...I think you'll like this song...

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[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

disCOVER: Christine & The Queens “Sorry (Beyoncé Cover)”

There’s covering a song and then there's taking a well known song by a legendary status artist and making it completely you’re own and Christine & The Queens went with the latter. Oh my.

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

LIVE REVIEW: Frank Ocean ‘Blond’

So here we go. It’s been four long hard years since Channel Orange and we’ve been teased and disappointed and betrayed over the last year with promises of new material when nothing materalized. Boys don’t cry? More like boy who cried wolf (AM I RIGHT?!)

But anyway, all hilarious jokes and insights aside Ocean came through with the visual project Endless and now Blond, the new album from Frank Ocean. So let’s jump right in because damn we have waited SO long...

Wow, so this does not sound like your traditional opener to a long LONG awaited album, not gonna lie NIKE feels like a closer but hey, I guess all bets are off with this cause its Frank Ocean and he plays by his own mfin tune. 

The beat is slow low key but the high pitched distorted vocals actually work well with it. Ocean name checks Trayvon Martin early with a powerful line ‘rip trayvon, that n**** look just like me*. It feels at times a little pixie esque punk influenced. It’s a very risky opener and currently I’m not sure how it works but this is one song in so I’m going to give it a benefit of the doubt..

Oh Frank is kind of rapping? It’s nice. Oh this has taken a really nice turn, yeah okay I’m on board with this.

God he sounds good. I’ve missed this.

Oh wow now we’ve gone all shimmery shoegaze indie on IVY. This sounds so sweet, oh my. ‘We didn’t give a fuck back then, I ain’t a kid no more, we’ll never be kids again’ - SO GOOD. 

It almost seems like a stream of consciousness, nothing written down and he’s just riffing. Like it’s him just messing around on a electric guitar and it’s in the moment, this is just beautiful. 

It just sounds kind of effortless.

Sometimes I think about how weird it is that a guy with one album made SUCH an impact on the landscape with people waiting on a next album like it was the most important thing but then he opens his mouth, the track plays and it all kind of makes sense. 

Now we’re back to more conventional rnb with PINK + WHITE with a hazy hop along beat and silky smooth vocal. This doesn’t feel as exciting as IVY or as envelope pushing as NIKE but that’s not to say it still doesn’t sound great. 

Wait, is that Bey in the background? She’s listed in the contribs...

Or maybe Jazmine Sullivan?

But what if it is Bey?

Ooh, bird song - that’s great.

So BE YOURSELF is an interlude with a clip with a woman talking about college students getting addicted to drugs and alcohol, it feels like its a statement on peer pressure and staying true to yourself. 

Oh, it’s Frank’s mum? 

Maybe?

Yeah, give that advice! 

Oh SOLO is nice. Just over an organ, Frank delivers some truths about relationships, partying and living that life. 

Its hell on earth and the city’s on fire.

Love that lyric.

It’s got that vibe of the song at the end of the night. Bar’s closing, heading home. 

His delivery is on point.

That’s something we didn’t get much of on Channel Orange but its so obvious that he’s a skillful rapper too. 

Got that Chance The Rapper vibe. 

Wouldn’t THAT be a collaboration...

But Oceans’s like best of both worlds.

It’s so interesting that what Ocean did on his first and second album is what Beyoncé took four, four and a half albums to be able to do...

It feels quite indie this album. 

And kind of neo soul.

Rather than the whole PRNB sound, whatever that means.

There’s also a lot of spoken word influences, especially on SKYLINE TO. 

Though, thinking about repeat plays right now I'm only thinking IVY right now.

I feel like there were more immediately accessible ones on Channel Orange.

Oh this is quite a beautiful moment on SKYLINE TO, this little musical breakdown with all those synth instruments over that gorgeous guitar in the back. 

But I’m not gonna lie, IVY is the only one that’s truly grabbed me.

Yeah, way more neo soul than PRNB. Which is probably quite smart move.

Can I Be Your Boyfriend In Your Wet Dreams Tonight? Oh hello SELF CONTROL, little virgin wears the white, wow at these lyrics.

Oh this guitar is breathtakingly beautiful.

And the lyrics on this are just... Keep A Place For Me is just so beautiful. 

Okay so far, IVY and SELF CONTROL are the faves.

When will your fave?

I mean, finally Frank Ocean is answering this question.

Okay we have a guest vocal on this one and I can’t tell who it is.

It’s a guy but I don’t know.

Oh my these strings and whatever that vocal is doing. JESUS.

OH MAN THESE LAYERED VOCALS.

THIS IS A FUCKING MOMENT.

I can’t... 

Oh it’s fading out... no, please don’t go!

Okay GOOD GUY straight away reminds me of Kanye’s Only One so I’m expecting good things.

I like how the vocal sounds like its just been recorded into his iphone, so real so raw.

Like he’s recording the top line and getting the lines down real quick but they’ve just left it. 

Oh that’s over quite abruptly, I guess it was just an interlude...

NIGHTS sounds so produced straight off in comparison.

Oh that beat is KNOCKING.

And whatever that guitar is doing in the back.

NIGHTS is a FAVE too.

This is one of those that sounds great pumping LOUD out a car window in the summer.

Oh, it’s doing one of those lets switch up the song completely things. It’s okay... but its no PYRAMIDS IS IT FRANK?!

The first half of NIGHTS is a fave.

Problematic half fave.

Do you think he knows he can be indulgent in just doing whatever (I’M LOOKING AT YOU KANYE) because we’ll all lap it up whatever because its him? 

That’s what Beyonce is so good at, she still gives us the bops as well as the doing what she wants.

WHERE ARE THE BOPS FRANK?

