The ARIAs - Shit As Usual

My future husband Andy Bull - Robbed of ARIA glory!
So this year's ARIA nominations (Australia's equivalent to the Grammies) have just been announced and all the usual suspects are heavily represented. Seriously, if you're the overhyped product of a major record label, specialise in indie rock or are simply a pretentious singer-songwriter with an alternative haircut then chances are you're going home with a swag of awards. Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to argue with The Temper Trap, Empire Of The Sun or even Kate Miller-Heidke snagging a bunch of nominations but Sarah Blasko, Eskimo Joe and AC/DC? Bitch, please. Why not just nominate Missy Higgins for whatever vomit inducing "masterpiece" she's currently working on/squeezing out of her arsehole? I guess pop music will never be recognised in this country so I've decided to come up with my own nominees. I know some of my choices are not eligible (due to release dates) but here goes:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

AC/DC - Black Ice
Sarah Blasko - As Day Follows Night
Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
Eskimo Joe - Inshalla
The Temper Trap - Conditions

How depressing is this category? I have a sinking feeling that Sarah Blasko's cure for insomnia will win but I have my fingers crossed that Empire Of The Sun or The Temper Trap snatch it from her.

MY PICKS

Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
Shelley Harland - Red Leaf
Sneaky Sound System - 2
Andy Bull - We're Too Young
Lisa Mitchell - Wonder
Jessica Mauboy - Been Waiting
Empire Of The Sun - Empire Of The Sun
Bertie Blackman - Secrets And Lies
Dash & Will - Up In Something

NZ acts are clearly eligible, so where is Ladyhawke? People actually bought her album. Speaking of commercial success, why isn't Jessica Mauboy being rewarded for being the closest thing this country currently has to an authentic pop star? The lack of respect shown to Sneaky Sound System's stunning sophomore album is just rude, while Bertie Blackman has taken things to the next level with "Secrets And Lies". At least she snagged a best "Independent Album" nomination - poor Andy Bull's brilliant debut was completely ignored as was Shelley Harland's gorgeous "Red Leaf". That's not even touching on the injustice of Dash & Will's "Up In Something" being overlooked despite being the best teenage guitar-pop album released in recent memory.

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream
Hilltop Hoods - Chase That Feeling
Ladyhawke - My Delirium
Kate Miller-Heidke - The Last Day On Earth
The Tempter Trap - Sweet Disposition

This is one of the few categories I can't really criticise. "Walking On A Dream", "Sweet Disposition", "My Delirium" and "The Last Day On Earth" are all exquisite. "Chase That Feeling" isn't exactly my cup of tea but it's catchy as hell and perhaps the only example of local hip hop that broke through to the mainstream.


OTHER WORTHY CANDIDATES

Andy Bull - Small Town Girl
Vanessa Amorosi - This Is Who I Am
Zoë Badwi - Release Me
Amy Pearson - Butterfingers
Bertie Blackman - Byrds Of Prey
Liena - Go Crazy
Jessica Mauboy - Been Waiting
Mandy Kane - 25 Seconds
Ricki Lee - Don't Miss You
Samantha Jade - Secret
Lisa Mitchell - Coin Laundry
@m8er - Kill That Bitch
TV ROCK ft Rudy - In The Air
Kylie - Chiggy Wiggy
Evermore - Hey Boys And Girls (Truth Of The World)
Lenka - The Show
Natalie Imbruglia - Want
Bluejuice - Broken Leg
Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
Sneaky Sound System - I Will Be Here
The Vanish - Heartbeat
Nikki Webster - Devilicious

This is such a tough category. I think the ARIA voters actually did a pretty good job - with the obvious exception of forgetting "Small Town Girl", which is one of my favourite Australian singles of all time. I also think Jessica Mauboy was hard done by seeing as she is the only local artist regularly scoring top ten hits and has delivered a couple of top notch singles in the form of "Burn" and "Been Waiting". Zoë Badwi's massive club hit "Release Me" deserved some recognition, while Bag Raiders' breakthrough single is a true thing of a beauty. Another glaring omission is Lisa Mitchell's "Coin Laundry", which remains one of 2009's quirkiest pop songs. With any luck Vanessa's amazing pop anthem (currently #1 on iTunes!) will get a nod next year.

