brown claims its “been a long time”, whilst Rihanna asks, “Remember how you did it?” – The flirty, yet playful undertones are there for all to hear. All in all, this track is nothing short of fierce and yes, Rihanna fans, it was worth the wait, wasn’t it? Rating - 5/5

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Album Review: Emeli Sandé - ‘Our Version of Events’

The ‘Heaven’ hitmaker unleashes her beautiful debut album, which will reel you in and have you hooked from start to finish.

Opening up the LP with the familiar hit, ‘Heaven’, it is clear that the soulful singer is holding nothing back. Launching herself into second track, ‘My Kind Of Love’, it quickly becomes clear that Sandé is without a doubt one of the most talented musicians to come out of Britain in recent years.  With gorgeous lyrics, haunting melodies and a voice to die for, the track gives us an insight into even greater things to come.

Things are taken down a notch here with the mesmerising ‘Where I Sleep’, the inspiring ‘Mountains’ and album highlight ‘Clown’, where Sandé lays her soul bare telling listeners to “go ahead and laugh, cuz it’s funny”, whilst comparing life to a circus. In an album full on potential hits, this stunner simply must be a single, with Emeli’s voice really hitting home.

Next up is the catchy, Naughty Boy assisted ‘Daddy’ followed by ‘Maybe’ which sees Sandé deepening her tone and darkening the mood as she tries to hold on to a love that is long lost – a truly heart-breaking number that you simply have to hear in all its beauty to believe.

The painful theme continues with ‘Suitcase’ – a track that nearly everyone can relate to which sees a confused Emeli declaring, “If you must kill me, at least please tell me why”.  The acoustic feeling ‘Breaking the Law’ follows, exposing Sandé’s voice like never before, and she doesn’t disappoint. Track after track, this talented individual continues to shine with a gift few could match.

Current hit single ‘Next To Me’ sees the tone lighten again. It is nice to see the throwback number getting the recognition it deserves. ‘River’ is a stunning, straight up love song, perfect for a first dance whilst ‘Lifetime’ and ‘Hope’ address many of life’s questions, but in totally different ways.

This fantastic debut wraps up with ‘Read All About It (Part III)’ with Emeli Sandé creating what I genuinely feel is one of the most important songs of our time. Gone are the Professor Green raps and in their place are powerful lyrics speaking about equality, judgement, fear and bravery against all odds. This song will touch the coldest of hearts and should become an anthem in today’s society.

All in all, this is a ridiculously solid debut which never loses its way and cements Sandé as one of the most talented and important artists of recent years. If ‘Our Version of Events’ is anything to go by, we will be hearing about Emeli Sandé for a long time to come. This is one that will be on repeat time and time again and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Overall Rating: 5/5

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Single Review: Nicki Minaj - ‘Starships’

The Young Money star returns with a new single that pushes all the right buttons.

Recent times haven’t been easy for Minaj. Her new album, ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’, was delayed, track ‘Roman In Moscow’ failed to have the effect anticipated, single ‘Stupid Hoe’ received more dislikes than likes on YouTube and the Grammys performance, despite being terrifically entertaining, was shrouded in controversy. However, never one to let things get in her way, Minaj has returned to form with an epic track simply destined for the top of the charts as well as all good dance floors everywhere.

Combining her rapping and singing skills over a beat produced by Red One, ‘Starships’ is ‘Super Bass’ on steroids and comes complete with an insanely catchy chorus and a glorious dance break. The song, essentially about having no cares and just being yourself, will be on listeners iPods well into the summer and is the perfect anthem for those warm beach holidays. If this is an idea of what to expect from Minaj’s second album, I for one, cannot wait. A number one in the making. Rating 5/5

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WWE Review: Elimination Chamber 2012

WWE’s final PPV leading into ‘Wrestlemania’ is a mixed affair but just about does enough to keep viewers interested. Here is a match-by-match review:

Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship – CM Punk vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston vs. R-Truth vs. The Miz

Starting the PPV with a bang, all six men do a good job of making this a solid title match.  As usual, Punk, Jericho and The Miz steal the show whilst Ziggler, Kingston and Truth more than hold their own. However, my two main issues here are the fact that Ziggler was not used to his full potential in this match and also the bizarre ‘elimination’ of Jericho. It seems obvious to me that this is leading to a Punk vs. Jericho bout at ‘Mania’, but even so, the lack of pinfall left me confused and slightly annoyed. I must state though, that this allowed for an exciting closing to the match between Punk and The Miz, with both stars proving their main event status. Miz’s delivery of his Skull Crushing Finale was particularly well executed, but unfortunately it seemed as though the audience were too focused on Jericho to even notice it! All in all, the match had its good moments with Punk picking up a convincing win, but with these names, I expected more. Rating: 3/5

Divas Championship Match – Beth Phoenix vs. Tamina

This was easily the best divas match I have seen in a long time and I would have liked to have seen it last even longer. Both women put in excellent performances with Tamina showing great potential and Beth at her usual high standard. For a change, it looked as though WWE were taking their female athletes seriously. On at least two occasions, I genuinely felt that Beth could realistically have lost the title – something I haven’t felt in a long time. I would have liked to see the return of Kharma at the end of the match, but nonetheless, a solid match from start to finish with Beth again retaining her title. I expect to see a Kharma return at some point in the next couple of weeks setting up a match with Phoenix at ‘Mania’.  Rating 3.5/5

Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship – Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett vs. Santino vs. Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Great Khali

Here is my problem – why on earth was this match here on the card? Surely the ‘Elimination Chamber’ PPV should start and end with an Elimination Chamber match? Anyway, that aside, for a rare change, I felt Smackdown performed better than Raw here. Khali was simply dreadful and I was glad to see he was the first eliminated but apart from that, it was a great match. Even in a PG environment, it was nice to see the competitors use the Chamber as a weapon. Barrett and Rhodes were particularly good on the night but it is Santino, believe it or not, who will be the most talked about following this match. Going into the bout, I was dreading seeing Santino in this environment, but he stole the show and on several occasions, actually looked like he could win the match. I now hope that WWE run with this and begin to develop Santino into a serious character as he showed huge potential here. I went into this match expecting Bryan to win and for Sheamus to come out to issue his challenge and that is exactly what happened – an obvious but effective ending to a very good match. Rating 3.5/5

United States Championship Match – Jack Swagger vs. Justin Gabriel

There isn’t much to say about this really. It is a shame that two rising stars such as these were thrown into this pointless match. I would much rather have seen a match for Sheamus. Terrible from start to finish, I can’t believe that for a card that only had 5 matches anyway, WWE couldn’t come up with something better. I feel bad for Swagger and Gabriel as they really do deserve more. Rating 1/5

Ambulance Match – John Cena vs. Kane

I genuinely believe that this match was the main event simply because of the involvement of Cena, but it felt like an average mid-card match at best.  That is not to say it didn’t have its good moments though – Kane chokeslamming Cena through the table was a personal highlight and Cena’s Attitude Adjustment off the top of the ambulance was a great way to end the match. I felt that Cena put on a good performance here but it was Kane who impressed. Time and time again, Kane proves that he is damn good at what he does and why he is not in the title picture is beyond me – I hope that after ‘Mania’, Kane gets the push her deserves. It was a good match, but a bit of a weak ending to the event. Kane and Cena are both great performers, but together, I just don’t think they fit. I hope this rivalry is laid to bed now as Cena turns his attentions to The Rock. Rating 3/5

Overall, I went into this PPV expecting great things and was ultimately let down. Whilst this was by no means a bad PPV, it wasn’t great either. The Smackdown Chamber match and the Divas stole the show for me whilst the United States Championship match, the endless Santino segments, the Rock/Cena promos and the John Laurinaitis angle let the event down massively. It was nice to see Henry, Del Rio and Christian return but I would have preferred to see them arrive in a more dramatic way on Raw. WWE still have a lot of work to do going into ‘Wrestlemania’ in six weeks’ time. However, having said that, I am still excited for the road ahead. Overall PPV Rating 3/5

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R.I.P. Whitney Houston

I felt it was important for me to say a few words about the legendary Whitney Houston.

Today, my heart feels so very heavy and a part of me has died inside - the world has lost a true shining star.

I grew up listening to Whitney’s music and her songs have helped me through many a dark times in my life.

Today will be a very, very sad day for me. I just hope Whitney is remembered for the voice and the talent rather than her personal life.

Whitney was a true superstar. With timeless classics like ‘Greatest Love Of All’, ‘Saving All My Love For You’, ‘I Have Nothing’ and of course the sensational ‘I Will Always Love You’, Whitney’s voice will always be there and through music, she lives on.

My thoughts go out to her daughter, family, friends and all her other fans around the world.

There will only ever be one Whitney. Rest In Peace Whitney Houston - We will ALWAYS love you.

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Single Review: Chris Brown - ‘Turn Up The Music’

Following on from ‘Strip’, Chris Brown reveals the second single off of his new album, ‘Fortune’, and does a pretty good job with it too.

Rightly or wrongly, it has been a rocky road in recent years for Brown, with many failing to seperate the ‘man’ from the ‘music’. Whatever your feelings though, few can deny that he has some very good tracks.

‘Turn Up The Music’ is no exception. Whilst it is nothing new, it does exactly what it needs to do, is radio friendly and should become a successful hit for the artist. Whilst it doesn’t have the instant impact of, say, David Guetta’s ‘Turn Me On’ or Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’, it is a track that sits halfway between ‘Forever’ and ‘Yeah 3x’, is full of infectious beats and features a very catchy chorus.

Brown seems to be playing it safe with this track, but that will probably work to his benefit. I only hope that his album also features some more ‘edgy’ material like some of the hidden gems on ‘F.A.M.E.’, as this could become forgettable quite quickly. Nothing groundbreaking, but nice enough. Rating 3/5

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Single Review: Alexandra Burke - ‘Elephant’

After what seems like an eternity,  X Factor winner Alexandra Burke has finally returned with the upbeat club anthem, ‘Elephant’.

Sure to set the charts alight, the Erick Morillo assisted track is Burke’s first single off of her as-yet-untitled sophomore album and has number one written all over it with its killer beat and heavy bass. “You wanna talk, you wanna talk about it?”, Alex asks in the opening line of the track, setting us up for what is to come - a stomper of a track.

Alexandra will probably receive criticism for her use of autotune on this track but everybody knows that the girl can sing and the effects only help the mood of the song here. Whilst I hope that Burke still intends to record plenty of ballads, I have no complaints about this direction at all.

This is one of those songs that just gets better and better the more you listen to it and my only complaint is I wish it would have been even longer! Expect to hear this in all good clubs and on the radio for a good while yet. Great job Alex. Rating 4.5/5

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