And I don’t mean quintissential bops because Channel Orange didn’t have them either but where are the Super Rich Kids and Sweet Life. Where is Thinkin’ Bout You? 

It’s like you sold us that beach house in idaho.

Sure its a LOVELY house and I guess its by a beach BUT ITS NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT LIKE A BEACH HOUSE IN THE ‘BU?

Do you see where I’m going with this metaphor?

Also, I just started to look up on google ‘are there beach houses...’ and it autofilled with ‘...in Idaho’.

But I digress which is rather rude considering Andre 3000 is on SOLO (REPRISE) 

Is Big Boi better?

This isn’t the forum for that discussion...

But think about it...

I mean, Andre 3000 is VERY VERY good.

Can you tell I’m a bit underwhelmed by this album?

I paid for it too...

PRETTY SWEET starts off like a hot mess.

I think this will all be better on a second listen?

Or in the ear phones on a commute.

Oh this fast bit is quite good isn’t it?

And here’s the kids choir.

Why do kids choir always sound vaguely sinister?

Who’s this french (?) guy on FACEBOOK STORY. 

Millennials.

I am a Mil. 

Oh god is it a commentary on social media. 

You’re not better than me.

Oh I like this beat on CLOSE TO YOU.

It’s a short one but its quite nice.

OH WAIT ITS A REWORK OF THE CARPENTERS.

WAIT THIS IS HAPPENING AND I AM LOVING IT.

ANOTHER FAVE.

IVY, SELF CONTROL and CLOSE TO YOU.

These weren’t listed in the contribs tho were they Frank?

I guess The Carpenters/Burt Bacharach aren’t as cool as shouting out David Bowie and Beatles (no ‘the’) huh?

THAT COULD HAVE BEEN LONGER FRANK...

WHITE FERRARI feels quite personal doesn’t it?

Quite sweet that I care for you still bit. 

Oh and those vocals.

Who’s this kid, James Blake?

Probably, he gets around with the cool kids.

The end beat in the very distant background on WHITE FERRARI sounded like it could have been a bit of a bop but no, we’re not allowed that.

But here’s another angsty distorted guitar that sounds like John Meyer jizzing over how good his plucking is on SEIGFRIED.

Of course Frank sounds GREAT.

There is no denying that.

But there is NOTHING grabbing me apart from the three faves I have stated.

On this first listen CHANNEL ORANGE IS BETTER.

And I am underwhelmed.

But I guess this is kind of what I expected.

Oh a funky bass line might be saving SEIGREID.

He’ll probably choose to fade it out like CLOSE TO YOU or make it almost indistinct like that bop beat on WHITE FERRARI.

Another nice spoken word bit.

I wonder if Kendrick had some hand in writing these?

It is all a bit self-indulgent no?

Is that a problem?

Should we expect to be bowed down to and catered to every step of the way?

I like these synth moments on GODSPEED. 

Another nice Frank Ocean Vocals and organ moment.

It is quite a slow album.

Maybe listening to this on a quiet evening I’d be thinking differently.

It’s definitely an album that lends itself to a certain type of atmosphere.

Jazmine Sullivan?

Was she name checked earlier with that bitch convo?

I don’t know.

So we’re onto the last track FUTURA FREE.

It’s nine minutes long.

Please bring this home Frank.

It sounds quite epic.

Pianos, big drums growing louder.

Frank Ocean flowing.

Bit braggy?

Yeah you should be paying me because do I want my £7.99 back?

We’ll see.

Not just yet anyway.

The beat is very nice tho.

I wish we could actually hear the background vocals a bit more over this stream of consciousness.

Oh here they are. 

I ain’t on no schedule

NO FUCKING KIDDING FRANK THAT’S WHY WE’VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG

They want to murder you like Selena?

Ok.

Oh beat is knocking a little more.

We’re less than halfway through the nine minutes.

Oh it’s stopped.

OHHHHH A BONUS TRACK?

How long do we have to wait, Frank?

FUNNY.

Oh not that long. We’re back in.

This background is really lovely.that. 

I don’t what this clip is from or why it’s here but it is drowning out that beautiful accompaniment and I’m mad.

WHY ASK THE QUESTIONS IF YOU’RE GOING TO BLANK OUT THE ANSWERS.

This is frustrating. 

Hectic mess.

Why is this here? This is doing nothing for no one.

No one is here for this.

What’s the point?

This is self-indulgence to the max.

McKayla Maroney not impressed.

I keep the memes current and timely.

What is this?

Can it stop?

I don’t need this.

I am not here for this.

Just stop.

Stop showing off.

--

Needless to say, I’m not where I wanted to be after listening to this. I expected to get my life and I was not slayed in the slightest. No, I wasn’t expecting bangers. I wasn’t expecting fully fledged bops. But I was expecting more. Where were the Novacane moments? Where were the Lost moments?

Yes there were moments, I listed three. But I was not blown away and they weren’t exactly memorable. It just makes me think how incredible Pyramids really was. That was a song that had so many musical ideas in it but at no moment did it feel self-indulgent or rambling, considering it was 8 plus minutes it is a very tight piece of work and really is the pinnacle of what Ocean CAN do. With BLOND it feels like the work of someone who has been told everything he does is brilliant and I think we’re involved in that. 

In a year of surprise albums, comebacks and masterpieces this has fallen short. Maybe on a second, closer listen I will have a different take on this but right now... I feel like those people who felt ripped off when that boy kept crying wolf...

*No wonder he’s facepalming in that album art....

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

LIVE: Christine & The Queens “Tilted”

I’ve been a low key fan of french singer songwriter Christine & The Queens since I first heard “iT” which was fantastic. This performance on Graham Norton recently made me realise that this girl is someone to keep an eye on for big things in the very near future. The set piece is pure art and shows an artist in control of her craft and what’s amazing is this is just the start. LOVE THIS.

