Pop queen set to wow

The queen of Spanish pop music, Luz Casal, is set to wow audiences in Guangzhou in May. Trained in vocals, piano and ballet, the versatile singer is able to shift from traditional folk music to modern electronic songs.

The legendary figure shot to fame in the early 1980s. She has released 24 albums and sold more than 8 million CDs.

The three-day Beijing Blues Festival will feature more than 20 bands from Asia, the United States and Poland. Performers include Japanese guitarist Shun Kikuta, who has absorbed classic Chicago sounds, and Chinese Hao Ge, who rose to stardom for his TV performance on Xingguang Dadao.

World-renowned saxophonist Kenny G's Going Home will be performed in China this month. The musician, with global sales totaling more than 75 million albums, will play his classic Going Home and present his rendition of Chinese folk song, Jasmine.

Fans of Kenny G can become immersed in his emotional performance and see for themselves, the skills of this Grammy winner. Kenny G holds the Guinness world record of playing the saxophone for the longest time. He used a soprano saxophone to play melodies in F major for 45 minutes and 47 seconds.

His first stop in China is in Wuhan on May 11, followed by Guangzhou on May 12 and Shenzhen on May 13.

Don not blame me for Whitney Is death Bobby Brown say

Whitney Houston's ex-husband Bobby Brown struck back at claims he was responsible for getting the pop star hooked on drugs or that he somehow played a role in her cocaine-fueled death in February.

"I'm not the one that got Whitney on drugs, at all," Brown said in an interview to be aired this week on the "Today" show on U.S. television network NBC.

"I'm not the reason she's gone," he added.

Houston, 48, was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel bathtub on February11 from what authorities called accidental drowning brought on by cocaine use and heart disease. White powder and drug paraphernalia were found in the bathroom where she died.

The singer had spoken publicly about a long battle with cocaine, marijuana and crack, particularly during her tempestuous 15-year marriage to Brown. They divorced in 2007, but some fans and members of Houston's family have blamed Brown for her untimely death.

In his first TV interview since the singer died, Brown, 43, told "Today" show host Matt Lauer that he had been off drugs for seven years and was hurt to hear that Houston had been using cocaine.

California quintet Maroon 5

Pop rockers Train returned last week with their sixth studio album "California 37," debuting at No. 4 after selling 75,000 copies, while newcomer rapper Future scored an impressive debut at No. 8 on the chart with his first album "Pluto," selling 41,000 copies.

California quintet Maroon 5 stormed the Digital Songs chart with "Payphone," their first single from their upcoming album "Overexposed."

The track, featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa, sold more than 493,000 downloads in its first week, the best-ever digital song sales week for a band, knocking last week's chart-topper Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know," to the No. 2 position.

Fun.'s "We Are Young" featuring Janelle Monae came in at No. 3 while "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber and "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen hold steady at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively.

Beach Boys go retro

Reunited 1960s pop band The Beach Boys have released a teaser track of their first new single in two decades - a dreamy, five part-harmony throwback to their southern California surf sound called "That's Why God Made the Radio."

The song will be the first single off an album of new material on which the band has been working ahead of their 50th anniversary tour, which kicks off on Tuesday.

"It's like an accolade to the radio and what it's meant to so many people," vocalist and songwriter Mike Love said in a promotional trailer released on YouTube.

"It's our new single from our new album ... if you like harmony it's going to knock your socks off," added Al Jardine.

Original Beach Boys Jardine, Love and frontman Brian Wilson have teamed up with Bruce Johnston and David Marks for album and concert tour. Wilson's brothers Carl and Dennis, who were part of the original 1960s California line-up died in 1983 and 1998 respectively.

The new, as yet untitled album is due for release on June 5. Johnston told Billboard.com the album was "all brand new" material.

"There's a lot of what you'd hope to hear from Brian (Wilson) on there. It's not a quilt or a pot luck dinner; it's not like, 'OK, everybody show up with your songs.' It's not one of those kind of albums. There's a lot of Brian in there, and Mike (Love). It's just nice to know there is a Mike Love and a Brian Wilson still around to write together," Johnston said.

Nettwerk Music Group

She completed her degree in business, but also tried her hand at songwriting in both Chinese and English, and began performing in the Toronto area, especially Vancouver, where she caught the attention of Nettwerk Music Group, home of such stars as Sarah McLachlan and Dido.

