Bark + Bite

Karmin crashes the music industry with playful "Crash Your Party" single

Back when we spoke with Karmin in May of this year, the duo were in the midst of record deal negotiations that they weren't ready to reveal to the world. Well now, the cat is out of the bag. The YouTube duo has signed a deal with Epic Records, whose new head honcho is none other than former Def Jam executive and X Factor judge L.A. Reid.

After blowing up overnight from the viral success of their cover of Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now," Amy and Nick have managed to produce a first single, "Crash Your Party," that marries the two elements that made them famous: Acoustic production and hip hop.

Amy is an admitted Rihanna fan, and there are twinges of an island sound in the pre-chorus of the song and even a light Jafakin' accent. "You're gonna huff and puff and blow the whole house down / Don't they know you're the king of the castle? / The nerve of some people / To think we're all equal," Amy quips sarcastically.

There are also glimpses of Pink and Gwen Stefani in Amy as well, but that tornado rhyming section is all Amy. White girl rapper on deck! Prepare to have your party and your world crashed by the infectious talents of Karmin.

Listen to Karmin's first major-label single below

Diggy Simmons falls in puppy love in "Do It Like You"

Diggy Simmons knows a good thing when he sees it. And in this case, that good thing happens to be an attractive young lady in his new single "Do It Like You." But the 16-year-old isn't all about the physical, even though he's probably got plenty of raging hormones to deal with.

"I know what they say / Every rapper only want that sexual healing; Marvin Gaye / Don't believe it girl, I promise / I'ma treat you like my treasure, I'm movin' by myself but I know you'll make me better," young Diggy vows.

While Diggy gets his Drake on by doing a little singing and rapping, Jeremih also lends his silky pipes on the hook. Between this and his contribution to Wale's "That Way," Jeremih's got a nice little career going for him as a hip hop hookman. Which isn't a knock on him at all, by the way. Get in where you fit in. Who knew we'd still even be talking about Mr. Birthday Sex in 2011? Jeremih has defied the odds.

Back to Diggy, his new single is a playful, light, schoolyard crush of a song. It actually has a breezy, summertime vibe to it, like Kelly Rowland's "Lay It One Me." The artist formerly known as Lil' Bow Wow left a lane open and it looks Diggy is ready to step right into it. Hide your teenage and pre-teen girls, Diggy's calling for them.

Listen to Diggy's new single from his debut album below

Coldplay and Rihanna cry a beautiful, deep river of sorrow in "Princess of China"

When word hit the street that Rihanna would be collaborating with Chris Martin and the fellas on their upcoming album Mylo Xyloto, it was obvious that we were all in for something momentous. And now that the full version of "Princess of China" has leaked, it's safe to say that RiRi and Chris didn't disappoint.

Chris brings on the bombast and the storms as he blunders about his stepped on and broken heart. Rihanna swoops in with her angelic chords chirping about fights and lost games, while Chris accompanies her under the harmony. The two of them do quite a bit of harmonizing and it's really quite lovely. It turns this sad, sad, love song into something beautiful. They sound like two songbirds, bemoaning their pitiful state to the world.

Lyrically, some have taken issue with the line where Rihanna croons about being a princess and her lover being a king. Princesses usually marry princes, after all. And if he's a king, then she should be a queen. Not being an expert on all things royal, but there's probably some king in history who kept his bride a princess and not queen. Then again, that's neither here nor there. The point of the line in the song is that they could've been royalty together, now they're stuck being peasants all by themselves.

Listen to Coldplay and Rihanna's duet below

Bruno Mars swears "It Will Rain" if you leave, girl

Bruno weaves a regular Romeo and Juliet-style story of love as he pleads with his girlfriend to stick it out with him and ignore her family who's trying to keep her away from him and his bad boy ways.

"I'll never be your mother's favorite / Your daddy can't even look me in the eye / If I was in their shoes I'd be doing the same thing / Saying there goes my little girl, walking with that troublesome guy," Bruno croons. "But little darling, watch me change their minds."

