Brandon Hilton Is Officially Back With New Single "Wavelength"

It's been quite some time since Brandon Hilton released music for his rather large fan base. It seems as if he has been working on a lot of new music, but couldn't quite pick a good "comeback" song after being absent from the music scene for a couple of years. Then he found it. "Wavelength" is the best possible track he could have chosen to get back in with. "Wavelength" is Brandon Hilton.
Officially

Back when I first met Brandon, he was putting all of his energy into his single "Frozen". He had been at the music game for a while, but his vocals were still a bit shaky and he didn't seem to be going full force. But every time someone gives him a critique or something constructive to add to his music, his next single has all of those thoughts and more. Now, with his latest single, which is his first full on release since "Dance Til I Die" two years ago, he sounds fully confident in every way.

"Wavelength" is the culmination of years of hard work. He oversees every little detail of his works and make sure they are perfect before he sends them out into the world, and any flaws I could find in this single would simply be me nit-picking. That's because it's got a great beat, flawless lyrics, and strong vocals.

As of now the track doesn't have a music video in production, but I can say that it's not totally out of the picture. Being that he is a completely independent artist, things like music videos aren't cheap, but I know he's working on securing a way to get a video for this out there. It will be his first official video since "Frozen", and I know he is determined enough to do it.  Also, he has announced that he is putting together a Spring/Summer tour for 2015, and if you go to his official Facebook page, you can request your city to be considered.

I have been able to watch Brandon grow over the years, and even though I wasn't there from his glory days as Myspace Royalty, I definitely have seen him become more focused and determined as far as his music goes. With the dedicated fan base that he has, I can see "Wavelength" easily becoming another big hit for him, and maybe even usher in a new Brandon Hilton album that we have been so desperately seeking.

For now, you can grab the song on iTunes. Trust me, it's gonna make you want to dance!

Update:
I have just been informed that you can listen to the full song right now on SoundCloud. Get the full effect of this hot dance track below!

Exclusive Clip - Brandon Hilton's New Single "Wavelength"

Check out this awesome exclusive clip of Brandon Hilton's upcoming single "Wavelength".  This is Brandon's first official single in nearly two years, and is his big comeback, so let's be sure and give it all we've got this time!

#WAVELENGTH HITS ITUNES WORLDWIDE 12.19!!!

A video posted by Brandon Hilton (@brandonhilton) on Dec 12, 2014 at 2:43pm PST

"Wavelength" has been a long time coming. This has been his first official release since "Dance Til I Die", released two years ago. Since then he has only release some snippets and one promo single ("Daddy"), but this is his big statement to the world showing that he is back and ready to fight for his place in pop music again. When asked Brandon had this to say:

"I've spent the last 2 years figuring out life and my sound. I didn't really know where I wanted to go with either of them until a few months ago. things just kinda fell into place and I knew it was a sign that I needed to step back in the studio. I've experienced love, life and loss the past 2 years and I have a lot to say about it. WAVELENGTH is just the beginning of the emotional roller coaster I'm about to take you on."

For those who are unsure, "Wavelength" is a love song, but not a traditional one."WAVELENGTH is about a destructive love, a dangerous love," he explained to me.  "Things seemed so perfect and in an instant they fell apart. It's about loving someone so much that you push them away. I didn't realize we were living on 2 different wavelengths until it was too late."

If you follow Brandon Hilton on Facebook or Twitter, he's been claiming for weeks that he's on a different wavelength than pretty much everyone, so you bet I asked about that, too. His response was short and simple. "It's about being on two different pages with someone, but not really finding out until it's too late, but by then you're already crashing and burning."
  

The single will release this Friday, December 19.

Brandon Hilton Has A New Song, Video, And Movie!

Holy hell, Brandon Hilton has been quite busy since we last saw him on TOTU. He may not have put the finishing touches on his new album (tentatively titled JUDGMEnt), but he has finally seen one of his biggest projects to date come to life. We are talking about his long awaited movie, Midnight Cabaret as well as a song and music video to go along with it. It's a lot to take in, but I'm sure you guys can handle it.



