Weekend Supplement: Army of Lovers ~ Crucified 2013

While the news of a new Gravitonas EP this November (including an Army of Lovers duet - *SCREAM*) got me all teased and tantalised this week, instant gratification was received in the form of a brand new version of Army of Lovers 'Crucified', cunningly titled Crucified 2013. Now I'll take me some of the genius of Alexander Bard (of both groups) in any way, shape, form, when, were, place and position I can get him in, but news of one of my favourite tracks of ALL TIME getting a millenial shimmy had me tweaking my own nipples with glee. Because Crucified (in it's original form) is exactly that type of song - everytime I hear it, I feel like there's a sexual awakening within me. This song - in any version - is pop manna from heaven, all religious symbolism set to a funky pop beat served up like some delicious musical sermon. It was like Madonna's Like A Prayer black Jesus having kinky bondage sex with Pet Shop Boys' It's A Sin & Erasure's Drama while The London Boys watched, all trussed up & balls in mouths in the corner. The 2013 remake manages to keep that ever so, um, 'poetic' imagery and adds additional theatre, cabaret and drama to the tune making it feel more vibrant, alive and relevant than ever. Amped up synths accompany electrifying electro effects that almost literally shock the song back into existence from it's legendary status; everything seems a little more heightened, a little more vivid than before & gallops along at a peppy pace that draws out every sinful 'Footloose' urge in you to bump, grind and shimmy along til your heart's content. Add to this a deliciously evocative new middle 8 from Dominicka, & a new video clip that mixes the vintage with the reborn and I'm standing prostrate outside the Church of Army of Lovers screaming BAPTISE ME! Utterly glorious :) (As of course a whole plethora of remixes, my very favourite being the Soundfactory Edit. Saintly)...

Top 21 songs of the week:

21 ~ Asher Monroe, Hush Hush
20 ~ Agnetha Faltskog, Dance Your Pain Away
19 ~ Betty Who, You're In Love
18 ~ Scarlett's Roses, King of Hearts
17 ~ MKTO, Classic
16 ~ Lady Gaga, Applause
15 ~ The Killers, Shot In The Night
14 ~ Pet Shop Boys, Love Is A Bourgeois Construct
13 ~ Cher ft Lady Gaga, The Greatest Thing
12 ~ Ola, Jackie Kennedy
11 ~ Cars & Calories, Runner Up (NE)
10 ~ Satin Circus, If You Love Me (NE)
09 ~ The Feeling, Rescue
08 ~ Neverest, Rewind
07 ~ Celine Dion, Loved Me Back To Life
06 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Beautiful Life
05 ~ Eric Saade, Boomerang
04 ~ Agnetha, Faltskog, Back On Your Radio
03 ~ Robbie Williams, Go Gentle
02 ~ Sara Bareilles, Brave
01 ~ Ed Drewett, Blink (2 weeks)