New Music..

Let's take a break from the countdown, shall we? Just a quick one though, there are still heaps and heaps of songs to write about and my brain, eyes and fingers are getting tired(I wrote like six reviews last night and another seven a while ago after I came from doing some experimental make-up on my classmates..)!

• Darin's new album is out, and I'm loving some of the tracks. I'll get to writing that review sometime in the next few days, I've got too much to do at the moment!
• Believe it or not, Orlando Brown(That's So Raven?) has an album. Gui over at Pop Music Zone posted it, and I'm surprised. He can sing! But the songs all sound the same and I haven't listened to the whole thing yet.
• The new Same Difference album is out tomorrow so if you liked my review, go out and BUY IT! You know you want to...
• I just posted it a while ago, but let me say it again, I CAN'T BELIEVE AGNES CARLSSON'S SECOND SINGLE IS RELEASE ME!! Haha.. freak out mode, sorry.
• Speaking of singles, The Saturdays' third single is Issues, a gorgeous song. The Sugababes are releasing No Can Do and Girls Aloud are releasing none other than The Loving Kind. Amazing stuff, can't wait for the second part of the battle of the girl groups!
• Leona Lewis' new video for Run is out. Nothing special, I don't really like the song to start with and she's getting too popular and compared to Mariah and Whitney too much for me.
• The Westlife DVD is number one in Ireland, HURRAH! And Sony BMG Pilipinas better bring it here now, or else face the wrath of a whole mob of angry Westlife fans who demand for their beloved DVD, me included!
• I've already written about my favorite song of 2008, and I can assure you, it's gonna be amazing. Haha..

oh. my. GOSH!!!!!!!

I went online to find THIS on Poster Girl. OMG!

I have predicted ANOTHER second single(Mariah, Leona, Blake..), YES!

This is by far one of the best days I've had in a while.. I was hyperventilating while watching this.

You HAVE to watch it as well.

Should I make December 'Agnes Carlsson worship' month?

# 70: Mariah Carey - I'll Be Loving You Long Time

Mariah Carey.

We all know she has a high voice and she can sing all these massively difficult songs that she made herself, but I just adore this song, and I think it's brilliant.

Her vocals are not as thin on this song, and the chorus is massively catchy. That plus the fact that the song is just amazing, the melody's so freakin' catchy that I could hum the chorus after maybe two listens.

Now that is part of the formula for the perfect pop song. Can people sing along to it on the street and will they be able to keep it stuck in their heads long enough to buy the single?

That's the case with this song, and that's why it's one of my favorite songs of the year.

# 71: Agness Carlsson - Release Me

Please note that these songs posted are in no particular order, I adore them all!

View the review of Dance Love Pop here.

I've come to love Agnes Carlsson, and the whole Swedish pop thing. Let's face it, Swedes make the most amazing pop music, and they continue to wow us.

Agnes has once again made an amazing album, and with an amazing album comes the most amazing song she's ever made, in my opinion. Release Me.

Release Me, I think, is everything Agnes Carlsson is, and everything Swedish music is supposed to be. It's an amazing song, with all the elements of a brilliant pop masterpiece and a bit more. You have all these disco-like stuff going on with the ultra-amazing instrumental that just matches the brilliant melody, making this amazing explosion of a pop song.

# 72: Vanessa Hudgens - Paper Cut

See my first review of it here.

Identified may have been a complete and utter mistake but there was one song that somewhat saved the album, even a bit. Paper Cut is a brilliant song, and it even manages to mask Vanessa's nasal voice a bit.

Everything about this song is right. The vocals, the arrangement and most of all, the melody. It continues from where V left off, probably the only song on Identified to do so, and it was clearly done well.

I personally adore the song, it's one of those semi-big songs that make you want to turn the volume up REAL HIGH.

This song was clearly thought through and through, and there was no expense spared to make it amazing. The continuity and the brilliance just make it one of the best songs of 2008.

The best songs of 2008 start tomorrow!

December is the final month of the year and with that, let's look back at the best songs of 2008. Before I start revealing this year's best, here's how they were chosen.

The Selection Process:
1. The songs must be on an album, single or EP released in 2008. If for example it was released as a single in 2007 but the album containing that song was released this year, then it qualifies. If it was on an EP this year and it is released on a full-length album or LP next year, it will qualify for both years, you get the picture.
2. The song cannot be shorter than 2 minutes and longer than 5 and a half minutes.
3. It is not based on a certain sound or popularity, it's based on my likes and dislikes so it's my favorite songs of 2008.
4. One entry per artist. Even if the artist had maybe 4 or 5 amazing songs, only one can enter the countdown. This is to keep fair competition among all the entries.
5. The selection may be very limited. I may not have heard a certain album that was released this year but is amazing so this is not in any way, 'official'.
6. Remixes released this year of songs released before 2008 will be eligible. But I'm not a big fan of remixes.
7. If for example, an album was released in 2007 but was re-released in 2008, only the singles released in 2008 and the added songs will be eligible. For example, Natasha Bedingfield's 'Pocketful Of Sunshine' was released only in the US and had some songs from her previous album, 'NB'. The songs that were previously on 'NB' will be disqualified and only the added songs will be eligible.
8. Live performances will only be allowed if they were officially released on an album by the record label and charted on any official chart(e.g., US, UK, iTunes, etc.).
9. Songs from American Idol are eligible, as long as they are the studio recordings. See: rule above
10. Where the song was released does not matter. If for example it's a US or UK only release, it will still be eligible. Some goes for every other country.
11. Compilations with various artists are eligible as each song has a different artist. Same goes for soundtracks, the one entry per artist rule is observed.
12. Cover versions are allowed, as long as the cover was released this year.

The Format:

The list will start building up on December 1 and will end on December 31. The songs will be posted in no particular order, as there are too many amazing songs to actually order them. BUT, the very last song I will post is my ultimate favorite song of 2008 and will be the only one posted on that day, along with a full list of my favorite songs.