The dramatic song is a storm of emotions with its moody strings, Bruno's raspy howl and the lyrics that detail the torment of two lovers being torn apart. Which means it's the perfect material for the angsty Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 soundtrack, which hits stores November 8th.

Between "It Will Rain" and "Grenade," it's clear that Bruno doesn't take break-ups very well. Ladies, you're better off not breaking the young Hooligan's heart.

Listen to Bruno's brand new single from the Twilight saga below

Coldplay dreams big on "Paradise"

Coldplay's second single, "Paradise," from the band's forthcoming album Mylo Xyloto, is a dreamy synth ride. The song tells the story of a girl who closes her eyes and daydreams to escape the grayness of reality.

"Life goes on / It gets so heavy / The wheel breaks the butterfly / Every tear, a waterfall / In the night, the stormy night / She closed her eyes / In the night / The stormy night /Away she flied," Chris croons.

The song achieves the anthemic feel that Coldplay's better material boasts. It's a bit more modern sounding than the first offering from Mylo Xyloto, "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall." You could easily hear this on top 40 radio next to One Republic.

Listen to the band's new single below

Usher and David Guetta's "Without You" is amazing

Usher's foray into dance-pop hasn't always come off as genuine, if we're being honest. Although he struck gold with "OMG," the Max Martin-produced "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" felt like a cheap, paint-by-the-numbers ploy.

But "Without You," Usher's contribution to David Guetta's new album Nothing But the Beat, doesn't fall into that same trap. On the contrary, it's probably one of the more authentic, relatable tracks Usher has recorded in recent times. It pulses, breathes and it flies, taking the listener on a wonderful ride — no magic carpet.

The song is off to a big start too. The song has been one of the most added songs in Top 40 radio and it debuted at the #31 in the Top 40 airplay charts well ahead of its impact date.

If Kelly Rowland's "When Love Takes Over" had a male sibling, this would be it. "Without You" takes the power ballad form to starry heights. Its psychedelia is a digital delight that sounds like something that belongs in Dance Dance Revolution — and we mean that as a compliment.

Listen to Usher and David Guetta's new joint below

7 Songs that ruled the summer of 2011

Now that the temperatures are cooling, summer seems almost like a distant memory. It’s the season that always goes by too quickly but is packed with tons of fun and loads of memories.

Another thing that stands out in most people’s minds about the season is its soundtrack. Often there is one song that rules the airways and plants itself into the head of anyone with a radio or internet connection between July and August of that year. The industry breaks out its A-list talent in a bid for winning that coveted title: Song of the summer.

This year a few of music’s brightest stars put in their bid to rule the summer. Here are 7 that made a deep impact:

Frank Ocean is on the run from the "Dream Killa"

Frank Ocean is a dreamer and he's not about to let anyone or anything stand in his way of reaching for the stars. In "Dream Killa," a new track that has hit the web, Frank denounces friends, lovers and family who told him to give up on what they deemed to be the unachievable. It's a change of pace for the singer as the song is actually quite breezy and uptempo. It's got a little disco feel to it, in fact.

Though Frank doesn't convey it in his vocals, the lyrics to the song are quite, "told ya so." They're actually quite reminiscent of the lyrical darts Beyonce threw in "Survivor."

"Said I'd never make it, well I'm here / You told me I should go and sleep off the dreams / You promised I would stop having nightmares, if I could just do my best to just not believe," Frank croons.

The Midi Mafia-produced track is a great addition to the unofficial Frank Ocean collection fans have to put together until he drops his first official release, but don't mistake it for new material from his upcoming album. Frank posted "Demos. Demos. Demos." to his tumblr not long after "Dream Killa" leaked. So it's likely that this is material that was meant for another artist, not himself. Although it certainly mirrors his own experiences in breaking through the music industry.

Listen to the song below