Once again, Super Bowl week will be highlighted by great live music performances as part of the Pepsi Smash concert series.
Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5 headline the Pepsi Smash concert series on Thursday, Jan. 31, from the Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz. RBD, Camila and Belinda perform on Friday, Feb. 1.
Tune in to VH1 on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. EST to watch live performances from Mary J. Blige and Maroon 5 as well as appearances from some of your favorite NFL stars!
Also catch RBD, Belinda and Camila performing on Telemundo on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. EST.
Ticket information: $40/ticket. Limited time, available through Ticketmaster ( click here for details)
About the artists
Mary J. Blige
There's little, if any, denying that Mary J. Blige is one of the greatest singers of our time. The proof is in the consistent #1 albums and singles, six (6) Grammy awards, seven (7) multi-platinum records and 15-years of love from the public, critics and fellow artists. Since her 1992 debut - the modern classic What's the 411 all the way to 2005's stunning The Breakthrough Mary J. Blige has helped to redefine R&B, and more importantly, been an artist that uses her gift to lift spirits, touch lives and bring her heart, soul and truth to those who are willing to listen.
Mary's eighth studio CD, Growing Pains, comes on the heels of Mary's best-selling anthology Reflections (2006). It's also her first CD of new material since The Breakthrough debuted at #1, selling over an astonishing 700,000 copies its first week - setting a record at that time as the best opening week for a solo R&B female artist in SoundScan history. The album's first single, "Be Without You," also made chart history by holding down the #1 spot on the Billboard "Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums" chart for a record breaking sixteen (16) straight weeks; making it her biggest hit, so far, of a career filled with them. In addition "Be Without You" made its way into history books when it became the longest running #1 song on the R&B chart in over 40 years. As if that wasn't achievement enough The Breakthrough and "Be Without You" earned an astonishing eight (8) Grammy award nominations with Mary winning three (3).
Ask what fans can expect from Growing Pains and Mary J. Blige is characteristically upfront. "They're going to get a sense of what my state of mind is and how I view the world," she says. "And hopefully, most of all, they're going to hear just the sincere honesty and love that I have for them. I'm always putting myself out there like, look. I love ya'll. I got ya'll. I'm rocking with ya'll. So that's what they're going to get, that commitment. I hope they're going to be very happy with that."
You can hear Mary's own happiness and strength all throughout Growing Pains. Working in partnership with some of the best in the game e.g., Tricky and Dream, Neyo and Stargate, The Neptunes, Dre and Vidal, Jazze Pha, Sean Garrett, and featuring guest appearances by Ludacris, and Usher, Growing Pains is the sound of an artist in love, in touch, in control, and not afraid to show it. More than anything Growing Pains gives you straight up Mary letting the public share her world, and delivering a message that says, Love yourself. Believe in yourself and kick negativity to the curb.
Mary makes her message loud, clear and seriously funky on the hit single "Just Fine," produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky and written by Mary and Dream. The single makes for Mary's eighteenth (18th) top 10 single on Billboard's "Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs" chart tying her with Mariah Carey for the most Top 10 songs on the chart in the Neilson Music Era (from 1993). "Just Fine," a celebration of life, gives you Mary fierce and (as the video shows) glamorous. The songs' vibe? "Sometimes it feels like you're having this miserable time, like all 365 days of the year are tough. But then, you get one of those days; maybe when your hair is great, or you're not stuck in traffic; where it's a 'just fine' day. At some point," Mary laughs. "You've got to have one or two of those."
The party and positivity keeps on keeping on with the rump shaking second single "Work That" - currently featured on an Apple iPod commercial. "Work That" is upbeat, strong and deals with finding the good in you. "When I meet a woman who doesn't know what to do about her weight or her hair I always says to her 'whatever it is that you have, make that work for you, work what you got."
Mary takes her own advice on the non-stop jam "Till the Morning." Produced by the Neptune's and written by Pharrell, "Till The Morning" takes you way back by referencing 80's club classics. Mary states: "It's about whatever your 'till the morning' is. If it's hanging in the club all night, if it's lying in bed with your man and enjoying him all night - that's your 'till the morning'."
Love's the force behind "Roses," another collaboration with Tricky Stewart and The Dream. Mid tempo, emotional and grown, "Roses" is about having to work to make it work, the real in relationships, and that it's not always all roses and candy.
Relationships are also the theme on the sultry "Shake Down," a mid-tempo duet with Usher that has the feel of those classic R& B partnerships.
Throughout Growing Pains you hear Mary pushing herself in ways she never has: especially vocally. There are jazzy inflections, girl group coquettishness, nuanced phrasing: a full range of tones and textures.
She also continues to mature in the studio: taking control of the total recording and creative process and doing so with confidence and chops. "Making records is different than when I started because now I know what I want and there's not fifty people running the show. Now (husband/creative partner) Kendu Isaacs and I run the show. Kendu's ear is good, my ear is good, and we're honest with each other."
