Music Review: Now! That’s What I Call Music #86

Day 86 means Now! #86, which brings us to 18th November 2013.

November 2013
This is the way the world looked in November 2013 (actually December). I call this look ‘goth squeezes into too-small clothes and goes to a wedding’. Not a style highlight. Mum looks nice though!

On with the party season hits!

Now! That's What I Call Music #86
Track 1: Katy Perry – Roar

It’s nice and feelgood, but I find the tune a bit irritating and the theme too cheesy.

Track 2: OneRepublic – Counting Stars

Gorgeous tune, wonderful rhythm.  Love this one.

Track 3: Jason Derulo and 2 Chainz – Talk Dirty

It’s very danceable, with a great beat.  The trumpets are awesome too.

Track 4: Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop

This one is really irritating and a bit depressing.

Track 5: Avicii – Wake Me Up

The first of Avicii’s EDM-bluegrass crossovers.  Great stuff.

Track 6: Storm Queen – Look Right Through [MK Vocal Edit]

Boring dance track, very forgettable tune.

Track 7: Martin Garrix – Animals

This dance tune, on the other hand, is great!  Love the hook.

Track 8: Ellie Goulding – Burn

One of my favourites from this decade – it’s a stunning tune, and the atmosphere is beautiful.

Track 9: Drake and Majid Jordan – Hold On, We’re Going Home

Quite like the tune on this – there’s something a bit ’80s retro about it.  The video is apparently also set in 1985, although I have to say I never noticed that when watching it at the time!

Track 10: James Arthur – You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You

Moving decades, there’s a slight mid-century tinge to the intro of this rock-edged track.  The theme’s awful, but I quite like the song.

Track 11: Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?

A very welcome bit of rock in this pop/EDM/hip-hop dominated decade.  Good stuff.

Track 12: Lorde – Royals

I like the theme, but I’m not hugely keen on the tune, and it’s a bit slow for me.

Track 13: Foxes – Youth

Good atmosphere, but the tune’s really boring.

Track 14: Lady Gaga – Applause

Great track – I love the edge on this.  Another epic atmosphere.

Track 15: Bruno Mars – Gorilla

Again, there’s a great atmosphere on this, but it’s a little slow for me.

Track 16: One Direction – Best Song Ever

Horribly cheesy theme, generic tune.

Track 17: Jessie J – It’s My Party

Not a cover of the Lesley Gore song, despite the name.  It’s got a good beat, but the tune’s very uninspired.

Track 18: The Vamps – Can We Dance

It’s a bit of a generic pop-rock track, but I quite like it.

Track 19: Lawson – Juliet

Good atmosphere and slight reggae tinge!  Great to hear an actual interesting track from Lawson.

Track 20: The Wanted – Show Me Love (America)

Saccharine ballad, dull tune, though the chorus is okay.

Track 21: James Blunt – Bonfire Heart

Too acoustic-y for me, and the tune’s not very exciting.

Track 22: Lily Allen – Somewhere Only We Know

Melancholy piano cover of the Keane song, released to soundtrack the John Lewis Christmas advert for 2013.  As I mentioned when reviewing the Keane version on Now! #57, I actually prefer it to the original.

Track 23: Fatboy Slim, Riva Starr and Beardyman – Eat Sleep Rave Repeat [Calvin Harris Remix]

It’s perfectly danceable, but there’s not much of a tune.

Track 24: Calvin Harris and Ayah Marar – Thinking About You

Boring beat, boring tune.  Very generic track.

Track 25: Avicii – You Make Me

Repeated artist alert!  We’ve already had Avicii on track 5.

This one’s got some interesting instrumentals, but the tune on the vocals is a bit irritating.

Track 26: DJ Fresh, Diplo and Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake

Great beat – I really like this one.

Track 27: Klangkarussell and Will Heard – Sonnentanz (Sun Don’t Shine)

I find this kind of summer chillout electro really depressing.

