Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)

The soundtrack to my post-exam celebrations!

Spyke

I can't think of a better song to summarise how I imagine my last week of University to be. After four years of doing a Maths degree I'll soon graduate with my Masters (fingers crossed) and I think it may well be time to party. This summery anthem is going to literally define my final week between my last exam and getting my results. There's those moments in life where you feel so hungover that you say you'll never drink again because you feel so rough. As you try to remember and get over the night's questionable choices/bad decisions, a moment of reflection reminds you that it was fun and of course you'll 'do it all again' irrespective of the consequences you currently face. This song says all that.

On the 25th June the plan is for my friend to be waiting outside my final exam with a bottle of booze and a pink swan. We figured that was more realistic than trying to get a flamingo in our quest to complete all the challenges this song presents us; then some skinny dipping and chandelier smashing will almost get us there. Had it not been for Rebecca Black this would easily be people's Friday party song of choice.

However the big question is: will this give Katy Perry her 5th US #1 from Teenage Dream following in the footsteps of California Gurls, Teenage Dream, Firework and now ET. Only Michael Jackson has managed five #1s from an album before with Bad; an inevitable re-release or Rihanna duet would clench the deal but that's not quite doing it from an album in its original context. What a fantastic singles campaign this really has been; ET has just become Teenage Dream's 4th top 3 single in the UK and it will soon become her 4th 4x Platinum (4 million selling) single from the album in the US. Following the success of ET I see the potential for another high budget fun video which will send the track top 10 both sides of the pond, but will it be able to go further and break records for Katy?

Also I do realise that in writing this post it means I've reviewed all five singles from the campaign but I do feel this deserves a mention (as no doubt the next lead will too). Hope you have as much fun to the song as I will, as it has provided me with my favourite lyric of the year so far in 'I think I need a Ginger Ale; That was such an Epic Fail'.

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 5
McLovin -
Actual -

Justin Timberlake Feat. T.I. - My Love

and the dangers of listening to a song too much

McLovin

Lately I've been thinking about overkill, the danger of listening to a song so much that you eventually destroy what you originally loved about it. Justin's FutureSex/LoveSounds was a huge album for me. I bought it the day it came out (and I mean, went to HMV the morning of its release!) and listened to it constantly for about three months. That week I must have listened to My Love, the second single from the album, over a hundred times.

Sometimes you can destroy a song without realising you're doing it. This wasn't the case with My Love; I remember thinking 'Stop listening to it!....you're gonna kill it!', but carried on regardless. I couldn't get enough of it. It has been said that when you just can't stop listening to a song, it's like an internal itch you have to scratch. Another idea is that the process of repeated listening is like trying to solve a puzzle; with each listen, you begin to work out all the pieces of the song and why it makes you respond in a certain way.

I like these ideas, but it doesn't explain to me why certain songs survive the rigours of overplay while others become unbearable to hear ever again (Tik Tok springs to mind). My Love sits somewhere in the middle for me. I still enjoy the synths and like T.I's rap more than ever, but it makes me sad to know it can never affect me the way it used to.

Why I love Katy B ♥

The UK's most exciting new artist...

McLovin

I thought I'd share the reasons why I think Kathleen Brian i.e. Katy B is rather wonderful. There are far more reasons than I list, but I'll just stick to the five that mean the most to me for the time being (we don't want it to be a total love-in, do we?).

1. Her voice is beautiful

As a former student at The BRIT School, she joins fellow successful graduates such as Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and Adele. She might not quite have the same lung capacity as these three, but my God can her voice move me! Listening to the chorus of Perfect Stranger, the way it quivers as she sings 'There's something in your heaaarrrrt!' sounds genuinely optimistic rather than a put-on affectation. There's no other current artist out there who sounds so natural and at ease with their vocal ability, and (whisper it) she sounds English when she sings! I have nothing against our home grown soul-strutting divas, but I find an honesty and integrity in her style which is deliriously refreshing.

2. Her lyrics are funny, down to earth and heartfelt

The first verse to Katy On A Mission is extraordinary, but the chorus to Easy Please Me is a particular favourite of mine:

'It's not that easy, It's not that easy

These days can't find a man to please me

Their lines are far too cheesy

No boy is on a level believe me'.

3. Her first three singles have ALL gone top ten*

This might not seem like a particularly unbelievable achievement (especially in relation to I-break-every-record-in-the-books-Adele), but I'm hard pressed to think of any other emerging act who has reached such a level of consistency so soon. It is something that was beyond Lily Allen, Kate Nash, Ellie Goulding, La Roux or any other UK female artist of the past few years. What this demonstrates is that in a short space of time, Katy B has gained a strong fanbase which is very encouraging news for the future.

