#1 - Agnes - Release Me

As if this wasn't already a 'given', it is still necessary to talk about Agnes and about this song which really was without any doubt the best of 2009 - despite being released in 2008. My love affair with Agnes started with On and On (my favourite song of 2008) and after a trip to Sweden in late 2008 and hearing Release Me three times in one night it all really began to sink in. This song was amazing.

Release Me was the second single released from Agnes' third album in Sweden, Dance Love Pop, and it reached #9 in Sweden which was a bit of a disappointment compared to her previous successes in her home country. With eyes set beyond Sweden for Agnes, Release Me was released throughout Europe in 2009 and found massive success just about everywhere it was heard. It all started in the UK where Agnes reached #3 on the singles chart and has sold almost 400,000 copies. From Germany to Italy to France to Belgium the song has charted in the top 10 and the song even made it to #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts in the US. A full-on release to the US (and hopefully Canada) is slated for 2010 so it is quite possible that we haven't heard the last of Release Me.

After the failed success of I Need You Now in the UK, On and On has been picked as the next single to be released in early 2010 and Agnes' debut album in the UK should be out around the same time. I see no problem with old favourites sticking around for another 'go' at it - and I am sure Agnes doesn't either!

Release Me has even re-charted in Sweden this year and although not bettering its #9 position from 2008, it is quite an accomplishment. This was probably helped by Agnes' performance of her worldwide hit song this past December at the finale of Swedish Idol 2009 where it all started for her. Without getting too teary-eyed it is really a pretty amazing performance to watch. From Agnes who started off performing a little shy and unassuming in the UK, it's amazing to see what a year of success can do. She looks as phenomenal as ever, sounds as great as she always does, and commands that stage like she has never done before.

Here's that performance to enjoy and here's to Agnes and a phenomenal 2009 of Eurotrash music!

Happy New Year to everyone and I look forward to some more amazing music to talk about in 2010!

stevie.



The Top 20 of 2009 - Agnes - Release Me

#2 - Gathania - Blame It On You

Gathania Holmgren is yet another former contestant from Swedish Idol having taken part in the 2007 show and finishing in the top 10 that year. After a slight break, her first single in Sweden, Get It Out was released in 2009 and reached #27. The follow-up single, Blackout was also released in Sweden in 2009 and failed to match the success of her first effort, barely making the Top 40.

The above doesn't really sound like much to talk about, however, Gathania's (and specifically Blackout's) performance in Sweden does absolutely nothing to represent the quality of her music. Gathania was picked up by Hard2Beat Records in the UK (who have been responsible for the release of many Swedish artists in the UK, including September) and a new video and even a new title for Blackout are probably a better representation of what this song is capable of. Enter Blame It On You and you are sure to fall in love!

Jonas van der Burg was responsible for Blame It On You and as he is the mastermind behind the success of September maybe this will help add some more perspective. Blame It On You is a September single and even so much more! From the little piano solo that starts it off and the build-up into the first chorus the song is Swedish pop at its absolute finest! Along with having the perfect lyrics for someone wanting to get back at an ex that they hate, the video really hits it home and it's a great way to be 'bitchy' while singing along to an infectious pop song :)

The release for the UK was supposed to happen this year but has instead been postponed for 2010 while Gathania has already released a new single in Sweden, Spinning. Gathania is beautiful (which can't hurt her chances) and although new to the stage performance 'thing' and maybe needing a bit more practice, with a little luck Blame It On You could (or at least should) be huge for her in 2010!

Enjoy!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Gathania - Blame It On You

#3 - Aysel & Arash - Always

Eurovision might be the highlight of my year musically and it is a bit hard to believe that only one song from this year's content in Moscow has made the Top 20 for the year. Although it may be the only one, Always certainly is right up there at #3.

Aysel is an artist from Azerbaijan who was unknown outside of her country before Eurovision while Arash is an Iranian-Swedish artist who has had massive success throughout the world with songs like Bora Bora and Suddenly. When Arash was named as one of the contributors to the Azerbaijani entry for 2009, good things were expected, but I don't think I expected anything this good!

The song is to many just a typical-sounding ethnic pop song, but it certainly stood out in Moscow this year among the rest. Along with a great stage performance and effects, Always is easily the most memorable song from Eurovision 2009 for me. Although Arash looked and sounded pretty ridiculous on stage, Aysel certainly made up for it looking and sounding great and impressing the voting jury and public to a very respectable 3rd place finish in the contest.

The song did very well across Europe after the contest, reaching #2 in Greece, #3 in Sweden and #4 in Ukraine (a diverse enough mix of countries) as well as top 20 in Norway and Turkey and even charting in the UK Singles Chart and the European Top 100 charts.

Enjoy the live performance from Eurovision this May - and here's to Eurovision 2010 in Oslo and hoping there are more than just the one song making the Top 20 in 2010!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Aysel & Arash - Always

#4 - Alcazar - Burning

I have already posted about Alcazar and also Burning which is #4 for 2009. Alcazar are a Swedish group that have been around for almost a decade and have undergone several band member changes. Two of the current members are original while the remaining current member joined in 2008.

