Rated Albums of 2011 So Far...

2011 has proven to be quite the year for pop music. Adele's 21 has become the biggest selling digital album in history and her single 'Rolling in the Deep' leaped to the number one spot in the UK and the US billboard Hot 100, which is quite a feat for a British solo female artist. Beyonce released her fourth album, the aptly named 4, which gave us the dancefloor grinding 'Run the World (Girls)' and a sex war video. The album sold bucket loads in its first week of release and has remained at number one in the US for two consecutive weeks (watch this space). Britney released her seventh studio album Femme Fatale, and although it's got some brilliant pop moments on it, it has not made the cut for the top 3 so far... count down.

1: Beyonce - 4

Ok, so this was predictable and I cannot deny I am a HUGE Beyonce fan. However, I am honest and the one thing I am honest about is that I expected this album to be horrific going on the previews I experienced and the comments of others. Thankfully it is a brilliant collection of original sounding pop music. Mixing 80s synths, pop, rock and rnb and some weird, almost experimental, electronic sounds, this is a fantastic addition to the record collection of 2011. Well done B. Read my full review here.




2: Lady Gaga - Born This Way

There was so much critical dismay before this album came along. Title track 'Born This Way' divided fans, more than any song has done in this century I imagine, but proved itself a success becoming her fastest selling single in the US. The album is nothing like her debut. Her vocals are more raw, authentic and powerful and the songs are ridiculously catchy euro-pop thumpers. 'Marry the Night', 'Hair' and 'Scheibe' are all deserving of accolades for best pop song. Read my review here.







3. Adele - 21

I didn't review this album, mainly because I didn't have time and now it's a little too late. Maybe soon? We all know it's amazing though, considering it's been played to death in just about every home in the UK and now the US. Look out for 'Someone Like You', 'Rolling in the Deep' and my own favourite, 'If it hadn't been for love'.

Rated 'I Wanna Go'

Britney's Femme Fatale tour kicked off last week and, I must say, it looks incredible. I'm not so sure about praising a singer for singing 40% of their 'live' show with a live vocal, but I guess for a Britney tour that's pretty impressive (hmmm). From the clips on youtube I gather that it's a pyrotechnic, dance fuelled, booty shaking extravaganza. The opening with 'Hold it Against Me' is brilliant, as is her performance of 'Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know' from the Oops! era.

Anyway, back on track. The video for third Femme Fatale single, 'I Wanna Go', dropped the other day and it's pretty epic. Random, weird and ridiculous, but oh so much fun. What's great about it is that it's the first glimpse of the old Britney Spears being back in the real world again. Her constant glazing of the eyes is gone and she has some sass back in her, which is a relief because as questionable as her input in her work is, she is the biggest pop star of her generation. The most key aspect of video, pushing aside the Terminator style robotic paparazzi and Britney looking a bit Avril Lavigne, is that Brit looks HAWT.


The song itself is one of the better moments from 7th studio album Femme Fatale. It's anthemic dance pop with a killer hook. The robotic Britney makes a return on the track and it works here because she's at least recognisable. "I’ve been told who I should do it with, to keep both my hands above the bl-an-ket, when the lights out...", sings Britney, challenging those who dictate how naughty she's allowed to be. It doesn't have the huge finish of 'Hold it against me' or 'Till the world ends', but 'I wanna go' has enough punch to make it a classic Britney song.

Rated 4

Beyonce surprised me when she released the epic ass shaker ‘Run The World (Girls)’. I then surprised myself by leaping from a venomous hatred for the song to an epic love that has me imitating the shoulder shudder on every dance floor I grace. You would think, going by what the lead single suggests, that the forthcoming 4 would be an album in much the same vein as past material. Lots of uber feminist and patriotic booty bumping a la ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)’ and some sexually charged grind like ‘Video Phone’. If you’re expecting any of the above then you’re about to be surprised, shocked and maybe even disappointed. However, what it lacks in sass and sex appeal, it makes up for with passion, aggression and determination.

