Jedward - Bad Behaviour

"I've got a little problem that I can't seem to solve"

Jedward are back! After their Eurovision success of the fantastically catchy Lipstick, they're embarking on a complete album of original material. Now, this isn't exactly "real" music, but I don't care. Sometimes you just need something a little fun, and this has the potential to be the guilty pleasure of the year. The producers have used just enough autotune to make it sound like these guys can almost sing, and the boys have been surrounded by huge, blockbuster hooks. It's totally bubblegum, but I'd expect nothing less from Jedward. Now, if only the American X-Factor could find a novelty group with this much sticking power. After all, they've been (by far) the biggest successes of their season. Who would have thought? UMG is being real quick about taking down any trace of this song on the internet, so this is a video rip... not quite HQ.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the first album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Jedward - Lipstick

"She's got her lipstick on"

It's Eurovision week! More specifically, today is the first semifinal where roughly half of the acts for the final will be chosen. None of my favorites are in this round, but I'm still interested to see what happens. My favorite in the contest, though, is ex-X-Factor novelty twins Jedward and their ridiculously fun (and kinda stupid) Lipstick. Jedward have always entertained me, from their off-key antics on X-Factor to their train wreck of a reality show, but I never thought they'd actually record a song that I'd like. I don't know how they'll do in the contest (their live "vocals" leave much to be desired), but I think they'll either place really well or really poorly. There's no middle ground for an act like this. (fun fact: Ireland, the country these guys are representing, have won the contest more than any other country, including a three year (!) streak in the mid-90's)



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. If you like what you hear, support the artists. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Pop Blitz 2/3/10

Marina & The Diamonds - Hollywood
I'm still not entirely in love with Marina's voice, though that's more of a personal thing. However, the song's quite nice. Subtle in a way... it doesn't really hit you over the head the first time. It's a real grower. Hopefully that means longevity. B+

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
I'm not a country fan but I can see why this is taking America by storm right now. Somehow it sounds more like a big 80's ballad than anything. There's nothing like it on the radio right now. Very pretty. A-

Jedward - Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (ft. Vanilla Ice)
I'd probably hate this if I hadn't followed John & Edward on X-Factor. As it stands, it's a super fun slice of novelty pop. And it does the impossible: makes Vanilla Ice tolerable! B+

Pink - Glitter In The Air
Her performance at the Grammys catapulted this non-single to hit status and unearthed a buried gem. It's one of her most delicate ballads. Reminds me of the late 90's. A-

Black Eyed Peas - Imma Be
This is absolute crap, and represents the worst side of BEP. It's not a song. It's noise. The military could use it to drive Bin Laden out of hiding. F

Iyaz - Solo
Horrible. Basically, he took a classic song, changed the lyrics and sang it horribly. I can't believe that something like this could even be deemed radio-worthy. D-

Jason Derulo - In My Head
Maybe he won't be a one hit wonder, after all. This sounds a hell of a lot like Chris Brown, and possesses exactly 0% originality, but it's pretty catchy. Could've been a LOT worse. B