I was filling in the voting form for the Popjustice Readers’ Poll a few weeks ago and I came to a category that stumped me: Worst attempt at a solo career. It wasn’t just that I couldn’t think of anyone who had launched a bad solo career, but I struggled to think of any former or current pop band members who had embarked on a solo project in the past 12 months. And sure enough, the acts that made up the top five, such as Cheryl and Nicole Scherzinger, have been solo for years and are hardly associated with their former bands these days. Lea Michéle, who wasn’t even in a band, was at no.3!
So, why haven’t there been any band members going solo? I love spotting patterns in pop, and I like the idea that music is loosely cyclical. There are always surprises along the way, but trends definitely go in circles. Each type of music or type of artist that comes into fashion eventually reaches saturation point, leading to a public hunger for something different. Over the past five years, we’ve seen a (very welcome) revival of the pop group. The trend has been dominated by boybands, but there have been a few successful girlbands too, and in general the idea of pop groups aimed at teenagers has been considered more acceptable than it was in the previous five years.
During this recent pop bubble, there was a good three years where bands simply weren’t splitting up. It seemed like they’d cottoned on to a formula that worked, and the plan was to milk it until their luck ran out. Bands like JLS, One Direction and Little Mix released an album a year, they toured once a year, and they didn’t stray too much from the sound or image they were known for. Even non-X Factor bands like The Wanted and The Saturdays, perceived to have a bit more freedom, followed similar patterns. In contrast to the previous pop generation, where bands like Atomic Kitten, Sugababes and Westlife lost members while still successful, these new acts all stayed in tact. Perhaps because of the financial struggles of the music industry, they knew that stepping away from an established brand was a big risk, even though the reward to their bank balance and ego would be huge if it worked out.
However, in 2015 the pop landscape is in flux once again. JLS and The Wanted have split, replaced by guitar-wielding newcomers The Vamps and 5SOS. It also looks likely that The Saturdays won’t make another album, and as One Direction’s latest album didn’t sell as well as its predecessor, they would be smart to take a break, if only to give the tired brand the chance to be missed. I expect by the end of the year we will have several new solo artists on the scene, and if just one of them turns out to be a huge success, you can expect all the rest to follow with albums the following year. Already in the first two weeks of this year, we can see this new era beginning, with the premiere of the debut single by Oritsé from JLS and the first appearance of Max from The Wanted in Glee.
As it’s been so long since we last saw pop band members going solo at any significant rate, we don’t know how loyal their fanbases will be. We’re in a new fast-paced era, where the single is king and artists can’t rely on a public persona to sell music. Plus, there’s more competition than ever, with the Internet supplying an endless array of new acts to discover. But it’s certainly going to be fun to find out how these pop stars present themselves as solo artists, and I hope there will be some surprises as to who turns out to be most successful.
Here is my review of the current solo projects in the works from the three big boybands, and how I think they might fare…
Let’s start with the band that deserve credit for bringing back the boyband, and paving the way for the pop group revival… and the first of this generation to break up.
Marvin is clearly in the lead at the moment, as he’s already had some success, though not in the conventional way that you would expect for a boyband alumnus. In addition to his work as a DJ and presenter, he is signed to Global Talent as part of a trio of producers called LuvBug. Unusually, he hasn’t sung on any of the tracks they’ve released so far, and only makes a small appearance in the new video. Marvin was my favourite in JLS, and I love his relationship with Rochelle, but LuvBug’s music is a weak impersonation of the current house-pop trend. Thanks to Global Radio’s exposure, they had a top 10 hit with , and may achieve another with new single Revive (Say Something), but they’re fighting a losing battle as the music doesn’t appeal to the old JLS fans or the new fanbase they’re trying to target. Although it was a great idea in theory, I don’t think LuvBug can compete with acts like Blonde or Duke Dumont, and I see Marvin sticking to presenting and DJing in the future.
The first JLS member to premiere a solo single was perhaps the one you’d least expect, but you should remember that Oritsé was the original founder of JLS. He did a good job of finding band members, and to do so was a clever move for him as a singer, as he wouldn’t have achieved success without the band around him. For his solo project, he has made another smart move in rebranding himself as OWS and positioning himself in a very unexpected, cool way. His debut single and video are slick, and feature rapper Pusha T, so there is some money behind this project. If you didn’t know who Oritsé was, you would believe he could be the next big thing, and that seems to have worked on the organisers of SXSW who have booked him to play this year. I only wonder if he has revealed his identity too soon. Wouldn’t it have been better to let the song get a buzz in the Hype Machine world before saying “Ha! It’s me!!”? Because of the prejudice against pop in the scene he’s trying to get into, I don’t think this project can succeed, but it’s a very admirable attempt.
