Weekend Supplement ~ 4th August 2012: Girl Group & Girls Catch Up

In girl group news, I appreciate that everyone is busy waiting for the Spice Girls to close the Olympics ceremony. I also think people are quite excited about the return of the Origi-babes and the impending 10th anniversary celebrations of Girls Aloud. Hurrah! The girl groups are back. But while those lazy daisies have been resting on their laurels, these feisty new offerings have been teasing & tantalising with splendiferous new sounds. Feast on these goodies (Note: one cheat - solo singer slotted in the middle because she is just so blooming amazing)!!

Concrete Rose ~ Polaroid/How To Kill A Ghost:

The delightful Concrete Rose have spent most of their rainy summer warming up & wowing the crowds as the opening act at Steps live shows. Not only do the girls look absolutely stunning, they know how to put together a slick dance routine and give the audience a show worth watching. Their music is equally as tantalising, making Concrete Rose the whole package and the real deal. Click the link above for their soundcloud page for a plethora of teasers to entice. My favourite has to be, however, the throbbing, fuzzy-electro, grime-infused pop of Polaroid. It's electrifying from those first down & dirty synths and pulsating base line. The lyrics are wildly inventive, representing the angst & pain caused by an errant lover - what the girls do well with their vocals is bring this to life, while still making it sound like a pop song; that is, they never go overwrought and the result is quite haunting & just a little bit menacing. The riff of "got you on -uh -uh -polaroid" is clever and catchy giving the tune it's necessary & memorable hook. (Do also check out the pounding magnificence of How To Kill A Ghost. It's a percolating pop-dance groove with an insistent beat & one of the most deliriously entertaining choruses I've heard all year). Concrete Rose are coming for you, pop pundits. Resistance is futile.

Belle ~ Sisters Anthem:

Well, Belle isn't exactly new, but they may well be new if you haven't been keeping up with tip top, top notch Swedish pop offerings. If you haven't heard her stunning new single, Sisters Anthem, then you are doing yourself a major disservice. Built around a shimmering beat & soaring synths, Belle delivers a fierce, powerful vocal about how together & united, girls are a formidable force to be reckoned with. She ably leads the melody of the song and launches into a fist-pumping chorus that invades the senses, captivates your rhythm and lifts your spirits. It really is the motivational, inspirational, feel good song of the year - what works really well about it is that lyrically it works on multiple levels. It could be sisterhood in general, a divorced woman with her friends, girls on a night out, or even a rousing chant for the LGBT community. Je t'adore. I defy you not to feel 100% amazing after listening to this song. PS, loving the dubstep breakdown around 2m20s & the rappy middle 8 is a proper gem. Now stand united and be undivided, because pop this good demands attention :)

Parade ~ Light Me Up:

Ooo, there's been a lot of buzz about Parade this week, particularly how Popjustice called their new song, Light Me Up, "brilliant". I have reviewed the evidence, consulted with my inner boogie and can now confirm that this statement is entirely merited. The single has all the elements required for a jolly good pop song - persistent drum beat, nice keyboard bouncing off the girls vocals, clever lyrics ("Light Me Up/You gotta smoke me like a cigarette and keep me burnin' burnin'") and of course, a filthy dubstep breakdown to keep things fresh during the middle 8. What stands out about this song is that it sounds quite organic. Of course there is some electro-pop wizardry in there, but the drums & the vocals give it a pure pop feel that makes it seem like it's being performed right in your living room. It's an exhilarating result and I can't wait to see what is next for them.

Top 21 singles of the week:

21 ~ Delta Goodrem, Dancing With A Broken Heart (NE)
20 ~ Madonna, Turn Up The Radio
19 ~ Jason Mraz, Living In The Moment
18 ~ Christopher, Colours
17 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Bubblegum Bitch
16 ~ Regina Spektor, Don't Leave Me
15 ~ Ola, I'm In Love
14 ~ Kylie, Timebomb
13 ~ Carly Rae Jepsen, Good Time
12 ~ fun. One Foot
11 ~ Little Mix, Wings
10 ~ Nicki Minaj, Pound The Alarm
09 ~ Mika, Celebrate
08 ~ Chantal Claret, Honey Honey
07 ~ P!nk, Blow Me (One Last Kiss)
06 ~ Pet Shop Boys, Winner
05 ~ No Doubt, Settle Down
04 ~ The Killers, Runaways
03 ~ Stooshe, Black Heart
02 ~ Maroon 5, One More Night
01 ~ Little Jackie, 21st Birthday Party (1 week)