-La Roux's #1 UK single, Bulletproof, is the US iTunes free download of the week and their album became available digitally in the US yesterday. I bought it already knowing it's amazing from listening to rips of the songs on YouTube. Check it out. It's very 80's electro but the lyrics are good and the songs, catchy. The album is currently #21 on the US iTunes chart. Congrats, La Roux! They're performing their first Boston show on October 27th.
-The Saturdays' new album, out Oct. 12 in the UK, will be called Wordshaker, not the hilarious Colonial Masses as Wikipedia erroneously reported. The album cover could have been the gals rocking some serious colonial garb with bonnets and aprons and a complete lack of sexiness. The actual album cover is cool and slightly kooky involving dramatic pieces of fabric and bizarre hair pieces. This and the Forever is Over cover are beautiful images, but the slightly odd choice of the album's photo theme is a little forced. It declares: "Hey, we can do crazy stuff with our hair because we are making a second album that is pretty crazy and different. What you think about that?" It's similar to the look the Sugababes sported in their Denial video last year. Anyway, I'm excited for the album. It's the sophomore album test.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Bad Boys-Alexandra Burke Alexandra Burke won last year's X Factor (the UK American Idol) and here is her debut single, Bad Boys. She did not take the Leona route and release a Bleeding Love-esque ballad. Instead, Ms. Burke put on a slinky sliver outfit and released a relentlessly uptempo gem. The song (especially tempo-wise) is similar to Britney's Womanizer (as Popjustice noted), and it gallops along at a frenetic pace. It rarely stops for air and builds splendidly to the chorus. I didn't love it after the first listen, but now I really enjoy it. It's super fun and the chorus is super catchy and satisfying. I love the "ooo way, ooo wah'' part in the chorus. Flo Rida rides the fast beat like he's in the Kentucky Derby, but honestly his presence isn't really necessary. Alexandra holds her own. Now I'm super psyched for her album.
The Saturdays-Forever is Over So the video for The Saturdays new single leaked before the full song did. Odd. Anyway I enjoy the Satz new song. It's pop rock instead of the electro R&B pop of their first album. The video is pretty dull except for some cool, documentary-style and black and white camera shots and when blondie Mollie rubs off the heart tattoo with her finger. That's fantastic. Frankie and Rochelle's hairdos look really good as well. Rochelle sounds splendid in the second verse (she sings with conviction). The guitar-tinged middle eight is great, but too short. I think this song could do well for them if they released it in the US. It is very likable.
Miley-Party in the USA Oh Miley, sometimes you have a really good knack for pop songs. I've fallen in love with this irresistible, funky, and sweet jam known as Party in the USA. The chorus is fun, joyful, and catchy. The verses feature amusing, original, and endearing lyrics about Miley's journey from Nashville to scary LA. "Nodding my head like yeah, moving my hips like yeah". Amen, sister. Gotta love it.
I'm Not Your Toy-La Roux One of my favorite new acts of the year, La Roux, released the video for their next single, I'm Not Your Toy the other day. This is one of my favorite songs of theirs with it's gentle steel drums and superb lyrics. The video is kooky, filled with a strange array of people (dancers that all look like the lead singer of British band Noisettes) all in a glass pool house staring awkwardly at each other until everyone starts to dance a little. Watch for lead singer Elly Jackson's hair emerging from the water. Crazy beautiful.
Now I'm That Bitch-Livvi Franc Another pop gal has emerged from Barbados (home of my love, Rihanna). Her name is Livvi Franc and her debut single is called Now I'm That Bitch. The electro-pop beat is minimalist, but effective because it let's Livvi deliver the sharp lyrics with sass and oomph. The first 40 seconds build spectacularly with the ominous beat slowly invading the song as Livvi gets more and more sassy. The video is pretty cool (crazy fabric dance) and I like Pitbull's rap. It's a modern pop song, but it doesn't sound like everything else out there (i.e. some variation on the Lady GaGa/RedOne sound). Choice lyrics: "Hi, my name is (genius pop music song pause BRAVO)....you won't remember, wait till December". Great debut.
-Yesterday, La Roux hit number 1 in the UK for the first time with their fantastic new single Bulletproof. Their album is released today in the the UK. Congrats! Florence + the Machine debut at #12 with Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up), their wonderfully odd new single. This song would never even crack the top 100 here.
-Sales of Michael Jackson albums and singles have shot through the roof since his death last Thursday. 8 songs in the iTunes Top 10 are MJ, the number 1 spot occupied by Man in the Mirror. 7 of the top 10 albums are his as well.
-Here's a clip of a Jordin Sparks demo called Vertigo that should totally be on her new album which comes out July 21. It's super fun and dancey.