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

Kllo: “Walls To Build”

This song I feel is the perfect one to low key return. Kllo’s “Walls To Build” is disarmingly quiet which betrays the energy it has. You could play this late night on your own and it would work, you could play this at a house party and it would also work. It’s dreamlike while packing a punch, it's really quite good.

 If you like BANKs, AlunaGeorge, Little Dragon...

KLLO: Facebook...Twitter...Soundcloud

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

LIVE REVIEW: Beyoncé LEMONADE

As I watch the new Beyonce extravaganza I am going to try and live review it. 

Here goes.

The opening shot is that corn rowed one that we were teased with. Then it cuts to fields and ruins and a weird distorted lullaby esque Beyonce vocal comes in Visually it already feels completely different to self-titled. Less colourful and whatever this song is its beautiful as Beyonce wanders through a field singing the refrain ‘pray you catch me whispering, pray you catch me listening’ and it feels heartbreaking. I am less than two minutes in and she has got me. 

INTUITION

I guess this is the first track? ‘Pray you Catch Me’ Beyonce spoken word intros it ‘doors lead to trap doors, a stairway leads to nothing, unknown woman walk the hallways at night, where do you go when you go quiet ’ as she speaks colour drained shots of women in white. There is such a palpable southern gothic influence that it feels eerie. 

‘What a fucking curse’.

The song is beautiful, a ballad but maybe like with Pretty Huts she’s lulling us in into a false of security because Bey just jumped off a  building and now she’s floating in some water and we’re in...

DENIAL

Wow this shot of her underwater but in a bedroom is powerful. These spoken word pieces are pretty amazing too, she’s telling a story full of religious and powerful imagery. Her delivery is everything. ‘Plugged my mense with pages from the holy book’. WOW.

'Hold Up’ has an island tinge to it, could see this on Rihanna. Bey’s walking down a street, she just got handed a baseball bat all smiles - she about to go HAM. The song is about finding out bout her guy cheating and yeah there goes a car window and still all smiles. Beyonce always does scorn well. 

The track is pure opposition to the content, the girl in this song is pleading for her man but there’s the sense that she could have it either way but she’s just telling it like it is. Turn this up loud and it’s gonna knock, trust. 

Bey just quoted ‘turn my swag on’. Preach and then she round about base ball batted the camera. Church.

Now we got monster truck driving Beyonce, ain’t no fury like Beyonce scorned. There’s some weird lullaby esque shit going on in the background and now we have...

ANGER

She talking about wearing this girls skin over hears for her man, shit is dark. ‘Her scalp a cap, her sternum my bedazzled cane’ - the imagery on this is is nothing like a Bey that we’ve heard before. 

‘I don’t know if love is elusive but I know no one has it’

Powerful. These spoken word interluded are great, not sure how they’ll work if they’re included just on the audio album but haven’t got there yet.

'Don’t Hurt Yourself’ is knocking a bit too, reggae tinged. Beyonce attitude all over this in a multi storey car park, this is great. 

‘Bad motherfucker, god complex’ and now she going in on the treatment of black women. ‘the most neglected in america is the black woman’. 

This song feels like a mix of Alabama Shakes, The Black Keys and Beyonce. Beyonce doing southern rock and it’s another genre that fits. All gospel in the background, Bey giving it everything over the top.

Oh I think this is the track with Jack White. Makes sense now.

APATHY

So these the stag of grief? It feels like the spoken word bits and the songs are telling a story of a woman cheated on and getting hers in revenge. 

OOH THIS ONE SOUNDS LIKE A BANGER.

This one is the most radio friendly so far I guess, not that Bey is even worried about that anymore. She just having fun and you can tell!

Man, ‘middle fingers up’ sounds so cute on this. This one called ‘Sorry’ is gonna have the internet hashtagging ‘I ain’t sorry’ its the new #sorrynotsorry., Bey don’t do apologies.  New break up anthem? Beyonce has them all. 

‘Suicide before you see these tears fall from my eyes’.

Then the song ends ‘better call becky with the good hair’ and even with that song being fun and a big ‘fuck you’ the narrator is still mad cause now we have...

EMPTINESS

The imagery on this, visual and lyrical, is crazy. Bey is holding nothing back, not interested in censoring anything.

This on has The Weeknd on it and it bangs. It’s called ‘6 Inches’ and it’s all about the confidence. This one is the most radio friendly actually. With the Weeknd feature it could be the most likely single but don’t hold me to that cause I’m not going to pretend I I can guess what Bey gon do next. But this has a sweet middle 8 and it’s catchy.

‘She walk in the club like nobody’s business, she got down, murdered everyone in here and I was her witness’ OOH WHEE. 

Oh man that last whispered ‘come back’ got me right in the chest. It’s like every song is full of this bravado and swag, like the girl doesn’t need her man or care that she cheated but right at the end all of that is stripped away by a the delivery of a line that goes against everything that came before it.

I wonder who wrote these interludes. This one about a mother and daughter is gorgeous. ‘Did he bend your reflection’ ‘Did he convince you he was god, did he make you get on your knees daily’ ‘Am I talking about your husband or your father?’ 

‘Daddy Lessons’ got that southern jazz bluegrass thing going on, bet you never thought that would happen on a Beyonce album. Beyonce is doing country and jesus she pulls it off. She interjects this song visual with clips of her father and you wonder how that relationship is.

‘Love Draught’ starts off beautiful.. Those staccato synths, yeah I love this. It’s dreamlike and the visual is stunning, lots of oceans and flowers yet with the hint of something bad to come and as I typed that the song switched up to a black and white Beyonce with face paint on kind of tribal and I don’t know what is going to happen next. And now it’s...

