Huh?

Two question marks for me this morning, Happy New Year again btw! haha.

Remember when I said that I'm loving Corbin's lead single, Celebrate You? Well apparently, it's not the lead single anymore. I love Celebrate You and all, I think it's brilliant but this is so much better! Sounds even more Disney and even more like a commercial than ever and that's good! I love the piano + beat at the start, it's so friggin' catchy! haha. He looks strange though, I don't like the new look with the sunglasses.

Now as much as I love Ordinary Days and Caledonia, they'll never be singles or if they are, they'll flop. Why? 'Coz I ADORE THEM and we all know what happens to the album tracks that I adore then get turned into singles(I can give you proof if you want!) so I think they correctly picked this one. Whether it'll be successful though, I'm not so sure. I think the X Factor curse is starting but you never know, if it works for someone it just might work for Leon!

Hello 2009!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope yours was filled with noise and food and alcohol and more food and whatever else!

Well it's official, 2009 has begun! If this year is anything like 2008, then it'll be full of amazing releases form amazing established artists and hopefully some amazing debuts this year as well. So what am I expecting this year? Here's the lowdown on what I'm expecting this year:

• First and foremost, THE NEW WESTLIFE ALBUM! I cannot believe I survived 2008 without a Westlife release(well we got a DVD, but still, NO ALBUM!) but if I waited a whole year to get an album that should've come in 2008, then I expect only greatness from the lads and that greatness means NO COVERS! As much as they've given them big hits and all, they've shown us with Back Home that they do have the ability to release amazing originals so we better get some more. Apparently, there are rumors that their version of this song will be on the album, but as of now they're all rumors. Bring on the new album, lads!
• She's given us two amazing pop songs so I'm sure Natalie Bassingthwaighte's new album will not fail to impress. If the songs are anything like Alive or Someday Soon then we're in for an amazing, possibly mind-blowing album. I've heard some Rogue Traders songs as well, it was a relatively big jump for her genre-wise, if I may say so. I wonder what the cover'll look like...
• After three long years if waiting, JoJo's new album is slated for release this year! YES! YES! AAAHHHHHHHHH! We got one song from her this year, a cover of T-Pain's(was it T-Pain? I'm not sure..) Can't Believe It. I like the song for her, and she's sounding good vocally as well. I absolutely adore the girl, her first album was amazing, her second album cemented her in the industry and I think this album will blow us all away. I'll be waiting!!!
• Just a few days ago, Corbin Bleu's first single off Speed Of Light leaked and I was in awe, Celebrate You is an outright amazing song! Although I'm a little disappointed with the title track, I think if there are at least four or five good tracks and two or three amazing ones then I'm OK. Can't wait!!
• So I heard that Aly&AJ are planning their third release(typo! sorry!). We haven't heard any new material from them since Insomniatic and there are no rumors about this and that or no snippets of songs so I'm still very clueless about the release. Still, I loved their previous two albums so as long as they don't do a 360 change then I'm OK.
• I'm waiting for albums from Samantha Jade and Bayje as well, those two girls are amaaaaaaaaazing! The leaked Samantha Jade songs are amazing and Bayje's carrier single's brilliant. Love it! haha.

The Songs I used to listen to THE FINAL POST!

Yes, people! It's New Year's Eve, by midnight we'll be saying goodbye to 2008 and hello to 2009. I had a blast this year music-wise, so let's get the final post of the year rolling!

• I developed a liking for the RENT soundtrack(I have the whole thing! haha..) because of my best friend(she LOVES Seasons Of Love) and the two songs I listened to the most out of it were Will I and, you guessed it, Seasons Of Love. I love the songs, the melodies are brilliant and they're so broadway, I love them! haha.
• Ricki-Lee's It's Just Life was this school year's 'emo' song for me, last school year it was the live version of Heaven by Do and Westlife. Those two songs had the ability to make me cry in school if I turned the volume up high enough. The melody of Heaven did it all for me, it was all I listened to during the end my freshman year. It's Just Life though, narrated exactly what was happening to me during the start of this school year, I'd just gone through a really, really rough patch and when I heard this song, I started bawling. The melody mixed with the lyrics just did it for me and whenever I was kinda emo-ish, this was the song I'd listen to.
• I first heard NKOTB's Summertime during maybe the tail end of summer here, and it sort of sparked my boy band addiction phase 3. Phase one was Westlife, phase 2 was Blue and so phase 3 was NKOTB, NLT and V Factory. This song sort of got me addicted to the current American boybands. haha.
• One of my favorite albums that wasn't released this year is Britt Nicole's debut. I adore this girl and although I thought she was a little too like Ashlee Simpson when I heard her single but then I got the album and I was in awe, her songs are amazing! haha..
• I was also listening to Carrie Underwood's first album a lot this year. I love all the songs, although I didn't give Carnival Ride a once-over. Maybe I will next year..

I think that's it. Well people, 2008 for this blog is done and over with so let's usher 2009 in and hope for some of the most amazing releases we've heard!

From me, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I so want 2009 to start already so we can get the music rolling! haha.

OMG.

If this wasn't as amazing as it is, then I would've postponed posting this until next year and get on with the last post of the year but I can't wait!!!!!! It's a crime if I don't blog about it.

I love Britannia High, I truly do but thank God they didn't get this girl or else she wouldn't have come up with something this amazingly brilliant. For those who watched the two-episode Behind the Scenes docu on the series, remember a girl called Pixie Lott? Well it turns out, she's signed to a major label and has got new songs!

She's got an amazing voice, but what made this piece of news even better is that her songs are not just good, THEY'RE MIND BLOWING.

The song that just made me want to go and write this entry without hesitation is The Fall. If you're a fan of this year's Sugababes album, head on over to her myspace(the link is below..) and give the songs a listen, you'll love them.

Everything about this girl has the makings of a star, and I hope her debut album is filled with songs like this. Seriously, she's got the world at her feet, now where's the album? I seriously want her album by next year, I might freak if I don't.

Listen to the songs on her myspace profile. SHE'S AMAZING.

My most played songs..

Let's continue our end of year festivities with this year's most played songs!

Everyone's doing it(well, a lot of blogs at the very least) so why don't I do it as well? So I've made my smart playlist including only 100 of my top played songs this year. They didn't necessarily have to had been released this year, but I should have added them into my library and actually played them sometime this year. There are 100 of them, just click the image to enlarge and read it properly..! haha.

Btw, check out Ken's most played list as well. Amazingness!

How to enlarge: Open the picture, then refresh the page that it leads you to. haha!
That was loooong.