As of now there are 67 songs to post, but the number may or may not increase during the month. The only thing we're sure of is that no song will exit the list starting today.

EDIT: ALL the songs have now been finalized, and the list is locked. There are now 72 songs, and that is the FINAL LIST.

The order will be decided like this: I put the playlist on shuffle and whatever pops out first will get posted. BUT, the best song of the year will be last.

End EDIT

Let the fun begin!

X Factor 5 Live Show - Week 8

I can't believe Ruth went this week, it should've been Eoghan. NOOO!!

American themed this week, I haven't seen Britney's performance yet, but I might watch it sometime tonight.

The Boy: Eoghan did OK, but he was by far the weakest in terms of vocals. He's cute, he can sing songs OK, but he doesn't have Alexandra's powerhouse voice or Diana's amazing control and quirk. He should've gone instead of Ruth this week, really.

The Group: Their first song was a bit disastrous, but their second song was amazing. One thing though, isn't Louis pushing it too hard with the Westlife thing? I mean, those outfits resemble their opening outfits during the Face To Face tour and that song was one of the band's favorites on their 2006 release, The Love Album, that Louis and Simon picked for them. Still, they're amazing singers and they are so in the final!

The Girls: Amazing stuff from the girls tonight and like last week, that's all that needs to be said.

The Over 25: Let me repeat it again, RUTH SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE. She's an amazing singer and performer, she had every right to be in the semi-final. Garrr.

The results show performance: Britney's Womanizer, and Miley Cyrus sang at the end of the live show(pre-recorded..)

The sum-up in one sentence: EOGHAN SHOULD'VE WENT, NOT RUTH!

What I want to happen next week: Eoghan to go, so Alexandra, Diana and JLS can let the competition begin.

Flashback: Westlife

In celebration of ten amazing years at the top of the boyband hierarchy, let's take a look back at Westlife's very first album, and see why it catapulted them into superstardom(which included 40 million albums sales, 14 number one singles and massive sold-out arena tours..).

Westlife was the first of maybe three or four experimental albums, all the songs had a certain sound to it that differed slightly from their albums. You can clearly hear them going down the ballad mid-tempo route, something they've come to master and repeat over and over again.

Westlife aren't your typical sing wimpy songs and jump around the stage boyband, they can actually sing pretty well. Have you ever heard of another big boyband who can master five-part harmonies like Westlife can? NOPE! Which is why the Westlife formula is heart-wrenching ballads and mushy love songs that show off just how un-wimpy their voices are.

That formula is clearest in two songs, Swear It Again and Flying Without Wings which are two of the biggest Westlife songs. See? That is exactly what I'm talking about, the formula in work. Swear It Again was used as their debut, and the song just exploded. People clearly reacted well to the formula, Simon and Louis saw it.

And the album tracks kept to that formula, I Need You, Can't Loose What You Never Had, Try Again and We Are One all used and supported the Westlife formula that people liked so much. They kept to that formula, while churning out some typical boyband songs like No No and Open Your Heart, that are still to this day, amazing.

It may not have been a number one album, but it dictated where the band would go music-wise, and proved the point that pop is a formula. Formula or not, Westlife is an amazing debut album and it was a huge success something that's extremely hard to do for a boyband or any artist.

Coming Soon..

Flashback has arrived!

Watch out for my review sometime today or tomorrow

I love the album art! haha..

Stream the album here while waiting!

Same Difference - Pop

So the Same Difference album has leaked, and I gave it a listen last night. I'd love to say right now that I adore each and every song on the album and I wanna worship Simon for making such an amazing album, but that's not what I think of it.

You have the endless covers. I thought it was only Westlife who were getting them from Simon but SD are as well. You've got some stuff they sang on the X Factor, then the Marie Serneholt cover, the Kylie cover and then two Six covers, Let Me Be the One and Still Amazed. So half of the album is comprised of covers.

The covers are OK, but my problem is doing them in the first place. Westlife proved with Back Home that they could persuade Simon and Louis not to give them that many covers(and rumor has it that their next album won't have any covers..), so why can't SD? They may go with the rest of the album and the over-all sound they're trying to make, but we get enough covers with Westlife.

That aside, POP IS AMAZING.

I know, I know, I just contradicted myself but I want to make a point that I want their next album to be 100% original, 'coz it seems like it's possible, by the originals I'm hearing on this album.

I've said multiple times that pop music is a formula, an constant formula that's altered every few years to match the market of choice. Pop follows that formula down to the last note, and that will almost always guarantee a massive-selling album.

We all know that We Are One is amazing, but I have to admit, I would've wanted All Roads Lead To Heaven to start the album, sort of set the mood and We Are One to end it. Then I'd ideally want a few more changes with the track listing, but the songs alone are all strong.

The two Six covers, Let Me Be the One and Still Amazed(wasn't that The Way It Used To Be?) are OK, the arrangements are good, the vocals are strong and the melodies are amazing but they're covers. Right Between the Eyes is probably one of my favorites on the album, sounds a bit more American than Brit, actually. The melody is everything an SD song has come to be, gorgeous but brilliantly catchy, a perfect recipe for any pop song.

The verses of Starts To Beat Again sound a lot like a song I've heard millions of times, but I can't name it. It's got those R&B touches, but the melody just blows you away, I just wanna turn the volume up and concentrate on it's brilliance.

Surprisingly, their cover of Kylie's Turn It Into Love is actually quite good. Putting aside the fact that it's a cover, they do a pretty good job, and the chorus just explodes. Better Love Me is amazing as well, sounds like a STEPS song, which is amazing!

Covers or no covers, the album is amazing, and I really want it to hit number one, it deserves it! I'm a sucker for pop like this, more so if it's made now since we all know that it's in short supply at the moment.

