POP ROUND-UP (Consists of Spanish Divas, mostly)

Since I've been busy featuring Swedish acts so much has happened in pop. So its rather difficult to start. So I'll kick off with what I know and that is the fabulous land of Spanish pop....

Alex Manga has collaborated with those wonderful girls from Feminnem in a nice Croatian-Spanish alliance. The song...Oye Oye Oye is typical Europop but with a twist. This is not the usual Spanglish summer track:

His proper debut single, Bailar Sin Control, is also out and his video is a rather glorious male version of Britney's classic ....Baby One More Time promo. I utterly dig any video that cross references High School Musical, Fame and Britney. Moreover the song is incredibly camptastic with deep male voices ala The Village People backed with his Cher-esq vocals. Yummy!

Gloria Trevi's record, Todos Me Miran is all over the summer discos of Gran Canaria. Video includes drag queens, Gloria at her most fiercest and sampling I Will Survive. As expected, the record is huge (as is its parent album which I highly recommend!)

Not to be outdone in the "diva-stakes" is the glorious Monica Naranjo! She has just released a very special edition of Tarantula. It comes with a book, live CD and DVD. The album is now slowly outselling her previous material so we can safely say Monica's comeback was a tad successful. While Kylie is about to perform in Madrid Monica's mind-blowing appearance in the very same city will be fresh in the minds of its citizens. This is what she's up against! A diva who has a golden toilet on her stage that she uses and a naked man at the end of the song. Utterly extreme but sinfully fabulous:

Then there's the diva that is Soraya. Since flopping at Eurovision with her rather poptastic song, she has released her album once again with fabulous bonus stuff, although not as good as Monica's stunning bonuses. She's also rushed released Caminare. A song that once featured Kate Ryan. The immediacy of its release and disappearance of her fellow singing partner is probably down to the flop of the Eurovision attempt and the current mocking of Soraya throughout Spanish TV of the singers accent. Yes, showbiz is a harsh world. They are knocking a singer because she can't pronounce certain words properly. Something that is fucking disgraceful in my books. Spain, sort yourself out. You've got huge inflation and the nation is picking on someone who says pata instead of para. Its not wise and grown up. Anyway, is the perfect performance of the solo version of Caminare:

Recalling the early days of PWL is the excellent Chico y Chica. I love the song, I love the leather gear and cute hats. But moreover, I heart the presence of what appears to be their mothers as their fans. Sometimes pop feels your insides with utter warmth and the new one, Bomba Latina, does that to me. For sure this is cheap around the edges but it contains everything that the likes of BwO lack: pure human warmth.

Next up: Something Norwegian!

SPANISH AND GENERAL POP ENCOUNTERS! BAILAR SIN CONTROL!

Highly drugged on a heady concoction of paracetamol & my mums lemon "stew", I have returned from Spain in a daze. I had a great time in Seville. I've been to Malaga before but not Seville. Those Spanish are some of the warmest and yummiest people on planet earth. The city is dripping with Imperialism, palaces and extremely kind citizens. Sentiments all of which made sense when I found out that the Christopher Columbus was based Seville! Anyway enough of the history! Pop news!!! Note this round-up will be entrenched with Spanish tidbits for obvious reasons...but I think I can slide in an act or so from beyond Iberia.


First of all, I must talk about the brilliant brilliant brilliant Monica Naranjo and her recent number one single. I've been going on and on about this singer. She blows the concept of showgirl and diva out of the water. She is both female impersonator and woman enshrined. Even the best drag queens are put to shame by this woman. Her album, Europa, was much hyped here and for one particular reason-Amor y Lejo. This track evokes all the fierce spirit of Monica, the drama of Spanish artists Cambre, Parada and Munoz but also recalls the fabulousness of Army of Lovers Crucified and blasts into iconic disco supremacy. The video too is completely out of line. She sits on a gold and pink toilet, surrounds herself with stunning drag queens, eats tarts of said toilet, pukes, gets drunk and becomes a maid. The video is weird. But amazing. I love it. It reminds of Dannii's Everlasting Night promo but mixed in with a bit of John Waters. Please press play:

Mónica Naranjo ¨Amor y Lujo¨ Videoclip

She has been performing the song on her recent tour where in which four drag queens shout down a golden toilet for Monica to appear on stage to sing the track. Something which I find incredibly post-structural. She also performed the song on the recent final of Operacion Triunfo were she wowed the crowds and made the song more epic than it already was (see here). She later explained, to the students of Operacion Triunfo, how she feels about the gay community in Spain and why she is such an icon (See here).

