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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Yun Lang by True Faith (with Armi Millare) - My #1 Favorite OPM Song In 2010



Definitely, one of my 'happy' songs this year, and one of the songs that I would sing along heartily when I'm in my room or out driving! I so love the arrangement of Yun Lang especially the opening part. I chose this as my most favorite OPM song of the year because of the good vibes I get everytime I listen to it! To think this was released months ago, I still enjoy listening to it up to now.

True Faith is one of the veteran bands in the OPM scene but I'm not sure how their latest album was received by the public. However, in my book, they have the #1 OPM song this year!

Kahit Na by Kiss Jane - My #2 Favorite OPM Song In 2010


I'm so glad I decided to actively listen to OPM this year, otherwise, I would've missed this wonderful band called Kissjane! This song also grew on me and the more I listened to it, the more I was endeared to it. The perfect, breezy song you can play as you walk along the beach or coast along the highway while driving! I also like the video and even though I'm gay, the lead singer is definitely hot! If I were straight, I'd date her! Their album Free, has also other songs that offer that same breezy vibe, so they're really a welcome addition to OPM this year.

Di Lang Ikaw by Juris - My #3 Favorite OPM Song in 2010



My highest ranked ballad this year - and deservedly so, a hauntingly beautiful song from one of the local acoustic queens, Juris. Her CD was one of the first beneficiaries of my efforts to really give OPM a listen earlier this year. At that time, it was her song, I Don't Want To Fall, which was playing on the airwaves. However, it's this heartache of a ballad that really moved me. I just love the way she sings it, its lyrics and its arrangement. Interestingly though, her album has a lot of very good pop songs and I usually play her album when I drive since I can sing along to many of its songs.

This song was also used in a local TV series, that's why it also surged in popularity.

Chart Performance: Bon Jovi


Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits become their eleventh Top 10 album in the US.  It peaked at #5.  Below are their other Top 10 albums in the US.

1986 - Slippery When Wet (#1)
1988 - New Jersey (#1)
1992 - Keep the Faith (#5)
1994 - Cross Road (#8)
1995 - These Days (#9)
2000 - Crush (#9)
2002 - Bounce (#2)
2005 - Have A Nice Day (#2)
2007 - Lost Highway (#1)
2009 - The Circle (#1)
2010 - Greatest Hits (#5)

Bon Jovi's thirteenth Top 10 album in the UK, Greatest Hits, stays at #9 this week.  The album has peaked at #2.  This extends their top 10 chart span to 25 years and this is the fourth consecutive decade that they have a top 10 album, starting in the 80s, 90s, 00s and 10s. Below are the Top 10 albums of Bon Jovi in the UK -

1986 - Slippery When Wet (#6)
1988 - New Jersey (#1)
1992 - Keep the Faith (#1)
1994 - Cross Road (#1)
1995 - These Days (#1)
2000 - Crush (#1)
2001 - One Wild Night Live 1985-2001 (#2)
2002 - Bounce (#2)
2003 - This Left Feels Right (#4)
2005 - Have A Nice Day (#2)
2007 - Lost Highway (#2)
2009 - The Circle (#2)
2010 - Greatest Hits (#2)

Hangover by Sugarfree - My #4 Favorite OPM Song this Week



This is definitely one of my favorite love songs this year, one song I would sing to Alberto, if I can! The video stars Alessandra de Rossi and it's pretty interesting. This is also one of those songs that grew on me - not exactly love at first listen. But the more I heard it, the more I was singing along to it! Eventually, it does land very high on my year-end list. I love the arrangement, the lyrics and the sing-along nature of the song.

Chart Performance: Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle's second #1 album in the UK, The Gift, slips from #6 to #7 this week.  Last year, I Dreamed A Dream also debuted at #1.

In the US, The Gift, slips from #1 to #2 this week.  It's her second number one album, as I Dreamed A Dream, did the same thing last year.

Pangako by Cueshe - My #5 Favorite OPM Song This Week



This is one of the songs that I love to sing along to this year! It didn't chart very high though, but in my personal list, it's at #5, considering that I made a short list of forty songs!

