Former pop singer and Mouseketeer, now talent show judge, Christina Aguilera, is well known for shading her fellow pop stars, especially those more successful than her. As if she was competing with Mariah Carey for the most shady comments, Xtincta often likes to take a jab at the likes of Gaga, Britney or Mariah herself.
It seems that Christina's manager has learned this discipline from her, as shown in a recent interview when he was asked about whether she would consider a Vegas residency. His response shows that he has obviously been living under a rock for the past decade:
“Just not time yet. No disrespect to Britney or to Jennifer Lopez who’s doing one or to Shania who did one or any of them. Christina's not peaked yet. She’s in the prime of her career, will tour the world. We’re not ready to sit down in Vegas.”
So how delusional do you have to be to actually utter these words? Let's set aside the fact that Britney and J.Lo are not in her prime anymore, because that is actually true. Jennifer's peak was during the J.Lo album, while Britney's peak was during Toxic, but both of them have had many successful albums, singles and sold out tours since then.
On the other hand, Xtincta's peak was Stripped (released 2002 - yup, 13 years ago), after which it all went downhill. The Mi Reflejo singer's last two albums have been massive flops (Who can name them? Anyone? OK, I'll help you: Boink and Lettuce), while her tour from 2010 had to be cancelled due to low interest. Also, her last solo hit was Hurt, from nearly 10 years ago.
Sorry, Mr Manager (let's call him that way because who's gonna look his name up), I know you're trying to put a positive spin on things, but next time do it so that you won't get embarrassed like this.
Pop princess Selena Gomez has dropped her new single Same Old Love just months after her latest hit Good For You, showing us that she's ready to experiment and move away from her standard pop formula from her previous albums.
First of all, Good For You was a slow and sexy RnB jam that was nothing like she's done before, and now comes Same Old Love, another surprise. This song is a mid-tempo with an RnB sound, but not at all like Good For You or any of her previous hits. Whether or not it will be a hit remains to be seen, but judging by the song's quality, it should definitely be another success for Selena!
Same Old Love will serve as the 2nd single off Selena's upcoming album Revival, which is out in just a few weeks! You can already preorder Revival before its official release date, which is October 9. Here's the official tracklist for the album:
1. Revival
2. Kill 'Em With Kindness
3. Hands To Myself
4. Same Old Love
5. Sober
6. Good For You (feat. ASAP Rocky)
7. Camouflage
8. Me & The Rhythm
9. Survivors
10. Body Heat
11. Rise
- Deluxe:
12. Me & My Girls
13. Nobody
- International deluxe and Target edition:
14. Perfect
15. Outta My Hands (Loco)
16. Cologne
Judging by the first two singles, Revival could be a major change in Selena's sound, moving away from pop/dance to more mature RnB, mid-tempo sound. Although, some of the track titles sound like they're going to be club bangers (Body Heat, Me & The Rhythm), so maybe it'll be a mix of different sounds. Just a few more weeks before we find out!
If you thought that music has become totally predictable and not spontaneous at all, you were absolutely right. For example, this summer we had a bunch of bands and singers releasing songs that were so obviously made just for the purpose of becoming summer hits: Demi Lovato - Cool For The Summer, Maroon 5 - This Summer's Gonna Hurt Like A Motherfucker, Britney & Iggy Azalea - Pretty Girls, just to name a few. Some even thought it was necessary to actually include the word "summer" in the track title.
They were more or less successful, and some, of course, flopped. However, none of these songs have reached the success of Blurred Lines, Wrecking Ball or Roar, which were all big summer smashes from last year. The main reason is probably that they are actually not very good (at least Wrecking Ball was catchy as hell).
The song that actually stands out for me the most this summer is Reality by Belgian DJ Lost Frequencies, featuring Dutch singer Janieck Devy. This song is the very definition of a summer smash. It's got guitars, a simple, catchy hook, a singer with a great voice and the summery vibe, perfect for blasting in your car while driving to the beach. Here's the song on a 1-hour loop, because it's that good!!
We're used to seeing Rihanna being badass and sexy, but the new video for her latest single Bitch Better Have My Money (BBHMM) takes it to a whole new level. Take videos for Man Down and Hardand multiply it by 100, that's how badass she is now.
First of all, it's a surprise she even made a video for the song, since the song came out a few months ago and it basically flopped. She then released American Oxygen and made a video for it (which also flopped), so we thought she moved on, but obviously not.
