All Eyes on 2012 - Part 2

2012 POP albums that have us quivering with
Antici-p-p-Pation

16. Janelle Monáe -Untitled
According to Janelle, her 2012 work (which may be 2 whole albums) will be marked by songs that "empower, encourage & make you dance" - so cheers to that! Janelle is a creative. We never really knew what to make of her first record, The Archandroid. On some days, it suits us perfectly, while on others, it comes off as a tad holier-than-thou. Regardless, girl's got some chutzpah trying something different. One thing is for sure, though - if Janelle hopes to be the icon she dreams of becoming, she needs a hit, so here's hoping she can streamline her imagination for at least a few the tracks. If her music is more palatable, her talent will be more appreciated! We're not asking you to water anything down, Miss Monáe; just give us some POP beats! Social empowerment/encouragement is most potent when dowsed in sugar. Just as Ms. Jackson If You're Nasty! ("SING IT! We are a part of a Rhythm Nation." BOOM BOOM!)

15. Rye Rye - Go! Pop! Bang!

From Bangladesh and Pharrell to Akon and Robyn, it seems like Rye Rye has been working with everyone these past few years. Hopefully her first full album will give us some up-tempo tracks for the gym & the club.

14. Rufus Wainright - Out of the Game
For his seventh studio album Rufus is apparently working with Mark Ronson (*swoon*). According to this Rolling Stone article, Out of the Game is going to be Rufus's "poppiest" album yet, with songs for "driving around in your car... or losing your mind to on a dance floor." Ooo boy, this should be a good one.

13. Scissor Sisters - Untitled
After releasing their high-quality comeback single Shady Love (featuring vocals from Azealia Banks), tenured POP performers Scissor Sisters have us pretty darn interested in their fourth album. We're also excited to see how it fares in the USA and on the UK charts. Will Scissor Sisters ever score some time on the American airwaves? Only time will tell...
Shady Love (Clean) by Scissor Sisters

12. La Roux - Untitled
Little information has been released concerning synthPOP act La Roux's second album; we do know that listeners can expect to hear the influences of Italo-disco, Donna Summer, & Grace Jones. Elly Jackson told Out Magazine that she wants a "classy, sexy" sound for the new album, "the way sexy was before it got made dirty." Oh, La Roux, we've missed you!

11. Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Barbies rejoice: Nicki & the ferocious Roman Zolanski are baaaaack! According to Nicki we can expect the release of Roman Reloaded's album artwork and track-listing this month. It's safe to say that the album's release day will be a semi-official holiday in ATL (Minna will report).

10. Fun. - Some Nights
Minna cannot get enough of this band! There's a lot to be excited about here; Some Nights, fun.'s second studio album, is produced by Jeff Bhasker, who has worked with Beyonce, Kanye West, Alicia Keys & Natalia Kills. By teaming up with Bhasker the guys from fun. will surely deliver an amazing indie POP album, reminding us all that you don't have to be an electronic, female solo act to make massive POP tunes.

fun.: We Are Young ft. Janelle Monáe by Fueled By Ramen

9. Adam Lambert - Trespassing
We've said it before & we'll say it again: Adam deserves far more time on the radio than he receives. Happily, Better Than I Know Myself received high praise as a super-emotional, yet danceable lead single. On top of working with big names like Claude Kelly, Dr. Luke and Benny Blanco, Adam has also collaborated with under-appreciated POP artists like Sam Sparro and Nikka Costa. Glam rock will never die, & Trespassing is shaping up to be a spectacular POP album.

8. Diana Vickers - Untitled
We didn't listen to Diana's first album, but that's not important. All that matters is the following 6 words: Music To Make The Boys Cry. We want the rest of the album NOW! (But take your time Diana, we support you!)

7. Lana Del Rey - Born To Die
You've probably never heard of her, but we put Lana on our list because, hey, wouldn't we be impeached by the Music Bloggers' Association if we didn't? (In all seriousness, Born To Die will make a major splash in 2012 - we're hoping it produces some more beautiful baroque POP anthems. We've always defended Lana)

6. Ladyhawke - Anxiety

Minna is a huuuuge fan of Ladyhawke & is more or less counting down the days until the release of her second album, Anxiety, in March. Pip Brown recorded the album with the amazing Pascal Gabriel last year & is apparently very excited to "get back in the game." We can't wait to hear Black, White, and Blue on the radio. Get it, girl!

5. Little Boots - Untitled
This chick is so underrated. She's taken her time with her second album and experienced a great deal of anxiety, as evidenced by her blog, but we're happy she took a well-deserved break in between records. It gave her the energy to come up with one of her most positively received singles, Shake. We have no doubt that this classically trained diva will keep us dancing all night with the rest of her album!

