The Fooo Conspiracy - Run With Us

It seems like it's been awhile since The Fooo Conspiracy has graced us with another pop anthem. The funny thing is, it hasn't really been awhile at all... it's just that they had such a relentless 2014 that I've come to expect new material almost monthly. Well, Run With Us was worth the wait. The boys have outdone themselves again, with an instantly singalong summer pop song with an incredibly addictive groove. Basically, they took the awesome baseline from Iggy Azalea's Fancy and attached it to an actual song. It's exactly what you'd expect from a modern boyband on the top of their game. Now if only that international recognition could start heightening even further (though a part of me wants them to remain Sweden's awesome pop secret).



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

Top 20 Albums of 2014: 2-1

2. The Fooo Conspiracy - Off The Grid



I love debut albums that feel like greatest hits packages. The Fooo Conspiracy had released so many singles by the time this full length rolled around that it ended up feeling like listening to a great compilation. Now, this is teen pop through and through. You’re not going to find anything deep here, but remember this is a POP blog, and I can think of no more effective package of Western pop music in 2014 than Off The Grid. It’s Swedish pop melody and production at its very best, each song wrapped in so many layers of hooks that it’s like opening a box of candy and finishing it off with a big soft drink.

1. Infinite - Be Back



Probably the easiest Album of the Year I've had in awhile. It just stood heads and tails above everything else this year. I returned to it the most, I anticipated listening to it even months after it was released, and song for song, it’s one of the (if not the) strongest K-Pop albums I've heard. An ambitious mix of dance, ballads and lush, orchestral strings, it’s the type of album where each track stands as a highlight. The production is impeccable throughout - dense and interesting and surprising. It's a futuristic mix of the current and the classic, of hip hop and orchestral -- palatable to western ears but with a definite eastern flavor. And, oh yeah, the songs? Dynamite, each and every one. It's all tied together with the unmistakably unique wall-of-sound vocals that are distinctly Infinite. It probably won't be for everybody, but if you're willing to give it a few spins, I guarantee the album'll end up knocking you out. Funny enough, when this album was originally released without the two new repackage tracks, I gave it no love whatsoever. I didn't even add it to my ipod. But, I still remember that afternoon, about three listens in, when the entire thing clicked with me big time and I sat in awe as track after wonderful track impressed. It's a feeling that happens less and less these days as I consume more music, and in some ways it brought me back to being a teenager, when the whole world of pop music was new. Jeez, writing about it now I think I have to go listen to the damn thing again!

Top 10 Mini Albums of 2014

Before we move on to the best of the best early next week, I'm going to pause for my top mini albums (or EPs) of the year. Given that this format is used most widely in Asia, there's a lot of K-Pop on the list. Strangely, there's also only one female representing this year! I'll be looking for them to come strong in 2015! To be eligible for this chart, the albums must have at least four full tracks.

10. HyunA - A Talk



I became a HyunA fan this year, despite not being into too much of he stuff in the past. That's all to do with this sleek, dud-free collection of charismatic dance pop.

9. BTS - Skool Luv Affair



Nearly a full album, with eight tracks on the expanded version, I didn't like this quite as much as their other release this year, but you can't deny the pair of singles...totally different from one another but both awesome.

8. VIXX - Error



Glossy, meticulous production highlights this collection of dramatic, sci-fi flavored dance. The title track is epic, and the rest of the album surprisingly lives up to it.

7. Exo - Overdose 



EXO had a quieter year in 2014, with just this mini-album release. It's not their most in-your-face collection, but it's an incredibly interesting listen, sonically, and of course includes the fantastic title track.

6. Halo - Hello Halo 



One of the most promising new debuts of the year, I love that this group is pure POP and doesn't really try to be anything else. It's a short album, at only four tracks, but they're all bright and fun.

5. Austin Mahone - The Secret



It may not include his best song (What About Love), but the throwback sound to the late 90's Swedish pop boom is incredibly welcome and sets this collection of songs apart from everything else out there.

