Beyoncé // I Care
It seems like Beyoncé’s releasing another single, with Sony Music Italy confirming that “I Care” is the next track to be released from “4” over there. I’d take that with a pick of salt, since Sony posted that the track was the next song to be taken from, quote, “Beyoncé ‘s debut album 4”, but I’ll take any excuse to post about one of my favourite songs from that brilliantdebutalbum.
Co-wrote with Jeff Bhasker alongside Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, “I Care” opens with an ominous synthesizer, creating a very moody atmosphere, which links perfectly uinto the beautiful “I Miss You”. It’s this mood which really sets the tone for the album, as Beyoncé creates so much emotion not only through her voice, but through the album’s production and choice of instruments used throughout it.
Lyrically Beyoncé really hits the spot as well, with the opening line “I told you how you hurt me baby, but you don’t care”, as well as the song’s chorus being particularly blunt and cutting. With a handclap rhythm and a drum machine kicking in before the mammoth chorus, Beyoncé tackles neo-soul territory during the verses, before going into full R&B power ballad mode for the explosive chorus. This striving for musical quality, despite current trends is what pleased me most about Beyoncé’s album. She really brought those 80s funk and 90s R&B influences on this album. Combined with the lo-fi sounds of today, and I couldn’t be more happy that Beyoncé decided to separate herself from the pack.
The drums, percussion and piano on “I Care” are also a perfect example of the live feel Beyoncé was striving for with “4”. Combined with her more powerful, slightly more jagged vocals, everything sounds that bit more raw and natural to Beyoncé. And nothing shows Bee in her element than the final chorus. After that amazing guitar solo with Beyoncé giving it her all on the vocals runs, the final chorus is bigger than ever, with the choruses in general being very dramatic compared to the more subdued verses.
I’m not sure if Beyoncé will ever be able to top “4” for me. It’s a defining album, which represents everything that’s good about music, while highlighting everything that’s wrong about it right now. But whatever happens, this song is a testament to Beyoncé’s dedication to her art no doubt.
Sleigh Bells // Irreplaceable (Beyoncé Cover)
Covering a Beyoncé track is never an easy task. With one of the best voices in the business, it’s normally her vocals which make her songs her special. Florence + the Machine received a polarized response with their cover of “Halo”, which was oft praised for being a unique take on the song, but similarly criticised due to her Marmite vocals in the live lounge. So how have Sleigh Bells fared with their version of “Irreplaceable”?
Luckily the duo have some experience with the woman herself, after she wanted to work with them after loving their track “Kids”. The collaboration, which was put together never really worked out, but needless to say both artists are big fans of eachother’s work. But despite gaining praise from Beyoncé, Sleigh Bell’s cover of “Irreplaceable” is wildly different from their usual work.
Gone are the frantic pop noise and metal riffage, replaced by an acoustic and a watery, muted guitar. The watery vibes from the electric guitar give the song a very downbeat, 90s Nirvana-esque sound, which somehow works against Alice’s soft vocals. It’s a pretty subtle take on the song, but somehow they put a new twist on it without creating an abomination.
Nobody’s Beyoncé, I mean how could you be? But this is a darn good version of one of her tracks. It sounds nothing like the brilliant “Comeback Kid”, which I’ve been absolutely addicted to lately, but this Maida Vale performance shows a more mellow side to Sleigh Bells, which I surprisingly like.
Jay-Z // Glory [Feat. Blue Ivy Carter]
You read it right. Two days old and Blue Ivy Carter’s already running the game, getting a feature on her dad’s new track ‘Glory’.
Dedicated to the newborn babe, ‘Glory’ features beautiful lyrics from Jay who tells Blue that she’s “Everything that [he] prayed for” and “a pinch of Hov, a whole glass of B”. Phew. Produced by Pharrell Williams, who also provides backing vocals, the track has a certain warmth about it which reflects the joy you can hear in Jigga’s voice.
With the final lyrics “baby I paint the sky blue, my greatest creation was you” being followed by a gargling Blue Ivy Carter, this song is just too sweet for words. This was definitely the perfect way to welcome Lil’ B into the world.
