A blog that hopes to spread some of the music of Europe to North America. I'll try and share some of the "hidden gems" that deserve to be making a splash on this side of the ocean.
Baby Alice have been around in Sweden for a few years now despite never really breaking into the mainstream. Their first two singles were pretty hardcore eurodance music that would apeal to really only a very select group of fans. Circa the 90s these singles may have found success but not so much in the 21st century.
Pina Colada Boy is a track of theirs that has been around for a while but which has only recently really been given a release to several countries across Europe. When first recorded, the vocals were from a former band member who has since been replaced for the new single release and video.
The song probably is best suited for a resort in the Caribbean but has managed to appeal to record labels across Europe and is even currently charting in Russia. It's incredibly cheesy and has an equally cheesy video to go along with it. For fans of eurotrash this one really has all the ingredients. It's got a sound reminiscent of Coco Jamboo or some of DJ BoBo's older singles.
Only in Sweden would you find something like Baby Alice! Have a look at the video and give the track a listen!
Kostas Martakis has been making a name for himself in Greece for the past few years. His involvement in reality tv and his unsuccessful effort to represent Greece at Eurovision in 2008 have slowly upped his reputation in Greece and his most recent album release, Pio Konta has further pushed him into the limelight.
I posted in 2009 on the first two singles from the album, and find myself now feeling like I need to post the most recent two as well. Kano Oti Thes was released in June 2010 as Kostas' fifth single from Pio Konta and Agapi Mou is a duet with Bulgarian popstar Desi Slava.
Kano Oti Thes falls into the same category as the first two singles and is very Swedish pop-heavy as this album was produced and recorded in Stockholm in 2009. As a bit of a departure for the album, Agapi Mou is actually performed in English (instead of either Kostas' native Greek or Desi Slava's native Bulgarian which might be the biggest problem of the song) but stands out as a relatively modern take on a very balkan sound.
Pio Konta has been called one of the best Greek pop albums of the past decade and with five great singles released so far, I would have to agree. Kostas has often been referred to as the next Sakis Rouvas and after this effort, he is well on his way.
Check out two great videos below as well as links to the songs.
Anyone who wants to call them a fan of eurotrash has to be able to appreciate the amazement that was Ace of Base. Their albums produced some of the most memorable songs of the 90s and I would probably trace back my love of Sweden to beginning when I figured out that All That She Wants was from a group from Gothenburg.
Despite an effort last year for three of the group members to resurrect Ace of Base with some new remixes of old hits and some tour dates across Europe, not much success came their way. In 2010, plans are for Ace of Base once again to launch a comeback, this time with two new female members. This is causing a bit of controversy with the former members, but a new single is expected shortly. This should be interesting!
Moving on to the career of Jenny Berggren, who was one of the original members of Ace of Base (also known as the brunette one to those who weren't too familiar with their names). Her first physical release is Here I Am, which is a bit of a mid-tempo pop track not too far from what you might expect from Ace of Base would be releasing 2010 if the original group was still intact.
At first listen, it isn't much of a standout track, but after a few listens it really does start to grown on you. And we can't do anything but be happy for Jenny finding herself back involved with good eurotrash music! The song spent one week on the Swedish charts at #14 and has since not appeared again. A bit unfortunate and undeserved but yet also not totally surprising given how saturated the Swedish market is with this kind of stuff.
Laurentiu Duta is a music producer who has had a long career in the music industry in Romania. He was also part of the team working in Romania's entry at Eurovision in 2009, The Balkan Girls (they like to party like nobody, like nobody!)
Aside from a solo career, Bentu de Soli is a new project of his and its first release is Pearls of Summer. It sounds just like a lot of the music that we have been hearing out of Romania lately, but this shouldn't be taken to be a bad thing. At first listen, you will probably think of Stereo Love from Edward Maya which is continuing to blow up around the world - it's been at #1 in Sweden for several weeks and even made the top 20 in Canada!
This is a great song with the potential to build on the success of Stereo Love and become a hit of its own. It could just as easily fail to make any impression around the world either. We'll see if it makes it on the beaches of Mykonos this summer and if it isn't brought back to the rest of us by 2011!