The JLS member you probably thought most likely to go solo is the one who’s been taking his time: Aston. He announced last year that he had signed to Warner Music, moving away from JLS’s former home of Sony. Although Aston was the most popular member with the young fans, especially in the early days, he didn’t seem so cute in his mid-20s and at times looked a bit slimey. When asked about the album he’s working on, he hasn’t said what genre it will be but says it will contain several collaborations. As he sang lead on most JLS songs, I would expect his music to be more similar to the JLS sound than Marvin or Oritsé’s. I imagine he will try (as at least one member of every boyband will) to be the Timberlake, but I’m afraid his attempt at this will be Maynard at best.
And as for JB, he said when the band split that he wasn’t planning on pursuing a solo career. He did randomly collaborate on
produced by one of the Kiss FM breakfast hosts, but otherwise he seems happy hanging out on his farm. And he’ll never be able to top this classic moment anyway…
The Wanted
The Wanted were the second boyband of the latest pop wave, and the second to go their separate ways (or on hiatus – they don’t seem quite sure). Let’s find out what they’re up to…
The first member of The Wanted to go solo was Nathan, when he duetted with his girlfriend at the time, Ariana Grande, while the band were still together. They released the single Almost Is Never Enough from the soundtrack to The Mortal Instruments. It didn’t get much promo in the UK, and missed the top 40. Since the split, he’s been working on his solo material, and clearly wants a clean break from his bandmates, as he’s the only one who didn’t take part in the random gigs they did at the end of 2014. He made a surprise appearance at the Summertime Ball, duetting with Jessie J, which suggested he would continue to work with The Wanted’s former label Global Talent. As a young white guy with a soulful voice and love of warbling, his natural place in pop would be where Sam Smith is currently sitting firmly. The similarity could go in Nathan’s favour or against him, but with a good debut single and radio support, I can see him achieving at least one top 10 hit.
During the E! reality series The Wanted Life, Max was shown auditioning for acting roles, and working on his American accent. It didn’t seem to be going too well at the time, but he later got himself a pretty impressive job for someone with no previous acting credits. He plays a member of a new glee club being coached by Mr Shue on Glee. We don’t know yet if it’s a speaking part – that may depend on how that accent’s coming on! He made his debut in the first episode of the new series last week, and you could call this his first solo performance as he sings lead on a cover of Dance the Night Away by Van Halen. You might find him hard to spot, as he’s grown out his hair, ditching the shaved look he’d had since the
days. He has confirmed he’s working on solo material, and much like Aston from JLS, as his vocal was most prominent on The Wanted’s songs, it’s likely his sound will be most similar to the band’s. He is believed to have continued working with Scooter Braun, the manager who launched The Wanted in the US.
The first solo single to be released after The Wanted split was Tom’s, as he featured on the debut single by Richard Rawson (Fazer from N-Dubz). I actually quite like the song, Fireflies, but it was a few years behind the times, and there simply wasn’t interest in a solo single by the least famous member of N-Dubz, even with an ex-boybander attached. Tom has been more successful in pursuing other ventures, such as DJing and releasing his own clothing line. If he wants another bite at the cherry of pop, I think he should sign up for the next series of I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here. His down-to-earth personality will go down well with the ITV crowd, and as three boyband members have won before, his chances of following suit would be pretty good. If any of the band are suited to this route, it’s Tom, and he should strike while the iron is hot.
As for the other two, Siva has returned to modelling, signing to Next Models, and seems to be enjoying the celebrity lifestyle in LA. He has mentioned recording a solo album in a few interviews, but as he sang the least in The Wanted, there won’t be high expectations. Of course, he could surprise us! And with a nice, distinctive voice, Jay is the member I’d most like to hear solo material from, and I think a singer-songwriter acoustic-pop sound would suit him well, but there’s no news on this yet. Come on Jay, we’re waiting!
One Direction
They’re still a successful band, but after five intense years together, I think the time is ripe for the 1D boys to go solo (though they would be silly to split – just think of the merch earnings they’d lose!).