BEST FEMALE ARTIST

Sarah Blasko - As Day Follows Night
Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
Jessica Mauboy - Been Waiting
Kate Miller-Heidke - Curiouser
Lisa Mitchell - Wonder

With the exception of Sarah Blasko, this is pretty spot on. I used to hate Kate Miller-Heidke but "The Last Day On Earth" has made me a late convert and Lisa Mitchell's album is as beautiful as it is odd. Both Ladyhawke and Jessica Mauboy both featured heavily in my best of 2008 countdown, so it's nice to see them getting some props.


OTHER WORTHY CANDIDATES

Shelley Harland
Bertie Blackman
Lenka
Samantha Jade
Kylie

There should be legislation in place to ensure Kylie is nominated every year even when she doesn't release anything. On a more serious note, I think Shelley Harland and Bertie Blackman were robbed and Lenka should get some sort of recognition for her international success. As should Samantha Jade, who continues to proudly fly the flag in LA (despite never having had a hit!) and even appears as a featured vocalist (on an iTunes bonus track) on David Guetta's smash hit album. $ucce$$!!!

BEST MALE ARTIST

Paul Dempsey - Everything Is True
Bob Evans - Goodnight, Bull Creek
Daniel Merriweather - Love And War
Josh Pyke - Chimney's Afire
CW Stoneking - Jungle Blue

Now this is completely fucking dire. I guess Daniel deserves some recognition for selling records in the UK but apart from being a hot piece he doesn't do much for me. No comment about the other nobodies.


OTHER SUGGESTIONS

Andy Bull
Brecik
Jason Singh

Poor Andy Bull. Are you cunts telling me he doesn't have more to offer than Josh Pyke, Bob Evans and Paul Dempsey? I don't even know who C.W. Stoneking is and I really don't want to! The pickings for this category are pretty slim but I would have thrown a nomination Brecik's way for shits and giggles, while Jason Singh sounded pretty good on Todd Watson's "World As You Know It". Where's John Farnham when you need him?

BEST GROUP

AC/DC
The Drones
Empire Of The Sun
Eskimo Joe
Hilltop Hoods

This line up represents everything wrong about the Australian music scene. Fingers crossed that sanity prevails and Empire Of The Sun win.


MY PICKS

Empire Of The Sun
Bag Raiders
The Temper Trap
RAEN
Dash & Will
The Vanish

With Australian electro currently making waves around the globe, it seems appropriate that some of our best proponents of that genre (such as Bag Raiders and The Vanish) get some recognition. The Temper Trap should get a nod for the brilliance of "Sweet Disposition" alone. As for the other nominees, I think Dash & Will are the unsung heroes of 2009. They have released an amazing album and a string of great singles and noone seems to give a shit. I just hope they hurry up and release "Too Young Too Dumb" and finally achieve the commerical success they so richly deserve. Oh and RAEN should get something for carrying on in the face of constant failure.

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST - SINGLE

Art Vs Science - Art Vs Science
Bluejuice - Broken Leg
Ladyhawke - My Delirium
Jessica Mauboy - Running Back Feat. Flo Rida
Lisa Mitchell - Coin Laundry

I love all these songs. Congratulations to the ARIA committee for getting it right.


OTHER WORTHY CONTENDERS

Zoë Badwi - Release Me
Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars
Liena - Go Crazy
@m8er - Kill That Bitch

Dance music is always underappreciated but Australia's new Queen of dance should be applauded for spending 7 weeks at #1 on the club chart. Liena's "Go Crazy" is the closest an Australian will ever get to sounding like Rihanna and probably would have been a massive hit if it got any kind of promotion. The same goes for "Shooting Stars", which I'm pretty confident will get a much better reception in Europe than at home. As for @m8er, well I think she'll have the last laugh. Her album promises to be amazing.

