Top 20 Albums Of 2013: 4-3

4. Natalia Kills - Trouble



Going in to the new year, Natalia Kills was not on my radar. Like the other uninitiated, I think I stupidly considered her a pale imitation of Gaga. Shame on me. In September, she put me right by releasing an album of personal, melodic pop with a definite edge. It eclipses her debut by leaps and bounds and feels like a real statement, carving her own place in the pop landscape. On first listen, I knew that it was good, but it kept pulling me back over a period of weeks, revealing new highlights each time. This is the hallmark of an album with staying power, and it’s going to be hard for her to top.

3. Shinee - 2013 Studio Albums



Let’s see…. In the past twelve months, these guys have released nine singles, three albums and one EP. Hardest working band on the planet? I wouldn’t doubt it. The most impressive thing about this feat is that every release has remained remarkably consistent. So much so, that I didn’t feel it was right to separate their 2013 oeuvre. If I were to, I’d be sure to highlight their first album of the year, Dream Girl, a collection of fizzy, neon future pop with one foot firmly in the past. But then came Why So Serious, and later the lamely titled Boys Meet U, with its awesome psychedelic opener and summery title track.

Top 50 Singles Of 2013: 25-21

25. Austin Mahone - What About Love



In a year where 90's nostalgia truly blossomed, nothing evoked the Max Martin produced boybands of yesteryear better than this.

24. Ulrik Munther - San Francisco Says Hello



A particularly melancholy, lovelorn ballad from this Swedish star, but with a singalong chorus to die for.

23. Roberto Bellarosa - Love Kills



My favorite Eurovision track of the year, and it came from Belgium, a country that barely registers with me musically. Mammoth hook.

22. Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball 



The inescapable ballad that cemented Cyrus as an enormous, A-level pop star worldwide. The rare song that screams "#1 hit" from the very first listen.

21. Natalia Kills - Saturday Night 



The song that made me truly stand up and notice Natalia Kills. Personal, provocative and delivered with such heart that it's impossible to ignore.

Natalia Kills - Trouble

"We don't need to be forgiven"

I'm back! I've spent the last few weeks cavorting around London, Stockholm and Copenhagen (and seeing Billy Elliot the Musical for the 6th and 7th times haha), so I feel like most of the stuff I'll be writing about for the next week or so will be the songs that soundtracked my adventures. This inevitably means that they won't necessarily be hot-off-the-presses new, but I still need to put my word on them. Kicking these off is the terrific Television by Natalia Kills. I'm extremely impressed by all of Natalia's new album. It's ten times better (and more consistent) than her debut. But none of the tracks matches the ferocious awesomeness of this opening song. I loved it from the get-go. It's melodically amazing (that near-acapella bit at the end? dear lord) and lyrically biting. It does a great job of framing the concept around the entire album, which appears to be a (semi?) autobiographical chronicle of a gritty, misspent youth and adolescence. Natalia used to be a poor man's Lady Gaga. No longer. This is brilliant.



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

Natalia Kills - Saturday Night

"Another fist, another wall"

I'm suddenly really excited for Natalia Kills' upcoming second album (released in September). I always thought she had a ot of potential to be a very interesting popstar, and some of that potential was fulfilled in her debut. Now that she can move past Gaga-esque sounds and carve out her own niche, we could be in for some really cool mainstream pop. Saturday Night is certainly a move in that direction. A slow-burning electro thump gives way to a melody that sounds more like a classic rock ballad than 21st century pop music. Best of all, it seems like Natalia actually has something interesting to say (rather than the obligatory "throw your hands in the air... isn't life great? we're so cool!" sentiment). Now please let the album live up to my hopes for it!



(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.

Natalia Kills - Controversy

"Drink the kool-aid, don't drink the kool-aid"

I've been sort of hot and cold when it comes to Natalia Kills. Some of her stuff, I absolutely love, but a lot of her album tracks just didn't hit with me. Plus, like others have noted, her constant desire to be controversial and "arty," can sometimes get in the way of a good tune (sound familiar, Lady Gaga?). So it's going to be a bit strange that I'm now singing the praises of her least melodic, most controversy-baiting single. In fact, the song's even called Controversy (in case we didn't get it). It should be horrible, but I find this utterly engaging. The beat, for starters, is absolutely addictive. I love the industrial production. Then there's Natalia's delivery, which really sells it. There's something very charismatic about her speaking voice. When I first heard the song title, I thought about Prince, which is a comparison that still stands today. This reminds me of something he might have done way back when.



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

Natalia Kills - Kill My Boyfriend

"He's only nice when there's somebody there"

I've slowly come around to Natalia Kills. At first I thought she was the poor man's Lady Gaga (but the British version, which should technically be much cooler). I'm all for more theatricality in pop music, but nobody wants a copycat. Luckily, with every single she releases, Natalia is carving out an identity all her own. Wonderland was excellent (but still very Gaga), Free was, for me, the turning point. It's an excellent pop song in its own right. And now, with Kill My Boyfriend, she's ready for her first big hit. If everything goes well, this should be the song that introduces her to a bigger audience. It's cheeky without being annoying, but more importantly it has an undeniably catchy melody that hits you on the first listen. I love the mix of tones here... playful at one moment and then sleazy the next. Of course, with the title of this song and her stage name, people are gonna get the wrong idea about this girl!

Natalia Kills - Kill My Boyfriend by Marco_g2

(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 12/08/10

Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude
I like this girl because I think she's got charisma. But... I'm not crazy about this song. It grates a little and I just feel like for as much hype as she's getting, she could've come with something more original. B-

The Wanted - Lose My Mind
Their debut album was stronger than it had to be and really quite a good listen, but this song has never screamed "single" to me. It's one of their more skippable tracks, particularly because it sounds way too much like Kings of Leon. As an album track, I love it, but I wish it would've stayed that way. B

Bruno Mars - Grenade
He was smart to release this, one of his album's strongest tracks, as a single. If he continues this quality, he's going to have quite a career. The vocals are amazing. A-

Coldplay - Christmas Lights
If any band were made to write a Christmas song, it would be Coldplay (especially after Clocks). This is somewhat underwhelming, mostly because it really doesn't sound like Christmas at all. That's probably the point, but to me it's a missed opportunity. C+

Sugarland - Stuck Like Glue
I first heard this a couple of months ago and thought: "hey, this country song could totally cross over to pop radio." And it did. It's dangerously catchy. I'm not even sure if I like it, but I can't resist it, which means once it becomes even more ubiquitous I'm sure I'll hate it. For now, it's an A-

Wiz Khalifa - Black And Yellow
I was all prepared to hate this, but the beat's actually really good and the hook's not bad either. I could see this easily pulling 50 Cent In Da Club type success and crossing over. It's not really my thing, but for what it is it's solid. B

Natalia Kills - Mirrors
This reminds me a little of what Lady Gaga sounded like when she first came out. It's great, but the only problem is that we have a Lady Gaga already and it's just a little too similar. Even the vocal delivery is the same. That being said, I'm liking this more each time I hear it. A week ago this would've been a B- at most. Now it's a B+