-The Spanish version of Shakira's new single has appeared online. The song is called She-Wolf and it is a big change of pace for Shakira. It's got a funky bassline, a disco feel, and it's overrall very pop. It suits Shakira well. I'm really loving it. Can't wait for the English version.
-American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert will be working with RedOne on some songs for his debut album due this fall! This is so exciting. RedOne and Lambert will make some good stuff.
-Kylie Minogue will be working with Girls Aloud producers Xenomania on her next album. This is also exciting. Xenomania make some of the most exciting pop music around and Kylie and them will make beautiful dance floor heaven for the world.
-La Roux's next single after this week's probable #1 Bulletproof will be I'm Not Your Toy, another delicious 80's style confection with steel drums. The lyrics are great: "I'm not your toy, this isn't another girl meets boy...it's all false love and affection, you don't want me, you just like the attention" I'm really looking forward to this album. All the clips I've heard are very promising. Apparently, the album will be out in the US in October! They will be touring around the US this summer. No Boston stops though.
-Another singer I'm loving at the moment is kooky Brit Florence and the Machine. The Machine is her band. Anyway Florence's debut album, Lungs, will be out in the UK in a couple weeks. Her songs are raw and emotional almost tribal especially her new single Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) which is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard all year. It has big drums, Florence's soaring voice, and an ecstatic and cathartic chorus. It's pretty crazy (same with the video), but I'm in love with it. The part in the song around 2:24 is gorgeous. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHqbco0zHWo
Cosmic Love-A massive song that swells with drums, echoing voices, and harp. It's epic and grandiose. Gorgeous. It reminds me of Bat For Lashes or Kate Bush. The "oooo" part is lovely.
I returned home the other day to discover some great things about Top 40 radio that I'd missed while away. KISS 108 is now playing Use Somebody by Kings of Leon, When Love Takes Over by Kelly Rowland and David Guetta, That's Not my Name by The Ting Tings, and Hush Hush by PCD! Hearing the words "Now new music. Kings of Leon. Use Somebody." is positively shocking and wonderful (I think) at the same time considering how not mainstream they used to be. Also, Use Somebody has been out for quite awhile already charting at #2 in the UK and doing very well in other countries overseas. The rest of the world have gotten on the KOL bandwagon faster than the US. Use Somebody is a very mainstream song perhaps their most accessible to date. It deserves success. It's been a slow rise for the song, but a few weeks ago they did it on the MTV Movie Awards which did wonders. It climbed up the charts to #19 on the Hot 100 and is currently at #23. This is good news. Still weird to hear Kings of Leon on KISS though. Also, KISS is about a year late on the Ting Tings song. The big news is the fact that When Love Takes Over which just went to #1 in the UK yesterday is being played on KISS now. It sounds amazing on the radio. I never thought it would be on the radio. I thought it would just chart on the US dance charts and do really well overseas like it's doing in Italy. It's such a euphoric and anthemic song. Other chart news: La Roux's next single, the hard-hitting Bulletproof, has raced up to Number 1 on the UK iTunes chart. I think it was released yesterday. It's such a great song. We'll see if it's number 1 come Sunday. Also, well I was away Keri Hilson's genius song Knock You Down zoomed up the charts! It's currently at number 3! Yay, finally chart success here for Keri. Well that was a lot. Ah, I love the charts.
You may have noticed I mentioned a group named La Roux in yesterday's News Galore. Well, La Roux is a pop synth duo from Londontown who make beautiful music. The singer is Elly Jackson who looks like my favorite kook, Tilda Swinton. Elly has short, sharp red hair and a super high voice. Their single In For the Kill is currently taking the UK charts by storm. I first heard about them when I heard their song Quicksand, a vintage pop ditty, a few months ago. Then, In For the Kill came out. I watched some of the video, and I thought the song was quite bad. Elly's voice was just too high, but now after some time, I love the song. Its success is truly surprising and unexpected. Well, these two have other great tracks up their sleeves as well. The debut album is out June 29 in the UK, but Roux Roux have recently played some shows in the US. I think they were in Brooklyn a couple weeks ago. They are apparently coming back here in the summer. Anyway the next single is Bulletproof, another catchy slice of pop. Another gem of theirs is Fascination which has a great, jolly chorus and a squelching, churning beat during the verses. A happy, summer song. Check it out here:
Their are two Quicksand EP's on iTunes. The more recent released one has a great In For the Kill remix by Skream. Hopefully, In For the Kill will be there in its original form soon.
Check La Roux's myspace out. Basically to sum it up: they are awesome.
-La Roux's #1 UK single, Bulletproof, is the US iTunes free download of the week and their album became available digitally in the US yesterday. I bought it already knowing it's amazing from listening to rips of the songs on YouTube. Check it out. It's very 80's electro but the lyrics are good and the songs, catchy. The album is currently #21 on the US iTunes chart. Congrats, La Roux! They're performing their first Boston show on October 27th.
