Pop: Beat Of The Week {26/01/12}

Charlie Brown

Coldplay 

♫♫♫♫♫ 

It’s a little more than difficult to top an album like Viva La Vida, and turning to a more mainstream direction might’ve made fans skeptical, but Coldplay hold their own yet again.

Charlie Brown, the third single from their album titled Mylo Xyloto, is undoubtedly one of the best tracks on this record. Named on the actual comic strip character Charlie Brown, from Peanuts, the song even takes some of its lyrics from the famous comic strip. As far as the music goes, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland’s guitar riff is mesmerizing. He truly is the focus of this album. Chris Martin’s voice could not have been better. The song is a declaration of madness, freedom and celebration!

With two previous singles (Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall and Paradise) already receiving 3 Grammy nods, Charlie Brown has big shoes to fill in. Will Charlie Brown ‘be glowing in the dark’? Only time will tell…

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTFBJgnNgU4&feature=related

You Da One

Rihanna

♫♫½♫♫  

No offence to the fans, but Rihanna’s music just gets dumber by the album. Sorry RiRi! Matter over mind is the clear message in almost every song on her new album, Talk That Talk.

Her second single, You Da One, starts off with an almost Avril Lavigne-ish hook, an annoying banter about her beloved ni**a. The rest of the Caribbean-reggae-pop song follows the same pattern. Except the dubstep twist in the end which is a little funny. No doubt after a few listens this song gets stuck in your head; how Rihanna does it is beyond me. But pop stars always sell music, they rarely make music. The music video is the ultimate proof. The B&W video is well made but Ri’s smuttiness just doesn’t seem to die down in any of her videos. Selling eye candy to cover up the weak ear candy is the mantra these days…

Enjoying good chart success currently, this song won’t be remembered for long.

Link: http: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3HeLs8Yosw&ob=av3e

Better Than I Know Myself  

Adam Lambert

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The Idol Diva returns with a bang on his new single, Better Than I Know Myself, off his yet to release sophomore album, Trespassing. Written by hit-makers Dr. Luke & Claude Kelly, this song simply shows off Lambert’s astonishing vocals, but in a very different light.

Lambert appears to have taken a new direction musically with this album. This record is much more personal and vulnerable than his last For Your Entertainment. His vocals are just as strong as his emotions are fragile. Confessing all that he’s done wrong in the relationship, he begs for his love to stay. A great piano ballad if stripped down, but the synths and the thumping bass beats give it that extra edge that makes Lambert shine throughout the song.

Better Than I Know Myself has not enjoyed much chart success yet, but with the right visuals accompanied (music video out soon), it won’t take much time.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg31XQR22zg&feature=relmfu

Turn Me On  (featuring Nicki Minaj)

David Guetta

♫♫½♫♫ 

It’s like monotony is muse for David Guetta in his new album Nothing But The Beat. With a powerhouse of collaborators up his sleeve, his music lacks the originality that was expected of the French DJ.

His new single, Turn Me On featuring rapper Nicki Minaj uses the same elements that his previous songs have. The slow yet inviting intro, the dance beat and the big, anthem-ish chorus is nothing that I haven’t heard before on a Guetta record. As for Nicki Minaj, her vocals are the unexpected highlight of this song. The fact that there is more singing than rapping on this track was a strange surprise. Judging by her live performances, it’s unbelievable that’s Nicki’s voice, or is it? But when her broken-record rapping starts off, which never seems to get old, she comes to her real element.

Compared to their previous collab, Where Them Girls At, this one doesn’t really ‘turn me on’, but nonetheless will climb high on the pop charts.

Link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVw7eJ0vGfM&feature=relmfu

Safe & Sound  (featuring The Civil Wars)

Taylor Swift 

♫♫♫½♫

Going #1 on digital charts almost immediately after the release and announcement of the first promotional single, Safe & Sound, from The Hunger Games OST, Taylor Swift escapes from her country-pop trap to a real folksy, indie sound.

Completely in-tune with the theme of the movie, the song has a post-apocalyptic, calm after the storm kinda feel and Swift’s voice makes it all the more pretty. Embracing her dark side, Swift has never sounded so mature, vocally and lyrically. It’s almost spine-chilling..! Backing vocals by folk-indie duo The Civil Wars somehow complete the song.

In a peace of its own, the music of Safe & Sound will create the perfect setting for the closing credits of The Hunger Games. Wonder what’s in store with the rest of the soundtrack…

Link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzhAS_GnJIc&feature=related

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