2008 - Favorite Swedish Singles

2008 gave me some favorite songs that weren't all from Sweden for the first time in a long time! Ok so a lot of them were from Sweden... I can't help it! Is there something in the water there or what? Everything they touch turns to gold!

This posting of my favorite songs has really turned into a mish mash and a bit unorganized. I thought about ranking the songs but after I got halfway I couldn't decide which ones I loved more. So the higher the song the more I like it basically!

First off you need to know that this list does not include any of the 2008 Melodifestivalen songs as I will have a post dedicated strictly to Melodifestivalen tracks next.




Danny - Radio
What a comeback! I think that 'Radio' is his best solo song to date don't you?


Agnes - On and On
Speaking of comeback, Agnes really surprised me with this track. I wasn't expecting it from her at all and wow what a pleasant surprise.


Amy Diamond - Stay My Baby
Remember back at the beginning of the year I was going crazy for Amys album 'Music In Motion?' Little did I know when I was playing this track on repeat all day that in 2 short month's I'd give it all up for her next single.



Sanna Nielsen - Nobody Without You
If Kelly Clarkson hadn't released 'Since U Been Gone' already this song could have easily been my favorite non Melodifestivalen track of the year. It was her most upbeat track on her album... if only she could do more tracks like this.



Jonathan Fagerlund - Playing Me
If it wasn't for PPG I never even would have heard of Jonathan Fagerlund. This song almost completely passed me by! I absolutely love the chorus and if you were to follow me when I'm walking outside by myself with my iPod and I thought I was all alone you'd probably hear me belting this song out. It's one of my top played tracks on my iPod this year.

Mans Zelmerlow - Miss America
Technically this track charted in the Swedish Singles chart in 2008 which makes it eligible for my favorite swedish singles list! It's a younger and more fun version of Fredrik Kempes original. Let's be honest... it's only on my list to tide me over until his new single is heard for the first time in a few weeks!

Velvet - Take My Body Close
Where did this come from? The Swedish Lisa Scott-Lee pulled this hit from out of nowhere! I've always appreciated Velvet for what she is. She's had some fun songs and she really tries so hard! After failing to get very far with 'Deja Vu' she could have given up but instead she released this Ace track! Can we please get an album this year!?

Ola - Feel/Good
I really didn't like this song at first! But I think it was only because I was still stuck on 'Love In Stereo.' Now that i've had time to let the song settle in it's really become one of my favorites of the year, especially during the summer. It's a great track to play when you're out at the beach with your friends.

Alcazar - We Keep On Rockin'
Alcazar are going to explode in 2009 just you wait. The debut single from the new 'Alcazar' was really just a way to get audiences to warm back up to the band. I predict big things from Alcazar in 2009.

BWO - Barcelona
BWO... I don't know what to say about them. Sometimes I feel like they're in a rut... othertimes they release songs that deserve to take over the entire world. 'Barcelona' is not one of their best singles of all time but it was one of my favorites from them this year.

Patrik Isaksson & Sarah Dawn Finer - Du Som Tog Mitt Hjärta
I discovered Patrik this year and I can't wait to pick up his greatest hits album when I'm in Stockholm. I don't know what it is about his voice but I can't get enough of it.

Maia Hirasawa - The Worrying Kind
Maia Hirasawa should have been sent to Eurovision instead of 'The Ark' and this version of 'The Worrying Kind' proved it to everyone.

Sibel - Walking Away
Sibel can sing an upbeat song too, see! Too bad the video was absolutely horrible and the the track really can't be classified as a hit single.

Elin Lanto - Speak N Spell
I'm really not a fan of Elin Lanto at all, but she won me over with this one.

Martin Stenmarck - Rubb Och Stubb (Bassflow Remix)
Everything Bassflow touches turns to gold, especially when it comes to Martin Stenmarck singles. It might not be as good as his 2 previous remixes with them but was still a nice addition to the collection.

E.M.D - Jennie Let Me Love You
3 number 1 singles and a number 1 album. E.M.D. are Swedens officially Swedens biggest boyband and this was my favorite track from them this year.

Magnus Carlsson - Walking In My Shoes
The new single from his greatest hits album is cute but nowhere near as good as some of his previous singles. Also is it just me or is that beat the mover overused beat in pop history. I can name at least 5 tracks that have used that exact same beat

Brolle - Det Ar Hon
I prefered this to his previous single 'Solo In Stockholm.'

