Gaga 'bout this danish Lady...

For once, it's not from Sweden that the new electro/pop sensation comes from, but from another scandinavian country, Denmark. The synthpop duo's vocal comes from a blonde lady who's got a good voice and they've called themselves Electric Lady Lab. But to call them the danish Lady Gaga would be too cliché... Stine Hjelm Jacobsen and Martin Bøge Pedersen are more than that !

Even though they started back in 2009 releasing their first single It's over now, they seem to gain international attention from the blogosphere because of their Snap Rhythm is a dancer sampled new single You and me. Truth is their first album Flash! has just been released too and it's a winner from track 1 to its end and after downloading off 7digital, I've decided to even order my CD via cdon.com asap. Made of eleven electro popsongs mixed with retro synthpop, 90's eurodance inspiration, catchy melodies, brilliant lyrics and sensitive vocals, I've fallen deep for this Flash!.

Last virgin alive starts it with an electronic pulsating rhythm building a wall of sound a la Giorgio Moroder for Stine's vocals. The "Where are you" melodic lines is very catchy and makes way for the chorus that sounds like a siren's chant lost in the middle of a music heritage of 80's best coldwave.

Next track is current single You and me and as soon as the intro starts we recognize the Snap anthem's music. The new melody and lyrics are build all around the original Rhythm is a dancer backing track and the chorus line "the streets are lonely" should have led to the song's title for me : Lonely streets would have fitted it better than You and me if you wanna know my opinion... But the result is incredible : catchy and addictive, and very sexy too, when Stine's deep breathings lead to the bridge where her vocals are stronger than ever before an emotional and stirring end. An acoustic version backed up with guitar reminiscent of Sagi-Rei's version from a couple of years ago is to find on the single package and I would have loved to find it at the end of the album's tracklisting as a bonus... Even without the Rhythm is a dancer sample and stripped to the bone, the song is a hit !

I follow you is next in line and the rhythm is electrified, even more upbeat with retro sound effects a la Depeche Mode. "I follow you into the night whoever you are" she sings in a haunting voice that remembers me of Kate Bush. This one is moving but I won't see it getting a single release.

Next one's a surehit single and it must be the one I love the most from this album : Dancing with a ghost is another 80's influenced electro pop jewel, very upbeat with a chorus that's über catchy. I can't get enough of it and sing along every time on the "I am dancing with a ghost, dancing with a boy I used to know". The instrumental break sounds maybe too retro for mass medias, with Erasure kind of synthé loops before vocoderized sampled vocals, but it makes me think of my youth in the 80's and of all this music I still listen to nowadays.

Let go is more laid-back, with a hush-hush mid-tempo instrumental ; nice album track and pause inbetween the upbeat numbers.

Depeche Mode revival time #2 ! Flash starts and it makes me feel of the Just can't get enough melodic line, except in truth, it sounds more like Yazoo's Situation... On this one, I feel though that Stine's voice makes me think of Deborah Harry as it sounds more raw and rock. The lyrics about "gettin' on her knees and pray" because "they say he's gay" remembers me of Starmania's Ziggy theme and with the proper remix, it could easily get them cross over in the clubs.

Wondering is next and apparently the next single too. I'd say it is a good choice as it must be the most instant pop song from the album, with not too much retro sounding new wave in it. Very upbeat, it has a strong repetitive chorus ("have we danced for last time, I'm wondering...") and catchy melody. I especially like the 90's vocal dubbing break that brings a big smile on my face. Well, maybe it does sound retro synthpop too.

Dangerous follows with a heavy rhythm and once more Depeche Mode influences to me. I don't know what to think of this one's future potential as the verses are inoffensive and low-key, but the chorus is, once again, very catchy "your beauty is dangerous, you keep me hangin' on..." it goes and it sticks to your brain, proving that in the charts, this song too would be ...dangerous.

AAAAHHHHHHH!!! I forgot about this one when I said Dancing with a ghost was the one I liked the most... When Fascinated's intro starts, I forget all previous tracks to only think of this Company B cover version that mixes a PWL inspired rhythm loop (like Pete Hammond uses on his recent retro mixes) with the original freestyle ambiance. So Fascinated fascinates me but I must not forget it is not one of their original songs so I'll stick to what I said for Dancing with a ghost being my prefered original song by Electric Lady Lab.

A pulsating nearly oriental mid-tempo rhythm opens up for Imagination and once again, even if I have nothing wrong to say about it, I'd only say it is another nice album track for me... But all songs on a CD can't be singles, isn't it? Or this CD would be called a Greatest Hits, and it must be a little too early in a career when it is their first release...

The album ends with their first single from 2009, It's over now and as their sound is retro and 80's inspired, it doesn't sound dated at all. It even has more electro pop in it than retro synthpop. The duo seems to have taken a deeper breath into their 80's memories before working further for their album, and this ain't no shame as it builds their sound from their tribute to the music they loved from the 80's to 90's. The title suits this end of album perfectly as it is already the end.

If you want to know more and listen/watch their music, go to their MySpace page :

http://www.myspace.com/electricladylab

L'Album de Max Boublil : Chanteur ou Comique ?

J'ai connu Max Boublil il y a déjà quelques années en entendant son premier single Ce soir... tu vas prendre à la radio. J'avais adoré le côté décalé des paroles salaces du refrain à l'humour potache façon American Pie et la musique sirupeuse et romantique. J'avais découvert ensuite que le jeune chanteur n'en était pas vraiment un et qu'en fait, ce single était surtout une façon pour lui de faire parler de lui et de son one-man show puisqu'il était avant tout un humoriste...

J'avoue l'avoir un peu perdu de vue après ça (c'était en 2007), alors qu'il se consacre à son show à travers la France, tout comme sans doute un partie du public, puisqu'il revient à la chanson en 2010 en diffusant de nouvelles videos de titres régulièrement sur Internet. Le buzz fonctionne à merveille, notamment avec le titre Susan Boyle et Chatroulette, pour lequel Sophie Favier apparaît même dans le clip. C'est ainsi qu'entre Mai 2010 et Février 2011, il poste sur le net une nouvelle chanson par mois, souvent illustrée d'une vidéo sketche impayable. L'album, sorti ce 14 Février comme un grand pied de nez à la Saint Valentin, compile ces 10 titres et reprend en bonus son premier single et une ode à l'inspecteur Derrick de 2008.

Bien sûr je regrette qu'il n'y ait pas d'inédit puisque toutes ces chansons me sont maintenant plus ou moins connues via le net, mais au moins, sur ce CD, on en a la version studio en qualité optimale, avec les paroles sur le livret et un lien Opendisc pour retrouver les videos hilarantes dont Max Boublil a le secret. Chanteur ou Comique ? La question m'importe peu. Les chansons aux textes rigolos et second degré de Max(imilien) me plaisent, les musiques suivent l'air de l'époque et le garçon sait chanter, pas plus mal que certains chanteurs officiels. Une chose est sûre, je suis heureux de compter son CD dans ma discothèque et pour rappel, je vais en retracer le tracklisting tout de suite. A vous ensuite d'en visionner les videos sur Youtube, de le télécharger sur Virginmega ou iTunes ou de courir acheter le CD.

J'aime les moches, révélé en Janvier dernier avec son clip où Max livre à une psy coincée son amour des moches, est un titre power pop/rock efficace écrit et composé comme tous les titres du CD par Max avec Anthony Marciano. La rythmique très uptempo vous fait battre la mesure des deux pieds tandis qu'accompagné d'un piano bien présent Max chante "J'aime les moches parce qu'on se les fait pas piquer (...) on se sent plus beau à côté". On se surprendrait presque à chanter à tue-tête en choeur avec lui ; c'est dire si le titre est efficace !