So, to sum up the album:
Best Track: Starts to Beat Again/We Are One
Better Tracks: Everything else
Least Favorite Track: none, actually
THE RATING: 4.99999999/5(I just have the covers issue, but apart from that, AMAZING!)

YESSSSSS!!!!!!

Pop has FINALLY arrived!

Watch out for my review sometime tonight.

I think I might just die with anticipation.

This week's top fifteen!

1. We Are One - Same Difference

2. The Loving Kind - Girls Aloud

3. The Easy Way(Live At Croke Park) - Westlife

4. Breathe Slow - Alesha Dixon

5. Halo - Beyonce

6. Picking Up The Pieces - Britannia High Soundtrack

7. Release Me - Agnes Carlsson

8. Insomnia - Craig David

9. Forever and Always - Taylor Swift

10. Work - The Saturdays

11. You Make It Real - James Morrison

12. Said It All - Take That

13. Used2B - Jessica Mauboy

14. Find Your Way - Natasha Hamilton

15. Forever - Chris Brown

Same Difference is STILL at the top! quite a lot of movement this week, Taylor Swift slips out of the top five down to number nine but Westlife enter at number three! Take That and Britannia High also enter, and Beyonce's slowly making her way up the chart.. Recap this the whole week on the sidebar! haha..

The battle of the post-album singles!

OK, so all three girl groups have announced or premiered videos or started promoting their post-album singles, so I think it's time to start the battle! Haha..

1. Sugababes - No Can Do

No Can Do for me was one of the less prominent songs on the album, but I thought it was strong. By the live performances, I'm slowly starting to adore the song, so let's wait and see!

2. The Saturdays - Issues

I thought Issues was a gorgeous song when I first heard the album, and I stand by that. The way the song flows is just brilliant. The video's a bit different from their previous ones that were jam packed with color and processing. This one has significantly less, and the only appearance of 'their colors' is with the umbrellas, which are cool! I kind of reminds me of the Call The Shots video though. I don't know if it'll be a number one single, but it might be!

3. Girls Aloud - The Loving Kind

No video yet, but I heard somewhere that it'll be out sometime next week! Brilliant song, and I said that it had become my favorite Girls Aloud song, and it still is! Amazing stuff, fingers crossed for another number one! No video, so just listen to a medium quality version..

My ratings will come when all singles have been released, which is most likely January next year!

The Best Westlife Live Performances

So let's define the word live first. We know that some supposed live TV performances are actually really mimed, but during rare occasions, artists sing live on TV in the UK. So, a live performance is a performance sung 100% by the act, no miming whatsoever. How do you tell? When an artist sings live, most of the time their voice is more raw, less processed and all those computer-generated voices have to be done by actual people. Then of course, you can look at their ears an see if they have earpieces. If they do, it's live.

These performances are from their tours, OK? OK.

So, what are the best of the best for me? Here goes!

1. Somebody Needs You from the Where Dreams Come True Tour DVD shot at the Point in Dublin, Ireland(2001)

The ultimate boyband song, very pop-y and catchy, and I can't believe they sang it on tour! The dance routine is strange at some parts, but the part when they jump on the chairs during the required dance break is cool. Plus the fact that they actually DANCE with real dancers.

2. Why Do I Love You from the In The Round Tour shot in Copenhagen, Denmark(2002)

There was no DVD for the In The Round Tour, but there is still fan footage floating around the internet, luckily for us. The song itself is amazing, it marks a more mature sound for Westlife while still keeping their teen pop roots in tact. This tour was done in the round, so the lads are walking all around the stage, which is cool. No dance routine, but I don't think it needs one. Nicky has a solo? Whoa.

3. When You're Looking Like That from the Greatest Hits Tour DVD shot at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England(2003)

I love the pauses in between each line at the start, and the intro's cool as well. Plus the fact that this was later in their career and the dancing sort of stopped during this era, but they're still dancing(I remember trying to figure out the steps to this back in elementary school..)! This was the last tour that Brian sang his parts on this song in, he left the band before the Turnaround tour and Kian took his part.

4. Written In The Stars from the Greatest Hits Tour DVD shot at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England(2003)

Another one of those amazing albums tracks that are performed on tour. The vocals on this are really outstanding, and the fact that they're suspended in mid-air on top of all the fans is really, really cool. Slow song, but it's an amazing performance.

5. Turnaround from the Turnaround Tour DVD shot at the Globe in Stockholm, Sweden(2004)

Solos everywhere! Haha, I love the arrangement on this, a lot of guitar work! The dance routine is cool as well, it just shows how much control Westlife have developed over the stage, how they hold the audience in their palms. Brilliant middle 8 as well! Cool costumes, cool dance routine, amazing arrangement and brilliant song, what more?

6. Amazing from the Face to Face Tour DVD shot at Wembley Arena in London, England

I adore this song, and hearing it live is just brilliant. Amazing performance, white costumes(similar to the WDCT tour outfits?) and a bit of movement here and there. Love it!

7. The 2008 Tour Medley from the 10 Years Of Westlife - Live at Croke Park Stadium DVD shot at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland

I haven't included a tour medley yet, but this is a huge exception. It's probably the only time they go near the audience, and you can see the reaction. They dance, sing and run around the audience, what else can you ask for? Plus the fact that they were performing some amazing songs in front of over 80,000 of their biggest fans was just amazing to watch, even if I wasn't really there during the actual concert.

That's it, seven of the best Westlife live performances, I hope you enjoyed watching them! I did! haha..

Take That - The Circus

OK, so this review is purely an opinion, if you have something to say otherwise, I'm open to hearing it, but please don't attack my opinions because they're mine.

I love the lead single, Greatest Day, but I'm not that impressed with the album, I think Beautiful World is a better album in terms of consistency of amazing tracks. OK, there are some gorgeous songs on it with some amazing vocals but for me, I'm not adoring it. There are some tracks that I like a lot, but some tracks that I just don't like.