This video is for the track "Almost Forgotten", the theme song for Midnight Cabaret. It is a slower track than what we are used to from Brandon, but it does showcase his range quite well. While not all of the notes are on point vocally, it does show a bit of vulnerability and emotion that brings the movie's character (portrayed by Brandon) to life. The track is all about that one person who gives him hope because they are the only one who is still there for him.

The video is a mix of footage from the film and new footage shot specifically for this track. Since I have not yet had the chance to view the film (hint, hint Brandon!), I will have to use the official website's synopsis for the film. Please note I will do a review as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

"Meet Adam, a geeky college senior who only wants to feel accepted. An encounter with Jason, his bully from high school, triggers a painful and disturbing past: an abusive, alcoholic father; his mother who committed suicide; and Todd, his older brother who's up for parole. Inspired by the goth drag queen Eve who performs at Midnight Cabaret, Adam decides to change overnight from geek to chic. He then is befriended by a few troublemakers who introduce him to a wild lifestyle of drugs and crime, sending him into a downward spiral and an unexpected journey in finding who he truly is" 

Well it has drag queens, so obviously I'm going to be all over this one! For now, the DVD is available directly through the official website. I will keep you posted for if/when it pops up on any other retailers. This movie has been a long time in the making for Brandon Hilton, and I know he's been dying for it to be fully released since we met over a year ago. It has been viewed on the big screen on several locations, but this marks the first time it is available for home viewing. Grab it while you can!

Song of the Month - Brandon Hilton's "Daddy"

It is quite refreshing to do a song of the month as opposed to a weekly gig. It makes the stakes higher, and the competition tougher. As you know, I don't focus much of mainstream music, so in the grand tradition of Taking Over The Universe and the Universal Conquest Awards, we will continue to pick indie artists for this distinction. This month, Brandon Hilton has released a new single that has this blogger doing a double take.

I know what you are probably thinking: I talk about Brandon too much. Yeah, that might be true, but when an artist grows as much  and as quickly as this one, I can't help but brag about him. This time around, he has switched things up, moving from 100% pop to dabbling in R&B. While it's not a huge change, it still marks growth, and shows us a different side of him.

The song itself is about his life with his dad. Things get a little ugly, as his history with his dad is complicated. He has not publicly went into details of what happened, but the song does shed some light onto the situation. This also marks an interesting turn as it's his first song to have an explicit warning label, which can be contributed to his bitter feelings about the whole ordeal.

There have been mixed feelings about the song thus far with his fans. I, for one, like this change, as it makes him into a more diverse and deep artist. He has cleared up the confusion a bit online saying that this was an experiment and will probably not a style of music he is going to pursue in the future, but it was a story he felt needed to be told.

You can preview and buy the February Song of the Month "Daddy" by Brandon Hilton on iTunes.

Brandon Hilton Shows You His Best (So Far!)

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know you are probably thinking I talk about this character a bit too much, but when someone is doing something they are passionate about, it really shows. This is exactly the case with Brandon Hilton, and to prove it, he's released the culmination of the past three years of his hard work. New this week is Brandon Hilton's new album "The Best of Brandon Hilton... So Far!".

  

This release may not be all "new" exactly, but it has it's purpose. Brandon has been teasing his fans about having a new album come out for a while, but due to the woes of being an independent artist, it has been pushed back yet again. In it's place, he has given us a way to catch up on the fan favorites from over his entire career -- oh and a little bonus for those who have been keeping up with him.

The album is a mix of old and new. It has songs dating back to his starting days, including his most popular track "Glamour Zombie". It also includes his newest songs, "Frozen" and "Dance Til I Die". His best of album is a great thing for both fans old and new, especially since all of his older material has been taken off of iTunes and other online retailers as an effort to maintain his new quality standards. The songs that did make the cut are the obvious picks, and the newer and blend well with the previous songs.

The album isn't just for those who are new to Brandon. Even if you own all the songs on the list, there are a few surprises in store for you. Every track sans "One" comes paired with a remix. Each one of them adds a new flavor to an old favorite. The "Heartbreaker" is the best of them all, turning a middle of the road song into a dancefloor anthem.

Brandon is a hard working artist, and this compilation proves it. As it climbs up the iTunes dance charts, it has become clear that his fans are here to support him in the long run. Either that or there are a lot of people who haunt the new releases lists and love those SICK remixes.