Track 28: Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais – Summertime Sadness

Stunning tune, lovely melancholy theme.  Big fan of this.

Track 29: will.i.am and Leah McFall – Bang Bang

Awesome jazz-inspired track, released for the soundtrack of The Great Gatsby.  Really like this one.

Track 30: Ben Pearce – What I Might Do

There’s nothing exciting going on here – it’s very forgettable.

Track 31: Chase & Status and Moko – Count On Me

Very ’90s-tinged, which I appreciate, but the tune’s pretty bland.

Track 32: Tinie Tempah and John Martin – Children Of The Sun

I find the tune on the chorus a bit irritating, but the rap is good.

Track 33: Sean Paul – Other Side Of Love

Nice tune – quite like this one.

Track 34: Conor Maynard – R U Crazy

Great rhythm – happily nodding along here.

Track 35: Naughty Boy and Emeli Sandé – Lifted

Good beat, but the tune is boring.

Track 36: Rizzle Kicks – Lost Generation

Nice eerie atmosphere – good track.

Track 37: Ray Foxx and Rachel K Collier – Boom Boom (Heartbeat)

Nice tune, and the beat’s great once it gets going.

Track 38: John Newman – Cheating

Some interesting instrumentals going on here.

Track 39: Eliza Doolittle – Big When I Was Little

This one is insanely annoying – I actively dislike both the theme and the vocals.

Track 40: The Saturdays – Disco Love

Awesome classic pop feel, and great 20th century retro references throughout, with a highly recommended video to match!  I remember actually being quite spooked by the accuracy of the 1999 scene in the video, as the hair and makeup is so well done it gave me flashbacks.

Track 41: Wilkinson – Afterglow

I find this tune pretty bland and repetitive.

Track 42: Showtek, We Are Loud and Sonny Wilson – Booyah

Another one that’s pretty unmemorable.

Track 43: Dizzee Rascal and will.i.am – Something Really Bad

Repeated artist alert!  We’ve already had will.i.am on track 29.

Some interesting lines going on here – quite like this track.

Track 44: Ylvis – The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)

Daft novelty song.  Great tune, though.

Music Review: Now! That’s What I Call Music #85

Day 85 takes us to Now! #85, which was released on 22nd July 2013.

July 2013
This is how the world looked in July 2013. Geth and I were on a trip up to Edinburgh when one of those rare-for-Scotland 30°C days arrived, and the one thing I’d not packed was a swimsuit, so all I could do on this beach trip was paddle. Since then, I’ve packed one every time I’ve gone away during the summer, just in case.

I believe this was a good year for summer hits.  Let’s see if I’m remembering correctly.

Now! That's What I Call Music #85
Track 1: Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers – Get Lucky

Great feelgood funk track – love this tune.

Track 2: Robin Thicke, TI and Pharrell Williams – Blurred Lines

Repeated artist alert!  We’ve only just had Pharrell Williams on track 1.

This track…urgh.  Infamously and rightly banned by the University of Edinburgh student union, among various other music-playing organisations, because the lyrics are really rapey and gross.  The sad thing is that it would be a really great track if it weren’t for the lyrics, ’cause the tune is great and it’s really danceable.

Track 3: Passenger – Let Her Go

Gorgeous, introspective tune – really like this one.

Track 4: Justin Timberlake – Mirrors

Nice epic atmosphere, great track.

Track 5: Naughty Boy and Sam Smith – La La La

The theme is slightly irritating, but overall it’s an interesting song, which is unusual for an era where most things are really samey.

Track 6: Icona Pop and Charli XCX – I Love It

Great chant-along track – I’ve always really liked this one!

Track 7: John Newman – Love Me Again

Another song that I really like.  The instrumentals are great.

Track 8: Jason Derulo – The Other Side

Forgettable tune, but the chorus is nice and epic.

