The Electronic Ladies that Will Take Over 2014

This year's dance and electronic scene has been dominated by the beats of Avicii's I Could Be The One, Disclosure's White Noise and Duke Dumont's Need You (100%) all of which peaked in the top five of the UK charts. It seems the men need to move aside however as four talented electro-pop songstresses have emerged from their humble beginnings,rising to the cusp of stardom. Here are the ladies you should be listening to right now. 

MØ

Danish singer Karen Marie Ørsted emerged earlier this year when she released her single Pilgrim on limited edition vinyl. Having completed 104 shows in 20 countries, she has supported the likes of Alunageorge and Major Lazer as well as completing a live session for radio 1. 

With her hauntingly charming vocals and her addictive electro beats, her album No Mythologies To Follow  is set for release in February next year and will not doubt gain her international acclaim. Her live presence holds intense and powerful enthusiasm and with her own tour planned for March, getting tickets is highly recommended! 

 

Foxes 

The beautiful Louise Rose Allen is second on my list of ladies to watch. Better known as Foxes, the 24 year-old released the massive single Youth and to date is most famous for her vocal contribution in Zedd's Clarity. After five tracks, she is set to release Glorious, her first album on March 4th and I can't wait!

  

Charli XCX

If you know Marina and the Diamonds, Paramore and Ellie Goulding then you should have heard of Charli XCX, who has been touring with the three acts this year. Active since 2008 when she began releasing tracks from her first album on her MySpace page, the 21 year-old specialises in synthpop and witch pop. 

Her biggest hit to date is Superlove which she released back in September and with an album of the same name set for June 2014, this girl is going nowhere. 

Banks

It's no surprise that Banks has been added to the BBC sound of 2014 longlist, as well as MTV's Brand New for 2014. This year she released her London EP that features the haunting Waiting Game and the sexy This is What It Feels Like. 

March 2014 marks the beginning of her UK tour with dates in London, Brighton, Glasgow and Manchester to name a few, get those tickets while you can, this girl will be massive. 

Justin Bieber Announces His Retirement on National Radio

I'm just not sure anyone cared anyway Biebs.. 

Teeny bopper Justin Bieber took to Power 106 radio station in LA yesterday to reveal on air that "after the new album, I'm actually retiring man. I'm retiring".

Can you hear that? that is the sound of teenage hearts breaking. The Heartbreaker singer insisted that his music will be taking a back seat after the release of his new album 'Journals' next week. 

The singer certainly got the reaction he wanted when gasps could be heard in the studio, as host Kurt Alexander exclaimed "what?". 

Trying to justify himself he said "I want to grow as an artist and I'm taking a step out, I want my music to mature". 

Yawn. Anyone would be forgiven for thinking that Bieber was making these statements in an act to receive yet more attention- this year was one of under-age drinking, drug taking and spitting for the 19 year-old, but in this most recent interview he was prepared to defend himself, saying 

"People think I'm arrogant, I'm not, I've always been a caring and giving person.. I'm 19 I'm gonna make mistakes it's inevitable"

Judging from the way he started this year, maybe taking a step back is what you need Biebs. 

Review: Jake Bugg's Shangri La

A far cry from his debut album, British breakthrough artist Jake Bugg left behind his home town of Nottingham to work on his second album with the legendary producer Rick Rubin in the exotic Malibu. With his first album being a collection of songs he wrote growing up,it's successor Shangri La was written in a mere few months of this summer during the whirlwind of festivals and sold-out shows throughout Europe and in the US. 

The enthusiasm that oozes from those twelve tracks is undeniable, the listener is certainly left toe-tapping, wanting more. The American influences are evident, with tributaries of Country, Soul Jazz and crisp acoustics melting into one another to create a delicious mix that cements Bugg amongst the greats. 

