Friday, July 25, 2014

Blast From The Past: "Method of Modern Love" by Saint Etienne


This trio of pop entrepreneurs have been making music since most of our parents were born. Saint Etienne basically created the whole indie popstar persona back in the 90's when they released the iconic "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." Don't let that fool you though. The great thing about Etienne is that the band are not afraid to reincarnate their sound as time has passed, which has led to their great underground success. After being in the industry for 2 decades, Saint Etienne never fails to keep you guessing and their last 2 albums in 2005 and 2012 were amazingly ahead of their time.

For now though, we are here to talk about the shimmery, fantastic pop gamechanger that was "Method of Modern Love." After working for so long, Saint Etienne surely had amassed a great reputation, which caught the eye of legendary producer Richard X who has been responsible for hits by Annie, Rachel Stevens, and the Sugababes. Richard helped Saint Etienne scale new heights on the pop album by helping craft Modern Love with a little help from Hannah Robinson (The Saturdays, Ladyhawke amazingness). "Method of Modern Love" is an amazing song that glitters throughout each verse, chorus, and bridge. But, the post chorus though?!?! That's what dreams are really made of. It is officially the greatest song Kylie Minogue never recorded and should have shot the trio to international stardom. But as all indie acts can attest, only the true pop die hards could truly appreciate its greatness. Oh well, let's just listen to one of 2008's greatest achievements of mankind shall we?


Song Of The Day: "You Don't Know What To Do" by Mariah Carey



Oh Mariah Carey. Why do you do this to us? Mariah has been rather abusive to the Lambily (the one fan group I am proudly not part of) by way of inconsistent releases, shoddy television appearances, and promises of great things to come, which included a supposed all-at-once Beyonce release. It was all a little desperate and the fact that Mariah didn't acknowledge that while shading almost every other credible popstar (#justiceforJLO #justiceforNicki) made her seem less likable than ever. However, she does seem to know how to manipulate her fans better than most singers. I mean, the world basically went apeshit after she released that ridiculous #Beautiful song last year. So Mariah does have potential to make good decisions.

For this album cycle, Mariah knew she had to make those good decisions for there to be some credibility for all her bad ones. The first good decision was the album title that made "The Elusive Chanteuse" relevant once again after The Art Of Letting Go didn't catch on. Furthermore, regardless of the fact that the songs themselves are boring and forgettable, the tracklist to Me. I Am Mariah have the best names of 2014 i.e. "Money ($*?...)". And finally, Mariah did the best thing for the album by releasing its best song "You Don't Know What To Do" as a single. Now THIS is the type of music Mariah was built for, a retro flavoured disco track that calls Donna Summer and Cece Peniston realness to mind while keeping her man's ego in check with lyrics putting him in his place. Hopefully, the radio version doesn't include the useless rap by Wale but, as much as I hate to admit it, Mariah has managed to make one of the best songs this year with this new surefire hit.


Song Of The Day: "Busy Doin' Nothin' " by Ace Wilder



In order to precisely talk about this popstar, we have to go through a little Scandinavian education. 

Lesson 1: Eurovision is an international singing competition that every country in Europe participates in. Each country will nominate a singer and one song to represent them in a battle that basically takes over all of Europe. This Buzzfeed article provides some of the best examples of why Eurovision is amazing.

Lesson 2: Scandinavia has a reputation for making the best music on the planet. Examples include Robyn, Tove Lo, and Icona Pop. They also take Eurovision very seriously. So seriously that each country in Scandinavia has a competition TO COMPETE FOR EUROVISION. That's how it's done people. The standard of pop is so great that they need a qualifying competition for Eurovision.

Lesson 3: Sweden's competition is known as Melodifestivalen and is pretty much as amazing as Eurovision. 25 acts enter but only one can have the honor of representing Sweden during Eurovision. This year, Melodifestivalen was better than ever for 2 reasons. The first was that the almighty Alcazar reunited and life was worth living again. The second was this song by Ace Wilder, "Busy Doin' Nothin".