I’d seen so many end of year countdowns in the last few months of 2011, but I like to wait until the year is fully over to do mine. This is a review of the year rather than a countdown, just because I’m really indecisive when it comes to ranking music and we’d be here until 2014 if I was posting it.
We’ll start with a review of my favourite albums of the year, in chronological order of when I got into them. After than I’ll do the mixtapes and EPs before moving onto the singles. Here goes nothing…
I started the year with some albums I’d gotten into during the Winter of 2010. Ellie Goulding’s ‘Lights’ is a fantastic folktronica record, filled with emotion that captured my attention for months upon months during the year. Similarly Two Door Cinema Club’s ‘Tourist History’ was a 2010 album I got into late and played throughout the year, with it’s jangly indie pop sound being one of the many soundtracks to my summer. Robyn’s ‘Body Talk’ trilogy finally grew on me as well, while the dreamy yet crazy sounds of the second ‘Crystal Castles’ album made for some strange running playlists during the year. I also continued to play many of my favourites from 2010, which included Kanye West, Drake, Jazmine Sullivan, Kelis, Kings Of Leon, General Fiasco, The Pretty Reckless and many more.
The first release of 2011 which I fell in love with was Adele’s ‘21’. I predicted it would be the biggest selling album in the UK as soon as I’d heard ‘Rolling In The Deep’, but never did I imagine the level of acclaim Adele would receive on a worldwide scale with her sophomore effort. It’s a record I can easily play from start the finish. The way Adele channels her heartbreak and depression on the album is so intense that it still sends shivers up my spine. This soulful LP made for many a past midnight listening session, and reignited an interest in real R&B/Pop music in 2011. Thank goodness for that.
January also saw me listening to two albums from very different ends of the dubstep genre. Working in dubstep sounds alongside drum ‘n’ bass and breakbeat, Chase & Status ‘No More Idols’ is a prime example of how good the British music scene was in 2011. From the grimy ‘Hitz’, to the atmospheric ‘Time’ (which introduced us to the talented Delilah), ‘No More Idols’ is sure to become a defining album of the UK music scene. On the other side of the spectrum, James Blake’s mixture of post-dubstep beats and R&B melodies on his self titled debut made for an introspective listen of an album which is as good as it is understated.
Avril Lavigne returned with new album ‘Goodbye Lullaby’ in February, and I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed as it’s not quite as good as her previous records. Most of the songs are a great by themselves, but after giving into produce from her record label to record more commercial material it does feel like an album of two halves, more than slightly disjointed in places. It’s nevertheless a great album with some great acoustic moments, and the amazing ‘Push which has Avril doing what she does best; being moody. Another great record which was released at the same time was Clare Maguire’s ‘Light After Dark’. Unfairly negatively reviewed by much of the music press, the album showcases Clare’s rich vocals in massive orchestral choruses, contrasted with an organic electropop production reminiscent of Ellie Goulding. Most of the songs had the a very similar structure, but if it ain’t broke, then why fix it?
After winning BBC’s sound of 2011 Jessie J sure had a lot to prove. With amazing singles and a great album sampler in 2010, ‘Who You Are’ was perhaps my most anticipated album of 2011. While hearing so much of the material before buying the album and having such high expectations may have dampened my opinion of the album at first, there’s no doubt that this record is one of my favourites of the year. Jessie mixed so many sounds on this album, which is both it’s strong point and it’s downfall. While the LP may lack focus, the sheer quality of the music justifies this, with Jessie’s vocals particularly shining on the slower tracks such as ‘Who You Are’ and ‘I Need This’. Personally I don’t think the album needed a re-release as there’s so much good material on it, but I guess she did need it to really make it in the US.
The Vaccines debut album ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ provided us with indie rock stompers with the most infectious melodies I’d heard from a guitar driven band in yonks. Most songs are just a short burst of energy, forcing you to listen again because it’s just so good. Meanwhile Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Lasers’ provided us with great verses as usual, although the production of most of the record was sub-par and Lupe was unhappy that his record label made him put a few songs he didn’t want on the LP’s tracklist. It was a still a pretty good album, but just nothing compared to his previous two.
