Written solely by Michael Jackson. This says it all. Dontstopthepop will take a weeks pause.
"Fight to the end but I'm only human"
Written solely by Michael Jackson. This says it all. Dontstopthepop will take a weeks pause.
KYLIE IS LIGHT YEARS...
A few years ago I wrote this piece for another blog and I thought I'd re-post it. Why? Simply because I want to...celebrate the brilliance of Light Years. Written by Kylie, Biff and Julian Gallagher over eight years ago the song still sounds as fresh as it did then. In many ways its the starter track. The one that kicked it all off the haze of brilliant female pop musicians delving into the electro synth pop-pools of disco exuberance. For me, Light Years is the song that suggested you gotta look back to move forward. In many ways, it planted the seed for likes of Madonna's Hung Up and its entire parent album, Robyn and With Every Heartbeat, Little Boots and La Roux. As such, it needs celebrating...
***
Kylie’s comeback album 2000 contained many potential singles. Murray Chalmers at Parlophone once said that Light Years sounded like a greatest hits of pop music of the last 30 years. Its no surprise then the LP was voted above the likes of similarly iconic albums by Madonna, Donna Summer, Pet Shop Boys and Grace Jones by Attitude (2006).
Its title track that is symbolic as to how great the album is. Bouncing between Kraftwerk, Star Trek and Moroder, Light Years included its own countdown and spacecraft special effects. It was ground-breaking. Kylie was your purser. Your very own cosmic space queen. You, the listeners were the travellers, fastened in and buckled up. Your eyes? On the planets that whizzed by.
The chorus was simple and minimalist yet all over the place. You heard stardust dazzle past, rocket fuel burn up and planets fall away as you entered warp speed. Sometimes Kylie sung in the upper echelons of falsetto and then would just hum along. She also did a spoken introduction mid-song just to make sure her passengers were dancing comfortably and safely. Kylie just stops short at offering you refreshments and an opportunity to join the mile-high club.
Chronologically speaking Light Years is perfect as a single. It would have been the perfect prologue to the CyberKylie. The Kylie that gave us Can’t Get You Of My Head, Come Into My World and Slow. I Believe In You is, as Jake Shears has said so himself, a dedication to Light Years. It even mimics the high notes and the baseline.
When compared to its rivals on the album its absolutely shocking why it was overlooked. Some Kylie fans desperately wanted Your Disco Needed You to come out of its closet and strut its stuff on the charts. Parlophone commissioned an Almighty mix, a limited edition release, a video or two and most were happy with that. Then came the demands for Disco Down, So Now Goodbye and Butterfly. The latter had already been released so it was bets off for its eventual mainstream appearance.
Then came Light Years. The British newspaper, The Sun, started a mini-campaign to get the title track released as a single. Whispers that Light Years and Butterfly would be released as a double a-side started to spread. Out of nowhere a semi-official mix of Light Years by D-Bop suddenly appeared. It looked to be a cert. If the forum rumours were to believed.
However when bite came to crunch Please Stay piped all the others and left newspapers and fans alike speechless. Please Stay was the blip on the album. Not an entirely bad song in itself but it was about as advanced as a Geri b-side. It flopped. Tellingly, it didn’t appear in the set-list in the tour that was supposed to actually promote the album it was from. Only once has it made a full appearance in Kylie’s concerts and then only with Steve Anderson's absolutely glorious re-arrangement.
Light Years, however, has not gone quietly. It often takes pride of place in her shows. William Baker has always given the song huge special effects, lasers and stage designs that befit the brilliance of the song. While Mr.Baker makes it look good Kylie and Steve Anderson, her musical director, makes sure the song sounds its worth & adapts it every time its performed. The song has been mashed with I Feel Love and Turn It Into Love. Its like all involved seem understand its immense pop sensibilities.
Some six years later Madonna did her take on Light Years. It too has a spoken section where the icon addresses her passengers. It too has sweeping electro sounds. It too has that Moroder baseline. It too has an important place at her concerts. Madonna too, like Kylie, has sung the words to Donna Summer’s I Feel Love when performed on tour. It too hasn’t been released.
So raise a glass to Light Years. The best Kylie single that never was. Kylie once joked that the song was written when the she was tired and “a bit of pot was likely involved in its conception”. For this alone it demands bowing down to.
ELOUISE LIVE IN LONDON! (and then some!)
