I know it's cheesy as all get out, but I still adore the music video for "Greatest Day," the lead single for British group Take That's lead single for their latest album, The Circus; in everything, from the lighting due to the time of day it's set at to the arms-open-wide gestures to the moment when the group turns into sparks of light, it captures exactly how the song makes me feel. Reassuring, uplifting, feel good--take your pick of the adjectives, but Take That did it again.
Incidentally, if you set aside "Greatest Day" for a moment, the two best tracks on The Circus for me are "The Garden" and "Hold Up A Light." "How Did It Come To This" is slightly behind, followed by "Said It All" and "Up All Night" (maybe "Hello"). "Sleepwalking," a "Greatest Day" b-side, is also a real highlight from this era.
(Note: I was actually going to post the song this post is about, but apparently my Internet connection is so slow that even SpeedyShare can't manage to upload the song before the connection times out. For now, you can listen to it here, but I'll try to update this post tomorrow, if the connection is better then. Links for everything will get added in then, too.)
I was looking through my favorite singles of this year when it occurred to me that there really has been a shortage of good...for lack of a better phrase, non-electronically-created-sounding songs. That's something that's a little crushing for me for, much as I love the disco, the dance floor, synths, the whole shebang, that's not enough for me. As I mentioned not too long ago, there's this certain gentle uplifting pop-with-guitars sound I adore, that I just might clutch closer to me than any other type of music.
I think that's part of why I'm so glad the reformed Take That are around. Their (best) songs have this glow around them that I just want to soak in, that--cheesy as it sounds--get you to that place of sort of personal calm. Certainly not all of their songs are upbeat--most probably aren't directly so, in fact--but even as they make "grown up" music, they've managed to keep the melodies and accompanying production at the level where the songs can still reach you, something the Backstreet Boys of recent years have struggled when trying to achieve.
I'm not sure why, but I've apparently developed a bit of a thing for random Take That b-sides over the past few years. I'd say the one for "Greatest Day" is pretty great. Unlike, say, "We Love To Entertain You" or "Trouble With Me," it's the swoony ballady side of the group, but that melody, that orchestration...it's all sigh-worthy, a sigh of the good sort. The intended centerpoint is probably Gary's big high delivery of the title word, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the lovely guitar-and-piano part that kicks in around 0:16 and that closes out the middle 8.
To buy Take That's new single, go here (physical) or, as is more cost-efficient if you live outside the UK, preorder their new album, The Circus, here (physical)--it comes out December 2.
No joke--listen to a clip of his version of it via this site.
I mean, I guess stylistically it makes sense given his last album and I actually like Nick (would I buy "All In My Head"? Definitely yes), but this seems off to me. Maybe I'm just thrown off because I would have much preferred the original group getting a hit out of it here, but, much as you could say Nick's voice fits the song based on that clip (and I might have loved it if that was my introduction to it), it kind of feels like, in both voice and production, a lot of the song's elements that made it special--beyond that melody, of course--have just been...whitewashed out, sandpapered away.
Not only is today (technically tomorrow or Monday, but they're out digitally now due to time differences) a fairly brilliant day for British singles releases, it just so happens that the brilliance of three of those releases is enhanced by the dance routines in their music videos.
Same Difference's debut single "We R One," a bit like High School Musical crossed with Melodifestivalen, has been out for quite some time now, long enough to know that as a song it stands easily on its own two feet. The video, with its reaching-for-the-sky-and-jumping-inclusive dance routine, makes it just that little bit more exciting, though.
Even though I estimate there's a 55/45 chance Paul will come out of his vacation to post this video, I still feel obligated to post it for him: their performance from tonight's X Factor of said single. Confetti! That dance routine!
It's a relief, though, to know now for sure that George Sampson's sample-riffic "Get Up On The Dance Floor" survives without the (great) video accompanying it. It does benefit from being danced along with, though. I think possibly my favorite thing about the song is the way it teases you with the Yazoo sample before doing something else and then eventually coming back to it, using it in a really great way. Conveniently, the sample's return ties in with the best part of the video--starting with George breaking through a wall--if you're watching it. It's nice to know you don't have to be to enjoy the song, though.
