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...
Showing posts with label One Direction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One Direction. Show all posts
One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful
"Baby you light up my world like nobody else"
As anyone whose read this blog for awhile knows, I was completely obsessed with last year's season of UK X-Factor. It was reality tv gold in so many ways, and I can't see any season matching it. One of the biggest reasons was the quality (and diversity) of the contestants. I'm glad to see Cher Lloyd doing so well in the charts, even though I despise her debut single. But she wasn't the act I was supporting the most anyway. To preface this, I'm not usually a fan of boybands. Their overly manufactured nature just doesn't appeal to me (I guess they're not really designed to appeal to me, anyway). But you can't deny when something special is happening. The formation of One Direction last season was definitely something special. Rarely has a group fit so well together. Look, personality, sound... it all worked from the beginning and still works now. It's a boyband I'm actually interested in! Today marks the debut of their first single and, like everything else, it works too. In fact, I'd be shocked if this didn't hit number one and stay there. Sometimes you hear a song, so poppy and cheesy and catchy, that just screams "number one single." A track like this is hard not to sing along to, regardless of your taste in music. It's like early Mcfly mixed with Glee mixed with a modernized The Monkees. It's completely ridiculous and cheesy, but don't we all need a bit of that sometime? And it's total boyband in the best way possible.
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
X-Factor Wrap-up: One Direction - Forever Young & Altiyan Childs - Summer Of '69
I'm back with a double header today - two songs from my favorite acts in both UK and Australian X-Factor. Both shows have ended now, leaving behind a huge reality-show shaped hole in my viewing schedule until Idol and Melodifestivalen start early next year.
I really did think that the momentum was there for One Direction to possibly be the first group to win the X-Factor. Instead, the prize went to boring, smug Matt Cardle, a contestant who I've never warmed to, though I'll admit he does have a good voice. For me, though, these shows have always been about more than the voice. It's all about charisma and personality, and judged by that standard these guys definitely come out on top. They've been the heart of the show this year, and always the funniest, most entertaining in video diaries and backstage clips. They're going to be huge, I'm sure (probably bigger than both Matt and Rebecca), but it was still difficult to see them go out third. Luckily, we've got their would-have-been winner's single floating around the internet, and it's really quite good. Much better than the dreary winner's songs performed on Sunday's show. Forever Young bridges the gap between their youthful pop appeal and a classic, melodic track. They sound great on it. In fact, I think a lot of people (aka: naysayers, of which there were many) will be surprised about how good this is. I only wish we could have seen it performed. Now I've just gotta wait patiently for the eventual album, reality shows, tv specials, etc.
One Direction - Forever Young by alienhits
Now here's an example of the voting public getting it right. In an underwhelming season, Altiyan Childs (winner of Australian X-Factor) stood out as one of the best performers the franchise has seen and certainly the best "over-25" ever. If you didn't watch the program, youtube some of his performances. I think you'll be impressed. After initially flubbing his words before making it to the live shows, he found his niche performing 80's hair-metal type songs. He's got a voice to rival Adam Lambert's in its power (a little bit of Ola Salo sometimes, too), but it's his ability to perform that really set him apart. Talk about charisma. He released an EP last week of his winner's single and many of the songs he performed on the show. I chose Summer Of '69 today (which, interestingly enough, One Direction also performed) because it's one of my absolute favorite 80's songs. These studio versions always sound a little karaoke, but Altiyan's got the chops to make this really special. I love the added synth touches, too.
Altiyan Childs - Summer Of '69 by alienhits
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Not much to buy yet, but be sure to youtube them. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
"Let us live forever"
I really did think that the momentum was there for One Direction to possibly be the first group to win the X-Factor. Instead, the prize went to boring, smug Matt Cardle, a contestant who I've never warmed to, though I'll admit he does have a good voice. For me, though, these shows have always been about more than the voice. It's all about charisma and personality, and judged by that standard these guys definitely come out on top. They've been the heart of the show this year, and always the funniest, most entertaining in video diaries and backstage clips. They're going to be huge, I'm sure (probably bigger than both Matt and Rebecca), but it was still difficult to see them go out third. Luckily, we've got their would-have-been winner's single floating around the internet, and it's really quite good. Much better than the dreary winner's songs performed on Sunday's show. Forever Young bridges the gap between their youthful pop appeal and a classic, melodic track. They sound great on it. In fact, I think a lot of people (aka: naysayers, of which there were many) will be surprised about how good this is. I only wish we could have seen it performed. Now I've just gotta wait patiently for the eventual album, reality shows, tv specials, etc.
One Direction - Forever Young by alienhits
"That summer seemed to last forever"
Now here's an example of the voting public getting it right. In an underwhelming season, Altiyan Childs (winner of Australian X-Factor) stood out as one of the best performers the franchise has seen and certainly the best "over-25" ever. If you didn't watch the program, youtube some of his performances. I think you'll be impressed. After initially flubbing his words before making it to the live shows, he found his niche performing 80's hair-metal type songs. He's got a voice to rival Adam Lambert's in its power (a little bit of Ola Salo sometimes, too), but it's his ability to perform that really set him apart. Talk about charisma. He released an EP last week of his winner's single and many of the songs he performed on the show. I chose Summer Of '69 today (which, interestingly enough, One Direction also performed) because it's one of my absolute favorite 80's songs. These studio versions always sound a little karaoke, but Altiyan's got the chops to make this really special. I love the added synth touches, too.
Altiyan Childs - Summer Of '69 by alienhits
(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Not much to buy yet, but be sure to youtube them. Follow me on twitter and facebook.
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