Chris Brown’s ‘F.A.M.E.’ provided us with his best work yet, as he effortlessly combined smooth R&B tracks with a few dance numbers, minus most of the filler which plagued his previous records. The Michael Jackson sampling ‘She Ain’t You’ and Benny Benassi produced ‘Beautiful People’ are two songs which are possibly the best of his career, let alone the album. Another album I got into in March was Funeral Party’s ‘The Golden Age Of Knowhere’, an entirely accesible alternative record which has a very natural feeling about it, creating a strangely uplifting mood.
Katy B was the biggest underdog of the year, creating one of the highest quality albums of 2011 when I wasn’t expecting it at all. She’d had some great singles, but I didn’t think she’d create an album which brought underground electronic sounds to the mainstream and do it so well too. Incorporating a range of electronic subgenres (dubstep, garage, funky, jungle, drum and bass, house, the list goes on…) with 90s dance elements and contemporary R&B melodies, Katy’s sweet voice gives a particularly frank perspective on relationships and London’s nightlife. I can’t really give highlights, because this record has done the rare feat and have every single track gain five starts on my music library.
2011 also saw the release of Natalia Kills debut album ‘Perfectionist’. Previously going under a number of other names (anyone else remember Verbalicious?), the post-GaGa world seemed like the perfect opportunity for the public to embrace Natalia’s new persona. Sadly that wasn’t the case, but despite the album not living up to it’s title Kills did produce a much better album than Lady GaGa herself. Sure, there’s a few dull moments, and the record isn’t exactly are deep or “confrontational” as she’d have us believe - but there’s some great dark pop and industrial style records in there, with addictive choruses and cutting beats of tracks such as ‘Acid Annie’ and ‘Wonderland’ showing that she has a lot of potential.
The Foo Fighters returned in typical style with ‘Wasting Light’, a great album which seen the band more untamed than ever on raucous tracks such as possible highlight ‘White Limo’. Meanwhile The Wombats returned with ‘This Modern Glitch’, providing me a soundtrack to my Easter holidays. Filled with infectious melodies and nostalgic lyrics, the album made for the perfect festival set, with anthems such as ‘1996’ and ‘Techno Fan’ gaining even more life on the Glastonbury stage.
Tyler the Creator combined controversial lyrics with compelling beats in ‘Goblin’, an album with a distinctly messy feel which somehow worked as a whole. Meanwhile Wynter Gordon finally released her debut album ‘With The Music I Die’, filled with credible high energy dance tracks influenced by all eras of electronic music. Unfortunately it was all over too soon with a running time of just over half an hour, but album highlight ‘Still Getting Younger’ could be listened to on repeat for that length in all its sun soaked, 80 throwback goodness.
In June Beyoncé gave us ‘4’, which is undoubtedly my album of the year. Taking influence from 90s R&B, this album saw Beyoncé take a more uncommercial route and give me the album which I needed from her in 2011. She bucked mainstream trends, creating the music she wanted as she took us back not only to the 90s, but to the 70s and 80s with the never ending pitch changing ‘Love On Top’ and Prince inspired ‘Schoolin’ Life’. Atmospheric songs such as ‘I Care’ and ‘I Miss You’ saw Beyoncé balance understated neo-soul sounds with overwrought emotion, while slow burning power-ballad ‘1+1’ was immortalised after Jay-Z posted a video of his wife rehearsing the song in her dressing room. The sheer emotion contained in those vocals is what really makes the album, while the raw quality of Beyoncé’s vocals (which is also showcased in celebration of love ‘Countdown’) is what really makes this album. While the songwriting is her best yet, no other singer could do this record justice.
