Fantasy Ride / Ciara

Fantasy Ride is the upcoming third studio album by American R&B/pop singer Ciara. LaFace Records, in collaboration with Zomba Label Group and Sony Music Entertainment will release the album in early 2009. Originally, Fantasy Ride was set to be released December 9, 2008.

A promo single, “Go Girl“, which features T-Pain, was released September 30, 2008. The lead single, “Never, Ever“, which features Young Jeezy, is scheduled to be released on January 5, 2009.

Ciara confirmed that the album includes appearances by Young Jeezy, T-Pain, Ludacris, and Missy Elliott.

Meaning, they’re acting like Go Girl never existed. Basically, if you haven’t seen the album art yet or know anything about how it’s being released – it’s going to be just like Beyonce’s I Am… Sasha Fierce, (but instead of two discs, it will include three.) Except, Ciara is known as “Super C” who is a character Ciara becomes when she performs onstage and in her music videos. (Anyway.. sound familiar?)

Music

Fantasy Ride is scheduled to be released as an eclectic three-disc album, with five or six stylistically similar songs per disc. The first disc, entitled Groove City, features slow jams similar to Ciara’s Evolution single, “Promise”. The second disc, Crunktown, includes crunk-influenced tracks reminiscent of “Goodies”. The third disc, Kingdom of Dance, has up-tempo house and freestyle cuts.

Super C

Fantasy Ride introduces Ciara’s alter-ego Super C. Ciara said Super C is a character she becomes when she performs onstage and in her music videos. Super C is used in Fantasy Ride promotional photos. She is a futuristic superhero-esque Ciara, based on the robotic character Ciara portrayed in the “Go Girl” music video.

DC Comics artist Bernard Chang helped Ciara create the alter-ego for the album artwork. Ciara said she worked on the artwork about nine months to a year.

Confirmed tracks

• “Go Girl” (featuring and produced by T-Pain)
• “Never, Ever” (featuring Young Jeezy) (produced by Polow da Don)

Recorded Tracks

• “High Price” (featuring Ludacris) (co-produced by Tricky Stewart & The-Dream)
• “Work” (produced by Danja)
• “Echo” (co-produced by Danja and The Clutch)
• “Dream”
• “Pride” (produced by Polow da Don)
• “When I” (produced by Champ Champ)
• “Supernatural” (co-produced by Chuck Harmony & Ne-Yo)
• “Fantasy Ride” (produced by Tricky Stewart)

Block Party / Missy Elliott

“Block Party” is the seventh studio album by American rapper-songwriter Missy Elliott, scheduled to be released February 10th 2009 in the United States. It will feature production by Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Danja, Swizz Beatz, T-Pain, and The Arkitects.

On January 9, 2008, Elliott’s official website announced the release of “Ching-a-Ling” as lead single for soundtrack of Step Up 2 the Streets, also confirming that the track will feature on the upcoming studio album. Another song called “Shake your Pom-Pom” was included in the soundtrack and will appear on “Block Party” again. In June 2008, a song called “Best Best” leaked on the internet and was said to be the lead single of “Block Party”. After months without information or promotion, they canceled their plans to make “Best Best” a single and wanted to choose another unknown song to be the lead single. “Best Best” will also appear on “Block Party”.

• “Act a Fool” (produced by Soul Diggaz)
• “All for You” (produced by Soul Diggaz)
• “Best, Best” (produced by Danja)
• “Ching-a-Ling” (produced by The Arkitects)
• “Hip-Hop Don’t Die” (produced by T. Gooch)
• “Like When You Play the Music” (featuring Jazmine Sullivan) (produced by Timbaland)
• “Love” (produced by Timbaland)
• “Milk & Cookies” (produced by Point Guard)
• “Shake Your Pom Pom” (produced by Timbaland)

At the moment Amazon lists the album release date as February 10th, 2009.

Shock Value: Volume 2 / Timbaland

Have you wondered what happened to Timbaland? Well, he’s just been brewing up Shock Value: Volume 2. I’m sure you remember how hot his first Shock Value was that included the hits “Way I Are” featuring Keri Hilson and D.O.E.

“Meltdown” is a song by Timbaland, and it features Gwen Stefani and Justin Timberlake. It will be the first single off his third studio album Shock Value: Volume 2.