Zayn is a fan of urban music, so it makes sense that he’s been working with Naughty Boy on solo material. Although the quality of Naughty Boy’s work is inconsistent (his last single was very dull, and only got to no.45!), producing what could be the first 1D solo release is a big opportunity, so he will surely bring his A game. I’ve already heard on the grapevine that the songs they’ve worked on are sounding good. I predict that Zayn will feature on a track on Naughty Boy’s next album, as the first taste of his solo sound. Alternatively, they could form a duo and call themselves . Zayn is my second least favourite in the band, and currently has the worst hair, but the musical direction he’s taking is a good match for his voice and tastes, so I’ll be interested to hear the results. I wonder if he will use his birth name, Zain, reclaiming his “i” as Brian (aka Bryan) McFadden did when he went solo?
Harry has always been my favourite in 1D, and I believe he will be the biggest star in the long-term. We might have to deal with an underwhelming indie phase along the way, but he is charismatic, smart and well-liked in the industry. As the band members often have separate writing sessions, it’s difficult to know which producers are working on songs for the next 1D album, or for a future solo release. Harry has collaborated with many famous writers and producers, as well as artists like John Legend, Meghan Trainor and Kodaline, on songs that haven’t been heard. Recently, some of his songs have been recorded by other artists, such as
by Ariana Grande, which Harry wrote all by himself. He’ll clearly have plenty of tracks to choose from when he’s ready to go solo, and plenty of friends to call on to make some more.
There haven’t been as many reports about the other three going solo, which I imagine comes as an annoyance to Liam Payne. He’s one of the main singers on 1D’s songs, and is known as “the Barlow” of the band, as he takes it all more seriously. According to Nicole Scherzinger, he was unsure about joining the band at all, so a future solo career must have been his goal from the start. Recently he’s been getting into production, remixing tracks by One Direction and Cheryl Cole (who now shares their management). Could he release an unexpected dance album, or join Marvin and Tom in the boybanders-turned-DJs club? I’d love to see Niall forge a successful solo career and as the popular underdog it could certainly happen. As for Louis, let’s not even entertain the notion – it’s not happening.
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A few weeks ago I visited Poland and picked up a poptastic souvenir, a compilation CD called Fresh Hits 2015. It was mainly Polish and European singles that haven&t made it over to the UK, so it turned out to be a fun way to discover some new music. Generally it was quite cheesy, featuring tracks like
and , but several songs have made their way onto my ipod. My favourite at the moment is , an unexpected collaboration between Italian dance act
and Aussie pop star . It has a similar sentiment to the fantastic
by Style of Eye (but from the kids' perspective), yet musically it&s a throwback to 90s Europop, with a riff reminiscent of ATC&s . In the age of EDM, there aren&t many songs like this around, so it&s refreshing to be reminded of why I used to love European dance-pop.
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The party season is over so it's time to get serious in this week's Future Hits playlist.
Tracklisting:
Ed Sheeran & Bloodstream
Marlon Roudette & When The Beat Drops Out
Kodaline & Honest
Rixton – Hotel Ceiling
Catfish and the Bottlemen – Kathleen
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The music scene gets a bit indie this time of year, as music snobs try to tell us their boring bands are the next big thing. Meanwhile, a new generation of pop stars don&t need the press to proclaim their future domination – they&re making their own careers without the mainstream media. 18-year-old
is a great example, with 600k Twitter followers to James Bay&s 45k. She picked up an online following as a star of the
YouTube series, which she used as a platform to get acting jobs, and now she&s releasing music as an independent artist. Although the production doesn&t do it justice, her new single&&is a quality pop song, and the video is as good as a major label would make for a new act. However, I think a year or two in development once a label comes on board will allow her to fulfil her pop star potential. The fanbase is ready when she is.
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Male rock vocals are among my least favourite noises, but I&ve featured some strong female-fronted rock acts recently, so I guess I should give the boys a chance. Equal opportunities etc.
come up second when you Google &slaves,& just behind the Wikipedia page for slavery, so they&re obviously doing quite well. However, a YouTube search was more confusing. I was about to mock their fake American accents until I realised
is another rock band called Slaves. I assume we can expect the British Slaves to rename themselves Slaves X or Little Slaves any day now. Anyway, Slaves UK, who in fact seem very proud of their British accents, are a smartly-dressed yet shouty duo whose music is apparently rockabilly-meets-grunge. But the act they sound most like to me is (an angry male version of) . Can&t you just imagine Shampoo having a song called ?