Markus Fagervall - If You Don't Mean It
It's not as good as Dean Geyers version, but I still like the song and since I can now say it's swedish it can be on my list this year.

2008 - Best Breakthrough

2008 was a great year for pop music and over the next month I'm going to look back at some of my favorite songs and artists of 2008.

If you read this blog actively you'll notice that I've already posted about most of these artists multiple times over the year. If you haven't taken the time to discover these artists you're missing out!

Lady Gaga
Favorite Tracks - Boys, Boys, Boys; Poker Face; Just Dance

She taught her self to play the piano by ear at age 4, she wrote her first song at age 13 and at age 14 she was already performing in public. Lady Gaga was born to be a performer! Did you know that at age 19 she was signed to a record deal but was subsequently dropped before releasing any material? It wasn't until 2007 that she signed a deal with 'Interscope' and was hired as a song writer. She started singing demos of the songs she had written for other artists and the rest is history.

Her debut single was released in April 2008 and is still top 10 in the USA in January 2009! Lady Gaga is what many are calling "The Future Of Pop" and she is here to stay.

I was lucky enough to see her live in November and she is one of the most high energy performers I've ever seen!


Alphabeat
Favorite Tracks: Go Go; Ten Thousand Nights; What Is Happening

Speaking of the next big thing Alphabeat have had a spectacular year! After making a name for themselves in Denmark the band set their sights on the Uk where they've firmly established themselves as a modern pop band after earning themselves a top 10 album and 3 top 20 singles.

Despite all their achievements the band was hit with some bad news last week when it was announced that the band has been dropped by their Uk record label. What will happen next for 'Alphabeat' seems to be undertermined but something tells me we haven't heard the last from the danish sextuplet.





The Ting Tings

Favorite Tracks: Great DJ; That's Not My Name

Not only are all my favorite breakthrough artists immensely talented but they're also fantastic live performers and they've all been turned down or dropped by various record labels.

Like Alphabeat, The Ting Tings have been together since 2004! The duo originally signed a record deal under the name "Dear Eskiimo" and were dropped soon after.

Turns out their being dropped was the best thing that could have happened to the british duo as they learnt that they had to take their career into their own hands. The band spent all of 2007 touring small gigs across the Uk making waves wherever they went. Their gigs soon started to sell out everywhere they went.

In January of last year the band was voted third in an annual "Acts Of 2008" list of emerging artists.

When their debut single "Great Dj" was finally released to mainstream radio it became an instant hit. Their second single "That's Not My Name" went number 1 in the Uk in the Spring and the band continue to tour across the world in support of their debut album.



.

One Love... It's All I Need

Happy New Year everyone!

On January 1st we'll begin the look back at the best moments of 2008 in music.

Let's begin by watching how amazing this song truly is now that you've had some time to look back on it.

I'm Always The Last To Know...

Melodifestivalen fever has hit hard with almost all of the artists being announced! It won't be long until we've heard the songs and the first 2 acts will make it through to the finals. Across Europe and across the globe there are all kinds of music competitions but there really is nothing that compares to the scope and magnitude of Melodifestivalen in Sweden.

At this time when the internet is on fire with stories about the entires this year I'm looking back at some of my favorite entires of the past.

I'd love to hear what your favorites are! Maybe we can do a vote on some of the best Melodifestivalen hits and misses of the last decade?

Excellence - Last To Know

This is actually the very first Melodifestivalen performance I ever saw back in 2003. Excellence won the swedish television show - Popstars and had a handful of hit singles from their debut album before entering Melodifestivalen in 2002. They performed in the first semi-finals and placed 4th initially making it to the second chance round where they placed 7th out of 8. I loved the song and their performance but unfortunately their vocals were far too weak to make it into the finals.

Sarek - Genom Eld Och Vatten

*Link Updated with correct song ;)

In 2003 Sarek performed one of of the most memorable Melodifestivalen entries in recent history. They were voted first place in their semi-final but when it came down to the finalen they placed 6th overall when they received a relatively low score from the jury.

I Want You By My Side

OH MY GOD!

Asa you all know I'm a MASSIVE fan of Swedish singer 'Evan.' I was lucky enough to have him answer some of my questions for an interview that I posted here on YouDon'tKnowPop earlier in the year.

