Lets Get Physical - Breaking News

Hey All!

I don't have time to dedicate a whole post to this, but I've just heard the debut solo track from Sara Lumholdt - Ex member of the A*Teens.

She's going by the name Sara Love and has recorded a cover of Olivia Newton John's 'Let's Get Physical.'

The song is far from anything the A*Teens did together and is very different from the original track. I'm not sure how I feel about the song myself... either way it's nice to hear she's doing something as the A*Teens split back in 2004! From what I hear she has an album that will be released in June!

Sara Love - Let's Get Physical

Looking for Some Place To Hde... Like Emotional Refugees

K-otic

I'm taking a slight break from Sweden and making a quick stop in The Netherlands.

Back in 2000 through an Idol's like show "Starmaker" the band K-otic was born.Their debut album had a string of hits but in 2001 one of the members, Sita, left the group to go solo. Sita has since had a string of hits across Europe and even hit the US with her single - Happy & Smile.

K-otic gave it one more go releasing a 2nd album - Indestructible, which goes down in pop history as a pop gem. The band did a lot of covers as well. I've included some of the better ones below for you to check out. For a brief moment in time I was a HUGE K-otic fan and now you can discover them below.

I have some of their videos but I dont know how to put em online. If anyone has a request though let me know.

K-otic - Falling

This was their first single from their 2nd album and was a big hit for them in the Netherlands. The song is hard hitting. I love that the guys and the girls both get pretty equal singing time.

The song has a great guitar backing although it's a very typical song from a Popstars type band.

K-otic - Don't Make Me Wait

One of my favorite album tracks from 'Indestructible.' I love the hard hitting bit... i thinky ou'll know what I mean when you hear it.

K-otic - I Surrender

The 2nd single from the 2nd album. This was the first song I ever heard from the band and was the song that I fell in love with. The ending is quite good when all the members start to sing differnt parts of the song at the same time; it fits together pefectly.

K-otic - Hold On My Heart

Madonna Ray Of Light? Nope, It's K-otic! I can only describe this song as a fun simple pop song. It's nothing special but easy to sing along to and catchy.

K-otic - Scream & Bleed

K-otic didn't really do ballads too well... something about their slow songs almost comes across as country-ish to me? This is probably my favorite slow track they did.

K-otic - Weightless (Bosson cover)

Not nearly as good as Bossons version with Emma Andersson. K-otic don't do anything different with the track but it's interesting to hear different vocals on the track.

K-otic - Amazed

Who hasn't sung this song? Originally by Lonestar I know it's been covered recently in the Uk by Duncan James ex member of 'Blue'

Youtube suprisingly doesn't have much to offer from K-otic, but here is their debut video.

Their First single: Damn (I Think I Love You)

Markus Fagervall vs Erik Segerstedt

Today we put two artists up against each other in a fierce battle to see who will come out as the popstar on top.

Markus and Erik are no strangers to competition as both were featured in the 2006 edition of 'Idols' in Sweden. Both artists made it to the final 2 and competed against each other back in December 2006. When the dust settled and the votes were counted Markus was crowned the winner. Since then both artists have released their debut singles and albums. So did markus deserve his crown? Who's album is better? Who's got the better voice? Who's better looking? Decide for yourself.

1. The Name: Markus Fagervall and Erik Segerstedt. Their first names are original and don't remind me of any other artists but those last names. VERY Swedish and not very attractive. So I'd say it's a tie.

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

vs

2. The Album Covers:

Is it just me or does Markus look like he hasn't seen the sun in a long time. I know this picture was taken sometime in the winter but i'm sure they have tanning booths in Sweden. He looks sort of out of it. I'm not feeling the album art either. The Lion and the font is a bit distracting.

Not only does Erik have great use of shadow he has stubble which is always hot. He's wearing a wrist band - bonus style points there. The font is a bit boring but we'll forgive that. Erik wins best cover.

3. Song Writers & Producers: The winning Idol song 'Everything Changes' was written by none other than Jorgen Elofsson. I suggest you pull out your favorite swedish pop albums and I Guarantee you'll find a song written by him. 'Everything Changes' was Markus' first single but you'll find Erik's version as a bonus track on his album as well. Besides that song I don't recognize any of the wong writers on his album and most of the songs were written by the same people. Erik on the other hand has some amazing talent on his album. He has songs written by Brian McFadden of Westlife fame, Jorgen Elofsson, Andreas Carlsson (One of the greatest writers of all time), he covers a track by Bob Dylan and even takes the reigns by writing one of his own songs. The winner? Erik Segerstedt.