Bugg belts "Johnny deals a bit of blow, on the side" during Messed Up Kids, a song depicting the less fortunate who live through deprivation, homelessness and substance abuse. During the introduction of his official music video for What Doesn't Kill You, the singer discussed the fact that no matter where you are in the world, you can't avoid the bad elements of life. Writing about life's hardships only adds to his authentic appeal, and although some may have thought he couldn't have replicated the straining heartbreak of "Broken", "Me and You" is a suitably tear-jerking, arm-swaying replacement. 

(above: Rick Rubin with Jake Bugg)

Charmingly subtle, the Clifton singer evolves by adopting slow jazzy tones in "Kitchen Table" that are juxtaposed to his dark lyrics "haunting my future,down on all fours you bark bright/ at the descending moonlight". If he is looking for new fans, "Pine Trees" is a sure-fire winner as natural imagery and folky tones quench the listener's appetite  for his mystifying acoustics. 

To me, Shangri La sums up what Bugg is feeling inside- his thoughts on his deprived background, the hypocrisy of the world, a sudden fear of the unknown and perhaps even a yearning for the silence of nature. Either way, it's just a compilation of honesty, something that will charm you from the first listen. 

I give it:  ★★★★★

Watch the making of Shangri La: 

Review of Britney Spears' "Britney Jean"

For Britney fans, the two year wait is over as Britney Jean has been released on iTunes! Despite the release date being in early December, eager listeners are able to preview the tracks and for those of us cheeky enough, leaked tracks are available from dark corners of the internet. 

As a major Britney fan, I was fully expecting Britney Jean to be similar to Blackout and Femme Fatale- full of club bangers, but lacking soul and the old Brit we loved in Baby One More Time. I couldn't have been more mistaken as it seemed that (just like she promised) these tracks contain a surprising amount of heart, for a star that seems to keep a lot close to her chest. 

Tracklist 

1. "Alien"  

2. "Work Bitch"  

3. "Perfume"  

4. "It Should Be Easy" (featuring will.i.am

5. "Tik Tik Boom" (featuring T.I.)

6. "Body Ache"  

7. "Til It's Gone"  

8. "Passenger"  

9. "Chillin' with You" (featuring Jamie Lynn)

10. "Don't Cry"  

For those who love 'Old Britney'

Alien

What a track to open on. Electro pop definitely works to Britney's advantage and I love this mid-tempo track that depicts a person feeling lonely in the world they live in. It's not the first time she has based something on outer space- remember that amazing Oops! video? 

Perfume

The second single to be released, I LOVE perfume. Again this one is mid-tempo but still packs a punch and it's all about Britney's vocal skills, something Ive been waiting yearsss for. 

Passenger

I love the mystical lead-in to this track, and again, so much of old Britney here which made me very happy. The song is all about letting go of self control and it's definitely a feel-good bubblegum pop track, listen out for the fabulous high notes. 

Don't Cry 

This one was my favourite, by far. I loved the '80s style keyboard action and I loved hearing a less auto-tuned Britney and it just reminded me of her first album. Total nostalgia with this track, it's been on repeat ever since. 

The Club Bangers

Work Bitch

First single to be released, Work Bitch has already proven itself to be a hit- addictive and motivating in many ways. See the proof below !

It Should Be Easy ft. Will.i.am 

This one has to be my least favourite track on the album, simply because I think Will.i.am autotuned Spears to his level, to keep them on equal ground. There is nothing wrong with a bit of tuning but this is slightly robotic. A massive tune though and the chorus is definitely a dance hit. 

Til It's Gone

With a cheeky addition of dub, this track is crazy and definitely rivals the likes of Avicii and David Guetta. The song is all about loss, about belonging and having it taken away- deep for a dance track, kudos to Britney. 

Listen to the whole album on itunes! 

Feel-good album of the year, I give Britney Jean   

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

American Music Awards 2013: The Best and Worst Bits

Last night played host to the AMAs, previously created as an alternative to the Grammy Awards back in 1973, and the stars were out in full force. For those of you who missed one of the biggest nights in US music, fear not! I have selected the best bits of the awards, including performances, interviews and general eventful moments. 

