Into The Groove

JoJo - Keep Forgetting (To Forget About You)

2009-09-30T19:56:00.006Z

It's been such a long wait for JoJo's new album that someone at her label obviously decided they couldn't be so mean as to keep this incredible new song away from us for a moment longer! It leaked a few days ago, and although I am pleased to hear such an ace new song, I remember JoJo only having one song I particularly loved on each of her previous albums, so I'm hoping this isn't the only good one on her new album, as I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted her best song to leak so early. The album isn't actually expected to be released until next year. Keep Forgetting is a very emotional mid-tempo pop song, and the fact that it's produced by Billy Steinberg and Josh Alexander, the guys responsible for Too Little Too Late, much of The Veronicas' first album and Don't Let It Go To Your Head by Fefe/Lilyjets/Jordin should give you an idea of what to expect. It's very, very good indeed!

Backstreet Boys - All Of Your Life (Need Love)

2009-09-08T23:57:00.003Z

RedOne has done two tracks for the new BSBs album, and it turns out that this one, which leaked recently, is even better than the single! I do love Straight Through My Heart, but All Of Your Life is my favourite song of those I've heard from the new album so far. I think I even like it better than Bigger, on which they reunite with Max Martin! The funny thing about All Of Your Life is that it's RedOne's most Swedish song ever. It sounds a bit like his usual sound, but the most striking similarity for me is to BWO! The backing music sounds just like them. In fact, if BWO did a song with RedOne, it would probably sound quite like this, and now I'm kind of sad that Nadir is so sought after now that he's unlikely to ever work with BWO...

Pixie Lott - Rolling Stone and Here We Go Again

2009-07-10T14:39:00.002Z

The most exciting thing about Pixie Lott's success is that we'll get to hear her album, which she worked on with some of the world's very best songwriters and producers. Among them is RedOne, aka Moroccan-Swedish Nadir Khayat, the hottest producer in the world at the moment. Two songs have leaked which RedOne produced for Pixie, so I thought I'd share them both with you. Here We Go Again is my favourite of the two, but they're both really catchy pop numbers which define Pixie as anything but the Duffy-for-kids image that Mamo Do unfortunately gave her. This is proper all out pop music, and these songs are the reason that I will defend Pixie in the face of all the music critics who, despite the current pop revival, still seem to see her 'stage school-ness' as a bad thing. I have to wonder if they are just jealous that she had success handed to her on a plate, signing such a massive record deal at such a young age, but her live performances show that she has the talent to pull it off. While she may not be the brain of Britain or have the most interesting of personalities, she's identifiable for the teenage girl audience, and most importantly, she's a vehicle for amazing pop music. Is that really something to complain about?

Priscilla Renea - I Fell in Love

2009-07-08T23:40:00.007Z

If, like me, you can never decide if you prefer r&b divas or cutesy acoustic-poppers, then Priscilla Renea is the artist for you, as she's perched right in the middle of those two genres. I Fell in Love is sonically a blend of Shontelle and Yael Naim, plus the character of Hafdis Huld. I wasn't sure about her voice at first, but every time I listen to I Fell in Love, I become more obsessed with. I have indeed fallen in love! It's such a sweet, bouncy song with so many lyrics I don't know how Priscilla doesn't run out of breath. Priscilla is one of the many new artists who earned their record deals due to their huge popularity on YouTube, and I actually like that this has become a trend. It's a much more democratic way of deciding who gets a record deal and of course benefits the label and the artist as there is the security of already knowing the artist has public appeal. You can understand why people love her when you see her singing the dictionary on YouTube!

Lollipop - Don't Leave Me Now

2009-06-24T18:00:00.005Z

One of the first ever reality TV bands, Lollipop were a girl group who won Popstars in Italy back in 2001. Don't Leave Me Now was their second single, but I only heard it very recently for the first time. It's certainly the best song I've heard by them, although I also quite like This is the Reason. Of all the singers I've heard for whom English is not their first language, Lollipop are among the worst at pronunciation. It doesn't affect my enjoyment of the song, but it would be interesting to hear a version sung by English singers. Don't Leave Me Now is very typical of early 00's pop, an obvious attempt to imitate Max Martin's sound, and one of the more successful of those. Lollipop broke up in 2004 and it seems none of them have been successful since, except for one member named Dominique, who entered Star Academy in France, where she came second and released an album.

Robyn and Yelle's Foreign Exchange

2009-06-02T18:09:00.002Z

Being a huge fan of both Robyn and Yelle, you can imagine my excitement when I heard that they are releasing a special iTunes EP together. It is called Foreign Exchange and features one song by each of the girls, a cover of one of the other girl's hits. Robyn covers A cause des garçons with the translated title Because of Boys, and Yelle covers Who's That Girl and renames it Qui est cette fille. Both of the new versions are as brilliant as you would expect, since Robyn and Yelle are perfectly matched for this kind of project. It's the sort of thing I'd dream up but never expect to really happen - it's almost too good to be true! I've uploaded both the new versions to Imeem, so I'd love to know how you think they compare to each other and to the original versions of the songs. Personally I think Qui est cette fille is my favourite, but I do love them both.

Kate Earl - All I Want and Everlasting

2009-06-01T10:06:00.003Z

She may present herself as a new Feist/Regina Spektor kind of artist, and the comparison is supported by her current single Melody, but All I Want and Everlasting are the most poptastic songs I've heard since Battlefield. Kate's music (and her vocals) could easily be mistaken for Swedish. Her voice is very similar to Adiam Dymott, actually. All the songs on her MySpace are very good, and I'll certainly be buying her album when I get the chance. I can't imagine anyone who reads this blog not liking her music. In fact, I think most of you are going to absolutely adore these songs. There are hints of Lykke Li or Santogold's style, but with the poptasticness multiplied by 100. She's signed to Universal and working with Tommy Mottola, so expect a big promotional campaign for Kate, which will most likely be followed with huge success. Kate Earl is definitely a name which will be much better known this time next year.

Esmée Denters - Victim

2009-05-31T10:47:00.004Z

If you can't get enough of Jordin Sparks' amazing new single, Battlefield, then here's another Ryan Tedder song in the Bleeding Love/Halo/Battlefield style. I love Esmée's first single, Outta Here (and even posted it here a couple of months ago), but the album is quite average, which is disapppointing considering she worked with many big name writers and producers. Victim is definitely the best song on the album, and if she has any sense at all she'll release it as her next single. The only thing I dislike about it is her prenunciation of "victim" as "vic-dumb"! It's very catchy, though, especially the "ah-I" bits. It will be interesting to see whether Esmée is successful in the UK, cos I think her career could easily go either way. She's not particularly well known here from her YouTube fame, but the combination of a song as good as Outta Here and the backing of Justin Timberlake will get her plenty of publicity. Personally I think Kristinia DeBarge might beat Esmée to becoming the next new female R&B star in the UK (along with Alexandra Burke, of course) but there could certainly be room for both of them in our charts, and if so it'll be a very poptastic year for R&B.

Beautiful Small Machines - Robots in Love

2009-05-10T23:46:00.005Z

Adding an electronic slant to rock or r&b music is nothing special these days, but now the trend has spread to another genre and the result is quite fantastic. Now forgive me if I'm forgetting something major, but have you ever heard a song before that could most aptly be described as electro-country? Whether you have or not, you're just about to! Robots in Love is half Taylor Swift, half Margaret Berger (well, who else could I compare a song about robot love to?). It's gloriously cute and happy, danceable and adorable. The band's other songs aren't quite so country-influenced, but they're just as brilliant. Beautiful Small Machines are undoubtedly one of my favourite discoveries of 2009 so far, and that means something because I've discovered some amazing new pop acts this year. Check out all of the songs on their MySpace, because there's not one track on there that I can't say I absolutely love! The band members, Bree and Donnie, seem like great fun people and you must look at the cute robot pictures in their Pics section on MySpace. This duo are definitely going to be giving my other favourite bands a run for their money this year. I can't wait til they get a whole album out!

Backstreet Boys - Bigger

2009-05-03T21:51:00.004Z

As you may know, the Backstreet Boys have got back together with Max Martin, the man who caused their success by giving them some of his best ever songs. I don't know how many songs they've recorded together, but one called Bigger has leaked. A short live recording has been on YouTube for a while already, but now there's a full length studio version doing the rounds. Last time the BSBs worked with Max they were one of the first acts to try out the Max-rock sound, and together they came up with classics like Just Want You to Know and Climbing the Walls. Bigger, however, is a return to the sound of the Black and Blue album or even Milennium. It's nice to know that while Max can capture the tastes of a new generation with acts like Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson, he hasn't lost the knack for making the perfect pop songs he was originally known for. I reviewed several of the new BSB songs recently on TMBP, but since then several new tracks have appeared, most notably this one which is terribly dull but unfortunately features T-Pain so will probably still make the album.

Jessica Folcker - Crash Like a Wrecking Ball

2009-04-12T22:08:00.005Z

As a popstar who regularly worked with Max Martin in the early days of his brilliant career, I have often tried to get into Jessica Folcker's music, but I have never really managed it. Confusingly, none of the songs she did with Max really float my boat, but a recent random listen to some of her singles made me realise that my mistake was in only listening to her Max Martin productions. As crazy as it sounds, Jessica's best songs are not actually the ones she made with Max! Less crazy, however, is the fact that this one sounds remarkably like a Max Martin creation. One in particular springs to mind, and I'm sure you'll think the same as soon as you hear the intro to Crash: it's the BSBs' Larger Than Life! The lyrics are simplistic yet original (well, have you heard a song about a wrecking ball before?) and Jessica sounds like a force to be wreckoned with herself on this track. It's quite a contrast to the nice but unexciting ballads she seems to be best known for. Her recent album Snowflakes is well worth a listen, but much like her early work, I don't feel that it stands up to similar contemporaries like Annie and Margaret Berger.

Jada - American Cowboy

2009-04-04T17:58:00.002Z

Every new artist has a RedOne song on their album these days, from R&B girls like Pixie and Esmee Denters to boybands like V Factory and Menudo. My latest favourite RedOne song is the new single by US R&B girlband Jada, which was released to iTunes last week. The verses are just OK but the chorus is brilliantly catchy. The bit which goes "I know, you know, I'm seXAY!" has been stuck in my head all afternoon. I think it's another of RedOne's masterpieces, and it could potentially make Jada the next big American pop group.