The song itself is terrible, to be completely honest. Rihanna's albums are mostly hit and miss, but this is not even music. It's just her shouting several sentences that sometimes barely rhyme over a simple beat. Still, you should watch the video just for the shock value. Warning: there's blood, violence, nudity (anything you'd normally expect from music videos nowadays) and more. Also, prepare a bucket for vomiting.
The video is like a mini-movie, over 7 minutes long, and Rihanna basically plays a killer. She kidnaps a lover (?) of the man who owes her money, tortures her, evades the police until finally she catches the guy (bitch) and (SPOILER ALERT) presumably kills both him and the girl. In the end, she just lies there in a trunk full of money, completely naked but covered in blood and strategically placed banknotes, smoking a cigar.
If you've managed to get through till the end of the video, what are your opinions? Which is worse and trashier - the song or the video? I'm gonna go with a big fat BOTH.
The song came out long ago and is so bad that the video probably won't help it much, but it will definitely get people talking (good or bad). What can I say, if you owe Rihanna money, you better pay out before she comes after you!
Selena Gomez is back with a brand new song Good For You, the first single from her upcoming album. The song is a collaboration with A$AP Rocky and it's her first collaboration ever (I think?), unless we count the albums she did with her band The Scene.
You can see the single cover above, showing a more mature side of Selena, in an oversized t-shirt and with wet hair, in a sexy, seductive pose. Just like the cover art, the song is also a calculated move toward a more sexy and mature image and sound.
Selena sings in a sexy, low voice, although it sounds a bit awkward. At times you can barely understand what she's saying or what language she's singing in. The song has a mystical, moody vibe, kind of like Kylie Minogue's Slowor Britney Spears' Early Morning. If you expected a club banger like Slow Down or Love You Like A Love Song, you'll be disappointed. Also, A$AP Rocky's rapping part is completely unnecessary and doesn't contribute anything to the song.
We'll see if this song will be a big hit for Selena, but it will definitely mark a change in her image and music.
Rixton have just released their debut album Let The Road in the UK and Ireland, but since it's been out in the rest of the world for months, I won't be reviewing it now. By the way, they are a UK band, so what kind of a messed up release schedule is that? The album was out in the US back in March, but the UK are only getting it now. Never mind, moving on to our topic of the day, and that is the boys' cool videos!
Although they have only one album so far, Rixton have released a bunch of singles, meaning they already have a lot of music videos too - most of which are very interesting. You can see that they put a lot of effort into them, so let's check all of them out!
1 MAKE OUT
This was a video for their buzz single, which didn't chart, but the song eventually found its way to the album's deluxe edition. It's a catchy, summery song, and the video matches that vibe perfectly. The boys are playing in a backyard filled with toilet paper, as well as parodying a bunch of music videos that were popular at the time: Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball, Katy Perry - Roar, Justin Bieber - Beauty and a Beatand Lady Gaga - Applause. We can see that the boys aren't afraid of acting (and looking) ridiculous and showing some skin. They definitely left a big first impression with this video!
2 ME AND MY BROKEN HEART
Me And My Broken Heart was the boys' first official single and their biggest hit to date. The video is worthy of a spy movie adaptation: it's full of scams, con artists, hot girls and so many plot twists you'll get motion sickness. Let's just say you'll have to watch it twice to catch all that's happening and try and figure out who's doing what. Of course, there's also the unexpected ending. This is probably their best video so far.
3 WAIT ON ME
The boys continue with their movie plots in the music video for Wait On Me, another massive song. This one includes a forbidden romance and some fancy outfits for everyone. Just like in the previous video, there's an (un)expected ending. In fact, the video was premiered as an interactive video, where viewers were able to choose between different outcomes.
4 HOTEL CEILING
Unlike the previous videos, the band members don't appear in this video, except for a small cameo in the form of a picture on a wall. Instead, the video is about a relationship between a guy and a girl. We see the girl alone in a hotel room, with flashbacks of the time she spent with the guy. Without revealing any spoilers, let's just say the video is a bit creepy and you shouldn't expect a happy ending. That was a spoiler, right? Sorry...
5 WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING
Rixton's latest video, for We All Want The Same Thing, is again totally different from their other videos. There's no convoluted plots, just lots of bad hair and outdated clothes. At the start of the video, the boys enter a studio, but as they go through a curtain, they find themselves in an alternate reality - the 70s. The rest of the video is basically a 70s dance party - even the camera technique is appropriate. After seeing all of those outfits and hairstyles, I'm glad I didn't grow up in that period.