# 1: Jordan Pruitt - Unconditional

I've had an extremely hard time choosing my favorite song of 2008, mainly because there were so many amazing releases this year, as the countdown proves.

But I've made my decision, and I know I picked the right song.

Jordan Pruitt, I think, is one of the most underrated Disney artists. Even if she is kind of unnoticed by the general music-buying public, she's one of the few artists Disney has gotten spot on this year.

I always say that the transition from first to second album is the hardest part of any singer's career, because it will reveal if you were really being you during your first album or you were being controlled by your record company. Vanessa and Miley failed miserably for their sophomore releases but Jordan made it look so effortless, so easy.

Of course, she had to have an all-star cast of songwriters to help her, and she definitely got that.

The lead single was co-written by a woman who'd written two of the most amazing pop songs ever made, Christina Aguilera's Come On Over and What A Girl Wants. Could it get better than that? Of course it could.

A swedish guy called Savan Kotecha also did some stuff on her album. This guy is amazing when it comes to writing pop songs, he wrote two of the best Westlife songs ever, Amazing and Something Right, he practically wrote Shayne Ward's second album and he did some stuff for Celine Dion as well.

Can you imagine? The same guy who'd worked with all these huge artists worked with Jordan Pruitt this year. The product was amazing, he wrote another of my favorite tracks on the album, My Shoes.

Because of how hard it is on Jordan and songwriters and producers to make a sophomore album, I wasn't expecting a song as gorgeous as Unconditional to appear on the album, but it did.

If I was to choose the most beautiful melody this year, it would be this one. Above all the number one singles, the seasoned artists, the amazing performers and the beautiful voices, a song's melody is what made me so into music. How the notes intertwine with each other and make something so gorgeous just baffles me up to this day, and Unconditional just makes me want to cry.

I'm not kidding. When I hear this song, it just makes me want to burst out into tears.

Gar, I'm getting toooooooo emotional. Unconditional is not just brilliant, it's stunning and it instantly made Jordan Pruitt one of my favorite artists of all time. 

Better than any other song this year, this is the song that really made me shut up and listen. Which is why I think it deserves to be my favorite song of the year.

Well, that's it for 2008. Everything that needed saying was said(although I did forget a few releases...noo!), and so we close this amazing year.

I hope you guys had fun reading about the best of the year, because this is the part where we say farewell to 2008 and hello to 2009, hopefully filled with even more amazing music(and a Westlife release!!! AAAHHH!)!

There's still the final 'What I Used to Listen To' post, but have a happy New Year everyone!

James Morrison - Songs For You, Truths For Me

I literally have to force myself to write this. Garrrr.

James Morrison is one of those artists that people who know me would never believe I like, but I really, truly adore him. I mean, his voice is gorgeous enough then he releases these brilliant songs that keep you wanting more!

Over here, his sophomore release was very quiet, virtually no promotion and during the rare times that I do watch TV(which is almost never) or if I overhear someone watching the music channel, I haven't heard anything about him. Heck, I didn't even know he was coming out with a sophomore album until I saw it up for download! haha. OK.

This is one of those albums wherein I listen to every single track and you obviously know that I don't listen to albums from start to finish that much. Melodically all the songs are stunning and arrangement-wise you hear a lot of things in the album, but there's never too much of something, you're not bombarded by all these fake drums or all these processed sounds, there are some of those but never in excess.

The amazing thing about this album is that I never, ever get sick to listening to it. There are a lot of songs that I absolutely love but then I listen to them too much and they get too annoying but I can seriously listen to this album for the rest of my life and not get sick of it. 

I do not want to do a song-by-song breakdown of the album for fear that I might keep on saying the same things over and over again and you don't wanna be reading that, do you? I thought so.

I just want to say though, I love the elements that flow through the entire album, the similar feels of The Only Night, Precious Love and Nothing Ever Hurt Like You are so cool and the un-mushy-ness of You Make It Real, even though it's kinda mushy.

You know who he kind of reminds me of? A Brit version of Paddy Casey(if you even know who he is.. haha.).

Rating: 5/5

This album's also number 9 on my top ten albums of 2008! Hurrah!

# 2: Girls Aloud - The Loving Kind

Read my review of Out Of Control here.

They can't sing this song live, that's my only complaint.

The Loving Kind came very close to becoming my favorite song of the year, it was between this one and the one I chose. So it's technically my second favorite song of the year.

I find it ironic that I keep humming it but the girls can't seem to be able to sing it live. Still, I don't hum songs a lot(mainly because I always have my iPod stuck to my ears..) but if I do, that means the song has got something really special for me and it does.

This has got an amazing, gorgeous, beautiful, stunning melody, something that's obviously very important for me. It's got an amazing melody but it's not just an idea of an amazing melody, the execution of it is just sheer brilliance.

So what's my favorite song of the year then? Find out tomorrow, I assure you, it's an amazing one.

# 3: Chris Brown - Forever

I've said this over and over and over again, but let me say it again, Chris Brown is no match for Craig David.

But Forever is pretty close.

It's like a fuse of electro-pop and R&B, and the melody's once again stunning. I love the version that was used on the ad as well, I guess I have a soft spot for songs that can be ad soundtracks..

I won't rant about it much, mainly because I might start saying even more things that I've said before.

The Songs I Used to Listen To Part 4..

Music carries a time stamp for me, when I listen to a particular song it reminds me of some period of my life/the year/ whatever so this year, there were quite a few memorable songs that'll carry timestamps of the year.
I can't believe we're on part 4 ALREADY!

