This new edition of my personal chart sees a busy Top 10, as well as five new entries, which means some songs on the rise get held up in the middle 😉
The Top 10:
Miguel and Jessie Ware hang on to #1 with the remix of “Adorn”, which faces immense competition in two weeks, so this will be the last for “Adorn” at the top.
Sliding comfortably into second place is “What’s Going On”, the rework of Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life” courtesy of the spectacularly talented Monsieur Adi and British chanteuse A*M*E. Will it get to #1 in two weeks?
Betty Who’s love fest that is “Somebody Loves You” holds at #3 as a new remix by Jump Smokers has been made available for free download, below 🙂
Lady GaGa’s “Applause” slides to #4 after the release of ARTPOP, which certainly looks to be holding its own sales-wise. I’m still torn between two or three of the songs on the album as my next favourites, but her duet with R. Kelly “Do What U Want” is certainly a good choice for a follow up single.
As Anton Ewald releases new single “Close Up” in the Nordic countries, “Can’t Hold Back”, from the A EP rockets to #5 as the fastest riser second week in a row, his second Top 5 entry on my chart following #2 “Begging”. Lyrics video for “Can’t Hold Back” is below.
Osvaldo Supino’s emotional and extremely positive entry from This Beat Is Poptronik!… Volume Two is “I Have A Name”, and it climbs 9-6 this week. And just outside of the Top 10, “Ma Radio” is still on the rise at #11!
Our favourite electropop duo from Austin, Texas, DATABOY are vocally at their best on their free download mashup of “We Can’t Stop Summertime Sadness”, which moves up 10-7.
The big news on the chart is the song that’s at the top of this post. “An Open Heart” bounds onto the chart for Bright Light Bright Light, a week before its accompanying EP In Your Care is released. Be sure to purchase this one on iTunes on November 24, it contains some of BLx2’s best and most affecting songs!
More Fast Risers:
I was too ill to attend Travis Garland’s recent show in Toronto, but his self-titled album is one of my most played records of the year. It contains much diverse music such as the Latin/disco-influenced “Easy”, which jumps 18-12.
Right behind is Lawson’s incredibly infectious “Juliet”, rising 17-13, as we in North America still await news on what’s next for these talented guys over here.
While his dance epic “Do I Have To Dance” inches into the Top 10 at #9, the raucous “Berlin Wall” continues to make headway for Simon Curtis, climbing 19-14, from his free download mixtape WWW.
Shortly after the release of his Seventh Star album,which I wrote about recently, New York’s dance music master SIRPAUL released the attractive video for “Every Single Moment”, his single which moves up 24-21 this week. Our singer looks fantastic as he patiently waits in a Soho, London setting. Easily his best single to date 😀
More New Entries:
I’ve written about three of these entries recently, so only the fourth entry might be a bit of a surprise 😉
As I wrote last week, the electronic instrumental “Animals” by 17 year old Dutch DJ Martin Garrix is the #1 single in the UK this week. It’s an amazing feat and shows the undeniable power of this song’s melody. Be prepared to hear it all through the holidays! It arrives at #24. Just avoid the radio edit and the awful video, which for some godforsaken reason ties in clubbing, dancing, and destroying a car. Give a listen to a remix below.
Eurielle is a new British singer who is a trained soprano and has made a sophisticated EP called The Incarnation, from which comes the first single “Gold” below. It debuts at #26.
Carlos Nóbrega has recorded a stirring cover of an early Sia single, “Breathe Me”, accompanied by an equally pensive video. It’s Carlos’ third entry on my chart and bows at #28.
I recall being disappointed upon hearing Dangerous Muse’s “I Can’t Help It”, which appears on the amazing dance comp This Beat Is Poptronik!… Volume Two. The group is led by singer Mike Furey and performs regular gigs in New York City. Now I get to eat those words as I’m absolutely loving the 80’s Depeche Mode influences meeting 80’s house music (circa Royal House’s “Can You Party” era). It’s a very clever grower indeed and premieres at #29.
More New Videos:
It should arrive on the chart in the coming week, but I didn’t want to go without posting Cage The Elephant’s video for “Come A Little Closer”. It’s an animated video that was entirely hand drawn by singer Matt Shultz – obviously multi-talented! The great thing about creating the video for your own song is that you can figure out how to get yourself into and out of trouble, which makes it a breezy and enjoyable watch.
I’ve been enjoying Parralox’s “Headhunter” (#8 on the chart) so much that singer John von Ahlen shared an inventive mashup with me of that song plus one of Parralox’s earlier songs. And in the meantime, the von Ahlen-directed video for the second single from the Australian group’s Recovery album has appeared. It’s a straight forward cover of The Alan Parsons Project’s 1982 hit “Eye In The Sky” – a much-loved song you definitely don’t want to mess with. Watch below.
Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailsweb edition of my chart.
Here’s the full BILLCS Top 30
01 01 ADORN Miguel F/ Jessie Ware 05 02 WHAT’S GOING ON Monsieur Adi F/ A*M*E 03 03 SOMEBODY LOVES YOU Betty Who 02 04 APPLAUSE Lady Gaga 12 05 CAN’T HOLD BACK Anton Ewald 09 06 I HAVE A NAME Osvaldo Supino 10 07 WE CAN’T STOP SUMMERTIME SADNESS DATABOY 08 08 HEADHUNTER Parralox 11 09 DO I HAVE TO DANCE Simon Curtis New 10 AN OPEN HEART Bright Light Bright Light 14 11 MA RADIO Osvaldo Supino 18 12 EASY Travis Garland 17 13 JULIET Lawson 19 14 BERLIN WALL Simon Curtis 04 15 REWIND Neverest 06 16 AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME Ryan Adamés 07 17 LOVE IS A BOURGEOIS CONSTRUCT Pet Shop Boys 20 18 IMPOSSIBLE Ryan Star 21 19 REPLAY Zendaya 22 20 4TH OF JULY Jarell Perry 24 21 EVERY SINGLE MOMENT SIRPAUL 13 22 BLACK LIGHT (Stormby remix) Kaden 15 23 HYMN FrankMusik New 24 ANIMALS Martin Garrix 16 25 LEARN TO WAIT Sam Dickinson New 26 GOLD Eurielle 29 27 KEEP ME RUNNING Andy Suzuki & The Method New 28 BREATHE ME Carlos Nóbrega New 29 I CAN’T HELP IT Dangerous Muse 27 30 SKIRT Kylie Minogue
In a powerful Top 5 last week, I was uncertain who would emerge at #1 on the new chart. But it’s Neverest whose latest single “Rewind” moves 3-1 this week. Neverest is in good company with River Tiber and Kwik Fiks & Bongiovanni as Canadian performers with #1’s on my chart this year. The quartet is also on a triple bill with Shawn Desman and Tyler Shaw at The Mod Club on November 16 in Toronto. Do catch their show if you haven’t! Always full of surprises and positive energy. PLUS near the bottom of this post (but before you look at the full chart) I am featuring a new song by the writer of “Rewind”!
The Rest Of The Top 10:
Ryan Adamés has a 3rd appearance at #2 with his warm and fuzzy cover of Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me”. That song is suddenly emerging on many TV talent shows but none of the covers that I’ve heard have the unique appeal of this rendition. It’s available for free if you go and like Ryan’s Facebook page 🙂
ARTPOP and new single(s) approach in the coming weeks, but Lady GaGa’s “Applause” is still climbing my chart at #3.
