Music Rewind 2010: What Was Hot and What Was Not

Souirce From http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q

Admittedly, 2010 was not the most remarkable year in music. There were a few gems, but more than ever, it seemed as though reality TV, Twitter and the red carpet were more of a priority for most artists than actually making any good music. But there were a few of them who moved us in 2010 – and then there were those who maybe should go back to the drawing board or the music academy.

Here are our picks for what was harmonious and discordant in 2010.

BIGGEST COMEBACK: EL DEBARGE

Eldra DeBarge hadn’t been seen or heard of in years. He seemed well on the way to being a tragic coda to his family’s well-documented addiction problems, even though he’d once seemed to escape his family’s sad legacy. Then came 2010 and El’s show-stopping appearance on the BET Awards. All of a sudden, the most beautiful falsetto in R&B was back onstage, sounding like his over-a-decade-long absence from the music scene had only been a matter of months. His new CD, “Second Chance,” was the most appropriately named CD of the year, and audienceS who saw him on tour raved about his shows. Welcome back, El.

BEST MUSICAL COMEBACK: R. KELLY

It’s not that R. Kelly had left the music scene; it’s more that his music was becoming increasingly irrelevant. Where can you really go after “Trapped In The Closet, Pt. 137?” For Kelly, it was downhill, and duets with Keri Hilson did nothing for his artistic cred. Then this year, Kelly drops “Love Letter,” with its unapologetically retro single, “When A Woman Loves,” and tears up the Soul Train Awards stage with his accomplished performance. “Love Letter” is his best album in years, and that’s minus any collabos, remixes or rappers. It’s a true R&B record, and it’s truly outstanding. Despite the controversy about his personal life that is bound to follow him his entire career, Kelly is still this generation’s most complete musician.

BEST LIVE SHOW: PRINCE

Hell, I haven’t been to the concert yet, but since I’ve seen him 11 times, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Prince’s sold-out concerts in the New York metropolitan area this winter were the year’s best live shows. I’m sure Usher was good, and since I did see Erykah Badu, I can say that her show was the best I personally witnessed. But Prince is the ultimate performer. He has no equal, no peer, no one even close in any genre of music that is still actively performing. It doesn’t matter if you are a fan or not; if you love music, Prince’s show will make you a believer. If you don’t, believe me, you can check out reviews on www.prince.org.

MOST DEVASTATING LOSSES: TEDDY PENDERGRASS, GURU AND TEENA MARIE

Who could have ever imagined that we’d be mourning Teena Marie, Guru and Teddy Pendergrass in the same year? The loss of three of R&B and hip-hop’s most beloved stars was heart-wrenching to an industry that sadly doesn’t seem to be nurturing any replacement talents. Adding to the sadness of Guru’s death was the controversy that followed in its wake that threatened to tarnish the legacy of one of hip-hop’s most original voices. While Pendergrass had been ill with cancer, and Guru was hospitalized for some time before he died, Marie’s sudden death right after Christmas was a total shock. We know that they’ve all joined the most amazing band in heaven, but we can’t help wishing they had much more time with us on this earth.

MOST AMBITIOUS PROJECT: KANYE WEST, “MY BEAUTIFUL, DARK, TWISTED FANTASY”

Kanye West returned …..