About You Now - Snow Patrol

One of my favorite cover versions of all time is the Snow Patrol rendition of the Sugababes chart-topper 'About You Now'.

It isn't quite like the original up-tempo pop smash hit like the girls did it, but then again the whole point of covering a song is to do it in your own unique way. It's indeed one of the best covers out there!

I love how they made it more soulful! Sorry the video isn't all that cracked up to be about, but it's the best I could find! Enjoy!

My Favorites @ X Factor Season 6

First up is Stacey Solomon, the 19 year old single mother. She started the audition with a very wonderful audition of 'What a Wonderful World' and it was at that moment that she became my absolute favorite.

Her performance lacks the hoo-ha and jumping around, but her vocals are completely and utterly amazing. She covered Coldplay 'The Scientist' and it was such a surprising song choice. She's definitely the best of the group of this season. Do check her out!

Next up we have the 27 yr old teacher, Danyl Johnson. He's got an amazing voice, no doubt. But I have a feeling that he plays up abit in his performances and I have a very strong notion that his audition was choreographed or staged to some extent. He's the producers favorite to win and one of mine as well.

Oh and I love his dressing sense, but I'm not a fan of his song choices. He's a vocal power house for sure. I didn't immediately take a like to him but I can't deny it, his performances are simply too good.

I've saved the best for last for you guys! Coined as the Welsh Wonder is the 19 year old, Lucie Jones.

Opening her show page with the Whitney Houston classic 'I Will Always Love You' she blew everyone away. When she announced her song choice, I mentally thought she as gone. But by the time she had just gone through the first verse, she had me completely turned around.

Covered a Leona Lewis original 'Footprints In The Sand' on her first LIVE! performance and since then she's just gone better and better. Plus, she's really good looking!

Well these three happen to be my favorite from this season besides for John & Edward, but they are my favorite for a completely different reason.

Were They Even Thinking?!

In just the past 24 hours, my poor eyes were tortured twice. The first time it happened when I saw the cover art for Rihaan's new album 'Rated R' due for release on 23rd November.

Now I know she's going for a more dark and edgy feel on the album, but does it have to so dark that it looks bad. The emo Rihanna is so much-over done and plus it doesn't go with every person. Avril can pull that look off, so can Green Day. But Rihanna?!

I so don't know what transpired her to select that as the cover.

And if that wasn't enough, I got to see Adam Lambert's cover later during the day. And I was speechless!

I don't even know how to comment on it. The only thing I can say is that I won't be caught dead with that album in my hands. I wasn't a Glambert during the Idol run but I was looking forward to his album because there is some heavy talent involved in it's production. I hope the album has a better appeal to it!

Adam's album titled 'For Your Entertainment' is also set to be released on 23rd November along with Timbaland's 'Shock Value 2', Britney Spears' Singles Collection, Lil Wayne's 'Rebirth' and Susan Boyle's debut album. Hang in there!

Deliciously Bad!!

So I know there was supposed to be a post up about my X-Factor favorite from the on-going season. And I do have my favorites picked out but I just can't seem to find the time to put them up. But that post will be coming up the coming Thursday.

Right now I wanted to introduce you to another contestant, who happens another one of my favorites. The reason I'm posting this one before the others is because they are too good to be missed, and that is not because of their vocals.

By the alst para, you must have noticed that it's a plural. And yes, they are!

They are brothers! And not only that, but they are twin brothers. Going by the name of John and Edward, they have taken the entire show by storm and are most definitely the 'Most Talked' about contestants of the season.

Competing under the Group Category, they continue to delivers trainwrecks after plane crashes that are just so good to watch. It's a crazy guilty pleasure and I'm so looking forward to seeing them week after week. And I seriously hope they stick around till all the 'boring' contestants take a boot.

Don't forget to check them out next Sunday!

One - U2 & Mary J. Blige

One is one of my favorite songs! Infact the very first time I became addicted to it was it when Channel V premiered it's Mary J. Blige. The song originally took birth in 1992 but in 2006, One recorded along with Mary J. Blige as mentioned earlier as a part of the ONE Campaign by Bono.

