Feed Limmy

A high brow look at pop music foolery.

Paulini ‘Fireman’ Music Video

Gurl, I di’nt know you could get down like that. Hillsong, how your angels get down like that?

Ring the alarm! One of our beloved Young Divas is back in the game and this time she’s unapologetically scorching up the speakers and screens. Let me present now, the redefinition of Paulini Curuenavuli.

This new dance-inflected single – ‘Fireman’ – finally sees Paulini stepping out and delivering some much needed ferocity. I don’t know about y’guys but when I hit play and clocked her stepping out in that curve-embracing vinyl dress, my jaws just dropped and I thought, “dayum, woman! You finally reached into the back of that closet and pulled out your freakum dress.”

Everything about the ‘Fireman’ era, from the more commercial pop direction and sexier visual presentation, is shaping up to be a bold step forward for the terribly underrated Aussie singer.

“Baby, I’m calling for you!”

Paulini‘s loyal gay fan base has been hungry for years, desperate for the girl to render them stellar vocals to some club-ready cuts. I know we all wished she had launched her comeback last year with Wildboyz‘s ‘Touching A Stranger’ - a stunning vocal house track Paulini co-wrote and sang on that was released as a single without any “feature” credit to her – but ‘Fireman’ is pretty acceptable too.

I kind of approach this song in the guilty manner I take Kelly Rowland‘s ‘Down For Whatever’. It’s predictable dance/pop beats with a bit of sass and heat we’ve all heard before – but it’s just so wildly engaging, you can’t help but want to drop your bag of groceries and strut to it?

‘Fireman’ brings on some devastating Eurodance beats, a vocal performance that gives moments in every section, and a positively jumping hook – and that, kings and queens, is all you need to consider.

“There’s so much body going on.”

I don’t even know why y’all bothered reading all of the above when you’re really here to watch our girl get wet and grind with her entourage of topless, hunky firemen.

This is the first video where I feel like Paulini‘s actually making an effort to step out of her comfort zone and break free from the sweet, maxi dress-wearing image she’s left us with since the Superwoman era. She’s not only serving more skin, but there’s also a proper attempt at choreography and some video vixenry in front of the wind machine.

Just like it was with her former bandmate Ricki-Lee‘s ‘Raining Diamonds’ extravaganza, ‘Fireman’ brings us a promise of a more energetic, more visually stimulating new era in Paulini‘s music and performance style.

Watch the video for Paulini‘s sizzling new single ‘Fireman’ Update: so it seems like the Vimeo clip of ‘Fireman’ has been removed after Paulini herself retweeted a fan blog post with it. Donna is not impressed.

I suppose we’ll all twiddle our thumbs until the girl puts up something on her official YouTube account or website.

Footnotes:

Paulini will release ‘Fireman’ sometime in February and her long-awaited third solo album is expected to drop this year. Stay tuned.

Chart Feed – 23.01.12

Blink and you’ll miss it – Foster The People‘s ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ gets yanked from the #1 spot in Australia after just one week on top.

Homegrown indie pop princess Sia is starting to clock some real hits now as a feature creature. Her collabo with Flo Rida ‘Wild Ones’ goes #1 in Australia, making this her first ever chart topper. Meanwhile over in the UK, her collabo with David Guetta – ‘Titanium’ – breaks into the Top 3.

Elsewhere, Adele continues to sell over 100,000 copies a week in America while the arse end of the US Top 10 gives us the lowest weekly sales since 1991. Plus, UK X Factor siren Rebecca Ferguson delays her second single, which now puts her in direct competition with 2011 series runner up Marcus Collins‘ debut. What’s the tea there?

Find out more in this week’s Chart Feed:

Read the rest of this entry »

Gabriella Cilmi returns with ‘Vicious Love’

One of my favourite scrubs from the Aussie pop hemisphere is back – sadly without them camp-as-tits disco beats. So hide your mirror balls and lines of cocaine because Gabriella Cilmi is keeping it sober and organic this time around.

