My life is fairly hectic at least this month. I am trying to balance two jobs, this blog and an addiction to Arkham Origins (I need to clock in eight hours a day or I begin hyperventilating – you guys were feeling sorry for me right up until that moment, weren’t you?). Well, I have found myself depending on music, as it sometimes becomes a life-saver and keeps me going when I am struggling to meet endless deadlines (must silent takedown Bane before 6!!!). Out of all of these songs, a few of them I have found myself looping back to again and again, keeping them on repeat. I thought I would share some of them with you today.
5 – COUNTING STARS – ONE REPUBLIC
Where the hell did these guys come from? They brought out a decent hit with ‘Apologise’, but let’s be honest, they were one-hit wonders. They did some other stuff, but no one really cared too much. And then they just came out with this amazing piece of music:
It sounds like the Wanted, but if the Wanted had some form of talent. It is a total different song to the stuff their last album came out with. And it is so good. The music is so catchy; you will listen to it once and have it pounding around your head for the rest of the day. Understandably, it shot straight to the charts and stayed there, daring anyone to come close to taking them off the top spot. And, seeing as they eventually were, that is a pretty good segue into the next entry.
4 – NEW EMINEM
Eminem’s new album just came out and of course, it was jumped upon by anyone that has ever loved the artist. There are several great songs in it, mainly the link above. Rihanna and Eminem reunite with amazing results. While it doesn’t quite have the power of ‘Love the Way You Lie’, it feels more fun and will probably find a more wide-spread audience that their previous duet. Sadly, there are other songs on the album that don’t quite work.
The actual rap from Eminem is as good as ever here. As ever he is on form and you can feel the power and emotion in the vocals. He has more fun here as well, which is always good too. The chorus is also quite catchy and easy to listen to. But the two sides of the song don’t synch. The bridge doesn’t work and creates a distorted experience that becomes really difficult to relax into. This song is good, but slaps you in the face continuously.
3 – GWEN STEFANI
I have no idea where my sudden love for Gwen Stefani came from. I love No Doubt so much, but I have never really understood her as a solo artist. However, recently, I heard ‘Cool’ at work and I really enjoyed it. Maybe it’s the part of me that has just come out of a relationship, so I enjoy the message of the song. It isn’t really catchy and not really unique in any way, so now I am able to relate to the song, it is suddenly a really decent and mature song that I cannot get enough of.
Liking Cool made me explore other Gwen Stefani efforts. While it is easy to see how I could fall in love with a serious song, I never thought I would like her lighter efforts. To me, songs like ‘What are You Waiting For?’ and ‘Rich Girl’ are no different than any other solo female star around at the time, which is a shame when you are a member of one of the greatest 90s bands out there. However, I really liked ‘Luxurious’, which is ironic, as it is the most forgettable one that I can remember. I usually have these two Gwen Stefani tracks on repeat on my iTunes, when I am getting ready for an early day at work (and psyching myself up for taking on the Penguin).
2 – LADY GAGA
Lady Gaga’s new album is also out and hidden inside are some great new tracks, like ‘Applause’ and this song, which is quite frankly amazing.
However, this song made me have a look back at her older stuff, which I found myself really enjoying. Lady Gaga has such a discography to her name and she hasn’t really been around that long. I have found myself digging through her older stuff and finding myself really enjoying her excellent vocals and the great dancing. Some people get weirded out by the Gaga, but personally I think she could be one of the more exciting things in the music industry right now.
1 – EAT SLEEP RAVE REPEAT
And there is this song. It is amazing. It is music defined. It is God.
Oracle of Film 