Divas open 2011 with a big splash

The girls did very well last year. I mean how Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Susan Boyle and others sold big everywhere. Now this early, it already looks like the ladies are once more out to put one over the men in the hit charts. I say this because of the strong opening salvo from the new CD releases by some of today’s beautiful, talented and most of all, feistiest pop divas.

Loud by Rihanna comes with bonus DVD about the making of the album. This beauty from Barbados, who is only 22, certainly knows how to make hits. Truth to tell, I cannot recall a time in the past five years when there wasn’t a hit by Rihanna in the charts. S.O.S., Unfaithful, Umbrella, Hate That I Love You, Take A Bow, Disturbia, Rehab, Rude Boy and others. And she is off and running again with her latest. Loud already has one certified hit, Love The Way You Lie (Part II) featuring Eminem.

Pinoy fans who like variety in their CDs will love this one. It must be Rihanna’s most commercial album to date. Forget that title. Loud does not relate to anything here. This is a solid pop album where Rihanna does assorted ballads and dance tunes. S&M and Skin are sexy rock tracks. Great to dance to are What’s My Name featuring Drake, Only Girl In The World and Man Down. Raining Men featuring Nicki Minaj and Cheers (Drink To That) are fun party songs. Where Rihanna really goes to town though are in the ballads, California King Bed, Fading and the most heartfelt of all, Complicated. I admit there were times when I’ve forgotten but you cannot help but remember with this song. Rihanna is also a good singer.

The Best Of Nelly Furtado by Nelly Furtado. Missing from the two-CD set is Give It To Me, Nelly’s smooth hip-hop turn with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. But Furtado is a soulful vocalist who has lots more to offer. Her In God’s Hand with country music star Keith Urban is particularly impressive. And admittedly, she has made a lot of hits, I’m Like A Bird, Turn Off The Light, ****On The Radio (Remember The Days), Maneater that we don’t mind hearing again.

What I really like about this album though is that it is made up mostly of collaborations that show off Nelly’s versatility. She can do soul, country, dance, hip-hop, even folk. Take note of Broken Strings with James Morrison, Promiscuous featuring Timbaland and Quando Quando Quando with Michael Bublé. Also included are several cuts with a strong Latin bent like Fotographia and Te Busque, duets with Latino pop idol Juanes and Island Of Wonder featuring Caetano Veloso. There are also new recordings, Girlfriend In The City; Night Is Young and the best of all, Nelly accompanied by an acoustic guitar in the beautiful Stars.

Rounding up this diva list is the original motion picture soundtrack of Burlesque starring Cher and Christina Aguilera. Now can you think of anybody more divaesque or divalicious than Cher? She has been making hits since those Sonny & Cher days of the ’60s and has remained as beautiful and as formidable as ever. She joins forces here with the controversial Aguilera of the phenomenal pipes, who, we must admit is also a diva in her own right.

I am disappointed that there is no duet by these two women in the CD and that Cher only sings two cuts. Cher sings Welcome To Burlesque and a powerful new ballad composed by Diane Warren, You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me that aspiring divas should take note of. Great for singing contests. Still a duet and more from Cher would have been nice. After all, she has not done a new album in years.

But the reworking of oldies here is great and of course the two divas do an excellent job. Aguilera sings Something’s Got A Hold On Me and Tough Lover, both first sung by soul diva Etta James and Guy What Takes His Time originally done by another legendary diva, Mae West. Then she goes into those she co-wrote herself But I Am A Good Girl, Express, Bound To You, Show Me How You Burlesque and The Beautiful People (from Burlesque).