Tag: bad blood

Music Monday – Volume Eighty One

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Music Monday is our weekly feature which showcases the hottest tracks in the world right now.

1) Wretch 32 ft Anne Marie and PRGRSHN – Alright With Me

Wretch 32’s commercial crossover is a triumph. Anne-Marie showcases her powerful vocals on an impossibly catchy hook whilst Wretch 32’s rap is refreshingly clear.

2) Babyface – We’ve Got Love

Whilst Babyface is an artist in his own right, he is also the songwriter behind many huge hits by the likes of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown and Beyonce. ‘We’ve Got Love’ is his latest single, a catchy & uplifting R&B track with elements of new-jack swing. It’s a song which is bound to fall beyond the radar commercially but it’s one of the best R&B tracks in years.

3) NAO – Bad Blood

Slick and soulful vocals coat an eerie electro track with reverberating vocal samples. Nao is an up and coming British singer-songwriter from East London with a sound best described as ‘neo-soul with electronic’.

4) Grace Feat. G-Eazy – You Don’t Own Me

Whilst it’s still not a patch on the original by Lesley Gore back in 1963 , Grace & G-Eazy’s modernised interpretation is enjoyable. Produced by legend Quincy Jones (best known for his work on Michael Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Bad’ albums), G-Eazy’s rap and hip-hop beats bring the track into the 21st century.

5) Liss – Try

Danish band Liss perform a perfect spin on Pop music on the incessantly catchy ‘Try’. Abundant with broken vocal samples and tropical house-influenced synths, it’s a fun throwback to 80’s synthpop.

6) The 1975 – Ugh!

The 1975 perform their best Prince initiation on this R&B-Rock jam. Featuring heavily auto-tuned vocals, tinny guitars, luscious layered harmonies and rubbery bass-lines, it’s absolutely brilliant & fuses 80’s & 90’s music together perfectly.

7) Fleur East – Sax

Energetic and bouncy dance-pop track with funky guitar riffs and brilliant use of brass instruments. Whilst it’s been on the radio airwaves for weeks now, it’s still as hot as it was on its première.

8) WSTRN – In2

‘In2’ is West-London trio WSTRN’s début single; an R&B/Hip hop track with moody guitar riffs and an irresistibly catchy hook.

9) 99 Souls – The Girl Is Mine

99 Souls cleverly fuse two huge R&B tracks, Brandy & Monica’s ‘The Boy Is Mine’ and Destiny’s Child’s ‘Girl’ into a funky house track which is bound to become a huge club hit.

10) The Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir – A Bridge Over You

A strange inclusion on this edition, perhaps but in a chart so dominated by over-produced music, it’s refreshing to hear music in its simplistic form. Unaltered vocals accompanied only by a piano result in a gorgeous mash-up of Simon & Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ and Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’. And of course it’s for a brilliant cause.

Music Monday – Volume Seventy

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1) One Direction – Infinity

This week, One Direction announced their fifth album ‘Made in the AM’ in addition to the release of this new track. An emotive pop-rock ballad featuring weeping guitars, reverberating vocals and syrupy sweet harmonies, the song features an epic climax.

2) Carly Rae Jepsen- Let’s Get Lost

Funky track in a similar vein to The 1975 featured on Jepsen’s new album ‘Emotion’. An effervescent affair featuring funky guitar riffs, clinking synthesisers, gorgeous layered harmonies and a rogue saxophone solo, it’s a piece of pop perfection.

3) Carly Rae Jepsen – All That

Jepsen continues her 80’s synthpop vibe on this gorgeous slushy ballad. Giggly synthesisers and whimpering bass lines lead the track whilst Carly’s seductive vocals trickle gently atop. The climax is rather powerful too.

4) Ryan Adams – I Wish You Would

Whilst Ryan Adams and Taylor Swift share a musical background which covers country music, the concept of indie singer-songwriter Adams covering Swift’s entire synthpop ‘1989’ album sounded like an awful idea on paper. Amazingly, however, it works beautifully. Adams turns this into a moody acoustic ballad with wailing guitars and his heavy vocals endlessly reverberating.

