Enrique Iglesias // I Like It

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On first listen and without details of the songs/artists, you would be forgiven for thinking that it was anyone else but Enrique performing a track like this.

Taken from the forthcoming album Euphoria, I Like It is the first English track to be taken from it. Combining the sounds of Eurodisco and too much electronic vocals sadly gets tiresome quickly. Pitbull should be chained up and do his own thing instead of hijacking in other artist songs.

It has two saving graces however: one is that it will probably do well with the summer clubs. The second is the sampling of the classic Lionel Richie track All Night Long (which depending when you come into the song, you could be forgiven for thinking that All Night Long had been given a modern dance remix.

It’s not  song that you could listen to again and again, constantly on repeat. It’s has a short shelf life and likely to become one song that will fade when Summer turns to Autumn

Rating: 3/5

Lady Gaga // Alejandro

 

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Alejandro is the next single to be taken from The Fame Monster and is quite different from anything that you are likely to associate with the Lady of Gaga

Produced by RedOne (who has also worked with the likes of Alexandra Burke (Broken Heels) and Pixie Lott (Here We Go Again [Album track]) to name a few), this time Gaga has gone for a more Europop approach reminiscent of the 90's group Ace Of Base. It’s not your typical Gaga track (musically that is, the video is questionable) but it is likely to be one that is going to be one of the summer’s big anthems either in it’s original or remixed format.

Rating 5/5

K’naan // Wavin’ Flag

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You may just recognise this song from a certain drinks advert who are supporting the world cup. Yes this lovable little number is currently running on one of Coca Cola’s adverts to do with how goal celebrations began and how players/teams have since created their own throughout the years.

However, we deviate from the point here. This is not your typical football song. In fact, it in a way has nothing to do with football. It’s full of deep meaningful lyrics that read like the tale of Africa , where it has been and where it is going.  It’s a song of hope. Had it not been for the ad, then we might never have got to hear this little treat. It makes a difference from the usual football songs that come up time and time again when events like this show up. It’s probably going to end up being one of the more memorable of the games.

Rating: 5/5

Christina Aguilera // Bionic

 

Standard
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Deluxe
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Christina Aguilera returns with her latest offering in the form of Bionic. Fans will already have heard Not Myself Tonight, the first single from the album, but what in fact is on this?

The title track, Bionic opens the album and sets the sound for at least the next few tracks with the electronic sounds. Although it could be argued that maybe it would have been better as just an a short opening. Not Myself Tonight and WooHoo continue this electronic, futuristic sound. Glam sounds a little like something that Lady Gaga would release although lyrically it sounds a little Madonna-esque (is this what a Lady Gaga and Madonna child would sound like?). Prima Donna sounds more like the Christina that we know and love, possible cause the vocals haven't been too over produced a computer.

Lift Me Up brings into a series of ballads for the album, with All I Need almost sounding like a lullaby. I Hate Boys raises the tempo back up and brings it back in line with the start of the album, although again, My Girls and Vanity sound like something that Lady Gaga would release.

Overall, fans of Christina will probably be excited to see a release from her after 4 years. For the casual fan though, it may be too drastic a sound. It's sounds too much like the music already out there and doesn't seem to work with her voice. Is this a case of someone trying to hard to regain a position or someone trying to hard to prove that she can rival those who have come through in the time she's been away? Only time will tell how well this album will do and maybe she should do as her last album title suggested and go ‘Back To Basics’.

Rating: 3.5/5