Showing posts with label cover. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cover. Show all posts
LENE ALEXANDRA-EXCLUSIVE LEGAL DOWNLOAD!
WOW! There is so much pop I wanna talk about at the moment. Its making me all wheezy. Originally I wanted to feature some another act but then this landed on my popdesk (that exists in my mind!-i don't I have a popdesk). But I wish I did! Suddenly Lene pipped the post and took priority. Her album, "Welcome to Sillycone Valley" is a wonderful pop album of Norwegian wit & comes with the cult singles "My Boobs Are Okay" and "Hot Boy Hot Girl".
It contains glorious pop songs like "Catfight" that essentially puts the girlpower legends Spice Girls and Shampoo to shame! Lene channels her inner Eminem and comes up with the wonderful line "better step off-i am about to let go-breaka couple of nails-pull the weave out ya dome". Dome=head. Don't you see? Its dreamy! Then comes the schlager pop electrolush track "Sugar Daddy" dedicated to the story of, say ooh Anna Nicole-Smith? Imagine her life-story put to the brilliant disco beats of Kylie's best pop moments. Again, let me direct you to the lyrics of the bridge: "sometimes he's away because of his business trips-and then i miss, miss miss miss-but i am so lucky to have a pool boy to kiss kiss kiss to-[insert sound of poolboy groaning]".
Yes. Its high camp but its distinctly tongue-in-cheek and deeply ironic. It also paints a picture of society. As such, its a highly intellectual piece of pop music. You can totally see why I just had to allow Lene take priority position. A part of me wishes she could be the next President of Europe. Or simply enter Lene next year? We should all enter Lene! She'd love it. For Eurovision '08. Bring Lene to the UK now!
Anyway, next on the Cd is the her glorious cover of the girlband classic "Nasty Girl". The Vanity6 monster anthem was recently covered by Inaya Day but Lene's version completely out-nastifies all versions in existence. She wants her inches and she aint too shy to proclaim her size-queen lust. People of Dontstopthepop, buy this album! Its brilliant! Her "Sexy Wonderland" takes you back to Ace of Base's brilliant ode to Motown "Always Have, Always Will" while "I'm Just A Tease" evokes Britney back when she was still drinking her soda pop. Except the fun only starts when she "shakes [her] tit-tit-tities".
So today, Dontstopthepop is very proud to feature Lene and her brilliant "Sexy, Naughty, Bitchy Me" which is available on this site as an exclusive legal download. Yes! Its all legal+with full permission. So, go show your thanks, love and help Lene buy some more Cavalli handbags & buy the album. You can buy it here (through CDon) AND here (where you can also hear it!!).
I.N.G Lucky Star or 外太空到地心 你就是
Why is it that song's dedicated to the concept of being lucky, whether it be in the infinitive or about the article, are always absolutely catchy. Evidence? Kylie's infamous I Should Be So Lucky, Britney's dedication to the fallen star in Lucky, Madonna 1980's electro monster Lucky Star, Clea's Lucky Like That and of course Lucky Twice's Spanish hit single Lucky. Well with Lucky Star the girlband I.N.G released one of the finest pop songs released in the "Central Kingdom"-this is the literal meaning of the China! And, with so many European acts on DSTP I thought it would be good to venture east. Indeed, DontStopthePop was always about pop acts from all corners of the world and its shocking that its never featured an act from Taiwan. Please please forgive me. The video includes tutus, some great dancing, planets and a skipping rope. I love it
Ok so, I.N.G are a girlband (Duh!). They consist of Ida, Nara and Gillian. As you can see the idea of taking the first initial to make the bandname deserves its own little footnote in the grand encyclopedia of girlbands (see R.a.e.n, T.e.a.r.s, Clea, N.K.D). Right so I.N.G started off well. Their hit single Lucky Star is an Über (yeah-people, I used the umlaut!) pop song and it has become an anthem amongst many Taiwanese teenagers. The album it came from didn't do so well even if it featured a Chinese version of Ilarie. However the Chinese pop scene is a hugely crowded place and I.N.G often faced major criticism for they were too similar to the huge Chinese supergirlband S.H.E. The knocks were bound to come but I think they're still together and are readying themselves to release another album.