Best Bits: 

Lady Gaga's entrance on a (sort of) horse

BRAVO GAGA! She never fails to impress as last night the star entered the red carpet on a human horse, looking every inch Lady Godiva, minus the nakedness. Flawless 

From pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com

Rihanna receives an award from her mum 

Pop titan Rihanna received the coveted AMA Icon award, and was presented the prize by her own mother, the pride was unbelievably cute! 

From www.billboard.com

Kendall Jenner kind of denies being with Harry Styles 

So amongst the whirlwind of rumours that Kendall Jenner and Harry Styles were dating, Jenner was asked on the red carpet if she was going out with the 1D star, to which she stated "We're friends. He's cool, yeah, he's cool". Cool story Kendall... 

From www.eonline.com

Best Performances: 

Lady Gaga and R Kelly with 'Do What You Want' 

Not content with arriving on a (fake) white horse, the kooky popstar performed her latest single with R Kelly as the President and herself in Marilyn Monroe-esque attire. Lyrically flawless and always entertaining, this was definitely the best performance of the night. 

Miley Cyrus and her giant kitten

What next? Miss Cyrus is forever shocking us and this time she positioned herself in front of a giant cat that seemed to be singing along to Wrecking Ball. I admire her guts, although her outfit was questionable. Enjoy. 

Pitbull and Ke$ha

Although I abhor Pitbull and think behind Robin Thicke, he is the biggest creep in pop, I loved his ridiculously fun performance he did with crazy pop princess Ke$ha. Seedy club meets barn dance with this one, and I had to admit it left me toe-tapping. Feel-good fun. 

Worst Bits: 

Taylor Swift looking stupidly thin 

Oh gosh, what has happened to Taylor Swift? she may have bagged multiple awards last night, but she has definitely lost a little weight. A little too thin. 

From pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com

Christina Aguilera's meager appearance 

Xtina is looking mighty fine these days and she dazzled on the red carpet, but I would have preferred to have seen a solo performance from her. 

From www.billboard.com

General lack of fashion sense on the red carpet

The gowns last night were SHOCKINGLY BAD. I shall use Zendaya Coleman as an example (sorry love, but Halloween has been and gone)

From pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com

Worst Performances: 

Katy Perry- Unconditionally (crap)

Despite her hype and the international success of her new album Prism, Perry constantly disappoints me when it comes to her live performances, its simple- she just can't sing. Although the Geisha theme was attractive to look at, her voice is weak. 

One Direction- Story of My Life 

As much as I think 1D are pretty harmless, I do think they need to perhaps take a break. One Direction overload is evident and I think everyone is slightly sick of them at the moment. After a world tour, it's obvious their voices are a little tired and this performance made me yawn. 

Review: One Direction's Midnight Memories Leaked !

It's every singer's worst nightmare, but it's not surprising that the world's biggest boyband's upcoming album has been leaked. One Direction's Midnight Memories was due for release next week, but the internet has been whipped into a frenzy as Directioners across the world are sharing the leaked songs with each other. 

          From www.aceshowbiz.com

With two mainstream studio albums already released, the band promised more of a rock feel to this album, but I cant help feeling that they seemed almost scared to stray from their pop roots. 

Tracklist: 

Best Song Ever

The first single to be released back in July, Best Song Ever originally broke the 24 hour record on VEVO, gaining 12.3 million views. 

Story of My Life

The second single to be released from the upcoming album, the video received a large amount of critical acclaim due to the personal nature of the music video 

Diana 

Although they have kept fairly quiet about who Diana actually is, Liam once joked that it was about a random girl on Twitter- "She’s tweeted us so many times, we just felt like we really owed it to her. She has like 70,000 followers, too, so we thought it made some business sense. " The song has deep pop tones and a stupidly catchy chorus. 