Jose Galisteo is still releasing his second album. There have been a few hiccups but give it a few weeks or so and I think we should start to hear something soon. The sound is said to be turbo pop. Ander of Andermay is involved with one of the songs. He told me it sounds a bit like Stuart Price mixed with Kylie. Jose recently performed in Las Palmas at their traditional annual Drag Queen Gala

The boy did good! Currently at number uno in Spain is another good looking Spanish boy Alex Manga. Alex was involved in the series Fama and ever since releasing his single Dos Corazones he has proven himself to be quite a force to be reckoned with. Now, I rarely dig boys in pop music especially when their lead single is a soppy ballad. But check his myspace. Bailar Sin Control is amazing. The Acercate Mas mix of Dos Corazones is also rather special too. I heart Alex! Myspace

Soraya (of Spain) was confirmed as Spains entry to this years Eurovision. DSTP has been championing Soraya for years now so yay! Its brilliant to see her keep the fire burning, pick up key international interest and of course perform infront of millions in Moscow. However, I think the song itself, while very Eurovision, isn't as good as other songs on the album such as Angel Caido for instance. Still, it secures a 5th album release for Soraya. Something of which many would have refused the notion or concept a few months ago.

Natalia, her OT classmate, is releasing a greatest hits. This is after the massive flop that was Radikal, Natalia's awful 5th albun. This is what happens when you, as a pop princess, release an entirely tragic rock record. It bombs. Hopefully, the Greatest Hits will include some new tracks which will lean towards the poppy side of things. And, perhaps she'll see a renewel of sorts.

So as I mentioned above, Spain celebrates Drag Queens. It has this thing called the Drag Queen Gala and its a bit like Eurovision. People from around Spain vote for the best drag queen performances (with celebrity performances put in by Mr.Gallisteo and Ms.Naranjo). Each year the Drag Queen contest takes a different theme, which in 2009 was "Pirates" (Piratas). The costumes are gloriously outrageous. Concerts by internationally renowned stars like Grace Jones and Gloria Gaynor have fuelled its popularity. In fact, in the last few years there have been so many entrants that now a pre-selection is made prior to the main competition (sounds familiar no?). Even General Franco tried to shut it down but its always been there and will continue to be, for me, one of Europes finests nights. Please please watch this feast:

Check out how high those heels are and that brilliant version of Rhythm of My Life. There's also something rather fabtastic about the way the boy leaps onto the drag queen. Cinematic even.


I am liking a number of new Spanish acts on the scene and I thought I should take this opportunity to mention. First is Sergio Alcover! Coming from Valencia, Alcover is very funky indeed. There's also a dance twist to his booty which makes me like him a lot. Myspace


The last is Oscar Edu. He is bit more RnB than Sergio but if you check out his myspace tracks, he is clearly endearing himself to my inner mirrorballs. Te Lo Prometi is pure ABBA meets Dannii! If diamonds are a girls best friend, the discopop produced by Oscar are my absolutely my best buddies! Check out his myspace here.


I've found myself rather interested in Soraya/Emma on her ITV2 as part of a show hosted by Paris Hilton. On tonights show, Soraya said she was still doing the music thing which is of course fabulous! Every song she's loading up on her myspace sounds very exciting indeed. The latest are called Jump Ya Bones/ Shut Your Dirty Mind which to me kinda highlights the fact that whether she wins the show or not, her album is certainly going to be a special release for 2009. I've been supporting her since her Popstar/Girls Aloud days when she was still Emma Beard. Now as Soraya (her actual name) the solo shift has produced some quality notch pop. Bring it on!

Lastly, the lovely Portugese girlband Just Girls have just released their balladtastic single. This band are now huge in Portugal. Personally I am waiting for Nonstop to reform. Even if its just a handful of members. I do realize that bridges have been burnt but they could be Portugese version of the Sugababes or even better...Atomic Kitten.

Which reminds me, how brilliant was the trio's I Want Your Love!

Every pop act should some how incorporate KLF samples and theme music from American 1950 western movies! For me, Atomic Kitten never really managed to top I Want Your Love.

