Musical Showdown Is Set For Nov. 23
By ELINA M. RAMOS
Ready to end the year with a bang, musical superstars Rihanna, Beyonce, Shakira and Lady Gaga will all be releasing albums. Highly anticipated debuts from reality show contestants Adam Lambert and Susan Boyle are also set for release.
Just one problem: they're all being released on the same day, Monday, Nov. 23.
What was orinally set to be another boring, back-to-work Monday has become the biggest day for the music industry so far this year.
The date has been chosen as the release date for some of the year's most highly anticipated albums, leaving many scratching their heads. For starters, music is usually released on Tuesdays. The earlier date is a concession to the Thanksgiving holiday that week.
There also is speculation that the date was chosen by artists and their record companies to take maximum advantage of the holiday gift-buying season.
Whatever the reason, it's got people talking and put some new releases on the music buyer's radar.
Here's a look at which artists you'll hear from that day:
Rihanna - "Rated R"
"The Wait is Ova" according to Rihanna who will be releasing her highly anticipated fourth album "Rated R."
Unlike her last album "Good Girl Gone Bad," which blew her into superstardom, Rihanna will be getting much more personal with her new album.
Rihanna has said she will go into the Grammy eve domestic blow-up seen and heard around the world between herself and ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. Going places she's never gone musically, Rihanna says, she hopes to show fans who she really is behind the celebrity curtain.
Collaborators on the album include Justin Timberlake, Ne-Yo, Tricky Stewart, Chase & Status, Stargate, and Chuck Harmony.
Shakira - "She Wolf"
Already on shelves in Europe and Latin America, Shakira's "She Wolf" will finally be making its U.S debut.
According to the Latin superstar, her new album will be very different from her last "Oral Fixation Vol. 2," released in 2006. The new album promises to be her most electronic so far.
Collaborating with hitmakers such as the Neptunes and Wyclef Jean, Shakira has fashioned "She Wolf" as a fusion of exotic sounds from Colombia, India, the Middle East and Jamaica.
Singles "She Wolf" and "Give It Up" featuring Lil' Wayne have already been released.
Adam Lambert - "For Your Entertainment"
Lambert shot to fame during last season's "American Idol." He was the predicted winner but ended up losing the contest to Kris Allen.
Lambert's flamboyant glam rock style paired with powerful vocals made him an instant "American Idol" icon; Entertainment Weekly went so far as calling him the "most exciting 'American idol' contestant in years."
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According to Lambert, his highly anticipated debut album "For Your Entertainment" will have something for everyone from glam rock, commercial pop to '70s and '80s throwbacks.
Lambert worked with stars such as Lady Gaga, Pink, and "Idol" judge Kara Dioguardi. Singles "For Your Entertainment" and "Time of Your Life" from the movie "2012" have already been released.
Susan Boyle - "I Dreamed a Dream"
An unlikely superstar, Susan Boyle was bullied and taunted throughout her life, until fame found her when she appeared on "Britain's Got Talent."
Boyle blew the world away and created frenzy with her audition video featuring a rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream," which is now the title of her debut album.
Topping charts before its release, "I Dreamed a Dream" has become Amazon.com's most pre-ordered CD in history.
Boyle's album will include covers of the Rolling Stones "Wild Horses," Madonna's "You'll See" and the Monkee's "Daydream Believer," as well as her own rendition of "Amazing Grace" and "Silent Night."
Lady Gaga- "The Fame Monster"
The year 2009 has been a big one for Lady Gaga. Practically overnight, she went from oblivion to a household name with such hits as "Poker Face," "Just Dance," and "Paparazzi."
She plans to end the year by releasing "The Fame Monster," the follow-up to her successful debut album "The Fame."
Originally planned as a double disc re-release of "The Fame," Lady Gaga fought with her label to make it two separate albums for fans suffering through the recession.
Now her fans can purchase a standard edition of "The Fame Monster," which will just be her new eight songs including her the hit single "Bad Romance."
Fans who still want to shell out the cash can buy the double disc that will include the new songs and the entire "The Fame" album.
Beyonce - "I am… Yours" and "I am… Sasha Fierce" Deluxe Edition
Beyonce is releasing not just one album, but two, on Nov. 23. "I am… Yours" and "I am… Sasha Fierce" deluxe edition will be hitting shelves at the same time.
"I am… Yours" was recorded during her "I am… Tour" performance at Wynn Las Vegas, and will include 30 songs, Beyonce's biographical storytelling, and behind-the-scenes footage.
"I am… Sasha Fierce" deluxe edition is the re-release of her popular 2008 album with the addition of a bonus track- the remix of "Video Phone" featuring Lady Gaga.
By ELINA M. RAMOS