Solamente pienso en ti y en lo estúpida que fui

The new single from Mexican pop band Belanova is almost all anyone could want from them.

01 Nada de Más by poppostergirl

Full of upbeat synths that dance and sparkle but retain a gentle feel to them, "Nada de más" splits the difference between songs like "Baila mi corazón," the uptempo lead single for their third album, and songs like "Paso el tiempo" and "Niño," which set their lyrics about loss set to swoony melodies and beats.

It showcases the best side of the group's music: how they mix the cute with the beautiful. Denisse's girlish voice is backed by beats that manage to be cute without sounding small or bleepy--the opposite, in fact: the group creates full, colorful, electronic soundscapes. The simple verses of "Nada de más" find the narrator brushing off the idea that anything is unusual or noteworthy in her life before, in the chorus, making a tiny little confession: she can't stop thinking about her former love. It's framed in a straightforward but heart-tugging way:

Solamente pienso en ti (I only think about you)
Y en lo estúpida que fui (And about how stupid I was)
Al pensar, al soñar, que ibas a regresar (To think, to dream, that you would return)
Al creer, que tal vez, un día ibas a volver a mí (To believe that, maybe, one day you would come back to me)

That girlish, coy voice of Denisse's brings an added poignancy to the song's story--she sounds so young that all of this bears the rush of your first teenage heartbreak, but the grown-up way she knowingly plays with those words conveys someone who's been though enough to know she should know better. It's all the intensity of puppy love with just a hint of the frustration of a cynic angry at herself for taking chance, wrapped up in in a romantic tone and joyful beats.

My only complaint is that Denisse, equally capable of using her voice to make me go weak at the knees or stressing it into sounding too nasal, leans a little too close to the latter in the middle eight. Usually the big climax and final adlibs are, thanks to her singing, my favorite part of these sorts of Belanova songs, but "Nada de más" doesn't quite reach the heights of the aforementioned "Paso el tiempo" and "Niño" in that regard.

That's nitpicking, though. "Nada de más" is an excellent example of one of our most cherished musical forms: danceable songs about heartbreak. It's adorable and moving, catchy and beautiful, youthfully intoxicating and smartly made--proof that none of the best traits of music are mutually exclusive.

"Nada de más" can be purchased from U.S. digital music stores like Amazon and iTunes. It's the lead single for the band's fourth album, Sueño Electro I.

In love and it's so overrated

Newsbreak:

Mexican group Belanova's new single, "Nada de más," comes out August 2, apparently. You can listen to a clip below. It sounds pretty fantastic, but then again, I would expect nothing less for the lead single for their new album, Sueño Electro I.



Swedish singer Nanne's new album, En Rastlös Själ, comes out October 6. It's been preceded by the singles "Otacksamhet" and "I Natt Är Jag Din," with one more, the title track, to be released August 18. The cover of the album is at left and the single cover can be viewed here. Other upcoming Swedish albums you may be interested in: Darin's Lovekiller (August 18), Ola's new album (September 15--at least, that's what I read at one point, but Ola now says that it's only 28 days away), and Robyn's Body Talk Pt. II (September 6 internationally). You should be able to buy all those albums from Bengans, though Ola's album isn't listed yet and it probably makes more financial sense to buy Robyn's album from a music distributor in your home country.

The third proper single from the reformed a1, following on "Take You Home" and "Don't Wanna Lose You Again," is "In Love And I Hate It." It's out August 4 in Norway, but the group has been performing it live recently. If you want an advance feel for what it sounds like, here's one such performance.

You know "Champagne Lemonade," that great new song from upcoming British singer Ed Drewett which I wrote about a month ago? It's co-written by Tim Powell of Xenomania. Now we know why it's so buzzily fun. Unusually, for a song coming from a member of Xenomania that we actually get to hear, its only authors are Tim and Ed.

