Janet Jackson unveiled “Make Me,” an uptempo disco-inflected dance anthem, after singing Scream at the MTV Video Music Awards to kick the show off, as a present to her fans on JanetJackson.com. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head! It’s third on my list of favorite Janet carrier singles (my favorite carrier is still Runaway from Design of a Decade, and a close second is Feedback off Discipline). Actually, no real...

So Kanye West decides to rain on Taylor Swift’s parade with an ill-timed, ill-thought-of promotion of Beyonce’s video at the 2009 VMA Awards. The madness is recorded here: ZD YouTube FLV Player I feel badly for Taylor Swift, I really do, but you know what? Fearless is one of the bestselling albums of the year – the best, if you don’t count Michael Jackson’s catalog, sales of which skyrocketed after his death...

I just got off the telephone with good friend Hazel Gonzales, a very talented Philippine makeup artist based in Quezon City. Hazel and I met through Marge Patena, when I did some freelance graphic design work for the birthday celebration of Hazel’s daughter. What started out as a business relationship soon blossomed into a chummy friendship; I found myself seeking Hazel out for thoughts on where to eat in the Timog area, who were people we...

As of September 12, 2009, these are my top 10 favorite songs. 1. One Reason (new) Chynna & Vaughan 2. Arise (1) Avalon 3. Blessed Be Your Name (6) Ashmont Hill 4. The Lost Get Found (4) Britt Nicole 5. No Other Name (2) Freddy Rodriguez & Champions Live 6. Hey Soul Sister (7) Train 7. Lay ‘Em Down (3) Needtobreathe 8. I Look To You (10) Whitney Houston 9. He Is (5) Mark Schultz 10. Battlefield (Tonal Club Mix) (8) Jordin...

Three days to go and I can’t wait to buy Avalon’s Reborn! This is going to be awesome! To whet your appetite, here is Reborn from Avalon’s Reborn. Avalon’s going back to the top of the charts, I tell you. Come on, E1, release Reborn, or Alive! Arise is great, but these two tracks are even better! Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You...