Alcazar took part in Melodifestivalen 2009 in Sweden with Stay The Night which finished 5th in the contest and reached #2 in Sweden. Although Stay The Night just missed out on the top 20, Burning has managed to fit right into the top 5 despite not charting in Sweden in 2009. Along with a perfect video and the 'just right' blend of disco and pop, Burning is that kind of song that can't help but make you smile.

The song has also managed to chart in Germany and there is also a UK release slated for 2010. Alcazar have had some success all across Europe in the past and let's hope they can follow in the steps of their Swedish compatriots to the UK charts!

Here's the video in all its eurotrash glory!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Alcazar - Burning

#5 - Agnes - I Need You Now (UK Radio Edit)

Agnes Carlsson is definitely my woman of the year in 2009 and there seems to be no sign of this ending in 2010 with plenty still on the go. There is reason to save some discussion of her and her successes and we'll start first here with I Need You Now which is #5 for 2009.

Agnes won Swedish Idol in 2005 after being saved by the jury wild card and not being eliminated from the competition. She went on to win it all and released two albums in Sweden before 2008's Dance Love Pop which was the album which spawned the first of her international releases, including I Need You Now.

After the success of Release Me in the UK, Agnes' UK label was unsure about releasing On and On (which had been her first single in Sweden and her release in other European markets) because they felt it sounded too 'euro' for the UK. Agnes had released Love Love Love in Sweden in early 2009 but this didn't seem able to cut it either. The answer instead became to take one of the album's ballads, I Need You Now and give it the remix treatment.

From the string intro at the start it was pretty evident that this one was going to be a winner. I instantly fell in love with it with Agnes' vocals sounding great (as usual) and the track seemed enough "Agnes" while still being unique enough from her previous hit. Initial reactions were mixed, however, and it was unsure how well the track would be received.

In the end, I Need You Now was basically a flop in the UK. Although reaching #6 on the UK Dance Charts, it only managed to reach #40 on the UK Singles Charts and also managed #24 in Poland. The surprise might be that in Sweden, Agnes managed to get another Top 10 hit with a digital release only and no physical single. Surely Sweden feels slightly forgotten as Agnes has been taking on the world and this was a bit of their appreciation for her.

Regardless of the performance of the song in the UK, I Need You Now was a huge song for me in 2009 and slides into the Top 5 ahead of the similarly "remixed for the UK market"-September. Enjoy a great video and the beautiful track in all its glory!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Agnes - I Need You Now (UK Radio Edit)

#6 - September - Can't Get Over (UK Radio Edit)

Probably the first of all of the Swedish popstars to make the break into both the UK and the rest of the world was September. When Cry For You made it big all around the world (including #1 on the Billboard Dance charts) it seemed like it was the opportunity for all kinds of Swedish artists to get picked up first in the UK and then even some into the US. September had a great 2008 and what started off as a great 2009 only to end with her anticipated first album release into the UK being canned and getting no physical release and her follow-up single to Can't Get Over, Until I Die, being cancelled as well. It's unfortunate 2009 had to end this way for September but she is in the studio working on new material for 2010 and with her track record she will surely not disappoint!

Onto Can't Get Over then. It was first released in Sweden as the first single from her latest 'new' album, Dancing Shoes in 2007 and in the Netherlands in 2008. The song has always been my favourite from this album and I was excited to hear that it had been chosen as a single for the UK after the success of Cry For You and Satellites. Along with the re-release came a new remix which was used for all markets the song was released in in 2009. It is quite a bit different than the original and definitely made to sound a lot more similar to Cry For You after its massive success. It was a great decision and the song has been made much more palatable for the rest of the European market.

Can't Get Over had a pretty good run and reached #14 on the UK Singles Chart (Cry For You reached #5) along with the Top 10 in the Czech Republic, Denmark and Slovakia. Reaching #12 on the US Billboard Dance Charts means that you might even be able to hear this one in North America!

All the best for September in 2010 - here's to a new incredible single to start off the year right!



The Top 20 of 2009 - September - Can't Get Over (UK Radio Edit)

#7 - Mans Zelmerlow - Hope and Glory

Mans Zelmerlow is a Swedish popstar who, as most of them do, found his way to stardom begin on Swedish Idol in 2005 (the year Agnes won the competition). He took part in their version of Dancing with the Stars in 2006 and won that time around on the reality tv front. It then was time to take it to the reality tv mecca in Sweden (I guess we can call it reality tv) - Melodifestivalen! In 2007, Mans took part with his song Cara Mia and finished 3rd that year. He then released his first album, Stand By For... which reached #1 on the albums chart and also included the great single Brother Oh Brother along with Cara Mia.

When the list of participants for Melodifestivalen 2009 was announced and Mans was one of them - people were expecting great things. And let's just say that Hope and Glory lived up to anyone's expectations. Throw in probably the performance to remember from 2009 and it is easily understood how this song made it as one of my favourites of the year. It's the typical Swedish pop song and that's pretty much enough on its own to make it great!

