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Friday, December 31, 2010
Crikey - another year has flown by. Remember when you were little and your birthday would take forever to arrive and Christmas would never come at all? Now they seem to be arriving as regularly as my daily ablutions (charming). Still, inevitably there is good and bad things to bid farewell to and a new year to look forward to. I quite like New Year's Resolutions - sure they are a bit corny and people don't always stick to them, but they give you hope, something to aim for and by the time you remember you haven't stuck to them you won't care anyway :) Thanks for stopping by myfizzypop this past year. You've all been tremendous. Happy 2011 ~ here's my fave new years related toons...
- Abba ~ Happy New Year: I got a bit mad if I don't hear this timely and timeless tune within a few hours of the clock striking twelve. Much like any abba song, there is something heartbreakingly sad about it mixed with the hope and optimism that a fresh start can bring. Always brings a tear to my eye, especially the gorgeous video above (when you consider they were close to splitting up as group). Unsurpassable to this day.
- Bette Midler ~ What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?: I love a bit of Bette. Darren and I saw her last new year's eve (which I believe is the show that will be playing on HBO tonight! Someone tivo it for me!) and it was one of our most delightful new year's ever. She makes this tune sound both wistful, pleading and dignified all at the same time. No mean feat. Who doesn't love being serenaded?
- Forgotten Carols ~ I Cry The Day They Take The Tree Down: Look, ok. It may be from a mormon musical, but it's still one of my favourite Christmas musicals of all time. It's ridiculously feelgood, except for this melancholy tune about wanting the Christmas season to last all year round. I presume there is a message in there somewhere about how it should be in your heart all the live long year, etc., but i do get a bit sad and blue when the tree comes down on New Year's day...
- Sugababes ~ New Year: It's the babes before they became Stuart Baggs The Brand (or something). Before the catfights. Before the scandal, back when it was sort of pure and innocent (depending on who you ask). When it was all about the music, man. This was a quite lovely single from when they were criminally on the verge of being dropped by their record label. The fools. This is mint!
- Dina Carroll ~ Perfect Year: Lovely, should still be massive by rights Dina was still actually in the charts with one of my fave songs ever (Don't Be A Stranger) when this tune came out. A delightfully pure ballad from some Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, she sang the heck out of it and it has been a NY staple ever since. Charming...
- Mariah Carey ~ Auld Lang Syne: Hurrah! mariah's second Christmas album wasn't half bad at all and one of the surprise treats was a slow to disco version of the one minute past midnight celebratory song that always gets wheeled out. It's a disco inferno that will only work once a year so i'll be in a right mood if it doesn't get played tonight. Best bit - "does anybody really know the words?" Yes. I do.
- Kylie ~ Celebration: For some godforsaken reason, this only made number 20 in the charts. Obviously, the British public meant for it to make number 2, but got it wrong. It's not strictly a new year song but does anyone really care because a) it's Kylie and b) it sounds blooming glorious when there are streamers going everywhere, booze being spilt all over your expensive ensemble and strangers snogging you with halitosis. Only Kylie can make all of that seem like a party :)
- A*Teens ~ Happy New Year: Let's end the list the way it was started, only not in quite a glorious rendition as Abba do. It's a sterling effort despite the rather nasal "end of the paaaaar-dee" and quite nice to have some male vocals in there. I think I want A*Teens to reform nearly but not quite as much as I want Abba to sing at Katilliams wedding...
21 ~ P!nk, Raise Your Glass
20 ~ A1, In Love & I Hate It
19 ~ Andrea Lewis & Simon Curtis, Talk To Me
18 ~ Joe McElderry, Someone Wake Me Up
17 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, Defender
16 ~ Take That, The Flood
15 ~ EMD, What Is Love?
14 ~ Kylie, Better Than Today
13 ~ Eric Saade, I'm Still Loving It (NE/VID)
12 ~ LeKid, We Should Go Home Together
11 ~ Erik Hassle, Standing Where You Left Me 2010
10 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Nobody Knows
09 ~ Rochella Danishei ft Simon Curtis, Michelle (NE)
08 ~ Gravitonas, You Break Me Up
07 ~ Daniel Boys, To Make You Feel My Love
06 ~ Matt Cardle, When We Collide
05 ~ Darin, Drowning
04 ~ Tove Styrke, White Light Moment
03 ~ Elouise, You'll Never Walk Alone
02 ~ Same Difference/Alcazar, Karma Karma!
01 ~ One Direction, Forever Young (2 weeks)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Brightest pop hope for 2011 ~ an interview with Princes & Rogues!
0 comments Posted by ai at 4:31 AM
Let's face it. The final quarter of 2010 on my blog has been dominated by the X-Factor. As has British pop culture. it's not just a talent show any more - it's a genuine talking point phenomenon. Normally, I'm fixated only on the finalists and while they certainly entertained me during the live shows this year, more than ever before I had a tinge of sadness that one group in particular hadn't made it to the live shows. Princes and Rogues. They seemed to sparkle together from their first audition until they were told at Judge's Houses they were going no further.
But hurrah! Rather than let doom and gloom kick in, the fearless fivesome set about honing their skills, performing up and down the country, doing some quite charming youtube videos of songs, being quite prolific and interactive with their burgeoning fanbase and essentially working their little socks off to ensure continued success. What I really like about Prince & Rogues is that they all seem such charming fellas, they have harmonies to die for and a style that is both totally accessible and utterly quirky. Added to all this an unashamed love of pop music (none of this "oh i want to be doing thrash metal really" nonsense) which shines through in their choice of cover versions and it all adds up to a winning combination. I'm hopeful that they will be recording some tunes soon - I'd be thrilled to take one of their songs to premiere on the Larry Flick radio show... But for now, here is a chat with the very lovely, very charm the pants off you P&R...
Jonny and Cameron had separate ideas that they both wanted to enter x factor as a band. Cameron and Jonny had known each other for about 5 years after meeting at other band auditions. Jonny put on his status on facebook about putting a band together, Cameron then messaged him saying he wanted to do it. They met in London to discuss what kind of band and how they should go about it. After some failed auditions held by Jonny to find members, Cameron knew Dave, Dave knew Ashley and Ashley knew Derek. So by degrees of separation we all formed through friends of friends.
Any regrets in doing the x-factor? How do you think you will use the platform of the show to succeed where others have failed?
No regrets at all. Our only regret is we didn't enter sooner. People complain about not getting through and its a fix etc etc. But after spending time with Cher, Matt, Rebecca at Bootcamp and then One direction at judges houses, it was amazing to sit at home and really watch there lifes change. They were all normal people like us at Bootcamp, hoping that they were going to be chosen. Watching Matt win was so emotional. Especially after him snoring so loud one night at Bootcamp, Derek did not get any sleep! (because there are 5 of us, one of us had to share rooms with another contestant at Bootcamp.) Amazing things really can happen to normal people. After getting to judges houses people become bitter about not being chosen for the final and they forget what an achievement it was to get there in the first place! All we want to do is entertain and of course we would have loved to do it on live tv every week but its not the only place to do it. We have the whole world to explore!!!. When we got back from judges houses we didn't waste a second, we had photos done, a great booking agent secured and gigs up and down the country performing at most of the same venues the finalist perform at anyway.
