Rated 'Shoulda Been Singles'.

Everyone knows the fury that comes with an inferior album track being released as a chart single, when there’s far better material available. If only we could be ‘their’ manager! Anyhoo, here are the top 10 album tracks that I feel should/could have been singles and torn up club dance floors and/or radio playlists, the world over. 

1: ‘Freakum Dress’.

    B’Day.

    Beyonce.

This is potentially the best track from her sophomore album (bar ‘Get Me Bodied’ and ‘Upgrade You’). Performed live it’s got some hot electric guitar riffs ploughing through it and is a key example of the feminist attitude that continually rears its head in Beyonce’s own brand of pop music.

2: ‘Howl’.

     Lungs.

     Florence and the Machine.

My favourite track she’s made so far, this is an absolute beast. It shows off her unique vocals at their best and is one of the most uptempo songs on the record.

3: ‘Could Have Been You’.

     Colour Me Free.

     Joss Stone.

Yeah yeah, so everyone hates Joss Stone and her shoddy album artwork. She’s annoying, yes, but her voice is stunning on this should have been single. It has potential to be her best song to date and has a nice, crisp, live jazz-bar quality to it. Me likey.

4: ‘Mannequin’.

    One of the Boys.

    Katy Perry.

She’s got some belting material on her second album Teenage Dream, true. However, her debut still has a potent charm that it’s hard to forget a track like ‘Mannequin’. A shiner on her first outing, the song is totally unforgettable.

5: ‘Monster’.

    The Fame Monster.

     Lady GaGa.

All the songs on her ‘sort of’ second album were/are brilliant. ‘Alejandro’ is sumptuous pop inspired by ‘La Isla Bonita’ and, ‘Bad Romance’ is aneurism inducing Euro-pop at its best. However, ‘Monster’ is a sadly overlooked single choice. With its brilliantly catchy bridge it should have been out there with a filthy music video to boot.

6: ‘Exo-Politics’.

     Black Holes and Revelations.

     Muse.

I love Muse, but I’m not a huge lover of their attempts at down tempo tracks. Thus why I adore this percussion heavy, rock monster. Love Love Love. ‘Uprising’ is good, but it’s got nothing on this behemoth.

7: ‘Unusual You’.

    Circus.

    Britney Spears.

Instead of releasing the OMGSOPOINTLESS ‘Radar’ a year after it was created, ol’ Spearsy should have launched this stunning, haunting track into the airwaves. Produced by Bloodyshy & Avant, the masters behind ‘Toxic’, it’s a total glory of a song. 

8: ‘Fire Bomb’.

    Rated R.

    Rihanna.

One of the highlights of her brilliant Rated R album, ‘Fire Bomb’ is a superior track to the fun but melody-less single ‘Rockstar 101’. Why Rihanna? WHY?

9: ‘Time Machine’.

     Body Talk.

     Robyn.

It’s early days, but I can’t see Robyn releasing anymore Body Talk era single anytime soon since each segment only got one song as promotion. ‘Dancing On My Own’, ‘Hang With Me’ and ‘Indestructible’ are epic electro pop tracks, but one more tasty morsel wouldn’t go a miss. ‘Time Machine’ is just that. So ridiculously fun, melodious and just damn awesome, this HAS to make an appearance on radio soon.

10: ‘Kiss and Resolve’.

      Wall Of Arms.

      Maccabees.

The single releases from this massive leap forward for the British band were pretty damn good. My favourite however, ‘Kiss and Resolve’ got overlooked and I wasn’t pleased. Definitely a highlight of an album that stomps over their debut by having far more direction.

Rated - Indestructible.

Body Talk parts 1 and 2 were brilliant mini albums, bursting with electro pop dance beats and some stunning productions. The upcoming Body Talk is part 3 of the trilogy. It reigns in the finest moments from its children and forms a full length album with 5 new tracks. The lead single from this ultimate album is the gorgeous love anthem 'Indestructible'. With one of the catchiest choruses in Robyn's repetoire, this song is deserving of much chart success. It probably won't get it, due to zero promotion, but will be a fan favourite along with the epic singles 'Dancing On My Own' and 'Hang With Me'. It's just as lovely as the acoustic version featured at the end of Body Talk Part 2 but this remix gives the song the edge it needs to gel with the themes of this album series. Pretty damn nice.