It looks like Miguel & Jessie Ware’s duet of “Adorn” is eye-ing #1 in two weeks. My excuse for being a latehead on the song earlier this year 😛 It climbs 8-4.
Kaden’s “Black Light” falls to #5, but he has another song, the title track from the compilation Fuel For The Machine on deck! You can listen to a preview of itright here.
Betty Who’s “Somebody Loves You” is one of the most joyous songs you’ll hear this year, and the Aussie-born New York-based singer climbs 10-6.
While we await what sounds like will be a compelling video for his song “Lift Your Head”, Sam Dickinson’s soulful and energetic “Learn To Wait” climbs another notch to #8.
Pet Shop Boys score their second Top Tenner from Electric with the sublime “Love Is A Bourgeois Construct” at #9.
Australians Parralox created one of the most interesting album of cover versions this year with Recovery. Excellent choices include Front 242’s memorable industrial club hit “Headhunter”, here given a full blown electronica dance treatment. It lands at #10 on the chart 🙂
Fast Risers:
The more I listen to Osvaldo Supino’s “I Have A Name”, the more I appreciate the honest beauty of the lyrics and the arrangement. It’s the fastest riser on the chart, soaring 21-11, while Osvaldo-with-a-boombox creates fun and havoc with “Ma Radio” further down at #15.
I can’t wait for more new music proper from DATABOY, but in the meantime their stellar mashup “We Can’t Stop Summertime Sadness” is doing the trick just fine thank you, and moves up to #12.
FrankMusik’s gorgeous “Hymn” from his acoustic piano album Between Us rises to #17. He’s playing two shows in NYC this week, on Thursday October 24 at Rockwood (which I will miss, dammit, because I arrive in NYC the next evening 😦 ) and Saturday October 26 for a Hallowe’en DJ set at Fox & Jane. More stops in Washington DC and Philadelphia afterwards for you fans!
“Can’t Hold Back” by Anton Ewald is the last fast riser, moving 28-21. I’m thoroughly impressed with his EP, called A. It’s really contemporary and diverse pop, and only the Swedes can seem to get this right!!
New to the Chart:
As older songs reach their maximum amount of appearances (10 = 20 weeks) and drop off, it helps make way for lots of fresh new tunes to dazzle you.
It’s no surprise to regular readers of this blog that two new songs by Simon Curtis make their debuts. Last week Simon unleashed a free mixtape called WWWwhich I wrote about. Forever our boy robot, Simon continues to impress – and this is the music that didn’t make the cut for his upcoming album, but were songs instead written for others. Fans are so glad these are available for download through theMuuMuse website. First at #19 we have the unexpected, hypnotic, and stunning dance epic “Do I Have To Dance”. Further down it’s a call to arms once again for the raucous, energetic “Berlin Wall” at #28.
I actuallywrote about this next debut quite a while back, but the more I hear it, the more it resonates with me. It’s also one of the rare songs that leaves a big lump in my throat at the end every time after “I want it more than ever”, followed by the saddest firework sounds you’ll ever hear. Beautifully sung by LA-based singer Jarell Perry, “4th of July” debuts at #25. And it’s also afree download right here.
Travis Garland is on tour and is coming to my town on November 7! Ticket bought! His Spanish-flavoured, seductive disco in the form of “Easy” is a departure for him in the songs on his self-titled album, but it works beautifully and bows at #26.
The final debut at #30 comes from a NYC dance troubadour whose songs are most often about fun and sex, and fun and sex 🙂 Nothing wrong with that. His new album is on deck for a November release called Seventh Star, and I’m talking about SIRPAUL with his single “Every Single Moment”,which I wrote about recently. You can buy it on iTunes. Two of SIRPAUL’s songs are also available on both volumes of This Beat Is…Poptronik 🙂
Bonus Feature:
The writer of Neverest’s “Rewind” is former basketball player and Toronto singer Corey Niles. Having a mentor in fellow Canadian singer Dru (noted for his own hits “She Can Ride” as well as his appearance on Doman & Gooding’s dance smash “Runnin'”, which got to #15 on this chart in 2009) who is featured in Corey’s song “Rollercoaster” is a huge plus. Don’t underestimate the presence of this song. It’s going to lend a fresh urban sound to radio here in Canada that you don’t get to hear much by Canadians beyond songs by Drake. “Rollercoaster” does not let up, it slams pretty hard in a sizzling blend of contemporary R&B styles, and gives a great introduction to the solo Corey Niles. Watch for what sounds to be an intriguing video debuting this week on MuchMusic. Listen and watch the lyric video below. BOOOM!
Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailsweb edition of my chart.
Here’s the full BILLCS Top 30
03 01 REWIND Neverest 02 02 AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME Ryan Adamés 04 03 APPLAUSE Lady Gaga 08 04 ADORN Miguel F/ Jessie Ware 01 05 BLACK LIGHT (Stormby remix) Kaden 10 06 SOMEBODY LOVES YOU Betty Who 07 07 TAKE BACK THE NIGHT Justin Timberlake 09 08 LEARN TO WAIT Sam Dickinson 12 09 LOVE IS A BOURGEOIS CONSTRUCT Pet Shop Boys 15 10 HEADHUNTER Parralox 21 11 I HAVE A NAME Osvaldo Supino 18 12 WE CAN’T STOP SUMMERTIME SADNESS DATABOY 11 13 ROYALS Lorde 16 14 I REMEMBER Nick Pes 17 15 MA RADIO Osvaldo Supino 05 16 SKIRT Kylie Minogue 20 17 HYMN FrankMusik 06 18 HOMEWRECKER Travis Garland New 19 DO I HAVE TO DANCE Simon Curtis 14 20 PROBLEM (Kat Krazy remix) Natalia Kills 28 21 CAN’T HOLD BACK Anton Ewald 24 22 IMPOSSIBLE Ryan Star 26 23 JULIET Lawson 27 24 REPLAY Zendaya New 25 4TH OF JULY Jarell Perry New 26 EASY Travis Garland 13 27 VOCAL Pet Shop Boys New 28 BERLIN WALL Simon Curtis 19 29 DIRTY FLOORS Andy Suzuki & The Method New 30 EVERY SINGLE MOMENT SIRPAUL
“Black Light” by L.A. singer Kaden rides the top of the chart for a third appearance, while Ryan Adamés’ ever-stunning ballad turn of Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me” is now at #2. Just to make it interesting, Toronto’s Neverest glides to #3 with their rivetting “Rewind”.
Fastest Risers:
I’m on a mission to get Miguel’s “Adorn” to be a bigger hit than it was at the top of 2013. Thanks to an exquisite remix featuring Jessie Ware, the song zips up my chart to #13.
Lady GaGa looks to have one of her biggest charting songs here with “Applause” racing to #6.
“Somebody Loves You” by Betty Who had the viral delight of being featured in a massive marriage proposal announcement video for two men in Salt Lake City. Indeed it is a beautiful song that fits the occasion and moves up to #16.
Other newcomers to the chart besides “Adorn” last week all climb up six places: “Love Is A Bourgeois Construct” by Pet Shop Boys (video is on its way), “Headhunter” by Parralox, and “I Remember” by Nick Pes, from the must-have dance compilation This Beat Is…Poptronik Volume Two!