Speaking of short but great songs with great videos, Frankmusik's "3 Little Words" (the Stuart Price-produced version) is out now, too. Sadly, EP track "Better Off As Two" (listen to a clip of it on PopJustice--it's the second one) doesn't seem to be available digitally, which is really tempting me to buy the physical EP (hence why I haven't purchased any of the tracks besides the main single yet). I've already praised "3 Little Words" and its video (as is true of both of the songs before this one, actually), but let me just say this again: brilliant exciting electronic pop with a video that only makes you love the song more.
Moving away from dance routines (sadly), Take That's new single "Greatest Day" is out as well. It comes accompanied by the great (that word's the motif of the day, apparently) b-side "Sleepwalking" (as well as album track "Here," which is apparently on some single version) and a performance on X Factor as well (with credit to Chart Rigger).
Still love the song, still love the cheesy video which perfectly captures the song's aura for me.
There's "Do Ya," that McFly single out, too, accompanied by "Stay With Me," a cover. I know I just posted this video, but for completion's sake, here it is again.
I'll still having trouble rallying up as much enthusiasm for this album as I want to be feeling (though there are some songs I love), but hopefully one day it'll just click.
FYI: Trixie of Karinski.net has just reviewed Take That's The Circus and says that, though "Greatest Day" is "relatively lacklustre," the album is "stunning." For elaboration, visit her site.
(Elements of this post have been sitting as a draft for quite some time, so not all of these links are to incredibly recent posts; that just means that they've stood the test of time, though.)
A few songs I was introduced by blogworld that I think are worth your time:
Poptasticposted "Watch This Space," a song from (the Paul-promoted British High-School-Musical-as-TV-series) Britannia High (watch the scene from the show below). It's a great pure pop song with a dance beat underneath the chorus.
PopJustice featured a clip of a song from Alesha's new album, "Let's Get Excited." It's more up-tempo than most of the sampler. Have I said on here that "Colours Of The Rainbow," the track her website is giving away, is enjoyable, too? It is.
#1 Hits From Another Planetwrote about Norwegian project Karatkorn's "The Distance In A Romance," which is lush dance/electro-pop--absolutely gorgeous. Kind of Kylie-esque, but that beautiful spacey side of Kylie, not the full-on disco rush, though it's not a slow song.
MuuMuseintroduced me to the latest music from Blake Lewis--he features on a Darude cover of "I Ran" by Flock of Seagulls. Take it for what it is, an opportunity to hear Blake's vocals on something--don't go in expecting something like his debut album.
Fizzy Popraved about the debut single from British duo Same Difference (and put it in proper pop history context), and with good reason--"We R One" is pure "pure pop" heaven, key change and all. A must-listen, definitely.
Don't Stop The Popintroduced me to Swedish singer Neo, whose song "Flower Power Supergirl"--poppy, uptempo, camp, catchy (not enough men making music like this)--is one I'm eagerly looking forward to being able to buy--album out this week! The same post also included a mention of Rosanna and her excellent song "Gameboy," with a promise to write more about it in the future.
On the non-introducing songs but still excellent front...
Ademwrote a fantastic review of Girls Aloud's "Out Of Control." I'll probably never get around to properly writing up my thoughts on even one of the songs off of it, but "The Loving Kind" and "Miss You Bow Wow" are my favorites at the moment.
Fabtastic Musicmade me wish Charlotte Perrelli would get to do a tour like a big US or UK act would.
Olga Loves Yuritook us on a tour of Norway with Annie.
XO's Middle Eightgives us more information about Take That's upcoming album, one which I'm very excited for (and I still love the video, cheese and all).
Pop Music Notes is such a welcome part of the pop blog scene--you'll read about artists there that aren't really being covered elsewhere (as well as some who are). John's also being making me really jealous by writing about all the concerts he's been to recently.
Gosh, you start on this and you just keep thinking of a million things you want to link to...best to continue later, though, or else no one will bother with any of this.
I know it's cheesy as all get out, but I still adore the music video for "Greatest Day," the lead single for British group Take That's lead single for their latest album, The Circus; in everything, from the lighting due to the time of day it's set at to the arms-open-wide gestures to the moment when the group turns into sparks of light, it captures exactly how the song makes me feel. Reassuring, uplifting, feel good--take your pick of the adjectives, but Take That did it again.
