Reading Time: 8 minutes
I’m a little late again (sorry!). Life is crazy.
This is a really special set of songs for me and I am really excited to share these with you.
These blog posts typically take around an hour to an hour and a half to write so as always, I REALLY appreiciate every read / scan / visit. It makes it all worthwhile.
You can see my Top 5 at the top for a quicker version or read the longlist below.
Let’s dive in!
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The american rapper throws a curveball on this neo-soul influenced hip hop track. Breezy, light and reflective, it’s a brilliant track and one of Lamar’s best.
Gentle electronic track which drifts effortlessly throughout its six minute duration.
Brilliant alt-R&B track with moody guitar riffs, an awesomely catchy chorus and polished production. It’s carried by buoyant beats and Zayn’s syrupy vocals. One of his best.
Buoyant house track with a brilliantly catchy hook.
Soulful and relaxed track with a retro vibe. Utilising little more than organic percussion, bright keys, jazzy riffs, funky bass lines and beautiful falsetto vocals, it’s a lovely track.
Chipmunk-esque pitch-moderated vocal samples, hip hop beats and reverberating soulful vocals carry this brilliant and powerful track.
Elusive producer SBTRKT teams up with vocalists D.RAM and Mabel on this jittery neo-soul track with elements of alternative R&B.
Sultry and moody R&B track which utilises steel pans and thunderous percussion. It’s a powerful track driven by Mattman and Robin’s tight production.
Quirky and brilliant Alternative R&B track with furious guitar riffs, funky bass lines and rock-influenced percussion. Jess Kav’s soulful vocals shine throughout.
Catchy pop track with funky guitar riffs, skipping bass lines and bright piano chords. Drawing upon disco and soul elements, it’s one of his best songs of his career.
‘Music Monday’ is a weekly blog in which I compile a list of ten songs I have been enjoying in the past week. This edition features Robbie Williams, The Weeknd, Kings of Leon amongst others.
1) JoJo – Save My Soul
JoJo is best known for 2005 smash R&B hit ‘Leave (Get Out)’, released when she was just fifteen years old. Since then, she took a hiatus and returned a five years ago but with limited success. ‘Save My Soul’ is a powerful and emotive ballad from her latest EP ‘III’ with a soaring melody, crashing percussion and haunting piano chords. Stunning.
2) Tove Lo – Talking Body
Sensual and seductive synthpop song by Swedish recording artist Tove Lo. A fine pop track; catchy with an easy sing-along chorus.
3) Steve Angello – Wasted Love
Epic dance track with the Coldplay-esque euphoria. Dougy, lead singer of The Temper Track lends his vocals to this powerful and uplifting song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAODa-4S2B0
4) Daniel Bedingfield – Never Gonna Leave Your Side
This was always a little inferior compared to Bedingfield’s other famous ballad, the gorgeous ‘If You’re Not The One’. It’s a beautiful song nevertheless and a lovely pop ballad.
5) Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting For You
Slushy and sentimental ’80’s power ballad, a little cheesy but gorgeous nonetheless. One of the most beautiful ballads in pop history, evident from its extensive list of covers.
6) Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
A plea for help but refreshingly presented in an alternative rock format instead of as a ballad. An epic, emotive track full of stadium-rousing ‘oh’s’, wailing guitars and Caleb Followill’s raspy vocals. Still as good now as it was upon release back in 2008.
7) Robbie Williams – Different
One of Williams’ most underrated singles of his career. Co-written by Gary Barlow and Jacknife Lee, it’s a haunting and powerful pop-rock track aching with sincerity. Williams’ forte has always been the ability to put his heart on his sleeve and channel this into well-written lyrics. This deserved to fare SO much better on the UK chart.
8) Justin Bieber – What Do You Mean?
Bieber appears to have made it through his rough Britney-esque meltdown and has returned triumphantly with his best music yet. ‘I Need U’, a collaboration with Diplo and Skrillex was an incredible comeback and ‘What Do You Mean’ continues Bieber’s new electronic-dance-music sound. ‘What Do You Mean’ uses minimalistic instrumentation and gentle, funky production built up of squeaky, steel-pan-like synthesisers, skippy percussion and Bieber’s gentle vocal.
9) The Weeknd – As You Are
Dark, powerful and catchy track from The Weeknd’s (real name Abel Tesfaye) third and current album ‘Beauty Behind the Madness’. Canadian Tesfaye has been in the industry for a while but is only now finding worldwide success, aided greatly by ‘Earned It’, featured in this year’s Fifty Shades of Grey movie. Tesfaye is a pioneer of the ever-developing PBR&B (an alternative version of R&B music) and ‘As You Are’ is a strong demonstration of this. With slamming 80’s-styled percussion, echoing vocals and gentle synthesisers, it’s an explosing and haunting track. Incredible song.
10) The Weeknd – I Can’t Feel My Face
It’s easy to dismiss this song at first with it’s slightly deranged lyrics but it is also unmistakably catchy with its funky guitar riffs and heavy percussion. Very MJ.
the-music-box.co.uk 