That's it for now, until the boys grace us with some new video, maybe for Appreciatedor I Like Girls? Which one of these is your fave and which song would you like to see get a video? After the 70s-inspired We All Want The Same Thing, maybe we'll get a futuristic vibe in the next one, with Jake and the boys as cyborgs, who knows...
I don't usually like to post negative stuff, but Madonna's latest single just begs to be dragged. It's true, the entire Rebel Heart era hasn't been successful (just like the previous one, MDNA), but at least Madonna managed to keep some level of dignity. Well, that was until now.
After the first two singles, Living For Love and Ghosttown, both of which failed to impact the charts, but had great videos, comes the third single with the desperate title Bitch I'm Madonna. Bad news, Madge, we have good enough memory to remember Britney Spears' hit Gimme More from 2007, which opens with the famous line "It's Britney, bitch". So yeah, you could've been more original with the song title. Also, you're (too put it bluntly) too old to be using such lines in your songs. A little class would be appreciated.
Next on the list of copying is the music video. Weeks after Taylor Swift released her Bad Blood video filled with celebrities, Madonna does the same for this song. Granted, Madonna managed to gather bigger stars to appear in her video than Taylor did - Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Katy Perry (sorry, Taylor), Kanye West, etc. but the idea is not original. To make matters worse, the video premiered today on Tidal. It's like she just wants to flop as hard as possible. The Vevo premiere is tomorrow, though, so if you don't have a Tidal account (lol who does?), just wait for one more day.
Update: the video is now on Vevo, take a look (if you dare):
Thirdly, can we talk about the Microsoft Paint-created single cover (pictured above)? No, that would be too much? OK...
Now, not taking into account all of this floppage, what's the actual song like? Well, I dare you to listen to more than 1 minute of it. Because I can't - it's just bad. The music is annoying, the effects on her voice are annoying (especially in the part "we go hard or we go home, we gon' do this all night long"), and the lyrics are... Well, the title says it all.
Although Ghosttown wasn't a success, at least it was a beautiful song and had a great video. Madonna also did some live performances of it and they were really good. On the other hand, Bitch I'm Madonna reeks of desperation. The video will generate some buzz, no doubt, but I'll be surprised if the song actually becomes a hit.
Famous music producer Giorgio Moroder is back after a seriously long break with a new album - Déjà Vu. Moroder has teamed up with many big names (Kylie, Britney, Sia), and many not-so-big ones, to produce a mixed bag of disco/electronic pop songs. The album is yet to produce a big hit single for Moroder, but is there potential on it? Let's see...
After the instrumental intro called 4 U With Love, comes the title track Déjà Vu, featuring one of the hottest singers/songwriters at the moment - Sia. This song was chosen for the album's 2nd single, but it's a perfect example of how a big name doesn't have to mean a big song. Firstly, there's the issue with Sia singing unintelligibly as usual - without looking up lyrics online, you won't understand half the words. And secondly, this is just a forgettable disco song that you can skip after one listen. (3/5)
Diamonds is slightly better, but we're not at the good stuff yet. The chorus is great, and Charli's voice gives the song a nostalgic vibe. However, the song would've maybe been better if it were mid-tempo. Also, the male voice saying "diamonds" throughout the song is just annoying. (3/5)
Now we're talking! Don't Let Go is an amazing track that deserves to be a single. It sounds like a big, powerful anthem, and Mikky's voice is great on it. Definitely a highlight on this album! (5/5)
Hmmm, it's clear what Moroder is doing here. He's releasing songs with the biggest stars as singles thinking they'd become hits just because of the stars attached to them. That's not exactly how it works. Just like the Sia song, this one is nothing special either. It sounds like something Kylie would've released back in 1990s... (3/5)
After another instrumental comes the only cover on the album - Tom's Diner (cover of Suzanne Vega's song). An absolute highlight of the album, this cover has deservedly been praised by nearly all the music critics. Britney's voice is perfect for the song, and the production is just amazing, making the song very exciting. Hopefully, this will be the next single. (5/5)
Wildstar is another catchy uptempo song, similar to Tempted. Disco fans should absolutely love it! (4.5/5)
10 BACK AND FORTH ft. Kelis
Taking a break from the disco songs, we now come to a more modern electronic song featuring Kelis. It's as catchy as Wildstar and Tom's Diner, and Kelis' rough vocals are a perfect match for it. Definitely don't miss this one! (5/5)