FORGIVENESS

‘Now the reconciliation is possible, if we’re going to heal let it be glorious’.

Shot of a Nina Simone record and then Bey playing the piano, this moment already feels special. This is ‘Sandcastles’ and it’s a gorgeous moment to take stock and slow down. After all the attitude and anger now we have the mourning of the relationship.

THERE’S JAY-Z. IN A BREAK UP SONG VIDEO but it stills feels so tender and intimate. LET’S NOT READ INTO THIS PEOPLE IT’S FINE/

RESURRECTION

This begins with all the ladies dressed in southern gothic lace posing for a picture. This one is with James Blake and its called ‘Forward’ and theres shot of mothers holding up pictures of their children, their songs? There’s Mike brown. 

HOPE

Acapella in front of those mothers. This one called ‘Freedom’ and suddenly it is a hard rap track, this one has Kendrick Lamar on it. 

THERE’s BLUE!

Ah man this song goes in, its all rock and hip hop and it’s amazing. 

REDEMPTION

We have two tracks left, one of them is formation. 

We’re at a 90th birthday and that’s where lemonade comes from...

‘I was given lemons but I made lemonade’ .

This back half of the album is a lot less angry and a lot more calm, like they’ve got through all the bullshit of the anger and now ready to grow and deal and be better.

Is that Zendaya? Is that Amandla Stenberg?

Oh man those guitars on ‘ALl night’ sound incredible. It’s like a new day has dawned. Ah man footage of Jay and Bee getting their matching IV tattoos. This one is about love and it sounds beautiful. This one could go to radio as well. Its like Self-Titled’s XO. 

Lots of very sweet visuals of couples in love and Bey, Jay and Blue being the cutest family ever.

AND NOT ITS FORMATION YO over the credits tho. I guess we saw the video already. 

MY GIRL ASHLEY EVERETT GOT A CHOREOGRAPHY CREDIT

Serena Williams was in it! and it was Amandla Stenberg!

FORMATION STILL BANGS THO. 

Though the credits are rolling we still have 5 mins left of running time, what. I am not ready. Ah man those horns on Formation sounds so good. 

They are long credits though.

Oh the last one is the formation video. Nice.

Thoughts to follow once I’ve watched Formation again..

-------

Whatever Beyonce does is going to make headlines, going to make noise and going to make us watch and listen. She doesn’t care about having singles or radio friendly hits anymore, she’s done all of that so now she can make things like LEMONADE. Now it feels like self-titled was dipping her toe in the water and LEMONADE is her jumping in fully clothed. 

LEMONADE is bold and full of musical ideas. Unlike Pablo where it felt like every idea Kanye had was thrown in, LEMONADE is cohesive and thematic. Beyonce’s southern roots have never been on show like this before and many thinkpieces will go into trying to associate  stances and decoding statements through the imagery, the spoken word interludes and the songs. There is no denying it is powerful and the narrative of a woman scorned then getting back to business is brilliant and then interspersing that with hints of the black lives matter movement and being a black woman in America. 

The songs are interesting and shows an artist pushing boundaries and seeing what sticks. Who knows what will catch onto radio if any do, there are few radio friendlier tracks but that isn’t the aim, the aim is the artistry as part of the whole piece. It’s telling a story, though it’ll be interesting if that comes across when listening to just the album not accompanied with the visual.

I liked it and now I need to live with it for a couple of days. 

LIsten and Watch on TIDAL.

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

LIVE: Little Mix GET WEIRD Tour

For some reason when people find out that I’m pretty much a bonadfide mixer they act surprised. I don’t know what it is but once I’ve raved about how good ‘Black Magic’ is for the fifth time they turn to me and say ‘I wouldn’t have expected you to like Little Mix’ and I’m like why? Do I not look like I like good music? 

I think it goes back to the stigma of pop and what people think pop is. Pop gets a bad rep, it really does. Maybe it is because it is hard to pin down what actual pop is because it encompasses so many genres, styles and artists. Is pop just what is popular at the time because currently we’re living in an EDM + PRNB + Lite Hip Hop world but would you class an artist like Drake as a pop artist like you would Little Mix or Fifth Harmony? One Direction was a formulaic boy band but Zayn has become an indie blog darling and Liam Payne is doing songs with Juicy J and Wiz Khalifa. What is Nick Jonas? What about The Beatles? What about Prince and David Bowie? But artists like Prince, Bowie, ABBA, The Beatles, Madonna and Michael Jackson are the ones who have dictated what pop can be so how can pop be looked down upon with those kind of influential godparents? Pop is the sum of its parts, pop is problematic and far more nuanced than people give it credit. 

I just don’t see it as that surprising that I like Little Mix. 

No one expected Little Mix to succeed once they were crowned the 2011 X Factor Winners. They were expected to have a number one, have an album and flail. Maybe it was timing as the last great girl group Girls Aloud disbanded in 2012 and The Saturdays were more interested in having babies than having another Top 10 single. The UK had room for the next great girl group and Little Mix were primed, ready and exceeded probably their wildest dreams. This past year has seen Little Mix sissy that walk through a career defining album campaign, a single spending three weeks at number 1, invited on stage with arguably the biggest pop star in the world (TSwift), BRIT Nominations, the stand out performance of the BRIT Awards (my friend who was there, who hates Little Mix, even admitted that it was banging) and a sell out International Arena Tour. All of this has laid the foundations for so much more to come, with this success comes more money spent on them by their label, that means big producers, that could mean Max Martin and that could mean the global success that these girls deserve. Girls, you better work… and boy did they.

