If you read this blog in its first year of existence, you'll know how much I loved the solo career of this former a1 member--in fact, I fell in love with his solo music before I'd heard anything from a1, though I changed that quickly and fell in love with a1, too.His debut solo single "Sorry" should have been a much bigger hit than it was, mainly because it's great but secondly because I still desperately need to hear It's Brutal Out There, his debut solo album (I'm never giving up hope). The songs on the album sampler (amazing fun danceable songs "Get Off My Girl" and "Don't Tread On My Toes" and excellent ballad "I Don't Wanna Stay") were all unfailingly great (and still sound fresh these, what, three, four years on), as have been some of the songs he's posted on his MySpace over the years, b-side "Delicious," and songs he's written, like Sergey Lazarev's "Fake" (and you don't know how much it's driven me crazy to not be able to hear in full the songs in that Writing 2006 video he posted--work with Jörgen Elofsson, Eg White, Robin Thicke [though maybe for Thicke], and typical quirky Ben pop songs...life is not complete until I've heard some of the songs in that video).
The point of all this "I love his music" is to communicate that such is my level of liking this artist that it's practically required that I mention any new music he chooses to give us. It's for that reason, then, that I report that he's recently unveiled a Christmas song. Being him, of course, half of it is innuendo and the other half is snarky bemoaning about the Christmas season. It actually is a good catchy mid-to-uptempo pop song, though, and though it's a song probably never meant to go anywhere beyond MySpace and is sort of deliberately restrained and semi-chintzy, I imagine it'll get a lot of plays from me. It makes me want this singer back on the scene even more so.
Also, if you think "Same Old Brand New You" is anything other than AMAZING, you are wrong. One of the best boy band songs ever, and that's saying an awful lot--one of the best pop songs ever, probably.
There's nowhere this song can be purchased, but you can visit this artist's MySpace here and buy the single for "Sorry" here (physical).
Next up: a demo from an American artist.
4 comments:
Ah, I loved A1! (still do). Ben was my major teen crush.
Strangely enough I was gonna blog about them today. I found their third album for €2 in a second-hand store here this afternoon. I had gone off them a bit by the time it was released so never got it at the time.
Naturally, I was happy to find some of the Sergey songs I love were written by Ben (even if the lyrics to fake are shockingly cringy). Glad to see he's still recording his own stuff as well.
Guess there is no chance of an album from him anytime soon though. Shame.
Oh, "Fake" was written by Ben???
Cool, didn't know it.
Honestly I'm not keen on this song, but it's pleasant to know that our Sergey works with some cool foreign songwriters. My favorite from his songs is "Flyer" and I think you know that it was written by Melodifestivalen's Lina and Mårten Eriksson.
Ben seems to be quite talented, nice and funny person, reminds me of Erik Segerstedt. I love "Separate Ways"!
Speaking about boys-bands just realized how long I wait for JC Chasez new album, seems like getting "I'm Not Sleeping Alone" in HQ will take forever.
Weird coincidence! But I'd welcome reading a blog about them! I think you're right about the album, but I'll probably keep hoping forever. I LOVE "Caught In The Middle," too, I should add.
Damian, yup--I didn't know it when I heard it at first, but Mobius of the S/A/W blog pointed it out to me a few years ago! As soon as he mentioned it, I could totally hear Ben's voice on backing vocals--it's really pretty prominent and distinctive, so I don't know how I didn't notice earlier. "Separate Ways" is lovely--I wonder if he did any more work with Jörgen while he was there? "Flyer" is still fantastic and (for me) light years ahead of "Believe," even if I don't know that it would have won for you all. Poor JC...I like him so much more than Justin as a popstar and I, too, would love to have that song in good quality.
"Separate Ways" is the song by Jörgen???
I'm totally agree with you that "Flyer" million times better than "Believe" (I've been depressed when it won national final and then Eurovision) and I always considered JC much more talented than Justin, this is why it's so pity not to see JC as successful as Justin :(
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