SONG OF THE DAY: Sweet Rains ft Reina – Forever

It’s been far too long since we’ve heard new music from Reina. The beloved singer of club anthems “Find Another Woman” and “Anything for Love,” and pop crossovers “No One’s Gonna Change You” and “If I Close My Eyes” has been out of the spotlight since the 2010 release of “Just Let Go,” popping up for guest spots on records by Jipsta and Cezar as well as a few club dates. Her comeback record with Sweet Rains “Forever,” was worth the wait. With an intro reminiscent of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own,” the sweet pop feel showcases Reina singing in a softer and more controlled tone than you might expect. As the the bridge drops down, her vocals grow more powerful- leading to a catchy and emotional chorus. In the radio edit, each of the three choruses raise in intensity until the powerful last refrain. Even with her immense vocal prowess, she doesn’t oversing (even though she has the pipes to really wail, or SANG as they say in the gospel world), rather focusing on the emotion and communicating the song for a pop audience. For clubland, Nukage and Iggy toughen it up with a big room electro mix, while Serving Ovahness brings a touch of progressive house with a tribal overtone. The modern tribal-oriented mixes by Nick Harvey and Ranny will definitely find much love on the circuit scene. Clubland has missed you, Reina… Welcome back. Here’s hoping this is the first of many new club anthems featuring her brilliant voice and big heart. This record also launches a new record label Lafayette Street records which will focus on vocal dance music.

Image courtesy of Lafayette Street Records.

SONG OF THE DAY (SUNDAY FUNDAY): Martha Wash – I’m Not Coming Down

Everyone loves Martha Wash. From her start as a backup singer for Sylvester to her classic with the Weather Girls “It’s Raining Men” and more than 30 years of club anthems, Martha is beloved in gay clubland as a legendary diva. For 2014, she is back with “I’m Not Coming Down” a house record that shows both the soft and powerful side to her voice. She can sing but she can also sang (as is the proper idiom for her unmatched vocal prowess.) Surely to be featured at every circuit party this summer, It comes as no surprise that it is flying up the Billboard Club Chart and set to reach the pinnacle any day now. One sure sign of how much she is loved by clubland is the sheer volume of remixes with more than 20 different ones currently floating around (Rosabel, Tony Moran, Danny Diggz, DJ Ting, Gustavo Scorpio, Phil B & Leo Frappier, John Le Page & Brian Cua, Todd Terry, Ranny, Alex Acosta, Guy Scheiman, C-Rod, Deep Influence, Giangi Cappai, James Anthony, Wayne G, Mauro Mozart, Guy Scheiman, Albert Cabrera, John Lepage, Gustavo Scorpio, Phil B & Frappier.) As the most remixed record of the year (aside from Cher’s “Take It Like a Man,”) it’s a good thing that we are in a digital age because there is no telling how many cd singles would need to be released to cover all the remixes and dubs. If perchance you’re a dj and can’t find a suitable mix among those, there is even a sick electro bootleg mashup with Showtek. Having worked with Martha several times over the years, she is also a joy to perform with and always has a fun sense of humor. Evidence of this is the video for “I’m Not Coming Down” which is clearly a tongue-in-cheek spoof of the 90s NuHouse meme with her updating the classic “Give It To You” video with hot shirtless men dancing all around her.

Image Courtesy of Purple Rose.