Under Cover: “The One” by @iamJMSN

JMSN, “The One”

L.A. based singer JMSN once again gives us plenty of food for thought in his second video from the EP †Pllajë† called “The One”.  Seemingly cryptic and obscure, I think a message behind “The One” might boil down to something relatively simple:  Don’t forget to look deep underneath the outside to find out what’s on the inside.  In this case, we certainly have sensuality and beauty, but in other cases it may not be what you think.  Vocals-wise, although he doesn’t appear much, we do get to hear a gorgeous JMSN falsetto after the 2 minute mark, which anchors the song.  Ever thoughtful and challenging, that’s why I’ve been enjoying JMSN’s music since 2012’s †Priscilla†.

BILLCS Top 30 #422 – January 13/14

There’s a limited amount of big movement on my new personal chart, as one might expect for the first chart of January.  The next few weeks will bring plenty of new songs for 2014 as last year’s faves exit the chart.

  • It looks like our Top 2 songs might give way to new ones, but “An Open Heart” by Bright Light Bright Light has had 4 appearances at the top and “What’s Going On” by Monsieur Adi featuring A*M*E has held runner up for 5 appearances, which are stories unto themselves 🙂
  • The big news in the Top 10 belongs (surprise, surprise) to Travis Garland!  Two of the sexiest songs on his self-titled debut are moving up, first at #3 with the album track “Easy” (above), which could slide up to #1 – or could “Motel Pool” (below) do that instead, soaring 22-9 in its second appearance?  You can’t lose with either song!
  • One of the songs I’ve enjoyed most over the winter break and beyond is “Every Single Moment” by SIRPAUL, which advances 5-4.  Gets cranked in the car every time 🙂
  • “Animals” by Martin Garrix is a huge surprise, and should by all rights be a top pop hit around the world and not just in Europe.  It moves up 6-5.
  • UK singer Eurielle has big things coming for 2014, the start of which is her 3 song EP The Incarnation, featuring the stunning “Gold”, rising 7-6.
  • “Breathe Me” is Carlos Nóbrega’s poignant take on the Sia song, and it jumps 10-7 and looks to be Top 5 bound 🙂
  • Rounding out the risers within the Top 10 is another sad and beautifully sung tune, Jarell Perry’s “4th of July” (below), still available as a free download.
  • The rest of the chart finds several recent additions caught in the middle, waiting for other songs to fall.  The fastest risers of the bunch belong to Bright Light Bright Light’s “In My Care” (16-13), “Come A Little Closer” by Cage The Elephant (23-20) (below), and Své’s alt.pop beauty “Talking To The Walls” (28-25).   And the “Glee”/Adam Lambert version of “Marry The Night” climbs to #11, one spot higher than Lady GaGa’s original – but does that make it better? Maybe!
  • Our first of three newcomers arrived almost exactly two weeks ago as a free download, which made it to the chart blog post as an ‘extra’.  Well Neverest’s anthemic and danceable “Take Cover” bows at #21 – can it get to #1 like last year’s “Rewind”?  Watch the performance video above to give you a taste of the impact of a Neverest show 🙂

  • Next up at #22 is what could be the “It Guy” of early 2014 😉  Jake Miller has a certain kind of charm with his mix of pop and rap that is definitely turning heads with his debut album Us Against Them.  “Collide” is the lead single and it’s simply a winner to which North American radio is warming up.
  • The song really didn’t need minions to become a hit, but certainly having two non-consecutive weeks at the top in the UK has helped it immensely.  “Happy” (from the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack) also happens to be by Pharrell Williams who is more than everywhere than he’s ever been (if you follow that 😛 ).  It arrives on my chart at #27.

Listen to the songs or watch the videos using the links on the pictures on the pretty and detailed web edition of my chart.

