Rihanna - Talk That Talk (Album Review)

Whether you like it or not, Rihanna is one of those things that you can’t simply escape. She’s everywhere. With this newest release, her sixth album in six years, she takes us all to da club. As usual,the topics she discusses here are about sex, love and errrm… some more sex. As y'all might have noticed, singing f-word-laced lyrics is lately trending worldwide (Cee lo Green’s  “Fuck You”, Enrique Iglesias’s  “Tonight I’m Fucking You” and Pink's "Fucking Perfect", just to name a few), so it is not surprising to find Rihanna as well desperately swearing away on this album. Back in the day, only hip-hop artists’ albums would have the Parental Advisory label but nowadays mainstream artists like Rihanna, Lady GaGa are also deliberately trying to get that label on their albums because, I guess, it looks cool. It makes you badass. Badass is cool, no?

A long list of writers and producers who contributed to this album simply questions Rihanna’s imput as an artist. Not that it really matters for she is more of a brand than an artist. The first single “We Found Love”, already a #1 smash, is epic. Good news is that there are plenty more epic trance-flavored club bangers such as “Where Have You Been” and “Roc Me Out” on this set. Also, the title track, “Talk That Talk” that features Jay Z’s rapping and “You Da One”, the second single, further establish her status as the reigning Caribbean queen.

I bet it is still quite appropriate for Rihanna, now 23 years old, to be singing lines like “You the shit. Yeah, baby! You da bomb. Middle of the day. Give me what I want. It feels so special. It feels so good.”  I mean, right? Yeah??? Okay then. I’m just checkin’. I know I am here for the party, drink up and get shitfaced.  Definitely not here for the intellectual c.o.n.v.e.r.s.a.t.i.o.n. So I shouldn’t complain. 

“Drunk on love” finds her singing at the top of her range.  Rihanna indeed has a beautiful syrupy tone in her voice. Her instrument is, although somewhat weak, a distinctive one that sounds great even when all the electronic beats and production hoopla are stripped off. Besides, her vocals have improved a lot on this album. Check out “Fool In Love”.  But... then again, I don’t expect her to be singing unplugged or accompanied only by a piano baring her soul anytime soon. (Hi, Adele!) At least she’s good at what she does.  

“Farewell”, a compulsory ballad, has to be there simply just because. “Birthday Cake” is sex in the most distasteful way and it’s unfinished. What’s up with that? Missed the deadline? Very odd. As one of the leading dance music artists out there, she does deliver fresh electro sounds on tracks like “Cockiness” and “Red Lipstick”. However, you can skip “Do Ya Thang”, “We All Want Love” and “Watch n’ Learn”. Yawn!!!

In a nutshell, the album certainly lives up to its title, “Talk That Talk”, although there is no denying that she plays it safe by following pretty much the same winning formula. Here she talks loud and in fact, it’s louder than “Loud” (2010).

Istanbul: The Turkish Delights

Sunset in Istanbul

The first time I was introduced to “Turkey”, I was in my 4^th grade geography class. Turkey, pronounced Too-Ra-Kee in my language, sounded so foreign and funny to me. Little did I know that I would be visiting this fascinating country where east meets west some 12 years later.

So the four of us or “The Fab Four”-as  I’d like it to be known but not to be confused with the Beatles, or even the SATC girls- it’s just us boys, P& G, J & me, set out to Turkey via Singapore airlines. Usually the one who watches 6 or 7 movies back to back while drinking lots and lots of wine, strategically annoying the flight attendants, this time, I slept the entire flight.


Warm beautiful morning sun was awaiting us in Istanbul when we landed. We were swept up thereafter by our pick-up guy and chauffeured to our serviced apartment at The Bosphorous Lodge in Kabataş. The three and a half bed-roomed apartment was centrally located and well-furnished in contemporary style with the stunning view of the Bosphorous. There were large glass windows all around the apartment from every possible angle allowing us to soak in the spectacular 360° view of the famous waterway. And that was our little nest for the next 7 days in this famed city of Turkey, formerly known as “Constantinople”.  

