My top 10 songs of 2013

It's that time of the year when we take a look back at all (well, some of) the music from this year and make a meaningless list of our favorite hits... So why not? My list is pretty predictable, but let's go from #10 to #1 just to create some suspense.

10. Capital Cities - Safe And Sound

Ok, I know this song was originally released in 2012, but in some countries (such as the UK) it was released in 2013 and it was too good not to include here. I've been hearing it on a local radio station every day and it is just so addictive. The video is pretty amusing too.

9. McFly - Love Is On The Radio

This is one of those feelgood songs that you can listen to over and over again. It's got cool, romantic lyrics, catchy country-pop sound and of course a funny video with the McFly boys making fun of themselves and other singers.

8. Olly Murs - Dear Darlin'

The more I listen to this song the more I love it. This is definitely one of Olly's best singles and even though the lyrics are a bit repetitive, they are very romantic and kind of depressing, but that's what makes the song beautiful.

7. Daft Punk ft. Pharrell - Get Lucky

I don't even need to explain this one, this was everyone's summer jam! It's weird they didn't make a video for it though...

6. Britney Spears - Work Bitch

Definitely one of the best videos of the year, but the song is kinda too weird to be noticed on the first listen. It took me a long time (and I'm a huge Britney fan) to get into this song, because it's just not the typical Britney. The verses are fierce but the lack of a proper chorus is definitely a flaw.

5. Passenger - Let Her Go

Another song from 2012 that got its mainstream exposure in 2013. Let Her Go was definitely one of this year's biggest hits and a breakout song for the Passenger. It's a lovely ballad that sounds like something Jason Mraz would do. Very nice!

4. Selena Gomez - Slow Down

Although it was overshadowed by the success of the previous single Come And Get It, Slow Down is for me the best Selena song from her latest album, and probably her best song overall after Love You Like A Love Song. This is one of those songs that will be stuck in your head after just one listen.

3. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Young Blood

I can't describe how much I love this song. I'm not a big fan of ballads, but when done right they can be amazing, and this is one of those cases.

2. OneRepublic - Counting Stars

I almost put this song at no.1 because it's so good. It took quite a few months for it to become a hit, but it was well deserved, as this is probably OneRepublic's best song ever. The video is a bit underwhelming, but you can't win them all...

1. Bastille - Pompeii

This is definitely my favorite song of the year, for several reasons. Firstly, it's a great song by itself, it's got amazing vocals of the lead singer Dan Smith, the massive chorus with choir-like backup vocals and a creepy video to match. And secondly, it introduced me to the brilliant band that is Bastille, and their amazing debut album Bad Blood. Flawless!

What the hell happened to the good old Gaga/Xtina feud?

Remember that amusing time when Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera were (supposedly) feuding with each other? For those of you who don't, welcome to the history class, I'm gonna take you a few years back.

It all started in 2010 when Xtina (now also known as Xtincta) released her album Bionic, which basically flopped like hell. The first single off Bionic, Not Myself Tonight, performed poorly and Xtina was heavily criticized and accused of copying Gaga.

Xtina fans, and even Perez Hilton (who was in a love/hate relationship with Gaga), accused Gaga of sabotaging Bionic and Xtina's career.

Of course, Xtina was really unable to do anything at that point. Still, she did not sit quietly. When asked about Gaga in an interview, she condescendingly called her a 'newcomer' and said:

"You know, that's funny that you mention that. This person [Lady Gaga] was just brought to my attention not too long ago. [...] I'm not quite sure who this person is, to be honest. I don't know if it is a man or a woman. I just wasn't sure."

Ouch. Sounds like someone was pressed...

 Yep, those were the fun times. Now fast forward a few years ahead, we come to the present day where this happens:

Last night, Xtina and Gaga performed Gaga's latest single Do What You Want (not featuring R. Kelly) on The Voice. Seems like the past is forgotten (if there was ever any truth to it) and the two divas are now the best of friends. Or they are just desperate for hits, so they had to resort to this... How long do you give them?

What can I say, here's to Gaga and Xtina, and to some new pop girls making headlines (Lorde and Selena, I'm looking at you)!

Backstreet Boys: Beards and burgers

Ever since Backstreet Boys became a down-low (that's a nice way of saying flop) band, all the interesting things that happen with them go unnoticed by the general public (from now on GP), since no one really checks for them anymore. But, since I'm a fan, there are some things I have to comment on.