I love the earnestness in the lead vocalist's voice as he sings the chorus and I like the rock arrangement they did for this. Their video is rocking as well!
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Fly With Me by Duncan - My #6 Favorite OPM Song in 2010



I discovered this song only last November, and it's probably one of the coolest songs to come out of OPM in a long while! I just love the vibe of the arrangement - it's like a slow Ibiza track - something you'd like to groove to in the beach! I'm actually curious how his whole album sounds! If he has more tracks like this, then definitely I'm buying one.

I posted a live video of this song which one of his fans posted on Youtube and I was happy to hear that his live voice doesn't differ much from what you hear on the record! So this guy really has a nice voice! This is currently my favorite driving song since I like the cool ambiance and it makes me relaxed especially during Manila's brutal traffic!

Gaan by Archipelago - My #7 Favorite OPM Song In 2010



It was actually the video that caught my eye first, since it was shot in Bangkok and parts of Thailand - so I thought they were not a local band! Eventually, I learned they were. Well, this was one of the songs that kinda grew on me. It was not love at first listen, but as you continue to listen to it, the chorus kinda grew on me, and eventually, I found myself singing to it more and more. It's the cool arrangement I think, and as one of their fans posted - masarap siya sa tenga!

Disney by Tanya Markova - My #8 Favorite OPM Song in 2010



Tanya Markova is certainly one of the quirkiest bands to come out of the OPM scene in years! And the good thing is - they match their performance antics with their music! They had a huge hit this year with Picture Picture, but it was their follow-up song, Disney, that I really liked! I also like the video, which is some kind of stop motion photography. Anyhow, nothwithstanding the gimmicks and all, arguably, the band comes out with very good, catchy songs like this one! It's one of my favorite driving sing along songs of the year!

We Belong Together by Miguel Escueta - My #9 Favorite OPM Song in 2010



I've heard this kid's original songs and they're pretty decent. However, it was his wonderful remake of this Mariah Carey's classic, We Belong Together, that really caught my ear! You'd never think a guy would dare do Mariah's vocal acrobatics in this song - and Miguel doesn't here - he instead, stamps his own take on the song - and re-phrases lines which he felt he had to - for emphasis. I really liked what he did to the song, including the guitar arrangements - that it's at #9 in my list this year - - the highest ranked remake of the year - and a song from a male solo artist.

Sige Sayaw by Pop Girls - My #10 Favorite OPM Song in 2010



Yes, I love silly pop songs, especially if it's a danceable one! Anyway, I discovered this song around July this year, and although it didn't chart too high, I still like its chorus part, especially when they sing 'dance, dance, dance, dance, dance!". I'm not sure if this group has a full album out but I could check it out. I've also read that they have previously done mall shows but since my OPM pick up is still pretty slow, I still discover these things right after they happen.

Finally Saw Dagtang Lason do 'Nagmahal Ako' Live



If I were an OPM follower last year, this song would've ranked pretty high in my year-end Top 10 favorite OPM song list. It's just pretty original and even though I'm gay, I take no offense on the song, since it's really pretty much how straight men think about gay men - although here - they're singing more about the 'parlorista' gay or the feminine gay men.

So, I was pretty surprised to find them in Sherwin Marquez's concert at The Library tonight! It was the first time I saw them perform live, and I think they rap pretty fine. They were also thankful for the good response from the gay community. Vic and I were even thinking of inviting them to my birthday fashion show in February.

Concert Review: Sherwin Marquez at The Library



Sherwin Marquez had his first ever concert tonight at the popular Malate nightspot, The Library. He did a short guest stint in our Christmas party earlier this month, so we decided to check him out again - this being his maiden show and all. And, I admit, I was really surprised with what I saw.

I actually thought he'd just do an acoustic set, or just be accompanied by a music one CD. But no, he really mounted a full show! There was a band and he had a musical director, who helped him arrange the songs he picked for tonight. He also had back up dancers for both his fast and slow songs. And - he had several artists who guested with him, like Dagtang Lason, Edgar Allan Guzman, DTM and Shu.