The song recieved a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and has frequently been featured in the list for Greatest Songs of All Times. Enjoy!

Breakaway; Kelly Clarkson

Breakaway is the name of the most successful and most selling Idol album to date! Clarkson took a very different direction as compared to her debut effort, Thankful, this time around. Edging away from her mixture of pop and R&B, Clarkson made an effort to sound original and ventured into a fusion of pop music and rock. It was definitely one of her best decisions to date. The album earned numerous praise from critics, two Grammy awards and a whole new much wider fan base.

Clarkson worked with Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald, Mathew Gerrard, David Hodges, Kara Dioguardi, Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk while in production of the album. She also sat down with the Canadian singer, song-writer Avril Lavigne who wrote the starting track of the album, which also happens to share it's name with the title of the record. The tracklisting is as follows;

1. 
   
   
   Breakaway
   
   
   
   
2. 
   
   
   Since U Been Gone
   
   
   
   
3. 
   
   
   Behind These Hazel Eyes
   
   
   
   
4. 
   
   
   Because of You
   
   
   
   
5. 
   
   
   Gone
   
   
   
   
6. 
   
   
   Addicted
   
   
   
   
7. 
   
   
   Where Is Your Heart
   
   
   
   
8. 
   
   
   Walk Away
   
   
   
   
9. 
   
   
   You Found Me
   
   
   
   
10. 
    
    
    I Hate Myself for Loosing You
    
    
    
    
11. 
    
    
    Hear Me
    
    
    
    
12. 
    
    
    Beautiful Disaster ( Live )
    
    
    
    
13. 
    
    
    Miss Independent ( Bonus )
    
    
    
    
14. 
    
    
    Low ( Bonus )
    
    
    
    

It's really hard to pick a favorite among them and seriously I don't have a favorite either. All the tracks are extremely amazing and there is no way you can get tired of listening to them. It's been four years since it's release and this is another album that is still going strong on my personal charts. As I said earlier, it is the most successful Idol album to date.

'Breakaway', 'Where Is Your Heart' and 'Hear Me' display the softer side of Clarkson as she croons and falsettoes her way through these tracks. I love the piano work in 'Where Is Your Heart', it's so soothing and that is a mark of a Chantal Kreviazuk composition. It's absolutely breath-taking. Clarkson's vocals and harmonizing also shine during 'Breakaway', the song was featured in the OST of Princess Diaries 2; The Royal Engagement which was released about 6 months before the album's release.

Another ballad that is worth mentioning is 'Because Of You', the reason I took it to a seperate paragraph is that there is just something so surreal about this track. It is crazy awesome! Absolutely amazing! Highly captivating! One of the best songs ever by Clarkson in my humble opinion, I've also put down a LIVE! version of it on my blog previously. You can check that out here.

'Since U Been Gone', 'Behind These Hazel Eyes', 'Gone', 'Addicted', 'Walk Away', 'You Found Me' and 'I Hate Myself for Loosing You' are the songs with the rocker chick vibe to them. 'Since U Been Gone' won the Grammy award for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance". Along with 'Behind These Hazel Eyes' and 'You Found Me' it is a mix of pop and rock. 'Addicted' is a soulful rock track and is in no way any less awesome than the rest of the songs. Songs like 'Gone', 'Walk Away' and 'I Hate Myself for Loosing You' are completely hard-core rock tracks, where you find Clarkson bringing everything she has on to the place. And believe me, you will be more than just satisfied.

The last three tracks off the record include a LIVE! version of 'Beautiful Disaster' from her previous album Thankful. The other two tracks are also from the same album, and are featured as they seem to hold a glimmer of the same technique as that employed in the rock tracks of the record.

This album is most definitely one of the keeps. Do check it out!

Copyright © Saad Khan 2009 (Karachi, Pakistan; saadkhalidkhan@gmail.com)

Gaga about Gaga

Okay so I know ít's been a while since Lady Gaga has stepped into the music scene and taken it by storm. In just a matter of two singles, Lady Gaga was the hot topic on every forum. Whether it was because of her catchy songs with well-crafted lyrics and rythmic melodies or due to her bizzare fashion sense or how she varies her LIVE! performances or she stood up openly and proudly for the LGBT community. Lady Gaga has constantly been in the spot-light and deserves it as well.