Don't use 'Run the World' as a basis for judging this album, this is the best advice I can give you in relation to 4. It's the closer and although would have been nice as the introductory track, when you grasp the structure of the album you appreciate it as an ending. The tempo begins at zero but reaches climax when the Major Lazer sampler beats the doors of love down. So just sit back and relax and gird your loins for the epic finish. Don't do as I have done and listen to the critics who are saying the album is "horrific", "messy", "worst album ever". I have been pleasantly surprised by the final product and although there is one weak moment, by Beyonce's standards, this is a damn solid album.

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 Run The World (Girls) - I caved.

Beyonce, I'm sorry I ever doubted you. My sincerest apologies. Be bffs again ye?

So... I caved and have fallen for the Queen B charm of 'Run The World (Girls)'. I slated it at first, but because I genuinely thought it was horrific. Now that I've watched the Billboard Awards performance 100 times and the music video even more, I have a new found appreciation for it. It's actually quite a fun, catchy, ass shake inducing track with bite. It's still, by no means, in the top 5 Beyonce songs of all time, but it's acceptable.

I am excited about 4, although not loving the album title. A tad unimaginative BB. The artwork is hot though.

Rated Born This Way - it's here

It’s potentially the most anticipated album of the decade; Born This Way is finally here. With tonnes of euro-pop charm, bloody weird electro production and some startlingly fantastic moments this has potential to be one of the most unique pop albums since Madonna’s “ground breaking” Ray of Light. 

Lady Gaga erupted into pop consciousness with ‘Just Dance’ in 2008 and then the record breaking/setting ‘Poker Face’, both of which have become contemporary pop anthems. Her initial collection of songs, The Fame, sold over 20 million copies throughout the world. Its sound was quite pop standard, laced with some rnb to keep it brimming with attitude. This commercial, rather chart safe sound soon dissolved however, into the euro-pop styling of the immense ‘Bad Romance’, lifted from the 1.5 album The Fame Monster. With this evolution in Gaga’s sound it became clear that there was something quite special coming next. It's here.

 Born This Way opens with ‘Marry the Night’, homage to Gaga’s nights cruising the New York City underground club scene and how it served as escapism from the sorrows of life. With a soaring electro chorus she beautifully blasts, “I’m gonna marry the night, leave nothin’ on these streets to explode”.

Next up is the single that divided fans, ‘Born This Way’, which is one of the album highlights (but by no means reflective of the album’s sound as a whole). “No matter gay-straight-or bi, lesbian-transgender life, I’m on the right track baby I was born to survive”, has become the key line from the pro-gay anthem. It’s not all about being gay though, this is a song with a dynamic message of equality and self-love, cleverly written and catchy as fuck (I get to swear, Gaga would approve).
Things get dark, dirty and very Berlin discothèque with the hugely anticipated ‘Government Hooker’. Kicking off in semi-operatic fashion the song decends into a decadent array of synthy growls and electric twitching, as Gaga speaks, “Put your hands on me, John F. Kennedy, I’ll make you squeal baby, as long as you pay me”. I’m not quite sure if there’s any intellectual, political message in here, but who cares when it sounds this cool?

Rated Run The World... a bit.

Ok, so I said I hated this song a couple of weeks ago. I still don't love it and it didn't move my world when it blasted through the speakers on Saturday night, but this performance at the Billboard Awards the other night is epic. Beyonce still cracks the jaws of all other performers out there right now, she's just got bite that not many others even have half of. The song is mildly more pleasant to my ears now, but still...it's by far my least favourite Beyonce single since 'Video Phone' with Lady Gaga.

Rated Robyn - Why did I miss you?

Devastated that I missed out on a performance like this last October. She is, truly, one of the greatest artists around at the moment. Utter awe.

Rated Yasmin!

There's a new girl knocking about the charts right now and I absolutely love her. Her name is Yasmin and she's fit, like really fit. The (almost) sexuality conversion aside, this girl also writes and sings some damn good rnb songs. Loaded with soft echoing synths and buffed up with a superb Freemason's remix, her new single 'Finish Line' is brilliant and currently picking up substantial airplay as well as a decent chart debut of #13. Her previous single, 'On My Own' was a great way to unleash her talent on the country, with a stunning sounding chorus and an unescapable hook. Her voice is refreshingly smooth and understated. Strafing away from the roaring of other female singers out there (Beyonce and GaGa) and staying strong sounding enough to avoid the weaker, whiny sound of other rnb singers like Alesha Dixon, she lands in the perfect spot.