This Saturday sees the sublime Elouise take the stage at Stratford Circus. And guess what, she's performing brand new music including exciting material recorded with the amazing song-writer/producer Steve Anderson. She'll also premier music including odes about her fireman and songs that will only make their appearance at the Stratford Circus. This is not some mere showcase. Not only is it a 90 minute show, Elouise will be backed by choreographed backing singers and a huge band. She'll be doing some disco greats too. Hopefully I'll be able to work out my camera so if you can't make it on Saturday there should be some clips online. Right after the show itself, they'll be a proper DJ (BBC's Eddie Nestor!!!) who'll play till midnight. Its gonna be a fabulous night. Get ya tickets here.
A day before Elouise is Shena's performance at the legendary Pigalle club in central London. Shena herself has never appeared on Dontstopthepop but since reading about the disco diva when her latest single won Single of the Week on PoptrashAddicts (see here) I've fallen head over heels for the singer. I myself gave the song 4/5. Its a disco classic & the night features a special guest appearance from dance legend Kym Mazelle! The night promises to be made in heaven. If you can make it down... do it! For more info visit.
As always, if your in London in the coming few weeks I highly Frisky & Mannish. So hot you get a tan just attending their show. Feeling down? Go and see this glorious duo. They explore the crevices of pop and get their fingers right under skin of pop songs like no other performers out there. If you've bought a pop record in the last 30 years, whether it be Kate Bush or Atomic Kitten or B*witched, you'll find something for you. Get tickets here.
Some weeks sees the appearance of Sister Sledge. Disco legends!!! Let me say this again: SISTER SLEDGE ARE COMING TO LONDON!!! And there are tickets still available. This summer couldn't be more discotastic ! Kylie, Elouise, Shena, Frisky & Mannish and Sister Sledge! Sister Sledge! Book your tickets for Sister Sledge in August here. And be quick, its at the Indigo 2. Which is relatively quite small for such a big act as Sister Sledge.
So dramatic!
FRISKY AND MANNISH ARE POP EDUCATORS & YOU MUST ATTEND THEIR CLASSES!
Since seeing Frisky & Mannish live it has been incredibly difficult to write up something that does them justice. So I will resort to expletives and a tremendous amount of hyperbole. They are fucking amazing. They examine pop as it should be scrutinized: like it’s art. As a two-some, they re-interpret pop standards, deconstruct and engender narratives of music that will fill you with absolute joy. They also have the ability to make you laugh, think and never look at a song in the same way again. The two apply a sense of powerful storytelling to songs that they cover so that the new version transcends the original. They are not simply a musical comedy act: the pair rework each pop tangent so that, much like Penelope at her loom, they deliver everything glorious that you’d desire in a show. You only have to check out their version of That's Not My Name. Its stunning:
Frisky, the core singer, owns an absolutely voluptuous set of lungs, so when she hits those big notes one feels you could jump on board and ask to be flown somewhere exotic like Albania. Indeed, during "Anything I Can Do" they send up the modern experience of reality shows, where the vocalists will do their best to trill out one note for about five minutes. Most famous for this kind of “behaviour” are the likes of Christina Aguilera and Mariah Carey. They have the sinister ability to string out a single syllable for an entire octave. Frisky and Mannish pick-up on this phenomenon and expose it for what it truly is.
The boy is Mannish. He tinkles away at the ivories and will lend his voice when the diva feels his inclusion appears to be appropriate. Indeed, despite being a du, the two strive to outsmart the other and always through the discourse of a pop song. So what kind material do they perform? At the show I attended, they re-imagined the Pussycat Dolls' "Beep" into a sublime slice of vaudeville. They collapse the epic Roxie from "Chicago" to Justin Timberlake’s "Sexyback" to highlight the story of the iconic boyband star. Suddenly, Justin’s song is actually sexy. Now, at other shows Frisky emerges as Kate Nash while singing a glorious crossbreed between Kate Bush’s "Wuthering Heights" and Nash’s number 2 record "Foundations". This is an epic merger between the two songs. They also have new material on the go. I witnessed a glorious mega-medley about songs which all contained a question in the title. It was rather amazing, something that you really have to watch to experience. I can’t quite describe it. My only question is: where was Kylie’s classic 1990s philosophical question "What Do I Have To Do"? I didn’t hear it despite its deeply existentialist question, and perhaps Hegelian themes, proposed in the title & chorus.
You see, Frisky and Mannish love pop music. Which is why I love them. They even take a peek at the Girls Aloud debut single "The Sound Of The Underground" and reconstruct it as "The Wheels on the bus". Filling the Xenomania anthem with nursery rhymes. Now, some might immediately be thinking that this sort of ground has been covered by Mad’Donna and “The Wheels on The Bus” but Frisky and Mannish don’t simply apply one nursery rhyme to an abstract pop song but interweave a collage of songs into the Girls Aloud number one, ensuring it is not only genius but the joke extends itself throughout the performance.