This is one of the weakest songs on the album. It has some weird mid-tempo rhythm and a very repetitive chorus, and the other parts of the song are not memorable either. Feel free to skip this one and move on to La Disco, which is the best of the 3 instrumental tracks on the album. (2/5)
Hilary Duff is back with her new album Breathe In. Breathe Out. and it's been worth the wait! After the unsuccessful singles Chasing The Sun and All About You (which are great songs tho), the new album has gotten its first official single - Sparks. And that's just the beginning of this super cool album! Let's check it out:
No doubt you've already heard the lead single, and it's a total bop. Sparks is a cool and catchy pop song with a great chorus with some whistles thrown in. Also, the video is very hot! (5/5)
My Kind is has a cool reggae vibe to it, very similar to the song Only Tonight by UK boyband JLS. It is even better than Sparks and definitely deserves to be the next single! (5/5)
This dance pop gem is another highlight on the album. It's a great break-up anthem that could become the next hit. Hilary is definitely going to have a hard time choosing singles from this album because the songs are so good. (5/5)
After the previous song, this one comes a bit underwhelming. They're similar, dance pop songs, but Confetti is just not as catchy. You may have to listen to it a few times before you're hooked. (3/5)
The title track is the first mid-tempo song and it definitely deserves to have the album named after it. It's one of the best songs here, telling about a break-up through some very interesting lyrics ("X marks the spot where we left our hearts and X marks the spot where we fell apart"). (5/5)
This is a very catchy song, another one with some reggae influence. It sounds like something Rihanna would do, but it suits Hilary very good, too! (5/5)
I'm not sure if Hilary ever had a successful ballad (except Come Clean), but ballads don't seem to be her strong suit. This mid-tempo ballad is still a very good song, just not as good as most other songs on the album. (3.5/5)
Stay In Love continues in the same style of dance pop, which is dominant on this album. After a few listens, I just realized how much Hilary sounds like Taylor Swift in this song. It's definitely worth checking out. (5/5)
Here's another ballad, but this one is more acoustic, with a simple hook that easily gets stuck in your head. It sounds like Hilary's songs from her first album, but that doesn't mean it's outdated or out of place here. It's definitely one of the highlights of the album! (5/5)
After Brave Heart, the album continues with slower, acoustic songs. Tattoo is a cute love song that will get stuck in your head after just one or two listens. The chorus is just perfect and Hilary's voice is very emotional here. Also, Tattoo was apparently co-written by Ed Sheeran. (5/5)
The last song on the standard edition is a catchy ballad that features a former Big Time Rush member Kendall Schmidt. Both of them sound very good and their voices perfectly fit together. Also, the lyrics are written as a conversation between the two of them, which is very interesting. It's another standout track you should definitely check out! (5/5)
Belong is an inspiring song with a country sound, similar to Chasing The Sun, and sounds like it could be on a soundtrack of some animated movie. When you're down, just listen to this song and it'll definitely cheer you up! (4/5)
This is one of the best songs on the album without a doubt. It has this mysterious medieval folky sound and will get stuck in your head after the first listen. If there's any justice in the world, this will be the next big hit for Hilary. (5/5)
To sum it up: Breathe In. Breathe Out. is a true gem and possibly the best album I've heard this year. Even the songs that are not really single material are good and you won't get bored of them. This is pop music at its finest! Well done, Hilary!
You know how Beyoncé went and released her latest album out of the blue, without any announcement whatsoever? Bam! - she just put out the whole album with God knows how many videos out on iTunes, causing her fans (the Beyhive) to go crazy (in a good way). Now she made them go crazy again, but in a bad, bad way...
This time, Beyoncé announced some big news she had to share with everyone, and she appeared on Good Morning America to do it. No, she's not "pregnant" again, she's not dropping another album, divorcing Jay Z or abandoning the sinking ship that is Tidal.
The big news is that she has a new diet, called The 22-Day Revolution. It's a vegan diet and it helped her get in shape and live a healthy lifestyle, and she just had to share it with everyone. Yes, I'm being totally serious here. You can only imagine how pissed her fans were when they heard this was the "big news"! XD Beyoncé, why u such a troll?
