Miguel - Wildheart (Take two)

This was, probably, my favourite album of 2015. It should be yours too. Here's why and here's more why:

Rihanna - Love On the Brain

Poppilgrim's Top 10 songs of 2015

I've been extremely tardy when it comes to blogging over the past 12 months. A lack of inspiration, too much other 'life' stuff going on and a good ol' dose of 'cba' really lowered my pop music blogging productivity. I've had a rest and now it's back to b'ness.

This is overdue, but here's the top 10 from what I had planned to be a top 40. That top 40 is redundant now and also too time consuming. So in my baby steps stage here you have it, my top 10 from 2015 and note it's in reverse order so the best is saved for last:

Flashback > Mutya Keisha Siobhan > Flatline

It's been almost two year since this came out. Can we all just take a moment to remember how excited we were to hear the preview on Soundcloud? I'm taking my moment now... 

Rated: Gossip - Recall

It's been a few months since we heard from the wonderful pipes of Gossip front woman Beth Ditto. So, feeling a little Gossip nostalgia this evening I played through Music For Men. When it ended I remembered how amazing their last single was/is. Have a listen below and roll about in its awesomeness:

'Move in the Right Direction'

Xfactor USA - BRITNEY!

12/09/2012 marks the date that season 2 of the Xfactor USA is unleashed on the world (c'mon ITV2!) and thankfully the complete insanity that is Paula Abdul is now gone (love her really) and we have Britney fucking Spears instead. I've seen clips of her in action and she's a spit fire - got to love her. So in preparation I thought I'd present you with some epic Britney songs to gird your loins. Kicking things off with 'Stronger' and then just click the jump link to see the other 4. Takes you back to your pre-teen bedroom right?

Stronger (2000)

Rated Flashback - Back to Basics

If I had started this blog back in 2006 I would definitely have posted a review of this album. Following the sexually charged beauty of an album Stripped, Christina Aguilera showed how dynamic an artist she was by completely overhauling her image and sending herself back in time to write an album that was like nothing else in the charts at the time. Voice on point as per usual, production reaching epic proportions and some incredibly perfect pop moments, Back To Basics was the album that got me interested in soul music and now I've got a 6 year relationship with the genre. Thanks Chrissy.

Best Tracks: 'Makes Me Wanna Pray', 'Ain't No Other Man', 'Candyman', 'Slow Down Baby', 'Here to Stay', 'Mercy On Me', 'Hurt'

4/5

Rated Flashback - Lose My Breath

Following some exciting rumours that Beyonce and her backing dancers are going to make a comeback, I thought it suiting to post about one of their best songs. Check it ooouuut.

8 years ago Destiny's Child made a 'comeback' after a 3 year break following their monster album Survivor. What became their last outing as a trio, their final album Destiny Fulfilled signalled the end of the girl group's era, one which they pretty much governed. The album spawned some brilliant rnb/hip hop inspired pop songs such as Soldier and the soul tinged Girl, however it was Lose My Breath that got asses vibrating on dance floors the world over.

A marching band drum line on amphetamines opens the song and then a pounding beat bounces under the group's stellar vocals. This was and still is one of the most exciting and well produced girl group songs of our time, still feeling current and fierce as f*ck! Time for Sunday play number 7.

Check out the NINE dirties in the video too!

Rated Flashback - Spirit Room

There's one album that sticks with you from your teen years and showers you with nostalgia upon every listen. That one album for me (aside from the likes of Jagged Little Pill and Hotel Paper) is The Spirit Room by Canadian singer/songwriter Michelle Branch. She never took off over here, but she made a pretty big impact overseas, scoring a Grammy and 3 top 40 singles, not to mention the 2million+ sales of the album in the US alone.

This album sticks with me because it's, simply, catchy as hell. It's pretty standard acoustic pop/rock from the early 00s, but there's just something rather marvellous going on here that I've never been able to put my finger on. Whether it's Branch's distinguishable vocals, emotion driven performance, the brilliant melodies or the well constructed lyricism, I do not know. Maybe it's a combination of all the above? I was only 13 when this album came out and some pretty harrowing stuff was going on in my personal life at the time, thus the reason it's remained a pretty important part of my musical therapy collection. I felt down recently so I whipped it out and began soothing my soul once more.