5/5

Rated - Your Song.

Ellie Goulding seems to have launched into the O-zone of success overnight. Her debut album sold over 40,000 copies in its opening week and spawned a top five single, 'Starry Eyed' which has since become her statement piece. Now a credible live act with a sell out tour, Ellie is jumping on the 're-release' bandwagon and giving us her album Lights with six additional tracks. The lead single from this updated album is a cover of Elton John's  classic ballad 'Your Song'. 

It's completely inoffensive and utterly divine. Her soft, dry vocals sound fuller here, and the record has such an authentic live quality that it deserves chart domination. Almost haunting and at the same time soothing, Ellie has nailed a cover of one of British music's most iconic leaders. There are artists who have 'that' voice, the one that can contort any song to sound like their own. Ellie's folky voice is powerful and beautiful enough to do just that. It's nice to hear something as acoustic as this in the charts and I applaud her for being brave enough to throw it into the pit of electro pop synths that are flooding the airwaves right now. Kudos.

5/5.

Rated - LOUD.

Once upon a time, I dismissed Rihanna’s musical merit, that was until last year’s stunning Rated R, which features some of the best songs of 2009/2010, ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Fire Bomb’ to name two. The album was dark, brooding and contained material covering suicide, sex and swagger. Now, just one year on, Rihanna’s back with Loud, a step back to her days as a pure pop artist. Ditching the sharp edge of its predecessor, Loud is a delicious collection of uptempo dance numbers and great vocal moments for a singer whose talent has frequently been questioned.

Opener, ‘S&M’, is guilt free electro-dance pop about dirty sex. Rihanna sings, ‘I may be bad but I’m perfectly good at it, sex in the air I don’t care, I love the smell of it...’ in a sexually predatory purr. New single ‘What’s My Name?’ is sumptuous, West Indian flavoured, r’n’b and with its “oh na na” hook it is a well deserved hit. Lead single ‘Only Girl (In the World)’, is a colossal orgasm of a dance track and the album’s highlight. It features some of Rihanna’s most convincing vocals and the Stargate production would make David Guetta brown his Calvin Kleins. Avril Lavigne sampling ‘Cheers (I’ll Drink to That)’ is destined to become a party anthem and is one of the Bajan beauty’s most original moments. ‘Man Down’, a Bob Marley inspired reggae infusion burgeoning with gun metaphors, is another superb, reggae style, song. It’s clear that Rihanna is pulling her roots back into her musical folds.

‘Complicated’ and ‘Fading’ are strong songs about mixed messages and failing relationships, and the hip-hop beats of Nicki Minaj duet ‘Raining Men’ are annoying at first, but become irresistible. The vibe of Loud slips slightly with ‘Skin’, a grower that would have sat more comfortably with the rocky concept of Rated R.

Loud isn’t just about big beats, no sir. There are two lovely ballads in the form of ‘California King Bed’ and the stunning ‘Love the Way You Lie (part 2)’. The former has Rihanna blasting out some notes unheard of in her past register and the latter is more stripped down than the rest of the album. It’s a step forward from the rap heavy ‘part 1’, with Rihanna taking the helm. These are two pretty significant moments on the album, standing out amongst all the club ready dance tracks and showing off Rihanna’s vocal development.

This is quite a big moment in Rihanna’s career. Rated R was stamped as a flop (even though it sold millions) in comparison to her enormous hit Good Girl, Gone Bad. Loud succeeds by landing in two different places. Firstly, it stands between the two aforementioned albums, featuring lots of dance-pop a la ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’ laced with the dark tones that made Rated R such an interesting album. It also leaps over its predecessor and re-establishes Rihanna as a true commercial pop artist.

