Dan Says – Week Twenty One

I’ve had a really nice week actually…

I had the honour of being invited to the Global Woman’s Awards at the lovely Hilton Tower Bridge… drank far too much champagne and red wine and ate the loveliest food alongside an array of speeches and celebration of different women who have achieved and overcome such adversities… one woman spoke of spousal abuse where her husband literally ripped off her nipple…we were all tearful. That was a pretty late night actually…didn’t get in until 1am.

Friday night was all about Aly & AJ. I’ve been a fan for many years and it was nice to watch their first UK show (well proper – they did a night club gig in 2007, but this was their first legit show).

Anitta – ‘Onda Diferente’ (Feat. Papatinho, Ludmilla, and Snoop Dogg)

Anitta is a Brazilian popstar that gives you everything you want in a popstar…she’s seductive, makes great music and is tri-lingual…yes…she sings in Portuguese, English and Spanish…‘Onda Diferente’ is a big collaboration between herself, Ludmilla (another Brazillian singer), producer Papatinho, and legendary rapper Snoop Dogg on this hypnotic track…The track is the femme fatale anthem and opens on this Kill Bill-esque dramatic beginning before turning into a trap-pop track that sees Anitta and Ludmilla spitting “Sai / Sai / Sai da minha frente” (get out, out, out my way)…The track is about 2 mad ladies…and I’m living for it!

Kris James – ‘I’ll Be Here’

‘I’ll Be Here’ is the third release from the Liverpudlian singer Kris James…the track appears to be a catchy, little ditty but underneath the synths and hypnotic vocals; Kris is reassuring to his friends/listeners struggling with their mental health and letting them know that he is there for them…The track is incredibly personal to Kris as he details how he suffered depression and struggled to speak to anybody about it…he overcame it and used his art to do so. The track is a catchy, little number and will certainly make you think.

Jacob Collier – ‘It Don’t Matter’ (Feat. JoJo)

Joanna Levesque continues to musically challenge herself 15 years+ into her career and this time; it’s the feature on this weird and wonderful Jacob Collier track ‘It Don’t Matter’. The track is all over the place musically – it’s got a swing, doo-wop vibe to it before turning into this weird alt-pop number on it’s outro (where JoJo’s voice goes beyond iconic)…it’s seriously wonderful and I can honestly say I’ve never heard anything like it…there’s even a saxophone breakdown in the middle…Truly remarkable and I’m hoping that on JoJo’s future works there will be this level of experimentation.

Allie Gonino – ‘Rodrigo’

‘Rodrigo’ is the gay ‘Jolene’. Simply put. The track has the sound of a Spanish romp as Allie details how her lover and herself find themselves in a pickle with a lothario Rodrigo, who makes a move on Allie’s man and he cannot resist himself…the track is great as it’s incredibly layered with subtext…we don’t meet Rodrigo until about 1 minute into the song however Allie creates an imagery of the lothario beforehand… “on the eve of the full moon” – an image where something or someone unexpected is going to come out and attack…“strolling down the boulevard / beneath the rainbow lights”…Allie here hints at the homosexual activity that is bound upon them….

When she first meets Rodrigo; she’s under the impression he’s after her and willing to give up “3 years in the making / gone in a single night”…but sadly for Allie, Rodrigo is taken with her man, and it seems the man is taken with Rodrigo too…and in a true, melodramatic style…we never find out what happens after when Rodrigo takes Allie’s boyfriend’s hand…The suspense will drive us to our end.

Conor Maynard – ‘Hate How Much I Love You’

‘Hate How Much I Love You’ serves as Conor’s first solo single in over 8 years…it’s slightly ironic that on his debut album he collabed with Rita Ora as both seemed to struggle getting newer music out (I would say had struggle getting their second album out but Conor’s second album was released 2 years ago and was a beige, covers album that probably took a day to record).

Conor has been M I A from original music for a while, so it’s a welcome return to hear ‘Hate How Much I Love You’ as it’s a sweet, little lovesick track…it’s not his best and I personally feel Conor needs to embrace his personality more inhis music, but it’s a nice return…I want more ‘Lighthouse’s and ‘This Is My Version’ though.

I’m so obsessed with ‘Big Little Lies’ and I’m so happy it’s back! Does anyone watch? Let me know your thoughts! No spoilers on ‘Stranger Things 3’ either! I haven’t started it yet!