I. Cannot. Believe. This. + A new Craig David demo..

So a while ago while I was at the mall I went into the record store looking for a Rain album(which I found, and bought - brilliance.) when I came across this:

(click to enlarge..)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! For crap's sake, do you know how hard it is to find this album here? I always, always complain about record stores here not stocking anything that's not big in the US and I'm not kidding when I say that the only GA album I've seen for sale here is Chemistry and it's not even the special edition! haha. It's been like six months since this was out(I think.. could be more.) and I only found it now. When I finally found the damn album, I screamed and I got a few glares but who cares - I FOUND IT!!!!!!!! MWAHAHAH.

Note to Pinoys who want a copy: I found it in the SM North EDSA record bar - the one opposite the old Cyberzone/Car Park? hahah. It might be in Tower or M1 as well.(although the SM record bars have 8 out of 9 Westlife albums.. when Tower only had like one) Me giving out tips on where to buy physical albums, when did this ever happen? Oh, and can you believe it's only 350? I paid 600 for the Rain album! hahah. Moving on.

So there's this song floating around which is supposedly by Craig David but when I opened up the file the artist was this guy called LaShawn Daniels who's apparently a songwriter(he wrote Destiny's Child's Say My Name). Since there's still a possibility that Craig David's going to be on the track at some point in time, I listened to it and it was utterly brilliant - definitely something that could be on his next album. It sounds like an even more CD-ish Insomnia, which is fantastic for everyone - people get the generic R&B they want and I get brilliance. Of course he's gonna give it even more groove but the song we have right now isn't that bad - the guy can sing.

PS: Cook's brother died a few days ago, I assume(I saw the news this morning but I'm not sure exactly when he died..). Even if I hate his music now, I still have a soft spot for the guy so my thoughts are with him and his family.

# 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 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..)

New Music!

School for me's starting tomorrow, so let's recap on stuff that's come out since the last post!

• A new Taylor Swift song just came out, and it's confirmed my thoughts, Taylor Swift is going to wow us with her second album. If we all thought her first album was amazing, this one's looking to be mind-blowing!
• Why has almost everyone in the blogging world heard the new Same Difference single in full? WHY? I'll wait, but beware, I'm not that patient!
• New Hannah Montana songs have been circulating, and I absolutely loathe them. She's trying to do something she can't, mix country with Britney-like pop. I know that kind of pop is popular now, but look at Taylor Swift! Hannah/Miley has forgotten how she became popular in the first place, nice, catchy, distinctly Disney songs. Oh, well. Let's hope there's at least one good song on the soundtrack.
• Sara Bareilles has a new live album. I'm loving it! Obviously, I adore the songs! Some new songs were included, and I'm once again loving them!
• Not directly related to music, but Kian Egan from Westlife, Anthony Costa from Blue, Kenzie from Blazin' Squad, some guy from East 17, Jenny Frost from Atomic Kitten, Mutya Buena from the Sugababes, A girl from All Saints and someone from this 80's girl band were all on Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong. I love the part when Ant and Coleen mimed Flying Without Wings in mid-air! Plus the fact that Kian was there(eep!).
• A new Corbin Bleu song's out. It's an OK song, but it's slowly growing on me.
• I'm loving Amy Diamond's Music In Motion. Seriously! I might review it later in the week if I have the time..
• Natalie Bassingthwaighte's new single, Alive is amazing! I wonder if her album will be any good..
  
• Not so hot about this week's episode of Britannia High, but it might get better later in the series. No particular songs that I'm loving, and the dance routine in the canteen was all too predictable. But Nicola and Kimberly(GA!)'s visit was nice. But Danny(is it Danny?) screwed the whole thing up. Gar.
• Mariah Carey has a new song, but I haven't heard it yet. Downloading at the moment, so it'll take a few minutes. Will edit the post when I've listened to it already. EDIT: I don't like the song. It's a ballad, but the melody just doesn't cut it for me. Plus it reminds me a bit of When You Believe or some Spanish-like song(Westlife's I Cry? something like that..)
• The video for David Cook's Light On is out. It's a generic video, with clips of the story and Cook singing, nothing special. The song is OK, but I expected more from Cook. I adored him on AI so what happened to that guy? Right. He got controlled by a bunch of record company executives who know nothing about music!

• Darin has a new single out, and the video premiered sometime last week. The song is nice, I haven't listened to it enough to say it's amazing, but I like it.

What to expect this week:

• MAYBE a review of Amy Diamond's Music In Motion
• My very own countdown to Taylor Swift's Fearless, out next week!
• MAYBE a review of Sara Bareilles' new live album, Between The Lines: Live At The Fillmore
• Something to get us all into a Christmassy mood, maybe?

Music.. duh..

As you know, I don't post that much since I'm a busy person but my homework's almost done, I swear!(I think I just have to cut paste some stuff on to a board and I'm done..)

ANYWAY.

Some assorted stuff. New, old, whatever's on my new iPod! Just a few stuff, I have to finish my homework!

1. DAVID COOK'S NEW SINGLE!!!!! EEEP! The reality show contestant singles just keep rolling in! I swear, I freaked when I saw that it's stream-able already, I mean, COOK!!! The song is very Daughtry meets some other pop/rock band, only this guy rocks! I've been listening to it a few times, but I absolutely adore the song. Bring on the number one and the album!

2. I got Atomic Kitten's videography and I'm reliving old memories. I only realized now how brilliant the songs were.



3. Hearing the new Girls Aloud song in high quality brings out the best in the song, I'm loving it more every day! So expect a full review from me sometime in the coming days(or weeks..), I love the song!

4. Well, Demi Lovato's new album is definitely worth more than one listen for me, very Camp Rock/'new' Disney-ish. It's a surefire top five hit, considering Camp Rock's success(although I don't really like the movie..).



5. I just heard newcomer Elise Estrada's new album(I heard she's Pinay.. don't know much about her..) and I may say, it's not that bad. I mean, if you like the standard, anyone-can-sing type of R&B songs. But there are some killer melodies in that album so if you get the chance, give it a listen!