Welcome to the year of Eric Saade in Sweden. As has been happening in North America recently, the former child television host has elevated himself to the level of mainstream pop star. It all started with his first single, Sleepless which was released in 2009 and continued well into 2010 with his participation in Melodifestivalen.
Eric finished 3rd overall with Manboy and the song spent two weeks at #1 in Sweden along with several others at #2 behind Anna Bergendahl. Of all of the Melodifestivalen entrants using the competition as the ramp up for their upcoming album releases, Eric's is likely the most anticipated. It's his first effort and Sweden (and Swedish pop fans elsewhere around the world) are highly anticipating the result.
So the result is in - and it's a pretty excellent one at that! There are the usual few ballads which are of course a bit of a waste of time, but alongside Sleepless and Manboy there are several other pop masterpieces. It's Gonna Rain is the standout track - with hints of Madonna's Hung Up in the verses and a bit more 'mature' sound than some of the other album's tracks. Regardless, it's worth the hype and has been worth the wait!
As for the appropriate clip to accompany this, without any new video, I figured a live performance might work. Eric did an orchestral version of Manboy at last week's Sommarkrysset in Stockholm, and also managed to sound quite good live as well. Have a look at Eric, the band, and his yellow pants.
Next up in the potential Eurovision hopefuls is the entry from Israel, who are being represented by Harel Skaat. He has been a star in Israel since he finished as the runner-up in their version of the Idol series in 2004. He has had much success in his run since being on the show, and in 2009 was named the second best male singer of the past decade in his country.
Initially, Harel had been chosen to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2009, however, due to a lawsuit from his record company he was unable to record any new material. Without a decision well into 2009, he could not return to the studio in time to record a song to compete at Eurovision and a new choice was made.
It could very well be that it all happened for a reason and that 2010 could be the year for Harel. In a field of many ballads, Harel's song, Milim does stand out. Along with it being sung in Hebrew which will not be heard otherwise on the night, it is truly an epic-sounding ballad with beautiful orchestration that would be very well suited to the 'olden days' of live orchestras at Eurovision.
If I am being perfectly honest, the song was relatively underwhelming until I came across a remix of it. Although something is missing from the original, I might argue that some of the harshness of the foreign lyrics is taken away at the same time. Along with being one of the bookie favourites going into the finals, and obvious votes from the female (and some of the male) population across Europe, I am predicting a definite top 10 finish for Israel in 2010.
Kalomira is best known for representing Greece at the Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade in 2008 where she finished a very respectable 3rd place with the Eurotrash gem Secret Combination. If the song wasn't reeking of trash on its own, the stage performance amped it up even more and really was a top Eurovision highlight of the decade!
Back to Kalomira herself, she got her big break in 2004 on Fame Story 2, which is a combination of Idol meets Big Brother. Kalomira was born and raised in New York and thus she was not at all fluent in Greek which was a bit of a challenge for her being on a reality tv show. Despite this (or maybe even because of it), she managed to win over the Greek public and became the second winner of the reality show and has released singles and albums in Greece since.
After her successful effort at Eurovision, which might have seemed like the perfect time to capitalize on her fame, Kalomira returned back to New York and out of of the spotlight in Greece and Europe. Reports came in that she was engaged and for a good two years not much was heard except for an appearance or two on Greek television.
Come this May (right in time for Eurovision season!) Kalomira has returned with Please Don't Break My Heart which is reminiscent of Secret Combination in some ways although moving further into a rap/hip-hop sound and featuring the vocal talents of Fatman Scoop (a la Be Faithful also known as 'that song' you hear in clubs all the time with the 'chicken heads' line).
The track isn't really what you might have expected from Kalomira, but truth be told, it does get a bit catchy after a few listens. If only for her Eurovision performance, Kalomira deserves another chance at stardom and I welcome her back!
See below for a performance of Please Don't Break My Heart on Greece's version of Dancing with the Stars as well as her masterful Eurovision performance of 2008 and the respective songs as well.