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST - ALBUM

Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke
Jessica Mauboy - Been Waiting
Lisa Mitchell - Wonder
C.W. Stoneking - Jungle Blues
The Temper Trap - Conditions

Who the hell is C.W. Stoneking and how can it be a breakthrough album if NOONE has ever heard of him? The rest of the choices are pretty spot on.


THESE POOR BITCHES WERE ROBBED

Andy Bull - We're Too Young
Shelley Harland - Red Leaf
Dash & Will - Up In Something

I know I sound like a broken record but these are three of my favourite albums of 2009. Andy captures the spirit of 70s soul in a way that Daniel Merriweather could only dream of and has pretty much come up with the soundtrack to (what remains of) my youth! Shelley's opus has provided me with so much comfort and joy this year. Her music is raw, honest and beautiful. "Panic To Control" is my new personal mantra, while I sent "Clouds Disappear" to a special someone because it said everything I was feeling but couldn't express in words. I've ranted enough about Dash & Will but it really is a great album. "Fighting Over Nothing", "Save Me" and "Some Like It Hot" are homegrown guitar pop at its finest.

AWARD FOR SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN POP TRASH

Amy Pearson - Butterfingers
Nikki Webster - Devilicious
@m8er - Kill That Bitch
The Wiggles & Kylie - Monkey Man
Samantha Jade - Secret

I thought I'd finish up with a category of my own. I find it hard to define "pop trash" but all these amazing anthems convey the essence of this website. Amy because of her utter desperation and sleazy lyrics. Nikki because she's a child star turned FHM glamour model. @m8er because she doesn't give a shit. Kylie for having a sense of humour. And finally Samantha Jade for dressing like a porn star and spending her video clip (below) trying to turn an arrested homosexual. Respect ladies!


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Shelley Harland Interview

It's true that I spend the vast majority of my time listening to trashy pop records but there is another side to me. I love soul, country and the occasional indie pop queen/singer-songwriter. Shelley Harland probably falls into that latter category but only by default. Her music mixes a variety of genres from Carpenters-esque 70s pop to languid alt-country. I hear lashings of Bic Runga and Beth Orton with a bit of Aimee Mann thrown in for good measure. Usually that concoction would have me running for the hills in horror but Shelley's debut is one of my favourite albums of the year. "Red Leaf" is a little dark, occasionally depressing but always strikingly beautiful and effortlessly melodic. It's the kind of album that is best played in the early hours of the morning, when you can soak up every word and tiny nuance of the sparse yet intricate production. "Red Leaf" probably won't push Pink from the top of the charts but it deserves to be discovered and treasured. I couldn't wait to ask Shelley about the album and her previous career as a private investigator!

Shelley, I've been referring to you as a local girl on the blog but you're actually English and got your big break in New York. How did you end up in Australia?
I had been living in New York for a while and felt like I had soaked up all the madness of it - I wanted to experience something completely different and had never lived by the ocean. James and I had never been to Sydney - so we looked at the map and decided Bondi sounded nice. We shipped our studio off and landed here.

Did the move have a big impact on your sound? There's an organic quality to "Red Leaf" that I find quintessentially Australian.
Yes - i didn't realise until half way in, but there was a LOT more space in my songs, less clutter, more raw and exposed. Something I really like because I feel people can experience the honesty of the song more.

The album is spectacular - so intimate and personal. How does it feel now that it's finally released? Are you relieved or nervous about how it will be received?
It's a wonderful feeling to have the finished album in my hands. It's had it's own journey from the studio in my apartment to David Skeet's studio, Tim Powles studio for drums, over to UK for Chris Sheldon to mix and then Abbey Road for mastering..... I'm excited to get it out to people and hear their reaction.

