"I'm Luke Skywalkin' on These Haters, Splish!"

What happens when smooth R&B meets the king of ad libs? Well, it's as smooth as you could imagine with both Miguel and Travi$ Scott trading sing-songy verses back and forth over a calm beat. Sky Walker is a laid back, flossy track that fits the pool party vibe exemplified in the new fresh new video below...



My only comment is why how the crowded bath tub got into the mix? Must be extra lit when you can jump in a crowded pool with two bunnies rather than spread out in a pool or in the sauna? Somebody will have to explain that one to me. Video aside, it's further proof that Travi$ Scott can slide into just about any track and sound right at home. I've always been of the mindset that auto-tune can be a craft too. If it were that easy to be successful using autotune wouldn't everyone do it? Yea, that's what I thought, or as the homie Travis says "Strrraight UP!...#SkyWalker

Miguel feat Travi$ Scott - Sky Walker

Videos of the Week July 21st

It's impossible to sugar coat it, this was a sad week due to the loss of Linkin Park lead man Chester Bennington. It's unfortunate that we continue to lose such talented people to depression at a young age. Hopefully one day mental health is taken as serious as physical health.

Regarding videos this week, Linkin Park still let loose new visuals for Talking to Myself the day that Chester passed. The video will serve as a bittersweet bookmark in history, unfortunately. If you're in need of a boost of energy after the previous video's punch to the gut, then RL Grime and Miguel have you covered. Let's just say they brought the energy at EDC in performing Stay For It. In case you haven't gotten enough of the genius that is Kygo, I've got good news. He'll be releasing a documentary soon that will give more of an in-depth look into his life as a rising artist. If a bit of novelty is what you need, then seeing your favorite Game of Thrones characters spliced together singing Smash Mouth's All-Star will provide some much needed humor in a tough week. And last, but most interesting was a behind the scenes look at Odesza's creative process. Let's just say they do a LOT of tinkering to manipulate and bend sound to until they come up with something unique. Such a cool way they go about inventing chords...#Odesza

Linkin Park - Talking to Myself (Video)

RL Grime and Miguel Perform Stay For It at EDC

Kygo's Stole the Show Documentary Teaser

Smash Mouth's All-Star Sung by Game of Thrones Cast

Inside Odesza's Creative Process

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Save Me From Myself 'Cause I Can't Go Much Longer"

When RL Grime does it big, he does it WAAAY big. A symphony of raw electronic power is what you can expect when you press play on his new single below. Everything from the slow build, to the arena filling synths, to the vibrant bass all works together in such beautiful harmony. And I haven't even mentioned the vocals from Miguel yet. Stay For It isn't a collaboration you'd expect, but often those turn out to be the most novel. His soothing vocals fit the vibe of the track to T, adding another calming element that contrasts well with the eye popping drop. Mark my words, this will go down as a top 10 favorite on GWDJ Favorites for 2017...#StayForIt

RL Grime feat Miguel - Stay For It

"I'm Damned 2 Loving You"

Not sure how I missed this one when it flew across the radar a few weeks back, but hopefully you can hear the regret in my implied internet voice. DJ Premier teaming up with Miguel on a track? Hell to the yea, that's a great idea that someone should have thought of months ago. If you're a Miguel fan, 2 LOVIN U is going to sound really familiar because the vocals are from a bonus track off his last album titled damned. Normally I'd post the original version to compare, but the new version with Primo is leaps and bounds better. For newly minted visuals, check it below...

Miguel's vocals fit like a glove over the vibrant, thumping beat with cuts and breaks galore. Can't say for sure what album this will ultimately end up on, but it was released via DJ Premier's new TTT (To The Top) outfit, which is interesting. In some cases like this one, I'm totally fine with sweating the details on a track as I run laps around it...#2LOVINU

Miguel - 2 LOVIN U (prod by DJ Premier)

The Chemical Brothers & Miguel Are Not Playin' Around

Well here's another triple-take inducing collaboration. Serving as the promotional single from the upcoming Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 Soundtrack, This Is Not a Game grabs you by the collar and promises to be different from what you usually hear. The grungy, industrial synths provide the edge while Miguel's vocals and Lorde's vocal samples cut the instrumental.

Therein lies the tension on the track, though. It's as if the track rides the fence between a listenable pop track and gritty anthem that sets the tone for another battle to the death. I'll still give Lorde all the credit in the world for pulling the Chemical Brothers and Miguel together, but in the end the conflicting styles go two directions boldly instead of going one direction together...#ThisIsNotAGame

Videos of the Week June 6th

Lots of really solid music videos this week led by Miguel's Simplethings. I really dig the black and white aesthetic, it fits the beautiful simplicity of the track. Adding to that is One Republic's visuals for Love Runs Out and the all-too-mysterious BANKS new one for Drowning. They both tell stories of love taking it toll, but in two very different tones.