Chatroulette suit et, si la rhythmique ne faiblit pas, elle se dope d'arrangements electro/dance qui habillent façon 2010 son refrain entêtant où Max se vante d'avoir trouvé l'amour sur le net avec la mère de son pote. Tout est dit sur l'esprit du titre avec ces paroles : "Bientôt, j'irai là où t'as passé neuf mois. Bientôt, tu pourras m'appeler papa".

La plage suivante marque sa différence côté musicale puisqu'il s'agit d'un mid-tempo romantique à souhait, comme son titre semble l'indiquer. En réalité, Depuis que tu n'es plus là est une ode à la masturbation, seul moyen que Max semble avoir trouvé pour se remettre d'une rupture, et c'est un nouveau pur tube qui date de Septembre 2010. Encore une fois, les paroles sont géniales, enfilant perle sur perle comme autant de bonnes répliques à la suite : "Je me touche, il n'y a qu'avec ma main que je couche. C'est toute ma descendance qui part dans le syphon de ma douche. Je vais l'annoncer à mes parents : bientôt, c'est ma main droite que j'épouse."

On enchaîne avec son single de Juin 2010, déclaration d'amour à la chanteuse anglaise Susan Boyle. On dirait que Max aime chanter les amours intergénérationels. Sur une musique electro/pop, on a droit encore une fois à des paroles à pisser de rire style "J'adore ses yeux, j'adore ses dents, elle me les prête de temps en temps. Elle m'a présenté ses enfants, ils ont l'âge de mes parents. Comme on collectionne les vieilles bagnoles, moi je me tape Susan Boyle." Et le meilleur pour la fin : "C'est pas du sexe qu'on fait au lit, c'est de l'archéologie."

En plage 5, Max livre un texte particulièrement second degré avec sa Chanson raciste qui, prise au premier degré pourrait être l'hymne de la prochaine campagne présidentielle de Marine Lepen. J'avoue cette fois que cette chanson me laisse un peu sur le carreau, d'autant que la musique semble plagier We are the world en étant une grosse ballade pompeuse façon variété humanitaire des années 80 ; hyper quinzième degré donc pour coller à son texte raciste à la taille du globe.

Suit son duo rap Clash gentil avec le rappeur Alibi Montana. Vu le phrasé rap de Max, ce titre est celui qui ressemble le plus à un sketch, puisqu'après s'être essayé au flow, il se fait laminer par le vrai rappeur et que le duo tourne gentiment au règlement de compte SM.

Un bandonéon ouvre L'inconnue du Boulevard Bessières façon java où Max chante sa complainte d'un niais épris d'une pute rencontrée dans la rue. Très beau texte ("Tu m'as dit : tu me donnes combien? Je t'ai dit 24 ans à tout casser") presque pas comique pour cette chanson rétro qui me fait penser au titre des garçons bouchers Dans la salle du bar-tabac de la rue des martyres.

Pour continuer le patchwork musical de cet album, Montrez les nous s'appuie sur une rythmique ensoleillée façon reggae où Max retrouve son rôle de petit pervert lubrique attachant en demandant aux filles du monde entier de nous montrer leurs seins. Encore une fois, la mélodie humaniste semble à 180° avec les paroles mais le résultat est très plaisant et quand Max clôture le titre avec les ad libs "Montrez nous les tétés, montrez nous les nénés, oh montrez nous les lolos", on ne peut s'empêcher de sourire, séduit par l'esprit bon-enfant de sa supplique musicale.

Son titre le plus récent (clip de Février) enchaîne et cette fois, avec Mon colloc' Max chante ses inquiétudes face à un co-locataire gay qui le colle de très près. Le clip est hilarant et le texte a une très bonne chute. "Et l'autre fois pendant que je dormais, j'ai senti sous mes draps qu'il n'y avait pas que moi..." Musicalement, on a affaire à un titre midtempo pop et frais qui une fois encore est un parfait contre-emploi du texte finalement dramatique.

En dixième position, un Joyeux Noël au texte trop acide sur la fausse magie de Noël sur une musique très pling-plong Bontempi que Max chante cette fois comme s'il ne savait pas chanter, en suivant de trop près la mélodie : un titre baclé ou, en tout cas, dont l'effet cousin à la guitare qui veut gâcher le noël des petits parce qu'il est de corvée de garde me passe largement à côté : titre 100% sketch.

Heureusement c'est le TUBE de Max qui enchaîne et sauve la fin du CD puisque je ne me lasse pas de son Ce soir, tu vas prendre. De son intro au piano, de ses couplets romantiques sur musicale sirupeuse à ses refrains lourds où Max chante que sa copine va s'en prendre plein le cul, je trouve que ce premier titre annonçait parfaitement l'univers décalé du chanteur/amuseur : un peu lourd, graveleux, mais romantique aussi et acide. Impayables, les paroles "Ce soir, tu vas prendre (...) comme si je sortais de prison après vingt ans de réclusion. Et si jamais t'as encore faim, j'ai ramené deux, trois copains." Seul reproche, son "j'espère que t'es véhiculée parce que tu pourras plus marcher" ...Musicalement, "véhiculée" ne sonne pas bien du tout !

Dernier bonus, son Une larme qui coule dédié à l'inspecteur Derrick avec un texte rappé sur une musique au piano bien en avant et des arrangements de cordes. Encore et toujours un texte bien pensé ("281 épisodes et pas une seule scène d'action (...) J'ai jamais vu une fin d'épisode, je m'endormais à chaque fois") mais pour un titre moins fort que son premier single ou les titres de 2010.

Au final, une collection de 12 titres aux musiques très variées et aux textes ciselés, interprétés magistralement par le jeune comique, mais pour un résultat assez inégal : des titres purs tubes comme J'aime les moches, Chatroulette, Susan Boyle ou Ce soir et beaucoup de bons titres entre deux, mais avec quelques fautes de goût, Joyeux Noël en tête ; pas assez cependant pour me faire regretter mon achat.

Pour vous faire votre opinion, ses meilleures vidéos ci-dessous pour le plaisir de vos oreilles, des yeux et de votre cerveau :

Max Boublil J'aime les moches


Max Boublil - Chatroulette feat. Sophie Favier


Max Boublil - Depuis que tu n'es plus là


Max Boublil - Susan Boyle


Max Boublil - Mon Coloc

another Lady Gaga "Born this way" Youtube cover

here is another Youtube video of someone covering up Lady Gaga's #1 new hit Born this way and this time she is called Maria Aragon and doesn't look more than 10 years old : she sings it well and plays live keyboards : oh how I would have loved to be able to play piano this way... I'm jealous !

The next Youtube sensation is called...

Omar Afuni
and he is from Kuwait
Remember his name : a star is in the making !

I was intending to post about Same Difference's second album this weekend as it was released last monday but I still haven't received my CD (Grrr!!) so I was just blogging around when I came to a post in a chatbox about a talented guy who needed to be giving a listening chance and gave a link for FREE download of his album. Even not knowing the style of music he did but curiousness took the best of me and had me following the link http://www.omarafuni.com and I came to a blog page where you can direct download a full amount of good electro pop in full 192 kb glory and listen to it soon after while reading the posts of his blog and biography or watching his youtube videos. I spent the rest of the evening there, totally spellbound by his talent !

