Roberto Bellarosa - Love Kills

"Give me something I can feel"

Belgium has never in the history of the competition presented my favorite Eurovision song on the year, but there's a first for everything. Traditionally, I usually support countries like Sweden, Norway, Finland or Denmark (and I do like all of those songs, too), but Love Kills is just something special. I mean, listen to that chorus!! That is POP music, people. The track doesn't stand a chance in the competition, and I don't think all that much of Roberto Bellarosa's live stage presence or vocals, but you simply can't deny a massive chorus. And this one touches the stratosphere. Second on my list is Romania's utter WTF dance/opera hybrid that manages to be so incredibly bizarre that it actually works. Apparently, Denmark is the one to beat, but amongst the frontrunners I would rather see Norway take it, even though they've won pretty recently. That Margaret Berger song comes across really well live and I like her. Either way, it's a pretty solid line-up in the final this year. I only dislike a couple.

My Top Picks:
1. Belgium
2. Romania
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Finland
6. Netherlands
7. Ireland
8. Denmark
9. Germany
Also like: Ukraine, Lithuania (the melody, not the lyrics and certainly not the charisma-free performer)



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Loreen - We Got The Power

"We got the power to love"

One year ago, Loreen rightfully took Eurovision by storm with Euphoria. She'll never release a song that good again, but it's very smart of her to release a new single during the week of this year's contest. And We Got The Power is pretty awesome, to boot! My first thought was that it's very much her style mixed with the style of fellow swedes Icona Pop... shouty and anthemic and huge without being a Euphoria rewrite. It's dance music with an organic, rock edge and it's exactly the type of thing she should be releasing now. Hopefully this reignites some interest in her, as I don't think her career has been managed all that well post-Eurovision. I'm certainly looking forward to her performances this weekend. Tomorrow I'll reveal my favorite song from this year's competition (and it's probably not who you think).



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Kendi - Connected

"We are connected, that is how I feel"

Today is a flashback... Tuesday? Doesn't really have the same ring to it, but I don't care because I've been meaning to share this track forever. Connected is from all the way back in 2008, and I remember hearing it once or twice back then. But a few months ago, I rediscovered the song (and band) and really fell in love. As far as I can tell, Kendi only released one album in Finland and this was the hit. And what a hit it is! Rapid-fire rapped lyrics blast over an addictive beat before launching into a sugary hook. Why these guys never received more attention than they did, I'll never know. I can't think of any popular track that sounds remotely like this. Maybe it was just too cool for school :)
PS: Tomorrow's my birthday, so I'll be back on the blog on Thursday!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the EP here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Dizzee Rascal & Robbie Williams - Goin' Crazy

"I believe I'm losing my mind"

It's so cool to hear Robbie Williams on a track like this. Years ago, he did a semi hip-hop collaboration with producers 1 Giant Leap that revealed a more rhythmic side to his voice, and then of course came Rudebox. This is different, though, as its a collaboration with a tried and true rap superstar. As such, it feels like the most relevant thing Williams' voice has been on since the Take That reunion. The hook here is really strong and really cool, and I love the filters on the vocals. It feels like a major Summer hit in the UK, with the possibility of even crossing the Atlantic and making some waves here.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Preorder the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.