Ace is clearly Sweden's answer to Kesha but without so much of the overt drunkenne$$. Her Wilder EP was one of the best releases of last year with nonstop fun injected into all 5 songs. In order to skyrocket to national fame, Wilder then entered Melodifestivalen and pretty much killed the competition with this song, making it her first Swedish number one hit. It makes sense too, the song follows the same acoustic-EDM sound that "Wake Me Up" and "Timber" made famous. But Ace takes it a step further by adding a youthful rebelliousness that would clearly resonate with every Millenial. And this song came in SECOND AT MELODIFESTIVALEN (the winner was a ballad blah blah blah).

Luckily for us, Ace Wilder knows she's got international popstar potential. She is readying her new single for release in the UK very soon and it's a no brainer that it will hit number 1. Hopefully, Wilder will slowly take over the world as Busy Doin' Nothin' is definitely one of the best songs this year. Also, the video features stepping (shout out to SLAM) and therefore makes me love her infinitely more.




Thursday, July 24, 2014

Who Should Really Win At the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards?


The VMAs are nearly upon us once again and you know what that means. A competition for the least accredited award in music that is sure to anger and thrill everyone. For some reason, these awards are the prime target for every celebrity's craziness as Kanye West and Miley Cyrus can surely tell you. These infamous moments of television tend to overshadow other amazing performances (NSYNC reunion anyone?) and careers in the US have been launched thanks to the VMAs, i.e. Florence and the Machine.

However, the main problem with the awards is that, though they are allegedly determined by the "fans," the clear winner of each category almost never wins, and with this year, some singers were not even nominated despite brilliant songs and videos. Britney's "Work Bitch" video should be a classic by now and was not even given Best Choreography, and Brit Brit was working bitch! Also, Lady Gaga did not receive a single nomination despite the ARTPOP of singles "Applause" and the opus that was "G.U.Y." Clearly someone was not in their right mind for these nominations, but I'm here to set the record straight and describe what I would like to happen at this year's VMAs to add it to the list of memorable ones.

Performances


Charli XCX

Even though this is the pre-show performance, this will easily be my favorite of the night. Having seen most of her performances and gone to her concert (best of 2013), I can only expect that she will sing her massive hit "BOOM CLAP" backed by her all female band but I think Charli may throw us a curveball and play her new song "Break The Rules" so that she can ensure another US hit before her album drops. I have full faith in Ms. XCX so at least the VMAs will start off on a good note.



Fifth Harmony

America is in a sorry state of affairs. Now that Danity Kane has unceremoniously ended for good (#TeamShannon), it looks like the only girl group we got left is Fifth Harmony. Granted they have the sass and personality, but they still haven't made that song that will bring them to Girls Aloud or Saturdays level yet. Unless these girls can somehow get Michelle Obama to make an appearance while they sing "Bo$$," I might just fast forward through this one.


Ariana Grande & Zedd




Ariana has had a great summer, with her Max Martin produced single "Problem" killing the charts with all its whispering realness. Readying her sophomore album has been a priority for Ariana and she has been on a media blitz that has included reviving TRL, performing at the Billboard Music Awards, and quitting her Nickelodeon show Sam & Cat. Now, Ariana is promoting her new single, a collaboration with Zedd called "Break Free." Another hit in the making, this performance really needs an added kick so I think to bring this song to the next level, Ariana should perform as an insect trapped in a web and at the EDM drop, she BREAKS FREE by revealing she has wings and fly into the audience. You heard it here first.

Beyoncé

ICONIC. QUEEN B. #FLAWLESS. #SURFBOART. There is literally no way this will be bad. Will she sing "Drunk In Love" and bring her hubby Jay-Z to put an end to all the divorce rumors? Will she sing "Partition" and serenade a new hunk (Comment on who should be worthy) thus ending her marriage? Will she just sit on stage and take a dump while we bask in her glory? In all these cases, this is Beyoncé's awards show and she will surely make it the best of the decade.