This is a very longwinded segue into a live review of their Get Weird Tour which I went to for a second time last night at Wembley. It hadn’t occurred to me until Leigh-Anne said it but this was the same place where they were formed and the same place where they won The X Factor so in many ways it was a homecoming and a victory lap after a year of #winning.

The two shows that I saw, both in London at the O2 and at Wembley were two of the slickest, jam packed, fun, mesmerising, exciting shows that I have seen in my life - Beyoncé permitting. Their energy is incredible, at the O2 it was their second show of the day and they were still giving it their everything and at Wembley they were into their fifth or sixth week of touring and they were still having the time of their lives. Moments like ‘Lightning/DNA’ I was literally sitting on the edge of my seat trying to catch all of their choreography as they bust it out for the ‘but I do’ breakdowns, moving with such attitude and grace that I couldn’t quite believe who I was watching.

Even with all the high energy dancing, you couldn’t really fault their vocals. I did notice some differences between the show at the O2 and the one last night at Wembley, some notes that they didn’t try to hit the second time after twenty or thirty plus shows of singing their hearts out every night. The set list was good, some odd pairings like Secret Love Song straight into OMG but one of my favourite parts was once they had arrived at ‘Club Weird’ and the party really started.

At the O2 I went off at this section, at Wembley I was happy to sit back and really watch it as they danced, sang, sasheyed through Apaché, Crazy In Love, Where Are Ü Now, Ring The Alarm into the formidable Salute. At the Wembley show they promised a special guest, could it be Sean Paul, was it going to be Derulo? I thought it would be Fleur East but what a curveball Lethal Bizzle was, highlight of the night?

The slower ballads all worked and the encore of the acapella The End is a testament to their stamina that after all that incredible and energetic dancing that they can still belt out something like The End impeccably, chills at Perrie's voice every time. And the it's Black Magic, arguably one of the best pop songs of the last couple of years - it is the perfect way to end the show leaving the audience on their feet and the biggest smile on their face - well I can't speak for everyone else.

The crowd was a mix of young, old and fabulous and I think that is one drawback of a Little Mix show and it must be difficult for Little Mix as a group to straddle this line. These are twenty somethings girls who go out with boys, have sex, get drunk and look good - at some point the six year olds and their mums won’t be who they’re targetting and songs like A.D.I.D.A.S, which the girls wrote, won’t be the riskier parts of their catalogue. One day we’ll be able to say that he was a dick and we knew it and I hope by the next tour that is the case. 

Everything about Little Mix and how far they’ve grown in this era makes me so incredibly excited for the next one. If you’ve got wings, there’s only one thing to do…

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

M83: “Do It, Try It”

Was I expecting another ‘Midnight City’? No. That is one of those songs that comes along for an artist once in a blue moon. Does that mean I think “Do It, Try It” is rubbish. HELL NO.

Picture me with a huge smile on my face as soon as those first big synths appear, picture me really liking this, picture me enjoying the kind off kilter almost off key vibe to it all. It’s like Daft Punk, but it’s not. It’s kind of like Miike Snow, but not. It’s kind of like a lot of things but it’s not. It’s M83 and it’s great.

New album Junk out April 8th. 

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

Remix Baby: Tom Tom Club “Genius of Love (Tinashe & DJ Cassidy Remix)”

Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” is really good isn’t it? She sounds great, ODB has a a classic feature - it’s hard to top really. Now “Fantasy” samples Tom Tom Club’s “Genius of Love” (along with another classic from Mark Morrison...) Tom Tom Club were a group from the 80s who were made up of some people from Talking Heads. Still with me? Great, cause here’s the segue...

Tinashe and DJ Cassidy have ‘remixed’ or basically covered “Genius of Love” and of course it is brilliant because Tinashe is everything. 

She really needs to release Joyride already. 

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

Frances: “Borrowed Time”

I really love this one from Frances. I’ve been sitting on it for a while, getting to know it while I live my life and its been a really great soundtrack. Its such a low key bop and I love it. It kind of reminds me of Ryn Weaver, Rosie Lowe and artists like that. 

Frances: Website...Facebook...Twitter...Soundcloud...Spotify

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LIVE REVIEW: Kanye West “The Life of Pablo”

Here we go, its the Life of Pablo, its Waves, its Swish, its So Help Me God its... its Kanye West.

Available to stream on tidal: tidal.com/album/57273408 

The Life of Pablo

As soon as you hear the vocals on ‘Ultralight Beams’ I feel like we know this is going to be completely different to ‘Yeezus’. That was just full of frustration form the get go, #TLOP isn’t going to be like that. Thank god cause that album is not an easy listen.

It’s quite Chance The Rapper-y isn’t, like this would fit on ‘Surf’ quite easily.

Oh that gospel choir moment, oh its so good.

Like the beat is kind of menacing no? But its contrasted so well with the vocals and choirs and everything.

Is that Frank Ocean?

I hope he pops up.

This chick sounds really good too, I love this about Kanye. He lets the music happen around him, it’s not just there for him to rap over. It’s all part of everything.

Oh here’s Chance, this is great. 

Damn, Gina. Wait he said Pam before that line, oh my god was that an ‘Archer’ reference?

‘I made Sunday Candy, I’m never going to Hell’. YUP.

Oh man, I love Chance. His delivery is on point. 

This is, like, a perfect opener. 

OH MAN, that choir at the end of this!!!!!!!!

Oh man, I love how he mixes old soul Kanye with 808s electro Kanye on the beginning of ‘Father Stretch My Hands pt. 1′

Why’s he talking about bleaching assholes... 

I was liking this and then that happened.

I will try to ignore it.

Because the beat is great.

Is that Future? I don’t think it is...