What do you think of Wagner progressing so far in the competition when groups like yourselves weren't given the opportunity?
Well you do have to remember its not only a Talent show but a TV show as well and he did make great TV. We never really thought of him as taking our place as he was not in our category. Perhaps we might have felt different if we had been in the Live shows with him.
How have all the Christmas lights performances been going? What is your favourite so far?
They have been great fun, we love any gig we do. Warrington lights stands out to us as all as the staff and acts were brilliant. We also got to perform along side Treyc Cohen, so it was nice to see her again and catch up. Cambridge lights was also amazing, did you know it is known as the 'Geeky' city?as you can imagine we fitted right in there,lol.
I did not know that! And talking of geeky cities, you've really honed the geek chic style look and yet made it quite individual among yourselves. Did you consciously come up with a cohesive image together or did it just naturally happen? Where's your favourite places to get your clothes? How come Ashley looks so good in a bow tie and yet i look like my great uncle Leonard?
We took the idea and ran with it when Simon Cowell said at our first audition 'It was a bit geeky'. He knows what he is talking about so we took his advice. We scoured our own wardrobes as well as, charity shops, vintage shops and the high street. When we starting looking we saw that 'Geek Chic' was everywhere! Ashley is our main Geek Chicer, he helps a lot with the styling and has a great eye for a bargain. Most of the bow ties you see only cost about £2 from Camden!
I so need to go shopping with you! Will the theme of your look carry forward to any music you are recording? I see you going with an 80s geeky vibe to your tunes but could be completely wrong...
We want to make big epic songs with live instruments but with that 80's electro pop element. People like The Hurts, Mika, Alphabeat and Frankie goes to Hollywood all do this. Also most noticeably Take That's new album which has every different type of style on it rolled into one. We also love the strong backing vocals of Glee. They really make the backing vocals stand out rather than fade into the background which is great for a band like us. So we want to make some great 'Geek Chic' classic pop tunes. The kind of song that no matter who sang it you don't mind having it stuck in your head.
That would be magnificent. if you could hurry along with that i'd be most grateful :P Especially as you've done some acapella video cover versions on Youtube - most noticeably Relax, Video Killed The Radio Star and a gorgeous version of Red. How did you choose those songs? Who arranges your harmonies?
Cameron and Jonny firstly arrange the songs. Then as a group we get together and work through them, either adding things or taking away things that don't work. Relax was actually the first song we performed at Judges houses which they didn't show on the Television. We choose the songs as we love the 80's fun vibe they had and with red it shows of our harmonys and that we can be serious...sometimes!
How are you different from a typical boyband?
Were kind of like 'The Inbetweeners' of boybands! We have decided we are not a boyband and not a manband. I think we differ as all 5 of us can sing, a lot of emphasis goes on our strong harmonys and quirky image. Were not trying hard to fit into the generic category of ' We're a boyband and we have to be really cool' We are just being ourselves which is a bit geek and a bit chic! We all know everyone has an inner geek....Even Simon Cowell! We have just decided to embrace it!
"Kind of like "The Inbetweeners" of boybands! Just don't work some of their vocabulary into your songs!! So working together as a group, are you like those naughty rascals - do you get up to any mischief on the road? Did you really trash Simon's house? (And were you disappointed Sinitta wasn't in her leaves this year...)
Lots of mischief, dont forget there is a Rougue in each one of us as well as the Prince. Some things we can never reveal..But we have fraped davo, we wrote on his status that he was going to be a father. He started getting texts saying congratulation. Some from family in Dubai and OZ! There person who was most confused was his GF Marriane who called from Holland to ask what was going on. As our gigs are all over, we stay in lots of different hotels, 'knock door run' is good in hotels because whoever is at the back usually gets caught!
Ok here's the exclusive, Here is the story behind wrecking Simons house! There was no drinking and no partying BUT, it was Jonny who ruined the 15 Thousand Pound rug...Basically we had been filming in the sea, messing around having fun and all the contestants had access to one room in the house. We were the last band to get filmed so everyone had been walking in and out over the rug so it was a bit damp already. Because we were the only band to actually throw ourselves in the sea we were soaking wet. We were all getting changed when Jonny dropped his swimmers and half of the sea bed feel out on the rug. Loads of muck and stones. That's when the picture got taken by 'The sun' when they had laid it outside to get cleaned and dry off! So we are sure it's ok now. Sinitta rocked her catsuit this year so we were not to disappointed.
Who has the worst habits and how long do you think you can put up with them for?!
Recently we stayed at Jonnys house in Clitheroe, we were all sitting when his dogs came over and starting licking his feet. He actually lets them get right in between his toes. We cant actually talk about it for too long as it makes us feel sick.
I think I just tasted my lunch again actually hearing that :P Who's who in the band, character wise? (e.g. joker, serious, dog licking one, etc)
Derek- The Random one
David- The Dizzy one
Ashley- The Sensitive one
Jonny- The Mad one
Cameron- The Sensible one
Johnny - is it true you were in Avenue? Did you sing on Set Your Body Free? One of the greatest unreleased pop tunes of the new millennium! What are your memories of your time in that band?
Yes its all true,lol.I had an amazing time in Avenue.We worked so so hard and every time we had a knock back we just grew stronger as a unit and managed to achieve things we didnt think possible.We also managed to record some amazing songs ie. "Set Your Body Free",it was a TUNE!!!!!!!!!i recently found a video on Youtube of Brian Freeman choreographing at a dance seminar to our song.You need to check it out,the kids are amazing dancers.
Derek - will you be returning to Ireland for Christmas or do you think you will stay in London? What are everyone's plans for the festive season?
We are all going to have 2 weeks off over Christmas. Derek will be back in Ireland for Christmas and spending new year in London. Cameron will be home in Scotland for both Christmas and New Year. Jonny, ash, David will be spending Christmas at home and New Year in London.
Have you had any interesting come ons from your female/male fans? What's the weirdest thing that's happened?
Well Diva Fever did take a fancy to Ashley! The weirdest thing I think is signing fans with permanent marker in some crazy places...
You can't really blame Diva Fever. He is quite 'the fox'. Finally, what are your goals for 2011?
its a secret,watch this space !!
A secret?! Outrageous! All that schmoozing and they remain tightlipped :P Well you can be sure that I'll be covering it here - thanks to all 5 boys for being so generous with their time and fun with their answers. Princes and Rogues, you are kings among men :)
I'd like to send my best wishes to all the readers of this blog and hope that 2011 brings you all good health and happiness.
Special thanks here to Damian, Rachel and Keira...my "hardcore" followers and special friends - blogland would be so much emptier without you, so keep in touch!!
Of course over the past year, this blog has had to take a back seat to my other blog, Planet Salem, which has had a incredible, successful and very busy year - just like the man himself :)) However 2011 should be very quiet "over there" so it will give me more time to concentrate on this blog "over here".
However, even bloggers need a rest, so I've decided to take some time out of blogland in January. I've got some jobs to do at home, but it's not going to be "all work and no play" - I'm going to watch some DVDs, read books, listen to music and come back here in February, just in time for Melodifestivalen - and ESC national finals season will also be in full swing by that time so there will be lots to write about!
In the meantime, have a great new year everyone....see you soon!