4. Best Album: With most of Markus' songs written and produced by all the same people I find most songs on the album sound the same. While 'Everything Changes' is very radio friendly no other song really stands out from the album as Markyus has clearly decided to lean toward a rockier sound on his album. Erik's album shows more diversity and while there are quite a few filler songs the album has a few jewels and shouldn't have a problem finding 3 or 4 songs to release as singles. The winner? Erik Segerstedt.

5. Chart Success: Markus saw his debut single enter the charts at #1 with 'Everything Changes.' Erik's debut single 'I Can't Say I'm Sorry' also entered the charts at #1!

Makus' album has already gone double platinum in Sweden and remains a hit in the albums chart today. Erik's album entered the chart at #2 and stayed there for 2 weeks before dropping.

The Winner? Short Term - Markus Fagervall Long Term - Results Pending

6. Looks: So this may have nothing to do with their musical talent but it's still fun. In this category Markus is no competition as Erik is clearly heart throb material.

7. Voice: Markus wins this one. Erik's voice is a little higher pitched and nasally. Markus has a richer deeper voice.

Song 1:

Markus Fagervall - Everything Changes

Erik Segerstedt - Everything Changes

Song 2:

Markus Fagervall - All The Way

Erik Segerstedt - I Can't Say I'm Sorry

Song 3:

Markus Fagervall - Only You

Erik Segerstedt - 2 Happy 2 Soon

Bonus:

Erik Segerstedt - How Did We Change

*My Personal Winner - Erik Segerstedt. He may not have won 'Idols' but he's proved that 2nd place can be just as good as first.

Now for you to decide for yourself. Below you'll find my favorite tracks from their albums. Listen and leave your votes in the comments section.

Tears Falling Like Rain...

Anthony Callea

In 2004 Anthony Callea was a contestant on Australian Idol. He came in 2nd place and after his appearance on the show he released his debut single "The Prayer" which has become the best selling single of all time in Australia.

During his time on Idol back in 2004 he was asked about his sexuality to which he replied... "I am not gay." But that wasn't the last of the story.

The speculation started again March 1st when a Dj insinuated that Callea was gay and accidentally 'outed' him on a morning radio show. A junior producer was even fired over the incident. The Callea camp had remained quiet until today.


Today Anthony has spoken out and confirmed "Yes, I am Gay. I have no issue with my sexuality now, but it's taken time to become confident with who I am and happy with who I am. It shouldn't really be relevant to me being a singer and a performer."

Anthony Callea - Rain (Tim Dawes Remix)
Anthony Callea - Addicted To You
Anthony Callea - Perfect Mistake

You Better Be Careful... You Better Beware...

Emma Bunton

After the Spice Girls split back in 2000, Emma Bunton was one of the first girls to embark on a solo career. Her debut album "A Girl Like Me" was released back in 2001. Despite the immediate success, her album and first 3 singles all went top 5. Virgin records released her from her contract after album sales failed to live up to their expectactions.

In 2003 Emma signed a new TV & music deal under Polydor. She dropped the 'Bunton' and released her 60's inspired album "Free Me" in 2004. Again the album went top 10 and spawned 4 top 20 singles in the Uk outselling her first album! Her album was released in Canada and the US but failed to chart.

After this mild success she tried once more for chart glory in 2006. She released a cover of "Downtown" which entered the charts at #3! Soon the album "Life In Mono" was released and became the lowest charting album of her career, entering at #65. In february 2007 she released the ballad "All I Need To Know" which became her lowest selling and charting single of her career. The song peaked at #60.

Last week Emma had a meeting with her record label and in a joint decision decided that she would be giving up on the project. She has been released from her contract and will no longer release music as a solo artist.

I can't help but feel bad for Emma. I think that despite some great albums she's struggled to find her audience. Her album's have been too bland and single's have not always been the best choices. This means the only Spice Girl still with a record deal is Mel C who is releasing a new single in April. There are rumours that Geri Halliwell may take another shot at her music career as well as she has recently been seen entering recording studios around London.

Now you can explore some of my favorite Emma Bunton tracks below. It looks like we'll have to wait for the Spice Girls reunion before we hear from Emma again.

Emma Bunton - Better Be Careful
Emma Bunton - We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight
Emma Bunton - I'll Be There (Europa XL Radio Mix)
Emma Bunton - Sunshine On A Rainy Day

And perhaps one of the best pop videos ever! Maybe!



Or watch as she sings '2 Become 1' alone!

Everything I Do Is Not Good Enough From Your Perspective...