Eva and the Heartmaker - Please!

2009-03-31T22:37:00.006Z

I thought I was feeling inexplicably cheery earlier, until I realised why - it was because I'd just discovered this super-ace and uplifting new song! Eva and the Heartmakers have released some fairly good singles over the past few years, but with Please! they burst into the realms of extreme poptasticness. Eva Weel Skram was a contestant from 2005's Idol series in Norway (she came 6th, with Jorun Stiansen becoming the winner), and after the show she joined forces with her husband, Thomas Stenersen, to form this duo. They're now on their second album, and Please! is their fourth hit single, currently at no.10 in the Norwegian chart. From their other songs, they seem like a cool, quirky pop band, but listening to Please!, the bands that come into mind are cheeky late 90s girl groups like Girl Thing and Fem@il! I could totally imagine them doing a song like this.

BWO - Rise to the Occasion & Thunderbolt

2009-03-30T15:02:00.005Z

Hooray, it's a new BWO album! I've been listening to it all morning and although I think it lacks the variety of my fave BWO album, Halcyon Days, it's a very enjoyable set of songs and certainly equal in quality to Fabricator. I picked these two songs to share with you (apologies for the low quality sound - I'll post better versions when I can) because they were the ones that instantly stood out for me, but of course my favourites are quite likely to change with the many more listens I plan to give this album. I do think, however, that both of these songs would have done better in Melodifestivalen than You're Not Alone did. Rise to the Occasion has a really catchy hook and I like the "woah-ohoh"s in the background. Thunderbolt is one of the danciest songs on the album, but that doesn't stop it having a random ballady bit in the middle! I love the menacing "don't you ignore my warning!" at the end. Is it just me or does Martin say "we don't need a Yorick, this night is historic" in the bridge? I can't think what else it could be! Hear the album in full here.

Esmee Denters - Outta Here

2009-03-29T00:21:00.004Z

Esmee is a Dutch artist who's been in development for over 2 years, and finally she's releasing her debut single, which is co-written by her mentor, Justin Timberlake. Despite being Dutch and never having released anything before, she has millions of fans around the world, but unless you're the sort of person who can be bothered to listen to random people singing cover versions on YouTube, you probably won't have heard of her. It was Justin who decided to take up her cause after seeing her on YouTube (and noticing her millions of fans, of course), and with such high profile backing she was naturally hooked up with some of the world's best writers and producers. Her album includes work with RedOne, Greg Kurstin and Ryan Tedder, among others. If you have a RedOne song on your album and you don't release it, your actual lead single must be quite amazing, and although I think amazing may be a slight exaggeration for this one, I am very impressed. It reminds me a bit of Rihanna's Disturbia, but Esmee's voice is much more like Christina Aguilera. I do find her voice a little shrill sometimes, but the catchiness of the song makes it allowable. With Esmee and Erik Hassle, 2009 could well be the year for Europeans making it big! (ps. I don't think the growly monster voice is supposed to be there, but I can't find a version without it)

The Servant - Liquefy

2009-03-24T14:49:00.007Z

One of the very best things about being completely obsessed with pop music, like I am, is that every so often an act who you liked years ago, without anyone else taking any notice, comes back and gets all the credit they deserve. It happened with Just Jack a few years ago (even Annie Mac, a supposed music expert, had no idea he's on his 3rd album now), and then last year the band formerly known as Dear Eskiimo became a huge success under the name of The Ting Tings. Now it's happening again with Dan Black, whose band The Servant I have loved since I first saw the video for Liquefy on long lost indie-pop music channel The Amp, back in 2005. The Servant were successful in France, Italy and Canada, but almost completely anonymous in the UK. When I heard of a new artist called Dan Black last year, I instantly recognised his super-distinctive voice, and, since the last Servant album was quite dull, I was extremely pleased to see him going back to a more poptastic sound. To be honest, I don't like his new stuff as much as the songs from The Servant's self-titled 2004 album, so it feels weird that he will probably do well with an album that currently seems unlikely to have anything as good as Liquefy on it. Oh well, at least it's an excuse to listen to the old songs again, and share them with a bigger audience, since no-one ever paid any attention when I professed their greatness years ago. If you like Liquefy, my next suggestion would be to listen to Orchestra and Cells, the other two singles, and the catchiest track, I Can Walk in your Mind. They're all amazing though, really, and the album's only £3.99 on CD Wow!!

Måns Zelmerlöw - Home

2009-03-23T11:20:00.008Z

I think Måns Zelmerlöw must be obsessed with hos (or hoes). Strange way to begin a post, I know, but I have reason for my suspicions: All of the best songs on his new album begin with "Ho"! Hope and Glory of course, then the best ballad (Hold On) and the best upbeat song (Home). I thoroughly recommend Hold On, but I decided to post Home, cos I'm sure there are many readers of ITG who have no patience for ballads, but there is certainly no-one who dislikes an upbeat poptastic number like Home. If you do, you're clearly quite lost! Any fans of Black and Gold by Sam Sparro should definitely give it a go, as the backing music is very similar. The new album MZW is out on Wednesday, but you can hear all the songs already on his MySpace.

Daisy Dares You - No.1 Enemy (and 2 other songs)

2009-03-20T16:52:00.003Z

I wanted to post some of Daisy's (old?) songs which aren't up on her MySpace anymore, as no-one else has posted them, but when it comes down to it, No.1 Enemy is by far her best song. On first listen I thought it was pretty good, but it wasn't until the next day, after having the chorus stuck in my head all night, that I realised its true brilliance. Her other songs are all very much worth a listen, and show great promise for Daisy to become a super-ace popstar in the future. I've just uploaded my favourite 2 of the 4 older songs, super-sweet You'll Be Fine and Lily Allen-esque Into My Life. I wasn't totally sure about the rap in No.1 Enemy at first, but it gets better when you're used to it, and I think it's good that she is open-minded about what kind of artist she is going to be. You certainly wouldn't expect, if you heard her other songs first, that she would have one with a rapper on it, but the fact that she does demonstrates versatility and makes her pop career a very exciting prospect. I can't wait to hear what she puts up on MySpace next.

V Factory - Love Struck

2009-03-19T00:34:00.004Z

I heard of V Factory sometime last year thanks to the brilliant US teenpop site Tommy2, and they had a few alright songs, but nothing too special. I forgot all about them until today, when I heard that they had a new single, and when I went to listen to it I knew instantly: this was a RedOne production! Not only was I right on that account, but it also turns out to be written by super-ace Swedish popstar, Darin! It's no surprise, as it sounds just like his style. There's one high note which is so uniquely Darin, I wonder if it is actually him singing. You might say that he is silly to give away a good song to another act, but actually he could potentially make a lot of money from it, since his own work is unfortunately not getting anywhere internationally, and until it does he won't make much from that. Songwriting credits on a US hit single, if this does turn out to be a success, will be absolutely worth giving away the song. As for V Factory, they have a few claims to fame of their own - one of them is in the remake of Fame released later this year, and another is Ashley Tisdale's boyfriend, a dancer in the HSM films. To be honest, I doubt they'll be more than the American answer to Avenue, but any new good quality boyband music is very welcome, as far as I'm concerned.

Holiday Parade - Slam Crunk

2009-03-18T16:08:00.002Z

Is there anything less likely for me to post than a rock band singing a medley of famous rap songs? But add to the equation that it sounds like the best song LFO never made, and it makes a lot more sense. It's an all-American jaunt of bouncy, cheeky silliness, and the familiarity of the songs makes it instantly super-catchy. I can't say I'm particularly impressed with anything else Holiday Parade have done, but they seem to be earning quite a lot of fans at the moment, so expect to hear much more of them in the future. If they get big in the UK, you can guess what they'll be doing in the Radio 1 live lounge!

Alcazar - Burning

2009-03-13T15:00:00.002Z

Finally, after 6 years we have a new album from Alcazar! I can't quite believe it. Is it really true? The best thing is, they haven't changed a bit. These songs would fit just as well on Casino or Alcazarized. I'm going to do a track-by-track review on TMBP, but for now, here is the full version of Burning, which is set to be their next single after Stay The Night. It's super-sparkly and fabulous, an instant Alcazar classic. The album also includes the first two singles released by this line-up, We Keep On Rockin' and Intuitions, and if you've never owned an Alcazar album before, then you'll be pleased to know there's an extra CD with all their greatest hits on it. I'm only half-way through listening to the album at the moment, but so far I absolutely 100% LOVE every song on it. Very, very impressed!

Ballas Hough Band - Do It For You

2009-03-09T22:15:00.002Z

Oh my God, it's the return of A1! OK, not really, but doesn't this sound just like them? I reckon they'd do quite well if they released a cover of this as a comeback single. Ballas Hough Band are quite a confusing entity. Mark Ballas and Derek Hough are both American but grew up together in London, along with Derek's sister, Julianne. They were taught ballroom dancing by Mark's famous parents, and also learnt to play instruments and sing. In 2007, they moved back to the US to take part in Dancing With the Stars as professional dancers. In 2008, Julianne released a country album and it did extremely well, so now Mark and Derek are set to release an album with their band, Ballas Hough Band. This is the lead single, and it's refreshingly poptastic, so I'm looking forward to hearing their album when it's released on the 10th of March. You can hear 3 more songs on their MySpace and they're quite varied. Devastated is more like Ben Adams' solo work than A1, while Fall and Breakthrough are much rockier, but Breakthrough especially has a great early-'00s pop chorus.

Royksopp ft. Robyn - The Girl and the Robot

2009-03-08T12:02:00.003Z

So, here's the much-anticipated collaboration between our darling Swede and Norway's coolest dance act. I have to admit I've only ever particularly liked one Royksopp song before, which was Only This Moment, although I enjoyed the Jacques le Cont remix of What Else Is There. This song is definitely as good as Only This Moment, and it's very nice to have something new from Robyn, since it's been 4 years now since her last album. Success is great of course, but I really miss getting new stuff from her. Please, please can we have a new album in 2009? The Girl and the Robot should go down well with fans of With Every Heartbeat, since it has Robyn doing her best emotional contemplation to an intense dance beat. Music like this demonstrates why people who think that dance music is just party music and has no real meaning or emotion are completely wrong. I, for one, find a song like this ten times more moving than guitar-based singer-songwriter music. Emotions don't jangle or plod, they rush and whir, and that's what a song like this conveys perfectly.