I still love auto tune Kanye too.

Oh now we’re on pt. 2

He used that ‘perfect’ soundbite from Street Fighter. 

This is very different from pt. 1

This would fit on Yeezus.

V. personal verse about his moms, his pops and the car crash.

I don’t know who this guy rapping is, but I like it? It’s quite future esque.

Wow, everyone does that kind of half beat sped up delivery don’t they. Like that ‘Migos’ thing.

Very weird abrupt ending to pt. 2, very Imogen Heap. 

I hope that it is Imogen Heap.

That would be brilliant.

Just a big mmmmmm whatcha say moment.

OH HEY RIHANNA

This is that ‘Famous’ track with THAT Taylor line.

I like this in spite of that line though.

The beat knocks tho.

Oh hey RIHANNA again. 

She sounds great. 

Of course she does.

WAKE UP MR. WEST, WHAT UP LATE REGISTRATION

This feels like it could have been on Graduation

OH WOW WHAT IS THIS BREAKDOWN

THIS IS GREAT

WHAT IS THIS SAMPLING?

I LOVE THIS

OH WOW, THIS WAS GOOD AND IT JUST GOT BRILLIANT

I’M QUITE EXCITED BY THIS CAN YOU TELL

OH HEY SWIZZ BEATS, THIS IS A GREAT BEAT, WELL DONE.

BOM BOM BOM BOM BAM BILLA BOM

Favourite moment so far.

Was that a Nina Simone sample? 

GOOOOOD SNOOOOZE, ‘Feedback’.

Another one that just straight up knocks. 

If you added some hardcore distorted synths this could get on Yeezus.

No pussy getting bloggers? HEY. 

I’M THE GHETTO OPRAH, YOU GET A FUR, YOU GET A FUR, BIG BOOTY BITCHES FOR YOU

Great.

Handsdown second favourite moment so far.

Who is this on ‘Low Lights’, I like this spoken word kind of thing. Remember that J. Ivy verse on ‘Never Let Me Down’. That was great wasn’t it?

This is great too.

Quite 808y with the 808s in the back.

I love that ‘Ye just pauses the momentum for this, its so baller. He’s not even on it.

Oh so ‘Low Lights’ goes into ‘Highlights'.

Clever.

This is a bit of a banger. 

Wind down the window, pump up the system out of the car kind of thing.

Like this is one I want to play loudly in the car.

Ooh, those synths are nice aren’t they. 

Oh it’s that Ray J line.

You could heard Drake over this with RiRi on the chorus.

Or Lil Wayne.

It feels the most commercial so far. 

Single?

Is there an official single?

I wish ‘Only One’ was on this album.

I really like ‘Only One’.

Ooh, is this The-Dream on the bridge?

Sounds like it.

I could be wrong.

Who is it tho?

Tidal hasn’t put up the features.

Shame.

‘Freestyle 4′ is a little different isn’t it?

Cinematic AND a little menacing.

Not my fave. 

I can imagine some people being here for this, but I am not.

Oh this is MUCH better.

I love how self aware ‘I Love Kanye’ is.

That pink polo tho!

THAT BE SO KANYE.

Did he just quote that meme? Love yourself like Kanye love Kanye.

Aw, that laugh at the end.

I love Kanye.

Oh man ‘Waves’ is very good isn’t it?

Even if Chris Brown is on the hook.

I’m going to ignore that it’s him.

There’s enough in the track to like than have to focus on... Brown.

Why couldn’t it have been Frank Ocean?

I’m going to pretend it is.

Oh, much better.

I LOVE that chopped up vocal thing that’s going on in the background.

So good.

Still convincing myself its Frank Ocean.

Oh is that Kid Cudi as well?

Yes, that would be good too.

This is very 808s & Heartbreak which means its brilliant, obvs.

Oh the ending of this is amazing.

New fave moment?

‘FML’ slows things down quite a bit.

I like it though.

It feels like quite a pensieve moment.

Oh hey THE WEEKND.

Oh I like it when the rap bit comes in.

Yeah, this is great.

This is very MBDTF.

That’s what I love about this album so far is you can hear every era Kanye all up in this, but it still sounds fresh. Shows how ahead of his time creatively he is. He ain't chasing trends, he making em.

THAT DRUM FILL MOMENT OH MY.

That was great.

Like Phil Collins but you know, obvs not as good.

Because nothing ever could be,

Oh it’s got very grunge hasn’t it.

Am I listening to Sonic Youth?

Am I listening to The Pixies?

Who knows.

'Real Friends’ is very Drake.

Like that hook is VERY Drake.

It’s a bit jarring isn’t it.

Like how much it feels like ‘Ye is trying to do Drake. 

It’s kind of taking away from my enjoyment a little bit. 

I like the drums tho.

I’m a bit bored by this to be honest because it just sounds like something off of Nothing Was The Same or whatever.

I don’t think I’ve actually listened to ‘Wolves’ before.

This was one of the ones we heard before, along with ‘Real Friends’ and ‘No More Parties In LA’ which is coming up later.

This was the one with Sia though, right?

It’s quite Weeknd esque?

I like that vocal tho. The kinda operatic thing going on in the background.

‘You left your fridge open and somebody stole a sandwich’

Sorry, what?

Right, sure, yeah that makes sense.

Was he trying to be deep?

I mean, he’s talking about a sandwich.

That would be the worst, someone stealing your sandwich though.

Like when you have one at work and someone just comes along and takes it, I’d be furious. Maybe I’d go Kanye at them. I don’t know.

Oh I like this second half.

Without the auto tune.

There’s something to be said for the moments when he doesn’t use auto tune.

It feels a lot more human, well obviously. I guess that’s what he’s going for.