Highlight of the night was their exposure of real sinister messages in the songs that you thought were actually innocent. The songs seem like they’ve been written by a stalker who simply had a great knack for constructing melodies. I will never look at "Eternal Flame", "Never Had a Dream Come True" or "Can’t Take My Eyes Off You" in the same way ever again. With Frisky and Mannish at the helm, they emerge as deeply uncomfortable disturbing productions that must have been written in an asylum. Indeed, when Mannish sings "I Just Called To Say I Love You", albeit with critical pauses filled with dirty silences, you realize just how strange the songs are.
Then there is the remarkable ode to songs about dancing. Again, this is a musical essay with its subject based on what we do when we head to the dancefloor. Key tracks covered are "Murder On the Dancefloor", "Don’t Stop Movin’" and Ms. Estefan’s "Rhythm is Gonna Get You". This is severe satire at its best for pop addicts like myself. Finally. Frisky and Mannish are extraordinary. Extraordinarily talented, wonderfully clever and extremely good fun. They’re are a complete treat and I absolutely look forward to their album.
LE KID MINI-INTERVIEWED (AS THEIR DEBUT SINGLE MERCY MERCY IS RELEASED)
Le Kid ooze pop brilliance. They also consist of Swedish pop royalty. Three of its members (Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Märta Grauers and Felix Persson) are behind some of the catchiest pop records to come out of Europe in the past 5 years. Anton is of course the guy behind some of Velvet's recent work, Luigi Masi and Alcazar's Straight Into The Fire. Only the finest brand of pop is stored in Antons wine cellar of pop fizz. Grauers and Persson are part of Cocktail Studios and recently worked with Alcazar, MissMatch, BwO and frequently collaborate with the amazing talent that is Anders Hansson. So the value of pop coming out of the Le Kid project promises to be absolutely fabulous. The first song posted on their myspace, Telephone, clearly punctuates that fact. I've been watching the Le Kid for some time now & they've been ever so busy recording with the aforementioned Anders and Sharon Vaughn (writers behind the current top 5 hit Release Me by the amazing Agnes) for the debut album...They've just premiered their video for their first single Mercy Mercy so naturally I thought it natural to have a small chat to the delightful Le Kid about it all....
Le Kid! Why Pop?
Why pop? We considered Jazz Fusion for a while, but there was too much drugs in that business, so for safety reasons we had to go with pop. Also pop is what we love, so any other choice would really be strange.
How did it all come together?
Märta, Felix & Anton are all songwriters as a profession. When you write to other artist, you often end up not using some of the best songs, for some reason or another.
Also, we felt that the perfect pop band was yet to be formed, combining songs, sound, and image.
So to fix these errors in the universe, we started Le Kid, collecting the best songs we've written, and adding new songs all the time. Johanna & Helena was the perfect and obvoius for the project.
What are Le Kid all about?
There's plenty of bands in this world. Some have good songs, others look good, while some have a cool sound. We thought: Why not combine great songs, a cool image and cool productions in one band. Thus, Le Kid is born!
Can you describe what your mission in pop is about?
We want to heal the world. Make it a better place. For you, and for me, and the entire human race!
Right! Anton, you’ve been heavily involved with a number of popstars including touring with Agnes Carlsson. What was that like? Anton, Felix, Marta…you’ve written so many of my favourite pop songs of the last 5 years. Any other producers that DSTP might have heard of before lending a hand? Anders Hansson perhaps?
We all love Agnes, and we're all very proud of her success. Working with her has been great, and we look forward to what still has to come.
Anders Hansson has been involved in this project since the very beginning. He is like the godfather of Le Kid. You know, the one everyone loves, respects, and fears..
Telephone is a fantastic ode to disco-pop. Will we be seeing more of that level of energy on the eventual album...
Telephone is a good reference for the music we make, but we're not afraid to swap and mix genres when we want to. We really like the box, its a beautiful box, but we're not afraid to step out of it once in a while. We don't see the point in making songs that aren't potential hits, so don't expect any album fillers, but more like a collection of 10 potential singles.
If you could cover any Swedish pop song of the last 5 years which would it be!?
Lets put it like this: The day Abba, The Hives and Robyn writes a song together, combining everything we like about swedish pop, we would really love to steal it from them!
Okay then...which song of recent years do you wish you’d recorded and ultimately released?