Other tracks to be included on his upcoming Shock Value: Volume 2:

• “Meltdown” (feat. Gwen Stefani & Justin Timberlake)
• “That’s The Way” (feat. Keri Hilson & Usher)
• “Til I Say So” (feat. Akon)
• “Act Right” (feat. T-Pain & Tim Dog)
• “Dumb” (feat. Jonas Brothers)
• “Still Standing” (feat. Linkin Park)
• “Across The Sky” (feat. Justin Timberlake & Madonna)
• “Rain” (feat. Jordin Sparks)
• “Don’t Hurt ‘Em” (feat. T.I.)
• “Underground” (feat. Rihanna)
• “Why U Still Callin” (feat. Keri Hilson & Sebastian)
• “Click Clack” (feat. Dr.Dre & Missy Elliot)
• “Talk” (feat. T-Pain & Missy Elliot)
• “Cruel” (feat. Coolio)
• “Head 2 Toe” (feat. Jay-Z)
• “Aruba” (feat. Sebastian)
• “From Dusk Til Dawn” (feat. Tim Dog, Flo Rida & Attitude)
• “Pick Up” (feat. Magoo)
• “Baby” (feat. Keri Hilson)
• “Love Song” (feat. Justin Timberlake)

Wow, it’s like a Guitar Hero songlist for the ears. Timbaland + all of these artists = awesomeness. Who can’t agree, you know this is going to be excellent and will once again change what we think about music. Shock Value: Volume 2 drops February 14th 2009.

Timbaland described the album to be like a “Now That’s What I Call Music!” compilation and that “It’ll be hot for the world,” he boasted of the 2007 album. “I really do focus groups. I get reports, readouts. I’m not gonna talk about it. If you ask for documentation, I got it. I’m a businessman and at the same time a CEO. But I looked at the charts: Africa? Double platinum. Ireland? Double platinum. New Zealand? Triple platinum. London? Platinum. London is the hardest place to go platinum. France? Platinum. They don’t like nobody unless you French, but they like me.”

“Talk That”, a track featuring T-Pain leaked in fall 2008; Timbaland said that it may not appear on the album “’cause it’s so much of a smash”, but claimed to have recorded several records with T-Pain which he describes as “retarded,” and also commented that “If you would’ve come to my wedding, you would have heard the records. At my reception, everybody was going crazy. It’s phenomenal! Everybody is like, ‘You rapping like that?’ I’ve been doing that. It’s nothing for me.”

Love vs. Money / The-Dream

Love vs. Money is the sophomore album from singer-songwriter and producer, The-Dream. The album is scheduled to be released on February 17th 2009 via Def Jam Recordings and The-Dream’s Radio Killa imprint.

In regards to his new album, The-Dream stated:

• This album’s gonna be the same thing – a little more beefed up, I’m just gonna give you more. Every album I’m just gonna try to give you more of me, and what I think about certain things… This album is just gonna be the first album on crack, basically.

• “My Love” (featuring Mariah Carey)
• “You Ain’t Shit”
• “Let Me See the Booty” (co-produced by Lil Jon)
• “Fancy”
• “Right Side of My Brain”
• “Make Love to Me”
• “Kelly’s 12 Play”
• “Rockin’ That Thang“

A few others to be on the lookout for will be Chris Brown‘s Grafitti, Rihanna‘s upcoming fourth studio album: On 24th December 2008 in the United Kingdom during an interview with RWD Rihanna stated that she would be back in the recording studio in early 2009 working on her fourth studio album. She also confirmed that the album would definitely be released in 2009. Not much is known about either besides they’ll be out sometime in 2009.

Yet another Plies album will be released, titled “REALer Than Usual” sometime in April along with a new Usher Untitled. Another Theater of the Mind 2 from Ludacris and they’re still trying to push out Her Name Is Nicole… from Nicole Scherzinger (of Pussycat Dolls), how much longer do you think until THAT’S released?

Albums I’ll be on the lookout for, if they’re decent quality albums – this is definitely what’s going to be posted. As always this isn’t limited to all I’ll post, but also what you should be on the lookout for also.

January

January 13

• Varsity Fanclub by Varsity Fanclub

January 27

• Fornever by Hoobastank
• The Rebirth by Bobby Valentino
• Fantasy Ride by Ciara

February

February 3

• The Fray (album) by The Fray
• Before I Self Destruct by 50 Cent
• Pray IV Reign by Jim Jones

February 10

• Block Party by Missy Elliott

February 14

• Shock Value: Volume 2 by Timbaland

February 17

• Love vs. Money by The-Dream

February 24

• Padded Room by Joe Budden
• Round 2 by J. Holiday

Unspecified Date

• The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z

March

March 10

• Back On My B.S. by Busta Rhymes
• Not Without a Fight by New Found Glory

March 17

• Untitled by Kelly Clarkson
• Jumping Out Da Window by Ron Browz

March 24

• Lady Love by LeToya Luckett

March 30

• In a Perfect World… by Keri Hilson

April

Unspecified date

• REALer Than Usual by Plies

1st quarter

• Uni5 by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
• Untitled by Usher

Unspecified date

• The Energy Never Dies by Black Eyed Peas
• Untitled by Coldplay
• Battle of the Sexes or Theater of the Mind 2 by Ludacris
• Untitled by No Doubt
• Untitled by Green Day
• Her Name Is Nicole… by Nicole Scherzinger