The only trouble in Olly Murs' "Troublemaker" is Flo Rida

British X Factor contestant Olly Murs returns to the music scene with his new Flo Rida-aided single "Troublemaker."

Right off the get-go you know there's something wrong with that sentence. Once again Flo Rida has managed to slip into an otherwise perfect pop ditty just for the sake of publicity and radio airplay and blah blah blah. 

I'll be the first to admit that Flo Rida isn't always bad, he has his good moments, but when he has bad moments they're really bad as is the case in this song. His verse doesn't even rhyme half the time, it's a weak verse lyrically, and it interrupts the Maroon 5-esque vibe that the guitar riffs and Murs' voice create. (Mind you, we're talking about Old Maroon 5, not New Maroon 5).

Other than that there really isn't much to say. The song is perfect for UK radio, whether it will stand a chance in US radio is another story. It's a safe move for Olly, but then again he doesn't need to take too many risks this early in his career. If it ain't broke don't fix it, right?

Right.

"Right Place Right Time," Olly Murs' third UK album and US debut is out in November.

Little Mix's "DNA" makes up for the awful "Wings" catastrophe

When the X Factor winners released their debut single "Wings," I was disappointed to say the least. The song was corny and a little outdated and I started to see the promise they held slowly slipping through their fingers.

But then this gem was released. Listen below. "DNA." the title track off of their debut album, will serve as the second single. The electropop song begins with a slow, steady beat that isn't instantly engaging but later it climaxes. By the time the song gets to the chorus, it has grown into a massive, Saturdays-esque pop banger.

It's in his DNA, and he just takes my breath away

The anthemic chorus is a lot more credible than that of its predecessor. The drastic electronic beats paired with the beautifully united voices of these four girls turns this song into a sure hit. "Wings" is to "Born This Way" as "DNA" is to "Edge of Glory."

Whether or not these girls have what it takes to stay relevant is yet to be determined. Girl bands with great voices are a dime-a-dozen, and no matter how great they may be sometimes it doesn't work out (R.I.P. Girls Can't Catch).

Little Mix's debut album "DNA" is due out in November. 

These songs are pretty much all I want to listen to this week

"Part of Me" - Katy Perry

When this song originally leaked back in 2010, shortly after the "California Gurls" and "E.T." leaks, I immediately fell in love with it. The song sounded like a dark version of Teenage Dream's lead single "California Gurls," but it really shows off Katy Perry's vocals amazingly. "This is the part of me that you're never gonna ever take away from me," she exclaims in the explosive chorus. The song was re-written in order to fit better with Miss Perry's current emotional struggle: her divorce with comedian Russel Brand. "You can keep your diamond ring," she bitterly sings to Brand. If this song is an omen to her future offerings, we might have ourselves a new, more radio-friendly Adele.

Listen to Katy Perry's new single here.

"Starships" - Nicki Minaj

Ok here's the deal with this song: it's actually three different songs. There's the beginning which is very "let's go to the beach" and kind of makes one think of Selena Gomez & The Scene's "Summer's Not Hot" but for adults. Then there's that little Jamaican-esque part that's really like a cheap rip-off of Rihanna's "Man Down" except not about killing people. And those are both rubbish. There's a part in between all that junk that's actually good. Very good actually. The RedOne produced track boasts a monstrous dance breakdown that is just so good you must hear it for yourself. Imagine Lady GaGa's "Bloody Mary" mixed with Kat DeLuna's "Everybody Dance." Yeah.

Listen to Nicki Minaj's new single here. 

The problem with this Katy Perry album cover is...

It's such a great picture of Katy, but all the rubbish around it kind of takes the attention away from it.

I get that it's called "The Complete Confection" and that she really likes candy and all that, but it could have been done classier, like this:

but that's just a thought.

All of those colors are really stunning, but in a bad way. In my opinion the album cover should have looked like this:



You see, this cover, is actually perfect. There are roses and an old-timey phone and a hair straightener (even though her hair is wavy in the picture) so it all looks very teenager-y but the dress she's wearing makes her look like a mature woman.

