Songs
1. Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat (1)
2. Timoteij - Kom (NEW)
3. Salem Al Fakir - Keep On Walking (2)
4. Cheryl Cole - Parachute (6)
5. A1 - Don’t Wanna Lose You Again (3)
6. Didrik Solli-Tangen - My Heart Is Yours (5)
7. Tania Foster - Supawoman (14)
8. Leddra Chapman - Story (4)
9. Alcazar - Headlines (NEW)
10. Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood (12)
11. Inna - Hot (8)
12. Boyzone - Gave It All Away (13)
13. Venke Knutson - Jealous Cause I Love You (9)
14. Timbaland feat Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (7)
15. Florence + The Machine & Dizzee Rascal - You’ve Got The Dirtee Love (10)
16. Marina & The Diamonds - Are You Satisfied? (20)
17. Chanee and N'Evergreen - In A Moment Like This (16)
18. Cascada - Pyromania (29)
19. Dandy Andy feat Carmen Castro - My Lonely Valentine (25)
20. Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi (11)
21. Jon Lilygreen & The Islanders - Life Looks Better In The Spring (24)
22. Tinashé and Kissy Sell Out - Come On Over (28)
23. Pixie Lott - Gravity (32)
24. Rihanna - Rude Boy (15)
25. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (18)
26. Andreas Johnson - We Can Work It Out (27)
27. One More Time - Den Vilda (NEW)
28. Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission (19)
29. Linda Bengtzing & Velvet - Victorious (NEW)
30. Delphic - Halcyon (38)
31. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (17)
32. Ola - Unstoppable (22)
33. Alphabeat - Hole In My Heart (45)
34. Chris Brown - Crawl (41)
35. Chiddy Bang - The Opposite Of Adults (NEW)
36. Erik Hassle & Malin Dahlstrom - Who’s Gonna Walk You Home (NEW)
37. Lady GaGa feat Beyoncé - Telephone (39)
38. Darin - Out Of My Life (NEW)
39. Eric Saade - Manboy (33)
40. Marina & The Diamonds - Oh No! (50)
41. Marina Łuczenko - Glam Pop (34)
42. Jessica Andersson - I Did It For Love (46)
43. Thea Garrett - My Dream (NEW)
44. Mariah Carey feat Ne-Yo - Angels Cry (NEW)
45. Erik Hassle - Amelia (NEW)
46. Alex Gardner - I’m Not Mad (NEW)
47. McLean - My Name (48)
48. Elin Lanto - Doctor Doctor (NEW)
49. Gramophonedzie - Why Don’t You (NEW)
50. Erik Hassle - Isn’t It Obvious (NEW)
Albums
1. Marina & The Diamonds - The Family Jewels (2)
2. Absolute Schlager (1)
3. Erik Hassle - Pieces (18)
4. Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales (3)
5. Lady GaGa - The Fame/The Fame Monster (6)
6. Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (5)
7. Ellie Goulding - Lights (NEW)
8. Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (7)
9. Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut (4)
10. Now That’s What I Call The 00’s (8)
11. Florence + The Machine - Lungs (11)
12. Rihanna - Rated R (10)
13. Ke$ha - Animal (9)
14. Leona Lewis - Echo (13)
15. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (12)
16. Cheryl Cole - 3 Words (14)
17. Pixie Lott - Turn It Up (20)
18. Alphabeat - The Spell (Re-entry)
19. Timbaland - Shock Value II (16)
20. Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (17)
Friday, 26 February 2010
Monday, 22 February 2010
new artist watch_feb2010//
Here are a few new artists about to unleash their talents on us all in the next few months.
Tania Foster
Upcoming British singer/songwriter Tania has already lent some vocals to Tinchy Stryder's debut album and she's about to branch out on her own now. The Keri Hilson lookalike has already been tipped for big things by Music Week and if she gets the right promo push then she could do very well indeed, there is certainly a gap in the market for a British R&B female seeing as Jamelia appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Alexandra Burke is helping to fill the void but Tania writes and produces her own material and feels like an all round talent. Supawoman is my favourite track of hers so far - sounding like Little Boots singing the catchy electro pop that Sugababes 4.0 should be releasing rather than the generic Wear My Kiss, Tania's soulful yet powerfully subtle voice suits the track perfectly and far from sounding like a demo for one of the aformentioned acts, Tania could get a top ten hit with this right now if Radio 1 added it to their playlist. Definitely one to watch - her website is here; www.myspace.com/taniafostermusic and you can hear Supawoman below;
Tinashé
A rather unique talent, Tinashé, who hails from Zimbabwe but grew up in Hackney is that one in a million type of act that crosses boundaries seamlessly. Blending his African roots with pop, electro and indie, he already has some fantastic songs on his MySpace that suggest that he is definitely a tip for the future. They can be heard here; www.myspace.com/tinashemusic.
Forthcoming single Mayday is catchy indie pop but my favourite track is the Kissy Sell Out collaboration Come On Over. His soulful but incredibly distinctive voice stands right out of a glorious xylophone based dance track which is so infectious and charming that it hasn't left my head since the first time I heard it. He performs a fantastic acoustic version of Mayday below;
Alex Gardner
Hot on the heels of Mini Viva and Jesse Malakouti, the latest Xenomania protégé is 18 year old Scottish singer Alex Gardner. After the huge commercial success in the last 6 months of fellow young Scot Paolo Nutini, who Alex has already toured with, it seems to be a combination that can't fail. Hardly a typical run of the mill pop singer, Alex's distinctive deep vocals make his electro pop songs stand out. His debut single I'm Not Mad is released on March 22nd and his unique vocals layer effortlessly over a typically mesmerising Xenomania production sounding like the younger cousin of Girls Aloud's The Loving Kind. You can find out more about Alex at his website here; http://www.alexgardnermusic.com. I've also been given permission to host a free download of his track There Goes My Heart which you can download if you click here. You can watch the video to new single I'm Not Mad below;
Tania Foster
Upcoming British singer/songwriter Tania has already lent some vocals to Tinchy Stryder's debut album and she's about to branch out on her own now. The Keri Hilson lookalike has already been tipped for big things by Music Week and if she gets the right promo push then she could do very well indeed, there is certainly a gap in the market for a British R&B female seeing as Jamelia appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Alexandra Burke is helping to fill the void but Tania writes and produces her own material and feels like an all round talent. Supawoman is my favourite track of hers so far - sounding like Little Boots singing the catchy electro pop that Sugababes 4.0 should be releasing rather than the generic Wear My Kiss, Tania's soulful yet powerfully subtle voice suits the track perfectly and far from sounding like a demo for one of the aformentioned acts, Tania could get a top ten hit with this right now if Radio 1 added it to their playlist. Definitely one to watch - her website is here; www.myspace.com/taniafostermusic and you can hear Supawoman below;
Tinashé
A rather unique talent, Tinashé, who hails from Zimbabwe but grew up in Hackney is that one in a million type of act that crosses boundaries seamlessly. Blending his African roots with pop, electro and indie, he already has some fantastic songs on his MySpace that suggest that he is definitely a tip for the future. They can be heard here; www.myspace.com/tinashemusic.
