-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.
Okay, here's a clip of The Saturdays new single that premieres on Radio 1 in England tomorrow night. As I said before it's called Forever is Over and based on this clip, the song is very strong. It's different than anything they've done before. It's more rock, but not that rock. I mean, come on, it's The Saturdays. Closer to pop-rock. There are guitars there though. It's a mid tempo, and the chorus soars and stomps. I'm really happy about this new side to The Satz. Can't wait to hear the whole thing tomorrow.
-The Saturdays' new single, the melodramatically titled Forever is Over, will be played for the first time on BBC Radio 1 this Sunday night. I'm really excited for this song which is supposed to be more rock-tinged than their other songs. Their first album was a good debut with some memorable gems (If This is Love and Up) and their cover of Just Can't Get Enough was spirited and fun, but this album will be the real test. I have high expectations. Bigger and better I hope.
-A snippet of Alphabeat's new song The Spell was posted on Popjustice a few days ago, and it sounds promising and super poppy. I can't wait to hear the whole thing. Stine, the female singer, has got a new dramatic hairdo that kind of looks like a wig. It's fantastic though. Hopefully the gang play some new tunes at their V Festival appearance in England this weekend. Maybe we'll get some YouTube clips.
Update: The new album called The Spell too will be released on October 19th in the UK I assume and the single of the same title will be out October 12. Very exciting.
-Norwegian pop wunderkind Annie finally has a release date for her delayed second album, Don't Stop. It will be released in the US on November 17! The first single from the album after many leaks and false single starts (see I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me from last year) is Songs Remind Me of You which has awesome cover art: Annie wearing a lipstick necklace. It's a wonderful image.
-Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole may debut her first solo single on British TV show, The X Factor (kind of like American Idol). Cheryl is a judge on the talent competition. She better be good. Good luck, Cheryl. Hope the album is full of pop wonder.
-Head over to the Dolly Rockers Myspace page to hear a snippet of what sounds to be another delicious and sassy new song from the gals, Boys Will Be Boys. It reminds me a bit of The Veronicas.
-According to the wonderful Popjustice.com, Danish wonder band, Alphabeat will have a new album and single out in Sept. The single is called The Spell, and from what Popjustice says about the song, it sounds like a winner.
-Leighton Meester has recorded a song with RedOne!! Yay! According to her twitter, it's called What is Love. Please be a banger.
-Kesha's debut single TiK ToK will go to radio in September. Fingers crossed it does well. It's raucously delightful.
-Apparently Dizzee Rascal's latest beast of a summer jam, Holiday, was originally intended for The Saturdays to record according to the song's writer, pop maven Calvin Harris. Holiday would have been a completely different song with The Saturdays doing it. Dizzee has made it his own. Very interesting.
-Last night, on the finale of TV's best competition show, So You Think You Can Dance, bubbly gal Jeanine took the title of America's favorite dancer. I'm glad she won, but I was pulling for Kayla. Kayla came alive with every number she did. Jeanine is very worthy though. Guest judge Debbie Allen (she is hilarious) picked the group number the top 16 did to Calle Ocho by Pitbull as one of her favorite routines of the season. It's understandable why: the song is hot, the beat is hot, and the routine is smoking especially the part with the girls dancing on the tables, kicking the water around. Spicy!
Finally the video for The Saturdays' 5th single, Work, off Chasing Lights is here. It's not that interesting. The girls strut down a runway and where tight, black outfits. There's some dancing and posing too. The gals all look great, but they need to introduce something else in their videos: plot perhaps. The Just Can't Get Enough video approached that with the girls dressed up as pinups. The song is wonderful though. It's a fierce stomper that has real sass and dare I say, slight swagger. It's declarative and super fun. I smell a summertime hit for the gals in the UK. I heart Frankie!
The Saturdays performed their new single Just Can't Get Enough (cover of the Depeche Mode classic) over the weekend on a British music show called Sound. It was a really energetic and fun performance. The choregraphy is bouncy and cute. They are also wearing modern and chic outfits (love the splashes of color). Great camerawork too. Very intimate. Awesome!
Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) Light as air fluffy pop ditty that I've grown to like more since the video came out. It's a decent video, not as good as the Just Dance and Poker Face videos though. I love her yellow flower dress though and the white outfit she wears when she's on the motorcycle. Also, her hairstyles are awesome (especially when she wears the yellow dress). Cute GaGa, very cute.
Just Can't Get Enough-The Saturdays Fun, super poppy, and fluffy cover of Depeche Mode's classic Just Can't Get Enough. The video is their best yet even though it gets a little repetitive after awhile. Nice costumes. I'm really starting to love these gals.