I was also surprised by his repertoire! He picked mostly OPM songs, both ballads and fast songs. It's really cool that he did do that! I especially liked his final set - the Basil Valdez montage, but I'm not sure if I heard him include Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka in it. Vic recognized some of the OPM songs, but for me, since my OPM IQ is very poor - I could only identify the classics.

Well, Sherwin appeared relaxed throughout the show and he was actually very grateful for all the support and singled out people who helped him achieve his dream. He even recounted his personal experience with the Pinoy Idol competition. Well, as they say, if you work hard enough for your dream - you will most likely, get it!

We are now planning to invite Sherwin to perform during my birthday concert fashion show on February - nothing final yet, as we have to talk to the people managing him - but I do hope he says yes. We'll be discussing his repertoire though, to suit the much younger crowd I expect to be in that show.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Chart Performance: Kid Rock

 


Kid Rock's seventh US top 10 album, Rebel Soul, peaked at #5.   It slips to #10 this week.  Below are his top 10 albums in the US -

1998 - Devil Without A Cause (#4)
2000 - The History of Rock (#2)
2001 - Cocky (#3)
2003 - Kid Rock (#8)
2007 - Rock N Roll Jesus (#1)
2010 - Born Free (#5)
2012 - Rebel Soul (#5) 
 

The World's Greatest - My #5 Favorite R. Kelly Song



Unfortunately, none of the official videos could be shown in my country, since the embedding had been disabled. Anyhow, this song, The World's Greatest, is a gem! And it was written for Muhammad Ali, for the movie about him, entitled Ali. I actually heard of this song from a Body Balance class and the voice was distinctly R.'s and it was not difficult to confirm that it was his. Very uplifting lyrics, something that should lift you up when you're down. Vintage R. Kelly, as the song builds up (again!) towards the end where a choir joins him!

I Can't Sleep - My #4 Favorite R. Kelly Song



This song, I Can't Sleep, comes from his self-titled album and I actually liked all the singles he released from that album, which includes my #1 song from this guy. This ballad is trademark R. Kelly, with its slow yet rhythmic beat, and yes, it's a song about love! The song builds up towards the end as R. Kelly sings more insistently!

Gotham City - My #3 Favorite R. Kelly Song



This song, Gotham City, came from the Batman and Robin movie and I actually liked it very much! Robert could be singing of any city here. I like the choir part in the end! I don't think I watched the movie though but the song stuck with me.

Ignition (Remix) - My #2 Favorite R. Kelly Song



This song, Ignition (Remix), came eight years after You Remind Me of Something, yet it retains R. Kelly's suave and debonair sound. He retains that smooth grooving beat which you can surely dance too, albeit slowly, when you're in the dance floor. 'Can I get a toot-toot, can I get a beep-beep!" It's the freaking weekend baby, I wanna have me some fun! The perfect weekend song if there was any!

You Remind Me of Something - My #1 Favorite R. Kelly Song



With the release of yet another Top 10 album from R. Kelly, I've decided to reminisce once again on my favorite songs from this guy.

You Remind Me of Something is my all-time favorite hit from him. I am just surprised why I could not find any video in Youtube of this song! It's not too old to have no copy! Anyhow, this is, for me, one of R. Kelly's smoothest jams, makes you wanna do the dirty when you're listening to it!

Chart Performance: Jackie Evancho

Jackie Evancho gets her third US top 10 album this week, as Songs From the Silver Screen, debuts at #7.  

2010 - O Holy Night (#2)
2011 - Dream With Me (#2)
2012 - Songs From the Silver Screen (#7)

Chart Performance: Corey Gunz

Corey Gunz gets his first Top 10 hit in the US, as his collaboration with Lil Wayne, 6 Foot, 7 Foot, debuts at #9 this week. 

Looking Forward to the 2011 Concert Season!



Well, 2011 is yet to begin but I already have two concerts that I'd like to see. In January will be the 1990s rap band Bone Thugs N Harmony. Then, on February 19, Taylor Swift will also touch down in Manila, as part of her Speak Now World Tour.