Check it out for yourself on iTunes.

Top Five: Most Wanted For 2013

It's a new year, and there is so much out of it that I really want. There are so many things that were promised over the course of 2012 that just didn't happen -- whether it was due to lack of a budget, a busy schedule, or just stupid rumors. But could these things happen in 2013? There's still eleven and a half months left for these guys to make their move. Let's take a look at my Most Wanted list for this year!

5. XELLE to release "Hologram" Music Video




This video has been soooo long in the making. Originally said to be coming out in March 2012, it got pushes back to October, and then again to "very soon" status. The trailer reveals next to nothing about the video other than it has a list of guest stars longer than an Adam Barta music video. It claims to be a new breed of video, but other than "choose wisely" being tacked on at the end, it doesn't say what else is going to happen. This one is so high up on the list mainly because we know it's going to happen. They have been consistently releasing things in place of this video, but still keeping the fans pumped about it. But when will it really be released. Let's hope for this year.

Brandon Hilton New Song Preview + Best Of Album

My, oh my. Brandon Hilton never stops does he? It hasn't been long since he released his last single, and since then he's done a free promo track, too. Now he's released a preview for his next single straight off his next album that is coming sooner than you might think. And just in case that isn't enough Brandon for you, he also has put out a best of album. Yeah, it can be a lot to take in. Let's get started, shall we?

Brandon is branching out in many different directions this time. "Dance Til I Die" may have been a very upbeat pop track, but "Daddy", the new single, is to a very different tune. Instead of having traditional fast paced beats and electronic voice effects, he has opted to go for a more raw and emotional sound -- which is perfect given the topic. The track is all about his father (pretty obvious by the title, no?) who Brandon has a very dark history with.

It's not just the beat and the vibe that has been swapped out for this song, but also the style. In place of his usual autotune vocals is a very real voice. And what's more -- he raps. So it may be a bit more of a Ke$ha speak-sing style, but that doesn't mean it is going to be a trainwreck. The preview offers up a bit of a verse, the chorus, and what seems to be the bridge of the song, giving the listener the full dynamic of all it has to offer.

While I don't see this track beating out "Frozen" and "Dance Til I Die" as my top Brandon tracks, I can certainly see the appeal to this song. Not only does it humanize somebody who rarely gives the world a peek into his life, but it also offers up a variety from much of what we've heard from him in the past.

In other BH related news, he has announced that he is releasing a "Best Of" album, compiling a total of 29 tracks. This album will be a mix of old favorites, new remixes, and newly remastered tracks. As of now, the only place where the track list is available is the newly redone MySpace (Wait, what?), to which you have to have an invite to. If you are really curious, you can like Brandon on Facebook and he will send you an invite to the preview, or you can wait until I update with the full tracklist soon. Up to you.

Song of the Week - Dance Til I Die

Yup. It's Brandon Hilton time again. This Myspace star doesn't ever slow down! He's had an extensive tour landing some pretty big gigs at Six Flags and in Las Vegas, and now he's released another smash single. "Dance Til I Die", starting out a TOTU exclusive and premiering live for the first time last month, has officially become one of my favorite tracks.

The song may start out slow, but by the mid point, he is spitting out lyrics faster than some may be able to understand (don't worry, there's a lyric video for that). The quick pace of this song is a huge juxtaposition to Frozen, which was slower and more articulated. Much like the title suggests, the vocals are more hurried because all he really wants to do is dance. The track also has a much fuller and strong sound than Frozen (not picking on the track! I really love it!), making it take the top spot for my favorite Brandon track.

This song is a big step forward for Hilton. His production quality has improved ten fold over the past year, and this song is the shining example of exactly what he can do. He sings much more confidently than before, allowing everybody to finally hear what he has to offer. The song may not be an outstanding example of clever or deep lyrics, but it accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: Get everyone up and dancing.

Preview and buy the song on iTunes today! Let's make this his top track!