#20 Belanova, "Paso el tiempo"

Aunque no puedas volver
No es fácil para mí
Vivir sin ti

"Paso el tiempo" was my instant favorite on Mexican group Belanova's third album, 2007's Fantasía pop, and in no small part because I saw it as spiritually the musical and lyrical follow-up to "Niño," my favorite track from their second album. Although it's not quite a perfect match, I like to imagine the story of a girl missing a boy after a wrong decision is part two of "Niño"'s narrative of a girl making the tough decision to leave her boy behind for some opportunity out in the big wide world, wherein the narrator reassures the boy that he'll be OK but knowing all the while she too will be suffering.

When she uses it properly, Denisse Guerrero's voice is still the female voice--maybe just the voice--most capable of making me swoon. Equally able to sound childish or sexy, it's a voice that is best suited for somewhere in between. The band can and has asked her to use it in a Kylie-esque way, and Denisse was able to do so, but for my money she's best suited for songs like this one and "Niño," where pastiche is abandoned and longing and sadness break their restraints and are conveyed through a mid-tempo vocal part over an up-tempo commercial pop soundscape of hyper-cute (but never twee--the electronic production saves it from that) beats. To quote from my original thoughts on the album,

I'm not sure if anyone else knows how to swoon as perfectly as Denisse; like "Niño," the chorus to this song makes me completely melt. The whole song does, to be honest, with lyrics that are simple but oh so perfect, but the way she uses her voice on the chorus, especially that first sentence--flawless. The chorus comes in two halves, and the opening lines of each half--"Quiero decirte que/sé que me equivoqué" ("I want to tell you that/I know that I was wrong" [or "made a mistake"]) and "Quiero decirte que/nunca te olvidaré" ("I want to tell you that/I will never forget you")--could not be better in sound or meaning. I know they look trite written out like that, but trust me, when sung in Denisse's voice over that synth-pop backing, they for all the world sound like someone has finally captured longing in song...and, surprisingly, it sounds slightly playful and definitely gorgeous--but no less heartbreaking.

As with "Niño," my favorite part of "Paso el tiempo," the part I live for, is the moment near the song's end where Denisse gets to ad-lib--the song and her voice reach their peak of magic there. Belanova have yet to make an album I adore in full yet, but such is the quality of their best songs that they're one of the most underrated groups out there. Pop literally doesn't get much better than this--it's an overused word, but "Niño" is transcendent.

Find it on: Fantasía pop

Quiero decirte que sé que me equivoqué

It occurred to me today that I must love the sound of Denisse Guerrero getting her heart broken. Sure, Fantasía Pop's "One, Two, Three, GO!" has a punky pop-rock charm that's led to me getting "Oye niño, no tengas miedo" stuck in my head several times so far, but I don't think I could stand it if they released an album all in that sound; almost all of my favorite songs by Belanova, the ones that I think have that truly timeless sound, deal with heartbreak and not being with the one you want, whether it's because of a breakup or because you never could have them in the first place. Luckily, few bands can manage to make misery sound as sweet as Belanova without losing the emotional core you'd expect from the lyrics. With this, their third studio album, Belanova has been accused of going too pop, too commercial, and too young, and I could see how "One, Two, Three, GO!" would give you that impression, but the album also contains songs that aren't that far a departure from their sound on Dulce Beat. Like "Por tí," "Baila mi corazón" proves that, when they're on, Belanova can make surrendering to total joy sound just as sweet as they make misery sound, but "Cada que" and "Aún" hint at Belanova's forte: expressing longing. Even "Rockstar," despite its title and somewhat upbeat opening, is another example. Still, the true peak of the album comes midway through and is the song that follows "Rockstar."