First of all, they have a new single and a new video, Show 'Em What You're Made Of (2nd single off their new album In A World Like This). It's actually a nice song, a typical BSB midtempo/ballad, and here's the video:

Things we notice here:

1. Boys are shirtless (some of them) for the first time after.... I'd say their 2nd album. What's up with that?

2. AJ's enormous beard. Covers more than others guys' clothes.

3. No group shots

4. The budget for this video included 1 camera and obviously not enough clothes for all the guys.

Anyway, the Boys were recently asked in an interview about their opinion on a new 'supergroup' formed by McFly and Busted, named.... wait for it... McBusted!

The guys had no idea who they were and even said: "It sounds like a McDonald's sandwich. Who are they? Hilarous!"

Well, a few weeks later, guess who are the special guests on a McBusted concert at Time Hyde Park?

Controversy about Britney's new video 'Perfume'

"Our very own pop princess now queen of pop" Britney Spears has released the sort-of anticipated video for Perfume, 2nd single off her latest album Britney Jean. The song is the first ballad she's released as a single in years, so fans were really looking forward to it, especially with Britney showing off her vocals in this song, which she co-wrote with Sia.

The video for Perfume was directed by Joseph Kahn, who did the iconic videos for Toxic, Womanizer and Stronger, and fans were expecting nothing less this time, especially after pics from the video shooting (pun intended) appeared online, in which Britney was holding a gun.

However, the gun scenes were eventually cut out of the video, so we ended up with a safer version of a basic love triangle video. Britney still looks very hot in it, but the video kinda leads nowhere, so some excitement should have been thrown in.

Kahn has said in a series of tweets how disappointed he is that his version of the video is not released:

Wish they'd release the director's cut of #perfume. Britney's performance is unbelievable. A true artist in it. Game changer.
— Joseph Kahn (@JosephKahn) December 10, 2013

Official cut is a good video as you'll soon see. But it's a true loss not to see what she really did. It's incredible. Beyond other artists.
— Joseph Kahn (@JosephKahn) December 10, 2013

Needless to say, the Britney Army is now pissed and has already created an online petition for the director's cut of the video to be released. 

Bastille have a new single and a (kinda) new album

One of my favorite music discoveries of this year is the amazing UK band Bastille. Their album Bad Blood is full of great songs such as Pompeii (their biggest hit), Daniel In The Den, Things We Lost In The Fire and the title song.

Now, they have re-released the album, calling it All This Bad Blood, which contains all the standard songs and a bonus disc with unreleased/rare tracks. The first single off this album is Of The Night, which is a mashup of 2 well-known songs, The Rhythm Of The Night and Rhythm Is A Dancer. (Here's a lyric vid because Youtube is being a bitch and won't let me embed the official vid - so there's a link for the official video here):

Bastille are also slowly breaking out on the US market - their album peaked at #11 on Billboard 200 and their 1st single for the US market - Pompeii, is currently #22 on US iTunes. Here's a great performance of Pompeii they recently did on The Ellen Show. Dan looked like he had a lot of fun and the band has obviously already won over the US audience, who knew all the words to the song.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor has a beautiful new single 'Young Blood'

UK's famous pop-dance singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor is back, this time with a completely different sound than what we're used to. Instead of upbeat dance tracks, Sophie has prepared a beautiful treat in the form of a piano ballad Young Blood. Check out the official video below:

This lovely song really showcases Sophie's delicate and elegant vocals and you can just listen to it on and on without being bored. The song is the 1st single off her upcoming album Wanderlust (out January 20).

Britney Spears - Britney Jean: track by track review

 

Here it is, finally! The new Britney Spears album is out, adding another 13 great tracks to  Britney's already amazing discography. Let's start from the beginning:

1. Alien - this is an unusual track to open the album with, but it works very well. It has this out of this world, chilled out vibe, touching lyrics and beautiful melodies and hooks. Definitely a single contender. (5/5)

2. Work Bitch - we all know this one, the frantic, fast-paced hit that was the 1st single. Although it has no proper chorus, the verses are beyond catchy, very upbeat and bombastic. (4.5/5)

3. Perfume - the 2nd single, a powerful ballad with some of Britney's best vocals lately. The lyrics get kinda cringeworthy at some points ('current girlfriend, ex girlfriend, I'm trying to be cool'), and it's definitely not the best song Sia has (co-)written. Still, Britney sounds amazing in it and the chorus is very good. (3.5/5)