New to the Chart:
I’ve already written about the three premieres, but they are all well worth repeating.
It was almost an instantaneous decision to add the lone new song from FrankMusik’s Between Us acoustic piano album, “Hymn”, and it arrives at #24. It’s one of Vince’s most painful and beautiful songs to date. I’ll have to check, but I don’t think there has been a chart in 2013 that has not featured a FrankMusik song!
Right behind at #25 is DATABOY’s devistatingly original mashup “We Can’t Stop Summertime Sadness”, seamlessly blending the Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey songs in an electronica way that you could never have imagined. And you can see the guys sing their hearts out in the video – can’t wait until they can tour. More new music on the way soon from Cameron and Adam! Download it for free after watching the video using the link below the video 🙂 I think the only other ‘mashup’ I’ve charted was Pet Shop Boys’ blend of “Viva La Vida” and “Domino Dancing” a few years back, though another worthy one is Penguin Prison’s “GoldenTrain/Working Day And Night”.
Ryan Star is currently accepting pledges to fund his upcoming album via PledgeMusic. He’s already recently released a well-received EP of his thoughtful form of rock, and sold out four shows in New York City at the beginning of August. His single from the EP deserves some belated attention, so “Impossible” arrives at #29, joining a slew of other Ryan Star songs to appear on the chart, including the Top 5 “Right Now”, “Last Train Home”, and “Breathe”.
Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and details web edition of my chart.
Here’s the full basic BILLCS Top 30 🙂
01 01 BLACK LIGHT (Stormby remix) Kaden 03 02 AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME Ryan Adamés 06 03 REWIND Neverest 04 04 SKIRT Kylie Minogue 02 05 VOCAL Pet Shop Boys 13 06 APPLAUSE Lady GaGa 07 07 DIRTY FLOORS Andy Suzuki & The Method 10 08 HOMEWRECKER Travis Garland 12 09 TAKE BACK THE NIGHT Justin Timberlake 05 10 BEGGING Anton Ewald 15 11 LEARN TO WAIT Sam Dickinson 14 12 ROYALS Lorde 21 13 ADORN Miguel featuring Jessie Ware 08 14 BROKENHEARTED Lawson featuring B.o.B. 19 15 PROBLEM (Kat Krazy remix) Natalia Kills 22 16 SOMEBODY LOVES YOU Betty Who 23 17 LOVE IS A BOURGEOIS CONSTRUCT Pet Shop Boys 18 18 WHAT’S GOING ON Monsieur Adi featuring A*M*E 09 19 LIFE (IS MY REVENGE) FrankMusik 26 20 HEADHUNTER Parralox 27 21 I REMEMBER Nick Pes 24 22 MA RADIO Osvaldo Supino 11 23 REMIX MY LOVE Killian Wells featuring Kristinia Debarge New 24 HYMN FrankMusik New 25 WE CAN’T STOP SUMMERTIME SADNESS DATABOY 17 26 WINNING GROUND Eric Saade 16 27 BLURRED LINES Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams 20 28 HEARTS Dan Black featuring Kelis New 29 IMPOSSIBLE Ryan Star 28 30 I THINK I LOVE YOU Bongiovanni
Hey! The BILLCS Music Blog is now 4 years old! My chart however has been around a lot longer, debuting online 15 1/2 years ago in January 1998. So without further adieu, here’s edition #413 😀
No change to the Top 5 songs. Kaden’s slick and memorable “Black Light” reigns at #1 again, while contender “As Long As You Love Me” by Ryan Adamés (below) hangs at #3 again. Only songs by Kylie Minogue and Anton Ewald switch places, with “Skirt” achieving a #4 high matched for her only by last year’s “Timebomb”.
One of the best Canadian pop hits of 2013 is Neverest’s smashing “Rewind”(below), which is the fastest riser on the chart, soaring 15-6. Could a #1 berth in the coming weeks be possible? Hmmmm…
NYC’s Andy Suzuki & The Method are coming to a city near you? You’ll likely get to hear their indie musician anthem “Dirty Floors” (concert version below), which also continues its climb to #7.
Lawson put on a heck of a show with Neverest on August 30, with new single “Juliet” coming in October and a Chapman Square Part II album too (North American release please!). In the meantime, “Brokenhearted” rises to #8.
Yesterday, FrankMusik released a gorgeous acoustic repackaging of his album Between called Between Us, on which you will get to hear a much less driven “Life (Is My Revenge)” still come across with a lot of power. The song moves up to #9.
Also released yesterday is Travis Garland’s self-titled album, which does indeed contain the unique and thought-provoking “Homewrecker”, which is now #10.
Look what’s just sitting outside the Top 10? Why it’s “Turn Back The Night” by Justin Timberlake, which is better than any other song on The 20/20 Experience yet seems to be underperforming. Think Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, folks. It’s #12 on my chart.
“Applause” by Lady GaGa is not wasting any time proving that it’s a Top 5 contender on my chart. It puts the pedal to the metal and ends up at #13.
Is Lorde’s “Royals” suddenly overexposed with its pop radio success? Nonetheless, you’ve gotta give it credit for being what will likely be one of the defining songs for 2013. It’s up to #14.
If you’re in the UK, go out and see Sam Dickinson in concert because this lad can sing his soul out. His single “Learn To Wait” (below) comes from his top notch album The Stories That Occurred, and moves up to #15.
Waiting ever so patiently for the official release of Monsieur Adi & A*M*E’s dynamic “What’s Going On” (below)! This splendid recreation of Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life” goes BOOM in the best ways and rises to #18.
Meanwhile, Natalia Kills’ sophomore release Trouble arrived last week on the heels of second single “Saturday Night”. The Kat Krazy remix of her first single from the album “Problem” continues to build and moves to #19.
Two more of last week’s debuts are well on their way. “Somebody Loves You” by Betty Who jumps to #22, while “Ma Radio” by Osvaldo-with-a-boombox-Supino sails to #24.
Four particularly potent debuts arrive on the chart.
There had to be a way for the ever-so-talented Miguel to climb on to my chart, seeing that I arrived so late at Grammy time for his album Kaleidoscope Dream and the Top 20 hit “Adorn”? Well, thanks to Nick of theChart Shaker music blog,“Adorn” does indeed land on my chart, in a startlingly grand remix featuring the glorious Jessie Ware at #21.
While 2013 year end #1 contender “Vocal” sits pretty at #2 again, the second single from Pet Shop Boys’ Electric sees release, and it’s my next favourite on the album, featuring such classic PSB lyrics and imagery, “Love Is A Bourgeois Construct” at #23.
As Parralox’s “Silent Morning” almost ends its run on the chart, another one of the most infectious songs premieres from their choice album of cover versions Recovery. And it’s an odd choice for a cover but it’s done so well! “Headhunter” (#26) was an industrial dance hit for Front 242 back in 1988, and John von Ahlen’s vocal provides a perfectly complimentary and contemporary update.
The collection of electronica and danceable pop on the collection This Beat Is… Poptronik! Volume Two will keep you dancing through to the winter months. One of its best songs that HASNT’ already appeared on my chart is the wistful end of summer tune “I Remember” by Nick Pes which bows at #27. It’s in good company with 7 other performers who are still or have appeared on my chart: FrankMusik (former #1 “Map”), Adam Tyler (#29), Parralox and Ryan Adamés (#30), Kaden (#1) , Osvaldo Supino (#24), Killian Wells (#11), and Tao Hypah.