• I remember listening to She&Him's Sentimental Heart when I just got my iMac back for its first round of repairs, it was probably the very first thing I downloaded when I got it back as well. I love the song, it sort of marked the transition of my musical tastes, after I heard this I started listening to Duffy and Sara Bareilles and Brooke White's pre-idol album so yeah.
• Around the same time, I remember hearing Westlife's Get Away for the first time. It was the b-side to Us Against the World and I loved it the minute I heard it. I love the feel of the song and the edginess and we don't usually get from the lads. I mean, have they ever made a song like this for an album in the past three years? I don't think so!
• I also remember rekindling my childhood adoration for Swing Out Sister earlier this year. I think it's safe to say that I grew up listening to these two(formerly three), way before Craig David and people like that came along. I remember my dad always listening to their greatest hits in the album and when I finally remembered to hunt it down, it was like remembering my childhood. I love, love, love Breakout and possibly every other track on the album! haha. Each song in that album represents a part of my childhood, it's so cool.
• I remember the first time I heard Kylie Minogue's Wow was during one of those rare times that I turned the TV on and watched the local music channel, it was on some kind of countdown. I never really took notice of Kylie's album when it came out(even though it was all over the place..) like the countless other albums I didn't pay attention to. But I loved Wow so much, I found it so infectious that I just had to get my hands on the album. I loved what I heard!
• I remember downloading these two albums at the same time. My favorite song from Utada Hikaru's Heart Station has got to be Fight The Blues. Flavor of Life may have been the huge single all over the place but it's Fight the Blues that caught my ear. It's refreshing to hear something like that, and the melody's gorgeous. On Ultra Blue though, my favorite is Keep Trying. Not only is the video really, really cute and fun to watch, the song is mind-blowing. I love the bridge and the little edge in the chorus. Amazing stuff.
• Another blast from the past for me is the Unplugged album the Corrs released a few years back, I just found my dad's copy of it this year, amidst all his junk. When I was a kid I knew absolutely nothing about music so I had no idea it was live until maybe last year or something. As a kid I loved the unplugged version of Radio, I remember listening to that a lot as well, I think I was in first grade when my dad bought this. haha.
• The first time I heard With Every Heartbeat was when Girls Aloud covered it on Live Lounge. I knew it was a cover and I knew it was huge but I had never really listened to it so when I heard the GA version and I loved the song(not the version, it's kinda lackluster..) and so I hunted down the original Robyn(who sang one of my favorite songs, Don't Stop The Music) version. Amazingness. haha.

Don't forget to catch possibly the last installment tomorrow! haha.

# 4: Craig David - Insomnia

I've professed my love for Craig David over and over and over and over again here, and I think you guys are getting a bit sick of it but this guy just keeps coming up with amazing music after all the artists who started with him have either broken up, stopped making music or are releasing all this crap.

Craig David has what other R&B artists want, groove. The ability to make people want to get up and dance or tap their toes or 'bang' their heads(for lack of a better term..) even if he's singing a slow song. That's what I want in an R&B artist, because isn't R&b RHYTHM and Blues? You need groove and rhythm, and Craig David's got that.

Insomnia was off his Greatest Hits album this year, and it's brilliance all over again, as if he's not brilliant enough. You've got the trademark Craig David word repetition at the beginning and then once the chorus kicks in, the melody goes from amazing to stunning.

I really admire him as well, because he said during an interview that he doesn't have to change his style just to break the US, if they don't like him the way he is then so be it. That's solid proof that he knows exactly who he is and he's not changing it for anyone. That's what I want to see in all these Disney and record label clones, a sense of identity.

# 5: Same Difference - We Are One

It's not very often that I love the singles of an amazing album more than the album tracks but I had a really, really hard time choosing which song from the album to put in.

I remember the first time I heard a part of the song was when Pop Justice put up a snippet. I was amazed and drawn in, the song was AMAZING. It's really is very HSM-y but the difference is that these two don't have the wimpy Disney voices, they can sing and the album isn't really full of Breaking Free wannabes, it's actually very much like a cross between Steps and HSM.

We Are One has very Steps-like verses but the choruses are Disney all the way. It's not a mutant though, the way the two were fused makes it look like it wasn't done on purpose(but do we know if it was or wasn't? haha..) because the flow of the song is just so natural.

I think I read somewhere that it's strange how a brother and sister sing about 'becoming one'. I find it pretty strange as well but hey, it's an amazing song! haha..

Jordan Pruitt - Permission To Fly

So back when I was at Pop Addicted!, I wrote a review for her album. So I thought, why make another one when my thoughts on the album are still pretty much the same? I edited it a bit, but it's still practically the same. haha.. so here it is, it's crap but forgive me.

When I heard the first few tracks on the album, my first reaction was FINALLY, Disney got something right. Miley's album was a disappointment, never mind Vanessa's, that was horrid but this album is definitely WAY better than almost everything else Disney has released so far.

I listened back to Jordan's first album before I listened to this one and I just have one word to describe the shift from debut to sophomore release, effortless. Her first album was good, it showed off her range and what she could do but it was a bit juvenile. This album on the other hand, is more grown up, but not in the radical or confused way. Her music was and still is very well-defined, it's like a breath of fresh air after a few disasters and it's put Disney back in my good books.

Of course, there are a few tracks which I'm not a big fan of but I just have to say that the production team and everyone involved in the album very clearly gave every single track an enormous amount of attention and thought so yeah.

I absolutely hate her version of The Way You Do The Things You Do, I just don't like the song at all but one thing I can commend is the fact that she gave her best shot and it fits very well with the album, something I'm very peculiar about as you may know. I've got to admit, I'm a bit disappointed with the title track, I was expecting something drop-dead gorgeous. Even if it's not what I expected it to be, it's a nice song and it fits very well with the rest of the album so yeah.

It was extremely hard for me to pick the best tracks on the album because I love most of the track but I guess I'll have to but I'll divide them into two groups, the favorite tracks and the absolutely DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS ones that deserve awards(haha..). 'Simple Things' is a track that I love, but there are better songs on the album. Still, it's a track to watch out for, the melody is cute!

There are four absolutely drop-dead gorgeous tracks for me. 

In Love For A Day starts out so-so but once the chorus hits, it just gets amazing, and it's very Jordan down to the last note. I'm Gone has a killer hook, very catchy but the melody is also amazing, the perfect combination for a song. I Wanna Go Back is also an amazing song, from the very start you start singing along to it, at least I did! 

The most brilliant, stunning and amazing track on the album though is 'Unconditional', everything about that song just leaves me speechless, the song is amazing, the melody and it's very, VERY Jordan, it could've been on either album and still fit in.

Rating: 5/5!

It's also number 8 on my top ten albums of 2008! Hurrah!

The Songs I Used To Listen To Part 3..

Most of the songs I listened to this year were new releases but there were still quite a number of older releases I had just found this year. Let's look back at the songs that used to be on heavy rotation for me earlier this year!

Part 3, already!