Bon Iver’s sophomore album switched things up, while still retaining that acoustic ethereal feeling which made the debut LP so good. Meanwhile Benjamin Francis Leftwich excelled in providing us with the best album of the year with his debut album ‘Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm’. Tracks such as ‘Box Of Stones’ and ‘Butterfly Culture’ are utterly gorgeous in their nature, setting the tone of the equally relaxing and atmospheric record. Another atmospheric album with a whole different sound is Jamie Woon’s ‘Mirrorwriting’. Combining folksy blues with low-key dubstep, Jamie manages to veer towards the sounds of James Blake and Jamie xx while still managing to distinguish himself as something individual. He’s got a little bit more melody and a bit less studio trickery, with his songs having a wonderful feeling of ‘space’ about them.
Mona gave us a great album, with their southern rock influenced debut having many an anthem fit for a stadium. If only they were bigger, then maybe they could achieve that. Another album which unfairly went under the radar was Amy Winehouse prodigy Dionne Bromfield’s ‘Good For The Soul’. At only fifteen the singer effortlessly combines motown sounds with soulful vocals and pop melodies, creating an album with the charm of youth, yet the craft of someone far beyond her years. But the award for the most underrated album of 2011 has to go to Cocknbullkid’s ‘Adulthood’. With clever lyrics wrapped up in beats which combine alternative R&B with lo-fi electropop, this record went so unnoticed that it didn’t even chart within the UK top 200, left alone 40. It’s a shame that Anita’s dark humour and alternative pop songs will be unheard by so many.
The Arctic Monkeys returned in 2011, giving me one of my favourite records of the year with ‘Suck It And See’. Taking inspiration from all three of their previous albums, the album combines the sporadic nature of the first two with the vintage Americana style of ‘Humbug’, creating their most accesible and pop LP album yet. Adding a re-worked version of ‘Piledriver Waltz’, a melancholic track found on Alex Turner’s ‘Submarine’ EP proved a wise idea, adding some more variation to the album while consequently fitting in seamlessly to the near perfect collection of songs.
Another highlight of 2011 was when Kanye and Jay-Z teamed up and finally gave us ‘Watch The Throne’. After the disappointing ‘H.A.M’ the duo stepped it up and combined their genius, creating a record filled with orchestral influences, clever samples and diverse lyrical topics, all while managing to stop the album from leaking; a new impossible feat nowadays. With a variety of styles of music on the LP ranging from soulful southern influenced tracks to dark urban sounds and a select guest list of quality features onboard including Beyoncé, Frank Ocean and Mr Hudson, ‘Watch The Throne’ ended up being almost as good as ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’. That was my absolute favourite album of 2010, so no doubt this record was massive for me.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers returned in 2011 with ‘I’m With You’. I must admit I was immediately disappointed with the album as I found some of the material forgettable, but it’s those moments which brought be back to the carefree vibes of ‘Californication’ which made this record worthy of being on this best albums list for me. However, Ed Sheeran more than impressed me with his debut ‘+’ album, putting the best tracks from his EPs alongside some new ones in what is a perfect amalgamation of acoustic and UK urban sounds. The whole album has a very lo-fi feel, with Eddie excelling when it comes to melodies and original lyrics in what is definitely one of the best debuts of 2011.
One surprise for me this year was Nicola Roberts’ ‘Cinderella’s Eyes’. I’d never even liked Girls Aloud, but once I heard the diplo produced ‘Beat Of My Drum’, which is more than reminiscent of Beyoncé’s ‘Run The World (Girls)’ I was definitely intrigued. Collaborating with many alternative acts on most of the songs, the album contains real substance as a result of Nicola’s negative press attention and subsequent depression, as well as infectious melodies contained in quirky alt-pop production. Nicola pushed her pop roots away, proving that she not only has credibility, but quite a bit of depth too her character too.
You Me At Six stuck to their guns, yet again releasing another great pop-punk albumwith catchy songs and plenty of emotion. It may not be much different from the rest of their material, but if they keep on producing consistently good albums then why change anything? On the other hand LIGHTS made a clear progression in terms of sound, with her second album ‘Siberia’. While it kept that airy innocence of her debut, it was a lot grittier, containing an unusual dubstep influence which somehow worked. Blink-182 also returned, giving us their first album in eight years with ‘Neighbourhoods’.After being initially disappointed after hearing comeback single ‘Up All Night’, I was pleasantly surprised when the LP captured the sound of previous albums, while progressing by taking a much darker approach to things than other albums.
