Lopez Blogs

There seems to be an increasing amount of focus at the start of each year on which acts are meant to be huge in the upcoming 12 months. Perhaps these lists were always around and I've only just started paying any attention to them? Anyhoo, I quite like these lists - it gives me a few pointers and gets me checking out new talent, most of which I've already read about on blogs anyway! So I thought I'd do something a bit different - the main acts i'm rooting to have big success in the next 12 months. I've written about all these acts before, and some of them have been going for a few years. But i thought i'd remind you all of them again, before I do my "hot new acts to watch" post on Friday... And they are presented here in no particular order other than alphabetical :)

Alien Beat Club: They were the finalists on this year's Danish X Factor and a group I think X factor blogger Mark would have loved were they in the UK version. I mean, they mashed together Circle of Life and Just Dance for crying out god's sake. Other than this stroke of genius, they have been busy putting together lovely material like smooth mid-tempo pop nugget My Way, doing charity songs like It's My World and generally becoming a mixed gender JLS. Quite marvy.


Simon Curtis: oh please stop exhibiting any surprise that the amazing Mr. Curtis makes this list once again for the fourth year in a row. And that's not to say he hasn't had degrees of success before now - Alter Boy remains an epic piece of work (and a much bootlegged one too) and Spectacular is an enjoyable movie musical with a fun soundtrack. However, 2010 already feels like it's going to be all about 8BitHeart. Delusional and Diablo (in particular) are mammoth slices of forward thinking pop that just get me more than excited for the album release. Success is so close for Simon, I can taste it :) (Simon also features in a 10 to watch list over at Bill CS)


Rochella Danishei: Just as Candy Coated Chaos looked like they were on the cusp of hitting it big, it was all over. Luckily, out of the ashes of that which has fallen, something equally pop and perky arises and Rochella has been busy building up a solo reportoire of songs for the world to enjoy. Tracks like The Show Must Go On and Roll The Dice are funky, spunky slices of dance-pop that entice and seduce. Glad to know that Rochella is still working with ace producer Jadion too - he's got to be the next go-to producer of brillo pop! So yes, rochella solo is shaping up to be quite the intruiging development...

Elouise: God, let me count the ways I adore the music of Elouise. There are a lot. Her live shows just sizzle with energy, enthusiasm and fun. You all know how much I adore her disco-tastic version of One Night Only (Whitney used the same template for A Song For You!), and the gorgeous Terry Ronald track Pretender and Steve Anderson song Another Day are just soaring torch songs that are both timely and timeless. Picking great people to work with is a key ingredient for pop success so Elouise is already on the right track. Now hurry up and release Fireman of My Dreams...


Dean Lennon: How is former Digital boybander (surely time to retire that now) Dean not massive already? He has the tunes, the clothes, the image, the hair and the cheekbones of a popstar - so he's already streets ahead of most :P His tunes have been floating around myspace for a while, but he has let me preview a few of his new ones and they are most excellent in a this is what george michael or prince would sound like if they were still amazing and funky sort of way. And really that's more than one could ask for in a pop star isn't it?

James Leon: I still think that Club With No Name is one of the most engaging new pop tracks of recent years - kind of a more effortlessly cool Party In The USA. Fear not though electro-pop lovers, James has some darker, funkier tracks up his sleeve as evidenced with the grand single, Purple Heart. Whatever your pop preference, I suspect that the upcoming debut will hold something that will delight even the most discerning of pop pickers.

Marina & The Diamonds: I fell and fell hard for Marina early last year when I Am Not A Robot earwormed it's way into my brain. It was (is) a near perfect pretty pop song with substance and depth that got more addictive with each listen and a tune I'm still not tired of. While Marina's songs since then haven't made such an impact with me, that doesn't matter because the standard was set so impossibly high that everything else is still rather wonderful. She seems primed for a big media push in February and I suspect many more people will be diamonds by the end of the year...

Gavin Mikhail: I am a sucker for a guy who plays piano and can create such elegant, lasting melodies and lyrics. Thus, I've stuck by Gavin since I discovered the amazing power pop ballad Brave a couple of years back. I still think the song is one of the most romantic, inspirational tunes I've heard in a long time and a perfect choice for an X Factor winner. Heck, if Joe had sung this I would have been won over. Gavin's talents don't stop there and he has continued to put together an impressive arsenal of new tunes to win over admirers. Beyond You is such a glorious song that I'm hoping it reaches a wide audience very soon - those crashing chords, that singable chorus, the heavenly guitar. Dreamy.

RedBloodedWomen: They have already had their sugababes line up change so you know they are serious about the pop game! They've had some amazing pop songs floating around the internet and gay prides for some time now including the funktastic You Made Your Bed and Enjoy The Silence. Now they are back with some glam new images and new tunes for the new year including the ever so good Relax (which is the type of song the indecisive Saturdays would kill for) and future dancefloor classic Halo. The tunes are there, the stars are aligned, it's time for them to make their entrance into the UK pop game :)

Sparkling Arrest: I must confess I first got into the sparkling arrest because I thought their name was rather brilliant for some reason. That's neither here nor there because I wouldn't have stayed obsessed with their music if it wasn't any good. They create these epic songs that crescendo into magnificence, envelop you into the story they tell and leave you yearning for more. As outstanding as the studio tracks are, I suspect their real magic will come in the live shows when the songs are given that extra energy that come from thousands of people singing along. Be sure to check out anthemic Seventh Sign and the entirely perfect Skyman for a sample of some great songwriting.


Sam taylor: He first came to attention when two of his melancholy songs soundtracked the sometimes hilarious, sometimes poignant, always amazing Beautiful People. Since then he's seemingly been rather quiet but has a number of tunes on his myspace that are quite delightful including (at one point) the delicious, spine tingling cover of I Don't Know How To Love Him. There's something quite magical about Sam's pure voice singing the line "and i've had so many men before..." And it is all about his voice - it's smooth and lovely, suited to a variety of genres and could carve him a career as varied and engaging as Will Young. Communication is a dream. Plus he's quite pretty too :P

Adam tyler: I only recently came across Adam Tyler and his enthusiastic brand of electro-pop and I've been quite the smitten little kitten ever since. He seems to have encapsulated the enthusiasm for fun, addictive pop that powered the Spice Girls to their creative peak and channelled it into some seriously entertaining tunes. The big old softie has a bit of a romantic side too when he proved he can do big gothic love gone wrong anthems on his recent Ghost of Christmas Past single. However, the season of good will is over, so pick up your dancing shoes and burn some Friction in the new year. Pull shapes indeed :)


Waterloo: When you've got the same management team behind you as the invigorated Same Difference, then you know I'm going to be taking an interest. The foursome became a threesome in 2009, yet their dedication to producing pop songs that reminded you of all the great pop that came before with fun melodies and great choruses was unwavering. Four Letter Word is still the best song that Ace of Base never released, while Break The Habit is a great mid tempo tune. They continue to be working with some legendary british pop producers so great stuff is coming up...

Killian Wells: Who the hell is Killian Wells is a question that will be on the lips of many people in 2010. He's taken a cheeky swipe at the world of pop with his great dance tune VIP and has many more great songs up his sleeve. Encapsulating 80s electro influences into a modern sounding pop world, Killian has a great deep voice that adds warmth and passion to his tunes and always gets me coming back for more. Thoroughly charming fella too, and a big supporter of the NoH8 campaign. Plus he was in a Kelly Rowland video! Stardom beckons!!