You worked with some amazing people on the album. How did David Skeet and Tim Powles become involved?
Someone introduced me to David shortly after I arrived in Sydney and we hit it off - he's English and a bit mad and we both liked tea and biscuits - so we were off to a good start! David was in a band with Tim years ago called The Venetians - they've always been friends and Tim was happy to get stuck in on the record.

Marina & The Diamonds recently lamented that too much value is placed on singles - to the point where good albums are almost a dying art. Do you agree?
I do agree. It's a shame because albums are sort of the soundtrack to your life. I can look back on some albums and they immediately stir up an emotion or feeling that was relevant to that time - like little memory triggers. I love to own a whole album and feel the artwork and read the lyrics, I'm a big fan of vinyl too. Hopefully people will get bored with the one hit wonders and go in search for more in the treasure chests that are out there.

I felt like someone had broken into my room and read my diary the first time I heard “Wonder”. I can identify with lyrics a little too much. Was the song written about anyone in particular?
That song seems to just resonate with people.... David had actually been over at my house that day and was discussing an ex girlfriend of his, wondering what had happened to her, he had tried to track her down but couldn't find her. I have a constant feeling of nostalgia, having lived in so many places I'm always wondering about people, friends, people I went to school with - did their lives turn out to be what they wanted them to be? It's on my mind a lot. After David left that day the lyrics just spilled out me...

“Friday” is one of the catchiest songs on the album. It reminds me of The Carpenters. Are you a fan? The video (above) is amazing!
I love the Carpenters! The video was so much fun to make - I had a great time. Dale, the main ice skater was the best, he'd never done any acting before but he was a pro. James also wrote the main video treatment idea so it was exciting watching it come to life!

"Clouds Disappear" is so romantic. Are you a bit of a softie at heart?
I'm a total softy at heart - too much actually. This is about James. I was sitting on a bus on my way home from work one night and I was worrying about bills and rent and feeling a little miserable. Then towards the end of the trip I started picking myself up, remembering how lucky I was to have such a wonderful person in my life.... when I got off the bus James was waiting in the rain holding an umbrella so I didn't get wet! So I got home and wrote a little song all about it.

My favourite song on the album is “Panic To Control”. I interpret it as a kind of mantra about persevering in the face of disaster and doggedly following your dreams. What's it really about?
Good interpretation! It really is about not giving into fear - but to just look it in the eye and fight for your dreams. I've had a few anxieties in life, things that I could have given in to and retreated a little - we all have fears and sometimes they can suck away your quality of life. This is about being a soldier and marching into battle for your heart.

On “Sorry” you sing “I travelled overseas and changed the way I look but the mirror tells me every day that I’m a crook”. It sounds pretty autobiographical. Who did you piss off in the States?!
Actually this is loosely based on my time working in a Private Investigators office in New York. Watching people out to get each other because they had affairs etc. The dark side of it all and how I imagine you would walk through life feeling like a criminal. It's much easier on your mind and your pocket to just say you're sorry.

Were you really a private investigator in NY? What kind of cases did you take? I’m fascinated!
Yes, it's completely true! I started as a secretary then began doing surveillance. It was crazy! My boss was the best! We did all sorts of cases but as you can guess most were marital. You can check my old boss out here.

The title track is so poetic. It’s hard to believe you had no formal musical training. How did you hone your craft?
It was just something that came very naturally to me. Like...riding a bike. Once you get it, you get it! That's how it felt for me - and now I can't imagine a life without it. Music is how I breathe through life.

Before “Red Leaf” you were probably best known for collaborating with dance artists like Delerium and Ferry Corsten. I absolutely loved your forays into electronica. Have you considered compiling those songs onto an album and will you return to that genre in the future?
A lot of my electronic music is available online now and I definitely approach music with the freedom to create whatever I feel like. I also love to collaborate so I can pretty much guarantee lots of music in lots of genres in the future.

Thanks for your time. I really hope the album takes off.
Thank you!

"Red Leaf" is in stores now. Check out the album's lead single "Wonder" below. The video is like a walking tour through Sydney! It's weird but kind of cool to see the Circular Quay steps and city markets in a video.