With singles 'Everywhere', 'All You Wanted' and the superb 'Goodbye to You', the album couldn't really go wrong. There's not one filler, every song feels like it's been carved out of musical stone, and the non-singles are either equally as effective and fun as the released or they take things to another level. 'Sweet Misery' and 'Something to Sleep to' for example, are startlingly awesome pop songs. The former, probably my favourite from the album, features a lovely vocal performance and stunning choral melody, something that recurs throughout Branch's work (she's got a knack for cracking out hooks). A surprising moment on The Spirit Room is 'Drop in the Ocean', which goes from haunting love song to a trippy Tori Amos style dancey number. This is a bout as sonically experimental this album gets, but it is supposed to be a pop/rock album, not a 'Professional Widow' style collection.

Sounding mildly like Alanis Morissette in her earliest years, Branch's vocal style reaches a similar sound at her higher pitches. However, Morissette's material was beyond her years at Branch's age and was as intricate and metaphorical as lyrics can possibly get. The Spirit Room certainly is not Jagged Little Pill, the main reason being a lack of maturity. Branch's age shows with her coolly named book of love songs and angst. However, as young as these love songs are they're written masterfully. Song writing is Branch's main forte, proven with the release of second album Hotel Paper, which had more love songs but more maturity, making for a slightly darker sound (emphasis on slightly). This is an album that will always stick with me, kind of like a child hood teddy bear that keeps reappearing every time you start to feel a little low.

Rated Flashback - Flesh Tone.

With stunning albums from an army of female artists (new and established) in 2010, it was no surprise when Kelis emerged from the ether once more to tantalise us with her attitude filled soul/hip-hop. However, she did surprise when it was revealed that her new collection would be a non-stop electronic pop ride. Flesh Tone couldn’t have been any more different to her past efforts, brimming with thudding electro beats and glorious choral climaxes.

Lead single ‘Acapella’ instantly bought its Barratt home on my Itunes’ ‘Recently Played’ plot and has since meandered in and out of situ. It is, by far, one of the top 10 songs of 2010, with its stunning David Guetta production and Kelis’ soft, affective vocals trickling over the beats like melting Neapolitan ice cream. This magnificence echoed on the gorgeous ‘4^th of July (Fireworks)’ and the ‘Vogue’ style chat-segue of ‘Scream’. ‘Brave’ and ‘22^nd Century’ could send tremors through the dance floor, it’s just a shame the album and its fantastic dance-tracks didn’t take off the way they deserved. By now they should be circling in orbit, but remain firmly grounded in the discount basket at HMV.

Under-appreciated brilliance.

4.5/5

Rated Recommended - You Lost Me.

After a racy performance on the Xfactor final, Christina Aguilera saw a huge boost in sales, especially for her soundtrack to debut feature film/musical Burlesque. With any luck these sales will transfer to her latest studio effort, Bionic, which proved impotent in the race for platinum. However, the second single from said album, 'You Lost Me' should have made some chart impact, with its stripped back production and lyrical beauty.

It may not have the 'oomph' that made 'Beautiful' and 'The Voice Within' huge hits and huge vocal showcases, but 'You Lost Me' is a lovely little song. "It feels like our world's been infected and somehow you left me neglected", whispers a restrained Christina. I say restrained because there are few growls from the diva on this ballad, her vocals seeming a bit 'held back'. It sounds great, but I can't help but feel that she wasn't really there when recording this potential belter. Things pick up toward the end (as they always do) and it's nice not to have to keep up with her vocal gymnastics, but it would have been good to take a bullet when listening to this one.

3.5/5

Rated Flashback - I Am... Sasha Fierce.

Two years ago, the mega-pop-force that is Beyonce Knowles, released her third studio album in the hopes of trumping the success of her previous efforts, Dangerously In Love and B’Day. The former a strong collection of songs, presenting the solo quality of this young woman’s talent, featuring massive hits such as the almost iconic ‘Crazy In Love’ and the beautiful ‘Me, Myself and I’. The latter stepped forward from her debut, filled with more hip-hop aggression and big stage numbers. ‘Deja Vu’, ‘Upgrade U’ and ‘Freakum Dress’ are packed with the sass and vocal potency that makes Beyonce the superstar she has now become. Now, years on from these collections, Beyonce has a point to prove and she does it well.