4. It Should Be Easy (ft. will.i.am) - the 3rd collaboration of Brit & will.i.am and their best one in my opinion. This is another club banger, but with some romantic lyrics. Although vocals are very processed, it suits the song very well. One of the catchiest songs on the album. (5/5)

5. Tik Tik Boom (ft. T.I.) - definitely a fan favorite and single-worthy material. This a real urban smash in a typical Britney fashion. T.I.'s verse is also really good. (5/5)

6. Body Ache - another club banger, but not as good as other uptempo songs on the album. The music after the chorus feels out of place and ruins the flow of the song. (3/5)

7. Til It's Gone - one of the best (if not THE best) song on the album, a real Eurodance song and definitely another potential single. Britney sounds great in this song, the chorus is very powerful and the verses are some of the catchiest she's ever done. (5/5)

8. Passenger - this song leaked a while ago and it had a good reception. It's a nice mid-tempo song with some great lyrics about letting someone else take charge and just enjoying 'the ride'. (3/5)

9. Chillin' With You (ft. Jamie Lynn Spears) - a very polarizing song among Britney fans, but one of my personal favorites. This is one of the sweetest songs she's ever done - Brit and her sister sing about their relationship, spending time together and enjoying each other's company. The chorus is strange, but the verses are magical, like a lullaby. (5/5)
10. Don't Cry - a ballad that starts with some western-style whistling. Kind of an old-school Britney song, about breaking up and parting ways. Very emotional and catchy. (4.5/5)

11. Brightest Morning Star - a ballad about Britney's connection to God and what it means to her. Surprisingly or not, it works well. (3/5)

12. Hold On Tight - a song that should have been on the standard edition of the album. It features an amazing chorus and great vocals. (4.5/5)

13. Now That I Found You - an Avicii-style song that was for some odd reason left out of the standard edition. One of the highlights of the album, it starts out slowly, like a Christmas song, and then after the chorus it brings us some totally unexpected instrumental that sounds very uplifting. (5/5)

Overall, this is definitely one of Britney's better albums, featuring great collaborations and some personal songs, but also it's share of club bangers. There is something for all fans of Britney and fans of pop music in general!

New Britney Spears single - Perfume

Britney Spears has graced us with a brand new single off her upcoming album Britney Jean. The song is called Perfume and it's a lovely ballad that Britney said was inspired with things that happened in her life in the past year.

The song was produced by will.i.am and written by Brit herself and Sia. So far everyone's been praising the shit out of the song, mostly complimenting on Brit's flawless vocals and the song's vulnerability and a change of pace for Britney after many dance upbeat singles. The song is already out on iTunes (currently #10 in the US) so go ahead and buy it asap if you wanna own this musical masterpiece! :)

Britney writes letter to fans & releases album cover for 'Britney Jean'

Pop goddess Britney Spears has surprised us all with her latest tweet in which she revealed her new album cover and a letter to her fans:

A personal letter from me 2 u http://t.co/QeImnjcxuL & the cover 4 my most personal album ever #BritneyJeanAlbumCover pic.twitter.com/qAKDWpXBLA
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) October 25, 2013

After the so-so covers for Femme Fatale and Circus, Britney is back in business with the flawless cover for her 8th album Britney Jean, which will be out December 3 (one day after her birthday)!

Also, the link in the tweet leads to her official website where she posted a hand-written letter to her fans, so go read it right now (but come back to this blog)! :)

Aaand, if that's not enough for you, she also reveals on her website that her 2nd single off the album, Perfume, will be out in less than 2 weeks, or more precisely November 5! How's that for creating hype?

Simon Curtis releases new free EP - WWW

Pop singer Simon Curtis has just released his new free EP called WWW, and you can download it HERE. It has 8 previously unreleased tracks:

1. Heart In 2

2. Neon Lights

3. Diamonds On The Dancefloor

4. Meteor

5. Berlin Wall

6. Fight For Your Life

7. Satellite

8. Do I Have To Dance

The sounds on this EP is very similar to the sound on his previous album R∆ - catchy, upbeat dance electronic music with a lot of great hooks. Meteor is especially catchy, although it has some pretty generic lyrics.

