2013 was the year Charli XCX signaled her true destiny as queen of all things cool and amazing. "What I Like" is a dizzyingly fantastic rap/pop song about a modern relationship. Her debut album was the best of last year and this song is just one of 13 amazing songs off that album. Charli "knows just what I like!"
9. "Trouble" by Neon Jungle
Neon Jungle came storming in last summer with this legitimately insane pop song that introduced them as the newest girl band in town. How it was not a number 1 I will never know but "Trouble" will forever go down in history as one of the most innovative and ridiculous songs ever created.
8. "Music to Make Boys Cry" by Diana Vickers
What happens when you mix one of X Factor's best singers with one of Norway's best pop groups (Donkeyboy for those curious)? We get the best song off Diana Vickers' newest album! How ingenious is it to write a love song about writing love songs to make boys cry? Diana really should just sing every Disney soundtrack going forward right? Right.
7. "Release You" by Megan & Liz
It wouldn't be a good year in pop music without a one hit wonder from someone who really didn't deserve it. "Release You" was one of the greatest Max Martin written singles to ever be created but it unfortunately went to Youtube sensations, acoustic-loving Megan & Liz. If you're going to give songs to twins, just hit up Say Lou Lou or Tegan & Sara. OMG, this would have been the best comeback single for The Veronicas! Oh well, so let's just remember it for what it was and move on (for the record, it was amazing).
6. "You Don't Love Me" by Whinnie Williams
There is literally nothing wrong with this song. In fact, everything about this Parisian soundtrack to a heartbroken love is spectacularly brilliant. This reinvention of Sunday Girl as the Saint Etienne-esque, puppy-loving Whinnie Williams was one of the best things to happen last year and she has continued to do so until today. Cheers!
2013 was a great year for music, with a lot of old pop divas coming for their thrones and newish artists finally get their first LP out in the open. We saw Miley's Wrecking Ball and Britney Jean's Work Bitch slaying the charts but both those albums failed to really amount to anything (my opinion alone, don't kill me). So now I've compiled the best albums of 2013 in order of amazingness, and keep following the blog for Track by Track Throwbacks where I go deep into each track with my thoughts!
18. Summer Camp by Summer Camp
Just by their name, you can tell that Summer Camp have your vacation in my mind with their fun and effervescent brand of pop. So roll down your windows and play this album as you're driving along the coast and think about a fun 60's summer adventure.
17. Night Time, My Time by Sky Ferreira
It's takenSky Ferreira a long time to get it together but she finally released her debut album in 2013. Dropping her bubbly electropop persona for a scuzzy pop-rock alternative, the album suprisingly doesn't run dry on pop hooks despite the Kurt Cobain-esque styling. Good job Sky!
16. Woman by Rhye
Rhye came on the scene in 2012 with the excellent "The Fall" and their new album lives up to all the hype. A collection of blissed out cuts that wrap around you like a cashmere sweater made of clouds.
15. Beyonce by Beyonce
Katy Perry's gold truck has nothing on Queen Beyonce's surprise release of last year. While we were all freaking out and trying to comprehend how this was even possible, the music was also pretty good! So all I have left to say is, Bow Down Bitches.
14. Settle by Disclosure
With the 90's house revival in full swing, we can thank Disclosure for getting our inner 90's kid out with their debut album. Though a little repetitive at points, this record sounds scattered and chaotic, in the best way possible.
13. Body Music by Alunageorge
Electro R&B is the new genre we never knew we needed. Thanks to Alunageorge and their first album we can now jam to sum of the weirdest and funkiest music of the 2010's.
12. Trouble by Natalia Kills
Everything about Natalia Kills' return to music was amazing. After ditching the goth Lady Gaga persona, Natalia finally releases music that sounds inexplicably like her: powerful, witty, and epic.
11. The Bones Of What You Believe by CHVRCHES
The year's smartest electropop comes from the Glasgow formed CHVRCHES. An exciting and captivating adventure from beginning to end, this is a strong debut on what is sure to be a long and successful career for the band.
10. Days Are Gone by Haim
The BBC Sound of 2013 winners deliver an excellent record that blends the California rock scene with the best of 80's pop. The Haim sisters are the coolest band in whatever country you're in and would make Fleetwood Mac proud.
9. This Is... Icona Pop by Icona Pop
The baddest bitches of Sweden Icona Pop broke the soundwaves of America in 2013 and their first album stateside is a nonstop stream of shouty bangers. Though the Swedish release has a lot more substance to it, any album with "I Love It" deserves to be in the top 10.
8. The Beat Becomes A Sound by Late Night Alumni
This Kaskade side project returns to the chilled out breezy trance music that made their second album so spectacular. Late Night Alumni's mix of acoustic guitars and dance beats was ahead of its time and the angelic vocal is a great bonus.
7. Skyer by Postiljonen
The most majestic music this year comes from Sweden (obviously) as Postiljonen warms you up with lush production and beautiful electronica. The M83-esque release innocently calls for your attention and is worth every moment of listening.