A Le Kid album including The Killers "Human", Rihannas' "Umbrella", The Ting Tings "That's Not My Name", Alphabeat "Fascination", Eric Prydz "Call On Me", Daft Punks' "Around The World" and Kylie's "Locomotion" wouldn't be such a shame, now would it? Le Kid has been an immense amount of hard work for the last two years, and the release of our first single & music video "Mercy Mercy" makes us see the light in the end of the tunnel. As we're getting ready to show Le Kid to the world, every follower of ours who wants to help us spread the Gospel of Le Kid has a special place in our hearts, and will be able to sleep with their Le Kid member of choice in five years time. Promise!
POP ROUND-UP (Consists of Spanish Divas, mostly)
Since I've been busy featuring Swedish acts so much has happened in pop. So its rather difficult to start. So I'll kick off with what I know and that is the fabulous land of Spanish pop....
Alex Manga has collaborated with those wonderful girls from Feminnem in a nice Croatian-Spanish alliance. The song...Oye Oye Oye is typical Europop but with a twist. This is not the usual Spanglish summer track:
His proper debut single, Bailar Sin Control, is also out and his video is a rather glorious male version of Britney's classic ....Baby One More Time promo. I utterly dig any video that cross references High School Musical, Fame and Britney. Moreover the song is incredibly camptastic with deep male voices ala The Village People backed with his Cher-esq vocals. Yummy!
Gloria Trevi's record, Todos Me Miran is all over the summer discos of Gran Canaria. Video includes drag queens, Gloria at her most fiercest and sampling I Will Survive. As expected, the record is huge (as is its parent album which I highly recommend!)
Not to be outdone in the "diva-stakes" is the glorious Monica Naranjo! She has just released a very special edition of Tarantula. It comes with a book, live CD and DVD. The album is now slowly outselling her previous material so we can safely say Monica's comeback was a tad successful. While Kylie is about to perform in Madrid Monica's mind-blowing appearance in the very same city will be fresh in the minds of its citizens. This is what she's up against! A diva who has a golden toilet on her stage that she uses and a naked man at the end of the song. Utterly extreme but sinfully fabulous:
Then there's the diva that is Soraya. Since flopping at Eurovision with her rather poptastic song, she has released her album once again with fabulous bonus stuff, although not as good as Monica's stunning bonuses. She's also rushed released Caminare. A song that once featured Kate Ryan. The immediacy of its release and disappearance of her fellow singing partner is probably down to the flop of the Eurovision attempt and the current mocking of Soraya throughout Spanish TV of the singers accent. Yes, showbiz is a harsh world. They are knocking a singer because she can't pronounce certain words properly. Something that is fucking disgraceful in my books. Spain, sort yourself out. You've got huge inflation and the nation is picking on someone who says pata instead of para. Its not wise and grown up. Anyway, is the perfect performance of the solo version of Caminare:
Recalling the early days of PWL is the excellent Chico y Chica. I love the song, I love the leather gear and cute hats. But moreover, I heart the presence of what appears to be their mothers as their fans. Sometimes pop feels your insides with utter warmth and the new one, Bomba Latina, does that to me. For sure this is cheap around the edges but it contains everything that the likes of BwO lack: pure human warmth.
Next up: Something Norwegian!
New Kylie (On The Up: Johnny Douglas Mix)
On The Up was apparently from the Body Language sessions but failed to make the graft. Aw well. Some years later, its producer Johnny Douglas (George Michael, Sugababes, Louise Nurding) has done a rather poptastic remix fresh for 2009. It sounds a bit like something that might have ended up on recent Velvet/Alcazar albums. In other words, fucking amazing. Listen to it here.
Nice!
La Prohibida-ONE WAY INTERRAIL-AMAAAAAZING (The album is out now!)
Okay, so I was actually writing a big low-down of recent Spanish pop releases. Thought it would be the right thing to do seeing as previous weeks have all been Swedish related. Well, it wasn't just Spanish pop. Just a simple pop round-up with the content consisting of mostly Spanish acts. Then I started to write about the amazing La Prohibida and One Way Interrail but as its glorious beats started to massage themselves into my cortex I thought La Prohibida deserved her own posting.
For ages, I've adored La Prohibida but finally she's releasing mainstream pop that deserves a DSTP posting. One Way Interrail is everything I'm waiting the likes of Ladyhawke, La Roux and Little Boots produce one day. Do you remember when Kylie became a space pursor and flew to the moon in Light Years. This traces similar iconography: Kubrick, Star Trek, Barbarella and so forth. I love it. Indeed her entire album sounds like a tribute to those sci-fi giants. Imagine an album of Kylie's Light Years title track. But sung in Spanish. As such, its absolutely fabulous. La Prohibida for World President! Now! Failing that, she has to come and do some shows in the UK!!! Myspace
Well That Was Fun!
