Another month of 2015 has already passed and yet again we were treated with quite some nice new pop tunes. Check out which songs you missed last month!
Tag Archives: Sia
Single Review: Sia – Big Girls Cry
Sia continues promotion for new album with promo single ‘Big Girls Cry’
Sia is busy promoting the upcoming release of her new studio album 1000 Forms Of Fear. The singer, who focused a bit more on composing for and collaborating with other artists recently, is ready to take over the world again as a pop star herself. A few months ago she launched the single ‘Chandelier’, which is absolutely one of the best songs of the year so far. The track is still generating buzz and growing when it comes to airplay and sales in the US, with the help of a few eye catching tv performances. Now that the release of the album is only a week away, she decided to put the track ‘Big Girls Cry’ online, and once again it is pretty amazing.
What made ‘Chandelier’ such a brilliant song, is the endless row of great hooks that make up the structure of the song. The lyrics are great and powerful and the vulnerability in Sia’s voice during the vocally challenging parts tops it all off perfectly. She went on to release ‘Eye of the Needle’ as next promo single. This more down tempo and emotionally moving song sounds like a typical Sia track but at the same time showed another side to this album than ‘Chandelier’. ‘Big Girls Cry’ sits comfortably somewhere in between these tracks with a gorgeous and captivating chorus, not as huge and in your face as ‘Chandelier’, but a bit more poppy and instant than ‘Eye of the Needle’.
Sia dit reign it in a bit more vocally this time around which is good in terms of variety. This does not make the chorus any less great and atmospheric. The track is very instant and the transition from the verses towards the chorus where she sings ‘I’m at home, on my own, check my phone, nothing though, act busy, order in, pay TV, it’s agony’, works brilliantly and is an emotional and honest moment lyrically. The standard of the tracks released so far of this album, including the thrilling ‘Elastic Heart’ from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack is so incredibly high, that I am already pretty sure, 1000 Forms Of Fear will be one of my favourite records of this year.
Single Reviews: The best new pop singles from March 2014
In case you have not been paying that much attention to the new releases in the pop scene over the last few weeks, I’m here to help you out. I listed the five best new pop releases from the past month for you to enjoy! Yes, you’re welcome!
05. Cher Lloyd – Sirens
Cher Lloyd participated in X Factor UK in 2010. She wowed the judges with a rendition of ‘Turn My Swag On’ during her audition and managed to finish in fourth position in the competition. She released an album afterwards and even had a hit single in the USA with ‘Want U Back’. Last year she started promoting the release of her upcoming new album ‘Sorry I’m Late’ with the song ‘I Wish’ and now she is back with new single ‘Sirens’. Lloyd drops the hip hop influences for a moment as ‘Sirens’ is a full on pop belter. The chorus is immense and Cher shows the strength and power in her vocals we usually do not hear that much. It sounds like she has grown a lot since her participation in X Factor and it will be exciting to see what she will come up with over the next few months.
04. Lykke Li – No Rest For The Wicked
Lykke Li took quite some time to work on new music after she finished promotion for the album Wounded Rhymes and the single ‘I Follow Rivers’ grew out to be a worldwide hit. A few weeks ago she returned with the heartbreaking and pure new song ‘Love Me Like I’m Not Made Of Stone‘. Somewhat later the new track ‘No Rest For The Wicked’, also taken from her new album I Never Learn that will be released in May, was released. Stylistically, this one is reminiscent of the sound of the Wounded Rhymes record. The production is big and the chorus is strong and captivating. Lykke’s quirky vocals come across very well and her lyrics are poetic and interesting as always. It is good to have her back!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ9OJk9i4Kg
03. Say Lou Lou – Everything We Touch
I already wrote about Say Lou Lou when I reviewed their amazing double single ‘Better In The Dark’ and ‘Beloved’ and named them as one of the most promising artists of this year. Now they are here to prove me right with a new track called ‘Everything We Touch’. The production of the song is lush and their dreamy vocals sound as great as ever. The floating chorus is beautiful, but the pre-chorus is without a doubt the best part of the song. Especially before the second chorus where the rolling drums kick in and they sing, ‘Days of ashes and nights of flames’ is one of the best pop moments so far this year. If they can keep up this high standards, their debut album will be out of this world.
02. Sia – Chandelier
This woman has been focusing on writing for other artists for quite some time now and I think we can all agree on the fact that it was time for Sia to come back swinging with some solo material. And a swinging comeback it is, from a chandelier actually. I can understand if her fans from the earlier albums had to get used to ‘Chandelier’, as it is more in the style of the tracks that she wrote for others, but to be fair, it is one epic anthem. The chorus is huge and the song is basically built up out of strong hooks. From the moment it starts, it is just hook after hook after hook. I particularly love the moment late in the chorus where her voice cracks a bit, showing a vulnerability which makes her delivery sound even more pure. Then you think it is over, but the post-chorus hook of ‘I’m just holding on for tonight’ kicks in. What a song people!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZPk-yVzPs
01. Ace Wilder – Busy Doin’ Nothin’
Those of you who have been following the Eurovision Song Contest and its preselections probably already know this one. Ace Wilder particpated in Melodifestivalen, the Swedish preselection for Eurovision and one of the biggest music events of the year in that country, with the track ‘Busy Doin’ Nothin” finishing as the runner up, missing out on winning by only two points. In Swedish iTunes and other charts, this is the highest charting song however, so Ace managed to get a big hit out of her participation. ‘Busy Doin’ Nothin” is an infectious and insanely catchy pop track with a pumping post-chorus. Ace’s delivery of the song about being lazy and not wanting to work is convincing and the song is just so much fun. When it just came out I could not stop playing it and I am still not tired of it. The accompanying EP with some more Ace tracks is also great. A new Swedish pop star is born!
The ten most exciting pop comebacks to happen in 2014
Earlier this week, I wrote about new artists that will make it in 2014, but of course there are lots of established acts that will release new material this year as well. I listed the ten most exciting artists that are working on a smashing comeback. Take a look!
10. Loreen
Loreen rose to fame after winning the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012 with the song ‘Euphoria’. It became a big hit across Europe and the singer released her debut album Heal. Loreen was supposed to go on a tour in December, but she postponed it because she wanted to work on new material in the studio first. She has been posting some pictures from the studio ever since so it seems fair to expect she will release something new in the near future, right? Right!
09. Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean released his debut album Channel Orange in 2012 and received high praise from music critics. The record did quite well charts wise as well and the singer has been working on some new material, that he already introduced on his recent tour. The singer has been recording in the studio quite some time, so a 2014 release seems likely. If the quality of Channel Orange is anything to go by, Frank Ocean will make another defining quality R&B record.
08. Lily Allen
Lily Allen started a huge comeback at the end of 2013. She released her most recent album in 2009 and announced to quit music. Luckily she came back though, with the singles ‘Hard Out Here’ and ‘Somewhere Only We Know’, a cover of the Keane song. The latter gave her a number 1 hit in the United Kingdom. Her album is supposed to come out in a few months and she will premiere the new song ‘Air Balloon’ this week. It is good to have her back!
07. Marina & The Diamonds
There is no official announcement made yet, that said Marina & The Diamonds will return with a new album in 2014. It is very likely however, as the singer finished her Electra Heart era with a video for the song with the same name. At the end, Marina wipes out Electra’s heart on her cheek, which symbolized the end of the campaign. It has been almost two years since the album came out, so I would expect a new release from Marina in the second part of 2014. I surely hope I am right!
06. Paloma Faith
In 2012, Paloma Faith had a very successful year with the release of her sophomore album Fall To Grace. After a tour through the UK, the singer started working on a new record, which will be released on the 3rd of March. This was announced earlier this week on the social media pages of the singer. Her new single ‘Can’t Rely On You’ will be premiered this week. If it is just as good as her previous album and the great single ‘Picking Up The Pieces’, I cannot wait to hear it!
05. Kylie Minogue
Kylie’s most recent studio album Aphrodite was released in 2010. She went on a big tour the next year and celebrated her 25 years in music. In 2013 she signed a management deal with Roc Nation for a fresh new chapter in her career. This new phase started with the promo single ‘Skirt’ last year. The official first single, ‘Into The Blue’, will premiere later this month and is officially released on the 16th of March in the United Kingdom. I guess we are all ready for Kylie’s glorious return to the dance floor.
04. Sia
This woman was all over pop music last year, but she only released two songs herself. The beautiful and understated ‘Kill And Run’ was used for The Great Gatsby soundtrack and the outstanding collaboration with Diplo and The Weeknd, ‘Elastic Heart’, was featured on the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Other than that, she wrote songs for pop stars like Céline Dion, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Birdy and many more. Let’s not forget her hits with David Guetta and the worldwide smash hit ‘Diamonds’ she wrote for Rihanna. This year, she will release her own songs for a change and if the above mentioned tracks are anything to go by, it will be bloody brilliant.
03. Shakira
It has been quite a few years since we got new material from Shakira. Her most recent album Sale El Sol came out in 2010. In January 2013, Shakira gave birth to a son and she was a judge on The Voice US for one season. She has also been working on a lot of new music with a great variety of famous producers, DJ’s and writers. The first single, ‘Can’t Remember To Forget You’, which features Rihanna, will come out this week. All I hope for the new record is to bring the best of Shakira’s both worlds: ‘Don’t Bother’-style pop/rock and ‘La Tortura’-style latin pop. That would be amazing, now wouldn’t it?
02. Lana Del Rey
Two years after the release of her album Born To Die, of course it is time for a new record. Lana Del Rey has been busy in the meantime, recording and releasing new tracks for Paradise, an afterthought on Born To Die. Last year she was featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Great Gatsby, with the gorgeous ‘Young and Beautiful’ and in December, she put out her short film Tropico. At the premiere of the film she announced her new album is called Ultraviolence and it is probably supposed to be released in 2014. She is said to be working with the same people who produced Born To Die. Bring it on Lana!
01. Adele
There is no doubt about the fact that lots of people are eagerly waiting for a new album by Adele. After the huge successes of her previous record 21, the expectations are extremely high. It might be impossible for her to top that success story, but I am pretty sure that she will make a huge impact on the pop music scene again. Her publicist Paul Moss announced last week that her new album will definitely be released in 2014. The release of 24 (or whatever the record might be called) is coming closer!
The 10 most promising new artists in 2014
As 2014 already started, it is time to take a look at new artists that stand a good chance of having their big breakthrough this year. Of course some artists already started to gain some successes, but these new(ish) artists have in common that 2014 will have to be their year. Check out the 10 most promising new artists that will make 2014 an exciting year in pop!
10. Mapei
Mapei is what you call an international artist. Her father is American, her mother is Liberian and when she was ten she moved to Sweden where she grew up. She has lived in Portugal, Brazil and Tunesia for a while and these different cultural backgrounds are apparent in her music as well. Mapei was mostly active as a rapper in the Swedish underground scene, but with the single ‘Don’t Wait’, released in October, her style changed. The song is soulful, driven by great beats and a guitar riff, and features some baile funk drums. The lyrics about trying not to ruin a friendship or love affair are from the heart. Mapei’s voice sounds warm and a little raspy at times. She is working on an album in a similar style to ‘Don’t Wait’ and I for one cannot wait to hear it!
09. ALECS
ALECS, a young new London based artist, will release his debut EP The Fulham Tapes later this month. In December, he already posted the tracks on his Soundcloud page and this sounds surprisingly good. Inspired by artists like Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, ALECS created his own sound, which could be described as electronic, synth heavy, dark R&B mixed with pop. He mixes this sound with great hooks in his choruses which make the tracks somewhat more accessible. He has a great and distinctive sound of voice to top it all off and here’s hoping that we will hear more from him in 2014.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iukt_mr08M
08. Saint Raymond
Saint Raymond had a great year in 2013. Young singer-songwriter Callum Burrows and his band mates released the EP Escapade and toured through Europe with Gabrielle Aplin and Haim. 2014 is off to a good start as well as the single ‘Young Blood’ is released. It is the best Saint Raymond song so far in all its uplifting catchiness. The song has got more than one great hook and it takes the catchy pop/rock they produced on the first EP to another level. The Young Blood EP will be out the 21st of January and it could well be that an album follows later this year.
07. BANKS
There is a lot of hype around American electro pop artist BANKS lately. She finished third in the BBC Sound Of 2014 Poll. The Los Angeles born and London based singer gained attention by releasing two EP’s in 2013. In March, she released Fall Over and in September her London EP came out. The singer went on tour with The Weeknd and there are some stylistic similarities in both artists’ music. BANKS’ music can be described as a mix of dark R&B and pop with a heavily electronic twist. Her distinctive vocal style might not be suited for mainstream radio, but it works perfectly on refreshing tracks like ‘Fall Over’ and ‘Waiting Game’. Her style is cohesive, but does not bore at the same time, so a full album could be potentially great!