She first popped up on the Devlin track 'Runaway' and since then she's been garnering popularity, fast. Check out the videos below, I challenge you not to be impressed or fall instantly in love.

PS: Love the hat.

Rated The Edge of Glory.

One week to wade through until the most anticipated album (of my life) arrives and gives us all the power to walk on water. Born This Way is hurtling towards us from the Gagaverse. For some perspective, I am a Lady Gaga fan, but I am by no means biased in my opinions of her music. The Fame for example, was a brilliant pop album, let down by some ill-chosen tracks that didn't gel well into it as a whole. This was rectified by the fantastic Fame Monster, which spawned great pop hits like 'Alejandro' and 'Bad Romance'.

Originally released as a promo/taster for the incoming album of life, 'The Edge of Glory' has torn up pop charts all over the world, without having an official release as a single. Kicking off with the pumping of a heart beat, the euro-pop stylings of the 2011 GaGa thump soon after. "I'm on the edge of glory, and I'm hanging on a moment with you", blasts GaGa with some startling vocals. She roars her way through the track, which proves itself to be more exhilarating than the two official singles from the album combined. It's a definite classic, not just for the Lady, but of all time. Well composed, structured, written and most importantly sung, this is a bloody tremendous pop song.

Rated California King Bed

Loud has, so far, provided us with uptempo, feisty, booty shaking beauties. 'Only Girl' is, perhaps, Rihanna's most anthemic song to date and 'What's My Name?' and 'S&M' are sexy, sassy songs about the kinky stuff and a little bit of love, obviously. The big debate amongst her burgeoning fan base was "what will she release next?". Apparently the US is getting the epic reggae inspired 'Man Down'. Not us though, we're getting a ballad, a country ballad. It's not all as bad as you think. In fact, 'California King Bed' contains Rihanna's strongest vocals so far and the most authentically emotional performance she's given since 'Russian Roulette'. "In this California King Bed, we're ten thousand miles apart", sings Ri on this song about the crumbling foundations of a failing, yet intense romance. It's a bloody brilliant song and is one of the main reasons why Loud is a must have album.

Check out the lovely video too. Just lovely.

Rated Judas Vidz.

So the Judas video dropped this evening and I love it. It's exactly what I expected and in a totally good way. Poor Gaga is being criticised by followers as trying too hard and being predictable. If she released a video of her sitting bareback on a Sheep's back playing a banjo, they'd complain then too. The fact is that this chick doesn't need to "try hard", she's beyond that stage now. She has so much $ that she could "order China as a takeaway". She piled on the madness in the early stages of her career but that was necessary to garner attention. Now, it's standard Gaga and I don't see why we should expect anything else. Otherwise, she wouldn't be Lady Gaga would she?

WATCH IT HERE

Rated Run The World?

I've been waiting for Beyonce's new solo material, eagerly, since the release of her I Am... tour DVD last Christmas. I saw said tour twice within 12 months and it was absolutely incredible. There's no doubt that Beyonce is the greatest live performer of our generation, regardless of whether you like her music or not, she is a bloody brilliant entertainer.
With an array of superb singles under her booty (Crazy In Love, Deja Vu, Single Ladies and Sweet Dreams to name a few) I expected something huge from the queen; something so big it would make the Royal Wedding cower in its significance.

Unfortunately, Run The World (Girls) is about as satisfying as having nail varnish remover poured into your eyes. Maybe a bit over-dramatic, but this is a horrendous mess. It's written a bit like an Independent Women Part 3, only when she wrote it she was out of her mind on Es (not literally-lawsuit averted). The song samples Major Lazer's Pon Di Floor, which sounds incredible in a club and no doubt Beyonce's sampler will sound just as exciting and base pounding as the original when it's accompanied by vodka shots. The main issue is that it just doesn't gel, at all. The song is tired and the subject matter is getting boring now. We know you love an independent woman B, but write about something else for Christ's sake! Beyonce's vocals aren't sounding their best here, with the production calling for lots of shouting rather than intricate harmonies and when the song occasionally breaks down to reveal the soul sound we're used to, it sounds nice but feels like a pointless filler to break up an annoyingly repetitive track. Run the world? Run me over more like.