EDIT 04.01.2011: no I'm not back yet, but I've decided to try out this plan where I take a month off, blog for two months, take another month off etc etc. So my plan is to blog in February, March, May, June, August, September, November and December and take the other months off. Whether it works is another thing of course...!!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
As revealed in Aftonbladet today, here are the most played songs of 2010 on Swedish Radio P3:
1. Oskar Linnros – Från och med du
2. Johnossi – What’s the point
3. Robyn – Dancing on my own
4. She & Him – In the sun
5. Alicia Keys – Try sleeping with a broken heart
6. Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina – Stereo love
7. Stromae – Alors on danse
8. Owl City – Fireflies
9. Train – Hey, soul sister
10. Kate Perry & Snoop Dogg – California gurls
....and these were the station's most played songs of the year by Swedish artists:
1. Oskar Linnros – Från och med du
2. Johnossi – What’s the point
3. Robyn – Dancing on my own
4. The Radio Dept. – Heaven’s on fire
5. Little Majorette – Bite the bullet
6. Tove Styrke – Million Pieces
7. Salem Al Fakir – Keep on walking
8. Le Kid – Mercy mercy
9. Daniel Adams-Ray – Dum av dig
10. Miss Li – Bourgeois Shangri-La
Yes, it's one of those unpublished posts I was talking about recently. I realised that I'd never got around to publishing the summer holiday 2010 version of my annual holiday hit list, and thanks to discovering Power Turk TV whilst on holiday I was able to put names to the tunes and check them out again on my return home. Of course there are also a couple of very familiar non-Turkish "holiday hits" in there too :)
Araf - Mor ve Ötesi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrKevlnYnqY&playnext=1&list=PLC96C0C48700991A2&index=4
Alain Delon - Ozan Doğulu featuring Sıla http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7WwYVV5vQw
Takıntı - Aydilge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB_4GuT8YYM
Önsöz - Gülşen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXqvZpxnKBg
Eski - Şebnem Ferah http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdI3sj5Ki18
Daha Erken - Gökhan Özen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmcobgfcDXg
Mikrop - Serdar Ortaç http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8og1Xg-MR-c&feature=related
Rengarenk - Sertab Erener http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZYwad-hZUk
Bodrum - Hande Yener http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL_vahPevhg
Gamsız - Gece http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZUVKvH2xsE
Böyle Ayrılık Olmaz - Kolpa http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyMn5Y1KvbU
Herkes Haklı - Betül Demir http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fORDb5kTVi4
Çanta - Demet Akalın http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zauWnbqQHBk
We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool vs DCup http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR8logunPzQ
Alors On Danse - Stromae http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pKrVB5f2W0
...which I never got round to writing.
So, Swedish Idol ended with one of the most predictable outcomes ever in the history of the contest - Jay Smith won, beating Minnah Karlsson in the final on 10th December at Globen. After Linnea Henriksson was voted off Idol in the last-4 week, I felt that the heart had gone out of the competition....and when Olle Hedberg left the following week, I have to be honest and say that my interest in the competition also ended there.
However, that's not to criticise the two finalists; they and several of the other finalists were way better than anything we'd ever see on our own X Factor.
The lead-up to the final was a bit controversial to say the least: firstly Jay Smith failed a drugs test for using cannabis, which brought a lot of criticism in the Swedish media that a programme so popular with children and young people should condone drug-taking by allowing him to continue in the competition...then the day before the final, both finalists revealed that they were in a relationship, which caused a bit of concern for the programme makers. I'm not sure what's happened since, if they are still a couple, or was it all just a publicity stunt for the final?
This year's winner's song is "Dreaming People", a big anthemic rock-ballad co-written by, among others, Christian Walz. It didn't break any new ground but it suited Jay's style perfectly, however Minnah also performed a different but still impressive version. In my alternative parallel-universe of preferred finalists I'm curious to know how Olle and Linnea might have performed the song - yet again we'd get two completely different versions. Anyway, at least the winner gets an original song to sing, which is more than can be said for X Factor....although on the down side, the rush-releasing of debut albums featuring cover versions of songs which they sang in the competition does, I believe, do more harm than good to the finalists' music career prospects.
Take for example the debut album by Jay Smith, which features his acclaimed "Like A Prayer" along with "I Want It That Way" and "Bad Romance" and more Jay-style songs like "Enter Sandman" and "Black Jesus". There's a greater variety of styles on Minnah Karlsson's debut album, however both share a very bland production and little artistic value - in other words, a quick cash-in.
The other album release this year featured all season finalists - again it's pretty unremarkable, but at least it has Olle (pictured above, bottom right) reprising his original audition number "No Diggity", although that's also a bit too polished.
The real test will come with the first "real" albums by Jay and Minnah - it will be interesting to see if Minnah repeats Tove Styrke's critical acclaim and success, and whether Jay will recover his rock-star integrity or disappear without trace. I hope that Olle and Linnea get the chance to release original debut albums which could potentially establish them as the latest (non-winning) stars to emerge from Idol.
Swedish Idol will be back again in 2011 for another series. I wonder if it will be the last? After all, you know what they say - all good things must come to an end....
The name of the tour may have been "The Sun Comes Out" but the irony wasn't lost on all of us in Glasgow and the surrounding areas, who had spent the best part of three weeks prior to the concert battling the snow and all the disruption which accompanied it. After a couple of days' respite....it wasn't the sun, but the snow which came out, just in time for Shakira's first ever Scottish show.
Since we became Shakira fans in 2002, faithful travelling companion and myself had waited....and waited...and waited for the superstar to come to Scotland, but we had to wait until 2010 and when the show was announced back in the summer, it was too good an opportunity to miss. We managed to get seating-area tickets on the first day of sale, although by teatime many of the seating blocks were sold out. Nevertheless it was just enough to be there.
All very well so far. Being there would be great.....but we didn't realise it would be so hard getting there as the snow began to fall again, causing further transport chaos. Happily, after some anxious delays, we made it to the SECC. The 'big red shed' isn't known for its subtlety or sound quality, but on the other hand it's the only concert venue of choice for any visiting worldwide superstar. There were more empty seats and empty spaces than we'd expected, but maybe that was down to people not managing to make the concert due to the weather.
We missed the support act, a girl band called Parade, but happily we made it in plenty of time. Just before 9.00, a small figure in what looked like a demure hooded pink dress, made an unconventional entrance from the right hand side, through the crowd. But don't be fooled - she took to the stage and tore off the dress, to reveal more traditional Shakira-esque attire of glittery top and gold spray-on leggings, launching into an energetic "Why Wait".
Right from the beginning it was very clear that she was here to entertain us, and in her little introduction she said "I'm here to please you" which got all the men in the audience a bit hot under the collar :) and as for us girls, well we just want to know a) how she keeps that figure and stays looking so fabulous, and b) how she can sing and do her double-jointed back-bending thing at the same time.
Unlike many other 'pop' acts today there's a lot more depth to Shakira and her music than the lazy tabloid press coverage would suggest. And it's very clear that she is at home in a live setting where her music takes on a more 'rock'-orientated format, her strong backing band providing the musical edge and her keyboardist taking on the vocal duetting roles of Wyclef Jean and Alejandro Sanz (although I would really have loved to see the divine Mr Sanz on stage of course!!) - yes, she did sing "La Tortura" - which I thought she'd omit from her set once she hit the British Isles....