Forthcoming single Mayday is catchy indie pop but my favourite track is the Kissy Sell Out collaboration Come On Over. His soulful but incredibly distinctive voice stands right out of a glorious xylophone based dance track which is so infectious and charming that it hasn't left my head since the first time I heard it. He performs a fantastic acoustic version of Mayday below;
Alex Gardner
Hot on the heels of Mini Viva and Jesse Malakouti, the latest Xenomania protégé is 18 year old Scottish singer Alex Gardner. After the huge commercial success in the last 6 months of fellow young Scot Paolo Nutini, who Alex has already toured with, it seems to be a combination that can't fail. Hardly a typical run of the mill pop singer, Alex's distinctive deep vocals make his electro pop songs stand out. His debut single I'm Not Mad is released on March 22nd and his unique vocals layer effortlessly over a typically mesmerising Xenomania production sounding like the younger cousin of Girls Aloud's The Loving Kind. You can find out more about Alex at his website here; http://www.alexgardnermusic.com. I've also been given permission to host a free download of his track There Goes My Heart which you can download if you click here. You can watch the video to new single I'm Not Mad below;
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Kom Kom Kom!
Girlband Timoteij sailed through to the final of Melodifestivalen last night with the fantastic Kom! The ethnic pop song works so much better than Sofia's fluke finalist Alla from last year did for so many reasons. It's instantly catchy, the girls are all stunning, the instruments add great effect to the presentation, particularly the accordion and it just feels like it's got winner written all over it, not just for Melodifestivalen but potentially for Eurovision as a whole as well. They will be joined in Globen by superstar Darin with the ballad Out Of My Life. It was surprising to see Darin qualify second in the voting after the unknowns Timoteij stormed straight to Globen by winning their semi, but I suppose this is credit to how accessible the song is. My favourite band of 2009, Alcazar, returned with Headlines. Maybe not as great as Stay The Night, the Release Me/Burning-esque hybrid was still easily the second best song in the semi and will thankfully get another chance in Andra Chansen in two weeks - here's hoping they can do what they did in 2003 and 2005 and qualify to the final from there (where they finished third both years!). It will be a massive radio hit either way and it's not like they're short of success in the competition. Rocky girl group Crucified Barbara also went to Andra Chansen, with Heaven Or Hell.
Timoteij are the first female act to reach the final and will be joined by the aformentioned Darin, the no hopers Ola and Andreas Johnson, who have great songs but will struggle to make a huge mark on the scoreboard, newcomer Eric Saade, who will probably finish around 4th or 5th, and then Salem Al Fakir, who arguably has the most enchanting, different and strongest song in the final with Keep On Walking, although maybe not as suited to Eurovision as Kom might be. At this moment in time, I'd say and hope that it's between Timoteij and Salem for Sweden 2010, but we still haven't heard from Peter Jöback, one of Sweden's biggest stars, who will take place in the final semi next week. He will almost certainly go straight to Globen with whatever he sends, but will the song be strong enough to overcome the excellent finalists that we already have?
Timoteij are the first female act to reach the final and will be joined by the aformentioned Darin, the no hopers Ola and Andreas Johnson, who have great songs but will struggle to make a huge mark on the scoreboard, newcomer Eric Saade, who will probably finish around 4th or 5th, and then Salem Al Fakir, who arguably has the most enchanting, different and strongest song in the final with Keep On Walking, although maybe not as suited to Eurovision as Kom might be. At this moment in time, I'd say and hope that it's between Timoteij and Salem for Sweden 2010, but we still haven't heard from Peter Jöback, one of Sweden's biggest stars, who will take place in the final semi next week. He will almost certainly go straight to Globen with whatever he sends, but will the song be strong enough to overcome the excellent finalists that we already have?
Saturday, 20 February 2010
New Music; Victory for Velvtzing but not for MF
Velvet & Linda Bengtzing - Victorious
Swedish pop/dance artist Velvet and fellow Melodifestivalen veteran Linda Bengtzing teamed up this year to record Victorious for the purpose of sending to the yearly Swedish Eurovision song selection show. An incredibly typical Schalger dance/pop song complete with a key change, it would have easily been a huge radio hit and a big chart hit in Sweden. A massive chorus with both women's vocals complement each other brilliantly, it's the second great pop duet Linda's done in the last few months, the other being Not That Kinda Girl with Kim Lian. It's a real shame that Christer Bjorkman didn't put this into the semis because although I'm loving a lot of the songs this year, it's really lacking in both girl power and Schlager-pop, both of which this song oozes. It hasn't got a full single release but has instead been featured on the new Rix FM compilation album, giving fans of the artists the chance to hear the rejected track. But seriously, was Hippare Hoppare REALLY chosen over this? Madness.