After over two years of intense anticipation, Elin Lanto's second album, Love Made Me Do It, has been released in Sweden. In 2004, Elin received her first break in Sweden with her first (and only) #1 hit, I Won't Cry which was followed up by I Can Do It (Watch Me Now) which managed to peak at #4. Her 2005 album, One managed to reach only #25 on the album charts.
Fast forward to 2007 when Elin competed in Melodifestivalen with Money which almost reached the finals and managed a #16 on the Swedish charts. With lines like "show me what it takes to be a real rich bitch", and an overall super-pop vibe, it was obvious that Elin was moving away from her more melancholic ballad style to the world of the eurotrash.
Her 2008 releases lived up to, and super exceeded, the standard set by Money. My Favourite Pair of Jeans is literally a discussion of some of Elin's favourite articles of clothing while Speak and Spell was Elin's last taste of the top 10 reaching #9. All pale in comparison to Discotheque which is easily one of my favourite pop tracks of all time! Reminiscent of Kylie, but with the pop value amped up 100%, the track truly has it all and is one of those songs I'll be in love with for years.
Move to 2009 and 2010 and Elin has adopted a bit of a rock edge to her music. Still keeping the pop touch that runs in her Swedish blood, the tracks still have the elements that keep them stuck in your head for days at a time but with a harder edge. If I'm being totally honest, I'd rather things wouldn't have changed, but I can appreciate the versatility in Elin's style that these tracks show.
And, finally, the music history of Elin Lanto stands currently with her second album release. The album is a standout just based on all of the previously released singles discussed above, but there are some new tracks added in the mix as well. Funeral and Good Stuff are the additional standouts but if you don't already have any of the older tracks they are definite requirements if you consider yourself a fan of the europop genre.
Congrats to Elin, one of the underrated stars of the Swedish pop music scene, on the latest release. We need more like this! The recently released video to Elin's latest single, Tickles has been included below along with a link to the album.
Timoteij competed in Meodifestivalen 2010 with Kom which won the third semi-final (beating the likes of Darin, Alcazar, Elin Lanto and others). They managed a 5th place finish in the finals falling below Darin on the big night, however, despite this the group of four Swedish blondes managed to make their mark with Melodifestivalen with their first-ever track.
Kom made it all the way up to #2 on the Swedish Singles Charts which paved the way for the release of Längtan in May and a debut at #1 on the Swedish Album charts. No small feat for a group with no experience on the Swedish music scene.
Timoteij appear to be a version of a folk band with their instruments being at the forefront of their performance at Melodifestivalen, however, don't let this fool you! At the heart of their music truly is pure Swedish pop at its absolute finest. Track after track delivers a variant of the style of Kom while still remaining different in a way as well. A guest appearance by Eurovision 2009 winner, Alexander Rybak, is also featured. If you can handle an album completely in Swedish and are a fan of pop music you should fall in love with this one. Think the way an Ace of Base album managed to keep you interested from track to track but with violins.
Kom is probably the standout track of the album, although in my opinion, Glöm Mig and Feber are also strong contendors as well. See the memorable performance from Melodifestivalen below, as well as a link to the album.
As the winner of Melodifestivalen 2010 and Sweden's representative at Eurovision in Oslo in a few weeks, Anna Bergendahl went from relative obscurity in Sweden to being one of the biggest hits of 2010 so far. This was her first single since her appearance in Swedish Idol in 2008 where she finished fifth.
This is My Life reached #1 on the Swedish charts on March 5th in the first chart released after all of the Melodifestivalen songs were made available to the public (which also made it the odds-on favourite to win in the final). It stayed at #1 for 4 weeks and only dropped out of the top 10 for the first time this past Friday May 7 and still sits at #11. Her album Yours Sincerely was released this April and reached #1 in its first week as well. It just goes to show what Melodifestivalen can do for someone's career!
The song is really just about Anna's unique voice and is the kind of song that you'll probably either love or hate. The studio version definitely does her voice more justice (as it should) but the real difference comes with the remixes that have happened to appease the Eurovision-loving public who are all over that kind of thing. The Niclas Kings remix is the definite standout while the Kaveh Azizi remix sticks a bit more to the original song.