06. Foxes
Foxes has been working her way up in music for a few years now and in 2013 she had her first international hit with ‘Clarity’, a song by producer and DJ Zedd on which she features. The big dance anthem showcases her beautiful vocals and the singer went on to have another hit in the UK with ‘Youth’, a slightly more alternative and electronic sort of pop song. Foxes will release her debut album Glorious in March and although half of the tracks have already been released (great pop song ‘Echo’ was used as a single, ‘Holding Onto Heaven’ and ‘Shaking Heads’ are already released on iTunes), there is still more to come. She released the video for single ‘Let Go For Tonight’ earlier this week and this huge, catchy, carefree straightforward pop song might bring her the big success she deserves.
05. Hozier
Hozier managed to catch a lot of attention in October last year when he released his single ‘Take Me To Church’ and an accompanying video with a strong message against homophobic violence. The 23-year-old Irish musician released a free EP on his website including the single and three other songs. ‘Take Me To Church’ is a dark song with an ominous atmosphere, but with a big and bright in-your-face chorus at the same time. Hozier impresses with his deep tone of voice that works perfectly with the style of his songs. An album this year would be very much appreciated, thank you very much.
04. Chlöe Howl
The 18-year-old British singer Chlöe Howl is set to release her debut album in 2014. The BBC included her in their long list for The Sound of 2014. Based on the three singles she has released so far she could become one of the most exciting new artists this year. ‘No Strings’, ‘Paper Heart’ and ‘Rumour’ are all catchy up tempo pop tracks with killer choruses. Chlöe’s voice sounds very strong and mature, considering her age and her ability to write songs with sharp and smart lyrics is impressive. In the first months of 2014, Howl will be touring with Ellie Goulding and in June it is time for her to launch her first album!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brFKqr0BZcE
03. Lea Michele
Although Lea Michele is not really a new face in the entertainment industry, I included her in this list because she is just starting a solo career as a pop artist. Many of you may know her as Rachel in the series Glee, but Michele decided to focus on a music career as well. The singer released the Sia-penned single ‘Cannonball’ in December and that was quite a brilliant power ballad. Along with the pre-orders of her debut album Louder, that will be released on the 4th of March, she premiered the track ‘Battlefield’, also written by Sia. Once again a beautiful ballad. The album features a co-write by Christina Perri as well and I have faith this record will be very, very good.
02. Say Lou Lou
The Swedish/Australian twin sisters of Say Lou Lou (formerly known as Saint Lou Lou) are expected to have a big breakthrough this year. They already made the long list of BBC’s The Sound of 2014. 2013 has been a great year musically for the girls as they released the singles ‘Julian’, ‘Better In The Dark’ and ‘Beloved’. Although ‘Beloved’ is my favourite, it has to be said that all three songs are exceptionally well-written and beautiful. An album full of their dreamy and melodic pop would be great, now wouldn’t it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwS7o21DvHA
01. Tove Lo
Frequent readers of my blog might already realize I am a fan of this Swedish girl and I predict big things for her in the near future. 2014 has to be the year of Tove Lo. She gave us the singles ‘Habits’ and ‘Out Of Mind’ in 2013, which are both no less than brilliant pop songs. With these tracks, she shows she knows how to write great pop choruses and her lyrics are powerful and heartbreaking at the same time. Recently, she announced on Twitter that her new EP is in final stages, so that should see the light of day soon enough. Fun fact: she also co-wrote the track ‘Thousand Needles’ for Lea Michele’s debut album. I am desperate for new Tove Lo songs in my life and so should you!
The best pop singles of 2013
It is time for the last list of 2013. It was a good year of music. Here are my favourite pop singles of the year.
25. Karise Eden – Threads Of Silence
Karise Eden won The Voice Australia last year and launched her first self-written single ‘Threads Of Silence’ a while later. The song is a heartfelt piano ballad where she shows the strength of her vocals in the big chorus. It kind of reminds a bit of Adele’s more stripped down tracks, which is obviously a compliment. Impressive debut!
24. Tom Odell – Another Love
Tom Odell launched his career successfully with the beautiful and heartbreaking single ‘Another Love’. The lyrics are touching and definitely relatable and Odell’s delivery is heartfelt. The moment where the second verse kicks in, always gives me goose bumps. Those lyrics are so honest and powerful. What a song people, what a song!
23. Laleh – Colors
Laleh had to follow up the huge success of ‘Some Die Young’ and the album Sjung. She came back with a single and album called Colors. The single is not miles away from the sound ‘Some Die Young’ has, but it is even more catchy and a little bit more uplifting. Her style of both her voice and her writing are distinctive and ‘Colors’ is a typical Laleh track in that sense. Absolutely nothing wrong with that!
22. Céline Dion – Loved Me Back To Life
I have never been a big fan of Céline Dion, but in collaboration with Sia, she managed to create on of the best singles of the year. ‘Loved Me Back To Life’ is a ballad with a modern sound and of course Céline’s voice sounds strong and emotional. For Sia, it was one of the many successful jobs as a writer for other artists. They should work together more often, because Celine’s voice fits this type of songs perfectly.
21. Lorde – Tennis Court
Lorde, the young singer from New Zealand, was one of the biggest discoveries of the year. While her song ‘Royals’ turned out to be a worldwide hit, I still think ‘Tennis Court’ is her best track. Everything is so on point here: her distinctive vocals, the fresh production, the honest lyrics and that undeniably catchy melody. Such a smash!
20. Tove Lo – Habits
This Swedish young woman came seemingly out of nowhere with one of the best pop tracks of the year. ‘Habits’ was her first single, but the heartbreaking character of the lyrics in combination with that immensely strong chorus is such an event to listen to. She showed she has more up her sleeve with single ‘Out Of Mind’ that almost made this list as well. Welcome Tove, you are one of my favourite pop stars from now on.
19. Cassadee Pope – Wasting All These Tears
Cassadee Pope won The Voice USA last year and followed her mentor Blake Shelton’s path and started to make country music. Her first single ‘Wasting All These Tears’ is a big pop/country belter, that you could expect from the likes of Carrie Underwood as well. It is a brilliant song with a huge chorus and strong lyrics. Cassadee has such a beautiful tone to her voice which makes this song all the more special.