Our apartment overlooking the Bosphorous

Turkish Delight #1 : The attractions

Istanbul, known worldwide as the land of mosques, has just so many alluring places that visitors will need at least one full week to be able to visit, I would not even say all, but most of them. We started out with the historical sites such as The very popular Blue Mosque(The combination of both Byzantine and Ottoman architecture), the marvelous Hagia Sophia (The former Orthodox basilica dating back to 6^th century, now a museum),  the awe-inspiring Topkapı Palace that housed the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years, now a UNESCO world heritage site and the incredible Dolmabahçe palace (complete with the world’s largest Bohemian crystal chandelier: a gift from Queen Victoria, the crystal staircase, 45,000 square meter (11.2 acres) and 285 rooms. Need I say more?) 

The Blue Mosque

On our first day, we waltzed into the heart of Istanbul, also known as Beyoğlu to witness the city’s energy and of course do a bit of shopping. Just a wee bit! Every day, thousands of people walk up and down on this super trendy İstiklal Avenue, the main street which resembles the Nanjing road of Shanghai. The city’s electric youth force marches out in style on this avenue especially at weekends, flaunting the latest fashion trends, feeding appetizing meals to the eyes of people watchers. The shopping is exciting over here as there are many Turkish clothing brands rivaling with the famous ones such as Zara, Topman and Diesel but with local brands, you pay a lot less for the same quality and fashion. I had a ball picking up so many items.

The Grand Bazzar, Istanbul

Since we are on the same topic of shopping, you may also want to know about the legendary Grand Bazaar of Istanbul. Well, I must say it was quite a disappointment for me. I just felt that it did not live up to my expectations. It’s big, it’s busy and it’s festive but seeing hundreds of shops that sell more or less the same things does not make an outstanding shopping experience. After a while you get tired of it. The littler spice bazaar near the New Mosque (also known as Yeni Cammii) was a lot more interesting for its aromatic values. I truly enjoyed walking through the narrow lanes of it while brushing shoulders with the Chinese tourists who seemed to be taking pictures of themselves with literally everything from a heat stroked pigeon to a recently discarded cigarette butt. (I mean, seriously?)

My personal favorite was “Istanbul Modern”, the museum of contemporary art situated beside the Bosphorous with the view of Topkapı Palace triumphantly sitting atop of the hill above the Mamara Sea. The museum houses the art works prominently by the Turkish artists. Sculptures, Paintings, Pottery, Multimedia display, Mixed Media art, Photography and Cinema- these awesome artworks take you on a memorable journey of Turkish lifestyle over the years and its cultural background. Simple yet modern two storied building is one of the best museums I have ever visited.

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

Initially, I wanted to write about my Turkish Hamman experience and include it as one of the Turkish delights. Unfortunately in reality, it was far from a delight. In fact, it was a complete rip-off. We read up on line about the Hammans, reviews on Tripadvisor and picked the best reviewed/recommended one called Cemberlitas Hammam (operating since 1584, apparently) It was a lovely historical Hammam complete with a large hot marble platform and beautiful bathing basins. However, the burly Turkish bath attendant kept asking for tips all throughout. The body wash (or rather manhandling) he gave probably lasted about two minutes and then he poured a huge bucket of water on me and that was it. Tada! DONE! The oil massage began subsequently, which was not too bad but what could a mere 30-minute massage do? We had to line up to get that massage and there was this factory sort of feel that we hated. Such a shame because we were so excited about our very first Turkish hammam experience but it ended up being super lousy. (I did have slightly better hammam experiences in other cities, Fethiye and Göreme but still…)

Turkish Delight #2:  The restaurants

Turkish Food, Istanbul

Turkish food in general, although simple and earthy, lacks the sophistication and versatility when compared to, let’s say, Chinese or French cuisine. However, Istanbul has a wide range of restaurants serving international cuisines all around the city. You could get spoilt for choice here.

Our favorite was The House Café in Ortakoy. We went there for dinner one night. The view was of course fantabulous. We sat by the seaside admiring the beautiful Bosphorous bridge that connects Asia and Europe. However, the chilly sea breeze that night was too much for this tropical boy to bear so I had to ask for a blanket and wrap myself up. (What a wuss, right? I know what you are thinking.)