Of course, it didn't take long for Bey fans to overwhelm all the social media with their messages, expressing their anger and disbelief. Soon, her Instagram account was spammed with stuff like this:
Fans on Twitter were also very creative:
beyonce: i have a BIG announcement to share
beyhive: omg a TOUR??? an ALBUM???
beyonce: hey ya'll i'm on a new diet! pic.twitter.com/jklTZk6cj2
— all things meat news (@KillioussBey) June 8, 2015
So there you have it, folks, next time your fave announces some "amazing news", be careful and don't get too excited - especially if your fave is Beyoncé!
If you're a fan of the hip hop sensation Frank Ocean, you're probably thirsty for some new music! It's been nearly 3 years since his previous album, Channel Orange, which was a massive success. We all remember his big (in every sense of the word) hit Pyramids, and we're still jamming to it, but we need some new Ocean goodness.
Well, just a week ago, Ocean created an empty playlist on his Soundcloud page, called 'states'. We don't know anything else about it, but of course, this was all that it took for everyone to start speculating about it having something to do with his upcoming album. Oh, by the way, the album is dropping this July! Until then, keep an eye on his Soundcloud page, maybe something will appear even sooner! Until then, let's remind ourselves of this jam:
Another big star releasing a new album this year, after a huge break, is the one and only miss Janet Jackson! Janet's last album was released 7 (!) years ago - Discipline. This album didn't really do well, but it did contain some awesome songs, such as Feedback, Rock With U and Luv.
The new album (whose name hasn't been revealed yet) should drop this autumn under Janet's new label Rhythm Nation. Also, if you're dying to see her dancing skills once again, you're in for a treat - she's planning to do a world tour to promote the album. You know these few months until the autumn will just fly by, so just enjoy the summer and Janet's old hits until the new ones arrive.
Britney Spears' and Iggy Azalea'smusic video for Pretty Girls is interesting enough as it is - it's got everything from aliens, dance breaks, throwbacks to '80s movies and fashion and more. However, now it's gotten the Lego treatment!
Yup, Pedro Hernrique, who turns music videos into Lego videos on his YouTube channel, has now done the same for Pretty Girls. Absolutely everything in the video has been carefully replaced with Lego blocks, and the result is hilarious, to say the least. Check the video out below:
There are several points about the video I have to make, although you'll definitely notice them yourself right away:
1. Britney looks like a male Lego character most of the time (especially with short hair).
2. Iggy Azalea looks like Legolas from Lord Of The Rings.
3. Various Harry Potter characters, as well as Spiderman, decided to show up and dance
4. Britney looks evil
5. Gandalf and/or Saruman appear in the club scene, because why not?
If you'd like to refresh your memory about the original Pretty Girls video, here it is:
Also, if you want to check out other Lego videos, such as Nicki Minaj - Anaconda or Maroon 5 - Sugar, go to Pedro Henrique's YouTube channel. Which music video would you like to see in its Lego version next?
Our girl Hilary Duff has been very busy lately! After the fiasco with her latest video for Sparks, a.k.a. commercial for Tinder (you could read about it here), her fans have been complaining and asking (demanding) to get a Tinder-free version of the video. Being such a good girl, Hilary delivered the new version of the Sparks video on Vevo, for our enjoyment. Check out the video, officially and accurately titled Sparks (Fan Demanded Version):
Not only is the video great and Hilary looks amazing in it (the blue hair is just awesome), you can actually enjoy the song here, instead of listening to her making a Tinder profile with her friends. Great job, Hilary!
As this wasn't enough to build up our excitement for her new album "Breathe In. Breathe Out.", Hilary posted the back cover with the tracklist on her Instagram. Again, she looks amazing and we can't wait to here the other 11 songs! As you can see, there's no Chasing The Sun and All About You on the tracklist, but rumor is they will be bonus tracks on the deluxe edition. We'll just have to wait until June 16, when the album officially comes out!
Five years after her last album, Real Love, the most popular German singer, Sarah Connor, has come back with a brand new album! Although she has always sang in English, Sarah decided to finally make an album in German, naming it appropriately - Muttersprache (Mother Tongue). So, all the Sarah fans out there, you better brush up on your German!
As a person who doesn't speak a word of German, I can't really give a review of the albums lyrical content. Still, Sarah sounds amazing as ever, whatever language she's singing in.
Muttersprache is definitely a lot different than Sarah's English albums, which were a lot more pop (with the exception of Soulicious, her album of covers of classic soul songs). Most of the tracks on this album are midtempos and ballads, with piano and acoustic guitar being predominant, so if you're looking for something you can chill out to, this could be your thing.