...but did she heck! You know what completely thrilled us about this concert? The uncompromising set list. Shakira: welcome to Britain, the land where people don't like anything sung in a foreign language. But of course I'm not one of those people, and neither is faithful travelling companion, we both love music that's not in the English language so we loved every minute of it. I've read some posts on various forums which have criticised the amount of Spanish language songs in the set, but hello....she's from Colombia, Spanish is her native language and if she wants to sing in that language then she has a right to do so!
Unfortunately many people in the crowd didn't share our opinion, and whenever she launched into a lesser-known Spanish album track, it was particularly noticeable that at that point you'd see many in the standing area dispersing in the direction of the bar or the loo. That was their loss I guess, as they missed out on some highlights particularly "Ciega, Sordomuda" from her earlier recorded output, and a blistering "Ojos Asi".
There was a catwalk leading off the stage out into the centre of the hall and she certainly made good use of it - especially when she and some band members headed out there to perform the 'acoustic' section of the show which included her cover version of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters"
The big hits were also included - "Whenever Wherever" early on in the concert, mixed with a little of EMF's "Unbelievable"; "She Wolf", "Hips Don't Lie", and closing the concert, a euphoric "Waka Waka", her World Cup theme song which went down well and ended in a ticker-tape finale.
A fantastic evening, full of energy and enjoyment. Shakira is an exciting performer who is equally at home on stage as she is in a recording studio, a terrific and talented live artist who I still feel is underrated compared to many of her female counterparts out there.
It may have been a cold winter's night, but thanks to Shakira...the sun came out.
Our new massive Meloupdate is coming with some new releases from next season participants, some other melorelated interesting information and Swedish-related news from Eurovision.
Well, let's start from one of our most anticipated artists - Dilba. Success of this amazing artist has started 14 years ago with single "I'm Sorry" becoming real classic hit of Swedish pop (you can check covers by September and Sonja Alden as examples of how this song is beloved) and now before debut in completely new area for Dilba - Melodifestivalen where she will show her new dance side Dilba presents first sneak peak of how good she can sound in dance-music and it's remix of "I'm Sorry" - very stylish trance-track made by Deejay Jay. Few years ago Kaveh Azizi has made another mix of this song - not less interesting just good in its own way, so sure we don't mind now this great song finally gets its official release in the mix, check it below.
Babsan as well has recently presented her Christmas single "Alla dessa jular" and it's exacly what you could expect from drag-artist working with After-dark before - kitchy, schlageristic and happy.
SVT has shown its annual chronicle of Melodifestivalen reviewing one more time everything that happened at latest season so if you want - you can take your ticket to time machine and remember how it was - all those great triumphs and bitter falls. Check it here.
Popular bets site Svenska Spel has published its odds for the winner and surprisingly it names Melody Club as the biggest favorite. Both previous years #1 pre-favorites didn't win but was in the final so good luck to Melody Club. Sure it's just predictions without any real base before songs are heard but there are some interesting moments we can mention like Elisabeth Andreasson quite low that points that she's not in that favorite schlager-league and will need to work hard to compete with younger schlager-rivals. Le Kid has climbed to #4 even though newcomers are rarely estimated well so big hopes are on them. Linda Pritchard is much higher by odds than year before and Rasmus Viberg with Simon Forsberg are examples of how newcomers can be underestimated (in my opinion).
Preselections are starting in other countries as well and you can already find some announced Swedish composers there. Romania will show its preselection final at December 31st in New Year's Eve and one of competitors is Claudia Pavel with the song "I Want You to Want Me" co-written with Örebro team Johan Fransson, Pontus Assarsson, Tim Larsson and Tobias Lundgren responsible for such a classic melohits like "Alcastar", "Om Natten", "Kalla Nätter", etc. And Norway that has chosen song of Fredrik Kempe and Hanne Sørvaag (Norwegian songwriter living in Sweden) year ago this time gets songwriting team Simone Larsen, Moh Denebi, Bjørn Djupström and Jennifer Brown (who participated in Melodifestivalen-2009 with the song "Never Been Here Before") performed by Noora Noor, by the way Hanne Sørvaag will participate in Norwegian MGP this time as artist with her own song "You’re Like a Melody".
And the last interesting news. Remember before I told you that Malena Ernman's "La Voix" being covered by Philipp Kirkorov and Anna Netrebko was awarded as Best Song and Best Duo of this year by the biggest Russian radio? Now cover has got video-treatment and it looks really not bad!!!
Grab your snuggie, get a mars bar and a beverage and get comfortable because this is going to be a fairly lengthy list of artists I shall be monitoring very closely throughout 2011. Some of them will already be familiar to you as I've written about them extensively already, while some will be brand new to you. All of them have something magical to offer in 2011 that makes me very excited for a new musical year. This is all in no particular order of amazingness because they all are quite sparkling and special :)
YOUR BRIGHTEST HOPES FOR POP FOR 2011...
- Claire Maguire ~ She's already a shoe in to win the BBC Sound of 2011 poll. She's from my home town of Birmingham so I feel abit of an affinity with her. Essentially, her stunning vocal style has been beautifully wrapped in a musical production that is powerfully emotive without actually being overpowering. Her debut single Ain't Nobody adds sumptuous violin and evocative guitar into a thunderous soundscape that thrills from start to finish. Her new single Last Dance is out in late February and sounds equally as delicious. Truly startlingly good.
- Xylos ~ I'm unforgiveably behind on this effortlessly charming group, but better late than never I say... The group weave together a beautifully intricate sound that is deliciously light and airy pop music matched with clever lyrics, vocal innovations and a driving beat to keep it all on track. The male/female vocal playoff on their heavenly single Not Enough is an absolute delight to behold, and with some vocal chiming to give it some quirk, it's a track you'll have on repeat until their debut album is released on Valentines Day. Magic.
- Vogue Collective ~ Not much is known about Vogue Collective other than they are quite enthusiastic on twitter and that their song Tarantula (which soundtracks the video above) has been stuck in my head for days. Basically you can't beat a song that has a fun beat, some whoo whoos and a chorus to die for. And their vocals are spot on and blend together nicely. For further evidence, check out their rehearsal footage of Rule The World. Saturdays, watch your backs...
- Escort Knights ~ Sometimes my pop world needs a little edge and four piece Escort Knights provide some much needed indie cool to my playlist. They have this really contaigious energy about their music which is filled with blinding choruses, fuzzy guitars, shuffling beats and witty, wry lyrics. Their very excellent single I Don't Know Your Name showcases all of these fine traits, while Summer Is Coming shows they are not afraid to show a different side to their music, adding an addictive bosa nova beat, a bit of romantic sax and a more laid back acoustic vibe. This is all lining up to be something very special indeed.
- Ed Drewett ~ Ah Ed. Cheeky charm. Snazzy dresser. Goodlooking fella. Was responsible for two great moments in 2010 (co-wrote All Time Low by The Wanted & featured on Prof Green's Need You Tonight). Now everything is aligning for solo success. Champagne Lemonade was a mere pre-success tipple as his album sampler shows a knack for catchy tunes, current production values yet an old time tip to the hat to strong melodies and brillo chorus. Particularly on Parallels and Vital Signs. And if you are not utterly smitten after watching the clip above, then you need to check your pulse!