The videos of his cover versions are incredible and from the oldest ones (Rihanna's Umbrella) to the latest (Lady Gaga's Born this way mashed up with Madonna's Express yourself/Jump) through the fabulous Katy Perry's Teenage dream/California gurls mashup or Ke$ha's Your love is my drug, Lady gaga's Bad romance and Christina Aguilera's singles, you hear and see the guy learned from his mistakes and now does the best : other recent highlights are Bruno Mars' Grenade and Cee-Lo's Forget you. When he initially sang and danced for the camera on his backing track then sang and played keyboards live while recording music & vid, he now records the lead vocals & vid and then mixes it with the backing track with additional vocals to a full professional result. His voice goes less vocalizing too and it's a good thing as its overuse was too much. Shall I add there he looks so much better with his hair cut short too ! ;)

So we now know he's a vocally talented guy who knows how to belt out a tune with his heart, and not only copies the original version of the song, and sure he knows how to play piano too 'cos all the music belongs to him too. And the 25 year old boy is good-looking, middle-east type with large shoulders (half-Jordanian, half-Lebanese with Turkish origins), tender brown eyes and a smile the groupies cannot resist. But this guys has even more talents : he sings but also writes and composes and plays and produces and mixes his own songs and he has released his first collection of 14 original songs on iTunes, Amazon and co worldwide. And all of this from his little bedroom and his spare time (he works full-time as civil engineer on construction sites 'cos like everybody he needs to pay the bills...). This guy is amazing ! How can he still not having been picked up in a real-TV music show a la X-Factor or Pop Idol and have already raised to the fame he deserved ?!

The country he lives in must not be the perfect place for a pop music fan & star in the making to break through for sure. And that's a real shame so please do like me : Give him a listening chance and if you like it, spread the world, help him get the chance to travel to the UK or US and make his music heard : record companies nowadays can sign an artist on the huge following he's got on the net. He sure looks older than Justin Bieber but he's cuter to me and he sounds a lot more talented and distinctive. His electro pop has slight arabian flavour (not too much of it, don't worry) and his voice is pure bliss, like honey for the ears. He makes it go high and low like he wants it or so it seems, and you get hypnotized by its warmness. He decided to become a singer when he was 8 and since then has grown and practiced a lot singing the artists he likes, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera, but we see from his cover versions that the new dance/pop stars appeal to him too.

So now comes the real thing. I have listened to his album, Resurrected and need to post a full review for it like I usually does with international star. But Omar Afuni is one too ! If not how can he be featured on a french blog like mine ?

Resurrected starts with the first single he displayed to his fans through his blog and iTunes last November, Resurrect me, and it all all starts vocally with the chorus lines nearly a cappella before the electro music loops get in with symphonic arabian arrangements : "Resurrect me babe I'm fallin', resurrect me I'm a billion pieces. Resurrect me, save me, bring me back, back, back. I'm dead without you..." The song is catchy and gives a nice first flavour of what's to come : good electro pop with middle-east influences in the vocalizes and strings. At more than 5 minutes the track doesn't sound too long but it sure would be too long to get radio airplay. It needs a radio edit !

Where I can dance follows and should be the next single. There surely couldn't be a better choice 'cos this electro-fused upbeat anthem could make a bang in the clubs. The 3'30 original version makes me want to dance with my hands in the air on a crowdy dancefloor : warm, hot and sexy are the words that come to my mind to express how this club banger makes me feel. So you bet what a full extended version can do to a real dancefloor ! Some dance label out there in the US should pick this up and release it as a test : it would top the Circuit club charts.

Blind is next and was released as a preview to the album too. It is more of a mid-tempo with vocoderized backing vocals but the chorus lines stick to your head : "Love turned off the lights, turned off the lights. Love made me so blind, made me so blind..." The atmospheric break is nice and really gives more power to the final part of the song and chorus with its high-pitched ad lib vocals. But this song is not as catchy as the two previous ones for me.

With Get ova U Omar goes back into the electro club upbeat dance song with nice strings adding light to a dark and sexy overcharged atmosphere. I imagine his songs would sound perfect in the clubs and backrooms of the middle East where european and american tourists would go dancing and fooling around with locals. The repetition of the Get ova U words in the chorus is catchy and doesn't sound too much at all : I like it !

200 BPM has a strange title and chorus line but its effect is quite hypnotizing : All through the song, I was surprised to find me waiting for the next "Two, O, O, B, P, M" even though there is a real chorus too :) Not a single but a nice album track.

Puppet show's intro gives the mark and we know this one is a more arabian influenced R&B track with full-on urban effects like its Oh Oh refrain backing vocals. It is not my usual cup of tea but it doesn't make me skip to the next one as it is catchy enough to have me listen to it.

With Chaos (magnetic) Omar adds a harder edge to his electro sounds with some rock guitar riffs. His voice is filtered in bits and there are nice reverb/acid loops and echoed effects that all makes this new track another potential single choice. Its magnetism is certain.

Change of pace with the next song, Lavender love, where Omar is all emotional and romantic, using a beautiful piano melody to enlighten his warm and tender vocals. The first verse is the only one that is stripped to the piano/voice as more layers of piano, strings and other orchestral elements build up a warm wall of sound for the whole song until the final part where only slight piano notes and Omar's vocals end it like started. This song is so beautiful I listened to it a second time, touched to the heart by its beauty. As mad into dance/pop upbeat songs I am, I equally love piano-led acoustic ballads when they are touching and emotive and Lavender love is all that and would sound perfect on a Valentines' day compilation CD.

Omar continues with beautiful piano notes in the intro of Stupid (fly away) that sounds like another romantic (but more upbeat) ballad until an electro bridge follows the first chorus. But it goes back into the piano ballad for second verse and chorus. It is there after that the song evolves into a longer electro mixed piece that is a winning combinaison. The song gains in catchiness without losing its emotional depth. Another real good surprise with a chorus you find yourself singing along way after the song has ended !

Eviction sees the techno sounds come back, strangely it seems on a rock tempo while the verses play but the pre-chorus and then chorus makes it become an addictive retro but modern dance/jazz fusion pop anthem. Eviction must be a patchwork of Omar's influences and it remembers me of how Christina Aguilera sometimes sounds, in her Back To Basics era. I bet she would have loved to record this one for Bi-on-ic !

Hologram is another mixed bag, this time with arabian melody and electro/techno arrangements. At bits, I heard Daft Punk, sometimes it reminds me of Ofra Haza's Im n'in alu but as an ensemble, Omar sounds more like a modern Tarkan here. Despite its influences that don't really belong to the usual music I listen to, I didn't dislike this song as its repetitive chorus is very catchy and the dance elements stay stronger than the middle east influences.

Baby back's intro sounds like real drums giving the rhythm for an upbeat rock number, except Baby back is more of a catchy pop song that would have been perfect 100% organic-sounding without the electro synthé loops that disturb the chorus lines I think. A slightly remix polishing this little out of place acid sound would make this song a very addictive pop single. Is it me already gettin' used to it or have these loops been shut down a bit on the last choruses that sound a lot more better than the two firsts ? I need to replay this song after I'm done posting this review to check it out ;)

Delicate piano notes and atmospheric arrangements prepare ourselves for a new calm song and a warm and tender vocal performance by our talented guy. "Peel the layers of your soul for me (...) Show me your true colours" goes the chorus of Layers and it'd surely be a pleasure to be peeled off our clothes and everything hiding our truth by Omar Afuni. His voice is sexy and sultry, the beats are hot and forceful, the music overwhelming and caressing. I didn't see the 5'20 of the song coming to its end...