The gorgeous Melbourne-born girl first caught our attention a few years back when – at the sweet age of 16 – she broke out with her debut single ‘Sweet About Me’. The song went #1 in Australia and became the third-biggest selling single in the country of 2008.

After a flawless, but albeit momentary, foray into disco pop on her sophomore album Ten, the 20-year old has now reverted to a more organic and rootsy style.

‘Vicious Love’ is the first taste of Gabi‘s forthcoming third, yet-untitled studio album. Take a look at the low-key music video she has uploaded for it:

 

Stylistically, ‘Vicious Love’ sounds dreamier than anything you’ve heard the girl do before. It’s a nice closer track for an acoustic set one might perform at a cafeteria, I suppose? You can definitely hear greater strength and control in Gabi’s voice too when she’s singing in the higher register.

Personally, I preferred it when Ms Cilmi took a risk with her disco pop album. I know on paper making straight up pop may seem like an easy way out for an artist of her standing, but really y’all need to study the quality she was serving on Ten.

The lush intergalactic 80s ballads ‘Robots’ and ‘Love Me Cos You Want To’ (which was co-written by Ellie Goulding) are simply timeless. There was nothing easy or sell out-ish about servicing disco beats and Bee Gees-style falsettos on tracks like ‘Hearts Don’t Lie’ or doing a bit of Donna Summer for the present century in ‘Superhot’. I feel like most of Ten was more inspired and captured a greater deal of imagination than something like ‘Vicious Love’.

I don’t wish to look back on Gabriella Cilmi‘s discography in five years time and find that Ten was her one and only foray into intelligent, fun pop. Basically, Ten cannot end up like the 0304 of Jewel‘s career – brief moment of colourful, quality pop followed by slabs of beige until the end of time.

Footnotes:

Stay tuned for more from Gabriella Cilmi in 2012 as she readies her third studio album.

It’ll be interesting to see if ‘Vicious Love’ does end up becoming her first single or if it’s just unleashed as a buzz track. My money’s on the latter.

Emeli Sandé ‘Next To Me’ Music Video

If this is the kinda quality you’re working with for your third single then, gurl, go right ahead and help yourself to that trophy.

Emeli Sandé has every reason to act like she’s dat bitch. The Scottish soul/R&B songwriter is off to a rather promising start with her solo career. Yes, she’s foremost known for featuring on Roll Deep‘s ‘Never Be Your Woman’ and Professor Green‘s ‘Read All About It’, the UK #1 hit that’s currently rising up the Australian ARIA Top 100 – but unlike most rent-a-vocalists, Ms Sandé‘s own material is solid enough to build a bankable career on.

‘Next To Me’ is possibly her most accessible release to date and given how close we are to the album drop date, putting out the more straightforward radio-ready track now might not be such a bad idea. Even though Sandé‘s last two singles – ‘Heaven’ and ‘Daddy’ – were great staples of modern soul, they’re nowhere near catchy or straightforward enough to be proper radio hits.

I’m not advocating for folks to dumb down their music – especially not when they’re as effective a songwriter as Emeli Sandé. All I’m saying is that, ‘Next To Me’ has the potential to reach further and appeal to a wider range of listeners than her more introspective first two singles.

‘Next To Me’ hears the Scottish chanteuse sing of a good man who’s faithful and who’s always there to support her. You know, it’s uplifting and inviting enough as it is without considering the lovely, driving soul music. Production wise, ‘Next To Me’ is a capable contemporary mix of Motown, urban and even a touch of gospel.

Enough about that. What about the video?

Ms Emeli is thankfully not testing our gag reflexes with saccharine depictions of a lovely couple enjoying a cosy night in on the couch.

‘Next To Me’ is a drastically low-key compared to her first two videos which were all flavoured with a bit of drama, grit and street realness. The completely in-studio production featuring a scene in a warehouse with two spotlights over a drummer and Emeli on piano really drives home the song’s simple message of companionship.