18. Marco Mengoni – L’Essenziale
Famous Italian pop star Marco Mengoni won the San Remo Festival and represented Italy in Eurovision with the beautiful ballad ‘L’Essenziale’. The lyrics are touching, the melody is beautiful and Mengoni has got a distinctive and incredible sound of voice. Who does not melt when he sings in Italian about how he would create new places for you when your world falls apart? Lovely!
17. Birdy – Wings
Birdy came back swinging this year. She left behind the piano covers and presented a different sound with the single ‘Wings’. It is such a good song with a melancholic atmosphere, beautiful lyrics and one hell of a strong chorus. Birdy’s soaring vocals top it all off. This single definitely shows her potential as an interesting pop star.
16. Agnetha Fältskog – When You Really Loved Someone
ABBA’s Agnetha Fältskog made a comeback with new original material. She released the beautiful song ‘When You Really Loved Someone’ as the first single. It is a traditional pop ballad with a quite modern production. The lyrics about losing the love of your life are simple, but really effective and Agnetha gives them more meaning with her fragile delivery. She shows that she has still got it vocally as well.
15. Lady Gaga – Applause
All eyes were on Lady Gaga to make a big comeback. The opinions differed a lot when she first premiered lead single ‘Applause’, but the strong pop song turned out to be a success in the charts and on the radio. It is not the best thing she has done so far, but the chorus is great and the lyrics are sharp as ever. Gaga one again showed she is still relevant in the pop world.
14. Florence + The Machine – Over The Love
Florence + The Machine took a break from recording, but still found time to create a song for the soundtrack of the fantastic movie, The Great Gatsby. It is a beautiful song with touching lyrics and of course Florence makes it even better with her impressive powerhouse vocals. The build-up towards the last chorus is very well executed. One more The Great Gatsby track to come in this list!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSPOCVjla_4
13. Icona Pop – I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)
This was one of the biggest hits of the year and probably one of the catchiest hooks that I’ve heard in quite a while. This pop banger works very well on the dance floor and it is hard to resist screaming along to the chorus. It’s is a great track to let off some steam and frustration. Such a deserved worldwide hit for these girls.
12. AlunaGeorge – Your Drums, Your Love
AlunaGeorge’s first official single is still their best song to date. ‘Your Drums, Your Love’ is a song that is built completely around an immense chorus that gets to you every time you hear it. Aluna’s soft vocals work brilliantly in combination with George’s productions. This song shows off their lovely style best.
11. Charli XCX – You (Ha Ha Ha)
Pumping beats, screaming synths, smooth vocals and feisty lyrics. These are the four elements that make Charli XCX’s ‘You (Ha Ha Ha)’ into a geat track. The production sounds great and it is so hard to resist singing along to that ‘in your face’ chorus. It still sounds fresh every time I hear it.
10. Amanda Fondell – Dumb
It is a shame Amanda Fondell did not get far in Melodifestivalen, because ‘Dumb’ is such a great pop song. The verses are even better than the chorus, but the repetition of ‘done/gone’ etcetera, works haunting as well. The middle-eight that almost feels like an emotional breakdown is stunning and her delivery is convincing. I don’t care what the Swedish people voted, this remains a fantastic pop song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xmtGJiDUbA
09. Veronica Maggio – Sergels Torg
Swedish singer Veronica Maggio made a big comeback with her single ‘Sergels Torg’. The lyrics are sad and heartbreaking, but the melody is quite catchy and uplifting at the same time. You do not have to understand a word of what she sings in order to feel the emotion in the last part where she almost screams her frustration and desperation away. Such a heartfelt track, I love it.
08. Anouk – Birds
Anouk gave The Netherlands a spot in the final, and even a top 10 position, for the first time in years at the Eurovision Song Contest. She performed her heartbreaking, cinematic, melancholic and above all gorgeous ballad ‘Birds’. The orchestral sound works well with her voice and the track is grand, moving and captivating.
07. Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
2013 was a huge year for Miley Cyrus, who transformed into the most talked about pop star with her controversial performances and outfits. However, miss Cyrus has the material to back it up, because ‘We Can’t Stop’ is a brilliant party track. It is insanely catchy and the production is great. Wouldn’t we all like to twerk a bit to this track? I thought so!
06. Haim – Forever
The girls of Haim broke through in 2013 and their first single ‘Forever’ is definitely one of the best things this year in pop had to offer. The production is perfect, their voices sound wonderful together and that chorus is just undeniable. The track swings and it immediately showed the sisters already found their own style and sound with their first single. Impressive, indeed!
05. Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
With ‘We Can’t Stop’, Miley Cyrus showed she knows how to party, but she also showed her even better emotional side on ‘Wrecking Ball’. This is one of the best pop ballads released in recent years. Miley’s delivery is heartbreaking, especially in the bridge where she sounds fragile and completely honest. The chorus literally hits like a wrecking ball and this all results in one huge pop ballad.
04. Emmelie De Forest – Only Teardrops
Emmelie De Forest managed to win the Eurovision Song Contest in 2013 with her song ‘Only Teardrops’. Although the song sounds tailor made for Eurovision, it has something fresh and contemporary at the same time. Above all, the melody is just irresistibly catchy. The flute, her voice and the drums all complement the strong melody and it made ‘Only Teardrops’ a deserving winner in Eurovision and one of the best tracks of the year.
03. Laura Jansen – Queen Of Elba
Laura Jansen surprised me with her fantastic single ‘Queen Of Elba’. From the moment I heard this song for the first time, I knew there was something special about it. The lyrics about crowning herself the queen of Elba and coming to terms with a life on her own are brilliant. The melody is lush and her voice is enchanting as always. More of this please!
02. Lana Del Rey – Young & Beautiful
‘Young & Beautiful’ was the only new single by Lana this year, but it is once again an incredible song. The melancholy in the lyrics fit the sound of the song very well and the movie The Great Gatsby could not have wished for a better soundtrack than this. Lana sounds beautiful and her delivery of the lines “Will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful?” sounds honest and fragile. What an utterly gorgeous song!
