You saved my broken heart

I am a puddle of goo on the floor.

More in a little bit.

You gotta save me, honey

I need opinions on something: do you think the singer on this is Velvet?

Technically what that is is a demo for Lutricia McNeal--if "Same Same Same" and this song are anything to go by, her next album, whenever it gets released, will actually be pretty great, as well as pretty fun--but the voice sounded familiar to me, and after a little bit of thinking about it I thought maybe it might be Jenny; that opening "ooo, it's on my mind" sounds like her to me, but her voice isn't distinctive enough for me to ID for sure (and that's in a backing vocal-type part anyway). The most important thing about the song, though, is that it's fun, part pop, part dance, and disco.

What does anyone think? And, if you don't think it's her, am I alone in thinking the voice sounds familiar--who is it? Or is it just a matter of a studio voice chosen to be kind of generic?

(I should probably say that this song is by Anton Malmberg, who co-wrote "Same Same Same" and Magnus Carlsson's "Walking In My Shoes"...and I should also probably point out that Anton's co-written a lot of Luigi Masi's songs, including presumptive next single "Strangers Again.")

He looks like a million dollar to you

One of the best parts of my year is seeing a new Danny album cover. Let's be honest, topping this



is always going to be near impossible. Still, the album cover for Set Your Body Free (still due out December 24) is just the Danny we've come to expect.

Diamond that lasts forever

You can listen to all of Darin's new album, Flashback, here; I'm torn on whether to do so or not, given electronically-based music doesn't always come across clearly in low quality, but I'll probably end up listening eventually.

I know exactly what I'm gonna do

Given the whole holiday season, today's post will be (OK, really) short.

Lovely Alesha has a new album out and, for me, the main non-single highlight is (so far) this track, a fun quirky up-tempo track that is, oddly enough, the work of an American producer (as well as a co-writer of Rihanna's "Umbrella"). It's a song that few people but Alesha could probably pull off as well as great catchy fun.

To buy the album from which this song comes, go here (physical).

I want the real thing now

Another set of Melodifestivalen artists was announced today. All these singers will be making their debut as Melodifestivalen performers (well, the name acts--that doesn't count being a backing singer). All this information comes from SVT (to which all picture credit goes), Gylleneskor, and Aftonbladet; we'll have to wait for the real QX/Schlagerprofilerna update.





Mikael Rickfors, "Du Vinner Över Mig" (Thomas G:son)
I've never heard of Mikael before, but apparently he's played with some rock bands from the '60's/'70's and then did some solo work. I think the description for this song says it's in an '80's style--the sort of thing you'd wear a leather suit while singing.



Heat, "1000 Miles" (Niklas Jarl/David Stenmarck)
This is the song that it had been speculated would go to the Poodles or Martin Stenmarck, but instead it's being sung by someone else I've never heard of, rock group Heat. "1000 Miles" is described as being a love declaration in the '80's hard rock style.



Molly Sandén, "Så Vill Stjärnorna" (Bobby Ljunggren/Marcos Ubeda/Ingela Pling Forsman)
After winning the youth equivalent of Melodifestivalen in 2006, Molly Sandén, now old enough to compete in the real thing, makes her debut in the proper Melodifestivalen. "Det finaste någon kan få," her song from 2006, was a genuinely great ballad, which is why despite the fact that "Så Vill Stjärnorna" is described as a beautiful ballad about the magic of destiny finally happening, I'm interested to hear it. Molly herself added that the song has a bit of a Nordic touch and Christer Björkman describes it as a classic Swedish ballad.



Maja Gullstrand, "Här För Mig Själv" (Thomas G:son/Marcos Ubeda)
Despite Maja doing a sort of music I don't usually think of as typical Melodifestival fare--sort of brassy, kind of bossa nova-y stuff--she's sung a song that just missed making it into a past Melodifestival before ("Alla Dessa Ord," if I'm remembering correctly), so I guess seeing her in the festival isn't that much of a surprise. Plus, she was on Fame Factory, which means she's practically obligated to appear in Melodifestivalen at some point given past history. "Här För Mig Själv" is described as a groovy, trendy neo-retro bossa nova (maybe) dressed in big flowery yellow velour pajamas (that's the songwriters' description, really).