Erik Hassle - Hassle

2009-03-06T14:57:00.004Z

For the past week, since I discovered him (and instantly became obsessed), I have tried to decide which song or songs I could post here so that you could get an idea of how brilliant he is. In the end, I decided it was just not possible to choose. Every one of his songs is incredible. Therefore, I am linking to this e-card where you can listen to the whole album, which is called Hassle. Some of the particular highlights include the single Hurtful and the ballads, Make It In Time and The Thanks I Get. There are some great upbeat numbers too, but I love the ballads most of all, because Erik is such a heartfelt singer. I've listened to Erik so much in the last week, he's already my most listened to act in the last year, according to Last.FM! There is something VERY special here and I have a feeling that Erik could quite easily become one of the biggest selling Swedish artists of all time. It's a shame he's not a bit better looking, though.

Måns Zelmerlöw - Hope and Glory

2009-03-04T21:35:00.004Z

I knew before we'd even heard any of this year's Melodifestivalen entries that it would be a fantastic year. How could it not be, with BWO and Alcazar both entering, and Amy Diamond and Agnes singing songs written by The Bard and Anders Hansson respectively? However, my absolute favourite, and the one I think a) is most likely to win out of my favourites and b) would do best in Eurovision itself, is Måns Zelmerlöw (pron. Mawns Zelmerluhv). Hope and Glory continues where the legendary song which introduced Måns to MF in 2007, Cara Mia, left off. It's grand and silly and amazingly catchy, just as Eurovision songs should be. The lyrics are simple enough to cross language barriers, and have a nice, positive message. I can't help but feel uplifted just listening to this song, and with the addition of Måns' beautiful face and charismatic stage presence, in my eyes he cannot be justifiably beaten in either Melodifestivalen or Eurovision. In all the time I've followed Melodifestivalen, none of the young pop acts have won (except Stenmarck but he's very granny-friendly), and although I feel more confident about Måns than I ever did when the best song was by BWO (as it usually is), I've learnt not to get my hopes too high. Whatever happens, this will be a huge hit, and we can celebrate the continued ability of Sweden to create incredible pop music.

Velvet Inc. - Tricky

2009-03-01T17:30:00.009Z

Not to be confused with Velvet of Sweden (they changed their name to Velvet Inc. for that reason), this is a four-piece girl-group from Norway, and Tricky was their entry for Melodi Grand Prix 2009 i.e. the Norwegian Eurovision selection programme. Sadly they didn't win, and neither did my beloved Surferosa, but the aceness of the song remains. If you like Monrose, Elize or Lene Nystrom, then you should definitely give this a listen, as it belongs very much to that fun, girly disco-pop genre which is so dependable for poptastic brilliance. This is a super-catchy track, written by Hanna Sorvaag (who writes for The Saturdays), and I hope it's done well enough for the girls to get to release some more music. Norway has some great pop acts but few are pure pop like this (they usually have guitars or are proper electro-pop rather than disco-pop) so that could either mean there's a gap in the market for them, or Norwegians just aren't into this sort of thing. I do recall a friend going to Bergen and saying Norway was just like Sweden but less jolly, and therefore served little point. However, it gave us Margaret Berger, Annie, Bertine and so on, and is therefore very much deserving of its existence, in my book!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

2009-02-26T23:10:00.002Z

I had this song playing in the background yesterday and mistook it for Surferosa, which has to be a compliment. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a band who've often got close to being brilliant, but never quite reached the summit, although I did really like Turn Into. With their new album they've gone in the same direction as everyone these days: electro-pop, with added extra 80s influence. Zero is a great lead single, and I've heard a few other songs from the album, which have also been pretty good (I love Dull Life), and very Surferosa-meets-Ladytron. I think the response to the new material is going to be very positive.

Taylor Swift - Love Story (Digital Dog Mix)

2009-02-25T21:30:00.003Z

Considering the UK's general attitude to country music, I was very surprised to hear that Taylor was on track to be no.2 in this week's charts. However, when I heard this remix, which they've been playing on Radio 1, I understood completely. Love Story has been turned into probably the best new dance-pop song of 2009 so far! It's quite a triumph. It's short and snappy and mega-catchy. I've had it stuck in my head, intermingled with You Belong With Me, ever since I heard it. I can't believe I've posted two Taylor Swift songs in a week, but it just goes to show that anyone can make a good song, no matter how unappealing the rest of their music is. I still hate her face, though.

Juliana Joya - Better Be Good

2009-02-21T18:25:00.002Z

Juliana is an Italian singer now living in New York, and her music sounds like it could have easily been written by Dr Luke, but as far as I can tell she hasn't worked with any major writers. She doesn't even have a record deal, yet this song is as accomplished as anything by The Veronicas or Kelly Clarkson. The chorus is really catchy and the whole song is very well constructed. I think Juliana Joya could be a huge popstar in the making... or she could just be the new Lucy Woodward or Lucy Walsh (hmm, Lucy isn't a very lucky name, is it?). There are a few other good ones on Juliana's MySpace, especially Dance All Night and electro-r'n'b Shackles, but this is the clear standout. I will be following her career with great interest.

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me

2009-02-19T00:01:00.002Z

It seems ridiculous that it took someone singing this song utterly terribly on American Idol for me to learn of the existence of this absolutely brilliant song. When a Taylor Swift song is mentioned, it's always Love Story or Teardrops on My Guitar, both of which I find quite drearily average. If I wanted girly country-pop, I'd listen to the far superior Marit Larsen. However, You Belong With Me is equal to anything Marit's done - and that's a huge compliment! It's super-catchy with great lyrics and the country vibe makes it stand out from other female teen-pop songs. I still hate her face, but if she can continue making acetastic pop songs like this, I may soon consider myself a fan of Taylor Swift!

Eliza Doolittle - Skinny Genes

2009-02-16T12:41:00.005Z

Eliza's stage name seems quite fitting as she has a lovely, soulful voice, but her London accent remains distinct. She's like a more soulful Lily Allen (especially on Skinny Genes and Back To Front) or a fun version of Corinne Bailey Rae (Rollerblades, Police Car). There is something really pleasant about her sound, that makes her songs really uplifting to listen to. Considering she's a brand new artist, very little-known, her sound is really accomplished and has great commercial potential. I think this girl is definitely one worth keeping an eye out for in the future. She is working with Karen Poole on new songs, so that seems like a positive indication for her to be given a good chance to make it big.

Sweet Rush - Dance the Night Away

2009-02-12T20:21:00.004Z

For those of you who loved Don't Stop the Music by Rihanna (that'll be everyone, then!), here's a new song which I feel is quite similar to it. I love the lyrics and the melody and the vocals and everything else about it, except for the beat (or whatever you call that banging sound!), which I think is too prominent at the beginning and needs to be quietened. Sweet Rush are a girl duo (sisters in fact) who recently featured on an Akon single called Troublemaker, so it's likely they have been working with RedOne - perhaps even on this song. It certainly sounds like it could be one of his productions. They seem really fun and I look forward to hearing more from them. Since they sing quite like Nivea, perhaps they can cover her brilliant song Laundromat!

Menya - Diana I Heart You

2009-02-11T21:50:00.003Z

I knew just from a photo of this group that I would love them, and when I saw that they categorised themselves as Pop/Hip-hop/Electro on MySpace, I was even more certain. I'm a sucker for poptastic girl-rap and the addition of electro is all the better. This song is 95% great from the beginning, but I recommend you listen all the way through, because it goes up to a definite 100% at the end. Altogether now: "Bitch, come and get it! Bitch, bitch, come and get it!" There isn't much info about Menya online yet, and they're unsigned at the moment, but I think that may well be set to change.

Spot the Blog

2009-02-08T17:13:00.004Z

I have finally finished compiling my playlists for each year of Into The Groove so far. Here they are for your education and enjoyment:

Songs from 2004

Songs from 2005

Songs from 2006

Songs from 2007

Songs from 2008

Honey - Catch the Moon

2009-02-07T19:19:00.003Z

Catch The Moon is a sweet, simple pop song which turns dancey as it reaches the chorus, mixing the sounds of Amy Diamond and Cascada. The lyrics are cheesy, but in a quite endearing way. It's a cover of Stefan Andersson's 1992 Swedish hit, although I can't say I'd ever heard of the original. Honey is signed to Stockholm Records (which was started by super-genius Alexander Bard) and released this song as a single in 2007. Whether we will ever hear of her again remains to be seen, but at least we can enjoy the one very catchy song she has given us.

Adiam Dymott - Memory Loss

2009-02-06T18:48:00.004Z

I think I should just go all out and herald today Adiam Dymott Day, because I've already posted up my interview with the lady herself on Dirrrty Pop, and now I want you to hear my favourite of her songs, Memory Loss. It is less rocky and more indie, yet also really catchy and with gorgeous vocals. Adiam sounds a bit like Annika Norlin, and the music has a hint of the 60s about it, much like Those Dancing Days. It's lovely, and poptastic too. When a brand new act releases an excellent first single, only when the act is Swedish can you confidently expect that there will be other tracks equally good on her album. I love Miss You, and this is even better. I can't wait to see what happens with Adiam - I truly think she could be a huge star.

Alcazar - Rendezvous

2009-02-03T17:16:00.004Z

I think when I downloaded this song back in 2006 I must not have listened to it properly, or perhaps not at all, because when it popped up on my iPod today I was shocked by its brilliance. At first I didn't even think it was Alcazar, because the boys don't sing on it, and it actually sounds so convincingly 70s I thought it may really be from then, although I also thought I would have known about a 70s song as good as this. It would surely be known as a disco classic. This song is so happy it makes me think of birds singing in Disney films, and the Brady Bunch, and I can't avoid smiling when listening to it. It is definitely one of the best disco pastiches I've ever heard. Research tells me it was recorded for the Alcazarized album, which was in fact their last fully new album. Can you believe they've only released 2 studio albums, and the last one was out in 2003? I waited patiently for years for the next one, and now it is finally almost here I've kind of lost the excitement, but I'm sure I'll be able to muster some when the time comes! Rendez-Vous is just a demo, but I can't see any way it could be improved. Why on earth was it not on the album?