Cascada - Pyromania
German dance trio Cascada have had shocking longevity in the industry, now entering what is their sixth year of worldwide success. Fresh from their UK chart topping single and top ten album of the same name, Evacuate The Dancefloor (which was followed by the super-flops Dangerous and Fever, but we'll forget those ever happened), Natalie, Yanou and Manian are back with another GaGa influenced dancefloor stormer, Pyromania. Where Evacuate The Dancefloor owes a huge debt to Just Dance, this is essentially Cascada's sequel to Poker Face. Not that this is a bad thing of course, if you're going to borrow sounds you might as well borrow them from the best in the business - which at the moment is easily Lady GaGa. The vocals are spot on as usual, Natalie in my opinion being one of the most underrated vocalists around - she has an incredibly strong and distinctive voice which lends itself to the usual dance sound, this new RedOne sound that they've adopted so successfully and even ballads, where she sounds gorgeous. An incredibly repetitive song, Pyromania sticks in your head instantly and once again Cascada should have a huge worldwide hit on their hands with this.
Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat
It really is about time I covered this song, seeing as it's been at the top of my 'chart' for the past couple of weeks. Swedish duo Staygold have teamed up with fellow Swede Salem Al Fakir (under the alias Damien Adore) along with US rappers Spank Rock and Lady Tigra, and the result is arguably the most infectious song of 2010 so far. 'Damien' puts on his best Mika falsetto over an irresistible 80's inspired Prince-like electro groove which sounds incredibly fresh yet classic at the same time. The cameo rap from Spank Rock and vocal segment from Lady Tigra only add to the magic of the song, coming in at the perfect time to prevent the song from becoming repetitive. And just when you think it's all over, a stunning electro breakdown closes the track out in the best 80's throwback I can recall since Groove Armada's 2007 anthem Song 4 Mutya. Definitely one to listen to - highly recommended.
Swedish pop/dance artist Velvet and fellow Melodifestivalen veteran Linda Bengtzing teamed up this year to record Victorious for the purpose of sending to the yearly Swedish Eurovision song selection show. An incredibly typical Schalger dance/pop song complete with a key change, it would have easily been a huge radio hit and a big chart hit in Sweden. A massive chorus with both women's vocals complement each other brilliantly, it's the second great pop duet Linda's done in the last few months, the other being Not That Kinda Girl with Kim Lian. It's a real shame that Christer Bjorkman didn't put this into the semis because although I'm loving a lot of the songs this year, it's really lacking in both girl power and Schlager-pop, both of which this song oozes. It hasn't got a full single release but has instead been featured on the new Rix FM compilation album, giving fans of the artists the chance to hear the rejected track. But seriously, was Hippare Hoppare REALLY chosen over this? Madness.
Cascada - Pyromania
German dance trio Cascada have had shocking longevity in the industry, now entering what is their sixth year of worldwide success. Fresh from their UK chart topping single and top ten album of the same name, Evacuate The Dancefloor (which was followed by the super-flops Dangerous and Fever, but we'll forget those ever happened), Natalie, Yanou and Manian are back with another GaGa influenced dancefloor stormer, Pyromania. Where Evacuate The Dancefloor owes a huge debt to Just Dance, this is essentially Cascada's sequel to Poker Face. Not that this is a bad thing of course, if you're going to borrow sounds you might as well borrow them from the best in the business - which at the moment is easily Lady GaGa. The vocals are spot on as usual, Natalie in my opinion being one of the most underrated vocalists around - she has an incredibly strong and distinctive voice which lends itself to the usual dance sound, this new RedOne sound that they've adopted so successfully and even ballads, where she sounds gorgeous. An incredibly repetitive song, Pyromania sticks in your head instantly and once again Cascada should have a huge worldwide hit on their hands with this.
Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat
It really is about time I covered this song, seeing as it's been at the top of my 'chart' for the past couple of weeks. Swedish duo Staygold have teamed up with fellow Swede Salem Al Fakir (under the alias Damien Adore) along with US rappers Spank Rock and Lady Tigra, and the result is arguably the most infectious song of 2010 so far. 'Damien' puts on his best Mika falsetto over an irresistible 80's inspired Prince-like electro groove which sounds incredibly fresh yet classic at the same time. The cameo rap from Spank Rock and vocal segment from Lady Tigra only add to the magic of the song, coming in at the perfect time to prevent the song from becoming repetitive. And just when you think it's all over, a stunning electro breakdown closes the track out in the best 80's throwback I can recall since Groove Armada's 2007 anthem Song 4 Mutya. Definitely one to listen to - highly recommended.
