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mexicaneurolover · 6 years ago

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Eurovision 2007 my top 42

Hello, and welcome to another episode of this ESC top series, as I go back now to May 10 and 12, 2007 when the 52nd edition of the contest was held in Helsinki, Finland, after Lordi’s victory in Athens last year, A record 42 countries took part that year, while Monaco withdrew from the competition, Hungary and Austria returned, also we said hello to Georgia, Czech Republic, Montenegro and Serbia, the latter two as independent countries, which all of them entered for the first time ever. The contest had a 28 songs semifinal, which was too much IMO and this had to be the year when the two semifinals format should’ve been introduced, because, well, 28 countries competing and only 10 qualifying was a bit unfair. Anyway, the contest was won by debuting country Serbia, with Marija Šerifović with the song Molitva, making this their first and only victory to date. And now, let’s review this looooong field of songs.

1st Place: UKRAINE/Verka Serduchka-Dancing lasha tumbai (Real Placing: 2nd-235 points)

I know this is a joke entry, but this works for me, the performance is such a funny thing to watch, the music is so crazy but I love this entry so much, my heart goes to Verka Serduchka, I love her so much. One of the best runner ups ever.

2nd Place: BULGARIA/Elitsa Todorova & Stoyan Yankulov-Water (Real Placing: 5th-157 points)

This is another epic song, the music is so wonderful, her voice is pretty unique and I love the performance, subtle but effective, I always forget what I’m doing when this song comes through my playlist, I don’t feel on this world with this song, so stunning.

3rd Place: SERBIA/Marija Šerifović-Molitva (Real Placing: 1st-268 points)

Oh the winning song, and I love it, her voice is so powerful, she’s so amazing on stage and the performance was simple but stunning, the music is so lovely and cute and the last part it’s the best part of this one, I think this was the right winner, also a deserved one and kudos for being in Serbian, I love the feeling in this one.

4th Place: ANDORRA/Anonymous-Salvem el món (Real Placing: 12th SF-80 points)

UGH SO CLOSE TO THE FINAL, and IMO the best Andorran entry ever, this is the kind of music I heard in 2007 in those dark years of mine, and I love it, i enjoy the music so much, his voice is perfect for this one and I’m so impressed because of the result, surely this deserved the final.

5th Place: FINLAND/Hanna Pakarinen-Leave me alone (Real Placing: 17th-53 points)

WOOOOOOOOOO THIS ENTRY IS SO POWERFUL, her voice is stunning, the performance is everything here, I fell in love with this entry, this is pure rock, oh my, I’m so mad for this song. This song deserved so much more on the night

6th Place: PORTUGAL/Sabrina-Dança comigo (Real Placing: 11th SF-88 points)

3...points... far... from... qualification... WHY? This song is very catchy, this makes me want to dance with somebody, her voice is good and I love the lyrics as well, the music is so Latin and yeah, I’m in love with this song, so close to the final :(

7th Place: HUNGARY/Magdi Rúzsa-Unsubstantial blues (Real Placing: 9th-128 points)

Another heart breaking song, her voice is perfect, the music is superb, the performance is so effective and her song in the last part makes me feel what she feels while she’s singing the song, this blues is so perfect and it’s one of the best Hungarian songs ever.

8th Place: ICELAND/Eiríkur Hauksson-Valentine lost (Real Placing: 13th SF-77 points)

AGAIN WHY THIS DIDN’T GOT THROUGH THE SEMIFINAL, this entry is perfect, his voice is stunning, the performance is cool, the music is amazing and the lyrics are so sad but brilliant, I can’t understand this result, this had everything to be in the final and be on the top spots, just an undeserved result.

9th Place: BELARUS/Dmitry Koldun-Work your magic (Real Placing: 6th-145 points)

AWWWW YEAH KOLDUN, this song is so amazing, the music is brilliant, catchy, hooks you up at the first time and he’s so handsome, the performance is so stunning and this song is one of my favorite Belarusian songs ever.

10th Place: LITHUANIA/4Fun-Love or leave (Real Placing: 21st-28 points)

An entry that relaxes me so much, this is the perfect song for a walk in the park or for a coffee shop, her voice is so soothing and the music is so good and sets the mood, the performance is so perfect as well and this is one of my fave Lithuanian songs.

11th Place: LATVIA/Bonaparti.lv-Questa notte (Real Placing: 16th-54 points)

Oh this song touches me every time I listen to this one, the music makes me feel nostalgic and I enjoy so much the lyrics, they sing so well together and I don’t know why I cry when I listen to this one. A perfect song for me.

12th Place: GREECE/Sarbel-Yassou Maria (Real Placing: 7th-139 points)

Another good Greek entry, the music is so nice and enjoyable, his voice is so cool and the performance works perfectly in this one, this entry has a very good feeling to it and I like this so much.

13th Place: CYPRUS/Evridiki-Comme ci, comme ça (Real Placing: 15th SF-65 points)

WHY THIS FAILED TO QUALIFY, again Queen Evridiki serves a good voice, a stunning performance and the music here is so good, I enjoy this song so much and yeah, this song deserved the final instead of many prequalified entries.

14th Place: SLOVENIA/Alenka Gotar-Cvet z juga (Real Placing: 15th-66 points)

OH THIS ONE IS STUNNING, the music is so epic and powerful, and I love every part of this, her voice is so mesmerizing and the lamp in her hand is hilarious but suits this so good, Yeah, at first I disliked it but now I love it, the chorus is so beautiful.

15th Place: ESTONIA/Gerli Padar-Partners in crime (Real Placing: =22nd SF-33 points)

The sister of the 2001 winner, and this song is so good, the music is so mysterious and enchanting, her voice is so strong and powerful, also the performance suits this perfectly, the chorus is so cool and I’m in love with this song as well.

