New Releases, Dec. 12: Taylor Hicks, Fantasia Barrino, Young Jeezy
Taylor Hicks “Taylor Hicks”
The most recent winner of Fox-TV’s “American Idol” is finally set to drop his eponymous debut.
The Alabama native released his first single, “Do I Make You Proud,” shortly after beating out runner-up Katharine McPhee to become the 2006 “American Idol” winner back in May. That single debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
The 13-track album features two songs penned by Hicks, “Soul Thing” and “The Deal,” both of which previously appeared on Hicks’ independent release, “Under the Radar.” The CD also includes a cover of “Wherever I Lay My Hat,” a Marvin Gaye composition that was a minor hit for singer Paul Young in the ’80s.
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Fantasia Barrino “Fantasia”
Another “American Idol” winner, 2004 champ Fantasia Barrino, will also deliver a new record on Tuesday (12/12).
“Fantasia” is the follow-up to 2004’s “Free Yourself,” a record that marked the first time in Billboard chart history that a solo artist debuted with a No. 1 record. That record spent 10 weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard’s R&B albums chart, and produced two No. 1 singles: “I Believe” and “Truth Is.”
The first single from the new album is “Hood Boy,” which features Outkast’s Big Boi on guest vocals. Other contributors include Missy Elliot, who co-wrote and produced three tracks on the album. Elliot also worked on “Free Yourself.”
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Young Jeezy “The Inspiration”
The “Hotlanta”-based rapper returns with his fourth studio album, “The Inspiration.” The record follows 2005’s popular “Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101.” The new, 16-track set features collaborations with Kanye West and R. Kelly.
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Mary J. Blige “Reflections: A Retrospective”
Mary J. Blige has been riding high since the release of 2005’s “The Breakthrough,” a CD that sold more than 720,000 copies during its first week in stores and debuted at the top of the album charts. The disc–which earned a slew of Grammy nominations last week–has continued to be a strong seller in 2006, nicely setting the stage for the release of this greatest hits package.
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Sonic Youth “Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities”
This CD collects hard-to-find Sonic Youth cuts from throughout the band’s storied career. Many of the tracks were previously only available on vinyl, limited-release collections or European singles. All tracks have been remastered.
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Other new releases:
Ornette Coleman, “To Whom Who Keeps a Record” (Water)
Perry Como and the Fontane Sisters, “One More Time” (Jasmine)
Ghostface Killah, “More Fish” (Def Jam)
Monte Procopio, “A Swingin’ Time” (MP)
David Sylvian and Nine Horses, “Money for All” (Samadhi Sound)
Tyrese, “Alter Ego” (J-Records)
Various Artists, “Complete Motown Singles V.1: 1959-1961” (Universal)
Various Artists, “Rock the Bones, Vol. 4” (Frontiers)
Soundtracks and scores:
“Children of Men” (Varese)
“Eragon” (RCA)
“Fur” (Lakeshore)
“Project Runway” (Superb)
“Spring Awakening (2006 Original Broadway Cast)” (Decca)
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