Let's start with the songs I like.

Obviously, Greatest Day is one of them. I adore the song, I haven't gotten sick of it yet which is a good sign and it remains one of the better tracks on the album. That's a bit strange for me, because once an album comes out and if I liked the single prior to the album release, I tend to find a song I like more than the single. Oh well, it's an amazing song.

Then, I'm loving Said It All. Very Take That-y, and a possible single, as it sounds a lot like a lighter Greatest Day. The song itself is amazing, and I love it when the chorus kicks in, I love how well it's done. I love the song, the simple melody but the way the guys manage to make it this super cool ballad-ish song.

The last song I'm loving is Hold Up A Light. Seriously, I love the song, it's brilliant, probably my favorite on the whole album. The verses are SHEER BRILLIANCE and how the song escalates is so Take That, it can be clearly heard. Brilliant song, best on the album, seriously.

I personally don't like the rest of the songs that much, but they're very Brit, what Take That think British music should sound like, and it's very precise, it's not scared or anything. The songs aren't afraid to let people hear what they are, the songwriters didn't pull back, and were very confident in stating what kind of album they wanted people to hear.

I don't know, the album might grow on me with a few more listens but for now, this is what I think of the album. It might change, you never know!

So, to sum up the album:
Best Track: Hold Up A Light or Said It All or Greatest Day
Better Tracks: Hello, Julie, You, How Did It Come To This
Least Favorite Track: The Circus or Up All Night
THE RATING: 4/5

Britannia High Soundtrack

So before the series started and once I'd heard Start Of Something for the first time, I thought this would be another HSM wannabe, and I was partially right.

The main thing that I like about this series is that the characters don't have these wimpy nasal voices that just put you off, they can actually sing for a change. You've got one strong female voice, Rana Roy who plays Lola, and two mind-blowing, jaw-dropping ones, Sapphire Elia and Georgina Hagen who play Claudine and Lauren respectively. Then you've got the guys, who're just as amazing as each other. They can actually sing, and they do it extremely well, singing these brilliant songs.

The only thing I didn't see coming was this set of songs. Sure, there are tons of songs that I just can't stand, but there are 7 that just stand out. Wanna see which ones I was blown away with and which just didn't make the cut? Just click to enlarge..
Lemme focus on the seven songs that just blew me away, OK?

Best Of Me, which was featured on the first episode, is a cool mid-tempo song. The verses are OK, the bridges are a bit strange for me, but once the chorus kicks in, just makes me fall in love with it. Everything about it, the vocals, the melody and the production are all amazing.

Watch This Space was one of my early favorites. It took me the soundtrack release to love Best Of Me, but with this song, the minute I heard it on the show, it was amazing. I fell in love with the song, a brilliant ballad that sort of shifts over to a pop-y masterpiece. The mix of the two voices, one ballad-driven and the other more pop princess-like, just gives the song a cool edge.

Wake Up is indescribable. I love the verses, I worship them and the chorus is just so perky that it makes me wanna shoot whoever wrote this song. The other thing about this song is that it sounds so Brit, it's not too obvious that it's trying to be another HSM if you just hear this song, it sounds very pop band-y. AMAZING! If I could, I'd give the song a 10/5..

The Things That We Don't Say is one of those songs that attracted me with the chorus, but by listening to it more and more, I fell in love with the whole song. The vocals are strong, but this song just wins you over with the melody, simple yet brilliantly pulled off.

I remember getting goosebumps and nearly crying when I first saw Proud performed on the show. The again simple melody, and the strong vocals just make a striking song, that makes you stop whatever your doing and just listen. It's something that I think is very hard to do, with all these complicated, heavy songs coming out now.

Do It all Over Again is one of the two best of the brilliant songs on this album for me. It is what it is, an amazing pop song that just makes all these American R&B/dance artists want to hide under a rock and never come out, for me at least. The song is just amazing, the verses are mind-blowing beyond words and the chorus just complements the beyond brilliant verses. That plus the ultra-pop middle eight and the song is perfectly perfect. I can't say anything else about it, I might not do it enough justice.

The other song that I think is the best of the brilliant on the album is Picking Up The Pieces. The verses are really, really strong, the bridge sung by Lola is a bit awkward but once you get past the kind of shaky first verse into to the chorus and the rest of the song, it just gives me goosebumps. I can't describe how much this song hits all the right spots, but it does, and it does it extremely well, enough to make it my favorite song on the album along with Do It All Over Again and one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard this year.

A short, random update..

School has been a huge pain, and I've got a big debate tomorrow. Gar! Anyway, I've got time for a short updates. The reviews for the Britannia High Soundtrack and Take That's Circus will come sometime this weekend.

• I'm loving Lemar at the moment. The Reason is BRILLIANT.
• I'm almost done with listening to the Britannia High Soundtrack, and I'm loving what I'm hearing, some song are just pure genius.
• I've heard the new Take That album briefly, and there are a few songs that've caught my ear. One more listen and I'll have a solid opinion on the album.
• Speaking of Take That, I'm loving the b-sides to Greatest Day. Amazing stuff.
• I've heard Britney's new album as well, but I'm keeping my mouth shut. I don't want to get into any more trouble.
• I got this really rare CD by a Brit girl group called Tymes 4. If anyone's interested in reading what I think about it, just leave a comment and I'll gladly whip up a review for you when I have the time.
• Can I freak out? I'VE HEARD THE AUDIO OF THE NEW WESTLIFE DVD!!! I'm going to buy my copy of the DVD this weekend(Sony BMG Philippines said that it was released earlier this week, so I'll check out the local record store), and THE CONCERT WAS BRILLIANT. Everybody's voice was in top condition, and the vocals were just amazing. I was getting goosebumps all throughout the songs, and that was just the audio, what if I start watching the video? I might faint. I mean, the fact that there were 80,000+ fans there screaming their throats out, and being able to hear it on the DVD is just amazing.

