Anton Ewald - Vill Ha Dig (ft. Samboii)

We know Anton Ewald from his English-language Melodifestivalen singles, as well as some ace tracks released outside of the competition. Unfortunately, he sort of flamed out with his latest entry, so I feel like he's at the point again of having to prove himself. Smartly, he recorded this new single in Swedish and changed up his sound a bit. Instead of the trendy EDM productions of the past, he's gone for a smooth mid-tempo dance track with addictive bass and a slinky, easy-on-the-ears melody. It may not bust down the doors and announce itself as loudly as some of his past stuff, but the song gets better with each listen. The addictive beat is like a more subtle version of Iggy Azalea's Fancy. In other words, it's a hook unto itself.



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

Anton Ewald - Close Up

"I wanna zoom in on you"

Happy (late) 2014! I've still got some countdowney stuff planned for the next week or so, including my favorite movies of 2013, bu I'm back with new music! I want to kick off 2014 in Sweden, with Anton Ewald's new single Close Up. This is officially the song that takes him from "that guy with the cool Melodifestivalen track that I liked" to "that guy that's turning into one of the country's most exciting new pop stars". I expect that whatever he performs at this year's MF will only cement that. For now, we have this fantastic little dance pop confection. From the staccato beat and vocal delivery to the tight dancing in the impressive video, everything about this screams Michael Jackson. And if you're a disciple of the Church Of Jackson like I am, that is a very, very exciting thing. I love dancers-turned-singers because they've always got the beat in mind when it comes to their music. I have high hopes for Ewald's debut album, whenever we get to hear it.



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

Countdowns Wrap-Up: Top 5 EPs

The music industry is in continual change, and one of the things I've noticed (especially internationally) is that more and more artists are choosing to release EPs rather than albums. I don't think it's fair to pit them against full-length albums, as it's easier to have five awesome songs than it is to have twelve, but I also wanted to make sure that these amazing releases got their due on my blog. So here they are... my top five EPs of 2013.
 

1. The Fooo
I used to not be enthralled with the idea of a boyband, but that was before they started churning out some of the best pop music around. The Fooo are young, fresh and bring an extraordinarily high energy to the pop scene. Best of all? Each song is a solid gold hit and comes with its own promo video. There's no filler here.

2. Anton Ewald - A
Fresh off of his Melodifestivalen success, Ewald opted for an EP rather than a full-length, and that was a smart choice because it allowed him to distill what was great about his hit single Beggin' and craft a handful of other tracks that lived up to its promise. No dreary ballads here, just great Scandinavian pop music.And from the sound of his new track (which I'm sure I'll write about next week), this is just the tip of the iceberg.

3. Henry - Trap
Probably the most Americanized K-Pop release of the year (it even has a song entirely in English), this still manages to take the best from both worlds and work as a really solid endeavor in international radio pop. No pretensions beyond those of making some incredibly catchy tracks.

4. Diviney - Sex Games
The Short Stack frontman stepped out with an extension of the sound from his band's most recent album. Self-financed through a Kickstarter-like format, I was delighted that he was able to get the music out in this way.

5. Seungri - Let's Talk About Love
Big Bang's youngest member released his second EP, and it definitely improved on the first with a string of excellent r&b flavored dance tracks. Guest spots from fellow bandmates G-Dragon and Taeyang certainly didn't hurt.

Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 20-16

20. Anton Ewald - Beggin'



The big breakthrough of this year's Melodifestivalen. Some have called it out as not having much in the way of melody, but I've always defended it as the massive pop song it is.

19. Haloo Helsinki! - Huuda! (Shout!)



An unexpected gem from Finland. That sledgehammer beat made this a rock band to really pay attention to, no matter what language they sing in.

18. Girls' Generation - I Got A Boy



K-Pop's most intriguing experiment of 2013. A single whose structure is so complicated and multi-faceted that it nearly becomes its own album medley.

17. Shinee - Dream Girl 



The single that kicked off Shinee's extraordinary 2013 run. Pure, vibrant pop with a chorus so big it echoes from the rooftops.

16. Ola - Maybe 



Ola's always been a favorite, but this is when he started making music that really registered beyond pure pop. It's just huge.

Anton Ewald - Can't Hold Back

"Got me dizzy by the way that she moves"

Anton Ewald was probably the best surprise to come from this year's Melodifestivalen. In fact, I think he would've been the right one to represent Sweden and undoubtedly would've done better in Eurovision than Robin did. I still much prefer Ulrik Munther's song, but I've also been a longtime supporter of Anton's Beggin'. That song appears at the end of his just-released EP, and definitely holds up outside of the MF/Eurovision world. Releasing an EP instead of an album was a really smart decision, as such a short track list makes it much easier to keep the quality up. Honestly, the kind of music Anton's making isn't particularly groundbreaking. That's fine, but to an certain extent these songs could've come from Eric Saade, Danny, Darin or any other of his fellow Swedish popstars. Much of this kind of music often feels pretty anonymous, which makes quality control all the more important. And I'm happy to say that the five tracks on the EP are all at a high level. It's straightforward, trendy pop/r&b/dance, but the production and hooks are very solid. Other than Beggin, Can't Hold Back is the danciest of the songs, and even if it feels slightly familiar, there's no resisting a song like this. It's pretty massive.



(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.