'Cause I know love would have no meaning without you in my life

A mini-South African pop music news update (though some of the news is pretty old):

NKD just released their self-titled second album yesterday. I don't know of anywhere that ships internationally selling it, but I'm not sure if I'd buy it anyway. After the trio of former Idol contestants got off to such a good start with the poppy and often Swede-penned songs on their debut, the underrated What's That Noise, they started talking about going acoustic for this new album. Their version of Amy Pearson's "Don't Miss You" is much inferior to Amy's version. Still, I am interested to hear what their latest single, "Step Right Up," sounds like in hopes it'll revive my true interest in them. If the album cover is anything to go by, they've lost a lot of their financial ability to or interest in making themselves a quality girl group. At least we've got songs like "What I Believe," "Quicksand," "Forget Forgetting Me," "Shooting Star"...I'm just going to make myself depressed if I keep thinking about how good they used to be. It was so nice to have a South African girl group that wasn't just going for cheap and (the bad kind of) cheesy.

Quick side note: the pop industry in South Africa isn't that big and, as a result, there is a lot of using songs from other countries that goes on. Sometimes this comes in the form of just buying songs written by foreign songwriters, but other times it moves into somewhat ridiculous recycling of songs. Afrikaans artists in particular have a tendency to end up covering Eurovision and national final songs, in addition to Scandivanian artists' work. At times, the results can be surprisingly good (who would have guessed Arash's "Temptation" would work so well as an Afrikaans language boy band song?), but other times it just becomes...silly.

David Fourie, no stranger to covering songs from Sweden, is apparently working on a new album. The Afrikaaner former Idol contestant has released (as far as I know of) two albums so far, one of which included a version of Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy" that I love to a degree that confuses everyone around me. He also did an Afrikaans version of Fame's "Vindarna Vander Oss" which was the version I ever heard of that song. Anyway, I've yet to figure out whether the fact that I smiled at the news he's recorded a version of Velvet's "Take My Body Close" for his new album was a matter of "what on Earth...?" laughing at or if I'm kind of pleased by the idea. Probably both. Maybe it's affection from nostalgia, but his covers seem to actually have a bit of effort put into them and be pretty well-done, at least compared to those of other artists (though I'm under no illusions that Swedish pop fans will enjoy his version). He better keep the dance style, though, or else we'll have to have a talk.

Apparently Jacques Terre'blanche released "Set Me Free" (which I wrote about maybe a year ago) as a single. Perfect choice. I'm still mightily suspicious of the fact that MOR-y South African artist Mark Beling supposedly wrote this Phixx-esque song, but it's still great. Also, world: he did the dance version of "I Won't Forget" before Belgium, thank you very much (though that's not the version you'll hear in the video in that post and though the song, presumably in a version simiar to that you'll hear in the video, was originally for short-lived British boy band 365). The Colour Red, his latest album, was surprisingly good, with some nice dance-oriented experimentation--we're not talking "import it now" good or anything, and certainly nothing to compete with the best of Sweden's Idol boys, but it had some good songs. I do wish he'd take some decent promo pictures with his shirt on, though.

Another South African girl band also made up of former televised singing contest participants, Jamali, has a...well, I'm not sure if I should call it a cover or interpolation or what. "Re-interpretation" might be the best description. Anyway, they've got a re-interpretation of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" called "Love At First Sight" on their latest album (listen to a clip here). I'm frankly shocked at how much I love it: it's an adorable sweet little pop song in their hands. Totally post-worthy, so I may do just that in the future (I've been meaning to for a while now). All you other South African artists, take note: how to do a pop cover version right.

Tie me down, hold me down, come on

Continuing on with the theme established by the last post of supposedly pretty boy popstars who no one besides me cares about, today I bring you another song from former South African Idols contestant Jacques (who seriously needs to get some new promo photos, preferably some that show some awareness of capturing a good face and not just showcasing an exposed chest). After going down the jazz route (well, he released a second album after that, but I've got no idea what it sounded like*; edit: and a third, ditto), Jacques has apparently decided he's hungry for some commercial success. His latest album, The Colour Red, is being referred to as R&B album, but it seems to me that there's a pretty health of dose of electro and electronica (of the poppy sort) on The Colour Red. "Turn Back Time," "Love's Like A Breeze," and "A Kinda Weight" are all examples of the latter, but the song I'm posting today is the former.

Set Me Free--I still can't get over the fact that Mark Beling wrote this--both because 1.) he's Mark Beling, and 2.) a South African writer did this--it just doesn't sound anything like the sort of music we usually get from there. Plus, it really sounds like it would be part of the recycled song circuit, something borrowed from Europe. I wouldn't say this is a "Jacques must release this now so he can have an international hit" type of song, but for a random album track that most people outside of (and probably inside of) South Africa will never hear, it's pretty great, and it could quite easily be picked up as an album track for an artist from another country. Sounding something like what you'd get if you mashed up Phixx and Jamelia's "Beware Of The Dog" but not as fantastic as that might make you expect, "Set Me Free" is an electro-rock pop stomper that would probably need to have the electro and stomp settings notched up before it would qualify as "amazing," but it's still great and catchy, and it does have some fantastic moments in it (the drum part, the opening, and middle 8 being particular highlights--I love how different the middle 8, the "why would you be alone" section, is from the rest of the song; it's like this brief eye of the storm moment, a temporary break from the darkness). Despite all my caveats here, "Set Me Free" is a pretty exciting song, international in sound, cluing me in to a direction I'll be interested to see if Jacques or Mark pursues further as well as being a very enjoyable listen on its own merits.