Anyway, for this year, I look forward to watching more OPM concerts. I will include them in my concert coverage as well, since I've discovered a lot of interesting local bands this year.

Merry Christmas Everyone!



It's 10:45PM here in Manila, and with only an hour to go for Christmas Eve! I'm just in my room playing with Laura and Dylan, who are enjoying watching Dora, Barny and Thomas and Friends! We'll be having our Noche Buena in a while and open the gifts! For now, I'm dedicating this Christmas song to everyone! It comes from the latest Christmas album of Mariah Carey - and it enters the US charts at #100! Oh Santa is going to fly in this evening!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Diana Krall Covers Joni Mitchell's 'A Case of You'



It's the night before Christmas Eve, and I decide to put in a DVD of Diana Krall's Paris concert which I last saw years ago. I decide to play her concert since today, when Vic and I were browsing the Bose speakers, one of their clips featured one of the songs in this concert - "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". I just had to see the whole thing again! And voila, this gem of a cover was Diana's final encore - and she does it with such sublime passion (an oxymoron!) it brought tears to my eyes. Of course, the video above is different from the Paris concert, which was more affecting since it was a real live audience. "I can drink a case of you darling, and still be on my feet, I'd still be on my feet." Merry Christmas everyone!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Darren Criss Does A Mini-Concert in Trinoma Tonight!



I admit I was one of those who immediately checked out Darren Criss in the net soon as I saw him perform in that Glee episode.  Of course, all my thoughts on him were immediately posted in my other blog. Well, tonight Darren did a mini-show at Trinoma and he mostly featured songs from his EP - which I was unfortunately unfamiliar with.  However, the mostly female audience were surprisingly singing along with him and knew almost all his songs!  That was cool to see!  Talk about being true blue fans! He did sing two songs from Glee though - you guessed it - Teenage Dream and Hey, Soul Sister!

Chart Performance: Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams - WIEN 2006
Robbie Williams - WIEN 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Robbie Williams's tenth #1 and twelfth top 10 album in the UK, Take the Crown, slips to #5 this week, after debuting at #1 last week.  Below are his top 10 albums in the UK -

1997 - Life Through A Lens (#1)
1998 - I've Been Expecting You (#1)
2000 - Sing When You're Winning (#1)
2001 - Swing When You're Winning (#1)
2002 - Escapology (#1)
2003 - Live At Knebworth (#2)
2004 - Greatest Hits (#1)
2005 - Intensive Care (#1)
2006 - Rudebox (#1)
2009 - Reality Killed the Video Star (#2)
2010 - In And Out of Consciousness (#1)
2012 - Take The Crown (#1)
 
Candy, his 31st UK Top 10 hit and eighth #1 moves back up a notch to #7 this week.  Below are his top 10 hits in the UK - 

1996 - Freedom (#2)
1997 - Old Before I Die (#2)
1997 - Lazy Days (#8)
1997 - Angels (#4)
1998 - Let Me Entertain You (#3)
1998 - Millenium (#1)
1998 - No Regrets (#4)
1999 - Strong (#4)
1999 - She's The One (#1)
2000 - Rock DJ (#1)
2000 - Kids (with Kylie Minogue) (#2)
2000 - Supreme (#4)
2001 - Eternity / Road to Mandalay (#1)
2001 - Somethin' Stupid (with Kylie Minogue) (#1)
2002 - My Culture (with 1 Giant Leap and Maxi Jazz) (#9)
2002 - Feel (#4)
2003 - Come Undone (#4)
2003 - Something Beautiful (#3)
2003 - Sexed Up (#10)
2004 - Radio (#1)
2004 - Misunderstood (#8)
2005 - Tripping (#2)
2005 - Advertising Space (#8)
2006 - Rudebox (#4)
2006 - Lovelight (#8)
2009 - Bodies (#2)
2009 - You Know Me (#6)
2010 - Everybody Hurts (with Helping Haiti) (#1)
2010 - Shame (with Gary Barlow) (#2)
2012 - Candy (#1) 


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Chart Performance: The X-Factor Finalists


The X-Factor Finalists 2010 score a Top 10 album this week, as Heroes, debuts at #6 at the UK Top 10 albums chart.