Relatively short update, I've got a debate speech to write, that's enough heavy writing to do! haha.. Reviews are coming within the next days, so watch out, OK?

Watch out!

The Britannia High soundtrack is out! 

I'm in the process of listening to it, so watch out for my review sometime this week(I have school!)

X Factor 5 Live Show - Week 7

Argh, I didn't do this last week. Gar. Gar. Gar. But it's back, so rejoice!(I think..)

DANIEL FINALLY WENT LAST WEEK! YEEEEESSSSSSSSSS! I'm so happy that we don't have to suffer seeing another beautiful song being murdered.

Take That week! I'm loving their new stuff, but watching all their old videos keeps on slipping my mind(maybe I should do it tomorrow morning..), so I quite enjoyed this week's show. So what did I think?

The Boy: Eoghan's performance was good, it was strong, and I loved the song for him. I've heard it before, but I had no idea it was Take That, so for once, I enjoyed it! Although, for a short while there, he was being overpowered by the choir of girls, did he not know the notes, or was it really meant to be like that? He still deserved to go through, though.

The Group: JLS were consistent again this week, they sang the song beautifully, definitely didn't deserve to be in the bottom two. On the song choice issue, I side with Dannii, she had every right to choose the song she did(see my comment below.).

The Girls: Eep! Alexandra and Diana were AMAZING! Brilliance. What more can I say?

The Over 25's: Ruth's performance was consistent, and it was very good. Rachel. She has a beautiful voice, over-sings a bit, but that can be remedied, by choosing the right songs. You hear the gorgeous Take That version that was very slow, very gentle but slowly built up to a grand-ish ending, and it was a HUGE hit, so everybody pretty much knows that song by heart, and then you hear Rachel's over-sung, shrill-ish version and it's like, "I'm not convinced," so I think it was her time to go.

The results show performance: The AMAZING new Same Difference single, which was clearly mimed, but amazing. Then Rhydian's new single as well!

The sum-up in one sentence: The right things happened at the right time this week, so I'm happy.

What I want to happen next week: Everyone to rock next week, but I think Eoghan is closer to the bottom two than everyone else.

New Music!

AAAH! A LOT has happened since I last posted, but the concert last night was amazing, and all the hard work paid off. I'm back to posting now, but I'm a bit disconnected and what I write may be a bit stiff for my liking. I'm annoyed and pissed off so bear with me, alright?

A lot of new videos, so a lot of stuff to catch up on.

• I'm loving one of Natasha Hamilton's solo songs, Find Your Way. It's brilliant!
• The new Alesha Dixon album is out, and I was curious. I don't like the lead single, but there were a few tracks that were just gorgeous. Is it just me who thinks that the start of Hand It Over sounds a lot like the Namie Amuro track Baby Don't Cry?
• I've finally heard the new Jessica Mauboy album, and I'm in love with it. If this is how Australian music is rubbing off on me(Delta Goodrem, Ricki-Lee!!), then I seriously want to hear more!
• The video for Jesse McCartney's new single is out! The song is just amazing.

• The NKTOB single now has a video, with all the German and royalty going on. That plus the talking knights and the processed vocals just freaks me out. 

• There's a new Chris Brown song out, Believer. I don't know what it's for, but I'm loving it. Although Forever is still my favorite from him.
• Oh, the video for the second single from Catfights and Spotlights is out. Not liking the video, but I love the song! haha..

• The deluxe edition of Duffy's debut album is out, I'm gonna give the new tracks a listen sometime this week.

I guess that's it. I'm going to try and write more this week!

This week's top fifteen!

1. We Are One - Same Difference

2. The Loving Kind - Girls Aloud

3. Forever and Always - Taylor Swift

4. Breathe Slow - Alesha Dixon

5. Release Me - Agnes Carlsson

6. Halo - Beyonce

7. Insomnia - Craig David

8. Work - The Saturdays

9. Greatest Day - Take That

10. Find Your Way - Natasha Hamilton

11. Don't Miss You - Amy Pearson

12. You Make It Real - James Morrison

13. Used2B - Jessica Mauboy

14. So Hard, So Far - Clique Girlz

15. Forever - Chris Brown

This week's top fifteen! A few new entries from Alesha Dixon, Jessica Mauboy and Natasha Hamilton, and A LOT of movement. Same Difference is still number one though, with Girls Aloud still at a close second. Recap the top fifteen for the whole week on the sidebar!

SORRY!

Garr.. I haven't been posting in ages! School's really putting pressure on me, plus the fact that I'm having a kind of big concert tomorrow(with a choir.. duh..), so I've been at practice for the past few days. Gar.. I'll most probably be back to posting full-time this weekend, but I might sneak in a post or two tomorrow morning since I don't have to go to school! haha..

New Music! EDITED!

Quite a few new releases/discoveries these past few days, so let's get this rolling!

• As we all know, the new Same Difference single leaked in full earlier this week. We Are One is easily in this year's top ten most amazing tracks!
• I got sent over a song by a band called the Melloncollies and I quite like it, actually. The song's called Misery(although I don't see why...), and it's got this rock/60-ish thing going on, which is around the same period they based Westlife's Get Away on. Cool!
• A version of another one of my favorite pop songs this year, Katharine McPhee's Connected(despite it being for a Barbie movie..), was just released. Amy Diamond recorded a version for the Swedish soundtrack and although I think Katharine's version is more bubblegum pop-ish than Amy's, it's a great version, a must listen if you love the original!
• My review of Taylor Swift's Fearless is finally done! Read it here if you haven't already.
• I've heard parts of David Cook's new album since this morning(I had class!) but I'm kind of liking what I'm hearing. I'll give it a listen tonight and possibly review it sometime tomorrow or Sunday.
• There's this song called Stand By You by this Danish duo S.O.A.P that I'm really loving right now(yet another of my favorite blogs featured something about them). It was later covered by S Club, with a more sugary-sweet pop feel and stronger vocals but I adore both versions!
• On the subject of S Club, I've been listening to a lot of them lately, and I've rediscovered my love and ultimate adoration for Alive, one of the most brilliant songs they ever made.
• Well, Taylor Swift performed Love Story at the CMA's. Will watch the video and edit once I've finished, OK?

