Morrow (#616)

Hi,

I was able to listen to many songs last week. :)

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• Maverick Sabre : Curiosity context. "When I Wake Up" was okay.
• Pet Shop Boys : Fan times + new album context. "Hotspot" is a fun pop record - and marks the completion of an album trilogy with producer Stuart Price.
• Nada Surf : I can't get enough of "So Much Love". :)
• Bombay Bicycle Club : New album context. "Everything Else Has Gone Wrong" was underwhelming to me. :-/ 

Most played artists:

• 070 Shake : Fan times. If you haven't heard from "Modus Vivendi", you are missing out one of the best albums of 2020.
  
• Sofi Tukker : Fan times. The song "Ringless" grew on me.
  
• DAT ADAM : Curiosity context. OK, I admit, I came across this former hip-hop project because of a YouTube video by PLEUNTAH. On "HYDRA 3D" you can find a few very nice songs.
• Katja Krasavice : New album context. "BOSS BITCH" was produced to please the masses, and guess what - a few tracks sound quite good. ;)
• The Jezabels : Recommendation context. I've listened to their 2011 album "Prisoner", which has some great tracks on it.  

Most played tracks:

• 070 Shake - Morrow : Three words: I. LOVE. IT. :)

News?

█ The 2020 Grammy Awards took place yesterday. Most wins went to Billie Eilish. One highlight was definitely Lil Nas X performing "Old Town Road" with tons of guests - even including the original Nas. And also the return of Alicia Keys hosting was a good choice, because she has a kind soul.
█ Katja Krasavice is now on top of the German album charts ("") - and more successful than Eminem.

New in the German charts:

[01] Juju x Loredana - Kein Wort : When two successfull artist team-up, a chart topping hit song becomes almost certain. Congratz to them.
[02] Ufo361 - Big Drip (feat. Future) : Yuck. I think it's sad, that such a cheap track gets so much success.
[10] RIN - Alien : Tbh I think this artist has stronger tracks.

Black Swan (#615)

Hi,

sorry for some lateness (again)...

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• Halsey : New album context. "Manic" comes with interesting feature guests and many songs. But I have to admit, that I'm not that amazed.
• The Big Moon : New album context. "Walking Like We Do" left me underwhelmed.
• Nada Surf : It's still a while, until all of "Never Not Together" will be released. But the pre-released song sound very nice. :)
• Sofi Tukker : Fan times. I don't know exactly how, but their "DANCING ON THE PEOPLE" EP has grown on me. Maybe it was because of their great concert in Berlin last year. :)
• Various artists - like Ariana Grande and Donna Summer : "Don't Call Me Angel" and "Bad Girls (Gigamesh Remix)" are by far my favorite songs on the soundrack of 2019's "Charlie's Angels".

Most played artists:

• Eminem : New (surprise) album context. Usually I am not the first one to listen to an Eminem album. But I was curious about "Music To Be Murdered By" - and right from the start I felt uncomfortable. Tbh most songs don't give me anything.
• 070 Shake : New album context. I predict that "Modus Vivendi" will be on some of the best-of lists, when it comes to the year 2020 in music. The artist has created a very strong debut. My favorite tracks (so far) : "Morrow" and "Guilty Conscience".
• Odesza : Curiosity context. I was quite surprised by some catchy tunes on the deluxe edition of "A Moment Apart". 

Most played tracks:

• Cat Power - Horizon : Curiosity context. I've listened to her album "Wanderer", which was a nice experience. I would recommend that track to you.

News?

█ BTS released another song from their upcoming album "MAP OF THE SOUL : 7" - "Black Swan" comes with a special art film featuring a version with less beats and dancers.
█ Thanks to a re-release Capital Bra is back at the top of the German album charts ("Zenit") and also Giovanni Zarrella ("La vita è bella") has gained some more attention. The highest new entry is Selena Gomez's surprise album "Rare".