01. Margaret Berger – I Feed You My Love
The best song of the year for me is ‘I Feed You My Love’, the song that represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest. From the first seconds on I am captivated by it. It sounds dark and fresh at the same time and the heavy beats and production are definitely ‘in your face’. The lyrics of the song (‘You put a knife against my back and you dare me to face the attack’) fit the dark atmosphere very well and it just sounds so effortlessly cool. Margaret’s voice is perfect on ‘I Feed You My Love’ and I really need her to release a new album soon.
Single Review: Lea Michele – Cannonball
Glee actress transforms into an exciting new pop star
As we all know, 2013 has been an absolutely tough year for Lea Michele. The singer and actress lost the love of her life, but managed to keep going and appeared in the latest episodes of Glee. Michele broke through with playing the role of Rachel in this series a few years ago. Now it is time to broaden her horizon and start a solo career in music. Today, she released her first single ‘Cannonball’. The debut album Louder will follow in March next year and judging by this first single, 2014 could definitely be the year of Lea Michele.
Lea Michele has been playing one of the main roles in Glee for a few years now and she could be considered as one of the biggest voices of the cast as well. After numerous solos on cover songs during the show, she now decided to release her own music. For her first single, the power ballad ‘Cannonball’, the singer got some help from Sia, who penned the track. Michele did not co-write on her first single, but she does have some writing credits on the album, along with artists like Christina Perri, new Swedish star Tove Lo and more appearances from Sia.
Lea Michele is not the first artist that recently put out a Sia written ballad. Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’, Céline Dion’s ‘Loved Me Back To Life’, Britney’s ‘Perfume’ and many other album tracks were written by the Australian singer-songwriter. Sia’s writing style is recognizable in the power ballad ‘Cannonball’. Both the verses and chorus are incredibly catchy and powerful. Lea’s strong vocals match very well with this type of pop ballad. The song is not miles away from the above mentioned Sia tracks, but it also reminds slightly of songs like ‘Battlefield’ by Jordin Sparks. The repetition of certain words in the chorus as well as the verses add to the catchiness of the track and the melody is basically very strong throughout every part. Lea gets the chance to showcase the strength of her vocals and although the last chorus could have done with a bit more of a climax, I think it is a good thing that they kept her vocal style poppy and not too theatrical. Overall, ‘Cannonball’ is an exciting first single from a promising new pop star!
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Single recensie: Lea Michele – Cannonball
Glee actrice ontpopt zich tot veelbelovende popster
Zoals de meesten van ons wel weten is 2013 bepaald geen makkelijk jaar geweest voor Lea Michele. De zangeres en actrice verloor de liefde van haar leven, maar sloeg zich dapper door deze moeilijke tijd heen door toch in de meest recente afleveringen van Glee te verschijnen. Michele brak enkele jaren geleden door toen ze de rol van Rachel op zich nam in de populaire televisieserie. Nu verbreedt ze haar horizon door een solo carrière in de popmuziek te beginnen. Vandaag verscheen haar eerste single ‘Cannonball’ en het debuutalbum Louder zal in maart in de schappen liggen. 2014 zou zomaar eens het jaar van Lea Michele kunnen worden.
Lea Michele speelt al enkele jaren één van de hoofdrollen in Glee en ze zou ook wel de grootste stem in de cast van de serie genoemd kunnen worden. Na het inzingen van vele solo’s op een oneindige hoeveelheid covers afkomstig uit de show, vond ze het nu tijd om met haar eigen materiaal aan de slag te gaan. Voor de eerste single, powerballad ‘Cannonball’, kreeg de zangeres hulp van Sia, die meeschreef. Michele schreef zelf niet mee aan haar debuutsingle, maar krijgt wel enkele credits op andere tracks die op haar debuut komen te staan, naast inbreng van onder anderen zangeres Christina Perri, nieuwe Zweedse ster Tove Lo en nog een aantal co-writes van Sia.
Lea Michele is niet de eerste die met een door Sia geschreven song op de proppen komt. Rihanna’s ‘Diamonds’, Céline Dion’s ‘Loved Me Back To Life’, Britney’s ‘Perfume’ en een behoorlijke hoeveelheid albumtracks van diverse artiesten werden door de Australische singer-songwriter geschreven. Sia’s stijl is dan ook gemakkelijk te herkennen op ‘Cannonball’. Zowel de coupletten als de refreinen van de track zijn zeer catchy en krachtig. Lea’s sterke stem sluit dan ook perfect aan bij liedjes in deze stijl. De song ligt qua geluid niet ver bij de bovengenoemde Sia songs vandaan, maar doet hier en daar qua opbouw ook wat denken aan liedjes als ‘Battlefield’ van Jordin Sparks. Het herhalen van bepaalde woorden tijdens zowel de coupletten als het refrein, draagt bij aan de aanstekelijkheid van de plaat en de melodie is eigenlijk gedurende het hele lied ijzersterk. Lea krijgt de kans om de kracht van haar stem te laten horen en hoewel het laatste refrein misschien een iets grotere climax had nodig gehad, is het goed om te horen dat haar stem in de productie poppy is gebleven en niet te theatraal is gemaakt. ‘Cannonball’ is dan ook een veelbelovende nieuwe single van een interessante nieuwe popster!
Album Review: Britney Spears – Britney Jean
Britney Spears’ ‘personal’ album disappoints
It is now fifteen years ago that Britney Spears first emerged on the pop scene. After quite some heights and also some lows in her career and personal life, she is ready to follow up 2011’s Femme Fatale with studio album number eight, Britney Jean. The album was preceded by the first single ‘Work Bitch’ at the end of the summer and it was a disappointing comeback to say the least. The Sia penned ballad ‘Perfume’ functioned as second single, but despite being a quite decent song where Britney’s vocals were somewhat natural for a change, it did not manage to impress in the charts. I do not expect the album to do very well either, as it is her weakest collection of songs so far.
When promoting the release of the album, Britney kept saying that this is her most personal album to date. After listening the album a few times, the personal touch still does not show itself. The credits show that she co-wrote on almost every track, but they are mostly written by a handful of people, so it is not easy to hear Britney’s influence there. When it comes to the themes of the lyrics, there is not that much of personality either. Songs like ‘Work Bitch’, ‘Body Ache’ and ‘Tik Tik Boom’ do not really say anything about Britney as a person. Although ‘Perfume’, ‘Alien’ and ‘Passenger’ deal with somewhat more sensitive and emotional subjects, it hardly makes Britney Jean into the personal album she tries to make it out to be.