With Eurovision this year looking like it might be one of the worst in recent memory (save for maybe some voting drama to make it all a bit more exciting?) there still need to be some favourites and if only by default of being Swedish this is definitely one of my top 5. After hearing it enough times you really do kind of fall for her voice and just looking at her - it's kind of hard not to love her!
Check out videos of Anna performing the song live at Melodifestivalen and the remixes. All the best in Oslo!
Darin is one of the biggest names in music in Sweden and has been since his runner-up finish in Swedish Idol in 2004. His announcement that he would take part in Melodifestivalen 2010 got a lot of people excited as Darin seemed like the kind of artist that could have a shot at placing very well in Oslo.
When it was revealed Darin would be taking part with a "mid-tempo ballad", things didn't look as promising as many had hoped for Darin who has had most of his success with his typical pop sound. You're Out of My Life has cheesy ballad written all over it. If I'm being honest, along with not really loving Darin in this genre, this one certainly pales in comparison to some of his previous efforts, including Homeless (which was covered by Leona Lewis) and Everything But The Girl.
Nonetheless, Darin managed to progress to the finals and despite not winning his semi-final (finishing 2nd to Timoteij) managed to finish a respectable 4th overall. The song has done well on the Swedish Singles Charts, reaching a top spot of #3 and continuing to chart after 9 weeks. Melodifestivalen was most likely seen as a way to get Darin back in the spotlight before his upcoming album release and here's to hoping that this album is a bit more similar to what we're used to!
The remixes have just been released and do the song some justice. Check out the remixes below as well as a live video of Darin performing in the Melodifestivalen finals this March.
After a succession of amazing pop songs, including Discotheque (which is one of my favourites of all time), Elin Lanto returns with her latest single, Tickles, which is coming off of her much anticipated album coming out May 3rd entitled Love Made Me Do It.
Elin participated in Melodifestivalen 2010 with Doctor Doctor which ended up finishing a not-so-impressive 7th out of 8 in her semifinal. Along with Love Made Me Stupid which was released in 2009, Elin has made a bit of a shift from the unabashed completely pop songs to those with more of a rock edge. Despite Doctor Doctor not really impressing me much, Tickles definitely increases my confidence that Elin's second album release next month just might be one that is playing through the rest of 2010.
With an insanely catchy line like "it tickles when I think about it" making up the chorus, it isn't hard to understand how this one fits in with some of Elin's previous pop masterpieces. It really only takes a listen or two to get the chorus stuck in your head and Elin really has perfectly bridged rock and pop in just the right way.
For the clubs, Elin has had Tickles remixed by the Almighty team and the remixes are already making some noise despite the single not being physically released. The remix is already appearing on compilations and these are likely an effort to ease Elin's break into the UK. When Discotheque didn't do it for her, one could have wondered how it could be possible - the Tickles line-up could be her ticket!
Another great track from Elin! We'll forget about Doctor Doctor and wait in anticipation for the album! It tickles just to think about it! :)
Enjoy the original and Almighty remix for preview and download below!
As Inna begins to make her mark in North America with much success with Hot, there is new music being made, most likely for her fans in Europe who have been listening to Hot for quite some time now. You may have heard Inna on the radio here in Canada and she has also managed to reach #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts as well. No small feat for an artist from Romania!
Meanwhile, No Limit and Senorita are new tracks from Inna that show a bit more of a move from Amazing and Deja Vu which were very similar to Hot in sound and are potentially an effort to appeal to a wider market.
Inna recently received the "Artist of the Year" title at the Eska Awards in Poland where she also performed Amazing so it's hard to say where these tracks might be released - if at all - but it's nice to hear some good stuff from Inna and to see that her team are managing to produce her content that could keep her on in the clubs for a while.
If you found her first tracks a bit too 'euro' and you're more into a house sound you just might like these two.
With Melodifestivalen said and done and most of the stand out entries already blogged it is now officially time for Eurovision. As may have already been alluded to, Eurovision is certainly a yearly highlight for me and just about any eurotrash music fan around the world.