She also sang I Only Care About You and Fix You, to pay tribute to her idols, the late Taiwan singer Teresa Teng and the British rock band Coldplay.

Joker Needs Laughter Too and Say the Words, which Qu wrote several years ago in English, were performed for the first time by Qu for a Chinese audience. Both songs will be recorded on her upcoming second album.

For Qu, Dec 21, 2012, was not the end of the world but a brand-new start, a chance to fly high.

The first two Kung Fu Panda films

Oriental DreamWorks also announced it will make the next Kung Fu Panda movie, the third installment in the series, in China for release in 2016.

The ambitious move comes after Walt Disney, another US entertainment company, last year broke ground on its planned $3.7 billion theme park in Shanghai, which is scheduled to open in 2015.

The first two Kung Fu Panda films enjoyed great success in the Chinese market, and the second film took in 470 million yuan at the box office.

Li said the company plans to release up to three films a year and its first feature-length animated film is scheduled for global release in 2017.

Established with an initial investment of $330 million, Oriental DreamWorks is owned by DreamWorks Animation SKG, producer of the original Kung Fu Panda and other animated feature films, and its Chinese partners, which include three State-owned enterprises.

They are the Shanghai-based China Media Capital, Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd, one of the largest cultural exchange and cooperation programs between China and foreign countries.

The Chinese companies will hold a 55 percent stake in the new company, while DreamWorks Animation will control the rest.

Sales for Madonna Is 12th studio album

Rapper Nicki Minaj shot straight to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday with her sophomore album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," usurping the crown from Madonna, who suffered the biggest second week sales drop in chart history.

Sales for Madonna's 12th studio album "MDNA" fell a staggering 86.7 percent to just 48,000 copies sold this week, dropping from No. 1 to No. 8 on the chart.

The percentage drop in "MDNA" sales trumps Lady Gaga's 2011 album "Born This Way," which fell from 1.1 million copies in its opening week to 174,000 in week two, an 84 percent decline.

"Roman Reloaded" is Minaj's second album to top the chart, selling 253,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, despite receiving poor reviews from critics.

Madonna recently teamed up with Minaj on her Superbowl song "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and another track on the "MDNA" album, and Minaj has openly revealed her admiration for the Queen of Pop, calling Madonna one of her inspirations.

Pop darling Adele's Grammy-sweeping album "21" returns to the No. 2 spot on the chart, selling 153,000 copies in its 59th week. Total U.S. sales of the album have surpassed 8 million copies so far.

Country singer Tate Stevens wins Fox's 'X Factor'

NEW YORK (AP) — Tate Stevens, who was mentored by music exec L.A. Reid on the second season of "The X Factor," has won the Fox singing competition.

The 37-year-old country singer from Belton, Mo., beat runner-up Carly Rose Sonenclar, a 13-year-old schoolgirl from Westchester, N.Y., and teenage girl group Fifth Harmony on the finale that aired live Thursday night.

Stevens wins a $5 million recording contract.

More than 35 million votes were cast by viewers after Wednesday's performance show.

Besides Reid, judges this season included Demi Lovato, Britney Spears and series creator Simon Cowell.

Thursday's show was also the grand finale for Reid. Earlier this month, he said he wouldn't be returning to "The X Factor" next year. No replacement has been announced.

Pianist bags major award

Li Haichuan, a young assistant professor from China Conservatory of Music, won first place at the recent American Protg International Piano and Strings Competition 2012, held at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

It is the first time that a Chinese pianist has won the competition that attracted more than 500 pianists from over 20 countries and regions.

Li got his doctorate of musical arts from the University of Oklahoma in 2009. As a teacher, he coached Wang Tianran, who won the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in 2010.

The songs are tied together with hard bass beats

Randall Roberts of the Los Angeles Times gave the album two out of four stars, saying it doesn't "offer much in the way of innovation," and that the iconic singer had "fallen behind...she is no longer setting the conversation in a genre she essentially invented."

The songs are tied together with hard bass beats and electro-synth tunes in uptempo dance songs like "Gang Bang" and "Girl Gone Wild," where the matriarch of modern pop music sings lyrics like "I know good girls don't misbehave, misbehave, but I'm a bad girl anyway."

