Guess Who!
So first off nobody probably reads this anymore, since I basically dropped off the face of the earth.
But so much has been happening in the world of Pop that I think it’s important to help do what I can to keep the momentum going and speading the word. So let me begin by catching up on a bunch of tidbits.
1. The journey to Melodifestivalen 2010 has already begun with the first 27 songs being announced, the web joker tracks online and tickets already sold out!
What do I think so far? I’m a little worried about the state of the competition in 2010. Judging by the song writers and the rumours it seems that 2010 is very light on established pop artists. So far it seems like we can expect big names like Ola, Sibel and Jessica Andersson but after that things seem to get a little cold. Not only that but the big powerhouse song writers don’t seem to be represented as well as they have in previous years. Henrik Wikstrom didn’t even submit any songs for 2010, ‘Pling’ is nowhere to be seen and the amazing Fredrik Kempe has only one song this year.
This has me asking… “What does this mean for MFest 2010?” It seems like they may be moving away from Pop/Schlager after the relative failure of the Swedish songs at Eurovision over the past few years. That being said I still have faith that the songs will be amazing and just think of all the new fantastic artists we may be exposed to once the songs are released. We aslo still have 4 Wild Cards to be announced and with rumours swirling that Lena Philipsson will make a return in 2010 we still have a lot to look forward to.
If I went through each of your music libraries I’d be sure to find a few guilty pleasures that we all hate to love. A few years ago Europe went head over heels for one such song when everywhere you went all you heard was the chant of “Ma Ya Hi, Mi Ya Ha!’ when O-zone was at the top of the charts with ‘Dragonstea Din Tea.’
Well get ready for a new guilty pleasure with the introduction of Crazy Loop the alter ego of a man better known as Dan Balan who coindicently was a member of O-zone. Not only is the song infectious but the video is surprisingly good quality and a lot of fun. If you haven’t seen the video check the link above. The track was released in the Uk digitally last week and can be found on iTunes now.
3. Industry – One To Watch!
There are a lot of hopes riding on the band ‘Industry’ who hail from Ireland. The band have already had 2 number 1 singles in Ireland and are about to release their 3rd single which should have no trouble making it 3 for 3. Their success in Ireland is due to a tonne of promotion, a charismatic band with great vocals. After the release of their poptastic first single ‘My Babys Waiting’ maybe thought they’d bomb and end up being dropped before a second single would ever be released. But with all the success they’ve achieved at home they’re hoping that success can be duplicated in the Uk. The band are finishing their debut album and have been working with song writers responsible for hits from Girls Aloud, Justin Timberlake, Rhianna and Beyonce.
Their new single ‘In Your Arms’ was written by Lee Hutton of the band and will be released on November 13th. I’m excited to see what is in store for the band and what their album will sound like. This is a band that can sing anything from upbeat pop, a soulful r and b tune or a sweeping ballad. If there is one act to watch for in 2010 it’s Industry.
Stephen Gately – Saying Goodbye
By now everyone is aware of the tragic passing of Boyzone singer – Stephen Gately. I don’t have a lot to say about it because I don’t really know what to say. Boyzone were one of the very first Uk acts I had ever heard of. I remember when I first discovered pop music I would sit in my room and turn on a radio show that played here called ‘The World Chart Show.’ They used to play songs that weren’t released in North America but were big in Europe. One day they played a song called ‘Words’ by a band called ‘Boyzone.’ I remember recording it from the radio onto a tape and playing it all the time. The album – A Different Beat was one of the first cds I ever bought. From that moment on I was always a fan of Boyzone. Sure they were never a ground breaking artist but you could always rely on them to deliver a great ballad that you could sing along to. In 1998 the entire world knew who they were when ‘No Matter What’ became an anthem of sorts and even led to some appearances in the US.
As cheesy as it sounds he was a role model in a way. With the release of songs like ‘No Matter What,’ when he came out in 1999 to overwhelming support from the public and most recently with videos like ‘Better’ which show him with a male love interest. He helped teach people that you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of, it’s ok to be yourself.
Stephen Gately – A New Beginning
It’s been almost 2 years since Lady Gaga burst onto the scene with her debut single ‘Just Dance’ but with the release of her new album – Fame Monster we’re finally getting some new tracks and a brand new single. I’m a little dissapointed that they couldn’t be bothered to do a completely new album, instead opting to re-release her debut album with 8 new tracks. But with a new tour starting in December she needed to have enough new material to do a full show.
The new single ‘Bad Romance’ is really good! Look at the success she’s had up to now with her debut album it’s been out for over a year and her singles are still in the upper ends of charts across the world. How do you follow up success like that? Was her debut album a fluke? Is there anything else she can do to shock us? Well ‘Bad Romance’ proves that she knows how to write a great track and that she is definitely not a one-album wonder.
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