Best Of 2010: Top 35 singles

1. Robyn - Dancing On My Own (mp3 via Fluxblog)




2. Lady Gaga - Alejandro (mp3 via Nineteen Ninety Never)




3. Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé - Telephone (mp3 via MFR)




4. Rihanna - Rude Boy (mp3 via Culture Bully)




5. Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart




6. Drake feat. The-Dream - Shut It Down




7. Nicki Minaj feat. Eminem - Roman's Revenge (mp3 via Fluxblog)




8. Rihanna feat. Drake - What's My Name?




9. The-Dream - Yamaha (mp3 via dailybeatz)




10. Justin Bieber feat. Ludacris - Baby




11. Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Clock Opera remix) (mp3 via Neon Gold)




12. LIGHTS - Saviour (Adam Young remix) (mp3 via Ohinvertedworldclub)




13. Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are (mp3 via The Smoking Section)




14. Rihanna - Only Girl (In The World)




15. Katy Perry - Teenage Dream (mp3 via MFR)




16. Joe McElderry - Ambitions




17. Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A. (Yes Giantess remix) (mp3 via yesgiantess.tumblr.com)




18. Kyle Minougue - All The Lovers




19. The Temper Trap - Fader (The Knocks remix feat. Samuel) (mp3 via Neon Gold)




20. Usher feat. Pitbull - DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love




21. Yes Giantess - The Ruins (Fear Of Tigers remix) (mp3 via Neon Gold)




22. B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams - Airplanes (mp3 via The Smoking Section)




23. Ne-Yo - One In A Million




24. Ne-Yo - Beautiful Monster (mp3 via The Smoking Section)




25. Nicki Minaj - Your Love (mp3 via dipped in dollars)




26. Willow Smith - Whip My Hair (mp3 via Teenage Kicks)




27. Katy Perry - Firework




28. The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen (mp3 via indie rock cafe)




29. Usher (feat. Will.I.Am) - OMG




30. Robyn - Indestructible




31. The Naked And Famous - Young Blood (mp3 via Neon Gold)




32. Egyptian Hip Hop - Moon Crooner (mp3 via shattered satellite)




33. Kanye West feat. Pusha T - Runaway (mp3 via In Flex We Trust)




34. Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun (mp3 via The Music Ninja)




35. Ke$ha - Your Love Is My Drug (mp3 via MFR)

Best Of 2010: Top 25 albums

1. The-Dream - Love King (review)
2. Drake - Thank Me Later (review)
3. Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday (review)
4. Ne-Yo - Libra Scale (review)
5. ceo - White Magic (review)
6. These New Puritans - Hidden (review)
7. Robyn - Body Talk (review)
8. Fear Of Tigers - Cossus Snufsigalonica (review)
9. Zola Jesus - Stridulum II (review)
10. Rihanna - Loud (review)
11. Marina & The Diamonds - The Family Jewels (review)
12. Yes Giantess - Siren (review)
13. MGMT - Congratulations (review)
14. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (review)
15. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid (review)
16. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (review)
17. Kelis - Flesh Tone (review)
18. Hurts - Happiness (review)
19. Gucci Mane - The State vs. Radrid Davis (review)
20. Delorean - Subiza (review)
21. Usher - Raymond V Raymond (review)
22. Perfume Genius - Learning (review)
23. The Drums - The Drums (review)
24. Klaxons - Surfing The Void (review)
25. Owen Pallett - Heartland (review)

Best Of 2010: Top 5 concerts

1. Lady Gaga @ Pavilhão Atlântico (10th December)




2. Prince @ SBSR (18th July)




3. Pet Shop Boys @ SBSR (16th July)




4. Crystal Castles @ Coliseu dos Recreios (4th May)




5. Florence and The Machine @ Aula Magna (16th March)

Best of 2010: Top 5 videos

1. Lady Gaga feat. Beyoncé - Telephone




2. Kanye West - Runaway




3. MGMT - Flash Delirium




4. Lady Gaga - Alejandro




5. Rihanna - Rude Boy

Best Of 2010: Top 5 movies

1. A Single Man (dir. Tom Ford)




2. The Social Network (dir. David Fincher)




3. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (dir. Edgar Wright)




4. Inception (dir. Christopher Nolan)




5. Alice In Wonderland (dir. Tim Burton)

Happy Xmas everyone!