"Falling Free" is one of the few tracks that change pace from the album's dance-core theme, described by Billboard's Keith Caulfield as a "gorgeous ballad." The Golden Globe-winning song "Masterpiece," from the soundtrack of Madonna's film "W.E." also stood out with its delicate acoustic guitar melody.

The singer doesn't shy away from her personal life, with lyrics such as "I tried to be your wife, diminish myself, and swallowed my life," in "I Don't Give A," featuring rapper Nicki Minaj, seen as an allusion to her former marriage with British director Guy Ritchie.

Billboard's Keith Caulfield called the album "a collection of thoroughly pumping pop tunes, some of which are slices of sheer brilliance," praising tracks such as "Gang Bang."

Alexis Petridis of British newspaper The Guardian, gave the album three out of five stars, calling it "business as usual" for the pop star.

Guitarist plucked from obscurity

From the moment Milos found a dusty old guitar missing strings in his parents' room, he became obsessed.

The 28-year-old has established himself among the most gifted young classical guitarists.

In 2010, he signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon (DG). He's the only classical guitarist the prestigious label has signed in the last 20 years.

DG loves him so much that they send him all over the world to promote his debut album, Mediterraneo, which was released in China in February. He will stage his China premiere in Hong Kong on May 7.

Montenegro, a small country of 600,000 and once part of Yugoslavia, is exotic to most Chinese and might only remind us of the wars.

"When the war in Yugoslavia happened, it was very hard," Milos tells China Daily in Beijing.

"We did not have shooting on our streets in Montenegro, but we were still affected because it was all around us. I became aware when there was a shortage of goods."

Milos recalls that one evening his mother packed a green bag for his father and he realized it contained a uniform.

He had recently heard his father's good friend was killed in the war.

The boy found happiness in music. He had displayed a natural aptitude for singing before he first wrapped his fingers around his father's old guitar.

He dreamed of being a rock star onstage while other boys ran around the playground.

Letting the good times roll in China

Cajun music and China are two things that normally don't meet in the same sentence, but a little band from Switzerland called Mama Rosin might change that.

Mama Rosin, the brainchild of guitar and banjo player Robin Girod and accordion player Cyril Yeterain, are set to bring their brand of Cajun fusion punk rock to eight different Chinese cities as part of the Francophone Festival, a music and film festival held by the French-speaking countries of Europe.

Yeterain says that Mama Rosin was very excited to come to China, especially since they were invited by the Swiss embassy. At the same time, Yeterain says that the band is unsure how they will be received in China.

"I think maybe no body knows what Cajun music is, that's what I think before meeting people, we haven't played yet, and we don't know what people will think," Yeterain says. "We had a press conference and the journalists were very curious in our instruments because they have never seen them before."

The instruments the journalists fawned over, Yeterain says, were an old-fashioned Cajun accordion, a banjo and something normally found in folk music in the US: a washboard.

Classic long players

The world's top orchestra and conductor will stage an enchanting concert in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on April 1.

The Philharmonia Orchestra and the conductor, Lorin Maazel, will play spring melodies from Mozart's violin concerto and Mahler's symphony.

For more than five decades, Maazel has been one of the world's most sought-after conductors. And the Philharmonia Orchestra is acknowledged as the UK's foremost musical pioneer.

Admirers of the three legendary Cantonese pop musicians Leslie Cheung, Danny Chan and Paul Chung can take a closer look at their inspiring journeys. Clifton Ko, a famous Hong Kong director, presents their musical in Guangzhou on March 30.

Three young rising artists from Hong Kong will take on roles as the three dead stars. About 40 songs will be played, and the director will also unveil their friendships and conflicts.

Cantopop concert

Admirers of the three legendary Cantonese pop musicians Leslie Cheung, Danny Chan and Paul Chung can take a closer look at their inspiring journeys. Clifton Ko, a famous Hong Kong director, presents their musical in Guangzhou on March 30.

Three young rising artists from Hong Kong will take on roles as the three dead stars. About 40 songs will be played, and the director will also unveil their friendships and conflicts.
Tel Aviv's innovative act Eatliz will bring its spectacular visual performances and genre-crossing music to China for the first time.