It will please those put off by her last endeavor, and will probably win her some new fans (thanks to ‘Only Girl’). With a ‘loud’ new look and a new tour, this release is sure to enhance her status as a live act and make the production value of her shows erupt. Containing some quite brilliant pop music, Loud is the ‘success’ Rihanna’s been waiting for after the polarizing effect of Rated R. So pop it in and do as the album title suggests; turn your volume up, because you’re in for a treat.

4.5/5

Rated - 'The Flood'

Take That have been knocking around for a while now. Cranking out an Everest of hits, the group seemed an unstoppable force as a foursome when they launched their comeback. Now, with Robbie back on side, it looks like they are about take over the United Kingdom. Move over Queeny, the new Royal Family of pop music is waiting for its place on the throne.

'The Flood', lifted from the next generation album Progress is, at first, punchless. However, with two or three listens the hook catches and it justifies a spot in the Take That hall of fame. With a booming chorus and some stunning vocals from Gary and Robs, this is an absolute bitch of a ballad.

4.5/5

Rated Raise Your Glass.

P!nk is, probably, the most consistent pop artist the world has. She doesn't tamper with her look too much and doesn't fiddle with her sound too much either. This is testament to her squillions of records sold and the tours that sell out faster than free bottled water in the third world. So it seems befitting that she's now about to release her first greatest hits collection. 

The lead single of this well deserved milestone, 'Raise Your Glass', is typical P!nk. It's an uptempo party smash, bursting with wit, charm and silly, yet brilliant lines like, "Don't be fancy, just get dancy". This is a definite hit and definitive P!nk and is sure to land on her next greatest hits outing in ten years to come.

Rated Scherzy.

The Pussycat Dolls are no more. That singing, dancing, money making monster that titillated our guilty pleasures collection with hits like 'Buttons' and 'When I grow Up', have disbanded and the girls have gone onto better things. Who am I kidding? None of them have done anything remotely noteworthy, other than lead singer Nicole Scherzinger who was an instant BABE on Xfactor and had a huge flop of a solo career some years back. Now she's back (conveniently timed) with a new single, the Red One produced 'Poison', which isn't half bad.

Red One is everywhere, producing for GaGa, Britney, the lot. Only here he's mixed things up a little and altered his standard "Red One" quotation to sound like the opening to a Mortal Kombat movie, followed by an intriguing electro riff opening. Then Scherzy belts out, in true gay anthem style, some big "Oohhh Ooooohhh" notes.  It's a massive step forward from her lacklustre and unoriginal first solo attempt 'Baby Love'. It's still not original (it could have been written for Gaga) but her strong vocals put her Pussycat paw stamp all over it. With a growing following (thanks Xfactor) and the potential for a successful outing this time round, this song looks like it'll be at least top 10. Now she can't complain about that, can she?

3.5/5

Rated - Come Around Sundown.

I’m going to state a glaringly obvious fact, Kings of Leon are a contemporary rock force to be reckoned with. With their last album Only By The Night selling over six million copies and their tour selling out in hours, the band has gone stratospheric. Their brand of authentic stadium rock, Caleb’s intense, dry, vocals, and the clear ‘tightness’ of the band make them an interesting and dependable name in rock music. 

Their latest offering, Come Around Sundown doesn’t offer the bite of its predecessor but it has enough epic moments to make it an instant chart topper and potential six million seller. Only By the Night is one of the sexiest sounding albums of the 00s. ‘Sex On Fire’, an instant anthem isn’t replicated, but that’s probably a good thing. With this album the band avoids being stamped as ‘sell outs’ and, thank God, they have stayed off the synth bandwagon that’s overloading the airwaves right now (please make it stop!). What we have here is an authentic sounding record, with a number of tracks that sound specifically designed to sound good at ‘T in the Park’.

Lead single, ‘Radioactive’, echoes the brilliance of OBTN, forcing you into a festival trance with its roaring riff and brilliant lyrics. Track one, ‘The End’ is equally as great, showing off Caleb’s stunning voice and sounding like it would perfectly fit onto their last album. Rumored next single, ‘Pyro’ and the memorable ‘Mary’ are also album highlights. Similarly successful tracks include ‘The Immortals’, an epic moment on this record, and the fantastic ‘No Money’ which sounds like a revisit to a younger KOL. 

