I sing all your favorite songs

By far the best thing to come out of Frankmusik's post-Complete Me output is "Stereo World." Based on the material he'd distributed on two free EPs, I was starting to get a bit worried. Sure, they were all free songs that presumably weren't good enough to make the cut for his upcoming second album, and sure, there were some interesting ideas scattered here and there, but nothing showed off the strong, engaging songwriting skills that were on full display in the vast majority of the demos before and songs on his first album.

The bright, initially frivolous-sounding love song "Stereo World" allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief. It's got the bounce, charm, heart, and melody that, in addition to all his great production tricks, make him such a welcome force on the pop scene, that make it worth setting aside his personal stumbles to get to the music on the other side.

"Stereo Love" is available as a free download on Frankmusik's website.

So leaving me behind was your first step

I LOVE the final single version of Frankmusik's "Confusion Girl." It's the perfect balance between Vince's quirkier side and the more mainstream intermediate version of the song we heard, with an end result of a fully charming pop song that's the best version of this track we've heard. The single is out July 12 in the UK.



On the Frankmusik front, a new song, "Dancing In The Dark," is streaming on his MySpace, along with previews of the remix version of Vince's album.

The lead single from Ola's new album is called "Sky's The Limit" and will be premiered via a performance on June 22 and released that same day, I think. It's written by KeiOne, Json, and Ola, which does make me a bit nervous--that could mean it's a step closer towards R&B, while I tend to prefer Ola as a vehicle for the pure pop songs of Tony Nilsson and Bassflow. Still, ideally it could mean Ola releasing something that stirs up more excitement about him (though in terms of chart success pop seems a surer bet than pop-&B in Sweden); plus, he's definitely spent time with Tony and Peter "Bassflow" Boström, so maybe we could get a great mix. I do love Adam Tensta's "80s Baby," KeiOne-produced hip-hop meets pop with just the right combination of hardness and breeziness; I'm just worried about how Ola's voice will match with this sort of music as well as quality overall.

Speaking of Peter Boström, he's just done a remix--or, as it's more accurately being called, a remake--of Mando Diao's "Gloria." I'm not going to put it up there with his best work on, say, Martin Stenmarck's singles, but listen to it 20 minutes into the 10-10:30 block here.

Since the sporadic nature of my recent posts meant I never did a fully rundown on the American Idol finale, I'd like to add that I am happy for Kris, not angry with the result (and hoping I'll end up wanting to buy his album--no one's going to agree with me and it's probably best for his commercial viability that he doesn't, but I'd love him to be singing songs like Ryan Cabrera's best work), but I stand by my earlier comment that I'm "hoping Adam ends up being the best popstar America has" (maybe you could qualify that with "male popstar," given the real lack of competition on that front--I'm not talking just about music, though obviously that's important, but all-out exciting popstarness--but even that caveat is probably unneccesary) "Kiss & Tell," which #1 Hits From Another Planet posted a few months ago, still gets frequent plays from me--I want Adam to make the glam rock which suits him so perfectly and which the U.S. could really use a dose of, but I also want him continuing down an electro-pop route like that of this old demo song, too.

Tries to cover up all of her mistakes

There's really only one reworking of a Frankmusik song that I don't love to bits, and that's "Confusion Girl." Of course, I was never madly in love with the original, so I think it's less a case of a great song being made less good (as of the moment, I've accepted the new version and even found my appreciation of it increasing week by week) but more an abundance of other songs by him that I find better. Still, maybe the playing down of eccentricity (though not total elimination of it) will let the song, Vince's next single, really take off. The video certainly looks like it's shaping up nicely:

Frankmusik's debut album, Complete Me, may feature primarily and possibly only songs we've heard before (though likely in reworked versions), but it's still one of my most anticipated albums of the year.

It's getting too much

Apologies for disappearing for a few days--it's that time of the year where offline life always manages to interfere with online life. I basically spent the weekend listening only to a-ha (inspired by KulPop's news about their new single), Sugababes, and songs by Richard X and Xenomania--pseudo-retro. Doing some sort of special is tempting, but that ground has been covered pretty often.

Coming up soon (this week) should be my hopes for and thoughts on Eurovision.

Until then, I leave you with the mindboggling news (stolen from the PJ forums) that Frankmusik is apparently making music for/with Holly Valance. No, really.



Lest we all forget, Holly's State Of Mind was one of the best albums of this decade. Talk about a killer lead single.

Stop! Look! Listen!

The Melodifestival update:

The one minute clips of this week's songs will be available on SVT's official Melodifestival site at 1:10 PM Sweden time, meaning 7:10 AM EST. Perfect!

There are multiple places to read about previews and rehearsals, but the pages I'll be obsessively refreshing throughout this whole process are Schlagerprofilerna and Tobbe Ek's Schlagerblogg. I'll say more about them tomorrow.