Friday, 19 February 2010
Top Songs/Albums; WB 22/2/10
Songs
1. Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat (1)
2. Salem Al Fakir - Keep On Walking (5)
3. A1 - Don’t Wanna Lose You Again (2)
4. Leddra Chapman - Story (4)
5. Didrik Solli-Tangen - My Heart Is Yours (7)
6. Cheryl Cole - Parachute (22)
7. Timbaland feat Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (3)
8. Inna - Hot (13)
9. Venke Knutson - Jealous Cause I Love You (10)
10. Florence + The Machine & Dizzee Rascal - You’ve Got The Dirtee Love (NEW)
11. Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi (8)
12. Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood (11)
13. Boyzone - Gave It All Away (9)
14. Tania Foster - Supawoman (NEW)
15. Rihanna - Rude Boy (21)
16. Chanee and N'Evergreen - In A Moment Like This (18)
17. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (6)
18. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (16)
19. Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission (12)
20. Marina & The Diamonds - Are You Satisfied? (33)
21. Salem Al Fakir - Cold Shower (28)
22. Ola - Unstoppable (27)
23. Jenny Silver - A Place To Stay (31)
24. Jon Lilygreen & The Islanders - Life Looks Better In The Spring (45)
25. Dandy Andy feat Carmen Castro - My Lonely Valentine (NEW)
26. Ke$ha feat 3OH!3 - Blah Blah Blah (14)
27. Andreas Johnson - We Can Work It Out (NEW)
28. Tinashé and Kissy Sell Out - Come On Over (NEW)
29. Cascada - Pyromania (NEW)
30. Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (20)
31. Leddra Chapman - Fooling Myself (15)
32. Pixie Lott - Gravity (39)
33. Eric Saade - Manboy (NEW)
34. Marina Łuczenko - Glam Pop (NEW)
35. Leddra Chapman - Edie (17)
36. Shackles - Breaking The Silence (19)
37. Leona Lewis - I Got You (25)
38. Delphic - Halcyon (NEW)
39. Lady GaGa feat Beyoncé - Telephone (43)
40. Sugababes - Wear My Kiss (40)
41. Chris Brown - Crawl (49)
42. Diana Vickers - Once (30)
43. Leighton Meester - Your Love’s A Drug (NEW)
44. Cherri V feat Wiley - Skool Daze (NEW)
45. Alphabeat - Hole In My Heart (44)
46. Jessica Andersson - I Did It For Love (NEW)
47. Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt (41)
48. McLean - My Name (50)
49. Che’Nelle - Feel Good (NEW)
50. Marina & The Diamonds - Oh No! (NEW)
Albums
1. Absolute Schlager (1)
2. Marina & The Diamonds - The Family Jewels (4)
3. Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales (3)
4. Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut (5)
5. Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (2)
6. Lady GaGa - The Fame/The Fame Monster (8)
7. Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (7)
8. Now That’s What I Call The 00’s (NEW)
9. Ke$ha - Animal (6)
10. Rihanna - Rated R (10)
11. Florence + The Machine - Lungs (12)
12. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (9)
13. Leona Lewis - Echo (13)
14. Cheryl Cole - 3 Words (19)
15. Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (11)
16. Timbaland - Shock Value II (16)
17. Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (14)
18. Erik Hassle - Pieces (17)
19. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea (15)
20. Pixie Lott - Turn It Up (20)
1. Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat (1)
2. Salem Al Fakir - Keep On Walking (5)
3. A1 - Don’t Wanna Lose You Again (2)
4. Leddra Chapman - Story (4)
5. Didrik Solli-Tangen - My Heart Is Yours (7)
6. Cheryl Cole - Parachute (22)
7. Timbaland feat Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (3)
8. Inna - Hot (13)
9. Venke Knutson - Jealous Cause I Love You (10)
10. Florence + The Machine & Dizzee Rascal - You’ve Got The Dirtee Love (NEW)
11. Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi (8)
12. Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood (11)
13. Boyzone - Gave It All Away (9)
14. Tania Foster - Supawoman (NEW)
15. Rihanna - Rude Boy (21)
16. Chanee and N'Evergreen - In A Moment Like This (18)
17. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (6)
18. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (16)
19. Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission (12)
20. Marina & The Diamonds - Are You Satisfied? (33)
21. Salem Al Fakir - Cold Shower (28)
22. Ola - Unstoppable (27)
23. Jenny Silver - A Place To Stay (31)
24. Jon Lilygreen & The Islanders - Life Looks Better In The Spring (45)
25. Dandy Andy feat Carmen Castro - My Lonely Valentine (NEW)
26. Ke$ha feat 3OH!3 - Blah Blah Blah (14)
27. Andreas Johnson - We Can Work It Out (NEW)
28. Tinashé and Kissy Sell Out - Come On Over (NEW)
29. Cascada - Pyromania (NEW)
30. Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (20)
31. Leddra Chapman - Fooling Myself (15)
32. Pixie Lott - Gravity (39)
33. Eric Saade - Manboy (NEW)
34. Marina Łuczenko - Glam Pop (NEW)
35. Leddra Chapman - Edie (17)
36. Shackles - Breaking The Silence (19)
37. Leona Lewis - I Got You (25)
38. Delphic - Halcyon (NEW)
39. Lady GaGa feat Beyoncé - Telephone (43)
40. Sugababes - Wear My Kiss (40)
41. Chris Brown - Crawl (49)
42. Diana Vickers - Once (30)
43. Leighton Meester - Your Love’s A Drug (NEW)
44. Cherri V feat Wiley - Skool Daze (NEW)
45. Alphabeat - Hole In My Heart (44)
46. Jessica Andersson - I Did It For Love (NEW)
47. Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt (41)
48. McLean - My Name (50)
49. Che’Nelle - Feel Good (NEW)
50. Marina & The Diamonds - Oh No! (NEW)
Albums
1. Absolute Schlager (1)
2. Marina & The Diamonds - The Family Jewels (4)
3. Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales (3)
4. Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut (5)
5. Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (2)
6. Lady GaGa - The Fame/The Fame Monster (8)
7. Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (7)
8. Now That’s What I Call The 00’s (NEW)
9. Ke$ha - Animal (6)
10. Rihanna - Rated R (10)
11. Florence + The Machine - Lungs (12)
12. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (9)
13. Leona Lewis - Echo (13)
14. Cheryl Cole - 3 Words (19)
15. Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (11)
16. Timbaland - Shock Value II (16)
17. Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (14)
18. Erik Hassle - Pieces (17)
19. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea (15)
20. Pixie Lott - Turn It Up (20)
Friday, 12 February 2010
Top Songs/Albums; WB 15/2/10
Songs
1. Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat (4)
2. A1 - Don’t Wanna Lose You Again (1)
3. Timbaland feat Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (5)
4. Leddra Chapman - Story (2)
5. Salem Al Fakir - Keep On Walking (NEW)
6. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (3)
7. Didrik Solli-Tangen - My Heart Is Yours (14)
8. Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi (9)
9. Boyzone - Gave It All Away (6)
10. Venke Knutson - Jealous Cause I Love You (18)
11. Marina & the Diamonds - Hollywood (15)
12. Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission (7)
13. Inna - Hot (17)
14. Ke$ha feat 3OH!3 - Blah Blah Blah (19)
15. Leddra Chapman - Fooling Myself (10)
16. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (16)
17. Leddra Chapman - Edie (12)
18. Chanee and N'Evergreen - In A Moment Like This (NEW)
19. Shackles - Breaking The Silence (13)
20. Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (32)
21. Rihanna - Rude Boy (35)
22. Cheryl Cole - Parachute (Re-entry)
23. Stella - Underground (8)
24. Nina Lassander - Cider Hill (11)
25. Leona Lewis - I Got You (25)
26. Sabrina Washington - OMG (49)
27. Ola - Unstoppable (NEW)
28. Salem Al Fakir - Cold Shower (NEW)
29. Sukkerchok - Kæmper For Kærlighed (NEW)
30. Diana Vickers - Once (30)
31. Jenny Silver - A Place To Stay (NEW)
32. Bjørn Johan Muri - Yes Man (34)
33. Marina & the Diamonds - Are You Satisfied? (NEW)
34. Edward Maya feat Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love (28)
35. Maria Matilde Band - Panik (NEW)
36. Bob Sinclar feat Vybrate Queen Ifrica & Makedah - New New New (Avicii Remix) (29)
37. Sad Brad Smith - Help Yourself (36)
38. Mira Craig - I’ll Take You High (23)
39. Pixie Lott - Gravity (NEW)
40. Sugababes - Wear My Kiss (Re-entry)
41. Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt (NEW)
42. Daisy Dares You feat Chipmunk - No.1 Enemy (33)
43. Lady GaGa feat Beyoncé - Telephone (45)
44. Alphabeat - Hole In My Heart (46)
45. Jon Lilygreen & The Islanders – Life Looks Better In The Spring (NEW)
46. Sharleen Spiteri - Xanadu (50)
47. Amy MacDonald - Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over (38)
48. Black Eyed Peas - Rock That Body (48)
49. Chris Brown – Crawl (NEW)
50. McLean - My Name (NEW)
Albums
1. Absolute Schlager (9)
2. Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (2)
3. Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales (1)
4. Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels (NEW)
5. Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut (NEW)
6. Ke$ha - Animal (3)
7. Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (4)
8. Lady GaGa - The Fame/The Fame Monster (6)
9. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (5)
10. Rihanna - Rated R (8)
11. Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (NEW)
12. Florence + The Machine - Lungs (7)
13. Leona Lewis - Echo (10)
14. Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (14)
15. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea (16)
16. Timbaland - Shock Value II (15)
17. Erik Hassle - Pieces (12)
18. OneRepublic - Waking Up (13)
19. Cheryl Cole - 3 Words (19)
20. Pixie Lott - Turn It Up (20)
1. Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat (4)
2. A1 - Don’t Wanna Lose You Again (1)
3. Timbaland feat Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (5)
4. Leddra Chapman - Story (2)
5. Salem Al Fakir - Keep On Walking (NEW)
6. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (3)
7. Didrik Solli-Tangen - My Heart Is Yours (14)
8. Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi (9)
9. Boyzone - Gave It All Away (6)
10. Venke Knutson - Jealous Cause I Love You (18)
11. Marina & the Diamonds - Hollywood (15)
12. Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission (7)
13. Inna - Hot (17)
14. Ke$ha feat 3OH!3 - Blah Blah Blah (19)
15. Leddra Chapman - Fooling Myself (10)
16. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (16)
17. Leddra Chapman - Edie (12)
18. Chanee and N'Evergreen - In A Moment Like This (NEW)
19. Shackles - Breaking The Silence (13)
20. Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (32)
21. Rihanna - Rude Boy (35)
22. Cheryl Cole - Parachute (Re-entry)
23. Stella - Underground (8)
24. Nina Lassander - Cider Hill (11)
25. Leona Lewis - I Got You (25)
26. Sabrina Washington - OMG (49)
27. Ola - Unstoppable (NEW)
28. Salem Al Fakir - Cold Shower (NEW)
29. Sukkerchok - Kæmper For Kærlighed (NEW)
30. Diana Vickers - Once (30)
31. Jenny Silver - A Place To Stay (NEW)
32. Bjørn Johan Muri - Yes Man (34)
33. Marina & the Diamonds - Are You Satisfied? (NEW)
34. Edward Maya feat Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love (28)
35. Maria Matilde Band - Panik (NEW)
36. Bob Sinclar feat Vybrate Queen Ifrica & Makedah - New New New (Avicii Remix) (29)
37. Sad Brad Smith - Help Yourself (36)
38. Mira Craig - I’ll Take You High (23)
39. Pixie Lott - Gravity (NEW)
40. Sugababes - Wear My Kiss (Re-entry)
41. Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt (NEW)
42. Daisy Dares You feat Chipmunk - No.1 Enemy (33)
43. Lady GaGa feat Beyoncé - Telephone (45)
44. Alphabeat - Hole In My Heart (46)
45. Jon Lilygreen & The Islanders – Life Looks Better In The Spring (NEW)
46. Sharleen Spiteri - Xanadu (50)
47. Amy MacDonald - Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over (38)
48. Black Eyed Peas - Rock That Body (48)
49. Chris Brown – Crawl (NEW)
50. McLean - My Name (NEW)
Albums
1. Absolute Schlager (9)
2. Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (2)
3. Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales (1)
4. Marina & the Diamonds - The Family Jewels (NEW)
5. Salem Al Fakir - Astronaut (NEW)
6. Ke$ha - Animal (3)
7. Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (4)
8. Lady GaGa - The Fame/The Fame Monster (6)
9. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (5)
10. Rihanna - Rated R (8)
11. Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (NEW)
12. Florence + The Machine - Lungs (7)
13. Leona Lewis - Echo (10)
14. Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (14)
15. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea (16)
16. Timbaland - Shock Value II (15)
17. Erik Hassle - Pieces (12)
18. OneRepublic - Waking Up (13)
19. Cheryl Cole - 3 Words (19)
20. Pixie Lott - Turn It Up (20)
Sunday, 7 February 2010
Scandinavia has chosen!
