[Christmas 2010] Christmas Staples Done Right

So here we are, a few days 'till Christmas, and what do I have up my sleeve? A whole host of Christmas songs for every possible taste. I mean it this year - I've chosen a much wider range than usual, some I like, some I don't. Christmas festivities on PRN this year come in 2 parts - this first part is all about the carols, the staples everyone knows. The second part will focus on modern Christmas songs, the non-carols. Yayyyy!


I say this every year because it's true - just because the lyrics have "snow" or "santa" or "Christmas" in them, doesn't mean you can call it a Christmas song.

A Christmas song should make you feel all fuzzy inside, it should bring back memories, whatever they are, of Christmas, whenever you listen to it. If it's a contemporary Christmas song, you should get the same feeling you get when you hear carols, but at the same time hear familiar melodies and structures.

That's why this year, I'm listing down a few Christmas classics, and giving you guys an idea of which versions I like and don't like. Plus more songs to take note of, and some non-carols, but good Christmas songs nonetheless. ;D

O Come All Ye Faithful
This is my favorite Christmas song. Ever. EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR. Mainly because even if the melody is simple, there are an infinite number of things you can do and it will still sound good, it will still sound like Christmas. I like it so much, I can literally hear the perfect arrangement in my head. I have it all planned out, from how it starts, how there are gradual additions to each verse then suddenly the key changes and everything explodes. Very few versions have come kinda close, and a heck of a lot have miserably failed, so I'm still searching for that one arrangement that will blow. me. away.

Stacie Orrico (2001): Of the versions of that I've heard, this is the one I've blacklisted. Call me a purist or a biggot or whatever for not liking the Stacie Orrico-ized O Come All Ye Faithful, but I'm sorry. The rearrangement sounds more like a CCM song than a Christmas package, and the epic-ness of the song was lost - I don't care if they wanted to make it sound more contemporary, there's a way to do that and still make it sound like Christmas. This clearly does not. And all the stuff they added just made the song a big mess.


Katharine McPhee (2008): This version's fine, but I wish she would've toned down all the gymnastics. It's a beautiful song on it's own with a simple enough arrangement, no need to overreact and make it all squiggly. That and the part just before the end was just anticlimactic. This is supposed to be big, and majestic and all that - she does it pretty OK during the verses when her voice has that urgency to it, but towards the end it gets lost. Even if it's a so-called "R&B"/piano arrangement (with an orchestra-like set up towards the end), there's a way to do that. They didn't do it.


Josh Groban (2007): My only problem with his version is that it doesn't explode exactly like I'd want it to, but this one of the best versions I've found so far. The organ isn't to my taste either, but it does make it sound like a Church and in turn, like Christmas. I love the strings throughout the song, and the rest of the arrangement is really beautiful. For me the build-up was a little too sudden but it's epic-ness at the last verse is really the way I'd want it to be - majestic, huge and epic in every way possible. Using an orchestra. Just the way I want it.


Aled Jones and Libera (2008): And this, my friends, is how it is done. Not only does this guy have a gorgeous voice, Libera sound fantastic - boys really do have much brighter voices than girls, perfect for the obligato part. OH MY GOD THE OBLIGATO, someone slap me. The arrangement isn't that slow either - it has a snappiness to it. Me liking this version just shows how much of a purist I am, and proud of it. I like my Christmas songs orchestral, with a soloist and a choir and with gorgeous harmonies that resound. If this is ever turned into a more pop arrangement though, I'd trade the church organ for a sharp, and simple yet gorgeous, piano line. Other than that, everything stays as it is - ESPECIALLY THE LAST VERSE. Beautiful.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
I have a love-hate relationship with this song. If you do it right, I love it, but if you so much as screw one little detail up, I'll hate it. It can't be too fast, it can't be too sad, it can't be this and that. I have my favorite version already though, so I'm not in searching mode.

Carrie Underwood (2008): This was the version that made me adore the song - the arrangement has hints of country in it, but it feels like Christmas. Carrie sang it not only the right way with the right dynamics, but in the right key for her. That's what a lot of singers fail to get right when they sing carols in general - the key. You can't sing a song too high, nor too low - it not only has to match your voice, it has to sound comfortable to the listener's ears because they've heard a gazillion versions of songs like these. I like how the song was arranged so the last verse is somewhat like a middle 8. The instruments are very crisp to the ears - the drum line, piano line and other elements scattered around are defined, but not sharp or painful. The perfect pop arrangement, in my opinion.


