THEGAYUK

Tag: Single Review

The latest Single Review from THEGAYUK.

  • REVIEW | George Michael Fantasy

    When the announcement that there would be new George Michael music… I was terrified, disappointed, excited and desperate in equal measure.

    You see, usually the release of the previously unheard of material or remixed material never does the memories of a dearly departed icon, such as George Michael, justice.

    I was, I’m loathed to admit, disappointed with Michael’s latest work –  2012’s “White Light” was, to me, terrible. He launched it during the closing ceremony of the UK Olympics – and well, it didn’t quite hit the spot. Even after the massive exposure, the song limped to number 20 in the iTunes chart.

    It was a far cry from his works on Older, Patience or Faith albums. And maybe that’s the problem with George Michael (or us, his fans) – he’ll always be revered for his 80s and 90s output and that’s why today’s release is genius.

    Nile Rodger’s reworking of “Fantasy” restores the vision and with a contemporary sensibility. It’s sexual, edgy and unmistakably George’s work.

    The song’s choppy, edgy production sits well along with current hits – but it’s unmistakable in its George Michealness – the Faith era rips right through it, which will be sure to please hardcore GM fans whilst opening up his music to an entirely new generation of fans.

    Nile Rodgers proves, once again, that he is the producer, not only of the 70s, 80s and 90s but is – without a doubt giving this generation of producers a run for their money.

     

  • SINGLE REVIEW: Showbiz Christmas, Simon Gross

    Ahhh… Christmas camp.

    There are three things we want in a Christmas song: 1) Camp 2) Camp and 3) Camp and Big Brother’s Showbiz showman Simon Gross delivers all three in outstanding measure in his insta-hit Showbiz Christmas.

    Gross manages to shoehorn in his well-worn, some may argue genius catchphrase “Showbiz” into 3 minutes and 10 seconds of pure Christmas campness, the likes of which we haven’t seen since Cliff Richard released Mistletoe and Wine.

    Move over Weather Girls, Madonna and Wham, we have a contender for the gayest Christmas single ever released.

    If you mix Peter Kay’s Once Upon A Christmas Song, with Britney’s My Only Wish you’re starting to get close to Simon’s Showbiz Christmas.

    Fairly speaking it won’t or can’t match Mariah’s 1994 mega hit All I Want For Christmas, which has entered the UK charts every Christmas since 2005, when chart rules changed to allow digital purchases count towards them, but it makes a fair attempt at giving the UK an alternative to whatever bland winner’s song that Simon Cowell is bound to give the UK as it’s Christmas number 1.

    With proceeds going to Centrepoint, the charity that aims gives homeless young people a future; there’s never been a better reason to change the Christmas number 1

    Available to buy from iTunes and Amazon

  • MUSIC REVIEW: Claire Richards: Deeper Shade Of Blue

    Erstwhile member of pop juggernaut outfit Steps, Claire Richards, gave us all a welcome surprise a few days ago when she posted a stripped-down version of one of their biggest hits ‘Deeper Shade Of Blue’ onto Soundcloud. ★★★★

    One of their most uptempo slices, this version forms a piano-led, torch song with an aching and alluring vocal from Richards, reminiscent of Barbara Streisand at her most devastated.

    The morose and bittersweet lyrics coupled with the quintessential passionate production from Steve Anderson make for one of the best songs to be released this year as summer begins to darken.

    This is light years away from anything Richards has previously released and is a wonderful tribute to her earlier career. In the wrong hands this could have been overblown, but Anderson and Richards seem to have tapped into a magical, yet simple blueprint.

    I’m not sure we can expect such success with a downtempo version of 5,6,7,8, but here’s hoping that this could lead to something quite special and fitting of the cruelly underrated Richards’s undeniable talent.

    Simply magnificent and irresistible.

    BUY THIS ON AMAZON

    by Nick Smith | @peripatenic

  • SINGLE REVIEW: Will Young – Love Revolution

    Will Young winning the first Pop Idol instalment back in 2002 seems like a bizarre memory. It is hard to remember him emerging into the music industry under the wing of Simon Cowell because he has proven himself better than those means and shaken free of the stigma sometimes associated with the X Factor like shows. The second Pop Idol instalment with Michelle McManus is thankfully much more forgettable. Or regrettable, you can delete accordingly.

    ★★★★

    As an artist Will Young has mastered the art of producing a catchy yet vulnerable pop sound, maturing delicately with every new song. His last release Echoes back in 2011 promoted his growth as a talented singer songwriter with the likes of the breathtaking Come On and the underlining dance tones of I Just Want A Lover – the video for which saw him dancing around a supermarket car park partnered with a shopping trolley, unique to say the least. This intriguing music video history sets him aside from other mainstream pop acts around today. We have seen him moving from Blue Peter spoofs to taking part in dog training competitions, whilst causing a scene at an art gallery or making us cry in an emotional courtroom scene. Not forgetting about his portrayal as a pregnant man, of course. It all claps together in applause to his artistry.