Anyway, though the lyrics are quite tacky and not at all clever and innovative like on some of his previous songs, the music is much better than the EP cover art (shown above). Yes, that's one of the official cover arts, not fanmade... Here are the other ones (brace yourself!):

McFly are back with a brand new song 'Love Is On The Radio'! :)

Our favorite UK boys - McFly - are back with a sweet new song Love Is On The Radio! The song will be the 1st single (out in UK November 24) from their upcoming, 6th album that will be out next spring. Listen to the song here:

The boys are trying out a new, country sound in this one and I think it suits them really well. The lyrics are very sweet and romantic, and the song will just put a smile on your face (kind of like their previous single Love Is Easy). After their last album Above The Noise, where McFly tried out a different, more poppy and rnb sound (which many of their fans disapproved of, although imo it was one of their best albums), I'm sure Galaxy Defenders will appreciate the boys' return to acoustic music! Great job, guys!

Britney Spears WORK BITCH music video!

You wanna be blown away? You better watch this video, bitch!

That's right, Britney's new video Work Bitch is out and it's hot af! Words cannot describe the perfection of Britney's outfits, dancing, energy, song, etc. so I'm gonna let the video and these gifs do the talking.

Oh Land - Wish Bone: Track by track review

Here it is, narwhals, casual Oh Land fans and other music lovers - the 3rd Oh Land album 'Wish Bone' is here! Have you heard it yet? Did you freak out over the booklet picture shown above? Me too! Now let's see what Oh Land has prepared for us here:

1. Bird In An Aeroplane - Kind of a weird song to start an album with. Not very good, mostly because of the messy sound effects. (2/5)

2. Renaissance Girls - I already reviewed the song/video, so check it out. You'll probably need to listen to this a few times before you're into it. The only weak point is the chorus, which doesn't match the excellent verses and is very repetitive. (4/5)

3. Cherry On Top - This is a really sweet and lovely song about ambitions in life and growing up. A very nostalgic song that features some of Oh Land's best vocals. One of my favorites. (5/5)

4. 3 Chances - This song is very similar to songs such as Deep Sea and Koo Koo, from her 1st album, Fauna. It has beautiful lyrics and musical box-like sound. (4/5)

5. My Boxer - I also did a review of this song/video here. This is a strange song with some really weird lyrics, so you may not be into this, but I think it's amazing, although it's not Oh Lands' typical sound. (5/5)

6. Love A Man Dead - This one is similar to Audition Day, but not as good. It has similar music like the song no.1. (2/5)

7. Next Summer - Getting back to ballads, which are really Oh Land's strong point. This is a sad, piano ballad that sounds like Wolf & I part 2, but not as good. It should last more than just 2:30. (4/5)

8. Sleepy Town - Another lovely ballad, similar to the previous one. The music could have been simpler and more acoustic. (4/5)

9. Pyromaniac - A funky, uptempo song that I already wrote about. Check it out for sure! (4/5)

10. Green Card - I'm not a fan of this one. Although it starts off great, the chorus is just bad, with strange lyrics such as 'I am your green card.' (2/5)

11. Kill My Darling - Hmm, this is another quite forgettable track for me. Nothing really stands out here, so you'll probably skip this one quite often. (1/5)

12. Love You Better - Probably my favorite song on the album. Such a beautiful, stripped back ballad with just an acoustic guitar that you can barely hear. This one needs to be a single! (5/5)

13. First To Say Goodnight - I feel this is a somewhat unusual song for Oh Land to sing, it doesn't really fit her sound. Very forgettable. (1/5)

Overall, this album is very hit and miss for me. There are some amazing songs, but many oh them are just average or worse. If you expected anything like her previous 2 albums, you'll probably be disappointed, since there are not many ethereal, airy songs like Perfection, Frostbite and Wolf & I on this album.

Go call the Guv-a-nuh! Britney's new single Work Bitch is out!

The new Britney Spears single is out and it has taken the whole Internet by storm. The 1st single off her upcoming 8th album is called Work Bitch and it is a super fast electronic-dance track that will keep everyone dancing and jumping around like crazy.

Britney is delivering something totally unexpected and the risk is definitely paying off! She's speaking really fast (in a British accent) throughout most of the song, telling us to 'betta work bitch!' In what has already been called 'the song that will reduce the unemployment rate in the US', Britney is urging us to work if we want to live fancy, live in a big mansion and party in France (helping France get that tourism revenue!).

The best thing about the song is how Britney pronounces certain words, such as:
'Go call the paw-lice, go call the Guv-a-nuh!'
'Here comes the smashuh, here comes the mastuh!'
'I am the bad biiiitch'
'Look hawt in a bih-ki-ni!'

Forget everything you know about Britney's discography and don't expect anything similar to what she has done before or to what anyone else is doing atm. Work Bitch is bringing something hot 'n fresh and you really have no choice but to work, bitch and pray for your faves' wigs, cuz Brit is coming to snatch them all!

