Lopez Blogs

You actually couldn't get two more diametrically different cover versions today, but both are by artists I adore and both bring a certain frisson of excitement in their work - one to an old classic, the other to something more new and brash. And that, my dear little pop pickers, is how it's done. Read on my pretties, read on!

Kyle Brylin ~ S&M (Rihanna cover): While everyone was spaffing up their chuff over the Britney aided remix of the tune, I was pontificating that there really should be a boy pop cover version of this doing the rounds. Quick as a flash, I knocked one out (an e-mail, steady!) to the very lovely Kyle Brylin and lo and behold! Less than 24 hours later, he has tantalising lowered his underwear and delivered the smutty goods! Hurrah! Now that's service :P It's as frenetic and energetic as you'd imagine, and Kyle's vocal is impeccable - giving a dirty little nuance to lines like "if i'm bad, tie me down/shut me up gagged and bound me" while the scintillating bass and high hat compete with the scuzzy electro track. What I like is that Kyle absolutely makes the track sound like it was his from the start - that cheeky Rihanna was only keeping it warm until he got his hands on it. It gives the track a whole new energy being sung by a fella - and Kyle is just the fella to sing it. He never fails to delight me with his music and this is a worth addition to his canon. What a guy :)


Elouise ~ Tainted Love (Soft Cell cover): Another week, another blog where Paul raves about another Elouise track. And quite deservedly so. With her stunning cover version of Born This Way lodged in my top 5 most played tracks (and set to climb this week), it's time to turn my attention to Tainted Love. It starts off as a theatrical denoument - dramatic horns, trembling drums and a powerhouse vocal from Elouise. You can almost picture her standing on the turrets of her princess castle, wind blowing, while she castigates the evil Baron VonDonderlinger with her music. Love the way the music works down the musical register as she finishes the musical intro with "take my tears and that's not nearly...." Stunning. Rather brilliantly, it then turns into a finger clicking, Hey Big Spender-esque, saucy little number. The drama is still there, but it's given a very slight playful edge that sexes it up - almost as if Elouise is teasing, demonstrating what the errant lover could be having. Once again, Elouise is a storyteller and you can only sit absolutely compelled and bewitched by her tales. Oh god, please let there be an album soon :)