Miguel burst onto the music scene six years ago, with the cool and confidently collected single, “Sure Thing”.  All I Want Is You (his debut album) also featured the hits “Quickie” and “All I Want Is You”. 2012 was the real turning point of his career though. Kaleidoscope Dream was released that year. That album was led by the Prince-esque love ballad, “Adorn”. “Adorn” was the runaway hit that cemented the album’s success. Miguel officially became a superstar. Twenty years from now, we’ll still remember that song. Wildheart,  his third album, showcased his rebellious, rock side. He proved he was not afraid to experiment. “Cadillac” marks Miguel’s return to music after a brief few months of silence.

“Cadillac” is the lead single lifted from the Netflix original series soundtrack, The Get Down. The Get Down is set in the Bronx, during the birth of Hip Hop in the 1970s. Miguel croons a groovy plead to get a special woman in the backseat of his Cadillac. The production of this song alone is fire and I could easily listen to the track without his vocals.

However, Miguel effortlessly weaves in and out of falsetto and lower register tones. He isn’t the best singer in the world but he’s a master of making the best of his voice. “Cadillac” is the perfect Summer party song; with a heavy dose of vintage flavor. Miguel’s growth as an artist can definitely be felt here. “Cadillac” will be on repeat for quite some time.

Netflix will release the first six episodes of The Get Down this Friday, August 12^th. The soundtrack will be available as an Apple Music exclusive album, for a limited time. Nas and Grandmaster Flash are also featured on the soundtrack.

What are your thoughts on Miguel’s “Cadillac”?

Suicide Squad will likely rake in nearly $150 million by the time all domestic box office weekend sales are tallied. The film isn’t far from its $175 million budget to break even. Suicide Squad has already broken records as the largest opening weekend ever for the month of August. The cast includes Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Ben Affleck and Viola Davis. The unorthodox super heroes are actually prisoners bartering for a lesser sentence. These criminals all have an ability or skill that defies human comprehension. I have heard a few bad reviews about the film, but I actually enjoyed it. The plot is definitely refreshing and DC Comics should be proud of this one.

Now, on to the soundtrack. The music inspired by Suicide Squad is as much of a mixed big as its diverse cast. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The album provides a little bit of something for everyone, including classics like Panic! At The Disco’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, War’s “Slippin’ Into Darkness” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortune Son”. Eminem even lent one of his biggest hits, “Without Me”, to join the lineup.

Don’t fret. There is new music here too though. “Sucker for Pain” could have been a train wreck for disaster with six artists (Imagine Dragons, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, Logic and X Ambassadors) all on one track. The song actually provides one of the best efforts on the album, despite its eerie undertones. “Heathens” by twenty one pilots offers a dark track that sounds off as a creepy, gentle warning to not tick off the Suicide Squad (“Please don’t make any sudden moves/You don’t know the half of the abuse”).

The ladies also prove they can hang with the big boys on Kehlani’s seductive, syrupy “Gangsta” and Skylar Grey’s deliciously rebellious “Wreak Havoc”. The vocal power house Grace serves up her defiant declaration “You Don’t Own Me” featuring G-Eazy. Grimes gets a piece of the action too, with her delicate vocal purrs smashed against jagged guitars and drums on “Medieval Warfare”. The weakest link on the album is Kevin Gates’s “Know Better”. The song isn’t bad, but it also fails to stand up against the other solid tracks on the album.

Suicide Squad : The Album pulls out some of its biggest guns straight out of the gate. Rick Ross and Skrillex have the privilege of carrying the album’s first single, “Purple Lamborgini”. The beat is infectious, leaving it nearly impossible to sit still. Rick Ross’s cool, dangerous swag was the best personality to have on this type of song. His line, “Forgive me for my wrongs, I have just begun” single-handedly sums up the whole premise of the movie.

Watch the movie and then listen to the soundtrack or vice versa. The main point is you definitely need to make both items a priority this summer.