Dido has had a pretty amazing career. Her singles have never sold millions, but her debut album is one of the highest selling debuts of all time. Growing up, Dido was the first artist whom I truly cherished – the 14-year-old me would have loved to see her in concert. Plus, she’s from Islington which is where I live! I’ve walked past her favourite pub so many times and my friends have seen her out and about. Her last album was met with a tepid commercial response. A lot of critics appreciated the collection though. Safe Trip Home is laced with melancholy and many of the songs directly refer to the sad passing of her father. Unfortunately, mournful introspection rarely converts into commercial success in today’s popsphere.
Dido, however, is striking back. Long before the current wave of electro-pop influnced music Dido embraced the dance world. Her brother, Rollo, is a member of electro, techno, dance group Faithless and his influence on her music can be seen throughout her career. Her latest offering, Everything to Lose is a full on, electronic pop song. It’s lyrics seem some what whimsical as we find her remembering times when her actions had no consequences but now that she’s found love, she has everything to lose. There is one lyric in the song that I find quite haunting: “I loved to live life but I was not afraid to die“. This is accompanied by haunting, soaring vocals that we have come to expect from Britain’s classiest post-modern chanteuse. Overall, the song strikes a fine balance between being a love song, a dirge and just a catchy pop song.
So, I know I’m late but just wanted to blog about Cheryl Cole’s latest song, 3 Words. It features will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas and well, the song isn’t amazing. In fact, I don’t think Cheryl Cole is amazing. She’s not my favourite Girls Aloud member but her solo effort has been enjoyable. The song is a thumping, pulsing electro pop song that to me, sounds much more sadder than Cole would ever be happy with. Anyways, the video is exquisite. It’s amazing. I’ve not seen such an intersting for ages. Forget Lady Gaga’s works, check it out. It’s simple but artistic and really highlights the loneliness I think this song is actually about.
Miley Cyrus is surprising me, I hope she’s surpising you too. She’s continually making music that’s more adult, more contemporary and well, better. I’m more surprised that she’s working with Timbaland but if anyone could wiggle their way into Timbaland’s goodbooks (or anyone’s for that matter), I better Miley could. I quite like this song, it’s catchy and upbeat and plus, Miley has a pretty great voice. I actually genuinely think this. Don’t judge me.
Chances are, if you’ve come to lookat this post then you’ve no doubt already heard the news about Leona Lewis being the officially selected singer for the up coming Final Fantasy XIII theme song. Before I mention the song, the singer, the company and all that stuff. What? What?! Whaaa? I’m so… confused. Why? Why Squenix? Why would you do this? I know you are trying to appeal to the Western audience like Fergie tries to sing and look vaguely human, but what? Really? Leona Lewis? Right…
Leona Lewis is, bless her, a great singer. She can sing songs that are out of the range of most other pop singers at the moment and she might have one of the greatest songs of her generation, but what? Why? I just don’t understand it. Why pick someone who has probably never heard of Final Fantasy or even played a videogame? Could be totally wrong and she might love Aeris and co more than me, but I highly doubt this. Likewise, her performances are just weird… She sings amazing, but it never looks like she really connects to the song.
Now, for the song. The song is actually a bit of a grower, which is a plus. But the lyrics are just a bit weird… I mean… they just don’t seem to fit the lofty, convoluted narratives of Final Fantasy songs. We need more tragic, forelorn lyrics. Granted, the lyrics actually do get a bit grandiose during the chorus, but the beginning is very… ‘real’ and not very ‘fantasy’; if that makes sense?
Anyways, I think Squenix are making some very strange choices trying to appeal to the Western market. They’ve openly said they have every intention of expanding business in the US and Pal terrortories, I just don’t think they’re going about it the best way. Everything is very… electro-pop, pseudo do androis dream of electric sheep? The summons look like Transformers. The English voice acting is horrific. And when they have promo videos like this little gem, then you just scratch your head and think what?
Here’s a video of Leona’s My Hands. It’s not as bad as I first reacted to, but it is still very wtf.