The album starts with ‘Alien’, a strong production with a captivating sound by William Orbit. The verses sound interesting and build up to a chorus, but then that part does not really come. The monotonous repetition of the words ‘not alone’ is not really a strong chorus in my book. Other than that, it is one of the better tracks of the album, which is not a very hard thing to achieve as most tracks are far from perfect. ‘It Should Be Easy (feat. Will.I.Am)’ is alright, but in this case, the production and beats are better than the actual song or melody. ‘Body Ache’ however, seemed to be a great song for exactly 40 seconds, as the chorus has a brilliant melody, but then some god awful Will.I.Am beat kicks in and gone is all the hope. ‘Till It’s Gone’ is a song in the same pop dance style, but does not convince either. It is not a bad track, but Britney has released so many songs with stronger melodies and catchier choruses.
The cheesy duet with her little sister ‘Chillin’ With You’ with a chorus that does not fit the track at all and a failed attempt at a cool hip hop inspired track ‘Tik Tik Boom’ are probably the worst. Surprisingly, on this Britney album, the slower songs are the better ones. ‘Passenger’, co-written by Sia and Katy Perry, is quite a lovely track with meaningful lyrics about learning to trust in others and not wanting to have control over everything yourself. The chorus is nice and the high bits in the middle-eight where she sings “this is living”, are lovely. The three bonus tracks are all quite alright, but even the Avicii inspired ‘Now That I Found You’ cannot save this album. ‘Hold On Tight’ would have worked better as the last track on the standard edition, as it a better song and definitely not as flat as ‘Don’t Cry’.
The thing with Britney is, she is usually not really an ‘album artist’. Her records always have a few great singles and album tracks, but are filled with some weaker songs as well. I have not heard a Britney album yet where the quality is high throughout every track. This is not necessarily a big problem if the heights of your albums are perfect pop songs like ‘…Baby One More Time’, ‘I’m A Slave 4 U’, ‘Toxic’, ‘Stronger’, ‘Hold It Against Me’ and ‘Womanizer’. The problem with Britney Jean however, is that there are no hit singles or great pop tracks to be found. I am not saying all the songs on this record are bad, but there are no pop masterpieces that could make up for all the fillers that made it on the tracklist. It had to be concluded that Britney Jean is a disappointing album.
Worth a listen: Perfume, Passenger, Hold On Tight, Alien, Body Ache (minus the awful beat)
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Album recensie: Britney Spears – Britney Jean
Britney Spears stelt teleur met zogenaamd persoonlijk nieuw album
Het is alweer vijftien jaar geleden dat Britney Spears haar eerste stappen zette in de muziekwereld. Na heel wat hoogtepunten, maar ook wat mindere tijden in zowel haar carrière als haar privéleven, is ze nu klaar om haar album Femme Fatale uit 2011 een vervolg te geven met haar achtste plaat Britney Jean. Het album werd voorgegaan door de teleurstellende single ‘Work Bitch’ die aan het eind van de zomer werd gelanceerd. De door Sia geschreven ballade ‘Perfume’ werd de tweede single, maar ondanks dat het een aardig liedje is waarop Britney weer eens wat natuurlijker klinkt, wist het geen indruk te maken in de hitlijsten. Ik verwacht niet dat het met dit album wel gaat lukken, gezien het haar meest slappe collectie van liedjes tot nu toe is.
Tijdens de promotie van Britney Jean kwam Britney er steeds maar weer op terug dat dit haar meest persoonlijke album tot nu toe is. Na het album een paar keer gehoord te hebben, komt dit persoonlijke aspect eigenlijk nog steeds niet tevoorschijn. De credits laten zien dat Britney aan de meeste liedjes heeft meegeschreven, maar omdat aan alle songs minstens een handjevol mensen meewerkten, is haar stempel niet echt te horen. Als je naar de thema’s van de songteksten kijkt wordt het ook niet echt duidelijk. ‘Work Bitch’, ‘Body Ache’ en ‘Tik Tik Boom’ zeggen totaal niets over Britney als persoon. Hoewel ‘Perfume’, ‘Alien’ en ‘Passenger’ met wat gevoeligere en emotionele onderwerpen van doen hebben, maken deze tracks van Britney Jean nauwelijks het persoonlijke album waar ze iedereen van probeert te overtuigen.
De plaat begint met ‘Alien’, een sterke productie met een interessante sound van William Orbit. De coupletten klinken boeiend en bouwen op naar een refrein dat vervolgens niet op gang komt. Het monotoon herhalen van de woorden ‘not alone’ volstaat namelijk niet en dat is een gemiste kans. Afgezien hiervan is het wel één van de betere liedjes op het album, maar dat zegt wellicht meer over het gebrek aan kwaliteit van de rest. ‘It Should Be Easy (feat. Will.I.Am)’ is op zich aardig, maar de productie en beats zijn een stuk sterker dan het eigenlijke lied en de melodie. ‘Body Ache’ daarentegen, beschikt over een ijzersterke melodie in het refrein en is voor 40 seconden het beste lied op de plaat, tot er weer een oerlelijke beat van Will.I.Am tegenaan wordt gesmeten. ‘Till It’s Gone’ is een lied in dezelfde pop dance stijl, maar weet ook niet te overtuigen. Het is niet per se slecht, maar Britney heeft al zo vaak betere liedjes in dezelfde stijl uitgebracht, dat dit enkel tegenvalt.
Het gezapige duet met haar zusje ‘Chillin’ With You’ met een compleet misplaatst refreintje en de mislukte poging tot een coole op hiphop gebaseerde track ‘Tik Tik Boom’ zijn de echte dieptepunten. Opvallend genoeg zijn op dit Britney album de ballad-achtige songs nog de besten. ‘Passenger’, waar Katy Perry en Sia op meeschreven, is een fijn liedje met een betekenisvolle tekst over het vertrouwen van anderen en leren om soms de controle over alles ook enigszins uit handen te geven. Het refrein is aardig en de bridge waarop Britney de hoogte in gaat met haar stem als ze zingt ‘this is living’, is mooi gedaan. De drie bonustracks zijn ook naar behoren, maar zelfs het op Avicii geïnspireerde ‘Now That I Found You’ kan dit album niet redden. ‘Hold On Tight’ had overigens beter gewerkt als de afsluiter van de standaardeditie gezien het beter en minder vlak is dan ‘Don’t Cry’.