Last night three Scandinavian nations picked their Eurovision 2010 entries whilst Sweden kicked off the greatest show on earth, aka Melodifestivalen. In a very male dominated final, Norway's Melodi Grand Prix was won convincingly by relative unknown Didrik Solli-Tangen with My Heart Is Yours - a cross between Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up and Cyndi's I'll Leave My Heart. A very good song, it could well give Norway a third consecutive top five result! Spare a thought for Anglo-Norwegian reformed boyband though who came a distant 2nd with their fantastic 'Don't Wanna Lose You Again'. Metal band Keep of Kalessin finished 3rd with The Dragontower and new Norwegian hearthrob Bjørn Johan Muri finished fourth in an all male top four with Yes Man. A predictable ballad perhaps, but Norway once again send a quality pop song and they certainly won't have a shameful home result in Oslo.
Iceland had a very uninteresting song selection with the final six consisting of three tragedies, a weird but interesting indie rock/traditional folk number, a pleasant mid-tempo ballad (which finished 2nd) and then Je Ne Sais Quoi by Hera Björk which won the low key contest, and by a landslide I should imagine. Hera has been the backing vocalist for Iceland in 2008 and 2009 and also competed to represent Denmark last year but finished 2nd there behind mini Ronan. Nice to see her finally get to Eurovision as the lead artist then but this song, in the mould of Hero, Je T'Adore, If I Had Your Love and other uptempo Europop/Schlager disco songs, will probably struggle to do very well as the sound stopped doing well in the contest circa 2002.
Denmark left it until the last minute to unveil their songs and the final ten were in fact mostly very good - although as usual, nothing screamed 'winner'. After a number of rounds which instantly knocked out the best song; Kæmper For Kærlighed by Sukkerchock (like a turbo Danish version of Release Me by Agnes), male singer Bryan Rice's Bleeding Love esque ballad Breathing took on In A Moment Like This, a male/female duet between Chanee and N'Evergreen written by Eurovision veteran songwriter Thomas G:Son. In A Moment Like This ultimately won and will represent Denmark in Oslo. It reminds me of Tina Turner's The Best somehow and whilst a pretty decent song and indeed performance, I can't see Denmark scraping past their usual mid-table placing this year.
And so to Sweden, they warranted most of my attention even though it was only the first semi-final of the infamous Melodifestivalen and it didn't disappoint! The new structure was a bit odd with the overall winner going through first and then the four songs left in contention going on to another voting round. Still, at least there is no pointless international jury 11th placed song in the final this year - and those silly duels have gone too. So you can rest assured that the 1st and 2nd most popular songs went through, and not the 1st and 3rd most popular like last year's first semi where Caroline Af Ugglas had to wait until second chance at the expense of Emilia going Direkt Till Globen. Although I think all of that extra exposure worked massively in Caroline's favour anyway. So, the staging was good, the presenters were decent and the extras were fantastic (the schlager divas version of Holding Out For A Hero in particular!).
But the songs were the main draw - there were the bad; Anders Ekborg's hideous musical number, and Frispårkarn's annoying rap song. Then the other two that didn't go through; Linda Pritchard's song was very much a cross of Ricki-Lee's Can't Touch It and Kat DeLuna's Run The Show. It was decent but not amazing. And Jenny Silver's disco song was a bit understated for Melodifestivalen I think and her deep voice didn't really suit it. Kylie or Rachel Stevens would have done it better. Jessica Andersson's predictable ballad went to Andra Chansen along with rock act Pain of Salvation's gorgeous ballad Road Salt. The instant finalists were firstly the brilliant Salem Al Fakir with Keep On Walking, a quirky mature pop song which reminded me of Finley Quaye's Sunday Shining and then popstar Ola with the sequel to his mega hit Natalie - Unstoppable. Both very good finalists, I wouldn't have minded Pain of Salvation getting the final spot over Ola but I suspect they might succeed in Andra Chansen anyway. So an excellent first show - can't wait for the next three semis!
Iceland had a very uninteresting song selection with the final six consisting of three tragedies, a weird but interesting indie rock/traditional folk number, a pleasant mid-tempo ballad (which finished 2nd) and then Je Ne Sais Quoi by Hera Björk which won the low key contest, and by a landslide I should imagine. Hera has been the backing vocalist for Iceland in 2008 and 2009 and also competed to represent Denmark last year but finished 2nd there behind mini Ronan. Nice to see her finally get to Eurovision as the lead artist then but this song, in the mould of Hero, Je T'Adore, If I Had Your Love and other uptempo Europop/Schlager disco songs, will probably struggle to do very well as the sound stopped doing well in the contest circa 2002.
Denmark left it until the last minute to unveil their songs and the final ten were in fact mostly very good - although as usual, nothing screamed 'winner'. After a number of rounds which instantly knocked out the best song; Kæmper For Kærlighed by Sukkerchock (like a turbo Danish version of Release Me by Agnes), male singer Bryan Rice's Bleeding Love esque ballad Breathing took on In A Moment Like This, a male/female duet between Chanee and N'Evergreen written by Eurovision veteran songwriter Thomas G:Son. In A Moment Like This ultimately won and will represent Denmark in Oslo. It reminds me of Tina Turner's The Best somehow and whilst a pretty decent song and indeed performance, I can't see Denmark scraping past their usual mid-table placing this year.
And so to Sweden, they warranted most of my attention even though it was only the first semi-final of the infamous Melodifestivalen and it didn't disappoint! The new structure was a bit odd with the overall winner going through first and then the four songs left in contention going on to another voting round. Still, at least there is no pointless international jury 11th placed song in the final this year - and those silly duels have gone too. So you can rest assured that the 1st and 2nd most popular songs went through, and not the 1st and 3rd most popular like last year's first semi where Caroline Af Ugglas had to wait until second chance at the expense of Emilia going Direkt Till Globen. Although I think all of that extra exposure worked massively in Caroline's favour anyway. So, the staging was good, the presenters were decent and the extras were fantastic (the schlager divas version of Holding Out For A Hero in particular!).