Iggy Azalea & Rita Ora


Bottom line: Rita Ora needs to hit this out of the park, because this may be her only chance to break the US. After he tumultuous breakup with Calvin Harris (RIP Oralvin) led to her being unable to perform at the Teen Choice Awards, now is the time for Rita to truly let her inner popstar shine. I'm not a fan of trap music, but "Black Widow" is captivating nonetheless and hopefully, the girls can get in a sword fight and recreate their Kill Bill esque video onstage. Otherwise, Charli can just walk on and sing the chorus of "Fancy" and we'd all be happy.

Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj

The ultimately power girl trio: Jessie J's unmatched vocals, Ariana Grande's insane range and image, and Nicki Minaj spitting bars on a whole another level. "Bang Bang" isn't what I would call "revolutionary" but it's catchy and makes you happy. And at the end of the day, isn't that what music is all about? The performance should be a typical diva fest but I'm more excited to see the music video, which will premiere right before the show.

Maroon 5


Not a fan. Song's not that great. I couldn't care less. Moving on. Next.

Nicki Minaj


This is probably the most anticipated moment of the night. Nicki Minaj has once again become the rap-pop legend we all needed in our lives and "Anaconda" is the best guilty pleasure of this year. The one thing that I would NOT like to see is the lap dance with Drake. Please Nicki, anyone else, even Justin Bieber. There's something about Drake's thirst makes me cringe. Just a thought.

Sam Smith

This is sure to be the tear jerker of the night that was meant to bring class to the whole event. It's sure to be breathtaking and Sam Smith can sing the daylights out of anything. I'm guessing just a piano and choir, take me to church type of affair but it will be a nice break before diving back into the crazy pop that's sure to come.

Taylor Swift



I'm gonna say something that may shock a lot of people: LEAVE TAYLOR ALONE! I was a very big Taylor hater until 2012 when "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" proved that Swift could easily take the crown of pop princess. Thank god Taylor stuck with the trend and is now making her first "pop" album (don't be fooled, Red was a pretty good start). Her new single "Shake It Off" is everything you could want and the video is really something special. It should have been a cultural phenomenon that we could all celebrate in happiness, but now it's all a race thing thanks to rappers who haven't even seen the video. Seriously, get over yourself and stop making it anything more than a fun song and it's performance is sure to impress (please bring back the humans dressed as animals Tay Tay). *Plays Shake It Off 3x to calm down*

Usher & Nicki Minaj

Unfortunately, I haven't been a huge fan of this maestro of pop since the "Yeah" days, so I was pretty unimpressed when he was announced as a performer this year. I was even more disappointed when he released his new single, the rather crap song "Good Kisser" which somehow made it into the UK top ten. However, Usher does have an all right new song with Nicki Minaj and Pharrell called "She Came To Give It To You."If he decides to perform the second song, the performance will be pleasant if not boring, so I am kind of hoping he performs "Good Kisser" to see whether he realized the career misstep he had made. Sorry, not sorry.

5 Seconds of Summer



Now this should be the standout performance of the year. The boys of 5 Seconds of Summer have had a meteoric rise to stardom since their garage band days in Australia. Though the appeal clearly lies in the fact that these boys are the new twunks in town since One Direction appear to be in a lull, Ashton, Michael, Caleb, and Luke (my fave) actually have some good tunes and their new album should be the best boy band album of the year. Now for their VMA performance, the boys should certainly sing their hit "Don't Stop" where they reprise their super alter egos but take a turn to the dark side. Then, Taylor Swift can lure One Direction on stage, where the Australians then "simulate" to vanquish them and Taylor will reveal her new relationship with one (or all) of the boys. The perfect balance of shade, revenge, celebrity romance and music. They really should have me plan these things out.

Now for the actual awards. I'm only going to hit the ones that matter and be brief with each but let me know if you have any thought about the awards in the comments!