Eigenlijk is Britney nooit echt een ‘album artiest’ geweest. Haar platen hadden altijd een aantal geweldige singles en sterke album tracks, maar de rest was opvulling om aan een volledig album te komen. Geen van haar platen was dan ook van een hoge kwaliteit van begin tot eind. Dit is niet per se een probleem als de hoogtepunten perfecte popsongs als ‘…Baby One More Time’, ‘I’m A Slave 4 U’, ‘Toxic’, ‘Stronger’, ‘Hold It Against Me’ en ‘Womanizer’ zijn. Het probleem met Britney Jean is echter dat er geen echte hits of uitstekende popliedjes op staan. Dit wil niet zeggen dat het hele album ronduit slecht is, maar er zijn in dit geval geen pop-meesterwerkjes die kunnen verbloemen dat de rest van de tracks eigenlijk behoorlijk zwak is. Over de gehele linie is Britney Jean dan ook een behoorlijke tegenvaller.
Het luisteren waard: Perfume, Passenger, Hold On Tight, Alien, Body Ache (als je die verschrikkelijke beat wegdenkt)
Album Review: Oh Land – Wish Bone
Danish Oh Land releases strong third record
Ballet dancer turned musician Oh Land released her first album Fauna in 2008. The Danish artist presented herself as an experimental electro pop singer, with interesting compositions. For her second record Oh Land managed to keep her personal and recognizable style, but as a whole, the album sounded catchier and more poppy. In September it was time for the release of her third album, Wish Bone. In terms of sound, Oh Land found a position somewhere between the former two albums, where there is enough room for some experimental sounds, but most songs do have strong pop choruses.
From her self titled album released in 2011, Oh Land released catchy singles like ‘White Nights’ and ‘Sun Of A Gun’. The first single from Wish Bone, ‘Renaissance Girls’, was released in May this year and sounded just as poppy with a slight twist of hip hop beats. The second single ‘Pyromaniac’ is an insanely catchy pop song with a brilliant chorus that will never leave your head again. When listening to the album, some catchy tunes immediately get the attention and others need a while to sink in. One of the instant ones is the lyrically brilliant ‘Love A Man Dead’ on which Oh Land tells a man there is no need to run or hide because “my heart is my only weapon and I can love a man dead”. This is definitely one of the standout tracks on the record.
Another great tune is the somewhat slower, but definitely captivating ‘Sleepy Town’. The atmospheric chorus is powerful and Nanne, Oh Land’s real name, sounds better than ever vocally. Also, the production on this track is completely on point as it creates the perfect atmosphere around the story that is told. Singer and songwriter Sia, who recently worked with Katy Perry, Rihanna, Céline Dion and Birdy, also co-wrote a track on Oh Land’s album, being ‘Green Card’. Stylistically, this song is not miles away from ‘Sleepy Town’. Both sound atmospheric and have huge choruses where Oh Land gets the chance to really show the strengths of her lovely voice. Especially the ‘stay with me’ parts in this song are extremely catchy.
Although Oh Land is mostly known for her electro pop with strong productions (on Wish Bone, most tracks are produced by David Andrew Sitek), she decided to do some songs with a more acoustic vibe for this record as well. On the sweet ‘Love You Better’ it is just her and a guitar and on the gorgeous ‘3 Chances’, a song Oh Land produced herself, we hear a completely stripped back sound that gives Oh Land’s voice and beautiful lyrics the chance to shine. When compared to her previous albums, Wish Bone is more varied in terms of sound and style and it finds a place somewhere between the experimental sound of Fauna and the poppy approach on Oh Land. Not every song is strong, ‘My Boxer’ for example is not a very successful attempt at a more urban sound, but overall Oh Land once again delivers a stunning record with a very own identity and style.
Must listen: Sleepy Town, Love A Man Dead, Pyromaniac, Renaissance Girls, Green Card, 3 Chances.
Update: Three years after the album came out, director Kristian Levring made a gorgeous Benjamin Button like video for the track ‘Love You Better’.
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Album recensie: Oh Land – Wish Bone
De Deense Oh Land komt met sterk derde album
Voormalig balletdanseres Oh Land debuteerde in 2008 in de muziekwereld met de release van haar album Fauna. De Deense artieste presenteerde zich als een experimentele electro popzangeres met interessante composities. Voor haar tweede album wist ze haar persoonlijke en herkenbare stijl te behouden, maar als geheel klonk deze plaat pakkender en meer poppy. In september kwam haar derde album, Wish Bone, uit. Qua sound heeft Oh Land een plaats ingenomen tussen haar vorige twee albums in, waar genoeg ruimte is voor experimentele geluiden, maar tegelijkertijd ook zeker pakkende poprefreinen te horen zijn.
Van haar naar zichzelf vernoemde album in 2011, bracht Oh Land catchy singles als ‘White Nights’ en ‘Sun Of A Gun’ uit. De eerste single van Wish Bone, ‘Renaissance Girls’ dat werd uitgebracht in mei, klinkt net zo pakkend en poppy, maar is onderbouwd met hiphop beats. De tweede single ‘Pyromaniac’ is een ontzettend pakkend liedje met een briljant refrein dat eigenlijk nooit meer uit je hoofd gaat. Bij het beluisteren van het album zijn er enkele liedjes die meteen blijven hangen, maar anderen hebben wat meer tijd nodig om indruk te maken. Een lied dat meteen beklijft is het tekstueel briljante ‘Love A Man Dead’. Op dit lied vertelt Oh Land een man dat hij geen moeite hoeft te doen om te rennen of zich schuil te houden, want “my heart is my only weapon and I can love a man dead”. Dit is absoluut één van de sterkste nummers op de plaat.
Een andere indrukwekkende song is het iets langzamere, maar zeker meeslepende ‘Sleepy Town’. Het sfeervolle refrein is krachtig en Nanne, zoals Oh Land eigenlijk heet, heeft nooit beter geklonken dan dit. De productie op dit lied is perfect uitgevoerd, want het creëert een prachtig passende sfeer bij het verhaal dat wordt verteld. Zangeres en songwriter Sia, die recent samenwerkte met Katy Perry, Rihanna, Céline Dion en Birdy, schreef ook weer mee aan een liedje op Oh Land’s album, namelijk ‘Green Card’. Qua stijl ligt het lied niet heel ver bij ‘Sleepy Town’ vandaan. Beide hebben grootse en sfeervolle refreinen waar Oh Land de kans krijgt om te laten horen hoe sterk haar stem eigenlijk is. Vooral de ‘stay with me’ stukken in ‘Green Card’ zijn erg pakkend.
