Lopez Blogs

Oh lumme. once again, work has consumed me quite literally (not literally) whole this week. Yet there is so much amazing new music around that I cannot hold it all in and I must shower my thoughts all over the internet for tens of people to read :P As often happens with me, I intend to write about just one thing and then my fingers keep caressing the keyboard until a whole host of magic just flows out of me - today should have just been about Eric Saade's quite good actually new video, but will end up being about lots of swe-pop magic floating around aujourd h'ui. Perhaps I feel inspired by this pic (above) of Eric, Mans and Darin just hanging around having a chat! Someone bring these three to England to put on a pop showcase (with a group number finale - the new EMD!)...

Eric Saade ~ Break of Dawn video:

Eric is turning into a right little bonafide pop sensation isn't he? Manboy has been a genuine smash in Sweden (and hopefully soon the world), his debut album Masquerade has already gone gold after a few weeks of release in Sweden and now he's already on a lush, sumptuous ballad with a video that has had some actual money spent on it. Amazes. Let's have a look at some of my favourite bits...

• It starts off a bit like a tv episode/cheap movie what with Eric's name popping up on screen in cinematic fashion, along with the title of the song...
• The videomakers may be taking things a bit too literally as i think it actually IS the break of dawn - Eric wakes up all alone in a fetching vest spooning a fluffy pillow. Oh to be that pillow...
• He has clearly had to get up to go to some Masquerade themed photo shoot because he has his f***ed in the back of a limo hair and some sunglasses on in the office. How popstar!
• At the one minute mark you can see where the story is going - he is clearly in love with the blonde chickadee, who is clearly dating some asshole studio type. Eric does some real good gazing here...
• at one minute and ten seconds, Eric - for no real reason than sheer popstar titillation - flashes a bit of his stomach. it's quite nice.
• At the 1m40 mark, Eric is now in full Masquerade costume and is gazing at his love interest in the same way Mario looks at Ben in Big Brother i.e. like a little lost puppy dog caught peeing on the rug...
• If you are at all interested, the man at 2m02 has a t-shirt on that says "what happens in the mushroom kingdom stays in the mushroom kingdom". How alarming!!
• The masquerade ball theme makes me want to watch the Steps It's The Way You Make Me Feel video (later reattributed as Better Love Me by Same Difference)!
• Around the two and three-quarter minute mark, there is a bit of mask removing (i hope this isn't an allegory for unsafe sex!!) and some very delicate face touching. The director does a very camp "oh how dreamy" hands clasped together moment that is quite me just before three min!!
• There is then a full on snog with proper tongue action and everything! And even after this the heartless cadette leaves with her ass-hole studio type
• But wait! There's a weird reverse Cinderella moment at the end and a "to be continued..." INTRUIGING!!

And that, ladies and gentlefolk, is a rather decent pop video on a budget. To an increasingly lovely song. brava young eric. Long may you reign...

More, more, more:

• Peter Gustafsen & Anki Bagger ~ Secret Weapon: I adore that Sweden has it's own gay pride anthem every year. I think some of the past songs have been rather magnificent (BWO, Bells of Freedom and Magnus Carlsson, Another Rainbow are particularly corking), but this year is another solid entry in the canon (oo-er)! It's a typically, yet delightfully upbeat affair with a resoundingly catchy chorus, a thumping bass and the opportunity to fling one's arms in the air like one just doesn't care. Pop like this just gives me a giant happy that propels me through the pride season and beyond. Viva the gays, etc.
• Elin Lanto ~ Funeral: I wrote about the title track to Elin's latest album a while back, then fell in love with Tickles and didn't write about it, and now am OBSESSED with this magnificent popbanger! It is a very good track as popjustice, poptrash and fabtastic will all attest. Basically it starts off all tinkly piano (a la Steps One For Sorrow - oh it's all about Steps today) before launching into a very pleasant indeed dance anthem with the brilliant "oh fuck off then" chorus of "no matter if you end up/in heaven or in hell/ i'll be dancing/at your fun-eral"... so definitive and final, yet so bloody catchy and bop around the room. I'm high kicking as we speak to this giddy treat!
• Ola Svensson ~ Overdrive EP: It was only when I was making a little catch-up playlist of Ola singles in preparation for this EP that I realised what a corkingly wonderful run of releases he has had. Everything from Natalie onwards has been solid pop gold. This three track EP complements that run rather than halts it - the stand out track is commonly agreed as All Over The World, and it's easy to see why. it's a storming pop tune, with a great bass line and instantly memorable chorus. It's not ashamed of it's cheese factor, rather it embraces it and this adds to the charm of the song. The title track is vaguely reminiscent of Debbie Gibson's We Could Be Together. It's very pleasant, with a nice sing along chorus and let's all chant this together sort of vibe. It's an interesting diversion from his more established sound and works well overall (though All Over The World still makes a stronger single). Still Remember? Well it's not entirely awful but it suffers next to the other tunes on the EP and screams single b-side in terms of quality. But AOTW? YAY!

Back soon for something. For always excellent coverage of all things Swedish, check out scandipop and swedish stereo. Postergirl and Alienhits are always a good bet too :) Check sidebar for links!