My Top Songs of Summer 2011

Summer is over this weekend (though from the weather around here, you'd think that it was finally just beginning). I was seriously underwhelmed in the album category this year, but there were a ton of great singles to choose from. Here's an album's worth (in no particular order) of what I've been listening to over and over again. What about you?



Example - Changed The Way You Kissed Me - Such a leap from his earlier work, which I also loved. It's just a gargantuan song waiting to crossover to the US.



One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful - I was a huge supporter of theirs during X-Factor, and now that I've heard this I like them even better. 100% on the mark.



Martin Rolinski - Blame It On A Decent Matter - BWO frontman goes solo with a track that nearly out-BWOs BWO! Big, plastic Swedish synths (MUCH better than Swedish meatballs).



LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem - This was, for better or worse, played so often this summer. A triumph in infectious stupidity.



Pnau - The Truth - It really caught on with me over the past few months. That chorus hits you like a freight train.



Adele vs Robin S. - Show Me In The Deep - I tired of the Adele original very quickly, but never wore out this excellent remix. She should do dance more often. The remix of the year, without question.



Nero - Promises Dipping my toe into dubstep (and this is really watered down dubstep), this was the La Roux track of the summer (without actually being La Roux).



The Sound Of Arrows - Magic - They get better and better with every release. This never failed to cheer me up.



Foster The People - Helena Beat The world's still reeling from their debut, but I was onto the next single months ago. This one's better, anyways.



Mika - Elle Me Dit - Who would have thought Mika would've wormed his way back into my good graces with a french dance track?



Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger - Even stranger, this was a band I couldn't stand two months ago. Cue this track, which turned it around with that incessant whistle. Xtina couldn't even ruin it.



Le Kid - America - A soaring pop confection from Sweden, in a year where Sweden isn't quite living up to the hype I always give it.



Katy Perry - Last Friday Night - With each single, I like her more and more. The video to this song clinched it.



The Wanted - Glad You Came - I have a feeling that this will be known as the year of the boybands in the UK. But when they're this good...

Le Kid - Escape

"I gotta undo the damage done"

After what seems like forever (and a million push-backs in release date), Swedish pop band Le Kid's debut is about to be released. I've heard it (honestly, I had heard most of the tracks months ago) and it's Swedish pop the way Swedish pop should be done. Big, glossy, sassy. It's really, really good. One of my favorite tracks that I haven't highlighted yet (fav tracks will always be America and We Should Go Home Together) is the gorgeous Escape. It really represents everything I love about Le Kid. It's lush, melodic and the perfect mixture of uplift and bittersweet. In other words, it's a model in Scandinavian pop writing and production. I can't tell you how much you've gotta get this album. Oh, and check out the new single We Are The Drums. It's pretty awesome, too.



Escape by roxyrecordings



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Le Kid - America (Official Music Video)

Le Kid - America

"Baby just dry your eyes"

This has been out for a few weeks now and a number of bloggers have written about it, but just in case you haven't heard this single yet, I thought I'd draw your attention to it. As well as being highly regarded songwriters and producers in the Swedish pop music scene, Le Kid are a fantastic band in their own right (think Sweden's answer to Alphabeat) that are going to release what's sure to be one of the best pop albums of the summer. This is their new single and may very well be their best. America is a lush, soaring melodic song perched halfway between ballad and dance track. It's about as pop as pop gets, and I mean that in the best of ways. There's no reliance on gimmicky trends when it comes to production (which is exactly why this would never be successful in the States). It's down to superb lyrics and--most importantly--a surging, emotional hook. As the song builds, it really explodes into something quite epic. These guys need to stop writing about America and come over here to write for some of our pop stars. We could certainly use them!

Le Kid - America by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Le Kid - Mr. Brightside

"Destiny is calling me"

I'm still catching up with some of the post-Christmas tracks I've wanted to blog about. And, even though this has been covered elsewhere, it's still on my to-post list because I wanna make sure you guys don't miss it. Who would have thought the Killers' Mr. Brightside needed to be covered as an Abba-esque, Europop dance number? Well, it needed to be, and Le Kid are the perfect group to do it. They've been sneaking up on the pop landscape for the past year or so, releasing a pair of brilliant singles as tasters of what's yet to come. I predict that they'll break out after their participation in this year's Melodifestivalen, but for now they're setting the stage and gaining fans. This fun freebie definitely accomplishes both goals. A synth-laden bubblegum sweet confection of a song, they've taken a great track and turned it on its head. It could easily be too saccharine (and for some, it might), but it walks the line perfectly and ends up being pretty epic.

Le Kid - Mr. Brightside by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Download the song for free here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Top 50 Singles of 2010: 50-46

50. Lady Gaga & Beyonce - Telephone



Two of the biggest popstars on the planet and an epic, long form video. It was a deliriously entertaining way to start the new year.

49. Elin Lanto - Funeral



An anthem if there ever was one. She set the chorus to “soaring” and never let up after that.

48. Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me



A deserved hit for its sleek electro shuffle and endearingly catchy hook. One of 2010’s best one hit wonders.

47. Yolanda Be Cool - We No Speak Americano



The year’s best novelty dance tune, it’s as stupid as it is catchy. Infuriatingly catchy, as a matter of fact…

46. Alphabeat - DJ (I Should Be Dancing/Le Kid - We Should Go Home Together




I can’t separate the two because the bands are so similar. Both deserved wider success than they got this year. Two of the happiest songs of 2010.

Le Kid - We Should Go Home Together

"I can see it in your eyes"

This is the jolliest single of 2010. In fact, it's probably the jolliest single of its ilk since Alphabeat released the similar-sounding Fascination. Le Kid have been working on their bouncy brand of pop in Sweden for awhile now, and although this isn't their first official single, it's the one that I hope will break them big. Some people will groan about the bubblegum campiness here, but I just don't see how you can resist it. Not fully. From the opening drumbeat to the soaring vocals in the chorus, this is a solid gold hit, whether or not it actually charts. Having heard some of the band's other songs, I can say that they're consistently great. They're all bright colors and huge hooks and gallons of energy. Why aren't there more bands like this? And here's an impressive fact for you fans of Swedish pop: members of this band have produced/written for BWO, Alcazar, Agnes, Velvet and Eric Saade. If that's not enough to sell you on this band, I don't know what is!

Le Kid - We Should Go Home Together by alienhits

(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.