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Archive for the ‘Singles’ Category

Singles: Alexandra Stan’s “Lemonade”, Die Antwoord’s “Baby’s On Fire”, Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”

Posted in Singles, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Alexandra Stan – Lemonade

Last year, Romanian Alexandra Stan unexpectedly set the international charts on fire with Eurotrashy treasure “Mr.Saxobeat,” the catchiest thing to hit Europe since the Black Plague.

After a succession of flops, Alexandra’s back to form with “Lemonade”, the kind of breezy, dubby summer ballad that Ace of Base would be making if they weren’t in nursing homes.

The chorus of “Lemonade” makes me want to bow to Alexandra Stan…so much so that I think the song should be retitled to “Kool-Aid.” It even has a dubstep-lite bridge, just to silence the kiddies.

Don’t even get me started on how much I love the clip in which SHE ACTUALLY MAKES LEMONADE (Do they not have metaphors in Eastern Europe?)

It appears the European domination continues for Alexandra the great. 4 stars.

 

Die Antwoord – Baby’s On Fire

Incest? The C word? Smoking weed out of pistol shaped bongs?

South African rap-ravers Die Antwoord are up to their usual batshit crazy antics in “Baby’s On Fire.”

However Die Antwoord aren’t just around to shock, they’re here to change the template of modern music. Divisive, fresh and conceptual, “Baby’s On Fire” sounds like Betty Boop rapping over the Mario Brothers soundtrack.

They’re not everyone’s cuppa but at least they’re trying to diversify beyond English Breakfast. 3.5 stars.


Katy Perry  – Wide Awake

Everything tells me I should hate Katy Perry. She made a name for herself from one of the most ridiculous and shitty songs (and faux lesbian anthem) “I Kissed a Girl”, she is the pinnacle of produced pop tart and she Mastershits me six nights a week.

In saying that, Katy has relentlessly assaulted the charts over the past few years and her most recent single “Wide Awake” could give Katy seven US No.1s from the same album. So it is any good? Well, yes and no.

There’s no epic guitar riff of “Last Friday Night” or pop spark of “Firework”, but it does help Katy Perry’s likeability factor. Regardless of what one thinks of Perry, you can tell she has quite a bit to do with the whole song writing process, which is probably more appealing than her taste in fuckwit rockers. 3 stars.

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Singles: Cheryl Cole’s “Call My Name”, Dia Frampton’s “Don’t Kick the Chair”, Mark Foster & Kimbra & A-trak’s “Warrior”

Posted in Singles, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 10, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Cheryl Cole – Hear My Name

Any way you look at it, Cheryl Cole’s last album was a disaster. In fact, it should have been called Hot Messy Little Raindrops.

While debut album 3 Words triumphed with current dance/pop anthems not too far removed from her Girls Aloud origins, Messy Little Raindrops was rushed, awkward and desperate.

For Cheryl’s third album in only as many years, A Million Lights, she’s come full circle and with the help of pop juggernaut Calvin Harris, has produced her catchiest track since Stand Up was never released.

While essentially a remodelling of Harris’ previous global pandemic We Found Love (Tulisa should also be named and shamed for doing the same),  Call My Name succeeds in Cheryl finally trying to sound MORE like Girls Aloud, rather than denying her roots. She’s also not trying to be Cheryl And The Machine, this is just unashamed and frivolous pop.

Call My Name isn’t immediate. You don’t realise its pop greatness the first, second, even third listen, but when it does it smashes you. Throw in a scorching hot video clip and you have the poppy club anthem of the British summer. A serious return to form. 3.5 stars.

Dia Frampton – Don’t Kick The Chair (feat. Kid Cudi)

Javier Colon may have had “The Voice” but Dia Frampton’s slightly off-centre, Feist-esque pop feel made the first season of The Voice US incredibly watchable. Renditions of Kanye West’s Heartless and R.E.M’s Losing My Religion showed potential for an artist, not just a performer.