Young Punx ft. Laura Kidd - Mash It Up

2009-01-26T21:26:00.006Z

Ever wondered what a combination of the Spice Girls, Kelis and Fedde le Grand would sound like? Well no, neither had I, but now I know I'm quite pleased that I do. This certainly won't be to everyone's taste, but I think there's something quite brilliant about it. It's worth hearing if only for Laura's weird pronunciation of "Go girls!" This is a girls night out anthem, but I can't imagine any girls I know ever playing it, and I kind of wish I did know girls as confidently, energetically hedonistic as those evoked by this song. When she sings "we're gonna take this town tonight", you really believe it. I suppose this kind of music is somewhat aspirational, in the sense that when you hear it in a club you feel you can be that kind of girl. A pretty unrealistic aspiration in most cases, but fun for 3 minutes anyway!

Party like it's 2005!

2009-01-24T17:10:00.002Z

Here is my Spotify playlist of the songs posted on ITG in 2005: http://open.spotify.com/user/poptasticuk/playlist/7zyVhyuc15SNxp9symOorB Enjoy, and I would love to hear your opinions and favourites.

O.A.R. - Shattered (Turn the Car Around)

2009-01-17T19:51:00.006Z

I've learnt over the years of writing this blog that great pop music can come from any kind of act in any genre, and even if it's a genre which is generally oppositional to the sound and values of pop music, the first rule of being a true pop fan is to look past those things and concentrate only on what you hear. The American MOR-rock man-band genre is one which most people with good taste despise, and they're quite right to, because it has spawned some absolute horrors, from Nickelback to the Dave Matthews Band and Matchbox 20. However, the fact that it is a mainstream genre means that the bands become popular, and if they/their management are open-minded, they will try to either write for themselves songs with great hooks, or get in a talented and successful mainstream songwriter to do that for them. In the case of O.A.R (abbreviating Of A Revolution - obviously they realised they weren't at all revolutionary!), it was singer Marc Roberge with MOR-rock hit-machine Gregg Wattenberg. The result is reminiscent of Ryan Tedder's work with his own band, One Republic, as well as the singles by The Fray, but since these kinds of acts seem to only be allowed a couple of catchy songs, it's worth keeping an eye on the new ones so you can basically grab the ace song and leave the rest to silly people who haven't caught on to this trick yet. Most bands who want success will record something good at some point, and I'm doing my best here to present those songs for you without you having to listen to all the boring rubbish first. If you don't love the "turn the car around" hook in this song, you need to listen again, letting go of the repression of what you think you're supposed to think of this type of music. If you can manage that, it's extremely rewarding.

ITG goes interactive!

2009-01-16T16:01:00.003Z

Firstly, I would like to alert you all to my new Twitter account which I have set up to go alongside my blogs. If you have Twitter, click here to follow me.

Also, I have been listening to stuff on Spotify for a few months now (the advantage of all the acest things starting in Sweden), but I had no idea until today that you could share playlists online. I knew there had to be some fantastic use for this, and I've just come up with it: I am going to make a playlist for each year that Into The Groove has been going. If you haven't downloaded Spotify yet, I suggest you do so right away. If you need an invitation, just e-mail me and I'll send you one as I have loads spare.

So far I've only done one playlist, Into The Groove 2004, so here that is for your enjoyment, and I'll sort out the rest when I get time: http://open.spotify.com/user/poptasticuk/playlist/4yI3S9ZlU019tjGIpOYdDL

Christina Milian - Us Against The World

2009-01-15T21:47:00.002Z

Fear not, she hasn't covered Westlife! This is the first single from her new album. I think it's interesting to see how acts like Christina and Brandy, who were around pre-Rihanna and have been away a while, will fare with their new material now that female r'n'b acts are so prevalent in America and internationally. Will they adapt to the new sound or stay true to what they were known for? Will they be able to compete in a now very competitive area of music? Christina has released quite varied music in the past, and her voice and persona are flexible enough that she can change with the times, which I think she has managed to do here. Us Against The World is a ballad, and there's something very familiar about it (I'm wondering if I've heard it before, but can't think where or when), but what I'm pleased to hear is that it's not just another rehash of Irreplaceable. I love Irreplaceable, but it's great to hear something which fits current trends (should please Umbrella fans, and is reminiscent of Love In This Club and Apologise) while retaining some originality.

Danny - Just Like That

2009-01-14T23:56:00.004Z

I was really disappointed with Radio, the lead single from Danny's second album, and the next single Need To Know was equally underwhelming and disturbingly high-pitched. It sounds like a Bosson album track, and I love Bosson but let's just say he picks his singles wisely. Anyway, after much procrastination, I eventually listened to the rest of the songs on the Danny album and thankfully found that some of them were just as good as the classic Europop anthems we know Danny for, Tokyo and Play It For The Girls. The one I instantly loved was Just Like That (featuring Swedish rapper Lazee, who's lived in London, hence the accent), so I was very excited to find that it will be the album's third single. Better late than never! It is like a dancier and cheesier version of Darin. My other favourite is Kiss You All Over, and Utopia and Emely are pretty good. Overall I'd say it's just as enjoyable as his last album - he's just sold it terribly, but thanks to his current prominence as member of Sweden's only (and therefore very popular) boyband, EMD, he is doing very well anyway.

Karl Wolf - Princess

2009-01-13T09:19:00.004Z

Many months ago I promised a post on Karl Wolf, and here, in typical procrastinator style, it is! He is a Lebanese-born Canadian popstar who also writes and produces music for other acts, such as Émily Bégin, whose brilliant single Au Grand Jour I posted in 2008. He has also worked with Taio Cruz and appears on a version of Taio's album track Driving Me Crazy. Princess is an electro-r'n'b song, but it's not much like Ne-Yo or Kanye West. It's pure cheesy pop, although I'm not sure it was entirely meant to be. With lyrics like "she's my special princess", it's kind of unavoidable. It's very summery and sweet, and super-catchy. The act it reminds me of most is the 90s boyband Ultra - this could easily be by them. I haven't been so impressed by his other solo work, but if he's capable of this as well as Émily's ace album, then he's definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Noisettes - Don't Upset The Rhythm

2009-01-12T00:38:00.007Z

I thought the new Noisettes single, Wild Young Hearts, was brilliant, but this other song that's currently being used in a Mazda car advert on TV is even better. It's super-infectious and sassy, with fun lyrics, and it gets me bopping along every time it comes on TV. I feel pretty confident that this advert placement will do wonders for the band, who only had small success with their last album, but have come back fighting with the two excellent tracks we know about, and who knows how many more! If the rest of the album is like this, it'll be one of the best of 2009 without a doubt. Perhaps the actual one to watch in 2009 is in fact going to be the act that I put as my one to watch in 2007! The full version is now posted for your listening pleasure.

Kesha - Backstabber

2009-01-11T00:43:00.008Z

Kesha is the singer featured on Flo Rida's surprisingly brilliant new single, Right Round. She seems quite feisty from her MySpace and her song lyrics, but I think it's great to have an artist with attitude, as it really adds character to the music. I probably wouldn't want to hang out with her, though. She's working with a lot of big names (Gad, Garibay, Bogart etc.) so the record company obviously have high hopes for her. She's kind of like Fergie but with good songs, meets a version of Gene Serene with the right connections to win the fanbase that Gene has always deserved. I'm not sure if there's a really strong single in any of her MySpace tracks, although Backstabber is a real grower, but if the Flo Rida track does as well as I think it will (i.e. VERY well), then she will probably be offered some better songs from songwriters who may not have given them to her otherwise. It'll be interesting to see how her career progresses, especially as her list of influences include such pop maestros as Richard X, MIA and... erm... The Cardigans?! Anyway, get to know Kesha now cos you might well be obsessed with her by this time next year.

Meg & Dia - What If

2009-01-10T15:29:00.003Z

I'm not sure why, but I seem to be particularly prone to getting songs stuck in my head at the moment. I couldn't get to sleep the last few nights because I had If I Could by The Yeah Yous circling around and around in my brain, but this morning it has thankfully been replaced by a new song, my newest obsession. What If isn't exactly the new single by Meg & Dia (who I've posted here before with their ace song Monster), but it was given away in conjunction with Seventeen magazine. Their third album is out in March and if this is any indicator, it's going to be great. The American (and often Canadian) girl-rock genre is an interesting one, because it provides us with some of pop's biggest names, all of whom (except for Avril - I've called a truce) I cannot stand, but it also produces some of the best and most underrated pop acts, such as Fefe Dobson, Lillix and Lucy Woodward. Since those acts have fallen by the wayside I haven't been thinking a lot about that side of the genre, but having recently discovered this new song by Meg & Dia, as well as a fantastic new act called Mixi, I'm reminded of how brilliant it can be.

The Yeah Yous - If I Could

2009-01-08T00:03:00.000Z

I have discovered a fantastic new band... and they're BRITISH!! They're actually a male duo, and so far they are so unknown that they have never ever been listened to according to Last FM. So they may not be quite on the brink of stardom, although they do have a major record deal and an album released this year. The Yeah Yous have what I loved about The Feeling, which Dan and co.'s recent material has sadly been lacking. The music is so jolly, catchy and fun (even their manager is called Adrian Jolly! I'm so envious!), giving off a lovely, positive vibe, helped especially by the vocal harmonies which show off the influence of the Beach Boys on the group. Fans of Alphabeat should definitely give them a try. It certainly is a great year so far for cheery pop - let's hope 2009 has started as it means to go on! The only problem at the moment is that their name is written all over their website ungrammatically, as "The Yeah You's". It's all quite upsetting, and an e-mail about it will definitely be heading Mr Jolly's way to save them any further embarrassment.

Annie Lennox - Shining Light

2009-01-07T14:34:00.005Z

You would think that someone covering an Ash song and making it sound a bit like Texas would not be the most amazing thing ever, but actually Annie's cover of Shining Light is quite brilliant. It's fantastically jolly, bursting with joy, and adds more of a soulful twist to the song than a girly one. Most of these covers of recent songs by other artists are nothing special, but every so often there is one which totally works and this is a great example of that. Knowing the song already makes the love for the cover instant, if it's a good new version. I didn't expect to be posting a new Annie Lennox song before I posted another by Annie, but it's nice when life surprises me like that. Apparently a video is being made, so this will probably be the new single. Also, if you want to hear another ace Ash cover by a girl, head over to Emmy the Great's MySpace for her version of Burn Baby Burn.

