Lopez Blogs

Last Summer Da Buzz has announced about comeback of the project with new single "U Gotta Dance" and surprisingly Annika appearing alone on the cover leaving many questions for fans. Promotion of the song was quite... not confident and release wasn't too welcome due to sales but in a few months band has published new press-release about their comeback once again bringing re-made version of the song as soundtrack to "Let's Dance" show and only Annika Thörnquist with Per Lidén (with Pier Schmid leaving band for making another project Broken Door) being parts of new Da Buzz.
By some weird reasons there were actually no promotion, performances or anything so "U Gotta Dance" hasn't become hit again. And it's pity as upgraded song has become not less interesting, actually it turned to be completely different comparing with original. From straight pop-tune verses have become more dreamy and clubby in guitar wrap and deeper Annika's manner of singing. Male reverbed vocals in chorus also have added remix feeling but don't sound out of place at all. So we're still waiting and hoping for the third Da Buzz' comeback and this time for real and in full mode!

Congratulations from Swedish Stereo go to amazing Anna Nordell aka Anorah - one of our most beloved Swedish singers! Little earlier this Summer Anna with her husband Samuel Engh gave birth to their first child Zelda and you can already see this nice baby on a picture above. We wish this new family all the best and hope that little sweet Zelda will grow as talented and beautiful as her mother!
If you didn't hear about Anorah a lot I'm gonna list reasons why I love this artist so much.
- Vocals for last E-Type's albums "Loud Pipes Save Lives" and "Eurotopia" ("The Predator", "Dans La Fantasie", "Ding Dong Song") and for one of the best Bomfunk MC's singles "Turn It Up"
- Cool duets "Drømmer jeg?" with Danish singer Johnny Deluxe and Finnish Mighty 44 "This Love".
- Participation in Da Buzz side-project Random with 2 very nice singles ("Fly Into The Sky", "Miracles").
- Multiple participation on backing parts of truly greatest Melodifestivalen entries "Hero", "Hope & Glory", "La Voix", "Vad Du Än Trodde Så Trodde Du Fel" and "Finally" (when Anna appeared on the stage herself with Fredrik Kempe).
- Glorious Danish MGP performance with the song "Laying down my cards".

- Loads of vocal contributions for some great releases of Kate Ryan, Da Buzz, Lindsay Lohan, Diana DeGarmo, Celine Dion and many others.
- Single "Där finns du än" that I've received just a few weeks ago and that I really love.
- And finally her absolutely fantastic debut album "Like He'd Do" that unfortunately never was released physically.
Another highlight of Anna's career was last year when after few years of rejects at Melodifestivalen her song "Never Heard Of Him" has leaked to myspace and...was received to MF! Sure soon leak was discovered by SVT and the song was disqualified.
Sharon Vaughn among other songwriters use to work with Anna and recently we could hear new beautiful demo-song "Dreamers Don't Get Much Sleep" sung by Anorah on her myspace page, soon it was deleted and replaced with another Anorah's demo for Delta Goodrem's "The Guardian" that sounds even more emotional and beautiful than final version so come and check it and "Dreamers Don't Get Much Sleep" right below.

Sweden always had amazing singers who started behind the names of some already famous projects and rocketed their solo-career after it so I'd like to present you one of such hopes and undoubtedly one of the most amazing voices of Sweden - Johanna Stedt, very beautiful and talented singer who started on back-vocals of well-known dance-projects like Günther and Carlito, her voice is very recognizable so if you're really into Swedish pop you know it well. In 2005 Johanna has started collaborating with Danish DJ Encore, they released single "You Can Walk On Water" and later in 2007 album "Unique" that turned to the great mix of soft trance and Scandinavian dance-pop - so if you'd like to listen what could make Ian Van Dahl, Da Buzz and Kate Ryan together you're gonna love this album! Check samples of this album here.

Next week Johanna participates in competition "Svensktoppen nästa 2010" - contest organized by radio P4 for new artists, Johanna together with Anderz Wrethov, Elin Wrethov and Martin Svensson have written incredibly beautiful and emotional ballad "Stormen" with Johanna's amazing vocals, great tune and folk-touch that is rare combination these days and makes song even more amazing. Johanna reached the final of the contest and June 16th she will fight for the victory with other finalists so let's cross our fingers for Johanna and this beautiful song!

Around week ago I told you what's happening now with male part of Da Buzz and now we've finally got a new single "U Gotta Dance" of this great band! It's impossible if you didn't hear before about Da Buzz but if you really didin't in a short story of this project has started back in 90s, Per Lidén worked in the dance-project Freebee with singer Agnetha Kjörsvik (last time we've heard something about her it was on Eurovision-2008 when she was singing behind Charlotte Perrelli), project has managed to make a big hit "True" and soon Per has started his own project with Pier Schmid and Annika Thörnquist as a singer. Since first album Da Buzz was promoted in US, Asia and sure Europe, released 5 fantastic pop-albums, loads of hits (Let Me Love You, Wanna Be with Me, Wonder Where You Are, Alive, Dangerous, Last Goodbye, etc.) and after realising compillation "The Greatest Hits" in 2007 has made a pause for every member to be able to work on its own music and now Da Buzz is back. Though it's kinda weird that only Annika has appeared on the cover of the single, biggest question now is if band's really back together?

Don't you think we didn't hear about Da Buzz (one of the greatest Swedish pop-projects ever) thousand or million years? No? Well however I do (though it's just 3). Recently I was more than excited to read on scandipop twitter that soon we can get a new single. Before it I was quite sceptic about their return at least this year. The reason is quite hot activity of side-projects of both Pier and Per (what a shame Annika couldn't break through solo during this pause), today I'd like to present them as they are really brilliant.

Per Lidén has started his rock-project Renegade Five back in 2005 but their successful debut album "Undergrounded Universe" (#8 + Grammis nomination as Best Hard Rock) was released only in 2009 with a bunch of fantastic singles (Save my Soul, Darkest Age, Running in your Veins, Love Will Remain, Shadows) with hard rock sound but the same catchy lovely tunes which you can expect from Swedish songwriters (you could listen "Seven Days" originally on Helena Paparizou's album before). Band has already started to record their second album with Roberto Laghi (producer of In Flames) and promise its release very soon so I'll come back to them very soon and wanna tell about another project.

This year time has come for Pier Schmid's project and he also decided to reject his dance-pop roots for showing his rock-side in a new band Broken Door that started quite successfuly as well. Actually Broken Door is duo consisting of Pier and Tobias Östlund and Pier here also plays the part of composer leaving vocals for Tobias. This is less aggressive and more romantic and poppier rock with great melodies and powerful vocal, sure you can hear the touch of emotional and beatiful Da Buzz's pop here also and it's amazing. Single "Angel" being released in April has reached #29 in official chart and constantly floated around in iTunes chart also. The band also plans another single "Sunday Morning" as international release, let's wish guys all the luck with it!