#35: Darin - Lovekiller

I was pretty much focused on kpop this year in terms of my reviews, but that doesn't mean that I completely disregarded my beloved European pop stars. That would be a crime against mankind, and maybe even Mel, Paul, PPG, and every other self-respecting music writer I know.


While I like my American pop nice and upbeat, I like my Swedish pop just the way it is. And Darin is the way it is. He didn't get very much coverage on the blog this year (even if I heard the epic album), but I can assure you that I was very much into Lovekiller, and a couple of other songs off the album. I mean, how can I not?

Lovekiller is well-produced, epic in all ways possible, Swedish pop. It being Swedish pop alone would make me want to listen to it, but then they just had to throw in the epic. I'm melting into a puddle of fangirl goo. I don't melt for everyone, you know.

The song starts out strong - a gorgeous, epic, OST-worthy string section with your epic percussion line laced with a smooth melody. Then as things slowly build up, you're literally holding your breath until it catches you unaware and everything just explodes into a mix of a gorgeous melody, an epic instrumentation, and the chorus behind. It's an exaggerated version of a lot of different things, but exaggerated in all the right ways, then delivered by a pro.

I'm suddenly reminded of why I love pop music - because songs like this, songs that are as much a pleasure to write about as they are to listen to, exist, and continue to.