• Billie Piper's album was on heavy rotation this year. I don't remember hearing any of her songs as a kid but the minute I heard the album, I had found amazingness! I love the album, certainly a treasure trove of amazing pop songs from the 90's. Shame she didn't release another album though.
• Ola Svensson's 2007 release, Good Enough was getting a lot of plays from me as well! Pop at it's best, I LOVE the single, SOS to bits. All It Takes is amazing as well, all the tracks are brilliant!
• I have no idea how I found them but I love A-List Alliance's three myspace songs, It's The Way, For the First Time and I Do. I think they're Swedish or something like that, but I absolutely adore the songs, I Do is very Elin Lanto-ish with the instrumentals and all and the other two tracks are slower, love them!
• I absolutely adored Brooke White on Idol so I got my hands on her pre-idol album and I loved it as well! It's got a few covers but my favorite songs on it are In Love, Yellow and Free even though the whole album sounds amazing. I wonder what she's up to at the moment.
• I got addicted to 5ive's Until The Time Is Through as well at some point of the year. I have absolutely no idea how but I did. I love the song, and it's something maybe BSB would do. It's a slower song(no, not Westlife slow..) and it's probably the most stereotypical boyband song I've ever heard. Even so, I love the song! haha. I'm strange, aren't I?
• Around the time of my second boyband addiction phase(around april/may..) I discovered a band called Varsity. They actually sound a like like a cross between NLT and Darin. They've got an American meets Swedish sound going on and I'm loving it! I cannot believe I forgot to put Future Love on my countdown! Can I die now? I FORGOT! garrr.
• After I listened to Samantha Mumba's unreleased second album, I'm Right Here became my favorite. Little did I know that is was the single! garr. Still amazing song from an amazing artist and I absolutely adored her first album, she could've beaten Britney any day! I think.
• There was one song on Delta Goodrem's Innocent Eyes that I was in love with, Butterfly. It was written by Gary Barlow, Tim Woodcock and Eliot Kennedy and I just love, love, love this song! It's very Delta, I must say and it fits her like a glove. Brilliance, I say.
• I remember Vanessa Hudgens' second album coming out when school had just started for me(in June..), so I remember loathing it and listening to it quite a lot during that time. You guys know what I think of the album so I won't elaborate on it anymore. haha.
• I remember hearing about a girl called Kerli as well during the same time(she's on my countdown as well, if you haven't noticed). Her songs were creepy but not, Walking On Air was creepy but Love Is Dead was very rock-y. I loved the chorus of Walking On Air though, amazing stuff.

Don't forget to catch part 4 tomorrow and Part 5 on the 30th! Crap the New Year's so close!

# 6: Gia Farrell - Can and Cannot Do

I personally adored Hit Me Up to a point where that was all I was listening to and I even got my best friend addicted to it. When Syesha murdered it on Idol, I thought the performance lacked the kick that Gia's voice has.

So when I saw some new material by her earlier this year, I literally jumped at it and I got an amazing pop song.

Now tell me why all these mainstream, established artists can't do what this girl's doing? She's making amazing pop music that's clearly amazing with amazing melodies and a catchy chorus.

I'd say it's something in the vain of Queensberry/Eva Avila track No Smoke. It's smoother but it's still got that character and kick of the other song and it really, really matches her voice.

Amazingness!

# 7: Lady GaGa - Just Dance

Read my initial review of Just Dance here

I don't know why and how I actually like Lady GaGa but I do.

Just Dance is this uber-catchy and even more infectious 'dance' track and I personally think melodically, it's brilliant. I said during my review of the song and album(it's on Pop Addicted!) that this song is like the basis of all the other songs on her album, like it was stripped into pieces and those pieces became the album tracks.

Then, I also noticed very RedOne elements, mainly because the song sounds a lot like Darin's Girl Next Door(thanks to Mel for pointing that out..) and the two songs have the same production team.

Now isn't that pure genius? haha.. The whole song is brilliant and the album is almost as brilliant, although I've gotten a bit sick of it.

# 8: Girlicious - Save the World

I really don't know why I listened to their album, but I did and to be honest with you, it wasn't half bad.

There were a few tracks that just stood out by a mile, melodically and instrumental-wise. Save the World was one of them. It's mid-tempo that kinda sounds a bit in the minor key(just a wild guess..), with the 'sharp' notes(not sharp as in flat and sharp, sharp as in the sound.. haha.. ok.) and a few harmonies here and there.

Melodically I love it. I love the melodies when the harmonies come out and I love the verses, they're a perfect mix.

Something random..

As you know, I used to make custom covers a lot during my time at Pop Addicted!, but I still actually do. When I think the cover's crappy or if there isn't any cover yet to start with, I like making my own. I totally sucked at the start(still do, actually) but I think this is one of the better ones I've made(believe me, I've made really bad ones. You do not want to see them.).

So a while ago, I made a cover for Natalie Bassingthwaighte's new album! yay!

(You may use it, just please don't remove the watermark/tag/whatever you call it.)

Haha.. will put this on the sidebar, me like! haha.

Tell me, should I start posting custom covers?

This Week's Top FIfteen!

1. Rock - Beyonce

2. Release Me - Agnes Carlsson

3. The Simple Things(Something Emotional) - Vanessa Amorosi

4. Celebrate You - Corbin Bleu

5. All In Your Head - Samanthe Jade

6. The Loving Kind - Girls Aloud

7. Someday Soon - Natalie Bassingthwaighte

8. For All Time - Soluna

9. Picking Up The Pieces - Britannia High Soundtrack

10. Breathe Slow - Alesha Dixon

11. No Smoke - Queensberry

12. Work - The Saturdays

13. Back2U - Jessica Mauboy

14. Insomnia - Craig David

15. Like A Miracle - Same Difference

The songs I used to listen to Part 2..

2008 was an amazing year for new releases, but there were still those songs that I have, I listened to but somehow got lost in the endless new music coming out. I stopped listening to them, but they already have a time stamp and when I listen to them, I'll remember exactly what I was doing then.

Part 2, people!

• Believe it or not, I was actually listening to Madonna's 4 Minutes quite a lot during the summer(our summer here's in April and May..). I liked the melody, a lot and I think that was the only reason why I actually listened to the song. When it got too overplayed here though, I stopped listening to it.
• I remember a girl called Kaci as well. The song was I Will Learn To Love Again from The Perfect Man(Hilary Duff?) and it was kind of Swedish/German dance mixed with this gorgeous melody. I liked the song, a lot and there was another one, I think it was called Everlasting, I loved the Spanish version of it... haha!
• Around that time as well, Emma Bunton's second album(correct me if I'm wrong..) Free Me was high on my playlists, I love the 40's/50's/60's feel to it! Maybe, Free Me, You Are and I'll Be There were all amazing songs but my favorite on the album is Tomorrow, amazing chorus, people!
• I remember finding the intriguing remix of Westlife's Bop Bop Baby and I kinda loved it for maybe a day. It was on the Unbreakable DVD and I remember wondering what the crap that song was because I knew it was BBB but I didn't know which remix it was. Then someone requested for it on Pop Addicted! and I was going, OMG, this is the freakin' remix I'd been looking for!
• I got addicted to Dreamgirls as well earlier this year, and I loved a lot of the songs, I even got the deluxe edition! haha. Family, You I Do, Dreamgirls, Listen and Steppin' To The Bad Side were my favorites! Amazing stuff..