It’s a new name for the blog and personal chart, but the number one song on the chart looks to remain the same for the next while anyway. Eric Saade & Dev hold at the top with “Hotter Than Fire”, but the 21 year old Swede also has the highest debut in this edition. I love so many of the slamming electropop on Saade Volume Two that it was tough to choose another one… so this will probably be the second in a series of songs to chart from that album. Nonetheless, the most rocking track “Backseat” bows at #11. This song has major international fan appeal. I don’t think it will be the second official single but it shouldn’t be overlooked as one of the best songs on the record.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.
Some songs didn’t appear in my year end Top 75 Songs list because they carried over into the current year. So “Don’t Fuck With My Money” by Penguin Prison gets cozy at #3, while Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans” (Penguin Prison remix preferred) slides into the #5 spot, and “Black Out The Sun” by Darren Hayes lands inside the Top 10 at #8 with “Bloodstained Heart” hanging in at #4. Also new to the Top 10 are the riveting “Make You Mine” by Joe Jonas at #6, fastest riser “Home” by UK soul singer Stone Walters at #10, and “The Stars Are Saying Yes” by Boy Banned at #7. You can listen to the former and watch the latter below. But alas Boy Banned has called it a day, so in the coming weeks you will hear more about the upcoming activities of two of the quartet, Paul (Pob) O’Brien and Ethan Bourne.
The middle of the chart is absolutely crammed with songs vying for the Top 10 by Jon McLaughlin, Joe Jonas (again), Mika, and The Midway State. It’s rather ironic that “Fire!” by The Midway State precedes fast riser “Earthquake” by Lanbrinth featuring Tinie Tempah, which soars 23-16. Other recent tunes by Lady GaGa, Adam Tyler (whose video for “Like A Drug” arrives in a few weeks), and Nelson Clemente all continue to climb.
Four more debuts arrive on the chart. I’ve already blogged about the second entry by Lana Del Rey, whose stunning video for “Born To Die” (#24) arrived a few weeks before the holidays. The gal is one to watch, as she has signed to Interscope for her upcoming album of the same name. Above “Born To Die” is the second single from Marianas Trench’s third album Ever After. I enjoyed first single “Haven’t Had Enough” but other songs prevented it from entering my chart in the Fall. So their second single “Fallout” is that much more unique and is actually the core of the Ever After album. I’m enjoying the album immensely and expect to have a full review of it later in the week. Listen below – an official video for “Fallout” is coming soon!
Frankmusik gave us an enjoyable animated video for “Wrecking Ball”which I blogged about before the holidays, and as “No I.D.” drifts down the chart, “Wrecking Ball” debuts at #26. Just above that, I’ve dug deeper into The Midway State’s Paris Or India album. My impressions of the record keep changing as I listen to it. The group performed “St. Paul & The Wolf” with a local college’s marching band’s members when I saw them in concert on December 17. The song’s storytelling and anthemic sound continues to win me over and arrives at #25. Watch a live clip of the band below performing the song this past summer.
That annual ritual is upon us again. I kicked it off with my previous post “And Visions of 2011 Danced In His Head”, which talked about my favourite 20 performers (and one compilation album) that made 2011 glitter for me. I won’t go into much depth about those performers again, other than those whose songs are in my Top 10. I’ve provided links to some notable videos and/or songs in my list below (click on the relevant song titles), particularly some you may not know, as well as some comments. You can see the web-pretty list using the Best of 2011 list in the sidebar to the right or click right here.
Before we begin, only one performer has more than 4 songs on the list, and that is Simon Curtis, who had my #1 song of 2010 “Beat Drop”. Among 7 entries, he has three duets on the list! Then with four songs is Frankmusik, and with three songs apiece we have Penguin Prison, Elouise, Eric Saade, Ro Danishei, and Kyle Brylin. These are no surprises if you’ve read this blog throughout the year.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin 🙂
BILL’S TOP 75 SONGS OF 2011
75 TILL THE WORLD ENDS Britney Spears
Unlike much of the pop world, I have never much been a fan of Ms Britney. But this year she recorded the best song of her career thus far which kicks off my year end list. In fact one of the very best reasons for expanding my list to 75 songs this year was to include this song. Well done – more like this please! 74 METAPHOR Nick Hagelin
Portland, Oregon duo Amy Paige and Josh Hoertzel make magical melodies together, and “We Don’t Miss A Beat” is their best yet. Watch for more in 2012. 71 ICE MELTS Matt & Kim 70 ANOTHER DIMENSION Bass Robbers featuring Matt Blue 69 NEVER WILL BE MINE Rye Rye featuring Robyn 68 THE CITY (Richard X emix) Patrick Wolf
It was so grand to hear British singer Patrick Wolf full of positive and happy energy with songs like “The City” from his recent album Lupercalia. 67TILL IT HURTS (Radio mix) Native Underground
Native Underground and singer Javi Silva (who gave us last year’s tantalizing “Situation”) are part of a New York City new dance/disco undercurrent. Watch for more from them in 2012, including Javi’s other project Chasing The Ghost. 66 CINEMA Benny Benassi featuring Gary Go 65 FALLING Bright Light Bright Light
BrightLightx2 aka Rod Thomas recorded this free download and unique interpretation of the theme from TV’s “Twin Peaks”, originally sung by Julee Cruise.
64 WHITE HORSE Jessica 6 63 MORE (Red One Jimmy Joker remix) Usher 62 STUPID WITH YOU Eric Saade 61MY FIZZY POP Kyle Brylin 60 THEN I GO TWISTING Erasure 59 ALL YOU NEED IS NOW Duran Duran 58THE LOVER’S RUMBA Elouise
The first of three contemporized ballroom songs to appear in this list from the fantastic Ballroom Remixed compilation from our favourite UK torch song chanteuse.
I must say I was totally enthralled with Chris Brown’s performance of this song on the Grammy Awards – though it was really a lot of special effects that catch your attention more so than the song, you can imagine how much work went into it. But I was totally puzzled that his record company did not promote this song to pop radio, and instead it became a #1 Dance Club Play hit.
Another magnificent Steve Anderson production which turns the song best known as the 80’s hit by Soft Cell into a seductive, smoky, and empowering torchy rendition. 54 ALORS ON DANSE Stromae
52 THE EDGE OF GLORY Lady GaGa 51DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART Agnes 50 SUNLIGHT Bag Raiders featuring Dan Black 49 FAMOUS Audio Playground featuring Kardinal Offishall orRandy Raymond
Canadian dance trio Audio Playground enlisted Kardinal Offishall for this infectious dance song that perked up Canadian radio playlists this Fall.
48 LADY LUCK Jamie Woon 47 ROCKETEER Far East Movement featuring Ryan Tedder 46 BAD DOG Neon Hitch 45 THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL Elouise
From the little belter herself, a live clip of this version of the ABBA hit which shows that Elouise has the goods and you’ll hear much more from her in 2012.