    Enter Love Revolution, the new single and first release from his upcoming album 85% Proof (scheduled for release May 2015). It throws us a funkier sound that we haven’t seen from him in a while, slightly nodding back to the soulful elements of his 2005 album Keep On. If you think the song sounds familiar then you’d be right, as it is a reworking of the 2002 dance anthem Loneliness bought to us by German DJ Tomcraft. Much less Euro-Dance though, I’m afraid, but much more summer soul that will get you dancing around your garden in no time at all.

    The video depicts him as a preaching salesman trying to shift his Love Revolution products onto the apparent lonely singletons. It, albeit cheesy, is an entertaining clip that continues to set him aside from the generic pop routines around at the moment – and who here doesn’t enjoy a bit of cheese every now and then? If you said, ‘I don’t,’ then I have nothing more to say to you.

    The timing of this single could be considered apt against the likes of the recent Dolce & Gabbana debacle, or the risk of Northern Ireland’s anti-gay amendment passing, which could have seen it legal to refuse service to any LGBT person. Not to mention the American ‘gay curers’ who were about to embark on our dear nation to cure us all from being our-wonderfully-natural-selves. Let’s follow Will Young’s lead, start a Love Revolution and dance with whomever we want, yeah?

  • MUSIC REVIEW | PJ Taylor – Twisted Love Song

    PJ is a singer/song writer from London. He admits himself that he is not an instrumentalist, but loves to create music and this comes across in his tracks to date.

    He began by recording covers of classic tracks, but has now moved into writing his own music. His self released album You Ain’t Seen The Best Of Me was released a while ago and he’s secured access to iTunes, Amazon and others for his new track and the entire album.

    Wills Room, a podcast, showcases some of PJ’s work and is available via iTunes

    His new single Twisted Love Song is reminiscent of the best of electronic pop, with his use of vocoder giving a gentle nod to the likes of Cher.

    He knows how to get your foot tapping, and he has a gift for lyrics. This is pop at its best, its not deep and meaningful, it’s not bed-sit sad, its not soul searching. It’s pure, unadulterated dance. PJ marries different influences into coherent tracks, sounding like he’s having fun along the way.

    He has several videos on Youtube that showcase his style and give you an idea of his style:
    http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Z3LbiY8cx6vHFQb5vNqDw?feature=watch

    He has a MySpace page:
    https://myspace.com/pjtaylor1

    And here is PJ’s Facebook page:
    https://www.facebook.com/events/773707892654709/

    Keep an eye on this guy – he makes good music, enjoys himself which is evident and produces infectious music. Suport him if you can.

  • SINGLE REVIEW | Shakira Ft. Rihanna I Can’t Remember To Forget You

    What do you get when you mix one of Latin music’s biggest female stars with one of the hottest stars on the planet at the moment? Well, the answer is, ‘I can’t remember to forget you’ the new collaboration from Shakira and Rihanna! On Monday the 13th of January, after Rihanna hinting only a week before on her Twitter page that it might be happening, something extremely exiting happened. Fans didn’t have long to wait.
    This up-tempo song is a blend of Latin, Reggae and Pop-Rock. The verse begins sounding Latin pop with Reggae induced RnB beats and soon morphs into a guitar heavy chorus that sounds more signature Shakira. I was a little worried with both gals having a bit of an accent of how it would sound but it works perfectly. Shakira’s odd but brilliant vocals deliver the lyrics “But when you look at me, the only memory, is us kissing in the moonlight”. Rihanna then pipes up, in the second verse, singing “I go back again, fall off the train, land in his bed, repeat yesterday’s mistakes” in her cool, edgy and fun voice with her accent sounding more Bajan than ever.

    The song is about a woman who knows she should forget all about her undeserving man but can’t help but fall back into his arms. You could be forgiven for thinking Rihanna was referring to her turbulent relationship with Chris Brown but I doubt the songs intention is to dig that deep. This is a fun, pop anthem with two of music’s hottest babes.

    The artwork for single is equally as exciting. Shakira with her blonde locks tousled over one shoulder and minimalistic make up looks simply stunning! Rihanna, her dark, bouncy curls lying over Shakira’s lap looks smouldering with her blood red lipstick and cleavage aplenty!

    This will be the debut single from Shakira’s long awaited, untitled album and is already storming the charts. It’s her first single since ‘Waka Waka’ the song she wrote for the 2010 World Cup. The Columbian goddess is no stranger to a savvy collaboration. Since her 2001’s triple platinum album ‘Laundry Service’, she has teamed up with Beyoncé, Pittbull, Dizzee Rascal and who can forget the fabulous, belly-dancing, bum shaking ‘Hips don’t Lie’ with Wyclef Jean. The judge from The Voice is back again and she aint messing around. “It was utopia. She’s the sexiest woman on the planet.” Shakira tells Glamour magazine on working with Rihanna. She’s a crafty one is our Shakira. RiRi can do no wrong at the moment, she is music royalty, at the top of her game and manages to add a little sprinkle of Bajan magic to anything she touches.

    This song certainly does what it set out to do and that is to tell the world Shakira is back!
    Is it as good as her 2007 collaboration ‘Beautiful Liar’ with the bootylicious Beyoncé? I will let you decide!

  • SINGLE REVIEW: White Light, George Michael

    The problem with being George Michael is that so much good music has gone before it’s almost impossible to top your past achievements.

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