6. Samson & Delilah by V V Brown
Grace Jones has got some competition as V V Brown reincarnates herself as a dark princess of edgy pop-noir. Making the biggest 180 of 2013, V V manages to pull of one of the year's most avant-garde and exciting releases in recent memory.
5. ARTPOP by Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga may be flailing around a bit with this whole ARTPOP schtick but the album really is pretty great. A typical Lady Gaga album, you've got everything from pop to EDM to hip/hop to Middle Eastern trance music. You can always count on Mother Monster to deliver some of the weirdest and often times brilliant songs in music today.
4. Music To Make Boys Cry by Diana Vickers
The X Factor alumni's sophomore album is a work of art. Thanks to some help from master songwriter Miranda Cooper, Diana Vickers has never sounded so comfortable with each song reflecting the bubbly personality and wide-eyed romanticism that made us fall in love with Vickers to start with.
3. Nocturnes by Little Boots
With a promise to create the music she had always wanted to make, electropop mistress Little Boots returned to us with Nocturnes, a collection of moody night time electronica. The most cohesive album on the list, Boots doesn't mess around with getting us to cry on the dancefloor and many vogue houses would play this record nonstop.
2. Heartthrob by Tegan & Sara
Who knew that these Canadian twins had it in them to create one of the best pop albums of the decade? Certainly not me. One of the first releases of 2013, Tegan & Sara made sure that their debut into electropop would leave a mark and luckily, they achieved that with spectacular results.
1. True Romance by Charli XCX
It's hard to believe that Charli XCX's first album was released over a year ago and she is still releasing new music. After teasing the public with the occasional amazing single and brilliant mixtape, Charli's lovestruck (or love struck down) album is a magical testament to Charli's skill as a songwriter and there is not a single dud track amongst all the dark pop odes to romance.
There you go, the best albums from last year. Overall, I think music was the real winner. Let me know if I missed out on anything and stay tuned for further reviews of each amazing album!
It has come to my attention that there is a problem with America's education system. It seems that the vast majority of this country does not know the intricate details behind the monumental sensation of one of the greatest reality television singing competitions in the entire world: The X Factor UK. That's right, the television show that brought you such hits (!!!) as
is actually also responsible for some of the most amazing talent in music.
Just a brief rundown, the X Factor UK was created by our dear friend Simon Cowell as a replacement for Pop Idol (basically the original version of American Idol). Talented young musicians come to try out in front of the accredited (It's all about Cheryl Cole) musical judges for a chance for superstardom. After making it past auditions, bootcamp, and Judges' house, the real competition can begin. The show does a very good job of actually finding artists with that X Factor that keeps you coming back to their music for more. As anyone can see in the United States, we kind of lost that magic in our Idol winners and the Voice is more about the competition rather than the actual singers themselves. Plus, the X Factor gives groups an opportunity to show their stuff and singers that don't even make it very far can end up creating fruitful careers in pop music.
So here we are. After 10 seasons of the X Factor UK, we have amassed quite the army of amazing pop acts that have (mostly) been consistent in delivering show-stopping music and entertaining us one way or another. In order to give Americans most of the info they need to get excited for the upcoming season of the X Factor (which will see the return of Simon Cowell & Queen Chezza and the addition of BLOODY SCARY SPICE MEL B), I have decided to give a brief rundown on the major pop entities that were formed on, supported by, and some who ultimately overshadowed the X Factor. Because there are so many, I will only do the first 5 series, but stay tuned for the second installment to come soon.
The Dolly Rockers
The Dolly Rockers managed to make it to Judges' House on Series 3 of the X Factor before being booted. Props for singing "Round Round" by the Sugababes though girls. Since then, they suffered some minor setbacks including a member's departure, fights with other girl bands, a not so spectacular single ("North vs. South" if you're curious), and their lost member returning after seeing how amazing girl group life must be. Don't let this put you off though, these girls managed to create some damn good music such as "Boys Will Be Boys" and my personal favorite "Gold Digger." Unfortunately, the whole project seemed to be a train wreck behind the scenes, resulting in another audition for the 10th series of the X Factor. After being rejected (again), I guess the girls had had it and decided to call it quits. Still, we managed to get "Gold Digger" though!
Leona Lewis
The first two seasons of the X Factor were all well and good but Season 3 gave us something that we never expected and yet realized we need more than ever: a winner who possessed a god given voice that could make an angel cry and the star power to make fans faint with one look. That person was Leona Lewis. Yes, the singer of classics like "Bleeding Love" and "Collide (feat. Avicii)" actually came from the X Factor. Admittedly, she had a lot of things going for her. First off, THAT VOICE DOOOOOOOOOE. Secondly, she is drop dead gorgeous and could look amazing wearing a garbage bag full of trash. Thirdly, she had attended the BRIT school, a songwriter's paradise in London that essentially give you the tools to become a superstar (other alumni include Amy Winehouse, Adele, Katy B, and Jessie J). And lastly, she had the expert managerial power of her X Factor mentor Simon Cowell to propel her to international stardom. Her recent Christmas album is certifiably brilliant. And come on, if you were alive in 2008, you couldn't escape "Bleeding Love." She has never failed to give us that amazing OMG WTF moment in every performance.