Eatliz is a female-fronted visual art rock band, known for its animated music videos. Besides its artful music, Eatliz emphasizes staging and features video art.

The world's top orchestra and conductor will stage an enchanting concert in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on April 1.

The Philharmonia Orchestra and the conductor, Lorin Maazel, will play spring melodies from Mozart's violin concerto and Mahler's symphony.

For more than five decades, Maazel has been one of the world's most sought-after conductors. And the Philharmonia Orchestra is acknowledged as the UK's foremost musical pioneer.

Critics pan charmless Spice Girls musical

Independent newspaper critic Paul Taylor said the show "only achieves the kind of deliriously silly and joyous lift-off" at its encore and blamed scriptwriter Jennifer Saunders.

"Not only does her script rarely give you that necessary gleeful sense of expectancy about where the songs are going to be shoe-horned in, but it's embarrassingly derivative of 'Mamma Mia!' and looks way past its sell-by date in its utterly surprise-free satiric swipe at X Factor."

"Viva Forever!" was the brainchild of producer Judy Craymer, whose Mamma Mia! musical based on the hits of ABBA has earned nearly $2 billion worldwide and spawned a hit movie starring Meryl Streep.

She teamed up with British comedian Saunders of "Absolutely Fabulous" fame to create a story about the central character, Viva, a sprightly teenager who, along with her friends, gets into the final stages of a TV singing contest closely resembling Britain's "The X Factor".

Adele wins three early Grammys

British soul singer Adele won three early Grammys on Sunday, including best pop solo performance for her song "Somebody Like You," in a show that began on a somber note with a prayer for late pop superstar Whitney Houston.

Adele, whose album "21" was among the smash hits of 2011, took the stage and thanked her doctors who helped her recover from recent surgery to remove a polyp from her vocal cord. "Seeing as it's a vocal performance I need to thank my doctors, I suppose, who brought my voice back," she said.

Aside from surgery, the British singer has enjoyed a stellar year. Her sophomore album "21" has sold more than 6.3 million copies in the U.S. and broken many sales records, including spending 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart.

She has thrilled fans singing about personal heartbreak in a raw, soulful manner in singles including "Rolling in the Deep," "Somebody Like You" and "Set Fire to the Rain."

Rockers Foo Fighters were the other big winners early in the show, picking up four Grammys in rock music categories and a fifth for best long form music video. Their hit "Walk" earned them best rock performance.

"This is a great honor because this record was a special record for our band. Rather than go to the best studio ... we made this one in my garage with some microphones and a tape machine," said frontman Dave Grohl. "It shows that the human element of making music is what's most important."

Chris Brown returns to Grammys

Chris Brown will perform at this Sunday's Grammy Awards for the first time since beating his then girlfriend Rihanna in 2009 on the eve of the music industry's biggest night, which threatened to derail his music career.

Rihanna also is among the stars performing live at the event, and rumors have flown among fans and celebrity watchers in recent weeks that the pair may be secretly dating again -- speculation Brown's representatives have dismissed.

Grammy organizers said on Tuesday that Brown, who has three nominations including best R&B singer for his album "F.A.M.E.", had been added to the line-up for the February 12 awards show in Los Angeles.

They said Brown will join Foo Fighters, Lil Wayne, David Guetta and deadmau 5 for a performance highlighting dance and electronica music for the first time on the Grammy Awards show stage.

Organizers said last month that Rihanna, who has four nominations including album of the year for "Loud", will sing with Coldplay on the Grammy stage.

Brown, 22, has skipped the Grammys since launching a violent attack on Rihanna in 2009, leaving her battered and bruised and Brown in the custody of police.

Brown publicly apologized, admitted to criminal assault in court. A judge sentenced him to five years probation, six months community service and anger management counseling. But his clean-cut image took a major blow.

Adele live comeback at Grammy Awards

British chart-topper Adele will make her live comeback at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in just under two weeks, after being on vocal rest since throat surgery sidelined the singer late last year.

The 23-year-old singer tweeted the news to her fans, saying "Ima be, Ima be singing at the Grammys. It's been so long I started to forget I was a singer! I can't wait, speak soon xx."

In a statement, Adele said she was "immensely proud to have been asked to perform" at music's biggest night on February 12 after a three-month hiatus on vocal rest.