Darin - Girl Next Door

2008-12-24T00:14:00.004Z

Have we stepped into a parallel universe where I am the ruler of Planet Pop? It seems quite possible right now, as I just discovered that something has happened which is way too ace to happen in the real world: Darin's new album has a song on it which is a re-write of Just Dance by Lady GaGa! Rather stupidly, Just Dance is only just becoming a mega-hit in the US, and is starting on its way to it in the United Kingdom of Slowcoaches now, but ever-sensible Sweden has been boogying to it since the summer, and I for one have been obsessed since April. I won't give away quite yet where Just Dance will be on my chart of the year (soon to be posted on Dirrrty Pop), but it's certainly going to be near the top, so the news that one of my favourite artists has done a version of it is exciting news indeed. Of course it's not quite up there with the original, but it's still one of the album's highlights, and I'd trade a random filler track for a new version of an amazing song any day! I wonder if Darin actually made his song first, as Moroccan-Swedish Nadir Khayat aka RedOne (who wrote and produced Just Dance and Girl Next Door) had his first success with Step Up by Darin. It was clear from Darin's second and third albums that there was something special there, and while Darin isn't famous worldwide, Nadir is getting to be.

Amy Pearson - Don't Miss You

2008-12-16T22:44:00.005Z

I can't say I expect much from the career of Aussie r'n'b-pop singer Amy Pearson, but I had to post this past single for its catchy chorus alone. Her style reminds me of Stacie Orrico, which is not a total disaster because Stacie released some utterly brilliant pop songs, but that was several years ago now. Unfortunately for Amy, one catchy single doesn't make up for a generic sound and look, and complete lack of a USP. I wish I could be nicer, because I like the cheerfulness and the empowering sentiment of the song, but to be honest it would be better off being given to someone with a bit more star potential. Nonetheless, it's good pop music and therefore definitely deserves its spot on Into The Groove.

Johan Krafman - Disarmed

2008-12-15T13:54:00.004Z

Listen up, fans of Swedish pop boys! Johan Krafman won a recent competition on Mix Megapol called Artistjakten ("the artist hunt") and his prize was to release this single. He's a lucky man, because it's a brilliant pop song. He is only 20, although he looks older in this photo. It doesn't seem like the song has been that successful, but nonetheless if he does go on to make an album in this radio friendly, uplifiting pop style then he could do really well in Sweden. I don't know if Disarmed was written by one of Ola's writers, but I could imagine him releasing it, although Johan makes the song a bit more rocky as that's his background. You can hear some more from Johan's band TD Lemon on their MySpace, and they're alright (a bit Erik Faber actually), but the music isn't a patch on this poptastic number. I hope we'll hear more like this from Johan, but if not at least we can have this one on repeat for about 10 years and not get bored of it!

Chairlift - Bruises

2008-12-07T14:42:00.002Z

When I listened to this band on MySpace, I thought they were alright but quite boring. However, I was busy so I didn't press the stop button, and thank goodness I didn't, cos otherwise I would never have heard their ace new single! Why they didn't put this track at the top I've no idea - just think of how many fans they must have lost through this error already. Apparently it has been used for an iPod Nano advert, but I don't recall having seen it. They are labelled as a New York electro-pop band, but they're quite indie really (they're no Doe Deere anyway). Nonetheless, they've made one fantastic single, and I hope it won't be their only moment of aceness cos I'd love to hear more like this.

Émily Bégin - Au Grand Jour

2008-11-24T22:58:00.005Z

I've never delved much into the Canadian pop scene, but recently I've heard some interesting singles by French-Canadian acts. First of all I heard about an r'n'b singer called Karl Wolf, who I am going to talk about soon, but before that I want to present to you the best French-language song I have heard since my discovery of Yelle early this year. Émily Bégin was one of the contestants on the first series of Star Académie in 2003, and has since released 2 albums. Both of them have been co-produced by Karl Wolf, but EMILY (the second album, released 2007) seems to be the most poptastic, giving us Au Grand Jour and Laissez-Moi Danser, among other aceness. Émily, who looks like a mix of Britney and Madonna, is very glam in the video, which caused some controversy with its inclusion of gay couples (male and female). It's a lot more provocative than the new Boyzone video, but I don't see any angry Irish vicars chasing after Émily! I must also recommend a visit to her website, so you can hear her fab French verson of Don't You Want Me.

Keke Palmer - Bottoms Up

2008-11-18T23:05:00.003Z

This song has been around for a while, featuring on Keke's 2007 album So Uncool, but I only just dscovered it and have to share it with you. Keke Palmer became famous when she played the title role in Akeelah and the Bee, and went on to star in the Disney film Jump In! alongside Corbin Bleu. I love Bottoms Up because it's so fun and sassy, with references to several recent r'n'b/pop hits such as Bossy by Kelis and Hips Don't Lie by Shakira, and it's got a great electro backing track. This is the most relevant thing a Disney artist has recorded in a while, and it's no surprise that its German (but living in NYC) writer Toby Gad is one of the most in demand songwriters at the moment with hits such as If I Were A Boy and Big Girls Don't Cry. However, I was much more excited to recently discover that he wrote both K-Otic's Damn I Think I Love You, and Happy by Sita! If that isn't enough to deserve a place in the pop writers hall of fame, then I don't know what is...

Sam Taylor - Run Away

2008-11-08T18:04:00.004Z

Sam Taylor is a new young male artist who is being managed by William Baker, fashion designer and close friend of Kylie Minogue. William's last foray into music was the very unsuccessful (despite having Siobhan Donaghy in it) Rent Remixed, but he could do at least a bit better this time, as Sam Taylor's a great singer and this song is excellent. It features, along with another of Sam's songs called Sometimes I Need You (and Jolene, as I posted the other day), on the soundtrack to the BBC series Beautiful People. The song was a clever choice, because the show is set in the '90s, and although this is a new song, it does sound very 90s. I could imagine East 17 or even Take That having sung it. It's better than the new Take That song, actually! I'm looking forward to hearing more from Sam, so I hope he's not one of those acts who just disappears and is never heard from again. Being on this soundtrack doesn't seem to have got him much notice yet, as this song only has 2 listeners on Last FM so far!

t.A.T.u - Fly on the Wall

2008-11-05T23:33:00.003Z

Last week, everyone's favourite Russian fake lesbians released a new album for download, There is a mixture of Russian and English-language tracks, the latter including You and I, as heard in the trailer for their film of the same name. The album is nothing like as good as their last, Dangerous and Moving, but this song is one of the best, and in fact one of the poppiest, songs t.A.T.u have ever done. It's really catchy and intricate, with a quite commercial poppy melody, but retaining the distinct t.A.T.u sound so it avoids sounding like any other current pop act. There is supposed to be a full English-language album coming out at some point, so I hope it really happens. I also can't wait to see this film of theirs - it looks gloriously terrible!

James Morrison ft. Nelly Furtado - Broken Strings

2008-11-02T00:07:00.003Z

When I read that James Morrison's new single featured Nelly Furtado, I presumed that he was only releasing it because of her presence, and certainly didn't expect it to be any good. Well, I was wrong - it's actually amazing! I really love it when I discover a brilliant song unexpectedly, and I'm very excited about this one, because due to being a duet between two sucessful artists, it actually has a chance of being as big as it deserves to be. I only wonder why no-one informed me of it earlier? It's one of those songs which starts off well, and builds into aceness, so at first I was thinking "well, it's not too bad", then "this is rather good actually", and culminating in the old favourite, "oh wow I love it!" It sounds like Take That's new single should sound, if they want a chance at the Xmas no.2 with it (obviously the no.1 is irretrievable now from X Factor). This is definitely James' best song, and one of Nelly's best as well - just a really well-written, very commercial, heartfelt pop song. Hooray for both of them!

Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Jolene

2008-10-26T17:58:00.004Z

A brilliant song and a brilliant popstar - it's no surprise this pairing makes for an excellent cover version. One of my absolute favourite British shows of recent times is Beautiful People, a comedy-drama series which is on at the moment, about an adorable gay teenage boy growing up in 1990s Reading. I also lived just outside Reading in the 90s, so despite the many continuity flaws with the programme (the most ridiculous being that it is not filmed in Reading at all, and they keep referring to things like the Oracle and showing H&M, which definitely weren't there in 1997), I can certainly sympathise. I may never have been a gay teenage boy, but that didn't stop me dedicating my life to learning the Spice Girls' lyrics and dreaming of being in a musical. Actually, that's an equally accurate description of my life today. Anyway, back to Sophie - she is one of the most fabulous British popstars of all time, and it's great to hear something new from her. Bring on the new album!

Sugababes - Every Heart Broken

2008-10-22T12:31:00.002Z

Are the Sugababes (or their management) totally mad? Why would you release No Can Do when you have a song like this on your album? There is another song which is a collaboration between Klas Åhlund and Max Martin, and still this one is better. Every Heart Broken is one of Klas' other contributions, and you've probably read about it on Popjustice under its original (and much better) name of Murder One. The lyrics are brilliant, but I mostly love how the song is just a great, traditional sing-along pop song: funny verse, building bridge, super-catchy chorus, funny verse, building bridge, super-catchy chorus, middle eight, super-catchy chorus. I'd also like to recommend Side Chick (including a rhyme of "knickers" and "ridiculous"!!), retro-tastic You On A Good Day, and the aforementioned Max collaboration, Unbreakable Heart, which is the song Chris Brown's Forever can only dream of being. After the disappointment and sell-outosity of Girls, I wasn't expecting much from this album, but I should have known better when Klas is involved.

Georgina Hagen & Sapphire Elia - Watch This Space

2008-10-21T00:41:00.004Z

It's been a while since I've heard a new song which is pure pop and absolutely excellent, and I certainly wasn't expecting to hear it on an ITV kids' show. Georgina and Sapphire play two of the main characters on the new series Britannia High, and as you can guess from their names, Georgina plays Little Miss Ordinary while Sapphire is the Drama Queen Bitch. They are rivals, of course, and this song is their musical face-off in the first episode. Its excellence is unsurprisingly most due to Sapphire's icy fabulosity - as soon as she enters the song it suddenly sounds like something Girls Aloud or Rachel Stevens would be proud of. It's like See You Again with a grump on, a brilliant self-empowerment song for 8 year old girls to sing in front of their mirrors with a hairbrush, just like the good old days. Kid-pop is definitely back, and after the barren and boring Busted/McFly years it's a very big relief!