Much has been made of the growing political power of China and I think you hear it in this song! What?! Yes! Hear me out. Ok Lucky Star is a cover-its written by a Swedish team. It came out a year or two beforehand in the UK and Europe as Karma Club. Their version is a bit mediocre. For sure its in English but it lacks any sparkle. Theres no bounce to the original. She - the singer - could be reading out the bus timetable for all it mattered. The singer on the original Lucky Star was probably thinking whether she'd left the kettle on back at home when she recorded her vocals for the song. The production is monotonous and even the production lacks something. The vocoders don't do anything and sound like a last-ditch effort to save the song. (NB: Seeing as this place isn't about negatives the remixes for the Karma Club version are absolutely amazing. In the delightfully named "Spank@TheOysterBar Mix" they use the exact melody of the Fever Tour version of Come Into My World performed by Kylie and mash that up with Donna Summers I Feel Love to produce a chilling and rather epic dance track of the sorts I've not heard in yonks).
But back to Taipei! So a year later and I.N.G come in and mutate the mere b-side of a song to pop brilliance. They've added some amazing sitars, the vocals are poptastic and in the backtrack I am sure I can actually hear bubbles. Its not in English but you sing along nevertheless. That, my friends, is the strength of a song I guess. But it just goes to show that occasionally production and writing great pop songs isn't always necessary about the writers or the studio behind the song itself. The act, the context and the background of the Chinese track also adds something-an X factor perhaps? People often say that its the production team and its writers that make the pop song go pop. Well in this case its not so. I.N.G slap the hell out of the original to expose one of the finest songs of 2006. It is this reason why I feel Lucky Star represents something brilliant and the political future of China. To be sure, its a rough metaphor but i think it kinda works. Simply put-something European simply wasn't as good as a pop product with the stamp 'made in China' marked all over it.
PANDORA Finally releases On A Night Like This
Today is a quick update! So many things are happening at the moment but what stopped me in my tracks (which are mostly Ninja, Ola and PayTV at the moment) was the news that Pandora of Sweden was finally releasing her version of On A Night Like This. Like, Oh my Pop-days! Go to her Myspace to check the sublime piece of pop wonderfulness for yourselves. As such, I just had to write something on the release today. I just had to!
She was of course the original singer of the song which ended up being swiped by Anna Vissi and became a huge hit for Kylie. Well some seven years later, Pandora is releasing On A Night Like This but has drafted in United DJ's who were behind Pandora's huge European single Trust Me which is still in charts in Sweden nearly a year since its release! They've made the song all dramatic, throbbing and, with the new vocals, I sense a winter Ibiza smash will be its utter destiny. I love Pandora. She knows her pop, belts out On A Night Like This and totally re-owns the song. Diva pop at its finest!
José Galisteo-I Promised Myself-The Video!!!!
It would seem the likes of Magnus Carlsson and Andreas Lundstedt have a much cuter rival in the their midst as...and its a relief to know that he's Spanish and not Swedish. Its the wonderful Jose Galisteo. DontStopthePop featured the yumyum pop star all the way back in May and now the singer has finally launched himself properly. With the backing of Vale Music (the same company that launched LuckyTwice, Merche, Bea Bronchal & Natalia) Mr.Galisteo has finally released his first proper single which just happens to a poptastic cover of the Nick Kamen classic.
The video itself is simple, sweet and very much the sort of campness I've come to adore about Spain. I personally love Jose in January but that might just because I was born in this month. His September also reveals Jose as a excellent Harry Potter! Those socks! Anyway, click this link to see behind the scenes and a rather cute interview where the two boys outrageously flirt with each other and giggle about churros! Just check out the body language between them-they love each other!
His album features a collection of gay poptastic disco greats including Don't Leave Me This Way, Enola Gay, Big In Japan, Please Don't Go, and Relight My Fire. He's even covered PWL's classic song Together Forever and What Is Love by Haddaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET THIS ALBUM NOW! Then there's Jose's very special song Running In The Family (originally by Level 42) w which suddenly evolves into a story about being gay and how his family loved him no matter what. In other words if you thought Måns Zelmerlöw, Darren Hayes, Simon Curtis and the aforementioned Swedish singers had it sealed as releasing the most poptastic pop album by a male singer this year Mr.Galisteo and his L.P Remember has just raised the bar and perhaps pipped them at the post!
Yes its covers but you can never beat the classics and/or his wonderful English accent. There's a certain warmth to the music and singing of Jose Galisteo that the polished and sheek pop albums put out by Swedish and Anglo-American male stars completely lacks. Not that I am saying these singers are bad or anything but my heart does a little flutter when Jose flitters his handkerchief to mirror the electric strings in the video for I Promise Myself. I think the video simply reminds us that pop can also be absolutely fun and Jose has done that with stunning effect whether it be him dressed up as a club queen, tennis player or dance partner to the Queen Marie Antoinette at the Palace of Versailles during the 1700's! Just wonderful!