Initially I didn’t think Foster the People’s ‘Torches’ was very good and that there wasn’t really very much good on it apart from ‘Pumped Up Kicks’. But this psychedelic indie-pop record finally grew on me, with the frantic ‘Miss You’ being the track which made everything just click with me. Another album which took a while to grow on me was Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Stronger’. Initially I thought it was too diluted and lacking on substance, but after a number of listens I’ve really been able to appreciate it as a good pop record. While it’s no ‘My December’, the album takes Kelly’s signature pop-rock style in a distinctly more soulful direction thanks to the live feel they captured in relation to her vocals. The songs do a good job at capturing Kelly’s personality, and while much of the album doesn’t sound as before, it’s those glimpses of reality (as well as the insanely catchy choruses) which make ‘Stronger’ another solid of listen.
In the battle of the brothers it’s one nil to Noel, as the debut album from Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds has ended up being far better than that of Beady Eye. Noel’s songwriting talents are more than proven (yet again), with this nostalgic record recapturing part of Oasis in their heyday with songs like ‘If I Had A Gun’ and ‘Dream On’. He’s already prepping new material for 2012, and if it’s anything as good as what we got this year then we’re in for a treat.
One of my favourite artists of 2010 returned, as Drake released his hotly anticipated ‘Take Care’. It definitely met expectations, being a clear successor to ‘Thank Me Later’ with it’s atmospheric low-key Hip-Hop and minimalist R&B sounds and seamless switching between rapping and singing. There’s a star studded guest list too, including André 3000, Lil’ Wayne (who released one of the worst albums this year), The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna, who also released a new album this year. ‘Talk That Talk’, Rihanna’s sixth studio album, is an album of two halves. One half is great - with songs such as ‘Drunk On Love’, ‘We Found Love’ and ‘Talk That Talk’ showcasing Rihanna’s ability of singing catchy songs which are on point musically and immaculately produced. However the other half shows the album’s real weakness, as songs such as ‘You Da One’ and ‘Farewell’ sounding tired and uninspired. It’s clear that with Rihanna releasing an album every year this album was rushed and put out half finished in an attempt to get hits. Luckily there’s an EPs worth of great material on ‘Talk That Talk’, maybe had she waited we’d have gotten something with a bit more substance.
Mary J. Blige gave us her best album since ‘The Breakthrough’ in 2011, with the follow up to the 1994 ‘My Life’ album. This reflection her life since then sees Mary tackle those Hip-Hop Soul up-tempos she does so well with maturity, while she can still portray vulnerability and strength in her heartbreaking ballads on the album. This was a contemporary R&B highlight of the year, failing to taint the legacy of ‘My Life’ as I feared it would. Another act who are reaching the big numbers when it comes to studio albums are The Black Keys, who released their seventh album ‘El Camino’ this year. With catchy seventies rock and roll hooks wrapped up in fuzzy guitar riffs, the band made quite the feat by creating what could be their best album so far into the career.
Rebecca Ferguson shocked us all by managing to create a critically acclaimed record despite her reality TV background. Co-writing each track on ‘Heaven’, Rebecca’s unique soulful tone is showcased on a variety of bluesy tracks ranging from the uptempo ‘Glitter & Gold’ to the reluctant ballad ‘Teach Me How To Be Loved’, which cover the relatable subjects of misleading relationships and heartbreak. However the truly heartbreaking event of 2011 was the death of Amy Winehouse. It’s not that I was shocked that it happened. I’d seen it coming, but I was still shocked when I realised that Amy wasn’t with us anymore. When they announced they were releasing a bunch of unreleased material, I couldn’t help but think this would be some quick cash in a la ‘Michael’. Thankfully ‘Lioness: Hidden Treasures’ gave music fans what they wanted. More Amy. We got Amy’s demos and unreleased tracks in a pretty raw form. No, it’s not a masterpiece like ‘Back To Black’ or ‘Frank’ - but it is a collection of songs which give us some hidden gems from Amy’s back catalogue which may have never seen the light of day. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Overall I’d say 2011 was a pretty good year in music. I wasn’t expecting to write this much, so I guess that really speaks for itself. Let’s hope that 2012 will be another great year in music. With albums from the likes of Yasmin, Maverick Sabre, Emeli Sandé, Lostprophets, Feeder and The Veronicas in the pipeline it definitely could be.