If you're in the mood for some fun and excitement, you'll enjoy the fun little coffee run competition that deadmau5, Skrillex and Dillon Francis undertook. Lots of shenanigans were had by all. Finishing off the week's top 5 is yet another trailer for an upcoming festival in the form of Chicago's Spring Awakening Festival. I feel like EDM festivals are growing on trees these days, but they have still found a way to be personally elusive. Someday I will attend one of them and the highlights will be shared, bet dat!...#SpringAwakening
Miguel - Simplethings (Video)

Spring Awakening Music Festival 2014 Trailer

Deadmau5 vs Skrillex and Dillon Francis Face Off in a Coffee Run

One Republic - Love Runs Out (Video)

BANKS - Drowning (Video)


Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week October 11th

Interesting collection of videos centered around Hip Hop this week. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around the sheer awesomeness of Marina Shifrin's "take this job and shove it" video that catapulted Kanye's 8 yr old track Gone to 4th on Billboard's Hip Hop chart. Everybody would love to do this at some point of their life, but kudos to her for actually pulling it off and going viral.

Aside from that business, Eminem got around to make a new video for his video game inspired track Survival and Childish Gambino is starting to ramp up the hype for his upcoming album. Quick side note, that Travie McCoy and Jason Mraz track is dope as hell...#RoughWater

The Video that put an 8 yr old Kanye song at #4 on the Current Billboard Charts

Eminem - Survival (Video)

Childish Gambino - because the internet (Teaser)

Janelle Monet feat Miguel - Primetime (Video)

Travie McCoy feat Jason Mraz - Rough Water (Video)

Videos of the Week July 26th

Whole lotta comedy this week in the form of The Lonely Island's performance on Jimmy Fallon and Colbert's entertaining roast of Kanye's new clothing line. Aside from that, I enjoyed the really well done piece by Jason Goldwatch on Bun-B. He is a living legend and I'm glad to see him get the respect he deserves through features like this. Still loving just about everything that Big K.R.I.T. puts out and am excited as hell to see Miguel on tour with Drake this fall...#WouldYouLikeATour
The Lonely Island Perform YOLO on Jimmy Fallon

Stephen Colbert Talks About Kanye's Clothing Line

Bun-B Time Pieces by Jason Goldwatch

Big K.R.I.T. - Multi Til the Sun Die (Video)

Miguel - How Many Drinks Acoustic Session

"Shorty Got Grilled Like Chipotle"

I've heard Mariah and Miguel's #Beautiful on the radio at least four or five times now. Every time I hear it, I think to myself, "man I really like this track, I should put that on a playlist." For some reason it has never made it to a playlist, but now that the track has gotten remixed by Jeezy, A$AP, even gotten the Spanglish treatment, it's finally going to make it's debut this week.

Sure, on first glance you might think, "he;s only posting the A$AP remix because of the Chipotle line." While I was entertained by it, I'm gonna give a lot of the credit to Dat PMF for lacing the remix similar to the way he did on Rihanna's Cockiness. A$AP's low-key bars fit well over the Sittin' By the Dock of the Bay style beat. Successful remixes take original versions to another level and that's exactly what happened below...#Beautiful

Mariah Carey feat Miguel & A$AP Rocky - #Beautiful (Remix)

Star Slingin' on a Thursday Night

Am I the only one who wants really badly that Star Slinger would tour around the US? There's an outside shot I could catch him in Chi-town, but he seems keen on primarily staying in the UK on his side of the pond. Can't blame him, if I made great music I'd make people come check me out in my home territory too.

Anyways, the English version of Darren Williams let loose a funky rendition of Miguel's Adorn this week. The remix has a little bit of everything from Hip Hop to electronic to a bit of reggae/calypso vibe toward the end. It's a funky take on a love makin' track that stays true to his upbeat, piano-filled style. Feel free to cool out to this one and don't miss Miguel opening for Drake this fall...#WouldYouLikeATour

Miguel - Adorn (Star Slinger remix)

