Kungen för natt

One of the few good things about not being a Swedish speaker is that I can pretty much ignore awful Swedish lyrics. That can be particularly useful whenever Markoolio, a kid-oriented rapper, manages to come up with a good song--since the only time I ever have a chance at understanding Swedish lyrics anyway is when I really focus and even then I'll usually miss most of them, all I have to do is not think about it and I can just take the instrumental part and the sound of the words on their own merits. That doesn't really sort out the issue of Markoolio's voice, which is constantly in this probably put-on state of oddness, and there are times when to naturally and easily understand his lyrics would be wonderful (see "Värsta Schlagern," for example, and he may have some genuinely funny lines in his songs), but in general, it all adds up to a situation which allows me to appreciate a handful of his songs. As I've noted in the past, he's smart enough to rely heavily on female-sung hooks, which only makes it easier to appreciate some of his choruses.

I'm on the record as loving "Värsta Schlagern" and "Emma Emma" (one of those cases where not being a Swedish speaker comes in handy) and I like "Idollåten" from his previous album as well, but "Markoolio Anthem," the latest single from his new album, is decent as well, mainly because it's been so dressed up in Eurobeats and includes that whole Boney M/Lady GaGa "ma ma ma ma" section.

"Vacker & Rik," in its best moments, keeps the Euro feel of "Markoolio Anthem" and plays it up even more--just listen to that catchy chorus and tell me you aren't left wishing the whole song was in that style. Once again, it's mainly in the hands of some female singer, but even Markoolio's raps work better there, to the point where I find them great--they're more melodic, catchier, and surrounded by strong almost dance-disco type beats, as well as almost part of a back-and-forth with the female singer, albeit only an A-B-A one. Surrounded by catchy Europop music and female vocals--that's how I tend to like Markoolio best, and that's what this song gives us, at least for its chorus...and it's a good enough chorus that I've been listening to the whole song just to get to it.

To buy Markoolio's new album, Jag är konst, go here (physical) or here (digital).

Thing I learned about Markoolio today: he and Velvet used to be a couple. Random.

Next up: maybe that American singer, finally, or a French singer making a return to the music scene.