But the songs were the main draw - there were the bad; Anders Ekborg's hideous musical number, and Frispårkarn's annoying rap song. Then the other two that didn't go through; Linda Pritchard's song was very much a cross of Ricki-Lee's Can't Touch It and Kat DeLuna's Run The Show. It was decent but not amazing. And Jenny Silver's disco song was a bit understated for Melodifestivalen I think and her deep voice didn't really suit it. Kylie or Rachel Stevens would have done it better. Jessica Andersson's predictable ballad went to Andra Chansen along with rock act Pain of Salvation's gorgeous ballad Road Salt. The instant finalists were firstly the brilliant Salem Al Fakir with Keep On Walking, a quirky mature pop song which reminded me of Finley Quaye's Sunday Shining and then popstar Ola with the sequel to his mega hit Natalie - Unstoppable. Both very good finalists, I wouldn't have minded Pain of Salvation getting the final spot over Ola but I suspect they might succeed in Andra Chansen anyway. So an excellent first show - can't wait for the next three semis!
Friday, 5 February 2010
Top Songs/Albums; WB 8/2/10
Songs
1. A1 - Don’t Wanna Lose You Again (1)
2. Leddra Chapman - Story (3)
3. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (4)
4. Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat (NEW)
5. Timbaland feat Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (25)
6. Boyzone - Gave It All Away (2)
7. Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission (10)
8. Stella - Underground (19)
9. Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi (17)
10. Leddra Chapman - Fooling Myself (6)
11. Nina Lassander - Cider Hill (5)
12. Leddra Chapman - Edie (11)
13. Shackles - Breaking The Silence (7)
14. Didrik Solli-Tangen - My Heart Is Yours (15)
15. Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood (8)
16. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (12)
17. Inna - Hot (21)
18. Venke Knutson - Jealous Cause I Love You (18)
19. Ke$ha feat 3OH!3 - Blah Blah Blah (48)
20. La Vuvuvzela feat Tarryn - Be Mine Tonight (13)
21. Sanna Nielsen - Devotion (20)
22. Owl City - Fireflies (14)
23. Mira Craig - I’ll Take You High (22)
24. Glee Cast - Don’t Stop Believin’ (16)
25. Leona Lewis - I Got You (32)
26. Burning Hearts - Night Animal (9)
27. Glee Cast - Alone (NEW)
28. Edward Maya feat Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love (35)
29. Bob Sinclar feat Vybrate Queen Ifrica & Makedah - New New New (Avicii Remix) (NEW)
30. Diana Vickers - Once (NEW)
31. Lady GaGa - Bad Romance (24)
32. Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (47)
33. Daisy Dares You feat Chipmunk - No.1 Enemy (36)
34. Bjørn Johan Muri - Yes Man (NEW)
35. Rihanna - Rude Boy (49)
36. Sad Brad Smith - Help Yourself (NEW)
37. Maria Haukaas Storeng - Make My Day (26)
38. Amy MacDonald - Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over (31)
39. Stunt - Fade Like The Sun (NEW)
40. Glee Cast - Somebody To Love (NEW)
41. Monarchy - Black The Colour Of My Heart (NEW)
42. Taio Cruz feat Ke$ha - Dirty Picture (Re-entry)
43. Alexander Stenerud - Give It To Me (46)
44. OneRepublic - Secrets (30)
45. Lady GaGa feat Beyoncé - Telephone (34)
46. Alphabeat - Hole In My Heart (27)
47. Goldfrapp - Rocket (44)
48. Black Eyed Peas - Rock That Body (NEW)
49. Sabrina Washington - OMG (NEW)
50. Sharleen Spiteri - Xanadu (NEW)
Albums
1. Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales (1)
2. Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (2)
3. Ke$ha - Animal (3)
4. Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (4)
5. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (7)
6. Lady GaGa - The Fame/The Fame Monster (6)
7. Florence + The Machine - Lungs (5)
8. Rihanna - Rated R (8)
9. Absolute Schlager (NEW)
10. Leona Lewis - Echo (10)
11. Love 2 Club (NEW)
12. Erik Hassle - Pieces (12)
13. OneRepublic - Waking Up (9)
14. Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (11)
15. Timbaland - Shock Value II (16)
16. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea (NEW)
17. Euroviisut 2010 (13)
18. Anna Abreu - Just A Pretty Face (15)
19. Cheryl Cole - 3 Words (20)
20. Pixie Lott - Turn It Up (17)
1. A1 - Don’t Wanna Lose You Again (1)
2. Leddra Chapman - Story (3)
3. Erik Hassle - Hurtful (4)
4. Staygold feat Spank Rock, Lady Tigra and Damien Adore - Backseat (NEW)
5. Timbaland feat Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again (25)
6. Boyzone - Gave It All Away (2)
7. Gabriella Cilmi - On A Mission (10)
8. Stella - Underground (19)
9. Hera Björk - Je Ne Sais Quoi (17)
10. Leddra Chapman - Fooling Myself (6)
11. Nina Lassander - Cider Hill (5)
12. Leddra Chapman - Edie (11)
13. Shackles - Breaking The Silence (7)
14. Didrik Solli-Tangen - My Heart Is Yours (15)
15. Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood (8)
16. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart (12)
17. Inna - Hot (21)
18. Venke Knutson - Jealous Cause I Love You (18)
19. Ke$ha feat 3OH!3 - Blah Blah Blah (48)
20. La Vuvuvzela feat Tarryn - Be Mine Tonight (13)
21. Sanna Nielsen - Devotion (20)
22. Owl City - Fireflies (14)
23. Mira Craig - I’ll Take You High (22)
24. Glee Cast - Don’t Stop Believin’ (16)
25. Leona Lewis - I Got You (32)
26. Burning Hearts - Night Animal (9)
27. Glee Cast - Alone (NEW)
28. Edward Maya feat Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love (35)
29. Bob Sinclar feat Vybrate Queen Ifrica & Makedah - New New New (Avicii Remix) (NEW)
30. Diana Vickers - Once (NEW)
31. Lady GaGa - Bad Romance (24)
32. Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (47)
33. Daisy Dares You feat Chipmunk - No.1 Enemy (36)
34. Bjørn Johan Muri - Yes Man (NEW)
35. Rihanna - Rude Boy (49)
36. Sad Brad Smith - Help Yourself (NEW)
37. Maria Haukaas Storeng - Make My Day (26)
38. Amy MacDonald - Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over (31)
39. Stunt - Fade Like The Sun (NEW)
40. Glee Cast - Somebody To Love (NEW)
41. Monarchy - Black The Colour Of My Heart (NEW)
42. Taio Cruz feat Ke$ha - Dirty Picture (Re-entry)
43. Alexander Stenerud - Give It To Me (46)
44. OneRepublic - Secrets (30)
45. Lady GaGa feat Beyoncé - Telephone (34)
46. Alphabeat - Hole In My Heart (27)
47. Goldfrapp - Rocket (44)
48. Black Eyed Peas - Rock That Body (NEW)
