Song of the Month - Natalia Kills "Saturday Night"

Did this really surprise anyone? Actually, it might have. In my review for the song, I noted a few things such as it not feeling like a full single or not being as strong as her initial tracks for the new album. I was wrong. "Saturday Night" is one of my favorite tracks, and it has grown on me an insane amount. That is why this song is July's Song of the Month!

I can't exactly put my finger on what it is that makes this song so amazing. It isn't the typical pulsating and growling type of track that Kills has shifted her focus to. Instead, this piece is a shining example of how a true story can make for a powerful song. Natalia has come out and said that many of the tracks from her new album are events or memories from her life, and this is no different. "Saturday Night" in particular is based off of her experience as a young teenager having to bounce from home to home as her wealthy parents shuffled her around the globe. It all seemed surreal, and all she wanted was a taste of normalcy.

What is really great about the song is that if you hadn't known about her life, you could still piece together what happened without her outright telling you. The power of lyrics is an amazing thing, and well written ones don't have to come out and spell everything out for the listener. This shows a definite change from her first album, which did have more complex writing, but was about more superficial things (pun intended).

This looks to be the last taste we will get of her new album Trouble before it's September 3rd release. Thus far, between this song, "Problem", and "Controversy", it's looking to be a well rounded sound, and seems to be staying true to her promises she made for the album. Now all we can do is wait... and listen to this song over and over for another month.

The song is up on iTunes for your enjoyment! Grab it now to tide you over until the full album.

Natalia Kills New Album Info Released

Finally! I've been on the lookout for this info for months, but she had been keeping everything secretive for so long. It's about time she threw us fans a bone and gave us what we want. What we craved was simple: a release date. Well she's given us that. She's given us that and much, much more.

CherryTree Records, the label for Kills and many other of my favorite artists, released the floodgates today with info on Trouble. Let's start with the obvious. Above is the official album artwork for the release. I have a bit of mixed feelings for it, because she seemed to shift her style recently to a more dark glamor style, but the cover comes across as a bit gothic and over-shopped. That being said, I really like the use of pinks, and how all the items they crammed into the picture really fit with the lyrics of the singles that have been out so far.

Next, we got a release date. Are you ready for this one? Her second album, Trouble, is due out September 3rd. That means we pretty much only have a month to wait. No bull like with the last album where she says a certain date, and then it turns out to be a Europe only release date. This time we are getting it, too.

Last? Oh, last we have the full track listing. Wanna see? Well check it out! (Note: When listed on the CT website, they were not numbered, meaning the order may be subject to change.)

“Television,”
“Problem,”
“Stop Me,”
“Boys Don’t Cry,”
“Daddy’s Girl,”
“Saturday Night,”
“Devil Don’t Fly,”
“Out Of Time,”
“Controversy,”
“Rabbit H***,”
“Watching You,”
“Marlboro Lights”
“Trouble.”

I can't even tell you how happy I am "Controversy" made the list. I know it should have been obvious that it would be there, but since it was released so early on, it could have easily been a promotional single. We have both of the other singles, which isn't a surprise. I, for one, am excited to hear the title track, as well as "Daddy's Girl" which may explain more of what we saw during the events of "Saturday Night"s music video. On a side note, does anyone else know what "Rabit H***" is going for? The only word I could think of would be "hole" but I'm not sure why that would be censored.

There you have it. We got a lot of news on Natalia today. Maybe it will pop up as a pre-order on iTunes or something so we can preview the tracks. You can expect me to hop on a review asap for this one. We've been waiting, and now we don't have much longer to go.

Abi Ann Can't Stop Daydreaming In Her New Video

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times. Abi Ann is totally adorable. I had mentioned her new single "Daydreaming" once before, but now we have something even better -- a video. There's nothing like seeing a song that you've grown to love come to life, and having the wait in between might have even made this moment even sweeter. Let's look at the romantic little tale known as "Daydreaming".



This video has a lot going for it. It is cute (see above), it's believable, and it's relatable. I honestly think that every girl has been there (and most gays, too). There's a cute boy from across the room that you have next to no intention of actually approaching, but you sure are going to imagine the hell out of what it would be like to have him. Think of it as Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" video, but without the awful twist ending.... that I kind of loved.

In the video, Abi spots a guy from across the library, and proceeds to imagine herself with him. What's really sweet and captivating is that she doesn't imagine things in your typical "we're in love now!" sort of way. One of her daydreams focuses on the two in Bonnie and Clyde outfits, riding away in a car with crayon drawings for backgrounds. Another one of her imaginings is the two of them bonding on a ranch. They aren't what you are used to seeing in music videos (unless maybe you're a huge country music fan, then you can shut up).

As for the negative, I have to say that it does end up feeling a bit Taylor Swift-y. It wasn't the implementation that felt odd, it was the idea itself. I feel like I've seen this entire plot before in a Taylor Swift video. You know, the one where she calls the guy's girlfriend a whore and ruins their relationship for her own gain? But at least here the guy is presumed single. Though the idea seems overdone, she does bring a different light to it, showcasing sweetness over sex appeal, which I believe will set her apart in the long run.

Yeah, don't even try and tell me you don't perv over CRJ. You'd be lying.

If you love the song as much as I do, grab a copy on iTunes! (Note: This version of the video is apparently the "Deluxe Country" version. I kind of like it better. Don't tell the pop Gods I said that.)

Clare Maguire Stuns With New "Paper Thin"

It's been a long while since I've heard anything out of Clare Maguire. As a matter of fact, I'd almost forgotten I'd signed up for her email list. Thankfully she didin't forget I had (or rather her website's automated system didn't) and it informed me she'd put up a new track on SoundCloud. Oh lord did she ever. Check out "Paper Thin".




