# 63: The Clique Girlz - So Hard, So Far

They may have some of the shrillest voices I've ever heard but you can't deny, those voices are HUGE! For girls just a little younger than me, let's say they can really, really, REALLY sing. I sort of lost the ability to sing notes that high, that loud when I was like 10, so they HAVE to be noticed for that at the very least.

So let's overlook the fact that they're actually younger than me and listen to the song like how we'd listen to every other song.

IT'S AMAZING.

So Hard, So Far is the best track on their debut by a mile. The melody of the song is just whoa, and they way the just effortlessly pull it off is sheer brilliance.

This is what I like about these girls, they're not being marketed as children, because they're not. I mean, they're tweens/teenagers and everybody knows our lives aren't just about rainbows and castles.

They're acting their age, something I don't see a lot of these days.

New Music!

This week was full of amazing album leaks and releases, so what better way to celebrate than to look back at all the releases I've written about, and write about some more!

• Some amazing releases from Leon Jackson, The Saturdays and Craig David and the Clique Girlz came out/leaked this week. Check out my reviews!
• On the subject of the Clique Girlz, their album is worth at least one listen for you, but there are songs like So Hard, So Far and Who Wouldn't Wanna that are worth careful consideration, they rock! One issue I have though, is the amount of covers on the album, and the fact that there are two covers from one artist.
• The new Lady GaGa tracks from her US release are goooood! It's a nice shift from her regular album that I kind of got a bit sick of..
• HSM3 hit theaters here yesterday, and I was in one of the big malls. Tons and tons of kids watching! It's a good thing I won't be watching for the next week or so, mainly because there are too many people.
• Clips of the new Girls Aloud album have surfaced. Popjustice said not to listen to them, but when I read it, I had already heard the whole sampler. Still, it's proving to be a strong album, a worthy opponent to The Sugababes and The Saturdays.
• BoA has been planning a US launch, and Eat You Up is proving well with the music blog circuit. Some of the lyrics(yum, yum????!!) are strange, but the melody is good and the dancing is amazing, as usual.
• Britannia High starts Sunday night in the UK, I don't know what to expect, really. Start Of Something is not bad, but it sounds like an attempt to make another I Dream. I adore I Dream, but I don't see the point in another one.
• The new weekly top ten is up, a lot of new entries and a lot of exits, but all of this week's new releases are represented! Last week's number one song, Side Chick slips to number four, behind Leon Jackson's Ordinary Days, which enters at number three Craig David's Insomnia, which retains it's number two position, and The Saturdays' Work, which zooms into the coveted top spot. To see the whole thing, look for the chart on the sidebar!

What to expect this week:

• An X Factor Live Show Recap
• Some Taylor Swift?
• And let's hope we get more new releases!

Girl Group Mania Part 1!

So, since I have absolutely nothing to do apart from talking and watching TV shows I downloaded, I'm listing down some of my favorite girl group songs. This list is in no particular order, so don't complain if I don't feature your favorite song until part 2!

• Off the top of my head, The Cheetah Girls' 'Strut' is a great 2005/2006/2007 girl group song. All the harmonies and technical stuff from the 90's is ported to a more 2000's hip-hop sound. Plus, their voices are amazing and the routine was sweet!
• Probably one of the best girl group collaborations is the Girls Aloud/Sugababes Comic Relief single, 'Walk This Way'. I swear, everything about this song, the melody, the arrangement, the vocals and most of all the video(am-azing!)! It 'seems' like they're screaming but the more you listen to it, the more you absolutely can't stop!
• Hailed as 'the first Danity Kane'(by me, at least..), Dream made an amazing single back in 2000/2001, 'This Is Me'. The song is the very edgy pop/R&B that everyone was doing during the really early 2000's.. but different. Pity they didn't last for so long.
• The Sugababes' 2007 single 'About U Now' is a pure and utter pop masterpiece. It's catchy, not annoying and most of all, it was a huge hit in the UK, reaching the top spot on the singles charts. It's good to know that a lot of other people agree with me when I say that this song is most probably an institution by now.
• 'Girls' by Destiny's Child off their 'greatest hits' album is a great listen. Although it's nowhere near being an institution, the song itself is very catchy and the melody is nice. That plus the lazy but not lazy instrumental makes a great song that's worth listening to.
• Although Atomic Kitten's 'Cradle' isn't my ultimate favorite song from the group, it's definitely one of their better songs. It's one of those ballads you can't help but listen to more than the standard twice, all in the name of curiosity. At first I was wondering why Tash was the only one singing(yeah..) so yeah. But then they released 'Cradle 2005' and everyone had a solo..
• 'Incredible' by newcomers, The Clique Girlz is another amazing ballad and it's surprising that those powerhouse vocals came from these girls. The chorus is kinda screechy and the girls have a tendency to scream a bit, but you don't really notice it that much..

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I feature All Saints, Girls Aloud, Spice Girls, Girl Thing, The Saturdays, 3LW and much more!