Bonus Frankmusik update:

It's officially confirmed on his MySpace that Complete Me, Frankmusik's debut album, will come out June 22.

#19 Frankmusik, "Three Little Words"/"In Step"/"Done Done"

You had your photograph in a magazine
Such a pretty boy at only nineteen
But now you're twenty-three and it's all gone now
You ain't all that you wanna be somehow

In the biggest cheat of this entire countdown, I'm including all three singles Frankmusik released this year as one entry.

As I said earlier this year, I've basically lost all ability to write anything coherent about Frankmusik's music, so you all will just have to settle for a random conglomeration of thoughts instead.

"In Step"/"Done Done," released just before the middle of 2008, was more just a buzz type single, which I guess makes "Three Little Words," apparently also a buzz single, a second buzz release. Odd. Anyway, "In Step" and "Three Little Words" are from the hyper-kinetic up-tempo electronic side of Frankmusik's back catalogue, with "In Step" even at one point melting into video game style sound effects. For all its contained manicness, though, "In Step" has more than its share of lyrics that strike a little too close to home for someone like me who has enough paranoia about getting older as is. "Three Little Words" is even bouncier, with a video that captures the song's appeal perfectly while also enhancing it.

"Done Done" is another story. Still electronic in its base, still with a playful attitude towards the creation of sounds, it's a lush almost-ballad which once again marks Frankmusik as not only the composer of brilliant songs but a pretty great lyricist as well, one getting better all the time. It sounds breathtaking coming out of surround sound style speakers.

Find it on: Three Little Words - EP (alternate digital version here) and "In Step"/"Done Done" (Single)

A good beat never hurt no one

I was going to try not to have any more interruptions of my countdown until it finished, but I can't help it--I need to take a moment to talk about some things I'm listening to.

Remember Johan Krafman and his Ola-meets-the-Bassflow-remixes-of-Martin-Stenmarck song "Disarmed"? Well, he's uploaded another Bassflow-produced song onto his MySpace. It's called "Chain Reaction" and, though it's not instantly as addicting as "Disarmed," I'd eagerly buy an album in this sound.

Speaking of songs you can listen to on MySpace, I also noticed today that the full radio version of Jeanette's "Undress To The Beat"--a kind of Holly Valance-esque song (I say "kind of" partly because that's not a perfect comparison but also because I don't want you to get your expectations too high) I mentioned my interest in a little while ago--is playing on a MySpace site here. It'll need some time for me to decide its long-lasting value, but I'm willing to give it that time. Its co-writers include Johan "Kermit" Bobäck (Cyndi Lauper's "Into The Nightlife" and "Echo," Elin Lanto's "Speak 'n Spell," Darin's "Seasons Fly") and Måns Ek, I think.

Do you ever wonder to yourself how you've been missing out on an artist all this time? That's how I'm feeling about Swedish artist Kocky (the artist name for David Åström) at the moment. I've always known of him, for sure, but I've never really paid proper attention to him, so yes, it's all my fault for not picking up on him earlier. It's his connection to Rosanna, whose new music I've been excited about since Robpop wrote about it some months ago, that got me to check him out now. I'll be writing more about him in the future as I digest everything, but I just wanted to give you the heads-up--he may have multiple moments of amazingness. Basically, HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE. Check out his MySpace in the meantime.

"4-Ever Juvenile," a Kocky single, features Tinchy Stryder, and Frankmusik is reporting that his first "proper" single (apparently "3 Little Words" wasn't it) will be "Better Off As Two," will come out in March, and will have a rap from Tinchy added in. A supposed tracklisting for Complete Me has popped up on a British CD retailer site as well as a supposed release date, June 22. A March release date, as had originally been reported, probably would be too quick, so I can live with the wait. The tracklisting:

1.) 3 Little Words
2.) Better Of As 2
3.) Confusion Girl
4.) When You're Around
5.) Complete Me
6.) Boyfriend
7.) Your Boy
8.) Wonder Woman
9.) Vacant Heart
10.) Done Done
11.) Run Away From Trouble
12.) Olivia

My first reaction was "oh thank goodness, 'Vacant Heart' is on it." My second was "aww, no 'Questionable Times.'"If "Boyfriend" is "Gotta Boyfriend"--and it might not be, I've got no idea--I think I've heard versions of all but "Your Boy" and "Wonder Woman," but that's fine; this is Frankmusik, so much of what we've heard will probably have been tweaked anyway and his album should be made as great as possible, so I can hardly hold him sharing songs with us early against him. Plus, there's always b-sides to look forward to. The kind of but not totally ballad title track is uploaded on Frankmusik's MySpace at the moment and it's worth your time.