Despite winning the jury's vote, the public opted not for Mans and in the end he wound up 4th in Melodifestivalen 2009. As has been the case in the past, the Swedish public opted for the wrong choice (in my opinion) and their Eurovision entrant ended up at the bottom of the pack this year in Moscow. Let's hope for a different story this year!

Mans continues to ride his fame in Sweden. He is part of the Swedish popstar power couple as he has been dating Marie Serneholt (#9 below) since 2008 and his latest album, MZW also reached #1 on the Swedish album charts with Hope and Glory reaching #2 on the singles charts. He's also one of the three hosts for Melodifestivalen 2010 - which will surely hold at least a few entries for 2010's list!

Enjoy the fabulous performance from Mans below and a link to the song.

stevie.



The Top 20 of 2009 - Mans Zelmerlow - Hope and Glory

#8 - Solange - Sandcastle Disco (Freemasons Remix)

Solange Knowles, better known as Beyonce's little sister, has released two albums so far and has not really found much success on her own. She has made a bit of a splash in the R&B scene and was nominated for a Soul Train award for Best New Artist in 2009. Normally I wouldn't be too concerned with what she is doing and she's certainly not European, however, this is where it gets interesting!

The second single from her latest album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, was honoured to get the remix treatment from none other than the Freemasons! The UK dream team have done some great work on their own and have also done some great remixes for artists as well. Their added element of that disco-house sound also made for the classic Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer from Sophie Ellis Bextor this year as well.

Their remix of Sandcastle Disco does not disappoint. In my opinion it is even far superior to their work with Sophie this year and the overall final package is perfection. I happened upon the remix early this year and despite it being released officially in 2008 it was new to me and was enjoyed for all 12 months of the year. The song reached gold status in the Philippines and more notably gained top spot on the Billboard Dance Chart at the end of 2008.

The video was for the original version but has been re-worked for the remix and it was actually directed by Solange and is pretty fun actually! Probably never to enjoy a song of hers again - here's Solange!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Solange - Sandcastle Disco (Freemasons Remix)

#9 - Marie Serneholt - Disconnect Me

Marie Serneholt first gained success as part of the very popular Swedish group, the A*Teens, who re-released Abba songs to more than 5 million album sales across the world. Once things ended with the A*Teens, Marie started on her efforts to make it as a solo artist. Her first effort, That's The Way My Heart Goes was released in 2006 and reached #2 in Sweden and the top 20 in Finland and Germany. Her following singles failed to have any significant charting either in Sweden or elsewhere.

In 2008 it was announced that Marie would take part in Melodifestivalen 2009 with Disconnect Me and which marked her return back to the music business after a few years off. Marie took part in the first semi-final and came up 6th out of 8 and failed to make it to the finals. Albeit her vocals aren't the best and certainly weren't the best part of the performance, but the song is a piece of Swedish pop perfection and the choreography and rest of the performance should have been more than enough to at least progress it through the next round!

When Melodifestivalen starts in Sweden in February, it's all the country is really interested in musically. Normally, songs from the contest chart very well but even in this setting, Disconnect Me only managed to make it to #46 on the Swedish singles charts. Marie's new album has been put on hold and chances are some tweaks are being done to deal with the lack of reception to this single.

I've got to post two videos for this one - the first is the amazing live performance of the track from Melodifestivalen 2009 and the second is the track's video with costume changes galore and even a dress made of lights! The same director responsible for this video also worked with Elin Lanto on Love Made Me Stupid below.





The Top 20 of 2009 - Marie Serneholt - Disconnect Me

#10 - Medina - You & I

I've already posted about this one and it is a very worthy first inclusion in the Top 10 of 2009. The song had a phenomenal run in Denmark where it was #1 for six weeks and was the best-selling song of 2009 in its original Danish version. The song was redone in English and a video was shot in hopes of it finding success across Europe.

The efforts to promote it in the UK probably didn't meet expectations and it only reached #39 and up to #48 in Sweden. Despite its original sound that seems like it will appeal to a wide variety of listeners from pop to house to even hip-hop, maybe the problem with this song was that it didn't sound enough like one particular style? Either way it's a great track and the song of the year in Denmark starts off the top 10!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Medina - You & I

#11 - Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor (Cahill Remix)

Cascada is known primarily by the lead singer of the group, Natalie Horler, who is of English/German descent. For the past few years they have had several hits throughout Europe and even North America including Everytime We Touch and What Hurts The Most. I have always not been a fan and of the impression that there is some much better music coming out of Europe that should be taking the limelight that has been given to Cascada.

With this feeling, I had a first listen of Evacuate The Dancefloor which was Cascada's first single released from the new album of the same name. Once hearing it and noting the obvious similarities to the Lady Gaga sound that was taking over the world I was not at all impressed.

Enter Cahill with probably their best remix of 2009. Evacuate The Dancefloor has been transformed into a true masterpiece. My first listen had me wonder what exactly I was listening to that was so good only to find out it was none other than Cascada. The third of three Cahill remixes making up my top 20 of 2009 - it adds that extra level to the otherwise mediocre single into an unforgettable track. Hands down, Cahill has been the remixing team of 2009 and we look forward to some more incredible work to be done on many european artists in 2010!

