This weeks music REVIEWS

This weeks music reviews 
Eurovision Takeover

Rita Ora - I Will Never Let You Down

Rita Ora looks to claim her 4th number one this Sunday after Hot Right Now, R.I.P and How We Do (Party). I Will Never Let You Down is taken from her forthcoming second studio album out later this year. It is produced by Calvin Harris.

I was excited to hear new material from Rita after adoring Hot Right Now and the underrated Radioactive, especially upon hearing that boyfriend Calvin Harris was producing it. I Will Never Let You Down is a simplistic yet endearing love song. The production really helps to carry the track along - with beats and synths that sound extremely summery. Quite the comeback. 

3.5/5

Common Linnets - Calm After the Storm

The Common Linnets were this years Eurovision Song Contest entry for The Netherlands. The pair came runners up and the song is the most successful track chart-wise in the U.K. - as it is already as high as #5 at the midweek stage.

Common Linnets really were the dark horse of the contest. Unlike most of the spectacles going on around them in the contest though, they instead opted for subtlety. The track is a relaxing delight, and the duo themselves present the track with such gorgeous harmonies. 

4/5

Conchita Wurst - Rise Like a Phoenix 

Conchita Wurst was this years Eurovision Song Contest entry for Austria. She won the entire competition with her track Rise Like a Phoenix, and it is currently #9 in the midweek U.K. charts.

Let's be honest, this only gained as much attention as it did because of Conchita's unorthodox appearance, but if you look past that, the song is actually rather impressive. The track oozes Bond-esque glamour with it's grandeur orchestral production and uplifting lyrics. It definitely sounds like such a huge song, worthy of a winning title.

3.5/5

Sanna Nielsen - Undo

Sanna Nielsen was this years Swedish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. Hotly tipped as a favourite, she didn't quite get there but her track Undo did manage to come third and is also at #24 in the U.K. midweek charts!

The first thought upon hearing Undo is that it's not all that dissimilar to Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. It's quite a predictable formula and it does take quite a while to get going, but when Sanna performed it live, she sang it like her life depended on it, making it far more impressive than the studio version which lacks as much oomph and emotion. 

3/5

Basim - Cliché Love Song

Basim was this years Eurovision Song Contest entrant for Denmark. He came 9th in the contest. He is 22 years old and previously was on the Danish version of the X Factor at age 15. Cliché Love Song is currently at #30 in the U.K. midweek chart.

This track is another entry this year that can be compared to another artist - as I was sensing extreme Bruno Mars vibes throughout this track. Although the track is rather simplistic and does contain rather cringe lyrics (see the one about Katy Perry for instance), it is extremely funky and the chorus is probably the most catchy chorus I've heard this entire year, I had it stuck in my head most of the night. Not quite a patch on last years Danish entry Emmelie De Forest's Only Teardrops though, that went on to win the contest.

3/5

Jade's Top 40 | 07.04.14

 1. Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau - Changes [2-1]
 2. Coldplay - Magic [12-5-4-2-1-2]
 3. Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX - Fancy [20-9-3]
 4. 5 Seconds Of Summer - She Looks So Perfect [20-4]
 5. Tove Lo ft. Hippie Sabotage - Stay High (Habits Remix) [10-3-5]
 6. Calvin Harris - Summer [20-6-5-6]
 7. Duke Dumont ft. Jax Jones - I Got U [12-8-3-1-1-4-7]
 8. Martin Garrix & Jay Hardway - Wizard [23-27-25-10-6-3-6-8]
 9. Klaxons - There Is No Other Time 
 10. Gorgon City ft. MNEK - Ready For Your Love [1-1-1-1-1-2-4-7-10]

 11. Katy B - Crying For No Reason [12-3-2-2-3-5-8-11]
 12. Rita Ora - I Will Never Let You Down 
 13. The Pretty Reckless - Heaven Knows [12-10-13]
 14. Avicii - Addicted to You [9-7-7-11-14]
 15. Lady Gaga - G.U.Y. [14-12-15]
 16. NONONO - Pumpin Blood [16-16]
 17. Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne - Rather Be [2-1-2-3-4-3-4-5-9-15-17]
 18. Shakira - Empire 
 19. Chris Malinchak - If U Got It [2-2-4-7-11-11-17-19]
 20. Karmin - Drifter [16-18-20]

 21. HAIM - If I Could Change Your Mind [14-21]
 22. Glee Cast - Toxic (Season 5) [18-19-22]
 23. James Arthur - Get Down [16-13-21-23]
 24. Ellie Goulding - Goodness Gracious [10-11-13-17-22-24]
 25. Little Mix - Word Up! [12-9-8-13-25]
 26. Vance Joy - Riptide [19-9-6-6-8-15-23-26]
 27. Foxes - Let Go For Tonight [7-13-14-19-24-27]
 28. John Legend - All Of Me [16-15-23-25-28]
 29. The Pierces - Believe In Me [26-29]
 30. Sigma - Nobody to Love 

 31. DVBBS & Borgeous ft. Tinie Tempah - Tsunami (Jump) [20-22-26-25-33-32-31]
 32. The Chainsmokers - #SELFIE [10-21-27-32]
 33. Beyonce ft. Jay-Z - Drunk In Love [18-9-4-5-4-5-5-8-12-22-28-33]
 34. Arches - There's a Place [35-37-40-34]
 35. Disclosure ft. Sasha Keable - Voices [2-4-8-11-13-15-17-24-29-35]
 36. Arctic Monkeys - Arabella [30-36]
 37. Kylie Minogue - Into The Blue [27-25-31-37]
 38. David Guetta ft. Skylar Grey - Shot Me Down [32-27-23-24-26-33-38]
 39. Shakira ft. Rihanna - Can't Remember to Forget You [17-15-10-11-14-18-27-34-39]
 40. Matrix & Futurebound ft. Max Marshall - Control [18-12-6-6-7-16-17-19-28-35-40]

Commentary

This week's chart sees a switch at the top - with last weeks number 1 Magic falling to #2, whilst last weeks number 2, is this weeks #1. The haunting sax-driven Changes by Faul & Wad Ad vs. Pnau spends it's first week atop my personal chart. Meanwhile, Fancy and She Looks So Perfect have jumped into the top 5 - with the latter turning out to be a huge guilty pleasure and growing on me enormously!

The highest new entry comes courtesy of Klaxons with There Is No Other Time debuting straight in the top ten at #9. This is much higher than what it charted officially - sadly missing out on the top 40 at #42 last week. This is already my second favourite Klaxons song, after the brilliant Golden Skans in 2007. They went for a much more dance feel for this song and it totally paid off! 

The next new entry is courtesy of Rita Ora with I Will  Never Let You Down at #12. Ora previewed the single recently, and is her latest one since last years Radioactive. It is produced by boyfriend Calvin Harris, and this wonderful production courtesy of him helps to carry the song along really well. It is a simplistic slice of pop that is sure to do well for Ora when it's impact date comes around. 

Next up is Empire by Shakira at #18. The track is totally something I wouldn't expect from Shakira but ultimately works so well. Her vocals are soaring and have never sounded better, and the whole event leads to an explosive finale. The only reason it isn't higher is because I do find some of the lyrics a bit iffy. 

Lastly, in at #30 is Sigma with Nobody to Love. Hotly tipped to be the official #1 this week (so expect a review come Wednesday!) I thought I'd better check it out, and found that I liked what I was hearing on first listen. The track features a studio vocalist singing the parts that Charlie Wilson sings in Kanye West's Bound 2, and being a huge fan of Bound 2, this version pales a little in comparison, but still puts it's own spin on it and is ultimately pretty impressive never the less.