First up is who you might call a Eurovision veteran although 2010 is the first time she has made it to the big stage on her own merit. Hera Björk did backing vocals for Iceland in 2008 and again in 2009 helping to two great results for a country that often got forgotten in the Eurovision mix. In 2009, Hera also took part in the Danish selection process trying to represent Denmark but finished 2nd although growing a significant fan base with her efforts around Scandinavia.
And then comes 2010 and Hera Björk finally has her chance to represent Iceland at Eurovision with Je Ne Sais Quoi. The song is a very typically Scandinavian-sounding dance track which will win it some huge supporters in Oslo as well as some huge critics. With the overall mediocre songs making up the Eurovision 2010 playlist, Hera's song will certainly be memorable and stands a pretty good chance at a solid result for Iceland for the third year in a row.
Below is a clip to the official video that has been submitted to the EBU and a link to the final version for Oslo. I'm voting some more action in the background although it's probably unlikely. Eurovision season - here we come! Just two months to go!
Along with Ola, Sibel was a contestant on Idol 2005 although she ended up finishing closer to the top and in third overall. With the strong support of one of the judges it seemed as though Sibel would be destined for a successful singing career in Sweden, however, such has not really been the case.
Sibel's only album release, The Diving Belle reached #9 on the album charts and included her Melodifestivalen 2008 entry, That Is Where I'll Go. She made the finals of Melodifestivalen that year, beating out Ola's Love In Stereo in the Second Chance round and that single reached #6 in Sweden.
In 2010, Sibel returned to Melodifestivalen with Stop, which is a bit of a pop-rock inspired track and which competed in the fourth semi-final. Despite a very good performance and a song that was definitely one of the best pop songs of the competition, Sibel only managed to finish 7th in her semifinal and didn't come close to repeating her successes of 2008. The song has not managed to pick up much steam in Sweden, only reaching #36 on the singles charts.
Sibel's performance is definitely worth a watch - from her interesting outfit choice and her even more dancers and not to mention her impressive vocal performance - there is definitely lots to appreciate.
Ola Svensson, known as Ola in the Swedish music scene, was yet another competitor on Swedish Idol in 2005. He ended up finishing eighth that year behind none other than Agnes. Since finishing on Idol, he has had eight top ten hits in Sweden, including four #1's - 2006's Rain, 2007's huge hit Natalie & S.O.S. and Sky's the Limit this past year in 2009.
It was announced in late 2009 that Ola would once again be taking part in Melodifestivalen 2010. Just missing out on the final in 2008 and coming off a #1 hit it seemed that his chances would be quite good. Unstoppable finished 2nd in the first semifinal and went directly to the finals ending up finishing in 7th place and not getting any points from the voting public.
Unstoppable has managed to reach #6 on the Swedish charts so far since its release and although at first listen I wasn't the biggest fan it certainly has grown on me. Ola's performance of the song isn't the best but despite that and the overly cheesy lyrics and references to Natalie from his previous hit, it's definitely worth a listen.
It's amazing the things you learn on the internet! So I've heard the past two singles from Annagrace which had both done quite well reaching #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts but had no idea that Annagrace was actually just a re-branded version of Ian van Dahl, who wasn't as much just a guy but a group that charting all over the world in the early 2000s. Songs like Castles in the Sky and Reason were a part of the 2002 album, Ace, which reached #7 on the UK album charts and was certified gold there - no small feat for a dance artist!
After 2006, there was a bit of a break and things started back again in 2008 with Annagrace. They've had their most consistent success in their home country of Belgium since the early days, but as Annagrace they've topped the Belgian Dance charts with their first two singles. Annagrace's greatest success, however, has come on the US club scene. All three of their last singles have reached #1 on the Billboard Dance Charts - something that a duo has never managed to achieve before.
Love Keeps Calling is definitely more similar than the past two tracks to the sound of the van Dahl days but it still manages to do it with a more current edge. It's quite nice to see this kind of stuff charting well in North America! It appears like the video is linking it to some movie so not the most exciting to an unknowing viewer, but the song is great so enjoy!
My love for Alcazar can hardly be overstated. For years they have been making the kind of music that people have come to expect and love from Sweden and Melodifestivalen is a stage that suits them like no other. They have finished third at the contest twice and ended up fifth last year just behind Mans Zelmerlow.