Swedish Season is done! Agnes gave her first UK interview when it started. Now Release Me is no.3! Amazing! While DSTP is leaving the shores of the Baltic Sea, it will still feature glorious Swedish music & hopefully interviews with Swedish artists. There is no embargo on all things Svensk. Hope you enjoyed it....
POP PANEL - WEEK 3 (SWEDISH EDITION)
For one week only Pop Panel has sorted out its European visa's & relocated here via Sweden for one special week. Usually, Mike's glorious website PopTrashAddicts is the home for such opinions but as Swedish Season comes to its end an illicit alliance has consequently formed between DontStopthepop & PoptrashAddicts. The premise is easy: 6 bloggers give rank eight songs & the one the highest tally wins. It thus becomes the PoptrashAddict/Dontstopthepop Single of the Week. The panel consists of the same illustrious judges of previous weeks:
D'Luv (US) writer of Chart Rigger
Mike (AUS) writer of PopTrashAddicts
Pablo (Spain) writer of Peibols
Paul (UK) writer of Fizzy Pop
Rob (UK) writer of Don't Stop The Pop
The Prophet (AUS) writer of The Prophet
This week there is a little adaption. Seeing as its Swedish Season, Pop Panel is joined by a celebrity judge! Jonas Hedqvist is not only Swedish himself has had real chart success in a real country (Sweden!). He's also been Mister Gay Sweden and currently working on his debut album. His single Summer High went top ten in Sweden two years ago & he's currently producing a Swedish version of Grease. He's also very much involved within the Swedish music scene which makes him perfect for this edition of pop panel. He brings the glory to the hole....
So here are the results, ranked from lowest to highest score.
Emilia De Poret-On Fire (video)
This was originally delayed because of the fires that destroyed huge parts of Australia. Now Emilia finally presents the 3rd single to the world.
Jonas: I am so happy you decided to let a drag-queen join this weeks reviews.
Good for you. And for him/her. How much did she pay to make you include her?
(Well I probably need to shut my big cock-sucking-mouth up... if her hands hit as hard as they are big, I need to beware). The production is beautiful though...2/5
Robpop: I adore Emilia De Poret but this fails to get beyond lukewarm. If this was her 5th single then I'd understand but it isn't. I score it low points not because of the song per se but because it has been promoted to single status over much better material. 2/5
Robbie: Sounds like something I'd expect to hear on "Gossip Girl" during an opening montage. Nothing spectacular. 2/5
Paul: I'm a bit ambivalent about all these songs this week so far, except Agnes aren't I? This doesn't set me "on fire" at all and should have been delayed even longer. 2/5
Pablo: Is this the small small girl in a small small world? Then I don't have too much to say. It's so P1nk's, it stinks. 1/5
Mike: I don’t care if Emilia has a dick, this track is utterly gorgeous. Unlike the rest of the Swedish pop robots, Mr De Poret brings some real heart and attitude to his music. The quirky production showcases Emilia’s gutsy vocals perfectly. 4.5/5
The Prophet: This has me reaching for the Valium and whiskey bottle. 0/5
Total: 13.5
Ghost vs Sanne-Stop That DJ (myspace)
The team behind Robyn’s first 3 albums decide to go it alone and finally release their first single.
Jonas: Wierd. The voice sounds like Robyn but the production is totally fucked up. Totally love or hate. Like a bad one night stand: TAKE IT AWAY! 1/5
Robpop: I love the heady mixture of Mary J Blige and Robyn circa album no.3. Stop That DJ is a quick-paced deranged pop song that rarely appears on planet pop. It's the most radical of songs this week which is both its strong point and lacuna. 5/5
Robbie: This sucks hard. Can we bring Jade Ewen back from last week? 0/5
Paul: Much better. quite lovely and GhostvsSanne bring something to the table that was missing (for me) with Robyn. I'm not sure what that is, but this is quite more-ish! 4/5
Pablo: Actually it seems Robyn's voice. But it's not. Too much electro-minimal for me.
2/5
Mike: Ghost Vs Sanne’s album has grown on me massively over the past couple of months but this is fucking awful. Please don’t judge “Hold This Girl” by this anaemic stinker! 0/5
The Prophet: This is cool, I love the beat and the vocals aren't cheesy or trashy. 4/5
Total: 16
Pauline-Give Me A Call (video)
Pauline is a mixture between Neneh Cherry, Robyn and Amy Winehouse. But more poppy.
