Wearing your heart on your sleeve sounds like a noble and brave thing to do, a repudiation of hiding yourself away from the world and saying “Here I am. This is me and I’m proud of who I am.” It might be scary to do, but these five artists have Continue Reading
Music
#ChristmasInJuly Christmas album review redux: Warmer in the Winter by Lindsey Stirling
There are quite a few festive things that, right at home in the depth of a northern hemisphere winter, are almost comically out of place in a southern hemisphere summery Christmas. Take chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Or walking in a winter wonderland perhaps? Or even dashing through the Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #68: Phoenix, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Maggie Rogers, Betty Who, MUNA + new ABBA lyric video for “SOS”
It’s been a rough two years and an even rougher few weeks and I honestly I need some upbeat, effervescent pop joy in my life. Thankfully songs like the five in this post, which have come to my attention via YouTube, music blogs and Shazam-ing TV shows, means that the Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #67: Tove Lo, The Knocks, Khalid, Alesso, Lizzo + Kate Bush goes to #1 thanks to Stranger Things S4a
Music and lyrics go together beautifully. Hardly a seismic statement lyrically to remake history since d’uh of course they do, but there’s something about these five near-perfect songs that remind you how good it is when just-so lyrics meet perfectly-realised music. When that happens, and it’s not always a given, Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #66: Em Beihold, Chappell Roan, Pabllo Vittar, Alexandra Stan, Harry Styles
One of the many great things about listening to really good pop music is the way it can capture with three-minute eloquence and searingly honest insight what you’re feeling, what your life experiences have been or the state of your life. All those words you’ve been struggling to frame into Continue Reading
When everyone has left the stage … the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 grand final wrap-up
The Eurovision Song Contest is over for another year. It’s sad, as always, because if there is one thing Eurovision does better than just about any other event, it’s remind us that good and wonderful things still exist in the world. Beset as we are by war, climate change, rising Continue Reading
Whimsically powerful pop: My 5 favourite Eurovision songs of all time
Like a lot of people I have been watching the Eurovision Song Contest for a great many years. During that time, I have fallen in love with a great many songs – contrary to what the naysayers and trolls say the contest produces far more catchy songs than it does Continue Reading
Road to Eurovision 2022: Week 7 – The Big 5 – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom (grand final)
What is the Eurovision Song Contest?Started way back in 1956 as a way of drawing a fractured Europe back together with the healing power of music, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Concours Eurovision de la Chanson – the contest is telecast in both English and French – is open to Continue Reading
Songs, songs and more songs #65: Benji Lewis, Meltt, Hermitude, Jamie Lane and ODESZA
Life is loud. Life is big. Life is frantic. There’s a lot going on and sometimes all you want to do is sit back, soak in some beautiful music while still engaging your mind and let the reverie flow. These five thoughtfully talented artist deliver up transportive music, rich in Continue Reading
Road to Eurovision 2022: Week 6 – North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Sweden (semi-final 2, part 3) + Semi-final 2 top 10 picks
What is the Eurovision Song Contest?Started way back in 1956 as a way of drawing a fractured Europe back together with the healing power of music, the Eurovision Song Contest, or Concours Eurovision de la Chanson – the contest is telecast in both English and French – is open to Continue Reading