There was a lot of doubt as to whether he would release a third album or not and we can officially say that all doubt has been lifted as he will release his third album Mid-2009.

A huge thanks to PPG for pointing this out on your blog!

Now Evan has been kind enough to post 4 songs on his site for you to check out. I am FLOORED right now. These songs are BRILLIANT! They are even better than everything he's released in the past.

You can check out all 4 tracks HERE!

This is going to be a fantastic album and I cannot wait for it to be released.

.

In other news Same Difference are currently sitting at the lower end of the top 10 for their debut single! The official chart will be released on Sunday so you still have time to move them up the chart! if you haven't bought their single yet GO DO IT NOW!

The band have also announced that they'll be doing a theater tour of the Uk this Spring! So now I have to re-plan my Sweden trip so that I can be in the Uk to see Same Difference on tour!!

.

New Music Tuesday

This week we have a song from an Ex Swedish Idol contestant and an Ex Boyband member.

Song #1: It's best described as September meets Da Buzz meets Cascada. It's catchy and dancey. Overall an impressive first single from this Swedish newcomer.

Gathania - Blackout



Song #2: Listening to this song makes me feel like A1 never really broke up. I can imagine hearing this on their album back in the day. A sweeping and dramatic upbeat pop song. Turns out Christian has had a successful career in Norway since A1 broke up.

Christian Ingebrigtsen - The Truth About Lies

.

A Very Schlager Christmas?

What do you get when you take 3 Melodifestivalen Diva Veterans and put them together for a Christmas Album?! Well Sanna, Shirley and Sonja have released their very own Christmas Album 'Our Christmas.'

Well unfortunately for schlager fans there's a huge lack of upbeat schlagertastic tracks. It's a sweet album and it's a real treat to hear Shirley and Sonja singing in english but overall it's lacking some "Umph." As far as I'm concerned "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is the best Christmas song of all time and I HATE Mariah Carey. But no one will ever be able to improve upon her version of that song and although Sanna and the gang give it a good effort... it really is missing the magic.

If you're looking for a touch of Schlager this Christmas you're not going to find it here. As fas as Christmas albums go this one's a little weak. Here's hoping at least one of these 3 will make a Schlager comeback at Melodifestivalen 2009. There are 7 more acts to be announced on Tuesday Morning!

Sanna, Shirley & Sonja - Silent Night

.

I prefer to remember them for songs like this... AMAZING!

Hope & Glory!

WOW! THIS IS IT! Today the first 8 names were announced for Melodifestivalen 2009. There aren't too many surprises here as most of these names were already flying about. The great news is that they are now official.

Mans Zelmerlow
BWO
Sarah Dawn Finer
Emilia
Alcazar - Stay The Night
Jennifer Brown

What I find amazing is that if there are such huge names in the first 8 acts announced just wait until the rest of the acts are announced! Each of the first 8 acts are established stars in Sweden with 6 of the 8 having made it to the finals of Melodifestivalen before.

You will all remember Emilia from her massive international hit single - Big Big World... she enters Melodifestivalen for the first time next year. Jennifer Brown also makes her competition debut next year. She's been around for quite some time in Sweden and has released 4 albums over the last 15 years.

BWO - Paradise On Mars

Alcazar - I Love The DJ

The biggest question so far is what is going to happen between Alcazar and BWO! Both acts have competed multiple times in the competition and each of them have placed 3rd twice. It's clear that both acts have a massive following but it's going to take a unique song to really get the entire country to rally behind the act rather than relying just on the bands fan bases.

This is Good! This is Great!

Today is Music Video Christmas!

1. Same Difference - We R One

The Wait is over! You can finally catch their debut video and WOW! This Is GOOD! THIS IS GREAT! The video is Grease meets Steps meets S Club 8! It's sunny and fun and catchy as hell. I think if there is any celebrity i'd want to spend the day with out on the town it would be Same Difference. They will be performing their biggest performance to date when they make an appearance on X-Factor on Nov. 22nd!




Thanks to Paul at MyFizzyPop for posting the video first! Check out his observations Here!

2. Boyzone - Better

I think Boyzone may have surpassed Take That for best comeback! This is such a beautiful song and the video is perfect! Boyzone were one of the first major pop acts to have an openly gay member when Stephen Gately came out in the late 90's. 10 years later the band are breaking down barriers by having a male love interest for Stephen in the video. It's a brave move and it's the perfect song to cuddle upto when it gets cold this winter.