Jonas: I feel so sorry for Pauline. She looks good and sounds terrific. But why listen to the copy when you can have the originals?! Boring. 2/5
Robpop: There are better songs on the album. Like Red Carpet. 3/5
Robbie: Oh, Pauline. Your cheap Motown beats are plasticlassy. 3/5
Paul: God, remember how I said the Swedish dance songs were ten a penny? Of course you do! It was less than two minutes ago. Anyway, these Amy Winehouse 60s style songs are even cheaper (just ask Pixie). I love the backing vocals, less enamored with the song as a whole. 2.5/5
Pablo: Oh! Great Song! I love this kind of sound. It's the album I thought Solange'd release instead of that boring thing. 4/5
Mike: Sweden’s answer to Solange Knowles whips up a sunny slice of Motown flavoured retropop. It’s cute, bouncy and very catchy. 3.5/5
The Prophet: Sounds like the D-grade Duffy without the voice or sass. 1/5
Total: 19
Basic Element-Touch You Right Now (Video)
After years of slugging in the dance underground, Basic Element have finally scored the international record deal they’ve been working for years.
Jonas: This weeks big surprise! Really good. They even managed to make his voice sound hot!
Initially this makes me wish I put on bigger undies this morning. But as always - too good to be true - as soon as the rap kicks-in my manhood hides back into its usual safe-place again. 3/5
Robpop: Amazing. Ultimately Touch You Right Now is a bit plastic around the edges but it has major tunage pop-potentiality. 3/5
Robbie: Over-produced synths, cliched lyrics and a '90s sounding Euro-rap? Perfect score! 5/5
Paul: Oh. If I hadn't known I that this was Basic Element, I would have thought this was Star Pilots or someone of their ilk. Good grief. 1.5/5
Pablo: Kinda Alcazarised!! I like it! 3/5
Mike: I’m giving this 5/5 for the simple fact that Peter from the band recently knocked up my favourite Swedish pop diva – the stunningly beautiful and gloriously talented Linda Rosing AKA Bionda! The world demands a duet! 5/5
The Prophet: OMG I can't believe this is actually like a genre of 'music', like people actually create this shit. 0/5
Total: 20.5 Joint 3rd
Gathania-Blame It On You (Video)
Blame It On You was written and produced by the team behind September’s mega global hit ‘Cry For You’.
Jonas: She´s beautiful, she´s gotta really good voice and bla bla bla! But both the song, the production, the styling and the video feel so 2008. Dare I even say 2007. 2/5
Pablo: It's the kind of song I like. For summer, at least. 4/5
Robbie: Sounds like September and feels like perfect summer pop. It makes me feel like driving through the night in June. 3.5/5
Robpop: Oh Gathania you are amazing. For sure there are the "sounds like Velvet/Star Pilots/September" issues which will get in the way of any U.K success. The next few months will be difficult but if she can craft singles that pull her away from that September sound the spotlight is yours. This is a perfectly functionary but the record company will have issues with radio play. 3/5
Paul: It's perfectly pleasant. These type of Swedish dance songs seem to be ten a penny at the moment, and while this doesn't make this any less palatable, it earns a slightly lower mark because of it. Then it gains points for the spaffle worthy dude in a red sweater in the video (so it all balances out). 3/5
Mike: Jonas Von Der Burg is a pop visionary but Gathania isn’t fit to lick September’s stilettos. This is pop music by the numbers at its most boring and contrived. 2/5
The Prophet: All these September/Cascada/Random dance diva songs sound identical to me so I'll give this a 3 because she's cute. 3/5
Total: 20.5 Joint 3rd
Eric Hassle-Hurtful (video)
A tremendous amount of buzz surround the eventual release of Hurtful & Eric’s subsequent album.
Jonas: Like a great one night stand. Makes you wanna keep him on repeat all night long.
I love his voice and his nerdish looks. A great song truly, that definitely will soundtrack my summer! 4/5
Robpop: Strange. This is a big tune but I really can't abide by the stressed American accent on the chorus. Perhaps he was brought up in southern California but something tells me Eric is Swedish through and through. Can't wait for his album. 3/5
Robbie: Kind of subtle at first, but the buildup and the chorus are a killer. 4/5
Paul: What hasn't been said about this already? Great lyricist, made for top 40 production and an impassioned vocal. 4/5
Pablo: Has this guy the legal age to have sex? Apart from the video, the song it's quite right. It might fit at season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I've never seen this show, but it fits for sure. 2/5
Mike: Oh please. The Swedish Gary Go does his best to channel Robbie Williams. And fails. 1/5
The Prophet: He's extremely unpleasant to look at but the song is great, somebody send me the MP3! 4.5/5
Total: 22.5 Joint 2nd
Robyn & Royksopp-The Girl & The Robot (video)
The Swedish pop queen returns to familiar territory with a little help from two Norwegian pop maestro’s.
