Best of 2009: August #6 - #3

August is the month with the least number of entries. Awww.

#6: Jade Ewen - My Man

Before she joined the Sugababes and caused chaos throughout British music, she was Britain's entry to the Eurovision song contest and later launched a solo career. To a certain extent My Man was good and had the potential to be big or bring Jade to greatness but there's still something missing from this song. I like the chorus though. LOL.

#5: Samantha Jade - Secret

Samantha Jade is right beside the Cassies and the Prima Js of the world - a few singles out here and there, leaks but no album and hardly any promotion. Sad, really, because Samantha Jade has leaked some brilliant songs over the years. Secret may be too close to Britney for comfort but at least Samantha has some semblance of a voice. Not outstanding, but good enough.

#4: G-Dragon - Breathe

Breathe was probably the only song off Heartbreaker that I didn't condemn to the deep recesses of my music library after the first listen - you could say that I liked it to a certain extent. So when it became a single I just had to say it - for the nth time I predicted a post-album release single and I seem to be doing it a lot for kpop albums. Don't kill me for what I'm about to say though. A while back I discovered exactly why G-Dragon is as popular as he is and why he appeals to so many people - it startled me.

So I was listening to Breathe one day in between classes and then obviously I put it away when my class (I believe it was Chemistry) started but I couldn't get it out of my head so I started humming it. Then it hit me - the melody of Breathe sounds like a song for an advertisement or a novelty song, the only difference is that it was processed and put on top of a techno-y loop, something people equate to 'chic' or something to that effect. But strip off the fancy computer-generated crap and you have the same cheap melody. Nothing special, nothing different, it's a hit and that's what hits are - glorified novelty songs.

#3: Mya - Paradise (Ryan Leslie Remix)

Gone are Mya's golden days when it comes to popularity but I honestly thought that Paradise was a pretty good single. It took this piano-centric remix to make me adore it though. It's got a nice groove and I LOVE the real drums on this song - gives the entire thing a new twist.

Two Jades, two songs - the same rating. Strange, huh?

Samantha Jade's new but not that new offering Secret is a departure from her old and insanely brilliant stuff but thankfully, it's enough to keep me interested in the girl. One thing though - I thought she got dropped by Atlantic? Apparently not.

If she wasn't dropped by Atlantic, may I complain about one thing? I'VE BEEN WAITING 2 YEARS FOR HER ALBUM, WHERE THE CRAP IS IT? I first heard Turnaround in 2007 - at the time her album was expected to be released by the end of the year. Talent gone to waste, if you're to ask me.

The song reminds me of Britney + The Saturdays with more Britney. The redeemers? One, the fact that this girl has some sort of voice and uses the damn thing and two, it's pop - done well and sung right.

The other thing is that the middle 8 has successfully made this whole song the best new song of the week for me. Expect a top 10 debut at the very least next week!

4.5/5

Before (Step Up):

After/Now (Secret):

The other Jade? Jade Ewen. I know it's been ages since My Man leaked but the video came out so it's time to review it.

Jade Ewen's Eurovision entry may have sucked like hell but listening to this song, she isn't that bad. Yes, she's a voice we've heard before and an image we've seen tons of times but amongst all these girls who sound and look like Jade, she's doing quite well, to tell you the truth.

There's nothing special about her voice but it's good. The song as a whole is strong - it has it's good and bad points but altogether it's not bad. The melodies of the verses and middle 8 are exceptional and the chorus for me is a little resonant but bearable.

All in all, not a bad effort, Miss Ewen - top 10 at the very least.

4.5/5

Jade Ewen - It's My Time

Ok, so I'll admit to watching the reality show where they chose her but for heaven's sake, I'll never ever like this song.

Jade has a nice voice - it's powerful but seriously Britain, if you're gonna send a Leona copycat, you're better off sending the girl herself. I've said this before and I'll say it again - the world DOES NOT revolve around making every single British female reality show-found singer into the next Leona Lewis. I'd have liked it better if the twins had won because frankly, I think they have more character and personality than Jade will ever have.

She's talented, yes and she may seem like a huge Leona copycat but what annoys me the most is the song itself. I mean we know Britain's trying desperately to win the Eurovision but if the song you're sending to the contest has only thee words - it's my time, then you better rethink the song choice.

I don't care if Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote it and I don't care if the melody's remotely gorgeous - I do not want to hear a girl screaming that it's her time and she's not gonna let go of it over and over again. If you can listen to 1,000 Stars a million times and not have your ears fall out, this is the complete opposite. You listen to it once and you think you've heard it hundreds of times when you've only actually only heard it once.

I do like the instrumentation though. Maybe I should take her vocals out and just listen to the backing track - that sounds good.

2/5.