I will still be reviewing the latest music and film reviews, adding more personal posts and ensuring that you guys are kept in the loop! Check it out and see what you think.
Fancy (no pun intended) a song that's different to the pop songs that we hear on the radio? Charli XCX delivers with her latest release Break The Rules from her album Sucker, which will be released October 21st. 2014 has been a good year for Charli XCX, who had hits with Boom Clap and Fancy, an Iggy Azalea smash song that Charli was featured on and co-wrote. Now she delivers a bass-filled synth song that reeks of rebellion and partying hard.
Break The Rules has a Kasabian-feel to it (almost similar to their single eez-eh) as it has a punch with the chorus but still manages to be sultry and smooth in its verses. Charli states "I don't wanna go to school, I just wanna break the rules" and "getting higher, getting wrecked". You can almost imagine the music video being filled with shots of fire explosions and cars spinning circles in a car park. Take a listen to the song below and prepare to be enlightened by Charli XCX's "I don't give an f*@!" attitude.
With my previous music review being single 'Bang Bang' by female pop divas Nicki Minaj, Jessie J and Ariana Grande, I take a look at what could arguably be the best collaborations in the history of music or ones that will at least bring back great memories.
Lady Gaga and Beyoncé:
The two biggest names in pop came together to release the track Telephone that peaked at number one and sold 7.4 million copies in 2010 WORLDWIDE. This song and its video really stood apart from the rest and is still popular today.
Eminem and Rihanna:
Rapper Eminem and singer Rihanna released Love The Way You Lie, also released in 2010, and was the UK's best selling song of that year. Singing about a love-hate relationship, it was clear that it was all pure love when it came to buying the song.
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys:
*NEW YOOOORRRRRRKK* Alicia Keys went back to the streets, New York's streets to be exact, when she collaborated with Jay Z for Empire State of Mind way back in 2009. With Alicia's vocals and piano, and Jay Z's lyrics it wasn't hard for this song to become a hit.
Big Sean and Ariana Grande:
When pop princess Ariana Grande and rapper Big Sean released the catchy Right There in 2013, after her success with songs The Way and Baby I, it was clear the two had musical chemistry. The two seem to be great pals, with Ariana rapping Big Sean's track Guap in a radio interview.
Timbaland and Aaliyah:
Timbaland and the sorely missed 'baby girl' Aaliyah worked in numerous musical projects, one of them including Try Again, which was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song reached Number One in America and Number Five in the UK, also winning two MTV VMAs for its music video.
Avicii and Aloe Blacc:
Mixing country and dance together was a bold move for Avicii when it came to this hit Wake Me Up in 2013, but it paid off when it reached number one in over 20 countries.
Pharrell Williams and Daft Punk:
You couldn't drive anywhere without hearing this hit on the radio. When Get Lucky was released in 2013 its success boomed, winning Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year at the Grammy awards.
What are your favourite music collaborations? Or is there a collab that you wish you could un-hear? Leave a comment below!
Bang bang! - look out, three of the biggest female names in popular music have joined forces!
If you follow the three ladies (Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj) on Instagram you'll have noticed the images and snippets that the girls have been posting in the lead up to the trio's new single 'Bang Bang'.
Now before I sat down to listen to the song, I set up a blank document to jot down any thoughts I had whilst listening to it. Here's what was written:
*Pauses ARTPOP and loads YouTube video of official song 'Bang Bang'*
Jazzy. Very jazzy.
I like the clapping. I want to clap tooooo!
I KNEW Ariana and Jessie would sound amazing. I KNEW IT. AND WHERE IS THE GOSPEL CHOIR COMING FROM?!
I wish I could sing like Ariana...
Why did I just imagine the cast of High School Musical singing this in the cafeteria though.
Nicki just came in saying so many words... I think I made out the word 'slanging' out of all that. Wait she is spelling, what is she spelling... *moment of thought* oh yeah Bang Bang duh #facepalm
Oh...wait, what, it's over?
Then I took a few minutes for the song to sink in and found that the chorus 'Bang bang doo doo doo dooo' (I can only remember two words of the chorus) was stuck in my head as I was thinking about what I thought of it.