44 SET FIRE TO THE RAIN Adele 43 MOVES LIKE JAGGER Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera 42 MONSTER Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj
I will always listen to Kanye West’s music knowing that he can come up with greatness with the help of such friends… and to me Nicki’s outstanding rap in this song is what helped get her on the map. 41 FAIR WARNING (Dirty Vegas remix) Penguin Prison 40VENOM Long Story Short
Guitarist Matt Webb initially released Cinnamon as a limited free download before appearing on his debut EP Coda and Jacket. It’s one of those perfect summer heartbreak songs that shows another side of this Marianas Trench member. 31 EVERYTHING I’M MISSING Kyle Brylin
As Kyle enters an acoustic phase of his career, his electropop of 2011 leaves its mark especially with this hypnotic song with a video that makes you watch, even reluctantly. And what is it about the eye makeup that helps give this song a bit of a sinister side? 😉
30 SUPERHERO Simon Curtis
Your Superhero arrived in May to stage the arrival of R∆.
The first of two pop/dance confections on this list from the Detroit performer who now goes by the moniker JMSN. Watch for more tricks up Christian Berishaj’s sleeve in 2012. 24 PRISONER OF LOVE Jessica 6 featuring Antony Hegarty
Prisoner of Love is just one of those to-die-for duets that happen once in a while. Hopefully this will be the first of many Nomi Ruiz/Antony Hegarty pairings!
23 BLOODSTAINED HEART Darren Hayes
There are few performers who can convey heartbreak so conscientiously as Darren Hayes. The best song on his Secret Codes & Battleships album is also one of his finest vocal performances. Watch the video all the way through.
22 PUMPED UP KICKS (Skeet Skeet Show remix) Foster The People
It’s very clear from their sold out concerts and their praised performances (even on TV’s Saturday Night Live) that Foster The People is not a one-hit pony. Despite the strange subject matter, the song became one of the defining hits of the summer, but my preference is for the frenetic Skeet Skeet Show remix. 21JACKSONVILLE Brandon Flowers
Held over from 2010, Jacksonville is one of the songs on the deluxe version of Flamingo, an album that could have fared very differently if the excellent deluxe tracks had been the the core of the record. Nonetheless, this is Brandon at his most unique – Jacksonville could have also been kicked up a notch with some dance remixes. 20 DISCO MOMENT Bright Light Bright Light
One of Rod Thomas’ very best songs contains several lyrics that can leave you teary-eyed while you dance: “And I am open, I am open, but I might just close if… /You make it so hard to be around”. The outstanding video will twist your emotions on the spot.
The best song from the Ballroom Remixed compilation is this contemporary jive number, aided immeasurably by the magic fingers of Ben Waters. Jerry Reid, too, is a new bad boy talent to watch in 2012. 18 TALK TO ME Andrea Lewis featuring Simon Curtis
Toronto’s Andrea Lewis has another hold over from 2010 release 54321, with her 60’s retro sounding duet with Simon Curtis. Watch the exclusive performance by these best friends from London below.
Pre-dating the Do It In The AM album by several months, it’s one of the rare tender ballads you will hear from Frankmusik, originally available as a free download. 16 SOMEONE LIKE YOU Adele 15S&M Rihanna
Rihanna was a non-stop music-making machine in 2011, but S&M to me exceeded all expectations and made the music that followed pale in comparison. She was at the top of her game but is now probably due a break for fear of that other industry-eating event, over-exposure. The song also accompanied an interesting cadre of songs with suggestive topic matter, which all ended up in Billboard’s Top 4 on the Hot 100 earlier in year – the others were “Born This Way” by Lady GaGa, “Fuckin’ Perfect” by Pink, and “Tonight (I’m Fuckin’ You)” by Enrique Iglesias 🙂
14 DO IT IN THE A.M. Frankmusik F/ Far East Movement
13 CAN’T HELP MYSELF (KEEP DANCING) Matt Blue
One of 2011’s must-talents to watch is 19 year old Matt Blue, who hails from the Netherlands. Songs like “Can’t Help Myself” transcend the record industry barriers for official release through their videos.
12 LOVE 2 BABY Christian TV
If there was any song that should’ve been a hit in 2011 it was “Love 2 Baby”, dance pop at its best and somewhat hedonistic video to boot. Watch for the artist now known as JMSN in 2012.
11 NO I.D. Frankmusik featuring Colette Carr
One of the most joyous treats of 2011 was watching this completely unexpected video throwback to “Grease”. Frank and Colette have great chemistry together – hopefully they’ll record again.
It was never released as a single *hrumpf* but this love letter to Eric’s fans has some of the best lyrics that pop music could offer in 2011: “My kings and queens /Are speaking through me / Got my degree / In the big P-O-P”.
9 ROLLING IN THE DEEP Adele
Rolling In The Deep is the song that defines 2011 in pop culture. It endured the entire year, became a massive hit beyond expectations, was covered – sometimes magnificently – a gazillion times. More than any other song in the 21 album, it showcases the many broad talents of Adele. Now let’s hope her voice recovers and we hear more magnificence in the next few years.
8 NIGHT AIR Jamie Woon
One of the most mysterious and oddly appealing songs by this new English singer with deep down embedded talents. While the video surely must have had “Twilight” as a source, its quiet is incredibly elegant.
7 THE FEAR INSIDE Frankmusik
The best song from Do It In The AM was Frank’s first single from the album, released about a year ago. Just release yourself to this one.
Penguin Prison held court on my chart at the top of the year for two months with this song, which was made even better when Chris Glover paired it in a stunning mashup with Michael Jackson’s “Workin’ Day And Night”, which you can hear and download in the link in song title.
It lasted from the first time I heard it in a live clip from a January show throughout the year. Laser Guns Up is still my anthem for 2011. And I still want some LEGO laser guns. “This one’s for the people who’ve been told they’re never good enough / The little girls and boys who dream of what they wanna be / The little girls and boys who grow up into you and me”.
4 JUST ONCE Databoy
I had just heard “Stupid” and had not yet charted it before I was introduced to Databoy at the Superfraiche showcase in New York City in April. And that’s where I heard this song. Instantly, it became my song for the upcoming summer, and when it arrived as a free downloadthere was no other competition. I can’t wait for more Databoy music in 2012.
3 WICKED BABY Ro Danishei featuring Simon Curtis
We had to wait till late Summer for this bonus track from the deluxe edition of Ro Danishei’s End of the Rainbow, but the best was saved for last. This is the child of Ace of Base’s The Sign that you’ve all been waiting for, with a stunning dubsteppy breakdown amid another smoking Ro/Simon duet. And I wasn’t the only one who loved it, check outMy Fizzy Pop’s thoughtson the song too!
There was no song more unique in 2011 than this second single from Simon’s R∆ album. Totally different from even the songs within R∆, it’s a tour-de-force of sensual imagery carried by fierce production that will simply throttle you. I still want to see it featured in a segment on TV’s “The Vampire Diaries”: “You put your hand upon my neck and feel the pulse beat-beat-beat-beat /It’s like a trigger getting ready to shoot” and “Hold me up against the wall / Give it till I beg, give me some more /Make me bleed, I like it raw / Like it R∆ R∆ R∆”. 1 POPULAR Eric Saade
“Popular” is the best and most captivating song of 2011 to me, which threw Swedish singer Eric Saade even more into the spotlight when the song won the Melodifestivalen contest and came third in Eurovision. It signalled things to come, with Saade’s Volume One and Volume Two albums dropping before year’s end and giving us the year’s most lighthearted, feel good, crunchy electropop, which hopefully will find its way around the world in 2012. Eric Saade and his team have created the template, the rest of the world needs to catch on. And if you’re a male pop singer, all eyes should be on Eric! Watch the star-making performance from Melodiefestivalen again below.