Here’s the lyrics too, it’s just such an odd choice…
I wake in the morning
Tired of sleeping
Get in the shower
And my make my bed alone
I put on my make up
Talk into the mirror
Ready for a new day without you
And I walk steady on my feet
I talk my voice obeys me
I go out at night
Sleep without the lights
And I do all of the things I have to
Keeping you on my mind
But when I think I’ll be alright
I am always wrong cause
My hands, don’t wanna start again
My hands, no they don’t wanna understand
My hands, they just shake it try to break whatever piece I may find
My hands, they only agree to hold
Your hands, and they don’t wanna be without
Your hands, and they will not let me go
No they will not let me go
I talk about you now
And I do without crying
I go out with my friends now
I stay home all alone
And I don’t see you everywhere
And I can say your name easily
I laugh bit louder without you
And I see diferent shades now
And I, I’m almost never afraid now
But when I think I’ll be ok
I am always wrong cause
My hands, don’t wanna start again
My hands, no they don’t wanna understand
My hands, they just shake it try to break whatever piece I may find
My hands, they only agree to hold
Your hands, no they don’t wanna be without
Your hands, and they will not let me go
No they will not let me go
Sometimes I wait
I see them reaching out for you
Quietly break
whatever shields I spent so long building up
I cannot fake
Cause when they cry I’m almost broken
They miss holding my baby
My hands, My hands
No they don’t wanna understand
They just shake it try to break whatever piece I may find
My hands, the only agree to hold
Your hands, and they don’t wanna be without
Your hands
And they will not let me go
No they will not let me go
No they will not let me go
Leona Lewis has a new album out, Echo (like you didn’t know already!). It’s a bit different from her debut, less r and b poppy songs, a slightly more grown up sound but overall? It’s Leona Lewis. I think Leona Lewis delivers her songs, however diverse they are, in one style and delivery and can’t alter that. That’s not to say she isn’t talented because I truly believe she has one of the best voices of her generation. One of the songs that has surprised me the most though is Outta My Head. It’s a pretty huge, thumping electro-pop song. Check it out below. Whatdyathink? People are saying she gives Minnie Ripperton (rip) a run for her money. I’m sorry, but that’s rubbish. Minnie was amazing, totally underrated and could deliver a song with the slightest of vocals. I don’t think Leona can do that, but what she does, she does it well.
I don’t normally post videos that don’t have proper videos (either PVs or stage performances) but this song has been in my head for a little while. Cheryl Cole has seemingly set the UK charts on fire with her solo debut. I won’t talk too much about it, because I’ll just start criticising her. I’ve not been overly impressed by the songs that I’ve heard (literally, go into any shop and you’ll hear her soon enough – sometimes the whole album just on repeat!) but one song that I quite like is Boy Like You. It samples the awesome Fleetwood Mac’s White Lies and features will.i.am as guest rapper/general mentor man. Cole’s offering is nowhere near as good as White Lies, let’s get that straight. But it’s made quite good because of the sample. I love 80s music like it’s going out of fashion (quite literally) so to hear this is quite cool. What do you think?
Irish pop chanteuse and Damien Rice collaborator, Lisa Hannigan was recently nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for her debut album, Sea Sew. I love the album, it’s full of cute little pop ditties. My favourite song is I don’t know. Give her a chance, it’s such a sweet song!
The British pop music scene has had somewhat of a renaissance these past couple of years, and it’s the girls that have been leading the way. Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Kate Nash and so on and so on have really put British pop music on the global stage. This continued somewhat this past year with La Roux, Little Boots and Florence and the Machine. A newbie who might be set to become the next big thing is a girl called Ellie Goulding. I think she sounds like… a more folky version of La Roux. She’s just released her promo single video and… I quite like it! Granted, I love me some electropop melody shiz, but I actually quite like this. She has a funny voice though, a bit like a chipmunk in a goldfish bowl. Or maybe that’s the vocoder…
So, it’s not Asian pop for once, but well… I don’t just listen to Asian pop music, so you know… gotta switch it up sometimes. Rihanna is finally back, after what seems like a lifetime, and has a new song called Russian Roulette. I have to say… I’m quite pleasantly surprised by it. Rihanna is a funny one for me, sometimes I like her, sometimes she gets on my nerves. Good Girl Gone Bad version 1 is what I like her for most.
The song shows Rihanna give a pretty impressive vocal performance. As of late, I think she’s been content to be the diva that is effortlessly cool, but maybe here she’s finally remembered she’s a singer. The song is pretty interesting too. I think, as songs go, this is one of the better songs about domestic violence. But I think my favourite is still Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got To Do With It?.
So the video for Cheryl Cole’s debut single has been released. My impressions are that it’s very forgettable and Cheryl will never be believable as a genuine crumping, street dancer. The video is weird, it doesn’t seem to have a clear direction, but oh well, it’s nice to see her trying :)
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