Tailor Swift - You Belong With Me (Yes Giantess Remix) (mp3)

Ne-Yo - Libra Scale

The biggest stigma for most male R&B singers of today is what I call the "Michael Jackson factor". It's always kinda difficult to escape comparisons with his legacy, and the truth is that, in most cases, the MJ influence really is there, be it in his trademark way of singing, the videos, the dance steps or even the clothes accessories.
It's hard to escape this line of thought when hearing Libra Scale in its entirety or when watching the genuinely cute video for One In A Million (see below), but in Ne-Yo's case, he does pass the test - and with much distinction. The reasons for this? Mostly because, even when he seems to be channeling Jackson's spirit, that influence is processed through a more modern and updated lens - and also without all the megalomania that comes when you start living in a parallel and artificial world created just for you. Add to this a genius talent as a songwriter, a voice that sounds as sincere as it gets, and a concept that is charmingly goofy (Libra Scale is loosely based around the adventures of three garbagemen who become superheros) and Ne-Yo's fourth album turns into the best definition of what an instant classic is. (9/10)

Ne-Yo - Beautiful Monster (mp3 via The Smoking Section)



Ne-Yo - One In A Million (video)



www.neyothegentleman.com
www.myspace.com/neyo

Nick Knight + Björk - To Lee With Love, Nick

Fashion photographer Nick Knight from SHOWstudio pays homage to the groundbreaking imagination of Lee Alexander McQueen in this video set up to a new Björk song (she was one of McQueen’s muses and closest friends). It is strikingly beautiful to watch, and Björk’s music score presents a compelling paradox of strenght vs. fragility with the minor horn chords warming up her voice as it gets stronger. An extraordinary moving way to celebrate McQueen’s impressive body of work.

Robyn - Body Talk

2010 was surely a great period for all Robyn fans out there, with all the amazing new gems she released throughout the year on the EP's Body Talk Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. And now it all comes to an end in the best way possible, with a full-length album containing 5 songs from each of those previous EP's, plus 5 new songs.
The singularity of Robyn has been much discussed already. She really is on a league of her own, with enough attributes to become a superstar but also maintaining her own peculiar individuality, something that probably comes from her scandinavian roots. And while her songs are mostly dancefloor-oriented, she is always able to lend that unique "Robyn-touch" to any Hi-NRG club track, transforming it into an over-emotional and highly personal anthem.
An impeccable ear for creating absurdly-catchy hooks and writing genius tongue-in-cheek lyrics does the rest: in the end, the fact that Body Talk sounds already like a greatest hits collection, and considering what came before, shouldn't really be much of a surprise to anyone, anymore. (9/10)

Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend (mp3 via Fluxblog)



www.robyn.com
www.myspace.com/robynmyspace

Indestructible

It’s no secret that Robyn is increasingly becoming one of the most interesting pop artists in the scene right now. And music videos like this one will only solidify her status as such. Here’s Indestructible, directed by Nils Ljunggren and Max Vitali. It somehow follows the concept of the installation Fluid Dress by Charlie Bucket and Ratatat. As the directors explain, it showcases a project that started over two years ago generating dynamic textiles made from liquid, air and vapor. 1.2 kilometres of transparent plumbing tubing was knitted with fishing wire to skin Robyn’s body. 40 litres of glycerol pumps through over a kilometre of tube, powered by drill pumps that connect to valves releasing air intermittently between the liquid. Gradient colors pulse through the tubes at different speeds, the effect is a living, breathing dynamic skin that traverses the landscape of the body. And the result is striking indeed.

Polaroids # 43 (MGMT)

(Picture taken on the 18th of December 2010 in Campo Pequeno, Lisbon, Portugal)

Polaroids # 42 (Lady Gaga ♥)

(Pictures taken on the 10th of December 2010 in Pavilhão Atlântico, Lisbon, Portugal)

Find your Jesus

Tonight the Monster Ball arrives here in Lisbon and I'm expecting nothing less than a life-changing experience (dear Gaga: sorry for putting so much pressure on your shoulders). To wet our appetite a bit more, here's an amazing video directed by Nick Knight, which serves as one of the interludes during the show. Notice how she manages to look so cool and stylish even when she's being puked on. Fierce!

Yes Giantess - Siren

Released a few months ago, the debut album from Boston natives Yes Giantess went by largely unnoticed, which is a shame, considering the amount of shining anthems it includes. The reasons for this happening kinda miss me out, but the truth is that these four guys have a real love for all things from the 80's, which in here sounds a bit like an anachronism, considering that the irony usually associated with that decade's revivalism (see: the last 10 years in music) is largely absent in Siren.
Sincerity is indeed the best form of flattery, and Yes Giantess take this old-saying by their hearts. From vintage synths to fuzzy beats, there's a lot of 80's nostalgia to be heard on these 10 tracks. But they aren't happy just to copy a whole decade into their sound: this sincerity actually allows them to be more than just a pastiche homage, and the fact that Siren seems so genuine - and almost heart-breaking - is more than just a coincidence. It was actually this same genuinity and irony-free attitude that turned their remix of Miley's Party In The USA into such a brilliant moment, and it does wonders again in here.
The rest is pure pop-gold: hyper-catchy melodies, glossy call-for-love shouts and blasting hands-in-the-air numbers, in one of the best 80's albums that the 80's has missed to see... with the aforementioned sincerity actually taking it to a more timeless spot.
In the end, with all those larger-than-life love-declarations heard throughout, one last question arrives: are Yes Giantess the most romantic guys out there? Or are they actually just trying to seduce us? We'll never know, but the spell actually works too damm well. (8,5/10)