Beyoncé // End Of Time (RedTop Remix)
Beyoncé fans all over the world seem to have gotten an early Christmas present with release of nine ‘End Of Time’ remixes to soundcloud. Although it may not be officially confirmed yet, the fact that Beyoncé’s official soundcloud have uploaded all these remixes should reassure fans that this absolute beast of a track will get the video treatment.
Among those remixes is an amazing version of ‘End Of Time’, reworked by RedTop. Beginning with a funky guitar intro, this remix takes it back to the 70s, giving me real Michael Jackson/Jackson 5 vibes. Surely there’s a sample in there someone? The verses are filled with percussion and synths taking us back to the 80s, with New Jack sounds reminiscent of the work of Janet Jackson and Prince.
This was never going to meet the afrobeat epicness of the original, but boy does it come close. Mixing Beyoncé’s vocals with these sounds was a genius idea - they’ve actually managed to create something that would sit perfectly alongside the likes of “Schoolin’ Life”.
Beyoncé // Summertime [Feat. P. Diddy]
It may be the completely wrong time of year to post this, but this I’ve been spinning this hidden gem from Beyoncé all day, so I just had to post it.
Featured on her 2005 mixtape “Speak My Mind”, as well as previously on The Fighting Temptations soundtrack and taking up the role as the b-side to Crazy In Love, ‘Summertime’ is a track which pre-dates Beyoncé’s debut solo album. It’s laid back, breezy, with a catchy woodwind melody which is bound to be stuck in your head after a few minutes.
There’s a verse from P. Diddy on this track, despite the lyrics very much reflecting Beyoncé’s relationship with Jay-Z. Thankfully his laid back flow suits the vibe of the song, complementing it perfectly. This song really should have got more attention.
90s Flashback: Destiny’s Child // No No No (Part 2) [Feat. Wyclef Jean]
As soon as this came on the music channels came on the music channels a few days ago, I just knew I had to post it up here.
‘No No No’ was of course the debut single from Destiny’s Child, and is probably most known in its remix form. Known as Part 2, this version features Wyclef Jean of ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ fame (don’t worry, I’m joking y’all!) and a decidedly more Hip-Hop production compared to the R&B vibes of the original.
The oldschool Hip-Hop vibe of the track is laid back, yet the percussion just makes you wanna move. It’s a classic 90s track, which is an excellent example of the amazing harmonies Destiny’s Child were capable of. Plus, without this track we wouldn’t have superstars such as LeToya, Farrah Franklin, Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland. Plus some other chick called Beyoncé.
Beyoncé // Countdown (Reggae Rewind Remix)
I’m not gonna lie, bar the MK Ultra remix of ‘Why Don’t You Love Me’, we didn’t exactly get the best remixes from Beyoncé during the ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ era. Luckily with some stellar remixes of ‘Run The World (Girls)’ and now ‘Countdown’, Beyoncé seems to be back at offering her fans great remixes.
The Reggae Rewind remix of ‘Countdown’ puts a whole new spin on the track, giving it a laidback, bouncy and of course distinctly reggae feel. When I first heard about this I didn’t think it would work at all, but the bass undertones of this dancehall jam really do something for the song.
We mightn’t be getting something something quite as epic as the Freemasons remixes during the B’Day era, but this is a sure improvement over most of the remixes from Beyoncé’s last album, and a darn good song in its own right.