Don’t Kick The Chair is light, breezy and full of chimey goodness – exactly what you’d want in an anti-suicide anthem! It’s also precisely what you’d expect from Frampton, being an easy transgression from the artiste she was on the show to the one she wants to become. Kid Cudi’s presence is as welcome as it is curious, with his genre-crossing talent being the highlight of the song.

While the chorus is catchy, the repetition means the life cycle on an ipod is a few weeks – tops. Nevertheless, it’s a worthy introduction to post-Voice Dia. 3 stars.

Mark Foster, A-Trak and Kimbra – Warrior

Part of Converse’s consistently amazing Three Artists, One Song campaign, Warrior brings together Mark Foster (Foster The People), A-Trak (Duck Sauce) and Kimbra for an 80s synthed ménage-a-trois. Sounding like some sort of sequel to Mark Ronson’s Bang Bang Bang, Warrior might just be the finest addition to the Converse campaign yet.

Between Kimbra’s sensational debut Vows, her scene stealing spot on Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know and her career peak of Miami Horror’s I Look To You, she can barely put a foot wrong. Ditto Mark Foster, for while this pushes the envelope on Foster The People’s sound, still h as his fingerprints all over it.

Belligerently appealing, the track has that kind of indie-electro feel that is heroin to hipsters. 4 stars.

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Singles: 360′s “Child”, Paloma Faith’s “Picking Up the Pieces”, Rebecca Ferguson’s “Glitter & Gold”

Posted in Singles, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Rebecca Ferguson – Glitter & Gold 

The most obvious single choice on Ferguson’s sensational album Heaven, “Glitter & Gold” comes across as Sade’s honey vocals covering Amy Winehouse’s motown pop.

Effortlessly memorable and unique, the track is a prime example of why Ferguson took the UK’s pop crown in 2011. What makes listening to Rebecca Ferguson so amazing, beyond her one-of-a-kind voice and reinvention of classic genres, is that she clearly writes the music herself. When Ferguson sings, it is unquestionable that she sings from experience, “All that glitter and gold won’t buy you happy when you’ve been bought and sold.”

A fitting statement from someone who stuck her middle finger up at the music exes so she could write her own CD. 4.5 stars.

Paloma Faith – Picking Up The Pieces

When Paloma Faith emerged in 2009 as yet another Winehouse, Duffy or Adele, her arrival was met with groans – surely not another by-the-numbers, nostalgic siren?

The sceptics were silenced when Faith’s debut, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful, achieved solid reviews and sold half a million copies in her native UK, without the aid of a hit single. Most importantly, she established her own identity in the process.

Enlisting the production know-how of Nellee Hooper (Bjork, No Doubt, Madonna, Garbage, U2 and Massive Attack, basically anyone amazing), “Picking up the Pieces” has all the ingredients for a classic, but lies just short.

Paloma Faith’s strength lies in two aspects; her soaring vocals and her ability to create stories that resonate with the masses. The all-too-familiar tale of competing with a partner’s ex, “Picking up the Pieces” stays true to Faith’s previous work, while concurrently steering into an anthemic territory.

While it doesn’t deliver the goods as a lead single, Faith’s debut album suggested she is more interested in releasing fluent albums than three singles and filler. 3.5 stars.

360 – Child

After the runaway success of the dub/hip-hop masterpiece, “Boys Like You”, featuring the amazing Gossling, 360 had a hard act to follow with his next single. This feat is even harder when you consider that he’d already released three singles before “Boys Like You” slayed radio.

“Child” features a catchy loop and doesn’t stray too far from his proven formula, but ultimately falls very short of “Boys Like You.” In saying that, 360’s album was condensed with amazing tracks and a strong contender against Hilltop Hoods as Australia’s best hip-hopper. 3 stars.

