Top 20 Albums Of 2012: 4-3

4. Bigbang - Alive



The K-Pop album to rule them all in 2012. There are so many iterations of this particular release, but when you take all eleven tracks from the various re-releases, you end up with an album that's impressive in its scope and sheer consistency. The number of genres these guys tackle--and master--is amazing. If executives are looking to forge a new pop group, this is exactly the template they should be following.

3. Mika - The Origin Of Love



A surprising return to form after I (and quite a few others) had written him off. This is his most cohesive and personal album, and it really feels like an artist maturing. There's nothing better than thoughtful, mature pop, but Mika doesn't forget to pile on the hooks and production flourishes, either. More than that, the album doesn't just feel like a collection of songs. The listening experience is like a story, each part integral to the whole.

Top 50 Singles Of 2012: 15-11

15. Mika - Celebrate



The most celebratory (obviously) single of Mika's career. It's him at his simple, melody-driven best.

14. EXO-K - History



One of the funkiest beats of the year, and a melody written by the always reliable Thomas Troelsen.

13. Diviney - You're So Cool



Went straight from Short Stack to 80's, INXS-style funk-pop. Totally irresistible.

12. Bigbang - Fantastic Baby



If only people knew that there was a 2012 K-Pop single with even more bombastic, earth-shaking dance beats than Gangnam Style...

11. Fun. - Some Nights 



Fun.'s masterpiece, and what I hope will be the template for every track from here on.

Mika - Overrated

"Words get broken, cut me open"

Please believe me when I say that this new Mika album is freaking excellent. I wasn't a fan of his last one beyond the singles, but he's created something really special here. I'll have a full review shortly, but for now enjoy this track, which is one of the many highlights. Overrated is Mika as we've never heard him before. It's an aggressive, experimental electro/dance track with some really powerful vocals. I know he's famous for that falsetto, but I absolutely love the lower tones in his voice, and they're on full display here. There are some parts which are very on trend in the dance world, like the euphoric synths in the chorus, but the verses and bridge are so damned interesting. More and more, interesting pop is hard to find. Congrats, Mika. You totally redeemed yourself, and then some.



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

Mika - Make You Happy

"All I wanna do is make you happy"

I didn't even know that Mika was working on a new album, but it's definitely good news. Singles aside, I wasn't blown away by his last one, though I found his French language Elle Me Dit to be refreshing and fun. It sounds as though the new release is going to be a bit different for him, working with producers like Pharrell and Empire of the Sun (the second is much more exciting to me than the first). I'm not sure if Make You Happy will be featured on that upcoming album, but it's a nice little surprise regardless. Despite the title, it's not particularly uptempo and definitely not as manic/bubblegum as some of his other stuff. This is both praise and criticism, as I personally love upbeat Mika. Still, the subtle, atmospheric electronics of this are an interesting progression for him and the song makes me very curious as to what the album's going to sound like. Plus, it gets better as it goes along, building to a nice musical climax.



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

Top 50 Singles of 2011: 40-36

40. Jedward - Lipstick



Jedward in the top 50? Yep, they finally released a song worthy of their bonkers brilliance. If only it had won Eurovision.

39. Britney Spears - I Wanna Go



When we're talking pop music, there's no denying the little earworms in this song. Honestly, it's less about Britney and more about the brilliant production.

38. Lady Gaga - Marry The Night



A triumphant dance track that brings Gaga's latest album full circle. It's one of her best videos, too.

37. Nero - Promises



Dubstep gone mainstream, with a wonderful La Roux-esque melody. An unexpected, deserved hit this summer.

36. Mika - Elle Me Dit



The first French track ever on one of my countdowns. It doesn't matter what the language is, though, when the melody is so persistent and uplifting.

My Top Songs of Summer 2011

Summer is over this weekend (though from the weather around here, you'd think that it was finally just beginning). I was seriously underwhelmed in the album category this year, but there were a ton of great singles to choose from. Here's an album's worth (in no particular order) of what I've been listening to over and over again. What about you?

Example - Changed The Way You Kissed Me - Such a leap from his earlier work, which I also loved. It's just a gargantuan song waiting to crossover to the US.

One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful - I was a huge supporter of theirs during X-Factor, and now that I've heard this I like them even better. 100% on the mark.

Martin Rolinski - Blame It On A Decent Matter - BWO frontman goes solo with a track that nearly out-BWOs BWO! Big, plastic Swedish synths (MUCH better than Swedish meatballs).

LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem - This was, for better or worse, played so often this summer. A triumph in infectious stupidity.

Pnau - The Truth - It really caught on with me over the past few months. That chorus hits you like a freight train.

Adele vs Robin S. - Show Me In The Deep - I tired of the Adele original very quickly, but never wore out this excellent remix. She should do dance more often. The remix of the year, without question.

Nero - Promises Dipping my toe into dubstep (and this is really watered down dubstep), this was the La Roux track of the summer (without actually being La Roux).

The Sound Of Arrows - Magic - They get better and better with every release. This never failed to cheer me up.

Foster The People - Helena Beat The world's still reeling from their debut, but I was onto the next single months ago. This one's better, anyways.

Mika - Elle Me Dit - Who would have thought Mika would've wormed his way back into my good graces with a french dance track?

Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger - Even stranger, this was a band I couldn't stand two months ago. Cue this track, which turned it around with that incessant whistle. Xtina couldn't even ruin it.

Le Kid - America - A soaring pop confection from Sweden, in a year where Sweden isn't quite living up to the hype I always give it.

Katy Perry - Last Friday Night - With each single, I like her more and more. The video to this song clinched it.

The Wanted - Glad You Came - I have a feeling that this will be known as the year of the boybands in the UK. But when they're this good...

Mika - Elle Me Dit

"Elle me dit, c'est ta vie"

Mika's back? And he's French now? Whatever. Although I really don't listen to his music very often, I'm always curious to see what he'll do next and I do enjoy quite a large chunk of his musical output. I certainly didn't expect this, though. I think I was one of the only fans of his last single (the RedOne pairing was interesting, to say the least) and I guess this follows along with the dancey feeling of that, but there is still the little detail of the language. I'm not sure if he's trying to break in with French audiences (or if he's already popular there? I can imagine that), but he's gone and released this--the first taster from his upcoming album--as a French-only single. Forgetting the fact that I can't understand a word, I'm liking this more the more I listen to it. It's incredibly simple, while retaining the manic energy he's known for. If the album's anything like this (but in English), I'll be happy.

Elle Me Dit - Mika by Mehdy B.

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

Top 50 Singles of 2009: 25-21

25. Erik Hassle - Don’t Bring Flowers



Even better than Hurtful, this straddled the line perfectly between acoustic, electro and pure pop. Puts its American counterparts to shame.

24. Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo



Xenomania proves their worth yet again with this adrenaline-pumping dance track. A new duo couldn’t ask for a better introduction to the charts.

23. Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment



Many expected him to go rock, but instead the Idol runner-up released his version of what sounds like a Britney Spears song. The difference is he can sing like nobody’s business.

22. Mika - We Are Golden



The most over-the-top single in a career of over-the-top singles, this annoyed many but delighted me. It’s approaching Freddie Mercury territory.

21. Malena Ernman - La Voix



A perfect melding of opera and dance, this deserved so much better than it received in Eurovision. The chorus is still stirring.