Jump5 (2007): As a Jump5 song I like this - especially the start with all the pretty harmonies and all. The arrangement has kick, and the vocals are standard Jump 5 so I'm not surprised. However, as a Christmas song this is atrocious. It sounds nothing like Christmas, and it lacks life - the vocals lack dynamics. Yeah sure it has kick, but having kick doesn't mean a song has life. So it's a no.

Other Modernized Christmas Staples to take note of:

Taylor Swift - Silent Night
I do not understand how you can murder such a beautiful song and turn it into a completely different one, that doesn't even sound like Christmas. I'm open to change, but only if it's actually done well. It's like for this song, and all the others on Taylor's Christmas EP, all the life out of these gorgeous songs, everything that makes them the way they are, was sucked out. That's not Christmas music.

Mandisa - Angels We Have Heard On High
Now, this is one of the better arrangements that lean more towards to the pop side. The harmonies and the background vocals, as well as the way they tweaked the melody to fit the arrangement, although modern, still retain the "majesty" of the song, even if the arrangement isn't really epic. See? They knew which parts of the melody to play around with, but they knew which parts of the original song really had to stay.

Glee - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
It's a gorgeous arrangement, and I mean like epic in all ways possible, but I have one, rather big, problem that has kept this from going on my eternal favorites. It doesn't sound like Christmas, it sounds like an epic-ly arranged pop song. If you changed the lyrics into more "mainstream" lyrics, it would have no problem masquerading as a pop song.

*NSYNC - O Holy Night
Every self-respecting, acapella-based, talented boyband has sung this arrangement of O Holy Night, and yes, that includes DBSK. It's a timeless arrangement, really - each voice can very well stand alone with all the runs and the oohs, but together the arrangement soars. It's a boyband staple for all the right reasons, and it better continue to be one for a very long time.

DBSK - The First Noel
It's in Korean, so what? Would you rather they "bastardize" the song by singing in crooked English? Of course not. The arrangement is gorgeous - the string section sends chills down my spine, and all the other instruments are just floating along. The harmonies are beautiful, to say the least, and the execution has both grace and intensity - DBSK can obviously sing anything that's thrown at them. Changmin's solo is one of my favorites of his, ever, and Yoochun's part is perfect for him, simply put. What makes it even better is that during a time when all they did was lipsync, they performed this live. My ears are in heaven. It's one of the shorter cuts on their Christmas EP, but I personally think it's the best one - I listen to it once and all the Christmas memories start flooding in. THAT is what a Christmas song should bear - memories.

You know what I want to do in the future? Put together a post full of Filipino Christmas songs. This is not just because I'm Filipino - some of the most beautiful Christmas songs I have ever heard are Filipino. I spent a little over the first decade of my life singing these gorgeous songs during Christmas, and even if I absolutely hate performing, those songs were too beautiful to not enjoy singing. In time.

But anyway, catch part 2 within the next few days - I tackle some of my favorite modern Christmas songs.

Weekly Dumptruck

Yes, this is an attempt to find a catchy name for these kinds of posts I'll be doing from now on. I'll be experimenting, but do keep in mind that I suck at making names. Every week, depending on whether or not I have the time, I'll be writing up some short reviews for new singles - kinda like the 'new music' posts I used to do, pre-kpop. The ones I write full reviews for are the ones I have a lot to say about, otherwise, they go here. AND! I realize how bad I've been to indie artists, not featuring them and all, so I'll try and squeeze in one or two every week. Sounds good? It better! ;D

You know what to do. I hope you do. hahah!


What's this I hear about a new Maroon 5 single? Give A Little More? I like it. It's not as in-your-face and probably mainstream as Misery, but it's got it's own character. I LOVE the drums at the beginning and how everything builds on top of that - that's basically what a song should be. Not as literal as what they did for this, but the concept of the entire band depending on the percussion. ANYWAY. From the little I know about these types of things, it comes off as very Disco to me, 70's maybe? If I called it wrong, feel free to correct me. And of course, I adore the middle 8, and how the transition back to the chorus is just so natural. The hook sticks, but it's neither too laid-back nor too annoying. I WANT THIS ALBUM NOW.