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Singles: Florence & The Machine’s “Never Let Me Go”, Jennifer Lopez & Pitbulls’ “Dance Again”, Tulisa’s “Young”

Posted in Singles, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 11, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Jennifer Lopez – Dance Again (Feat. Pitbull)  

Ok, so it’s pretty much “On The Floor 2″, we’ve all gotten our heads around this fact.

Jennifer Lopez (her name has changed AGAIN) and Pitbull reunite after their global smash “On The Floor” to bring us more of the same and arguably up the ante this time. “Dance Again” is essentially every successful song of the last year mixed together, making it startlingly catchy and astonishingly unoriginal.

The positives: Jennifer Lopez comes up trumps and the chorus will make this track the ebola virus of commercial radio.

The negatives: The video clip is effectively Jennifer Does Dallas. Oh, and If Pitbull could go half a song without reminding us that he is Mr.Worldwide, that would be quite amazing. 3 stars.

Florecnce & The Machine – Never Let Me Go

Lungs was an out-of-the-blue triumph for Florence & The Machine. Refreshing then that the band survived sophomore album syndrome when they released an  arguably superior Ceremonials. Managing to find the happy medium between giving their fans more of the same and also challenging by taking us in a slightly different direction, Florence & co nailed it.

“Never Let Me Go” is a remarkable achievement. In an album where the filler is more capable than most lead singles, it manages to hold itself on par with tracks like  “Shake it Out” and “Breaking Down” – songs that aren’t disposed of the second they leave the charts.

While most popstars bang on about getting drunk in a club, smacking arses and how fast their cars are, Florence (and her machine) leave this as their legacy,

“In the arms of the ocean, so sweet and so cold, and all this devotion I never knew at all,

And the crashes are Heaven, for a sinner released, and the arms of the ocean, deliver me.”

Round of applause everyone. 4.5 stars.

Tulisa – Young

As the lead singer and face of N-Dubz, the UK’s highest selling hip-hop act, Tulisa Contostavlos appeared to be untouchable. After taking over Dannii Minogue’s judging role on the X-Factor, Tulisa was now even more in the mainstream.

When an artist with this much credibility and popularity goes solo, you’d expect a debut single so immensely powerful and amazing, that the nation’s heartbeat stops. What you don’t expect is a rehashed and inferior version of Rihanna’s “We Found Love”. A clattering, loud, over-produced, chorus-less mess.

Poor Tulisa. 2 stars.

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Singles: Gorillaz & James Murphy & Andre 3000s’ “DoYaThing”, Marina & The Diamonds’ “Primadonna”, Pitbull’s “Back In Time”

Posted in Singles, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Gorillaz (Feat James Murphy & Andre 3000) – DoYaThing

Gorillaz. LCD Soundsystem. Outkast. It’s the kind of collaboration to give cardigan wearing hipsters an erection so epic, it would knock over their bicycles.

“DoYaThing” is exactly what you would expect from the three of them mixed together – stark raving lunacy / genius. It is by no means immediate and probably the most obscure single that any of them had to date. However, while Gorillaz have given us a reliably percussion-heavy melody and James Murphy does what he can with the chorus, the show belongs to Andre 3000. His 85-second frantic rap is undoubtably the most memorable  guest spot since Nicki Minaj stole the show on Kanye West’s “Monster.”

In any other set of hands, “DoYaThing” would have been a hot mess. Instead, it’s a smoking hot infusion of about ten different genres of music. Check out the typical Gorillaz video masterpiece below. 4 stars.

Pitbull – Back In Time

Between his Ne-Yo collaboration “Give Me Everything”, J.Lo’s “On The Floor”, Usher’s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” and Enrique’s Iglesias’  ”I Like It”, Pitbull’s reign of terror has been relentless.

There’s good and bad news with his latest track, “Back In Time”, which will be the theme song for the surprisingly decent looking Men In Black 3. The bad news? His global domination continues. The good news? It’s easily his best track to date.

Cashing in on the Aviici/Flo Rida trend of infusing old songs into modern commercial gems, Pitbull samples Mickey & Syliva’s “Love Is Strange” – which featured in Dirty Dancing.