16th Place: SPAIN/D’NASH-I love you mi vida (Real Placing: 20th-43 points)

A Spanish boy band, and I love this song so much, they sing so well and I love the Latin vibe to this song, also the performance is good and they are handsome, a nice entry overall.

17th Place: GEORGIA/Sopho Khalvashi-Visionary dream (Real Placing: 12th-97 points)

This song makes me travel to another dimension, the music is so good and her voice is very epic, the performance is so perfect and the dancers are cool. This is a perfect debut entry for Georgia, and one of their best entries ever.

18th Place: GERMANY/Roger Cicero-Frauen regier’n die Welt (Real Placing: 19th-49 points)

The jazz vibes in this song are so wonderful, his voice is amazing and this song overall is one of the best German songs of the 00′s, I’m so amazed by this song and RIP Roger, this song is timeless.

19th Place: FRANCE/Les Fatals Picards-L’amour à la française (Real Placing: =22nd-19 points)

One of my guilty pleasures of this year, I love the music, they sing alright and the staging is so pink and crazy, I enjoy this song so much and it makes me smile every time I listen to this one.

20th Place: RUSSIA/Serebro-Song #1 (Real Placing: 3rd-207 points)

Another song that it’s good, but I don’t understand the high placing, surely the music is so cool and they sing so well, but the lyrics are so bad and ruin the whole song, maybe with other lyrics this could’ve been higher in my list.

21st Place: IRELAND/Dervish-They can’t stop the spring (Real Placing: 24th-5 points/last)

This is a very Irish song, and I love the music so much, but sadly her voice was so horrible that night, this song makes me want to be at the Irish countryside and yeah, I like that fact. Maybe the 2nd placed song in their NF would’ve been a better choice.

22nd Place: AUSTRIA/Eric Papilaya-Get a life-get alive (Real Placing: 27th SF-4 points)

OMG I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH, his voice is very good, maybe the performance was a bit odd but I enjoy the music so much, reminds me of the rock songs of those years and I like it. Don’t understand how this finished so low in the semifinal.

23rd Place: CROATIA/Dragonfly ft. Dado Topić-Vjerujem u ljubav (Real Placing: 16th SF-54 points)

This is a pleasant rock song, her voice is very good and I love it, also Dado’s voice is perfect for this song, the music is so relaxing and the chorus is the best part, but the verses are brilliant as well.

24th Place: MOLDOVA/Natalia Barbu-Fight (Real Placing: 10th-109 points)

AWWW THIS IS AN EPIC SONG, the beginning is perfect, I love the music, the lyrics are good and her voice is so powerful and stunning, I... wow... don’t know what else to say, I’m in love with this.

25th Place: SWITZERLAND/DJ BoBo-Vampires are alive (Real Placing: 20th SF-40 points)

This song is very good, I love the Eurodance feeling on this one, but the performance was a whole mess, also the voices would’ve been better, overall this song had potential, but many factors contributed to it’s fall.

26th Place: THE NETHERLANDS/Edsilia Rombley-On top of the world (Real Placing: 21st SF-38 points)

Queen Edsilia returned, and this song is very good, I enjoy it, not as her 1998 song but this has charm, her voice is stunning, the music is nice and enjoyable, I think the performance was a bit of a let down but I like this overall.

27th Place: FYR MACEDONIA/Karolina-Mojot svet (Real Placing: 14th-73 points)

A good song, I love the music, her voice is stunning and the performance is very good, this is miles better than her song in 2002, and the chorus here is my favorite part, because I can remember it and I start singing it out of nowhere.

28th Place: NORWAY/Guri Schanke-Ven a bailar conmigo (Real Placing: 18th SF-48 points)

This is another interesting song, also this reminds me of another song, her voice is quite good, but it’s a bit flat, this makes me want to find someone to dance, and I enjoy this song, still I think this would’ve been better.

29th Place: BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA/Marija Šestić-Rijeka bez imena (Real Placing: 11th-106 points)

This Balkan ballad is so cute, but I can’t connect with this one and I always forget about this song, the staging is stunning, anyway I can’t hook up with this song.

30th Place: SWEDEN/The Ark-The worrying kind (Real Placing: 18th-51 points)

Ehhhhhhh... I kinda like this song? But anyway, this is one of the weirdest entries that Sweden has ever sent to the contest. This is kinda good but I still think that Måns Zelmerlöw, Andreas Johnson, Sara Dawn Finer, Sanna Nielsen and Marie Lindberg were better choices.

31st Place: UNITED KINGDOM/Scooch-Flying the flag (For you) (Real Placing: =22nd-19 points)

This song is so weird, and I kinda like it, the music is very interesting, and maybe they aren’t the best singers, but I enjoy it. Maybe if they sent Cyndi that year, they would’ve finished a bit higher.

32nd Place: TURKEY/Kenan Dogulu-Shake it up sekerim (Real Placing: 4th-163 points)

I liked this more at some point of time, but now I think it’s an annoying entry, still I love the music because it makes me dance, his voice is quite good but also annoys me at some point. I quite understand how this finished so high.

33rd Place: ROMANIA/Todomondo-Liubi, liubi, I love you (Real Placing: 13th-84 points)

This is another interesting song, the mix of languages might have been to much for this one, but I love how this song builds, I like that, also the last part was brilliant, but I think so many things were happening on this one and I was distracted by it.

34th Place: MALTA/Olivia Lewis-Vertigo (Real Placing: 25th SF-15 points)

Another good song ruined by the singer, the music has an oriental touch that makes this enjoyable, but her vocals are so bad, specially in the chorus, anyway this isn’t bad as I thought before.