2PM have a new track out, "dedicated" to their fanclub and it's called.. wait for it... Thank You. Fantastic title. Reminds me of those "goodbye" singles out in the mid-2000's, when all the late 90's bands were splitting up left and right. Not implying that 2PM are splitting though, because they're not. At least for the next few albums, no one knows. It's got the stereotypical JYP singing, but I do like the epic-ness of it towards the end - it's there but it doesn't hit you over the head. It's.. pretty. Not gorgeous or stunning or anything, but pretty nevertheless.

This isn't exactly super new, but I haven't said anything about Madonna, the new Secret single, and I kinda like Secret. When it came out, a lot of people were saying it sounds like Magic, but if it did I would've noticed it before I even found out they were comparing the two. The song could possibly sound cheap and crap if done the wrong way, but Secret pulled it off nicely. They've improved a heck of a lot since Magic, and they weren't half-bad back then - I'm starting to think they could possibly succeed because they've already got the variety show market cornered, and they have actual talent. For now, Madonna's pretty good.

In my attempt to update myself with American music, I found this new Taylor Swift number - Permanent Marker. Is this a single or just some random buzz track for Speak Now? (See, I know she's bringing out an album!) I did some digging, and apparently she recorded this, then sold the rights to someone else. Whosever it is, it's a pretty song - very Taylor Swift. The distinct country instruments and treatment, her country twang, and the pretty melody made that bit more mainstream - you know it's a Taylor Swift song the second you hear it, you just don't know which one it is.

K. Now for the indie part I was talking about. On BOOMerang, CJ Baran has a rather smooth voice, reminds me a bit of Simon Curtis, or someone in his league. Very much like the pop I used to blog about, but still love. The song's got these trance-y elements, and the instrumental sounds like something my dad would blast out of his custom-made stereo, and he doesn't blast a lot of stuff out of that. It's got a nice melody and it's well-produced - I'll be following how this guy's career goes.

Ripple News - Hope For Haiti Now an Unabashed Success - Download now on iTunes and Amazon

Don't know how many of you waveriders saw it live, but Hope for Haiti Now was a moving, respectfully done benefit show, that for the most part (more on that later) beautifully put the cause before the music, while still delivering some stunning musical performances.

Not being big fans of these sorts of shows, where artists get all "touchy and concerned" while in reality looking to do little more than boost their own careers, Hope For Haiti Now was a pleasant surprise.  From the somber, reverential format of the performances, devoid of any applause or showboating, to the seamless production of orchestrating multiple performances from many different cities, interlaced with truly moving actor monologues on the suffering and devastation in the country, Hope For Haiti Now was a clear step above the normal Hollywood benefit drivel.  By all measures it was a beautiful, heart-felt, somber success.

As a music site, we're more concerned with the actual musical performances than the names of the stars performing, but almost to a "T" the stars didn't let us down.  Justin Timberlake and Charlie Sexton's breathless performance of "Hallelujah" was without a doubt one of the show's most heartwrenching, stellar moments, as were Coldplay's "Message 2010," and the very ragged Bruce Springsteen "We Shall Overcome."  Mary J. Blige gave an inspired performance of  "Hard Times Come Again No More," and Stevie Wonder's version of  "Bridge Over Troubled Water," was immaculate, as was Beyonce's stripped down "Halo."   Sheryl Crow with Kid Rock and Keith Urban doing "Lean On Me," was near perfect, and Taylor Swift demonstrated why she's a rising star with "Breathless," showing class and maturity way beyond her years.


In fact, the entire show was one of amazing, dignified class, with only one glaring exception.  Rihanna clearly never got the memo that the show was about shinning a light on a suffering nation, as she proceeded to do everything she could to draw the world's attention to herself; from her glaring, way-too-short-and-totally-inappropriate dress to her massive gold hoop earings and horrible stage posturing.  Even Bono clearly felt uncomfortable with her next to him, often trying desperately to reach out and find a moment's humanity inside her, to no success.  Fortunately, this embarrassment will be lost with the download of the song, as there will be no video.