• I'm loving Agnes Carlsson's Dance Love Pop even more than I already do(and I adore it a lot..)! I've been listening to it a lot these past few days, and I'm loving it!
• I'll put up the new top fifteen in a while, so watch out for it!

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot something important, AGAIN!

• The new Same Difference video came out a few days ago, I'm loving it!

What to expect this week:

• A review of David Cook's new album
• A new addition to the Westlife special
• I might get to finishing my review on the Sara Bareilles live album
• And heaps more!(Maybe..)

This week's top fifteen!

1. We Are One - Same Difference

2. The Loving Kind - Girls Aloud

3. Insomnia - Craig David

4. Forever and Always - Taylor Swift

5. Release Me - Agnes Carlsson

6. Work - The Saturdays

7. Halo - Beyonce

8. Don't Miss You - Amy Pearson

9. Watch This Space - Lauren and Claudine(Britannia High Soundtrack)

10. Greatest Day - Take That

11. Stay My Baby - Amy Diamond

12. Holiday - Hilary Duff

13. So Hard, So Far - Clique Girlz

14. You Make It Real - James Morrison

15. Forever - Chris Brown

Some new entries this week as well, and Same Difference zooms into number one! Taylor Swift, Take That and a song from Britannia High all enter the top fifteen as well!

Recap the whole chart all this week on the sidebar, so what's there to worry about? haha..

Taylor Swift - Fearless

I finally got the time to sit down and write this review. Fire away!

There's no one else doing what Taylor Swift is doing, no one else making music that sounds a lot like her songs and especially no one else doing it as good as how she's doing it.

The reason why I think this album is so mind-blowingly brilliant is that Taylor Swift is trying to be nothing but herself. The common truth is that if an artist co-writes a song, he/she didn't really do that much but the music is proof that Taylor had a lot of input into this album, the music is distinctly her. I keep on saying an artist's identity is very important, and Taylor Swift is the perfect example of someone this young doing something this well. Even Vanessa and Ashley, who are both older than her, can't do what she's doing music-wise.

She's not taking orders from record company executives who want to sell, who'll make an artist whatever's popular at the moment. Taylor Swift's the picture of dreams coming true and making your own career, and she does it extremely well.

Another reason why I think she's so popular is that people can relate to her lyrics. I don't talk about lyrics a lot, mainly because I think if you like a song because of the lyrics, you should be reading poetry. With Taylor Swift's case, the lyrics come second to the melodies and instruments, which are both amazing. Anyway, she talks about things that people her age can relate with, and she makes it understandable. No metaphors or deep figures of speech that you need to analyze, it's like she's just having a conversation with you.

Fearless is an amazing song, very refreshing and a cool start the the album. The song was amazing since day one, and the melody's something you can sing along to. Fifteen's probably one of my favorites on the album, the melody's brilliant as well, but it's also something you can easily sing a long to.

Another reason why Taylor Swift's music just works, anyone can sing along to the songs. She doesn't have the most amazing voice on earth, but she makes up for it by releasing all this amazing material.

Let's skip a lot of the tracks and stop at Forever and Always. It's an amazing song, and it's got the more country rock/Paramore(a really small hint..)-ish sound, but never completely. Yet another reason why she's so good, Taylor Swift may take influences from other artists and genres, but she never copies. It's never "Oh, that sounds like a Paramore song," it's "Oh, that's got rock-ish influences mixed with her style," it just works.

So, to sum up the album:
Best Track: Forever and Always
Better Tracks: Everything Else!
Least Favorite Track: None. Every track's amazing.
THE RATING: 5/5(Perfect! AGAIN!)

Ricki-Lee - Brand New Day

So I scheduled a post with this title, but I didn't really write anything(haha..), so I'll write something now!(Too lazy to study..)

From what I've heard, Ricki-Lee's departure from Australian Idol was a huge shock, and I think I see why. I mean her voice is huge! But, her elimination caused something good, she's able to make music she wants to make, at least that's what I'm hearing from her albums.

This album blew me away.

All the tracks have something about them, something really cool and relaxed, but her voice gives the songs the intensity it needs. The melodies just makes you want to strangle whoever whipped them up, sugary sweet pop confections with lots of kick and bite that make you want to blast them out and just sit down and listen.

Can't Sing A Different Song and Can't Touch It are the fiercer songs on the album, pop-y but with lots of Beyonce-like elements. The song may be very intense and fierce, but her voice does it justice. It's not flat or too lazy, her voice has aggression, body and lots of kick. Brand New Day comes along right after Can't Sing A Different Song, and it's like a breath of fresh air, with this really saccharine-sweet melody and light instrumentation, the song just relaxes you.

Melody Of Life, World Go By and I Appreciate You all sound like a heavier Brand New Day, with the minor-like melody and the heavier instrumentation, they sound like something, with a bit of alterations, that Natasha Bedingfield or Sara Bareilles can sing. Love Is All Around, a cover of the Agnes Carlsson song, is amazing. The song itself(covered heaps of times..) is just a brilliant pop song that sounds somewhat 'uplifting' or something to that effect. Add Ricki-Lee's powerful vocals and you've got a brilliant combination.

Real Good Time wasn't a song I really liked when I first heard the album, but it's grown on me since. It's got a reggae feel with the instrumentation, but the melody is distinctively pop, down to the very last note. Plus, the transition from verse to chorus is just brilliant, making it one of my ultimate favorites on the album.

