6 January 2015 - Ashlee Simpson - Little Miss Obsessive

It was three years ago that Scott and I opened this blog with this song, professing our adoration for all things Ashlee Simpson.  It only makes sense that we post her last song to chart in the United States (#96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008) from her third album to kick off Year 4.

By the way, not an easy video to find.  Almost as if she wants us to forget about this song.  I don't know why - it isn't her best work, but that doesn't mean it's bad.

2 January 2015 - Marina and the Diamonds - Froot

I always end the year with something remarkable from the prior year - an artist that made a difference to me over the year.  I don't usually post a brand new single.

So, I just didn't post an end of year song.  I decided to start fresh in 2015. 

Thank you, Marina, for forcing me to bend my rules slightly.  It's been a long time since Electra Heart.  Froot is almost certain to be the 2nd ever album I ever preorder (Sucker being the first).  But this song is just too, too cool to ignore.

22 December 2014 - Chloe Wang - Uh Oh

I've been saving this gem for quite a while now.

Chloe Wang is a Chinese pop star.  She is a Chinese-American, born in Chicago to Stephanie and Bennet Wang. Put a pin in dad's name.  We're coming back to it in a minute.
She moved to China - at age 15 - to become a pop star.  Quickly learning Mandarin, she released her debut single - "Uh Oh" - in both Mandarin.....

...and English.

It's a fun song, to be sure.  There's not a lot of substance here - it's a light-hearted pop song.  But it doesn't pretend to be anything more than that.  And I have no problem with that - music is supposed to be fun.

Some of you in the United States are thinking.... "Hey, she looks familiar.  And yet I'm not up on Chinese pop stars. Where have I seen her before?"  Let me help you a little with that....

After she released a couple of singles in China, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.  Of course, Chloe WANG sounds way too Chinese to appeal to American audiences, so she took her father's first name as her last.  Chloe Bennet.  Which is how she was billed on "Nashville" and how she is billed on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", where she plays Skye (or was that Daisy?).

And now you know.

17 December 2014 - Charli XCX - Breaking Up

You knew this post had to happen.   You just thought it would happen on Monday, the day when Sucker was released.

Nope.  I was too busy listening to Sucker. Highly recommended.  It isn't True Romance - few albums in the last 20 years are THAT good (and we had three in 2013 that were that good, in my opinion) - but it is a solid record.

And this song... Some of the comments online about it have not been kind.   It continues the fuzzed-up sound of "Break The Rules", but this is a much angrier song. 

It's not like this is a new song.  It was around at least in March, when Charli was at SxSW..... Lyrically, it's a little different, but not significantly, and it is clearly the same song.


Oh, in case you were wondering....  Night Time, My Time, by Sky Ferreira, and Pure Heroine, by Lorde. With True Romance, the three best albums of 2013. 

11 Dec 2014 - Mr. Probz - Waves

By now, you've all heard this song on the radio.  Seemingly out of nowhere comes this somewhat slow jam. It's cool, acoustic while still being a little bit EDM....

....but, as is the case with most songs that are hits elsewhere first - in this case, The Netherlands - it only became popular in the US a year after its release, after a significant remix.  Here it is, as it was originally intended.  It's no longer EDM, but a much slower jam.  And it remains cool.

28 November 2014 - Iggy Azalea ft. Rita Ora - Black Widow

If a single one of you is surprised that I am posting this, then you have not been paying attention for the last year.....
 
Two great talents, making one great song.  You cannot ask for more out of music, people!

26 November 2014 - Tove Lo - Habits (Stay High)

Look, the message of this song isn't the greatest.  I get it.

But the song itself - it's really cool.  Tove Lo - real name Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson - has a really powerful voice, and brings a lot of passion to this song.  I don't think we're dealing with a one-hit wonder.

But, maybe for her next song, she can not promote substance abuse as an answer for depression, mmmmkay?


(Update! 18 June 2015) So since I posted this today.....  I just wanted you all to know that I still think this is a better song.... but since I've listened to Queen of the Clouds all the way through - by chance, really.  I was bored and had time to kill - I love it so much more.  And I no longer have the problems with the message, in context.

I also heard this bonus track, which, on the surface, is just a remix of this song.  However, it is a lot more than that.  In some countries (the UK comes to mind) this version was a bigger hit.  It's a sparser version, and in my opinion a completely different song, but it's still a valid good song - and a lot more nihilistic.