49. Sabrina Washington - OMG (NEW)
50. Sharleen Spiteri - Xanadu (NEW)
Albums
1. Leddra Chapman - Telling Tales (1)
2. Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (2)
3. Ke$ha - Animal (3)
4. Alicia Keys - The Element Of Freedom (4)
5. Glee: The Music, Volume 1 (7)
6. Lady GaGa - The Fame/The Fame Monster (6)
7. Florence + The Machine - Lungs (5)
8. Rihanna - Rated R (8)
9. Absolute Schlager (NEW)
10. Leona Lewis - Echo (10)
11. Love 2 Club (NEW)
12. Erik Hassle - Pieces (12)
13. OneRepublic - Waking Up (9)
14. Glee: The Music, Volume 2 (11)
15. Timbaland - Shock Value II (16)
16. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea (NEW)
17. Euroviisut 2010 (13)
18. Anna Abreu - Just A Pretty Face (15)
19. Cheryl Cole - 3 Words (20)
20. Pixie Lott - Turn It Up (17)
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
America's favourite Idol...can we share her please!?!
Watching Glee last night and seeing the brilliant Kristin Chenoweth performing Last Name reminded me just how much I love the music of Carrie Underwood. Country singer Carrie won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005 and quickly went on to become the most successful winner of the show in the US with debut album Some Hearts which has sold almost 7 million copies there since its release, a phenomenal achievement for any artist, but especially one with a first album from a reality TV show. The difference between Carrie and other Idol alumni is that Some Hearts was an absolutely stunning debut album, which could have easily come along three or four albums into her career such was its quality. It was far from the usual reality winners rushed out bland affair and mixed gorgeous ballads Jesus Take The Wheel, Whenever You Remember and The Night Before (Life Goes On) with excellent cheeky Shania Twain style pop-country on Before He Cheats, We're Young and Beautiful and my personal favourite, the autobiographical I Ain't In Checotah Anymore.
Carrie's second and third albums, Carnival Ride and Play On have followed this successful template and been almost as well received albeit with declining sales each time unsurprisngly. Carnival Ride's All American Girl, The More Boys I Meet and the aformentioned Last Name were all incredibly charming and although her latest album Play On is not quite as packed with potential hits as the first two, the Max Martin co-penned Quitter is surely crying out to be a single. It's a brilliant example of why Carrie does pop-country crossovers better than anyone else at the moment, with the exception of Taylor Swift who has tapped perfectly into the teen market, introducing the genre to a younger audience who are likely to remain country fans for life.
Carrie genuinely seems like one of the nicest, most down to earth people in music despite her success and it's a huge shame that she's never been launched properly anywhere else as Taylor Swift proved that there is a market for pop country worldwide, even if record companies believe this not to be the case. Country music promoted outside of the US seemed to disappear after the late 90's/early 00's success of acts like Shania Twain, The Mavericks, LeAnn Rimes and Lonestar, but I really do believe that if it had been promoted like any other new release, Carrie would have at the very least scored a UK top ten hit with Before He Cheats and probably could have even had semi-hits with the likes of Last Name, with its brilliant 'prequel to Before He Cheats' music video, both her version and the cover shooting up UK iTunes after it's Glee performance. I'm not usually a huge country music fan, in fact I used to hate it, but there are some great, very commercial, songs from the genre that audiences around the world are not getting the chance to hear and enjoy and it's a real shame that record companies have completely written off the fact that country could do well in territories other than the US. American Idol has produced global stars in Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks amongst others and I fail to see why Carrie hasn't been given a chance elsewhere yet.
Carrie's second and third albums, Carnival Ride and Play On have followed this successful template and been almost as well received albeit with declining sales each time unsurprisngly. Carnival Ride's All American Girl, The More Boys I Meet and the aformentioned Last Name were all incredibly charming and although her latest album Play On is not quite as packed with potential hits as the first two, the Max Martin co-penned Quitter is surely crying out to be a single. It's a brilliant example of why Carrie does pop-country crossovers better than anyone else at the moment, with the exception of Taylor Swift who has tapped perfectly into the teen market, introducing the genre to a younger audience who are likely to remain country fans for life.
Carrie genuinely seems like one of the nicest, most down to earth people in music despite her success and it's a huge shame that she's never been launched properly anywhere else as Taylor Swift proved that there is a market for pop country worldwide, even if record companies believe this not to be the case. Country music promoted outside of the US seemed to disappear after the late 90's/early 00's success of acts like Shania Twain, The Mavericks, LeAnn Rimes and Lonestar, but I really do believe that if it had been promoted like any other new release, Carrie would have at the very least scored a UK top ten hit with Before He Cheats and probably could have even had semi-hits with the likes of Last Name, with its brilliant 'prequel to Before He Cheats' music video, both her version and the cover shooting up UK iTunes after it's Glee performance. I'm not usually a huge country music fan, in fact I used to hate it, but there are some great, very commercial, songs from the genre that audiences around the world are not getting the chance to hear and enjoy and it's a real shame that record companies have completely written off the fact that country could do well in territories other than the US. American Idol has produced global stars in Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and Jordin Sparks amongst others and I fail to see why Carrie hasn't been given a chance elsewhere yet.
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