01 01 AN OPEN HEART Bright Light Bright Light
02 02 WHAT’S GOING ON Monsieur Adi featuring A*M*E
04 03 EASY Travis Garland
05 04 EVERY SINGLE MOMENT   SIRPAUL
06 05 ANIMALS Martin Garrix
07 06 GOLD Eurielle
10 07 BREATHE ME Carlos Nóbrega
03 08 CAN’T HOLD BACK Anton Ewald
22 09 MOTEL POOL Travis Garland
12 10 4TH OF JULY Jarell Perry
13 11 MARRY THE NIGHT Glee Cast featuring Adam Lambert
09 12 DO I HAVE TO DANCE Simon Curtis
16 13 IN YOUR CARE Bright Light Bright Light
15 14 DO WHAT U WANT Lady Gaga featuring R. Kelly
17 15 ROLLERCOASTER Corey Niles featuring Dru
18 16 KEEP ME RUNNING Andy Suzuki & The Method
19 17 I CAN’T HELP IT Dangerous Muse
21 18 MANiCURE Lady Gaga
08 19 I HAVE A NAME Osvaldo Supino
23 20 COME A LITTLE CLOSER Cage The Elephant
New 21 TAKE COVER Neverest
New 22 COLLIDE Jake Miller
11 23 WE CAN’T STOP SUMMERTIME SADNESS   DATABOY
14 24 JULIET Lawson 
28 25 TALKING TO THE WALLS Své
20 26 BERLIN WALL Simon Curtis
New 27 HAPPY Pharrell Williams
25 28 ADORN Miguel featuring Jessie Ware
27 29 IMPOSSIBLE Ryan Star
29 30 HEADHUNTER Parralox 

Be Moved by @CaseyStratton’s “Grace”

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CASEY STRATTON, “Grace”

You can’t help but be moved by the feel-good determination of the lyrics and the sweeping and uplifting melody of Casey Stratton’s “Grace”.  The song, originally featured on Casey’s Sea Into Sky album from last year, now has its own generous 7 song EP on release.  A simple, well-defined video (below), set in a Grand Rapids, Michigan church, is a fine showcase for Casey to accompany the song.  “Grace” is long at 6:18 but do stick with it to enjoy all of the lyrics sung by Casey’s far-reaching voice as the melody soars to display all of its power.  You can buy the Grace EP at Casey’s store right here.

Invigorating the Dancefloor: @Showtekmusic & @JustinPrime featuring @MatthewKoma with “Cannonball (Earthquake)”

SHOWTEK & JUSTIN PRIME featuring MATTHEW KOMA, “Cannonball (Earthquake)”

Dutch DJ/Producer brothers Showtek (Wouter and Sjoerd Janssen) and Justin Prime shook up dancefloors in Europe with their instrumental “Cannonball” back in 2012.  What better way to remarket the song than with stunning vocals by Matthew Koma as “Cannonball (Earthquake)”, particularly as “Dare You”, Matthew’s collaboration with Hardwell (which I wrote about earlier), has landed in the UK Top 20 Singles this week!  The rework packs a magic three-tiered punch – amazing slamming house rhythms, lyrics, and Matthew’s voice – which should send clubs around the world into a tizzy.  Watch the lyric video above.  Here’s hoping it sees North American release soon.

Classic New Pop from @Harrietsmusic with “Afterglow”

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HARRIET, “Afterglow”

The raves are pouring in, and you can count me among the believers of new singer Harriet based on this one gorgeous song “Afterglow”.  For she is another protégé of the magnificent Steve Anderson (Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Elouise), and they have co-written this song, which is a star-maker for sure.  What will strike you initially is a Karen Carpenter-like resonance to her voice, whether intended or not, which sounds fresh in 2014.  But the song itself builds and takes you away from that likeness, and before you know it you can visualize Harriet singing “Afterglow” as if it was a solo number in a Broadway play.  Elegant and electrifying, “Afterglow” is definitely one of the best new songs out of the gate in 2014 and Harriet looks to have a bright year ahead.

Listen to “Afterglow” right here.