This is the third straight year that a charity single from the X-Factor finalists have reached #1 in the UK. In 2008, it was Hero.  In 2009, it was You Are Not Alone.  This year, the 16 finalists sing Heroes.  For trivia purposes, X-Factor finalists and winners already have twenty #1 songs in the UK.  Impressive! 

This week, Heroes slips to #7.
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Chart Performance: Akon


Akon has twelve top 10 hits in the UK.


2004 - Locked Up (with Styles P) (#5)
2005 - Lonely (#1)
2005 - Belly Dancer (Bananza) (#5)
2006 - Smack That (with Eminem) (#1)
2006 - I Wanna Love You (with Snoop Dogg) (#3)
2007 - The Sweet Escape (with Gwen Stefani) (#2)
2007 - Don't Matter (#3)
2008 - Right Now (Na Na Na) (#6)
2009 - Sexy Bitch (with David Guetta) (#1)
2009 - Beautiful (with Colby O'Denis and Kardinal Offishal) (#8)
2010 - Hold My Hand (with Michael Jackson) (#10)

2013 - Play Hard (with David Guetta and Ne-yo) (#6)
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Remembering Michael Jackson - Do The Bartman



As I was compiling Michael's discography, I discovered that the The Simpsons 1991 hit, Do The Bartman, included Michael Jackson in its credits! I knew the song had references to the King of Pop, but I didn't know that he really had an active part in creating the song. The chorus part though does sounds like Michael singing, and the lyrics has many references to Michael too - like "I'm bad"! At this point in Michael's career, he was coming from the highs of his 1991 release Black or White - which also featured another child celebrity - McCauley Culkin!

My Favorite Pre-Thriller Michael Jackson Song - Rock With You



Would you believe that this song is already 30 years old? Has it been that long? This is my most favorite pre-Thriller Michael Jackson song too. Michael is just so cute in this song - don't understand why he had to do all those procedures to his beautiful face! This is just an uber-cool song - a wonderful antithesis to the disco music that was so popular at that time.

Remembering Michael Jackson - Ben



When I was a kid, my Uncle Ben, Papa's younger brother, would play this song - a 45 - in his huge record player. To the younger kids now, a 45 was a record that contained only one song, and was played using a stereo with a stylus on it. It also had a B-side, although I didn't know which song was the B-side for this. If you want the record to repeat itself, Uncle Ben's sophisticated record player could do that! So Ben was played again and again until Uncle Ben wanted another song.

At that time, I didn't know that this song was about a rat! It was so simple and beautiful that the last thing you would connect it too would be a pet rat.

Justin Bieber Touted as the next Michael Jackson

As I've been doing research on Michael Jackson's discography, I've come across many articles comparing today's current pop heartthrob, Justin Bieber, to Michael Jackson.  Well, there are many loyal fans who say no way, the Bieber is like Michael, but there are also believers out there, who think Justin's got what it takes to be like Michael - at least in the hitmaking department.

My two cents worth?  Just listen to Michael Jackson's One Day In Your Life in my previous post.  Doesn't Justin sound like that?  Michael was about Justin's age too when he sang that song.  At that time, we had no inkling yet that Michael was going to be the King of Pop.  After that song, he did the Off the Wall album, which was a respectable hit in itself, yet after that came the lthe legendary Thriller album - and that was when Michael caught the whole world's imagination!

For now, Justin has been releasing different versions of his My World album. Except for Baby, there hasn't yet been a really big worldwide hit from it.  However, who knows what he can achieve in the future?  He has a beautiful voice and the charismatic presence.  And yeah, he has many fans worldwide who just adore him.  Now if we can only find a Quincy Jones - like mentor for him - who can help him mold his unique sound.  Now wouldn't that be grand!