Source URL: https://popmusicrecords.blogspot.com/search/label/Shelley%20Harland
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Pop Panel - Week 8

This week's Pop Panel was a lot of fun. I decided to shake things up by throwing some obscure international pop acts into the mix and it was great to see how well they were recieved. If nothing else it proves that good music is universal. That's particularly true of our winners. Yes, we have a tie! I love both songs but there can only be one "Single Of The Week", so I picked an outright champion. I hope the rest of the Panel doesn't mind! Speaking of which, this week's judges are:

Mike author of this classy blog.
Paul (UK) writer of Fizzy Pop
Rob (UK) writer of Don't Stop The Pop
The Prophet (AUS) writer of The Prophet

Unfortunately, D'Luv and Pablo have taken the week off but I've managed to round up some worthy replacements. Some of you might already know David, the fabulous exhibitionist who writes Cobrastyle (yes, that is his bulge). He's one of my favourite Spanish bloggers despite his obsession with Rachel Stevens. Our other guest judge is Tommie, who is a former Dannii's Dirty Box contributor. The Swedish bitch can now be found trolling music forums like Togerland and Pop Justice. Sadly, he doesn't have any crotch shots to share. On that classy note, here are the songs ranked from least to most popular:

Eleze – Teardrop (Video)

Not to be confused with the Dutch Queen of Dance, Elize. This Massive Attack cover is currently burning up the club charts.

David: I have mixed feelings when a great song is turned into a dance track. It's cheap and low brow but I guess its main audience will love it. I found it extremely boring. This is not particulary fun to dance to. Believe me, I tried. 1/5
Mike: The remixes are fantastic but this edit is a bit unfortunate. I just wish Eleze would cover something a bit less iconic next time. 3/5
Paul: Ah the elusive "video not available in your country due to copy right restrictions" which puts me off her a bit before I even hear the song. Tracked it down. Wished I hadn't. 2/5
Rob: Boring. 1/5
The Prophet: There's nothing I hate more in this world than High NRG covers of old songs (I'm looking at you Cuntcada). I can't believe she covered and destroyed Massive Attack... stupid bitch! 0/5
Tommie: I was a bit afraid to listen to this as I worship the original, but this isn't as much of a nuclear disaster as I assumed it would be. Stick the original vocals on it and it would make a good remix! 3/5
Total: 10/30

Kick - Ge Mig Lite Mer (Video)

The Lady GaGa sound has now officially infiltrated Sweden.

David: The Gaga similarties are the only thing we can really comment on. I think it's way too soon for the music industry to capitalize and mutate the Lady Gaga sound into something worth mentioning. 0/5
Mike: The brunette looks like she'd knife you for breathing on her. It's all a bit cheap and derivative but I like their skankiness and can't wait to hear their next low brow anthem. 2.5/5
Paul: I once knew a lesbian called Kaz (who looks like BB10's Lisa) who had those piercings all over her face. People may say this takes the Lady Gaga sound but isn't it really taking the sound of Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams" and Wynter Gordon's "Surveillance"? Which is what the GG stole anyway. That doesn't really summarise the song - sorry! It's only ok. 2.5/5
Rob: I remember seeing Kick perform at last year's Gay Pride in Sweden. Back then they were pretending to be R'n'B chicks. Now they've gone all Lady GaGa making them appear somewhat like a bitchier Lucky Twice which is okay but I think they have the potential to be more bad ass. Nice work girls but next time try a lot harder. 2/5
The Prophet: Absolute scum of a pig. Where the fuck did you find this trash? How dare this chorus be catchy! 2.5/5
Tommie: Due to the desperation and skankitude of this track, I feel like I should love it a bit more than I do. But I don't. 2/5
Total: 11.5/30

Ciara ft. Missy Elliot – Work (Video)

Single number two from Ciara's floptastic "Fantasy Ride".