The album contains 13 songs, while the deluxe edition has a bonus disc with 7 more songs (4 of which are in English). The first single, Wie Schön Du Bist, was released a few weeks before the album, on May 1. Check out the video below:
For those of you not familiar with Sarah's past hits (shame on you), be sure to check out the amazing Bounce, Living To Love You, From Zero To Hero, and the timeless ballad From Sarah With Love:
I take it you've all watched Eurovision 2015 and I can freely write without having to worry about spoiling anything, right? Cool! So the country with the best music in the world (according to a study conducted by me) won once again - Sweden! But before we go there, let's check out other countries that made it into top 10.
10. Serbia: Bojana Stamenov - Beauty Never Lies
Ok, of course I'm gonna have to be biased here and say this song deserved to be higher. It's a good pop song, exactly what you'd expect at Eurovision, though maybe not from Serbia. I really can't remember the last time Serbia had a song in English for Eurovision... Still, no. 10 is a good result, although the dancers in the performance were a bit creepy.
9. Israel: Nadav Guedj - Golden Boy
Ok, I love this song, I'm not even gonna pretend. It's ridiculously catchy and should've been top 3 at least. The singer has a great voice and some seriously funky shoes (they look like he stole them from one of Kylie's tours). However, Golden Boy sounds so similar to some other song and I can't quite remember which one? Help?
8. Norway: Mørland & Debrah Scarlett - A Monster Like Me
Things are getting serious here. This song is a ballad that doesn't really scream 'Eurovision', but it's a great song nonetheless. Also, you should see the video for it - it looks like a scene from Poirot before he reveals who the killer is. Very tense!
7. Estonia: Elina Born & Stig Rästa - Goodbye to Yesterday
Here's another duo and another awesome song! The singers look like older versions of Nate Ruess and Selena Gomez, but let's forget about that. This is a catchy song with a hook that'll keep you dancing until the very end. My personal favorite, should've won the show,
6. Latvia: Aminata - Love Injected
Hmmm, with this song you first need to take some time to figure out which language she's singing in. After that, you'll find yourself wondering what are you actually listening to and how did this song end up so high? No freaking clue, not a fan at all, sorry :/
5. Australia: Guy Sebastian - Tonight Again
So Australia has officially joined Europe and formed a new continent called Eurostralia, which will also be the official name of Eurovision as of next year! Are you prepared?!
Anyway, the land down under had a pretty good song, very Bruno Mars-esque: the singer had his styling and choreo down to a tee. I don't think the song's good enough for top 5, but I can see why others may like it.
4. Belgium: Loïc Nottet - Rhythm Inside
Here we have another song that's kinda weird. It has some awkward midtempo rhythm with clapping all throughout the song, making it sound like something Lorde would've done (meaning it can't be good).
3. Italy: Il Volo - Grande Amore
Italy had an absolutely amazing song and totally deserved its spot. The singers all have stunning vocals and the song is so majestic they should've performed it standing in the Colosseum and singing in Latin, dressed in ancient Roman clothes, with lions running around them. Also, Italy was the only top 10 country whose song wasn't in English.
2. Russia: Polina Gagarina - A Million Voices
Russia's song actually sounds like something the Scandinavian countries would pull out for this contest. It was kinda playing it safe, and it obviously worked. Still, it's not among the best songs in the top 10.
1. Sweden: Måns Zelmerlöw - Heroes
Popular Swedish singerMåns Zelmerlöwwon the show with the song Heroes. He had a very interesting, interactive performance with some cute cartoons projected on the screen. Maybe that distracted me from the song, but I didn't really like it. I don't get where the song is going, what it's trying to achieve, and I'm sure Sweden had better songs for Eurovision. Still, well done Sweden and congrats on your victory - the land of ABBA will once again host Eurovision (now Eurostralia) next year! Can't wait!
In this edition of weird music news, we bring you two pop singers that have made some awkward choices when it comes to their new music: Hilary Duff and Miley Cyrus.
1. Miley writes a song about her dead pet fish
Yeah, you read that correctly, Miley had a pet blowfish Pablow that has died, so she decided to make a ballad about it. She's definitely a big animal lover, and we all know how much it sucks to lose a pet, so we can't (and shouldn't) blame her for grieving about her passed-away fish. The song is actually very emotional, but some of the lyrics do sound strange (especially when you know it's a fish she's singing about). For example, the part about eating sushi:
On Saturday night we all went out to eat
But I can never decide, so someone chose sushi
I got soup, and I ordered rice
But watching my friends eat my friends ruined my appetite
Anyway, we know how you feel, Miley. At least Pablow has now been immortalized in this song and in your tattoo.