Track 9: Pink and Lily Allen – True Love

I find this one a bit cheesy and annoying.

Track 10: Taylor Swift – 22

Good solid pop track – very danceable.

Track 11: The Wanted – Walks Like Rihanna

Every time I run the Great North Run, I find that because it’s the biggest race in the UK and the biggest half marathon in the world – nearly 60,000 runners these days – there’s no shortage of characters to keep me entertained (and believe me, you need that when running along miles and miles of identical-looking motorway).  One guy runs the race with a portable karaoke machine, and last year, when I encountered him, he was doing this song – except he’d changed the lyrics to ‘I can’t sing, I can’t dance, but who cares, I run like Mo Farah‘.  It’s possible you had to be there, but I found it hilarious, and it really got me through the rest of the race.  Thanks for that, portable karaoke guy!

Anyway, it’s another solid pop song.

Track 12: Bruno Mars – Treasure

Bruno Mars still doing his 1980 pastiches – today he’s aping Michael Jackson.  Good stuff.

Track 13: Olly Murs – Dear Darlin’

This one’s a bit of a dull ballad, so I’m not keen.

Track 14: Demi Lovato – Heart Attack

Great song with an awesome epic chorus.  Love it.

Track 15: Selena Gomez – Come And Get It

Great tune – love the rhythm on this one.

Track 16: PJ & Duncan – Let’s Get Ready To Rhumble

’90s classic, back in the charts to raise money for Childline.  It actually got to number one this time round, probably because Ant & Dec had promised to perform it on Saturday Night Takeaway.  It’s still as enjoyably daft as it was in 1994.

Track 17: Iggy Azalea – Bounce

Good beat, but there’s not enough melody for me.

Track 18: Fuse ODG – Antenna

Love the rhythm on this one – very danceable.

Track 19: Nelly – Hey Porsche

The theme really irritates me, and the tune’s very uninspired.

Track 20: Paramore – Still Into You

Great tune, though the theme is a bit cheesy.

Track 21: Imagine Dragons – Radioactive

I was talking about this one yesterday when reviewing the identically-titled Rita Ora song.  On the whole it’s a bit dull, but it’s got a great chorus.

Track 22: Gabz – Lighters (The One)

Cringeworthy kiddie vocals, appallingly cheesy theme.  Just awful.

Track 23: Rudimental and Ella Eyre – Waiting All Night

Great beat, okay tune, but it’s pretty repetitive.

Track 24: Jessie J, Big Sean and Dizzee Rascal – Wild

Bland tune on the verses, but the chorus is okay.

Track 25: Duke Dumont and A*M*E – Need U (100%)

I find the vocals really irritating on this one.

Track 26: will.i.am and Justin Bieber – #thatPOWER

Very generic electro lines, boring tune.

Track 27: David Guetta, Ne-Yo and Akon – Play Hard

Great rhythm, great bassline, great Better Off Alone sample.  Annoying video, but you can’t have everything.

Track 28: Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding – I Need Your Love

I’ve always found the tune on this one very irritating.

Track 29: Pitbull and Christina Aguilera – Feel This Moment

Annoying, repetitive track, but the Take On Me interpolation is quite fun.

Track 30: Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash and John Martin – Reload

Boring dance track, very forgettable tune.

Track 31: Armin van Buuren and Trevor Guthrie – This Is What It Feels Like

Fairly bland dance song with an annoying chorus.

Track 32: Chase & Status and Louis Mattrs – Lost And Not Found

Nice atmosphere, but the vocals are really dull.

Track 33: Chris Malinchak – So Good To Me

Another boring tune, one of those ‘summer chillout’ tracks that were all the rage at the time.

Track 34: Disclosure and Eliza Doolittle – You And Me

Dull and forgettable.

Track 35: Breach – Jack

Very little melody in this – just drum machine, spoken word and fairly tuneless bassline – but at least it’s something different.

