Robin - Vapaus

A few weeks ago I wrote about Finnish popstar Robin's excellent Boom Kah (the song). Since then, I've been loving Boom Kah (the album), despite not understanding a word of it. Funny enough, and I've been noticing this trend in lots of albums lately, the bonus tracks on the deluxe version are actually some of the strongest. I'm obsessed with Vapaus (meaning "Freedom"). The word "rollicking" sounds so cheesy, but I can't think of a better word to describe the production on this. The drums and percussion are out of this world, and the track possesses a build that's absolutely explosive. Couple that with a stick-in-your-head hook that's sort of reminiscent of that Swedish novelty hit Hej Monika that was popular a few years back, and you've got yourself a winner. One minor quibble: that build at the end is so freaking enormous, I just wish it would explode into one more repetition of the chorus before ending.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Ola - Tonight I'm Yours

"It's you who dance for me"

With every single promo track, Ola Svensson is making a sturdier case for releasing the album of the year with his upcoming Carelessly Yours. I've always liked Ola's music, and rate his collaborations with hitmakers Tony Nilsson and Bassflow some of the best pop released in the last decade, With his past four singles, though, Ola has gone past being a popstar from a talent competition to becoming an interesting artist making mature, expertly produced pop music. His recent Swedish single, Maybe, was his biggest and most anthemic song yet, and Tonight I'm Yours follows suit. You know from the outset, with the surging strings and the pumping beat, that this is gonna be big. If the rest of the album lives up to the potential of these singles, we're in for something very special.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Little Mix - Move

"You know that I've been waiting for you"

I almost missed this one. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a massive X-Factor fan and I loved Little Mix when they were on the show. I also liked their debut single, Wings, but after that I thought their music was pretty boring. So when Move was announced, I wrote it off as something that I wasn't really interested in. Then, this morning I heard the song on the radio and was like WTF? The track caught my ear so immediately that I had to check who the artist was. And now... well, Little Mix, you have my attention. To my ears, this is leaps and bounds above anything they've done. The melody is fantastically bonkers while sounding quite retro at the same time. And the production is like old-school Michael Jackson mixed with current dance trends.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Preorder the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Shinee - One Minute Back

Quite recently, Korea's Shinee have become one of the most prolific groups ever. Let's see... since this time last year, the guys have released seven singles, three albums and one EP. That's a lot for a pop group, and the great thing is that their music has't suffered. It's remained remarkably consistent and adventurous. The group has released some of the best K-Pop of the year. Their new mini-album/EP is out now and, while it took me awhile to fully come around lead single/title track Everybody, I'm firmly there now. The rest of the songs on the album are some of the most experimental they've recorded. I'm obsessed with the intricate production of One Minute Back. It takes awhile to get used to, as the tempo and mood changes often, but again it's that production that keeps me coming back. I love the drums in the first verse. It's very Michael Jackson, were he still alive and recording now.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.