Well if you’ve been reading this space these past several weeks, then it’s no surprise that Eric Saade & Dev have dethroned Matt Blue’s “Can’t Help Myself” at the top of my personal chart in this edition. “Hotter Than Fire” is a highly appropriate 2011 finale for this chart, since my next one won’t be posted till January 2 or thereabouts. It looks to have a nice long stay at the top, unless either a long-awaited release of another song I love happens, or unless another Eric Saade song catches hold of me like “Hotter” and sails to the top. Watch the spiffy video above; the camera takes great advantage of Eric…
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.
This won’t be a long blog because the rest of the top stays the same, and while both New Yawkers Penguin Prison’s “Don’t Fuck With My Money” and Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans” (in a Penguin Prison remix no less) are on their way to the Top 5, both “Then I Go Twisting” by Erasure and “White Horse” by Jessica 6 sneak into the Top 10 for what look like peak appearances. In the meanwhile, take a gander at the provocative video by Lana Del Rey, “Born To Die”, which is one of the best you will see these days, tragic story and all. Her voice almost has a Rufus Wainwright-like quality to it at times in this song.
Just outside of the Top 10 is another story entirely, for four songs look to storm the Top 10 in two weeks. Keep your eyes on Boy Banned, for “The Stars Are Saying Yes” will getcha when you’re not looking! It climbs 20-11 this week. Right behind is the second entry for Darren Hayes currently on the chart, “Black Out The Sun”. The Fastest Riser on the chart follows, and that’s “Make You Mine”, the big surprise that is within Joe Jonas’ Fastlife album. It soars 24-13. Jon McLaughlin’s “Promising Promises” continues to climb at #14. Rounding out the movers are The Midway State’s “Fire!” at #18, Lady GaGa’s “Marry The Night” which is up to #21, and “Like A Drug” by Adam Tyler jumps 28-24.
I talked about two of the three debuts recently. “Home” by Stone Walters is a stunning but low-key release from the UK soul singer which hits your heart in all of the right places. It’s one to watch and debuts at #20. It’s available for free download right here with an email subscription. “Champagne” by Nelson Clemente is either a great way to end the current year or a great starter for the next year. Its lightheartedness is contagious and premieres at #27. Nelson has already attained a number of Top Tenners on this chart, with “You Want Me Don’t You” (in both its original 2008 release and 2009 Spekr Freks remix) and “90 Days” both cracking the Top 5. Ninthwave Records has made it available as a free download on Soundcloud right here. Lastly, producer/remixer Benny Benassi has made some intoxicating music for the dance floor this year, so he gets a hat-trick of sorts with his remix of Labrinth & Tinie Tempah’s “Earthquake” arriving on my chart at #23. The other two songs to reach the chart? Chris Brown’s “Beautiful People” and Benassi’s “Cinema” (featuring Gary Go) were on the chart concurrently this summer, peaking at #10 and #11 respectively. Listen to his remix of “Earthquake” below. Your body may start moving without you.
A few more tidbits before I wrap up…
Ever the busy guy, Frankmusik recently unveiled a delightful animated video for his Do It In The A.M. track “Wrecking Ball”. Mr. Frank’s full of ideas… watch for more next year. In the meantime, watch “Wrecking Ball” below.
And welcome back, Adam Lambert, though you didn’t seem away for more than a hot second. The most important thing about his upcoming single “Better Than I Know Myself” is that it does away with the dramatic, almost over-the-top high notes of songs like “Whataya Want From Me” in favour of cleaner, richer, and more classic production. But everything you ever liked about Adam is much intact! The new album’s gonna be even better, I think.Listen to “Better Than I Know Myself” streaming from his official website right here.
And I leave you with two more songs for the season. He was Warbler #6 on “Glee” for a time, and recorded a terrific EP about a year ago along with a bang-on cover of George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex”. It’s a pleasure to hear Chris Mann so beautifully sing “Silent Night” below.
Don’t say I didn’t warn you, I said it was coming. Here’s Joshua Desjardins’ heartwarming and humourous video for “Macauley Culkin (Home Alone at Christmas)”. You will have a smile on your face when it’s finished 🙂
It doesn’t happen too often but my top two songs this week are by singers whose first language isn’t English. And currently, both songs are only available in Europe or Scandinavia, something that I hope will be rectified in the future. And they are both success stories in their own right in 2011.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.
We have to go back to almost the start of the year when I first came across cover versions of songs like “DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love” and “What If” by The Netherlands’ Matt Blue. He teased us throughout the summer with a clip of “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”, which continues to have the marks of a smash hit all over it for me. It finally got released in Europe this Fall, and now this talented cancer survivor has claimed the #1 spot on my personal chart. No brain cramping here – just pure joy about getting out and having a good time, and sometimes we simply just need that. Check out the video – again – below 🙂
On a different scale, of course, we have Eric Saade, who has basically took the Nordic countries for his own, courtesy of massive hits “Popular” and “Hearts In The Air” from the Saade Volume One album. Last week, Saade Volume Two arrived with a similar blend of cosmic pop and magnetic electrodance – the harder and spicier the album gets, the better it is. More on that later in the week. In the meantime, the first single “Hotter Than Fire”, featuring Dev, almost beat Mr. Blue to the top, tearing up the chart with a 23-2 move. So it looks like I’ll be listening to a lot more Mr. Saade throughout the month and into the holidays. Given my initial impressions of Volume Two, Eric Saade is poised for international success in 2012. I’m hoping remixes and a crack at the North American market will be in store. If there is any music that I’ve turned to in 2011 for a break away from absolutely everything, it’s the songs from Saade Volume One, and Volume Two is exactly the logical continuation that might have been anticipated! Here’s a live clip of “Hotter Than Fire” from a month ago.
Darren Hayes’ “Bloodstained Heart” still moves up to #3, while “Black Out The Sun” continues its rise up to #16. With already three singles culled from Secret Codes And Battleships, I’m hoping that some other songs from the album might be given a chance, such as the hopeful “Don’t Give Up” or beautiful “Roses”.
The lower half of the Top 10 is party-central! Matt & Kim’s “Block After Block” jumps to #6, with the forceful electropop of Agnes Carlsson’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” right behind at #7. Kyle Brylin’s aggressive technopop of “Never Love A DJ”, along with Penguin Prison’s “Don’t Fuck With My Money”, and chanteuse-of-the-moment Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Jeans” (in a Penguin Prison remix no less) round out the Top 10. Looking to break into the Top 10 in two weeks are “Then I Go Twisting” by Erasure and Jessica 6’s “White Horse”, both worthy of filled dance floors.
While great songs by Joe Jonas, Jon McLaughlin, Mika, The Midway State, and Jeronimo continue to reach new heights on the chart, four songs debut. I can’t rave enough right now about “The Stars Are Saying Yes” by UK quartet Boy Banned. It’s pop at its purest – a fantastic, simple melody, magical lyrics, and vocals to die for. The song bows at #20 and is available on iTunes. Here’s the absolutely charming video, again.