Eagle Eye Cherry - Skull Tattoo

2008-10-17T23:05:00.005Z

Sometimes I can spend hours scouring the Internet for brilliant pop music, following leads (artists or writers I usually like, or bloggers I often agree with), but find nothing at all of interest. However, when I do discover something special, it's all worthwhile. This song is my latest discovery, found through its ace writer Klas Ahlund, and I'm very excited about it. I haven't heard such a feel-good song in ages, and after only one listen its super-catchy chorus was firmly wedged in my brain. I'm sure you remember Eagle Eye as the oddly-named (and it is his real name - his middle name is Lanoo!) brother of Neneh, who had one hit in the late 90s with the lovely Save Tonight, although he actually managed two top 20 albums. Skull Tattoo was from his third, which was only a minor success even in Sweden (although Skull Tattoo made the UK charts... well, at 158!), but he is still going and plans to release another album in 2009.

Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For

2008-10-02T08:54:00.005Z

California Liar's album is one which doesn't bowl me over, but it is consistently very strong. The American-Swedish band are a project of Max Martin, and comparable to Rooney or One Republic in sound. This song popped up on my iPod the other day and I realised what a fantastic chorus it has, especially at the end where the song builds up. I imagine it would be brilliant to see performed live with a whole crowd singing along. The fact that Max Martin can make songs like this as well as girl-rock and Britney-pop (what else can you call the sub-genre initiated by Baby One More Time?) and boyband-sop, shows that he is the most talented songwriter/producer around today. That he isn't celebrated for that while people like Chris Martin and Gary Lightbody are, is an absolute travesty! Make sure you also listen to the single, It's Not Over, if you haven't already had the pleasure, and for fans of gratuitous swearing there's always All That Shit Is Gone...

Hello Saferide - I Wonder Who Is Like This One?

2008-09-30T12:47:00.004Z

This is one of the songs from Hello Saferide's new album, and it's utterly beautiful and fantastic, as we've come to expect from Annika and co. She has to be my favourite lyricist in the world, and English isn't even her first language. Her personality comes through in her songs and turns them from typical sweet indie-pop into something really unique and special. The title isn't in the song, but when you listen to it you'll understand. Annika is undoubtedly one of the most talented singer/songwriters around at the moment, and I'm very excited about hearing the rest of the new album, which was released last Wednesday in Sweden. I had to use this picture, because it was taken at the gig where I first saw Hello Saferide play!

Lenka - The Show

2008-09-23T10:17:00.000Z

I discovered this adorable indie-pop song on the soundtrack of Angus, Thongs & Perfect Not At All Full-Frontal Snogging, but I couldn't find any info anywhere about the artist, who was credited as Lady Lenka. However, I was looking around on Imeem yesterday and found a page which is run by Lenka herself. She turns out to be Australian, an ex-member of Decoder Ring (the band who soundtracked the annoying Aussie film Somersault), and her album is out on 23rd September, i.e. today! You can listen to clips and some full songs on Imeem, and there are some really good ones. Don't Let Me Fall is lovely. If you like Marit Larsen then you should give Lenka a chance, as they're similarly sugary-sweet.

The Killers - Human

2008-09-22T13:40:00.004Z

I'm so pleased: The Killers are poptastic again! Human, produced by Stuart Price, is probably the poppiest song they've ever done, with a great chorus and an obvious Pet Shop Boys influence. This could be a track on the PSBs' excellent last album, in fact. I loved where The Killers were going with their first album, but was totally bored by their follow-up. Now they're definitely back on track, and it's really exciting because since their first album they have become a very important and influential act, so a track like this will help very much in the fight against indie dullness. I look forward to hearing many more indie bands dropping their guitars in favour of dance beats and catchy choruses.

The Dolly Rockers - Champagne Shirley

2008-09-12T19:37:00.005Z

They may be tart-tastic, but I have to say I'm quite impressed by The Dolly Rockers. Although we'd rather not admit that most British girls overdo the fake tan and think mini-skirts are classy, it's the truth, and The Dolly Rockers represent that without shame. They got through a round or two on X Factor last year, but ultimately they were too rough and ready for prime-time ITV. They're bursting with genuine charisma, and remind us of some girl-group greats like the Spice Girls, Pay TV, Girls Aloud, Atomic Kitten in the Katona days, and Shampoo... but also Vanilla. If non-Brits want to know what this country is like, don't watch Brideshead Revisited (read the book, it doesn't have Matthew Goode in it), listen to The Dolly Rockers!

Darren Hayes - Dress U Up

2008-09-11T02:16:00.004Z

Continuing in the theme of disco-fabulosity, here is Darren's version of the Madonna classic! It's well-known that Mr Hayes is a big fan of Queen Madge, with references to her in his songs ("acting like a mover-shaker dancing to Madonna" is the best line of Chained To You by Savage Garden) and the bootleg of Crush with Holiday, but I don't think I've actually heard him cover one of her songs before. I'm not sure if there's any particular purpose to this, but that's certainly not a complaint. Any reason for Darren to get his disco-boots on is reason enough for me.

Doe Deere - One Touch

2008-09-07T22:59:00.005Z

Well, Muxtape is still absent after at least 2 weeks, so I'm moving on to pastures new i.e. Imeem. Like before, you just left click on the song title on each of my posts to listen to the songs. One Touch is a song which I've been meaning to post for ages, and it's one of my most listened to in recent months. It fits with the recent nostalgia for Italodisco, and in fact sounds like the perfect new single for Sophie Ellis-Bextor (who Doe is a fan of). Doe Deere, who loves Britney as much as Tears For Fears, is a really fun and exciting popstar, whose album I can't wait to buy. Her real name is Xenia, she is Russian but lives in New York, and has a big following for her "blogazine", where she talks about her life and gives advice to girls on fashion and many other things. It's clear from her MySpace that she is aiming for poptasticness, and achieving it very well with many fantastic glittery tunes. With acts like Doe Deere and Lady GaGa, New York is becoming a real beacon of aceness at the moment, seriously challenging Scandinavia for the female electro-pop crown.

Oh dear!

2008-08-20T18:44:00.002Z

The RIAA are having words with Muxtape, so none of my songs can be listened to at the moment. Quite a disaster, but I still recommend every one of them, and they can all be found on YouTube or MySpace, so there's no excuse not to be getting your groove on while Muxtape is down. I'm going on holiday on Friday and I won't be back for a week, so I'm going to see what the situation is when I get back, and then I'll know if I need to find an alternative to Muxtape. Have a jolly week, hope you don't miss me too much!

Brandy - Right Here (Departed)

2008-08-18T11:29:00.004Z

I expect most of you, like me, had forgotten all about Brandy, but now she is back to take on the hoardes of r'n'b divas who have taken over the charts in her absense. Her new single is very strong and sunny, and I think it's excellent, with a big chance of being a hit. Although she hasn't released an album in four years, and her last one (Afrodisiac) wasn't all that successful, she has stayed in the public eye with a reality TV show, Special Delivery, and as a judge on America's Got Talent. Right Here sounds similar to Brandy's past hits from the Full Moon album, but an updated version. She's worked with Taio Cruz and Natasha Bedingfield on her new album, so I look forward to hearing what they've come up with.

Lia - Girls Like To Flirt

2008-08-15T17:50:00.004Z

This isn't the return of Lia Andreen (although she is back under another name), but a new r'n'b singer who used to be in a girlgroup called BitterSweet. Her music overall isn't outstanding, but this track is fabulous - think Vanessa Hudgens or Monrose at their best. I've been listening to quite a lot of female r'n'b lately, with Rihanna, Lady GaGa, Jordin Sparks and many others creating brilliant pop songs. I wouldn't say I'm an r'n'b fan in general, but the female r'n'b singers tend to be the sassiest personalities and the strongest vocalists, so they are easy for producers and writers to create great pop songs for, and the fact that r'n'b is more popular worldwide than pure pop music means these ladies are a great opportunity to get poptastic singles to the top of the charts.

Marit Larsen - If A Song Could Get Me You

2008-08-12T23:42:00.003Z

I wasn't sure at first that I liked this new single by lovely ex-M2M singer Marit Larsen as much as Don't Save Me or Only A Fool, but by the end of my second listen I had changed my mind. It's a great comeback single, and like her previous work, it takes a few listens for the hooks to weave their way into your brain, but once they do they're there to stay! If A Song is a really sweet (and catchy) love song which typefies Marit's quirkily cutesy musical persona. After I posted Don't Save Me, the song, and Marit's album in turn, went on to become one of the critical hits of the year among music bloggers and their readers. I don't know if I can take any credit for that, but I hope that all of those people will continue to be interested in Marit with the release of her follow-up album, and don't consider her passé now the faddish appreciation has calmed down. Marit deserves to be more than a flash in the pan!

Montt Mardié - Names Not Forgotten

2008-08-11T20:33:00.006Z

(Muxtape won't let me upload it, grr!) I've always thought Montt Mardié (the stage name of Swedish singer/musician David Pagmar) was an interesting act, but this new song is acer than all of his previous work put together. It's very jolly and catchy, a sunny, bouncy tune with plentiful oohs. I really want to make up a dance routine for it. If his voice was less weird it would be a great TV show theme tune. Soon Montt (or Monty as he calls himself in the first line of this song) will release his first album in the UK, and quite strangely it will be released through a label set up by almost good pop band Lucky Soul. The album is a compilation of his two Swedish albums entitled Introducing... The Best Of Montt Mardié, also including Names Not Forgotten, which will be his debut single over here. I suspect most of you don't even know who he is, but if there do happen to be any other Morten Abel fans reading this, I highly recommend Montt Mardié to you.

Agnes Carlsson - On and On

2008-08-08T22:33:00.004Z

What a pleasant surprise - Agnes has 'done a Keane' and gone unboring! She was the first female Idol winner in Sweden, and her sound pretty much fits that category. She may not look much like Michelle McManus (quite Leona-ish actually in this photo), but she doesn't sound too far from her vocally. She has released a few acceptable songs before, and one really good one called Stranded, but she's even beaten that with this new single. It's not a huge surprise, though, when you consider that it was produced by Anders Hansson, who works with BWO and Lena Philipsson, the latter of whom Agnes is beginning to sound quite similar to. If one style led to comparisons with Michelle McManus and another to Lena Ph, I think we can quite safely say that she's made a huge improvement. Now, let's see her back in Melodifestivalen this year, and try not to get disqualified this time, OK?