Paso el tiempo--I don't think we quite get another song as perfect as "Niño" on this album, but "Paso el tiempo" is the closest we get, and it's possibly a sequel of sorts to it. I'm not sure if anyone else knows how to swoon as perfectly as Denisse; like "Niño," the chorus to this song makes me completely melt. The whole song does, to be honest, with lyrics that are simple but oh so perfect, but the way she uses her voice on the chorus, especially that first sentence--flawless. The chorus comes in two halves, and the opening lines of each half--"Quiero decirte que/sé que me equivoqué" ("I want to tell you that/I know that I was wrong" [or "made a mistake"]) and "Quiero decirte que/nunca te olvidaré" ("I want to tell you that/I will never forget you")--could not be better in sound or meaning. I know they look trite written out like that, but trust me, when sung in Denisse's voice over that synth-pop backing, they for all the world sound like someone has finally captured longing in song...and, surprisingly, it sounds slightly playful and definitely gorgeous--but no less heartbreaking.

And, because I haven't been able to get it out of my head since I first heard it, here's "One, Two, Three, GO!". It's been compared to Avril Lavigne and, though I see where that comparison is coming from--Denisse's voice does take on a schoolyard sort of tone and it does feel rockier--it's still not got the whirling guitar riffs I expect from an uptempo Avril song. It has a great shout-along chorus (opening with that "Oye niño, no tengas miedo" that I've had stuck in my head) and some backing "ohohOHoh"s and "hey! hey! hey!"s. I don't mind them dabbling in this, but, as I said, I hope it doesn't become their dominant style.

To buy Belanova's third album Fantasía Pop, go here (physical) or, if you live in the U.S., it's available on iTunes. After all the raving I did up above, I do feel the need to point out that, in my eyes, there's a good amount of filler on it, but to ignore the best songs on it would mean you're missing out on a lot.

Next up: maybe some dance music.

Sé que es amor

I mentioned Belanova's latest single "Baila mi corazón" a while ago, but since it's still getting pretty frequent plays in my iTunes, I figured it'd be something worth mentioning again--and sharing. The Mexican synthpop group's new album, Fantasía Pop, comes out September 11 (September 10 in Mexico) and I'm pretty excited to hear it. From what we've heard--"Baila mi corazón" and two new songs, "Vestida de azul" and "Rockstar" (as far as I know, we haven't heard second single "Toma mi mano" yet), Belanova is just as good as ever and Denisse Guerrero still has one of the most adorable (and best, from a "what it sounds like" perspective) voices in pop music.

Baila mi corazón--"Baila mi corazón" doesn't quite live up to the level of complete pop perfection established by "Niño," but not much does, and I think I prefer it to "Rosa pastel," even if it seems simpler and more innocent (though there's still a certain sophistication as well, probably coming from the production)--that may even be why I prefer it. The song is practically a cuteness overload, but it never seems truly sugary or saccharine, if that makes sense--it's a very glossy sort of cuteness. It's a song about being completely, entirely, head-over-your-heels in love, and boy, does it sound like it.

To preorder Belanova's third album Fantasía Pop, go here (physical) or here (digital). Forget Kenny Chesney, 50 Cent, and Kanye West--Fantasía Pop is what you should be buying September 11. In the meantime, get Dulce Beat--it has some absolutely divine pop gems (in addition to "Niño," listen out for "Por tí"...though really, most of the album is great).

Facile per te decidere rubarmi l'anima e poi fuggire

Oh, no...

I've been in major love with Paolo Meneguzzi's music ever since Pinkie wrote about him a while ago. Pinkie singled out the track "Ti Amo Ti Odio" in particular, and he was so right to do so--it's a fantastic pop song, catchy and sad at the same time...and, well, really, it has everything I could want in a song. It seems Paolo or his record company must agree with Pinkie, because it's the latest single from Paolo's album Musica.

But...but...

it's got a horrible music video to go with it. I'll link to it--you can watch it here--but it's definitely not the way to be introduced to the song. Since I'm convinced everyone should hear it, though, here's one of those random fan-made videos with the song as audio.



(It's not actually five minutes long--there's just a lot of silence at the end of the video.)

Now, go download the song from A Kind Of Love In.

And, to make up for the lack of good video clip, here's the video for one of Paolo's earlier hits, "Vero Falso."