* As Perfect Stranger (charting at 16) was as a featured appearance with Magnetic Man, I refuse to let it spoil my statistics!

4. Her songs are so good they're association-proof

Craig recently discussed they way songs can create powerful associations to particular times and places in his wonderful evocation of what the Sugababes' Push The Button will always mean to him. At times though, songs get caught up in bad personal memories and can never escape them. I bought Katy On A Mission the day after a fantastic party I went to last November. The song's urgency and excitement captured exactly how I felt the following morning. That night led to a couple of unexpectedly joyous months I had with someone. Unfortunately, things fell apart before they had ever really got going. It could be so easy for On A Mission to get caught up in my negative associations, but luckily when I listen to it now, I don't think of what might have been: I get excited thinking about what might be around the corner.

5. She's already released a bona fide classic record

I've avoided writing a post on Broken Record, as I find it really difficult to express quite how brilliant I think it is. Maybe I'll just leave for now and let Katy B have the final word...

The Sugababes - Push The Button

What a fantastic run of lead singles



Spyke

Quite regularly we associate particular songs with times, people or events in our lives. This is one of the earliest tracks I have recollections of doing that for. Topping the charts mere weeks after my first kiss back in 2005, this songs represents a change in my life. Having excelled at my GCSEs I had a new lease of life, boosted confidence and a certain charm which had until then remained undiscovered. After making new friends and being reacquainted with old ones, I was living life to the max and loving it.

I hadn’t quite mastered the subtlety of flirting; so was using it all guns blazing and a certain someone was reciprocating it. Our group of friends were going all out to make this happen, but it never did. Not that I knew what it was at the time but the sexual tension was pretty intense. When there’s only five of you in the room, texting across the circle (on this new mobile phone technology) isn’t particularly subtle. Hence this song attached became associated with us; as everyone told us to just push each other’s buttons…

When I first heard the track I didn’t get the hype but after watching those Sugababes ride up and down in that lift I was soon switched on. It’s simple yet genius. I love the spoken ‘I’ve been dropping so many hints’ part as it was just so true at the time. Then to think the lead single from their next LP would be even better - leading the soundtrack to my first term at University as a fresher.

What an incredible run of #1s the band had with Freak Like Me, Round Round, Hole In The Head, Push The Button and About You Now. Trying to replace the third original member of a three piece girl band was always going to be a challenge, but they had a fantastic run along the way.

Nero - Guilt

Could they break the top 10 with this?



Spyke

Following up their #15 smash Me & You from earlier this year, Nero are back with another infectious tune. The duo from London are pretty new to the dubstep scene and after being nominated for the BBC Sound of 2011 they really seem to be making a name for themselves. This is the third single from the forthcoming album 'Welcome Reality' which is due for release this summer.

The song features vocals by Alana Watson and has a relatively high production music video which features some pretty epic pole dancing near the end. This single fits very nicely with me as it combines some great beats which would go down great in a club environment, yet appears commercial enough that you'd hear it on Radio One. In particular, I love the moment at 1:55 where the entire track comes to a complete halt with a drum beat, then builds up the intensity once again before coming to an abrupt ending just over a minute later.

The single is due for release next week and I think it should be aiming for a comfortable top ten placing. Currently on the very edge of the radio and TV airplay top 50's, Guilt is starting to pick up some pace, and with a little bit more exposure this track could do very well in the charts.

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 7
McLovin -
Actual -

Lady Gaga - Judas

McLovin's initial reactions...

McLovin

A confession to make: a few days after Born This Way came out, I had an extremely vivid dream about Gaga's next single, Judas (yes, that's right, I DREAM about future pop songs sometimes). Anyway, in my dream Gaga sang her biblical-laden epic aboard a Viking ship crossing a waterfall. When I woke up, all I thought was 'well, if it sounds as good as it does in my head, I'm going to be very pleased' (I won't mind if she's not dressed as a Viking in the video, although if she is!...).

Having heard the song for the first time little more than an hour ago, I'm incredibly happy to report it has exceeded my dream expectations. The intro's 'oh-oh-oh-oh I'm in love with Judas' makes my spine tingle, before we reach the stuttering 'Ju-das-Juda-a!', a knowing nod to Bad Romance's 'Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah!'. Gaga and RedOne clearly inspire each other to produce their best work together.

When I first hear a song, the lyrics come second to the melody (I'm sure we'll do a post unpicking the song's lyrics soon!). Gaga's come up with one almighty catchy chorus here, light and memorable, hooky without being irritating. It works brilliantly with the almost industrial sounds of the verses. I really love the middle eight, and how beautiful her voice sounds when she belts out 'I CLING TO!'.