Exclusive: Brandon Hilton "Dance Til I Die" Preview

Back when I last spoke with Brandon Hilton, he told me that several of the songs on his upcoming album were re-recorded versions of older tracks like "Frozen" and "So Ready", but he also promised us new material. Lucky for you, he has chosen Taking Over The Universe to show off the first new track "Dance Til I Die" set to appear on his third album. Check out our exclusive clip of the track!



This song is certainly much more upbeat and dancey than Brandon has been lately, which is a good sign in my book. The vocals sound strong and the beats are spot on, as far as I am concerned. This may be my favorite Brandon song to date, but I'll have to hear the full version first to know for sure. As a note, this preview is still in the demo stage, as he is still working on the finishing touches on the finalized version.

But for those of you who are in dire need of hearing this track and happen to live out on the east coast or close by, there is hope. The full version of the track will premier at his next live date in Charlotte, NC as part of his Frozen Hearts tour. Can't make it out that far? Don't worry, neither can I, but there is hope. The single version of the song will be out on iTunes in September, along with an announcement for lots of new dates and other goodies for you all.

For now, we will just have to listen to this 50second clip over and over. Well, that is, unless you live in one of the locations that the Frozen Hearts tour will be stopping in at. Dates include:

August 25 - Charlotte Pride - Charlotte, NC
September 17 - Blue Martini Lounge - Las Vegas, NV
September 21 - Out In The Park - Six Flags New England

For more info on his tour, music, and flawless pictures, go to his official Facebook fanpage.

And also check out this awesome tour poster!

Interview: Brandon Hilton Talks Frozen

Maybe you know Brandon Hilton from his music career; maybe you know him from being the twelfth most popular Myspace user of all time, or maybe you are just now hearing about him. The point is he knows how to get his name out. Brandon has come a long way from his early days of being a recording artist. Recently, he sat down with me to discuss where he has been and exactly where he is going. I was able to get the inside scoop on exactly what he has in store for his fans as well as some behind the scenes info on his most recent video and single Frozen.

Brandon Hilton Revelas "Frozen" Official Video

I know, I know. I have been posting news on a lot of music videos lately, but it is Summer, and that means that music is coming out almost constantly. I have a soft spot for independent artists, especially those who deserve their time in the spotlight, but just haven't got a whole lot of attention (yet!). And this brings us to Brandon Hilton's newest music video release "Frozen".




The video is very artistic and comes off as polished all together. The majority of the video takes place in a parking lot, where Brandon has apparently either been abandoned, or voluntarily left the side of someone special as they drive away in a car. The video's dark tones and strategically placed lighting during this portion of the video are what make the entire project for me. Brandon looks great, the vibe is great, and it all matches up with the lyrics and meanings behind the song as a whole.

The rest of the video is filled with bits of Brandon in other scenarios, most notably the outfit from the cover of the single, wherein he is wearing a very epic studded vest with shoulderpads that would make even Manila Luzon jealous.

Actually, let me take a moment to tell you just how pretty this guy is. He is like the male version of Robyn. He has that Scandinavian look to him, no? He also has some of the best taste in shoes that I've seen on a non-queen in a long, long time. And don't even get me started on -- Oh my... it seems my gay is showing. I apologize, my faithful readers.

I think this video is great. Give it a view. If you like it, share it with your friends. Music is a gift that is easy to give.

Song of the Week - Frozen

It's been another slow week on the music front. Thankfully, my good friends over at OutLoud Talent aren't shy about making sure everyone sees their artists, and Brandon Hilton has been promoted quite a bit lately. I gave the song a listen, and what do you know? It was actually pretty good. Check out his latest single "Frozen".

This is my first exposure to Brandon, but I have taken my time to look over his back catalog and get to know his musical style, and I can say that he has grown musically over the past two years, and "Frozen" seems to be the accumulation of all of his hard work. He boasts that the song is all him, no autotune, and it does show, feeling a little unpolished -- not that it's a bad thing. The lack of conventional musical tweaks gives it a raw and unique feel.

The song is about longing for someone lost, and feeling frozen, unable to do anything. The songs dark, almost Depeche Mode feel, gives it a lot of undertones that could be interpreted in many different ways. It looks like we may not know the true extent of what he was going for until the music video drops (which, according to Facebook will be in just a few days). I will definitely keep my eye out for more from him in the future.

Get the song for yourself on iTunes.