Reunited starts with a funky bass and electric rubbings that create a musical playfield for the doubts and search for himself this personal song shows. "Baby I was lost in a world where I couldn't recognize myself, I was someone else." I feel Omar Afuni has hidden one of his more personal lyrics at the end of the album because he wanted to include his thoughts but his will is beforehand to cheer people up with his music the same way as the music gives him the power to keep waking up every morning to go to work when all he wants to do is take his mic and sing for us a new Youtube video or play piano and create a brand new song for people like me to fall in love with...

Not to end on this deep feelings, Resurrected has a remix of Blind as conclusion and this Paradise Garage remix has a galoping joyful beat that gets you back on your feet to dance with your hands up in the air to the rhythm and the melody that makes the original mid-tempo R&B/pop song a full-on house anthem, like the name of the remix paid hommage to, mashing it up with the Motown hit You keep me hangin' on. His soulful rendition of the lyrics Kim Wilde popularized when he was only 1 year old fit perfectly with his original chorus and I can't help thinking it is a shame this album has already come to its end.

REPLAY

That natural conclusion is the only one you oughta come to if you give this album a chance !

If you want to know more about Omar Afuni, you have simply got to go to his site :

http://www.omarafuni.com/

All the lyrics to his songs are found there too : http://www.omarafuni.com/lyrics/

If you want to support him, go and buy his music via iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/omar-afuni/id404213609

And I think you have got to subscribe (free) to his Youtube channel so that you won't miss his next hit cover version : http://www.youtube.com/user/OmarAfuni

And if you like what you read/heard/saw, please SPREAD THE WORD !

Sélection française pour l'Eurovision 2011

La nouvelle est tombée hier apparemment : le représentant français au concours Eurovision est le jeune ténor de 21 ans Amaury Vassili... Et il interprétera Sonniu, une chanson en corse le 14 Mai prochain...

J'avoue que ce choix de France Télévisions me laisse sans voix. Après l'électro zouk de Jessy Matador l'année dernière choisi pour rythmer l'été footballistique des chaînes télés du service public pendant la coupe du monde en Afrique du Sud, que doit-on penser du cru 2011 ?

Bien que l'on n'ait pas encore entendu la chanson et son interprète, vu son répertoire passé, on sait à quoi s'attendre...

En effet, découvert par Pascal Sevran alors qu'il n'avait que 15 ans, le jeune Amaury a publié avec un certain succès (200 000 exemplaires) un premier album en 2009, Vincero, réalisé par Quentin Bachelet, plus habitué à la pop française mâtinée de soul (Jalane, Sofia Essaïdi, Sofia Mestari, Cunnie Williams, L5...) qu'au répertoire lyrique revisité grand public des Il Divo, Alessandro Safina et autres Josh Groban. Ce sont d'ailleurs bien des compositeurs pop qui officient pour lui faire séduire le grand public (Davide Esposito, Stanislas, Elodie Hesme...), avec un pointe de reprises internationales (Who wants to live forever de Queen ou Hallelujah de Léonard Cohen).

Il publie son second album fin 2010, Cantero, et il semble qu'il manque de visibilité pour renouveller son score de bonnes ventes puisqu'il ne profite pas des ventes de fin d'année pour s'inviter au pied des sapins français. Qu'à cela ne tienne, nul doute que Pascal Nègre, boss d'Universal, va savoir profiter de l'Eurovision et de l'exposition médias pour relancer l'album, en France et à l'étranger, dans une nouvelle version à re-paraître complétée de ce nouveau titre enregistré pour l'occasion... Composé par Quentin Bachelet avec Daniel Moyne (dont les faits d'armes notables sont d'avoir fait le succès du boysband Alliage puis des comédies musicales Roméo & Juliette et Belles, Belles, Belles...), Sonniu a l'air de cumuler des fées grand public mais je vois mal ce bel éphèbe chevelu emporter le morceau quand les derniers essais pop lyriques à l'Eurovision se sont faits laminer au jeu des "twelve points" :

- Didrik Solli-Tangen et son My heart is yours a terminé 20ème avec 35 points l'année dernière à Oslo pour la Norvège justement,

- La chanteuse lyrique suédoise Malena Ernman a finie 21ème avec 33 points en 2009 à Moscow avec sa pop lyrique vitaminée à l'eurodance La voix,

- Les lituaniens Bonaparti.lv avaient fait à peine mieux en 2007 à Helsinki avec Questa Notte, rapportant 54 points pour une 16ème place...

Bref, on est encore mal parti pour l'emporter cette année mais comme je le soulignais plus haut, là n'est sûrement pas le but de France Télévisions, Universal et Amaury (Chautard de son vrai nom)... Sinon, à part l'Eurovision pour essayer de refourguer son dernier album, le seul autre plan, c'était de faire un duo (ou plutôt un quatuor) avec Les Prêtres (de Barbelivien et Di Falco), ceux-là même qui lui ont piqué la place sous le sapin avec leur Spiritus Dei. Mais je comprends qu'il préfère l'Eurovision parce que, se glisser à côté du petit séminariste asiatique entre le grand curé brun à la voix maniérée et le prêtre grisonnant, avec les cas de pédophilie noyautant le clergé catholique, c'était risquer la partouze générale entre les répèt'... Après avoir du gagner son droit de passage chez la Sevran par on n'ose imaginer quel secret d'alcove, l'enfant devenu jeune homme peut toujours espérer séduire le public de l'eurovision sans donner plus de sa personne que sa voix grave et sa belle gueule.

C'est tout de même dommage qu'il se laisse coacher par de vieux libidineux amateurs de jolis garçons (après Sevran, Nègre, vous noterez le bis répetita du Pascal) parce que relooké avec les cheveux graissés attachés en arrière, un T-shirt cintré rose fluo, un jean taille basse customisé et des TN aux pieds, on le verrait bien plaire aux minettes en jeune ténor electro... Sûr qu'avec son carré romantique bien lisse et son costume en velours, c'est aux ménagères quadras et + qu'il est prévu de plaire, celles qui mouillent encore la culotte à chaque fois qu'elles se remettent le Baryton de Florent Pagny dans le lecteur CD. Remarquez, c'est cet album de Pagny qui a parait-il donné sa vocation au jeune Amaury alors... ! Faudra sans doute attendre sa crise de la quarantaine pour qu'il nous sorte un album remix de ses meilleures reprises pop lyrique de quand il était jeune...

Rien (de mal) à déclarer

Annoncé par certains comme un Bienvenue chez les ch'tis 2, démoli par la critique élitiste (Libé, le Figaro, le Monde) mais applaudi par la presse grand public (Paris Match, journaux TV), Rien à déclarer, le nouveau film "de" Dany Boon (écrit, réalisé et interprété) n'était pas forcément un film pour lequel je me sentais obligé d'aller en salle obscure. En effet, à part certaines comédies romantiques, c'est plus les films de science-fiction qui me font aller au cinéma.

Après avoir vu la bande annonce, et me souvenant avoir adhéré à 200% à ses Ch'tis, je savais que j'irai pour me rendre compte sur pièce. Ayant un dernier ticket de ciné prépayé via mon CE valable jusqu'au 1er février, veille de la sortie nationale du film, je sautais sur l'occasion de réserver ma place le Mardi soir pour l'avant première à mon CGR après le boulot et attendais impatiemment le générique de début dans une salle à moitié remplie ; pas de délire style Star Wars donc en Bretagne pour cette "suite" du raz-de-marée ch'ti.