Midnight Memories

This song is definitely about being on tour, partying and not caring. It is reminiscent of Rock Me, an unreleased track from Take Me Home. Any McFly fans will appreciate this song for sure. 

You and I 

This track was my favourite on the album, I knew the group had to have an equivalent to Little Things, and this one is it. This may be a cheesy love ballad, but it shows off the vocal range the group has, and stripping back the music to the bare minimum is a welcome break from the rock/pop that consumes many of the tracks.  

Don't Forget Where You Belong

Very much a song about exploring the world, yet still looking forward to being back home, this track is pretty cute, and definitely gives Directioners a slice of fangirling in three minute form.  

Strong

With a heavier beat, but still maintaining the mainstream pop, this one is a sure fire contender for the next single to be released. 

Happily

As albums go, this one reaches it's optimum feel-good scale with Happily, as the five members belt out " I just want it to be you and I forever"... Directioners everywhere swoon. 

From hollywoodtimessquare.com

Right Now

This one really reminded me of a One Republic track, and for any 1D skeptic, the high notes hit in this song are almost faith-restoring. Bravo lads. 

Little Black Dress

When the group talked about the rock tones, this is as far as it went with LBD. This one was less about the solo snippets, but all about harmonising with each other. 

Through The Dark 

It was a breath of fresh air for the album to turn to more acoustic influences and I definitely think the band fair better when the music is stripped back. 

From www.blogcdn.com

Something Great

This track disappointed me the most, as although I enjoy the harmonies the group creates, this one lacked a strong, addictive chorus I was looking for. 

Little White Lies

Another song about girls that play games.. yawn! The super catchy chorus is what saves this one.. I'm still humming it. 

Better Than Words

Hello electronic influences.. I loved this song and how it was confused about whether it wanted to be upbeat or not. Cheekiest lyric of the album: "You make me wanna.... one more night"

Why We Don't Go There

This song is (close your ears young Directioners) about spending the night together... These boys are definitely growing up *winks*

From i.imgur.com

Does He Know 

In this track let's all boyfriends know that any of the five members of 1D have the potential to steal your girlfriend. Consider yourself threatened. " Does he know you can move it like that?" I assume they are talking about dancing here.. 

Alive

This one must have been written by Mr Styles himself. The proof: "I don't know why I want to be with every girl I meet". If they ever release this, I want the video to include an American diner, some serious quiffs and soft top cars. 

Half a Heart

Another Little Things substitute about how much they miss their loved ones.. aww. Definitely one for the soppiest oafs. 

Trying to leave their pop routes, they have ended up circling right back to what they know. A great third album, but not a spot on Take Me Home's charm. 

I give it:   ★★★

7 Feminist Elements of Lily Allen's 'Hard Out Here'

Never one to hold back, the fabulously  flamboyant and foul mouthed Lily Allen is back, and it's clear she is here to send a message.  Her comeback single, which she is hailing as a taster for what is to come next year, was released this week and it certainly sparked a lot of debate. For me I think it represents how perfectly ridiculous the music industry is nowadays- sexist to the point of stupidity, women are portrayed as submissive objects who flash their flesh at the click of slimy fingers such as Robin Thicke's. With his gratuitously iconic video Blurred Lines in mind, I have compiled 7 elements of 'Hard Out Here' which are not only feminist, but capable of inspiring females everywhere.

From i4.mirror.co.uk

1.   The Plastic Surgery scene

As Allen lays on a table while a group of men poke and prod at her, an older man tells the singer"Letterman says no". She pokes fun at the industry by highlighting the fact that she as a woman is being rejected by talk show hosts such as the latter and Kimmel, both of which are older men. For me it also emphasised the fact that the interviewing world is very much male dominated, and in general in presenting there are no older women at the forefront. The suited man standing up then describes her body as "terrifying". 

From primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk

2. She points out the unequal perceptions of sexual promiscuity 

Nowadays, most insulting words are female orientated, as Allen rightly says in the lines: " If I told you 'bout my sex life, you'd call me a slut. When boys be talking about their bitches, no one's making a fuss. "

      

3. "There's a glass ceiling to break"

Allen sings about the glass ceiling, and the fact that progress in equality is moving too slowly, and that she can't cope with the pace. Totally behind you on that one Lily! 

4. Owning the word "bitch"

At first listen, you might question why Allen decided to use a derogatory term multiple times in her song, but I think it is powerful AND feminist for two reasons:
1. It's a controversial thing to do, and definitely grabs the listener's attention.
2.  The emphasis on the word is a two fingers to the men who think they have the right to use the word against women. 

5. She sends up the female stereotypes

With the wonderful comparison of Blurred Lines, you will see in visual how Allen  sends up thepathetic Robin Thicke single. She emphasises that it's not about domestication, good looks or sex, it's about intelligence. 

6.  She represents a strong female archetype 

My favourite part of the song is the bridge when she says "Sometimes it's hard to find the words to say, I'll go ahead and say them anyway". She urges women to speak up and speak out, it's truly inspiring. 

7. "Inequality promises that it's here to stay"

Allen highlights a completely true statement, but points out that even though injustice is here to stay, we shouldn't put up with it. 

Lily I've missed you! Welcome back! 

And just in case you really didn't get the video and it's intentions... 

Watch the video here: 

Justin Bieber's Music Mondays: Has He Redeemed Himself?

                     

For those of you who love to hate Justin Bieber, you may want to read something else. It seems as though his immature antics have been put on hold as he is producing some pretty impressive music. The Biebs has introduced a Music Monday in which his fans are able to listen to his freshest music through his Youtube channel.

Now I know what you are thinking, we are talking about Justin Bieber here, but really.. this stuff is GOOD. Reminiscent of old school Usher meets Justin Timberlake, the five songs he has released so far ooze smooth R'n'b/pop and would (almost) convert any Bieber hater. 

 

Heartbreaker

Back at the beginning of October, Heartbreaker pleasantly surprised me. With an addictive chorus and a pure R'n'B flow, you will be pressing repeat before you know it. 

All That Matters

This one is simple: a sultry love song that contains simple chords and simple lyrics, but it works as a chilled, slow jam. High five Biebs. 

Hold Tight

For fans of Drake and Conor Maynard, this one is for you. With sprinkles of that Future Sex/Love Sounds electro pop, this song strips down Bieber's voice and shows his vocal capabilities. 

Recovery 

By now, you would have guessed that this teeny bopper obviously has a broken heart. Picking up the pace with Recovery, there are definitely some elements of Craig David here. I love this one. 

Bad Day

When Bad Day was released at the beginning of this week, I was pleased to hear more of an acoustic influence. Listen out for the impressively high voice about a minute in. 

Dare I say that I can't wait for next week's music? BRAVO BIEBS. 

AlunaGeorge at Shepherd's Bush London

Back in July, I attended a festival in Spain called Benicassim, which gathered together a variety of acts in several genres. Despite big names like The Killers and The Arctic Monkeys, it was small time duo Alunageorge who were one of my firm favourites during the week of music.

After bagging myself some tickets for their Shepherd's Bush set at the end of October, I was really excited to see more from the subtle, understated and altogether ethereal group made up of Aluna Francis and George Reid. Before the gig even began, I grabbed some drinks with friends and saw Reid standing behind us, casually chatting to a girl before he went on stage.

It certainly is hard to describe the sheer skill in which they make their electropop addictive and wild, yet utterly unnervingly calm. Francis' smooth and high notes resonated in the small venue and as she sang multiple tracks from the Body Music album, the audience was no doubt haunted by her voice.

(Above: my own picture from the gig)


The perfect encore of White Noise confirmed to me that they are definitely an act I want to see again, and I can't wait for more music.