Dontstopthepop is going to change for a little bit in the next couple of weeks. Nothing major. Just a little special thing...A celebration of sorts ;-)

The Brilliance of Andermay

I love Andermay. Especially when they keep to their dance routes. Ander (real name Jesus) writes some brilliant hooklines that stick to the head and have me bopping away when I really should be studying or sleeping. In short, they provide a sense of Europop that proffers the exuberant joy of the disco floor without ever treating their audience like idiots by always involving songs that explore human narratives. Their lyrics are always heartfelt even when the song itself is as bouncy as a trampoline. In this perhaps they recall early PWL and I love them for it.

Their first appearance was an attempt to represent Spain at Eurovision with the sweet track Desvío al paraíso. It didn't work at preselection but by then the group were noticed by Vale Music and signed. They were also the people behind David Bustamente's lovely single Mas De Mil Noches. Their first single Un Juego De Dos was one of my favourite releases to come out of 2003. Released way before Spain secured marriage rights for all, its video heavily featured lots of couples, both straight and gay, being themselves which was quite a politically charged promo for a debut record. And a welcome breath of fresh air considering many debut videos tend to be rather tame or boring.

Then Andermay released the stunning dance pop track Entre Tu Y Yo which was one my most played tracks on my Itunes since its release date right up to 2007. Incredibly catchy, but not in a cheesy way, Entre Tu Y Yo is adorable. It makes me go "awwww" every time my itunes shuffle lands on it. A bit like a "awww" when you hear a baby/todler giggle. Addictive pop at its finest. It also illustrates that Ander is one of Spains best pop writers of recent years. Indeed during this time, they not only appeared alongside Alex Ubago and Le Oreja De Van Gogh they also wrote the track Dime for Beth. The song would represent Spain in Riga at Eurovision and it did really well. So much so it has ended up being covered by no less that four other singers (from Russia, Spain, Finland, Israel). This is not the first time one of Anders' song was covered. Indeed in Italy, their debut song was covered by Elisa Smeriglio.

When Andermay left Vale Music, the music changed and for me this is when it went a bit odd. Synths were replaced by drums and guitars. And not in a good way. I didn't mind Punto Sin Returno. I loved the usage of strings and the dramatics of the record but it wasn't a patch on their first album. After ten years in the music industry, Andermay are about to release a new record which will probably be a mixture of the first and second album which pleases me muchly especially as it will be more pop than soft rock. Uh Oh Oh Oh!, their first song to come from the new album, included a throbbing Stuart Price-esq baseline. It was even given an English twist with a English mix released as a b-side. The track marked a return to form from the Spanish duo.


They've just put their hat into the ring to represent Spain in Russia at this years Eurovision. Personally, based on the music alone I think they are the one act that give Soraya a run for her money. Lo Que Prometiste (listen here) is a complete anthem of a song. Includes dance bits, guitar rifts and brilliant wave ya hands in the air sections. All its missing is a key change at the end of track. Still, its had some amazing remixes done to it and I can't wait to hear the album due for release year!

To vote for Andermay please go here (Soraya doesn't really need the votes!)
To check out Andermay's Myspace go here

LOURDES SAVARESE

My babe is currently on a three month scholarship studying historia at the Universidad de Sevilla and as such I am missing the lucky one very much. Apparently it is colder there than it is here so staying in the UK is probably for the best. Still, its nice to play a bit of Spanish pop to warm the cockles of the heart. So, as the winter hits home I've decided to throw caution to the wind and celebrate the brilliant Europop that comes out of Spain. I cannot understate how much I miss my partner. So I am surrounding myself with fat Spanish pop anthems. No zeitgeist here just pure dollops of big popdust.

The hardcore pop provided by Lourdes Savarese (myspace) is keeping me well insulated at the moment. No attempt at tapping into the zeitgeist. For this, she therefore must be worshiped. Its all about flamenco and livin da vida disco. That's what she's about. Lourdes (the sister of Karina Savarese), sounds like a cross between Soraya, Roser and Rebeca. In other words, she's incredibly camp. My favourite track she did was Chachi Que Si (released under Bonita-her previous girlgroup).

It was so cute it hurt. It was one of those songs that would get into your head and stay there. But it was NEVER EVER annoying. It EVEN had a great key change. You can get the album anywhere. Digitally speaking. Physically it might be a bit harder to find but not that difficult as the girls graced much of the summer beaches with the song and its following disco hits.