Après cinq minutes de générique et être passé de 1986 à 1993, commença vraiment l'histoire de ce film qui est bien une comédie, mais se basant sur une trame historique (la disparition des douanes frontalières en Europe suite au traité de Maastricht) pour dénoncer avant tout le racisme et lutter contre les préjugés, avec une histoire d'amour à la Roméo et Juliette comme argument principal et un petit trafic de drogue comme fil policier ; un joli méli-mélo quoi.

Mais toutes ces lignes directrices du scénario permettent de construire un canevas sur lequel Dany Boon a ciselé de l'action et des dialogues comiques au milieu des autres messages qu'il fait passer dans son film, et côté personnage, c'est Benoît Poelvoorde qui récupère la principale part du gâteau : tour à tour attendrissant, détestable et génialement comique, son personnage tout dans l'excès francophobe (mais xénophobe avant tout) et zélé porte le film sur ses épaules. Dany Boon est l'autre pilier du duo comique à l'affiche mais il n'est que le faire-valoir du comique de Poelvoorde : si le français joue le rôle de l'Auguste en amoureux éconduit se sacrifiant pour sa belle, c'est le belge qui arbore un gros nez rouge et fait crouler de rire les spectateurs avec ses excès et ses réparties. On n'est pas plié en deux tout du long mais on rit à gorge déployée toutes les cinq minutes au moins sans que les ficelles soient trop grosses ou trop grasses.

Tout le talent du film réside dans le fait qu'il arrive à rendre attachant et drôle le rôle du douanier belge, qui, par ses positions et propos, est un personnage plus détestable encore que les traficants de drogues, eux plus pathétiques qu'autre chose. A ce propos, Bruno Lochet est à mourir de rire dans son rôle de passeur de drogue débile. Autre second rôle impayable, le petit belge qui monte que j'avais adoré dans L'arnacoeur, François Damiens, à nouveau dans un rôle de beauf bas du front et mari de Karin Viard, excellente en glaciale tenancière de bar-resto prête à tout.

Le casting est donc bien mené, et l'on se prend au jeu, on a le coeur qui bat pour Dany Boon et ses amours impossibles, on a le coeur retourné quand Poelvoorde sort son flingue ou débite ses horreurs au kilomètre, mais on a le coeur qui fond quand il se la joue attachant et poète avec son fils en duo... (magnifique gamin, Joachim Ledeganck !) ou quand surgit le chien (adorable!) pisteur de drogue.

Je ne vais pas en raconter plus. Ce film mérite d'être vu, et pas par ceux qui ont aimé les Ch'tis. Juste par ceux qui veulent passer un bon moment en salle obscure. Et ne vous attendez pas à entendre du ch'ti pendant 1h40. Juste un peu d'accent belge, une fois ! Je rajouterai quand même que Dany Boon rend hommage ouvertement par moment à des classiques du cinéma français ; à un moment, leur duo fait penser à celui du Corniaud. A un autre, on se croirait dans un pastiche belge de Taxi, tout en restant du Dany Boon, avec sa patte humaine, populaire et pas élitiste sans être bas de gamme pour autant.

Et pour ceux qui voudraient en savoir plus comme pour ceux qui veulent prolonger le plaisir en attendant la sortie DVD, le film a été adapté lui aussi en BD et l'histoire y a été presque intégralement mise en image avec les dialogues principaux sous bulles. Vu le potentiel comique, du texte comme de l'histoire, la BD tape dans le mille une seconde fois.

LOVE ...et autres drogues

A la base, je suis allé au cinéma hier soir parce qu'il me restait un ticket acheté à mon CE à prix préférentiel et à utiliser avant la fin du mois. J'avais aussi regardé les films à l'affiche et, à part Narnia : le voyage de la Belle Aurore que j'avais été voir précédemment et La chance de ma vie que j'avais vu en vacances, Love et autres drogues était le film qui me faisait le plus envie parmi la quinzaine de films proposés. Projeté à 20H, il m'était aussi accessible après le travail.

C'est donc dans mon costume cravate de la journée au bureau que je gagnais mon multiplex et prenais ma place en espérant que j'allais aimer. J'avais lu que les acteurs principaux avaient donné de leur personne pour le film, offrant leurs corps nus à la caméra pour un film sur le sexe, suplanté par l'amour même quand on ne l'attend pas, entre un visiteur médical tombeur pur sucre interprété par Jake Gyllenhaal et une jeune et jolie malade de Parkinson jouée par Anne Hathaway.

Je ne craignais pas trop que le film tombe dans le pathos et même si vers la fin du film, de très touchants instants m'ont fait mouiller les yeux (c'est parfait pour mes lentilles de contact après près de deux heures dans la salle obscure sous atmosphère sèche et contrôlée d'une salle de cinéma), l'ensemble est avant tout tourné vers la comédie, avec de bons moments plutôt jouissifs.

D'autant que le couple vedette pour la seconde fois à l'écran (ils étaient déjà mari et femme dans Brokeback Mountain), crève le dit écran, s'imprime sur nos rétines et ne laisse pas son image s'en effacer. Sont omniprésents tout le long du film les grands yeux bleus et la bouche rigolotte (avec ses coins relevés à la Donald Duck) de Jake Gyllenhaal et le sourire éclatant de Anne Hathaway, qui n'est pas sans rappeler Julia Roberts période Pretty Woman.

Le duo d'acteurs partage pas mal de scènes sexy/sensuelles en effet, ayant souvent du tourner nus ensemble, et l'on se lasserait presque de voir les petits seins de la belle brune ou les larges cuisses et pectoraux duveteux de l'ex-cowboy. Mais finalement, ces scènes dénudées sont plus souvent tournées dans l'émotion de l'instant, le partage et découverte de l'autre, simplement touchantes, réservant l'excitation pour les dialogues parfois crus et la scène d'action la plus HOT du film où ils se sautent dessus encore habillés et les fait se relever du plancher le jean à peine baissé et la jupe même pas froissée...

Au final, une belle tranche de vie américaine, avec de l'humour, de l'amour et des acteurs épatants, mais avec en trame de fond bien présente l'industrie pharmaceutique pour laquelle travaille le personnage interprété par Jake Gyllenhaal puisqu'il devient visiteur médical pour une firme concurrente du Prozac et lançant le Viagra. A l'heure ou en France s'étend le scandale du Mediator, on en vient vite à la conclusion que les magouilles marketing doivent bien être les mêmes chez nous que dans les cabinets de médecins américains et cette satyre professionnelle partage en réalité l'affiche de ce film présenté comme une comédie romantique mais qui est bien plus que ça.

A noter dans les seconds rôles l'hilarant petit frère obèse, geek et obsédé voyeur (Josh Gad), ainsi que le débonnaire mais hyper stressé responsable de secteur (Oliver Platt), ainsi qu'une belle pleïade de nymphes tombant dans les bras de Gyllenhaal, même si le film est avant tout centré, comme ses caméras d'ailleurs, sur le couple vedette.

Enfin, un big-up pour James Newton Howard qui compose la musique et elle est tout simplement magnifique, tantôt passant inaperçue pour accompagner les scènes de comédie, tantôt se substituant presque aux dialogues pour les séquences émotions, toujours en légèreté et subtilité.

