Alex & Sierra - Scarecrow

The Coolest Song of the Summer

Alex & Sierra were one of my favorite reality show stars popping out of our TV last year along with Taylor Henderson  from the Australian X-Factor. Taylor has an album out already so it's been a long time coming waiting for their music and it sure doesn't disappoint a bit. Scarecrow hasn't been commercially released yet but after teasing us for a long time, they finally released the lyric video 2 days ago and it has been stuck in my head since, no writer(s) or producer(s) of the song hasn't been published yet but am sure they are a good team for their forthcoming album (fans of Melanie Amaro will know what I meant because she got ruined by the same).

Scarecrow is a folk infused, beautiful indie pop ballad with enough pop sensibilities to rule over the top 40, and it has an infectious chorus with an easy sing-a-long tune that will be great for a live performance. They showed on this track why exactly they won the singing competition and why they won over the hearts of America, topping the votes count every single week during their time on the X-Factor. Their vocals are fresh and amazing, easy to the ears and their harmonies are out of this world making Scarecrow a stunning song and I think it is the right time for songs like this when we see Bastille, Passenger, Ed Sheeran, Lorde and the Common Linnets ruling the charts across the world.

This song is too cute and good and the lyric video portraying themselves as a puppet is equally amazing, I can't wait for their debut album and seeing them impacting the charts with this song when it gets officially released on the radio, itunes and of course, its official video. Will it be a big hit?? I hope so....

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Paloma Faith - Only Love Can Hurt Like This

The second single from ' A Perfect Contradiction'

Only Love Can Hurt Like This is the second single taken off from the third album of Paloma Faith's A Perfect Contradiction and it is a song of the moment for me. I have always been a fan of Paloma ever since I got to know her, her voice captivates me and her music is rare yet mainstream which appeal to a wider audience. Only love can hurt like this has become her highest charting single ever in UK (her home country) peaking at #6 surpassing the amazing song Picking up the pieces which peaked at #7 and I am glad that she finally has a breakthrough because this song hasn't left the top for 3 weeks now.

Only love can hurt like this first premiered on the Blackberry Fashion Show back in February 2014 before it was released as a single and it makes waves all over the place. The song is written by Diane Warren who has written songs for the likes of Cher, Celine Dion, Britney Spears and many other prominent artists that we know, this is the first time in Paloma's career that she has sung a song written by other songwriters because she writes all her songs herself.

The song is a depressing song which normally works almost all the time, she sings about wanting a lover so much but the feelings are not mutual and she always ends up getting tortured feeling the pain which love can only give. Paloma sounded like she meant every word she sang, she put you in the song and you can actually feel the pain and the agony she has in her soul, this is a rare feat that can be done only by singers like her. When she hits the high note, all you wanted to do is take a tissue and think about unrequited love that you had but you never wanted her to stop singing. This song is a masterpiece and am already thinking Song of the Year come Brit awards 2015. 

The Common Linnets - Calm After the Storm

Eurovision 2014 - My View

This year's Eurovision song contest was the most talked about Eurovision contest for a very long time, I was waiting for a while to write about it because I was waiting for the impact it has on the charts which takes a week after the show is over. I follow this show every year even though I never really pay attention to who won or who is in the running even though I love that song 'Euphoria' by Loreen who won the show in 2012. This year, it was a different story, I was immensely in love with song 'Calm after the storm' by the Common Linnets, a Dutch band and 'Shine' by the Tolmachevy Sisters from Russia and they both finished at #2 and #7 respectively. Lets take a look at the official music video of the Common Linnets first and then I will discuss why they are the real winners of this year's Eurovision showdown.

I mentioned above why I waited to update my review and yes its the charts which reflects who people will go out and buy your music rather than just enjoy watching you doing your thing on TV. Calm after the storm debuted at #9 on the UK charts and their self titled album debuted at #39 which means it cracked the top 40 on one of the most difficult charts to crack in the world. On the other hand, the winner of the Eurovision 2014 Miss Conchita Wurst song 'Rise like a Phoenix' debuted way below at #17 and failed to make an impact elsewhere, the winner of 2012 Loreen made it till #3 with Euphoria but they are very much commercial in their sound comparing to the Common Linnets. Please check the winner's song below and see which one do you think is better?

The Common Linnets caught me off guard this year with their sound, the American Folk Country, Bluegrass and Pop and this song sounds like something Johny Cash or Bob Dylan will record in their hey days. I went and checked their Wikipedia page and got to know that this group was formed by two friends who have known each other for a long time musically for this years's Eurovision and the pairing is like bread and butter and I do hope they stay together and make some good music and I wish them all the success in the world a boy can give.

Before I wrap up today's blog I want to let you know about this Tolmachevy Sisters from Russia with their song 'Shine' , it is amazing and with all the boos they received they still managed to finished at the seventh position which is a great feat (the UK girl Molly finished at #17).

Lily Allen - Sheezus

Album of the Moment

Lily Allen's new album Sheezus is one of the most anticipated album of the year, she has been away for 4 years and it can be considered as a comeback album. I love Lily and her super witty lyrics, her music which is mainstream yet very distinct in its sound and yes the new album didn't disappoint me at all.
Prior to the release of this album, Lily has put out 4 official singles and 1 promotional single, out of which 3 of them reached the top ten and includes the 3 weeks #1, her cover of Keane's Somewhere Only We Know, Hard Out Here and Air Balloon reached #9 and #7 respectively, Our Time failed and tanked at #43 and Sheezus only being released as a promotional single with the video. On the first listen to the album, it is obvious that it is the same team who worked on her two previous albums who were working on this same album and there are no big differences between her previous work and this new album.

Overall, I can say that Sheezus is a very easy listening album much like her previous ones, all the songs reflects to her previous works especially Insincerely Yours which is pretty much like 22 and there are not much songs that I actually wanted to skip. She sings about the society, her husband, sexism and love in general, I do expect a lot more from her after going incognito for such a long time but I won't say its a bad album at all though.
Looking at the charts it did debut at #1 on the UK Albums Chart ending 3 weeks reign of Paolo Nutini's Caustic Love but when we look at the sales figure it is not even one third of what Its Not Me, Its You sold in its first week, so, with the Ellie Goulding's, the Rita Ora's, the Jessie J's coming onto the scene while she is away, its obvious that she has lost her steam but not completely. I wish her all the best for this album hoping that it has longetivity which her previous two albums have having sold more than a million copies in the UK because we all know,
           ' Second best will never cut it for the Divas'