I've heard something like Take Me To A Place before, but I can't put my finger on it. Still, the melody shows off Ricki-Lee's voice and just makes you sit back and listen in awe. Alone No More sounds like a song straight out of a Cheetah Girls movie with the melody and the sparkly instrumentation. Oh, and the lyrics really sound like something from TCG.

Clouds is perhaps the cutest song on the album, with the really, really cute instruments and the brilliant melody. Doing justice to it's title, the song is very light, very relaxing but not lazy. It's got dynamics, but it's light and it just floats but you know it's there, it doesn't just float by.

It's Just Life always makes me want to burst out crying. The melody put together with the instrumentation and lyrics just hit the spot. It's probably the most brilliant song she's ever made. I can't describe it more, I might not do it's brilliance justice. Seriously. Just listen to the song, I'm just blown away by it every single time.

So, to sum up the album:
Best Track: It's Just Life
Better Tracks: Everything Else!
Least Favorite Track: None of them.
THE RATING: 5/5(Perfect! YES!)

The Westlife Songs That Should've Been Singles

We all have our opinions about certain songs, if we like a song a lot we say that we want it to be a single, if we hate one, we say that it should've never been recorded but there are some songs that really, in my opinion, should've been singles for Westlife. I'm not so sure if Simon or Louis will agree with me, but from a perspective of a fan who hates the covers and loves the rare songs, here are the songs I really think should've been singles.

NOTE: This post takes a lot of references from the Most Iconic Westlife Songs post, so be sure to read that before reading this.

• On their first album, there was a song called No No on it, and I really, really think they should've given it a shot in the US, or even as the last single from the album(to gear people up for the C2C era..). It's very bubblegum pop-ish, and more on the uptempo side which makes it perfect for the US market(at the time they were promoting this album..), and as I said, it's like a cross between the Westlife era and the C2C era, making it a perfect transition single from the first to the second album.

• My Private Movie should've been the lead single for the US campaign, it had all the makings of the perfect success story. It was recorded especially for the US, it sounded a lot like the stuff boybands there were cranking out at the time, and it had Westlife's distinct vocals and even a bit of their style there. So why wasn't it a single? Gar.

• Dreams Come True should've been the second single from C2C instead of What Makes A Man, it continued the ultra-boyband sound they were going for, and it was an uptempo track, so it should've just worked. Plus the fact that they could've made an amazing dance routine for all the TV performances(not the over the top one they used on tour with the aliens and heavy stuff..) and wow everyone!

• Evergreen should've been a single from WOOO, primarily so they could kick Will Young's butt and people won't equate the song to Will Young because he didn't originally sing it! This is the second time an Idol winner has robbed a Westlife song and made it popular(Ruben from AI murdered Flying Without Wings, MURDERED I TELL YOU!), but Will Young didn't really murder the song. Still, Evergreen is an amazing song, and it really, truly should've been a single, to gradually move from WOOO to Unbreakable.

• Turnaround(the song) should've been a single from Turnaround(the album)! Besides the obvious reason(title track? duh.), it had all the makings of the next WOOO(see the most iconic Westlife songs post..) and it was different, edgy and most of all, Westlife-y! With the cool instrumentation and the amazing vocals(Kian had a solo when they went on tour with it!)

• Hit You With the Real Thing should've been the Christmas single from Face to Face, it's an amazing electro-pop song(see: Pop Poster Girl's review of the song) and it would've prepared the British public for Amazing better than When You Tell Me That You Love Me(the bland duet with Diana Ross) could've ever done. That and the fact that it's just very simply, a brilliant pop song.

• Catch My Breath should've been the third/fourth single from Back Home, for the simple reason that it's an amazing variation of the standard Westlife formula. It's a ballad with amazing vocals, spot-on harmonies and most importantly, a key change but the overall sound of the song is more modern pop/AC than the pop sound that Amazing and No No have.

IT'S HERE!!!!!!!

FEARLESS HAS ARRIVED!

Watch out for my review sometime today or tomorrow

Will give it a listen now!

FINALLY!

Yes people! We Are One is here! I heard the LQ version earlier today but a better quality one just came out.

The release of We Are One marks the return of the pop we've all been craving for, and not just in the good way, this song was done brilliantly. I wasn't a big fan of SD back when they were on the X Factor, I thought their vocals were a bit off, but the recording studio works wonders, doesn't it?

The song sounds a lot like something straight out of the British version of HSM, but has all these elements of pop groups like STEPS, S Club and that bunch. We've been missing this kind of music for a long time now, with people like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse ruling the charts, but I really hope this becomes a gigantic single, it certainly deserves to be.

Every aspect of this song was perfected and done brilliantly, there's nothing else SD can do but sit back and watch people clear shelves of the single while waiting for the chart positions and sales figures. Don't forget to BUY it when it comes out on the 24th, OK? OK. For now, listen to the brilliance that is We Are One!

EDIT: Thanks to Ken for the HQ version, I'M LOVING IT EVEN MORE! I seriously want to die with the level of amazingness this song has. That or turn up the volume really, really high and tune everything else out!

RATING: 5/5!

The Best Westlife B-Sides/Bonus Tracks

YES! B-sides and Bonus Tracks are probably the most unnoticed songs of an artist's career, because they tend to be overshadowed by the single or album. I mean, if I said that my favorite Westlife song was Miss You When I'm Dreaming(just an example..), you'd probably think hard about what the hell I'm talking about.

B-sides are also probably the time when an act like Westlife can let loose, experiment, and get out all their frustrations. Because all their singles follow a formula, the b-side can sound like anything from rock to pop to swing to disco, pretty much anything. That's why I adore them so much, manufactured artists get to let loose for b-sides, and show us the music they like or the music they really want to make.

So, here's a tribute to some of the most amazing Westlife originals ever!

