November is the Month for Albums

November is always a reliably strong month for pop music. Historically, it's when most of the would-be blockbuster albums are released in time for Holiday shopping. This year, we need November more than ever. It's been a pitiful past few months for big pop albums. I can't remember a dry spell this lengthy in years. It seems like everything's just been shut down since the Spring. Even countries like Sweden, who are usually quality pop producers, have been quiet of late. Luckily, there are plenty of releases coming up in the next few weeks that I'm very much looking forward to:

The Sound Of Arrows - Voyage (11/7)
I've been waiting for this one for years. The singles have all been excellent, the videos even better. I can't wait to hear the album in full.
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The Wanted - Battleground (11/7)
Their first album was a very pleasant surprise and I'm hoping for more of the same on this one.

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Cher Lloyd - Sticks & Stones (11/7)
The new single is excellent and Lloyd is an undeniable pop star. Having heard most of this already, I know it'll be great.

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One Direction - Up All Night (11/21)
My favorite X-Factor contestants of all time had one of my favorite singles of the year already. I'm eagerly awaiting more from them.
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Rihanna - Talk That Talk (11/21)
There isn't even a tracklist yet, but Rihanna never disappoints. The new single is one of her best and the new video is the most riveting thing she's ever put to film.
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Olly Murs - In Case You Didn't Know (11/28)
I wasn't sold on his debut, but I've loved both of the singles from this. I'm hoping this will end up as a nice surprise.
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Eric Saade - Saade Vol. 2 (11/30)
Volume One left me mostly cold, but I have faith in Saade. He's representing Sweden this month, so he better not disappoint.
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Others that I'll give a try: Pixie Lott - Young Foolish Happy JLS - Jukebox, Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires, The Saturdays - On Your Radar

Eric Saade - Stupid With You

"I keep doing stupid little things"

Eric Saade's new album is now out and... errr..... I'm not loving it as much as the debut so far. It seems to me that he's gone for a more global sound this time around (maybe hoping for a UK breakthrough?) and thus lost a little of what made him special. The production and songwriting sounds a lot like what others are doing, and the Popular album remix is not as all as good as the original. But enough with the griping. It's still a fun pop album, and there are definitely some highlights. I really like this late-album track. It's not working so hard to be marketable, instead focusing on an excellent melody. The lyrics are so-so, but it's one of the poppier (ie: not trendy) tracks on the album. I really, really love the chorus. Maybe it's just because it's the only other Kempe track besides Popular on the album. His presence as a songwriter is definitely felt here.

Eric Saade - Stupid With You by alienhits

(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.

Pop Blitz 6/17/11

Black Eyed Peas - Don't Stop The Party
I'm not sure that BEP has released any singles from this latest album that I've liked. This definitely doesn't break the pattern. It's not as irritating as a few of the others, but it's not as effortlessly catchy as their best work. The production's better than the hooks. C-

Selena Gomez & The Scene - Bang Bang Bang
Not technically a single (just a promo release), but I wanted to include it because I (surprisingly) have really fallen for this song. It's like a tween version of La Roux's Bulletproof. I LOVE the synth production and the general laid-back coolness of this. She's growing up! A-

Nicole Scherzinger - Right There (ft. 50 Cent)
It's not up there with the prior two singles (particularly the brilliant Don't Hold Your Breath), and I hate the unnecessary 50 Cent feature, but this has grown on me. I like the hook, and that's about it. Problem is, it doesn't have much of an impact when all's said and done. B-

Eric Saade - Hearts In The Air (ft. J-Son)
It's not as strong as Popular, but this is still a decent follow-up. The verses are better than the chorus (which sounds a little too familiar). It's enough to get me excited for the album, though. B+

Shania Twain - Today Is Your Day
It is so GOOD to hear Shania again. This gets instantly higher marks just for that. The song itself is pretty underwhelming... not one of her better ballads. But she sounds great and there's a catchy guitar hook buried somewhere in here. B

Jason Derulo - Don't Wanna Go Home
This is probably the most important single for him as far as longevity is concerned. The multiple samples used make this more of a hodgepodge than an actual original song, but the production's reliably glossy. I think the jury's out. All this has done is confused me. B-

Cher Lloyd - Swagger Jagger
Oh, how I loved Cher Lloyd in X-Factor last year. However, this track is all of her worst tendencies thrown into one song. Whereas I'm not sure about the Jason Derulo song, the sample here (Oh My Darling Clementine? Really??) does not work at all. What the hell did they do to her? D+

Track-by-Track: Eric Saade - Masquerade

Welcome back, teen pop of the late 90's/early 00's. If you're missing a little Bye Bye Bye in your life, seek this album out right away. It won't appeal to everyone, and certainly carries a little more than its fair share of cheese, but as far as dance pop records go, this is well-worth checking out.