New in the German charts:

[04] Dardan - 6AM : Well, I can't make out anything special about this. :-/ 
[05] Jamule - Ich hol dich ab : Hm, despite the contemporary flaw of being too short, the track has its catchy moments. But I can't tell, if this is a real artist right now.
[08] Future - Life Is Good (feat. Drake) : OK, I have to admit that the music video seems cool. (Even without 40 million views within 10 days.) But the song could be stronger.

So Much Love (#614)

Hi,

another week in 2020 - and I managed to dig into new tunes.

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• Isaac Delusion : Curiosity context. But I couldn't find many good songs on "uplifters".
• Alexandra Savior : New album context. "The Archer" should please Lana Del Rey fans. :)
• Big Thief : Curiosity context. "Two Hands" is definitely not my cup of tea.
• Smile And Burn : Promotion context. I was able to listen to "Morgen anders" early. It's a nice punk rock record,
• Bec Sandridge : So I wanted to give "TRY + SAVE ME" another chance. But the only good song still remains "Eyes Wide". :-(

Most played artists:

• MC Bomber & Shacke One : Curiosity context. I was considering to attend a concert of both artists, but I skipped it. And now that I've listened to their collaboration album "Nordachse 2", I have no regrets about it.
• Georgia : New album context. "Seeking Thrills"
• The S.L.P. : New album context. The self-titled album by the new project of one of the Kasabian guys was released a couple of weeks ago.
• Selena Gomez : New album context. I haven't seen any announcement. So this may come like a surprise. But tbh "Rare" gives me nothing new.  

Most played tracks:

• Nada Surf - So Much Love : And here we have one of the first highlight songs of 2020. What a bop! Call me hyped regarding the next album.

News?

█ One of the first very good bops of 2020 must be Nada Surf's "So Much Love". It's the pre-single for their upcoming album "Not Together"
█ Big news came from Big Hit Entertainment - regarding the upcoming BTS release. The album is simply called "MAP OF THE SOUL : 7" - out on February. The comeback trailer is a SUGA solo track called "Shadow", that comes with a high quality music video.
█ Halsey released a new video. "You Should Be Sad" sees her in styles to reference artists like Christina Aguilera, Shania Twain and Lady Gaga. The sound has a strong Country vibe. Her new album "Manic" will be out this Friday.
█ A singer by the name of Daniela Alfinito tops the German album charts (with "Liebes-Tattoo").

New in the German charts:

[01] The Weeknd - Blinding Lights : Yay! He did it! He has a number one song!
[09] RAF Camora x The Cratez - Maschine : Well, certainly not his strongest track.

Yummy (#613)

Hi,

okay, I'm starting regular 2020 posts with just a slight delay. Blimey!

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• Temples : Curiosity context. Their 2019 album "Hot Motion" sounds really good.
• Tyler The Creator : Curiosity context. I've listened to "IGOR", but it did not amaze me.
• Jack Gray : Curiosity context. However, I can't recommend his "Nights Like This" EP.
• The War On Drugs : Fan times. I think I should explore some previous releases. Any recommendations?

Most played artists:

• Sudan Archives : Curiosity context. Because this was mentioned as the favorite 2019 record by a friend, I was eager to get into it once more.
• Mike Shinoda : Curiosity context. I came across his solo work "Post Traumatic" and some songs seemed quite nice.
• ionnalee : Curiosity context. I was checking out "REMEMBER THE FUTURE", but tbh I liked her iamamiwhoami stuff better.
• machineheart : Flashback context. I wanted to revisit this album - as one of the very first albums of 2019, that kept my interest.

Most played tracks:

• XXXTENTACION & Lil Pump - Arms Around You (feat. Maluma & Swae Lee) : What a bop. :)

News?

█ 2020's first comeback comes from Justin Bieber. His new single "Yummy" disappoints on several levels - beats and lyrics feel very cheap.
█ Elton John's "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" has won Best Original Song at the 77th Golden Globe Awards. It was written for the film "Rocketman".
█ Sarah Connor's "Herz Kraft Werke" returned at the top spot of the German album charts - in its 31st week.