The success of the girlband ensured a number of trashy cover versions and secured Lourdes positions on the yearly Caribe releases. In short, the girl done well out of disco. My favourite of her solo work is Mi Bruja De Oro. The video sees Lourdes holding a golden ball in the middle of a forrest. Its amazing. She walks about the forest picking up great little tidbits like a yellow man affixed to a tree. There's a sweet Blair Witch Project feel to it (I've got a feeling the song is dedicated to a kids cartoon character). As she sings to the yellow man she also sets up four candles and a mirror. In the middle of the forest. It also looks like its freezing while recording the video. Its strangely similar to Soraya's video for Sin Miedo. These Spanish disco belles love hanging around bushes.

As you can see here she gives Dannii for her great Pool/beach side pop promos. And here she poses with the icon that is Rebeca. Perhaps most interesting....is the fact that Lourdes appeared in a Kylie video. The pop promo for Slow which of course was shot in Spain. Kylie wasn't the only pop diva in that video. In 2007, despite being born in Argentina she tried to represent Spain with a wonderful tribute to the ultimate Spanish duo Baccara titled A Quien Le Importa. However, as the track already appeared on the Mexican pop princess Thalia's 2003 album, and became a big hit, Lourdes never really had a chance. Indeed it breaks Eurovision rules. By the by, Thalia's video for A Quien Le Importa featured Amanda Lapore, Cazwell and some great fiddling (See here).

Anyway. she's trying again to represent Spain in this years Eurovision but the attempt-Tu Corazon-isn't her usual high voltage pop I've come to expect out of Lourdes. Her best mate Rebeca has equally let me down with her Eurovision attempt this time round too. Soraya has it in the bag methinks. Still, Lourdes is a Spanish europop princess to celebrate and one day she'll feature enough songs on compilation releases to have her very own debut solo album. Alternatively, she could actually release an album rather than have us wait each year for every Caribe/Disco Estrella Cd.

Tomorrow, and perhaps for the rest of the week, more Spanish europop!

LA CASA AZUL-ESTA NOCHE SOLO CANTAN PARA MI-LEGAL DOWNLOAD!

YummyMusica! Legally download Esta Noche Solo Cantan Para Mi: here

Ok. La Casa Azul are one of the finest bands to come out of Spain ever-simply perfecta! Also one of the oddest. What you see is not quite what they are. Is it just a boy or is it five groovy singers who look like they came from the Spanish version of The Brady Brunch? Very cute and extremely addictive-they are pop but, Jim its not as we know it. Let me talk about the music. The sound is an amazing and unique elasticated and refined pop music of the 1960s, '70's and disco of the early 80's. Their mode of pop is dripping in sugary sweetness but don't let your mind immediately jump to the likes of Steps and A*Teens. This project is quite far removed from such ventures. The albums contain shameless disco claps, flutes that shimmy into the sky and midi-synths which cruise into vocoders like two flower powered lovers grinding to a halt somewhere in the Castro district of San Francisco.

Engineered & produced by one of the sublimest name in pop Guille Milkyway, La Casa Azul enrich their sound with the surf-sands of The Beach Boys, ABBA and of course the Electric Light Orchestra. Dusty Springfield would dance to them if they were around back in the day. The sound effects are glorious, chirpy and you almost feel like you've walked into a shagadelic club on the right side of Paris with Andy Warhol pouting to the left and Dionne Warwick dancing to the right.

Lets take a look at them. Take their brilliant about their video for Superguay (the song itself a tribute to Petula Clark and early disco). You don't have to understand a word of Spanish to love everything about the single/video. The disco beats of the themes of Dallas and Charlies Angles mixed in with the chimes of I will Survive.

They bring out the obvious Brady Bunch influence on their video for "Como un Fan". The song itself is simply a dedication to the 70's but wait to the end. It goes all vocoder-ish. I adore it:

The production have managed to squeeze the best of pop music of the last forty years into just a few minutes. For this La Casa Azul must be celebrated. In their latest video, La Revolocion Sexual they refer to Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Buck Rodgers. As you can see, the band become robots & chaos ensues on the sci-fi dancefloor.

The song has edited and been picked by the band to represent this years Eurovision for Spain and I think it has a fighting chance (you can hear the new version on their myspace). Its in the pre-selection and will make Spain proud if sent to Serbia. The lovely people at their record company Elefant & La Casa Azul have allowed Dontstopthepop a rather exclusive legal download of Esta noche sólo cantan para mi. Its a mixture between Kylie's Disco Down and The Boss. It even quotes Elton John, discopop and northern soul. I hope you like! I can imagine this band as being huge this year (albeit if they recorded some of the songs in English). The band are everything that is right with the Spanish pop industry.