Video of The Year

  • Iggy Azalea (feat. Charli XCX) - Fancy 
  • Beyoncé (feat. Jay-Z) - Drunk In Love
  • Sia - Chandelier
  • Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
  • Pharrell Williams - Happy
Disregarding Pharrell's inclusion, this is a pretty great list of videos that have been released since last year. From Sia's haunting dancing toddler to Miley giving an STD to a wrecking ball to Beyonce's #SURFBOART, these videos all deserve an award for various reasons. However, for Video of the Year, Iggy Azalea's pop culture referencing and insanely amazing Fancy video definitely deserves to win. Not only does it perfectly recreate an iconic movie, Iggy and Charli make it their own and slay the scene with their sheer perfection. This one is really a no brainer.



CLEAR WINNER: Iggy Azalea (feat. Charli XCX) - Fancy

Best Male Video

  • Eminem (feat. Rihanna) - The Monster
  • John Legend - All Of Me
  • Ed Sheeran (feat. Pharrell Williams) - Sing
  • Sam Smith - Stay With Me
  • Pharrell Williams - Happy
This category is always a tough one, since the females definitely have a better track record with music. I mean, Rihanna is the only reason The Monster video is special. Unfortunately, it looks as though Pharrell and his stupid hat will take this award with all that longest video bullshit. However, this category belongs to Sam Smith. Not only has he been the biggest global male singer since his launch this year, but the Stay With Me video beautifully illustrates Sam's story of love without oversimplification or dramatizing the issue, a rare quality nowadays. 


CLEAR WINNER: Sam Smith - Stay With Me

Best Female Video

  • Iggy Azalea (feat. Charli XCX) - Fancy 
  • Beyoncé - Partition
  • Ariana Grande (feat. Iggy Azalea) - Problem
  • Lorde - Royals
  • Katy Perry (feat. Juicy J) - Dark Horse
Now we're talking!!! The ladies are here to show everyone how a music video should be made. Firstly, Lady Gaga's "Applause" really deserved a nomination here and probably should have won. Not because the others are undeserving, but Lady Gaga really knows how to make a video and Applause was a highlight on her track record. Anyway, each of these videos is amazing but in true reverence to female empowerment, Beyoncé deserves the award here considering Partition is basically what every empowered female has been listening to (don't kill me feminists).


CLEAR WINNER: Beyoncé - Partition

Artist To Watch

  • 5 Seconds Of Summer - She Looks So Perfect
  • Charli XCX - Boom Clap
  • Fifth Harmony - Miss Movin' On
  • Schoolboy Q - Man Of The Year
  • Sam Smith - Stay With Me
This is the big one. America is an extremely tough market to break but this award can really boost sales by introducing an act to the American public, as One Direction & Austin Mahone have seen in the past 2 years. It's all but certain that 5 Seconds Of Summer will take this award and continue the trend of cute boys stealing tween girl's hearts. But let's get one thing clear:

CHARLI XCX DESERVES TO WIN!!!!

It's no secret that Charli has been one of my favorite popstars of all time since I discovered her back when we were both teenagers. Since then, she has written some of the best songs on the planet as well as 2013's best album. "Fancy" and "I Love It" would be nothing without this girl and "Boom Clap" is Charli's first major mainstream success in the world. If nothing else, this award belongs to Charli XCX and when she rules the world by the end of the year, people will see why.

CLEAR WINNER: Charli XCX - Boom Clap

Best Pop Video

CLEAR WINNER: Iggy Azalea (feat. Charli XCX) - Fancy (even though it's not really pop)

Best Rock Video

CLEAR WINNER: Lorde - Royals (even though it's not really rock)

Best Hip-Hop Video

CLEAR WINNER: Drake (feat. Majid Jordan) - Hold On, We're Going Home (I haven't seen any of these videos so I'm guessing on this one)

MTV Clubland Award

  • Disclosure - Grab Her!
  • DJ Snake and Lil Jon - Turn Down For What
  • Martin Garrix - Animals
  • Calvin Harris - Summer
  • Zedd (feat. Hayley Williams) - Stay The Night
This is a new one this year and the category is a little overdue. Since about 2009, EDM has taken over the mainstream charts and DJs have become amazing popstars in their own right. For the nominees, Martin Garrix and Calvin Harris have the superior songs here but this category should really go to DJ Snake and Lil "YEAAAH" Jon. I mean just look at it!