4. Gravitonas - Garden Of Men And Machines



My favorite release from them, simply because each and every song is flawless. It has a nice sonic variety as well, with aggressive dance sitting beside pensive balladry.

3. The Fooo Conspiracy - Conspiration



These guys released two excellent EPs this year, but this is my favorite. It's a masterclass in fun, youthful 2014 urban dance pop. Playful, energetic and ridiculously catchy.

2. Taemin - Ace 



I'm a massive Michael Jackson fan, which is part of the reason I love K-Pop so much, and Taemin delivered what sounds like a modern MJ release. His background as a dancer is evident in the way his vocals massage the beats.

1. B1A4 - Solo Day 



No single release this year sounded more like summer than this. Overall, it's more subdued and downtempo (even acoustic) than most of what I like, but song for song, I don't think this mini album could be beat in 2014. It just makes me happy.

Top 50 Singles of 2014: 20-16

20. Robin - Parasta Just Nyt (ft. Nikke Ankara)



A surprisingly aggressive comeback for Finland's reigning teen popstar. The unflinching beat and gargantuan chorus gives this track an almost operatic feel.

19. The Fooo Conspiracy - King Of The Radio



In a just world, this perfect pop song would've broken the band worldwide. I know I go on and on about hooks, but there's simply no denying the strength of that chorus, which comes in like a sledgehammer.

18. Taemin - Danger



Some people call Chris Brown the "new Michael Jackson," but they really need to look east to Taemin, who came back as a solo artist with this utterly MJ-inspired dance track.

17. Robin - Kesärenkaat 



Of all of Robin's amazing pop singles from 2014, this has to be the very best. It screams summer, and also feels like a welcome transition into more adult territory while still retaining an ebullient youthful energy.

16. Röyksopp and Robyn - Do It Again 



Another year passed without a proper return of Robyn, but at least we got this amazing collaboration. It just gets better as it morphs and grows throughout its five minutes, particularly that tearful refrain towards the end.

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: 35-31

35. Conchita Wurst - Rise Like A Phoenix



The most deserving Eurovision winner in years, and an epic James Bond-ian torch ballad at that. The vocals and theatricality on this are still so impressive.

34. The Fooo Conspiracy - All Over The World



The first entry from Sweden's best boyband. I like to call think of them as Scandinavian's answer to K-Pop. A dance group that sings, complimented by herky jerky beats and hooks for days.

33. Crayon Pop - Uh-ee



An unusual mix of electro and traditional Korean trot music, this will certainly be one of the more polarizing tracks (and groups) on the countdown. But whatever you think, you can't deny that bonkers hook.

32. Robin - Onnellinen 



The brilliant piano line will get you first, and then you'll be won over by that dramatic, soaring chorus that gets better every time it repeats.

31. Epik High - Born Hater (ft. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, B.I., Mino and Bobby) 



By far the "hardest" hip-hop track on the list, it's a veritable who's who of YG Entertainment's formidable tribe of rappers. What's more important, though, is that it boasts one of the year's best beats.

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

The Fooo Conspiracy - Ballin'

"You've never seen a young kid ballin' this hard"

Well, The Fooo Conspiracy is back again. And thank goodness for that! I love that these guys are following the K-pop model of not only releasing and album this year but now two mini albums. Better yet, the music remains consistently fresh and exciting, even when it veers into the cheese. This is teen pop after all! I've always seen these guys as a dance group that sings rather than the other way around, and that's actually really exciting. It ensures that, while we're not getting vocal acrobatics and trills, the vocals are always engaging, charismatic and recorded to support the beat. Ballin' is one of the guys' goofy, hopefully tongue-in-cheek swag anthems. It starts as typical boyband hip hop before plunging into the mini album's best chorus. Check all sense of seriousness at the door and there will be no way you can resist a hook this loud, even if it's cheesy as hell.



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