Song of the Day: Loreen - My Heart Is Refusing Me
If you love Euphoria you need to check out Loreen’s previous single, which was a contender to represent Sweden in Eurovision 2011. It’s just as good!
Song of the Day: TV Girl - Benny and the Jetts
Some lovely Californian indie pop for this sunny day - and no, it’s not a cover!
Song of the Day: Bluebell - Cinderella
After over a year we finally have a new song from Bluebell, which will be released as a double a-side single with the first track she posted online, Normal Heights. Cinderella is much more of an instant pop sound, which is always a positive for me, and the video is very interesting. If you like Marina and the Diamonds or Imogen Heap, you should definitely pay Bluebell some attention.
Song of the Day: Cover Drive - Explode
I like all of Cover Drive’s singles but I don’t love any of them, so I was surprised by quite how much I enjoyed their album. It’s definitely worth listening to for all pop fans. There are loads of great tracks but Explode was my instant favourite.
Song of the Day: Adriiana - We Are Young
From the same label that brought us Alone Again by Alyssa Reid, the laziest and least inspiring pop hit of 2012, we now have another unknown Canadian girl with a generic urban-pop song taking its chorus from a power ballad (Love is a Battlefield)… but I have to say I quite like this one! There’s nothing intelligent here but it’s a cute pop song that’s not trying to be cool. It sounds like mid-2000s Europop and that’s a sound I’ve been missing lately.
Song of the Day: Reptile Youth - Speeddance
When I read a description of this band as “post-rock” my expectations were low, but I gave them a listen anyway and in fact they are very much pop! Speeddance begins with a ridiculously infectious “doodododoo” section and the song has great energy, a strong Danish accent (always a plus for a Scandiphile like me) and brilliantly silly lyrics. Sometimes when I find a song I like that’s in a genre I’m not normally into, it actually makes me like it more as it’s so different to everything else I listen to. If you’re impressed too you can see Reptile Youth at the next Ja Ja Ja night at the Lexington later this month.
Song of the Day: Jeronimo - One Kiss
Here’s a very sunny pop song for a sunny Sunday! It sounds like it was inspired by the worldwide (except for English-speaking countries) megahit Ai Se Eu Te Pego/If I Catch You by Michel Telo, and I hope it’s the first of many songs to take inspiration from that track. It’s time for European pop stars to get back to what they do best, happy-go-lucky unashamed pop, and this is a great example. Jeronimo is adorable too! I’ve been keeping an eye on him for a while hoping he would eventually come out with something special, and here it is.
Song of the Day: Icona Pop - I Love It
Icona Pop have crossed the bridge from Quite Good City to The Land of Amazing. Never go back, girls!
Song of the Day: Marina and the Diamonds - Lies
I wasn’t that excited by the acoustic version of Lies but I love the studio version, and was not surprised to discover it’s one of the songs Marina did with Dr Luke. I’m still getting to know Electra Heart and I think it’s a bit top heavy (best songs at the start) but it’s definitely won me back over after I’d really gone off Marina recently. I still think she’s rather annoying but musically I’m a fan again. You can hear the whole album on Spotify here.
Song of the Day: Jamie McDell - You’ll Never Take That Away
Ever wondered what Taylor Swift would sound like if she was from New Zealand? No, me neither… but today I found out, and I quite liked it! Jamie was signed to EMI at age 16 and now 19 is finally releasing her debut single You’ll Never Take That Away, after building up a big fanbase online. The song is currently in the iTunes top 10 in New Zealand so hopefully it will be the beginning of a country-poptastic career for Jamie.