3. Alphabeat - What Is Happening

Alphabeat are the band that just keeps on giving! They honestly will not stop until they've released every track on their album as a single! If you haven't joined the Alphabeat bandwagon you're missing out. Their newest video for What Is Happening is a gem!

THIS IS IT!

SO!

For those of you who don't know this blog is under attack.

Over the past few weeks posts that I've made have been removed due to copyright infringements over the songs I've posted.

I will not let this stop me from posting about the best pop music around!
Shutting this blog down will not stop music fans from sharing the music they love.

The purpose of this blog is to promote the songs and artists who often only release music in select countries/territories.

As a music fan I have spent thousands of dollars on importing albums and singles from all over Europe because those cds are never released here in North America. If it wasn't for fans sharing songs from these artists online I would never have discovered the artists and never paid for the albums.

When a record label refuses to release a cd on iTunes internationally or refuses to accept North American credit cards so that fans can download the mp3's legally on the artists web site, fans have no choice but to download the songs for free using a variety of sites online.

If you are a fan of Pop music and a fan of Same Difference please support them by purchasing their album and thereby ensuring future releases from the brilliant duo.

To those of you that have heard Same Difference - We R One... I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

If you missed out on the song please visit their official myspace where you can check out clips from their forthcoming album - POP!

http://www.myspace.com/samedifferenceworld

You can pre-order the debut album from Same Difference - Here

Don't You See That Love Is Free...

Does having a "gimmick" help or hurt an artist? Steps were one of the most successful pop acts of the 90's with their singles that came with the dance steps inside. With the sheer multitude of acts out there competing for a spot in the charts maybe having a "gimmick" is what sets you apart from the pack.

You see it time and time again at the Eurovision song contest as countries send novelty acts to the competition instead of real talent to try and get some attention. Silvia Night anyone? Dustin the Turkey?

Perhaps one of the most successful artists with a gimmick has to be my personal favorite novelty act - Rollergirl!

Rollergirl discovered her love of rollerskates while working at a rollerskating rink in Germany. In the late 90's Rollergirl was discovered in Spain and soon after that released her debut single - Dear Jesse a 'Madonna' cover.

In the next 3 years Rollergirl released 7 hit singles before taking off her skates for good. If you look her up on YouTube you can still see her rolling through her videos or live performances. If you're lucky enough to own her album you own a piece of history! The album comes with all her hit singles and the rare gem - "I Keep On Rolling"

Rollergirl... if you're out there somewhere please come back to Pop music. Life just isn't as fun without you. We miss your cute pink skates and your computer enchanced vocals.

I saw we start a campaign today! Rollergirl for Germanys Eurovision entry in 2009!!

Let's look back at the greatness that was 'Rollergirl.'

Remember when she gave us her take on the Japanese Geisha?
.

Rollergirl - Geisha Dreams

How about her take on the classic Eternal Flame. Just wait until you get to the breakdown in the middle!

Rollergirl - Close To You

Or how about her SMASH HIT!

Rollergirl - Superstar

If you liked these you'll enjoy her classic videos even more.
.
In this video you'll see her make a dramatic entrance but the audience doesn't seem to care.

It's Like A State Of Mind...

Have you ever listened to an entire album, listened to the songs and decided after one listen of certain songs that you didn't like them. You may have listened to the album over and over since then and always skipped the same songs. Then one day you forget to skip the song and after listening to it again you realise that you actually love the track.

I used to skip this song and never really gave it a chance until my friend borrowed the cd and returned it and told me that this was his favorite song. Now my friend is probably the last person in the world to like anything by Amy Diamond and here he was telling me a song he liked that I had never even bothered listening to! So I put the song on and fell in love with it immediately. I can't believe I never gave it a chance before.

I've posted about Amy Diamond multiple times now but I couldn't resist another. I really do love all three of her albums. Each album is full of single-worthy tracks and what I love is that each song has really unique sounds/instruments that you don't really hear in the average song.


'Shooting Star' can be found on her debut album and is easily one of the best tracks from that album.

With rumors flying that Amy will try for Melodifestivalen again in 2009 I figured I'd start getting excited now. If she enters with a song even half as good as 'Thank You' then we have a lot to look forward to.