Buy the albums here/Elefant Records Shop
Official Myspace

LOKITA Lokita

In a very strange somewhat telepathic coincidence, todays selection was also recommended by one our fab readers! I'd originally planned to feature the fierce "girlgroup" Lokita as the initial act in "Catchy-Week" but they got bumped down the list after acts like Edurne upstaged them. Thursday was their day to appear on DontStopthePop and oddly Jose Viruete (one of this site's readers) recommended the band at three pm today! Talk about reading minds! Check out this amazing performance of their song on Youtube. How cute is the bewildering alliance of J-Pop and Spanish pop music!!!! Unique indeed!

Lokita are symbolic of how great, colourful and variable the pop scene of Spain is at the moment. They consist of two girls and a boy who looks amazing in his stilettos and beautiful eye-liner. You just wouldnt see a band of the likes of Lokita on British TV. Mika or Jake Shears is as "eclectic/transgressive" as pop gets in the UK. In Spain, its not the case. Putting aside the brilliant Jonny and his corset the group recall the poptastic days of Dana International, Bananarama and Me&My. In other words-I love LOKITA! They are wonderfully gay, pop and know the power that is often lost in the genre of bubblegum pop.

Lokita DontStopthepop looks forward to your album and is a firm fan of everything you will ever produce! You embody everything that I adore about Spain! Gracias!

Buy Disco Estrella here!

*Next up something either Swedish or a pop princess from the Spanish province of Malaga!*

VEN POR MI-Edurne

For the second album the Spanish pop princess (who launched her career by performing amazing versions of Kylie's Its In Your Eyes) Edurne decided to team up the same people behind September and the result was the stunning Ilusion L.P from which Ven Por Mi is from. In fact, DSTP had long planned to do something on Edurne but perhaps something deep inside me told me to hold off and wait for the second album before featuring her. Gone are the days when the Operacion Triunfo star hooked up with the very cool La Oreja de Van Gogh and in is the stomping pop songs like Los ángeles también pecan, Ven Por Mi, Hoy voy a estallar and Si me dejas en paz. When I say catchy pop songs of Spain I mean it. Illusion is one of the best pop albums of the year. It was very difficult to actually pick one song....but one must and I went for the electropop ditty Ven Por Mi although I actually started writing this article in mind to use the brilliant album track Algo Cambio instead.

This sounds like Sarah Whatmore and Lucky Twice hooked up with the German/Dutch singer Amber and her hit Sexual (di la di). I love the guitar break in the middle 8. Its so eighties it hurts. I highly recommend all of Edurne's material but check out the second album if your in Spain or shopping on places like ElCorteIngles. You can forget those summer compilation albums for your Summer anthems-her Ilusion l.p has it all. Again, Edurne proves that dance can be amazing. If you really want a comparison imagine Margaret Berger, Robyn and Kylie all rolled into one: you'll get Edurne! In the video for this very song Edurne's car breaks down, she gets bored, meets weird people and turns into a queen in white. She then dances off and steals some jewelry after doing a dance-off that Dannii Minogue would be proud of!

Highly recommended!
ElcorteIngles
Edurne.com
(Where you can hear clips from the album)

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!

Buy the Jose album Remember here

MARTA SANCHEZ Superstar

DontStopthePop loves its European pop divas and it doesn't get more fab than the new single by Miss.Sanchez. Don't know of Marta? She comes from great stock for her father is the great Antonio Sánchez Camporro! After a number of very popular albums of the ballad sort she's gone and pulled out a dance record for us her adoring fans. Just don't mention Monica Naranjo!

Many have mentioned Madonna but I don't believe I see any sort of similarity. I seriously don't. One samples ABBA and destroys the classic Swedish anthem about men after midnight and the other improves on the original by Depeche Mode and perhaps pays tribute to it.

Superstar is yet another slice of brilliant Spanish pop music that the U.K desperately needs. If there two countries in Europe that I would move to it would be Spain or Sweden on music alone. The two countries just do pop like no other. Perhaps I'd also do Spring in Greece and parts of winter(their summer) in Australia.

Buy Marta at El Corte Ingles