CLEAR WINNER: DJ Snake and Lil Jon - Turn Down For What

Best Collaboration

  • Beyoncé & Jay-Z - Drunk In Love
  • Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Tyga - Loyal
  • Eminem & Rihanna - The Monster
  • Ariana Grande & Iggy Azalea - Problem
  • Katy Perry & Juicy J - Dark Horse
  • Pitbull & Kesha - Timber
This category probably has the biggest oversights of the night. First off, Gagastina deserves an award just for this live performance. Secondly, Shakiranna's steamy "Can't Remember To Forget You" video is all forms of amazing and deserves at least this nomination. And finally, the one category "Fancy" was sure to win is the one it didn't get nominated for. I guess Iggy will have to settle with the feature on Ariana's Problem to win this one.


CLEAR WINNER: Ariana Grande & Iggy Azalea (& Big Sean) - Problem

Best Direction

  • Beyoncé - Pretty Hurts
  • Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball
  • DJ Snake and Lil Jon - Turn Down For What
  • Eminem (feat. Rihanna) - The Monster
  • OK Go - The Writing's On The Wall
Here we have another category that Lady Gaga should have conquered, especially with her amazing Real Housewives filled video for "G.U.Y." Hopefully ARTPOP Vol. 2 sets the world straight on Mother Monster's domination. Anyway, "Pretty Hurts" edges out the competition here though the admittedly iconic Wrecking Ball comes in a close second. Hopefully Terry Richardson never makes a Beyoncé video because that would just be WEIRD!

NOT SO CLEAR WINNER: Beyoncé - Pretty Hurts

Best Choreography

  • Beyoncé - Partition
  • Jason Derulo (feat. 2 Chainz) - Talk Dirty
  • Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake - Love Never Felt So Good
  • Kiesza - Hideaway
  • Sia - Chandelier
  • Usher - Good Kisser
Dancing is a dying art form when it comes to music videos. I mean, if you look back on most of the other videos here, choreography doesn't really seem to play the biggest part. Such sad times. However, these videos help give us hope for the future. Firstly, Britney Spears really deserved a mention here with "Work Bitch." As the epitome of a dancing popstar, Britney made choreographed dances a norm during her heyday and Work Bitch was a great reminder of that. Nonetheless, it appears the favorites to win would be Jason's horn-heavy "Talk Dirty" or Sia's mesmerizing "Chandelier." However, the obvious winner comes from a rather obscure popstar that has been on my radar for a while now. Kiesza is a Canadian singer whose debut "Hideaway" has hit number 1 in the UK and is a major player in the whole 90's revival thing going on right now. Not only that, the video is the time of one take joyride of pop dance mayhem that people really don't make anymore. So well done Kiesza and hopefully a win can give you some new American fans!


CLEAR WINNER: Kiesza - Hideaway


The rest of the awards are pretty predictable (though Lana Del Rey deserves special mention as West Coast should win Best Cinematography) so I hope that everyone does well during the awards which will air on August 24th. Don't forget to vote on MTV.com and leave comments on who you think should take home a Moon Man this year!


Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Song Of The Day: "Like A Drug" by Queen of Hearts


This is Liz Morphew, better known as the pop songstress Queen of Hearts. Notice the black and white press shot above. Notice the platinum blonde hair and stunning bone structure. But that's not all. Queen of Hearts is one of the best kept secrets of pop music since her debut back in 2011. Working with the masterminds behind Robyn and The Sound of Arrows best hits, Queen of Hearts has worked her way to becoming one of the greatest popstars on the planet, releasing one amazing track after another with literally no duds in sight. And taking a note from another great popstar in recent years, the Queen decided to release her entire album this past month with no warning. That's right. Queen of Hearts had the balls to Beyoncé an album. And that album, Cocoon to be precise, is already in the running for 2014's best album. 