The Idol format that started in the Uk has spawned superstars across the globe. With American Idol already in it's 6th season the format shows no signs of slowing down. One country that continues to embrace the Idol format is my favorite country, Sweden.

In 2005 Agnes shot to fame by winning Idols in Sweden. Her albums Agnes & Stronger both hit number 1 on the Swedish album charts. Agnes is the 3rd Idol winner who made it to the finals as a wildcard... she made it to the finals via jury selection.

Recently Agnes made headlines when she was selected to take part in Melodifestivalen 2007 with a track "More Than A Girl," but after talking about the song in an interview, which broke Melodifestivalen rules, she was disqualified. This of coarse left a spot open for Mans with 'Cara Mia.'

I picked up both of Agnes' albums while I was in Sweden. I haven't had a chance to listen to her first album but I quite enjoy her 2nd - Stronger. Acouple songs actually feature a harmonica which I've never heard in a pop song and I love! The album is great and has a nice mix of music styles with something for every mood. She tends to mumble a bit while she sings but she's definitely got an interesting voice!

Agnes - (Baby) I Want You Gone

Agnes - I Believe In You

Agnes - Love Is All Around

Agnes - Right Here, Right Now (Idol Winning Song)

Buy her albums Here

They're Flying The Flag For You!

The Uk is often accused of not taking the Eurovision Song Contest seriously. Their songs have consistently been in the bottom ranking of the songs for years. Well on Saturday night the British public voted for their 2007 entry and have selected Scooch!

Scooch were basically a bland Steps copy cat band that had acouple top 40 hits back in 2000 before splitting up. Somehow they re-formed and decided to enter "Making Your Mind Up" to represent the Uk at Eurovision. Although they had some stiff competition their camp performance, uniforms, sexual innuendo and catchy chorus won the public over and Scooch are going to Finland!

The song is catchy, cheesy and extremely fun! The performance is hilarious and they're sure to make a splash at the ESC. Whether the rest of Europe will see the humour and fun in Scooch's track reminas to be seen so judge for yourself!

Scooch - Flying The Flag (For You)

Thats The Moment I Miss You...

So I'm in love and I'd like to introduce you all to my new boyfriend... Evan!

His music is spectacular. It's best described as full of unrestrained fanfares and grandiose moments. His albums are sweeping and dramatic and push the boundaries of pop, dance and classical music. To date he has released two albums and a handful of singles but has yet to make a big impact on the charts which is a shame. He has to be one of my new all time favorite artists!

Discover Evan below.

Evan - The Moment I Miss You

Evan - Dance With Me

Evan - Time To Say Goodbye

Evan - Na Na Nee

Every song is amazing I want to post them all!

If there is one album you buy this month make it Evan - Under Your Spell

The Game Is On & I Know The Way...

Now that I'm back from Sweden let's get back to the music!

We start with one of my new favorite singers - Sanna Nielsen. At the age of 22 she has already participated in Melodifestivalen 4 times and last week released her first greatest hits collection: 11-22 which refers to how long she has been singing. She hit the number one spot in Sweden when she was only 11!

She performed amazingly during the finals this year and her album is amazing... 11 - 22 is a must have album for any Swedish music fan but you can judge for yourself below.

Sanna - Vagar Du, Vagar Jag

Sanna - Surrender

Sanna - Ror Vid Min Sjal (A cover of 'You Raise Me Up' best known from Westlife & Josh Groban)

Sanna - Hela Varlden For Mej

*I'm not sure if these songs ripped properly or if there I'm having a speaker problem. If the quality of these isn't good please let me know and I'll re-rip it.

Next up will be someone from Swedens 'Idols' show.

The Ark To Helsinki

WOW... Its almost 3am and what a night!

First off the Globen was AMAZING... this huge white globe basically and as we pulled up on the train it was lit up from the inside with purple and blue lights... there were people EVERYWHERE and a bridge lined with Melodifestivalen flags led to the globen arena. One thing that I cant get over is how many different kinds of people there were and how this kind of music is still cool over here! Like when the cd came out on Friday there was a huge line up of people all there buying the cd on the first day. The atmosphere inside the Globen was fantastic. Most of you will have seen the show online so I dont need to bore you all with the details, but here are some of the highlights from inside...

Inside the audience went wild for The Ark and Mans... which is no suprise as they were supposed to be the audience favorites. My girl Sanna Nielsen also received a hearty response from the audience!

