Monday 1 August 2016

Tunes I'm currently loving // 2016 // Volume 7

1. Justin Bieber - What Do You Mean It's 1985
2. Ortiga - Ilumbarada
3. Frances - Say It Again
4. Duke Dumont - Be Here
5. Imany - Don't Be So Shy (Filatov & Karas Remix)
6. cXo - Karma Chameleon
7. Matoma & Becky Hill - False Alarm
8. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Come With Us
9. Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber & MØ - Cold Water
10. M.O - Who Do You Think Of?
11. Feed Me feat Nina Nesbitt - What It Feels Like
12. Molly Nilsson - 1995
13. Jay Bovino feat Sahara Beck - Get You Alone
14. Nick Deboni feat Kelsey - Let Go
15. The Chainsmokers feat Daya - Don't Let Me Down
16. Allie X - All The Rage
17. Katy Perry - Rise
18. Delta Goodrem - Just Call
19. Robyn - With Every Heartbeat (Joakim Remix)
20. Mischief - Gold

Topping the list this month is a wonderful remake of Justin Bieber's What Do You Mean, which is completely restyled to sound as if it were released in 1985. The track features production straight from the radio playing in the Saved By The Bell diner, my personal highlights including a gorgeous piano melody after the first chorus and a mournful sax solo after the second. Bieber also pops up with the huge (and decent) new global hit Cold Water, alongside Major Lazer and Danish singer MØ.


German-based Chilean world music group Ortiga's 
Ilumbarada was originally released at the turn of the century but I've only recently heard it for the first time. It's rather Enigma influenced, and very very good, with an uplifiting melody and even a key change. After providing one of my favourite songs of the year in Don't Worry About Me, rising British star Frances' new 90s-esque single Say It Again is very instant and almost reaches those heights.


The best of a range of dance music this month is Be Here, the new single by Duke Dumont and for me the UK producer's best single since his huge 2014 UK #1 hit I Got U. French singer Imany has scored a huge European hit with the Filatov & Karas Remix of her song Don't Be So Shy, and I'm hoping it can get another chance in the UK fairly soon as it sounds like a smash.


Swedish producer cXo's tropical house reworking of Culture Club's Karma Chameleon sounds as you'd expect, but it's still a joy to listen to, while Norwegian producer Matoma has teamed up with former The Voice contestant Becky Hill on the beautiful False Alarm. Other dance entries include What It Feels Like by Feed Me and Scottish singer Nina Nesbitt, Sheppard member Jay Bovino's new house record Get You Alone, Brazillian producer Nick Deboni's Avicii-esque Let Go, an up-to-date remix of Robyn's 2007 UK #1 hit With Every Heartbeat and the current UK smash Don't Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers and Daya.


On the pop side of things we have Sophie Ellis-Bextor who returns with Come With Us, a slice of disco brilliance that sounds as if it could have come from her debut album, and rising British girlband M.O with their catchy new hit Who Do You Think Of? Canadian singer Allie X hasn't really impressed me that much so far but All The Rage changes that with its huge killer chorus. Also representing pop is Just Call, one of the highlights from Delta Goodrem's excellent new album Wings Of The Wild, Katy Perry's new single Rise, Australian girlband Mischief with Gold and Swedish-born singer Molly Nilsson with 1995.