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2015 has arrived and the music industry is officially back to work today (don’t expect to get too many emails, though). Everyone from the BBC and The Guardian to iTunes and VEVO have revealed their ones to watch for the year ahead, and now it’s time for me to share mine, based on these predictions and my own opinions.
First, however, let’s find out if my predictions are worth anything anyway – let’s see how I did last year! My no.1 was the unsurprising biggest-selling new act of the year, Sam Smith, and I also listed 5 Seconds of Summer and Gorgon City, who both did very well. Banks earned acclaim but not hits, while A Great Big World and DJ Cassidy each had a big hit, but probably won’t be seen again. Sadly, Chloe Howl and Joel Compass didn’t click with UK music fans, but Mapei and Saint Raymond could be slow-starters – I think we’ll see more of them yet. 2014 also saw the rise of an act I thought would be huge in 2012: Ariana Grande. So maybe 2016 will be Chloe Howl’s year? Well, we can dream!
Here are my top tips for 2015 – click on the artists’ names to read my original Future Pop posts.
(Universal Republic)
James Bay has a good voice and looks very nice with a hat on (not so much ). Apart from that, there’s not much to say about him – his music’s unremarkable but inoffensive. He seems a dead cert for success following his Brits win (and surely an impending BBC victory?), but he’ll need some songs that are more than just “pleasant” if he wants to match what his predecessor Sam Smith has achieved.
There’s always one token pop act included in the annual ones to watch lists, usually the kind of “intelligent” pop music the list-makers find acceptable – more Chvrches than Rihanna. This year it’s Years and Years. I like their electro-pop music, but my hope for 2014 is that lead singer Olly’s talent and star quality shine through, allowing them to move toward a less trendy, more classic singer-songwriter sound (with electro influences) in future.
(Columbia)
One of the acts I expected to see on more 2015 lists is Rory Graham, aka Rag ‘N’ Bone Man. His artistic persona is so powerful and distinctive, all he needs is a TV moment and everyone will be talking about him. Rag ‘N’ Bone Man follows the trend for male singers who make dark, dramatic, bluesy music with religious references, such as Hozier and Jamie ‘N’ Commons. His majestic songs should appeal to music fans young and old – they key to a hit album.
Failing to reach the
finals worked out well for Tori Kelly. She used the exposure to kickstart her career as a YouTube star, which led her to sign with the unstoppable Scooter Braun. Apart from a
with Professor Green, her progress has been slow, as her solo songs have been quite bland. But she has a strong fanbase and her next single is a Max Martin production, so don’t be surprised if she sneaks ahead in the race to win 2015.
(Columbia)
Raury is an intriguing combination of many recent trends and artists, but is also original and fresh. His youth makes his
seem less contrived, his bravado less obnoxious, and luckily he has the songwriting ability and star quality to back it all up. The Kanye comparisons are interesting because, being a generation younger, Raury approaches music from a different angle (less hip-hop, more hipster) but seems like he’s heading to a similar place in pop culture.
(Island/Communion)
The BBC Music Awards got mixed reviews but it was a big night for Catfish and the Bottlemen, winner of the BBC Introducing Award. As a new act, their performance was refreshing among a line-up of acts we’ve all seen many times before, and reached an audience of casual music fans who don’t usually seek out new music but wait for it to come to them. They’re not cool, but at least they’re not too dreary, and Van McCann could be the next indie frontman we love to mock.
The Vamps’ use of 16-year-old Vine star Shawn Mendes to get the
from their album into the top 10 shows that, although he hasn’t broken into the UK charts on his own yet, he has selling power. I hope his label know Shawn isn’t the next Justin Bieber – he’s more of a geeky-but-cute boy-next- the one who gets the girl at the end of a teen movie. He’s awkward in the
video, but the song is good. Just a little re-positioning and he’ll be huge.
No matter how I try, I just can’t understand the fuss about classically-trained 18-year-old artist L?psley, and I was even more confused this week when
described her as a “pop star” (she’s anything but). However, I’m featuring her here because the praise is so reverent and unanimous. My ears must not be finely tuned enough to appreciate this delicate art… or maybe the public will find the effort to pay attention as tiring as I do. I guess we’ll find out in 2015!