First when Magnus Carlsson came out to announce the scores from one of the jurys the crowd went wild... NO other artist got such a response... the host actally had to stop and acknogledge the resounding response from the audience! I couldn't hear what they said to Magnus... but the audience showed that they wanted to see him in the final... it was really really cool.

Also it was pretty sad that Marie hardly received any points... but when she FINALLY received her first points the audience gave her a huge cheer as well.

While I like Cara Mia better than The Worrying Kind... I think The Ark was the best choice to send on to Finland.

After the show I went to a huge club and it was the most insane club Ive ever been too! They played Cara Mia 4 times by the time I had left... and the crowd went spastic every time! One thing about Swedes... they love their Schlager and they LOVE to sing along!

This has been the trip of a lifetime! I can't wait to come back next year... anyone wanna come?!

Troy

CLUBBING!

So last night I went clubbing for the first time here in Stockholm. I went to a gay club called Connection and WOW. It was a blast...

Every 3rd or 4th song was a Melodifestivalen track. The dancefloor went WILD when they played After Dark, Sanna Nielsen & Magnus Carlsson. The whole club started to sing along to Live Forever, it was great!

Tonight I head to the Globen to see the show live at 8pm then its off to Club Lino to celebrate schlager style.

Oh one more thing... there has been this event called Schlager in the City every day on one of the main shopping streets! Basically they play Melodifestivalen songs and have Schlager singers perform on the street all day... it is pretty cool!

Stockholm Calling!

Hey everyone!

Just over 24 hours until the big night! The general public over here believe that The Ark will win tomorrow. I tend to agree with poppostergirl, that The Ark, Andreas Johnson & Sebastian will all pull votes from the same type of viewer and that this could leave an open door to Mäns Zelmerlow! Just remember that the final score is a comination of the public vote and the jury vote. In the past the public and the jury have voted for the same song to win... but for the past two years they have not voted the same way! It could be anyones game tomorrow night. Mäans & The Ark are guaranteed to be in the top 3... who do you think will be up there with them? Personally I would LOVE to see Sanna up there... she deserves it. Also Sonja Aldens ballad has touched a lot of people and is sure to have alot of votes on Saturday!

NEWS - Last night I actually met one of the song writers who has 2 songs in Melodifestivalen this year. He had a part in both Mäns & Sanna Nielsens songs! So that was my little brush with fame while in Sweden... Sanna has taken out a restraining order so I can't stalk her anymore unfortunately lol - just kidding.

CDS - So I'm up to like 50 cds now. I can't believe how much I've spent. I'll post a list and you guys can vote on which albums you want to hear? I do suggest that everyone order 'Melodifestivalen 2007' The album was released today and features all 32 songs in a 2 CD set. THe artists have begun to released their personal albums as well. Artists like Sanna Nielsen, Andreas Johnson, Jimmy Jansson & Sebastian have already released their new albums as well. You can buy all of these albums - Here

One of the highlights of the trip so far has been the Vasamuseet. Basically a well preserved Viking ship was found at the bottom of the harbour in Sweden. The ship was raised and is now the centerpiece of the ´Vasa Museum.' It was pretty spectacular to see in person. TOday I'm off for more shopping and to check out the Royal Palace.

Hej From Sweden!

Hey Everyone,

So I made it to Sweden and wanted to give a quick update!

1. Melodifestivalen - I got to watch the 2nd Chance round live on TV which was pretty cool. I know most of you have all seen it online by now but to see it live and not just on the computer was awesome. There really was never any competition at all... It was obvious that Sonja would dominate her battles and go straight to the final, the audience loved her. The real question was who would win when it came down to Sanna vs. Jessica. I found that Jessica had a bit of an attitude so I'm pretty happy that Sanna won. The final running of songs has been announced and as usual the favorites to win have been put in first & last place. I feel like The Ark has the best chance of winning but I think Mans will put up a good fight. The final has been known to throw a suprise now and then so it could be anyones game! I would be happy with Mans or The Ark so either way I'm happy.

2. Cd's - I've now bought over 32 cd's here! Albums from artists like Agnes, Shirley Clamp, Friends, Peter Joback, Anders Johanssen, Barbados, Magnus Carlsson and more... So once I get home you can expect that I will have a lot of new music to post for you all.

3. Sweden is cold and everyone here speaks Swedish! This has caused acouple problems for me here... like when i went to the grocery store and ended up stealing some bags that I didn't realise you have to pay for. THe lady at cash got all flustered and didn't speak english! The country is great though, people are reserved but very nice.

The Final takes place on March 10th! Once I get home I'll post some new music for ya!

See Ya!

Troy