Unfortunately there are issues here. Although the record presents some classic KOL moments, it doesn’t have the excitement that laced almost every track of OBTN and the sharp edge of older songs like ‘Molly Chambers’ and ‘Four Kicks’. ‘Mi Amigo’ is about as interesting and exciting as a trip to Lidl and ‘Birthday’ got skipped after 47 seconds for being as bland as a sheet of Xerox. 

Never being as “wow” as their other records, Come Around Sundown falls short of spectacular. It has some brilliant moments and some, really, bloody boring ones. Regardless of the bad 20% of the album, its good tracks make it worth listening to. Don’t expect a replication or step forward from past successes, nor anything as stunning and chart obliterating as ‘Sex on Fire’ or ‘Use Somebody’, nor as dark and sexy as ‘Closer’ or ‘Crawl’. What we have here is solid stadium rock, that will no doubt contribute to an epic live experience.


3.5/5

Rated 'What's My Name?'

Rihanna, no?

Rated R was an expression of the turmoil of a rough year in the world of Rihanna. Its highlight however, the fantastically filthy ‘Rude Boy’, was a refreshing morsel of dance-hall pop. The latest taster from the impending 5th album, Loud, and follow up to the immense dance smash ‘Only Girl (In the World)’, ‘What’s My Name?’ is an instant pleaser, sounding a bit like ‘Rude Boy’ on valium, reaching orgasm.

“Hey boy, I really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me...”, Rihanna sings on the chorus, letting her Bajan accent lace the lines more comfortably than ever before. With the delicious hook “Oh na na” constantly infiltrating your consciousness, you’ll be singing this to yourself uncontrollably for some time to come. It’s not as huge as ‘Only Girl’ but here we find Rihanna somewhere between Good Girl, Gone Bad and Rated R, a pretty funky place to be.

4/5

Rated Firework.

I reviewed Katy Perry's brilliant new album, Teenage Dream, back in August. It's been over two months since its release and somehow it's transitioning across the seasons, from summer chart topper to winter warmer. Lead single 'California Gurls' was a silly summer anthem and 'Teenage Dream' was a bloody corker. Now she releases her third album sample, 'Firework', which is a euphoric head rusher.

Brimming with more meaning than any other Perry release, 'Firework' is a far more credible example of her artistry than any other song. "Baby you're a firework, come on show them what you're worth...", she belts out on the massive chorus as the Stargate production launches her vocal into another spectrum. This is a damn good single, with more clout than a demolition ball. It's hard to see how she'll outdo this, but I'm sure she'll crack out a surprise soon.

Also, see the video, because it's beautiful. 


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 Redemption.

My hand was made strong,

By the hand of the almighty,

We forward in this generation, 

Triumphantly,

Won't you help me sing,

These songs of freedom,

Are all I ever have,

Redemption Songs.

'Redemption Song' - Bob Marley

Rated Do You Want The Truth Or Something Beautiful?

God?

This is a very delayed review of Paloma Faith's debut album, Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? The reason being, well I don't have one, but here it is now. With a soulful, classic vocal and authentic production, Paloma's debut is one of the triumphs of the last year. Amidst a sea of synthesised electro-pop sheep, she stands out like an uber-talented ginger thumb! 

From the epic opener 'Stone Cold Sober', Paloma is explicitly branding her style into our mind. Full of trumpets and not a synth in earshot, this album commences on a top note and is a gale force breath of fresh air. Her voice, not conventionally 'huge', but full of energy and passion, brings the intelligent lyricism of her debut single to life. The pace is kept high with 'Smoke and Mirrors', which is just as epic as her debut. "Now we're through, the show is over, the audience is walking out the room", she belts out as she compliments the end of a failing relationship. Things slow down a bit with 'Broken Doll'. A charming ballad about post-breakup repair, the song doesn't quite keep up to the standard of its predecessors. The title track is a beautiful, lyrical masterpiece, "The Prophet took my hand on all souls day, he preached the value of deception, changing shadows by a shapeshifter's rules, tales are never just for fools...". With a memorable melody and stunning vocals, this song should be an enormous success if sales reflect talent. 'Upside Down' continues the 50s dance-hall vibe of the album with its bouncing beat and Paloma's soulful crooning. 'Romance is Dead' is yet more fantastically original, intelligent lyricism, "a rose is blue and violet's red, say it isn't true don't tell me romance is dead". The biggest moment on this album is the megaton ballad 'New York'. Containing a wonderfully catchy chorus and gorgeous melodies, this song is the highlight of the entire collection. The final three songs of the album, 'Stargazer', 'My Legs Are Weak' and 'Play On' bolster the 50s sound further, establishing Paloma's soulful, vintage identity.