Watch out for Part 3 tomorrow!

# 9: Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight

She's come a long way since American Idol, and I remember when I first heard this song, I was blown away.

I won't go into much detail about her or the song, your heads must be spinning after reading the Cook review.

It's an amazing song, an R&B mid-tempo with lots and lots of groove. It's something that's really easy to tap you foot and 'bang' your head to, something that only a few artists have managed to do.

The melody is amazing, it's flow-y and gorgeous.

# 10: Taio Cruz - I'll Never Love Again

Listening over to the song while I'm writing this, I just discovered who he sounds like.

A less annoying Akon.

Think about it, his pronunciation is similar and this song, with a little tweaking on the arrangement, could actually be an Akon song.

The first time I ever heard of him was when I first heard the Sugababes album, their duet with him was the bonus track. I liked the song, so I got curious and did my research before getting a hold of the album.

I loved the album.

He's kinda like Lemar actually, but I think Lemar has a nicer voice and makes even more brilliant melodies. Taio Cruz's melodies are amazing as well of course.

I mean, why would he be on the countdown if the melody of this song wasn't amazing? It just doesn't make sense.

# 11: David Cook - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

The day David Cook's debut album was released was the day Sony BMG and Simon Cowell murdered David Cook.

Seriously! I know that pop is a formula and all, and I know the American Idol formula is to give the winner all these tasteless ballads and just watch and see if they hit it big. But you see, that formula only really did work for Carrie Underwood.

David Cook was one of Idol's most creative and musical contestants in years and what did they do to him when he won? They murdered his identity, they stripped him of his creativity, the creativity that made him so different. They made him this boring rock-ballad singer with songs that sound the same and just hoped that people wouldn't notice.

Well I noticed.

The Cook that was on American Idol, the amazing singer, performer and the guy who could find all these uncommon arrangements and use them to his advantage was gone and had been replaced by this American Idol clone.

If they're gonna give him a ballad, they better give him a good one with an arrangement to die for along the lines of the stuff he did on Idol, Billie Jean, Always Be My Baby or this song. And they better give him the freedom to make it how he wants it, why was he able to win the whole contest if the music-buying public were the ones deciding? Because the people who go out and buy records liked what he was doing.

Sometimes I think the people at Sony BMG are stupid.

He performed I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For during the finals and I told myself, "If he doesn't win, the people voting must be deaf..".

The song was amazing, he sang it amazingly and at that moment, he seemed untouchable. It was brilliant.

If you don't agree with me on this, then I'm fine with that, but remember, this is MY blog, and I write MY opinions. I respect yours, so respect mine as well.

New look!

Don't you just love it? I do!

One of my good friends, BeE from Pop Nation made this amazing layout for me so scroll all the way down to check out her design website, she's one heck of a graphic designer!

Anyway, this new look was supposed to be for New Year but the minute I got the code, I couldn't wait to apply it! So what do you guys think?

I seriously have to get to writing more of the countdown, I'm not yet done! garr..

And I'm working on the New Releases section on the sidebar as well, it'll hopefully be filled with all the upcoming 2009 releases by tonight if I don't get carried away by something else!

The songs I used to listen to Part 1..

2008 has been filled with a lot of music for me, so let me revisit the songs I was listening to at the start of the year but somehow got lost in the never-ending rush of new songs, singles and album releases. I may have stopped listening to them but they're still a bunch of truly amazing songs.

They don't necessarily have to had been released this year, though!

• According to iTunes, the first thing I put into my music library this year was Leon Jackson's live version of Home on the 1st of January. I don't exactly know why I have it, but I do and I think the song itself is just amazing so when you add Leon's gorgeous vocals, it makes for an even more amazing song! Apparently, I also got the Soundtrack to St. Trinians on that day. haha..
• Ah yes, Justin Guarini's debut album. I think I actually liked a few songs off it but I can't remember which(my iPod was ancient then, a white first generation nano, don't blame me!). All I know is, I never, ever listened to Unchanied Melody, I hate that song!(no offense if you like it, apparently, it's Simon Cowell's favorite song!..)
• OMG. The official full-length remix of Westlife's flop of a single, Us Against the World in all it's 5:57 minutes of glory. I think that remix actually gave me quite a headache after listening to it for maybe 5 times. After that, I stopped listening to it! haha.
• I was in love with Yael Naim's New Soul around summer, it was probably the only song I had the courage to play in front of my parents at the time(I DO NOT like playing the songs I like for people other than my best friend..), mainly because it was in the MacBook Air ad and I was dying for one at the time. I'm actually still dying for it! haha. I love the song, maybe I'll go buy her album later when I go to the mall for some post-Christmas shopping.
• I liked Sara Bareilles enough to buy her physical album(that got cracked the day I bought it and wouldn't be replaced by the store.. gar.) sometime during summer, whenever I hear Bottle It Up I remember summer, mainly because I'd listen to her album from start to finish at the time, something I don't do a lot, even now, there's always a track on an album that I don't like, that I can't stand but surprisingly, I loved every single track on Little Voice. Heck, Gravity became my lullaby when I couldn't sleep because my mind was going everywhere! haha. Maybe I'll listen to the whole album again..
• Brian McFadden's Set In Stone was also played a lot earlier this year on my iPod and on iTunes, there were some tracks there that I just adored, some absolutely brilliant songs that were underrated like Alice in Wonderland(AMAZINGNESS, the rest of the album could've been horrible and this song would still make it amazing..) or Get Away(not to be confused with the Westlife b-side..).

Catch Part 2 sometime tomorrow!

New Music!

I hope you guys had a great Christmas Day, so let's get back to the regular stuff! New stuff has come out over the holidays, mostly from my blogger friends, and I have to catch up!