(Rough Trade)
From the deluge of singer-songwriters that the major labels have thrown at the wall (also known as Radio 1) over the last few years, the ones that have stuck have all been distinctive. Each has something about their sound or look that separates them from the rest but they still fit in on the radio. I think SOAK could be next. She has a cool androgynous look and brings her Irish influence to the popular indie-folk genre. She’s a captivating
– all she needs now is a great song.
(Ministry of Sound)
For a singer-songwriter, one song can launch a career, but you need a few more to sell albums. Unlike SOAK or Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Rhodes doesn’t have a very distinctive artistic persona, but he does have some beautiful songs.
are subtle and striking. When you make music like this, maybe it’s better to be faceless and personality-free? Let the listener enjoy it without getting in the way. Whatever happens, Rhodes has a long songwriting career ahead.
This year’s list was a hard one to narrow down, so here are some of the acts who didn’t quite make it, for you to investigate if you feel so inclined:
, , , , , , , , , .
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I’ve been counting down the top 25 most poptastic singles of the year over the past week here on This Must Be Pop, and now it’s time to reveal the top 100 in full. There are plenty of songs here that you will all know, but also lots of hidden gems to be discovered. Enjoy, and let me know your favourites!
Taylor Swift – Out of the Woods
Taylor Swift – Shake It Off
Jessie J ft. Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj – Bang Bang
Redlight ft. Lotti – 36
5 Seconds of Summer – Don’t Stop
5 Seconds Of Summer – She Looks So Perfect
Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
Blonde ft. Melissa Steel – I Loved You
Ariana Grande ft. Zedd – Break Free
Ace Wilder – Busy Doin’ Nothin’
Sandra Lyng – Don’t Care
Hunter Hayes – Tattoo
Katy B – Crying for No Reason
Sigma – Nobody To Love
Leah McFall ft. will.i.am – Home
The Griswolds – Beware The Dog
Many Things – Dear One
Walk The Moon – Shut Up and Dance
Taylor Swift – Blank Space
Shamir – On The Regular
Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
Fifth Harmony – Sledgehammer
Years and Years – Real
Tove Lo – Talking Body
Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea – Problem
Chloe Howl – Rumour
Little Mix – Salute
Ella Henderson – Ghost
Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd – Really Don’t Care
The Saturdays – What Are You Waiting For
Tove Styrke – Even If I’m Loud It Doesn’t Mean I’m Talking To You
Alexa Goddard – So There
The Vamps ft. Shawn Mendes – Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)
Austin Mahone ft. Pitbull – Mmm Yeah*
Say Lou Lou – Everything We Touch
Rae Morris ft. Fryars – Cold
The Saturdays – Not Giving Up
Ti?sto – Red Lights
Ola – Rich & Young
The Vamps ft. Demi Lovato – Somebody To You
G.R.L. – Show Me What You Got
Ryn Weaver – OctaHate
The Vamps – Wild Heart
Alcazar – Blame It On The Disco
Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne – Rather Be
Lucy Hale – You Sound Good To Me
The Vamps – Last Night
Afrojack ft. Wrabel – Ten Feet Tall
Alexa Goddard – Marilyn
Megan and Liz – New At This
Rixton – Wait On Me
G.R.L – Ugly Heart
R?yksopp & Robyn – Do It Again
Twin Atlantic – Brothers and Sisters
B.o.B ft. Priscilla Renea – John Doe
Maddie & Tae – Girl In A Country Song
MAGIC! – Don’t Kill the Magic
Rita Ora – I Will Never Let You Down
Marlisa – Stand By You
Dami Im – Gladiator
Katy Perry – This Is How We Do
Krishane ft. Melissa Steel & Beenie Man – Drunk and Incapable
Ariana Grande ft. The Weeknd – Love Me Harder
Becky G – Shower
Lady Gaga – G.U.Y.