Her debut album 'The Fame' released in 2008 became one of the best-selling and most successful album of that year. Spawning 'Pokeface', 'Just Dance' and 'Love Game' which creeped into nearly everybody's iPod. And this year she plans to re-release it with eight never-heard-before tracks, of which the first 'Bad Romance' has already hit the airwaves.

Now my fascination with Gaga was pretty crazy. Being a song-writer, her songs captured me instantly. Mainly because of her intriguing titles which completely threw me off guard and I just had to listen to it. And after just two complete listenings to the album, Gaga had me wrapped around her little finger. In other words, I was completely floored. And yes, I self-appointed myself as the Ambassador of Gaga in my college. I spread the word to who ever hung out with me long enough to listen.

And now with the re-release I mentioned earlier, I'm completely Gaga-fied! 'Bad Romance' is set to premiere on 19th, that is the coming Monday and I can't wait!

Yes, expect another post then. And now I'm going to leave you with the recent LIVE! performance by Lady Gaga at the Video Music Awards.

Enjoy!

This is Crazy Awesome!!

This song is so awesome!! Alexandra Burke was one of my favorite contestants from last year, I'm glad she won!! And ever since she won I have been waiting for her debut album to drop! And the moment is finally here, her album Overcome is set to be released on October 19th. Damn, I can't wait!!


Her album was the most anticipated for me in the month of October and don't even get me started on November! 
So many big names dropping in Carrie Underwood on 3rd. And then Kris Allen, Leona Lewis and Norah Jones all are slated for 17 th November. Also there is Adam Lambert set to take the world by storm on 24th! November is going to be phenomenal!!


Anyhow coming back to Alexandra, so her album is set to be released on 19th. But her first single 'Bad Boys' has already been  released and just last week she performed it on the X Factor Results show LIVE! 
She did an amazing performance! Seriously one of the best! And it has made me even more excited for her album! 19th October...why are you taking so long to get here?! 


Expect the album review to drop out soon after the record itself! And yes, there will another for the LIVE! performance of the week. This one is just a treat for you all. And I'm also putting down the official video down below. Do check out that as well if you haven't!


Also my favorites from this season of X Factor are about to go up! Be on the look out for them!  

Dance Love Pop; Agnes Carlsson

Agnes Carlsson is the winner of the second season of Swedish Idol and the most successful singer to be discovered in the singing competition. Dance Love Pop happens to be her third album and the first one that is being released and promoted in the US. I discovered her recently as well when a song from her was featured on another blog, you can check out the blog here. Do drop the guy a comment, he's got one of the most awesome blogs I've ever seen.

Coming back to Ms. Carlsson, she's is an amazing talent! And now she's my second favorite artist from Sweden, the first being the Cardigans. An awesome band who I will be posting about sooner or later, keep checking in.

Released in 2008, the album consists mostly of tracks that are a mix of pop or R&B with dance. Yes, that's right! Every single song on the album can become a dance floor anthem, even without any need of remixing it. But there a few ballads included as well, one of them being my favorite. The album consists of 10 tracks, one of which is in collaboration with Kara Dioguardi. The track listing is as follows;

1. Release Me
2. On and On
3. Love Me Senseless
4. How Do You Know
5. I Need You Now
6. Look At Me Now
7. Don't Pull Your Love Out
8. Open Up Your Eyes
9. Sometimes I Forget
10. Big Blue Wall

As very obvious from the title, the album is filled with love songs. 'Release Me', ' On and On', 'How Do You Know', 'Look At Me Now', 'Don't Pull Your Love Out' and 'Open Up Your Eyes' are complete dance anthems. 

'Release Me', 'How Do You Know' and 'Look At Me Now' are particular stand outs. The rhythm is extremely catchy and will have you moving in no time. Agnes vocals are somewhat reminiscent of a younger and more care free Mariah Carey without that ear shattering falsetto.