I Am... Sasha Fierce is a two part album. The first, I Am, serves like an expose of Beyonce’s internal emotional world. Lead belter, ‘If I Were a Boy’, is perhaps the best song of 2008. With vocals unmatched by anyone, and a brilliant music video, the song cemented itself as an essential Beyonce treat (as well as being her biggest UK seller to date). I Am is a ballad saturated segment. ‘Halo’, the most stunning song Beyonce’s ever performed, is a euphoric experience. The epic production value and introductory playful piano build up, make this track special. Apparently, it was written for Leona Lewis, but thank Britney it went to Beyonce, because this is probably the best produced track of the 00s. Written and produced by contemporary power ballad hit maker Ryan Tedder, ‘Halo’ was an unstoppable force when released. Other sumptuous morsels are ‘Disappear’, ‘Broken Hearted Girl’ and ‘Smash Into You’, which sounds tremendous live. The stripped down ‘Satellites’ is hypnotizing and the closer ‘That’s Why You’re Beautiful’ sounds completely untampered with. The main mission of this segment of the album is to show off Beyonce’s vocal talent. Her voice roars through every song here without faltering and she always seems in control of the song rather than being drowned out by over-production. Production is kept minimal, with a somewhat live quality to the sound of Beyonce’s voice throughout. There are weaker moments, in the form of ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Satellites’, which aren’t bad but just seem dwarfed by huge moments like ‘Halo’.

So, Beyonce is too famous to have everything mixed onto one album? If Sasha Fierce is anything to go by, then she definitely is. Opening with one of the most infectious songs of all time, ‘Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)’, the second half of this momentous career milestone, immediately sets the tone for this epic record. ‘Radio’ and ‘Diva’ follow, the former an electro-pop infused anthem about, well, listening to the radio, love and what not. The latter is the most aggressive we find Beyonce on this album. “A diva is a female version of a hustler”, she snarls at the beginning of the song, followed by wickedly sassy lines like, “When he pull up, wanna pop my hood up, he better have a six pack in the cooler...”. Perhaps the coolest song Beyonce’s ever written/performed, ‘Sweet Dreams’ revs straight into fifth gear with a growling riff that lingers throughout the song. It was produced by the lady herself along with Rico Love (producer for Alexandra Burke, Michelle Williams and Ciara), and if this is how Beyonce produces, she has no worries about the safety of her musical future. ‘Video Phone’ (later remixed with Lady Gaga) is one of the album's weakest moments. Although burgeoning with sex and sass, it feels a bit empty and a little underproduced for such an aggressively sexual song. It’s better without Gaga, but still doesn’t match the quality of ‘Diva’ or ‘Sweet Dreams’. Thankfully, the album doesn’t end here and Beyonce injects some more I Am style tracks to pull it back. ‘Hello’ is a stunning, mid-tempo ballad, probably about her superstar hubby. ‘Ego’ is original, quirky, cheeky and ridiculously catchy. It’s not perfect, but it’s a clever little song, bursting with innuendo. Closing the entire collection is ‘Scared of Lonely’, a surprise ending with its thin production and acoustic feel. It’s a well written and catchy, and once it gets going the production kicks in with some violins, a piano, and a basic but suitable beat to keep the tempo up.

I Am...Sasha Fierce is a pretty epic double album. It’s rather self indulgent at first, but when you’re as mega-famous as Beyonce it doesn’t really seem arrogant. Her voice soars throughout, seeming more powerful than ever before. There are no silly moments or fillers, like ‘Kitty Kat’ from B’Day, and there’s little to no vocal manipulation. Once the hugely satisfying ballad section is over and it gets ‘Fierce’, we’re shown just how damn foxy this woman can be. ‘Sweet Dreams’ has the sexiest production since Britney’s ‘Toxic’, and ‘Single Ladies’ is an undeniable classic of the 00s. It seems that Beyonce has evolved as a creative force, but can she go any further? We’ll just have to wait for the next feast to find out if she has any more levels to crank up to.

Rated Flashback - Fighter.

I remember when 'Dirrty' was unleashed on the world and all the conservative parents were flabbergasted by the gyrating hips and bear crotch of the now very sweaty Christina Aguilera. In a Madonna style transformation, something mirrored by a 'growing' Britney Spears, Christina morphed from (almost) innocent teen into a man eating, neo-feminist, mud slinging, danger to the youths of the planet. Xtina had arrived and we liked it. 

Once Stripped had commenced its onslaught on the charts, the brilliant single material began to fall into our audio channels. 'Dirrty', 'Beautiful' and 'The Voice Within' were all examples of this filthy icon's status as a fantastic artiste, but for me it was 'Fighter' that cemented her talent in our collective consciousness. With a magnificently original video, the song is her best to date. Packed with attitude, the song highlights Xtina's unique vocals and her skills as a song writer. The melodiously stunning bridge is a perfect build up to the epic final chorus. 'Fighter's' the kind of song that kicks you in the stomach and knees you in the face, but leaves you begging for more.

Glorious rock infused popestry.