But if you're really caught up with using the official cover photo, you might fancy this:

You'll notice it's not perfect, but it's quite nice, yes?

Also, can we take a moment to admire the beauty of the cover art of "Part of Me"?

I like blonde Katy. I like the pose. I like the font. I like the dress. I like the way they put those pink stripes (that kinda remind me of a cat) in a way to make an "A." I love how the ends of the letters look like ripped ticket stubs, or a "part" of a ticket stub if you will. Why couldn't the same people that came up with this masterpiece have made the album cover? Why?

"Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection" will be released on March 27th. What do you think of the album cover? How does it measure up to the fanmade ones? Comments greatly appreciated!

I am all for eccentric Grammy performances, but I am not so keen on this one.

I am not against religious influences in music, much like Lady GaGa or Madonna often take, but this has taken that to another level.

It is a good idea conceptually to parodize The Exorcist, but when you actually do it make sure it does not look like the above.

I like the song, though, so the performance has got that going for it. And not much else.

K, thanks.

What do you think of Nicki Minaj´s Grammy performance?

Ellie Goulding and Fernando Garibay unleash beautiful video for beautiful remix of "Lights"

Above is Ellie Goulding, a British songstress I can't seem to ever get enough of. Her album Lights is a pop masterpiece. Her single "Lights" is also amazing. But even more amazing than the original song is the Fernando Garibay remix. 

Garibay is responsible for many of Lady GaGa's hits as well as some great offerings from the Sugababes.

The Fernando Garibay remix of "Lights" is some of the man's best work. While the original "Lights" was drastic electronica, this remix is more like a trance production with seriously fat bass. It's gettin' bigga! The synthesizers are like candy in my ears. It's almost like a Tiesto production, if you think about it.

Accompanying this is the music video for the remix, which is merely a re-worked version of the original video. Nevertheless, it's beautiful eye-candy to accompany the ear-candy. Ellie + Fernando = pure suga!

What do you think of Ellie Goulding's remix? Comments greatly appreciated!

SMASH Music Review: "Pilot" - 2/6

Last night was the premier of the new NBC TV show SMASH. The musical drama is beyond amazing, I highly recommend it, but alas this is not a TV blog, but it is a music blog. So here is the review of the songs from last night's episode, "Pilot."

"Over The Rainbow" (Cover) - Katharine McPhee

McPhee's character Karen Cartwright sings this song during one of her auditions. Regardless to say, this piano ballad was beautiful, but nothing out of the ordinary. 6/10

"Never Give All The Heart" (Original) - Megan Hilty

Hilty's character Ivy Lynn sings this with the songwriters of the musical-in-works Marilyn. The song is a beautiful ballad inspired by Miss Monroe herself (seriously she's everywhere!) and introduces Hilty's voice to the small screen. Her rich, full voice is a treat to the ears and will no doubt be great competition for McPhee on this show. 8/10

"The National Pastime" (Original) - Megan Hilty

This song is one giant bucket of innuendos if there ever was one. The song is sung by Hilty's character as Monroe as she prances around with a bunch of baseball players that are little too overzealous in their attempts to get with her.The suggestive dance is hilarious, the suggestive lyrics are cute, and this song, even though it's very Broadway-driven, still works well on the small screen and on your iPod. 9/10

"Beautiful" (Cover) - Katharine McPhee

This song is also sung by McPhee's character at an audition, but this audition is much better. Not only does McPhee do this song, but she redoes it. The melody is different, the piano instrumentation is new, and the vocals are off the hook. They may not be as powerful as Aguilera's, but they really are better. 10/10

"Let Me Be Your Star" (Original) - Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee

The girls sing this song together (but in the show they sing it separately) in an amazing, Broadway tune that is so perfect it could be the show's theme song. The powerful vocals both girls contribute remind me of Hairspray's "Good Morning Baltimore" but taken into a 21st century NYC scene. Such talent in one song has not been seen since "Lady Marmalade"! 10/10

What did you think of SMASH? Will you be keeping up with the show? Will you be downloading the songs on iTunes? Comments greatly appreciated! 