Image taken from @NickiMinaj on Instagram
Now this song is Number 1 in 16 countries around the world (as discovered on Nicki Minaj's instagram), the song is catchy and probably sounds better after the fifth listen. But my first thoughts are the reasoning behind why it's number one.
Think about just how many fans each female artist in this song has. It's undeniable that their loyal fans will purchase the song to support their favourite singer. But listening to the song I didn't feel that it was a Jessie J song, or a Nicki Minaj song, but it definitely had an Ariana Grande feel to it. And after Ariana's recent successes with Iggy Azalea with 'Problem', it's not hard to wonder why they would choose Ariana's style. It's different to most music being released at the moment and harks back to a time where Jazz and ballads where popular, and auto-tune wasn't really invented yet. Ariana herself is probably a happy chick after seeing that Bang Bang, Problem and Break Free (a song she made with Zedd) are in the Top 15 on iTunes in America.
Bang Bang is fun and will definitely have people singing along to the chorus as the gospel sings 'Baanng Baaaanngg' while they're swaying along to the song. And it has the formula of pop-song-then-throw-in-a-verse-of-rap-to-open-up-to-more-listeners, and I always find that a rap in a song helps to change up the pace and feel of the song, which sometimes helps to prevent the song from sounding too repetitious and boring. As do trumpets (at least in my opinion).
Reaching number one in many countries, it's great to see three women topping the charts. Yet although the song has potential, you have to think: if someone else were to sing it, would it still have the same feel to it, the same success? Or would it just be seen as another radio-friendly song that keeps people happy for a few days? I guess only time will tell...
What did you think of the song? Are you a fan? If you agree or disagree with this post, feel free to post a constructive comment below!
It's been a hectic week in the world of pop. With the leaking of Katy Perry's latest release 'Roar' and Lady Gaga's new song 'Applause', both Katycats and Little Monsters were sent into a meltdown! Both pop artists are head to head with their releases, and with both set to make an appearance at the MTV VMA's, it's only a matter of time before we see which one comes out on top.
Roar
Catchy, inspiring and uplifting, Katy Perry brings back the big guns that she used with anthem 'Firework' to create a summer track set to battle with Gaga's 'comeback' single. Using popular emoticons in her lyric video that are regularly used by teens and young adults, it's clear that Perry is out to sell a happy, fun record - one which people of all ages will find themselves singing "You're gonna hear me rooooaaar!" I mean, imagine driving home after a hard days work and yelling out the lyrics "I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire, 'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar". The lyrics are motivating and leave you wanting to climb a mountain - almost Rocky-esque style in the infamous scene when he runs up the stairs! Take a listen and try to prevent yourself from joining in the chorus' "oh oh oh oh oh ohh!" ♡ Below is the lyric video to Roar, or you can watch by clicking here
Applause
Gaga is back!!! Monsters rejoice! Applause is fast-paced and is definitely the rave song that Gaga hinted at way back in November regarding her latest album ARTPOP (to be released in November this year) with the tweet: "#HappyBirthdayTheFameMonster a special day when you were born, your techno raver little sister is in my uterus she says hello in glowsticks"
Never one to disappoint and always filled with surprises (after releasing the song early), Gaga has penned a dance song laced with lyrics that might escape some people such as 'One second I'm a Koons, then suddenly the Koons is me!' (referring to artist Jeff Koons). But despite the poetic and cultural lyrics, Gaga delivers a pumped-up and celebratory track as she asks us to "Give me the thing that I love, put your hands up make 'em touch!"
How could we ever say no?
♡ Below is the official audio for Gaga's 'Applause', click here and get your hands ready for some clapping!
Comment below with your opinions of the songs! Who do you think has won this week's battle of releases? Gaga or Katy? Are you a Katycat that loves Applause or a Monster that loves Roar? Or are you still stanning for your favourite diva?