They are back at it again with Headlines which is pretty much what you'd expect from them although possibly a bit more modern and a bit less disco (read "a bit") than some of their previous tracks. They appear to have borrowed some of Agnes' infamous strings (a la Release Me) for the intro in what might be an effort to appeal to her massive success over the past year. It suits the song quite well and in my opinion, Alcazar have created another one for the ages here that I'd probably call my top pick for Oslo this May.
Unfortunately, Alcazar were unable to qualify directly for the final as they were able to do in 2009. In the defense, theirs was by far the most difficult of the three semifinals this year and it is also interesting to note that although qualifying directly for the finals in 2009 they only managed to secure 5th place overall last year. In 2003 and 2005, when Alcazar had their highest finish of 3rd on both occasions, they were forced to qualify through the Second Chance finals as will be the case this year. All in all, it could work in their favour. After missing out just barely in the past, the are definitely the most deserving of a chance on the Eurovision stage.
Although not being totally solid on some of the bigger notes, Alcazar put on a great show and the visual of them on stage makes the performance so much more enjoyable than the studio version - but both are available below for your enjoyment!
Earlier in the year I posted one of Eric's first singles, Sleepless and referenced this upcoming entry for Melodifestivalen 2010. There are a lot of similarities to Sleepless and I'd venture it is equally, if not more, addictive. After a few listens, you almost forget the kind of ridiculous title of Manboy.
It starts off with a bit of a Backstreet Boys intro reminiscent of Everybody but then expands into the typical pop-dance song you'd expect from both its writer, Frederik Kempe, and of course from Melodifestivalen. The vampire/Twilight thing is certainly being pushed when it comes to Eric Saade here.
This song was part of the second semi-final and clinched top spot and moved directly to the finals coming up on March 13th. His performance was one of the best of the evening and I'd argue even Melodifestivalen overall. The stage show is impressive and modern without being too kitschy (save for the ending scene) although Eric might be a bit too young and similar to last year's winner to really have a chance at doing very well at Eurovision.
It'll probably be Darin vs. Eric when it comes to the voting of both the public and the jury and unfortunately I think my money will have to be on Darin despite the fact that You're Out Of My Life is unimpressive to say the least after his performance in semifinal 3.
Regardless, hopefully Manboy isn't the last we hear of Eric Saade at Melodifestivalen. Enjoy!
Linda Bengtzing has taken part in Sweden's Eurovision selection contest, Melodifestivalen, three times in the past five years. Her best result came in 2008 when she finished in 5th place despite not receiving any votes from the public. She has had several other releases outside of her Melodifestivalen entries - reaching #1 in 2007 with a duet featuring Markoolio. It is claimed that Victorious was submitted to take part in Melodifestivalen 2010 but was not selected by SVT.
Velvet has had several hits in Sweden and throughout Europe although her efforts at Melodifestivalen have not been the most successful. She reached the Second Chance round in 2006 but finished 7th out of 8 and failed to reach the finals that year. Her song from that year Mi Amore achieved success in Bulgaria, Russia, Greece and several other European countries.
So with a song that was rejected from Melodifestivalen, Linda and Velvet have opted to work together. Velvet would have been unable to take part in Melodifestivalen with this entry as she had competed in 2008 and 2009 and would have not been eligible to take part a third year in a row. It's the kind of anthem you would expect from these two with a bit of influence from each showing. It's got that Swedish anthem sound to it and ends in the typical key change. The kind of song you'll either love or hate!
Star Pilots are a group out of Sweden that rose to fame with their track In the Heat of the Night which reached #2 in Sweden and after a release in the UK last year reached #21 there. They also participated in Melodifestivalen 2009 with Higher which made it to the Second Chance round but didn't reach the finals in the end.
Back then Star Pilots were lead by Johan Becker, although he has since left the group. They are keeping on keeping on without him with I'm Alive getting its release last week in Sweden. In its first week on the Swedish charts it's already up to #22 although it might have a hard time competing with the Melodifestivalen songs getting released shortly.