Keeping Up With The Charlies: "Tickin' Like A Bomb" in filming

As you all know The Charlies are quite a favorite around this blog. Here's some stuff that they're up to, for those of you who love them as much as I.

Their new single "Tickin' Like A Bomb" is getting the video treatment this week! Listen to the song below.

We don't have much in sneak-peek material yet (ahem, girls you can e-mail me a sneak-peek anytime at popisabloodsport@gmail.com or hit me up on twitter!) except for this:

I can't get over the fact that the index finger is actually a bomb. Like her finger is literally tickin' like a bomb...'cuz it is a bomb!

The girls have not revealed what the video will be about, but I'm totally gonna take a wild shot on: lots of explosives, some fire, a man, a broken super 8 camera, and a half-eaten banana. But that's just me. Also: girls this video is not filmed yet, is it too late to through the half-eaten banana in there? Yes? No?

What do you think about The Charlies? Is their song "Tickin' Like a Bomb" going to be playing on your iPod? Comments greatly appreciated! Also: what random objects do you predict will appear in The Charlies' new video?

Download The Charlies' free mixtape Start A Fire here!

Jessie & the ToyBoys get killer on "This Is How Rumors Start" mini-series

Meet Jessie & the ToyBoys.

The band is fronted by Jessie Malakouti, the incredible pop chanteuse behind "Trash Me" (which Heidi Montag later flawlessly covered) and "Outsider." The ToyBoys? They're mannequins that come to life live!

After the release of the band's first two singles "Push It" and "Let's Get Naughty" they revealed that their debut album This Is How Rumors Start would be released this year. But while we wait, they've taken the effort to give us a little something to chew on.

Above is episode one of the This Is How Rumors Start mini-series. I don't want to give too much away, but there is blood and conspiracy among other elements.

It's all a bit Natalia Kills' Love Kills except it's a lot brighter and a little more on the silly side. The way Jessie works her songs into the series is less than innovative, but it's still extremely fun to watch and gives us something to help out the wait. 

Jessie just wants to cut her demo, but her producer is giving her a hard time. He wants to get all up on her, if you know what I'm saying. She refuses once and again. She's about to leave and take her music with her, but the bastard won't let her. He even threatens her. Oh hell no. So Jessie does something about it. Exactly what? See for yourself...

(episode 2 below)

What do you think about Jessie and the ToyBoys' mini-series? What do you think about their music? Comments greatly appreciated!

Madonna slays with medley of hits at Super Bowl halftime, everything in the world remains pressed

So as we all know by now Madonna, the queen of virtually everything, performed at the Super Bowl XLVI (36th Super Bowl for those of you who are not Nicki Minaj's alter ego) during halftime. I'll try to remain objective throughout this review, but bear with me if I do not do so. In what is by far the greatest Super Bowl performance of ever, Madonna winds, grinds, shuffles, vogues, kisses, vogues, lip-syncs, remains flawless, and vogues. Click "Read More" to check out the full write-up, you won't be disappointed.

M.I.A. appears in second music video today, your ethnically-diverse faves could never

What's tan and Middle-Eastern and singing all over?

M.I.A. is. She just appeared as a cheeky cheerleader in Madonna's new music video and now she's appearing in her own video. "Bad Girls" is taken from M.I.A.'s 2010 mixtape "Vicki Leekx" and now all of a sudden she decided to release a new single.

Coincidence? I think not.

Nicki and M.I.A. are both riding the Madonna wave as much as they can. And I say good for them! Look at this chick just chillin' on a sideways-tipped car and being all Middle-Eastern and whatnot. I L-U-V it. (Whoops, wrong song). What a bad girl, Maya!

What do you think about M.I.A.'s new single? Is the video amazing or what? Comments greatly appreciated!

Madonna releases carelessly fun "Give Me All Your Luvin'" featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.

It's finally here. Madonna's first single from "M.D.N.A." was released to iTunes exclusively at 6 AM, and like a lot of people, here I was at 6, joyfully bouncing in my seat as the download progress bar filled up with that dark gray color: I was seconds away from getting all of Madonna's luvin'!