I'm sorry if this post isn't the most coherent or acute, but to sum up: this afternoon I was feeling a bit fed up with things, and now you couldn't wipe the smile off my face. I really hope it makes you as happy and uplifted as it making me feel right now!

Jennifer Lopez (Feat. Lil Wayne) - I'm Into You

The follow up to On The Floor



Spyke

Since appearing on American Idol this season I have become a massive fan of J.Lo. The show has allowed us to see what a fantastic person she really is; just as Cheryl won the heart of the nation here when she appeared on the X Factor, J.Lo is doing the same stateside. However whereas Cheryl appears so meticulous and composed, Jennifer Lopez comes across as very entertainingly and yet entirely genuine at the same time. I can't help but sense that every word Cheryl says and every tear in her eye is somewhat planned and staged, so I'm intrigued to how well she handles the comparisons if she does get that US X Factor seat.

Jennifer Jopez is after all the most beautiful woman in the world (according to People Magazine this week). After climbing to the top of itunes charts internationally with the Red One produced On The Floor, here we get a more subtle second single from her upcoming album 'LOVE?'. This might not quite have the same hooks as its predecessor but it fits very comfortably on my current playlist.

In the build up to Tha Carter IV Lil Wayne has found time to fit in on this record. It's a pretty standard rap which neither makes or break the song, but maybe they were trying to replicate the success of Drake's sexually charged intro to What's My Name? - unfortunately they don't quite get there. J.Lo opens with a brief verse before going straight into the chorus singing 'When I look into your eyes it's over, you got me hooked with your love controller', emphasising how much she has fallen for this guy - though in my experience girls aren't quite as blatant with their advances.

This track is definitely a grower and gets better with each listen. It is, however, just a weaker version of Rihanna's What's My Name?. Subtle sexual references and similar-sounding backing track, a featured rapper and plenty of Na Na Na's to keep you busy; all they need now is for J.Lo to go and spill some milk in her corner shop for the video.

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 3
McLovin 4
Actual -

Eric Saade - Popular

The Swedish entry for this year's Eurovision



Spyke

It's coming around to that time of the year again where the 'best' music acts from across Europe compete to show what their country has to offer. I say 'best' but often the participants' attempts leave a lot to be desired; if it was about pure popularity then I'm sure the UK could walk this competition yearly (with Sweden and Germany completing the top 3). Each year so many British acts manage to dominate the charts globally (Leona Lewis, Taio Cruz, Adele, Tinie Tempah), why don't we just send someone who has actually had a UK #1? Well, at least this year we've sent Blue (almost a decade too late) who are joint second favourite so I'm going to stop complaining.

Each year Sweden chooses their act by a televised competition called the Melodifestivalen, a show who's status rivals that of the X Factor in the UK (compared to the shambles of a show we had with 'Making Your Mind Up' - see below). Sweden have won the contest four times (beginning with ABBA) and are one of the competition's most successful entries; so they must be doing something right. However over the past few years their success has wavered and the future of the show has come under some uncertainty. This song could change all that...

This is unashamed pop at its best! There isn't too much of this in the charts at the moment but it is very much an Adam Lambert track in the same vein as Pick U Up - is it less camp? No. The up-tempo track hooks you in within few seconds; it just continues to build momentum and then we get the break down before the epic key change. With elementary lyrics like "I'm gonna take the fight/for the spotlight/day and night" and "don't say it's impossible/cause I know it's possible", this is like a great pop by numbers track.

The Melodifestivalen gave us an insight of what to expect from their Eurovision performance. I shouldn't think they'll change it too much as the synchronized dancing, flashing lights and smashing glass really provide a visual display that reaches the same heights as the track. I for one have had this on repeat all morning and placed a cheeky bet on it to win. Whether the song can bring the competition back to Stockholm in 2012 remains to be seen but I'll be disappointed if it doesn't reach the top 5. Here a few of the other notable entries:

UK - Blue were popular across Europe in their heyday, the track has grown on me a lot.
France - Current favourites, though an opera track sang in Corsican isn't really my thing.
Estonia - What Alesha's Drummer Boy should have been, lots of familiar elements to this.
Germany - Lena returns but I feel the slow track might get forgotten in the mix of things.