Track 36: Wiley, Angel and Tinchy Stryder – Lights On

Bland tune, but at least this one’s actually got a tune.  Very forgettable though.

Track 37: Dizzee Rascal and Robbie Williams – Goin’ Crazy

Repeated artist alert!  We’ve already had Dizzee Rascal on track 24.

Interesting rhythm, but again the tune’s very uninspired.

Track 38: Psy – Gentleman

Follow-up to Gangnam Style that obviously wasn’t anywhere near as memorable as the original.

Track 39: The 1975 – Chocolate

Love this tune – great instrumentals, great lyrics.

Track 40: Union J – Carry You

Saccharine and bland.

Track 41: The Saturdays – Gentleman

A slightly more standard song about a ‘gentleman‘ than Psy’s attempt above.  It’s actually quite edgy for the Saturdays, and I like the retro references in the lyrics.  Good stuff.

Track 42: Charlie Brown – On My Way

Slow ballad, not my thing.

Track 43: Tom Odell – Another Love

Lovely piano at the start, and it’s got a nice atmosphere – quite like this tune.

Track 44: Michael Bublé – It’s A Beautiful Day

Nice and upbeat, but the song’s a bit too cheesy for me.

Music Review: Now! That’s What I Call Music #77

Day 77 means Now! #77, which came out on 22nd November 2010.

November 2010
This is the way the world looked in November 2010. I was hoping when going back through these photos that we’d have the ‘newly engaged couple’ sparkle, but in all honesty, we both look awful – in those days our diet was a lot worse and neither of us did any exercise. I don’t think my scraped-back hair or Geth’s unshaven face are doing this picture any favours either. I do feel really happy that we’ve been able to get healthier and fitter together through running, even if that engagement ring is far too big for me now and I have to be extra careful it doesn’t slip off my finger.

Let’s have a listen to the Christmas party tunes of 2010.

Now! That's What I Call Music #77
Track 1: Rihanna – Only Girl (In The World)

Great piece of pop, awesomely danceable tune.

Track 2: Katy Perry – Firework

I appreciate the epic nature of this song, but I’ve always found the tune irritating.

Track 3: Cheryl – Promise This

Another danceable pop track with some great vocal hooks.

Track 4: Flo Rida and David Guetta – Club Can’t Handle Me

Pleasant enough, but the tune’s a bit forgettable.

Track 5: Cee Lo Green – Forget You

Great, powerful track with an awesome mid-century retro feel.  This song was everywhere in 2010.

Track 6: Taio Cruz – Dynamite

Brilliantly danceable tune with a great singalong chorus.

Track 7: Tinie Tempah and Eric Turner – Written In The Stars

I do like this tune – some lovely lines going on.

Track 8: Mike Posner – Cooler Than Me

Great rhythm, really interesting song.  Strangely, after this hit, Mike Posner disappeared from the charts for six years before showing up again in 2016 with the number one smash I Took A Pill In Ibiza (or just In Ibiza, if you’re listening to daytime radio).

Track 9: Enrique Iglesias and Nicole Scherzinger – Heartbeat

I like the piano bit, but the tune’s really boring.

Track 10: Usher and Pitbull – DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love

Good beat, and there’s a nice singalong chorus.  The verse is pretty generic though.

Track 11: The Wanted – All Time Low

Great tune, really like this one.

Track 12: Olly Murs – Please Don’t Let Me Go

Nice retro-sounding tune, but it’s a little saccharine for my liking.

Track 13: Eliza Doolittle – Pack Up

Great feelgood retro-tinged pop track.  Quite like this tune.

Track 14: Michael Bublé – Hollywood

Nice epic tune, great feelgood pop song.  Great track.

Track 15: Kylie Minogue – Get Outta My Way

Lovely tune, but the vocal line is a bit bland.

Track 16: The Saturdays and Flo Rida – Higher

Repeated artist alert!  We’ve already had Flo Rida on track 4.