ODESZA ft. Zyra – Say My Name
Lilly Wood & The Prick and Robin Schulz – Prayer in C
MKTO – American Dream
Union J – Tonight (We Live Forever)
Sheppard – Geronimo
The Magician ft. Years & Years – Sunlight
Sheppard – Something’s Missing
The Shires – Tonight
Grades – Crocodile Tears
Cobra Starship ft. Icona Pop – Never Been In Love
Zara Larsson – Rooftop
Alvaro Estrella – Bedroom
Matilda Thompson – What We Do
Foster The People – Coming of Age
Shift K3y – Touch
Chloe Black – 27 Club
Dorothy – Wicked Ones
Meghan Trainor – Lips Are Movin
Jaymes Young – What Should I Do
Chvrches – We Sink
Strange Talk – Young Hearts
Aloe Blacc – The Man
Wolf Alice – Moaning Lisa Smile
Foxes – Glorious
Jack ? ft. Kiesza – Take ? There
The Shires – Nashville Grey Skies
Bondax – All I See
Shift K3y – I Know
Marlene – Stay Awake
Manda – Glow
Night Terrors Of 1927 ft. Tegan & Sara – When You Were Mine
Jetta – Crescendo
Tove Styrke – Borderline
Iggy Azalea ft. M? – Beg For It
Dierks Bentley – Drunk On A Plane
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After several years of choosing increasingly obnoxious and divisive no.1s, there was nothing that could trump Timber, Pound The Alarm and Swagger Jagger in the “is she actually trolling us?” (no, they really were my favourites) stakes this year. I was tempted to go with Shake It Off, as it does feel like the song of the year, considering how well it was received by everyone from casual chart pop consumers to uber-analytical music journalists. However, there was another song that grabbed me and stuck with me in a different way, which I think deserves the spotlight today even more. For the first time in many years, my no.1 is not an upbeat, sassy or celebratory party song, perfectly constructed to make us all dance and smile. It’s clever and powerful in an entirely different way.
Released: 14th October (USA)
Writers: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff
Best bits: 1. Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Twenty stitches in the hospital room
2. Are we in the clear yet? In the clear yet? Good!
3. But the monsters turned out to be just trees, when the sun came up, you were lookin’ at may-ay-ay
It’s debatable whether Out of the Woods is actually a single at all, as it doesn’t have a video and hasn’t “gone to radio,” but according to my rules it is eligible, because it charted somewhere in the world (nine countries, to be precise). I hope it will get its chance to fully shine in 2015. It fulfilled its purpose in creating a huge buzz for 1989 and tipping us off that the album had much more to offer than Shake It Off suggested, but Out of the Woods deserves to be more than bait. It deserves a video, an awards show performance, blanket radio play and a few weeks at no.1… at the very least!
Out of the Woods isn’t one of ;s Ryan Tedder co-writes, but you could have been mistaken, thanks to its highly repetitive chorus (typical of a Tedder tune). The chorus is itself misleading – there’s so little to it, that on first listen you might think of Out of the Woods as a simple song. But it’s the verses that make it special, intricately constructed and filled with little details (lyrical and musical) that reveal themselves over time. And as you get caught up in the story of the song, the chorus transforms from repetitive to anthemic. The emotion behind it becomes clear, and even though the song is conveying something much more complex than the average top 40 hit, you feel like you know exactly what Taylor was going through.
So, the countdown of my top 25 is complete! Let me know what you think of my choices in the comments box below, or tweet me . If you’re wondering which singles just missed out, or would like to hear all these songs (and 75 more) in order of excellence, look out for my full top 100 being revealed this afternoon.
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Here are my top 20 singles of December, compiled into a poptastic playlist for your enjoyment. I hope you discover some new favourites! I’ve also added these songs to my Spotify playlist featuring all the songs from my monthly charts (or the ones available on Spotify, at least), which you can listen to . Don’t forget to subscribe as new songs are added every month!