It is "very exciting and of course nerve-racking, but what a way to get back into it all," she said.

The two-time Grammy winner, whose second album "21" smashed chart records around the world last year, was forced to cancel U.S. tour dates in November 2011 when she underwent microsurgery in Boston to treat a benign polyp on her vocal cords which was causing recurrent bleeding.

Appearing with her at the 54th Grammy Awards show will be top acts including Coldplay, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Paul McCartney, Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift.

Adele is also expected to perform at the BRIT Awards, Britain's top music accolades, in London on February 21.

The sultry singer has been nominated for six Grammys this year -- record of the year, song of the year and best short form music video for "Rolling In The Deep," album of the year and best pop vocal album for "21" and best pop solo performance for "Someone Like You."

Taylor Swift aims at Jake Gyllenhaal on new album

Taylor Swift says her new album will be about an "absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak," prompting speculation in the media that the latest subject of her songwriting skills may be her short-lived 2010 crush on Jake Gyllenhaal.

Swift, 22, whose "Dear John" song was seen as a bitter ode to ex-boyfriend John Mayer, told Vogue magazine that she was working on her fourth album, and is currently single.

The country-pop crossover artist, who famously wears her heart on her songwriter's sleeve, said that writing about past loves is a way to ease the pain.

"There's just been this earth-shattering, not recent, but absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak and that will turn out to be what the next album is about," she told Vogue in a cover story for its February edition.

"The only way that I can feel better about myself -- pull myself out of that awful pain of losing someone -- is writing songs about it to get some sort of clarity," she said.

Swift dated "Brokeback Mountain" star Gyllenhaal for about three months in late 2010 before their much-photographed relationship ended suddenly around the Christmas holidays that year. U.S. celebrity magazines claimed that Gyllenhaal had ended the relationship because he was unhappy at the attention the couple was generating.

Swift told Vogue she did not feel like dating at the moment. "I really have this great life right now, and I'm not sad and I'm not crying this Christmas, so I am really stoked about that."

Forever young

"I don't worry about the generation gap because the new album is made for young listeners," he says. "I hope that I can sing shuang jie kun (nunchaku) when I am 60 or 70 years old."

More than 60,000 copies were sold within the first week after the album was released in Taiwan on Nov 14, featuring songs like Mine Mine, Shadow Play and the title song, Wow.

The album topped the downloads chart of China Mobile Wireless Music, but some music critics say the singer tries too hard to cater to the youth.

Previously, Chou's albums were criticized for repeating the 2005 album, November's Chopin, and it appears some fans miss the old Chou style. On the largest Chinese website devoted to movies, books and music reviews, Douban.com, Chou's new album didn't enter the Top 10 new album chart and only scored a 5.2.

His combination of traditional Chinese instruments and Western styles helped usher in the zhongguo feng - literally "Chinese-style" music.

Most of his hit songs, including Chrysanthemum Terrace and Faraway, have featured lyrics written by Vincent Fang and music composed by Chou.

Though the new songs have all been all written and composed by the pair, some listeners say there is a change and are disappointed.

Among the comments on Douban.com are: "Chou is not serious about this album," and, "We are getting old and can't understand Chou's ideas".

Chou, who has been Asia's most reliable and popular star over the past 10 years, says he is confident enough to walk his own path.

"I am getting used to criticism and suspicion. I think that they just don't get my music," he says.

"I have been experimenting and trying something new. For example, I hated electronic music before but I have it on this album because I wanted to have some fun with it. I also tried Peking Opera singing on the album, which was fun as well."

Chen returns to Vienna for new prestige concert

Chinese vocalist Chen Junhua will hold a concert with the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra on Dec 20 at the Wiener Konzerthaus, one of the most prestigious music venues in Vienna.

Conducted by Shao En, the concert will also feature the Obala Koper Mixed Choir from Slovenia and Chinese tenor Fan Jingma as a guest performer.

Chen will perform a mixed program including symphonic vocal works, such as Farewell My Concubine, and more pop-like numbers, such as Canes around Trees. A highlight of the concert will be when Chen combines two patriotic songs, the Austrian Edelweiss and China's My Motherland and Me.

It will be the second time for Chen to perform in Vienna, after last year's Northern Shaanxi Folk Songs Concert at the Vienna Golden Hall.