Remembering Michael Jackson - One Day In Your Life



I was still a kid when this song was a big hit, and I remember it being used in many local TV drama shows and radio shows as well, especially when there were many dramatic scenes involved. It's incredible how beautiful Michael's voice was as a kid, and it's really exemplified in this song, as he slowly turns into a man. The clarity and the earnestness of his voice, especially when he sings this song is superb, no wonder this song reached #1 in the UK!

Remembering Michael Jackson - His First Hit - Got to Be There



Now that Michael returns to the top 10 of the UK charts, I got to discover his unique musical journey. I didn't know that he had his first hit on the year I was born! I was just a baby and he was already churning hits! According to wikipedia, this was his first UK top 10 hit, credited solely to himself, although you can hear the Jackson 5 in the background.

Chart Performance: Biffy Clyro

Biffy Clyro gets his third Top 10 single in the UK charts, as Many of Horror, returns at #8.  The renewed interest in the song is due to the original being covered by X Factor winner, Matt Cardle.  This is the third consecutive year Biffy visits the UK Top 10.

2008 - Mountains (#5)
2009 - That Golden Rule (#10)
2010 - Many of Horror (#8)

Chart Performance: The Trashmen


The Trashmen get their first UK top 10 with the same song that made them famous 47 years ago - Surfin' Bird - in the US!  This time, the song lands at #3 after there was a Facebook campaign to make them take the UK Christmas #1.

Monday, December 20, 2010

OPM Songs I'm Voting This Week for the OPM Myx Countdown


Every day, I vote seven OPM songs for the OPM Myx Countdown so that they get to a high peak. It certainly helped Aljur Albrenica's Sayang Sayang stay in the Top 10 for a long time in the middle of this year. I have also supported new bands like Letter Day Story, Kiss Jane; veteran bands like Cueshe and Sugarfree and musicians like Miguel Escueta - because I really like their material.

Starting this week, I will tell you which seven songs I've voted for the countdown. This is ranked according to preference.

1. Rocksteddy - Christmas Single
2. Duncan - Fly With Me
3. Kiss Jane - Lagi
4. Rachel Alejandro - Xanadu
5. Archipelago - Lumapit
6. Letter Day Story - Paano
7. SLEX - Sa Silid

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Reminiscing the Sweetness of Madonna's Hard Candy



Not many people liked Hard Candy, but I loved it. I didn't quite like 4 Minutes, Madonna's collaboration with Justin Timberlake, which was a huge international hit, but there were several songs in the album that I really liked.

First of all, was Candy Shop, the song that opened her Sticky and Sweet Tour.

Another favorite song of mine from this album was The Beat Goes On, Madonna's collaboration with Kanye West. Pity, they didn't release this as a single. It would've been a huge hit.



Interestingly, Laura has a favorite song from this album, the second single, Give It 2 Me. There is something about the beat of the song that Laura likes and she always dances to it when we play it in the car!

Mining the Sweetness of Sugarfree's Mornings and Airplanes



Ever since I opened my music world view and included OPM music into it, I have been made ten times richer by it since now I know how talented Filipino musicians are! One of those bands which exemplify this observation is Sugarfree, whom I discovered through their song 'Hangover' - whose video features Alessandra de Rossi, one of local tinseltown's most talented actresses. This Sugarfree album though has many other good songs which could be released as singles if the band chooses to gain more fans. I was hooked when I heard Hangover - I loved its lyrics - and I love how the band builds up the song to its singalong chorus!

If I were the band's marketing officer, these are the five other songs I would consider releasing as singles or downloads -

1. Walang Paalam - this would be a rather slow follow up to Hangover since it's an acoustic ballad, but I want people to know that the band does not need fireworks to show their talent. The lyrics are very sad and hopeful and the song is beautifully sung! Its strange though that it's the last song in the CD but in a way, it's a powerful way to close an album that is full of richness in lyrical content.



2. Where Do We Go - another ballad but not acoustic - reminds me of one of those 80s bands who come up with really good love songs asking questions about love and where the relationship is going.

