A Great Big World: My Brand of Pop Music

One of my favorite musical discoveries this year is the duo, A Great Big World. They already have four top 10 hits in my personal countdown, three of them going all the way to #1.  I definitely love their latest album, Is There Anybody Out There, which should be running for the 2014 Album of the Year in my personal music awards.

A Great Big World is an American two-member musical group from New York made up of singers and songwriters Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino.  They have four top 10 hits in my personal countdown including one #1 song.

2014 - Say Something (with Christina Aguilera) (#1)

2014 - I Really Want It (#1) 

2014 - Already Home (#1)

2014 - Rockstar (#10)

A Great Big World Gets First Number One Song in My Personal Countdown

The duo A Great Big World got their very first #1 song in my personal countdown this week, as their collaboration with Christina Aguilera, Say Something, moves to the top spot this week.  This is also Christina's twelfth #1 song in my personal countdown.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending March 21, 2014 -

#1 A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera - Say Something (#2)

#2 Kristen Bell / Santino Fontana - Love is an Open Door (#3)

#3 Beyonce - XO (#5)

#4 Beyonce feat. Jay-z - Drunk in Love (#6)

#5 Sakanaction - Goodbye (#7)

#6 James Blunt - Bonfire Heart (#8)

#7 Yuriika - Sakanaction (#9)

#8 Jamie Cullum - Get A Hold on Yourself (#10)

#9 John Legend - All of Me (NEW)

#10 Coldplay - Magic (NEW)

FABE Weekly Top 10 March 21, 2014: #1 A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera - Say Something

Christina Aguilera returns to the top of my personal countdown this time, as a guest vocalist in A Great Big World's hit, Say Something.  The song moves from #2 to #1 this week.  It's also A Great Big World's first #1 song in my personal countdown.

Frozen Soundtrack Yields Third #1 Song This Week

Interestingly, my most favorite song from the Frozen soundtrack was In Summer, and the song went straight to #1 the week after I saw Frozen in theaters here in Manila last November.  Let It Go was a very slow burn song and it went to #1 a few weeks back.  This week, the soundtrack yields a third #1 song, as Do You Want to Build a Snowman moves to #1.

It's Kristen Bell's first #1 song in my personal countdown and the fourth for Idina Menzel.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending March 14, 2014 -

#1 Kristen Bell / Idina Menzel - Do You Want to Build A Snowman (#3)

#2 A Great Big World / Christina Aguilera - Say Something (#10)

#3 Kristen Bell / Santino Fontana - Love is an Open Door (#2)

#4 Stefano Langone - Yes to Love (#4)

#5 Beyonce - XO (#5)

#6 Beyonce / Jay-z - Drunk in Love (#9)

#7 Sakanaction - Goodbye (#8)

#8 James Blunt - Bonfire Heart (NEW)

#9 Sakanaction - Yuriika (NEW)

#10 Jamie Cullum - Get A Hold of Yourself (NEW)

Vampire Weekend Rules My Personal Countdown Again

This year's winner for Grammy Best Alternative Album, Vampire Weekend, gets their second #1 song in my personal countdown as Ya Hey moves to the top spot this week.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending March 7, 2014 -

#1 Vampire Weekend - Ya Hey (#2)

#2 Kristen Bell / Santino Fontana - Love is an Open Door (#3)

#3 Kristen Bell / Idina Menzel _ Do You Want to Build A Snowman (#4)

#4 Stefano Langone - Yes to Love (#5)

#5 Beyonce - XO (#6)

#6 Storm Queen - Look Right Through (#7)

#7 Justin Bieber - Roller Coaster (#8)

#8 Sakanaction - Goodbye (#9)

#9 Beyonce feat. Jay-z - Drunk in Love 

#10  A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera - Say Something

Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera has 22 top 10 hits in my personal countdown.  Twelve of them went all the way to #1.

1999 - Genie in a Bottle (#1)
1999 - What A Girl Wants (#1)
2000 - I Turn To You (#1)
2001 - Nobody Wants to Be Lonely (with Ricky Martin) (#6)
2001 - Lady Marmalade (with Lil Kim, Mya and Pink) (#5)
2002 - Dirrty (with Redman) (#7)
2002 - Beautiful (#1)
2003 - Fighter (#1)
2003 - The Voice Within (#6)
2006 - Ain't No Other Man (#8)
2006 - Makes Me Wanna Pray (with Steve Winwood) (#8)
2007 - Candyman (#1)
2007 - Hurt (#1)
2010 - Not Myself Tonight (#8)
2010 - Elastic Love (#3)
2010 - Desnudate (#1)
2010 - Prima Donna (#5)
2010 - Express (#1)
2011 - Moves Like Jagger (with Maroon 5) (#1)
2013 - Feel This Moment (with Pitbull) (#6)
2013 - Let There Be Love (#1)
2014 - Say Something (with A Great Big World) (#1)

My Ten Favorite Songs of 2013 (#'s 10-6)

These are my ten favorite songs of 2013.  The list excludes OPM songs.