Robpop: Absolutely amazing. Robyn really works well when her vocals find themselves backed by soothing electronic baselines. A triumph. 5/5
Jonas: I've been makin love with Robyn for such a long time now, but ever since the orgasm ending up with Every Heartbeat we really don´t understand each other anymore. I just wanna turn over on my side of the bed, close my eyes, light my cigarette and then wish that when i open my eyes again she will be gone, gone, gone...2/5
Robbie: Not only does this sound like something from Erasure circa "Chorus," Robyn's starting to really look like Andy Bell, too. That's a good thing. Great video, too. 4/5
Paul: Why oh why don't I get Robyn? I mean she's utterly beloved by bloggers but she leaves me cold. This has done nothing to change my mind. Sorry Robyn lovers! Robots however, certainly are hot in pop this year! 2/5
Pablo: My problem with Robyn is that I don't like her. But not in a musical way. It's her face. I totally love her albums. The old ones (Don't Stop The Music is still one of my favourites!) and new ones. But I stil can't understand her face. This song is totally amazing, the video is tragic. And I totally love the Davide Rossi Re-Interpretation.5/5
Mike: Margaret Berger did it first and considerably better. Robyn’s creative juices have obviously run dry. 0/5
The Prophet: Amazing! I've always like Robyn because she tries to mix R&B/Hip-Hop with her music, and even though this song isn't urban it's still great. 4.5/5
Total: 22.5 Joint 2nd
The winner of Swedish Pop Idol releases her Swedish hit single in the UK. She's also single of the week.
Jonas: Totally beautiful. Agnes is one of a kind in Sweden. Even though loosing big time in the Swedish selections for the ESC she is by far our most glamorous diva and the song is also good. Makes me wanna throw my clothes of and go dancing naked in the rain with a lot well defined muscle mary´s! Like a walking chick flick! 4/5
Robpop: The UK Itunes chart positions speak for themselves really. When I first heard this track I was stunned by its brilliance. Nearly a year later its receiving a UK pressing & its success is deserved. Unlike so many popstars, Agnes has refused the usual "lets make her sound American" route (see Leona). As such, she transcends...5/5
Robbie: She's got the horseface of Leona Lewis, but thankfully she comes from Sweden, so she does way better music by default. 3.5/5
Paul: It's entirely down to Bob, Postergirl and Aaron Fabtastic that i gave Agnes any time at all! And now she's all top five hit on our asses! This is a great disco influenced number that quite rightly deserved to be massive. 4/5
Pablo: Eeem... I think I'm moving to Sweden (sorry about your Spanish green card, Mike). Really I like this song! Violins in a song is something I totally adore! 4/5
Mike: The song is great but Agnes ruins it by having all the charisma of a used condom that has been thrown into an unflushed toilet after being fished out of Cheryl Cole’s loose arsehole. 0/5
The Prophet: Agnes is totally lame, but I'd probably like this song if Melissa Tkautz or some black diva sung it. 3/5
Total: 23.5
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Alas, Swedish Season is coming to an end. But remember you can win tons of fun & signed free pop stuff if you just go here....
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PAULA LOBOS: THE DSTP INTERVIW
Paula Lobos is unique. She is indeed Swedish but is originally from Uruguay. You can hear the myriad of sounds & influences in her music. She's released a number of rnb albums which courted the interest of Latin MTV but its her new dance/pop material that makes me turn my head. She swirls the stereotypical Swedish sounds of Alcazar, ABBA, Velvet and Agnes Carlsson with the latin music vibes that you'd usually hear the likes of Monica Naranjo, Paulina Rubio, Soraya and Marta Sanchez perform. To me, this makes Paula an interesting artist to watch. She brings something unique to the wonderful world of pop. Anything is possible these days. Agnes has just gone top ten in the British Itunes store. I remember months ago chatting away with fellow blogger PopPosterGirl about the immense greatness of her Dance Love Pop album and Release Me in particular. The success of Agnes has opened the playing field for singers like Paula who is not only in charge of her direction, but owns her label making her one to certainly watch out for...
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Why pop?
Easy! Pop is my first love! The melodies, the arrangements, so catchy!
What is your background?
I was born in Uruguay and moved to Sweden, Stockholm with my parents when I was 3 years old.