Keane - Spiralling

2008-08-05T22:21:00.006Z

Wow! On their first album Keane were an OK band with a few good songs, on their second an OK band with a few brilliant songs, but now they have developed into a fully-fledged acetastic superband, with synths and oohs and a talky bit that sounds like the Pet Shop Boys! Not only could you quite feasibly dance to this, but I'm bopping along without even meaning to. It's like Keane, as produced by Alphabeat! I'd forgotten all about Keane until today, and now I'm looking all over to find out more about their new album. Apparently they're working with Stuart Price, as well as the producer of Rufus Wainwright's first album, which sounds very promising indeed. I've just uploaded Spiralling to the Muxtape, but you can actually download it yourself, legally and for free, on Keane's website until next Monday. I can't believe a song this good is not even the proper first single! The album, Perfect Symmetry, is released in October.

Lady GaGa - Love Games

2008-08-01T22:38:00.004Z

Just Dance has been around a while now, but it still sounds amazing on every listen. Here's another track from Miss GaGa and again it's total poptastic brilliance, albeit extremely dirrrty! She's the only act I can think of who is challenging Rihanna for the crown of America's pop princess at the moment. She has been compared to Madonna, and although I think that's a bit strong for someone who's only released one single so far, I can certainly see her potential to take on Madge's role, and Gwen Stefani better watch out too. I don't see this particular song becoming a worldwide hit (although it'd get Radio 1 plays for it's innuendos alone), as I think Just Dance should be, but I love it myself and I think most pop fans will be just as enamoured. It's great fun and I can't wait now to hear Lady GaGa's full album. She's a real pop persona, showing potential to shake things up, and she has the great music to back it up. Acts like Katy Perry who want to be controversial and confrontational need to look to Lady GaGa to see how fabulous feminist bitch-pop is done properly and convincingly.

Born Crain - 4 Letter Word

2008-07-31T12:15:00.003Z

I'm really enjoying getting into Flemish pop music at the moment, as they have some interesting acts, and here is my latest discovery. Born Crain is a singer-songwriter, somewhere between Ben Folds and Robbie Williams, and he has lots of catchy piano-pop songs to offer. The one that got me interested was his new single, a fun cover of Tonight by recently-reformed New Kids On The Block, but I've decided that 4 Letter Word, which was the first single from his upcoming album, The Pleasure of Your Company, is my favourite. Born (which is really his first name, although Crain is a fake surname) seems really cute and jolly in his videos, a really nice popstar overall, and I'll definitely keep following his career in future.

dEUS - The Architect

2008-07-30T14:19:00.004Z

dEUS are one of those bands that I knew the name of but really had no idea what they were like - I didn't even know that they were Belgian. I was quite surprised then, that a great song I heard on Q Music last weekend was by dEUS, and listening to it again at home it only sounds better. It's from their new album, Vantage Point, but not (as I first thought) from the recent film of the same name. All of the other songs on their MySpace are quite boring, but I still love this one. It's by far their biggest hit in Belgium, reaching no.2, while their past highest chart position was 30! I think The Architect sounds like something Teddybears (Sthlm) would do, when in rock rather than rap mode. It may be less sweet and fluffy than many of my posted songs, but it's really fun and the chorus is very catchy.

Annie - Songs Remind Me of You

2008-07-11T20:29:00.005Z

After what must be years of waiting, I can finally provide you with this song in full. It is very good, but I wouldn't say it's the best thing Annie's done - however, Chewing Gum, Me Plus One and Heartbeat are some of pop's best ever achievements, so that's no big criticism. It reminds me most of what we heard on Rachel Stevens' masterpiece, Come and Get It, but a little less pop and more electro. It's typically Annie, and if you loved her past hits, you'll certainly love this too. While I think it is a wonderful piece of pop music, I also feel like all of the build up to hearing it has meant that I can't really appreciate it as much as I might have. I suppose I'm disappointed that I didn't stop everything and squeal with joy on the moment of hearing it, as I'd hoped to. The lyrics are great, the music is fabulously 80s, and it's growing on me with each listen, but I think I need to get to know it on my own terms and separate to the expectations in order to fall in love with it, which I'm still confident will happen. She's still the world's cutest popstar, anyway.

Da Wonda Twinz - Who Cares?

2008-07-10T18:17:00.003Z

I discovered this one on a friend's Muxtape and loved it instantly. It sounds like something Rihanna would do (and just as good as her ace new single, Disturbia), and as she's my favourite American female artist of the moment, that's high praise indeed. I love the song's feisty attitude, with lines like "take all of your stories and take all your explanations, you can you can shove 'em where the sun don't shine... cos I don't care!", you can't help but do a little Danny Noriega-esque head twitch. Any girl (or boy!) who's been mistreated needs to hear this cos it's the perfect remedy. This song reeks of girl power, plus it's got loads of different great bits. A triumph indeed! My reserach shows that Da Wonda Twinz are not actually a mixture of Brick and Lace and the Cheeky Girls - they are actually two male producers, and nowhere can I find out for sure who the singers are. Some sites claim it is by Danity Kane, but I don't know their voices well enough to tell if that's true. I put them as the picture anyway.

Natalie Grant - I Will Not Be Moved

2008-07-08T18:20:00.003Z

If ever there was proof that great pop music can come from any source, then this is it. Natalie is part of the Christian music scene in America, and from the looks of it she's no spring chicken, but she's made a song here which could easily be mistaken for Holland's top pop-rocker, Anouk. It''s always surprised me that the Christian music market doesn't produce anything very impressive, as it's so large and family-oriented music is generally poppy, but in my previous research it's seemed extremely dull. The song is really well-written, and her singing shows passion and strength, as good angst-pop must. It's not a one-off either, as all of the songs on her MySpace are pretty good. If you were disappointed by Kelly Clarkson's last album then this is the remedy. Fans of superior (to Kelly) rock-pop girls like Marion Raven, The Veronicas and Lilyjets should also give this a try, cos it definitely stands up to the competition.

Miss Li - Oh Boy

2008-07-07T22:37:00.003Z

I've known of Miss Li for years, but I'd never paid her much attention until today. I started watching this incredible performance of Oh Boy from Allsång på Skansen, and I was immediately hooked. I've never seen a thing like it, so much energy and passion and a great voice to boot. The song is so cute and coquettish and at the same time strong and powerful. Miss Li fits in with Swedish indie-pop lovelies like Marit and Maia, but adds a touch of retro showtune, at least on this song - I can't wait to hear what else she has to offer. I think this girl has potential to be a huge indie star, considering the popularity of singers like Feist and Jenny Lewis. On Oh Boy, Miss Li is what Nelly McKay could have been, what Nicole Atkins almost is. She deserves to be a huge star for the amount of talent and charisma she shows in this song, and I can't even say how pleased I am to have discovered her.

Will Young - Let It Go

2008-07-01T13:07:00.004Z

I was quite worried about Will's new album, because I thought he was going to go in a jazz direction, but then I heard he was working with the Freemasons, and the excitement began. This track, which he sang live on Radio 2 on Saturday, is certainly not a Freemasons production, but it is completely lovely. Seeing him interviewed on Glastonbury reminded me how much I love Will as a person, and then hearing this I remembered what a beautiful singing voice he has. Let It Go is very simple, gentle and intimate, so it's all about the lyrics, the melody and the singing, although this of course is just an acoustic version. I can't wait to hear the album version, and the rest of his new songs. Will is back! The album of the same name will be out on September 28. I'm very excited!

Collapsing Cities - Seriously

2008-06-28T14:42:00.004Z

Collapsing Cities are not a very good band overall, but they have one song which could be absolutely huge, and this is it. Seriously has to be the catchiest indie boy song of 2008, and it's seriously brilliant! It needs to be released ASAP to be a big summer hit. It's a classic-in-waiting. There's something so joyous about it, I always find myself smiling while I listen, and I have it stuck in my head for the rest of the day. As a follow-up they could release their one other good song Fear Of Opening My Mouth, which goes "if I'm still a telemarketer next year, I think I'll kill myself". I think a lot of people could relate to that one. Collapsing Cities have huge potential, but their market is so overpopulated at the moment that it's never a safe bet to say they'll be successful. All I can say is they should be, and easily could be.

Alcazar - Inhibitions

2008-06-27T08:14:00.004Z

Here's the brand new single by Swedish pop royalty, Alcazar. It's the second they'll release as their new line-up, and I believe it is soon to be followed by an album, which is rather exciting. As far as I know they're not working with Alexander Bard anymore, but they have still continued to make great pop in the Alcazar style. This one's got a brilliantly catchy chorus and a general sassyness about it which makes it really fun to sing and dance along to. The ah-ohuh-ohuhs will definitely get stuck in your head. This could become a big favourite with Swedish pop lovers.

The Black Ghosts - Any Way You Choose To Give It

2008-06-24T20:35:00.003Z

The Black Ghosts may be the latest indie sensation, but don't hold it against them: one of their songs is utterly amazing! I downloaded this in late 2007, and was instantly obsessed, listening to it again and again, but since it had been released and seemingly not gotten anywhere, I forgot about them and just made a mental note to post the song up here when I got the chance. No rush. But perhaps I should have posted it up when I first heard it after all, because now that the group are about to release a hotly-tipped album, featuring Damon Albarn on the lead single, I reckon it's a pretty safe prediction that this track will soon be re-released, and could potentially be one of the biggest hits of 2008. The vocals make it a little bit laddish, but the catchiness and danceability, plus links to revered electricians Justice, means everyone from indie geeks to dancefloor divas will, in all probability, be loving this song this summer. Get learning the words and inventing your dance routine!

