rolling pop 2014

the no. 1 and no. 3 songs in the UK pop chart right now are country/EDM crossovers, may god have mercy on this generation's soul

can we just spend the whole year in this thread talking about how great Beyonce is?

wake me up when it's all over

also that Avicii song just makes me want to listen to The Grid

okay "selfies" by nina nesbitt makes me want to just give up on humanity, the whole project just seems to be fucked

https://soundcloud.com/official-ms-d/shoot-me-with-the-truth

ms d of wiley "heat wave" fame does a solo song...and it's absolutely not what i expected. i think i really like this or at least am pretty intrigued

"ms d of wiley "heat wave" fame does a solo song...and it's absolutely not what i expected."

lol lex.. "what ms. d of wiley heatwave fame did next will shock you!!"

that is a pretty bold and unexpected song though, i agree!

g.r.l. "show me what you got"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stcZcGng_ng

melodies for dayyyyyyys. on constant repeat. dancing round my room and crying with joy status. a less jarring transition from verse to pre-chorus would elevate it to undoubtedly the best song ever made

This is awesome.

i thought that was gonna be kpop for the first 11 seconds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iJeEAZM5xk

i really like this neon jungle single! clicking in a way that little mix's off-putting constant pleading likeability so far hasn't

(talking of whom why are there so many american little mix fans suddenly)

i think salute was just released there

also yeah i'm into "braveheart", particularly the second breakdown

i realised the other day that little mix's fierceness quotient is pretty much zero and that's why i can't care about them even when their material is decent

No country for girl bands that fail to meet a prescribed stereotypical "fierceness" quota, eh?

A Quantum of Fierceness was an underrated Bond movie imo

identical top 2 on the overall UK singles chart and the specialist dance chart

Have yet to hear any of these:

http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/radio/6029366/ross-on-radio-is-the-sound-of-summer-at-alternative-triple-a-now

alternative and triple-A radio have at least a half-dozen "rock" records, as loosely defined these days, that are poppy, uptempo, and would sound great on top 40 radio this summer.

Kongos, "Come With Me Now" -- Alternative PDs are capable of taking months to incubate a record, but made this one happen almost immediately on its U.S. release. Top 40 PDs rarely play anything before being asked, but three already have it in significant rotation, including KHKS (Kiss 106.1) Dallas, often the pop/rock incubator among Clear Channel's major-market mainstream top 40s. And whatever the actual intent of the lyrics, it does have the same "like there's no tomorrow" call-to-action that has become part of the summer song DNA.

Fitz & the Tantrums, "The Walker" -- It's up. It's fun and bouncy. It has whistling. It's top five alternative, top 10 triple-A and top 15 at adult top 40. It already has a number of spins at mainstream top 40, mostly small-market, but including KBKS (Kiss 106.1) Seattle. And it feels like one of those songs that could spring into action with warmer weather.

Black Keys, "Fever" -- They've gotten this far without a pop hit. It's not inconceivable that the audience that loved "Little Black Submarine" might feel betrayed. But when a band with an existing following finally distills what it does into something poppier, the results are often huge. And it's already No. 6 at alternative in less than a week.

Ray Lamontagne, "Supernova" -- The only thing more startling than a poppy Black Keys song is a bouncy, uptempo Ray Lamontagne song, and the Keys' Dan Auerbach was part of this one as well. Like Ryder, just reinventing himself at triple-A is a significant statement for Lamontagne. So far, the airplay hasn't even spread to adult top 40, and top 40 seems an unlikely home. But the video is just out, and wait until the syncs start.

Bleachers, "I Wanna Get Better" -- Jack Antonoff's side project fits better as a summer song musically than lyrically. But the Fun. guitarist has pulled off heavy and anthemic together before.

Cage The Elephant, "Take It Or Leave It" --

The Kongos song was mentioned on the "Worst of 2014" thread. It's quite lousy, but is probably the most likely of those to enter the Top 40 since it's number one on the Alternative Charts and Number 28 in Canada.

I quite dig that Bleachers tune, found the Black Keys song to be rather "meh", and I haven't heard the others.

the Bleachers song is kinda great. the Fitz one is just the usual 'upbeat song with whistling riff' that happens every year now. can never stomach the Black Keys. i want to like the Kongos song when the accordian intro hits but the rest of it is pretty bland. haven't heard the rest.