Un film à voir si ça passe encore près de chez vous !

Same Difference's second album ...soon !

On 7th February will be released Same Difference's second album, called The rest is history.

Made of siblings Sean and Sarah Smith, the duo finished third in the UK X-Factor series in 2007. Their first album Pop was certified gold but didn't reached the goal Sony/Syco had in mind with the single We R one only reaching #13 in the UK charts. It features their cover versions of High School Musical's Breaking free and Starship's Nothing's gonna stop us now they sang on the show, as well as the Stock/Aitken/Waterman penned Hazell Dean/Kylie Minogue song from the 80's Turn it into love mixed with pure pop cheesy songs most recorded with sweden producers.

Sean and Sarah turned the X-Factor/Syco page and signed to a new UK label, PopLife, that features as A&R Ian Usher, a SAW/PWL fan who works on the Cherry Pop re-releases too, which means pop quality guaranteed to my ears. They recorded with ex-Pete Waterman partners Mark Topham & Karl Twigg (the duo behind most of Steps hits) first then with Pete Hammond, Dave Ford & Ian Curnow, other PWL stars, as well as sweden 3 stars producers like Anders Hanson (he worked with Alexander Bard and produced Agnes' crossover album) or Tony Nilsson.

The first single didn't do well in the UK charts (#100) last September but Shine on forever (photo frame) was a perfect introduction to their new dance/pop sound and it is not easy nowadays for a small label to conqueer mainstream charts for sure ! With great Riffs & Rays, Thin Red Men and Matt Pop remixes, it cliked nevertheless in the clubs and all pop addicts must be awaiting their new album with anticipation.

Here is the tracklisting :

01 Souled out a pure Steps dance/hi-nrg anthem produced by Topham & Twigg with co-writing by Yamit Mamo

02 Euphoria another perfect dance anthem produced by Topham & Twigg with co-writing by Nathan Thomas

03 Karma karma (feat. Alcazar) a latin dance/pop jewel co-written & produced by Anders Hansson with Le Kid

04 The rest is history a powerful midtempo produced by Tony Nilsson & co-written with Hanne Sorvaag

05 Shine on forever (photo frame) the John Myers co-written & produced first single

06 Waiting for the moment a disco pop uptempo

07 Best mistake a full on retro disco stomper !

08 This is me the only ballad of the album, written & produced by Ian Curnow & Dave Ford with Cathy Dennis' sister Georgie

09 Emotion another powerful midtempo

10 Superstar another catchy upbeat pop number produced by Dave Ford & Ian Curnow

11 Heartbeat a pure pwl retro-inspired pop anthem produced and co-written by Pete Hammond with the duo & Georgie Dennis

12 Broken memories a cooler way to end the album with a pleasant midtempo

From the preview megamix below it sounds promising and I CAN'T WAIT for it ! Expect a full review when I got the CD in my hands...

Clara Morgane's sleepless nights on the dancefloor

Released back in December, Nuits Blanches is the second album that has been recorded by Clara Morgane, a famous former pornstar french blond girl. It’s been a couple of weeks that I’ve bought it and have wanted to post a review for it because it’s a must-have CD but I didn’t have the time with Christmas busy week at work then New Year’s Eve and my following holidays. Today's the day !

Clara Morgane started her career in 2001 by acting with current boyfriend, porn star Greg Centauro, in several X-rated movies but the pornstar cliché seems too much for her as, to my knowledge, she has only played with him for the cameras ; it was more of an exhibisionist trip than a real porn job. It is not as if she had been fucked up by many different men in front of the cameras, isn’t it ?
Her goal may have been to use this exposure as a way to reach higher goals and she succeeded indeed. Truth is her beautiful body and face and charming personality made her a superstar in just one year, with lots of coverture in the press and medias. Her porn experience helped her become a model (for FHM and their annual calendar for example) and sexy underwears in which she decided to work by designing her own collections. She became a TV face too by hosting the Canal+ X-rated show “journal du hard” which could be translated as “the news of the porno world”. It was not until 2006 that she started turning into music, first by appearing into a rap video then signing with Sony Music for a first album DéCLARAtions that had a dance/R&B sound and featured rap artists. Three singles were released, J’aime, Sexy girl and Nous deux, but her best performance for me was her cover version of the Rita Mitsouko’s 80’s hit Andy.

Nuits Blanches has been in the making since over a year now as it was ready for release in 2009. Only slight changes must have been made on several tracks with additional production & remix on Le diable au corps and Même si je sais but it still sounds fresh. Clara Morgane produced it herself and she must have wanted to release it at the best moment and a pre-christmas release with additional 2011 calendar as a bonus was a good idea to reach her male fans and make them get a double feature by buying her new CD : the music and the calendar, even if it is smaller than the FHM type of one.
Talking now about the music, I was happy to hear she changed her musical direction. Nuits Blanches is an electro/dance masterpiece and there is not a trace of her previous R&B flavour. The songs are mostly sung in french, with strong lyrics almost written by Clara, with some english too, and the whole package is very upbeat, made for the dancefloor, althought real club addicts will call it commercial pop. The fact is that her songs are very good dance/pop songs with up-to-date electro sounds. They are not a collage of rhythms, loops and vocal samples but songs with lyrics telling a story, often hot and sexy, on strong dancefloor instrumentals. Clara must have put a lot of her in her lyrics and the result is awesome and incredibly addictive.

The album starts with Vous {You}, an ode to her fans that opens up perfectly the musical voyage into her new personal world with synthé loops building up in the background of several verses into a wall of electro sounds. The result is very laid-back, although still upbeat, and marks the the entry into Clara's nightclub CD.
The real thing starts with Le diable au corps {Devil inside}, the first single follows in its Syndicate Of Bass radio remix form, and you can’t resist it’s killer beat and very good lyrics. "Il faut me laisser faire, ne plus t'en faire, l'enfer pourrait te plaire..." she sings in the chorus and I don't think anyone would be able to resist her from taking you under her spell on this hypnotic groove. With 30 additional seconds, the original radio edit that closes the CD at track #12 is just a little bit more polished, Jey Didarko's remix having added a raw dirty musical touch for the radio release.
Même si je sais {Even if I know} is next and it sounds like a further single for sure, with a strong and catchy chorus melody. The music is hypnotic again, with waves of electro loops coming back onto Clara's vocals with repetitive beats and distortion sounds.
Celle que je suis {The one I am} is more delicate in its form, more melodic maybe, but still very catchy and has nice personal lyrics. Co-composed by Clara with her apparently current boyfriend Jey 'Didarko' Olivier (who is featured on the additional DVD as her love interest in the short film "Haut perchée" as well as the DJ in her video for Le diable au corps and playfriend in the sea on the beach video for Good time), this one sounds as good I would love to see it get a release as a single too, but nearly all songs here could be...
Mademoiselle X {Miss X} has an english chorus but her 'I'm madly, madly in love" sounded first to my ears as "A Madrid..." but there is no flamenco inspired music here ; just good electro beats once again co-composed by Clara with Jey. Lyrically, Clara exposes here the X-rated point of view on love, either with men or women, of a Miss X that could be her sometimes maybe...
IL {HE} may be the song where Clara’s lyrics shine the most and we understand why she says she’s been inspired by Serge Gainsbourg as she uses lots of alliterations with il and elle and play on words. I especially like the verses' conclusion line "Si versatile, viendra-t-il à temps?" that sounds just perfect. A video has been shot for this one and I can't wait to see it get a single release and discover further remixes !
Good time has got less electro and more disco/house sounds with a nice chorus all in english and breezy vocals. Clara wrote this one in Ibiza and it just sounds perfect for summer partying. The video shot in Corse on the beach along her half naked cute and sexy tattooed boyfriend would fit perfectly MTV or M6 video clips selection for next summer... Just one thing to say : it would have sound less lazy to write a second verse instead or repeating the same french verse over and over between the choruses...
Strange enough, the next song has got the same title as Ysa Ferrer’s previous single, and the ladies work in the same league of the electro dancepop divas, but they are very different, Clara’s French kiss sounding less gimmickly with its haunting spoken parts and breezy chorus in english. Once again, it is a song Clara wrote with Jey Didarko and it is the last one, most others beeing composed by Boulawan or Simon Cole. It starts with vinyl scratches and a sexy sultry spoken intro that is the standard form for the verses in fact. Clara's lead theme could be revealed here I think with the line "Au diable les préchi-précha !" Whatever what people or Holy Joe says, she does what she likes...
Nuit blanche {Sleepless night} starts with a soft and tender, nearly childish Doo doo doo doo line but very soon the electro groove comes back to back Clara's invitation to follow her in her sleepless night, on the dancefloor or between her sheets, who knows ?
Un peu beaucoup {A little bit more} sounds as if it samples some Ruychi Sakamoto, OMD or Art Of Noise 80's melody but it doesn't last long and there are no sign of it on the edition credits so it must be only an inspiration. Once more Clara's vocals are light and breezy, on a strong electro arrangement and on this one I get it she is no diva with a big voice but her little voice is perfect for what she has created on Nuits blanches ; she sounds sexy and warm without being too distorded by autotune vocoderized effects like many nowadays.
Hype is the last song of the album before Le diable au corps closes the CD in its radio edit form and it is the one I like the less. Maybe it is because of the mode addict lyrical theme or of the Hype repeated word that doesn't appeal to me. But it is the only one that won't get a A+ note from me here so who cares ?