#10 fun. - Sight of the Sun

I first heard this song being played after a great episode of the HBO show Girls.  I am a big fan of that show and some songs from their soundtrack is even in my yearend Top 100 countdown.

#9  Lorde - Royals

I wasn't an instant fan of Lorde when she came out in August and at that time, I was still ambivalent towards her music.  It was only when I heard Team did I realize that her earlier single, Royals, was very good!  Expect Team to chart high in 2014 as it is still climbing my personal countdown.  

#8 Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

I have been a fan of Robyn since the 90s with songs like Show Me Love.  Even though this song was already in my Ipod as early as 2011, I only noticed it this year when the song was included in a Body Jam release!  And since I liked the choreography for this, the song became a major hit in my personal countdown as well.  

#7  Christina Aguilera - Let There Be Love

Since I love the Body Jam program so much, it is not unusual for some songs to top my personal countdown every year.   I loved the choreography of the song so much and the arch that the song takes as it reaches its climax!  

#6 Ne-yo featuring Jessica Sanchez

Another class that I enjoy joining in the gym is the Hip Hop class, and this year, we danced to this song.  It ultimately became memorable for me for personal reasons.  Also, it's quite a catchy dance hit!

myFABE Music Awards: Favorite Pop Performer of the Year

Here are the nominees in this category -

Carly Rae Jepsen

Christina Aguilera

Emeli Sande

Jason Mraz

Mika

and the winner is Mika.

myFABE Music Awards 2013: Favorite Pop Song of the Year

Here are the nominees for this category -

Christina Aguilera - Let there Be Love

Emeli Sande - Clown

Lorde - Royals

Ne-Yo featuring Jessica Sanchez - Tonight

Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

and the winner is Emeli Sande - Clown.

Christina Aguilera Gets Her Eleventh #1 Song In My Personal Countdown

Thanks to its inclusion in the latest Body Jam release, Christina Aguilera's Let There Be Love gets her eleventh #1 song in my personal countdown.  The song moves from #4 to #1.


Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending July 26, 2013 -

#1 Christina Aguilera - Let There Be Love (#4)

#2 Girls Generation - Love and Girls (#2)

#3 Togeworl - Number 1 (#5)

#4 Tiesto - Maximal Crazy (#3)

#5 Sebastian Ingrosso and Tommy Trash (#7)

#6 Angger Dimas - Are You Ready (#8)

#7 The Bloody Beetroot and Greta Svabo Bech (#9)

#8 Harrison Craig - More Than A Dream (#11)

#9 Pink - True Love (#13)

#10 Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran - Everything Has Changed (#20)

Carly Rae Jepsen Gets Her Third #1 Song in My Personal Countdown This Week

Carly Rae Jepsen's Tiny Little Bows becomes her third #1 song in my personal countdown this week, as it zooms from #8 to #1.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending July 19, 2013 -

#1 Carly Rae Jepsen - Tiny Little Bows (#8)

#2 Girls Generation - Love and Girls (#26)

#3 Tiesto - Maximal Crazy (NEW)

#4 Christina Aguilera - Let There Be Love (#29)

#5 Togeworl - Number 1 (#37)

#6 Wiley and Ms. D - Heatwave (#28)

#7 Sebastian Ingrosso and Tommy Trash - Reload (NEW)

#8 Angger Dimas - Are Your Ready (NEW)

#9 The Bloody Beetroot ft Greta Svabo Bech (NEW)

#10 Rihanna ft Chris Brown - Nobody's Business (NEW)

Ne-Yo and Jessica Sanchez's Tonight Top My Personal Countdown This Week

Tonight is Ne-Yo's ninth #1 hit and Jessica Sanchez's first in my personal countdown.  The song moves from #2 to #1 this week.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending May 3, 2012 -

#1 Ne-Yo ft Jessica Sanchez - Tonight (#2)

#2 fun. - Sight of the Sun (#4)

#3 Britt Nicole - Gold (#3)

#4 Alexis Jordan - Hush Hush (#1)

#5 Judy Collins - Song For Judith (#11)

#6 Vincent Ingala - Wish I Was There (#12)

#7 The 1975 - Chocolate (#10)

#8 Nelly - Hello Porsche (#19)

#9 Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera - Feel The Moment (#20)

#10 Psy - Gentleman (#35)

2nd MyFABEMusic Awards: Collaboration of the Year

Two accomplished dance DJs, a pair of sex bombs and a pair of Grammy elite are the nominees this year for the MyFABEMusic Collaboration of the Year.  The nominees are -

Chris Brown/Benny Benassi - Beautiful People
Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
Rihanna/Calvin Harris - We Found Love
Tony Bennett/Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul

And the Collaboration of the Year award goes to........Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera for Moves Like Jagger. It is the first MFM award for both acts.

