In 2008 I was listening to . . .

This week I've been having a little reminisce.

With a 45 minute commute to work each day I'm finding that a 1GB ipod shuffle just isn't quite cutting it for the tunes. Each week I try to keep it regularly updated with about 40 or so current hits but by Friday I inevitably find myself skipping an awful lot. So I've recently started topping it up randomly with 5 star rated tracks from my itunes and boy is it helping me re-discover some forgotten gems. It was when two in particular were on in a row this week that I couldn't help but think back to the many fun times I had during my first year of University. So along with the Basshunter and O-Town hits I've chosen another 3 tracks that I really couldn't get enough of four years ago...

Basshunter - Now You're Gone



To say I was obsessed with this track is probably a slight understatement! I had this on repeat 24/7 (much to my neighbour's peril) and it held the title of my most played song on my previous laptop for quite an era. The song has just so much energy about it; it can't help but make me smile. I love how my preparation for a night out would be to have a quick pre-drink then get psyched to this song - which may or may not have involved a lot of jumping on my bed in a rave esque manner.


O-Town - All Or Nothing



O-Town were actually the result of MTV's 'Making The Band' right back in 2000. Given my interest in music stateside was minimal when I was 10 I barely knew any of the story here. However when you release what is one of THE best boyband ballads of all time then I'm on board. It really has everything that anyone could ever want from a great pop song; in particular an epic key change for the final chorus! I'm not sure what really got it onto my ipod back then but I have very fond memories of all of us staying up until 5am on the last night of first year in halls, and this track came on numerous times evoking several of us to burst into sing-a-long time with accompanying Westlife esque standing up from our seats for that all important key change.


Chris Brown - Forever



It's hard to believe how much things can change in 4 years. Chris Brown really did seem on top of the world at this point; with this he simultaneously had 3 songs in the US top 10 - something no one has managed since (until Adele reaped in the boost from her Grammys success a few weeks ago). As they've both been present in the music scene for the past few years I kind of feel like I've grown and matured a lot along with Rihanna and Chris Brown. Back in 2008 we were all fun loving, slightly naive youngsters. Four years on and we've all matured a bit - I just managed it without a case of domestic abuse and the awful Birthday Cake.


Ne-Yo - Closer



After having an impeccable run as a song writer - being responsible for the likes of Irreplaceable, Unfaithful and Let Me Love You, Ne-Yo finally started saving the absolute tunes for himself and stopped releasing drivel like So Sick (one of the most forgettable #1s of the last decade). This song helped me through that long term three when all you're meant to do is revise; and like Beautiful Monster and now Let's Go this is one track that I couldn't take off repeat.


Shayne Ward - No U Hang Up



Shayne Ward's career really has been a mixed bag of goodies really: from the fantastic No Promises to the high pitched cringey scream-a-thon that left him Breathless. This lies somewhere in the middle, but isn't something I've listened to in years. This cheesey goodbye track is bizarrely addictive; at this beginning you can't get over how bad the lyrics are but by the end your head will slowly be bopping along to the beat. I presume there are very few people in the world who would appreciate this song never mind two who'd use it as a leaving track to go just down the corridor.

Calvin Harris & Ne-Yo - Let's Go

Watch this storm to the top of the charts near you soon

Spyke

With We Found Love becoming Rihanna's biggest hit to date in many territories (surpassing Umbrella in terms of sales and chart performance) Calvin Harris has made a name for himself as the new up and coming global megastar producer. He really has come a long way from his early days making it Acceptable In The 80s and playing DJ sets in the likes of our small local club Smack! in Leamington Spa.

With both Bounce and Feels So Close reaching #2 in the UK last year Calvin's new album is really shaping up to be quite the record. I would be very surprised if Harris was denied his second #1 as a lead artist (fourth overall) with this single. This really is the perfect follow up to We Found Love as Calvin Harris puts his stamp all over this track. Just like his contribution to last year's smash Give Me Everything, Ne-Yo very much just acts as an accessory to the track's success, his smooth vocals complement the production and his 'Let's Go' moments act as an invitation to the producer to really show off what he can do.

Chart Predictions:

Spyke 1

McLovin -

Actual -