35th Place: DENMARK/DQ-Drama Queen (Real Placing: 19th SF-45 points)

This song has everything, the music is something I like, the staging is so cool, my problem here is the voice, at some point sounds off key and at the end sounds painful. A nice entry ruined by the voice.

36th Place: ISRAEL/Teapacks-Push the button (Real Placing: 24th SF-17 points)

Okay, I kinda like this, this is a guilty pleasure for me, I don’t think it’s bad but still, it’s very weird and I understand how this finished so low. Another love-hate case with this song.

37th Place: POLAND/The Jet Set-Time to party (Real Placing: 14th SF-75 points)

Oh... again, this song was a bit all over the place, the verses are incompatible with the chorus, which is the only part I like about this song, this is an average song. The performance is also very weird.

38th Place: ALBANIA/Frederik Ndoci-Hear my plea (Real Placing: 17th SF-49 points)

I find this interesting, the verses are brilliant, but then the chorus arrives and everything goes away from me, his voice is very good and I enjoy it, I think it’s kinda mediocre overall.

39th Place: MONTENEGRO/Stevan Faddy-Ajde, kroči (Real Placing: =22nd SF-33 points)

Okay this also isn’t a bad debut, but I feel this is a weak song overall, the chorus is so catchy and I remember it, sadly, it’s the only thing I like about this one, nice voice though.

40th Place: CZECH REPUBLIC/Kabát-Malá dáma (Real Placing: 28th SF-1 point/last)

Somehow I enjoy this song because I like rock music, but his voice is a bit raspy for my taste and I think this entry was risky in that year, not a bad debut, the music is so cool but I think they could’ve delivered this a bit better, also an undeserved last place in the SF.

41st Place: ARMENIA/Hayko-Anytime you need (Real Placing: 8th-138 points)

I try to like this song, because it’s an ethnic ballad, but sadly, every time I listen to this, I dislike it more and more, his pronunciation is bad, so if this was entirely on Armenian this would’ve been better for me. Not a bad song but this is a bit boring.

42nd Place: BELGIUM/The KMG’s-Love power (Real Placing: 26th SF-14 points)

OH THIS IS A MESS, this song is annoying, his voice is bad, and I don’t want to feel the love power on this song, I don’t like this.

#eurovision #luis' eurovision tops #eurovision 2007

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youngboy-oldmind · 3 years ago

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ALBUM REVIEW- From a Bird’s Eye View

“Nothing ordinary/ I been having vivid dreams, them shits is more than scary Graveyards or mortuaries/ Haunted by these goals that I'm tryna accomplish/ Underrated, over-hated, I'm tired of the nonsense/ Things I've could've done better, it lies in my conscience/ And I'll never forget it, I'm my worst critic”

There is a middle ground one must walk in order to criticize an artist’s music. On one hand, new albums will always be compared to other albums. It’s difficult to describe an artist’s work if you remove it from the context in which it was created. In addition, artists often influence one another. So to isolate an album and review it for its track-list, free of any unconscious bias, is near impossible. On the other hand, an artist’s work should not be criticized because of how dissimilar it is from a previously made project. I mentioned this concept of my review of Chance’s The Big Day. The album got unwarranted hate because of its proximity to Coloring Book, Chance’s best album and one of the best albums of 2016. It’s valid to dislike a project because it’s different, but to say it’s bad because it’s different isn’t fair. Especially when it’s expected for an artist to grow as they gain an increasing presence in the hip hop community.

This being said, I find great difficulty in reviewing Cordae’s sophomore album, From a Bird’s Eye View, because I found it overwhelmingly disappointing. It took multiple listens to decipher whether I didn’t like it because it’s following The Lost Boy, one of the best debut albums of the 2010s, or because it’s bad on it’s own. Does it exist in mediocrity from it’s own merit or in proximity to an amazing album?

From a Bird’s Eye View lacks the core aspects that made Cordae stand out from the late 2010s wave of young artists: his hunger and distinctness. He doesn’t have particularly complex lyricism nor any 100% original concepts. However, you could hear the hustle throughout the track-list. You can sense the creativity in each song. This album lacks some of those elements.

This is mainly due to the excessive flexing displayed on this project. Too much of this project was bragging about money and success. I used to compare him in the sound of Logic and J. Cole. But now, fans of Jack Harlow and Lil Baby may appreciate his sound. This project has a long stretch of “Look at how good and successful I am” which became pretty boring by the end of the track run.

There are some standouts, both high and low. The worst song is “Today” ft. Gunna. This type of song does not suit Cordae’s style nor capabilities at all. Cordae speaks much too slow to keep up with a beat of this tempo. The editing was sloppily placed together, which made his simple vocals trip over each other. The instrumental was obnoxious as well. “Super”, another contender for worst song, had an obnoxious chorus and a subpar vocal performance on the verses. "Parables” brought a solid performance out of Cordae, but was inevitably ruined by a choppy, unlistenable Eminem verse.

On the flipside, “Chronicles” ft. H.E.R. and Lil Durk was very solid. Freddie Gibbs and Lil Wayne both brought solid verses on their respective songs. “Want From Me” featured a glimpse of his ever-improving singing accompanied with a smooth tech-infused R&B instrumental. Finally, I think “Shiloh’s Intro” was a touching way to begin the album.

Ultimately, I have to say this album was underwhelming. Although fans of his will likely still like enjoy this project. It falls under the same predicament many other young artists fall into. When your talent and success are due to the pursuit of success, where do you go once you achieve it. Especially at such a young age. Do you talk about the struggles you used to have or do you now pat yourself on the back for how successful you are?

The album isn’t bad, it’s just underwhelming and too similar to the mainstream sound developing over the past 5 years. I can say that Cordae isn’t anywhere near prophetic enough to claim he’s at a “Birds Eye View”. Unless that bird is a penguin (since they don’t get very high off the ground).