Now back to Cascada, who has managed to garner a lot of success with this single. Evacuate The Dancefloor debuted on the UK charts at #1 in July and has also made it to #1 in the Netherlands and on the US Billboard Dance Chart. Along with solid top 10 chart positions across Europe (and even Canada and Australia), Cascada still continues to please fans all over the world with her music. Here's to hoping that some more of our favourite european artists can follow in her footsteps!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor (Cahill Remix)

#12 - Danny - Need To Know

Yet another alumni of Swedish Idol (the 2006 version), Danny has found massive success in Sweden both as a solo artist and also a member of EMD as well. In 2009, EMD competed in Melodifestivalen and won 3rd spot with Baby Goodbye, which just barely missed out on a spot in the Top 20 for this year. His other work with EMD has been so-so at best but as a solo artist, Danny has consistently released great singles.

It all began with Tokyo and Play It For The Girls from the 2007 album, Heart.Beats which reached #1 in Sweden. Although not finding the top of the charts (but reaching #2), his (late) 2008 release Set Your Body Free is easily one of the best albums of the year. All 12 songs are of top quality and it is the kind of album you can go back to at any time and love just as much as your first listen.

The singles released from the album did moderately well - with the first release, Radio, finding #1 while Need To Know and All On You were less successful, barely making the top 20 in Sweden. Danny also released Emely in Poland as a duet with a Polish singer reaching #2. In trying to keep this chart to singles released in 2009, despite not being my favourite of the whole album (I might have to give that title to Utopia), I've decided to include Need To Know at #12.



The Top 20 of 2009 - Danny - Need To Know

#13 - Inna - Hot

2009 was truly a breakout year not only for Inna and her song Hot but for many many artists from Romania. Hot reached #1 in Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland, Hungary, Greece and Spain and #2 in Russia and the Netherlands, and plans for 2010 are to promote Hot in the UK, US and Canada. So it could be very likely that we'll be hearing a lot of Hot in the upcoming year!

Romanian artists like Akcent made some news across Europe in the past few years, but at the end of 2009, Edward Maya, DJ Layla, Diana Birzu, Inna and many many others are creating great music that Europe is falling in love with. There will be plenty more to come on the charts and certainly also on this blog as well.

Inna herself has released several more singles, including Love, Deja Vu and Amazing, with all finding continued success. It will be interesting to see in 2010 if she can keep up with all of her Romanian competition! Below find one of the best performances from the Sopot Hit Festival in Poland where Inna finished runner-up for top prize with Hot. As for Inna at Eurovision, Romania has yet to publish much of anything specific on their potential representatives this year in Oslo - but we can keep our fingers crossed!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Inna - Hot

#14 - BWO ft. Velvet - Right Here Right Now (Cahill Remix)

I've already posted about BWO and it was inevitable that they would find themselves as part 2009's top songs. Despite the release of Big Science, their fourth studio album this year, their success was somewhat less than what might have been expected for 2009. The album made it up to #9 on the Swedish album charts although none of their released singles were able to make it into the Top 10.

On top of that, plans to release Right Here Right Now in the UK (with the help of Velvet's vocals and the Cahill team doing a remix) never amounted to much and their entry into Melodifestivalen 2009, You're Not Alone failed to reach the finals of the Swedish contest, and did not come near their previous best finish of 2nd.

All that being said, Big Science really is a spectacular album worth listening to and Right Here Right Now is a phenomenal song worthy of comparison to some of their previous classics. Here's to hoping that 2010 will prove more successful for the Swedish supergroup and their efforts in the UK will come as well!



The Top 20 of 2009 - BWO ft. Velvet - Right Here Right Now (Cahill Remix)

#15 - Backstreet Boys - Straight Through My Heart

If David Guetta seemed out of place for this chart, then this one really probably doesn't even belong. Firstly, the Backstreet Boys are American and are in no way european (although some might argue on the trash side). The reason why they DO belong is that the only real reason this track is any good is because of the involvement of none other than RedOne who brings them back from the dead and into 2009 with Straight Through My Heart.

The track had moderate success around the world, reaching the top 20 in Canada (where BSB have always found some of their most success) and the top 10 in Sweden (where RedOne hails from and where his songs have had much success for the likes of Lady Gaga and Darin among others). If RedOne can do it for BSB I think it is proven he can do it for anyone - he's been a huge part of Lady Gaga's biggest hits from The Fame and I'll position this song's inclusion as homage to him. If you close your eyes (the overdone vampire theme to the video really ruins it), the song really is quite good and very reminiscent of Breathing Your Love from Darin with that undeniable RedOne sound.



The Top 20 of 2009 - Backstreet Boys - Straight Through My Heart

#16 - Jade Ewen - My Man (Cahill Remix)

I've already posted about this track and it's a deserving inclusion in this chart. Jade Ewen took a huge step for the UK this year placing in the Top 5 at Eurovision for the first time since 2002 and ended a drought of terrible finishes. Her success there led to some hype surrounding My Man her follow-up single to It's My Time which was given the royal remix treatment by none other than Cahill (who shall return several times to this chart).