'Love Me Senseless' is an potential R&B  chart-toppers. Agnes has done an amazing job on it, especially towards the last portion of the song where she goes into a lower range for a moment or two and then slowly builds it back up to her normal range. 

'I Need You Now', 'Sometimes I Forget' and 'Big Blue Walls' are the few ballads from the album. The first of these three is a really worth listening. It's in tracks like these that you notice the raw talent in her voice, it's a completely stripped back track with minor instrumental involvement. It's amazing! And that's putting it mildly.

Dance Love Pop is a complete success and should definitely work amazing in promoting Agnes into the American Mainstream. She's doing a pretty good job, with the four singles she has released under the album.However only two have been blessed with a music video. And though 'Release Me' and 'On and On' had an already present music video, upon the launch of Dance Love Pop in US they made new music videos for both the songs. You can check out the new video of 'Release Me' and 'On and On' here.

Earlier this year, the Love Love Love Edition was released, it features seventeen tracks in total. There are seven new tracks, which are as follows;

1. Love Love Love
2. Love Love Love ( Extended Version )
3. On and On ( Anotha Ding-an Be-an Version )
4. On and On ( The Void Remix )
5. On and On ( Acoustic Version)
6. Release Me ( Pio Radio Remix )
7. Release Me ( Acoustic Version )

The extended version doesn't seem to offer much especially if your not a big fan of remixes of any kind. 'Love Love Love' which was Agnes's entry into the Eurovision Song Contest. This track is her best one yet. I'm completely in love with it and I'm telling to whoever I can that they should listen to it. So you guys, listen to it. There has been no music video released so I've included a LIVE! version for you guys over here.

'On and On ( Anotha Ding-an Be-An Version )' is definitely the lamest song on the entire disc and it hasn't appealed to me at all. In fact I'm slightly annoyed by it. The supposedly catchy hook is very irritating and very hard to block out.

The acoustic version of 'Release Me' and 'On and On' are decent enough. She proves her immense potential as a LIVE! performer in those two gems, worth lending an ear to. As for the remix, well they will do. I would have rather included some more brand new tracks. The extended version might be abit of a let down, but the original album is definitely one for the keeps.

And it's creepy how much she looks like Leona Lewis. Check this out!

Copyright © Saad Khan 2009 (Karachi, Pakistan; saadkhalidkhan@gmail.com)

Just Stand Up - Various Artist

Last year several female artists belonging to the genres of pop, R&B, country and rock gathered under banner of Stand Up To Cancer for the charity single, Just Stand Up.

Orginally the line-up included Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles, Keyshia Cole, Mary J. Blige, Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield, Leona Lewis, Ashanti, Ciara, Lee So Young, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge and LeAnn Rimes. But the last three could not appear in the LIVE! performance and Nichole Scherzinger taking on a few of their lines.

The song was a complete success and managed to not only raise alot of money but also gave them amazing promotion.

In my own humble opinion, the song is amazing! I love it! But I would not have placed Miley Cyrus in the line-up. Putting all the claims of her talent aside, her inexperience clearly showed. If they wanted to include someone for the tweenies, even Taylor Swift or Jordin Sparks could have done that and they would have definitely sounded much better.

Also I was pretty much surprised that artists like Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne and Kelly Clarkson were not featured. But never the less, it's a really good song and this week's LIVE! performance.

Have fun!

Copyright © Saad Khan 2009 (Karachi, Pakistan; saadkhalidkhan@gmail.com)

Hard Candy; Madonna

Madonna released her eleventh studio effort on April 25, 2008 under the title of Hard Candy. Mostly built around the purpose of dancing, the album features some of the grooviest tunes I've ever heard. Seriously, you just can't help but to dance!