I had to leave a bar the other week because it was playing that Kongos song

and so the year of Ph0x begins -
https://soundcloud.com/phoxband/slow-motion-1/s-NgjS6

From Wisconsin to the world:

We are a gaggle of goofy wizards performing minor
illusions and bigtop music. Born in Baraboo, WI

This Ph0x track is quite lovely, though it sounds nothing like I would have expected it to coming from a recommendation itt.

Just discovered this song which was released last year, but is apparently starting to get some airplay in the US recently:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1sT4ILG0w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg1sT4ILG0w

i didn't know where else to post it (i guess the indie thread would have been better?).

didn't see this coming, Pharrell gave Ed Sheeran a Thicke/Timberlake type joint and it actually works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scHS8YaYoRA

man, that intro sounds like vintage Neps, before the Rick James-esque (ie 'Give It To Me Baby') bassline comes in.

i don't know who this dude is, but i just watched a video where he exactly copies Jamie Woon's looping acapella arrangement of 'Wayfaring Stranger', which is just a weird thing to do if you're already covering a folk song.

NZ top 10 this week is ... something.

01. Iggy Azalea ft Charli XCX - Fancy
02. Coldplay - A Sky Full Of Stars
03. Ariana Grande ft Iggy Azalea - Problem
04. Sam Smith - Stay With Me
05. Ed Sheeran - Sing
06. Pharrell Williams - Happy
07. Clean Bandit ft Jess Glynne - Rather Be
08. Tove Lo ft Hippie Sabotage - Stay High
09. Justin Timberlake - Not A Bad Thing
10. Sia - Chandelier

Nothing really in there that's not a hit anywhere else, with maybe the Coldplay track the only exception. Iggy x2 is also in the American top 5. "Chandelier" reached #2 in Australia, and with its striking video there's a chance it could gain traction stateside. Smith is on his way to Sandé levels of ubiquity.

The only song I don't recognize on that list is the Tove Lo one. And that Coldplay one has just started making it's way on other charts, such as 4 in Canada and 24 in the US.

really enjoying the new hannah diamond track
https://soundcloud.com/pcmus/attachment
might appeal to all fans of bipp etc

"Sky Full of Stars" is the worst song from a great album

wouldn't be the first time Coldplay ends up with a hit I could care less about off an album I dig though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8qEo9_eNmg

love this x100000

I've found myself really enjoying the new Rita Ora single. Currently number one in the UK.

http://youtu.be/50GQjUZ4P3M

The Phox album is streaming at NPR. Sounds really nice so far!

http://www.npr.org/2014/06/09/320365989/first-listen-phox-phox

Big love for the Hannah Diamond stuffs from here.

https://soundcloud.com/rynweaver/ryn-weaver-octahate

loads of heavyweights assisted on this one

http://www.stereogum.com/1688810/ryn-weaver-octahate/mp3s/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX5zLcg47iI

Everything tells me I should hate this, but I kinda...don't?

guys i cannot stop giggling whenever "one more day (stay with me)" by example comes on

i imagine him in a sequined tuxedo, a single white rose in one hand, flanked by italian television models, a stretch grand piano off to one side, a very long white silk scarf around his neck being blown sideways by a powerful off-stage fan, hen parties celebrating a third marriage going absolutely crazy in the seats below

Another lesson learned
Another page is turned
Give in to your desire
Say goodbye or play with fire
Play with fire - you'll get burned!

hahaha CHRISTOPHER what the fuck Denmark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50-_oTkmF5I

i know y'all have been patiently awaiting the inimitable becky g's video for "shower"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8I-7Wk_Vbc

love this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxRQNO8vg2Y

MAYBE ON YOUR HONEYMOON
YOU'LL THINK OF ME

I stuck with it, but I was very close to saying "oh fuck this noise" when it started with ukulele strums.

fyi the secret best pop album of 2014 is cher lloyd's second album

that becky g song is great - and i LOVE the cher lloyd album - i wish more people were talking about it / buying it

Just from an arrangement/structure level, though, it's got a lot more going on than Get Lucky and I'm anticipating a different part of it each time.

