Sys Bjerre feat. UFO, "Ta dig sammen": Sys Bjerre is a female singer-songwriter who makes songs with a summery lilt to them but often with melancholic undercurrents--maybe Lily Allen (mainly first album, but touches of the second) meets Veronica Maggio, though that's pretty off. I should really write something about her debut album, released in the fall of last year, at some point, but let's ignore it for a second because her new single, part of a Coca-Cola promotion, is a departure from her earlier sound. That's no surprise, though: it's produced by Thomas Troelsen and, though not fully in his traditional style, mixes Sys Bjerre's summer singer-songwriter pop with Troelsen's beats--here more '90s percussion than '80s synths--to great effect, creating, along with UFO's raps and some hip-hop influence, an end result that is perfect for this time of year. Download it for free, completely legally, here; click "ja" to say that you're over 18 and "Download sommerens hit" should be right in front of you. A click there will bring up a zip containing the mp3.Mohamed Ali, "Rocket": the third place finisher on Danish X Factor's debut single is this vaguely RedOne-inspired pop song. It's not something for him to go international with, but fans of international pop may find it a pleasant addition to their summer playlist, though Mohamed's youthful voice and the song's style mean its demographics will probably skew young. Listen to it on YouTube here and buy it here (digital).
Thomas Holm, "Nitten": male singer-songwriter with a keyboard riff meets electro in this comedic song about poor Thomas's bad luck (though don't let that title, which translates to "Nineteen," somehow lead you into expecting the singer to sound like a boy--Thomas's deep-ish voice is that of a man). Been meaning to write about this one for a while, but it's one that has kept slipping through the cracks: it's not instantly exciting, but it has something special about it that sticks with you and makes you come back to it. Listen to it on YouTube here and buy it digitally here.Joey Moe, "Yo Yo": a song I wouldn't recommend everyone reading this rush to listen to, but if you enjoy your bleepy electro-influenced R&B, you might like "Yo Yo." It's probably trying to be on the edgy side but falls more towards trashy fun. Listen to it on YouTube here or here and buy it here (digitally).