If you want to play the song, the chords are in this link - http://www.yourchords.com/216499/Sugarfree/Where-Do-We-Go-Chords/

3. Wala - I like this song because it makes references to several 80s and 90s Filipino icons like Gabby and Shawie, Romnick and Sheryl, and Lotlot and Monching, popular love teams during my youth. I like its upbeat tempo and as usual, it's really the lyrics that pushes the song forward.

4. Form Factor - this song is a bit fast-paced but still, it has those sad break-up lyrics which is replete in this album.



5. Mamang Driver - a bouncy song directed at Manila's notorious jeepney drivers!

Friday, December 17, 2010

One of My Favorite Songs this Week - Duncan's Fly With Me



The ambient atmosphere of this song makes this song by Duncan, one of the coolest songs I've heard from an OPM artist in a long time! There is already an official video being played at MYX but I couldn't find the version in Youtube so this will do for now. I saw a Youtube post of Duncan singing this song in a mall and his live version hews closely with what you hear here. Tres cool! This guy can actually sing!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Cher - You Haven't Seen the Last of Me: Golden Globes 2011 Best Song Nominees -



Well, I'm a huge Cher fan, so I'm eagerly awaiting the release of her movie with Christina Aguilera, here in the Philippines. One of the two songs she sings in the movie is nominated for a Golden Globe and the credit goes to Dianne Warren who did the music and lyrics for this song - You Haven't Seen the Last of Me. Dianne is no stranger to this category - getting nominations for Aerosmith's I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing, Faith Hill's There You'll Be and Celine Dion's Because You Loved Me.

This would be my pick for the winner since I love both the songwriter and the interpreter of the song. In a way, it's a sentimental vote since none of the other nominees are standouts anyway. Of course, it would've been better if I could see all the nominees and how the songs were used in the movie - but for now - I just have to base it on what I hear.

Golden Globe 2011: Best Song Nominees - Carrie Underwood - There's A Place For Us



It's great to see American Idol winner, Carrie Underwood, tackle songwriting duties for a movie, this time for the Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, for the song 'There's A Place for Us'. Music and lyrics for this song by Hillary Lindsey, Carrie Underwood and David Hodges.

This song sounds very much like a vintage Carrie Underwood song and this time, she uses orchestral instrumentation in the background, fit for a grand movie like this one.

Golden Globes 2011: Best Song Nominees - Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi I See the Light -



It's great to see the great Alan Menken back again in another classic Disney movie, Tangled, this time, for the song I See the Light. Words are by Glenn Slater. This version is sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. The song is vintage Disney - a formula that Menken rarely strays away from - beautiful, clear vocals, clean arrangement, and sweeping instrumentation - and yes, it's a duet!

Golden Globes 2011: The Song Nominees - Gwyneth Paltrow - Coming Home



Gwyneth Paltrow sings this song beautifully and although she may not have the vocal range, her singing voice is heartfelt and jives perfectly with the country genre her movie is all about. The music and lyrics of this song are by Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey and Troy Verges. This is from the movie Country Strong.

Golden Globes 2011: The Song Nominees - Christina Aguilera - Bound To You



I think this is Christina Aguilera's first movie and unsurprisingly, it's a musical. One of the song's from that musical - Bound To You, was nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Best Original Motion Picture Song. The music of this wong was by Samuel Dixon and the lyrics by Christina Aguilera and Sia Furler. This is vintage Christina and it's great to hear her sing again in the vocal range she is famous for.

Chart Performance: Daft Punk

Daft Punk has four top 10 albums in the UK.  Their most recent one went to #1.

1997 - Homework (#8)
2001 - Discovery (#2)
2005 - Human After All (#10)
2013 - Random Access Memories (#1)


They have one top 10 album in the US, the soundtrack of Tron: Legacy, peaked at #4.

They also have four top 10 hits in the UK.  They have a top 10 hit now for the past three decades.