I pray that this is just a mishap, all great artists have them, even Beyonce (apparently). The new album has to offer better than this, otherwise it's going to be a catastrophic musical disaster in the shadow of the brilliant, talent showcase that was I Am... Sasha Fierce.


1.5/5

Rated Flashback - Sweet Dreams

Beyonce has really disappointed me with her latest song, so much so I won't even utter its name on here. I'm sure in a few weeks it will have grown on me and I will have to apologise to the lady herself, but for now I hate it. It is certainly nothing like the immense tune 'Sweet Dreams' that graced the latter stage of her I Am... Sasha Fierce collection. With its roaring synth and catchy as hell verses, chorus, bridge, everything, it rightly earns its place in the top ten songs of 2009 and the top five Beyonce songs of all time. So come on Beatch, impress me with the next song, I beg you.

Rated Judas and Born This Way.

There's a lot of discontent with the new GaGa material circulating amongst her fans at the moment. It's amazing how much her sound has evolved since her mega-commercial 'Just Dance' days. This evolution is entirely positive. Lady GaGa has become Lady Euro-Pop, belting out self empowering gay anthems about love, life and gender alteration. What needs to be kept in mind is that the most successful female artist of all time changed her sound (pretty much) with every album. This development kept listeners enticed and kept pop music interesting. Lady GaGa is the Madonna of our generation (I'm 24 - ONLY JUST).

'Born This Way' was an epic slice of pop knobbery and has, since release, notched up well over 100 plays on my ipod. Second single 'Judas' from the upcoming album Born This Way is yet another euro-pop inspired floor filler with one of the gayest sounding choruses in history (but I love it). With 'Bad Romance' style thumping synths this is guaranteed to become top of the list on party playlists the world over. The lyrics are smart and the bravery of using a biblical metaphor is typically GaGa, who is already causing unrest within Christian groups. When this reaches number one she can stick her two, well manicured, fingers up to the fussers and bathe in her ever growing fountain of cash. Jealous.

Rated Hafdis Huld - Synchronised Swimmers

The last artist to make me “omg” to myself was Sia Furler, back in 2008 when I first heard her second studio album ‘Some People Have Real Problems’. It was refreshing to find a singer who presents a collection of down tempo love songs and fills them till they overflow with passion and sincerity. Three years on and it’s happening to me again, this time with Icelandic star Hafdis Huld and her second studio release Synchronised Swimmers. This album will revolutionize your ideas of ‘chill-out’, ‘background’ and ‘cutesy’ music. Hafdis’ unique, soft tones are as easily consumed as cotton candy and her brand of female folk pop is brimming with charm.

Far from her days in electro-pop outfit GusGus, where she sounded a bit like Moloko star Roisin Murphy, Hafdis sings her newer material in such a relaxed manner that it tingles the spine. Opener ‘Action Man’ is, potentially, the cutest song you’ll ever have the pleasure of hearing. “Wishing, wishing and wishing away, by my window everyday, while he’s on a mission…” sings Hafdis on a track about a heroic lover and his absence from home. It’s the perfect introduction to an almost purely folk inspired album. ‘Oldest Friend’ continues the nostalgia theme that seems rife here, before the tempo picks up on lead single and Icelandic chart number one ‘Kongulo’ (Icelandic for Spider), which is about the human spider Alain Robert. This quirky source of musical inspiration is reminiscent of Icelandic superstar Bjork’s often odd-sounds and subject matter.

Synchronised Swimmers’ folk charm is continued with the minimalist ‘Boys & Perfume’ and on the mid-tempo title track, which is one of the album’s highlights. A darker moment is ‘I Almost Know a Criminal’, but this step down from chirpy nostalgic moments is minor and short lived, as ‘Robot Robot’ kicks in and Hafdis sings about building herself a lover. Album closer ‘Winter Sun’ is a gorgeous end to an intelligent, interesting and delightful album.

There’s no doubt in my mind that Hafdis Huld has big things coming her way on an international scale. With the recent rush of folk females (Ellie Goulding and Laura Marling are just two examples) on the commercial music scene, the door is already open for Hafdis to stick a toe over the threshold and bring some much-needed luminescence into our lives. 

Rated 'Till The World Ends.

