http://www.youtube.com/p/115B7C42B412303D
Maria Arredondo – Mad Summer
Here’s a lovely and super-catchy summer song from a few years ago, by a Norwegian-Argentinian singer who unfortunately seems to have only released crap ballads ever since. If you liked the songs on Venke Knutson’s last album, you’ll love Mad Summer. Currently Maria is preparing to play the role of her namesake in a Norwegian production of The Sound of Music, so we can only hope hanging around with so many kids will bring back the fun-loving pop star we see in Mad Summer, replacing the boring balladeer she’s become.
Menudo – Lost
If this name sounds familiar to you, I can explain why. Remember when Ricky Martin became famous in the UK, and we were told he used to be in a boyband in Puerto Rico? That was Menudo, and now the band has been revived with a new line-up. They’re making typical boyband music, with an r’n’b slant, and I have to say their first single is actually rather good. I’m sure they’d like to be the new *N Sync, and they’ll probably have to settle for the new O-Town, but that’s not a big criticism as I really liked O-Town’s first album.
Maaike – Everything I’ve Got
This is the latest single from 18-year-old Dutch singer Maaike Jansen, who made her name on a show called So You Wanna Be A Popstar, singing ace songs like Can’t Fight The Moonlight and the GA version of Jump. Holland has produced some of my favourite reality show singles, and this is another great one. It’s quite dated-sounding in parts, but has a real feel-good vibe about it. I love the jolliness, and Maaike seems to be a good singer too. I look forward to hearing more from her.
Cast of Mamma Mia – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
This video has been showing on The Box, so I think that’s enough excuse to write about it here. I’m very excited about this film – it’s about time for a new cheesy pop musical, as my DVDs of HSM and Hairspray need a rest. This song is performed by Amanda Seyfried, the girl who is best known for dressing as a mouse in Mean Girls and being dead in Veronica Mars. Obviously this version is nothing on ABBA’s original, or even the A*Teens cover, and anything which brings ABBA to a new, young audience is brilliant in my eyes.
911 – Love Sensation
If you had ten songs and measured them by how much they sounded like Love Sensation, you would certainly be simulataneously predicting which songs I would like most. It’s just overflowing with joy and exhuberance, and how love should feel. I can’t help but grin whenever I hear this song, and since I’ve been a fan of it for over a decade now, that’s a lot of grinning! Bodyshakin’ is a great song, but this one is absolutely definitely the best thing 911 ever did, and they were a lovely boyband too.
Now it’s time for this week’s top 5:
5. Solange – I Decided (Freemason’s Remix)
4. Cyndi Lauper – Into The Nightlife
3. Alphabeat – 10,000 Nights of Thunder
2. Madonna – Give It 2 Me
and the DP readers’ no.1 favourite of the past 7 days is…
Jordin Sparks Ft Chris Brown – No Air
I became obsessed with this song as soon as I heard it, back in January this year. Although it hadn’t even been chosen as a single yet, I knew it was going to cement Jordin as a proper big-time star, which is brilliant because she’s a lovely and very talented girl, who deserves ace pop songs much more than most. I also knew it would be a hit in the UK, and as Chris Brown became gradually more popular here, it was only a matter of when it would be a hit, not if. Now I await its rise to the top of the charts! The midweeks says it’ll be no.4 this week, although they also say both Darren Styles and Scooter are going to be in the top 10 albums (and Jonas Bros, but we’re pretending that’s not happening). Where has this come from? I have no idea, but if we can just persuade their obviously many fans to like better quality Eurodance, I’ll be content.