Top 3 Tracks:

1) Want From Me

2) Chronicles

3) Jean-Michel

Overall Grade: C-

#music review #album review #hip hop review #hip hop #music blog #cordae #from a birds eye view

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airadam · 4 years ago

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Episode 144 : Multiples Of Twelve

"It ain't f-ing sensible."

- Strategy

I ended up completely changing the selection this month when, taking the lead from a few tracks I was considering, I decided to go with an all-downtempo selection - a continuous unbroken mix once the first lyric hits. That said, there's a serious mix of genres so you get a bunch of variety inside the hour-long show! Get yourself plugged in...

RIP to the legendary Chi Modu - the man responsible for some of the most iconic images in the culture.

Twitter : @airadam13

Twitch : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Duett : Video

An extremely short track to open things, just for the flavour! Duett, is a UK synthwave artist (only one person, despite the name) who has released some amazing records channeling that electronic 80s vibe. This one is drawn from the "O U T L I N E S" mini-album from last year - all tracks that were done in a day each - and is a bite-size motif that you could imagine as the sonic logo for a film company or TV station from the VHS era.

Meyhem Lauren ft. Hologram & Big Body Bes : Lexus In The Lobby

I was originally saving this for a future mix, but even though it would have fit perfectly thematically, it's so much slower than pretty much everything else that it may not have ultimately made the cut. This is an absolute gem from the original "Glass" EP, with Harry Fraud on production building an absolute vibe with a quality sample that may be familiar to German listeners and some heavy 808 action. Meyhem Lauren is of course the best MC on the cut but Hologram on the first verse definitely kicks a memorable opening quatrain!

Mikhail Chekalin : As If It Was Not From Here

Going super left-field early for this instrumental bed! Chekalin was a radically-innovative composer from Russia who was not embraced by the Soviet government - they felt his work was too "Western" and while his music was heard by some plugged-in people in the outside world, he wasn't able to tour internationally or release his music outside the USSR. Thankfully for music lovers, times have changed and the "ГАР001: Михаил Чекалин «Экзальтированная Колыбельная 1979 – 1987»" collection (don't even think about asking me to pronounce that) is now available on Bandcamp, and is a great collection of his electronic work - his own take on what could be done with the synths of the time. His sound is a worthy companion to the other greats who were also experimenting at the time, from Jan Hammer to Jean Michel Jarre.

TY ft. Rootz & Deborah Jordan : Eyes Open

It's been a year this month since TY passed and I was glad to find one of his tracks fitting into this pace perfectly, one from his excellent final LP "A Work Of Heart". He was always an excellent MC from the first to the last, and he does himself proud here, spitting thoughtful lyrics with a rapid sharp flow. OG Rootz (formerly Durrty Goodz) is a solid complement, and Deborah Jordan adds a vocal decoration that puts the whole self-produced track over the top. I do like the unexpected switch to French for the hook later in the song too, just *chef's kiss*.

Bumpy Knuckles : Step Up

If you're a real Hip-Hop geek, the highlight on this track might just be the brilliant cuts by DJ Rukas on the hook, not only sharp but incorporating a very clever manipulation of a line from the stone-cold classic "Top Billin'" by Audio Two. Bumpy Knuckles goes in with a quasi-double-time flow in typically rugged fashion over the production of BeatBanga, who gets his only Discogs credit in fine style. You can find this on the "Konexion" album, which is well worth having.

Flatbush Zombies : Laker Paper

It might not be the most conscious track in the world, but it does have the exact type of sonic energy to fit into this spot! Despite the production style (courtesy of Erick Arc Elliott) and the track title, the clue is in the name - this is a trio from Brooklyn who released this cut on their debut mixtape "D.R.U.G.S". They don't try to dazzle with a quick flow on this beat, they stick to their style and settle into it at its native speed.

Samantha James : Come Through

Even for those who might not be into a record like this most of the time, I thought that bassline and the underlying lazy drum break might draw you in! This track was one of the highlights of the 2007 "Rise" LP from LA-based Samantha James. If you like a varied electronic music album, it's one you should check out - a little house, a little broken beat, some singer-songwriter vibes, a showcase for a singer comfortable with working with different production types.

Jake One : Evelen Gravest

We bridge the first and second mixes with a beat from the man Jake One, taken from his free gospel-themed "#PrayerHandsEmoji" beat tape. It'd be worth a purchase, but for zero dinero it's a must-have!

Kano : Ps & Qs

Coming out of East Ham, London, this is one of the early breakthrough grime tracks from a pioneer of the scene. This 2004 debut 12" release was a bit hit on the underground and helped Kano build momentum into the release of his "Home Sweet Home" album. DaVinche's big bombastic beat is an iconic one - a perfect underscoring for Kano, and can still mash up a dance even today.

DJ Quik ft. Hi-C and James DeBarge : Ev'ryday

One of my favourite cuts from Quik's 2002 "Under Tha Influence" LP (which, being a relentless perfectionist, he probably hated the minute he finished it). At the time there really wasn't much, if anything, out that sounded like this, and it was interesting to hear a musician and engineer of his skill level bring that to that double-time style. That stuttering bass and the skipping drum pattern work together brilliantly, and James DeBarge coming through with that hook might just be the vocal highlight.

