Music has been embedded in my life ever since I was in the womb, my Mum and Dad basically raised me on music, especially POP music! I grew up listening to Madonna, Mariah Carey, Kylie Minogue, Spice Girls, Britney Spears and even AQUA and I’ve always been obsessed with Eurovison! I love sharing my favourite songs and album every month with the world from Scene HQ!
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Joost – Europapa
Joost Klein made Eurovision history this year, becoming the first act ever to be disqualified after reaching the Grand Final, just hours before the show began, which I was gutted about because this song has been living rent-free in my head (and it was one of the favourites too to win)!
Joost would’ve represented the Netherlands with Europapa which is basically a song reflecting on his personal journey, including the profound loss of his parents at a young age and him wanting to pay tribute to them. Joost said “Europapa is about an orphan who travels throughout Europe (and beyond) to find himself and tell his story. At first, people don’t recognise him, but he goes on seizing any opportunity he gets to let himself be seen. Europapa is a tribute to my father. When bringing me up, he passed on to me an expansive view of the world”.
Europapa is produced by Teun de Kruif (Tantu Beats), with a special contribution from DJ Paul Elstak, one of the founders of happy hardcore. Joost wrote the lyrics himself with input from his good friends Donnie and Tim Haars.
Loreen – Forever
Queen Loreen is back with new music and Forever is a vocal atmospheric trance BOP! I adore the futuristic vibes and her vocals just transcend.
Loreen said “In the first chapter of the story, which is Tattoo, you meet this entity – she’s male, she’s female, she’s everything,” says Loreen. “She comes from the earth, from the dust, and it’s very spiritual.” and “And now in the second chapter, Forever, there is an awakening. It’s about a moment where you’ve gone through all the earth and dust – you’ve gone through life – and you can see things clearly. You’re leaving all your illusions behind and you’re free.” Loreen really is on another level and she’s going on tour, click HERE for tickets-I’ve got my tickets already!
Billie Eilish – LUNCH
Wowowowow Katy Perry walked so Billie Eilish could run!
Billie has dropped her third studio album HIT ME HARD AND SOFT and lead single LUNCH which is such a queer anthem. Billie said “I wrote some of it before even doing anything with a girl, and then wrote the rest after. I’ve been in love with girls for my whole life, but I just didn’t understand until, last year, I realized I wanted my face in a vagina.” oh my.
Vanessa Williams – Legs (Keep Dancing)
Wilhelmina Slater oops I mean Vanessa Williams, the legendary star of stage, screen, and the music scene (ooooh that rhymed) is casually making a comeback with new music at 61 years old, her last song was in 2009-15 years ago so this is wayyyy overdue.
Nessa said “What a joy it is to be making new music behind the mike again with old friends,” and “There’s a certain comfort in creating new works in the studio while reminiscing about how so many years in this business have brought successes, excitement, and lasting memories. Always moving forward is what drives me. Every challenge is exciting. And more new music to share with my fans is the fuel that lights my fire.”
Apparently she’s putting the final touches on her first non-seasonal album too and will be released later this year-excited is an understatement.
Silvester Belt – Luktelk
Anyway back to the music! Luktelk is a bop but the lyrics probably don’t mean what you’d imagine. Silvester said “It sounds like a fun song, but it has this depressive side to it,” and the “The song is about being stuck in the limbo between two stages — of being alive and just existing. Sometimes in life you are stuck in this situation.” and “When we get stuck in our everyday tasks that repeat everyday, we can’t tell anymore whether we are in a dream, or in another dimension. It’s about generally not being happy, and only existing on the surface and it isn’t working anymore… [but] at the end of the day, we will wake up tomorrow and will still have to dance.”.
Eiffel 65 & Loredana Bertè – BESTIALE
Italian music legend and icon Loredana Berté (she’s a huge deal in Italy) has joined forces with Eiffel 65 (yep-I’m blue da ba dee da ba di) on new single BESTIALE. Combining Eiffel 65’s glistening pop production with Loredana’s powerful biting vocals, BESTIALE draws on each distinctive artist’s skill set to craft a unique, yet intoxicating production.
I bet this song will be blasting everywhere in Italy all summer and I’ll bring Italy to Brighton by blasting this song during every BBQ/house party I attend!
ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Lady Gaga – Chromatica
Lady Gaga‘s Chromatica era was everything we needed and more especially during the peak of the COVID pandemic, and now she’s finally dropped the highly anticipated concert film which follows Gaga during the Los Angeles stop of her 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour, which included both her biggest hits and new songs from her 2020 album Chromatica. I can’t believe lock down and Chromatica was released 4 years ago now!
The Chromatica Ball Tour was Mother Monster’s first all-stadium tour and I regret not attending but I’m so grateful for the concert film (even though we can’t actually watch it anywhere in the UK yet but Gaga said we will soon so sit tight little monsters)! Check out the official trailer in a bit to tide you over.
Oh and more good news, Gaga said she’s “in the studio every single day. I have written so many songs, I’ve been producing so many songs, and it’s nothing like anything that I’ve ever made before. I love to break genre and I love to explore music. There’s something really beautiful about knowing that you will be loved no matter what you do”. Omg it’s nothing like anything that she’s ever made before hey?!
Back to Chromatica-this was Gaga’s sixth studio album and it personally got me through lockdown (and a breakup eeeeep). The album features collabs with Ariana Grande, Elton John and Blackpink and is executive produced by BloodPop® and….Gaga.
I still listen to Chromatica religiously and NEED to get it on vinyl still actually!
When Chromatica dropped, Gaga said ““If you’re listening to this album and you’re suffering in any type of way, just know that that suffering within itself is a sign of your humanity and you are not broken. You are connected to the whole world and we are one giant body. We are one full entity,” and “the whole you is having a whole human experience and there might be parts of your life that feel completely shallow or robotic or ancillary and unimportant, and that’s okay, but that suffering is a sign that you’re real and it’s a way to ground yourself.”
My favourite tracks are Sine From Above (with Elton John, so should’ve been a single with an epic music video IMPO), Alice, 911, Plastic Doll, Sour Candy (with Blackpink), Replay, Rain On Me (with Ariana Grande), Fun Tonight, Free Woman, 1000 Doves oh and I even love the Chromatica I, Chromatica II and Chromatica III interludes because they’re so theatrical-I remember hearing them for the first time imagining Gaga using these on tour so I hope she does in the film-but yeah I love the whole album apart from only one song that I always skip (sorry Stupid Love).
Also, after all this time, Gaga was finally asked about a follow-up/continuation to her 2010 Telephone duet with Beyoncé (at the end of the iconic video it said “To be continued”!) and Gaga said “Whenever Beyoncé calls, I’d like to pick up the phone,” basically hinting for Bey to get in touch and that she’s up for a part two omg!
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