“Back In Time” is effortlessly epic. It’s an all bases covered up-tempo and pulsating jam, where the beat, synthesisers and even a dubstep bridge pummel you until the dancefloor is covered in blood, sweat and tears.

Men In Back might be able to reboot an old franchise, retain the original cast and even dabble in time travel without too much questioning,  but most impressively, it made Pitbull listenable. 3 stars.

Marina & The Diamonds – Primadonna

For those of you not fortunate enough to have been exposed, I think Marina – and her diamonds – are one of the most exciting things happening in pop music right now.

Her 2010 debut, The Family Jewels, laid the blueprint for a potential star. Loaded with 80s influenced pop gems and abstract ballads, she was an antithesis of Gaga, or a Kate Bush for people too young to know who Kate Bush was.

Two years later, Marina and her sparkly cohort are back with another album, almost entirely written by Marina, produced by pop genius Dr.Luke, and Lily Allen’s saviour Greg Kurstin. Album teaser Radioactive introduced us a different Marina. She still maintained her gloomy, edgy attitude but it was now on a dance floor at 4am.

Now we have Primadonna, the official single off her sophomore album, which sounds like a continuation of Radioactive, a reassuring sign that the album will be consistent in both theme and quality. It isn’t her strongest single to date, but wedges herself right in-between sounding current and being different.

Radioactive was superior but Primadonna still packs a fair punch. Bring on the album! 3 stars.

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Singles: M.I.A’s “Bad Girls”, Chris Brown’s “Turn Up The Music”, Nneka’s “Shining Star”

Posted in Singles, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Chris Brown – Turn Up The Music

If it wasn’t bad enough that this year’s Grammy Awards almost entirely neglected multiple winner Amy Winehouse’s death because of Whitney Houston’s, I also discovered that a young man can make mistakes and be forgiven. Right? Wrong.

The slick beats, synthesisers and Chris Brown’s lightning feet  aren’t enough to distract me from the fact that he violently beat Rihanna. The song is rubbish enough to be played on commercial radio every four minutes, I’m just hoping that it only goes to no.1 in countries where it’s ok to hit women.

As for the Grammys – shame on you for the invitation, performance and wins of Chris Brown. 1.5 stars.

M.I.A – Bad Girls

M.I.A has struggled with the balance of being a badass Bollywood bohemian and top-of-the-pops Timbaland tart. Her first album was groundbreaking, yet alienating, while her second proved to be surprise hit, with her Clash-sampling “Paper Planes” assaulting the US charts.  However her third album, Maya, received tepid reviews and failed to achieve airplay (because well, it was a giant wank.)

With “Bad Girls”, it appears M.I.A has nailed the happy medium. The Eastern influence is as undeniable in the tune as it is in the video, but the hip-hop percussion is Americanised enough to hear it in retail stores globally.

A welcome return to form. 3.5 stars.

Nneka – Shining Star

Nneka has been hovering around the lower parts of the UK charts for the last few years with her socially-conscious-for-the-masses, Michael Franti meets Neneh Cherry thing going on.

“Shining Star”, as twee as it could come across, is incredibly charming. Nneka’s vocals are sweet and infectious, the hip-hop-lite beat is accessible and the song could grace more cafes than a pretentious cafe blogger.

Nneka might never reach the top of the charts, but she’s at least of the top of the drab, dull mass heap of current radio. 3.5 stars.

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July Singles

Posted in Singles on August 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Kate Miller-Heidke – Last Day on Earth

One thing I have to commend Miller-Heidke for is releasing a song that doesn’t sound like something Lady Gaga has already done (read the other three reviews.) Acting as a soundtrack for a Neighbours advertisement is a double edged sword. On the one hand, Miller-Heidke’s integrity amongst the cool kids is slightly bruised. On the other, she’s now scored a no.7 hit on the ARIA charts. Having endlessly lingered between cool kid approval and ARIA awards, this could finally be her break into mainstream success.

