Review: Calvin Harris - Thinking About You (Feat. Ayah Marar)

Calvin Harris' Thinking About You gets the 18 Months' nth single release with the video just released 4 days ago. I am such a believer of this save-the-best-for-last cliche so I think it's just fair enough to reignite the album with it's best track. Jordanian vixen Ayah Mara aids Harris' nostalgic beat with her basic yet the perfect vocals for the song. If you compare the single with the other tracks on the album, it has the simplest arrangement which totally works out just fine, we have had enough of Calvin's noise that is Sweet Nothing.

Neon Hitch Shines with Midnight Sun

The not-so anticipated Beg, Borrow, and Steal album which was meant to come out as Neon's debut material was I think deleted from Warner Bros. database for a good reason - to slay us with dreamy EP, Happy Neon. Released last 14th of January, the six-piece delight is of free download and was purely Neon and Happy Perez's effort to introduce and brand her music after the disastrous F U Betta. 

My personal favourite from the record would be Midnight Sun as her voice really played out very well on the track. The urban-y feel with traceable pop influence gives you moments of pure sexual jubilation. Honestly, I want to have sex with this song all night long. This kind of song comes under Neon's forte as a musician and honestly it came as a surprise to me because I was completely thinking  that aside from posing with all types of grasses on Instagram nothing was keeping her busy.

See, Neon will never be ever successful mainstream-wise, Rihanna-like, but I think that she would be a great  musician in her own zone giving us both Top 40 realness with a distinct sound that only she can pull off. Too bad for her since she couldn't take the sexually-botled pop tart spot because Katy, Lady Gaga and Rihanna already have it though she tried (F U Betta) or the hippie-carefree persona as Ke$ha is so good at it though she is vocally better than her.  

Conor Maynard's Turn Around Chrous Debacle

Conor Maynard is currently enjoying mainstream success in Europe producing four consecutive Top 40 hits on major European Music Charts. Needless to say, his best release yet was Turn Around which was penned by Ne-Yo and based on some blog entries the song was shortlisted to appear on NeYo's R.E.D. album but he instead gave it to Conor and featured himself - Conor is NeYo's protege. The 20-Year Old R&B/Pop singer first rose to fame due to countless Covers on YouTube which raked millions of hits worlwide, some of the Covers that I personally love are Starships and Don't You Worry Child.

Well, scoring a Number 1 Uk debut album ain't that bad for Conor as I think that he and Rita Ora were the Breakthrough Artists in UK for 2012. Back to Turn Around, the song was just perfect for his voice and the lower parts were spot on and his airy typeof voice was mostly sexy. Of course, NeYo's appeal to the second verse was just stellar as it gave a predictably surprising progress and dynamic transition. Most people were a bit worried on how he would pull off NeYo's part on live performances since NeYo's live appearance would just possibly happen if and only if Conor performs it on Brit Awards - which may be slighlty possible. But what worried me the most was him belting the chorus part which is way too high for his voice range and register and I don't want to watch a male version of Katy Perry's Firework performance during an American Music Awards on a regular basis.

The first live performance for the song was during his stint on VEVO Lift UK mid-2012 and to conceal his inability to pull the chorus part, the whole song's bass was totally loud and he was selectively singing the parts he was able to do. After that, his MOBO performance was a hot mess but the worst live version was on a French Radio Station, no loud music, no back up vocals - just him - and it was totally awful and beyond mortifying. The only instance he was able to get close to the album version, vocal-wise, was during his Top of the Pops performance.

Conor must be really happy right now that the promotion of the song was over as he moved on to a Wiley featured Animal. I know that there are just two things that annoy him the most - being compared to Justin Bieber and singing Turn Around live.

Review - Dawn Richards' '86

With all the nonsensical drama - post Danity Kane - no one would think that R&B gem Dawn Richards was still capable of releasing good music. With few mediocre and some divine releases by 2010-2012, she still wasn't a hit in the Mainstream Music but I think this lass isn't really calling it quits as 2012 saw the announcement of her Sophomore Album Golden Heart wherein the first single to come out was the flaw-free '86. Released by Sept 2012, the song came unto my radar when the Music Video dropped mid-Jan this year.

The variety of vocal approached used in the song was of perfection, from the heartfelt yearning till its progression to something every powerful and cathartic was just stellar. The music video was unexplainably poignant, drenched with moments to induce nostalgia that you won't feel a tinge of indifference.

Top 5 Dance-Pop Track of 2012

2012 had been very good for artists who wanted to make a sure global hit through coming out with a Electro Dance Pop single and then never minded producing a decent album. Well, going through this music direction has more chances of selling and charting than going with the usual routes. 

Honestly, 2012 had been very euphoric for me as some of the dance songs released were I think the best of its kind, so let's kick the pig and round up with the five best singles.

5. Cheryl - Call My Name

The infamous Ms. Cole came back to the music scene last year omitting her last name as an attempt to rebrand herself and break the US Market. Well, the single was produced by Calvin Harris and when it was played first on radios, it was met by heavy criticisms about its similarity with We Found Love from Rihanna which was also produced by Harris. But after few listens, the song completely transforms into its own kind which was more aggressive than Rihanna's. It topped the UK Top 40 Chart and was named 34th Biggest Selling Single of the Year and 2nd Fastest Single of the Year by BBC.

4. Enrique Iglesias - Finally Found You

This Eurodance was Enrique's latest effort to enter the worldwide chart again after the disastrous collaboration with Dev for Naked which commercially and critically flopped. The single was met with luke warm response but no one could ever deny the fact that it was bad-ass euphoric and the appearance of Sammy Adams was also worth praising for.

3. Alexandra Burke - Elephant

After the success of her debut album Overcome which was a smashing hit and ultimately earned her Platinum Certification from UK, she went on for a long hiatus to create her second Magnum Opus but all went to  disappointing results. First, she failed to chart successfully and her album never produced a certified hit. The only thing good about her comeback was the epic Elephant which was so different from other songs of its kind. 

2. Havana Brown - Run The Night

Havana's debut single which came out last year was originally named Run The Night which topped Aussie Charts and helped her win her first ARIA. When she tried to tour US and Europe, she modified the song and featured PitBull but for me, the original version was way better than the new one. 

1. Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child

The release of "Child" was basically bittersweet as it also marked the trio's disbandment after One Last Tour.   Steve Martin's vocals on top of the euphoric synths will surely help you last the club. It's a pure bliss.