I've now had two different lines from Daniel Merriweather's as yet unreleased material running across the top of my blog, if that's any indication of my interest in the soul singer's upcoming Ronson-produced material (though oddly neither from his new proper lead single, "Change"). I adored "Stop Me," so I'm hoping he'll end up with something to rival that cover.

I've been meaning to mention here on the blog and not just in comments elsewhere that I really like "Boys And Girls" and "The Fall" on young British singer Pixie's MySpace. "The Fall" is catchy light-on-its-feet British pop and "Boys And Girls" is a little heavier, with verses kind of influenced by that popular '60's sound, but with a bit of electro-without-actually-being-electro crunch in the chorus to cancel that out; let's put it this way: I'm exhausted of that sound, and I love it, so it's not really in that style. She's got some great songwriters behind her, so hopefully her teen pop will end up with a great year both in quality and commercial success.

While I'm on a MySpace roll, I might as well write about Jasmine Baird, who I've loved for quite some time...once again, since DSTP introduced me to her! I need the full version of "The Truth" like you have no idea. I've got absolutely no idea how to describe it, beyond AMAZING. It's got a huge opening, maybe somewhat '80's a la Cyndi Lauper but modern, too. Listen to it on her MySpace here. I'd really love for it to be her who releases it--it's the sound of a brilliant songwriter and artist creating a new space for herself in the world of pop.

Different is Dangerous's list of 2008's best remixes has me listening to the Designer Drugs remix of Mariah Carey's "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" over and over again. It has so much more energy, sparkle, and ...vroom reworked like that.

You know what someone really needs to turn into a proper pop song? "Heavy Leather," this made for TV commercials and shows song. It's got this deep bass groove, kind of a little bit like a Goldfrapp song or Christina Aguilera's "Keeps Gettin' Better" (though it's older than that song). Listen to it in the background of this video clip or this video clip. Someone turn that riff into a real song, please.

Daggers have uploaded a less joyous synth filled ballad to their MySpace. "Death It Feels," "Money," and "Lost In The Distance" are still this synth-pop group's key tracks for me, but when are they going to conquer the world like they deserve to? I'd go groupie for these guys.

Courtesy of Worrapolava, I've been playing Adam Ant's "Playboy" today. I've always loved "Goody Two Shoes" (which was just written about by the much-missed CFB Goes Pop girls), but I think I may feel a proper listen to the greatest hits of his I own coming on soon.

If you're interested in what albums I'm excited about in the coming year, you couldn't do better than read #1 Hits' and MuuMuuse's lists of the albums they're most excited for--together, they cover everything I would have included that we definitely know about (well, I'd probably throw on a few more artists participating in this year's Melodifestival).

The list could go on, but I'll cut it off there for now. Oh, wait, one more thing: Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You." As I've said elsewhere, I'm nervous about how this song will hold up in the long run for me, but right now I'm playing it a lot. Dan Priddy's electro "The Truth" fits in that same category, though I'm playing it a lot less than the very easy to listen to "My Life Would Suck Without You."

Foolish hearts

A brief interruption of the countdown for some VERY IMPORTANT NEWS:


Ben Adams is on Celebrity Big Brother this year in the UK (hat tip to Chig). And other famous people, but really, who cares (answer: the rest of the world, which is probably way more interested in other names)? Wonder what he's actually like? This is not going to help me at all on the "convincing me to give up hopes about a revived solo career that I acknowledged are most likely futile but just can't let go of" front.

In other news, songs I'm looking forward to hearing include:

Saint Etienne's disco "Method Of Modern Love" (clip on PopJustice, due out Feb. 9)

Pet Shop Boys' new album, Yes, and single, Love Etc. (see XO for details on the album; single out March 16 and album out March 23)

Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You" (supposedly out Jan. 19; album supposedly out mid-March)

German singer Jeanette's "Undress To The Beat"--this could be a HUGE step up in quality for the girl behind "Rock My Life" and "Rockin' On Heaven's Floor" (low quality but in full version here or better quality clip here; out Feb. 13)

New-ish songs I love:

Sound of Arrows' "M.A.G.I.C." (clip and free download on PopJustice)

Frankmusik's "Questionable Times" (on MySpace; not having in it high quality drives me crazy but the album title labeling it a Complete Me demo gives me hope)

I wish there was a reward, but she took it all

Over the past few weeks, my heart and my head have been filling up and up with excitement about the music of Frankmusik. We've long passed the stage at which I might have had a chance at writing eloquently and with restraint about it--any sparks of verbal inspiration about the songs themselves stand no chance against the tidal wave of desire to write "Oh my gosh, I LOVE this" that's been steadily building. At this point, all I can really do is allow it to crash, and maybe try to spread the impact of that crash out over a couple of days--sure, it's going to be over the top and make a giant mess, but maybe somewhere among the debris some points will get across.