4. Regina Spektor - What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
This album title is so cute. It's kind of reminiscent of Lily's second album title, It's Not Me, It's You, but without the F.U. factor. Regina's said that she worked with Mike Elizondo, who also produced some tracks on her last record, Far, as well as having worked with Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg, and Fiona Apple. Ayayayayay! We can always count on Regina for some solid piano POP.

3. Ellie Goulding - Untitled
Interestingly, while her POP-contemporary Marina is going for "sonic=electronic" on Electra Heart, Ellie plans to strip down the production process for her next record. In the past, she stated that she wanted to find an unknown Swedish producer to work with - & we guess she has if the album is due out this year! Clearly, Ellie wants a creative partner who is eager and ego-less. Seeing as her debut, Lights, was POP and electronic, yet completely unlike any electro-POP out there, we're excited to see where her creativity will take her this time!

2. Madonna - M.D.N.A.
M.D.N.A. could equal - 1) Madonna 2) Madonna D.N.A. - Is Madonna's D.N.A. the best? She certainly thinks so. Clearly, she's a Darwinist. or 3) M.D.M.A. (the purest form of ecstasy), but replace the third "M" with "N" - how clever...Honestly? The album title sounds like Madonna is trying to be edgy and youthful, and we wish she would stop, because being younger isn't necessarily cooler. Just be yourself, Madonna! With that said, we're super excited for M.D.N.A. She's worked with William Orbit from her Ray of Light and Music days (those albums were fantastic!) and Martin Solveig, who produced Hello featuring Dragonette. We love that Madonna is still working with producers like Solveig who are on the cusp. She always does her best when she's setting the trends, rather than making them (although we did love the Hard Candy album.)

and our #1 most anticipated album is:

1. Marina & the Diamonds - Electra Heart

By now hopefully y'all know that Marina Diamandis is our muse. And yes, we feel a disconnect between Marina & her Diamonds, but both of us here at Unapologetically POP support Marina & her artwork wholeheartedly. Sonically electronic, lyrically innovative, & inspired by Greek mythology & Hollywood fantasy, Electra Heart is easily our most anticipated album of 2012. (Look Marina: WE RATED YOU HIGHER THAN MADONNA! )

Bring it on, 2012!


Unapologetically,


Gregory & Minna


PS - Did we miss anyone? Feel free to leave a comment below.

It's Time to SHAKE yo Bootyliciousness

Holler!

Two of our favorite divas have released comeback singles from their second albums. Florence & the Machine (Florence Welch) and Little Boots (Victoria Hesketh) both arrived in 2009, receiving BRIT Critics Choice Award nods and spots on the BBC Sound of 2009 Poll, with Florence winning the former and Little Boots topping the latter.

Ms. Welch debuted with Lungs, an epic album featuring intricate instrumentation, including LOTS of harp. If there existed an album that was the sonic equivalent of a cathedral, it would be Lungs (which makes sense, because if I'm not mistaken, it was recorded in one). Florence was the artist I wanted to like oh so much, with her cooler than cool (but really, hotter than hot) red hair and indie-soul flair. Every time I saw her in a music magazine, her shiny red locks were perfectly manicured, accompanied by glossy makeup and fantastic fashion (love your clothes, Hannah Marshall!). She just oozed "cool." May I say "cool" twenty more times? It's warranted when it comes to Florence. Her music was original, innovative, and of very high quality, but for some reason, it never completely satisfied me. Yes, I enjoyed (and still enjoy) the following songs: Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Girl With One Eye, Hurricane Drunk, and Swimming. The lyrics are gorgeous, the production is fresh yet simultaneously classic, girlfriend's performance and visuals are as energetic and glamorous as it gets, and her voice could knock someone out.

Still, something is a bit off for me, and I think it always will be. As good as Shake It Out sounds (it sounds SUPER), I have come to terms with the fact that Florence's music and I will never perfectly fit together. It's not her, it's me. I will always like (and often, REALLY like) her stuff, but will never love it (as much as I want to). As cool as I've aspired to be in the past, I'll forever remain the dorky gay Jewish boy from the burbs, and that's alright with me. However, that doesn't mean I won't enjoy her new album, Ceremonials. As expected, the cover is gorg, and I'm sure what's inside will be, as well. It's out today (Happy Halloween!), so go pick up a copy before digging your teeth into a 3 Musketeers.