This song is so emotional and soulful! Running a bit longer than most singles these days, it has more ups and downs than any track I've had come my way in a long time. It starts out as a slower piano piece, with simple electronic drums and a repeating piano part. Slowly, it evolves into something more, and even gets more uptempo and poppy at the end.

What really makes not only the song, but Clare herself stand out is that she has an amazing soulful voice. She reminds me of other famous British voices such as Adele and Amy Winehouse, The song isn't the most moving thing on it's own, but Clare makes it moving. The bit she repeats towards the end "I couldn't get through to you" has her voice shaky, raw, and real. There aren't effects added on in post production. She doesn't need them. She's got talent -- and the views to prove it! (I'm talking 10,000 in just two days).

To be honest, this isn't the first track she's posted since the last time we've seen her, but it is the most promising. This is the most polished of the four on her Soundcloud, and the only one not marked as a demo, which gives me hope that we may get an even more stunning version of this song as her next single. It's about time she throws out a new single. We've been waiting, lady. Please deliver to us soon!

Chelsea Korka Is Back!

Oh my god. I can't believe I missed this last month. I am the world's worst fan ever. Chelsea Korka is an amazingly talented singer that was once part of one of the greatest unknown girl groups of all time. Now she's solo, and it's been a good while since she's released anything solid. Thankfully we have "Save Me" to, well, save us.

First off this cover is gorgeous. I was hoping that it might be a music video tie-in, but it's not looking overly likely due to the gap between it's original release and today's date. Fortunately, we did get a lyric video with a bit of footage shoehorned in, so it's almost like having a music video. Her last EP deserved a video or two, but nothing came of it. Hopefully things will start to change for her.

This single fits right in with her sound. She doesn't seem to be budging from her pop/r&b mix that she's developed. What I really like about the song is it's constant tempo changes. One moment it will be slower and mild, and when the chorus kicks in fully, it speeds up and gets much more upbeat. About half way through the song we get that distinct C. Korka roar as she picks up the vocals to another level. That is exactly why I love her.

Story wise, it's pretty simple. The track is about being far too enthralled with a boy and needing to be rescued. I believe it's about being in a bad relationship, and having another guy come along to pull you out of the madness and return you to normalcy. It may not be the best message to send, but it is a viable option for some. Honestly I could care less what the track is actually about, as long as I get to hear her amazing voice.

You can grab the track from iTunes. Also check out the lyric video below!

Ellie Goulding Drops Single Version Of "Burn"

Here's a secret for you guys. I love me some Ellie Goulding. I was very shocked when her album didn't really go anywhere... until way after it's initial release when it completely blew up for some reason. Regardless, she's a big deal in the US now, and she's determined to make her latest album Halcyon just as much of a success. Check out the latest single from the album "Burn".

I am very glad to see this turned into a single and video. This was one of my top picks off of the album, and with three other tracks chosen before it, chances were looking slim for it to get picked up. Lucky for me, it did, and it has a beautiful music video to go along with it.

The track is a mid-tempo track, focusing heavily on her light vocals, while tossing in a lot of voice effects. It is all about positivity in being yourself and shining on your own. I like her approach to it as opposed to other mainstream divas such as Katy Perry or Ke$ha in that the song can be interpreted, but she doesn't exactly spell it out. Yes, it's a song about individuality, but it's a bit more complex than "Baby you're a firework" or "We are who we are".

The video is a gorgeous addition to bring it to life. While not exactly the most exciting thing on the internet, it does it's job well of showcasing Ellie, and after a half-album full of singles, it looks like this is her track to wind down with. That being said, it's not like she's giving up on Halcyon. "Burn" is looking to be the lead-in track for the redone version of the album called Halcyon Days, which apparently features re-recorded tracks, as well as some that were only available previous in deluxe editions.

For now, you can grab the track on iTunes.

Todrick Hall And Pentatonix Give The Wizard Of Oz New Life

Let's face it. Todrick Hall is a freaking genius. First the gay Disney princes video, then the ghetto version of Mean Girls, and now he's redoing The Wizard of Oz as "The Wizard of Ahhhs" (not to be confused with the similarly titled EP by Black Kids). It's like he's crawled into my brain and made everything I've ever wanted from YouTube spring to life -- and this stuff isn't getting taken down for copyright infringement!



Basically this is a melody of famous songs, both old and new, but remixed together to make them one long song. Songs include "Wide Awake" by Katy Perry, "Can't Be Tamed" by Miley Cirus, and "Damaged" by Danity Kane. Oh and Kelly's "Shoes" is tossed in there for good measure. All of the songs are fit in so they seem to be talking about the plot of the movie, which is really genius. Some of the selections have minor tweaks to fit them in better lyrically, but overall they fit insanely well.

The production values on this were insane, too. The costumes look amazing, and both the visual and audio qualities are amazing. This must have taken a long time to prepare, and with over two million views in a week, things seemed to have payed off. The members of Pentatonix have some amazing voices, and they fit together very well.

The best part of the video has to be the wrapup at the end. Most of the comments on the video agree with me that including the clips from the original movie at the end was a very nice touch. The very Rent-esque bare-set vocalists-in-font-of-a-curtain ending was very risky, but it payed off and made the video complete. There's not a lot to talk about plot wise, because everybody knows the plot of The Wizard Of Oz, but the few spins they did put on it, such as the much more elaborate and confident Wizard (I mean it was played by Todrick. You really think he was going to be timid?), were nice, but not enough of a separation to really make a fuss over.

As of now the track is not up on iTunes. This is actually something I would want in my collection, so I'm hoping they put it up, but since it's a mashup of covers, I don't know if they can do so. For now enjoy the YouTube version and wrack up more hits for this amazing and talented artist.