Spreading the rock 'n' roll gospel

China's burgeoning music festival scene helps bridge the regional differences when it comes to understanding rock 'n' roll.

In 2010, there were more than 60 music festivals across the country, from the northern grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the southern highlands of Yunnan province.

In 2011, the growth of music festivals has continued, with more than 100 staged across the country.

In December 2011 alone, there will be three outdoor music festivals on in southern cities, including Guangdong province's Shenzhen, Fujian province's Xiamen and Yunnan.

The headliners include the "Godfather of Chinese rock 'n' roll" Cui Jian, rock singer/songwriters Zheng Jun and He Yong, and bands like Miserable Faith and Second Hand Rose.

"We believe the three music festivals will help promote rock music from the North in the southern cities," says Xu Xiaofeng, whose National Music Industry Base has been working with Beijing Beida Jade Bird Co to build a series of platforms for music festivals.

With a 250 million yuan ($39.3 million) investment, the two companies will jointly host 20 music festivals in 20 cities across China in 2012.

"Usually, a music festival gathers some big names and some new faces. But the influence of those bands doesn't last as the music festival ends after several days. What we are going to do is to make the festival longer and more lasting," says Xu, who started preparing the program over a year ago.

"We want to offer fans nonstop enjoyment other media forms, such as rock theme parks and rock music charts, will also be built up."

To cater to the regional differences, organizers will book bands and singers according to local preferences.

MTV gala seeks to localize its style

MTV will stage its Style Gala China 2011 at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing on Dec 7.

The event will feature A-listers of the music, movie, fashion and sports industries from the mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. This year's attendees include TV host Kevin Tsai, pop stars Jay Chou and Rene Liu, and mainland performers Sun Nan, Shang Wenjie and Zhang Jie.

MTV has been localizing in China since 1999, when it first brought its Music Awards to the country via CCTV. It has since partnered with the Shanghai Media Group to launch its Style Galas. This year is the first time it has worked with the Beijing-based station BTV.

Dong Dong, the vocalist who became a sensation for her song I'm Going to Honghe, has released her new single, How Are You, Friend?.

Written by Li Changming and Wang Lidong, and dedicated to World Hello Day on Nov 20, the new song advocates people caring more about one another.

How Are You, Friend? is a track on Dong's new album A Tour to Honghe. Honghe is a popular tourism destination in Yunnan province because of its natural beauty and ethnic culture.

The How Are You, Friend? music video was shot in Honghe and will soon be aired on CCTV's music channel.

Rihanna's 'Talk The Talk' release tops iTunes

Grammy-winning singer Rihanna may soon be headed to the top of the album charts after her latest record, "Talk That Talk" reached No. 1 on iTunes on Tuesday, one day after its release.

The singer released early teasers online as much as a week in advance, helping push the album into the top 10 on iTunes. Fans took to Twitter and Facebook to call the album Rihanna's best yet. Critical reviews, however, were mixed.

"Talk That Talk" is the sixth studio album from the 23-year-old Barbadian singer, following CDs like "Rated R" and "Loud," which have seen her steadily evolve from teen pop star to adult performer since her 2005 debut. She has earned international success over the years with singles like "Umbrella," "Rude Boy" and "What's My Name."

The 11-track "Talk That Talk" features themes of love and sexuality with a mixture of up-tempo dance tracks and reggae beats on "Where Have You Been," "Birthday Cake" and "You Da One," along with ballads "We All Want Love" and "Farewell."

Rihanna also collaborated with rapper Jay-Z -- whose Roc Nation label manages her -- on the single "Talk That Talk" and Scottish producer Calvin Harris on chart-topping dance anthem "We Found Love." The record also features a sample of British indie rock group The xx's "Intro" on single "Drunk On Love."

The singer's fans were upbeat on Twitter.

@OhMy_Kayla said, "This TALK THAT TALK album by @rihanna is by far the best one yet!!!!,, I FREAKING LOVE HER," and @gabixballa tweeted, "I've only been listening to Talk That Talk since yesterday. Lowkey @rihanna's best album ever."

Despite the positive fan reception, critics delivered mostly mixed reviews, acknowledging the singer's move toward dance music but criticizing the lyrics.