This is a brilliant debut from a British female artist, something we've been needing for some time. Some intensely stunning lyrics and vocal performances, DYWTTOSB? is a stellar first outing for this rather odd woman. She may seem like a bit of a weirdo in interviews, but once you absorb this album you'll merge the two experiences and come out with something almost perfect. Paloma Faith is the nicotine patch to the synth obessed music scene that's swallowing the charts whole at the moment. I just hope that she really takes off, because one more album like this could never be a bad thing.


4/5

Rated SG - One to Watch.

Cheer up love.

I've been enjoying this new artist for a couple of months now (Rated Sunday Girl) and for good reason. Sunday Girl a.k.a Jade Broxbourne, is a twenty-something singer/songwriter from England (I don't know the specifics) and is set to have pretty shiny year ahead of her. On tour right now and supporting Ellie Goulding on her UK dates, Sunday Girl is yet another female music force to add to the, now, burgeoning roster Britain holds.

Not only smokin' hot, Sunday Girl has some pretty pleasant tunes under her belt. I haven't heard her upcoming album Stop Hey! yet, but I am eagerly awaiting its release on itunes. The three songs I have heard, 'Four Floors', 'Stop Hey!' and a haunting cover of Laura Brannigan's 'Self Control', are great example of what's to come from this siren's debut. 'Four Floors' was the first song I'd heard from SG and I loved it immediately. It's got an intoxicating chorus and her vocals are inviting and soft. In the same style as Goulding and other females of this musical movement, SG's got a voice that's identifiable, memorable and quite unique.

I am already hooked on just one song and I know that she's got plenty more to offer, it's just a matter of time.

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.

Rated Robyn: Body Talk Part 2.

Body Talk Part 1 was good, but it didn't have the bite I was hoping for. Body Talk Part 2 however, swallows you whole and it's a joyous ride down into a musical cyclone. This is what we've been waiting for, Robyn whipping out an album full of 'Dancing On My Own' (s). 

Track one, 'In My Eyes', is a luminescent number, escalating to a gorgeous chorus with perfectly executed harmonies and amazing production. It's more melodious than anything on Part 1 (bar the obvious) and sets the bar high for the remainder of this second mini collection. 'Include Me Out' revisits the attitude of 'Don't Fucking Tell Me What to do', this time merging big beats with the sweetness of 'In My Eyes' to create a pretty damn good pop song. 'Hang With Me' kicks in and we have this album's very own DOMO, which in places is almost better. It's got a shining chorus with some great vocals and a cute ensemble of melodies. 'Love Kills' forces the album onto a U-turn, as Robyn moves from being all loved up to singing about how shit love can be. It's a strong club song, but doesn't really go anywhere. I keep waiting for a climax and nothing happens. 'We Dance to the Beat' is so original, pretentious, arrogant and oozes so much cool that it's impossible not to praise Robyn's bravery for putting something so odd onto one of her albums. Next up we hit one of my favourite songs from the Body Talk series, 'Criminal Intent'. It's bloody superb. Set up like a court hearing, Robyn's justifying her antics on the dance floor to a suspiciously young, rapper-like judge. "Somebody alert the authorities, I got criminal intent, conspiracy to engage in lewd and indecent acts and events...", she semi raps over a club ready beat. Thankfully this album doesn't lose strength at the end, with Snoop Dogg jumping on board for the dance floor sound of 'U Should Know', followed by a stunning acoustic ballad called 'Indestructible'. 

