Liam Payne’s 5 Best Songs

The news of former One Direction member Liam Payne passing away at the tender age of 31 has shocked the world to its core. It felt like Liam had so much more to give, and ultimately, it feels like an absolute waste of a life.

Whilst Liam was known and loved by many for his warm, down-to-earth personality, the last few years didn’t seem quite as kind to him, and it felt like he became a little lost along the way. His solo career was a rocky ride with some success but seemingly didn’t capture the public’s attention like some of his ex-bandmates.

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Music Monday – Volume Ninety Nine

1) TIEKS & Dan Harkna – Sunshine (Acoustic Version)

Gorgeous acoustic guitar version of the smash summer dance hit which almost surpasses the original.

2) Carly Rae Jepsen – Roses

Sweet Pop ballad with jittery synthesizers, thunderous percussion and Jepsen’s syrupy vocals. Taken from her new EP comprised of eight outtakes from her brilliant album ‘Emotion’.

3) Mac Miller & Anderson Paak – Dang!

American rapper Mac Miller teams up with Anderson . Paak on this subtle, chilled-out tropical-house influenced hip hop track. Buoyant yet laid back, this is a huge record.

4) Tom Chaplin – Quicksand

Keane frontman Tom Chaplin goes it alone on this fantastic pop debut. Co-written by Matt Hales (better known as Aqualung), this triumphant pop track is the lead single from Tom’s forthcoming debut album ‘The Wave’. It doesn’t stray far from Keane’s sound (in fact, it is essentially a Keane song) but it works in Tom’s favour.

5) John Legend – Start

John Legend does what he does best on this schmaltzy piano ballad. A stunning love song, ‘Start’ is taken from the soundtrack of ‘Southside With You’ which utilises nothing but John’s gorgeous falsetto and tender piano chords.

 

 

 

Music Monday – Volume Ninety Eight

Welcome back to Music Monday. We’ve been a little bit AWOL in the last few months and for that, we’re sorry! Music Monday blogs will now feature five tracks instead of ten to enable us to continue to bring you the best in new music. Enjoy these 5 massive tracks!

1) Mollie King – Back To You

Member of The Saturdays, Mollie King has delivered an incredible and triumphant debut solo single. ‘Back To You’ is a moody electropop track with an equally stunning cinematic video.

2) Usher – Crash

Usher at his most underrated is Usher at his best. Minimalist yet slick and catchy, this moody piece of R&B utilises Usher’s gorgeous and faultless falsetto over jittery percussion.

3) Sons of Sonix ft Melanie C – Numb

Ex member of the Spice Girls Melanie C once again proves her versatility and worth as a solo artist on this huge summer smash. This huge tropical house track is a collaboration with London production duo Sons of Sonix.

4) Christine and The Queens – Tilted

This simplistic yet effortlessly catchy artpop track is without a doubt one of the best tracks of 2016. It may have been around for a while but we haven’t had the opportunity to include it in a Music Monday edition yet so here it is!

5) Tieks FT Dan Harkna – Sunshine (Extended Mix)

This huge house track has earned a surge of popularity from its use in the new Fiat 500 TV advert. Repetitive, maybe but its house piano riffs and sturdy vocals make it a feel-good classic.

 

Music Monday – Volume Fifty Three

1) The 1975 – Settle Down

I love every single song from The 1975’s debut album but some tracks do get more listens than others! I neglected this song for quite a while but was recently reminded of how awesome it is. The slamming beats and funky guitar riffs contribute to its catchiness.

2) Gabrielle – I Wish

90’s R&B at its best with an awesome new jack swing vibe. Smooth, soulful with a message we can all relate to, this is an underrated beauty! Gabrielle has one of my favourite voices in Pop music and is worthy of far more credit than she receives. Many only know her for ‘Dreams’, ‘Out of Reach’ and ‘Rise’ but a listen to her Greatest Hits album proves her diversity and her level of talent. Love this.

3) Broken Social Scene – Major Label Debut

I watched ‘It’s Kind of a funny story’ for the first time last week and completely fell in love with it. Funny and moving, it tells the story of a teen boy who checks himself into a mental-health clinic. These guys did the score all the way through and this song played during the credits. It’s just a great feel-good song.

4) Queen & David Bowie – Under Pressure

One of Queen’s best songs and certainly one of my favourites. Gives me plenty of fond memories from performing in my school production of ‘We Will Rock You’ and from seeing the musical live in the West End twice. Bowie is a legend too of course. Irresistibly good.

5) Janet Jackson – That’s The Way Love Goes

Smooth and sultry, this song captures everything Janet Jackson is as an artist. Awesome production, clever sampling of James Brown’s ‘Papa don’t take no mess’ and a timeless song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUOkg4jFNus

6) Michael Jackson – Beautiful Girl

Stunning demo which appeared on Michael’s 2004 Ultimate Collection box set. The finished version (if it was ever fully completed) has never come to light but fans value this version greatly. Michael’s falsetto is gorgeous. Even his unreleased material was in a different league. Beautiful song.

7) S Club 7 – Sunshine

Track from the album with the same name, I’ve always adored this song. It’s so optimistic, so catchy and has an irresistible feel-good vibe. It’s a little bit more mature than some of their best known singles and Jon Lee’s voice is absolutely incredible on it. Some beautiful memories always return to me with this song.

8) S Club 7 – Have You Ever

Upon its release, I was never that fond of this track. Since their split, however, this song has found a place in my heart and it’s now one of my all time favourite S Club 7 songs. Written by one of my favourite songwriters Chris Braide along with Cathy Dennis (responsible for many of S Club 7’s material in addition to some of the best loved pop music over the past twenty years), this was released as Children in Need’s Official Single back in 2001. Beautiful, relatable lyrics, amazing vocals from Jo O’Meara and simply pop music at its best. Gorgeous.

9) S Club 7 – Two In A Million

Beautiful, mellow ballad from S Club 7’s début album and one of their more underrated singles. Jo O’Meara’s voice is absolutely incredible.

10) S Club 7 – S Club Party

This remains an absolute classic in the history of pop! Was very lucky to be able to experience this live once again when I saw a newly reformed S Club 7 perform live at the 02 Arena – the atmosphere was incredible during this song. Still much loved today.

 

NEW:

Album of the week:

Revolutionary Road: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Thomas Newman

Stunning score by my favourite composer, Thomas Newman. He’s been responsible for the scores of some of my favourite films e.g. American Beauty, The Green Mile & The Shawshank Redemption. His scores are always haunting and accompany any scene perfectly.