I don't know what addictive hold you have on me

I can't say it enough: even if most of the disco and pop from Sweden usually tends to get a little too generic for you, give Agnes's "Release Me" (wisely the second single choice from Dance Love Pop and now with music video--embedded below) a try. It's classy, breezy modern disco, a string-featuring breath of fresh air with a chorus that sounds like the best day you've ever had. Pure joy in song form.



The song can be purchased from all countries' iTunes music stores here, as can the whole album.

Speaking of "Release Me," Nikki of Pop Reviews Now has started her countdown of her favorite songs of 2008. I adore this year end rundowns in general and am looking forward to Nikki's in particular--follow along here or via the main blog itself.

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.

You're flirting with the music like it's your beau

Important facts about Darin's new album Flashback that you need to know (there will be a proper review--you know, written in an attempt at measured language--coming later):

• "Seasons Fly," Darin's favorite track, was co-written by Linda Sundblad and Johan Bobäck, the team behind Elin Lanto's "Speak 'n Spell." It's also co-written by Darin.
• Darin's co-written all but two tracks, in fact (those two being "Karma" and "What If").
  
• The bridges (pre-choruses) to "See U At The Club" and "Girl Next Door" are AMAZING. Or maybe I should just say that I love them--I'm always anticipating when I'll get to hear them again and, if you think I don't mime singing along to the "sexy body" and "naughty naughty" bridge of the former, you are crazy.
  
• "Road Trip" is SO. CUTE. and SO. POPPY that finally listening to it in proper quality was what turned me into the aforementioned pile of goo.
• There are additional bonus tracks (besides "What If"), though they may not be on all editions of the album--probably just digital, I'd guess. The important thing is that they are a good quality recording of that live ballad version of "Breathing Your Love" I linked to a while back, a radio edit remix by The Attic of "Insanity" (I ADORE their reworking of "Who's That Girl," so getting another remix of a Darin track from them is like someone has and a new track, "Brought Me Back," co-written by RedOne.
• "I lost my license, but I could still drive you crazy, baby" is ALMOST the new "not only does your body bang/but I miss the conversation too."
• If I am not obsessed with some of these tracks for quite some time to come, something is wrong with me.
• You can buy it digitally right here, right now, regardless of country (albeit in DRMed WMA format, but that's easily remedied by burning to CD and ripping back). Did I do that the instant I discovered it, regardless of having already preordered an autographed copy of the album? Without a moment's hesitation.

I should really post something like "See U At The Club" or "Girl Next Door" or "Flashback" or "Seasons Fly"--all edgier, more mature, or more dancefloor friendly--but I simply cannot resist posting "Road Trip." I've been craving this track since we first heard a clip of it back in that making of video, and I literally could not be any happier now that I finally own it. Pure uncorked pop joy.

OK, scratch that: I think I'm going to go with "Girl Next Door" instead, even if it isn't necessarily the most original track on the album (there are a few moments of kind of "really? There was nothing better to say?" lyrics, but it's all made up for by the whole "but I never made it to your crew" [or whatever he's saying there] section and the song's general greatness). If you love pop, though, you NEED to hear "Road Trip."

It'll only be up for a really short time, though.

Next up: as if I'll have the ability to think about anything other than this album for the next few days. Tomorrow I'll probably be gushing about some other track.

You saved my broken heart

I am a puddle of goo on the floor.

More in a little bit.

You gotta save me, honey

I need opinions on something: do you think the singer on this is Velvet?

Technically what that is is a demo for Lutricia McNeal--if "Same Same Same" and this song are anything to go by, her next album, whenever it gets released, will actually be pretty great, as well as pretty fun--but the voice sounded familiar to me, and after a little bit of thinking about it I thought maybe it might be Jenny; that opening "ooo, it's on my mind" sounds like her to me, but her voice isn't distinctive enough for me to ID for sure (and that's in a backing vocal-type part anyway). The most important thing about the song, though, is that it's fun, part pop, part dance, and disco.

What does anyone think? And, if you don't think it's her, am I alone in thinking the voice sounds familiar--who is it? Or is it just a matter of a studio voice chosen to be kind of generic?

(I should probably say that this song is by Anton Malmberg, who co-wrote "Same Same Same" and Magnus Carlsson's "Walking In My Shoes"...and I should also probably point out that Anton's co-written a lot of Luigi Masi's songs, including presumptive next single "Strangers Again.")

He looks like a million dollar to you

One of the best parts of my year is seeing a new Danny album cover. Let's be honest, topping this



is always going to be near impossible. Still, the album cover for Set Your Body Free (still due out December 24) is just the Danny we've come to expect.

Diamond that lasts forever

You can listen to all of Darin's new album, Flashback, here; I'm torn on whether to do so or not, given electronically-based music doesn't always come across clearly in low quality, but I'll probably end up listening eventually.