- Graffiti6 ~ This talented duo are an act I kept an eye on throughout most of 2010 but didn't spend nearly enough time with. I'm chagrinned and aim to change that in 2011. They have produced some tremendous tunes that are breezy, sunshine, soulful ditties that match Jamie's wondeful vocal with TommyD's knack for making each tune sound like ice cream on a summers day. Stop Mary (above) is an absolute gem of a tune and you should all be eagerly anticipating their debut album. They make everything so effortlessly wonderful.
- DeeDeeLovesMe ~ one of the things that annoyed me about the constant claims about Cher X Factor Lloyd being the most innovative thing in the UK ever since 3D tv was that there were perfectly brilliant artists like DeeDee already out there. DeeDee's debut EP "The Lowdown" is filled with cutting edge, cabaret tinged pop with an absolute bite that come across as very miss kitty with claws. Take the track above - hammond organ, handclaps and a shuffling beat all add up to a very catchy pop tune, yet there is arsenic in the lyrics. Plus the deliciously malevolent middle 8 on Balls will make your grandma blush. Much more please in 2011...
- Tove Styrke ~ In Sweden, not winning X Factor or Idol isn't a hindrance. So in love with pop music are they that they take 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 10th place finalists and give them a career. And that's normally because they come out with music that far surpasses British and American champs. Tove is the latest - her debut album is filled with icy pop gems that ingratiate themselves into your ears and brain on first listen and refuse to let go. Her voice is stunning, the tunes are marvelous. World domination is a must.
- BoyBanned ~ The group has altered slightly and definitely evolved over the past few months and are ready to launch themselves onto an unsuspecting public with their debut single Street Lights. Evocative of classic boyband moments from years gone by, it's a sparkling ballad with a silky smooth layered vocal and some lovely guitar-piano riff. What also works well about the song is you can totally imagine it as a balls to the wall dance mix, with the guys leaping up from their stools and launching into a dance routine. And you know how I love a good boyband. Familiar yet enticing all at the same time - both band and song :)
- The Ultra Girls ~ I totally want the Ultra Girls to do a superhero theme for one of their videos. Perhaps they could rescue me from the clutches of some evil (but suitably good looking) villain called Sir Spanxalot?! I love that the name of the group already gives them a fun personality that is matched by their onstage presence and choice of songs (Girls Will Be Girls is a spicy jam and trouble with a capital T)! Plus they can tone it down for some dreamy smooching music as their take on The Wanted shows above. I'm excited to follow them this coming year!
- Nick Hagelin ~ Oh how I adore it when some quality boy pop heads my way. Let's go thru the ingredients for a nice slice of boy pop pie. Ability to sing - yup, Nick has a voice that bypasses the need for vocoder and autotune, and therefore sounds surprisingly fresh. Catchy tune - yes! ICU is a insistent, pulsating dance track with pop overtones that sparkles from start to finish. Dedication to pop ~ yessirreebob! His ethos seems built around huge melodies, danceable beats and music that makes you feel good. Now that I can totally get on board with. Plus he has cheekbones to die for.
- Elouise ~ check out her stunning performance of No More Tears (Enough is Enough) here...
- Simon Curtis ~ his 8 Bit Heart bought him to an adoring internet public in 2010. Parlaying that into a record buying public is his next mission, should he choose to accept it...
- Kyle Brylin ~ ready to release his dancefloor epic Committed complete with a video in January, while you are waiting check out some lovely acoustic Kyle here...
- Dirty Disco ~ This visually arresting, musically stunning group established their signature sound and a solid fan base in 2010. Expect to hear much much more from them in 2011 as they forge forward with an electrifying assault on the pop world. Check them out on Larry Flick's Morning Jolt tomorrow with some live studio sessions. I'll be reviewing shortly!
Coming soon ~ an interview with my brightest pop hope for 2011 (tomorrow), then sometime over the weekend reviewing 2 scintillating albums that are FREE DOWNLOADS from Ro Danishei & Andrea Lewis...
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
So once again, it's the time to wade through the mp3 library and determine what albums have given me the most enjoyment this year. Some popped out at me instantly, while others I gave a quick whirl and was surprised by the memories that came flooding back... So for better or worse, here is my list of the year and oh god, I hope I didn't forget any! (I already remembered two that could have been at the lower end of the best of singles list!!)
- No. 30 ~ Deborah Gibson, Ms Vocalist: It's not quite the album I was hoping for from Deborah considering it's been 9 long years since a full set of original material from her. Still, this album of Japanese pop hits proved to be a late favourite for me and a reminder that Deb's voice can make anything sound magic. Best track ~ the remake of Lost In Your Eyes. Heavenly production!
- No. 29 ~ Aston, Aston: An Australian group doing exquisite classical versions of well known pop songs? It totally works and became my go to album of the year for inventive, soothing, exciting versions of every genre going. Plus they all seem charming and the boys became my fellas to follow for fashion tips (especially shoes!). Best track ~ their stunning version of Coldplay's Viva La Vida...
- No. 28 ~ Foxy Shazam, Foxy Shazam: A band introduced to me by the ever resourceful Nick of Alien Hits. Their album is a wonderful mix of theatrical campery, Queen style rock tunes, hugely catchy choruses and anthemic enjoyable performances that leap out of your speakers. Best track ~ Unstoppable.
- No. 27 ~ Ola Joyce, Happily Suppressed: An interesting and sometimes stunning debut album from woefully overlooked singer songwriter Ola. It certainly wasn't the traditional swedish dance pop, but it combined thoughtful lyrics with detailed musical moments and was quite lovely in it's delivery. Best track ~ Dressing Like A Law School Kid.
- No. 26 ~ Andrea Lewis, 54321: Not only did this album give me one of my favourite tracks of the year (Talk To Me), but it introduced me to the vocal talents of Andrea who put together an eclectic mix of sounds on an impressive debut album that veered from fierce dance, sizzling electro and tender balladry. And it was free. Amazing. Best track ~ Talk To Me.
- No. 25 ~ Music Go Music, Expressions: It's an album that owes an unshamed, heart of sleeve debt to Abba (and to a lesser extent, ELO, The Carpenters and their ilk). It's given a slightly indie edge but it never strays from providing feel good anthems built around one of the year's most endearing vocals. Always always gets me singing along (and for some reason gets me singing Mr Blue Sky by ELO once the album is done)! Best track ~ Warm In The Shadows. 8 minutes of disco heaven.
- No. 24 ~ Alexandra Burke, Overcome (SE): I'm not a fan of these rereleased albums with new tracks tagged on, but I guess if you don't have the original then it can be a real treat. Alexandra's Overcome is a veritable greatest hits of tracks with a whopping 6 singles on there and at least 3 more that could make this her Control. One of the best x-factor debuts ever. Best track ~ There's no getting away from the joy of Bad Boys.
- No. 23 ~ Matt Dusk, Good News: I think this was technically released in 2009 but it gave me such a good time in 2010 that i'm including it. A magical set of tunes that mix big band with modern pop sensibilities and every single one is an absolute gem. Plus Matt is a suave, snappy fella and a bit of a dish too! Best track ~ Wouldn't Change A Thing. Epic.