Wow, deep analysis P. 

Some guy is leaving a voicemail on ‘Silver Surfer Intermission’ I don’t know who it is.

Should I?

I’m probably exposing myself.

I’m such a fraud. 

Apparently ‘30 Hours’ is about Kanye driving 30 hours to see a girl.

Oh I like this.

Beat is good, bit of Bon Iver esque on them vocoded moments.

Is he on this?

Is Justin Vernon going to show up?

I’d imagine he’d be somewhere on the album notes.

It almost feels a bit Miike Snow esque, or Belle & Sebastian.

Yeah this is great.

Another fave. 

I wonder what Kim thinks about this.

Actually, no I don’t.

This reminds me of something.

Cannot put my finger on it.

Cool story bro.

This feels lie it was originally intended as an album closer. Like when he chats at the end of ‘Last Call’.

He just got a call.

His phone just went off.

He’s taking the call.

Of course he is, he’s Kanye West.

Maybe it is a Miike Snow track it reminds me of.

Oh ‘No More Parties in LA’ is the one with Kendrick Lamar.

Wasn’t this not gonna be on the album and then K. Dot was like ‘Ye man, you gotta.

He has.

Thank God.

It’s really good.

Listen to them swapping verses.

Hip hop, yo.

Kendrick is just great isn’t he.

Is it the Grammy’s this weekend?

He deserves them all.

Macklemore who?

This could have been on To Pimp A Butterfly

I’m just reading Alexis Petridis’ review on The Guardian.

And he notes how it sounds like an album that has had so many revisions and had many things added to it and taken away so its not stylistically coherent like say Yeezus was.

I guess he was right.

But I don’t think it takes too much away from the experience.

‘Ye has always been someone into trying everything and taking influences from all over the place and I think Yeezus actually suffered for that. Though that could be the intention because damn did that album feel claustrophobic. 

So I don’t know. But I guess that’s why people are critics to give differing opinions.

But my one is right tho.

Can’t wait for all the think pieces. We love a think piece. 

Like how ‘Facts’ starts, but then it jumps on the Jumpman vibe.

He really doesn’t like Nike does he.

He jacking flows on this one too.

Not a fave.

It’s quite a long album isn’t it.

18 tracks.

Way back when he was first talking about So Help Me God or Swish or whatever it was he called he was like its gonna be 8 tracks long.

Sure, Kanye.

Oh but ‘Fade’ is the last song.

Saving the best til last?

That salsa type beat.

Hey.

Hey.

This is great.

Oh man, yeah this one I want to go dancing to.

It’s kind of 90s house .

This all over the bars and clubs in Shoreditch/Dalston next couple of weeks.

Trust me. 

I mean, I’ll be the one at those bars and clubs. 

Oh it just stopped.

That was abrupt.

Oh it’s over.

I liked it.

Yes it is all over the place, yes there are some questionable moments and no it doesn’t seem to have something real to say like Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly. But its Kanye, he will make us listen whatever he does and even ‘Ye at his questionable moments is still worth listening to.

RATE: 7.5, higher on re-listens.

[ithinkyoulllikethissong]

LION BABE: “Jump High ft. Childish Gambino”

Isn’t Vanessa Williams’ “Save The Best For Last” a great 90s banger of a ballad? She was great in Ugly Betty too. I’ve got a lot of love for Vanessa Williams and you know I am also a very big fan of the random segue so, here we go...

Vanessa Williams’ daughter Jillian Hervey is one half of the super cool new neo soul duo LION BABE along with Lucas Goodman. You might have have heard of them through the amazing “Wonder Woman” (which was produced by Pharrell Williams) or their new disco infused “Where Do We Go” - either way I think you’re going to be hearing a lot more of LION BABE throughout 2016.

This one “Jump High” is from their debut album Begin and features Childish Gambino sounding very very good too.

LION BABE: Website...Facebook...Twitter...Soundcloud

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Mar: “I Could Care Less”

Y’all ready for some mid week mid tempo ‘let’s get it on’ type rnb groove? Fantastic because Mar is serving up all kinds of Marvin Gaye realness on this smooth rnb slow jam “I Could Care Less”.

If you like Nick Jonas’ new stuff, Michael Jackson, Dornik, Liss, MXTHR...

From the When We Meet EP.

Mar: Website...Facebook...Twitter...Soundcloud

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Beyoncé: “Formation”

Bey giving us a little warning before she ‘beyoncé’ bless an album on us.

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Florrie: “Real Love”

Probably the best thing I’ve done over the last couple few years was discover PopJustice. A website dedicated to pop music and taking it as seriously as it deserves. PopJustice has a thing about championing certain acts that sometimes don’t crack mainstream (or they do but years after PJ discovers them) and Florrie feels like one of them. On the periphary of pop superstardom, Florrie is a fully fledged pop star constantly on the cusp but with the fantastic “Real Love” hopefully her moment is literally just around the corner. 

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Paperwhite: “Get Away”

Last year or maybe the year before I was blown away by Brooklyn sister/brother duo Paperwhite and their infectiously happy brand of synth pop, I mean “Magic” was my jam. 

Now “Get Away” is.

Paperwhite: Facebook…Twitter…Soundcloud

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LIVE ALBUM REVIEW: Little Mix “Get Weird”

This feels timely doesn’t it given that Little Mix released their fantastic third album almost three months ago. Classic ITYLTS with its finger on the pulse, always keeping up with all the freshest things. That’s so us. 

Basically this is an idea that I’ve had for a while, ever since I excitedly live texted my pop pal Claxton what I thought of Get Weird as I listened to it. Below is that conversation, in full. Please excuse the typos, I kept them in because I think its funny, oh and Claxton’s bits are in italics.