• First off, can I just say, one album I'll be eagerly awaiting next year is Corbin Bleu's. The lead single was announced, it's called Celebrate You and I got a hold of it already. IT'S AMAZING. The start reminds me of Forever, like an ad for something. The song as a whole(more so the lyrics..) reminds me a lot of something that if sung by a girl, could be in a chick-flick like Princess Diaries or The Prince & Me, but it just works for him. If it was sung by a girl, I don't think it would be this marketable but I would've loved it just as much. This guy either has a great production team and lots of money put into him or he really has a better sense of who he is as a singer. ANYWAY, if his album is filled with stuff like this, I can't wait!
• During another one of our long chats, my friend BeE from Pop Nation(check her blog out, it's amazing! haha..) introduced me to this girl, Claudia Cream. Strange name, but the song I heard, Candy(not to be confused with the Many Moore song..), is pure, utter genius. It reminds me a lot of an Ashley Tisdale song I can't quite put my finger on. I know it sounds like an Ashley song, but I can't remember which. It's got a similar hook and the instrumental's very similar. Still, I love the melody and can you believe she's had five albums? I couldn't either when I first found out.. haha.
• I finally got a chance to hear Natalie's debut album thanks to another one of my friends, Gui from Pop Music Zone(another amazing blog, visit it!) over the Holidays and I just have one thing to say. I love the album, but she reminds me A LOT of Cassie, as in everything from the songs to the voice to the somehow drastic image change for the second album. I loved the single, Goin' Crazy when I knew nothing about music(I used to hear it a lot on the local music channel..) but now that and the rest of the album remind me a lot of Cassie. I know she came first, but I heard Cassie's album first. Still, it's kinda strange but I love the album anyway! haha. Me being strange, forgive me.
• Finally, after a lul in releases, Samantha Jade has a new song called All In Your Head. It's sounds very different from what she's done, but I think this matches her voice a lot more than the other songs(though Step Up will forever remain one of my favorite songs..) and since she hasn't released an album yet, I think the experimentation's working! I love the melody for a start, I think it's drop-dead gorgeous.
• Thanks to Mel, I'm now, truly a Soluna fan. I LOVE the album, I adore it and it's never leaving my iTunes library for as long as I live!
• The single mix of Issues, the Saturdays' new single, is definitely more bass-heavy, I don't know if it's more suitable for radio or what but I kinda like this mix, it's got more of a contrast now, but I love it either way, the song itself is just amazing!(oh and my ring tone at the moment is the chorus of Work! haha, love that song!)
• I was a bit too busy with Holidays and the countdown to mention this but I got a hold of an S Club 8 track I'd never heard before, called Here We Go(not to be confused with the GA track..) and I LOVE IT! Just a little lyrics tweak and it could easily be a Christmas song but it's not! At least I don't think it is.. Amazing song though, why hadn't I heard it earlier?
• I'm still kind of baflled at how good NLT are at a capella work, they could easily rival Westlife! But of course, Westlife will win! How can they not with Shane's amazingly smooth, strong voice on lead? haha.
• I thought the TOTP Christmas special wasn't gonna happen? Apparently, it did! Will have to watch it sometime before New Year.

Anything else I missed? I hope not..

# 12: Elin Lanto - Speak N Spell

This was actually the last song I added to the list, but I certainly didn't make a mistake in putting it here.

The mere fact that she's Swedish got me to listen to her single(is this on an album? I haven't done my research yet..), and I loved what I heard.

I'm not usually a big fan of all this Swedish dance/techno/'trance' stuff, but this seems to fall somewhere between that and Agnes-type pop.

The instrumental is more techno but you can stick that melody into an Agnes arrangement and it'll be amazing. Kinda like Darin, only he's more R&B than hardcore dance so yeah.

That's what I love about the Swedish pop I've heard so far, they're somehow sure of who they are musically as a country. I don't know if it's the right way to put it so lemme explain. The artists are themselves, but there are certain songs that the minute I hear the melody I can tell their Swedish. Something like that.

I don't think you got a thing I said.

ANYWAY. I love the melody, I love the instrumentation so I ADORE the song!

# 13: V Factory - These Are The Days

V Factory, another BRILLIANT boyband to come out from the US this year, they're certainly making up for lost time.

Can you believe Darin wrote their upcoming single? It's amazing, and it sounds so Swedish!

Anyway. They released an EP earlier this year, and I was blown away.

They may have a really wimpy set of vocal chords but hey, the songs they've got are amazing. Amazing to the level that These Are The Days was the only thing I listened to for maybe two days, thus I've played it like 100 times already.

It's like a more R&B-influenced Ordinary Days(the Leon song I just reviewed yesterday..) but with another gorgeous melody.

As I said, the vocals are probably my only problem. They're a bit too Disney for me, but I guess that's what American boybands are, so who am I to change a tried and tested formula? After all, pop is a formula.

If I was to judge just the song, I would say it's stunning. After months of listening to it, I haven't gotten sick of it yet and that's definitely a good sign.

# 14: Corbin Bleu - Fear Of Flying

I actually have no idea where this song will be, but I love it so yay!

I think Corbin Bleu's first album was amazing, there were some amazing songs on it(including an OPM cover, who'd have thought of that?), but if this was on the album, it would've been light years better than all the other tracks.

It's current but it's Disney but it's brilliant. It's got a very recognize-able hook and these strange sounds at the start, which are both cool and strange to listen to. His voice is like a weaker Drew Seeley, I think it's the best way to put it. It's got the nasal thing, but I'm not so sure if his voice is processed or not. I think it is, but it might not be since I haven't heard him sing live yet.

This guy knows how to move with the trends while retaining his identity. His first album was very 2007, and this song is very 2008. He knows who he is so he can easily manipulate that and make songs that'll move with the times.

Brilliant, right? Of course!

# 15: Leon Jackson - Ordinary Days

Read my review of Right Now here.

Leon Jackson hasn't reached the commercial success that Leona or even Shayne Ward have, but I think he should've with this album. Some of the songs were just gorgeous, and his voice is just as gorgeous. There was one song however that stood out by a mile.

I said when I first reviewed this song that this is probably one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard this year, and I stand by that. Melodically it's a beautiful song, but what I think makes it even better is his voice. I mean come on, can you resist a voice like his? I can't, so I take it as a no.

It sounds a lot like Vanessa Amorosi's Simple Things and it's got a similar feel as well, which I why I love it so much. The song starts out quiet, but towards the end it's an explosion of brilliance, I think.

At the moment I'm worried about one thing, what will he do for his second album? He can either stand by this sound and keep doing it, or he can say "OK, I'm through with all this pretending(side comment: if he is..), I want to make music that's me..", I just don't know which one he'll actually go out and do. Either one, he's got an amazing voice and he's got to use it.

# 16: Karina - 16 @ War

Merry Christmas guys! Hope you all get stuffed with good food and even better music! Let's get on with todays songs..

I reviewed her album a few days ago, right after I had written this entry so if you want to read that review, go here.