It is a sign of what the new form of music distribution can do that the performances from Friday night's Hope For Haiti Now concert could be purchased on line the next day.  The digital-only album has all 19 performances from the benefit along with a studio version of  "Stranded."   The entire show can be purchased on iTunes or Amazon for the amazingly low price of $7.99, with proceeds going to the Haiti relief charities.  As a charitable act, it's almost impossible to justify not buying this album, but as a music lover, you'll find much here to love and treasure, reflect upon and cherish.

Track List:

    * Send Me An Angel - Alicia Keys
    * A Message 2010 - Coldplay
    * We Shall Overcome - Bruce Springsteen
    * Time to Love/Bridge Over Troubled Water - Stevie Wonder
    * I'll Stand By You - Shakira with the Roots
    * Motherless Child - John Legend
    * Hard Times Come Again No More - Mary J. Blige with the Roots
    * Breathless - Taylor Swift
    * Lift Me Up - Christina Aguilera
    * Driven to Tears - Sting
    * Halo - Beyonce with Chris Martin on piano
    * Lean on Me - Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow & Kid Rock
    * Like a Prayer - Madonna
    * Hallelujah - Justin Timberlake with Charlie Sexton
    * Let it Be - Jennifer Hudson with the Roots
    * Many Rivers to Cross - Emeline Michael
    * Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) - Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bono, the Edge
    * Alone and Forsaken - Neil Young and Dave Mathews
    * Rivers of Babylon/Yele - Wyclef Jean
    * Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour) - Jay-Z, Rihanna, Bono, the Edge (Studio Version)

Buy Here: Hope For Haiti Now

New Music!

I can't help myself, there are quite a few things out. I'm almost done studying anyway! hmm.

• THE CRAIG DAVID CONCERT WAS SPECTACULAR. I promise to review the whole thing once all my requirements are done.. You had to be there to feel the brilliance.
• I've become a HUGE The Script fan. When I first heard them I thought they were this crappy Coldplay wannabe but then I turned the volume up and heard my dad's production in it. He didn't produce it, obviously, but all the qualities of something he'd produce were there and it made me tear up for some strange reason.
• Ronan Keating's cover album is out at it's number one in the UK. Not a big fan of the covers(Carrickfergus was better when Charlotte Church did it.), but hey - he's got four number one albums so you gotta hand it to him.
• Two new Mandy Moore songs are out. They're OK, but I Could Break Your Heart.... is still the best new song so far. Will be waiting for the album!
• Esmee Denters has a new song out - AND IT'S BRILLIANT. Just when I thought Gia Farrell would never come back, here's someone who sounds a lot like her! yay! hahah.
• Well, Kian Egan and Louis Walsh's STILL unnamed girl band had an Irish TV appearance the other day, singing a Dixie Chicks cover. They apparently have competition now, the new girl group with a girl who didn't get a place in the other band are rumored to record the new Grey's Anatomy theme song. This is WAR.
• Last year's Swedish Idol winner has an album out. There are some gorgeous songs on it but once again, there's no cohesion. They're nice songs to listen to though. I might review it after exams.
• Savannah Outen has a new song for this charity out and she sounds a lot like Jordan Pruitt at the start and though I will forever love Jordan Pruitt(and her utter brilliance), Savannah can be jaw-dropping at times.
• Pixie Lott got her first play Radio 2 some time back! Congrats!!!!!!
• I got re-addicted to Guy Sebastian some time back. I might do a few reviews as well... yay!
• Taylor Swift's song for the Hannah Montana movie has a video out already and may I say, it's the only good part of the whole soundtrack.
• Hold on, I thought the video for Moments That Matter was out already? Apparently not, here's a new one.
• Girls Aloud's new video is out. The album version was amazing, and I love the fact that Nicola sings first but something in the single mix and the video makes me uneasy about the whole thing. I'd love Revolution in the Head as a single though! haha.
  
  
  I guess that's it! Back to studying. Asian economics, systems of quadratic equations, uniform accelerated motion, Newton's laws of motion, Filipino short stories(which are like 10 pages each..), adverbial clauses of concession, congruence postulates, and everything else! UGH.

New Music!

I still cannot believe how I survived January when there's so much new music out now!