slightly annoyed that the pitbull album wasn't released in the summer. that plus "give me everything" level ubiquity would've meant i was PRIMED for it, now it just feels very odd to listen to

Really like this Samantha Jade single, reminds me of Arianna Grande and Carly Rae Jepsen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up4R_-kpFtE

yeah that's nice, and that is exactly what it sounds like

new becky g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NwzxGntDgs

"uptown funk" is structured like a lego sculpture. i love the sounds on it but it makes me think about how well-put-together jam & lewis's songs are in particular.

did my list of best/worst pop radio hits of the year:
http://narrowcast.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-20-best-pop-radio-hits-of-2014.html

1. Sam Smith - "Stay With Me"
2. American Authors - "Best Day Of My Life"
3. Sia - "Chandelier"
4. Echosmith - "Cool Kids"

ilu some dude

^listen to this brad^

It really says something about 2014 that a reggae song by Canadians is only maybe the 4th-most embarrassing thing to hit #1, but whatever, this song jams in spite of everything.

Sometimes I worry about you, some dude.

Yeah I can't get on board with some of those picks; that Fergie song is horrible. And what's your gripe with "Shower"?

10. Aloe Blacc - "The Man"

How this isn't the worst single of any genre this year, much less only #10 in your own worst pop list is beyond my comprehension.

But I like "Chandelier," so wtf do I know.

9. Becky G - "Shower"

don't even know how to respond to this

i hate "stay with me" and "cool kids" so much that i basically stopped reading the list after that. i of course love "shower"

"Cool Kids" has all the elements right (pleasant voice, pretty instrumentation) except the lyrics, which are so lazy and flaccid as to render the entire song a dud.

Yep

yeah. plus they just seem like these impossibly photogenic L.A. pod people who are singing about being outcasts because their label told them to be more like Lorde.

the song probably predates Lorde but you know what i mean.

Uptown Funk sounds like it could be a long lost track from the Breakin' soundtrack, or the B-side of "No Parking On the Dancefloor", love the backing singers' bass moves and the icy, paranoid synths rubbing up against those ebullient horns

echosmith is a bunch of siblings btw

"Uptown Funk" is like the best Song of the Summer to be inconveniently released in December.

Well given how stagnant the charts can be, there's always the chance that it'll still be around come summertime.

it's a summer hit down here!

Sorry, we're a bunch of dirty Northists.

I'm sold on Uptown Funk. #pathetic

echosmith is a bunch of siblings btw

― maura, Monday, December 8, 2014 12:41 PM (4 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

oh i'm aware, that's part of the whole pod people vibe imo

"uptown girl" is appalling

lex will never silence our song of protest!

That new Becky G, "Can't Stop Dancin'", is gorgeous.
She takes that European "Waves" / Asaf Avidan sound and runs away with into what comes close to a "Waiting For Tonight" for the mid-2010s.

paramore vibes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw9iO3iCFOU

*ears perk up forever*

omg this is great

yeh really enjoying this

yeah, this is really making my new year's resolution of "pay more diligent attention to radio adds" pay off already

which format is adding it?

a few trickles on CHR (but the trickles are generally the interesting part of the list, better than "as predicted everyone still loves iggy azalea"

ctrl-f "Kate Boy" no hits

hmm

just discovered this song today (we're covering it on the jukebox tomorrow) and my god, it is gorgeous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzFYmz2lfT4

i wonder if they used stunt feet in that starling glow video

i'm halfway into that christine and the queens record and it's really really good. the song "half ladies" interpolates the chorus of kanye's "heartless"

Yeah, this is a great album. I was into her ep from last year, but I'd lost track of her this year until a few weeks ago when I heard this.

new crj single "i really like you" coming soon i'm hyperventilating

!
!
!

Carly me, maybe? Definitely!

omg yeeeeesss

andy bull, an aussie who makes gloriously mournful electropop, put out a full-length this year (his track 'baby i am nobody now' was in my 2013 top 10). this track is really nice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qIQLQEvsrg

^^Love this.

Well it's not the new CRJ single, but it's still Call Me Maybe related...

I'm so sorry.

Rhythm is a dancer / I need a companion / Girl, I guess that must be you

Gee thanks?