My Man, despite a great remix, didn't find much success in the UK or elsewhere but this wasn't helped by Jade's big news that came out this September. Keisha Buchanan, the last remaining of the original Sugababes, had decided to leave the group and fresh off her Eurovision success Jade was asked to replace her. She and the Sugababes re-recorded their latest single, About A Girl which reached #8 on the UK charts and their next album is due out in 2010.

Despite her move to the Sugababes which shortened her solo career, we are happy to have My Man to remember Jade for 2009.



The Top 20 of 2009 - Jade Ewen - My Man (Cahill Remix)

#17 - David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over

Potentially seeming out of place on this chart for 2009, When Love Takes Over was a huge success even in North America this year. It marked somewhat of a return for Kelly Rowland and the move for French DJ David Guetta into the mainstream. He had become a regular name in dance music in the past few years with several hits, but his pairing with Kelly truly allowed him to make his mark and he has had several hugely successful releases following this one which started it all. The song has even been nominated for a Grammy for best dance recording as well.

When Love Takes Over not only reached #1 in 8 European countries but it even reached #1 on the UK Singles chart - which is no small feat for a dance track. The mix of Kelly's vocals with that memorable intro and great beat all came together perfectly and makes this one that many will be touting as the best of the year. With David working with Britney Spears for her next release, we are certainly going to be hearing more from him in 2010.



The Top 20 of 2009 - David Guetta ft. Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over

#18 - Ameerah - The Sound of Missing You

Ameerah is an artist out of Belgium who found success with her release this year, The Sound of Missing You, all the way over in the US with it reaching #3 on the Billboard Dance Charts. Despite it seeming like this song has been around all year, from her Facebook page posts it appears that it's still gaining ground with impressive charting in the Netherlands as we speak. It appears Ameerah has gone the opposite route and started in the US and is ready to take on Europe in 2010!

The track has the depressing tone of the lyrics but with the right music and beat behind it the track manages to give off a whole other vibe - and it's this mix that really makes the song special. If anyone was worried the song had made its last effort at reaching the top, a video has just been released this month which means like promotion stint #2 is probably in the works. The video itself is a bit of a eurotrash gem - with Ameerah looking great and strutting around a variety of places in what seems like dozens of different Gaga-inspired outfits.

If you haven't heard this one before - definitely worth a listen!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Ameerah - The Sound of Missing You

#19 - Elin Lanto - Love Made Me Stupid

I posted about Elin Lanto's new single, Love Made Me Stupid earlier in the month as it had its release in Sweden. At this point, however, there is still nothing to report in terms of its performance in the charts although this really is only just a matter of time. To Elin's discredit on this chart (I'm sure she is very upset) since the song came out late in the year it's hard to compare Love Made Me Stupid with other songs that have been around for 12 months - but from the first listens this song has managed to make an impression and easily deserves to be among 2009's best.

Along with a great video, Elin's past pop masterpieces (especially Discotheque from 2008) and finally with her announcement that she'll be competing in Melodifestivalen 2010 to represent Sweden at Eurovision, there are plenty of reasons why 2009's list couldn't come and go without Elin.

Love Made Me Stupid starts off after the first few listens as 'ok' but as you listen more you realize how much you love it and how brilliant the writers of the song are. It's got that rock edge to it but is still pop through and through. I can't wait for Elin's new album in 2010 and to see what Doctor Doctor looks and sounds like on the Melodifestivalen stage!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Elin Lanto - Love Made Me Stupid

#20 - Daisy - Everytime

Along with the holiday season comes the end of 2009. And although there is much to think back on and remember for what was the past year, the most important thing to do is to look back on the songs that remained most memorable from 2009. Obviously, this list will have something special that many other lists won't have - these will be 20 songs that have that Euro-flavour that makes them undeniably addictive and infectious.

You can agree or disagree on the above but hopefully you'll find one or two you didn't know you'd love!

First up at #20 is Daisy who is an artist out of Sweden who really has yet to break anywhere. She has been picked up by a label in the UK, but Everytime seems to have started to make its round online and has garnered quite a bit of attention. Bloggers have been talking about it all year and it's easy to see why. Let's hope that 2010 brings her a chance to release elsewhere in the world we wish her all the best!



The Top 20 of 2009 - Daisy - Everytime

Lasgo - Over You

Lasgo is a dance act out of Belgium that has been releasing songs successfully throughout Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and even the UK and US since 2000. In 2008, the group's initial vocalist decided to leave the group and a new front-woman was found through an Idol-based format and Jelle van Dael joined the group.

Lasgo has sold more than five million copies of their albums and singles throughout Europe and North America with their successes in Belgium coming with their two most recent singles, Gone and Lost reaching #1 on the Belgian Dance Charts this year. Their greatest success in North America came in 2004, Surrender reached #1 on the US Billboard Dance Charts.