• First off, three video premieres. Taylor Swift's White Horse, The Ting Ting's We Walk AND The Saturdays' Comic Relief single, Just Can't Get Enough(will get to that later...)! All amazing! Yipeeeee!

• One of the two main reasons why I'm so excited to day is because...The Confessions of a Shopaholic Soundtrack's out! I'm hyperventilating!!!!!!!!!! I'm addicted to the series(I read all five in a day!) but I've heard a few songs off the soundtrack and I got really excited! Will listen to the soundtrack tonight and watch the movie this weekend when it comes out! haha. I've heard that a couple of RedOne tracks made their way into the album so I'll have to listen.
• There are two new Elliot Yamin songs out, I'm in love with them! Loved his first album and judging by the two tracks, Show Me and Fight For Love, his second album might even be better! Yay!
• There's a new Natalie Imbruglia song out, My God and it's ok. Nothing special and I like Glorious much better! haha. Will be waiting for her album though.
• Now, the new Saturdays' song. It's a cover and it's for Comic Relief so most likely it'll chart within the top three or even at number one. I have no idea what the original version sounds like, I think I knew the song before I heard this but I'm not so sure and from what I've heard, it's not bad. 
• There's a new Michelle Branch track as well. Haven't heard it but will do after I finish the Shopaholic soundtrack! haha.
• Marie Serneholt has a new song as well, Disconnect Me from the Melodifestivalen. It's not bad, but not my cup of tea. I still prefer I Need A House over it.
• Speaking of Marie Serneholt, I was looking through old A*Teens videos yesterday and I'm slowly falling in love with the songs all over again! They kind of lost their spark for me a few months ago but I do love Perfect Match and Upside Down! haha.

I guess that's it, will have to whip up my review of the Shopaholic Soundtrack. yay!

Rant: Taylor Swift..

When I wrote my reviews for both of her albums, I didn't realize the influence she has and probably will still have in the future on the music industry. I knew she wrote her own songs and she was really good at it but she really does have a pull on the music today.

She's done extremely well figures-wise, number one singles, number one albums and millions of records sold but it just hit me a few days ago that she's signed to an independent label. Not a big four, not a subsidiary of a big four, an independent label. So tell me, if all these Disney artists were on independent labels without their huge promo blitzes and TV shows on Disney Channel, their cross-marketing and their nice studios with auto-tuning and pre-recorded stuff, would they come close, let alone match what Taylor has done? I think not.

Taylor Swift is incredibly good at what she does, but she's incredibly good at giving people what they want as well. You can have all the good songs in the world but not have anyone notice you because it doesn't appeal to them but you see, Taylor Swift wants us to think that she's just like you and me.

It's she's having a conversation with us, all five million or so and she makes us think that we're the only ones she's talking to. It's like getting a glimpse of her life and finding out that she's not some record company robot, she's a girl with real feelings and a brain, a brain that she actually picks up and uses.

Have you noticed, you don't see her in gossip columns, you don't hear about her stumbling out of a club at an ungodly hour and you don't see her doing what everyone else her age is doing. Heck, I don't think I've seen even five sets of paparazzi shots from her. I think that's part of why she sells so much.

We listeners are smart, and we don't like it when record executives think we're stupid. Taylor knows that, and she knows that we have morals and non-celebrities may do some really stupid things but we don't do it out in the streets, do we? I'm not saying that celebrities don't have morals but you get my point, right?

This is going nowhere, I've got to be up at five tomorrow! ugh.

# 30: Taylor Swift - Forever and Always

Taylor Swift is living proof that singers and people her age can actually make amazing music without a record company controlling their every action. That's something I'm extremely annoyed with, but let's save that for another post..

She's country, but she's pop, but she's both. You see, it's very hard to say that she sounds like this and she sounds like that because you know she's being herself. She's not taking from other artists and morphing herself into this monster who sounds like five different people, she's doing what she wants to, and it's brilliant.

That and the way people respond to her. How many number ones has she had already? For someone her age who writes her own songs, that's exceptional!

Moving on to the song, as far as I know, she wrote this for the guy in the Jones Brothers that she used to date(is it Nick or Jo? Not sure..).

Putting the lyrical intentions of the song aside, the melody of this immediately caught my ear when I gave Fearless a once-over, it had a quirky feel to it, but it sounded like Taylor Swift, I couldn't imagine anyone else singing it.