Kate Miller-Heidke

Cascada – Evacuate The Dancefloor

Pay attention kiddies – Evacuate the Dancefloor is an exercise in what the music biz refers to as an ‘evolution of ideas’. To the rest of the world it’s any of stealing, recycling, embezzlement of larceny. The best way to avoid lawyers in this situation is to hire the producer who did the original art (RedOne), as an means to re-use the material. Evacuate the Dancefloor is simply Lady Gaga’s Just Dance sung by Britney Spears. It is also no coincidence Cascada utters in the bridge, “Kill the lights,” – That part was taken from Britney’s very own Kill The Lights number. Although not a terrible song, it gives endless ammunition to anyone who questions the integrity of modern pop music.

Cascada

Wale – Chillin’ (Feat Lady Gaga)

Sampling the immortal Steam’s Na Na, Hey Hey Goodbye is always going to be a risky move, particularly when it has been done by two different artists’ singles in the same month. Fortunately Wale (pronounced Wah-Lay) has nothing to worry about thanks to Kristinia DeBarge’s version being awful, polished rapping and a guest appearance by current queen of pop, Lady Gaga (sounding suspiciously like Santigold!) Not a masterpiece but a worthy debut.

Wale

Kid Cudi – Make Her Say (Poker Her Face)

We get it – Poker face was big…Now leave it as the pop classic it is and create something unique. Shame really, as I actually would already expect more from Kid Cudi after the fun yet minimalist Day N Night. How is it that three out of four singles this month have something to do with Lady Gaga????

Kid Cudi

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June Singles

Posted in Singles on July 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Jordin Sparks – Battlefield

I’ll keep this short and sweet. Battlefield is essentially Pat Benetar’s Love Is A Battlefield updated and sung to the tune of Beyonce’s Halo. It should’ve happened already, but by six months, everybody is going to realise that Ryan Tedder is a one trick pony, simply re-working the same song. Beyonce’s Halo, Kelly Clarkson’s Already Gone and now Sparks’ Battlefield. Sparks however should be praised for her consistent enthusiasm to embrace songs most artists would dismally fail at. No Air, Tattoo and Battlefield shouldn’t have worked but thanks solely to Sparks’ effervescent attitude, they shine. Oh, the lyrics are also gloriously droll, “You better go and get your armour.”

Jordin Sparks - Battlefield

Pixie Lott – Mama Do

Surprising UK no.1 debut proposes a lengthy future for 18 year old singer/songwriter Pixie Lott. Emerging as perhaps a British version of Gabriella Cilmi, Mama Do has that poppy yet soulful feel of Cilmi’s Sweet About Me. The good news for Lott is that future single Boys And Girls is similarly frothy pop. Mama Do however suffers from post-listen instant obscurity – All good and well while you’re listening to it but straight after you’ve forgotten you’ve ever heard it.

Pixie Lott - Mama Do

Freemasons – Heartbreak Make Me a Dancer (Feat. Sophie Ellis-Bextor)

Freemasons? Sophie Ellis-Bextor? Campest combo ever?! This is literally no worse or better than exactly what you’d expect from either artist. Heartbreak sounds EXACTLY how I would expect the combination of the two to sound. Whether or not that is a good thing is entirely up to you, based on your previous experiences with both of them. Also, this may or may not deserve punishment for not bettering expectations. It has that signature Freemasons slightly brooding melody, while Ellis-Bextor’s vocals are elegantly suited. Solid merit comes with the dark string arrangement in the bridge too.

