Top 50 Singles of 2010: 20-16

20. Robyn - Hang With Me



A gentle, late summer electro gem. I didn’t think much of the acoustic version, but this is about as perfect as pop gets. One of my favorite videos of the year, too.

19. Liam Lever - Welcome To Earth



This may just actually become a real hit single in the future, but a music video was filmed this year so it makes my 2010 list. One of the best choruses of the year.

18. The Bang Bang Club - Chemistry



Another track that never took off the way it deserved to, this was a fixture of my Spring. From the scratchy vocals to the incessant chorus, this was pop music as cotton candy.

17. Mini Viva - One Touch



At once their death knell and their best single release, this song will always be a little bittersweet. I almost wish Girls Aloud would have recorded it so that it would have had the chance to be a proper hit.

16. Bjørn Johan Muri - Yes Man



The slow-burning single of the Spring. As hummable as Donkeyboys’ Ambitions was last year, this may do it one better (it was written by the same people). A song that never gets old.

Top 20 Albums of 2010: 12-11

12. Yeasayer - Odd Blood



This was released very early in the year and became one of my first obsessions of 2010. The band’s previous release had been a dreamlike, aural collage of sounds and vocals that I found quite haunting, but with their follow-up they chose to fully embrace 80’s pop and go for big hooks. It was an utter success, containing some of the year’s strangest, most compelling pop songs. Ignore the experimental opening track. It’s a red herring of sorts, because what follows is a collection of tunes heavy on melody. It’s the album MGNT should have released this year.

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11. Bjørn Johan Muri - Airwaves



Rarely is a Eurovision hopeful’s debut so engaging. The genius here lies with the material Muri was given. Instead of trendy, urban pop (which would have been the obvious way to go), this album’s filled with soft-around-the-edges, lightly electronic music that is tailored for radio without losing any of its artsy cool. It’s all carried through by Muri’s instantly recognizable vocals. Polished radio pop didn’t get much better this year. It takes the Norwegian "Donkeyboy" sound and augments it into something more youthful and interesting.

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Track-by-Track: Bjørn Johan Muri - Airwaves

Norway's Bjørn Johan Muri seemingly came out of nowhere during this year's Eurovision qualifiers (though really he's been a known presence for awhile now). With one of the year's best debut singles, he had a lot to live up to with the album. Luckily, it's a consistent sound. But is the quality as consistent?

1. Once Upon A Time (ft. LidoLido) - Initially underwhelming, this midtempo electro single has grown on me quite a bit. It's got a subtle, atmospheric hook with Bjørn's trademark, almost otherworldly vocals. I even like the rap now! 9/10

2. Yes Man - I can't imagine a better single to launch this album with. This is the song everyone will remember, an acoustic-electro driving-with-the-top-down pop song of the highest order. If you haven't heard it yet, you're gonna be hooked immediately. The melody's just transporting. 10/10

3. Iron Love - A ponderous track that morphs tempos and is very heavy on atmosphere and whispery, breathy vocals. It's not the kind of track that instantly draws attention to itself, but as the song grows, it becomes more and more effective. An interesting piece, for sure. 8/10

4. Circles - In a stark contrast, this is about as pop as pop gets. Instantly sing-along-able, this single failed to ignite in Norway, which is a bit of a head scratcher because, alongside Yes Man, it's one of the standouts. 10/10

5. Nothing Is For Real - Another catchy radio track, this feels like a marriage between the lush sound of Iron Love and the straight-up pop of Circles. I love the augmented vocals at the end of the chorus. The melody reminds me oddly of a BWO song. 8/10

6. Nobody Knows (ft. Kelly Mueller) - The album's first ballad, and it's a good one. Mueller's vocals complement Bjørn's wonderfully (so wonderfully that it can be hard to tell them apart at times). It's not the most exciting, dramatic thing in the world, but it's very pleasant. It reminds me of a teen pop ballad that could've been released around the turn of the century. 7/10

7. The One Who Got Away - A bright midtempo with a similar sound to Yes Man, though nowhere near as catchy. Again, totally pleasant, though it feels very much like filler. 7/10

8. Talking In My Sleep - A slow, atmospheric (I know I've used that word a lot, but it's quite apt for this album)track, this initially passed me by, but on subsequent listens I find it really captivating. The hook, especially, is very nice. Sounds like a rainy day. 8/10

9. Lights - I love this track. It begins with some warbling synth vocals before launching into a soaring melody that becomes more and more dramatic as the beat kicks in and intensifies. The vocals in the hook are heavily processed, but it makes the awesome verses stand out more so that's totally fine. 10/10

10. The Beauty Of Who You Are - An older track, which makes sense because this doesn't sound much like most of his stuff. It's more of a classic ballad, but luckily it's a good one. I do wish that it built up to more, though. And that it fit better with the album's overall sound. 7/10

Album Grade: 8.4/10

Bjorn Johan Muri - Once Upon A Time

"I can look for that happily ever after"

Oh, Bjorn Johan Muri. You've yet to release a bad single, yet your just released album still eludes me. Why isn't there some worldwide itunes store? Is it really that difficult? This region restriction they've got going on in music is just infuriating. Anyways, this is the latest single from Mr. Muri and it's an incredibly pleasant midtempo synth-o-rama, performed in the same breezy, dreamy style as his previous singles. The rap is a little unnecessary, but the melody (and earworm of a chorus) completely makes up for it. There's a thoroughly modern, trendy sound to this, yet at the same time it's quite different than most things on the radio. More importantly, Bjorn's picked a sound and stuck with it. This lends his material a consistency that most pop singers seem to be missing nowadays. The album clips sound great, too. Excited for this!

Bjorn Johan Muri - Once Upon A Time (ft. LidoLido) by alienhits

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

Bjorn Johan Muri - Circles

Okay, so like an idiot I totally pasted over my Bjorn Johan Muri post from yesterday. Never made that particular error before! It was bound to happen eventually, I guess.
I may try to type up a new post on it later, but for now here's the song again. It probably speaks for itself, anyways...

Bjørn Johan Muri - Circles by alienhits

Bjørn Johan Muri - Yes Man

"I don't wanna be a superman"

Is this not just a perfect song? It defines the term "breezy summertime pop," despite being released in the dead of winter. Bjørn made it to the finals of Norway's MGP with this one (no small feat, as MGP was above average this year), but ended up losing to the insidiously boring Didrik Solli-Tangen and his dirge of a ballad. Doesn't matter, as long as we've got Yes Man to enjoy. It starts off pretty stripped back, even underwhelming, until the synth beat kicks in, taking the song to A-Ha Take On Me levels. There's something about the melody, gentle and soaring simultaneously, that hits the sweet spot dead-on. Bjørn himself comes at us from the Idol series (yes, those shows exist even in Norway) and from what I've digged up, Yes Man is a bit of a departure in genre for him. PLEASE, Bjørn, do an entire album like this.


Bjørn Johan Muri - Yes Man by alienhits

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