Fine New Voices: @UnionJWorld with “Loving You Is Easy”

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UNION J, “Loving You Is Easy”

There’s often so many boy bands to choose from, but the ones that always rise to the top are those with fine, fine voices and the songs to go with them.  So UK quartet Union J scores with “Loving You Is Easy”, and it’s the range of vocal talent between Jaymi, JJ, Josh, and George that set them apart from One Direction, The Wanted, and others.  “Loving You Is Easy” is instantly memorable and could score internationally – but right now their self-titled album isn’t even released in North America; only their first two singles and this video are available for purchase on iTunes.  Union J have already attracted quite a following, having signed a major label deal with RCA after placing fourth in season 9 of X Factor, and their website is a teen fan mag fan’s dream.  The video is a little clichéd – all that bloody water 😉 – but give it a watch below.

Quiet Power Works: Bullying Is the Theme of “Defined” by @RonanParke

RONAN PARKE, “Defined”

I just had a feeling after watching the preview for “Defined” last month that there is something big brewing very quietly here.  “Defined” is a beautiful and powerful song sung by 15 year old UK singer Ronan Parke, whose British audiences will know from appearing as an outstanding 12 year old contestant on X Factor.  Ronan has developed into quite a vocalist – I can picture him performing smoky cabaret as an adult, but that’s for another conversation.  His assured vocal blends so well with the storyboard about bullying, and definitely hits every emotional peg possible without being maudlin.  “Defined” also has the bonus of a co-writer in pop/R&B singer Pierre Lewis, who is well known to readers of this blog.  The video was made in conjunction with Kidscape, which is a charity that prevents bullying and protects children.  “Defined” is such a winner!!  Get it on iTunes.

The Future’s Gleaming for @JakeMiller with “Collide”

JAKE MILLER, “Collide”

If there’s anything right about the pop world right now, then Jake Miller’s “Collide” will be a chart hit.  The 20 year old Florida native effortlessly combines rap flavour with a bright and big pop sound that just begs attention.  The singer himself has a laid back, fun presence in the accompanying video, and refers to his fans as the “Millertary”.  “Collide” – which appears to be mainly about kissing, ain’t nuthin’ wrong about that 🙂 – is taken from Jake’s album Us Against Them which is available on iTunes.  Jake announced today that he’s moving to L.A. on January 22, and then playing a show with Tori Kelly and Fifth Harmony there the next day.  L.A. watch out!  Thank you David J for the endorsement!!

Keep Tissues At Hand for “Goodbye” by @OsvaldoSupino

OSVALDO SUPINO, “Goodbye”

The bottom has yet to fall out of Osvaldo Supino’s recent album Exposed.  Last year we had “I Have A Name” and “Ma Radio”, two very different and enjoyable songs which reached #5 and #11 on my personal chart respectively.  Now we have “Goodbye”, and you best be ready for some wet eyes.  Regardless of your orientation, this song and video is about a dashed dream, and with each frame of the video you can feel the weight of what’s coming.  The point of reference in my head that keeps popping up is the ending of the Woody Allen film “The Purple Rose of Cairo”.  It’s crushing.  Leading to the inevitable finale, you can enjoy Osvaldo’s poignant and spot-on vocal.

Meet New Canadian Singer @KendalThompson – “It’s Time” and “Love”

KENDAL THOMPSON, “It’s Time” and “Love” (videos)

Alliston, Ontario native Kendal Thompson has one of those ages-old sometimes bluesy voices that can flip into any musical style she chooses.  So it’s not surprising that her voice can sound like Jewel, Lauryn Hill, or Amy Winehouse, depending on the song.  “It’s Time” and “Love” are both originals, and you can hear the care and emotion that has gone into the writing as well as performance.  You can find both songs on iTunes.  Kendal is also an apt interpreter – my choice would be her cover of Jessie Ware’s “Wildest Moments”.  Watch the performance video of  “Love” (above) and the lyric video of “It’s Time” (below) to hear what I’m talking about.  She is rumoured to have a wicked live set, and if you’re in Toronto tomorrow night (January 7) you can catch her show at The Painted Lady at Ossington and Dundas West.