Lopez Blogs

The album megamix is here - scroll down to youtube video for review!

As Duchess Kylie of Minogue once sagely pointed out, it's no secret. No secret indeed that one of (perhaps indeed my very fave) fave acts ever to emerge from the X-Factor is the sunny as a sunny side up egg on toast splendiferous pop duo Same Difference. More than anyone to appear on the show, the embraced their love of great pop music week in week out until they were crowned 3rd place finalists and unleashed their magnificent debut album (suitably titled "Pop") onto the world. It's perceived failuure (it did actually sell well over 100,000 copies) is a mystery. Beyond the bouyant single We R One lay a number of other gems ready to get nipping at chart success including the smart, sleek dance ditty All Roads Lead to Heaven and gloriously swooning shuffle bug Better Love Me. And lets not forget the criminally unreleased PWL remix of Turn It Into Love...
Thankfully Sean and Sarah were not down and out. They relaunched themselves onto the pop world last August with a striking new look, a sexy down and dirty in the club video (the little scamps)and a punchy new single called Shine On Forever (Photo Frame). That and a song they've played live a few times (Souled Out) both showed that their mission statement is still to produce great pop music, but making sure it has a grown up edge to it. Sharp beats, booming chorus, memorable melody. This is all very promising for their second album which they released copious amounts of information about this week. Entitled The Rest Is History, it's a bold statement as Sean & Sarah power forth, determined to bring quality, cheeky, fun pop to the masses. What I love about the title is that not only could it be the title of a greatest hits album but it signifies that while they certainly are not ashamed of their past output, it's time to set aside your preconceptions and just enjoy. The brilliant cover image seems to reflect this. Present are their previous iconic images (bubblegum pop for We R One, sexy clubbers for Shine On Forever) but front and centre are the delightful duo looking dynamite and determined. Sean frankly looks entirely edible while for some reason I absolutely adore the slightly awkward poseable doll leg tilt/toe tap of Sarahs.

EDIT (12/1/11) To accompany the excitement of the album cover, an album megamix is now fully available to have a listen to and gives you an idea of what The Rest Is History will sound like. I've already commented on Souled Out and Shine On Forever (and you can read my thoughts on buzz track Karma Karma below) so here are some thoughts on the other juicy goodness that lies within. Euphoria is an instant Topham & Twigg classic (I met them once, nearly fainted with excitement. The shame). It's like the Same Difference declaration of independence; their coming of age if you will. It's a full out dance number with a huge chorus that hears them cry "i wanna be outrageous/i don't care where it takes us"... and the type of song that truly echoes the title, particularly with those booming beats, spiralling synths and the type of OTT production that this tune needs and deserves. The title track sounds like it should've been their winners single on X Factor if things had turned out a little differently. It already sounds like a Christmas number one to me - there are chimes in there, an inspiring chorus and musical nods to Glee and High School Musical. It's more relaxed than Euphoria but still fizzes along nicely. Heartbeat mercifully isn't a cover of the Steps classic - nay, it's nicely in line with their more mature, dance orientated sound, fully adhering to driving things forward while acknowledging the past. god, they are adorable!
Which brings us to the "buzz track" that you can hear a clip of on their revamped website - Karma Karma. A duet with Swedish pop legends Alcazar, I've been lucky enough to have a sneak listen. To say that is an absolutely pounding, hugely euphoric disco moment is an understatement. To say it's a cross between Boney M's Rasputin and Steps' epic Summer of Love does not do it justice. It builds up from some ebulliant house-piano chords and a dirty disco beat pulsating with a fuzzy synth riff kicks in and the "whoo-oh"s start. Sean and Sarah take main vocal duties on the first verse before that soaring chorus kicks in. "Karma, karma cut the drama, never satisfied" complete with handclaps, more whoos and that insiduous, addictive synth riff. It's bloody brilliant. And that's all before the spine tingling, hands in the air, grab the one you love and shimmy key change that comes out of the middle 8. I may well explode. So yes. It's brilliant. And a deserved number one on my chart. They are back. And I for one am thrilled :)

Top 21 singles of the week (the New Year clearout!):

21 ~ Brandon Flowers, Broken Hearts & Jilted Lovers (NE)
20 ~ Maroon 5, Never Gonna Leave This Bed (NE)
19 ~ Scissor Sisters, Whole New Way (NE)
18 ~ Take That, The Flood
17 ~ Kylie, Better Than Today
16 ~ Bjorn Johan Muri, Nobody Knows
15 ~ JLS, Eyes Wide Shut (NE)
14 ~ Shayne Ward, Obsession (NE)
13 ~ Eric Saade, Break of Dawn
12 ~ Le Kid, We Should Go Home Together
11 ~ Daniel Boys, To Make You Feel My Love
10 ~ Darin, Drowning
09 ~ Gravitonas, You Break Me Up
08 ~ Jessie J, Do It Like A Dude (NE)
07 ~ Avril Lavigne, What The Hell (NE)
06 ~ Matt Cardle, When We Collide
05 ~ Elouise, You'll Never Walk Alone
04 ~ Rochella Danishei ft Simon Curtis, Michelle
03 ~ Tove Styrke, White Light Moment
02 ~ One Direction, Forever Young
01 ~ Same Difference, Karma Karma (1 week)
Back on Monday with 5 songs - 1 a day to get you through to the weekend :)