It must be stated that the official single mix doesn't differ much from the demo that leaked last year. The production is obviously fine-tuned and Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.'s vocals are added in, but other than that the structure of the song doesn't change. This is no "E.T." situation.

With that being said, "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is not Madonna's best single. It is, however, her most blatantly fun. While in past 2000-era singles like "Hung Up" or "4 Minutes" (if you have not heard these songs, look them up for your own well-being) Madonna sang in a sexy, concealed manner, in this track Madonna returns to what first made her famous. The flirty, honest, and downright fun vocal performance she lays on the track she and Martin Solveig produced is reminiscent of her older material. And when I say old, I mean old as in "Holiday" and "Like A Virgin."

"I hear you comin' and I don't wanna know your name," Madonna sings in a soft, friendly voice during the track's first verse. Her flirtatious vocals are intercut with the soon-to-be-legendary "L-U-V Madonna" and "Y-O-U You wanna?" cheerleader-esque chants delivered by none other than Miss Minaj and M.I.A.

"Don't play those stupid games 'cause I'ma different kind of girl. Every record sounds the same you've gotta step into my world," Madonna sings in the chorus or pre-chorus (technically it could be both) when the song's care-free production is at its best. There are soft-hitting synthesizer beats, winding synths, and those delicious bass strums in a frenzy behind Madonna's lush vocals.

The chorus is a clear kick-back to 80's: "Give me all your luvin', give me your love. Give me all your love today," Madonna sings backed by some retro-sounding production. It's almost euphoric.

After the second chorus one starts to wonder: "Are Nicki and M.I.A. just here to be cheerleaders?"

But then, in place of the vocal breakdown in the song's demo is a brand-new verse by the Harajuku Barbie herself. "I'm Roman. I'm a barbarian, I'm Conan. You was sleepin' on me, you was dozin'. Now move! I'm gonin'" she effortlessly raps. Although in my opinion her verse is too short, this performance by Minaj should be ranked among her best collabs. Such a great rapperette!

After that comes Madonna's bridge (same as in the demo) and then M.I.A. comes in. Her laid-back rapping style is such a contrast to Nicki's overzealous rapping style. "It's supersonic, bionic, uranium hit" she says during her verse. It's far from "Paper Planes" and closer to "XXXO."

Then Madonna comes back for another ecstatic, cheerleader-aided chorus and goes out with a bang!

I love this song because it's so unapologetically fun unlike most of the stuff on the radio. This song will definitely be bringing Madonna back to the top of the charts again. And throwing in Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. didn't hurt either.

"Give Me All Your Luvin'" was released on iTunes Feb. 3

What do you think of Madonna's new single? Would you buy it? Is it worth performing at the Superbowl? Comments greatly appreciated!

Since Rihanna's label can't make good decisions I guess I'll have to

Above is the shoddy artwork for the below-mediocre third single from Rihanna's above-fantastic album Talk That Talk. The single might not be that bad if only Jay-Z hadn't butted himself into it. It was alright in "Umbrella," but it just doesn't work here.

So as Def Jam can't seem to choose good singles (apart from the pre-album singles of course, I live for "We Found Love" and "You Da One") I've taken the liberty of outlining what the album campaign should look like. Enjoy, and post your comments and opinions below.

Fourth Single: "Where Have You Been" - March 2012

This singles campaign has been great so far, but this song would just take this album's appeal to a whole new level. Surprised this hasn't already been released! I also love this fanmade artwork, so classic Rih!

Fifth Single: "Birthday Cake" - late June/early July 2012

While she has yet to release a full version, this one-minute-and-a-half track is amazing. Rihanna at her best. Not typical radio tunes, but then again is Rihanna typical? No.

Sixth Single: "Red Lipstick" - December 2012

Who says bonus tracks can't be singles? Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj did it! This dubstep-y track would be perfect later in the year when dubstep has become more prominent in the airwaves. Not to mention the lyrics!

Seventh Single: "Roc Me Out" - February/March 2013

I'm a firm believer in leaving the rest for last, thus this song will be the last single. You wanna go out with a bang (get it?) and "Roc Me Out" will give it to you. By far one of the highlights of the album, this track simply   must be a single. It's begging!