SHINE 4 In Your House-THE MOST AMAZING THING YOU'LL HEAR*
*Perhaps this week!
Ok, I have just returned from Germany but I thought I'd update the blog with little gem tonight. Seeing as I discovered so much pop while in Germany I am still trying to make sense of it all. I bought over 16 Cd's so it will take time to work through it all. Ok so going back Shine 4! This girlband will appear on DSTP again but for now I am turning to a Shine 4 retro classic of theirs from their first album simply titled Begin. After DSTP announced Shine 4 to the rest of blogWorld, the girls have made quite an impact and have even appeared on PopJustice! Behind all the shimmer there is a real talent and you'll hear that in this song available tonight. Its a cover of the Alanis Morrisette hidden track from Jagged Little Pill. But, Shine 4 improve on the original (as they tend to) and morph the acoustic original to a stunning epic pop song. I highly recommend this & the album it came from....This song has everything. Sometimes it sounds like Carola, Enya and Annie Lennox got drunk with Sinaed O'Conner and started ranting about the men that did them wrong. Pure operatic bliss!
Buy Shine 4 here
WIR-3 Heyah Mama-WARNING!-GLOBAL SUMMER HIT ALERT!!
Heyah Mama has the potential to be this years Las Ketchup so learn the lyrics now and you can be prepared! Wir3 are a girl-group from Germany and they've just released what could be the summer hit of 2007. Its actually already been hit (but for their big sister band-but more them later) and is expected to squeeze its way in Spain, France and German-speaking countries of Europe. A full blown tour has already been penciled in and its promising to be an exciting few months for Vera, Lina and Linda. Influences? B*Witched, Ace Of Base, Amy Winehouse and er K3!
With a brilliant pop video to go with the rather catchy song, you might be hearing Heyah Mama in your corner of the world eventually whether you like it or not. Why eventually? Well Wir3 are actually a sister band of K3 from Belgium and Holland. Who (I hear you cry!). K3 are a very successful girlgroup who are aimed at kids but have some of the catchiest music ever recorded in the history of pop. Think Amy Diamond with a bit of Banaroo and you've got the superband K3 summed-up. They'll feature tomorrow as "Girlband Legends" so I won't go on and on but I will discuss them with reference to Wir3. K3 was an idea spawned by T.V station Studio 100 a Dutch broadcasting company with rights in Beligum where the girls are also very successful.
The brilliantly poptastic video for Heyah Mama by Wir3 with dance routines and primary colours galore. Flowers check!; butterflies check!; ladybirds check! addictive pop song? CHECK!
They launched themselves in 1999 and have never looked back. There are T.V shows, T.V films, musicals, games, clothing ranges, remix albums, dolls, films, and so on all based around the phenomenon that is K3. Tomorrow DSTP will paying respect to the Dutch/Flemish supergroup so more will explained then. K3 are such legends that they've go their own franchise of spin-off girlbands planned for 2007.
What!? Yes, Wir3 is the first of these spin-off groups and they've launched themselves in the safe market of Germany with a cover of K3's 1999 hit single Heyah Mama. Personally I prefer the newer version only because they've made it a lot more catchier than its original. Compare the two for yourself by watchin' this Dutch sublime news report on Wir3-K3-
The people behind the band are wondering whether to take Wir3 in English-Spanish markets or to bring out domestic versions of the band in each respective country. BBC, the people behind the Teletubbies and S Club are currently in discussion as are Scandic broadcasting networks. What is sure, Heyah Mama is one of the catchiest songs released this summer. Wir3 have recorded Heyah Mama in English so it seems that we can expect much more from the song. As I type, my boyfriend has translated a Afrikaans website and there's a "K3" for South Africa launching this summer too.
Thus, Heyah Mama has world domination in its sights! And what a brilliant song it is! Last year DSTP predicted Lucky Twice and their single to be huge in the markets it came out in. The platinum discs handed to the Swedish girlband the other day attest the songs' success.
The success of Heyah Mama is a lot easier to take a gamble on only because its already a hit and theres broadcasting superstructure to back it all up. Still, if the gray clouds are blocking your sunshine today just play Heyah Mama and you'll be feel the white sands in between your feet in no time!
NB: Wir3 are touring Germany on the same tour of SummerPOP-07 so if your in Germany and nearby go and boogie!
Buy both BeFour and Wir 3 at Amazon.de
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Tomorrow K3 take their place as a legendary girlband so expect some of the campest/poppiest songs ever recorded. Also more Latoya and perhaps something Robyn!