Videos of the Week May 10th

Run of the mill offering this week with a lot of Hip Hop and R&B. Evidently Lana Del Rey has become the icon for The Great Gatsby, which is fitting given her throwback style. Oh and this just in, Mariah Carey is still smokin' hot. Also, is it just me or are lyric videos now the new thing? I don't mean only lyrics as the video, I meant interaction style lyrics embedded into real videos like on T.I.'s Hello? Maybe it's the interaction designer in me, but I appreciate it...#UXMakesTheWorldGoRound

Mariah Carey feat Miguel - #Beautiful (Video)

T.I. feat Cee-Lo - Hello (Video)

Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful (Video)

DJ Felli Fel feat Ne-Yo, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa - Reason to Hate (BTS)

The Wanted - Walks Like Rihanna (Video)

Videos of the Week April 26th

Alright now that making promo videos for festivals is becoming "the cool thing to do", it's starting to wear on me. Not only are these awesome festivals generally nowhere near me, now I get to see the highlights and promos for them...awesome! The newest one being the Hard Summer concert taking place in LA August 3rd-4th. The lineup looks to be pretty killer.

Aside from that, there are two entertaining behind the scenes videos below to go with David Guetta and T.I.'s new visual creations. Quick sidebar, I'll be in Paris the next ten days, so apologies if seems like I've all the sudden developed a new music blind spot. I'll do what I can to keep up with the daily routine, don't you worry...#NoDaysOff
Hard Summer Concert in LA Trailer

David Guetta feat Ne-Yo & Akon - Play Hard (Video)

T.I., B.o.B, Kendrick Lamar - Memories Back Then (Video)

Stafford Brothers feat Lil Wayne & Christina Milian - Hello (BTS)

J Cole feat Miguel - Power Trip (BTS)

Videos of the Week April 12th

Little bit of everything from Hip Hop to R&B to straight up Indie electronic awesomeness this week. I still don't really have a good explanation for what type of music TNGHT makes, but what I do know is they take the best part of EDM (synthesizers) and mix it with the best part of Hip Hop beats (BASS) to create a marriage of epic proportions. I've always been in the minority supporting instrumental Hip Hop, so to see it take shape with an electronic twist makes me one happy camper.

As a side note, Major Lazer is still really awesome and Miguel has all but made it into the good graces of stardom...finally. No funny videos this week, but I'll leave you with an entertaining, current music hashtag instead...#Coachella2013
J Cole feat Miguel - Power Trip (Video)

Frank Ocean - Lost (Video)

TNGHT - Acrylics (Video)

Miguel feat Kendrick Lamar- How Many Drinks Remix? (Behind the Scenes)

Major Lazer feat Busy Signal, The Flexican & F5 Green - Watch Out For This (Bumaye) (Video)

Videos of the Week February 22nd

Without a doubt, the most creative video of the week goes to Pitchfork TV's animated Frames series who put together an interesting story about @WakaFlockaBSM's upbringing. Evidently he had a certain grandparent that was more than a little strict. The screen shot above hints at one of the funnier point of the animated short...#SnoopyGettinAfterIt

Also on the menu is the beginning of EDM through the eyes of Potato, as well as a whole slew of new Hip Hop & R&B. Evidently more people are starting appreciate @MiguelUnlimited, which is long overdue. Now if we could only just get more people to buy into what @HoodieAllen is preaching...#FIFA

Pitchfork TV: Waka Flocka Reminisces On Strict Childhood

BANG! Episode #1 ft. Skrillex & Boys Noize from POTATO (Video)

Hoodie Allen feat Chiddy Bang - FIFA (Fame is for A$$holes) (Video)

Miguel - Candles in the Sun (Video)

50 Cent feat Kendrick Lamar & Kidd Kidd - We Up (Video)

Born Sinner on a Power Trip

Seems like Hip Hop artists are in the giving mood these days with free singles and free EPs. The latest of which @JColeNC let loose with a nice five track Yours Truly EP. The EP will serve as more of a hype generator for Cole's upcoming sophomore album Born Sinner, due out later this year.

I say it'll be a hype generator because the lead single off Born Sinner, Power Trip, just hit iTunes on Thursday. The sheer fact that Cole already letting loose extras from his upcoming album is downright exciting. Album cuts implies finality, which combined with a lead single release leads this blogger to believe Born Sinner is coming more sooner than later. If anybody watched the Grammys they are now very familiar with @MiguelUnlimited, which makes the hook on the track below that much more noteworthy. All I gotta ask is "Would you believe me if I said I was in love?"...#YoursTruly