As you can see, I'm going for a long single run. Seven singles is a lot, but look at the single run for Good Girl Gone Bad. Hopefully we'll get a RihRelease! Maybe not though...

But if we did get one, what do you predict it would be called? I'm putting my money on Talk That Talk: All  Night Edition.

Fan art courtesy of coverlandia.net

Please post your thoughts and comments on this post in the comments below, they;re greatly appreciated! Rihanna Navy, get this article everywhere, maybe our voice will be heard and this plan will be followed!

Pop Injustice: Why did this song never go to No. 1?

There really is no explanation, is there? Quite silly Americans don't know what good music is. Instead, "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas charted on this masterpiece's date of release. And then "Down" by Jay Sean and Lil Wayne. How sad is this?

Then this puppy right here, easily one of the best albums of the decade, charted only at No. 27! Why didn't this amazing album go to No. 1? Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed A Dream" was No. 1 on "Unbroken's" release date. And a few weeks later Ke$ha's "Animal" took the No. 1 spot. WHAT IS THIS?

To this day I still don't understand the mediocre performance of McPhee's material on the charts. It baffles me. So much talent, so little recognition.

Maybe that's why she's taking her talent elsewhere; namely the TV industry. Her show SMASH is going to do great!

If you appreciate good music, go out buy this album. Do it because it's the right thing to do

Buy "Unbroken" by Katharine McPhee

What do you think of this pop injustice? What do you think of Katharine McPhee? What do you think of SMASH? Comments greatly appreciated!

Getting Dolly Rockered: "Boys Will Be Boys"

Welcome to the third installment of Getting Dolly Rockered, a series of articles for us Dolly Rocker fans so desperate for new material that we have to think about the old stuff to keep us from insanity. This time around we'll be talking about the almost released single, "Boys Will Be Boys." The single was scheduled for release before the complications with the girls' record label began, and thus the release never meterialized. Which is sad because, I mean, listen to the song!

"Boys Will Be Boys" marks a huge change for the girls. While their previous singles featured fun production and spoken vocals, this song saw the girls in an epic, almost anthemic, production with sung-screamed vocals. The song is lyrically about that "boy in love with his own reflection." The song begins with a crunchy synthesizer beat to which more layers of synths are added as the girls begin the first verse.

"They never listen and they talk too much about stupid stuff, they're so freaking boring," the girls sing in unison in the track's amazing chorus. Their bratty and sassy vocals are complemented perfectly by the song's drastic production, creating an interesting contrast between the two.

"Boys will be boys will be boys will be boys," they all sing in the song's hook. The song's synthesizers and beats all collapse into eachother in the song's chorus creating a pop masterpiece that would have served as a great No. 1 hit for the girls. Sadly, it never came to be released. On the bright side, you can download it above! Enjoy!

What do you think of "Boys Will Be Boys"? Comments greatly appreciated!

#requestGLADYOUCAME: The American Takeover of The Wanted

From left to right: Tom Parker, Jay McGuiness, Nathan Sykes, Siva Kaneswaran, Max George

Meet The Wanted.

They're a British-Irish boyband that has taken over the UK with their catchy lyrics, amazing voices, and infectious club beats. Their first single "All Time Low" went to No. 1 on the UK charts. "Glad You Came," the lead single from the band's sophomore album Battleground, also went to No. 1, but had an ever greater impact, charting in nine countries.

Better make that 10, as "Glad You Came" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 85 after a performance on the Ellen Degeneres show as well as kicking off their first US tour. 

"Glad You Came" starts off with Max George singing the song's chorus over nothing but the sound of a delicate piano. Soon though, it becomes obvious that this song isn't a ballad: the song's producer Steve Mac kicks the song into full gear as he throws in some Ibiza-ready Caribbean-influenced synthesizers that become the song's distinctive feature. 

"You cast a spell on me, spell on me.You hit me like the sky fell on me, fell on me," Nathan Sykes sings in the song's first chorus. The song structure for this song is amazingly simple but incredibly efficient; the repetition in the song's lyrics is what makes it catchy. "And I decided you looked well on me, well on me. So let's go somewhere no one else can see, you and me," Siva Kaneswaran continues in the second verse.