To buy Jacques's album The Colour Red, go here (physical) or here (digital).

Next up: maybe something Swedish.

*This quotation about said album cracks me up every time: "The album is called Revealed. I named it Revealed ‘cause I’m revealing my happiness and no-care attitude in the album. As I said, it’s more commercial and I am revealing that side of myself. There’s also a pic on the front cover without my shirt." Deep, Jacques. And shocking.

You've blinded me, it's all I can see

I've written before, here and elsewhere, about how convoluted the South African pop music scene is. When a pop act there comes out with a new song, you're almost safer betting on it being a cover than being original--surprisingly often, of a song with a Eurovision or national final connection, but in general usually from Europe (usually Sweden).

Take, for example, Jacques's new album, which I finally got today. It contains a cover of a song from mad-in-a-good-way Danish singer Ida Corr's second album Robosoul; it's a retitled version of "I'm Your Lady," here called "I'm Your Baby."

Many other songs on the album have that feel of being recycled to me, and I'm sure I'll be trying to figure it all out for a while. One song I really thought had to be a cover was "Set Me Free." Sounding like a Phixx track or something electro-rock out of the '80's, it was so different from the rest of the album--though great--that I was sure it must have been originally done by someone else. Imagine my surprise, then, when I looked at the credits and saw that it was written by Mark Beling. Mark Beling? Surely not! He's a South African singer known for doing MOR/adult contemporary sort of stuff...including a MOR-ified version of Swedish singer Evan's "The Moment I Miss You," retitled "The Moment." Mark Beling did this?! I'm still not entirely sure I believe no samples, at the least, were involved.

Another good song on the album is "Turn Back Time," which I think started out life as a dance track released under the name of one of its writers, Patric Sarin.

Some of the covers are obvious: track 13 is Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up" and track 4, "Natural Born Hustla" featuring Akon, was originally done by Cyssero, still featuring Akon (correct me if someone did it earlier). The music and Akon's part are the same, with Cyssero's raps being swapped out for Jacques's sung parts. "Shake Shake" sounds like it must be a cover as well, but I've not been able to find proof of that yet.

Anyway, from the moment I first heard a preview clip of it, I was convinced "Love's Like A Breeze" sampled something really famous, something (electronica-ish) I knew and was going to be really embarrassed when someone pointed out to me what it was. Having got the album and being able to look at the liner notes, though, I still can't figure out what that would be. Even knowing that the only people credited as writers are Paul Rein and Graham Stack (both have written a lot of songs; presuming it's the same Graham Stack, he's part of Metro), I still can't figure out what "Love's Like A Breeze" is a cover of or is sampling or reminds me very very much of. I think it's going to drive me insane. Am I already crazy and this really is original and brand new or could someone put me out of my misery and tell me what the snippet below is from/sounds like?

Love's Like A Breeze (Short Clip)

You're toying with all my feelings

So, who was yesterday's mystery song by?

Jacques Terre'blanche or, as his artist name would have it, Jacques (or, as he was sometimes known as in the past, Jacq)!

I've written about the South African Idol contestant before, contemplating getting his jazz album, even though it was jazz, based on--well, let's be honest, pretty much based just on what he looked like.


His most memorable moment on Idol was performing shirtless, apparently.

I was then shocked to find out this fall that he was about to launch a comeback. I mean, not that starring in a musical version of Debbie Does Dallas with Caprice doesn't set you up for a massive chart comeback, but talk about out of nowhere--it had been years since he'd done anything in the commercial music world. Knowing nothing more than he'd used a song by Akon, I pretty much expected the whole project to not be good for much more than publicity pictures--speaking of which, none of them do him any justice, and I do have to admit it would be nice to have more of them where he's actually got a shirt on.


Times don't change, do they? And don't get me wrong, I'm all for some general prettiness, but there is such a thing as taking exposure too far.

Anyway, I didn't really expect the comeback to have good songs to go along with it--I figured it'd be some tossed-off R&B songs and mainly coasting on his looks, and Jacques would continue on as my inappropriate crush, not as a music artist I'd seriously recommend. Oh, was I wrong.

Jacques may be talking about this as an R&B album and sure, from the previews, it sounds like it's got its R&B moments, but half of it sounds more like dance or electro than anything else--which is a good thing. And, R&B or dance, a lot of songs actually sound GREAT! It's very commercial-sounding. "Set Me Free" (keep in mind this is all based on previews) sounds like it could be on Phixx's album and yes, coming from me, that's a good thing. "Love's Like A Breeze" (which has to be sampling something, and something really famous--I just can't place it at the moment) and "Turn Back Time" and maybe "A Kinda Weight" all sound like genuinely good electronica-influenced tracks. On the more R&B-pop tip, "Freeloader (Give It All Back)," "She's A Player," and "Heist" could both be good catchy tracks as well. "Here's To You" might even be a pretty decent ballad! In fairness, not every track sounds great, but it sounds like a lot of them are.