Needless to say, when you have that type of success all eyes are on the next release. Mary keeps it all in perspective by focusing on what really matters. The journey. The growth. The love. And as always the music and the fans. "I'm still trying to heal and get better and that's what Growing Pains represents. It's about accepting that there's pain that goes along with growing and change. No pain, no gain."
Maroon 5
Capturing their first of two Grammys as Best New Artist of 2005, and going on to sell more than 10 million albums worldwide, Maroon 5 won plaudits with the hybrid rock/R&B sound they introduced on their debut album Songs About Jane. On May 22, after four years and live shows alongside the likes of The Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder, the quintet released their much-anticipated second album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long (A&M/Octone Records) to rave reviews. Listeners can expect this sophomore outing to be "sexier," "stronger" and even "lyrically darker" than Jane, according to vocalist/guitarist Adam Levine, who affirms that "it's rooted in what we've always been, which is different."
The album, recorded in their home town of Los Angeles, was guided by producers Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Eminem), Mark "Spike" Stent (Gwen Stefani, Bjork, Keane, Marilyn Manson), Mark Endert (Madonna, Fiona Apple) and Eric Valentine (Queens of the Stone Age, Nickel Creek). It also reflects the contributions of new drummer Matt Flynn, whose harder beats complement the evolved sound of Levine, guitarist James Valentine, bassist Mickey Madden and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael. "We're all really happy with the finished product," says Levine, crediting the label for welcoming new sounds and textures. "With Jane you could pick out our influences pretty easily, but now it sounds more like Maroon 5," says Levine. "We're becoming our own band, and I think this album will help change perceptions of who we really are."
Also known for their commitment to the environment, Maroon 5 was honored at the 2006 Environmental Media Awards and recently pledged their time and energy toward Global Cool, a newly launched initiative to fight global warming by motivating a billion people worldwide to reduce their personal energy use. For more information, please visit www.maroon5.com.
Camila
After having obtained international success with their distinctive talent and beautiful melodies, CAMILA returns with a Special Edition (CD+DVD) of their acclaimed debut album TODO CAMBIO.
This special edition was released on August 14. It included their complete CD, plus an exclusive track "Solo Para Ti," as well as the acoustic demos of "Abrazame," "Coleccionista De Canciones" and "U Got My Love." The special edition also comes with a DVD that features the videos "Abrazame," "Coleccionista de Canciones," "Todo Cambio," and "Solo Para Ti;" a 30-minute video capturing the story of CAMILA's beginnings with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes and a photo gallery.
With the release of their debut album, TODO CAMBIO in 2006, group members Mario Domm, Samo and Pablo have progressively transformed into one of the most popular groups today. They are currently at the top of the Billboard charts in both radio airplay and sales.
CAMILA continues to show great success, having received a Gold Album in the United States and a double platinum album in Mexico. Currently, they have sold over 200,000 copies in Mexico and more than 100,000 copies in the United States, not including regional sales.
Tracks such as "Abrazame," "Todo Cambio" and "Coleccionista de Canciones" (theme song for the soap opera, "Las Dos Caras de Ana" aired on Univision) have been favored among the public as much in the United States as in Mexico and Latin America.
In addition, they have launched an intense promotional tour in the Unites States, Mexico and Latin America. CAMILA has been given well deserved nominations by important award shows including the Latin Billboard Awards, in the category of "Latin Pop Airplay - Song of the Year," Premios Lo Nuestro for "Soloist - Group of the Year" and recently in four categories for the Premios Orgullosamente Latino 2007.
Belinda
Belinda PeregrÃn Schull was born in Madrid on August 15, 1989. At the age of 4 she moved to Mexico City where she has lived with her family ever since.
At a very early age she showed an incredible talent for singing, acting and making home videos that she wrote and shot. When she was 10 she starred in her first TV series named "Friends forever," produced by Televisa in Mexico, together with a CD of the soundtrack. Both the TV series and the CD became a huge success in Latin America and other parts of the world. At the age of 11, she starred in her second TV series named "Adventures in Time," also produced by Televisa and together with a CD of the soundtrack, achieved both great success in many countries of the world besides Latin America.
At the age of 12 she starred in her third television series playing twin characters in "Accomplices at Rescue," produced by Televisa, together with a CD of the soundtrack. Belinda's performance of one rich and one poor twin sisters became an astonishing success around the world. Just before turning 14 she launched her CD named "Belinda" and the CD becomes a great success in all Latin America and Spain exceeding the figure of 800,000 copies. The tour named "Party on the flat Roof" becomes also a huge success with more than 1,500,000 people attending the more than 120 live shows.
Belinda has been awarded different and important awards such as MTV, acting Awards, Platinum and Gold CDs in different countries and has been sponsored by big companies such as LG, Office Depot and Coca-Cola.
At present, Belinda is promoting "Bella traición," second single of the Platinum Album, Utopia, released in October 2006 and distributed by the discographic label EMI Music Televisa.
She recently also shot her first English movie with Disney named "Cheetah Girls 2."