Yes Giantess - Up And Down (mp3)



Yes Giantess - Demons (mp3)



www.myspace.com/yesgiantess

Teenagers will never sleep again

After some blog buzz over a free-for-download tune called Our Now, here’s 22-year-old musician/graphic designer Japayork’s proper debut single called Teenagers, out now via Popjustice. And what a delicious track it is! Described as a song about the “epic feeling of togetherness”, it’s basically a feel-good anthem about the healing power of music, drinks and friends over whatever is pissing you off. An euphoric synth-pop confection not too far away from The Sound Of Arrows, complete with a glorious chorus and mood-lifting beats. Japayork may be starting his career just now but he has everything to become a pop superstar as soon as a big label invests on him.



www.japayork.com
www.myspace.com/japayork

Here and now

Klaxons videos have been getting more and more out there, but this is insane: Twin Flames is nothing less than an artistic statement to take things into a whole new level. Basically, here's some batshit crazy weirdness from the purveyors of all things mythological... Or: when disturbing images become something strangely fascinating and, dare I say... beautiful? (NSFW)



http://www.klaxons.net
www.myspace.com/klaxons

Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday

After a couple of much-hyped-about mixtapes, it became clear to everyone with an ear that Nicki Minaj is a very gifted lady, capable of delivering crazily intense and over-the-top performances like an almost natural thing. But with her first proper debut album, she's now confusing everyone, or at least most of music critics, and actually getting more mixed reviews than anything else.
Well, to those less positive reviews I say: you're wrong! Yes, Pink Friday is not (only) a hip-hop album, which could be a shame because Nicki is indeed one of the greatest rappers currently out there, possessing an incendiary attitude that has already given us some legendary results (hear: Kanye West's track Monster and her show-stealing verse). But there's also much more to her than that and Pink Friday actually does us a good service in showcasing so many of her other multiple talents.
So there is, of course, some really awesome leftfield hip-hop moments (Roman's Revenge), but there's also more: from cute midtempo love songs (Your Love) to pure pop gold moments (Check It Out), this album does it all with an impressive range.
Best of all: everything sounds so gleeful, colorful and fresh, while she always seems genuinely excited for doing what she's doing. Result is never less than mind-blowing contagious. (9/10)

Nicki Minaj feat. Eminem - Roman's Revenge (mp3 via Fluxblog)



Nicki Minaj - Your Love (video)



mypinkfriday.com
www.myspace.com/nickiminaj

Polaroids # 41 (Janelle Monáe)

(Picture taken on the 4th of December 2010 in Teatro Tivoli, Lisbon, Portugal)

Polaroids # 40 (Zola Jesus)

(Picture taken on the 3rd of December 2010 in São Jorge cinema, Lisbon, Portugal)

Nothing to hide

Curious to know what a collaboration between Pharrell and Daft Punk would sound like? Now you can satisfy that curiosity - and I don't know how this has managed to skip my radar for so long! Here's the new single from N*E*R*D, co-written and produced by Daft Punk. Smooth and sexy track, just as the video.



n-e-r-d.com
http://www.myspace.com/nerdofficial

Rihanna - Loud

(or: a love letter to Rihanna)

Dear RiRi,

It's not only that you're so damm pretty. And I do forgive the fact that a couple of tracks in your new album sound a bit like average fillers. Because that is clearly compensated by a lot of other songs which, basically, are the best you've ever done.
You always seem so intelligent and down-to-earth that is really easy to identify with what you do, say, think and sing. And I will always love the way you're not afraid to take risks and make questionable choices just for the fun of it - guitar solos, yay!
Loud clearly sounds like a record where you just want to have fun again, following the dark tones of your previous Rated R, in which you obviously wanted to get something out of your system - and we all know what that something was and stand behind you for that.
Now it's back to business-as-usual and that is really great news, as in your hands, pop music is always destined to become solid gold. You know why? Because you have something indefinable and not common which can be summed up in a word: charisma. Or, using you're own - and already immortal - words: you're "such a fucking lady".

XOXO, PR

PS: love that red-colored hair!

Rihanna feat. Eminem - Love The Way You Lie - Part II (mp3 via Music-mashs)



Rihanna feat. Drake - What's My Name? (video)



rihannanow.com
www.myspace.com/rihanna