J Cole feat Miguel - Power Trip

Videos of the Week October 12th

Really random set of videos this week ranging from the newest, biggest Hip Hop video from @wale to a well constructed new EDM video to yet another rapper working the ESPN circuit. The two most unique videos have to be @MiguelUnlimited's acoustic rendition of Adorn and the new trailer to Anthony Hopkins new soon to be blockbuster movie about Alfred Hitchcock's life. Two facts make them unique and worth watching: 1) Miguel has a great voice and 2) Anthony Hopkins is a great actor. Really only one word can rightfully describe the range of videos this week...#Random

Wale feat Drake & Rick Ross - Diced Pineapples (Video)

Alesso feat Matthew Koma - Years (Video)

South Park Sessions Miguel Performing Adorn (Acoustic)

Bun-B on ESPN First Take

Hitchcock Movie Trailer

"You Play Your Cards Right and I Can Deal With You"

With R&B completely taking a back seat in my www daily music journal, it's refreshing every now and then when I come across some grown and sexy R&B. To be honest, I should have posted @MiguelUnlimited's original version of Adorn. Man, Miguel kills it with the falsetto at the end of the track too (video below)...

...but in an effort to overcompensate, maybe waiting for the remix wasn't such a bad idea. Love how @realwizkhalifa's verse fits like a glove over the smooth R&B syths. It makes me even more pumped for ONFIC. Cool out to this one over your long weekend y'all...#Grown&Sexy

Miguel feat Wiz Khalifa - Adorn (Remix)
|iTunes

Videos of the Week

Man, I'm pretty solid on the fact that @coldplay is on my concert bucket list. They definitely play in concert and their SNL appearance was a testament to that on a much smaller, more intimate scale. Pretty cool to see @drake bring out @MACHINEGUNKELLY while performing in his hometown of Cleveland. Is it me or does it appearance wise like @jackiechain74 isn't what you'd expect when you think of Southern Rap? That's what's great about Hip Hop, you can find a dude who doesn't look like he'd fit in completely blend with two of the best in @BunBTrillOG and @bigkrit. Don't sleep on that @Wale album either, it's been out a few weeks on iTunes...

Jackie Chain feat Bun-B & Big K.R.I.T. - Parked Outside (Video)


Wale feat Miguel - Lotus Flower Bomb (Video)


Drake Performs Make Me Proud & Brings Out Machine Gun Kelly in Cleveland


Coldplay Performs Paradise on SNL


Coldplay Performs Every Teardrop is a Waterfall on SNL


Taio Cruz - Troublemaker (Video)

"Lotus Flower Bomb, Firefly, When I’m Low, She Take Me High"

With a month left until @Wale's new album drops, it's becoming clear that Ambition is going to sound every bit as stylistically diverse as his first album Attention Deficit. I've been pretty vocal about how much I disliked Wale's first couple Maybach Music tracks. I was so critical of the tracks because much of my interest in Wale as an artist comes from his lyrical sincerity and unique go-go sound he can bring to tracks. Hearing tracks like this and this really pushed me to the edge in wondering whether or not I was going to continue being on the bandwagon.

With all that being said, one of my favorite tracks off Attention Deficit was Diary and the track below, Lotus Flower Bomb, reminds me a lot of that track. I'll take this a step further in complimenting Wale's mom because these types of "ode to women" type tracks that lyrically show the limitless amount of respect he has for women. It helps too, when you have @MiguelUnlimited on the hook and @JERRINHOWARD on the keys delivering the instrumental. I'd give this a 50/50 shot at eventually being a single, but even if it isn't it will add quality to the album, rather than being a filler track.

Wale feat Miguel - Lotus Flower Bomb (prod by Jerrin Howard)

"I Don't Wanna Be Loved, I Don't Wanna Be Loved"

Nobody in the history of Hip Hop will be able to match @TWISTAgmg's double time delivery over slow beats. With tracks like Get it Wet, Still Po' Pimpin', and Emotions, Twista has been the best for years. It's such a unique niche too, because nobody else has the ability to do what he does. As a result, every time he gets on a track, it's always a novelty and somewhat of a spectacle to witness.

By my count, Quickie is now the third noteworthy single off @MiguelUnlimited's debut album All I Want is You. It's not just me that's noticing either, I'd watch for him to start getting a lot more features on Hip Hop tracks in need of a hook. In the words of Twista, "A short time of fun is better than a lifetime of pain", so fellas, even if you find yourself in this category, it's all good because you can always operate under the guise of it being some quick lovin'. As far as I'm concerned, with the temps remaining cool and rainy throughout the northeast, you won't find me co-signing on a quickie these days. Don't even trip this is cuddle weather...#JohnStamosStyle

Miguel feat Twista - Quickie (Remix)