Strategy : LengBreak

Time flies, and it's already been ten years since the release of the "Pre-Season Training" mixtape from Salford's Strategy, who continued to build his skills in fine style. "Bleep Test" and "Kill 'Em" were the standout tracks for me, and this one kind of passed me - maybe it was my personal taste in beats, maybe it was that I just didn't smoke! I gave it another listen this month and very much deserves a proper airing. One question for those of you who partake - all these years later, how do those prices sound? 🙂

Tobe Nwigwe ft. Royce Da 5'9" and Black Thought : Father Figure

Easily one of the best and most unique MCs to emerge in years, you'll have heard Tobe on this podcast a few times before and his collective have continued to impress and to elevate their profile. This killer is from last year's "Cincoriginals" album, and it's a meeting of heavyweight MCs. The fact that Tobe holds his own against both Royce and Thought, who is widely regarded as the MC's MC, while maintaining his own style, shows that he deserves all the praise he's been getting and more. Nell on production, as always, with the heavy low end for your system.

9th Wonder : Black Album Rejects, Track 15

One more of the instrumentals that 9th Wonder brought to Jay-Z for "The Black Album" that was ditched in favour of the brand-new "Threats" beat that launched him into the consciousness of many. The "rejects" were still dope as anything though.

Children of Zeus : No Love Song

Brand new Zeus! If you know what's good for you you'll be going to place a pre-order for the upcoming "Balance" album, but we've got this as an appetiser for now. Beat Butcha provides the laid-back soulful groove on which Tyler and Konny emphatically don't give you the love song that most other artists would given the same production. If you've been following this podcast, you would have first heard CoZ in the SoundCloud days, and it's been amazing to see this Manchester crew continue to produce great music - and the rest of the world catch up!

Corinne Bailey Rae : Walk On

Representing the city of Leeds lovely, Corinne Bailey Rae is a fine musician who brings the quality every time out. Her third LP, "The Heart Speaks In Whispers", was a worthy follow up to "The Sea", and saw her pairing with Steve Brown on production. This starts with a jazz club reserve and builds from there as she offers inspiration to keep on pushing through difficult circumstances - a message certainly relevant to the current time.

Rae & Christian ft. Lisa Shaw : Should Have Known

I'd somehow forgetten I even had this one! Lisa Shaw is best known for her deep house career, but her sublime voice is a versatile one and she's also on some soulful/downtempo stuff like this Manchester production from the Grand Central Records founding duo. The "Central Heating 2" compilation might be worth owning for this alone.

Zero 7 : Spinning

We finish a coincidentally all-UK segment with a track that didn't make the cut for the original UK release of the "Simple Things" album (twenty years ago!), but I believe was on the US version (plus the recent special edition release) as well as on the B-side of the "I Have Seen" 12". Sophie Barker takes the vocal reins, and it's a beautiful song.

L'indécis x sad toï : Dog Days

For the final instrumental break, we go to the Chillhop label, which specialises in releasing this kind of material - in this case, on the "Chillhop Essentials - Fall 2018" compilation. This track is an all-French connection, with sad toï (sic) alongside Grenoble's L'indécis for a relaxed and partly-acoustic beat that suits a lazy summer day just as much as the autumn.

Scritti Politti : Brushed With Oil, Dusted With Powder

"The day began to decline" - I think many of us can relate to that feeling! One more UK track to close the episode, and this is the one that I think will divide listeners the most. Personally, I love this. It's one of those tunes where no-one seems to agree on the exact meaning of the lyrics, but when Green sings "...some keys they found there"...well, that could be read multiple ways! This was a great close to the "Anomie & Bonhomie" album, with a long instrumental outro to cool us all the way out at the very end of the episode.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

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tunerandomiser · 8 years ago

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Stormzy’s Gang Signs and Prayers (GSAP) is set to be as iconic as Boy In Da Corner, if not more so and here’s why…

With Integrity, Konnichiwa, Landlord, Made in The Manor, and Godfather all having dropped within the last 3 years, it’s fair to say that finally grime is starting to make it. Saying that 23 year old Stormzy’s Gang Sings & Payers is greater than all these albums, would be a big statement, but certainly not a wrong one. It’s a piece of art that cuts deep into Big Mike’s rapid rise to fame, and most importantly how his family life hasn’t got away from him. Paired with fantastic instrumentals, and undeniable swagger, Stormzy’s ability to make an album true to its genre, himself, and attractive to listen to for almost anybody, is honestly unique. This album is Stormzy laid bare, it’s a thank you to God, his mother, his fans, and his friends, and the passion shines through to make a beautiful piece of art. Despite it only being early days, I see this album as iconic, not only for grime but for the sound of the UK reaching to all realms of the world.

I had such hope for this album because as I discovered and learnt about the rise of Stormzy, I couldn’t but smile. He is wholesome to the core, and always gives me a reason to smile, whether it’s 8 year old Stormzy spitting his playground rhymes to his mum,(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TH9eVdQ8D0), or in or his honest and open love for Adele’s music, ‘I was in the 02 screaming my lungs out, your never to big for Adele’. This week alone he performed a remix of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape Of You’ live at the Brits (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4GIfNf7AYk), he dropped a quite frankly amazing remix of the Kanye West’s ‘Ultralight Beam’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCqLR5svy9Y) on BBC 1 live lounge and a euphoric live band performance of his addictive single ‘Big For Your Boots’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6uBpFWt65c), here’s the lowdown on his untouchable album…

1. First Things First – This song speaks for itself. In this opening song he spits bars straight from the heart, discussing family problems, drawing to light the contradiction of his success, leaving those he used to go to school and play football with, left on road or doing life. With a low-key persistent ringing like instrumental, Stormzy goes in very hard, taking control of the beat with deep lyrics of fending off depression and the struggles of his uncontrollable rise to the top. It’s a song where you can almost imagine him penning down the lyrics, as each 16 bar anecdote he tells seems too true.

