Jordin Sparks – “Battlefield”
What do you do when it turns out you recorded your biggest ever hit with an alleged woman basher*? You record a song that is likely to be a much, much bigger hit of course!
And so Jordin Sparks has delivered the epic “Battlefield”. Already it is my favourite song of the year and in five short days I have managed to hammer it, according to iTunes, 27 times.
The song was written by Ryan Tedder, who since he struck gold with his band One Republic’s “Apologize” has become quite the hit maker. First was Leona Lewis’ omnipresent “Bleeding Love” and then there was the could-have-been-good-but-was-recorded-by-Beyoncé “Halo” (apparently she was going for “understated” on this one. I appreciate that, but surely you can be understated and in key?).
Not-so-subtly borrowing its title from Pat Benetar’s awesome “Love Is A Battlefield”, with production inspired by Jim Steinman and Mutt Lange, the song is a slow build of power drums and not many lyrics culminating in an amazing chant of “Better go and getcha armour”!
It’s melodramatic pop at its best, complete with amazingly ridiculous metaphors and OTT backing vocals – eat your heart out Bonnie Tyler!
No, they don’t make songs like this any more, kids. Aside from, you know, right now.
* Who could have dreamed when “No Air” was released that Chris Brown would “allegedly” try to choke someone?
a-ha – “Foot Of The Mountain”
I love me some a-ha. And not in some retro “Ohmygod they’re playing ‘Take On Me’!” way (everybody knows “The Sun Always Shines On TV” is far superior, anyway), but in an, “Ohmygod they still make music that is so relevant to me in my hectic 2009-paced life” way. (Almost)
A-ha’s new single “Foot Of The Mountain”, their first material since 2005’s brilliant Analogue (which the warring members recorded in shifts so as to avoid one another), is more a-ha brilliance.
Proving that sometimes he is a very wise man indeed, Chris Martin has admitted that a-ha is to this day one of his biggest inspirations, and if you listen to Coldplay’s albums you can tell.
“I found myself in Amsterdam the other day and I put a-ha's first record on,” Chris tittered in 2005. “I just remembered how much I loved it. It's incredible songwriting. Everyone asks what inspired us, what we've been trying to steal from and what we listened to as we were growing up – the first band I ever loved was a-ha.”
But we shouldn’t hold this against the lovable Norweigan trio – they’re really quite awesome.
Oh look it's Chris and Mags doing "Hunting High And Low"!
Chris’s love of my Scandanavian pals has left me feeling all warm inside, so why don’t you go download Coldplay's new live album LeftRightLeftRightLeft for free from their website. Shyeah, it’s all legal and stuff!
Looking smug
While we’re giving away albums (or linking to them, anyway) former Savage Gardener Darren Hayes and his collaborator Robert Conley (who has produced Axle Whitehead’s album and is half of Brian McFadden’s new duo Wall Of Soundz) have launched a side project called We Are Smug. Somewhat crazily they are giving away their album We Are Smug… for nix on their website! Think electro pop with kooky Hayes lyrics (and even a few Beach Boys-style harmonies). Think Darren's The Disassociatives. For free. Insanity!
NKOTB In Da House
The re-formed New Kids On The Block have announced they will be touring Australia in August, and to say I am piss my pants excited is a completely ridiculous understatement.
You better believe I will be Step By Steping and Hangin' Tough like a 12 year old. Damn I'm a big saddo.
I'm also quite a fan of their newest album The Block, even if some of their single choices have been deeply questionable - their song with New Edition "Full Service" is one of the best things ever recorded ever (or so says I).
Vale Bud
Last week we lost much-loved Australian acting icon Charles “Bud” Tingwell, star of films The Castle and Innocence, as well as classic TV shows like Neighbours and Homicide.
Of course one of his best roles was in The Late Show’s hilarious Charlie The Wonder Dog alongside the Pissweak Kids. Check it out and remember a true legend.
Scott Keenan
Charlie We Love You O'Clock
Posts
Bud will always be Gramps to me. "Charlie the wonder dog, is there anything you can't do? Charlie the wonder dog... Charlie we love you!'
ReplyDeleteOh Charlie!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone asked the Pissweak Kids what they think of his death? Surely you guys could track them down!
ReplyDeleteAlso: Halo is AWESOME. I love how low she goes on the word "sound" in the first verse. I think it'll be a killer at Karaoke World. (unlike Jordin Sparks first hit, I should note!)
I could not agree more about finding the Pissweak Kids ... the older guy is Ron or Jason's cousin I think ... mind you it might be a bit of a downer when we do find them.
ReplyDeleteI had to listen to Halo to check I wasn't crazy. I wasn't. I cringe whenever she sings "awakened". I will admit it was essentially the blueprint for Battlefield. And Beyonce is far too loud in the mix.
Scott