New in the German charts:

[01] Tones And I - Dance Monkey : Well, this one's a hit.
[02] The Weeknd - Blinding Lights : Yay. :)
[03] Apache 207 - Roller : Wow, this artist returned with three entries among the top ten.
[04] Gzuz - Vor der Tür : Yikes. The artist could do so much better. But hey, he earned a charts spot.
[09] Tyga - Ayy Macarena : WTF!? This a track no one needs. :-P

My year 2019 in music

Happy New Decade, folks!

It's the most wonderful time for stats. And here I go looking at 9180 scrobbles of 2019.

My scrobbling peak was in August - with 1004 tracks.

Artists

1. Madonna (361 plays)
2. Bear's Den (275 plays)
3. BTS (208 plays)
4. Roosevelt (144 plays)
5. Normandie (142 plays)
6. ONE OK ROCK (117 plays)
7. Lea Porcelain (96 plays)
8. MONSTA X (88 plays)
9. Sheryl Crow (74 plays)
10. H.GichT (73 plays)

Thoughts:

• Welcome to my favs, ONE OK ROCK, Lea Porcelain and MONSTA X.
• That H.GichT play count surprises me. It's my most scrobbled German language act.
• I've seen seven of my top ten acts live already.

Albums

1. Bear's Den - So That You Might Hear Me (210 scrobbles)
2. Madonna - Madame X (192 scrobbles)
3. ONE OK ROCK - Eye Of The Storm (111 scrobbles)
4. Normandie - White Flag (109 scrobbles)
5. Roosevelt - Young Romance (83 scrobbles)
6. Sheryl Crow - Threads (76 scrobbles)
7. BTS - MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA (68 scrobbles)
8. H.GichT - Jeder ist eine Schmetterlingin (66 scrobbles)
9. Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell! (62 scrobbles)
10. machineheart - People Change (61 scrobbles) 

Thoughts:

• Apart from "White Flag" and "Young Romance" these are all 2019 releases.
• The latest records of Sheryl Crow and Lana Del Rey really impressed me.
• And hello to machineheart, whose 2019 album was really something to listen to in 2019 - from an album-related point of view.
• Among my top German language albums of 2019 are also Juju's "Bling Bling" and "Das muss eine Demokratie aushalten können" by Waving The Guns.

Songs

1. Bear's Den - Laurel Wreath (33 plays)
2. Madonna - Looking For Mercy
   / ONE OK ROCK - Stand Out Fit In (28 plays)
3. Bear's Den - Breaker / Keeper (27 plays)
4. Bec Sandridge - Eyes Wide (26 plays)
5. Madonna - I Rise (25 plays)
6. Bear's Den - Fuel On The Fire (24 plays)
7. Caravan Palace - Miracle
   / White Lies - Never Alone (22 plays)
8. Lea Porcelain - Love Is Not An Empire
   / Madonna & Swae Lee - Crave
   / TOMORROW X TOGETHER - CROWN
   / White Lies - Tokyo
   / Will Young - All The Songs (21 plays)
9. Bear's Den - Not Every River
   / Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd - Lost In The Fire
   / Madonna - Come Alive
   / Overstreet - All Nighter (20 plays)
10. Bear's Den - Conversations With Ghosts
    / Bear's Den - Fossils
    / Bear's Den - Hiding Bottles
    / BTS - Boy With Luv (feat. Halsey)
    / Céline Dion - Flying On My Own
    / Madonna - I Don't Search I Find
    / Madonna & Maluma - Medellín
    / Roosevelt - Yr Love
    / Slum Sociable - Afterthought (19 plays)

Thoughts:

• Man, I really must love the third Bear's Den album, mustn't I?
• Caravan Palace's "Miracle" is such an ace bop! Three words: check it out!
• Hello Bec Sandridge, you've contributed my favorite party track of 2019.
• And hello White Lies. Their album "FIVE" made me love them.
• And Big Hit's next best thing - TXT - had a very successful debut, too.
• I'm a bit sad, that the new Céline Dion songs are not all as catchy as the pre-single "Flying On My Own".