Body Talk Part 2 is a colossal success, especially compared to its predecessor. It's bursting with high quality artistry and cements Robyn's status as the coolest, most talented Swede out there. 


4.5/5

Rated Robyn: Body Talk Part 1.

How many parts are there going to be exactly?

The Swedish goddess of electro-dance pop is back and she's proving on her latest album that she's here to stay. So this is a bit outdated, as we're now almost on Body Talk part 3, but I felt that it was appropriate to draw your attention to the wonderful talent that is Robyn.

Her first mainstream success Robyn, was brimming with charm. Hit single 'With Every Heartbeat' is intensely infectious, as are follow up singles 'Who's That Girl?' and 'Be Mine'. However, Robyn is doing things a bit darker this time round. From the almost rap opener 'Don't fucking tell me what to do', it's made clear that her latest offering is doing things a little differently. Everything still sounds 'Robyn', but it has an intoxicating twist to it that I can't quite put my finger on. 'Fembot' is ridiculously funky feminist pop (pump it up loud to gain full benefit). Next up is the glorious 'Dancing On My Own', which is now one of my favourite songs of all time. It's instantly memorable and has a fantastic hook and some lovely 'Ooohh Ooohh'-ing. "I'm in the corner, watching you kiss her... I'm right over here, why can't you see me...?" sings Robyn on this ode to unrequited, one sided love. Nothing else on the album quite matches the epic quality of this track, but all its brothers and sisters are good in their own special way. 'Cry When You Get Older' continues the electro-dance vibe, only for it to be interrupted by the reggae dance hall brilliance of 'Dance Hall Queen'. Furthering this change in sound, 'None of Dem (featuring Royksopp)' is a grower, but lacks the impact of the artists past collaboration on 'Girl and the Robot' which unfortunately slipped by the mainstream radar. Closing the mini album off is a beautiful acoustic version of future single, 'Hang With Me' and the rather random Swedish lullaby sound of 'Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa', which seems a bit pointless and ostentatiously Bjork.

Overall, this is a brilliant little collection of songs. It's got no fillers, although there are a few shaky, random moments. It houses one of the best songs of 2010, if not the best and some classic Robyn material for future fans. The very good news is that Part 2 gets better, a lot better.

3/5

Rated Xfactor disgrace.

Love you bbz.

Ok, so people aren't happy with the decisions a certain Mrs. Cole made on tonight's Xfactor. I personally think there are better singers in the competition who didn't get picked and that this is an error, for now. I could be proven wrong though, and the girls who are causing (already) so much outrage (Katie and Cher) could turn out to be amazing on the live shows and not the standard, boresville contestants that end up being chewed up by the bigger competitors. Katie has a pleasant voice. She's annoying, yes, but she sounds pretty decent. With some work she could be a strong contender. I'm going to be really controversial and say that I actually kind of like her and think with a kick up the ass she'd drop the  try-hardness and blossom. As for Cher, she shouldn't be through on the basis of her not actually managing to sing her final audition. Simple as that. Sore throat or not, she shouldn't be through on that alone.

The problem I have right now, the thing that's really pissing me off is that people are ripping a 16 year old girl's character to pieces on Facebook and Twitter. She's 16, SIXTEEN. I think it shows just how disgusting the British public can be, when a young girl sets out to follow her dreams (which we're all encouraged to do) and gets mauled because of someone else's decision. Cheryl should have picked someone else, someone who managed to finish their performance, but she didn't. So let's wait till we see the live show next week before we even consider 'hating' on some insecure little girl. As for Gamu, she can sing but she cried so much I was actually numb when I thought of her. So please, just get over it and wait.

I think the groups are the ones to watch this year. It'd be nice to have a group win for a change, although I do love Aiden and Rebecca. We'll see what happens next week. In the mean time I'm going to exhale the disgust I feel for my fellow facebookers by singing 'Russian Roulette' really loudly. 

Rated LOUD cover.

STUPIDLY EXCITED.