While we're discussing random news, Mexican pop group Belanova have the lead single for their new album, Fantasía Pop, out; it's called "Baila mi corazón." It's not quite as amazing as "Niño," but it's not bad, and they're a group worth paying attention to; if they were singing in English, they'd probably have much of the pop blogging world praising them. I haven't seen an official video for it yet, but you can listen to the audio via this fan photo montage.

Las cosas son así sin ti

The female singer featured in Moenia's "Te equivoque" was Denisse Guerrero, the stylish lead singer of Mexican group Belanova, whose second album Dulce Beat was a huge success in Mexico. The group's style is thoroughly pop, maybe with a little electronica influence (or just synth-pop) thrown in, sweet as a result of both the melodies and Denisse's voice, practically designed for cooing. The group is currently working on its third album and hasn't ruled out the possibility of recording English language songs some day--they've already toyed with that a little, as Dulce Beat contains the English language song "Sexy," but that song doesn't rival their Spanish-language work, though it's still pretty good. Still, if they can manage to nail down the feel of their Spanish work in English, expect them to become blogger favorites.

Niño--the album's fourth single, but my favorite song on it, although there are multiple other songs on the album that rival it for quality. Sweet and catchy (two adjectives which you could apply to almost any song on the album), you're not going to get a full-out throw-your-hands-up-in-the-air aggressive dancefest from this song, but there is a sort of exuberance in the chorus (despite the song's subject, telling the one you love you have to leave because "la vida me invito/hacia otro lugar/sin ti"), and the song itself is definitely danceable.

To buy Belanova's second album Dulce Beat, go here (physical) or visit iTunes; for example, if you live in the U.S., go here. The album is full of quality songs and, if it were in English, would undoubtedly be being enjoyed almost everywhere; I very much recommend listening to some preview clips and then picking it up.

Next up: a boy band, I think.

Y todo lo planeado, lo que perfeccioné...

I really should wait a little while longer before writing about this group, at least give myself time to digest the album I've just got hold of and possibly to acquaint myself with their past work, but sometimes a song just strikes you the right way at the right time and you need to share it then, you know? I'll probably return to this group in the near future, once I've had more time to listen to the album. At any rate, Mexican group Moenia do come with a certain baggage: their frequently stated adoration of Depeche Mode has definitely led to some backlash in the forms of comparison and accusations of basically just stealing their style and not doing it as well. To be honest, acquainting myself with Depeche Mode is still on my to-do list, so I can't really address that. Still, Moenia has played a pretty important role in Mexican music, helping electronic-based pop music break in the country; though Moenia are still going, they've also created room for some other big groups that, even if they don't sound quite like them, still owe them a debt. I've only heard one Moenia album, their most recent one, Solar, and apparently it's a little bit of a change of direction for them (though I definitely want to hear more from them now). Though I wouldn't say it's a stylistically diverse album, the songs are diverse, if that makes sense. Really, the best introduction would probably be one of the more in-your-face catchy songs, but the following song is the one on the album that I find myself returning to the most right now.

(Side note: their official site doesn't seem to work any more, which is never a good thing.)

Me equivoqué--as I said, there are other songs on the album that are catchier, rockier, but this ballad, the title of which means "I was wrong," is the one I keep coming back to. Maybe that shows that I'm a sucker for the softer side of this sort of synth-pop, the more sensitive emotional side, but I think it shows more that it's a very well-done ballad. It never overwhelms you but still manages to be completely engrossing and...really, though the music is dark, this song is undeniably pretty. I could go into more details about the music, but I think this is the sort of song that's better just to discover for oneself, with none of its small twists and turns ruined.

To buy Moenia's most recent album, Solar, go here (physical) or here (digital). It's also available on iTunes, including in the U.S. I am very impressed with it so far.

Next up: the group of the singer featured in the above Moenia song, and one of those groups that should probably be glad that Moenia arrived upon the scene.