Next 3, "Esta Noche" (Michael Xavier Barraza/Jimmy Almgren/Adam Soliman)
Another group I've never heard of and could very well have been formed mainly for this purpose, Next 3 is made up of three young guys. Their song, "Esta Noche," is described as a fusion of R&B, hip-hop, and Caribbean rhythms as well as a mix of rap, reggaeton, and pop in Swedish and Spanish. Barraza says "Esta Noche" is a rap/hip-hop song with a schlager-seasoned chorus, but he's careful to add that the song is modern and with a Latin flavor, not influenced by ABBA.



Jonathan Fagerlund, "Welcome To My Life" (Samuel Waermö/Didrik Thott)
Aww, Jonathan! From the moment he was predicted to be in next year's Melodifestival, I've been wondering how fans of the contest will react to him--unless his music has changed some, it doesn't go for any sort of real electronically created sound, even though it's very much based on classic-style boy band melodies. The description of the song, "Welcome To My Life," certainly doesn't give us more information: it's a positive and happy pop track (Gylleneskor found out through an interview with Jonathan that the lyrics are somewhat biographical). Oh well, at least that should mean it won't be a ballad--there are a few too many fairly nondescript ones on his debut album, released this summer, for my taste, but that's made up for by songs like "Playing Me" and "Dance In The Shadows" that are just the sort of thing I love. Is he ready as a performer, though? I've got no idea. There's a very good chance I'll end up liking the song, though. In good news, he'll be releasing an album in tandem with his competition in Melodifestivalen, and he says it's got fewer ballads and the tempo has been sped up in general. He describes it, too, as happy and pop.



Rigo & the Topaz Sound feat. Red Fox, "I Got U" (Rodrigo Pencheff/Tobias Karlsson)
"I Got U" is described as a pleasant song inspired by the style of the '50's and '60's with a Caribbean touch. The Caribbean touch is unsurprising given that it's Rigo (and Topaz Sound) singing the song, though I guess I kind of think of his music as having a little bit of a light hip-hop touch--the floaty kind--though maybe that's just his styling and delivery on some of them if I'm really thinking about it.

In general news, a song not yet techincally assigned a singer has been renamed. "Människobarn" is reported by Schlagerprofilerna to have been retitled "Du är älskad där du går."

Da l' sam još jedna ja, pomalo nebitna

I don't compete in or even regularly follow any of the Internet competitions simulating or based off of Eurovision, but I'm glad they're out there as when you do stumble across them they can often lead you to songs you might never have otherwise heard of but which are great. Take Croatian singer Franka Batelić, whose debut single "Ruža u kamenu" ("Rose In The Stone") debuted through her HRF (Hrvatski radijski festival, or Croatian Radio Festival).



Maybe credit for the fierceness I feel from the song and performance should go to the choreographer and whoever was in charge of wardrobe, as the whole jerky time-stopping movements the tutu-skirted dancers do doing the whole post-chorus section are absolutely perfect for the song. The whole thing, though, adds up to what I can't help seeing as the birth of a star (previous exposure notwithstanding)--there's just something about the styling, the confidence, and, mainly, the song itself, with its odd pop sound, that has me hoping Franka will end up being interesting for the right reasons. "Ruža u kamenu" isn't a song I can really properly describe--mid-tempo, yes, with some half-agressive guitar-riffs, yes, but also with just a hint, a hint, of electro bubbling up here and there. And then that post-chorus section (or second chorus, if you want): the best part of the song, for sure, and one that makes me want to break out a more pause-filled version of the Girls Aloud hand clock.

In fact, that's it exactly: I want someone to take Franka away into a recording studio and turn her into a proper Girls Aloud type popstar--this song isn't there yet, but it's interesting enough and suits her well enough that it gives me reason to think she could get there. In all likelihood she'll never do that and will instead revert to fairly pedestrian songs like those that did well at the festival she was performing at, but when that happens it'll really be a shame. What are Xenomania doing in their spare time? Or, failing that and sticking closer to home, what's the main songwriter of Colonia doing? Let's match him up with Franka A.S.A.P.

I've got really no idea where to buy Croatian music online--if anyone has any recommendations, let me know and I'll add the link.

Next up: maybe back to the UK.