At #24, I go two songs deep into Joe Jonas’ Fastlife album – and if you asked me if that would happen six months ago I would have stared at you with a strange expression. While I was interested in the Jonas project, I had no idea how good it was, especially after the drab first two singles. For me, the killer on the album is “Make You Mine”, which has a vocal performance by Joe unlike anything you could have imagined. The song has a warm lyric and seems to be a distant cousin of a song like “Rock with You” by Michael Jackson. Look for this one to take off on the chart in the coming weeks. Listen below for yourself! 🙂
Despite all the hoopla about the video, as well as its many excesses, which you can watch below, “Marry The Night” is one of the very best songs from Born This Way, and its timely release as a single is good enough reason for it to arrive on my chart at #27. The Lady is everywhere these days, and I try not to get too overexposed to her for fear I will not enjoy her music as much. Anyone else feel that way?
The last new entry on the chart is the upcoming second single from Shattered Ice, the debut album by Adam Tyler. “Pull The Trigger”, my second favourite song on the album next to previous Top Fiver “I Won’t Let You Go”, just dipped out of the Top 10, leaving room for me to now add “Like A Drug” to the mix at #28. I can’t wait to see the video, which looks like it has some massive choreography in store for us. However I do need you to backtrack to the Shattered Ice album. It’s been a mainstay on my playlist since its release in August. And despite some of my initial quibbles about too much production, the album is many songs deep past these three. “Music Freak” has become a little bit of a personal anthem, and I savour Adam’s less produced voice on the acoustic version of “I Won’t Let You Go” and the ‘orchestral’ version of “Emergency”. Get it on iTunes and listen to “Like A Drug” below.
Bubbling below the chart we have some festive songs for the holidays, whether they be for Christmas or otherwise.
There are no better bubbles to drink than those of “Champagne”, and we have this new effervescent single courtesy of Australian singer Nelson Clemente, about whom you have read about many times in these pages. This is a splendid change of pace for Nelson, whose songs are often wrapped up in intense emotion and mystery. That he recorded someone else’s song this time just ups the ante for Nelson who has this modest kind of talent that people would kill for. Listen to a taste (?) of “Champagne” below and purchase it on iTunes. Nelson also this week officially releases his previously free EP Love.Feel.Dangerous (which contains “90 Days”, which you can hear below, and “No Protection”, which have both appeared in my chart) – be sure to get it on Amazon among other places.
“90 Days” by Nelson Clemente
New Yorker Joshua Desjardins gets around. First he’s writing a song for (and about) dream choreographer Melanie LaPatin on her Ballroom Remixed comp, then he’s man about the comic store during the summer in “I’m A Nerd”. He’s been performing a show in theatre district called “Joshing Around NYC”, and still has had time for a song highly appropriate for the season. Sure to put a smile on your face, give a listen to “Macauley Culkin (Home Alone at Christmas)” below. Then go watch the “Home Alone” series while the movies pop up on TV. Then listen again. Happy? Video to come! Buy it on iTunes.
The final Christmas song on Elouise’s latest EP Santa’s Little Belter is yet again another bang-on version of a recent classic. Darlene Love originally sang “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” for Phil Spector’s seminal Christmas album A Christmas Gift for You. Listen to a clip below and purchase Santa’s Little Belter on iTunes. Watch for more fantastic music from Elouise in 2012!
Lastly, we have a beauty of a holiday original from American singer/pianist/songwriter Gavin Mikhail, who has given us some lovely renditions of other songs this year. This gentle holiday treat is called “Evergreen” and it’s matched with a delightful animated video that perfectly captures the song’s essence. Buy it on iTunes and be dazzled by the video below.
Only two more personal charts to go in 2011, and my year end list is in the works. Years ago this list was of 100 songs, then it got whittled to 75, then to 40, and then back up to 50. There has been so much great music this year – and so many songs that didn’t end up on my chart – that I may increase the list again. We’ll see, gotta save some surprises for you!
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.
So the top of the chart remains static, but that’s not a bad thing by any stretch. Frankmusik and Colette Carr get another chart at the top with one of the glorious songs of 2011, “No I.D.”. I’m still waiting for that release of “Memorize Me” by Rune RK & Databoy to happen… all good things in time… meanwhile the song holds at #3. Trust me it will be MASSIVE, andyou can listen to it right here. “Bloodstained Heart” by Darren Hayes anchors Secret Codes And Battleships at #4, while “Pull The Trigger” by Adam Tyler becomes the singer’s third Top 5 entry on my chart.
While this song is in full electronica mode, Adam occasionally dips into more minimalist settings from time to time, and – hot off the presses – posted an extremely well done acoustic version of “Turning Tables” by Adele today that truly shows off his voice. You remember his cover of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” from a while back? “Turning Tables” matches it.Listen right hereand watch for a video of it soon.
The rest of the Top 10 continues to be busy as “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)” by The Netherlands’ Matt Blue should find its way into the Top 5 in two weeks. It’s followed directly by Audio Playground’s Canada-wide hit “Famous” at #7, the party-itis of “Block After Block” by Matt & Kim at #8 (note that these Brooklyn faves are playing New York City for New Year’s Eve), and the powerful Eurodance of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Agnes at #9.
There’s plenty of competition for Top 10 entries next time with indie guys Kyle Brylin and Nick Hagelin sitting at #11 and 12, while rising starlet (and somewhat of a Stevie Nicks soundalike in spots, doncha think?) Lana Del Rey climbs to #13 with “Blue Jeans”. Kyle’s new and humorous video for “That Bad” is video #1 at the bottom of this paragraph. Adam Cohen’s “What Other Guy” moves to #14 as he winds down a tour of Europe, Israel, and the UK, and his new video for “Like A Man” (a simple but powerful idea full of great faces too) is video #2 below this paragraph. Penguin Prison is the Fastest Riser with “Don’t Fuck With My Money” soaring 22-15. Make of it what you will, but the official video for “Money” is set smack in the middle of the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations – watch it as video #3 below this paragraph. Also continuing their rise are the highly danceable “White Horse” by Jessica 6 at #16, and “Then I Go Twisting” by Erasure at #17.
Ahead of the debuts, we find the remainder of last week’s newbies off to a good start. Fastlife by Joe Jonas is a great album to crank up in your car on a sunny day with its brushes with electropop. But “Just In Love”, a soulful ballad, is a dazzling alternative that rises to #20. Jon McLaughlin’s “Promising Promises” is the song to hear on his Forever If Ever release, and it’s up to #21. Then Darren Hayes’ sad but compelling “Black Out The Sun” moves up to #22, and Jeronimo’s winning “Somebody Who Loves Me”, a Top 40 hit in the Netherlands, jumps to #25.
The three debuts are no surprise, as I’ve written about all of them. The album I’m currently waiting for, at least for another 9 days or so, is Saade Volume Two by Eric Saade. His duet with Dev on “Hotter Than Fire” simply sizzles as it lands at #23 for a starting point. Mika is currently wrapping up recording for his upcoming album The Origin Of Love, and he threw a free concert in L.A. to conclude his time there. I blogged about his French song “Elle me dit” back in June, but better late than never, this French singalong with a fantastic video (below – only the French could make this one, with a great set of character actors) is at #24. Then at #26 is Toronto quartet The Midway State, who are touring the heck out of their second album Paris Or India and the second single from it “Fire!”. I’m hoping to catch them in Toronto in December for a show (I saw them last in 2009) as I have not been able to catch the band while they’ve been in town. The video for “Fire!” (also below) is a terrific showcase for a concert performance by the band.