The tram on Istikal Avenue

We also loved their other outlet on the bustling Istikal Avenue. This one has more urban and youthful atmosphere. The food was excellent so we went back there twice. Also there’s another, quite popular but rather small restaurant called “Meze by Lemon Tree”. The food, I thought, was quite decent but what made us go back there again was the impeccable service. Superb! If you happen to be in Istanbul, I’d recommend these two restaurants.

To be honest though, all our restaurant experiences, be it at a small inexpensive Turkish wraps shop with the splendid view of Gelata tower or dining with the 360° view of the glowing city at the posh 360° restaurant on İstiklal, were all amazing. However, I would not recommend eating at any of the restaurants under the Gelata Bridge on Golden Horn. We had one exceptionally bad experience at one of the restaurants there. Really, they are nothing but tourist traps and they sell crap. Period.

The Gelata Bridge with the view of  The New Mosque in the background

Turkish Delight #3: The men

Turkish men in general are handsome with strong features: hairy chest, angular face, big nose, facial hair and…arrrrm…big hands. They act mucho macho: Yes, The go-out-work-hard-bring-home-the-bacon-I-am-the-provider type (well, obviously not “bacon” in their case! But you figure.) They dress very smart. Even on a hot steamy day, you won’t see them strolling in the streets in singlet, Bermudas and flip-flops.  It’s easy to set them apart from us, the tourists.

Turkish men can sell too. Shop keepers and vendors mostly are men. From carpet seller to ice-cream boy, they charm you with their megawatt smiles, invite you into their shops and make you buy whatever that they are selling. What I love about them is that they have humor and they use it to get your attention. They are able to laugh at themselves, the situation and they laugh at you. Some can be quite aggressive too but hey, they’ve got goods to sell in the scorching heat.

Men, even the younger ones, usually sport a fuller, healthier midsection which, I believe, comes from the food they eat. The six packs are not a usual sight here and that made me feel good as I, myself had been binging on surprisingly great Turkish wine and Kebabs. Hey, gotta live a little. Je suis en vacances, right?

Turkish Delight #4: The Bosphorous

Life on The Bosphorous 

To me, any city by the bay, sea, river or whatever kind of water involved is magic. Venice, Sydney, Dubrovnik, Paris, just to name a few. The Bosphorous strait divides the Asian and Europe sides and the life on the Bosphorous is quite hectic yet truly enchanting. Big boats, small boats, ferries, private yachts to the big mama cruise ships and tankers, together they paint a lively scene of Istanbul in the water. We took a ferry to Üsküdar and visited the lovely Maiden’s tower. Then we hopped onto a big ferry (kind of look like the one from “Yentl” to go back to Kabataş where we stayed. The sea breeze, the sea gulls and the panoramic view of this gorgeous city, standing tall with my arms wide open on the deck, I had a Papa-watch-me-fly moment on the Bosphorous. (Hey, Barbra!)

Turkish Delight #5: The city’s energy

The Bosphorous Bridge 

Istanbul is a feel-good city. Its relaxed yet pleasantly lively ambiance makes the visitors want to return to this city after one visit. Turkish people are generally friendly- they are willing to help foreigners and tourists alike. Young generation speaks good English. They show interest in us, the visitors. They asked questions about where we live, where we come from and gave advice and suggestions on things to do or see.

There are plenty of things to do for The GLBT community as well. Gay clubs, discos and even restaurants proudly waving the pride flag can be found in the city. Our favorite club is called “X-Large”. It used to be a movie theatre but now a club where you can see drag shows and uber-hot Go-Go boys on weekends. There were straight people- boys and girls- enjoying themselves along with the fairies and blue birds which, I thought, was very cool.

The Cats of Istanbul

If Buenos Aires is known as the city of dogs, Istanbul certainly is the city of cats for anywhere you go, you will feel the presence of feline. The kitty-cats are everywhere and they are so cute. Turkish men certainly adore their pet cats. “The cats and their masters”, it is a usual sight of Istanbul.

The city is clean, organized and most importantly safe. Effective transportation system plus reasonably-priced taxis that can be hailed from anywhere in the city makes our travel comfortable and hassle-free.