How did that influence your sound?
I´ve always loved music and singing so when I was 12 I started in a music-school. But it wasn´t until years later singing in a gospel/choir that I felt that music, singing and performing was something that I really wanted to do. My parents listened to a lot of that era´s pop music, such as The Beatles, Supertramp, Bob Marley but also a lot of tango and Uruguayan folkmusic. In 2002 I started my label “Ladybug Records” and I released my first pop/r&b album Aura 2003 and my pop/latin/urban album “Una Vida Más” in 2007.
What I love is that you bring together my two favourite Euro-sounds: Hispanic/Spanish pop and that distinct Scandipop baseline made famous by the likes September, Eric Prydz and Velvet! Bringing the two sounds together makes you sound so unique. Makes it different. That collective sound…was that your intention?
Thank you! Yes, I wanted to take the Latin music and Swedsih sound to the next level. I wasn't brought-up listening to the classic latin music (as many assume just because I'm Latin...haha...) such as salsa, merenge, etc and I could never find the kind of pop/r&b I loved to listen to in Spanish, so I decided to just create it myself. And the mix turned out to be pretty hot! I don't know if the Latin market is ready for it though. I´ve been a lot in Los Angeles, working and promoting my first latin album “Una Vida Más” and they´re pretty conservative...haha...but I think that´s changing, getting more edgy, more open.
Touch The Light certainly reflects that. The sound has completely taken over that traditional rnb sound that shaped the early 2000’s. Will you reflect this change on your record?
I'm definitely going more pop/club/dance. My earlier albums have always been more mid-tempo, this one will be more party, more club!
Agnes and Robyn are two acts from Sweden who’ve made it over here. Are you interested in releasing your music here or is Sweden your main priority at the moment?
I would LOVE to release my music there. I really think “Touch the Light” would work! It is more a question of how and with who...Any suggestions...haha...? No, but honestly, I´m very interested in collaborating with other labels to release it.
Lets talk about the album. Have you got that hybrid sound sorted then?
I want the album to be full of energy, attitude, edginess and hopefulness, a positive party-album...haha..I wouldn't mind a little electro/house flirt either! Yes, definitely with the touch and air of “Touch the Light” and like my new songs “Hasta el Final” and “Extatic/Loca por ti”.
Ok, so how have "Hasta el Final" and "Loca Por Ti" gone down live?
I'm actually just back from a months touring round Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark performing all these three songs. The response has been awesome!! I really enjoyed it...haha
Who is working on your album with you?
It's not all settled yet, I'm talking to different producers right now. Since I haven't done so much pop/club, this genre before I want the right people for it!
My favourite track Touch the Light. Who wrote it?I think it would be huge in Spain. Are there more party pop anthems of that type on the album?
Thank you so much! Yes, “Touch the Light” really affects people, it's so positive! I co-wrote it with RamPac, a Swedish production team here in Stockholm.
Tell me, what do you make of Monica Naranjo and Marta Sanchez: two huge Spanish pop divas. Could you see yourself sharing the same fanbase as them in Spain?
It would be a total honor to share the same fanbase as them! And you know what? I think so! Because even if their genre, Monica Naranjo at least, is more typical latin, very dramatic, their style and image is quite edgy and fierce! So, I would say yes!
If you could cover an English version of the following iconic schlager pop songs which would it be: (and Why!) Alla Flickor, Många Karlar. Lite Tid or Min Kärlek.
That's a tough one! I worked in a showgroup, a couple of years ago, performing on a cruiser ship and I actually did both "Alla Flickor” and “Min kärlek”! But I´d have to go with....”Alla Flickor”. I love the tempo in it and the lyrics, it´s kind of flirty. It also has that typical swedish schlager vibe..haha!
Why do you think so many artists have come out of Sweden? Music seems to be a running thread that weaves through its national discourse/narrative.
It's pretty amazing when you think about it right? Both artists and producers coming out of this tiny country. Hm... I think the swedish people are very open to new things and that might have helped them getting inspired and creating. They've also always been very good speaking and writing in English.
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So its early days yet but things can only get better for Paula. She's set up her own very label and is making great pop music that is very international in nature. It could easily find itself number one in Spain while also getting huge airplay on the Swedish radio stations such as RixFM. Moreover, just as Agnes scores her well-deserved UK chart position the distinctness found in Paula's sense of pop just might make her another Swedish pop princess to follow in the footsteps of Robyn. But hey, the night is young & enough of the plaudits and predictions! Tis better to sit back and enjoy the pop she produces. Its gonna be a fun one to watch....Paula, welcome to planet pop!
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