5) Ryan Adams – Bad Blood

Adams somehow produces a cover better than the original. This alternative rock interpretation works perfectly, rife with various guitars.

6) Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike & Ne-Yo – Higher Place

Moody club track built around gentle piano riffs and the gorgeous contrast between Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike’s bass, low registered vocals and Ne-Yo’s gorgeous higher-toned vocals.

7) Mariah Carey – Dreamlover

Catchy Pop-R&B track which enabled Carey to break into the pop market. It’s all very ’90’s with its fierce drum machine and glittery piano riffs but it’s impossibly catchy and a lovely feel-good track.

8) REM – Man on the Moon

One of alternative-rock band REM’s biggest hits, this track is lyrically a tribute to performer Andy Kaufman.

9) Mumford and Sons – Believe

Upon release, ‘Believe’ marked a musical departure for the band. Best known for their organic, acoustic instrumentation, ‘Believe’ enters a more electric and alternative territory. A gentle, eerie opening develops into a powerful and energetic stadium-rock anthem.

10) Duke Dumont – Ocean Drive

Duke Dumont demonstrates a different side to him as ‘Ocean Drive’ enters a more funky, electropop territory compared to the usual deep-house tracks he produces.

Music Monday – Volume Sixty Three

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  1. Selena Gomez & A$AP Rocky – Good For You

Moody and seductive, Gomez is pulling out all the stops to emphasise her new-found maturity. It never quite reaches its full potential; it’s crying out for a huge climax towards the end of the song but with its provocative message and the inclusion of A$Ap Rocky’s rap, it’s a step in the right direction of producing more grown-up music.

2) Jack Garratt – Weathered

Jittery with fierce beats, grunge-y guitars and a silky smooth vocal delivery from Garratt. It’s a huge song with fantastic production.

3) Jennifer Lopez – Play

Throwback to when J-Lo was still producing GOOD music. Drawing upon Prince and Madonna for influence, it’s a catchy and funk-driven dance-pop track with squeaky synths and slamming beats. One of the best pop tracks from the noughties era.

4) Leona Lewis – Fire Under My Feet

Explosive comeback single for 2006 X Factor winner Leona Lewis. Unfortunately, the lead single from Lewis’ forthcoming album has fallen under the radar due to slack promotion from new label Island/Def Jam. With stomping percussion layered with hand claps and moody piano chords, it’s Lewis at her best.

5) Chris Brown – Don’t Judge Me

Sombre, sulky and aching with sincerity, this is Brown at his best. The lyrical content is straight from the heart and Brown croons passionately over stuttering percussion and remote production.

6) Mark Owen – Makin’ Out

Much of this blog discusses how underrated I consider Mark Owen’s solo discography to be but I shall continue to reinforce my point! Quirky rock-fuelled track from Owen’s 2005 album ‘How The Mighty Fall’, this single was only a moderate success and deserved to fare far better. Brilliant lyrics and powerful vocal delivery from Owen as always.

7) Taylor Swift – Bad Blood

The album version is far superior to the single version with Kendrick Lamar although Lamar’s rap does not particularly detract from the power of the song. Fierce.

8) Taylor Swift – Style

Still one of Swift’s best singles of her career so far. Moody and sultry with funky 80’s styled guitars and crashing percussion.

9) Take That – Today I’ve Lost You

One of the most underrated songs of Take That’s career. Originally written as the follow up to 1995’s massive hit ‘Back For Food’, Barlow saved this one (many other songs written for what would have been Take That’s follow up album to ‘Nobody Else’ appeared on Barlow’s debut album ‘Open Road’) and it was recorded for the band’s 2005 Greatest Hits compilation. Barlow’s gentle vocals trickle over a soft and organic backing track, comprised of soft guitar strums and piano chords, sweeping strings and an awesome guitar solo. It’s a shame this was never taken further and released as a single; it’s a beautifully written and performed song.

10) Gary Barlow – My Commitment

Schmaltz-y love song from Barlow’s début solo album ‘Open Road’ which screams ’90’s!’ with its heavily programmed drum machine and glittery pianos. Co-written with songwriting legend Diane Warren, this is a beautiful ballad with a lovely message.