You see, it's not about equating a song to a genre for me, it's about equating a song to a certain artist. That's identity.

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..)

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!)

New Music!

What's been going on these past few days? Quite a lot, actually.

• The new Christina Aguilera album is out, but the only track I'm really addicted to is Keeps Gettin' Better. Oh well.
• The new Hilary Duff album is out as well, and I'm seriously loving Holiday! It's the perfect combination of her old, teen pop sound and her new dance sound(ala-Dignity). Brilliant! Plus, the melody's just amazing, so that's an even bigger plus!
• The new Beyonce album is also out, and it includes a track called Halo. Simon Cowell wanted it for Leona Lewis, but she was too busy to record it. The song sounds very generic, any R&B artist can sing it, but I can't imagine Leona singing it. There are some parts in Beyonce's vocal that I hear hints of JoJo in it, and the song would really, really fit JoJo's voice. Maybe she can record something that sounds like Halo for her new album?
• It's Mariah week on The X Factor. I wonder how Daniel will murder another song for the fifth week in a row and not get eliminated. I'm excited to see what JLS and Rachel did, but Diana couldn't perform! I hope she gets well soon, but she did get in to next weeks show, which is good! Eep!
• WHEN will I ever get to hear the new Same Difference single in full? It's driving me nuts!
• Archuleta's album is out as well. I don't like it, but I don't hate it. Sounds like a pathetic excuse for an album. Seriously? Right now I'm confused as to who Archuleta really is as a singer. I loved him during the early stages of AI, so why didn't I hear anything like that on his album? I wonder how Cook's album turns out.
• Well, Taylor Swift's new album is out this week! I'll be continuing The Countdown to Fearless sometime today or tomorrow. I've got homework! Gar.
• There's a new Deluxe Edition of Alicia Keys' album, but I haven't had the chance to listen to the new tracks yet. Will do in the next few days..
• Strange. The Popjustice X Factor Playsheet hasn't been posted yet, and the show already aired. I wonder why.. 
• It's been out for ages already(I've seen it like a million times..), but the trailer for Westlife's new DVD(shot in front of 80 THOUSAND PEOPLE! Practically the pinnacle of their career) is amazing! Out on November 24! Eep!

• I've adored Bayje since I heard about her(can you believe I actually thought this was a JoJo song? That's what one of my favorite blogs said..), and I really, really adore this song! Have I mentioned that it's got a brilliant middle-8? Brilliant, sounds very Ne-yo - ish with a JoJo edge.

Flashback: Taylor Swift

Will post quite a lot today, so make the most out of it since school's starting tomorrow!

Part of the Countdown to Fearless!

So just how good is an album that produced four singles in the top five and one single in the top ten of the country charts and hit number one on the country albums before being certified 3x Platinum? In Taylor Swift's case, it's very, very good.

2006 was the year that Taylor Swift would being blowing us away. At sixteen, she released Tim McGraw and it hit the top ten on the country charts. The song was a hit, and it deserved to be, it was amazing. Then another single was released at it hit the top five.

Now, Taylor Swift's career-making song was her third single, Our Song. The single hit number one on the country charts, making her the youngest sole-writer of a number one single. This was the song that made me stop and notice her, the country elements mixed with the uptempo pop elements produced an amazing melody for an amazing song. Suddenly, Taylor Swift became the next big thing. She finished off her album with a bang, the last single hit number one.

This album just proves to people her age in the industry that you CAN make an amazing debut album. She wrote a lot of stuff on the album, and she did it well. It just goes to show that the consumers aren't stupid, they know a good song when they hear one, and they react even better if the artist wrote the song(s) themselves.

Let's see, how many number one singles did Vanessa Hudgens' debut album produce? None, not even a top 20 single(Come Back To Me peaked at 55). How many number one singles did Miley's debut album turn out? None, See You Again peaked at number ten. How many number one singles did Ashley's debut produce? None, she did worse than Vanessa, He Said, She Said peaked at number 58.

Taylor Swift's debut produced two number one singles, and there's more! She was the SOLE writer of the two number ones. Vanessa, Ashley and Miley don't write their singles without outside writers, because they can't.