I know exactly what I'm gonna do

Given the whole holiday season, today's post will be (OK, really) short.

Lovely Alesha has a new album out and, for me, the main non-single highlight is (so far) this track, a fun quirky up-tempo track that is, oddly enough, the work of an American producer (as well as a co-writer of Rihanna's "Umbrella"). It's a song that few people but Alesha could probably pull off as well as great catchy fun.

To buy the album from which this song comes, go here (physical).

I want the real thing now

Another set of Melodifestivalen artists was announced today. All these singers will be making their debut as Melodifestivalen performers (well, the name acts--that doesn't count being a backing singer). All this information comes from SVT (to which all picture credit goes), Gylleneskor, and Aftonbladet; we'll have to wait for the real QX/Schlagerprofilerna update.





Mikael Rickfors, "Du Vinner Över Mig" (Thomas G:son)
I've never heard of Mikael before, but apparently he's played with some rock bands from the '60's/'70's and then did some solo work. I think the description for this song says it's in an '80's style--the sort of thing you'd wear a leather suit while singing.



Heat, "1000 Miles" (Niklas Jarl/David Stenmarck)
This is the song that it had been speculated would go to the Poodles or Martin Stenmarck, but instead it's being sung by someone else I've never heard of, rock group Heat. "1000 Miles" is described as being a love declaration in the '80's hard rock style.



Molly Sandén, "Så Vill Stjärnorna" (Bobby Ljunggren/Marcos Ubeda/Ingela Pling Forsman)
After winning the youth equivalent of Melodifestivalen in 2006, Molly Sandén, now old enough to compete in the real thing, makes her debut in the proper Melodifestivalen. "Det finaste någon kan få," her song from 2006, was a genuinely great ballad, which is why despite the fact that "Så Vill Stjärnorna" is described as a beautiful ballad about the magic of destiny finally happening, I'm interested to hear it. Molly herself added that the song has a bit of a Nordic touch and Christer Björkman describes it as a classic Swedish ballad.



Maja Gullstrand, "Här För Mig Själv" (Thomas G:son/Marcos Ubeda)
Despite Maja doing a sort of music I don't usually think of as typical Melodifestival fare--sort of brassy, kind of bossa nova-y stuff--she's sung a song that just missed making it into a past Melodifestival before ("Alla Dessa Ord," if I'm remembering correctly), so I guess seeing her in the festival isn't that much of a surprise. Plus, she was on Fame Factory, which means she's practically obligated to appear in Melodifestivalen at some point given past history. "Här För Mig Själv" is described as a groovy, trendy neo-retro bossa nova (maybe) dressed in big flowery yellow velour pajamas (that's the songwriters' description, really).



Next 3, "Esta Noche" (Michael Xavier Barraza/Jimmy Almgren/Adam Soliman)
Another group I've never heard of and could very well have been formed mainly for this purpose, Next 3 is made up of three young guys. Their song, "Esta Noche," is described as a fusion of R&B, hip-hop, and Caribbean rhythms as well as a mix of rap, reggaeton, and pop in Swedish and Spanish. Barraza says "Esta Noche" is a rap/hip-hop song with a schlager-seasoned chorus, but he's careful to add that the song is modern and with a Latin flavor, not influenced by ABBA.



Jonathan Fagerlund, "Welcome To My Life" (Samuel Waermö/Didrik Thott)
Aww, Jonathan! From the moment he was predicted to be in next year's Melodifestival, I've been wondering how fans of the contest will react to him--unless his music has changed some, it doesn't go for any sort of real electronically created sound, even though it's very much based on classic-style boy band melodies. The description of the song, "Welcome To My Life," certainly doesn't give us more information: it's a positive and happy pop track (Gylleneskor found out through an interview with Jonathan that the lyrics are somewhat biographical). Oh well, at least that should mean it won't be a ballad--there are a few too many fairly nondescript ones on his debut album, released this summer, for my taste, but that's made up for by songs like "Playing Me" and "Dance In The Shadows" that are just the sort of thing I love. Is he ready as a performer, though? I've got no idea. There's a very good chance I'll end up liking the song, though. In good news, he'll be releasing an album in tandem with his competition in Melodifestivalen, and he says it's got fewer ballads and the tempo has been sped up in general. He describes it, too, as happy and pop.



Rigo & the Topaz Sound feat. Red Fox, "I Got U" (Rodrigo Pencheff/Tobias Karlsson)
"I Got U" is described as a pleasant song inspired by the style of the '50's and '60's with a Caribbean touch. The Caribbean touch is unsurprising given that it's Rigo (and Topaz Sound) singing the song, though I guess I kind of think of his music as having a little bit of a light hip-hop touch--the floaty kind--though maybe that's just his styling and delivery on some of them if I'm really thinking about it.

In general news, a song not yet techincally assigned a singer has been renamed. "Människobarn" is reported by Schlagerprofilerna to have been retitled "Du är älskad där du går."