This is quite a good tune, though – nice and upbeat.

Track 17: Roll Deep – Green Light

Good dance beat, great bassline, interesting rap, but the tune on the sung vocals is pretty bland.

Track 18: Ne-Yo – Beautiful Monster

Not keen on the theme, but the tune’s okay.

Track 19: Duck Sauce – Barbra Streisand

I’ve always had a soft spot for this daft dance track – Geth used to play it when we were doing Electrolicious Sundays at Mr Modos.

Track 20: Swedish House Mafia and Tinie Tempah – Miami 2 Ibiza

Repeated artist alert!  We’ve already had Tinie Tempah on track 7.

Great beat, and I love the rap on this.  Good track.

Track 21: Tinchy Stryder – In My System

Messy and dull – not keen on this one.

Track 22: Diana Vickers – My Wicked Heart

‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).

Quite an interesting track – like Florence & The Machine except exciting.  The tune could be a bit more pleasant, though.

Track 23: Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are

Super saccharine, as was standard for Bruno Mars during this era.  The tune’s nice, but it’s just too cheesy for me.

Track 24: B.o.B and Hayley Williams – Airplanes

Gorgeous atmosphere, really nice tune.

Track 25: The Script – For The First Time

Nauseatingly cheesy soft-rock – not my kind of thing at all.

Track 26: Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow – Shame

Daft duet to celebrate the former Take That bandmates being friends again after years of rivalry.  The Brokeback Mountain-esque video is also hilarious.

Track 27: Adele – Make You Feel My Love

Cover of the Bob Dylan song.  The vocals are gorgeous, but it’s just far too slow for my liking.

Track 28: Rumer – Slow

It certainly is slow.  Slow and impossibly dull.

Track 29: Shontelle – Impossible

I appreciate the power ballad stylings, but the tune is super annoying.

Track 30: Nelly – Just A Dream

Lovely guitar on the intro, and it’s got a good rhythm.  Quite like this one.

Track 31: Labrinth – Let The Sun Shine

Very pretty tune – great track.

Track 32: Travie McCoy and Bruno Mars – Billionaire

Repeated artist alert!  We’ve already had Bruno Mars on track 23.

Nice jaunty song to which we can all relate.  Good stuff.

Track 33: Alesha Dixon – Drummer Boy

As you might guess from the title, the drums on this are great.  The theme is a bit daft, though.

Track 34: Mark Ronson and The Business Intl – Bang Bang Bang

Good head-nodder, pleasant tune, though it’s a little repetitive.

Track 35: Brandon Flowers – Crossfire

Nice tune, but a bit slow for my liking.

Track 36: Mumford & Sons – The Cave

This one’s a bit too acoustic-y for my current tastes.

Track 37: Plan B – Prayin’

Good beat, good atmosphere.

Track 38: Jay Sean and Nicki Minaj – 2012 (It Ain’t The End)

Annoying, cheesy tune, and the theme is pretty daft (and will get more and more dated – who’s even going to remember the 2012 apocalypse prophecy in a couple of decades’ time?).

Track 39: N-Dubz – Best Behaviour

I find the tune a little too cheesy for my tastes, but I do like the bassline once the track gets going.

Track 40: Jason Derulo – What If

On hearing the first notes of the piano intro just now, I was like ‘whoa!  It’s Alone by Heart!’  Apparently this is not coincidental.  Other than that bit of interest, the song’s a bit boring.

Track 41: Pixie Lott – Broken Arrow

Too ballad-y for me, like most of the stuff off Pixie Lott’s first album.

Track 42: Joe McElderry – Ambitions

The vocals are too high-pitched and irritating for me, and the tune’s pretty uninspired.  It’s got quite a good beat though.

Track 43: McFly – Party Girl

Very messy track!  Far too much going on here, very jarring sound.

Track 44: Katy B – Katy On A Mission

Good danceable track – happily nodding along here.