Freemasons - Heartbreak

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April Singles

Posted in Singles on May 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Keri Hilson – Knock You Down (Feat. Ne-Yo & Kanye West)

Keri Hilson has absolutely no need to set her alarm for 15 minutes. After the deservedly successful The Way I Are, Timbaland literally returned the favour with Return the Favor, a dead ringer for their original union. With Knock You Down, the ante has been upped. The combination of pounding synth beats, southern-style crunk and slick (almost overpowering) vocals from Ne-Yo & Kanye West are sublime. Ultimately though all these factors can’t trump the simplistic yet moving chorus, “Sometimes love comes around, when it knocks you down just get back up when it knocks you down.” By far the highlight of a pretty decent album, it is also the most inspiring post-break up song thus far in 2009. My hat is off to you Ms Hilson.

Keri Hilson

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Off With Your Heads

Zero was a stellar introduction of The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s new direction but nothing on this thumping dance/rock outfit. From the gothic synthesisers that kick it off to Karen O’s frenetic Bjork-like vocals to a beat that sounds like it’s on lend from Goldfrapp’s futuristic disco Supernature, Off With Your Heads is startlingly good. Calling it the best Yeah Yeah Yeahs song is a massive call but it’s not just the beholder of that title, it’s an early contender for song of the year. Equal parts bonkers and brilliance, it’s a legacy in waiting.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Eminem – We Made You

Critiquing an Eminem song is made difficult by the fact you have to do it from two angles: Musically and comically. It’s been a long absence from Marshall Mathers III. As Dido and Christina Aguilera have recently proven, too much time out of the limelight can diminish even the biggest artist’s marketability. Despite the lack of a decent tune, Crack a Bottle – Eminem’s ‘comeback’ single, sold by the truckload. We Made You is Eminem’s REAL comeback. While the chorus is not quite up to standards of say Like Toy Soldiers, Sing for the Moment or Lose Yourself, it is still undeniably catchy, (particularly the “ROCK STAR” bit.) What champions this hit in waiting is Eminem’s lyrical renaissance. Bitching about celebrities is not as novelty as it was back in Eminem’s heyday, but here we’re reminded of his sniping talent, and everyone gets their serve. From Ms Winehouse, to Portia & Ellen to Britney, “Brit forget K-Fed, let’s cut off the middle man, Forget him or your gonna end up in the hospital again, And this time it won’t be for the Ritalin binge, Forget them other men, girl pay them little attention.” It’s not the work of art that we were once used to, but it is bloody fun!

Eminem

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March Singles

Posted in Singles on April 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »


Lady Gaga – Lovegame

A certain saying springs to mind when discussing Stefani Germanotta’s newest single release, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” Just Dance and Poker Face have both been certified triple platinum on the Australian ARIA Charts. I cannot remember, if ever, an artist achieving this with two singles from the same album. Third single Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) was cute and summery, but sounded like an Ashlee Simpson sassy send-off – And it subsequently bombed. So for single no.4, Lady Gaga breeds Just Dance with Poker Face, throws in some Carribean horns and tops it off with one of the crudest allegories ever, “Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick, I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.” The result is nothing amazing, but still better and more ‘now’ than most other current pop music.

Lady Gaga


Ciara – Love Sex Magic (Feat. Justin Timberlake)

There’s good reason this all sounds a bit familiar. JT is on board as co-writer, creating a single that carries a beat eerily similar to previous hit Love Stoned, whilst the bridge echoes Chris Brown’s Forever. Not offering much in terms of innovation, Love Sex Magic still carries a few tricks up its sleeve. First and foremost, Ciara is here to have (and host) a good time. She effortlessly sizzles alongside JT and rightly asserts herself as the star of the show. Love Sex Magic is also an innately fun bump’n’grind dancefloor starter but Justin Timberlake’s legacy – This is not.

Ciara

Wes Carr – Feels Like Woah

If Feels Like Woah was edible, it would taste like sugar-free chewing gum. Its immediately tasty, yet the flavour vanishes as quickly as it emerges. It’s the kind of wannabe anthem that after two listens, you know all the lyrics – After ten listens, you’re sick of it. It’s not all bad news for Carr though. His country-lite soft-rock is characteristically Aussie pub music and I can easily envisage inebriated university students chanting along with pints in the air.

Wes Carr

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