- No. 22 ~ Emma Dean, Dr. Dream & The Imaginary Pop Cabaret: It was an album whose title said it all. Taking elements of theatre, pop, big band, cabaret and sheer personality, Emma created an innovative and exciting set of tunes that will resonate with me throughout 2011. Her visuals were equally as striking and added to the experience rather than subtracted (take note, pork chop wearing Lady Gaga!!). Best track ~ Sincerely Fearful.
- No. 21 ~ Ellie Goulding, Bright Lights: It took me far too long to be won over by Ellie Goulding. However, The Writer and her delectable version of Elton's Your Song added up to another shining rerelease album that really showcased her writing and vocal talents. Plus she had the good sense to take Bright Light Bright Light on tour with her. Now that's class. Best track ~ The Writer.
- No. 20 ~ Hurts, Happiness: An album that seems to be popping up on best of lists all over the place. The artists formerly known as Daggers honed their bleak pop sound into something strangely beautiful and addictive. The singles charts may not have embraced them quite as hugely as they should, but their tunes stayed on the album charts deservedly most of the year. Best track ~ Blood Tears & Gold.
- No. 19 ~ Magnus Carlsson, Pop Galaxy: Fasten your seatbelts because Swedish pop royalty Magnus is taking you on a trip around the outer regions of pop deliciousness and did so rather splendidly on this excellent double album. Oh sure it won't win awards for innovation but for being entirely gleeful (while not being Gleeful) and reminding of the good old days of S/A/W with a modern twist, it gets my seal of approval. Best track ~ the giddy Feel You.
- No. 18 ~ Amy Meredith, Restless: Part pomp, part circumstance, all amazing, this enticing Aussie group ticked all the boxes for riotous, fun tunes this year. Led by engaging frontman Christian, it was the fact that the band gelled together so well on their tracks and in their smashing videos that made this album so edible. Best track ~ Lying. Near perfection!
- No. 17 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Airwaves: At first I felt that nothing was as soaring as the amazing Yes Man. Then spend some time with the album and you realise that it's actually quite a cool selection of tunes, styles and genres. Bjorn may remain quite enigmatic, but his 80s influenced synth should propel him firmly into the spotlight if there's any justice. Could easily yield 5-6 singles. Best track ~ Yes Man.
- No. 16 ~ Candle Thieves, Sunshine & Other Misfortunes: Lock up your wick based lighting products because if the sterling debut album is anything to go by, the Candle Thieves are not going anywhere. They manage to produce the most uplifting instrumentals this side of an Osmonds reunion while mirroring them with insightful, downbeat yet sometimes strangely optimistic lyrics. Add some unusual quirky instruments and soothing vocal style and it became the album I would buy all my friends for their birthdays as an intro to a spiffy new group. Best track ~ My Love Will Clap It's Hands For You.
- No. 15 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Family Jewels: I almost left this off the list because I was convinced it came out in 2009. It didn't. This album was an absolute treat in 2010 - didn't conform to trends, was brimming with catchy hooks yet left field enough to seem completely fresh and exciting. It was definitely super pop and ice cool indie. Best track ~ oh my god you look like Shakira. Hollywood tied with I Am Not A Robot.
- No. 14 ~ McFly, Above The Noise: New logo, new image, new buffed up bodies, new sound, yet somehow same old McFly. They kept everything that was charming and endearing and talented and managed to give it a complete overhaul on this album that showcased their influences of Prince, Michael Jackson and r'n'b. Invigorated the group and produced an album that no one expected but everyone should want. Best track ~ If You See Kate.
- No. 13 ~ Ola Svensson, Ola: Ola has had an incredible run of singles that have all been uniformly brilliant and now he has a wonderful album to match. Whether it be the exuberant pop of All Over The World, the out-K$shaing K$sha on Riot or some quite nice balladry, there was something in here for everyone. An Idol alumni who was easily showing up his British counterparts in how to continue with a successful career... Best track ~ Unstoppable.
- No. 12 ~ Brandon Flowers, Flamingo: The delicated Fleur that is B-Flo carries on without his merry band of Killers and releases a debut album that plays like a greatest hits of his band. Drenched in upbeat pop, slow burning ballads and Brandon's love of Americana, there was something for all Killers fans in here with some epic production values. Was quite something live too...Best track ~ Crossroads.
- No. 11 ~ Maroon 5, Hands All Over: As i've stated, the addition of Robert Mutt Lange was understated rather than in your face, but my lovely Maroon boys put together the most cohesive album of their career filled with pop gems, sweet choruses and swoon worthy ballads. Certainly a worthy addition to their canon and one that deserves a lot more success than it's received. Best track ~ Never Leave This Bed.
- No. 10 ~ The Overtones, Good Ol' Fashioned Love: If you had told me at the start of the year that one of my favourite acts and albums would be a 50s/60s inspired vocal harmony group, I probably wouldn't have believed it. However, 5 painters and decorators come together and I'm smitten from the onset. Their blend of vocal styles, love of the geek chic and ability to weave seamlessly a mix of old favourites and originals without skipping a beat made them a surprise delight of the year. The addition of 3 Christmas tracks a few weeks ago merely sealed the deal! Best track ~ Gambling Man.
- No. 9 ~ Rumer, Seasons of my Soul: It's the closest thing we are ever going to get to Karen Carpenter putting out a new album. It's that incredible. The voice is the main focus here with the songs merely framing devices for an outpouring of styles and emotions. The production values are faultless and there are echoes of the aforementioned Carpenters, Burt Bacharach, Irving Berlin and even some gospel. It's all timeless, beautiful and soothing. Do seek out some of the album extras like Alfie and a very lovely It Might Be You (from Tootsie!). Best track ~ Slow.
- No. 8 ~ Gabriella Cilmi, Ten: She was certainly on a mission to create some top drawer pop this year and by gum she succeeded. From the dizzying lead off single through to Bee Gees inspired mayhem (Hearts Don't Lie) and a more tender viewpoint (Love Me Cos You Want To, Defender), Ms Cilmi was delighting me left right and centre with an engaging selection of instant pop tunes. Best track ~ On A Mission.
- No. 7 ~ Goldfrapp, Head First: While lots of reviews said this was influenced by 80s music, i noticed more of an Abba meets Donna Summer meets Xanadu vibe about the entire project, which was a warm set of synth pop and hi-nrg, delivered with an understated cool that only someone like Alison can pull off. Why the singles weren't massive is one of life's mysteries. Best track ~ Dreaming.
- No. 6 ~ Scissor Sisters, Night Work: An invigorated Scissters returned by teaming up with this year's hot producer Stuart Price (see also TT, Kylie and B-Flo). The result was a down and dirty set of tunes that would have you grind(r)ing away at any sleazy nightspot and have you guaranteed to pull. Plus it produced the year's most outrageous middle 8 on Any Which Way from Ana Mantronic. Best track ~ Invisible Light.
- No. 5 ~ Darin, Lovekiller: An album that is predominantly ballads after the scintillating Flashback album could have been a massive step backwards for Darin. Instead he interspersed some wonderfully classic balladry with festive disco (Viva La Vida), back to my roots uptempo (Microphone) and a bizarre but brilliant take on being completely shafted by your errant lover (the title track). His voice shone through proving himself a worthy Idol alumni who can tackle any genre put in front of him. Best track ~ Lovekiller tied with Can't Stop Love.