Taylor Swift-Fifteen Very pretty and moving song. I love how Taylor Swift is this huge star but then her songs are so intimate and her lyrics so specific. She's a great storyteller. Her performance with Miley Cyrus of this song at the Grammy's was a great moment even though Miley over sang it. The perfect song for them to sing.
Lady GaGa-Poker Face My favorite Lady GaGa song finally has a video, but it's a little bit of a disappointment, for me at least. There are fierce moments especially when she gets out of the pool in the beginning, but it doesn't capture the raw energy of a party the way the Just Dance video did. I like the part in the end where's she's in the room with the guy, and she's wearing a bow. Her album came out on Tuesday!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdpSmNMg1is
Alphabeat-What is Happening?
Danish band Alphabeat's new single is so good. It's such a rousing song, but I didn't expect you could dance to it. The video really matches the song's energy perfectly. I love the concept of the video, and the lead singer really throws himself into the song. I love that. Around the 1: 50 minute mark there's a great part where they sing "ooooo" really softly and dance around. It's beautiful.
The Saturdays-Work
The Saturdays' debut album was released this week in the UK and from the clips I heard, it's very good. This is supposed to be the third single from the album. It's called Work, and I like it a lot, but not as much as Up which is absolute genius and one of the best songs of the year.
Here is a remix of Kanye West's new single Love Lockdown done by DJ Earworm . It's a mash up with Radiohead's Reckoner, and it's freaking amazing. http://www.earwormmp3.com/reckoner_lockdown.mp3
Here is a song called Lazerboy by Sergey and Timati. Sergey (left in pic above)is a fox and also a campy Russian pop star. Timati is a Russian Hip Hop DJ and the two of them together is amazing. A real groove. Also, it's in Russian which I kind of love.
Also, Perez Hilton, who has gotten into The Saturdays, posted one of the songs off their debut album on his website the other day. It's called Why Me, Why Now. I really like it. It's midtempo, and it has that swirling 80's background thing going on. The harmonies are nice. Also, I still can't get over how good their second single Up is. I listened to it again today and it is really, really good. BBC Radio 1 gave it a good review! Also, the girls won't be releasing their album on the 20th anymore. It will now be released on the 27th. They probably didn't want to release their debut the same day as the Sugababes new album comes out.
-Last night, I was catching up on the season premiere of Ugly Betty and as the end credits rolled and the preview for next week's episode aired, a familiar song graced my ears...the GENIUS Up by The Saturdays! I was pleasantly shocked because I was hearing this song on an American televison show. I didn't know anyone in America had heard of them. Well, apparently the awesome people at Ugly Betty have. Are The Saturdays coming to America? Will Up finally be on the US iTunes? We shall see. Also, that's the single cover on the left. I love it. They are learning.
-Sidenote: Betty's new love interest and neighbor is a wonderful addition to the cast. His name is Val Emmich (above right), and in real life, he is a musician. Now he is playing a musician on the show (what a stretch). He guest starred on 30 Rock last season as Liz's cub when she ventured into cougardom for an episode. He also guest starred on ABC's short-lived Cashmere Mafia. I, now, adore him.
-Britney's new single, Womanizer, was released to radio yesterday. I heard it, and I am slightly disappointed. It sounds like Rihanna's SOS, and it's somewhat repetitive. Maybe it's a grower. I love me some Britney, not the person exactly, but the songs. I really like the verses and their flow, but the chorus is repetitive. Oh well, I'll dance to this anyway, and the chorus will grow on me. Check it out below.
A remix for The Saturday's song, Up, that I posted the video for the other day, has emerged, and it's really good. It's a harder hitting, slightly faster version of the already amazing song. The beat is wonderfully insistent, and the remix was done by Wideboys.
This week saw the release of new music videos from two great UK girl groups. The first is The Saturdays video for their second single Up. The song is absolute genius and with a delightful, stomping beat, and the video improves upon their last, but only a bit. I like the colors and concept somewhat and there's more going on than in the If This Is Love video, but they need to come out with a video with a plot. No matter, they look really good, and the sunglasses and tights are super hip. I love the way they sing "Uhhhppp!"
On to our second group of ladies: Sugababes. The first single from their upcoming sixth album is Girls which I posted here a few weeks ago. The video is fun, and the dancing is good, but the whole flirty part with Amelle and the girl is unnecessary and attention-grabbing. The Sugababes shouldn't have to do things like that in their videos. The girls are having fun, and they all look great.
Fact: Apparently, Sugababes and The Saturdays are releasing their albums on the same day, October 20. This is very interesting and especially brave of The Saturdays. I do love their album title though: Taking Back Sunday. Get it? Because they are The Saturdays.
-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.