I'm not a huge fan of the Cascada-esque sound for most of Lasgo's singles, but their latest, Over You has managed to maintain my interest and I felt worthy to post. It is the fourth single from their latest album, Smile. Below find a download link for Over You as well as the video.



Lasgo - Over You

Diana Birzu ft. Tony Ray & MC Robinho - Beautiful Night

It seems that all the rage in and around the Balkans this year has been Romanian dance music. It all started in 2009 with Inna reaching popularity across Europe and there are dozens of other Romanian artists achieving great success following in her footsteps.

Diana Birzu's first track Beautiful Night has been a huge hit in the clubs in Greece and even Italy and Spain apparently, but nowhere as much as Turkey. So much so that her follow-up single is called Turkey Night and is obviously quite targeted to her fans there. The two tracks sound quite different with Beautiful Night reminiscent of Duffy's Mercy while Turkey Night has more of a pop sound to it with some Turkish influences thrown in.

Both worth a listen and certainly interesting to continue to see this progress of Romanian music! Next week I'll start going through my top 20 songs for 2009 so keep posted for that!

stevie.



Diana Birzu - Beautiful Night & Turkey Night

Anna Vissi - Fabulous

At 51 years old and still going strong, Anna Vissi is often referred to as 'the Greek Madonna'. She has had a music career in Greece and Cyprus since the late 1970s and pretty much hasn't looked back. She is highest-selling Greek female artist of all time and in 2008 released her 25th studio album, Agaporevmeno. She had countless #1's and won dozens of awards in both Greece and her native Cyprus.

Her latest single in Greece was Fabulous which is still on the charts and for which a video is currently in the works. As noted in the image above, she has been on tour in Greece this year with The Fabulous Show. Another highlight from the album was early 2009's release Stin Pira which reached #1 in Cyprus and #3 in Greece.

Her successes in North America have been limited to her song Call Me reaching #1 on the Billboard Dance Music Charts in 2004 although she is currently working on an English album for release in 2010. My personal favourite of all her songs is Fevgo, which was a release only in Cyprus in 2004 as a single (reaching #10) and which came from her 2003 #1 selling album Paraksenes Eikones.

Below find videos for Stin Pira, a fan video for Fabulous and Anna's epic and (overly)-emotional performance of Everything at the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest which was held in Athens. Also, find download links for her latest singles, as well as Call Me and Fevgo.

Enjoy!
stevie.







Anna Vissi - Singles

Elin Lanto - Love Made Me Stupid

It's been a long time waiting for the new single from Elin Lanto. Her previous release from 2008 was the spectacular Discotheque which had moderate success in Sweden reaching #16 last year and was also released this year in the US through iTunes and was feature in the soundtrack for The L Word. Along with a great video it made for a complete package and one of my favourite tracks from last year.

Elin rose to fame in Sweden with her pop-rock track I Won't Cry which reached #1. She took part in Melodifestivalen in 2007 with Money but neither are big favourites of mine. Things got interesting with Speak N Spell and My Favorite Pair of Jeans in 2008 and of course with Discotheque towards the end of the year.

With much anticipation, Love Made Me Stupid was released this week in Sweden with the video being available as of November. The video is certainly interesting in concept and the track itself doesn't start as a favourite but it quickly gets stuck in your head until you can't seem to sing anything but the chorus. It's got more of a pop-rock influence than Discotheque to it and we'll see how the Swedish public responds.

With the final Melodifestivalen 2010 participants to be announced next week there is speculation that Elin might show up on the list. There would be no better way to promote an upcoming album in Sweden that to take part in the contest so we can keep our fingers crossed and hope for something great!

Find the videos for Love Made Me Stupid and Discotheque as well as download links for them and My Favorite Pair of Jeans and Speak N Spell below.

enjoy!
stevie.





Elin Lanto - Love Made Me Stupid and the 2008 Singles

Edward Maya - Stereo Love

Edward Maya's rise to fame started in 2006 when he was part of the team that produced the song Tornero which took part in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest and won 4th place for Romania. This success got him the opportunity to work with some of the top names in Romanian music and establish a name for himself. His work with Romanian boyband, Akcent, on their latest album garnered them success all over Europe after losing their previous frontman, Marius Nedelcu.

2009 has seen the beginning of Edward's career for himself. His first release, Stereo Love was a huge hit over the summer all throughout Europe from Greece to Belgium to Russia to Spain to Italy. It's been called 'the song of the summer' in Mykonos which is certainly a great way to start off a career. His latest release is called This Is My Life and follows in the same vein as Stereo Love while still sounding somewhat unique on its own.

Enjoy the links to the videos for his first two singles as well as links to the songs as well.

stevie.





Edward Maya - Stereo Love & This Is My Life

Anna Abreu - Just A Pretty Face?

Yet another Idol alumni - this time out of Finland. Anna Abreu is a Finnish-Portuguese singer who has had much success after taking part in Finnish Idol in 2006 and has become the best selling female artist ever in her country still at the age of just 19.