 So that's it - my year 2019 in music.

Arms Around You (#612)

Hi,

one more time in 2019...

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• City And Colour : Year's end context. I listened to "A Pill For Loneliness", which I can recommend to any indie fans.
• Kanye West : Year's end context. I could have skipped "Jesus Is King" tbh.
• Vonda Shepard : Fan times.
• MisterWives : New release context. The EP "mini bloom" has a few nice tracks, but "the end" seems to be the best.
• Sondre Lerche : New release context. No, thanks, my world did not need those Britney Spears cover songs.

Most played artists:

• Lana Del Rey : Year's end context. Fan times.
• Lizzo : Year's end context. So I listened to the deluxe version of "Cuz I Love You", just to find out that I did not miss much.
• Caravan Palace : Year's end context. "Chronologic" is a very nice album.
• Catfish and the Bottlemen : Year's end context. "The Balance" sounds good.

Most played tracks:

• Lil Pump & xxxtentacion - Arms Around You (feat. Maluma & Swae Lee) : Oh, what a bop - even though it seems like a feature overkill. How could I miss this one out?

News?

█ Mariah Carey was able to hold the top spot at the Billboard charts with her (old) Christmas song. Meanwhile some weird music act calles LadBaby entered the UK charts at number one - with a cover version of "I Love Rock'n Roll" - "I Love Sausage Rolls". (As if British politics wasn't crazy enough these days.) ^^
█ So there is this German YouTube channel "Gewitter im Kopf" ("electrical storm in the head"), where two everyday guys (Jan and Tim) deal with the Tourette syndrome. And they released a single!? Tbh this shows that anyone can make hip-hop these days. Even lyrics with a good message can't save this mess of a song ("Zeig dein Gesicht").
█ Guess what's on top of the German album charts. It's "Carlo Cokxxx Nutten 4" by Bushido. :-/ And "Schlaftabletten, Rotwein V" by Alligatoah returned at number 5 in its 18th week.

New in the German charts:

[01] Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You : Wow. I did not expect that.
[05] Chris Rea - Driving Home For Christmas : Aw, this is a nice classic.
[06] Melanie Thornton - Wonderful Dream (Holidays Are Coming) : Yup, can't miss that one out.
[07] Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone : What?
[09] Loredana - Mit Dir : Oh.
[10] John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) : And another classic.

Silver (#611)

Hi,

and here we are - at the start of Christmas week 2019. Just a few more days and my annual stats are ready.

Last week in covers:

Noteworthy:

• Michael Kiwanuka : Fan times.
• Harry Styles : New album context. His second album "Fine Line" surprised me a lot. I guess he should be considered a real artist.
• King Princess : New album context. "Cheap Queen" begins strong, but at the end I lost some interest.
• Rin : New album context. I've listened to the rest of "Nimmerland", just to be sure that I don't miss anything.
• The Murder Capital : Recommendation context. So I checked out "When I Have Fears", but it wasn't my cup of tea.
• FKA twigs : New album context. "MAGDALENE" has gotten some very positive reviews, but I don't like the songs that much.

Most played artists:

• Digitalism : New album context. "JPEG" is a fun record.
  
• Metronomy : New album context. "Metronomy Forever" should please fans and lovers of electronic music.
• Sheryl Crow : Fan times. I am very happy to see her return with such great music this year.

Most played tracks:

• DMA'S - Silver : What a tune! Can't wait for their next release.

News?

█ Mariah Carey reached number one on the Billboard charts - with her Christmas classic, that was released over 20 years ago. How did she manage that?
█ Kollegah's new album "Alphagene II" rules the German album charts, while the German version of the Frozen II soundtrack enters the top ten (again?).

New in the German charts:

[01] Tones And I - Dance Monkey : And they are back.
[07] The Weeknd - Blinding Lights : Yay. Now that makes me happy - even though it might have something to do with a Mercedes commercial.