'Must-listen-to' CDs from J.Lo & Lady Gaga

I just got two new exciting CDs, Love? from Jennifer Lopez and Born This Way from Lady Gaga. Which one should I listen to first? It is hard to choose. Previous experience says that both should be worth the time. The girls know how to make commercial, enjoyable albums. They are also hot. By that I mean, musicwise, you can bet there will be one or two or even more hits in the product and mediawise, they do command a lot of space everywhere.

I have always thought of Jennifer as showbiz savvy. She knew her limitations and turned them into assets. But I learned to like her more when she joined American Idol as one of the judges. She came across as such a nice, caring person who knows the music business. And nobody can contest the fact that she is truly a looker. In fact, a lot of people took to watching the reality show last season because they loved the sight of one of the most beautiful girls in the world. I also like watching her movies. Enough is one of my favorites. Selena, Maid In Manhattan and Monster In Law are also okay.

As for Lady Gaga, there never seems to be a dull moment with her around. She is always up for the unexpected. Can you think of anybody who will choose to dress up as an egg on the red carpet? And have you seen her new panda look with those round blackened eyes? One of the most amazing things about her is that just when you start thinking there must be something wrong with her head, she comes out with incredible music. Is she a shock act? Is she simply ridiculous? Is she someone you should not take seriously? The answer to all those is a resounding No. She is instead smart and talented.

Jennifer and Lady Gaga are certainly two of today’s biggest stars and these CDs are among those things they had been up to lately.

Love? is Jennifer’s first album in I believe, five years. It is a solid, winning effort of light ballads and fun, danceable tunes including two co-produced by Lady Gaga and RedOne, Hypnotico and Invading My Mind, which sounds like early Lady Gaga. Looks like that is the concept for this CD, go back to what worked in the past and make it new. The first hit out which echoes early J.Lo is On The Floor featuring the also hot Pitbull, who was with J.Lo in the hit Fresh Out Of The Oven. I like the combination and the sample of the famous Lambada melody. She seems to be telling us, “I do hits and I am also latina.”

Also included are Good Hit, I’m Into You featuring Lil Wayne; (What Is) Love?; Run The World; Papi; Until It Beats No More, One Love, Villain and Starting Over. And how lucky of us to get the Deluxe Limited Edition in the local stores. This sells for the regular P495 but has five bonus tracks, Hypnotico, Everybody’s Girl, Charge Me Up, Take Care and the part Spanish version of On The Floor (Ven A Bailar).

Would you like Lady Gaga to turn serious? I have a feeling she is headed that way. Born This Way is actually an anthem for the gay cause and this is no idle nod for hit purposes in the clubs. She means what she says and that is why nobody is laughing at the song even if this was the one she chose to promote with an egg. Gay tune or not, this lady is one fantastic producer, who can take on anything and stamp it with her own signature.

Take a listen as to how varied but also unified are the contents of the album. Marry The Night is classic disco; Government Hooker goes opera; Judas is first class lyric writing; Americano is techno; Hair is another great piece of writing; Scheide is the epic dance cut; Bloody Mary is the electronica entry; and there are also Bad Kids; Highway Unicorn (Road To Love); Heavy Metal Lover; Electric Chapel; You And I; The Edge Of Glory; and the Jost & Naaf Remix of Born This Way as a bonus track.

You will not go wrong getting these two CDs.