Rhianna - Oh Baby/Word Love

2008-06-22T21:06:00.005Z

How rubbish it must be for Rhianna, when she tells someone she's "the singer, Rhianna" only to get a laugh in return, and some advice to improve on her Jamaican accent if she wants to get away with that one. She may not have had anything to quite the level of Umbrella, SOS or Don't Stop The Music, but I definitely preferred Rhianna's first two singles to Rihanna's. You might remember her singles Oh Baby (which got to no.18) and Word Love from her first album in 2002, when she was just 16, and she released a follow-up CD in 2006. Unfortuantely she now is apparently working in a sandwich shop in Northumberland! Oh Baby was on a Levis advert, if I remember correctly, and also used to appear regularly on Fresh Hits on MTV Hits, a TV show which used to be the highlight of my week, as they used to play all the videos no-one else would play, such as Amy Studt, Sita and Benefit. I suppose they must not have played Word Love, as I actually didn't hear it until I found it on an mp3 blog a few years ago (it just missed the top 40), but I think it's just as good as Oh Baby, so I've posted both as a general induction to Rhianna.

Pixie - The Fall

2008-06-19T14:22:00.002Z

She may be a typical Essex girl, but Pixie Lott is working with a very impressive selection of producers on her forthcoming debut album - Babyface, Cutfather & Joe, Soulshock, Kara Diogardi, Rodney Jerkins, The Underdogs, K-Gee and Rick Nowels. With that many big names, she's sure to come up with at least one or two great songs, and already her MySpace has some pretty good offerings. My favourite is The Fall, which is kinda like Natasha Bedingfield meets Vanessa Hudgens, cute and jolly r'n'b-pop. There's obviously a lot of money behind Pixie's career, so she's definitely one to keep an eye on, with potential to make some great pop.

Stacy Clark - Matter of Time

2008-06-17T13:57:00.003Z

I only discovered Stacy yesterday, but it seems she's been going for quite a while. 23-year-old Stacy survived a life-threatening blood disease in her teenage years, and now does a lot of charity work for people with similar conditions. She is from New York but now lives in California, released an album Apples and Oranges in 2007, and soon will have a new acoustic album. Matter of Time is the first track on Apples and Oranges, and undoubtedly her best song of the ones I've heard. Her style is like a poppier Imogen Heap or Tegan and Sara, quite similar to Jem actually, but I like Matter of Time better than any of Jem's songs, personally. It's cute and catchy in its quirkiness, enjoyably hooky without being a huge sing-along song. I fully expect Stacy to appear on the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack next season, if she hasn't been on there already.

EliZe - Lovesick

2008-06-16T15:16:00.004Z

Remember EliZe, the top dance-pop lady of the Netherlands, she of Automatic, Shake and Into Your System? Well, she's back! Lovesick has been out a few weeks in Holland, and is so far at no.17 in the top 100, already much higher than her disappointing last single Itsy Bitsy Spider, which only reached 54. It's probably the most properly dance music single that she's released so far, but it is still catchy and enjoyable. If you liked her past hits (or September, Velvet, Da Buzz etc.) you'll certainly like this - whether you'll ever like it as much is debatable, but that's no big criticism, because Automatic is one of the absolute best dance-pop singles of all time.

Monrose - Strike The Match

2008-06-15T10:06:00.003Z

No-one could claim that Germany is at the forefront of poptasticness, but what they can be complimented on is their persistant efforts, especially in the area of r'n'b-pop. One example of a German act having an amazing breakthrough of aceness was Monrose's excellent 2007 single, Hot Summer, one of the best r'n'b-pop songs of last year. Now they're back with a new single called Strike The Match, which is co-written by Ryan Tedder and up-and-coming French popstar SoShy. It's a bit more on the r'n'b side, but the group could still be called a mix of Sugababes and Pussycat Dolls. The music they're releasing is, in my opinion at least, better than the rubbish American girlgroups seem to produce (admittedly Killa by Cherish was good), and they wouldn't be out of place in the UK pop charts either. It'll be interesting to see if they ever make it over here - I do think they stand a chance. Their 3rd album in Germany, I Am, will be out in July.

Alphabeat - Touch Me, Touching You

2008-06-10T14:19:00.003Z

I hate exams. Because of mine it has taken me 8 days to post this, the most wonderfully ace of all the wonderfully ace new songs on the UK release of This Is Alphabeat. I listen to this CD and I just can't believe it's real - this band are so amazing! I know not everyone gets it, but it doesn't matter one jot to me: they are the most brilliant and glorious band around. Just from looking at them, in all their colourful Danish cuteness, it is clear. This song I first heard when I first saw them live at the start of this year (after a year of desperate waiting to do so - I even considered travelling to Denmark especially!) and I was obsessed with the song and Alphabeat from that moment on. It's just brilliant live. The new version of the album emphasises the band's 80s influence more than the original, and this is probably the most clearly 80s track. It's just so much fun, and its cheeky lyrics give it a little edge to show that pop music is definitely not just for children!

Mystery Jets - Hand Me Down

2008-06-04T12:39:00.005Z

Mystery Jets were one of those bands who I knew the name of but couldn't tell you anything about them, except they are an indie band with a male singer. It was only today I realised it was them who did that song about a Dennis who can't fool them. Recently I have been getting to know much more about them, and coming to like them a lot - first they duetted with lovely Laura Marling on an equally lovely song called Young Love, then they released one of this year's best pop songs so far, Two Doors Down. It's brilliant! This 100% ace track record for the singles from the new album impelled me to get hold of Twenty One, and I'm listening to it right now for the first time. It's much more serious than Two Doors Down would suggest, but still has some catchy tunes and fun lyrics, for example in this track, First To Know and Half In Love With Elizabeth. If you see them performing on TV or live, keep an eye out for the one member who looks about twice the age of the rest! Obviously one of the lads wasn't allowed to join the group unless his dad chaperoned him...

Sarah McLeod - White Horse (Whelan & Di Scala Remix)

2008-05-28T01:05:00.001Z

This remix of a rock song is one of the best dance songs I've heard in ages. If you like Sarah's fellow Aussies the Rogue Traders, you'll enjoy this, and even if not, you've got to listen to it for the great use of a rather unsubtle Kelis reference. I hope she won't get sued for it! It's a brilliantly catchy and feisty song, and with her grainy yet powerful voice it's great to sing along to in angry moments - very cathartic. Her other songs are pretty good too, if you're looking for a mix of Kelly Clarkson and Juliet... well, someone might be! She used to be in a successful group called The Superjesus, who I'd never heard of but they seem OK (quite typical 90s rock-pop) from a bit of Googling, perhaps also worth investigating. Worryingly though, she is a spokesperson for the brand of motorbike my dad rides.

Leon Jean Marie - East End Blues

2008-05-25T12:06:00.005Z

I'm not a huge fan of Bed Of Nails, but his new single Bring It On is a bit better, and on his MySpace he has some really great pop songs. My favourite is East End Blues. His style is somewhat like Prince, but an updated 21st century version. If Prince was releasing these songs, he might have a few more top 10 hits. Similarly, Leon may have a few more hits if he was Prince - at the moment he's still a bit of a non-entity, and I'm not sure Bring It On is good enough to change that. However, it does annoy me that David Jordan has had some success, possibly taking up all the space there is for a new version of Prince. Hopefully the annoyingness of David's music and personality is being realised, and space will be made for Leon. That's as optimistic as I can be. The album is set for release on the 30th of June.

Nicole Atkins - Party's Over

2008-05-05T18:17:00.002Z

I've known of Nicole by name for several months now, but never got around to listening to her music. Watching The Box the other day I kept seeing her video for new UK single Maybe Tonight, and although at first I wasn't overwhelmed, it grew on me after a few listens and I was intrigued enough to listen to some more of her music. I'm glad I did as I liked all of the songs I heard. There isn't one that I immediately thought was amazing or a potential no.1 hit, but she wins at consistency and has a sound which fits in with current successes such as Feist, Regina Spektor and Duffy, while not sounding exactly like anyone in particular. I think this kind of act does need one song, a 1234 or Fidelity, that gets them noticed, and I'm not sure if Maybe Tonight does that, but it's possible she'll gain quite a bit of popularity by word of mouth. Party's Over is the song from her album which I enjoyed the most, a sassy retro-sounding track in the vein of Duffy, Lucky Soul or the Long Blondes.

Maroon 5 ft. Rihanna - If I Never See Your Face Again

2008-05-04T17:48:00.002Z

How exciting - 2 of my favourite acts are releasing a duet! This song appeared on Maroon 5's last album, which I personally thought was a great pop CD with loads of catchy songs (especially Not Falling Apart, my favourite), and now it's been remixed and half of it has been dished out to Rihanna. It takes a while to get used to her presence, but this is such a great song it can't really go wrong. It's going to feature on the re-released albums of both Rihanna and Maroon 5, and will be the new single of the latter. Rihanna currently has the far inferior Take A Bow out, but she really should have gone for her album's title-track, my favourite song on there, joint with Umbrella and Don't Stop The Music. The video for this has just been filmed (as this photo shows), so it should be out soon.

Kerli - Beautiful Inside

2008-05-03T16:33:00.003Z

It's all getting a bit Euro-girl-angst around here at the moment, which is thankfully no reflection of my personal state of mind. Like Maria, Kerli's a European singer I've known of for years who is suddenly getting a bit more attention. Kerli is Estonian and is currently being launched as something of a slightly less weird Bjork, but her earlier work is far less obtuse. She even entered Melodifestivalen once, strangely enough. I was really excited to hear that Kerli had been signed by a major label and would release her new album internationally, but I'm quite disappointed by what I've heard so far. It's not bad exactly, but I couldn't call it poptastic. Nonetheless, Beautiful Inside is a great song - a similar style to what was going on in American music at the time, but with a European twist that makes it more interesting sonically. It was her submission to Estonian Eurovision in 2004, but didn't get picked for some reason. The actual choice didn't even make the finals, so it seems they made quite a mistake there!

Maria Haukaas Storeng - Breathing

2008-05-02T18:49:00.002Z

Being the Norwegian entrant, Maria probably doesn't have much chance of winning this year's Eurovision, but she is definitely one of the fan favourites for 2008. This is not her entry, but a single from a few years ago, which I always intended to post, but never actually did. It's very easily compared to Kelly Clarkson (and Maria was 6th in Idol 2004), in contrast to her Eurovision entry, which is often said to be very Amy Winehouse-esque. It's a nice rock-pop power ballad, which always grows on me as I listen. I think it would fit in very well on the soundtrack of One Tree Hill or Dawson's Creek. There are a lot of Norwegian pop stars who, in my opinion, are a great deal better than Maria, but this track at least gave her one moment of glory. She sings with feeling, and the chorus is always left in my head for a long time after I listen.