2. Cold – New school grime at its best, this song will go off every time it’s played. A hench instrumental which just grows as the song progresses, quick, FX filled drums and a heavy bass making this reminiscent of Roll Deep’s ‘When I’m ‘ere’. This is the first for the four *GRIME BANGERS in this album. The punch line “I just went to the park with my friends, then manna charted” was a personal favourite of mine. Changing up the flow keeps the song going to such a speed you wonder when he found space to breathe. This song is a bossy MC track throughout, and keeps the album on 10/10 levels

*GRIME BANGER– not to say the other 12 songs aren’t grime or aren’t bangers, but these 4 are the type of song that you go off to for the full 4 minutes or so, The Americans would describe them as ‘LlT’. This drops hard anywhere.

3. Bad Boys (Ft. Ghetts and J Hus) – Moving deeper into GSAP, we are presented with a song very representative of the danger, and dark nature of his ends. Over slow trappy style, hi hat filled drums, Stormzy slowly ups the intensity of his bars as a collection of strings, a deep choir vocoder, and hollow chimes in the instrumental go hand in hand with his sincerely dark bars. A song where you realise the grind he has been on to get here, mixed with the cold reality of how easily it could’ve not gone that way. Despite blowing up, Stormzy gives this song to remind us of his roots and that he is not to be fucked with. In a beautiful juxtaposition however J Hus jumps on the hook with insanely smooth vocals then Ghetts with the perfect feature verse for this song. Although one knows that Stormzy could’ve filled GSAP with superstar features such as Skepta and D Double, he choses wisely as Ghetts’ sharp aggressive spitting style is passionately caught up with the weight of this beat, while suiting the theme of the song (Bad Boy Vibes) to the core.

4. Blinded By Your Grace – You weren’t expecting this, or really wanting it, but Big Mike delivers a love song. Soft over an innocently played electric piano, some smooth vocals, I could say more but it’s hard to imagine Stormzy in this way until you’ve heard it. A welcome surprise, an interlude, it’s hard to explain but just listen.

5. Big For Your Boots – The official return of Stormzy after 9 months silence. The 2nd of the 4 GRIME BANGERS in the track listing. He says ‘boots’ weirdly, we’ve gotten over it but now can’t get that hook out of our heads. This song speaks for itself. Its been out for a week or so already and it wont stop going off. A fantastic music video, filled with iconic chicken shops, uber-clique of, has already 7.5 million views and isn’t close to stopping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFOErVWlsxg

6. Velvet/Jenny Francis - Another love story, Stormzy tells stories of his affections towards a certain someone with a pad filled atmospheric instrumental. Showing vulnerability over an appropriate beat and nailing it is something grime artists struggle to do…(I felt Skepta failed with ‘Text Me Back’) but again Stormzy hasn’t fallen short as he leads you through the track switching from bars to smooth vocals. This song is great but has been frustratingly infused with an intermission which is its only downside, the track drags on slightly too long in my opinion.

7. Mr Skeng - I cannot stop playing this. It’s the first song I went back to after first hearing the album in its entirety. It is so Stormzy, and it is so good. Repping himself, ‘The Wicked Skengman’ to the core with hard bars, calling out anyone who goes for him and doing it in his classic neat and attitude filled manor. If you love Stormzy you will love this song. It’s a stand out tune with the strong string and horns in the instrumental bringing the same power as the man himself.

8. Cigarettes & Cush (Ft. Kehlani) – Like a grown up version of recent Stormzy hit ‘Birthday Girl’, this song has happy relationship vibes, just such a groove. With a very catchy hook, a silky verse from Kehlani, and a soft story telling, anecdotal verse, followed by a second deeper verse from Stormzy, this is his take on a rainy day song, pure versatility.

9. 21 Gun Salute (interlude) (Ft. Wretch 32) – Feels like a full song rather than an interlude due to its beauty. A melodic reverb filled electric piano plays as Stormzy puts prayers into his own words, in a short wholesome verse. Wretch 32 is on the hook and he fits so harmonically with the piano as he calls for the 21 gun salute. Ultralight Beam Vibe

10. Blinded By Your Grace, Pt. 2 (Ft. MNEK) – A suitable part 2. Its very different to part 1, here he brings quiet and low-key vibes but in a progressive manor using pads, a choir, and some strong drums to lead him into a passion filled emotionally exclaimed verse leaving you feeling warm inside. MNEK’s feature is utterly euphoric, the instrumental continually grows into a crescendo with a harmonically whaling electric guitar.

11. Return of the Rucksack - The 3rd of 4 GRIME BANGERS on this album starting with low pitch vocals over hard, simple grime drums and a small string, with brass stabs produced by the OG Sir Spyro. This song feels like one for MCs on the road because it’s simple but hard and has repeated references to Dizziee’s legendary ‘Put these MCs on deep-freeze ‘ with lengy and funny bars, punch lines hitting consistently. There is a lot of great maturity in this album, but this feels like a gold plated version of a very a random Soundcloud grime song, one for the true grime fans.

12. 100 Bags – One for his mum, a minimalist instrumental with soft drums and a rolling reverbed piano, nice to listen to, relate to, and enjoy the rhymes. Like Kanye Wests ‘Hey Mama’, it’s great to hear his appreciation and love through his music. In the second part of the song Stormzy exits with a warm vocoder accompanying his voice, easing out the song with one more chorus following that.

13. Don’t Cry For Me (Ft. Raleigh Ritchie) - Honestly my least favourite song on the album. Not that it isn’t quite a nice song, two strong verses from Stormzy, however the Raleigh Ritchie feature just doesn’t quite feel in place.