Madonna is known for arranging her music, primarily around the genre of dance. However compared to her previous effort, Confessions on a Dance floor; this one feels a little less dance orientated. But do not mistake the quality! It's just as good if not better! Most of the tracks settle down with the listener immediately owing to their catchy rhythms, addictive hooks and Madonna's intoxicating vocals. The track listing is as below;

1. Candy Shop
2. 4 Minutes ft. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
3. Give It 2 Me
4. Heartbeat
5. Miles Away
6. She's Not Me
7. Incredible
8. Beat Goes On ft. Kanye West
9. Dance 2night
10. Spanish Lesson
11. Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
12. Voices
13. Ring My Bell (Bonus Track)

'4 Minutes' and 'Give It 2 Me' are two of the best songs from 2008 in my opinion. I heard them just once and I immediately went crazy after them. They both are up-tempo electro dance anthems, like most of the tracks on the album.

The R&B influence comes from songs like 'Voices', 'Spanish Lesson', 'She's Not Me' and 'Miles Away'. These are not as much electro as the other tracks and mostly display Madonna's stripped down vocals with background vocals. A particular stand out amongst these tracks is the song 'Spanish Lesson', there is just something so amazing about this track. This track is pure genius, in every aspect from song-writing to production. I was really surprised when this track was not released as a single. 'She's Not Me' is another shiner you need to lend your ear to.'

'Devil Wouldn't Recognize You' was the track which immediately caught my eye and later on my ears. The title is just so odd that it makes you curious. A smooth ballad walking along the lines R&B and pop, it's crazy awesome! There is a reason Madonna is celebrated world-wide and tracks like this and '4 Minutes' clearly explain why is that so!

'Candy Shop' is another worthwhile mention. It is clearly in sync with the theme of the album. Madonna sings about her diversity in music relating it to the sweet world of candy. And yes, it is as catchy as the rest!

There really isn't much to say about this creation. As most, if not all, Madonna album it's honed and toned to perfection. Of the two major dance album released last year, Madonna's Hard Candy definitely takes the cake!

Copyright © Saad Khan 2009 (Karachi, Pakistan; saadkhalidkhan@gmail.com)

I Did It!!

Okay so it's time for a post about moa!! As some of you or probably most of you maybe knowing that I had gone to States past summer for about three months. It was there that the idea of posting LIVE! videos had popped into my head.

The entire reason why I wanted to do so was because firstly I'm often looking at these videos online, I'm a big time YouTube Junkie! :D

Secondly many times it happens that artist change their songs up by a few words or in arrangement in order to give the audience a taste of something new, as it was noticed in the very first LIVE! video I posted of Jordin Sparks performing 'Battlefield' in the Jonas Brothers Concert.

And lastly, many times various artist sing songs by others with a twist of their own and then some sing it exactly it was sun originally (BORRRRINNGGG!!!). Anyhow most people do not come to know of this unless that particular video goes mega-popular.

So I decided that every week I'm going to be putting up one video, and more if I'm able to find the time and video as well. Howoever it became really hard to do so in Pakistan given that I'm busy with my studies and most importantly, videoes take forever over here to upload. I'm not kidding! They take forever!

And if that isn't bad enough, you can't do anything while they are being uploaded. Because if you do, there is a pretty good chance that you will be getting some error later on. Sick and tired of just sitting there, I decided to try embedding the videos.

Before I go any further, let me clarify one thing. I'm so not a computer person, the only time I scored good in the practical exams of Computer was during MS Office classes. Rest of the time, I flunked! Thank God, our computer grade was not accounted into the total grade.

So coming back to embedding, I was pretty much hopeless about it and I had nearly faced the fact that there will be no more LIVE! postings. But then I tried and OMG! OMG! OMG! I did it!

Hahahahaha, I'm not kidding guys! That was my exact reaction! I felt awesome! Infact way beyond awesome!

And I know this classifies as such a lame post but I felt like going ahead with it. Couldn't help it! Had to post it!

Listen - Beyonce

I had totally forgotten about this LIVE! version until I saw it yesterday on Channel V. And out went Cyndi Lauper's 'Time After Time' and came in 'L'isten' by Beyonce.

This has definitely got to be one of the best LIVE! performances ever by Beyonce. Don't get me wrong here, I love the booty humping, sassy Beyonce like any other red blooded male out there. But this one gets me most! :p

Hope you guys like it as much as I do...or more!!

Copyright © Saad Khan 2009 (Karachi, Pakistan; saadkhalidkhan@gmail.com)