Inside Music with Melinda Newman

2010 begins with the 'Tik Tok' of Ke$ha's clock, plus Kanye West, Katharine McPhee

New sets gets the new year off to an eclectic start

By Melinda Newman Monday, Jan 4, 2010 1:23 PM

Ke$ha's "Animal"

As my colleague, Katie Hasty, and I wrote about a few days ago, there are lots of reasons – at least 25 of them — to be excited about in 2010. One of the albums we highlighted, Ke$ha’s “Animal” drops tomorrow, Jan. 5 along with a small handful of others. The year gets off to a slightly slow start otherwise, but here are the brief highlights.

Ke$ha “Animal” (Kemosabe/RCA) “Tik Tok” has already made an impression on Ke$ha fans, more than 2 million of them actually. That’s how many times the chart topper has already been downloaded. It has also set the record for highest number of downloads by a female artist in one week. Look for the party to continue on “Animal,” produced by Britney Spears' cohorts Dr. Luke and Max Martin.

Katharine McPhee, “Unbroken” (Verve Forecast): “American Idol” season five finalist returns with his second album and it’s a major departure from her pop/R&B oriented debut. McPhee is a striking platinum blonde on the album cover and her music seems similarly adult and mature. This time, her pipes are wrapped bout adult contemporary tunes that suit her perfectly. She co-writes with a number of fellow sensitive female types, including Ingrid Michaelson and Kara Dioguardi.

Kanye West, “ VH1 Storytellers” (Def Jam/Roc-a-Fella): This DVD/CD set, recorded shortly after the release of his fourth album “808’s & Heartbreak,” offers more than 70 minutes of West, spanning his career. DVD also includes a Q&A.

Various Artists, “A Single Man” (Relativity Media): The soundtrack to the likely Oscar contender, which takes play in the early ‘60s, combines composers Abel Korzeniowski and Shigeru Umebayashi’s scores with songs from the era, such as Booker T & the MG’s “Green Onions,” and Etta James’ “Stormy Weather.”

Various Artists, “Youth in Revolt” (Lakeshore): The soundtrack from New film featuring Michael Cera is in alternative delight with cuts from Fruit Bats, rapper Fatlip (formerly of Pharcyde) and Beulah, as well as Cera himself singing “I Have a Boyfriend” and 60s’ singer Jo Stafford’s “My Romance.”