Hoewel Oh Land vooral bekend staat om haar electro popstijl met sterke producties (op Wish Bone zijn de meeste tracks geproduceerd door David Andrew Sitek), heeft ze er voor gekozen om ook een aantal meer akoestische songs te doen op de nieuwe plaat. Op het lieve ‘Love You Better’ is het enkel Oh Land’s stem en de gitaar en op het mooie ‘3 Chances’, een lied dat door Oh Land zelf werd geproduceerd, horen we een ingetogen sound waarbij Oh Land’s stem en teksten ruim de kans krijgen om indruk te maken. In vergelijking met haar voorgaande albums is Wish Bone nog gevarieerder qua stijl en heeft het een mooie balans gemaakt tussen de experimentele sounds van Fauna en het meer poppy materiaal van Oh Land. Niet elk lied op Wish Bone is een groot succes, ‘My Boxer’ is bijvoorbeeld een niet zo succesvolle poging om een urban sound te creëren, maar over het algemeen levert Oh Land een prachtig album af met een geheel eigen identiteit en stijl.
Dit moet je gehoord hebben: Sleepy Town, Love A Man Dead, Pyromaniac, Renaissance Girls, Green Card, 3 Chances.
Single Review: Britney Spears – Perfume
Britney Spears and Sia team up for new single ‘Perfume’
Britney Spears came back with new music earlier this year. She released the single ‘Work Bitch!’ in September. Both the song and its chart run were quite disappointing and now Britney and her team decided to shake things up a little for the second single, ‘Perfume’. ‘Perfume’ is a ballad, co-written by Sia and it is quite different from most singles Britney released in recent years. It is a good thing to hear her sing properly again, but is the song good enough to get her back on top of the charts?
Britney Spears is not the only one to work with singer and songwriter Sia at the moment. Sia previously worked with Rihanna (‘Diamonds’) and David Guetta (‘Titanium’ and ‘She Wolf’), but also wrote tracks on the new albums of Céline Dion, Katy Perry, Birdy and Jessie J. Considering that ‘Work Bitch!’ lacked a good chorus or even a melody, it was a smart move from Britney and her team to choose a Sia song as next single. She has proven in the past that she can write beautiful and melodic ballads.
‘Perfume’ might not be one of the best things Sia has ever written, but it still is a step in the right direction in Britney’s career. Her vocals actually sound pretty good, especially in the verses. It does not sound like she is putting on a voice or struggling to reach the notes. She seems to sound natural, which is great. Not only does her voice sound better in the verses, these parts of the song come across stronger than the chorus anyway. Not that the chorus is bad, but it could have been somewhat more powerful and catchy. The part that sticks in your head after a few listens, is the post-chorus where Britney sings she is about to ‘mark her territory’ with her perfume and hopes the ex-girlfriend will smell it. The melody is strong here and definitely lifts the song to a higher level.
Lyrically, the song deals with Britney suspecting her boyfriend to still have feelings for his ex. The story comes across very well in the lyrics, which are cleverly written. It is a good thing to hear Britney on a somewhat more personal and emotional track, after the mess that was ‘Work Bitch!’. I am not sure if this song will bring her a huge hit, but it is definitely a step forward from the previous single.
Britney Spears will release her new record Britney Jean on the 3rd of December.
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Single Recensie: Britney Spears – Perfume
Britney Spears krijgt hulp van Sia op nieuwe single
Britney Spears kwam eerder dit jaar terug met nieuwe muziek. De zangeres bracht in september de nieuwe single ‘Work Bitch!’ uit. Zowel de song zelf als de prestaties in de hitlijsten, waren behoorlijk tegenvallend. Britney en haar team hebben hun strategie dan ook behoorlijk aangepast voor de release van ‘Perfume’, de tweede single. ‘Perfume’ is een ballad die mede is geschreven door Sia en het klinkt behoorlijk anders dan de meeste singles die we in recente jaren van Britney hebben gehoord. Het is positief dat we haar weer eens echt horen zingen, maar is het lied goed genoeg om haar weer aan top van de hitlijsten te krijgen?
Britney Spears is niet de enige artieste die recent samenwerkte met zangeres en songwriter Sia. Zo schreef ze al voor Rihanna (‘Diamonds’), was ze te horen op tracks van David Guetta (‘Titanium’ en ‘She Wolf’), en werkte ze mee aan liedjes voor de nieuwe albums van Céline Dion, Katy Perry, Birdy en Jessie J. Aangezien ‘Work Bitch!’ een goed refrein en een sterke melodie miste, is het een slimme stap van Britney en haar team om een Sia liedje als tweede single te kiezen. Zij heeft namelijk al bewezen dat ze mooie, melodische ballades kan schrijven.
‘Perfume’ is misschien niet één van de sterkste tracks die Sia ooit heeft neergepend, maar het is wel een stap in de goede richting in de carrière van Britney. Haar stem klinkt weer eens behoorlijk goed, vooral in de coupletten. Het klinkt niet alsof ze een stemmetje opzet of moeite heeft om de noten te halen. Haar stem klinkt juist natuurlijk, wat fijn is om te horen. Niet alleen haar stem is beter in de coupletten, dit zijn sowieso de sterkere gedeeltes van het lied. Niet dat het refrein slecht is, maar dit had zeker wat krachtiger en pakkender gekund. De passage die wel goed blijft hangen is het stukje na het refrein, waar Britney zingt dat ze haar ‘territorium afbakent’ met parfum. De melodie is hier juist heel sterk en brengt het lied naar een hoger niveau.
Qua tekst gaat ‘Perfume’ over het vermoeden dat je geliefde nog steeds gevoelens heeft voor zijn of haar ex. Dit verhaal wordt zeer goed verwoord in het lied, dat knap geschreven is. Het is mooi dat Britney zich weer eens op een wat persoonlijkere en meer emotionele song durft te laten horen, na het rommeltje wat ze ons met ‘Work Bitch!’ voorschotelde. Het is de vraag of ‘Perfume’ een grote hit gaat worden voor de zangeres, maar het is zeker een stap in de goede richting.
Britney Spears brengt op 3 december haar nieuwe album Britney Jean uit.