Alongside this collection of electropop gems, the Queen has decided to grace us with the release of her new single "Like A Drug." Though Madame Hearts has a reputation for sublime crystalline tunes, this one is an uptempo affair that pairs her icy vocals with just the right amount of pulse to get you moving to this banger. It's all very "tears on the dance floor" without the tears and could easily have been an excellent Kylie Minogue single, though the Queen clearly has an addictive sound to her voice. So good job Queen of Hearts and thank you for making the past 3 years of music that much better!


Song Of The Day: "No Price (feat. Chromeo & Al-P)" by Slam Dunk'd


In these troubling times, we as a society need to understand that there is one solution to all our problems: DANCE. If we were all to just get off our asses, stop fighting, and just dance it out, the world would finally be at peace. And if you need some help getting started, just put this track on high volume, get out those glittery hot pants and just start moving. That's probably what was intended when the mastermind behind Slam Dunk'd, Arthur Baker, wrote and recorded most of this song back in 1979, the end of the Golden Age of disco!

After three and a half decades, Baker decided to finally release this amazing gem of music by having it mixed by Al-P out of MSTRKRFT and new vocals by Dave 1 from Chromeo. This hurricane of disco fever came onto radio in March, though no one knew who it had been as it was released under the moniker of Disco Mystery. Thus, wild theories flew about whether this was a new project by Duck Sauce or Stuart Price's not too subtle title track. Personally, I was hoping Lorde had decided to become a dance producer and this was her first release. Wouldn't that have been amazing?! Oh well, this song is out in September and should be a hit on dance floors across the world.


Monday, July 21, 2014

Song Of The Day: "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" by Paloma Faith



With all the Adele's and Sam Smith's out there, I always seem to find myself liking Paloma Faith's brand of soulful music the most. It's probably because Paloma (isn't that a lovely name?) manages to mix the heartbreaking soul that brought Amy Winehouse and Adele to fame with the drama and extravagant high fashion and art that set Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue apart from the crowd. Essentially, if you like a fun out-there popstar with music of emotional substance, Paloma Faith is right up your alley.

Paloma is one of the hardest working singers in the business and has the integrity to match her enigmatic personality. With two amazing albums already out, Paloma decided to go all in and release her 3rd album A Perfect Contradiction along with the Pharell-produced lead single "Can't Rely On You." Paloma is readying to release the hit album (with the best cover of 2014 fyi) in America soon and in preparation has released her most successful song to date on US iTunes. "Only Love Can Hurt Like This" is the second single from the album and was penned by legendary songwriter Diane Warren. But really, Paloma's voice is the true star of this song, with the second chorus basically slaying the vocal game after going up two octaves. The heartbreak in Faith's voice pair nicely with the 50's doo-wop symphony to create one of 2014's best ballads and, hopefully Paloma's first hit in the States!


The Next Big Thing: Tove Lo Brings Swedish Pop To New Heights Without Drugs

http://www.mostlyjunkfood.com/video-tove-lo-habits-live/
For those of you who don't know, Sweden is the birthplace of literally some of the greatest pop music every created. The country is responsible for the creation of ABBA, Icona Pop, and the goddess that is Robyn. Throughout the consistent string of singles that exit the country and infect our minds with amazingness, there is usually one or two popstars a year that simply take over your life with just a couple of songs. This happened with Icona Pop in 2011 before the behemoth called "I Love It" was written by Charli XCX. So now you might be asking who that popstar was for 2013? Well, meet Tove Lo.


As with any girl singing about lost love with mascara dripping down her face in agony, Tove Lo was destined for stardom. After attending a famed music school in her native country of Sweden, Tove basically made her career writing hits for other artists after pop legend Max Martin (just go through your Britney and Kelly Clarkson singles) realized what a brilliant singer-songwriter Ms. Lo was. After releasing her debut single "Love Ballad" in 2012, Tove made a name for herself after playing a part in creating songs for Icona Pop and Victoria Justice, but nothing can top the fact that Tove wrote the comeback single for Girls Aloud. Once again: TOVE WROTE THE COMEBACK SINGLE FOR GIRLS ALOUD!