• Don't Calm The Storm was on the Swear It Again CDS and it's probably one of the most brilliant songs they've ever recorded. The first time I heard it, I was in awe, the song's gorgeous, but it wasn't stuck in a time warp. Elaborate? The song could've been released anytime in the past ten years(or even later..) and it would still be absolutely amazing.
• Don't Get Me Wrong was on the UK version of Coast To Coast(and the b-side to When You're Looking Like That, released in Asia) and may I say, it's completely out of place compared to the other songs. I said during the most iconic songs post that C2C was the era when they solidified their boyband status, and they sounded like their rivals(BSB, Nsync..) with songs like My Love, Somebody Needs You and Dreams Come True. You listen to the album now, and when you hear this song at the end, you just want to put it on World Of Our Own! It sounds a lot like a song you'd put on WOOO, ala Why Do I Love You..
• Crying Girl was the b-side to World Of Our Own(the song..), and it could've fit right into WOOO. The album lacked a track like this, the mid-tempo/slow but edgy song. They had the mid-tempo songs like Don't Let Me Go and When You Come Around but they lacked a song like this. Strange title and lyrics, but amazing, brilliant, mind-blowing melody and standard Westlife vocals.
• I Won't Let You Down is one of my favorite experimental Westlife songs. It sounds nothing like what they usually release, it actually sounds a lot like something by Michelle Branch or Ryan Cabrera. No wonder it was on the Hey Whatever single that was just as different from anything else they did before. Anyway, I love all the guitar stuff, and Brian/Bryan's vocals just matched the song so brilliantly. Amazing stuff!
• Let's Make Tonight Special was on the Swear It Again EP, and it's absolutely amazing(again..)! Loving the hints of R&B and the acapella parts scattered all around the song. Plus, Shane's voice sounds so young it burns(just joking.. duh..)! Seriously, this song will make you worship Westlife until you can't anymore. It just shows how amazing their vocals are, and how much they cream all the boybands when it comes to acapella work. On the subject of that, watch this short a capella vid back during the debut album:

• Reason For Living reminds me of a certain M2M song that I can't put my finger on, but it's good to hear everyone on this track! Another song that sounds a bit like I Won't Let You Down, but it's a bit more Westlife-y.
• I'll put Story of Love and Until the End Of Time together, since they pretty much sound the same. Story of Love was on the Japan version of Westlife and Until the End Of Time was on the Swear It Again EP. They're both bubblegum pop boyband confections, Westlife style. You know, the cheesy lyrics, some acapella work, standard boyband 'glitter and glitz' sound and instrumentation, but more mid-tempo than up-tempo.
• Singing Forever and Where We Belong go together as well, with the 'We're not giving up' thing. They were released around the same time as well, Where We Belong was on Tonight/Miss You Nights and Singing Forever was on Hey Whatever. Cheesy lyrics, yes, but once again we get brilliant melodies and amazing vocals.
• Miss You When I'm Dreaming was the b-side to Amazing, and I just want to worship them again for this. Can this song get any better? It's a ballad, but it's more a Catch My Breath(CMB)-like ballad than a Your Raise Me Up kind. If you adore CMB, listen to this and prepare to be blown away.
• Get Away is probably the most outrageous, non-cover, Westlife b-side ever. It's got a very 50's/60's thing going on(someone at TC said that it sounded like the Beach Boys, does it?), but seriously, this song is AMAZING! This was on the Us Against The World single, and when you listen to it after Us Against The World, you just want to strangle their songwriters for making something this amazing! Still, Shane's vocals are brilliant on this song!

New Videos!

I have class tomorrow, so I might not be able to post but for now, here are some amazing new videos!

The video for Hero is out, we saw a few clips and behind the scenes footage during last Saturday's live show, so here we have the video in full! Amazing stuff.


The new Natalie Bassingthwaighte video is out as well..


A bit off topic: I've heard the new Same Difference single! Bad quality, but I ADORE IT! EEP! *freaks out*

X Factor 5 Live Show - Week 5

It was Mariah Carey week, and with that comes a lot of pressure, so how did everything come out?

The Boy: Eoghan was so-so this week, nothing special, but enough to get him through to next week.

The Girls: Let me get one thing straight, LAURA SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE HOME! She had one of the best voices, and I can't believe she was sent home. Diana couldn't perform this week, and it was so devastating to see what she was going through, I know how much laryngitis can affect your voice and your chances of being able to perform. Alexandra's performance was strong, and I think pulling off a song like that takes a lot of time and effort so what she did was amazing.

The Group: JLS were mind-blowing this week, I adore their performance. One note though, if Louis is pushing for them to be a vocal harmony group, JLS have to work on their harmonies. They're there, you can hear them and they sound good, but they need to push their voices, they lack the power that Westlife had during their early days. You listen to a JLS harmony and then a Westlife harmony during the early days or as a four-piece and you hear the difference. Nevertheless, they're amazing singers and with a little more work, they might even claim Westlife's throne! haha. Has anyone else noticed that this is the second time they've talked about Westlife and JLS in the same sentence? haha..

The Over 25's: I just want to strangle Daniel and send him home. Seriously, his voice is so lounge-y(in the negative way, as always..) and one-dimensional. I can take one-dimensional voices, as long as they know how to manipulate that dimension into different sounds and structures. His voice is lounge-y enough and he still sang a song that made the performance even worse! Rachel's performance this week didn't sell for me, because I don't think her voice matched the song, but she went through, so good for her. Ruth was strong this week, I don't think she should've been in the bottom 2.

The results show performance: Mariah Carey's Hero with the final 12 'singing' at the end. No microphones, were they really singing?

The sum-up in one sentence: Almost everyone got past this week, except Daniel, he really should've went.

What I want to happen next week: DANIEL HAS TO GO! I've had enough of the unworthy safe weeks for him. JLS have to maintain, and Diana has to bounce back next week give us the best performance she's ever given.