I'm Alive is in the same vein as the previous Star Pilots songs - but this isn't a bad thing! It's got the 80s feel to it which was well promoted in the Top Gun-themed video for In the Heat of the Night. I will admit that I'm Alive wasn't an instant hit for me but after a week of listens it's definitely growing. The video is also an unashamed trash-fest. Think Baywatch meets Miami Vice with more bikinis and car washing. Yes it's that kind of video.
On another (somewhat related) note - this weekend is Melodifestivalen Semifinal 3. A big deal with Alcazar, Darin and Elin Lanto all competing - it's going to be BIG!
Another of the alumni of Swedish Idol, Alice Svensson (better known as Alice), was a participant in the 2008 competition. I happened to watch her in the final rounds last year when I was in Stockholm and was pretty impressed by the big voice coming out of this little girl. Adopted from Vietnam as a baby, Alice grew up in Sweden and was part of several musical projects in her youth before Idol.
Her first single after her Idol success, Lady Luck, was a bit of a motown-ish inspired track that reached #12 on the Swedish charts but for her latest effort she has moved into the dance genre. She has worked with Pitchline (responsible for work on Velvet's latest remix of her song My Destiny) and I Wanna Live is something pretty special. Although the extended version is a bit drawn out, once the verses and chorus starts the song is pretty amazing.
The song is quite reminiscent of My Destiny but Alice's unique sounding voice certainly takes it up a notch (and more). Enjoy a sample of the song from YouTube before you download as well as Alice (borrowing what looks like one of Agnes' dresses) performing at Sommarkrysset with Lady Luck for a taste of her live talent (as well as one of the best intro's ever).
Pretty much the best six weeks of music in Europe got started last night in Sweden with Melodifestivalen 2010 having the first semi-final take place in Örnsköldsvik. Overall, this is one of the least hyped up semis and in the end Ola and Salem were the first two to progress directly to the finals. Eric Saade competes next week and Elin Lanto, Alcazar AND Darin compete in semifinal three in two weeks. More good things to come.
The only real song worthy of note came from Linda Pritchard, a former Swedish Idol participant from 2008, who competed with You're Making Me Hot Hot Hot and ended up 5th - just out of a spot in the Second Chance finals with a final shot at competing in the finals in Stockholm.
Her vocals were pretty spot-on for the night and the whole performance went quite well but it appeared there were some bigger names and bigger songs. Something tells me this one will still manage to make its way to the Swedish airwaves in high rotation much like most of the rest of the songs from this week and to come.
With Eurovision season well underway with several national finals happening across Europe, it is time to start blogging about what is happening. With Sweden's national final - Melodifestivalen - set to start this weekend, there will certainly be lots to talk about but until then it's Belinda Braza who gets the distinction of being the first to be mentioned despite her not-so-good result at the Norwegian finals - Melodi Grand Prix.
Belinda has been mostly behind the scenes and has worked primarily as a choreographer including work with Velvet Inc. from last year's Norwegian finals and also work on So You Think You Can Dance Scandinavia. This year she found herself vying for a chance to represent Norway at Eurovision although she didn't manage to make through to the finals or even the Second Chance Round.
Million Dollar Baby is a great pop track mixing a lot of pop with a bit of Belinda's hip-hop style as well. The result on the night isn't too hard to believe when seeing her performance (below) as the vocals were pretty crap but the song itself is pretty good and the studio version is definitely worth a listen.
Keep tuned for the results of the Norwegian (and other) national finals over the next few weeks.
There isn't much to talk about when it comes to One as it's pretty hard to find much of any information on Jay Ko (or Anya) unless one speaks Romanian. When it comes down to it, nothing more is really necessary than the track itself.
It's one of a continuing huge number of tracks out of Romania with a bit less of a harder house edge to it and of more of a dance/pop vibe which is why it certainly stands out from the rest of the Romanian dance music we're hearing now. There are some remixes out there but the original really is the best version to me.
The official video online is for a remix so I've got a fan video below as well as a link to download the track.
Maybe the best way to describe Eric Saade is Darin meets Zac Efron. He's been involved in Disney-type stuff in Sweden for a few years including their version of Camp Rock. He has gone and released his first solo single, Sleepless, just in advance of his participation in Melodifestivalen 2010 which will decide Sweden's representative at Eurovision this year in Oslo.