Abel Tesfaye has released a video to his new single Belong To The World! It's been a year since the release of his album Trilogy, an album that helped to further spread Abel's popularity and grow his fanbase since the release of his three mixtapes. The song comes from The Weeknd's new album Kiss Land, which will be released this summer on August 27th. Belong To The World emanates The Weeknd's style which consists of echoes of Abel's slow and soft voice mixed to a beat which when heard creates a dream-like experience. The song, as like much of The Weeknd's work, is centred on love but also has the ability to create a dark, saddening element to it with lyrics such as 'I'm not a fool I just love that you're dead inside,I'm not a fool, I'm just lifeless too'. With the song being the first to be released and heard from the new album Kiss Land it gives us new music from Abel to treat our ears to and gives the excited fanbase of The Weeknd wondering what will be next.
♡The video was released on July 16, 2013. You can hear the song and watch Abel in the video directed by Anthony Mandler by clicking here.
Jay Z - Holy Grail ft Justin Timberlake
After the release of Kanye West's eagerly awaited album Yeezus and the release of HOVA's new album Magna Carta Holy Grail, it felt like the two biggest names in hip hop were out to show the world how it should be done. With Yeezus' fresh and innovative beats, Jay Z had a lot to follow on the release of M.C.H.G. Released on July 4th, just over two weeks since Ye's album release, Magna Carta... opens with the song Holy Grail. Featuring Justin Timberlake, the song is arguably the best song on the album and will most likely get the most airplay on the radio, with JT being the highlight of the song with his verse's and chorus. Jay Z makes reference to Mike Tyson, Kurt Cobain (and adding the lines 'And we all just entertainers, And we're stupid and contagious, And we all just entertainers' from the popular Nirvana song 'Smells Like Teen Spirit') and Michael Jackson. Magna Carta Holy Grail is definitely an album to buy to join your collection of albums that top the rest. But with this being Jay Z's sixteenth studio album, it does make you wonder if he will ever run out of things to rap about. But then you have to remind yourself that Jay Z has been in the game since 1986, and won't be going anywhere for a very long time(hopefully).
♡The album was released on July 4, 2013 for those on Samsung phones. For those without, the album could be heard from July 8, 2013. You can hear the album on Spotify and or watch a video uploaded for 'Holy Grail' here.
What do you think about The Weeknd's new song? Who's album is better - Jay Z's or Kanye's? Leave a comment below.
The English rapper is back with a new song called 'Trampoline' and it's definitely one to jump around to. Featuring the American rapper 2 Chainz, the song is definitely one that is aiming to be heard worldwide. With lyrics such as 'Sydney, what's going down. New York, what's going down. LA, what's going down. Vegas, what's going down...', it is clear to see that Tinie wants people all over the world to be dancing to this track.
With hits like 'Pass Out' and 'Written in the Stars' it has been 3 years since his first major album 'Disc-overy' was released. 'Trampoline' doesn't disappoint, and Tempah's catchy lyrics, which made him the star that he is today, are heard with the hook repeating 'Shake' and 'Jump'. And his cheeky style is evident with 'I'm high end, you're high street'. 2 Chainz enters the song with his usual announcement '2 Chaaainz' and begins his verse with 'First of all I'm swagging'. Produced by Diplo, this beat is definitely one that you'll be hearing in the club.
♡The lyric video was released on July 2, 2013. You can hear the song for yourself and watch Tinie jumping on a trampoline in the slick black and white video by clicking here.
Mario - Somebody Else ft. Nicki Minaj
It's been a while since we have had an album from Mario, but his new album 'Restoration' will be released in September of this year. To give us a taste of his sound, he released the video to 'Somebody Else' which features Nicki Minaj. The first we see of Mario is when he is lying on the top of a smashed car, and Nicki is introduced to us on the balcony of a building with lightning flashing in the background. Put two and two together, and it seems Nicki and Mario have had a huge bust-up and she pushed him from the balcony to land on the car, all because she met Somebody Else.
Nicki plays the girlfriend of Mario and her verse lets him know just how angry she is with him for the way he has treated her in the video. Spitting lines like 'But I let you get mad disrespectful, huh. You couldn't be serious, was you? Looking at my new man, wish it was you?But you're dead now', it's clear to see Nicki is one unhappy girl.
With Mario's smooth vocals and Nicki's hard-hitting verse, this song leaves you waiting for the album's release: especially when you remember that the next song to be released will feature J. Cole.
♡ The video was released on July, 9 2013. You can watch the video here.
What do you think of the songs? Are there any newly released songs that you think top these? Leave a comment below.