Her latest album, Just A Pretty Face? was released last month and reached #3 on the Finnish charts. The album has a bit of everything and certainly has some standout tracks. The first single, Music Everywhere is reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson (if she was from Europe) and after a few listens certainly gets stuck in your head. The song reached a peak of #2 on the Finnish charts. Other than this, Liquid and Slam are memorable tracks, with the latter sounding a lot a missing song from Britney a la Blackout or Circus.

Although Abreu's favourite track of mine would be 2008's Vinegar, which has been remixed and is getting a UK release at the end of this year following in the steps of some other Scandinavian artists. It is her first and only (so far) song to reach #1 in Finland. In the style of sounding like other pop divas, Vinegar sounds a lot like Kylie's Can't Get You Outta My Head (which isn't a bad thing).

Below find links to all of the above-noted tracks along with the video for Vinegar and a live performance of Music Everywhere from earlier this year.

stevie.





Anna Abreu - Just A Pretty Face?

BWO - Big Science

BWO have been around since 2004, and have been making their mark ever since. As is evident in the album cover for their latest album, Big Science, they could easily be labeled as eccentric and they have managed to achieve success not just in their home country of Sweden - but all across Europe and even in Asia. Their style hovers somewhere between dance and pop with an electro feel making them widely popular even in the hard-to-break US and UK markets.

They've had 15 Top 40 singles in Sweden and have achieved their highest successes with songs that they have entered in Melodifestivalen. Temple of Love was entered in the contest in 2006 where they finished 2nd but managed to reach their first and only #1 on the Swedish charts. Their next effort at Melodifestivalen was in 2008 with Lay Your Love On me which ended up 3rd and which charted as high as #2 in Sweden and was their second-highest charting single ever. 2009's Melodifestivalen entry failed to impress and You're Not Alone failed to reach the finals, but was the first release from the album released just after the competition.

2009 saw the release of Big Science which has followed in typical BWO fashion with several hits. Right Here Right Now was the second single released and ended up with a collaboration with Swedish eurotrash diva Velvet and with a remix from UK remixing geniuses Cahill for the UK release of the track.

The third single from the album, Rise To The Occasion, was released this September in Sweden and oddly enough features a building that very much resembles Toronto's CN Tower in the video. As most BWO videos before it, this one is a joy to watch and suits the band and the single perfectly. December will see the release of Kings of Tomorrow, the album's fourth single, and a video should be soon to follow.

With almost six years and so many tracks, trying to highlight some of the best from BWO is certainly a challenge. Below find links to Rise To The Occasion as well as their Melodifestivalen entries from 2006 and 2008 noted above (because I'm such a fan of a great live performance!). Find a selection of hits from Big Science to download as well the amazing collaboration with Velvet on Right Here Right Now and their Melodifestivalen hits.

Enjoy!
stevie.







BWO - Big Science

Alcazar - Last Christmas

So let's try again - I should have continued to postpone the post until finding the single but I am sure it only built suspense for it anyway. You can download Last Christmas below as well as Alcazar's new song on the EP, One Two Three Four in their usual disco fabulousness style!

THIS is how you do Christmas music! :)

Alcazar - Last Christmas

Alcazar - One Two Three Four

Alcazar - Last Christmas

Easily the poster-band for Eurotrash, Alcazar have been through several member changes over the past 10 years but still continue to pump out the hits despite this. Two of the original members, Andreas and Tess are still around and are currently joined by Lina to make up Alcazar as of 2009.

Their latest release, Last Christmas, is a cover of the Christmas classic. As always, they manage to add their typical Alcazar flare to the track and the video is phenomenal. As campy and trashy as they come - it's pure gold! The single has been released as part of a re-release of their latest album, Disco Defenders.

In being the premier band for eurotrash, Alcazar have released quite the line-up of hits over the past few years. If you're unfamiliar they are definitely worth a listen. They've topped the charts all over Europe and have been contestants in Melodifestivalen to represent Sweden at Eurovision on three separate occasions - 2003, 2005 and this past year in 2009. They've come very close - with two 3rd place finishes in their first two efforts (Not A Sinner Nor A Saint and Alcastar respectively) and were 5th with Stay The Night last March.

Below find a link to the video for Last Christmas along with live performances of Stay The Night and Physical. Burning was a recent release in the UK although only reaching #40 on the dance charts. Download links for all of the above along with one of their biggest hits in Sweden, This Is The World We Live In, are below as well! Lots of links - but all worth their viewing!!!

Merry Christmas and ENJOY!
stevie.









Alcazar - My Favourite Singles

Agnes - I Need You Now - LIVE in the UK

Let's cross our fingers and hope that Agnes achieves half the success of Release Me with I Need You Now. Apparently she's just getting over a cold so given that I'd say this performance was pretty amazing.

Inna - Hot

Easily one of the biggest dance songs in Europe from 2008 was Hot by Inna. From Romania, the song also made it to #1 in Moldova, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, Russia, Hungary, Greece and Turkey - some of the trashiest countries in Europe! As if that wasn't enough, Inna has followed up this massive hit from 2008 with three more singles.

She has followed up Hot with Love (#1 in Turkey) and then in 2009, Deja Vu (#2 in Romania) and her latest single is Amazing which has found the top of the charts in Romania and Bulgaria and #2 in Turkey.