So 16@War is this R&B mid-tempo, I wouldn't call it standard, there are a lot of elements that separate it from the other song in it's genre. The instrumentation differs, it has this strange instrument that sounds a lot like a synthesizer(maybe it is!) laying the groundwork for the rest of the song. It's cool, actually, it's one of the main reasons why this song just works and why it's exceptional.

The drums as well are kind of a bit different from what I usually hear on tracks liks this, it sounds like a drum you'd use in a marching band. The timbre, I think of the instrument makes the song sound heavy but light. Plus the fact that it's not processed.

Melodically it's quite unusual as well. Not sure if it's more on the melody or the phrasing, but the way this song is sung is edgy, young and I bet you JoJo can't sing a song like this(but she's a completely different artist..). This kind of proves that her voice is smooth, but it can be egdy as well. It's an amazing combination.

last LAST minute Christmas suggestions!

It's Christmas Eve, I can't believe Christmas is tomorrow! haha. This is probably for everyone, and if you loved the other two Christmas posts, then you'll love this one!

• I completely forgot the Jesse McCartney Christmas songs from the deluxe edition of Right Where You Want Me! I love these Jesse-fied Holiday stuff that don't really sound like Christmas! One Way or Another for me sounds too much like a pop/love song and there's not enough Christmassy elements put in. I love the melody though and the lyrics are very, very Christmas! His version of Winter Wonderland is very, Jesse, I must say but what makes this song equal to One Way or Another is the fact that it really sounds and feels like Christmas!
• There's actually a Spice Girls Christmas song called Christmas Wrapping, it's very Spice Girls, especially at the start but it doesn't feel a lot like Christmas. The melody's OK and the trumpets are cool though.
• Teddy Geiger's version of All I Want For Christmas Is You is strange yet I kinda like it for some strange reason. Doesn't sound a lot like Christmas though.
• Play's Play Around the Christmas Tree is nothing special for me, but it's got its highs and lows. Recommended if you like the Jump5 and PureNRG Christmas albums.
• Elliot Yamin's got a Christmas album as well. I haven't heard it but judging by his voice, I think it's definitely something worth our time!
• 3LW as a two-piece released Naughty or Nice, their Holiday album and I've heard one song from it and it sounds too R&B-ish and not Christmassy enough. Still, if you like R&B, give it a listen.
• Speaking of R&B-fied Christmas songs, I kinda like Destiny's Child's The 8 Days of Christmas, it's well-done Christmas-fied R&B, better than 3LW I think.
• I kinda like Hilary Duff's Santa Claus Lane as well, it's very Disney Christmas, mainly because she is Disney and the song and the rest of the album is Christmas. It's very pre-Aly & AJ as well, with a little more guitars and better vocals, it could easily be a song for the duo.
• For some strange reason, I'm liking JLS' version of Last Christmas. It's nice, but I'm not really a big fan of the song. I love how they go from slow to mid-tempo with the song though. Louis really has to put in some kind of ballad-ish twist(see: Westlife's performance of Uptown Girl at the 2001/2000 BRIT Awards)
• Varsity Fanclub have a Christmas thing as well called It's Christmas Again and I'M LOVING IT! Once again, it's a well done Christmassy R&B masterpiece. It's very R&B but those bells make it soooo Christmassy, sounds like something straight out of a Christmas movie!

That's it! Merry Christmas everyone! haha..

# 17: Jennifer Paige - Wasted

I remember her 90's hit Crush playing all the time when I was a kid, but I never really knew her. So when I saw this album, my curiosity took over and once I heard this song, I loved the whole album!

Wasted is more pop/rock as opposed to her previous stuff, but it just works for her. I love the bridge, and the chorus is amazing!

I don't have anything else to rant about her actually. The song's amazing, her voice is amazing and the album is brilliant, need I say more?

# 18: Danity Kane - Key To My Heart

It's Christmas eve!!!!

Those were the days when there were still five girls in Danity Kane. Oh, well.

So earlier this year, when they were still a five-piece, they released Welcome to the Dollhouse. I quite liked the album, actually. It was a nice transition from their first album, which I thought was just amazing.

I loved Damaged as well, it was a brilliant single and the the melody was amazing. The song itself was amazing, and the vocals were strong.

Key To My Heart reminds me a bit of Ooh Aah from their first album, actually. The feel of the two songs are similar and melodically they're both brilliant R&B songs.

I've always liked their vocals, how the five voices fit with each other, something I find very important in a girl group. No one actually overpowers someone else, and harmony-wise they're strong. They can't do five-part harmonies as far as I know but they can hold maybe a three-part one, which is good enough for me.

I adore this song, and even if they're a three-piece now, I'm looking forward to their new album, hopefully next year!

# 19: Take That - Said It All

Read my review of The Circus here.

So this year, Take That released another album as a four-piece but I wasn't that impressed by it. Don't get me wrong, there were some amazing tracks, but most of the stuff there weren't my cup of tea.

Anyway, I absolutely love this track, it sounds very, very Take That right now. The somewhat simple start and the gradual build-up to a big end. It actually reminds me a bit of Rule The World at the start for some strange reason.

As usual, Gary's vocals are amazing, and so are the rest of the guys. Fair play to them, at least they make amazing songs. I mean, Rule The World last year was huge(it even beat Westlife of all bands!)

I love Greatest Day as well, it's an amazing single and the perfect choice. I wonder what's in store for them next year?

# 20: Ricki-Lee - Wiggle It

Ricki-Lee most probably started my adoration to Australian music. I remember Poster Girl writing about her cover of Love Is All Around and I got curious, so I got her second album and I was blown away.

This year, she released Wiggle It and despite the strange title, it actually did quite well on the ARIA charts.

Plus, the melody is amazing, it shows just how versatile she can be within the sound she's planted firmly in our heads during her first two albums. It's like an even more dance/R&B-y Can't Touch This, I think. The rap part can be ignored I think, but it's grown on me, and it's actually a nice accent to the song.

Now, let's all take the time to worship her amazing voice.

Seriously, that huge voice has got all the control it needs. Some songs on her second album are a bit slower and softer than what she usually does and she does it beautifully. But, the way she pulls off the big songs are equally amazing, she's got that powerful voice that puts Delta Goodrem to shame(although she's a completely different singer.)

TWELVE last-minute pop-y suggestions to get the Christmas spirit out and about!

Three days 'till Christmas! With my family this is usually the time when we all freak out because we're gonna have family pictures taken the day before Christmas eve(which is tomorrow!) and we're running the dawn watch service at church tomorrow so I gotta be up at 4 in the morning! For you guys however who aren't completely into the season yet even at this late a stage, here are twelve last minute suggestions to get you buying tons of presents and putting your tree up for everyone to see!