Same Difference
You don't see brother-sister duos doing so well in music these days so when Same Difference came onto the scene in the fourth series of the X Factor, people thought that they would get axed first along with a brutal criticism from Simon. But, surprise surprise, they turned out to be both fan and judge favorites, making it all the way to 3rd place despite their admittedly cheesy and Disney-ish performances. But it was after the Factor that the duo managed to get a real career, essentially becoming the poster children for upbeat happy kid pop that we all know and love. Their second album Rest Is History is basically what every 10 year old wants in a pop album and includes a lamazing duet with Alcazar called "Karma Karma." After taking a break from music to start a Popstar Academy for children, the duo split up to pursue solo careers. Fortunately, it appears that they have come back together this year so new music should be on the horizon and maybe they'll have a Miley Cyrus makeover to become "edgy" as the kids say.
Alexandra Burke
Here we have another diva who anyone can see immediately has the total package. Alexandra Burke has got the looks, the moves, and the voice to make any performance show stopping. And damn can this girl SANG. The girl managed to sing all of my favorite songs by pop deities like Whitney, Britney, and Rihanna. It was no wonder she won the 5th series of the Factor with a little help from her mentor Cheryl (and the Beyonce duet didn't hurt either). After winning, Burke had an extremely amazing career which included the signature "Bad Boys", the insane "Elephant", and the anthemic "All Night Long". She is also extremely charismatic and managed to be a brilliant judge during auditions for later series of the X Factor. Though she appears to be in album limbo right now, Alexandra decided to go full circle and is starring in a stage adaptation of Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard. All in all, she really knows this whole popstar game.
JLS
Yes tween girls, it's a boy band. JLS (Jack the Lad Swing, whatever the hell that means) came into the competition in series 5 and immediately cemented themselves as the best band the X Factor had ever seen. The two notable members are Marvin Humes (aka Rochelle from the Saturdays husband) and Aston (who is clearly the Justin of this group). They came in second to Miss Alexandra but don't you worry, they have a string of number one hits to prove that everyone loves it when hot boys sing and dance together wearing all white. With a prolific career that has included the hits "Beat Again" and "She Makes Me Wanna," JLS have been a national treasure for the past 5 years. It was in 2013 that the group decided it was time to end JLS but not without an amazing Greatest hits album and a money raking arena tour mind you. While they may have ended their singles career rather poorly, JLS really were excellent popstars and hopefully we get one or two solo deals out of all this huh boys?
Diana Vickers
We now come to my favorite X Factor contestant EVER, Diana Vickers. Diana came into the 5th season's competition and was immediately noted as a hippie weirdo by Louis Walsh. However, that breathy voice mixed with the Cinderella looks and adorable quirkiness (she had the claw before Lorde thank you very much) made her the immediate fan favorite. But as with every reality TV show, Diana was eliminated too early and finished in fourth place. After losing (#JusticeforVickers), Diana decided to team up with all star pop deities Cathy Dennis, Ellie Goulding, Starsmith, and Eg White among others to release 2009's Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree, which contained the ridiculously amazing "Once" and "The Boy Who Murdered Love." After all the first album hype settled down, Ms. Vickers decided to go to the next level of pop amazingness and teamed up with the legendary Miranda Cooper (responsible for all sorts of Girls Aloud amazingness) and enigmatic Norwegian electro band Donkeyboy to create one of the best albums of 2013 Music to Make Boys Cry, whose title track and song "Better In French" are almost too breathtaking to describe. I don't say this lightly: Diana is the most underrated X Factor alum and will forever be the little hippie that stole our hearts.
Well that's the best of the first 5 series. You're excited for Part II now aren't you?
Cathy Dennis has been a treasure in the music industry for a REALLY long time. She casually decided to become a pop superstar in both her native UK as well as the US in the 90's with her unique brand of disco-tinged pop that threw you back to days that, at the time, weren't that far behind us. "All Night Long" really shows what her whole artistry was about and thank god people took notice. Her first album released before I was born in 1991 is a classic and she also became a pop idol in the taste making nation of Japan as well.
Unfortunately, as effortlessly as she came onto the music scene, Cathy decided to screw us over by ending her singing career and shifting her focus to songwriting for other artists. But it wasn't all bad. She had a hand in creating such modern classics as "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry and "Once" by my favorite X Factor contestant Diana Vickers. But let's not stop there everyone. She only bloody went and wrote "Toxic" by BRITNEY FUCKING SPEARS and "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" by QUEEN KYLIE MINOGUE! What do you have on your resume there?! Currently, there are rumors she has worked with Charli XCX for her second album (!!!) and hopefully she can create a new anthem that will be most played on my iPod for a good 5 years. Until then, let's just listen to "All Night Long" and wistfully contemplate a world where Cathy Dennis never stopped singing.