The song really flourishes during it's pre-chorus, though, when a stronger backbeat joins the instrumentation and the great pop songs turns into an amazing club track. "Turn the lights out now, now i'll take you by the hand. Hand you another drink, drink it if you can," Tom Parker sings in the pre-chorus, "Can you spend a little time? Time is slippin' away, away from us so stay, stay with me I can make, make you glad you came."

Suddenly the chorus that was previously sung by Max George over a piano is reprise by the whole band over the clubby synths and strong beats creating a euphoric ambiance comparable to that of Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It." After the chorus comes a great sing-along series of "oh oh oh ohhs" to the tune of the chorus that creates an anthemic feel to the already feel-good track.

And simple enough, Max closes up the track the same way he opened it: over a piano.

While Jay McGuiness (in between Nathan and Tom) doesn't have a solo in this song, watch out for him,his voice plays a big role in a lot of songs by The Wanted.

As the boys tour the US (they're playing New York City tonight) they are promoting the American release of this amazing single. Help them out by trending the hashtag #requestGLADYOUCAME on Twitter and by requesting this song on your local radio station. It's already No. 85 on Billboard Hot 100 and No. 66 on iTunes, help them climb to No. 1, they're worth it.

Click here to download the "Glad You Came" on iTunes!

Look out for their debut album in the US due out this year.

What do you think of The Wanted? Comments greatly appreciated!

NERVO teams up with Avicii to bring some love back to the dancefloor

Above are NERVO, an Australian pop group consisting of two twins who's surname is Nervo. Creative. These girls have received tons of promo due to touring with Britney Spears on her Femme Fatale Tour as well co-penning some seriously impressive songs (Ke$ha's "F*ck Him (He's a DJ)" and David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over") as well as putting on some seriously amazing shows.

Recently these girls have collaborated with Swedish DJ Avicii on a new track called "You're Gonna Love Again." The song, to speak eloquently, is pure fiya!


The song's production is slow at first, only a steady beat and a few synths here and there. Then when the song's chorus kicks in the production starts to escalate and escalate until it reaches its climactic peak and all hell breaks loose. Avivii's infamous club production is at its best in this breakdown. The icy-cool synthesizers coil round the twins' vocals while they sing "People come home you don't have to be scared, 'cause you're gonna love, you're gonna love again."

This song is extremely club-oriented, but with the right promotion it could definitely be a huge hit on the radio for these girls.

What do you think about NERVO and Avicii's collaboration?

Getting Dolly Rockered: "Gold Digger"

The Dolly Rockers first gained popularity with their song "Je Suis Une Dolly," but it was "Gold Digger" that really showed the world what the Dolly Rockers were made of.

"Gold Digger" was the first and only single the Dolly Rockers released via Parlophone, "Je Suis Une Dolly" serving as a B-side. The care-free ditty talks about one those girls who is, well simply put, a gold digger. "She's out for a prey if you're straight or gay she won't end up alone" they sing in the pre-chorus.

The song samples heavily from "Stool Pigeon" by Kid Creole and the Coconuts, but makes it a million times better! "There's a brand new girl that's goin' round, turnin' the boys upside-down. Gold digger!" The chorus sees the girls in n extremely British-sounding pop situation where they cooly sing the hilarious lyrics of the track.

"Fit blokes don't count for much unless they've got money to pay for the glitz and the refurb' tits" they sing in the song's second verse. The Dolly Rockers' ability to turn any situation into a hilarious pop song is unheard of in the pop world. These girls are like Garfunkel & Oates on an acid trip!

Sadly, and unfairly, "Gold Digger" peaked at 46 on the charts.That doesn't count for much though: this song is good enough to be No. 1 and in my head it always will be the song that changed British pop music for the good.

Stay tuned for the next issue of Getting Dolly Rockered: "Boys Will Be Boys"!

What do you think about the Dolly Rockers?

Alexandra Burke releases an "Elephant"-sized hit

For those of you who sadly don't know who Alexandra Burke is: she was on the British X Factor, she won, she has a great voice, the rest is irrelevant. This is the relevant part, she just released her latest single "Elephant" and it is massive.