1. Masquerade - Kicking off with hard video-game style beats, this is a fantastic opening to the overall in-your-face pop sound of the album. The persistent strings, especially, add the drama that ups this from an average pop song to something more special. 10/10

2. Upgrade - More strings open this upbeat, aggressive dance track. This is so 'Nsync circa 1999 that it borders on being a tribute. The thing is, enough time's passed that this feels really fresh. And Saade pulls it off. 9/10

3. Break Of Dawn - The album's first ballad, and my favorite slowie, which is fortunate because it's the next single. That being said, it's nothing overwhelmingly special, and definitely caves to the current Tedder-style ballad trends. 8/10

4. It's Gonna Rain - The album's most accomplished track. It's a huge, disco-fied club track that takes Saade out of the teen-pop arena and into the realm of more mature, pulsing electro. 10/10

5. Manboy - When I first heard this song I couldn't believe that anything that was so strange and campy could ever be a hit. I guess the chorus is just too catchy to ignore. Even I've succumbed to its charms. 10/10

6. Say It - Here, Saade slides into the weaker portion of male teen pop music. It's a pleasant, midtempo song with acoustic leanings. It comes and goes, offering little to remember it by. 6/10

7. Sleepless - His first single, and one of his best. The chorus is so incredibly massive. I can't see anybody resisting it. Best of all, it fits perfectly with the rest of the album. No fluke, here. 10/10

8. I'll Be Alright - Another acoustic-sounding track, slightly more uptempo than Say It. And, slightly better. It's still not a highlight, but I like the strings in the chorus. 7/10

9. Radioactive - Back to the harder-edged dance music. There are things I love about this song (Saade's vocals in the choruses), but the song overall falls just short of a perfect score. Really, I think it just suffers from comparisons to some of the album's stronger tracks in the same genre. 8/10

10. Why Do We Need Fashion? - The late-album highlight. This aggressive dance track plays around with song structure and tempo, with winning results. It's also criminally catchy. One listen and you'll be singing along. 10/10

11. It's Like That With You - The obligatory, cheesy piano ballad. It does very little for me, though these songs rarely do. I suppose it's nice enough, but it could certainly use a stronger melodic hook (especially in the verses). 6/10

Album Grade: 8.5/10

Eric Saade - It's Gonna Rain

"Nothing matters now that you're here by my side"

In a relatively short time, Eric Saade has become one of Sweden's biggest popstars. Bow down to the power of Melodifestivalen, I guess (and the power of Manboy, which I never thought would be so popular). Now the full album's out and, although I've yet to delve into it too much, I can say that it's a real treat for pop fans. Saade's not trying to be cool or critically-acclaimed. Instead, he's decided to record an album of bombastic, catchy-as-hell dance pop. Sweden's one of the only countries left that produces male artists like this (Danny, Ola, Mans, Darin etc.) and Eric's up there with the best of them. It's Gonna Rain is the album's immediate highlight--a huge dance track remeniscent of Madonna's Hung Up. Pop like this doesn't exist in the States, unfortunately, which makes me even more thankful that there's a wider world out there, unencumbered by self-consciousness when it comes to writing radio hits. In a way it takes me back to the big teen pop boom of the late '90s, though this seems smarter and more streamlined than a lot of the stuff that came out in that era.

UPDATE: Giving the album a real proper listen and, as far as straight-up teen pop goes, this is amazing stuff. Full review sure to come soon!

Eric Saade - It's Gonna Rain by alienhits

(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.

Pop Blitz 2/16/10

Cascada - Pyromania
My suggestion to Cascada: take more time between releases to create something a little more original. I could give the same grade to practically any of their songs. Everything sounds the same. This is perhaps a little more obnoxious than usual, though. C-

Eric Saade - Sleepless
Not brand new, but given his success in Melodifestivalen with Manboy (still can't get over that nasty title), I thought I'd give it a review. In a word: better. It's a great pop song. A-

General Larry Platt - Pants On The Ground
As predicted, here's the official version of the song, about a month too late. Funny enough, the production strips all the funny/endearing charm of the "original." Plus, there aren't enough lyrics. He just has to start making up gibberish. It's gone far enough. C

Miley Cyrus - When I Look At You
Aka: The Climb, Part II. Luckily, I quite liked The Climb. She's really got a good thing going with these dramatic, cheesy ballads. I shouldn't like it, but I do. A-

Toni Braxton - Make My Heart
Not gonna do anything to revive her career. This sounds very dated to me. C-

Play - Famous
I was never much of a fan of these girls in the past, and this isn't really gonna change that. It's fine dancepop, I suppose, but the lyrics are bad and the melody's not all that memorable. C

Kris Allen - Alright With Me
Unlike everything else on his album, this track is fantastic. It's got a funkier sound than his last single and a dynamite melody. This could be a very big hit for him. B+