- No. 4 ~ Take That, Progress: Take a vintage British boyband, reunite them with the naughty tyke who left them nigh on 15 years ago and throw the ubiquitous Stuart Price into the mix and you get one of the most inventive, forward thinking boyband albums in a long time. It's like the most commercial Muse album you'll ever buy and clearly the British public are lapping it up. And if you are hankering for some traditional TT by the end, then you are thrown a bone with the lovely 8 Letters, 3 Words, 1 Meaning. Best track ~ SOS.
- No. 3 ~ Eric Saade, Masquerade: Eric was all I wanted in a pop star in 2010. Great tunes, didn't take himself too seriously, massive work ethic that gave us some stunning stage performances and a totally fun debut album. Plus there were dance routines. Lots and lots of dance routines. Amazing. And even more brilliantly, Eric is already at work on new stuff, so there won't be a long wait til more brilliance pops up. Yay. Best track ~ It's Gonna Rain.
- No. 2 ~ Simon Curtis, 8 Bit Heart: To make an album in your basement that sounds this professional is somewhat of an achievement. To build a viral campaign of Robots around it that slavishly hang on every beat, note and lyric is even more impressive. To fill the album with modern sounding pop songs, dance tunes and the odd delightful ballad is the icing on the cake. Simon achieved all that and more with the release of his debut album proper and the results were more than I could have hoped for. I have no doubt that Simon will achieve his goals in 2011 based on his musical growth so far... Best track ~ Diablo.
- ALBUM OF THE YEAR 2010 ~ Kylie, Aphrodite: Kylie returned not only with a glorious single (All The Lovers) but with an album that was everything I love about Kylie. It was filled with catchy pop dance tunes, some hints of electronica and all the charm, enthusiasm and personality Ms Minogue puts into all her recordings. There were some great performances of the tracks on various shows around the world, some exquisite reworkings on shows like Live Lounge and some added Christmas sparkle at the end of the year with some new Christmas recordings. Add to this an impressive array of b-sides and duets that could all have easily formed Aphrodite 2 and it was the album that kept on and keeps on giving. Magnificence. Best track ~ All The Lovers.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Idol-2010 runner-up Minnah Karlsson has released her self-titled compilation "Minnah Karlsson" with covers from Idol. The winner Jay Smith's album was sold platinum for less than week debuting at #1 of album chart (when his "Dreaming People" was first Swedish Idol winning song not debuting at #1 ever - it has debuted at #3) so let's see how high Minnah's album will be able to climb.
Minnah as Jay had qute a lot of highlights on the show and compilation contains maximum of them. I'll be missing "Paparazzi", "Ambitions" and especially "What you waiting for?". Though, no, Pixie Lott's "Here We Go Again" and "Dreaming People" more but they weren't meant to be on the album from the beginning. Minnah's album includes both fresh hits like "Whataya want from me", "Just the way you are" and "When love takes over" (their arrangements are almost untouched comparing with originals so only Minnah's voice is tasty decoration of these works) and classic stuff like "Always on my mind", "Total eclipse of the heart", "Everything I do I do it for you" and "Alone" and here you can hear some surprising changes, for example "Everything I do I do it for you" was wrapped in more actual beat making it sound like modern ballad and ballad-part was completely deleted from "Alone" but the song hasn't lost at all becoming strong radio-pop-rock-track (one of the strongest album tracks that would be great to get as separate single). Sure the biggest Minnah's moment of Idol with "Twist and Shout" is on compilation as well and though visually crazy retro-style Minnah is much more interesting but still she's completely in this record - twisting, shouting and making smile you wide. "Piece of my heart" from auditions and "Not ready to make nice" released earlier on Idol-compilations were also included in tracklist.
Today Minnah came to Aftonbladet studio to perform her Idol-hit "Not ready to make nice" and "Mama Do" of Pixie Lott - how great was to hear cover of Pixie that provided "Here We Go Again" presenting Minnah on auditions like that charming and funny girl with rock-voice that audience has fallen in love with and girl that hopefuly will make long music career after this very first but memorable step.
Tracklist:
Whataya want from me
Twist and Shout
Just the way you are
Always on my mind
Calleth you, cometh I
Total eclipse of the heart
When love takes over
Everything I do I do it for you
Alone
Piece of my heart
Not ready to make nice
Album Review: "Svart Vitt Och Allt Däremellan" - Daniel Adams-Ray
0 comments Posted by ai at 2:52 PM
Once upon a time there was a Swedish rap duo named Snook, who made some great music and promised much for the future. And then they disappeared, never to be heard again....but that's not the end of the story. Because, in this fairytale, you get a happy ending.
"Voyeuren" is a complete contrast - "I am in love with the picture of you/not with you". This is a much warmer track with lots of strings. Recent single "Gubben I Lådan" has also helped to build Daniel's fanbase. You could just imagine this song being a massive festival favourite with its singalong chorus. Still on the singalong front, the very catchy "Lilla Lady" is going to be the next single and again I think this will become a big favourite.
"Förlåt Att Jag Aldrig Sagt Förlåt" has also spent some time in the Sverige Topplistan singles chart even though this hasn't officially been released as a single. It's a ballad, yet it clearly displays Daniel's skill as a rapper-turned-singer, the way he weaves his words.
Daniel's first single "Dum av Dig" still sounds as fresh and appealing as ever, even in the context of this album. And yes, the chorus is, for me, still reminiscent of George Harrison's "Got My Mind Set On You" - but if you're gonna borrow, then borrow from the best. Right? It's such a feelgood, summery track that it will have you dancing round the room.
I'm maybe not so keen on "Himlen Luktar Plast" as I am on some of the other tracks, but it's not too bad either.
"Gryningspyromanen" is one of the strongest tracks on the album which sets darker lyrics against the upbeat, galloping rhythms - "yesterday I was at the top/tomorrow I am down below" and "a million in the bank/but nothing to live for".
This is immediately followed by another of the album's best tracks "Medan vi Faller" which is probably the closest musically to anything on the Oskar Linnros album. Ah yes, I've mentioned him again. Anyway there is an exquisite arrangement and production here, in a retro-soul style.
There are some notable similarities between Daniel and Oscar's albums - take the cover art for example. Oskar does body paint....so does Daniel. Then there are the musical similarities too....but when you consider the quality of the music on both albums, then that's ok. And anyway, I would probably attribute this more to both artists being in the same band for a long time and absorbing similar musical ideas. And so what if there are similarities? When they are this good, it's the listener who benefits.
The album ends with "Vitt" which sounds as if it could have been a track on Paul Simon's "Graceland" and which musically acknowledges Daniel's background of growing up in Kenya. In recent Swedish media interviews, Daniel described his experiences of being bullied for being "different" with his cosmopolitan background - well who's got the last laugh now? Daniel Adams-Ray has made an excellent debut album, blending a number of musical influences and succeeding throughout. Well done!
Eric Saade presents brand new single "Still Loving It" from his second album planned for next Summer!
2010 was really Eric's year, Melodifestivalen has made him huge star in Sweden and during Summer he was invited to all biggest Swedish TV-shows and loads of fans were really glad to know that Eric will try luck on Melodifestivalen next year again with another Fredrik Kempe's song "Popular" that due to promises will be even better and show will be much more complicated and expensive. Just like year before when Eric presented his "Sleepless" before the contest this time he has premiered new song that will be released in connection with his participation in Disney channel Christmas show.
