Josef Johansson - Du Tror Du Är

Josef Johansson had two singles in my top fifty last year, both very near the top. That means I'm going to keep featuring his music until he enjoys the kind of success he deserves. His most recent pair of songs have both been covers. Of course, I'd prefer original material, but this Swedish-language version of an old track called Moviestar might as well be original because I've never heard any version of it before. Unsurprisingly, the song doesn't sound all that much like Johansson's other releases. It's more of a downtempo affair with a dreamlike female vocal delivering the hook. I can't quite tell what I think about it yet. It's certainly interesting, though. And I'm still highly anticipating a debut album from him.



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

Top 50 Singles of 2014: 5-1

5. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She Looks So Perfect



Quite simply, it's the perfect pop song. It also happens to be the highest ranked English-language track on the countdown. Of all the singles that were successful in the West this year, this bombastic, fizzy anthem was the one I kept going back to. That chorus is one-in-a-million. Bottled lightning.

4. Josef Johansson - Blickar Kan Mörda



I wish that more people were familiar with this song. Through his work this year, Josef Johansson has become the Swedish artist I'm most anticipating. The song itself reminds me of something Darin would put out, yet it's got a quirky edge that compliments the surging, addictive production and hook.

3. Akdong Musician - 200%



There are so many ideas and surprises hidden in this bubbly mix of pop, folk and hip-hop. It's like pulling open a nesting doll. Some tracks settle for one or two strong hooks. In 200%, every strum of the guitar and vocal adlib are hooky, which makes the song a little hard to click on first listen. But, it's also what makes it the pop song that keeps giving the more you listen to it.

2. B1A4 - Lonely 



Its soaring melody and icy hip-hop beat might seem fairly simple at first, but it's the little turns in leader Jinyoung's songwriting that make this midtempo ballad stand out. The accented high notes in the chorus, the key change at the end, the way the rap winds through the song so seemlessly, the hints of trumpet buried in the mix, and the final, repeated refrain of the title. It's utterly affecting, and much more emotional than you'd expect it to be as it steadily builds to its explosive climax. Honestly, it's probably the best ballad I've heard in years, without really being a ballad at all. I had it placed at the top spot several times.

1. Infinite - Back 



The best pop songs have a standout moment. The absolute best have more than one. Back is like one perfect moment right after the other. That first, dramatic beat drop after the climbing balladry that opens the track -- the aggressive dance breakdown after the first chorus, cut by distorted guitar -- the seemingly disparate orchestral suite underpinning not only the middle eight but the entire song. Somehow, it manages to sound exactly like K-Pop yet nothing like K-Pop at the same time. Infinite has always been known for their powerful vocals, but you can feel the energy and desperation dripping from every note in Back. The track itself is an ambitious gamble with song structure that pays off to almost jaw-dropping effect. It's just ballsy... the kind of thing mainstream groups rarely attempt. In fact, the song is so good that it made me go back and reconsider everything else the guys have done, and put Infinite at the very top of my K-Pop obsession.

Don't forget, if you'd like to listen to the Top 50 Singles Countdown in full, download the audio version!

Top 50 Singles of 2014: 15-11

15. Josef Johanssson - Hela Natten



I love a choir in a pop song, but this galvanizing anthem is more than just its choir. It was the best song in this year's Melodifetivalen, even though it didn't make it to the final.

14. HyunA - Red



A demented and fun nursery-rhyme gone mad. This was the party track of the summer, with a deliriously in-your-face, irresistible hook.

13. Taeyang - Eyes, Nose, Lips



One of the biggest tracks in Korea in 2014, this ballad has immense staying power. Honestly, I'd already consider it a classic-in-the-making. And I'm not even a ballad guy!

12. Wolf Gang - Black River 



Undeservedly, this modern rock masterpiece flew under the radar this year. It's all about those layered, Fleetwood Mac-esque vocals that pop in more and more as the song grows and becomes a total epic.

11. Henry - Fantastic 



Just like I love choirs, I adore classical instrumentation in a pop song. The violin that forms the spine of this song elevates it into something really special. Add to that the amazing dance beat, and you've got something impossible to resist.

Don't forget, if you'd like to listen to the Top 50 Singles Countdown in full, download the audio version!

Josef Johansson - Blickar kan mörda

One of these days, I'll actually post a song in English again. But for now, I can't neglect the just-released single by Sweden's Josef Johansson. For those not in the know, Johansson was the performer of my favorite track at this year's Melodifestivalen, the epic Hela Natten. Blickar kan mörda (Looks Can Murder) is the new single and it's definitely more uptempo, but still retains that big, lush production.I love the slightly electronic, slightly acoustic, almost orchestral dance sound in this song. Even though he'd neatly slot into a "teen pop" label and probably be pretty successful there, Josef's music feels more mature and subtle overall. This song is cowritten by Swedish music legend Orup, and I'd imagine that it's his input that gives this single its air of classic, non-trendy Swedish pop. I really hope we get a full album from Josef soon. He's got a ton of potential and his singles run is three for three so far.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Josef Johansson - Hela Natten

There's one in Melodifestivalen every year. I'm talking about that jaw-droppingly awesome piece of pop that, for some inextricable reason, finishes towards the bottom of the voting line-up. I'm thinking about epics like Magnus Carlsson's Live Forever, Melody Club's The Hunter, Alcazar's Headlines and Charlotte Perrelli's The Girl. These usually find their justice on the charts, where they earn more success than they did on the show. Josef Johansson's Hela Natten is one of these cases. Honestly, I would have liked to see it win the whole thing. Perhaps if it hadn't directly been competing against Anton Ewald, it would have found more support. It's a gargantuan slab of pop music, complete with a background choir reminiscent of some of Michael Jackson's best ballads. Josef himself also seems like a potentially interesting pop star. I hope the track's success on itunes spurs him on to make more music, because if he can keep churning out masterpieces like this, the future should be very bright. Plus, on a selfish note, whenever I hear music this affecting, I desperately want more of it.



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