It's a fairly old recording (by my standards; mid 2013) and thus shouldn't actually be included on this short list, but "Satisfaction Guaranteed" went almost unnoticed around the world (though it did reach #25 in Canada). That's why I decided to include the track, which has just now started to become popular on my chart.
"Satisfaction Guaranteed" is a huge dance infused pop track complete with strong vocals and a sickening beat. Hopefully it will eventually get the chance to reach clubs in the United States by the end of the year. Also of note, follow up track "Hurricane" is also worth taking a look at.
"West Coast" was a minor step up from her usual work (nothing major yet still very solid) and "Shades of Cool" was a decent yet awfully eerie attempt. That made me wonder: Is the Ultraviolence era going to get any better than this? The answer failed to reach my mind until the release of title track "Ultraviolence" this past week on iTunes.
The title track "Ultraviolence" is a major step up from anything else released during this album cycle (and it better than over 3/4 of all of Lana's officially released works). My initial thoughts were as follows:
"The chilling sounds of "Ultraviolence" are unimaginably exquisite. The banging, clashing drums of the track work surprisingly well with Lana's frozen over vocals. It's honestly one of her best tracks (in my opinion one of her top 3), as it includes a memorable, distinctive chorus as well as a beat that might appeal to more than just her core base of fans. This new sound is incredible! Let's hope she continues in this style!"
Calvin Harris - "Blame (feat. John Newman)"Following the enormous success of "Summer", Calvin Harris is finally back with another new track that will rock our summer harder than ever before. Who is he recruiting for this upcoming single? John Newman, the voice behind two top 20 CDS Music Chart Hot 50 hits (including the #6 peaking "Love Me Again"). This new recruiting comes after launching mega hits alongside stars like Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine, Ayah Marar, Kelis, Ne-Yo, Ellie Goulding, Rihanna, Tinie Tempah, Example and more. Most of Calvin Harris' entires have reached the top 10 (except for "Summer" which is still climbing (25-20)).
Sia - "Eye of the Needle"Sia started off 2013 with a large bang. "Chandelier" opened at #11 on the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 in its debut frame (though it subsequently dropped the most positions in history in its sophomore frame) and currently still ranks in the top 20 as of this week (it climbs 21-17). Now, Sia has continued to tease her fans by releasing a new promotional/official single from her forthcoming 1000 Forms of Fear record (due out July 8th).
"Eye of the Needle" isn't anywhere near the level of amazingness that "Chandelier" clocked in at, but it really shows off her vocals and songwriting chops which have taken a break from mainstream releases (the end of 2012 was the last time period that was dominated by releases penned by Sia).
At first, not much was thought about "Jungle", a collaboration track between Jamie N Commons and the X Ambassadors which saw release at the mouth of 2014. That is until popular Netflix TV show Orange Is the New Black started using it in all of their season 2 promotional ads.
It subsequently went viral and featured on a mini movie created by Beats (the headphone/music company) for the 2014 Brazilian World Cup, and eventually made its way to the US iTunes Top 100 most downloaded songs chart (at press time it sits at #63), benefiting extra from its al a carte price of $0.69, a bit more than half the cost of a normal priced release ($1.29). Though "Jungle" did not reach the CDS Music Chart Hot 50 on the recently released June 12th chart (it starts just below the list at #61), it is likely to crack the Hot 50 for the week dated June 19th.
It's not quite as good as "Ultraviolence" (listed a few songs above), but "Brooklyn Baby" is another clear win for Lana Del Rey. It's strong, it's vibrant and it feels more upbeat and enjoyable to the average listener. It feels like it could have some serious crossover potential (though the thought of that probably makes most "true Lana fans" want to barf), similar to what we saw happen to "Summertime Sadness". Oh, and just to clarify: the Cedric Gervais remix didn't "ruin" Lana Del Rey or her image. If anything it made more people appreciate her music; it broadened her fan base.
Anyway, here are some more thoughts about "Brooklyn Baby" taken straight from my upcoming Ultraviolence album review.
"Similar to my opinion of "Ultraviolence" (the album's title track), I believe "Brooklyn Baby" is one of Lana's best tracks. It feels less dreary than her other recent outings ("Shades of Cool" most notably) and it's bound to be a US alternative/pop hit. Hopefully, the general public will embrace this amazing track and help propel it to success on both radio and on streaming services."
Come back to vote for your favorite tracks of the week tomorrow and for more new posts throughout the rest of the week!
No comments :
Post a Comment