"Still Loving It" is written by Eric, Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad and Niclas Lundin (trio behind Eric's "Why Do We Need Fashion!?" and Anton with Niclas also have written Melodifestivalen song for Sara Lumholdt), it's modern dynamic ballad starting with piano goosebumps giving intro progressing with r'n'b beat and pre-chorus boysband backing vocals to crazy epic chorus and it keeps growing and growing to ecstatic final choruses. You didn't hear anything like this from Eric before and you just have to check it right now!
The closing months of the year traditionally means only three things: Strictly Come Dancing, X Factor, and I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. Those three programmes alone are enough to keep every tabloid journalist in a job for a few months, and inevitably they provided lots of "stories" of course those quotation marks are there for a reason!!
Let's start with good old Strictly Come Dancing, which remains one of my favourite celeb-reality programmes although I prefer to watch the good dancers rather than the ones with the dreaded "journey" which probably makes me a killjoy I guess. This explains why my favourite dancers this year were Matt, Kara and Scott, and I said I'd be happy if any of them won. So when Kara Tointon won, I was happy. Of course her own "journey" was considerably assisted by her romance with professional partner Artem Chigvintsev. I'm always a bit cynical about this kind of thing. Romance or faux-mance? Only time will tell I guess. I thought Matt Baker was very likeable from the beginning and I think he'll get a good TV career out of this, while Scottttttttt! Maslen was always going to be one of our faves at EuropeCrazy HQ, even before he stepped onto the dancefloor :) however he couldn't recapture the magic of his brilliant jive. Perhaps Scott would have done better with a different partner, rather than Natalie 'me-me-me' Lowe.
Of course the usual judges' favouritism came into play, and this year their chosen one was Pamela Stephenson, whose ingratiating responses to the judges' comments had us reaching for the sick bag. And I can't write about SCD without mentioning Widdy.....
...who almost came close to stealing my 'Best bad celebrity dancer ever' award from my all-time faves from "Let's Dance" in Sweden - the legendary Lasse Brandeby and Willy Bjorkman! (Talking of which, the new series of that show starts in Sweden on 7th January and we'll be watching out for Alexander Rybak and Jessica Andersson).
Yes the real highlight of 2010's Strictly was Ann Widdecombe, who, refreshingly, didn't have that "journey" - she started the show with two left feet, and ended several weeks later with no progress made whatsoever :)
I didn't watch X Factor, but always made a point of catching the weekly performances by Wagner on YouTube. His "Viva Las Vegas" will live on in my memory long after winner Matt Cardle's safe, sanitised cover of Biffy Clyro's "Many Of Horror" (retitled "When We Collide", with all the guts and passion of the original ripped out) has faded from my memory. Oh wait, it already has.
I really enjoyed this year's I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! although at one point it was threatening to become a one-woman-show as the hideous "Dr" Gillian McKeith screamed, squirmed and fainted her way out of one bushtucker trial after another. Happily there were some likeable characters around this year: it was great to see Dom Joly back on telly as he has such a wicked sense of humour, (which not everyone gets, but we did) and Shaun Ryder and Jenny Eclair were also good campmates. Not being an X Factor fan, I didn't really know anything about Stacey Solomon until she appeared on this show, but she impressed the nation with her goofy likeability and was a deserved Queen of the Jungle.
Never thought it would come to this, but....I think Harry Hill's TV Burp has finally come to the end of the road. The glory days of the show are long gone and the recently ended series was probably the unfunniest ever. It probably will come back though: ITV has such an impressive record in flogging dead horses.
One still very much alive TV format is Coach Trip, where tour guide Brendan leads a bunch of unimpressed/unpleasant tourists all over Europe. Brendan is that rarity these days: a genuine new TV personality, therefore he totally deserves a place in the schedules. It was all going quite well and then they decided to inject this show with the dreaded Z-list celebrity disease. But wait! It wasn't all bad, as the Chuckle Brothers were on it. It wasn't so much 'to me, to you' as 'to me, to Europe' (groan) as they won Celebrity Coach Trip, beating off all the opposition - including the likes of the Cheeky Girls (!) and posh-Raef from the Apprentice, who's made a reality TV career out of being, well, posh-Raef I guess. That scene with Barry Chuckle, Brendan and Ingrid Tarrant in the bath even got a tribute from Harry Hill in one of his (few) funnier moments on TV Burp :)
A variation on the celebs-on-tour format came on "Monte Carlo Or Bust" on ITV, where three celeb-pairings in various cars - Jack Dee and Ade Edmondson/Jodie Kidd and Julian Clary/Penny Smith and Rory McGrath - went in search of items representing France, ending in Monte Carlo. It was all a bit strange. It was all a bit pointless, it wasn't funny, and sometimes relied a little too much on stereotypes. It might have been better without the celebrity-angle, but then that would be asking too much of ITV these days to make a show without so-called 'celebrities'.
Unfortunately Living TV, which was once quite watchable, is becoming another ITV2, going down the Z-list celebrity route and seems to be showing less of the US drama series it built its reputation on. In between the Alex Reid/Outer Mongolia's Next Top Model rubbish, Private Practice continued to wring every possible combination out of the relationship merry-go-round before the season 3 finale, along with the usual hankies-required moments. Which I won't spoil for you in case you haven't seen the show yet. I rather enjoyed this series, more than the last one, although I'm wondering just how far it can go. Maybe another series, and then it should sign off.
I don't watch as many films as I used to, so it was nice to catch up with a couple recently. I'd heard a lot of good things about The Hangover but was very sceptical due to the recent post-Apatow trend of vulgar humour, however this was a genuinely funny film with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. Even better was that it didn't have to rely on 'bankable' leads, going for some relative unknowns instead. Who won't be unknown for long of course, thanks to this film!
The trend for remaking perfectly good films shows no sign of going away. Why even bother to remake a classic like Fame? But someone thought that in this age of High School Musical and Glee, that it might be a good idea. No it's not, actually. But I gave it a chance and watched it anyway. The verdict: it is to the original, what the Cowellised version of "Many Of Horror" is to the Biffy version. You get the idea. Shallow and stereotypical, and not worthy of sharing the same title of the gritty original - which of course was already watered down for the TV show back in 1982, the "Glee" of its day you might say. True what they say, everything goes round in cycles.
Finally, we headed to the boardroom one more time for another series of one of the few 'reality' shows I still watch - The Apprentice. This series was littered with moments of TV gold, mainly thanks to Stuart Baggs - THE BRAND! - he's not a one trick pony, he's a field of ponies y'know. The funniest moment was when he finally got his comeuppance in the interview episode - 'you're not a big fish, you're not even a fish!'. Amid all this, Stella and Chris managed to make it to the final two, with Stella winning. I read somewhere that this is the last year of this format, as from next year there won't be a job on offer, but Lord Sugar will invest, Dragons Dens-style, in the winner's company. Don't know if I like that idea, but I'll reserve my judgement till I see it.
One more thing before I go - my favourite Christmas TV advert of recent years which has been back on our screens once again over the festive season...
Merry Christmas!
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