18 November 2024 - The Beaches - T-Shirt

I've spoken at length about The Beaches in the past.  

This was their first hit song, from 2018 and their debut album, Late Show.  It very clearly showcased the band in general, and Jordan Miller very specifically, as absolute rock stars.  

I have nothing more to say about this one except that it's my current earworm. 

Also, the Grey Cup was last night.  The Grey Cup, for those not well-versed, is the championship game for the Canadian Football League.  In 2019, that game was held in Calgary - and while I was there at this time, I was not in town for the game, which is a shame because there were absolutely tickets available and I would have gone.   

And I would have been entertained by this performance by The Beaches, a band with which I was not yet familiar.  I could have been enjoying them YEARS earlier. 

15 November 2024 - JENNIE - Mantra

So, it was not on my 2024 bingo card that Jennie from Blackpink would have one of my favorite singles on 2024.  

Yet, here we are.   

But, in a year where one of the most acclaimed pop albums is called brat, such a compelling, fun, bratty song should come as no surprise.   

Jennie brings her own bravado and pretty girl mantra to a song she co-wrote. 

I think this is one of the most exciting singles to come out of Blackpink members... maybe ever.  This performance from Jimmy Kimmel's show adds to the legend.  

8 November 2024 - Flower Face - Biblical Love

Last Friday, Flower Face released her latest album, Girl Prometheus.  I haven't liestened to the whole thing yet, but I'm getting there and will probably do that today.  

This song was released as a single the day before, on Halloween. Keep listening.  It builds and will be absolutely be on heavy rotation for awhile for me.   

10 October 2024 - Dillon Francis ft. T-Pain and That Girl Lay Lay - Catchy Song

You remember this song from The Lego Movie 2?

Well, I'm glad we could remind you.  

Dillon Francis is the DJ providing the hook, with That Girl Lay Lay doing the heavy lifting on vocals - T-Pain contributing to the chorus.  

Did you think that I wouldn't have a live performance for you?

Well, here's That Girl Lay Lay at Laygo....er, Legoland.  And yeah, she does this one.  

By the way, she was 12. Pretty damned incredible. 

9 October 2024 - Katy Perry - Woman's World

I'm gonna level with you.  

I'm not thrilled with most of the new Katy Perry music.  She's trying too hard.  

But this song is a refreshing throwback to her earlier stuff.  It's like, she spent all those years on American Idol listening to other people cover her first two albums and decided that she wanted to recapture that magic.

Mine is an unpopular opinion.  The song did OK in Europe but bombed in the US.  

It's a new song, so she's not performed it live much yet, but I can tell you that her fans alredy know the words. 

8 October 2024 - Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

I swore up and down that I had already published this song.   

I'm glad I hadn't yet, because it is the CURRENT #3 song in the contry as I write this.   Released in April, it's October, and still riding high on the charts.  

The lead single from Carptenter's SIXTH solo album - Six.  She's released six albums - Short n' Sweet - it is her FIRST song to hit the top ten in the US.  It also won the MTV Video Music Award for song of the year, but that seems secondary. 

It's a very confident song that has garnered a lot of praise for its catchiness.  Which, well, that's true.  It's catchy. 

Yes, she actually sings it live.... sometimes.

1 October 2024 - Charli XCX ft. Billie Eilish - Guess

What do you get when you put Charli XCX and Billie Eilish in the same room to write a song?

A pretty big worldwide hit.   The very hot and sexy song peaked at #12 in the US - Charli's fourth trip to the top 20, people.  This is her biggest hit since "Boom Clap". 

Technically, this is a remixed version of a Charli XCX song of the same name from her album, and this is real, Brat and it's the same but there's three more songs so it's not. Yes, it's an extended version of her very popular Brat album, but this is one of the three more songs.

Anyway, the original is good but this remix is way better. And this is the version that charted.   

And yeah, they did perform it together at Charli's birthday party.