2. Hilary turns a video into a commercial for Tinder
So Hilary Duff is very excited that she's single and that she started dating again. To show us that she's just like us mortals, and that she uses mobile apps to find dates, she decided to turn her comeback music video into a commercial for Tinder, a popular dating app.
After her previous two singles (Chasing The Sun and All About You) didn't really perform well, even though they were great songs and had cute videos, Hilary is giving it another go with her latest single Sparks. It's a cool pop song that you can bop to, although the whistles in the chorus are very 2011.
Anyway, the music video for Sparks brings product placement to a whole new level. It's literally an advertisement for Tinder. Most of the music video is her talking about dating on Tinder, footage from her dates (real or not? who knows), so you can't even listen to the song clearly. What's worst of all, the actual parts of the video where she performs the song are very cool, so she could've made a great video for the song. At least there should've been two versions of it (one of them being Tinder-free).
So why did she decide to basically ignore the song and focus on making a documentary about her dating life? My guess is as good as yours.
This is the sassy start of Hypnotic, one of the gems from Zella Day's debut album Kicker. If you've never heard of Zella, it's no surprise - she's a new artist that has just recently released her amazing first album. She's been pretty much under the radar, but with music this good, it's time people heard more about her. Kicker is full of inspired pop-rock, acoustic and folky songs that sound something Lana Del Rey would do. Even their voices are quite similar in some ballads. However, Zella is never quite that bleak and has much more uptempo songs.
1. Jerome (5/5) - Jerome is a great opening to the album. This song will get you immediately hooked and excited for the rest of the album. You'll definitely be singing the chorus in your head all day long after just one listen.
2. High (5/5) - This song continues in the same midtempo rhythm and is just as catchy. It was definitely made to be a hit and should be released as a single ASAP!
3. Ace of Hearts (5/5) - The first ballad on the album, Ace of Hearts starts with dreamy verses that are followed by a great chorus. The song is full of night imagery ("Caught you at midnight, not in my right mind," "There's darkness between us, the moon is a witness"), which create the perfect atmosphere.
4. 1965 (5/5) - This is where Zella sounds the most like Lana, in a ballad that was inspired by Zella's grandmother. It's another great, nostalgic song where the singer reminisces about the past and wants to relive it.
5. East of Eden (5/5) - "Tiger on the prowl, east of Eden, coming for you now..." Another midtempo with some interesting lyrics and the middle-8 that takes the song to another level.
6. Hypnotic (5/5) - Definitely one of the highlights on the album. Everything about this song screams "no.1 hit!" What's even better is that there's a video for it, so you can enjoy the song in all of its glory.
7. Mustang Kids (5/5) - In the only collab on the album, Zella teams up with rapper Baby E. The result is a song that stands out from the rest: Baby E raps on the catchy verses, while Zella sings the powerful chorus and bridges. It's another single-worthy song, the only problem being that it's too short.
8. The Outlaw Josey Wales (5/5) - Named after a movie starring Clint Eastwood, this song is inspired by Josey Wales, a fictional character from the American Civil War. It's another uptempo song with great instrumental.
9. Jameson (3/5) - This is a lovely acoustic ballad, one of the most emotional songs on the album. While it's a very good ballad, it doesn't quite compare to others, such as Ace of Hearts or 1965.
10. Shadow Preachers (4/5) - Shadow Preachers is kind of like a mix of High and Ace of Hearts, but not as good as those two. Still, it's definitely worth a listen.
11. Sweet Ophelia (5/5) - Starting off like a ballad, Sweet Ophelia quickly kicks off in the explosive chorus. There's a video for this song too, so check it out!
12. Compass (3/5) - The last song is a magical ballad with fairytale imagery, full of nature motives. "Take me to the garden of your ecstasy, make myself a heaven from your falling leaves." Not the strongest song here, but a great way to close the album.
After such a great album, we have to have a little bit of controversy, right? Well, you know how live performances often don't sound like the album version of the song? I don't know if Zella had a cold when she performed Hypnotic here, but she sure sounds like it. She might want to use some heavy backing vocals or a pre-recorded track sometimes, just in case.