Alexandra's latest single is far from her previous ones. While on her hits "Broken Heels" and "Start Without You" she strutted around on R&B-based pop beats, on "Elephant" she delves into the dark electronica spectrum. "Oh, there's an elephant standing in the room," she says in metallic, auto-tuned vocals during the song's anti-chorus. Nothing more than a simple beat accompanies her delicate vocals.

Then when all your goosies subside (because that anti-chorus is surrisly chilling) the bridge kicks in: "You wanna talk, you wanna talk about it?" she repeats over and over. The song's explosive bridge is catchier than it's anti-chorus, it's truly the anti-chorus that is the highlight of the song

Personally I can't wait until this song hits the airwaves, it's rumored to be released here in the US (!!!). Quite frankly we need a little stirring and "Elephant" could do just that.

Why Enrique Iglesias should duet with women more often

Enrique Iglesias has got pretty popular in the States and Europe due to his catchy club tunes that are usually served with a cold verse by some popular rapper at the time. But if you change that formula a little. Let's say change the male rapper to a woman, and make the feature song into a duet, and you've got FIRE! Below are two recent collabs of Iglesias with Dev and Jennifer Lopez. Enjoy!
"Naked" - Dev & Enrique Iglesias


This track was download hastily by me. Iglesias' douche-popclub tunes on the radio were great and all, but combined with Dev's staright-forward electro ditties didn't sound like an enticing combination.
And I was wrong.
Once I gave this song one listen I immediately changed my mind. The song is produced by The Cataracs, Dev's producers, (leading me to believe this is for inclusion in Dev's US release of "The Night the Sun Came Up" this January?) and is full of electronic influences and a great little ghoul-like shriek in the breakdown similar to that at the beginning of Iglesias' "Tonight (I'm F*cking You)." Dev's low-toned vocals open the track, speaking of how inappropriate she is for Enrique, but Enrique counters with the fact that she's the only one that keeps him up at night. Then comes the delicious pre-chorus. "I don't care what they say it's our life life life. We can dance if we want, make it feel alright" they both sing over escalating beats before all this pulls away in the chorus.
"So tell me baby will you be there when I wake up? Even with no make-up?" Dev asks Enrique over a punching beat to which he replies "And you ain't gotta doubt a second if I miss you. Every time I'm with you."
Then they both, in a truly climactic point in the song, "I feel naked."
It's pure magic. The techno elements have always suited Dev's voice, but Enrique seems right at home in them too, and for good reason. If he would back away from the eurotrash production he so often frequents and delve into the electronica scene with The Cataracs some really good music could be made!





"Mouth 2 Mouth" - Enrique Iglesias feat. Jennifer Lopez

(not official cover art, that picture is way too inappropriate to show on here)
In a song that I dare say is even better than the one above, Enrique and Jennifer (the hottest Latinos ever) collaborate. The song begins with them both saying "We live, we love, we touch." Great start, huh? Then starts the slithering synthesizers that back Enrique as he sings about a late night booty call ("innocent crime") he can't seem to focus on because all he can think about is Miss Lopez.
Then the then-dormant slithering synths become extremely prevalent behind Iglesias' vocals in the chorus. "I can't catch a single breath baby, help me now. Hurry up it's killing me the way I need your mouth to mouth" he sings. Later J.Lo joins, "I say you make me feel alive. I say you bring me back to life." So steamy!!
The comes Lopez's verse which is almost a mirror of Iglesias', but in female perspective. "But in the back of my mind you're all I'm thinking of" she sings before the explosive chorus.
DJ Frank E, who is also responsible for the touching ballad "Tonight (I'm F*cking You") (so touching, that one), produced this gem and it is glorious. The combination of J.Lo and E.Ig (that doesn't work so well) is sensual without being sexual, per se. That's what makes this song so great. It's like they're both holding a thin sheet over what they're doing an it's the listener's imagination that fills in what's happening in between the sheets.
Proof enough? Let's start a protest. We need more Enrique duets! Reblog if you agree!