I've liked Little Boots in a similar piecemeal fashion. A number of her songs are overly European for my Overprotected American ears, so I was initially resistant to her music. Little by little (pun unintended), though, the catchiness of her debut's tunes won me over. I LOVE Hearts Collide, which I included on our Spooky POP Playlist, Part 4. I also adore the Greg Kurstin produced New In Town (should totally have been released to American radio) and Earthquake, Stuck On Repeat, No Brakes (perfect for nighttime driving), etc., etc., etc. (this list could go on and on). With time, her music has severely grown on me. She's similar to Robyn in that she combines electronic music with emotional lyrics. Many people call Little Boots the new Kylie. I like Ms. Minogue, and I do think she's far more talented than people give her credit for (ACOUSTIC   PROOF), but Little Boots is on another level. She's a classically trained musician who writes her music on the piano before adding any electronic elements. Afterward, she takes everything further with her use of the Tenori-On, a new musical instrument designed by a Japanese artist (according to Wikipedia). Little Boots has said that most of the instruments we play are centuries old, so she incorporates the Tenori-On, both in production and live performance, as a way to move music forward and innovate. On another note, Victoria's fashion aesthetic seems to be more innate and creatively conjured than Kylie's.

Her new song, Shake ('Till Your Heart Breaks), is super trancey. It definitely leans toward the European side of the dance equation, so it will take me time to warm up to (I REALLY want to - just don't know if it will happen or not). I can totally imagine myself getting sweaty and sloppy to this song, but it's missing the over-the-top American chorus that I'm accustomed to. However, it's impeccably produced and definitely gets me excited about her material to come. While Florence toured Lungs for almost three years, visiting America multiple times, Little Boots cut her first North American tour short as all the traveling was wearing on her. (I'd be absolutely exhausted after two years of promotion, too. The human body can only handle so much.) She took a well-deserved break, and naturally gravitated back to songwriting. These days, the music making cycle is insanely hectic, with POP stars releasing a new album right after the release of the last single from their previous album. It's nice to see an artist writing songs at a more natural, enjoyable pace - when they actually feel inspired, rather than running on a pre-defined label schedule.

Anyhow, I'm excited to see what's to come from these two gals. I'll definitely be listening to Florence & the Machine's Ceremonials over the next year, feeling out the tracks and acclimating myself to them, and will surely do the same with Little Boots' new album when it's unveiled. Let us know which of their two comeback singles you'd rather SHAKE it to in our poll up above!

Unapologetically,

Gregory

Spooky POP Playlist, Part 4

18. Imogen Heap - Hide & Seek: You may recognize this tune from Jason Derulo's Whatcha Say. It's one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, and the video isn't hard on the eyes, either. The auto-tune used on Imogen's voice makes the track hauntingly beautiful. Usually, the software is blamed for draining music of its emotion, but in this case, it maximizes the ballad's gloomy atmosphere.

19. Bon Iver - Woods: This little masterpiece is extraordinarily similar to Imogen's Hide & Seek. In fact, that's the first song I thought of when I listened to Woods. Some of you may recognize this track as a sample in Kanye's Lost in the World off of his most recent album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Just like Ms. Heap's creation, this track is mysteriously dazzling. Justin Vernon (Bon Iver's real name) keeps repeating the same two lines throughout the whole song, "I'm up in the woods, I'm down on my mind / I'm building a sill to slow down the time." He most likely wrote them in reference to the time he spent composing his first album, For Emma, Forever Ago, in his father's Wisconsin cabin in the woods after suffering a heartbreak.

20. Oh Land - Wolf & I: I wrote about this track in detail here, but I'll provide a brief synopsis in case you missed it. It's a hauntingly simple love song in which Oh Land is the moon and the wolf is her lover. (Sometimes the wolf isn't so big and bad.) To know the rest, give the song a spin.

21. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream: Like many of Mr. Blake's songs, this one sounds like pure water. It's about self-doubt, which is often the scariest of sentiments. James coos, "I don't know about my dreams / I don't know about my dreaming anymore / All that I know is I'm falling, falling, falling, falling / Might as well fall in." 

22. Little Boots - Hearts Collide: This is a sparkly, spooky dance track. Its sound is simultaneously icy and warm. The lyrics are exquisite, "I don't mind being alone / Keep myself to myself / I walk the streets in the rain / And keep my head down." Everything about it, from the glistening production to Little Boots' wolf-like howls, is slightly spine-chilling.

23. Jennifer Lopez - Hypnotico: I figured I should end this portion of the list with a club banger, considering #18 - #22 could keep you in therapy for a month. Hypnotico, a bonus track co-written by GaGa and Akon on JLo's last album, Love?, is dark, dancey and sexy. My favorite line is, "Hungry for some yum, yum / Gonna get me some, some." Just listening to it, I want to work my way over to the club and get all sweaty. Enjoy!

And don't worry. We have more Spooky POP on the way to keep you HOT and HAUNTED.

Unapologetically,

Gregory