In conclusion, I must confess I cannot get her album out of my mp3 player nor of my car CD player and I hope I am not the only one who will buy it and play it to death !

Like usual, you can get a sneak preview of it in the 7digital player on the right side of the post so you know what to do :) I know it is mostly sung in french but I would like to know what you think of her music. Get in the comments !

The Best of 2010 from my MP3 player

It is high time for me to post my musical Best Of of that year that has come by and I must say it's been a hard time trying to figure what were my best songs of the year as it was a good year in pop & dance music.

01 Quentin Mosimann "Il y a un paradis"

The first surprise is that the song that I have never get bored of this year and couldn't put off my playlist is not even a single, but an album track from Quentin Mosimann's latest album Exhibition. This perfect piece of disco-house french pop song with wonderful lyrics by Lionel Florence should have been a single and it'd have become Quentin's biggest hit for sure. Nevertheless, it's been in my heart !

02 Groove Armada feat. Will Young "History"

Coming in second place but only because of the calmer beat I think is another song that was an album track on Groove Armada's latest album too, until it apparently got released as a single somewhere but without the big exposure and success it deserved. I posted about it in April and I can only say it again now : It is a mellow piece of vocal house, soulfull and moody, not really instant or pop but incredibly haunting : there's not a special chorus line that sticks to your head, it's the whole atmosphere of the song and its Bronski Beat's Smalltown boy inspired sound with incredible Will Young vocals that all makes it memorable and addictive.

03 The Wanted "All time low"

I have just posted about this song and the UK lads' first album before Christmas so for sure you remember what I said about it : this electro pop/rock midtempo song was a grower I still can't get enough of these days and play it on constant repeat, singin' along on the chorus lines.

04 Brian McFadden feat. Kevin Rudolf "Just say so"

When it got released as first single off this ex-Westlife-gone-aussie boy's third album, I fell completely in love with it despite its sometime irritating overuse of autotune and vocoderized effects on Brian's vocals but the über-catchy chorus is toxic as hell and you can't resist nodding your head along to its rhythm and listening back to it now I still love it as much. It even made me buy the CD on australian import when I already had downloaded the songs ...but I wanted it badly I couldn't wait for the international release ! I did right as it still haven't surfaced on these shores...

05 Kylie Minogue "Get outta my way" (original version / 7th Heaven radio edit)

Second single off Kylie's 11th album Aphrodite, Get outta my way is one of her most addictive song since a couple of years at least ! I knew it would be a single from the first time I heard it on the CD and this uptempo disco/house anthem has not deceived me, except it only reached #12 in the UK charts ...and that is a crime !

06 Boyzone "Love is a hurricane" (original version / 7th Heaven radio edit)

This Ronan Keating rather than Boyzone second single off the boyz' comeback album Brother is another Alexander Gregg pop/rock anthem that has been even bettered when released with a 7th Heaven dance remix. I can't get enough of it with its wonderful chorus lines "One step forward and two steps back, love is like a hurricane..."

07 B.o.B. feat. Bruno Mars "Nuthin' on you"

Unusually for my tastes, it is a rapper's single that features next in my Top 2010 but over the laid back rap verses by B.o.B, it is for the Bruno Mars soulful vocal parts of the chorus that Nuthin' on you stole my heart and got away with it... The chorus melody is irresistible and I was not the only one to think that : it got #1 in England late in May.

08 Kylie Minogue "All the lovers"

Second song from Kylie in my Top Ten and it is the beautiful atmospheric and haunting lead single for her 2010 comeback. Once again, I don't think I'll ever get enough of her sexy whispering vocals on the intro, break and verses nor of the uplifting hands-in-the-air chorus.

09 The Wanted "Lose my mind"

Another double feature for the UK lads this time with their third and recent single. Maybe I am biaised by the fact it is a recent release but for now on, I cannot get enough of this upbeat pop/rock song, perfectly spiced up by the Woh oh backing vocals and the beautiful song structure with slow intro, catchy chorus and slow paced break just before final verse and chorus. I didn't need the remixes for this one to really like the song !

10 Rihanna "Only girl (in the world)"

Final Top Ten song and another one from 2010's second half, Only girl (in the world) benefits from a powerful killer chorus and electro arrangements that helped Rihanna get back in the charts all over the world after her third album and her darker side made me forget how umbrella or Don't stop the music were made for the dancefloor. Welcome back little princess...

11 Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg "California gurls"

I didn't fell at once for Katy Perry's first single off her second album Teenage Dream but after a couple listens and seeing the video, the melody got me under her spell and I liked its robotic groove and funny lyrics. The Manhattan Clique remix helped me too ;)

12 Lady Gaga "Bad romance"

After 2009 and her handful of hit singles, 2010 has been a quieter year in my book for Lady Gaga (I've never really been hooked on the other big single of the year Alejandro) but Bad romance, if not as good as Poker face, has been a standout of the first half of the year for sure. Beware 2011 ; she's coming back !

13 Nathalie Makoma "I just wanna dance"

Next one is another odd single that I discovered thanks to the net and its blogging surprises. All disco/house and made for the dancefloor, this english remake of a J-Pop hit had everything I wanted to hear last summer and it was my personal summer hit. Is there a full album coming soon ?

14 Mylène Farmer "Oui mais... non"

French diva's comeback single is too young by release to really impersonate 2010 for me but it's incredible catchiness and dance appeal couldn't let me ignore it in my Best Of ! Composed and produced by RedOne, it is one of Mylène's most upbeat and electronic single since ...decades !