Diana Vickers - Music To Make Boys Cry: Track by track review

While we're waiting for Britney's new single to drop, let's make the time pass quicker by listening to the new album of Diana Vickers - Music To Make Boys Cry. First of all, the music in this album will not make boys cry, it was just named that way after the first song on the album. Now that that's cleared up, let's check out the tracks:

1. Music To Make Boys Cry - the 2nd single and the title song - possibly the best song on the album. The lyrics are interesting and fun, really Diana-style. It's also very catchy, especially the amazing chorus. (5/5)

2. Cinderella - this was the 1st single, also one of the highlights on the album. I already wrote about this great song and video, check it out here. (5/5)

3. Lightning Strikes - this song continues at the same pace, but it's not as good as the first 2. Still, it's a nice song with a catchy upbeat chorus and some acoustic guitars during the verses. (4/5)

4. Dead Heat - this song sounds very much like something Kylie Minogue would do, it's not the typical Diana Vickers' song. It's more mid-tempo than uptempo, and you should definitely check it out. (4/5)

5. Boy in Paris - another highlight, an upbeat song with a fast and catchy chorus. The best part is the music near the end. (5/5)

6. Mad At Me - not my cup of tea, this one sounds like a song from a soundtrack of some comedy... It doesn't fit in with the rest of the album at all. (2/5)

7. Smoke - the first ballad on the album, you can easily skip this one. Sounds like it would fit in with the ballads from her first album, very forgettable. (2/5)

8. Mr. Postman - continuing with slower songs, this one sounds very cabaret, especially with Diana's singing. The chorus is kinda cute, but this song also sounds like something out of a musical... (3/5)

9. Better in French - this one sounds like Boy in Paris pt.2, but not nearly as good. Diana is speaking in the verses and it's not really anything special. Definitely a filler. (2/5)

10. Blame Game - it's actually a good thing that there's only 10 songs on the album, cuz they're all starting to sound the same. This one is similar to Lightning Strikes. (3/5)

Overall, this album is nowhere near similar to her first one, Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree. This one feels like she wanted to make a bunch of songs that sounded similar, regardless of how good they are. There's a lot of filler tracks even though there's only 10 songs on the album, and after the first 2 singles, she's gonna have a problem choosing the 3rd one... If you're a Diana fan, stick to her first album.

Oh Land premieres new song Pyromaniac!

Oh Land has revealed the tracklist of her upcoming album Wish Bone, check it out:

1. “Bird In an Aeroplane”
2. “Renaissance Girls”
3. “Cherry On Top”
4. “3 Chances”
5. “My Boxer”
6. “Love a Man Dead”
7. “Next Summer”
8. “Sleepy Town”
9. “Pyromaniac”
10. “Green Card”
11. “Kill My Darling”
12. “Love You Better”
13. “First to Say Goodbye”

Besides Renaissance Girls and My Boxer, which have already been released, you can now hear one more song, Pyromaniac. It's a cool summer song that sounds like something Lana Del Ray would do if she did uptempo music. Still, I don't think the song is really Oh Land's style, so if you were into her old stuff, you may not be a fan of this. Check out the song and the video below!

So the VMAs happened...

If you were watching the VMAs last night, you are now probably thinking 'damn did I really waste my time on that?!' Or maybe you're not, maybe you liked it. And if you're in the 3rd group and didn't watch it at all, this is the place for you!

Let's check out what happened, y'all!

1. Gaga performed Applause (you know, the new single where you can barely understand a word she's singing). The performance was average, even boring for her standards, with the same choreography as always. She wore a rubber-sort-of-hat on her had, which looked awful, as if she were a patient escaped from a hospital.

2. Katy Perry performer Roar in a boxing ring. This might sound awesome, but it was not. Everything looked low-budget: the clothes (awful, awful...), the props, the song...

3. Miley Cirus did a trainwreck performance of her inexplicably big hit We Can't Stop. This whole sleazy, slutty, horrible performance can be summed up in this gif:

4. Justin Timberlake did a tribute performance for himself. For himself. 'Nuff said.

5. Flawless Selena Gomez won the award for the Best Pop Video (Come & Get It), and rumors are Miley left the show early because of this and because of poor comments on her performance.

6. One Direction won the Best Summer Song (Best Song Ever) award and got booed. Oops!

And some other stuff happened, too, I guess. :D What were your favorite/least favorite moments? Spill that tea!