Let's get to some semi-bad news, though: much as I love South Africa, most pop artists there (especially if they sing in Afrikaans) almost always include a bunch of covers/recycled songs on their albums. Even NKD, who I think released a fantastic girl group pop album back in 2006, did this, though most of the songs they chose weren't super famous. Jacques's album isn't without those either--at the very least, "I'm Your Baby" is a version of Danish singer Ida Corr's "I'm Your Lady," and I imagine there are probably more I just don't know about yet. Oh, well, I guess there's that "with Akon" track, but if I'm remembering correctly from when I was investigating all this back in September or so, that song was an already released song and Jacques was just added onto it for his album. One article does say Jacques wrote most of the tracks, though, which is a good sign for original material--though improving on older songs is welcome too, if that's the case.

Anyway, I've ordered the album, so hopefully I'll have more thoughts on it in a few weeks. For now, though, here's what clued me into this very pleasant surprise: the album's lead single, "I Won't Forget," released late this past fall. Here's the music video, accompanied by the music for the original version.



It's 2003 all over again! Or maybe the '80's or earlier ('70's?)? Because as much as much as Jacques spends the video looking like he'd fit right in in a boy band, there's something about the song that reminds me of the '80's--not in that '80's electro-pop way that's all the rage right now, which, much as I love that style, is refreshing. The song is just upbeat horn-punctuated pop, very...buoyant. Given the use of the sample, I kind of wonder if this is a case like Danny K's "This Is My Time," where a song by female singer Pebbles is just reused by someone else (Terri Walker's "This Is My Time" essentially taken and sung over by Danny K with some of Terri's vocals kept in place...Dutch Idols contestant Boris had done a cover earlier, but he didn't keep in Terri's vocals, hence he's not my point of comparison here), but whatever, the song is great.

Anyway, I love that version, but "I Won't Forget" is taken to whole new levels of amazingness by the 2-4 Grooves remix of it. It's swooshy upbeat dance-pop fabulousness, exactly the sort I love. Disco! Plus, I love how the middle 8 sounds even more in this version--very '80's pop.

Jacques feat. Pebbles - I Won't Forget (2-4 Grooves Radio Edit)

You can buy Jacques's album, The Colour Red, here, but it just has the club edit of this remix, not the radio edit. Suffice to say I'm pretty excited about hearing the album. Update (months later!): the whole album can be purchased digitally here and the single which has this remix on it can be purchased digitally here.

Next up: either someone else from South Africa's version of Idols or a song I've written about before from the U.S.

Endlessly

No way!

I didn't bother to look anything up about Jacques Terre'blanche before the last post--I mean, wasn't he pretty much out of commercial music? And there used to be practically nothing about him on the Internet--but, shockingly, he's back back back. New album called The Colour Red coming out mid-October, apparently.

I love how his very own press release seems to know what to focus on: "gorgeous," "deliciously handsome," and, of course, the mention of his famous shirtless Idol performance...and I quote: "shirtless and body painted, he blew the audiences away with his amazing rendition of the classic song, as well as yielding the now infamous torso that had female fans around South Africa swooning for weeks."

Given that it looks like the album will be jazzy with a little R&B influence (it apparently has a song with Akon), though, probably the only reason to be excited for it is new promotional pictures. Which we've already got online now, don't we? Oh well--at least the world can rejoice that the Fabio-like hair is gone.

(Yes, I know I'm being rubbish at the moment--I'll try to post something classier tomorrow, 'K?)

Who I am depends on what I've done

Anwar Robinson (finalist on some season of one of the seasons of American Idol) and Heinz Winckler (winner of the first season of Idols in South Africa; he's done some really good stuff over the years) are apparently both going to be appearing in Rent. Following the news that Anthony Callea is appearing in it (not with them--although theoretically they could do a tour together, since Anwar is playing Tom, Anthony's playing Mark, and Heinz is playing Roger), is this the thing for Idols to do now? I mean, I've always known them to do musicals, but what's with the sudden Rent mania?

I suppose if you've been dying to see Heinz Winckler live, now's your chance (if you live in the U.S.)--the tour starts in Pennsylvania this October. I'm not planning on going, though it's mildly tempting if only to pretend to be a crazed fan (I really like Heinz, but I wouldn't say I'm an intense fan)--I can't imagine too many people here have all three of his albums (and a German single!) and I've never gotten the chance to be truly fangirly live, and I should probably practice before seeing someone I'd actually want to be fangirly about.

Obviously, though, Heinz appearing in Rent comes nowhere near rivaling second season South African Idols' finalist Jacques Terre'blanche's musical career--which, as far as I know, just consists of starring in a musical version of Debbie Does Dallas that was produced by and featuring Caprice, but let's face it, no one's ever going to top that in terms of musical career, are they? There's no point in even trying.