To wrap up such lovely time I had had in Istanbul, I went solo to Gelata tower, the super cute medieval stone tower on my last day and admired the city from its observatory deck. Travelling with friends are fun indeed but sometimes, it just feels great to be on my own, soak up the ambiance, do a bit of self-reflection and just BE. Looking at this incredible city from the tower, I finally understood why people say “I pinch myself”

The Gelata Tower, Istanbul

Kelly Rowland-Lay It On Me (Video)

Kelly Rowland’s new sizzling video features everything that gay men love; electro-dance music, a blinged-out diva dressed in gold, muscular men in Speedos, super-sexual lyrics and damn! those stilettos…maybe not the elephant but I must say, it’s visually pleasing. (Don’t we love pretty things?)

One thing interesting. Not so long ago, Speedos on men were treated as a thing of the past (remember the 70s???) or it’s such a gay thing to wear. Gradually, that image is changing thanks to the divas we love (Kylie Minogue, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry etc). Scantily-clad hot guys have recently become one of the pivotal ingredients in the music videos of these female stars. Now, real dudes wear Speedo and they wear em’small , they wear em’ tight. They wear em’ proud and they are going all out. Pretty soon we shall see dudes dropping surfing shorts and donning Speedos. It will be the 70’s all over again. Fingers crossed.

Now back to Kelly. I think she looks amazing in this video. She is sexy, defiant and expressive yet showing more confidence than ever before. (And we love your new boobs, Kelly).  I just hope that this new dance track becomes a platinum hit for her. It’s about time. Ms.Kelly’s ready.

Tony Bennett- Duets II (Album Review)

In this digital music age where artists releasing albums with mere 9 to 10 songs and then making the public buy the more expensive deluxe version of the same album with a few extra tracks (usually lackluster tracks and remixes) is a norm, Tony Bennett’s "Duets II" has 17 quality duets comprising the likes of Natalie Cole, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli to Lady GaGa.  There are just so many stars from diverse music genres on this album that the only other events where one witnesses more stars would be at The Grammys or The VMAs.

“Duets II” is the highly anticipated follow-up to his hugely successful 2006’s "Duets: An American Classic" This time, the Jazz master duets with 17 solo music stars on the remakes of Jazz standards. The most electrifying track of the set belongs to “The Lady Is A Tramp” entirely due to the stunning chemistry between Mr.Bennett and “The Lady” of the song, GaGa herself.( I don’t think anyone has ever sung the line “I hate Carlifornia, it’s cold and it’s damp” with so much gusto as she does.) Hearing Lady Gaga sing Jazz, I must admit, is a lot more exciting than Natalie Cole, as usual, crooning Jazz on “Watch What Happens” or Michael Buble swinging on “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” although both artists hold their own against Bennett and deliver quite decent vocal performances.

The unmistakable voice of the Queen of soul, Aretha Franklin elegantly opens “How Do You Keep The Music Playing”. As much as I love their phrasing and adlibbing in this slower-than-usual-paced version, the ending of the song for me is overkill, the eruptions of two vocal volcanoes. The song would have been perfect without that bit. And then there is this achingly beautiful duet with the late great Amy Winehouse, a voice that is capable of cutting through your heart and seeping into your soul. Really, her voice is one of those naturally beautiful voices that you can never get tired of hearing. Besides, “Body And Soul” is a perfect choice of song that compliments both their voices and the fact that this is the last of her that we will ever hear makes this song even more precious.

With “When Do The Bells Ring For Me?”, Mariah Carey shows restraint. Her controlled yet beautifully-sung notes leave us wanting more. “It Had To Be You” fits Carrie Underwood’s Mary Poppins-ish syrupy vocals. It is simply enchanting and is one of my favorites on this album. However her fellow country music star Faith Hill’s contribution to “The Way You Look Tonight” is like a dish in need of salt and pepper. It is good but dim in comparison to other tracks. Sheryl Crow duet “The Girl I Love” is a bit of a bore too and so is Queen Latifah duet (“Who Can I Turn To”). “Speak Low” is sexy because of Norah Jones’s  signature half-asleep singing but listening to that track and “Blue Velvet”, the K.D.Lang duet, back to back, will certainly put you to sleep.

