Beyoncé - Best Thing I Never Had

The Irreplaceable moment on Beyoncé's new album 4



Spyke

Everytime a new Beyoncé album comes out the charts, once again, get quite an influx of feminist power tracks flooding the charts: Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), If I Were A Boy, Beautiful Liar, Naughty Girl etc. While I enjoy them, from a guy's perspective it can sometimes get a little bit too much. There are two things that really keep me interested in checking out the Beyoncé albums and that's her resounding ability to pull out some incredible ballads and perform them impeccably.

I think that both Halo and Irreplaceable are just absolutely phenomenal tracks which obviously turned into big radio hits and fan favourites, in the same way tracks like Rihanna's Unfaithful and Fergie's Big Girls Don't Cry also performed in the past. So when this album campaign began with Run The World (Girls), I was hoping that I'd find a hidden gem like this one. After listening to 4 the other day after my last exam the only tracks jumping out for me were I Was Here and this incredible tune - Best Thing I Never Had.

On Sunday night Beyoncé performed as the headliner a the Glastonbury festival just three years after her husband Jay Z did exactly the same thing. I think anyone who watched the coverage will agree with me that the three tracks which really stood out were the aforementioned Irreplaceable, Halo and this. Trying to promote new material at a festival can be a risky move, but I think the way she performed so succinctly and taught the audience some of the main lyrics really got the crowd engaged, enough to send the track flying up itunes where it is currently sitting at #2. I think it would be fantastic if the song actually managed to topple Jason Derulo at the top of the chart this week, just to see one of Beyoncé's better tracks get the chart recognition it deserves.

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 1
McLovin -
Actual 3

It's our Birthday!

Celebrating mcspymusic's 1st year

Spyke & McLovin:

Forgive us this brief moment of indulgence (we'll get back to the pop soon!), but on 14th June 2010, Spyke and McLovin's Music was born. Neither of us can quite believe it has already been a year! We'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who visits our site and enjoys reading our music reviews. In particular, our readers in Denmark have been a fantastic support and given us motivation to keep writing and (hopefully) improve!

Many thanks to all who follow our twitter account as well. Launched a few months ago, we've found it a great way to share our work. We've got some exciting developments coming up, so stay tuned!

Thanks again, and here's to the next year!

Your Favorite Martian - Grandma Got A Facebook

This amuses me somewhat

McLovin

How did this comedic treat cross my path you ask? Well, I was recently perusing the new YouTube music charts. I'm not exactly sure how it works; compiling the most viewed music videos seems a rather precarious task. J.Lo's On The Floor is currently at number one with over 222 million views (good grief!). But if it was an all time chart, then Justin Bieber's Baby would destroy the competition. Therefore, I'm assuming that the chart is calculated by the biggest increase in weekly viewers: perfect to capture the viral nature of internet videos.

Sitting comfortably at 15 in the charts is Your Favorite Martian's Grandma Got A Facebook. Uploaded little over a week ago, this naughtily enjoyable song is one place ahead of Beyonce's Run The World (Girls). Grandma Got A Facebook doesn't really work without the splendid video (although a similar argument could be made about Beyonce's latest single). The rapping reminds me of a low key Pretty Fly (For A White Guy). The chorus, while catchy, starts to grate towards the end, despite the repeated 'wrinkly ass' line keeping the momentum going.

However, what really excites me about Your Favorite Martian is not necessarily the song, but what their high placing in the YouTube music chart could lead to. Although the chart is currently dominated with the usual suspects (including, sigh, The L*** Song), there is potential for it to become a great music leveler. Yes, people are listening to Rihanna and Gaga (rightly) and Jessie J and Pitbull (dubiously), but they're also listening to Grandma Got A Facebook. Its presence suggests that the chart has the potential to expose people to songs they might never have easily come across, which can only be a good thing.