This is another important thing that every debut album should have, at least one song that the artist him/herself wrote without the help of professionals. I think it's important that consumers like us know exactly who we're listening to. It's sort of related to the identity issue, but it deserves more attention.

An artist not writing his/her own songs becomes replaceable. The best example of that are the Sugababes. They co-write a lot of stuff, but there's no one who really writes all the songs so when someone leaves, she's replaced. I guess pop is like that, but Taylor Swift just proves otherwise.

Which is why I'm eagerly anticipating Fearless! Enjoy the countdown to the album release every day until November 11!

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?

The Countdown to Fearless!

A new Taylor Swift song is out!

Absolutely amazing. Single perhaps? Maybe, maybe not. It's a brilliant song though. Can't wait for Fearless at the moment!

Wanna listen before buying it on iTunes?

New Music...

So after even more back-to-back releases and the battle of the Girl Groups coming to a close this week, let's catch up on all the new music that's been circulating around the internet these past few days, shall we?

• Well, the version of Hero by the X Factor top 12 that they performed on the results show last Saturday was released earlier this week. It's actually not that bad, although Diana could've sung more, like in the live performance but all in all, it's a not bad version. If I was in the UK, I'd buy the single!
• Britannia High premiered last Sunday in the UK, and I'm slowly getting addicted! It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be, and I'm loving the song Lauren and Claudine sang right after the principal asked Lauren if she was gonna give up or carry on with the whole thing. Lemme guess, the title is You Just Wait(or something to that effect..). I just hope it's on the soundtrack!
• Carrie Underwood has a new Christmas EP out and I love it. I'm particularly adoring the arrangement on her version of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, but one every song, her voice is just flawless and really, really smooth. Amazing stuff!
• Taylor Swift has a new song out called You're Not Sorry. The song is strong, it's got a nice melody but the album cover is just all messed up, she looks nothing like herself and her feet look huge in the picture!
• Another David A. song is out in HQ, Angels. I haven't had the chance to listen to it yet, but I'll get to doing it sometime this week. EDIT: I've only realized now that the song is the Robbie Williams cover he did for Idol Gives Back week. Garr, and here I was thinking it was an original. OK cover, but not so hot about him recording a song he did on Idol.
• And the new Hilary Duff song, Reach Out, is also out in HQ. When I heard it in medium quality, it was so-so, but now it's kind of growing on me. It sounds a lot like a cross between Girls Aloud song back in 2003, The Saturdays' Set Me Off and something else, though. That something else it at the very tip of my tongue, but I just can't put my finger on it, garr. I've heard it before but I can't remember!
• I'm loving Amy Pearson right now. After one of my favorite blogs posted about her, I dug up her album from my collection(another one of those albums that I have but never listened to) and played it form start to finish. I love the album, she's like a cross between Stacie Orrico and Christina Aguilera, both vocally and stylistically.
• Westlife's Miss You Nights was covered by an American boyband(thanks to It's About Music) recently and it's not that bad. Still not as amazing as the original(with Shane's flawless, smooth vocals), but good enough. I just hope that if they become successful with that song, it doesn't become another FWW(Flying Without Wings, Ruben of AI 2 stole the song, then murdered it, but it was still a hit in the US..)..
• Ever since the Carrie Underwood Christmas EP came out, I've been looking around for classic Christmas songs with arrangements are gorgeous as hers but I can't seem to find any. Any suggestions?
• And finally, the new Take That video is out, I love the song but the video reminds me too much of Westlife's Fool Again! Still, the song is amazing, when can we get it in HQ? Gar.

Heaps and heaps of new stuff!

Sorry for not posting in weeks, I've been so busy with final exams and projects that it was almost hilarious. But the semester's over, so for the next two weeks, expect a lot more of me! Here are the new stuff that sprouted out during my absence:

• The new Sugababes album is amazing! A favorite of mine is Side Chick, but the full review to follow.
• Popjustice released a clip of a track on the new GA album and I'm loving it as well! Yet another battle of the girl groups, GA won the single battle for me, but let's see who'll win the album battle!
• Two new Craig David tracks came out, I absolutely adore how his greatest hits album is coming together. The way he takes his old style and mixes it with the trends in R&B now puts him leagues ahead of Chris Brown and other acts in his genre.
• Leon Jackson's b-side is arguably better than the single, although maybe that's because I got a bit sick of Don't Call This Love. Let's hope he does relatively well on the charts and put Leona to shame!
• Another Taylor Swift song leaked, this time the title track, 'Fearless', which is another strong track on the album and proves once again that Taylor Swift is one of a few in her generation to get the shift from first to second album right.
• The new Take That single premiered, and may I say, I ABSOLUTELY ADORE IT! I didn't like 'Patience' that much, it was OK, but this new song, I'm loving. Can't wait to hear more!
• Paula DeAnda has a new song out, and it's not that bad. I loved her debut effort, so let's just see if she can get her sophomore album right.
• The new top ten is up, I haven't updated it in weeks, so a lot of movement and entrances on the chart. Check it out!

What to expect this week:

• A review of Catfights and Spotlights, the Sugababes' new album.
• My ideal Craig David GH album

Eep!

Just a night after I reviewed this amazing song, look what came out, the video! I love it... it goes amazingly well with the song.. Now I really can't wait for the album!

Some random, spur of the moment, short reviews...

I haven't really had the time and will to write single, long reviews these past few weeks so I'll be writing a few short reviews for now..

1. New Kids on the Block with Lady GaGa - Big Girl Now

OK, I've been listening over to the NKOTB album these past few weeks but I've only pin-pointed a single favorite track, my favorite of the favorites and it's their duet with Lady GaGa.

I absolutely adore her(although I have gotten a bit sick of her album, I still think it's genius) and this song is probably a more modern NKOTB. I mean, I love the R&B stuff, but they're a bit too generic to compete with the heavyweights and this is probably the song that's most like an updated NKOTB pre-split sound.

Rating: 4.7/5

2. Taylor Swift - Love Story

I. Absolutely. Adore. This. Girl.

I loved her first album, loved 'Beautiful Eyes' just a bit more but I simply ADORE this new song.

Once again, the music industry has gotten someone right, in the form of Taylor Swift. She'll be making the shift from first album to second very gracefully by the looks of it. I mean, this song is amazing. Her first album showed us that she could sing and write good, solid songs well for her age but I think this second album will just blow us away, show us exactly what she's made of and get us hooked on her music even more.

Rating: 5/5

3. Karina - 16 @ War

Has anyone besides me noticed that she sounds like Beyonce + Rihanna + Keri Hilson?

Anyway. This girl HAS TALENT. Not the 'Charice Pempengco(or however you spell it), too big for her age' voice but the 'OMG, SHE'S AMAZING not too old for her age' voice. You can sense that she's maybe two or three years older than she actually is if you listen to the album but no more than that(although the song is a dead giveaway to her age...).

The song is amazing, the melody is priceless and it's just an amazing song. I cannot believe it only peaked at number 51 on the R&B charts...

Rating: 4.8/5

Taylor Swift - Our Song

Artist: Taylor Swift
Album: Taylor Swift
Year: 2007
Rating: 5/5

This girl will go a long way, I'm not kidding. If she can continue write songs as good as this, then she''ll be even bigger than she already is. With one number one single, a Grammy nomination and a world record(youngest sole-writer of a number one single) under her belt with just one album out, I have no doubt that she is rightfully the big thing right now.

I've always had a soft spot for country/pop artists like Carrie Underwood so naturally, Taylor Swift is in my list of favorites. OK, there are times when her voice gets too whine-y, but the fact that she writes her own stuff at such a young age forgives her less than amazing vocals.

When I first heard this song, I loved it, but when I heard that she wrote this by herself, I was blown away. Not every sixteen year-old can write a number one song by herself, sure some of them co-write with big songwriters but my bet is that the professionals do most of the work and the singers just add a bit here and there. Which is why this song gets a perfect score, because it's amazing and not something an average sixteen year old would do.

Why will she survive in the industry if I clearly said that her vocals weren't the best? Well because she writes her own songs. When an artist writes his/her own songs, he/she becomes irreplaceable. Why? Because if the songs are written by another person, the record company can easily put another person in the artists place and it'll still be a hit, no matter who you ask to sing it. If you write your own songs, they're yours and if you put another person in your place, you can't guarantee success because the songs aren't with that person, they're with you.

I just want to see how far she goes, but I have no doubt that she'll go further in the coming years.