I've been reading in several places the feeling that this has been an underwhelming year for albums and I'd have to agree. If we had an album that looked something like this, though (in no particular order)...

3 Little Words
Just Fine
Missing You
Pinch Myself
Gotta Boyfriend
Made Her Smile
In Step
Done Done
Beep Beep
Run Away From Trouble
In My Shoes
Save My Tears
That Much Is True
Vacant Heart
Waiting
When You're Around
Better Off As Two

...you'd not only have one of the longest albums ever, you'd also have an easy best album of the year winner. You'd still have more than enough other great tracks to toss out b-sides and EP tracks right and left. To be fair, that's taking tracks from both 2007 and 2008 and you'd have a lot of sample or interpolation clearance to go through, but given how long people work on albums and the prevalence of samples nowadays, I don't think either of those facts is ultimately a restriction.

It's certainly been at least more than a year since I've been this excited about a new pop talent. The fact that someone is making music this fresh, this clever, this catchy, this fun, this gorgeous, this able to bring out both the side of me that wants to dance (on a giant keyboard) and my...earnest side, equally the perpetual romantic and the perpetual broken heart, is something I can't stop marveling at. That someone can make pop this good, this un-boring (I know, what an endorsement--"Un-boring" is the sort of quotations artists live for)--and even write lyrics I love--is almost unfair for other pop acts. How can a song with a great chorus possibly compete with a song that is great throughout? If I get used to quality like this, can everyone else compete with my new higher expectations?

For that matter, can he even compete with those expectations? Placing too much hope, too much faith in an artist can be a good way to get your hopes crushed, to end up feeling let down--but sometimes you just have to be that romantic and rush in, give yourself up completely and sincerely, in the hopes that this time, maybe, just maybe, it's for real. After all, if we didn't, no one would make and we wouldn't deserve music like this.

Buy the 3 Little Words EP here (physical) or here (digital). Edit: see also: XO's review of it (the physical version). His debut full-length album, Complete Me, is due out in March 2009.

Sweet dreams tonight

Not only is today (technically tomorrow or Monday, but they're out digitally now due to time differences) a fairly brilliant day for British singles releases, it just so happens that the brilliance of three of those releases is enhanced by the dance routines in their music videos.

Same Difference's debut single "We R One," a bit like High School Musical crossed with Melodifestivalen, has been out for quite some time now, long enough to know that as a song it stands easily on its own two feet. The video, with its reaching-for-the-sky-and-jumping-inclusive dance routine, makes it just that little bit more exciting, though.



Even though I estimate there's a 55/45 chance Paul will come out of his vacation to post this video, I still feel obligated to post it for him: their performance from tonight's X Factor of said single. Confetti! That dance routine!



It's a relief, though, to know now for sure that George Sampson's sample-riffic "Get Up On The Dance Floor" survives without the (great) video accompanying it. It does benefit from being danced along with, though. I think possibly my favorite thing about the song is the way it teases you with the Yazoo sample before doing something else and then eventually coming back to it, using it in a really great way. Conveniently, the sample's return ties in with the best part of the video--starting with George breaking through a wall--if you're watching it. It's nice to know you don't have to be to enjoy the song, though.



Speaking of short but great songs with great videos, Frankmusik's "3 Little Words" (the Stuart Price-produced version) is out now, too. Sadly, EP track "Better Off As Two" (listen to a clip of it on PopJustice--it's the second one) doesn't seem to be available digitally, which is really tempting me to buy the physical EP (hence why I haven't purchased any of the tracks besides the main single yet). I've already praised "3 Little Words" and its video (as is true of both of the songs before this one, actually), but let me just say this again: brilliant exciting electronic pop with a video that only makes you love the song more.



Moving away from dance routines (sadly), Take That's new single "Greatest Day" is out as well. It comes accompanied by the great (that word's the motif of the day, apparently) b-side "Sleepwalking" (as well as album track "Here," which is apparently on some single version) and a performance on X Factor as well (with credit to Chart Rigger).



Still love the song, still love the cheesy video which perfectly captures the song's aura for me.



There's "Do Ya," that McFly single out, too, accompanied by "Stay With Me," a cover. I know I just posted this video, but for completion's sake, here it is again.



I'll still having trouble rallying up as much enthusiasm for this album as I want to be feeling (though there are some songs I love), but hopefully one day it'll just click.

Feelings have no thoughts and they ain't got any plans

I've been in love with Frankmusik's "3 Little Words" for a while now, but why did no one show me the music video until now?



Adorable. Love it. It's simple, but it kept my attention throughout, no problem. "3 Little Words" is out (in this version) November 24, which is looking to be a very good day for pop releases.

Take a listen to "Vacant Heart" while you're at it. Less processed, less hyper, still awesome.