1996 - Da Funk (#7)
1997 - Around the World (#5)
2000 - One More Time (#2)
2013 - Get Lucky (with Pharrell Williams) (#1)



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Chart Performance: Josh Groban

Josh Groban's sixth US Top 10 album, Illuminations, moves up from #9 to #7 this week.  Below are Josh's top 10 albums in the US -

2001 - Josh Groban (#8)
2003 - Closer (#1)
2006 - Awake (#2)
2007 - Noel (#1)
2008 - Awake Alive (#8)
2010 - Illuminations (#4)

Chart Performance: T.I.


T.I. gets his sixth Top 10 album in the US this week, as No Mercy, debuts at #4.  Below are his Top 10 albums in the US -

2003 - Trap Muzik (#4)
2004 - Urban Legend (#7)
2006 - King (#1)
2007 - T.I. vs. T.I.P. (#1)
2008 - Paper Trail (#1)
2010 - No Mercy (#4)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Chart Performance: Andre Rieu

Andre Rieu and the Johan Strauss Orchestra album, Moonlight Serenade, stays at #10 for a second week in a row. It peaked and debuted at #4. 

My Favorite Beatles' Song - I Will



When I watched the movie, Love Affair, 17 years ago, I immediately noticed this song sung by these precocious children! They sounded so cute and nice! I immediately wanted to buy the movie soundtrack. Unfortunately, the snippet the kids sang was not in it. I learned later on it was a Beatles' song, written by Paul McCartney! Imagine that! I love it because of the simplicity of the lyrics and the catchy melody. No surprise there since Paul is an accomplished songwriter. This song was taken from the White Album and it's my most favorite Beatles' song of all time!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

My Second Favorite Glee Moment This Season



Thursday is Glee night here in the Philippines and I was lucky to have tuned in that particular Thursday night because soon as I flipped the remote on, who do I see sing in Glee but none other than Gwyneth Paltrow! I've always been a big fan of hers since Sliding Doors and Shakespeare in Love, and not only because she's beautiful and tall, but she also has a good singing voice! Her duet with Huey Lewis, 'Cruisin', in the movie 'Duets', was a big hit here in the Philippines - so we're not surprised to find out that she can really sing.

Once again, I love the energy in their performance of this song, and for Gwyneth to sing a current hit is also cool, especially that it's a censored song, at that!

My Favorite Glee Moment This Season



Glee has two albums in the US Top 10 this week and also gets several nominations in the 2011 Golden Globes, including nods for Lea Michele and Jane Lynch. I haven't really seen every episode this season but for now, this scene is my favorite among all of them - especially the Valerie bit! 

Well, each of the Glee cast is known for their vocal prowess but in this performance, they show off what they can do when they dance! I especially love the energy they exude in this performance and all those tumbling and flipping over each other over such a glee-ful song was just the perfect performance for a 'competition'!

Monday, December 13, 2010

One of My Favorite New Songs This Week - Loca by Shakira



It's always interesting to hear some new music from Shakira. Her new release, Loca, is a collaboration with British rap artist Dizzee Rascal. It still has that Latin flavor she is famous for and the pulsating beat, which is a trademark of her songs, is ever present.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

One of My Favorite New Songs This Week - Alexis Jordan - Happiness



This is the perfect Christmas song - since it sings about happiness!! I don't know much about the singer Alexis Jordan, although I've seen some Youtube videos which label her as a contestant in America's Got Talent. Anyhow, I am actually surprised that she's very young! She sounds so mature here and this song is such a good dance song, I couldn't believe that the singer is just a teenager! Her voice is so full and round! I can't stop dancing to this though! I just love it!

The Song that The Black Eyed Peas based their Hit Song 'The Time' (Dirty Bit)



I was clubbing with my gal pal Jenny last Saturday night and we talked about our current favorite songs. She mentioned the Black Eyed Peas' The Time (Dirty Bit), which I also liked. We both loved how the Peas converted the original song from which they based this new song on (Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' I've Had (The Time of My Life) - into something with a house beat! Isn't that cool?

Anyhow, this is how the original song sounded like, live in a performance by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes in the iconic TV show, Top of the Pops. This is in my opinion, one of the most joyous pop songs, ever written and it never ceases to lift my spirits every time I hear it.