Amy Diamond - Shooting Star

.

If Walls Could Talk...

As we look forward to Melodifestivalen 2009... over the next 4 months I'll look back at Melodifestivalen competitions since past!

To start us off lets remember the "Peoples winner" from this year...

Sanna Nielsen - Empty Room (Acoustic Version)

.

Put Your Boots On Baby...

The Saturdays debut album is available now and is a MUST HAVE! Finally an album is released that is worth purchasing! Every track on the album is worth listening to including the slow ones.

There is still one song that stands out from the rest of the pack and that's 'Work' which begs to be released as a single. For those that like their pop a little more relaxed check out the albums title track 'Chasing Lights.'

.

The Saturdays - Work

.

I LOVE EUROPE!

The song titles have been announced... the speculation has begun... tickets have sold out! Melodifestivalen fever has already begun and there's still almost 4 months until the first night of competition!

At 12am on Thursday night I sat at my computer like a mad scientist as I fought against thousands of other fans for one of the coveted tickets to the Final on March 14th in Stockholm. The good news is that I was successful! Not only do I have 2 floor seats to the final... but I have ROW 6 seats on the floor for the Dress Rehersal!

This will be my third trek to Sweden to catch the event and if you haven't been you really ought to consider it! Although tickets are sold out you can still find tickets at various ticketing sites online.

Mans Zelmerlow, BWO, Alcazar... the rumours are flying! Who will take part in 2009? Who will the 4 wildcards be?!

It's Just Me and You... And We Are Running

When a song is good... it doesn't matter what kind of music you listen to... some songs just demand respect.

This song starts off slow and beautiful... but watch as it transforms halfway through!

WHAT A PERFORMANCE!

A Message From Ace of Base

And now... a very special message from Ace of Base

Pop!

On November 24th do your part!

Make You Voice Heard!

It's your right and your responsibility!

PURCHASE THE DEBUT SINGLE FROM SAME DIFFERENCE

"We R One"

The Stunning Debut album 'Pop' will follow on Dec. 2nd

Pre-Order the single and album at www.hmv.co.uk

Let The World Keep Turning...

Awhile back I posted about my love of Brian McFaddens debut album and that he had finally put together a second album. Since then the album has been released and spawned 3 singles. Brian actually released this album on his own label to retain creative control over his career.

Taking creative control means that he's decided to focus his attention on the Australian market where 3 singles have been released from the album. Although it seems that this may be the end of his solo career as the singles have charted at 13, 29 and 99 respectively. Although the album did chart at a respectable '5' in the Australian album charts.

His second single was 'Twisted' has to be one of my favorite songs of the year. I just can't get enough of it. It's upbeat, catchy as hell and really sweet at the same time. It reminds me of 'Irish Son' in a way actually.

Brian McFadden - Twisted Twisted

.

GUESS WHO?!

Hey Everyone...

So first off I owe a huge apology for the lack of updates without any explanation at all. To be honest life sorta god in the way and I had been lacking any inspiration.

But so much has happened in the world of pop music I have no choice but return to the blogosphere to help celebrate the biggest resurgence in pop music in years!!! Everyone who is anyone is releasing new music right now or is in the process of releasing new music.

But I'm back now! So tell your friends, give me a shout out on your blog! If there are any new blogs out there shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment so I can check you out!

With so much going on where do I start?!

I'll start with a post about the first band I ever loved - Ace of Base.


For their fans it's been a long long wait for anything from this band. When their comeback was announced a year ago there were promises of a remix album, new songs, new material and a world tour. Their new website launched on April 9th and 2 weeks later was forgotten and has never been updated since.

Basically the band have dropped their management and are continuing to work on a deal to get their new music released as soon as possible. To help built momentum before any new material is released the band have FINALLY released the studio version of Wheel of Fortune 2009. This version will show up on a new greatest hits compilation to be released in Scandinavia and Japan.

So cross your fingers and let's hope that by this time next year the band will finally have released their 5th studio album. Until then you can enjoy this re-vamped version of Wheel Of Fortune. I really do love it! It's a great example of the direction the band is heading in. It also does a great job of taking an old song and making it sound fresh and new. I actually like it a lot better than the original.

Ace of Base - Wheel Of Fortune 2009