Eric's entry to Melodifestivalen is called Manboy (should be interesting) and has been written by Frederic Kempe who has been responsible for many Melodifestivalen hits, including both of Mans Zelermlow's entries. And with Sleepless adding some idea of what Eric might be presenting, it appears that it should be pretty good!
Sleepless really is a bit of a Darin meets Disney. Probably more comparable to some of Darin's earlier tracks with a bit more of a pop edge, I am figuring this one has all the teeny-boppers in Sweden excited and I can't lie - it's pretty addictive. The video is simple enough but certainly is trying to cast Eric in the Twilight-vibe. Definitely worth a view!
Linda Sundblad is a Swedish artist who started her music career at the ripe age of 15 fronting the pop-rock music group Lambretta with whom she released three albums and had two top 10 hits in Sweden as well as success in some neighbouring countries. In 2005 she left the group and went solo. This proved a great move and she pulled out a #1 and #2 single in Sweden from her 2006 release Oh my God!.
Throw in some modelling and acting and hosting a radio show, and fast forward to 2009 when Linda released her most recent solo single, 2 All My Girls, an electro-pop leaning on the side of electro and sounding very Robyn-esque which only managed to reach #50 on the Swedish singles charts.
Skip to single #2 from the "comeback" and things look to be working out much better. Linda has released Let's Dance in 2010 which is also the theme song for the Swedish version of Dancing With the Stars (won by Mans Zelmerlow in 2006). It entered the Swedish charts this week at #16 and as the show continues to draw in viewers looks primed to make the top 10.
Still sounding a bit like Robyn but a lot more pop with a hint of Gaga, Let's Dance has a great chorus that is Swedish pop at its very best and although the verses are a bit lacking something, the wait for the chorus is all worth it. I can totally see it working as the theme for the show and any one of the many dance-related reality shows making it around the world.
Among all of the Swedish artists that have managed to catch my attention over the past few years, Gathania is certainly one who stands out brighter than the rest. Her 2008/2009 release Blame It On You, is one of my favourite songs from 2009 and with its UK release still on the way there should be more talk about this track to come. She's also stunning and is working with the same people as September which means that we can expect great things. She's also signed to September's label in the UK, Hard2Beat, so who knows if a release for North America might even be in the works?
While waiting for the UK release of Blame It On You it is nice to see that Gathania hasn't gotten lazy and hasn't left her Swedish fans hanging. Her latest release for 2010 has made its way out and Spinning certainly does a very good job of living up to the reputation that her previous work has set for her. I would say she sounds a bit more like September with this one although the song also has a bit of an 80s-esque vibe to it too.
With Gathania's past releases in Sweden not faring incredibly well it will be interested to see how this one performs on the charts. A video has yet to be released, so we're left with a montage of some photos as well as a link to the track.
Velvet is another one of the Swedish dance music veterans who has been around in the industry for quite some time and who is coming into her own both in Sweden and elsewhere around Europe and even North America. She's one of the few from the pre-Idol times who has taken part in Sweden's Melodifestivalen three times as a solo artist and has even done backing vocals for several Swedish entries at Eurovision in the past.
Velvet has had seven top 10 songs in Sweden and also been quite successful in Poland and with some other hits in Russia, Romania and efforts in the UK. Her 2009 album, The Queen was one of the best albums of the year and included some of her previous hits like Chemistry and Take My Body Close and some other unreleased winners like My Rhythm and Radio Star. Included in the album was My Destiny which was a ballad on the album and wasn't too memorable but which has been given the remix treatment courtesy of Pitchline and now stands on its own quite nicely.
With one of the remixes being called the Pitchline UK Remix, it appears as this is might be being released in the UK but time will only tell on this one as nothing has been said yet. The remix is a bit more in line with some of Velvet's previous disco-house sounding tracks like Take My Body Close and Come Into The Night and consequently less similar to Chemistry and Fix Me but all are great in my opinion so you can simply add My Destiny to the list of hits!
2010 looks like is starting off on a good note so far! :)