(something like the 12 Days of Christmas, although I never intended it to be like that!)

Note: This will be full of the words Christmas, Christmassy, Holiday and related terms so be wary! haha..

• Did you know that NLT made a version of Silent Night? They're actually quite good with a capella work, the start was fantastic! After the first round though, it turns into this really cool R&B thing. Sounds a lot like something NSYNC would do if they were still around..
• Remember Mandisa from American Idol? Even if she was unrightfully eliminated, she released a studio album AND a Christmas album more importantly! Haven't heard it yet, but I think it'll be really good judging by the fact that her voice is AMAZING.
• I completely forgot Aly & AJ's holiday album! I cannot believe I did! I absolutely adore the whole thing, but Greatest Time Of The Year is firmly planted in my mind at the moment, it's so Christmassy but still so Aly & AJ-y! The rest of the album is a masterpiece, it sounds so Christmas!!!
• For you Westlife fans, let's recap some of the lads' Christmas performances. Remember the Vatican 2001 performance of Little Drummer Boy and imagine Mark singing Dolores' part, just for fun! Read the autobiography? You know the story, but hey, weren't the guys adorable? haha. How about this performance, remember? OK enough of Westlife, the rest of you might be suffering by now.
• Christina Aguilera's festive offering's quite good as well. If you like Christina's first album or you like so hear your favorite songs Christina-fied, you might actually like this. Her version Angels We Have Heard on High is one of the best tracks for me.
• I don't know if it's a Christmas song but Shayne Ward's Melt the Snow suggests that it's got something to do with the season, with snow and all. I LOVE the song though, Christmas or not Christmas..
• I love a particular Chris Brown holiday song, This Christmas. His voice is gorgeous, and I love the melody! Feels a lot like Christmas as well. I love that shift from piano only to full-instrumental, it's cool! Very Christmassy.
• For those of you who love big hits, get Josh Groban's Noel. It was number one in the US last year for like forever and it's sold a heck of a lot but it's actually full of amazing songs! Thankful's got to be the most amazing song on the album.
• I adore Raven's voice, pure and utter brilliance! She recorded The Christmas Song and although I think the song has gotten a bit too overrated, she made an amazing version!
• Another young girl with an ultra-amazing voice, Bianca Ryan! She has a Christmas EP as well and I must say, IT'S AMAZING! Listen to every track, they're all worth at least one! haha.
• Just in case you missed them, some amazing already featured Christmas EP/albums for you to divulge in! Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride Christmas EP, NSYNC's Home For Christmas and the Girls Aloud Chemistry Christmas EP are all worth your time!
• Finally, for those of you who are too lazy to scour the internet and your local record stores for all the albums here, I have one suggestion, Disney Channel Holiday! It's full of cool pop-y Christmas songs by different Disney acts and in different genres so for you guys who don't feel really relieved when you've finally found that ultra hard to find song/album you've been looking for forever, then get this! haha. It's actually quite good! Standout tracks are the ones by Jordan Pruitt, Keke Palmer, Corbin Bleu and the Cheetah Girls!

That's it! I hope it helped and Merry Christmas everyone! haha.. If that wasn't enough, read over the Christmas playlist I made a week ago and download it at the end! OK? OK.

Also, don't forget to catch my end of year countdown! We're already at number 21!

# 21: Michelle Williams - We Break the Dawn

So after Destiny's Child split, Michelle Williams made the shift from Gospel to mainstream R&B, the product of that is amazing.

The first time I heard this song was when the video debuted, so it'd been out for some time already, but I loved it. I have a soft spot for voices like hers, you know, rough but smooth but not? I think you get the point.

The song is brilliant as well.

From what Wikipedia's telling me, the song didn't chart on the Pop, R&B or main Billboard charts. It did, however hit number one on the hot dance airplay charts.

Now what I don't understand is why it didn't even chart in the R&B charts. I mean come on, this song is amazing, it's got all the makings of a hit, so why didn't it?(hit, that is.)

That aside, the melodically it's probably in my top ten this year. It's got all the makings of an amazing melody, I mean the chorus is catchy, the verses get exactly what the chorus does and seriously, just listen to the song.

# 22: Demi Lovato - Two Worlds Collide

Let me set the record straight, I didn't like Camp Rock at all. I thought it was a desperate attempt by Disney to create the new High School Musical.

Demi Lovato, poised to be the new Miley Cyrus, released an album this year, and it did relatively OK. I was kind of curious about her, so I gave the album a listen and this is probably the only track I actually liked. I liked it a lot though.

It's a slow pop/rock song in the standard Disney formula, but there's something about the melody that intrigues me. Her voice is really 'raw' on this track as well, I'm loving it.

The Christmas Chart!

It's Christmas week, so which songs made it into my chart this week?

1. The Simple Things(Something Emotional) - Vanessa Amorosi

2. Release Me - Agnes Carlsson

3. Rock - Beyonce

4. The Loving Kind - Girls Aloud

5. Picking Up The Pieces - Britannia High Soundtrack

6. Like A Miracle - Same Difference

7. Breathe Slow - Alesha Dixon

8. Someday Soon - Natalie Bassingthwaighte

9. Insomnia - Craig David

10. Work - The Saturdays

11. Queensberry - No Smoke

12. Back2U - Jessica Mauboy

13. Shy - Ai

14. Forever and Always - Taylor Swift 

15. Forever - Chris Brown

# 23: Brian McFadden - Twisted

Yet another single that I correctly predicted to be the post-album single!

Brian's come a long way since being in Westlife. He was the funny guy in the band, and he was also the guy who married Kerry Katona then divorced her after leaving Westlife. I read over their(Westlife's..) autobiography this afternoon and then listening to this song makes me feel really strange. I have no idea why though.

As a Westlife fan, I'm not angry at him at all for leaving. I know some people who are, but at the end of the day, it's his life and he can do what he wants with it. That and the fact that he's made some phenomenal material on his own, like this song. Melodically I've always loved the songs Brian wrote, even during the Westlife days(he wrote Bop Bop Baby, I love the melody of that!) so it's no surprise that I'd adore his solo stuff.

I think he was confused during his first album. Confused because people were talking about him and how he just left Westlife and because I think he genuinely didn't know what he was doing. A few years later though, he's done much, much better for himself. I mean, Set In Stone is downright brilliant.

I think to a certain extent, this is about either him being miserable in the crazy Westlfe world or him being confused right after he left the band. Just a guess though, I might be wrong.