New Britney single in a few weeks!!1!

Drop everything you're doing and better sit down! According to music producer Naughty Boy, the new Britney single (1st from her upcoming, 8th album) is supposed to come out at the end of summer!

In an interview for Digital Spy, Naughty Boy said: "It's not out for another couple of weeks, but we've just started working on tracks for her until the studio session."

He added that he was working with William Orbit on the song, complimenting both him and Britney, saying that she "is one of the only few who can really change the pop scene with what she does". So true! Now let's get that new single out ASAP!!

New Diana Vickers video - Music To Make Boys Cry

Diana Vickers has released the video for the 2nd single off her new album, and both are called Music To Make Boys Cry.

The video is very cute, like we have learned to expect from Diana, and the song has been met with very positive reception from the audience. It's a fun, 80s-style upbeat song with some interesting lyrics.

Although the vid is a bit on the low-budget side, it's fun and cute, with lots of colorful visuals. Every scene is just perfect to be made into gifs and posted on tumblr. (which fans will probably do).

According to a recent interview she did, the album has a lot of 80s influence, so we can probably expect some more songs like this one! The album is out September 14.

Backstreet Boys perform on America's Got Talent

Promoting their latest album and single In A World Like This (you should check it out, its good!), Backstreet Boys have performed on America's Got Talent a few days ago. Dressed in cool black outfits, they sang a medley of In A World Like This and their (possibly) biggest hit, I Want It That Way.

Moves were there, vocals were there, everything was spot on. Of course, the crowd went wild (obviously the Boys' hardcore fans were let in), and the judges seemed to enjoy it too. For the younger readers here, I Want It That Way was their hit from their 1999 album Millennium. And you know I have to post the video of it:

Avicii's new single - You Make Me

 

Here's another awesome song by Avicii! He has just released his next single, You Make Me, from his upcoming album True, which is coming out in exactly one month. Check out the track and be amazed!

After the awesome Wake Me Up, this is sure to be another hit for Avicii. You Make Me is a cool upbeat song and the piano is my favorite part. The song features vocals from Salem Al Fakir, who is a Swedish musician. Also, Avicii has released the album cover for True, check it out here:

Olly Murs releases new video - Right Place Right Time

Olly Murs has released a video for Right Place Right Time, the 4th single off his latest album of the same name. Check it out:

It's one of those random-scenes-from-tour-and-stuff videos, which even includes some scenes from his time on X Factor and from the making of some of his previous videos. I'm not really crazy about such videos, because they seem cheap and lazy, like if you're not going to shoot a real video, don't do it at all. The song is also kind of meh, he could have chosen much better songs, like Hand On Heart or Hey You Beautiful.

Not to leave you underwhelmed with this song/video, here's a much better effort of Olly, from his first album:

Lady Gaga premieres new track 'Applause'

Right after Katy Perry has officially premiered her new song 'Roar', Lady Gaga has premiered her new song 'Applause', although it was supposed to premiere on August 19. Nothing like good old fair competition, huh? ;)

It's definitely more similar to Gaga's early stuff than Born This Way album, but at first listen it doesn't even come close to her mega hits such as Poker Face or Just Dance. What do you think of the song? Which one is better (or less bad) - Roar or Applause?

Katy Perry - 'Roar' full song leaks

For days (or weeks, wasn't really paying attention) Katy Perry has teased the audience with over-dramatic teasers, snippets and a cringeworthy single cover, killing and burying her past album (not really sure why, she wasn't complaining when she got all those no.1 hits). Now, her new single Roar from her new album Prism has finally leaked, a few days before its official release. You can listen to the song here:

It's a mid-tempo song with some generic lyrics about coming back stronger than ever, you know that stuff... At one point she even says "I've got the eye of the tiger"... Ummm, ok, if you say so. The song is definitely not what I would expect for a first single from her, and her 'roars' are not very convincing. Still, I'm sure her fans are gonna eat it up. What do you think about it? Flop or not? Do we have a new California Gurls on our hands?

Bastille - Things We Lost In The Fire video

How could I have missed this? The amazing UK band Bastille have released a new video for their next single Things We Lost In The Fire and I have only just discovered it! This is one of my favorite songs on the album and I love it that they are releasing it as a single (out  August 26).

This video continues the Bastille tradition of creepy and morbid videos, but it's very interesting and has some  nice visuals (although it's kinda confusing, at least to me). Still, this awesome song is sure to be another big hit for Bastille. We'll see if I'm right in a few weeks...