Conversations with Myself…

Musical Musings

Righteo, I’ve got another couple of little musical musings here and there… This post will be littered with YouTube-ings I’m afraid…

First off the SUGABABES.

Here’s a fancy video of them performing their new single Get Sexy at Amsterdam’s Gay Pride 2009:

The song is not bad live, plus the dance routine isn’t over-the-top, it didn’t look awkward, just seemed like the ‘Sugababes’. I think it is far better than when they just seemed to point during the Push the Button performances. All-in-all very good! So I can’t wait for a proper television performance!

I was also flicking through various sites and came across some more exciting news about their upcoming album including the some (possible) track names for their yet-to-be-named album (many sites, e.g. Amazon.co.uk have given it the name “LP7”, but I’ll wait and see):

About A Girl, No More You, Thank You For The Heartbreak, Wait For You & Wear My Kiss.

With Get Sexy being produced by the Smeezingtons, About a Girl is apparently tipped to be the next single (prior to the release of their album) which is rumoured to be produced by RedOne. The  next track is produced by Stargate and the latter two tracks are done by Fernando Garibay. All of which I am really quite excited now! It seems like they have gone all out for this return to prominence after the disappointment of Catfights & Spotlights.

The next music act next in line for some comments is THE SATURDAYS.

Here’s a quite literally thrilling performance of “Beggin’” at this year’s Oxegen Festival.

With Girls Aloud missing in action this year it’s time for these ladies to give it all they’ve got to prove that they can make it in the current music climate where Pop is more or less back and ruling the charts! After their sold out UK theatre tour, to which I did go to and I found to be AMAZING, they’re working hard to put together their upcoming sophomore album.

I have been snooping on sites and have discovered some (possible) track names, also the writers of the tracks which are in the parenthesis. The first two they previewed to fans as they performed it during their Work Tour.

1. Wordshaker (David Eriksen, Ina Wroldsen)
2. One Shot (David Kreuger, Per Magnusson, Ina Wroldsen)
3. Deeper (Una Healy, Vanessa White, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Rochelle Wiseman, Ina Wroldsen)
4. Baby Baby, also known as 4AM (Josef Larossi, Andreas Romdhane, Ina Wroldsen)
5. Denial (Chris Braide, Ina Wroldsen)
6. No One (David Eriksen, Ina Wroldsen)

So all these tracks seems to be co-written by Ina who is their “6^th Saturday” – she co-wrote the majority of their debut including Up and Issues.

Other rumours suggest that Forever Is Over is the title of their next single, for which they have filmed the music video to it already! They’re working non-stop at the moment as they are taking themselves around Asia to promote their music for the next 12 days. Plus they’ve already been to the US to record a couple of songs in L.A. Plus! They may also be supporting Kylie Minogue (!!!) on her first US tour “For You, For Me”.

Other track names I’ve also found include:  Open Up, How Do You Want My Love & Ego.

I have high hopes for this group and I really can’t wait to see what else they can come up with!

Onto more random stuff… MARIAH CAREY

As physical music sales are slumping some music labels are apparently trying to integrate branding into some artists’ CD album booklets!

For the full article click here

Island Def Jam has decided to test this out on Mariah’s upcoming album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel. In this the CD booklet will contain lifestyle ads from Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens, Le Métier de Beauté and the Bahamas Board of Tourism and also a mini-magazine containing Mariah-centric editorials.

Personally, I don’t believe this is necessary, the mini-magazine could be good but only if they actually put any effort into the interviews and if they had some pretty good photos. All I really care for in any album booklet is some good artwork/photos and the lyrics so I can sing along with the album. I don’t even look at the rubbish they normally include with the album, e.g. ringtones; I’m not really going to be interested in these advertisements. Also with iTunes and other download systems it’s not going to be possible to include copious amounts of advertisements. You might as well sell some lifestyle magazine with the album!

Back to Mariah, not really feeling her new track “Obsession”, sorry it’s just a bit dull. Maybe the next single?

Woo right onto other business… KELLY CLARKSON

Here’s performing “Already Gone”:

I love the song but most people have already said it sounds a lot like Beyoncé’s Halo.

Kelly’s  urged the record company not to release this as a single, by the looks of the cover seems like she wanted Cry to be released instead. Anyway, she’s very upset with her record company and Ryan Tedder (who wrote both songs).

The melody of both songs are very similar, apparently it was written before Halo but Tedder may have also given the melody to Beyoncé as he didn’t think  Kelly’s would be released/a big hit.

Then, I found this hilarious commentary about it…

Right Click. Save As… (or just Left Click)

I loved the Circus “Remix” haha.

Frankly, I love both songs; and I don’t even see the songs ripping off the other.

I feel sorry for Kelly but I’m guessing after she had her way with My December (and seeing how that went down… quite literally) she may be forcibly inclined into listening to her record company. I feel that both songs should be listened to in isolation and peoples should ignore their quite similar melody. To be honest I doubt the average music listener will notice, but those that do will accuse Kelly of copying Beyoncé  – actually no one copied, it’s just Tedder gave both acts the same melody! How rude! And the accusations are the reason why Clarkson is very upset about this release. She doesn’t even perform the song during her sets.

Tedder has commented stating that he did not do anything wrong and that he did not sell both artists the same song. The Beyoncé camp has not commented.

Oh well I still love the song!

On another Kelly related thing, I found someone had posted the demo for her song “Don’t Let Me Stop You”:

Interestingly Claude Kelly originally gave it an R&B-lite spin which I would not have seen Kelly accepting for a record but the final outcome (click) which has taken a far more pop/rock route, equally good!

And Finally… BEYONCÉ

Some exciting news for the Australian fans is her album I Am… is coming out in a special “platinum” edition, the difference from the original also is that it includes:

Scared Of Lonely, That’s Why You’re Beautiful & Hello - Which were included on her Deluxe Edition of her album.

Plus the addition of:

Ego (Remix – feat. Kanye West), Why Don’t You Love Me, Honesty (a Billy Joel cover) & Save The Hero

And a DVD, featuring all her videos!

1. If I Were A Boy
2. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
3. Diva
4. Halo
5. Broken Hearted Girl
6. Ego (Remix – feat. Kanye West)
7. Ego (Fan Exclusive)
8. Sweet Dreams
9. Behind the scenes of the videos

I wish I could get this but it’s only available down under! One thing that bugged me is that the double CD had been mixed into one which I though missed the point of the CD, as one disc was Beyoncé’s tracks and the other was identified as Sasha Fierce’s tracks. Oh well.

Also, I have been listening to all things Beyoncé today and yesterday and, as with Britney & Michael Jackson, here’s my little hierarchy of her albums!

1. I Am… Sasha Fierce
2. B’Day
3. Dangerously In Love

I probably will do the Sugababes soon, maybe after the release of their next album!

Thrilling stuff.