BeFOUR Magic Melody (aka Around The World)
Its ATC(A Touch of Class) Juniors/Teens! Do you remember the wonderful band A Touch Of Class and their sublime song Around the World. They were absolutely huge in Germany with their La La La (Around the World) which was an epic slice of euro-pop that remained at no.1 for over five weeks selling over a million singles. It certainly improved on the original Russian template of the song that was composed by the Russian dance maestro Ruki Vverkh. ATC also made it a top 40 song in both the UK and U.S. Well, that was then and this is 2007!
Germany will see the release and launch of Magic Melody under the auspices of BeFour; a fabulous pop group that is ready to sweep the European charts. Its often said that pop music is dead. Well its certainly not in Germany where the list of successful pop acts reads like a shopping list of DontStopthePop's most wanted. Let me see, what do we have here? Monrose, Soccx, Bisou, Us4, Chipz, YooMii, No Angels and of course Banaroo. It would seem that if your pop act and you want to sell loads without going all electric, try out the German market first. Melanie C certainly has!
BeFour consist of Manou, Alina, Dan and Angel. As Magic Melody has only just been released this week it won't be on DSTP for download. Instead, I suggest you buy the fabulous cd through Itunes or order through Amazon.de. In the meantime keep yourself clucky with the sublime video promo available above. In a stroke of mere genuous the video recreates the "construction of the pop band" and the flaws and pit-falls that they face. Yet, thats the actual video itself. Odd? Deconstructive? Self-reflective? Go and play it! If not for all the intellectual moments then for the bit when the blonde boy does a Patsy Stone from AB FAB and the photo shoot falls on top of him. My other favourite moment in the video? When lots of white stuff goes over the faces of the lads.....
The CD single also comes with a fabulous b-side called Flying Around The World which sounds like A-Teens mashed up with Scooch at their best. In other words, buy buy buy!
Amazon.de
Coming up next: More La Toya and my Summer hit prediction for 2007! (A few hints-its european and its the catchiest thing since my last summer hit prediction of last year Lucky Twice. Oh and shock, it isnt Swedish!!!)
SHINE4 Ietsie Binne My-A MUST DOWNLOAD!!!!!!!!
I'm not sure if you know this but I've been pretty unwell recently. What has kept me smiling? Girl Pop and girlbands from around the globe. Yes seriously! Whether it be forgotten SuperSister b-sides or the Argentinian Spice Girls Bandana I've had a giggle and a dance despite it all. When the doctors hail from Colombia it's quite useful to break the bleak mood of the room by gossiping about Colombian girlband Escarcha! Believe me, girlbands have oddly worked their magic. So sit back people, I am sharing one of my favourite girlband tracks with you today! Shine4 are very special and if you take little listen to Letsie Binne My you'll hear why.
I've done a little research on information around this band and sadly no blogger has covered this song. To my knowledge anyway. However I do think readers of PopJustice, TheZapping, PopEatsPop, PopPosterGirl and Poptrash Addicts will adore what they find when they download the song.
They might also have to scrape their tongue off from the floor. Only because I had to when I first heard it. Shocked I was! I Was! Shine4 come from South Africa which is slowly creeping on Australia, Sweden and Spain as the country for poptastic pop! Don't believe me? Refer to the facts that Lisa Scott-Lee released her album there this year alongside the Phixx album and of course who could forget Hi-5-the boyband that cover Eurovision songs that actually improve on the originals.
This picture just might be the best picture of a pop band of the 00's. Shine4 consist of Marlese, Liesl, Desiree and Jill. They've released about 2 other albums but its their most recent album So Elektries that has got me excited. Why? Well not only does it feature the hand of Xenomania but the girls also cover Transvision Vamp and Wilson Phillips, do PopEatPop covers of Elize's Automatic(!), Fredrik Kempe and Christine Stumer. Need we say more? Just go and buy it yourself over at very reliable Kalahari.net. Check out their earlier stuff too while your at it. Especially their cover of Dragostea Din Tea which saw the girlband gain a boy for one very special moment in South African pop history...
Ok so I would actually like to dedicate this post to Mike Of Poptrash Addicts (YAZZ!). I also wanna thank the YCTL flight-crew: Pinkie (I'm sure you'll love this fantastic PopEatsPop example), PopPosterGirl (my fellow South African pop fan!), SlippyDisco (hopefully we'll be singing the English version of the above song with the girls in 2 weeks!) and Paul!
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