15 The Saturdays "Higher" (7th Heaven radio remix)

2010 has been a better year for The Saturdays, with their EP Headlines! and singles seeing them back high in the charts. If Missing you was nice and its Cahill remix extra good, Higher and its 7th Heaven dance remix was the real treat for me from the CD. The uplifing pre-chorus and addictive chorus made me jump off my seat and dance along every time I listen to it ! Don't you ?

16 Alex Gardner "I'm not mad"

2010 has not been a very good year for Brian Higgins and his Xenomania production team. After the demise of Girls Aloud, they lacked a new musical outfit to display their music in the charts. Alex Gardner was one of their new singer and I'm not mad was his first single, addictive and inspired, melting soul with electro loops and I instantly liked it and wanted a full album of that sound... Its #44 UK chart position and withdrawing of second single feeling fine must mean I'll have to wait forever for this kind of CD and it's a shame ! This was another hit that didn't need to get remixed by Benny Benassi to find a place in my 2010 discography...

17 Blake McGrath "The night (only place to go)"

The night was another good surprise of blogging when watching a video of a n handsome man and dancer gets you into an electro R&B flavoured sexy midtempo and makes you wait for the next single. It was a FGTH inspired Relax and both made me buy his CD on import, from Canada this time. That is why record companies now cannot understand how the market works : music releases are international and we want our music to buy as soon as it is available, even if it is only on the other side of the world.

18 Alexandra Burke "All night long" (Cahill remix)

This was another release from the UK X-Factor winner diva's first album but the Cahill remix pushed all the right buttons the original didn't completely for me. It took the pop/R&B song into my usual favorite universal dance world and the repetitive chorus was transformed into some orgasmic anthem that got my feet moving to the beat. More of that on your forthcoming second album, please, lady !

19 Mike Posner "Cooler than me"

Listening back to this first single of the american young multi-talented Mike Posner, I understand it makes me think of B.o.B.'s Nuthin' on you hit. Maybe it is his voice that is soulful as Bruno Mars' one or could it be it simply melts the same influences : soul, electro, R&B altogether ? I don't really care in fact. Cooler than me is a beautiful piece of music you'd want to listen to sunbathing on the rooftops of Paris.

20 Robyn "Hang with me"

Robyn's other good song of the year Dancing on my own deserved for sure a good place here but it didn't do enough to place itself in my Top25. Hang with me did though. It may be because of the beautiful lyrics, the melancholic Robyn voice and nice melody, but it is almost because of the constant discoïd synthetic loop that overshadows everything else all through the song : I think I'd easily see it being used in every song released and would still like it :)

21 Katy Perry "Firework"

Katy Perry succeeded placing another song in my Top 25 but it was never to be Teenage dream. Instead, it is her third single, Firework, that does the trick, and it is solely because of its incredibly good catchy chorus. I'm not really fond of the verses, although the lyrics are good, but when it comes to the chorus, its melody is so uplifting, anthemic and Katy's voice is so powerfully belted out, with the electro music background taking it even higher that this song got my votes over others maybe better in their whole but not with a chorus that strong.

22 Sergey Lazarev "Alarm"

It is a shame this russian boy stays yet unknown in west Europe and this song from his third solo album (he preivously was in the boysband Smash!!) was to my ears like a male version of Lady gaga's best hits. Electronic, repetitive and catchy, with nice video, it was meant to become a worldwide hit. It may have, on the music bloggosphere. It has, at least on mine.

23 Lemar "The way love goes" (original version / Cahill radio remix)

First single and newly recorded song from his 2010 Greatest Hits album, this Richard 'Biff' Stannard song took the soul/R&B singer into dance/pop territory to my surprise and great pleasure. The Cahill remix even took it further deeper into Clubland, adding an killer beat and more energy to the original. I would like his next album to feature this new sound from start to end but I doubt it'd be... Last word : when I listen to it, I can't get the "Gotta keep strong, keep movin' on" repeated part outta my head. It must be a sign it was meant to be featured here :)

24 Enrique Iglesias feat. Nicole Scherzinger "Heartbeat"

When I bought Enrique's Euphoria album, I was glad to read in the booklet notes he got back with some of the METRO guys but only Heartbeat was as good as they could be in the Believe years. So it was with pleasure I saw this perfect piece of pop become his second single after the irritating I like it. Enrique and Nicole voices melt perfectly into each other and the ever present 3 notes piano gimmick makes the song's appeal for me : no remix did it better than the original Mark Taylor album version. These 3 notes haunt the whole song and give it a staying power on my brain long after it has finished.

25 Ysa Ferrer "French kiss"

Last but not least comes my prefered french dance diva's comeback single and first off her new album Ultra Ferrer. Produced by Chew Fu, this frenglish electro/dance popsong was good when I first heard it but I still find its syncopated techno break sounds too irritating and I'm already bored of them... Shall I say I've been a little deceived by her latest offerings without burning in kosmic hell forever ?

Big losers of my 2010 Best Of are the ones that fell just under the first 25s and to name a few, the biggest contenders were A1 with I'm in love & I hate it, Antoine Clamaran feat. Soraya Live your dreams, Bruno Mars Just the way you are, Kelly Rowland with Commander and Forever and a day, Mika Kick Ass, Roll Deep Good times, Selena Gomez Round & round, Taio Cruz Dynamite and Stromae with Alors on danse and House'lleluja.

On the album side, it was not a year as good as on the singles side I think. There were lots of albums I waited for and wanted to like but that deceived me : Christina Aguilera Bionic, Alizée Une enfant du siècle, Alain Chamfort Une vie Saint Laurent, Thierry Amiel Où s'en vont les histoires?, Craig David Signed sealed delivered, Jason Donovan Soundtrack of the 80's, Alesha Dixon The entertainer, Hurts Happiness, Shayne Ward Obsession, Magnus Carlsson Pop galaxy, Sharleen Spiteri The movie songbook, Zazie Za7ie and even Enrique Iglesias Euphoria that got too much spanish songs and ballads on it.

Thankfully, there were good CDs too and first I'd like to talk about 80's albums re-releases (most by Cherry Pop) that are so good packaged that they made me re-buy all albums I already owned like Rick Astley's, Big Fun, Sinitta, Sonia, Boy Krazy, Mel & Kim, Eighth Wonder...

For the brand new music albums, I would name as highlights of the year :

Glee Cast The power of Madonna EP, Jason DeRülo's selftitled one, Goldfrapp Head first, Brian MCfadden Wall of soundz, The Saturdays Headlines! EP, the Almighty We love The Pet Shop Boys and Stock Aitken & Waterman compilations, AnnaGrace Ready to dare, Soraya Arnelas Dreamer, Andy Bell Non-Stop, Benjamin Braxton Hold-Up Party, Mylène Farmer Bleu noir, Patrick Fiori L'instinct masculin, Selena Gomez A year without rain, Sagi-Rei Sings Michael Jackson, Joe McElderry Wide awake, Scissor Sisters Nightwork, Susana Closer.

But the best albums of the year are on the french side, Quentin Mosimann Exhibition just ahead Ysa Ferrer Ultra Ferrer, with both Clara Morgane Nuits blanches and Jenifer Appelle-moi Jen having just been released in December so too young to win the 2010 crown.

In english, it is naturally Kylie Minogue Aphrodite, ahead of boysbands A1 Waiting for daylight and The Wanted's selftitled first album.