After the Aloud decided it was time to disband (#NEVERFORGET), Tove Lo decided to save pop and give me a birthday present by dropping her second single "Habits" in March 2013. With a typically tribal synth beat and ominous background vocals, Tove describes her journey after a break up with drugs, alcohol, sex, and tears. "I eat my dinner in my bath tub, then I go to sex clubs, watching freaky people getting it on" is probably the best opening lyric of the decade and its video perfectly captures the way anyone would feel after a bad break up (though the original video is 20x better). With comparisons to Kesha, Charli XCX, and Lorde, Tove Lo laid waste to the pop arena before anyone knew it.


Not satisfied with just that, Tove has also collaborated with dance producers to create some of the most euphoric trance music you will ever hear. Lucas Nord's "Run On Love" is a prime example and should have been a hit around the world for sure. Tove also has a soundtrack to her name after collaborating with Seven Lions and Myon & Shane 54 on "Strangers" for the Mortal Instruments movie, one of the best songs of last year to be specific.

Unfortunately, Tove did not manage to break the mainstream market with these songs. That is, until indie electronic outfit Hippie Sabotage decided to remix Habits into the eerie and hypnotizing "Stay High" which has managed to crack the American iTunes top 100 and #6 on the UK charts. Riding the success off the single, Tove Lo released one of this year's best EPs with Truth Serum back in March (happy birthday to me!), with 6 spectacular songs, back to back. "Paradise" perfectly captures the feeling of love you have for your soulmate while "Over" and "Out of Mind" tell off a lover that clearly didn't know that Tove was perfect. Each song is massive, earthshaking, and poignant with the epic synth background topped with a heartbreaking scream of a vocal that has become Tove's signature sound.




Tove is poised to take over the world at large now and is slowly doing so. After writing hits for Cher Lloyd and Lea Michele, Tove managed to snag a TV spot on Late Night recently, introducing her to US fans for the first time. And if that's not enough, today Tove Lo casually dropped her lyric video for one of 2014's best songs "Not On Drugs." That chorus will never leave you, which I suppose is counterintuitive to the whole drug thing but anyway. Take it all in now, because Tove Lo is ready to set the world on fire.

Song Of The Day: "Crazy Stupid Love" by Cheryl Cole feat. Tinie Tempah



#ALOUDALERT.

Cheryl "Tweedy." Cheryl "Cole." "Cheryl." We've gone through a lot with this girl group alumna and she's back for more. Cheryl's ready to step back into the spotlight. The last time we saw this goddess in action was with 2012's rather forgettable third album A Million Lights (though "Call My Name" is still spectacular) and 2013's legendary Girls Aloud reunion (#NEVERFORGET). After taking a forced hiatus from the X Factor and watching Nicole Scherzinger take over her place, Cheryl's back with a new season of the Factor coming in August, a fourth album in September, a surprise wedding announcement, and currently a new single that is number 1 on UK iTunes.

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Miss Cole if ya nasty, has dropped "Crazy Stupid Love" this past weekend after premiering it earlier in June. Now Cheryl has had a ridiculously good track record with first singles as this, and this, and this clearly demonstrate. But let's make one thing clear, ladies and gents. 

This single is pretty shit.



That's the hard truth. First off the single cover makes Cheryl look like her organs are falling out and she needs to keep them up in her gold bustier. Then the music starts and the "LA LA LA LA LA LA LOVE" phrase over a stomping beat gives you such hope for what's coming. But those verses. That chorus. The on trend horn breakdown. It's all very bad demo that anybody with Garageband could produce and any 5th grader with a sax could play. And no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to bring myself to enjoy this song. There are good parts, one of which is that Tinie Tempah swoops in to save the day during his verse and brings together all the positives of the song with ingenious lyrics, #DICKMATISED. Another is that the music video is frankly a classic. Since this is a pretty long post about a not so great song, I'll sum up the video with this gif and leave you to it. Hopefully, we get that Nicola Roberts collab she promised and we can all forget this ever happened.