I’ll finish up with two more new songs. UK chanteuse Elouise has transformed her “Little Belter” shows in London into something festive for the season called “Santa’s Little Belter”. She’s released a new EP of the same name, available on iTunes, and I hope to show off the other songs to you over the next while. For now, here’s a taste of her warmly gorgeous redux of Judy Garland’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” to get you in the Christmas spirit.
And don’t say you weren’t warned, if you are suddenly charmed, boy-band style, or rather Boy Banned-style. The quartet has been acquiring quite a following in the UK, and if there’s a song to seal the deal on drawing in more fans it’s “The Stars Are Saying Yes”. This is when you kind of wish that North American radio wasn’t so limited and would just get back to playing good ol’ songs like this. Even better: The iTunes single features an acapella version! Enjoy 🙂
My new personal chart in this edition is fairly peripatetic, with songs moving here, moving there… nothing is static this time around. Plus, there are five debuts on the chart, and I’ll have some even newer songs to discuss afterwords.
You can view the full chart using the link under ***BILL’S PERSONAL CHART*** to the right, or you can clickright here. You can hear all of the songs on the chart or watch their videos by clicking on the pics on the chart page.
Don’t let the lone chart topping appearance by Simon Curtis’ “Laser Guns Up” deceive you – it is one of my very favourite songs of 2011. But on this chart it concedes to the hot and charming duet by Frankmusik and Colette Carr on “No I.D.” It’s Mr. Frank’s second number one song of the year – the first was the underrated “The Fear Inside”. And Frankmusik’s own “Do It In The A.M.” pairing with Far East Movement only got to #2 because it was bested by Simon’s immovable “Flesh” at the time. Ah, such a great year for music 🙂
Simmering right below, and awaiting a delayed release later this month, is Rune RK & Databoy’s “Memorize Me”, which is definitely weaving an aural spell over me as it notches up to #3. And the more I listen to Secret Codes And Battleships by Darren Hayes, the more I appreciate the sentiment and grandiose arrangement that accompanies “Bloodstained Heart”, which is the fastest riser on the chart, soaring 11-4.
Waiting at bay not far behind are a few songs that may find their way to the Top 5, “Pull The Trigger” by Adam Tyler, Penguin Prison’s “Fair Warning”, and Top 10 newbies (and really positive upbeat dance tunes) “Famous” by Audio Playground & Kardinal Offishall (or Randy Raymond enfrançais –watch for other versions coming soon in more languages!) and young Dutch singer Matt Blue’s “Can’t Help Myself (Keep Dancing)”.
The exhilarating “Block After Block” by Matt And Kim, the dance-fantastic “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” by Agnes, and the silky-smoky “Metaphor” by Atlanta-based Nick Hagelin all reside just outside of the Top 10. Further down, the activity continues from rising stars by Kyle Brylin, Adam Cohen, and Lana Del Rey, whose UK A-side to “Blue Jeans”, “Video Games”, is just shy of the Top 10 in that country. Other debuts from last time, “White Horse” by Jessica 6 and Erasure’s “Then I Go Twisting”, look to gain pace in the coming weeks.
The five chart debuts should be no surprise because I’ve already spoken about them in previous weeks. As I’ve also mentioned previously, I’m enjoying the wealth of a sudden spurt of great songs from very good if not excellent full album releases.
The opening song to the self-titled album by Penguin Prison is the blunt, fun, highly danceable and almost anthemic “Don’t Fuck With My Money”, which bows at #22 in advance of a forthcoming video (a live clip is at the top of this blog). Fastlife by Joe Jonas keeps sounding better each time I play it – even if you never cared for Jonas Brothers songs, Joe’s recordings within should change your opinion. A good start is the original version of “Just In Love”, which arrives at #24. A clip from the “Ellen” show is right below.
I caught Jon McLaughlin’s show when he was in my city last week, and boy can he ever hammer that piano in true rock style. And my favourite song from his new album Forever If Ever (which you can buy at his shows) sounded just terrific – that’s “Promising Promises”, with a stunning piano solo midway, which debuts at #25. Check out a clip from that show of Jon playing “Industry” below this paragraph. I knew it would happen eventually, but Darren Hayes’ other single (just not in Australia) from Secret Codes, “Black Out The Sun”, breaks through and lands at #27. Lastly, Brazil-born Dutch singer Jeronimo has the makings of an international hit with the thoughtful ballad “Somebody Who Loves Me”. The song (currently only available in Europe, alas) has crashed into the Dutch Top 40 and premieres on my chart at #28.
“Hotel” and “Alone” by JMSN
You’ve gotta give pop singer Christian Berishaj credit for tenacity. The Detroit-bred songwriter and producer released three shockingly infectious dance pop songs in the last year – you know “When She Turns 18”, “I’m In Love”, and (my favourite) “Love 2 Baby” from these pages – but has now broke away from his Christian TV identity to focus on his music independently as JMSN. In enigmatic style, he’s posted two languid and beautifully sung singles, “Hotel” and “Alone”, both for free. But each song has been accompanied by mysterious, sometimes disturbing videos, so Christian is obviously is trying to tap into our other sensibilities. Fortunately each video is compelling enough to make you want to know what’s going to happen next, so… keep watching for more videos (and clues). Think David Lynch movies meet “Memento” and you might get a bit of the drift, but I could be wrong. Watch the videos for “Hotel” and “Alone” below anddownload the songs for free right here.
“Hotel” by JMSN
“Alone” by JMSN
“Someone Like You” by Gavin Mikhail and “Someone Like You” by Austin Leadley
Adele’s “Someone Like You” has long been one of the reasons why I love her 21 album, and despite its current overplay status, it’s fantastic that I’ve come across two really strong takes on the song. I’ve been touting Gavin Mikhail, another piano guy, for some time now, and he’s slowed down the pace for “Someone”, stretching it out over 6 minutes to offer his beautiful interpretation. And my fellow Canadian, Austen Leadley, whose rendition of Katy Perry’s “Firework” I brought to your attention this past summer, has his admirable but more pop-oriented version of the song to hear as well. I think you’ll be equally pleased with either version – enjoy!
“Someone Like You” by Gavin Mikhail
“Someone Like You” by Austen Leadley
“Fire!” by The Midway State
Following the more laid back, peaceful style of first single “Atlantic”, The Midway State have launched their second single from Paris Or India called “Fire!” amid regular touring. This rocking video and song perfectly captures the in-concert essence of the talented quartet. Watch below.
“When I Think About Sex” by Osvaldo Supino
Rising 26 year old Italian singer Osvaldo Supino, has graced us with a few saucy and amusing songs over the past few years. But he’s reached for something entirely obvious this time – after all, just when do you think about sex? And thus we have the makings of a song that could find favour in dance clubs internationally, but without the sometimes dreaded curse of being too campy for its own good. So listen along and shake those hips, there’s a really good song here with a lot of truth within its words, so do have fun with it. Click on the pic to hear it below.
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