What Katy Perry did a few years back with Teenage Dream, Maroon 5 are doing right now. In their 2583rd single in the last two years, the guysare pulling all the stops in an attempt to score another hit while they're still hot. If their next single isn't a collab with some currently hot star, such as Nicki Minaj or Taylor Swift, I'm quitting blogging.* After hanging (literally) out with hams in a butcher's shop in their video for Animals, the band is back with another provocative single, with the unnecessarily long and explicit title This Summer's Gonna Hurt Like A Motherf***er. And you thought Mariah Carey's album title was awkward.
So, what's the song like?
Let's be clear right from the start - if anyone else was singing this song, it wouldn't be a hit. Animals had terrible lyrics and a disgusting video, but it was catchy as hell, while this doesn't even come close. You'd expect at least the chorus to have a great hook, but no. Also, the song has some weird old-school vibe, as if it was from another decade. Still, it's Maroon 5, so it'll probably be a summer smash in no time.
Who stayed awake during last night's 3 hours of Billboard Music Awards? If you did, that is an accomplishment. But let's not be cruel (yet), besides the many commercial breaks, forgettable performances and awards presented, there were some highlights that deserve our attention. If you haven't watched BBMAs, here's a short recap of what you've missed.
1. Taylor Swift premiered her Bad Blood video
The show wasn't opened by a live performance, but by a new video for Taylor Swift's latest single Bad Blood. You know, the song she remixed with a rapper (like many do when they need a hit, e.g. Katy Perry with E.T.) and then invited a bunch of celebrities to appear in the video. First of all, the song is mediocre at best, so it needed this buzz in order to become a hit (which it probably will). Secondly, if you think the video is similar to Britney Spears' 2004 hit Toxic, it's no suprise because they have the same director - Joseph Kahn.
2. Mariah Carey performed...
Queen of the divas, Mariah Carey, performed her early hit Vision of Love, as well as her latest single Infinity, to mixed reviews. We're all aware that her voice isn't what it used to be anymore, and the girl is not helping distract us from that fact with her basic standing-in-one-place performances and songs that all sound the same. Also, looks like J.Lo wasn't impressed at all. Not that Mimi cares, she doesn't even know who J.Lo is...
3. Britney & Iggy Azalea performed Pretty Girls
Britney Spears finally decided it might be a good idea to actually promote her music (we probably have Iggy to thank for that), so the two teamed up and did a great performance of their latest single Pretty Girls. Just like the video, the performance was 80s- and space-themed and the girls looked amazing in their sexy outfits. It might be even better than the actual video, as it doesn't feature cheesy acting breaks and product placement. This could very well be Britney's best TV performance since the In The Zone era, and we hope she'll do more of them soon.
4. Winners - Iggy Azalea, Taylor, One Direction and more Taylor...
Some of the most important (yet not surprising) award winners last night were: Iggy Azalea for Best Rap Song (Fancy), Best Streaming Artist and Best Rap Artist (sorry Nicki Minaj), One Direction for Best Touring Act and Top Duo/Group, Sam Smith for Top Male Artist, Meghan Trainor for Top Hot 100 Song and Top Digital Song, Taylor Swift in a bunch of categories, etc. Check out the full list here!
5. Nick Jonas copies Selena Gomez Nick Jonas (anyone interested in him at all?) performed his single Jealous, in a performance that was more than obviously inspired by Selena Gomez's hit Love You Like A Love Song. With neon colors and projections of sunglasses and lips, the whole thing looked directly borrowed from Selena's video. To be honest that's the only thing I noticed because the song is so bland...
6. Booing for Kanye West, Kendal and Kylie Jenner Kanye West closed the show (weird, right?) with a performance of All Day and Black Skinhead, but it seems that people don't like him that much (not weird). He was announced by Kendal Jenner and Kylie Jenner, who were booed while calling him "a great artist, a friend, an inspiration, a brother." Then, when Kanye got on the stage to perform, the audience apparently booed him too. To be honest, they could've booed anyone there, because with all the pyrotechnics it was hard to see who was actually on stage until the last seconds. Also, basically half the performance was censored, so it was a joy to watch live...
There, we've survived these 3 hours of sleep-inducing performances (and some entertaining ones). What were your favorite ones? Has anyone missed out on an award they deserved to win? Leave a comment! Now, it's just a few months till the VMAs, which will hopefully be more interesting (don't hold your breath though)!
