Lopez Blogs

Warning! This post is inspired by my jolly festive good mood today. Christmas adverts are penetrating the reluctant world through tv screens like a high school jock tentatively pushing past his cheerleader lady's hymen for the first time. People at work say Christmas has come too early, but if this is the metaphor I am using then colour me a slut, cos I am happy for Christmas to probe my every orifice!! I mean look at the excellent Marks and Spencers advertisement above! And the rather glorious and festive Gap one! It's a synaptic overload. The fact that Starbucks are doing Christmas tree decorations this year has my heart a palpitating. And while the Christmas number one is probably locked down by the X Factor winner, it's a strong selling week and here (alongside tracks i've already mentioned in my christmas career advice clinics :P) are some songs that would fit quite nicely into the Christmas charts (and their suggested positions).

#2 ~ Leona Lewis, Run: Proof that outstanding talent still comes from these live tv talent contests (Shayne Ward's Somewhere Over The Rainbow still blows my socks off to this day). I don't think anyone could call Leona Lewis ordinary or dull. Sometimes her song choices could be more courageous but when she gets it right - as she does with this studio version of her live lounge Snow Patrol cover, she is downright incredible. She really is doing what Whitney should be doing right now. Bleeding Love and Better In Time are both enduring modern day classics, and this is a powerhouse song that she absolutely makes her own. Now if she can do a modern day I'm Your Baby Tonight type song to kick off the next album, she'll have it made...
#5 ~ Boyzone, Better: I had no idea until XO mentioned it, that Boyzone had covered a Tom Baxter classic. I hadn't even listened to the song. I am very fond of Tom Baxter - his Skybound album is a continual joy to listen to. The zoners do a fairly faithful and decent carbon copy version, but I can't help but think this would've worked much better as a one off single for Westlife to celebrate their ten years in pop. Oh well.
#6 ~ Tom Baxter, Miracle: Sigh, if Tom is going to get some royalties from Boyzone, then he should certainly get some chart success for this gorgeous ballad. It proves that over and above the luscious Better, Tom has the most incredible talent for writing accessible popsongs that really transcend genres. I don't always reach for his music when i want something to listen to, but when I do I often wonder why he isn't hugely successful. And he is strangely attractive. Check out my original reviews of Tom here, here and here...

I was going to do a whole thing about the current crop of pop-opera boys (Blake, Il Divo, Jonathan Ansell, Only Men Aloud, etc.) but it's late and i'm tired :P So mercifully for you i'll end it there :P Have a good weekend...