14. Crazy Titch (Interlude) - Says a lot of what I think, I like this

15. Shut Up – Where it all started. Not literally, Stormzy had been around for many years but this is why this album is here. One day he put on a full red Adidas tracksuit, went to the park with 20 man and recorded the video which now has over 30 million views on YouTube. Bringing Grime back to a worldwide audience, this song speaks for itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqQGUJK7Na4

16. Lay Me Bare – Ending the album, one of my favourite tracks. Stormzy addresses his never previously discussed father and the hardships Stormzy and his mother went through in a truthfully deep and detailed storytelling rhyme switching it up, all in such vivid detail. He lays it all out, he shows honest vulnerability, rare for a grime MC, and of course he does it naturally and artistically and fucking nails it. Finishing my favourite ever grime album. It came out today, but when you know, you know.

If this doesn’t win a Brit… well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

Edited by: Heather Percival

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pokalkalasreko · 7 years ago

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Top 50 Singles of 2017

Hello and welcome to the third annual edition of my top singles list (2016, 2015)

I really like writing these lists and 2017 is all about doing more of the things you like and less of the things you don’t.

Hair Down by Mollie King would have been my top song of the year, except that ultimately it just wasn’t any good.

This year, because I’m feeling extra festive, I have made the list into an apple music playlist.

Allie X – Casanova

And we’re off. This chorus has one of the best hooks of the year.

Jax Jones - Breathe ft. Ina Wroldsen

Ina Wroldsen has one of my favourite voices in music. You can hear her singing backing on a lot of early songs by The Saturdays, given that she wrote most of them. First of two Jax Jones entries on the list.

Yaeji - Raingurl

Yaeji is cooler than me, you, anyone you have ever met, and anyone you will ever meet.

Lost Kings - Quit You ft. Tinashe

In which Tinashe controversially claims she is addicted to a Coldplay song.

Katy Perry - Bon Appétit ft. Migos

In 2013, Katy Perry was the biggest popstar on the planet, and I couldn’t understand why. In 2017, she releases a string of actual bops and her career is in nosedive. I’m ready to stan.

Josefine Myrberg - Head over Heels

Josefine Myrberg came third in Swedish Idol back in 2014. Nobody seems to be listening to her music much these days, but Head Over Heels (7.5k views at time of writing) is a genuinely beautiful song worthy of a lot more recognition.

Kehlani - Already Won

The first time I heard this I was like ‘yaaas’ all the way through. Kehlani’s autobiographical ode to her own successes is a reminder to all of us to recognise that sometimes, we have already won.

Sigrid Bernson - This Summer

A pop song by a Swedish woman about enjoying summer. There is nothing better.

Sage the Gemini - Now & Later

Released in 2016, but reached its chart peak in 2017 so it’s allowed. Now & Later was almost my most played song of Q1 so there’s that.

Gabrielle Aplin - Waking Up Slow

I’ve just discovered that a PIANO version of this song has 3x as many views on YouTube. That is criminal. This song is full of synths and it bops because of it.

Stockholm Noir - Hopeless Dreams

The “Take me to the south of France, I’ll feel poor again” bit is excellent.

Anitta - Paradinha

A very good friend of mine who happens to be multi-lingual informed me that this song doesn’t make any sense in about 3 different languages. Which is as ridiculous as it is iconic.

Dagny - Wearing Nothing

I love the choreography in this video. Dagny is a brilliant popstar.

Shania Twain - Poor Me

I wasn’t mad about the other singles Shania released as part of her comeback this year, but this hit me for real. Shania voice has changed in tone so much, and now it suits the melancholic Poor Me perfectly.

Danny L Harle - 1UL

What a song. I wish the singer was credited so I could look into her other work because I think she has a very listenable voice.

SOFI TUKKER - Best Friend feat. NERVO, The Knocks & Alisa Ueno

That bassline. Features galore. Nonsense lyrics. A kitchen sink bop.

Dinah Nah - One More Night

Dinah Nah is an international treasure, making banger after banger for anyone who will listen. As part of the excellent Spotify for Artists year-end thing, she proudly shared that she has 894k fans in 60 countries, which is quite remarkable and warms my heart.

Shakira - Coconut Tree

I liked Malibu by Miley Cyrus but I preferred Coconut Tree by Shakira. This song is truly meditative, and takes me straight to the beach.

Tove Styrke - Say My Name

Ironic because I still can’t pronounce Tove’s surname.

The Chainsmokers - Paris

I know it’s the Chainsmokers, but I think this song is actually very good. That final instrumental goes off.

PVRIS - Winter

From Paris to PVRIS, this song has one of the biggest choruses of the year. I also love that they have called the video a “visualette” - so extra.

Wiktoria - As I Lay Me Down

Wiktoria puts in a solid effort here, pretty much yelling her way through the entire song without taking a breath and it is incredible. Bonus points for a liberal use of “HEY” noises throughout.

Niall Horan - Too Much To Ask

Don’t @ me. I am the last person who would have expected to see Niall Horan anywhere near my top thousand songs of the year, but here we are. The only thing constant in life is change.

Lorde - Green Light

The final chorus of Green Light was one of my defining moments of Glastonbury 2017 - genuinely euphoric. I read somewhere that Lorde uses significantly more nouns than other songwriters and that’s what makes her songs so memorable. That could be true. I haven’t counted the nouns in Green Light though but it feels like there’s a fair few.

Charli XCX - Out Of My Head ft. Tove Lo and ALMA

Charli XCX’s POP 2 is an absolute triumph and my album of the year. Every song has about 12 different hooks and sounds so fresh. Tove Lo and ALMA are a dream collaboration on Out Of My Head.

KStewart - Sex 4 Breakfast

KStewart is my favourite new artist this year, and this is the first of two singles on this list. Somebody played a ‘prank’ on me at Brighton Pride this summer, and told me KStewart was playing on the mainstage at 4pm. I was so excited and squeezed my way to the front. However, at 4pm KStewart was nowhere to be seen and, to my surprise, out walks Louisa Johnson. Good stuff.