Shall we? Also, listen along on spotify or on this youtube playlist.

---

I don’t like when an album starts off with two singles in a row...i feel like theres no incentive to carry on. but obv ‘Black Magic’ is a strong start but they’ve followed it with ‘Love Me Like You’... maybe it works once I’ve listened to the album as a whole but... 

Both great songs and they do go together so its a solid A+ start 

Woah 

Double singles 

That's a bold move 

Carly’s album did it this year, Lana’s did it the other year 

Its like there’s nothing left to stick around for 

Then you're just being thrown straight into the unknown

But maybe because they’ve released quite a few off the album hopefully they’re more spread out 

Like when your friend leaves the party and you don't know anyone else

EXACTLY 

Right ‘Love Me Like You’ is finished  

Now we have ‘Weird People’ 

ANOTHER ONE WE ALREADY KNOW 

I mean they’re all great songs so i shouldn’t be mad

If I was listening to this completely fresh... 

Right we’ve finally got a new one Its the one with Jason derail 

Its a ballad 

Something I’m not always here for 

But its sounding quite nice so far Its got a big chorus

Here’s Jason ‘Jason Derulo’ Derulo 

Its got enough of a beat not to be terribly boring. 

Its a bit Emeli Sande/Labyrinth but not as god awful 

Nice strings 

Filler track? 

Well I’d say yes but with the Jason ‘Jason Derulo’ Derulo maybe they’ll push it as a single? It could be big, very heart fm. 

Here’s ‘Hair’ Its great 

Here’s ‘Grown’ 

‘Hair’ and ‘Grown’ are paired well 

So far: 3 big pop moments, 1 ballad, 2 rnb bangers 

Wow we’re already 6 in 

‘I Love You’ 

Slowing things down a little 

Still got a beat Bit Nicki Minaj ‘Pills N Potions’ 

Chorus is a bit 80s ballad 

Pat Beneath 

Cyndi Laiper 

*benetar 

*lauper 

Leigh-Anne sounds great 

They all do 

I’m hoping for a powerhouse vocals moment on this one 

Smash it 

Oh this middle 8 is amazing. 

I didn’t think Jesy could pull of a falsetto 

Its great Its like a good ‘Jessie J’ ballad 

Nice halfway point It is a really nice moment but towards the end probs be a good point at the gig to go get a drink 

‘OMG’ 

Very Charlie XCX ‘Fancy’ 

I like it 

I mean that chorus is very ‘Fancy’ 

It feels like they’re chasing a sound on this one 

Petrie sounds a bit Rihanna 

*perrie 

Perfectly fine 

Here’s ‘Lightning’ 

It still sounds great 

It really pauses the album and makes you listen 

I just worry its not a cohesive album. Like individually the songs are good but there’s no theme 

But does that have to be? 

Like pop, ballad, rnb, dance 

No fluidity 

Exactly I mean they’re knocking each one out the park really, but where salute was very rnb this feels all over the place 

‘A.D.I.D.A.S’ 

Its about sex 

Its kind of meghan trainer 

All day I dream about sex 

Very JC Chasez from N'Sync 

Got that 50s do wop vibe 

Again like ‘Love Me Like You’ they’re doing the sounds sweet but is really dirty Like this could be played at a kids party 

But it shouldn’t be 

LEIGH ANNE IS RAPPING 

‘They all wanna (i don’t know what she says here) my brazilian’ 

Wow 

‘Love Me or Leave Me’ 

Ballad 

Very piano based 

Big vocal moments 

Think this one was written with Jessie J 

You can tell...

To be fair they haven’t gone for a big EDM moment 

So far 

Thank god 

They’re not totes chasing trends 

Oh here’s ‘The End’ 

Its apace 

*acapella 

They sound incredible 

I really think they should do an album of En Vogue and Destiny’s Child covers at some point 

They’d kill it 

Imagine them doing ‘Never Gonna Get It’ 

Imagine them doing ‘Say My Name’ 

Or ‘No No No’ 

‘I Won’t’ 

I think this one was written with Jess Glen 

Its bouncy 

*glynne 

Hand claps 

Oh I like this 

This is fun 

Very Jess Glynne 

Maybe a bit Chezza? The hand claps remind me of ‘Crazy Stupid Love’ 

Yep this is great 

Should be a single 

Maybe 

‘Secret Love Song Pt 2’ 

Was there a part one? 

Jade sounds amazing 

Oh wait ‘Secret Love Song Pt 1’ was with Derulo 

So this is a slowed down version of that 

It’s better? 

They all sound like they’re about to burst into tears 

Bless them 

Very good 

This must be a bonus track 

Oh this is guitar-y 

‘Clued Up’ 

You don’t hear a guitar as much anymore do you? 

Very early 00s 

This one is about ‘the industry’ 

This one could be with Jessie J too 

Yeah this one is Jessie 

You can just tell 

That other one I said was Jessie J wasn’t 

Apols 

Oh so the album ‘should’ end on ‘The End’ 

The last four are bonus tracks 

‘I Won’t’ shouldn’t have been bonus 

Last track ‘The Beginning’ 

Bit meta 

Them harmonies 

Its about them coming together as a group 

Clicks and harmonies 

They’re great. 

Oh its over. 

Sad. 

Heartbreak. 

Solid pop album really 

What out of 10? 

That was a journey 

 7.5 but i think with repeated listens 

More 8

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Mash Up: DJ Earworm “Funky Goes To Hollywood”

Way back in 09 I was kind of obsessed with mash ups - there’s even some songs I still don’t know in their original mix I got that deep.

This popped in my head today, its really good. I’m dancing in the office to it, having a great time.

Hump day, am I right?