Colouration becomes a big deal in this video because there’s really nothing much on set to distract you. You’ll notice the contrasting switch from warm, earthy tones in Emeli‘s wardrobe in the scene with her male drummer to the glossy, V Magazine-ready bright colours of her solo shot. That to me symbolises the grounded, natural and homely state she’s in whenever she’s “next to” her man – a world that’s just the two of them and the beautiful music they’re making – as opposed to the glamorous editorialised version of Emeli Sandé, the chart-tearing pop singer.

Watch the music video for ‘Next To Me’:

 

Footnotes:

Emeli Sandé will release ‘Next To Me’ in the UK on 13 February, the same day her album arrives.

At this stage, there’s been no word on whether Aussies will get the single. But hey, Emeli‘s debut album Our Version of Events is confirmed to drop Down Under on 10 February.

Leak Report: Kimbra ‘Two Way Street’ Remixes

Indie pop’s it girl Kimbra may be on the road to State-side fame but she’s giving away some free ‘Two Way Street’ action for her home crowd first. [Editor's note: terrible pun, please don't quit your day job.]

‘Two Way Street’ – produced by Francois Tetaz, the man behind Gotye’s records – has been announced as the fourth single from Kimbra‘s flawless album Vows. In true Kimbra style, this single is once again on a whole different wave length from its predecessors, showcasing a different side to the budding artiste’s music.

‘Two Way Street’ is definitely one of the more subtle highlights on the album. Fans of her diverse-sounding singles ‘Settle Down’, ‘Cameo Lover’ and ‘Good Intent’ would appreciate the more graceful and cinematic air this song brings to the mix.

While her smash with Gotye - ’Somebody That I Used To Know’ – start making waves in the US and UK charts, those looking ahead can enjoy a sensible follow up in ‘Two Way Street’, complete with two free killer remixes.

Listen to ‘Two Way Streeet (PatrickReza Dubstep Remix):


 
Listen to ‘Two Way Street (Beni Remix):


 
Read my interview with Kimbra where she talks about working with Gotye on that surprise hit and producer Francois Tetaz, who helped her achieve the lush, cinematic sound on tracks like ‘Two Way Street’.

Footnotes:

Grab your free download of ‘Two Way Street’ – PatrickReza Dubstep Remix and Beni Remix.

Hat tip to my friend Matt at SameSame for the heads up.

Chart Feed – 16.01.11

The ARIA singles chart is finally coming to life with a new #1 this week and a slew of new releases impacting our Top 100. Gird your loins, y’all. It’s time to get to work.

This week’s Chart Feed sees Foster The People earn their first national #1 hit after spending an exhausting 39 weeks in our Top 100. We also have a new entry by Beyoncé, clock Jessie J‘s triumphant cross-Atlantic success with ‘Domino’, and toast to Jason Mraz‘s comeback. The man somehow managed to come away with the most downloaded song in America. Plus, Gotye and Kimbra‘s massive homegrown hit ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’ cracks the US and UK charts.

Fasten your bibs and get ready for this week’s Chart Feed:

Read the rest of this entry »

One Direction ‘One Thing’ Music Video

Cancel all my appointments for the day, I’m joining millions of girls around the globe in a religious screen capping and gif making experience to celebrate the arrival of One Direction‘s amazing new video.

The British wonder boy band is set to become one of the world’s biggest pop groups by the end of the year, having already cracked the Australian and New Zealand market without even really trying. One Direction fever is going viral and I simply can’t wait to see them take over the American market. Lock up your daughters.

The boys’ debut album Up All Night was the fastest-selling debut album on the UK charts last year and their infectious first single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ gave a decent indication of the kind of boyish fun and immediate pop melodies we can expect. ’One Thing’ takes us back to that point with summery guitar-riffs and punchy hooks, complete with a video that’s completely on message.

They’re serving modern cool Britannica, irresistible boy-ish charms and the perfect “one day with One Direction itinerary” any fan could dream of. Sans the romantic dinner bit, of course. That’s private, between me and Harry Styles.

Check out a few highlights of One Direction‘s fantastic new video:

Read the rest of this entry »