David: The original was one of the few things I rescued from the album and it didn't need Missy Elliott to, ahem, work and I feel the need to say "shut up and let the song play" every time she appears. The fact is with no visual support it sounded like "black" Britney and her Danja-"Blackout" sound, with the video I thought of Janet's inheritance to earth (and Britney Spears must be one of them), Lady Gaga's stylist and even Beyoncé's weird dance routines and Pussycat Dolls' cheap lapdance. I don't know if it's a compliment. 3/5
Mike: Ciara has made a career jackin' Beyoncé's swagga and this is probably her most blatant act of thievery yet. Strippers will be flashing their tits to "Work" for years to come but I don't think that's going to save the poor man's Sasha Fierce taking a one way fantasy ride to Flopsville. 2.5/5
Paul: Hideous outfit in the video. And the song is pretty dreadful. That's not a chorus that's a dog barking. Ooo look, there's Missy Elliot. I rest my case. Yuck. Give me the Saturdays "Work" anyday. 1/5
Rob: There's so much potential in this but it doesn't quite 'work'. The video is amazing but the song sounds so 2002. 2/5
The Prophet: With one swing of her weave she makes all ya faves redundant! The weave spin at 3:30 defines me as a person... All ya faves could never. 5/5
Tommie: I'm not a huge Ciara fan, but this makes me feel a bit toppy Pete. It's a lot of noise, but enjoyable energetic noise. 3/5
Total: 16.5/30

VV Brown – Shark In The Water (Video)

VV is hoping for a hit to match the endless blog hype!

David: Her visual concepts are amazing, so amazing they don't match with the songs because the level is so high. I just wish I lived in a world where someone like her could live from her music and could sell more records than Duffy. Let's all close our eyes and let the summer sunshine burn all the bad memories away. I love it. 5/5
Mike: This poor bitch is suffocating in her own hype. VV's got talent but she's not the second coming. Having said all that, "Shark In The Water" is by far the best thing she's ever put her name to. There might be hope for her yet! 3.5/5
Paul: When will the amazing VV be as massive as, uh, Little Boots? Love this song, great guitar led verses, sweet wailing in the background before a killer chorus about a shark in the water. This really should have been sung by Deborah Gibson for her mega shark movie theme. Aces. 4/5
Rob: Heavy with cliches, I've tried my best to fall in love with VV Brown but 'Shark In the Water" is all mouth and no trousers. For sure there's a melody in there, however, she refuses to truly convey any emotion that the lyrics demand the singer own. This is about tragedy and heartbreak. Instead, VV Brown sings the song like she's trying to remember her times-tables. Very disapointing. 1/5
The Prophet: I really like VV but she's actually not as amazing as everyone makes out, or at least her songs aren't. That doesn't include "Shark In The Water" though, which is fucking amazing. VV is all things stunning and fabulous! 4.5/5
Tommie: I keep hearing and hearing and hearing about this girl and yet she never seems to live up to the hype. Stop obsessing about this girl bloggers, she ain't that good and "Shark In The Water' is average! I'm giving this a zero in protest. 0/5
Total: 18/30

Queensberry – Too Young (Above)

Germany's 2nd biggest girlband strike again.

David: The beginning made me think of Israeli pop about some yidish fag getting laid. The chorus made me think of midnineties summer singles that flirted with the Ibiza sound. Nice. 3/5
Mike: These German stunners show the UK slappers how it's done! I love the big chorus and the ever so slightly over the top synths. Consider No Angels officially kicked to the curb! 4/5
Paul: I quite like this. They do get a bit screechy in the chorus, but it's forgiveable. It's very generic pop though, which probably isn't for me. I like new things introduced slowly (except in the sack obviously, where i'm quite the whore). 3/5
Rob: No Angels, their rivals, will have to up their game when they comeback as "Too Young" is amazing. 5/5
The Prophet: It's so funny to think that there's all these random girl groups existing in other countries we've never heard of but they're really big in their homeland. Anyways I don't expect to hear from them anytime soon since they're scum trash. 2/5
Tommie: Am I the only one who thinks of dingleberries when I hear the name Queensberry? No? Just me then? Anyway, it's the usual radio fodder. Not horrible by any means, but nothing special either. 2/5
Total: 18.5/30

Shelley Harland – Friday (Video)

This local talent has been making waves for some time. "Friday" is her 2nd single.