I wasn't impressed with 'Hold it Against Me' when I first heard it, nor when I saw the crappy ass music video. Its unconventional structure threw me a little as did the lack of a really big climax. However, it has grown on me and I will give it time on my ipod, but not as much as I give to Britney's new single, 'Till the World Ends'. The song was begging for an apocalyptic music video and that's just what it got. I love a good apocalypse, so I'm pretty happy with the result. Britney looks hot, like really hot. Almost 'Golden Age Britney' hot, which is a relief because I thought she'd just about lost all her charisma and charm. There's dancing and lots of sweaty half naked dancers, oh and a red lace catsuit with spikes on it. Thankfully there's a distinct lack of narcotics a la 'Gimme More'. Britney's lovin' life.

Rated Extra Terrestrial.

The new video for Katy Perry's new single from sophomore album Teenage Dream dropped recently and it's amazing! I wasn't a huge fan of the song when I reviewed the album many moons ago, but now with some visual stimuli I am all over this on my ipod. Check it out above, such a cool video.

Rated Club Banger Nation.

Nicole Scherzinger's new single 'Don't Hold Your Breath' is an epic slice of poptasticness. However, it's got nothing on the club thumper 'Club Banger Nation'. From debut album Killer Love, the song is as dancey as Scherzy gets and about as dancey as she could possibly get. A mix of dance, glam-rock, techno and electro, this is a Red One produced floor filler, with an anthemic chorus. If this doesn't make it to single release I will be disappointed.

Rated Femme Fatale.

Another ‘comeback’ record, Britney Spears’ Femme Fatale is the seventh studio album from the iconic pop princess. Her last album Circus was a strong enough collection of pop songs, harking back to classic Britney moments and also ditching a little of the voice manipulation software that her producers love overdosing her on.  With amazing songs like ‘Unusual You’, ‘Womanizer’ and ‘Shattered Glass’, Britney sold millions of copies of the album and, of course, brought her bank balance to orgasm. Now she’s back, again, with Femme Fatale, which shows clear dub-step-pop-electronic influences.

Lead single, ‘Hold it Against Me’ was a grower for me. I panned it at first, which I now regret because it’s actually a pretty cool pop song. It’s a shame the song’s climax isn’t just a little bit more rip-roaring though. Second single ‘Till the World Ends’ is a club dance-floor filler, with an infectious ‘Oh oh oh oohh’ hook and a potentially awesome video to come. ‘Inside Out’ is a filthy number with Britney singing, ‘Give me something to remember, shut your mouth and turn me inside out’ and ‘Hit me one more time it’s so amazing’. It’s no surprise that Max Martin, the genious behind ‘Baby One More Time’ and other key Britney moments like ‘Overprotected’ and ‘If U Seek Amy’, makes an appearance at the knobs of the aforementioned tracks.  My personal ‘liked’ tracks from this album are the club-ready ‘I Wanna Go’ and the intoxicatingly melodious ‘Trip To Your Heart’. Critically acclaimed track ‘How I Roll’ doesn’t quite hit the spot for me, but I can see where others find it charming. It’s quite a different sound for ol’ Spears, but it just doesn’t quite get me tapping my heel. ‘Seal It With A Kiss’ and ‘Drop Dead Beautiful’ are fun pop songs, the latter packed with growling synths. ‘Big Fat Bass’ is noteable because it features Will.i.am, but aside from its cool sounding bridge and chorus, it gets a bit annoying hearing ‘It’s getting bigger, the bass is getting bigger’ over and over again. ‘Trouble For Me’ kicks off sounding like a motor starting, then bursts into a ‘Lace and Leather’ sounding, sexy pop verse. ‘Gasoline’ is equally as catchy as the other strong moments on the album, taking a few listens to really feel its charm. Closing ‘almost’ ballad ‘Criminal’ features weird pan-pipe sounds and an almost authentic Britney vocal.

The key moments here are the released singles, ‘Trip To Your Heart’ and ‘I Wanna Go’. It’s more consistent than Circus and almost as perfect as Blackout, regardless of aforementioned annoying repetition. Femme Fatale shows that Britney’s team knows exactly what direction will make her/them money. With over an hour of potential club anthems on one disc this is a sure fire dollar devouring machine.