Latin superstar Alejandro Sanz appears on “Yesterday When I Heard The Rain”. Although it sounds like two different songs sewn together, Alejandro singing this ballad in Spanish will milk your tears even if you can’t work out the meaning. The angelic voices of Bocelli (“Stranger In Paradise”) and Groban (“This Is All I Ask”) are delicacies but the pairing of their smooth classical voices to Mr.Bennett’s smoky Jazz tone sound quite a bit odd. On the other hand, Tony’s duet with Willie Nelson (“On The Sunny Side Of The Street”) is excellent. They both manage to embody the spirit of the song. The arrangement of the song, Nelson’s guitar solo and the blending of their timeless voices: PURE PERFECTION.

At 85, Tony Bennett’s voice sounds deeper yet even richer and sexier, still capable of soaring high and mighty against the contemporary male voices like Michael Buble’s (Don't Get Around Much Anymore) or John Mayer’s (the drunken delight, “One For My Baby, And One For The Road”). “Duets II” arguably is the best purposely-duet album in recent years. Our beloved Jazz Master has done an important job of recreating the magic of these great standards but also reintroducing them to the new audience . (As a result, this album not only gave him his very first number one on Billboard 200 but also made him the oldest living artist to debut at number one.) Doesn’t that explain good music lives on forever and great artists never age?

Barbra Streisand (What Matters Most)- Album Review

Barbra Streisand once famously said that she is “an actress who sings”- how perfectly accurate that statement is. Her thirty-third studio album features Barbra’s interpretation (or rather dramatization?) of 10 songs by the lyricists Alan and Merilyn Bergman, the song-writing couple she has been close friends with for decades. Barbra’s lyrical understanding of each song and her ability to act them out through vocal expressions as if she is shooting scenes of a movie are the qualities only a handful of artists possess. The album’s opener, her spine-tingling version of “The Windmills Of Your Mind”, is the perfect example. And then…there are more.

Barbra’s oh-so-familiar voice bounces effortlessly like Fred Astaire’s dancing feet on the set’s sole up-tempo number “That Face”, a song originally sung by the dance giant, Mr. Astaire. The slow-Jazz numbers like “Solitary Moon” and  “Nice N’ Easy”, both showcasing  her soothing lower register and impeccable vibrato, are pure pleasure. Her rendition of Sergio Mendes’s “So Many Stars” is absolutely charming. Barbra is serious about this Bossa Nova track. She even sings a few lines in Portuguese.  How sweet of her!

Some strict vocal police could easily detect the wears and tears in her upper register especially when she belts on the big ballads like “Alone In The World” and “The Same Hello, The Same Goodbye”. However, the hoarseness and occasional breaking of her voice give a much-needed human touch and a dramatic flair to tearjerkers like “I’ll Never Say Goodbye” and “Someone New In My Life” (Beware: Tears will flow when she belts out the song’s last line “I know that there always will be you in my life from now on” )

In addition to the ten new songs, her previously released songs by the Bergmans are also included on the disc 2. Among these highlights, the last belted note from “A Piece Of Sky” alone will explain the GaGa-listening generation why Streisand is regarded as the vocal supremo. “The Way We Were” will remind us of the way she was and still is today. At 69, Barbra is still delivering her best but still peerless, original and completely on her own in her league.  Personally, I doubt anyone will ever sing with such precision, mastery and passion like Streisand does.

Unlike most of the current stuff we hear on the radio, the songs on “What Matters Most” have lyrical depth and literary values. The Bergmans’ lyrics are like poems and they compliment Barbra’s elegant instrument: her voice. “You Don’t Bring Me Flower” and “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life”, among others, are the songs that have stood the test of time. It is such a great idea that Barbra includes these timeless gems along with the new ones on this project.

Just when we thought we would not hear any new material from her anytime soon after 2010’s hugely successful “Love Is The Answer” Barbra surprised us with "What Matters Most". To us, Streisand fans, this is more than an album, it is a gift. And… we are grateful.