Clip from 'Making Your Mind Up' - what a mess of a show this was:

The Weeknd - High For This

Extraordinary opening track from much talked about mixtape

McLovin

I'm all in favour of artists releasing online mixtapes. For one, it has changed the relationship between music as a commodity and as a free expression. Utilising the accessibility downloading has allowed, up and coming musicians can cut out the middle man, self promoting their own material and creating an audience without worrying about initial sales. At the same extent, established acts can experiment with their sound and style before releasing physical albums. Lil Wayne released dozens of mixtapes before the release of Tha Carter III in 2008 - the opening week sales of over 1 million in the US confirming that his enormous amount of free output, rather than being taken for granted, had resulted in a massive fan loyalty.

My own personal problem with mixtapes is that nagging sense that I'm always missing the boat. I loved Tha Carter III when I bought it (and still do!) but after reading lots of reviews, felt my experience was somehow lacking; critics saying it wasn't as good as this mixtape or should have included that song. In my opinion, the underground aspect of mixtapes can promote quite a bit of snobbery ('What? you haven't heard it yet?!?'). This is probably to do with my own insecurities with how slow my music consumption is. I can get obsessed with a song and it can be the only thing I listen to for a week. By the time I've sated my appetite (or, more likely, overkilled the song), hundreds of mixtapes have been and gone: The never-ending search for The New is pretty unrelenting.

So we come to The Weeknd. Just over two weeks ago, through strong publicity from Drake and a massive amount of music columns and blogs, an unknown artist suddenly became the hot topic of the moment with his free mixtape, House of Balloons. I approached it with some trepidation, but reading that it had a strong emo-rnb vibe, took the plunge. Unfortunately for The Weeknd, I can't really offer a formed opinion of the entire album, as I just can't stop listening to the first track High For This (I had the same problem with Plan B's last album - obsessing over opener Love Goes Down - who knows what the rest of his album sounds like!).

Beginning with high, whirling electronic strains for twenty-five seconds, the beat kicks in just before he begins to sing. Sounding somewhere between Trey Songz and Chris Brown, his echo-laden vocals along with the ominous beat create the sense of enormous space and emptiness. This sparseness emphasises his seemingly banal lyrics. Written down, they could look like simple come-on lines: 'Hold tight for this ride, we don't need no protection, come along, we don't need attention'. But in the context of the song, his words sound desperate and pleading. By the time he sings 'I'm right here' in the chorus, it's as though he's trying to convince himself as much as the girl he's wooing that he is in fact there.

High For This is an astonishing snapshot of alienation and loneliness. Listening with the lights off late at night, the run up to the chorus at 2.30 (layered with a second drumbeat) can be both overwhelming and somehow comforting. The harsh, brutal beats in contrast to his sweet vocals works wonderfully. It reminds me tonally of Drake's Karaoke, one of the standouts from his debut album Thank Me Later.

The hype and coverage of The Weeknd's mixtape has calmed down and the dust appears to have settled. In many ways, this post has come two weeks too late. But I think it's important to sometimes live with songs a little longer, let them play in your head and colour a period of time. If it results in missing out on the very very latest, it might be a price worth paying.

Ke$ha - The Harold Song

Potential Single?



Spyke

I must say that this is now my favourite Ke$ha track. Take It Off and Blow previously held the title as they were the stand outs on Animal and Cannibal respectively, and I'm so glad they were granted single releases. This song is more subtle and would really give the public a different side to Ke$ha; showing the party animal does have a sensitive side and cares about more than just being the centre of attention. However, rumour has it that Cannibal will be the next single - which will do nothing for her sleazy image by rhyming 'famous' with 'anus'.

The track begins with 'I miss your soft lips, I miss your white sheets' as Ke$ha reflects on how she misses all the things about her ex. The paced drum beat throughout each verse resembles that of a heartbeat; I really like this as sometimes post break up you can feel so alone that everything is silent and all you can hear is your heart beating as it recovers from just being broken. The beat build ups the anticipation and emotion as we head towards the chorus, where the song steps up the pace. Once again Ke$ha delivers a catchy chorus, but in the context of the song it shows anguish as well as some determination to get over him.

I think seeing the vulnerability of Ke$ha in this has shown me that there is potential for her to continue to go from strength to strength in the music industry. With Max Martin and Dr. Luke behind her producing songs like Tik Tok and Blow, we could well see her pull out an album like 'Teenage Dream'with her next release (an album which has just seen Katy Perry become the first female to get her 4th US #1 from a single album with ET, since Mariah Carey did it with 'Music Box').

My only issue with Ke$ha is her appearance, Adele is currently showing that you don't need to look like the generic pop star to have massive success, but Ke$ha just seems filthy and unhygienic. Even when she scrubbed up for the Blow video I wasn't convinced. Chart wise I can see this going top 10 in the US and top 20 here in the UK if it gets a release.