Tinashe - Flame

The nicest thing I have ever done for myself is to buy myself VIP tickets to meet Tinashe and see her perform at Koko in Camden. Here I am like a competition winner:

It feels now like she’s never going to break through into the top tier of popstars which is a shame, because I really think she has it all.

IMRI – I Feel Alive

The best pop song Eurovision has had in years. Unfortunately slightly strangled by the 3 minute rule, I would take another 1 or 2 choruses at the end for good measure. Imri seems like he’s having the time of his life and that’s great to see.

Loreen - Body

It took a couple of listens, but now I am completely addicted to Body, and it is pretty much on repeat whenever I am commuting. Perfect for drowning out the real world.

Loop - As if

I follow Loop on Instagram and she seems great. This year she has released a bunch of breezy, refreshing electro-pop including As If. I’m hoping that 2018 is her year.

Poppy - My Style (feat. Charlotte)

My Style would be right at home on Robyn’s Body Talk, which is one of the greatest albums ever. As Robyn appears to be taking some time out, I am thrilled that Poppy has stepped in with her own brand of robo-pop.

Liv Lovelle - Won’t Say Too Much

For the first minute of this song I’m always like “where is this going”, and then that drop happens and it all makes sense.

CNCO, Little Mix - Reggaetón Lento (Remix)

Kim Petras - I Don't Want It At All

More like Kim Petr-SASS 💁 I Don’t Want it At All is the ultimate ode to materialism and an absolute stomper.

Nicki Minaj - Regret In Your Tears

I feel like Nicki Minaj is too often overlooked as a popstar who sings. Regret In Your Tears is an understated jam, and she sounds great.

Astrid S - Breathe

Exactly what a pop song should sound like. I had a flatmate this year and we had nothing at all in common, apart from the we both listened to Astrid S. The power of pop music to build bridges.

Kelela - LMK

Kelela was one artist who made me genuinely excited about music this year. Her album Take Me Apart is exquisite, sounding both fresh and nostalgic at the same time. LMK is one of the best.

KStewart - Hands feat. Yungen

If there were any justice, this would have been huge for KStewart. But there isn’t and here it sits with less than 50k(!) views on YouTube. Hands is completely radio-ready, and could be lifted off any Ariana album.

Rita Ora - Anywhere

Rita Ora has had an incredible year. I love that she hosted America’s Next Top Model, then sacked it in and had 3 huge top 10s, which is probably more than your fave. Anywhere was instant for me, and her best by a long way. The nonsense post-chorus is reminiscent of those early 00s garage classics. Rita herself has said that it has no meaning, and I hope that in 2018 we are able to enjoy more songs with no meaning whatsoever.

Dua Lipa - New Rules

Well this one took off didn’t it. Dua’s meteoric rise has been so exciting to watch, and it was New Rules that really took it there. She just seems like a great person too, and I’m sure 2018 will belong to Dua. Another lesson in the power of a good music video to rocket launch a song’s success.

Aly & AJ - I Know

This song is just so perfect. The return of Aly & AJ has been the most welcome surprise. I Know is cool, lazy, atmospheric, synth-pop and a major shift from their 2007 Disney days.

Tove Lo - Disco Tits

I said this when I wrote about Cool Girl last year, but it’s worth repeating that Tove Lo makes it seem so effortless. Disco Tits is amazing and I wouldn’t be surprised if she wrote it in her sleep.

Little Mix - Power ft. Stormzy

Little Mix are just unstoppable. Every year I think they have reached their zenith and then they take it to another level. Power is single number four from their fourth album and it’s this good. By now, Jesy Nelson (the best one) knows her way around an iconic second verse, so I think it’s neat that this time her verse starts with “my turn”. Also - what a video. Well done everyone.

Jax Jones - Instruction ft. Demi Lovato, Stefflon Don

"All my ladies” was THE call to action this summer. What a song.

Carly Rae Jepsen - Cut To The Feeling

Carly Rae Jepsen has mastered the ability to make happy sounding music which suddenly hits you as heartbreaking once you get stuck into the lyrics. Cut To The Feeling was released about a week after the Manchester attacks, and for me, the line “I want to play where you play with the angels, I want to wake up with you in tangles” stuck out as truly devastating among the euphoric, soaring synths.

Blessed - See Through All The Colours

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I’m obsessed with Blessed. See Through All The Colours is so huge and I really thought would have been their breakthrough. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, but I think watch this space. Very excited to see what they bring in 2018.

Nadine Coyle - Go To Work

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One of the best things about 2017 has been seeing the true joy that Nadine Coyle, gets from being a popstar, and equally, the true joy she took from the really quite lukewarm reception of Go To Work. Earlier in the year, Nadine made a surprise appearance at a popular London club night to sing a couple of choruses of Go To Work (she didn’t even stay long enough to take her coat off). I was living in those few minutes.

Mirela - Contigo

youtube

This song was the runner up in the Spanish pre-selection show for Eurovision, and won the televote by a landslide, but was struck down by some bizarre jury voting rules. It’s basically incredible. It’s ridiculous, it’s trashy, it’s fun. Bai-la-la-la-UH.

Katy Perry - Swish Swish ft. Nicki Minaj

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I know. A basic bop if ever there was one, but no song this year has bopped as hard as Swish Swish. I spent my entire time at Glastobury telling anyone who would listen that I only came to watch Katy Perry do Swish Swish. Everyone thought I was joking. I’m still undecided on that music video, and that dance, but the song is brilliant.

Steps - Scared Of The Dark

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Let’s be honest, Steps in 2017 could have been shit but instead they were amazing. The moment when this sat at number 1 on iTunes ahead of chart villain Ed Sheeran was a sweet piece of pop justice. Scared of the Dark is a banger, incredibly good pop music, and my top single of the year.

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