Neon Jungle ft. Snob Scrilla – Can’t Stop The Love
Night Terrors Of 1927 ft. Tegan & Sara – When You Were Mine
Olly Murs ft. Demi Lovato – Up
Spada & Elen Levon – Cool Enough
Ariana Grande – Santa Tell Me
Shawn Mendes – Something Big
The Veronicas – If You Love Someone
Zara Larsson – Weak Heart
Sheppard – Smile
Holychild – Running Behind
Bebe Rexha – I’m Gonna Show You Crazy
Madonna – Living For Love
Elaiza – I Don’t Love You
Marina and the Diamonds – Happy
Ulf Nilsson – Little By Little (Lulleaux & George Whyman Remix)
Felix Jaehn ft. Freddy Verano & Linying – Shine
Astrid – 2am
DJane Housekat ft. Rameez – Girls In Luv
John de Sohn & Noely Gray – Creedence
Elsa & Emilie – Endless Optimism
OMI – Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix)
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The 5th Most Poptastic Single of 2014
Released: 9th May (Australia)
Writers: Steve Robson, busbee, Luke Hemmings, Calum Hood
Trivia: 5SOS are one of those bands that walks the line between being a boyband and a “proper” band with instruments. Really, they are both, but if they had to be put on one side I think they deserve the honour of being a boyband. Not only have they released two great pop singles (the less said about the other two, the better) but they also tick some important boyband boxes: They’re all featured equally in photos and interviews (even I, as a semi-fan, can’t remember which one is the lead singer) and they politely take turns to get writing credits. Michael and Ashton got She Looks So Perfect, while Luke and Calum are credited on Don’t Stop. It might seem a bit unfair, as She Looks So Perfect was the lead single and bigger success, but now that Don’t Stop has placed higher in my Top 25, I’d say they’re even.
Best bits: 1. Don’t stoooooop doin’ what you’re doin’
2. And you know it, know it, know it!
3. Everybody wants to take you home tonight, but I’m gonna find a way to make you mine
The 4th Most Poptastic Single of 2014
Released: 10th March (UK)
Writers: Unknown
Trivia: Of all the songs in my top 25, 36 is certainly the least well known, and even I know very little about it. I know enough about Redlight (he/she/they have some other songs, one of them did quite well, I can’t remember what it was called) to know better than to dig for more treasures – this is his/her/their shining moment and there’s no way any of his/her/their other songs could be as good, so investigating further would only lead to disappointment. As for Lotti, I literally haven’t a clue who she is. I like to believe it’s the Norwegian singer Annie under a new pseudonym.
Best bits: 1. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t seem to get enough
2. Babe, yeah yeah, oh-ohoh-oh babe, yeah yeah, woo! oh-ohoh-oh
3. 36,000 feet above the clouds and we keep on climbing
The 3rd Most Poptastic Single of 2014
Released: 21st September (UK)
Writers: Max Martin, Savan Kotecha, Rickard G?ransson, Onika Maraj
Trivia: How Jessie J got to be the lead artist on this pop masterpiece is one of the great mysteries of 2014. Before it was released (or before I’d seen the writing credits, at least) I wondered how Ariana and Nicki had been convinced to collaborate with Jessie J. But then, when I heard Bang Bang, it made sense – who would turn down the chance to appear on such an undeniable hit? However, the mystery still remained – with vocals split pretty evenly, why isn’t the established major international artist, Nicki, or the hot breakthrough star, Ariana, credited as the lead singer? Clearly some behind-the-scenes bartering went on, but that leads to another question – who in the music industry wants Jessie J to succeed so much, even after the flop of her second album and with her diva reputation, that they would offer something to Ariana and Nicki that was valuable enough to convince them to play second/third fiddle to Jessie? We’ll probably never know, but at least we have a poptastic song to listen to while we mull it over.
Best bits: 1. Bang bang into the room!
2. B to the A, to the N, to the G, to the hey-ey
3. Wait a minute let me take you there (ahh-ah), wait a minute ’til ya… ahhh hey!
The 2nd Most Poptastic Single of 2014
Released: 19th August (USA)
Writers: Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Shellback
Trivia: When artists like Ariana and Jessie release Max Martin songs, they’re just vehicles for his talent. It’s a worthwhile job, and an important one throughout pop history, but it’s easy to imagine their Max Martin songs having gone to another artist (and we know many of Max’s hits have changed hands before being released). But when Taylor started working with Max, she got a different honour – she was allowed to bring her own approach to songwriting to the studio, and actually collaborate with him. You can hear both Max and Taylor clearly in these songs: no-one is letti instead they are meeting in the middle. Shake It Off, like We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, is a brilliant example of their sounds fitting together like puzzle pieces. Taylor obviously views 1989 as a collaboration, as she includes several photos of Max (and Shellback) in the album booklet, and Max is obviously very proud of their work and fond of Taylor, as he (being notoriously private) let her do so.
Best bits: 1. I’m just gonna shake shake shake shake shake, shake it off! Shake it off!
2. ‘Cos the players gonna play, play, play, and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate
3. My ex man brought his new girlfriend, she’s like “oh my god,” but I’m just gonna shake
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