Inna probably falls into that dreaded category of having songs to her credit that all do sound quite similar. This usually leads to making an artist a one-hit wonder but it appears that Inna has managed to avoid this with successful singles to her credit following the massive popularity of Hot.

Below you can find a link to a great performance on the amazing stage in Sopot, Poland earlier this year along with the video for her latest track, Amazing, along with download links to some of her latest singles. So far so good for Inna and after the performance in Sopot it looks like Eurovision might be in her future???





Inna - The Singles

Amy Diamond - Swings & Roundabouts

Despite being only 17, Amy Diamond has been around for quite a bit. Her first single What's In It For Me, which reached #1 in both Sweden and Norway, was released in 2005 when she was just 13. Obviously at her age it makes sense to expect some pretty childish pop but despite that being the case she's had some songs worthy of notice over the past few years. She made it to the finals of Melodifestivalen in 2008 and competed again this year in 2009 with It's My Life which was co-written by Alexandar Bard of BWO.

Needless to say It's My Life was a step in the right direction for Amy. Although still some of the kiddy-pop you'd expect from a teen, it's got a bit more of an electronic vibe similar to several other of the songs on her latest album, Swings & Roundabouts. The first single, Up, reached #4 on the singles charts in Sweden and is a pretty big step in the right direction. Compared to a certain other 17-year old making it big in North America, Amy's a lot less annoying, a lot more talented and obviously also a lot more eurotrash - the most important part!

Below find links to her performance of It's My Life from this year's Melodifestivalen as well as some of the better songs from her latest album. She may be 'the laughing stock of Sweden' but compared to what North America offers we'll take some Amy!

Enjoy!
stevie.



Amy Diamond - Swings & Roundabouts

Jade Ewen - My Man

Jade Ewen has been making quite the strides in the world of Eurotrash in 2009. It all started when she won Your Country Needs You in the UK and was selected to be their representative at the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. The involvement of the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber brought a lot of attention to Jade and the UK and It's My Time managed to end up 5th which was was the best result for the UK in well over a decade.

Her first solo single after It's My Time was My Man which was a lot less slow, boring and straight out of a musical and a lot more fun, party and eurotrash! Along with an amazing remix by the man of the hour for remixing in the UK, the song was destined to keep Jade in the spotlight for quite a bit longer.

Then along came the Sugababes, the UK's eurotrash staple, and once again another member leaving the group and leaving room for none other than Jade. The promotion for My Man was halted and it looks like her album Punching Out might not make it out any time soon. Instead she's teamed up with the Sugababes and her first single with them is About A Girl which has been produced by Swedish powerhouse RedOne (a la Darin and Lady Gaga).

My Man (and especially the Cahill remix) had a lot of potential for Jade but one can't blame her for turning this kind of opportunity. Either way, check out the video for My Man as well as the original and Cahill mixes and the latest track from the Sugababes, About A Girl.



Jade Ewen - My Man (The Remixes) & Sugababes - About A Girl

Medina - You & I

Medina is a Danish/Chilean artist who made a name for herself with Kun For Mig which has pretty much been the biggest song in Denmark for 2009. It spent 7 weeks at the top of the dance charts in Denmark and then another 6 weeks on top of the overall charts. It was getting tons of buzz online and first caught my attention even in Danish but was given an English remake for a release in the UK and was destined for chart success but has so far only reached #39. It's been remixed by some of the best out there right now but has still probably disappointed many in its performance.

Regardless, the track is absolutely amazing and although probably not really fitting into what one might call 'eurotrash' in terms of its sound its Danish roots certainly qualify it for this blog and it's a track I'm absolutely in love with. Have a look at the video and also check out the original and some of the remixes although, in my opinion, nothing comes close to the original!

Enjoy!
stevie.



Medina - You & I (The Remixes)

Darin - The 2009 Singles

What do you do when your album only reaches #10 in Sweden and the top-charting single from it only reaches #2? If you're Darin, you release another single that instantly reaches #1 on the charts just to remind everyone what a star you are! Darin released a cover of Coldplay's hit Viva La Vida last month in Sweden and did just that.

Along with Viva La Vida, Darin also came out with another track in 2009 that didn't appear on Flashback and which probably proves without any doubt that Darin really could be quite popular in North America. Pop That was worked on with David Jassy who is a Swedish producer who has moderate success with Ashley Tisdale and also wrote Heidi Montag's Body Language. The song hasn't officially been released anywhere but it's probably something Darin has in his back pocket if his UK debut does well this coming month.

On top of all this in 2009, Darin has been announced as one of the wildcards for Melodifestivalen 2010 which is Sweden's national selection competition to choose their representative at Eurovision 2010 in Oslo. Needless to say without any other of the 33 participants announced yet he is still a clear front-runner. Eurovision "what?" you may be asking - more info is sure to come if you keep posted.

Below find links to Darin's premiere of Viva La Vida on Swedish Idol 2009 and a clip of Pop That along with links to download. Enjoy!

stevie.





Darin - The 2009 Singles