2nd MyFABEMusic Awards: Collaboration of the Year 2011 Nominees

Two accomplished dance DJs, a pair of sex bombs and a pair of Grammy elite are the nominees this year for the MyFABEMusic Collaboration of the year.  The nominees are -

Chris Brown/Benny Benassi - Beautiful People
Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
Rihanna/Calvin Harris - We Found Love
Tony Bennett/Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul

The winner will be announced on December 31, 2011.

My Favorite Songs of 2011: #13 Christina Aguilera - Express

2011 was supposedly a slow year for Christina Aguilera but here she is with two hits in my year end list. Her collaboration with Maroon 5, the worldwide hit, Moves Like Jagger, came at #17. 

Here at #13 is my favorite scene from her movie, Burlesque, Express. I love the choreography here - a combination of sassy modern jazz and modern dance! I love when she performed this in X-Factor and the American Music Awards!

My Favorite Songs of 2011: #17 Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger

It's a pity that this song was released after Maroon 5 had their concert here in March.  I also did not like the song instantly.  It was even used during our hip hop class but still, no reaction from me.  However, as we did the song, week after week, I finally saw how good it was!  It ends the year at #18.

Chart Performance: Christina Aguilera

Christina Aguilera gets her sixth top 10 album in the US this week, as Lotus debuts at #7.

1999 - Christina Aguilera (#1)
2002 - Stripped (#2)
2006 - Back to Basics (#1)
2008 - Keeps Gettin' Better: A Decade of Hits (#9)
2010 - Bionic (#10)
2012 - Lotus (#7)

After having a Top 10 hit for eight consecutive years in the UK, Christina Aguilera's steam train cooled a bit.  However, with a little help from Maroon 5, she almost returns to the top of the UK charts with Moves Like Jagger, their collaboration, which peaked at #2.  It's her fifteenth Top 10 hit in the UK, which includes four #1 songs.

1999 - Genie In A Bottle (#1)

1999 - What A Girl Wants (#3)

2000 - Come On Over Baby (#8)

2000 - Nobody Wants To Be Lonely (with Ricky Martin) (#4)

2001 - Lady Marmalade (with Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink) (#1)

2002 - Dirrty (with Redman) (#1)

2002 - Beautiful (#1)

2003 - Fighter (#3)

2003 - Can't Hold Us Down (with Lil Kim) (#6)

2003 - The Voice Within (#9)

2004 - Car Wash (with Missy Elliott) (#4)

2005 - Tilt Ya Head Back (with Nelly) (#5)

2006 - Ain't No Other Man (#2)

2006 - Tell Me (with Diddy) (#8)

2011 - Moves Like Jagger (with Maroon 5) (#2)

Christina Aguilera with Maroon 5: Moves Like Jagger

Christina Aguilera's collaboration with Maroon 5, Moves Like Jagger, has stayed #1 for a third nonconsecutive week.  It's Christina's fifth visit to the #1 spot.  It's also her ninth Top 10 hit in the US.  This week, though, the song falls to #8. 

Here are her Top 10 songs in the US -

1999 - Genie in a Bottle (#1)

1999 - What A Girl Wants (#1)

2000 - I Turn to You (#3)

2000 - Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You) (#1)

2001 - Lady Marmalade (with Pink, Li'l Kim, Mya) (#1)

2002 - Beautiful (#2)

2006 - Ain't No Other Man (#6)

2008 - Keeps Gettin' Better (#8)

2011 - Moves Like Jagger (with Maroon 5) (#1)

This is her fifth #1 song and her 9th Top 10 song.

Looking Forward to The Voice at AXN!

Unlike all of my friends who just download whatever show they want, I usually just wait for the show to reach our shores (it takes ages!) since I grew up patiently waiting for weekly shows and have inadvertently carried that (bad?) habit!

Anyway, I am looking forward to see the premiere of The Voice in AXN on August 21 since I love all the music of all the judges - Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green, Christina Aguilera and Blake Shelton.  I have a bit of an idea on how the system works but let's see if I get hooked on the show!  I hope it's not another glorified karaoke show.

What Christina Aguilera Should Sing in Michael Jackson's Tribute Gig

Christina Aguilera is one of the headline acts that would be performing in Michael Jackson's tribute gig in the UK in October.  Being more of a chanteuse than a dance act, it would be great if Christina can do some of Michael Jackson's more poignant ballads, like Ben, maybe, or something more recent like The Earth Song.  What do you think?