Eminem and Royce Da 5'9 feat. Bruno Mars - Lighters

Eminem gets his massive commercial hit for 2011



Spyke

Bad Meets Evil is a hip-hop duo consisting of Eminem and Royce Da 5'9. The two originally worked together right back on The Slim Shady LP over a decade ago, but nothing really came of it after conflicts arose between Royce Da 5'9 and Eminem's other side project in D12. This year they are working together again and about to release 'Hell: The Sequel' EP later this month. The first single Fast Car has had moderate success in the US, but I feel this could very easily be the song to dethrone Adele on the Hot 100.

It reminds me of the Fort Minor track I reviewed last month: the thudding drum beat which keeps it marching on as both Eminem and Royce Da 5'9 roll out their raps; the emotive lyrics and the chorus which provides enough commercial appeal for this to become a real cross-over hit. I think Eminem's ability to find the perfect hook for a chorus has allowed him to maintain his status as one of the world's most influential and successful artists, going from sampling Martika's Toy Soldiers to enrolling Rihanna for one of the biggest singles of last year. Here, Bruno Mars once again provides a soppy chorus "Living out our dreams; We’re all right where we should be", which contrasts so effectively with the verses.

It just seems wrong that this could potentially be a fifth UK #1 for Bruno Mars in less than 18 months. You can't deny the sales for Just The Way You Are and Grenade that gained them the status but it shows what a sad state of affairs our chart is in when The Lazy Song can make it to the top! After Eminem missed out on a #1 from his last album Recovery, I'd love for this to become his 8th.

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 1
McLovin -
Actual 13

Lil Wayne - How To Love

The Greatest Rapper Alive © releases his finest ballad

(This video is slightly sped up!)

McLovin

I'm well aware that Lil Wayne is not to everyone's taste. His rough, scooby doo style flow can be extremely off putting on a first listen, and that's before you acknowledge his obscene sense of humour. It took me a long time to warm to Wheezy; it wasn't until his outstanding performance on Kanye's See You In My Nightmares that I realised quite how much I enjoyed his unique attitude and approach to music.

With both Nicki Minaj and Drake on his Young Money label, it seems Wayne has taken note of their recent success and upped his melodic game post-prison sentence. Backed with only a simple beat and an acoustic guitar, Wayne's sincerity in How To Love demonstrates an emotive, vulnerable aspect to his personality rarely seen. While it may seem initially repetitive, the song gradually builds in intensity due to Wayne progressing to a higher vocal range (albeit aided by some subtle auto-tuning).

While it may appear quite the departure to his usual swaggerings, it seems a nature progression from songs such as Comfortable, or the more recent Single. Even if Wayne typically implores he is an alien or martian (normally to brag about his outrageous talents: quite rightly!), How To Love brings him back down to earth in the most human way possible. I hope this single brings wider attention to a UK audience where he is more widely known for his guest appearances than anything in his own right. It has certainly increased my excitement for his upcoming album, Tha Carter IV.

Nicki Minaj - Super Bass

Time for a U-turn



Spyke

Now I haven't been the biggest Nicki Minaj fan, but that may be beginning to change. Upon the release of her debut album 'Pink Friday' I thought she was a very vulgar, foul mouthed piece of work. Just listening to her aggressive tone and language in Roman's Revenge scared me a little bit. Her fashion sense wasn't much better with an obscure leopard panto look; I just wasn't on board. In my eyes the only thing she had to offer was an aspirational ballad with Rihanna (Fly).

However, like Nicole Scherzinger's Right There this track has been well and truly stuck in my head during the revision for my Maths exams for the past month. The whole "Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass" will just get ingrained in your mind and will have your head bobbing in no time. I'm glad this is shaping up to be quite the sizable hit from the album after I feel we all got our first taste of Minaj's real talent when she featured alongside Drake on Moment 4 Life.

As for the video, she couldn't be any more pink and glamorous if she tried. Sporting some bright pink lyrca, wigs and wheels, this looks just like Barbie's fantasy world.

Chart Predictions:
Spyke 23
McLovin -
Actual 8