David: Nice song but there's nothing catchy about it, I guess it could work with persistence but I can't be bothered. It's nice enough. On the other hand, the video is amazing. But let's just keep this shit about the music. 2/5
Mike: Shelley's last single was great in an incredibly depressing kind of way but thankfully this is a little more upbeat. I really hope "Friday" takes off. It would be nice to hear something this subtle and pretty on the radio. 4/5
Paul: Ooo acoustic sounding girl poetry pop. Now this is right up my street. I'm really liking this - such a pretty melody and a nice lilith fair production value. Yes, i'm quite loving this thank you very much. 4/5
Rob: Nice, if somewhat dull. 3/5
The Prophet: Hmm acoustic indie-pop, my second most hated genre. With that said I have to admit that I love this whimsical little tune, very cute! 4/5
Tommie: I usually get off on this type of indie pap, but this is just generic and after three listens I wouldn't be bothered if I never heard it again. 2/5
Total: 19/30

Nelly Furtado – Manos Al Aire (Video)

The lead single from Nelly's forthcoming Spanish album.

David: Don't misunderstand me - "Loose" is a tremendous album, the biggest slice of pop of its year that smashed the competition and fucked real hard on the ass of its supposed big brother "Futuresex/Lovesounds" but it wasn't a Nelly Furtado album. With some lessons learned Nelly Furtado comes back with an amazing song, that lyricaly brings her back to her "Folklore" days but with an updated sound. Gorgeous song, will do well. 4/5
Mike: As much as I loved "Loose", it's great to have the real Nelly Furtado back. "Manos Al Aire" is stunningly lovely and continues to grow on me every time I hear it but why isn't she singing in Portuguese? 4/5
Paul: It's alright. Unlike the Shakira single, it doesn't really set my world on fire. It's a throwback to the more tribal Nelly F of days gone by before Timbaland got his grubby mitts on her. Overall semi-pleasing. 3/5
Rob: This is sweet and I expect it'll be a massive hit in Spain. 3/5
The Prophet: I stan for Nelly so I'm almost guaranteed to love this by default. It's just a safe radio pop/rock track, but she did a great good job for the type of song that it is. It's no "Onde Estas" but it'll do for now. 4/5
Tommie: Oh look. Madonna just got another song to rip-off on her "To Steal" list. Really nice. 3.5/5
Total: 21.5/30

SINGLE OF THE WEEK



Chae Yeon – Shake (below)

Chae is Korea's most controversial star. This video was banned in her homeland for erotic dancing and for depicting someone on the toilet.

David: I guess Asian people think the same about this song I think about Guru Josh project or Tom DeBoxer type of songs. 0/5
Mike: Chae is the hottest bitch in the K Pop game and this is ten kinds of fabulous! I love the tacky rap, amazing (sub-titled) lyrics and catchy chorus. "Shake" is so much fun, it puts all her English speaking counterparts to shame. 5/5
Paul: well, there is never any need to showcase anyone on the loo because it's entirely vile. And while I didn't like the generic club beat, it had totally won me over by the chorus. Her voice is quite pretty too. English subs were hilarious! 3.5/5
Rob: Wow. This could be a Korean remixed version of Kylie's rave classic "Do You Dare". Love it. 4/5
The Prophet: She's hideous, but I love how slutty the chorus is so it gets a good score from me. 4/5
Tommie: The music video looks like it was filmed on a cellphone, the girl looks like she's about to say "sucky sucky 10 dollahs love u long time" and the song reminds me of something else. I LOVE it. Close the panel, this is the winner! 5/5
Total: 21.5/30

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