25 October 2012 We're Backing Brave! Let's Make Possible! Just like your favourite 'inspirational' marketing slogans that used random adjectives as nouns, here's the title of Labrinth and Emeli's chart-topping 2012 collab. The minor-key strings and piano stir plenty of maudlin heartache in with the personal development stuff - plus we get a big ol' … Continue reading Labrinth ft. Emeli Sandé – ‘Beneath Your Beautiful’ →

18 October 2012 Aside from words like 'austerity' and 'bailout', is there anything that could sound more early-'10s than Calvin Harris and Florence Welch on the same track? 'Sweet Nothing' combines their signature styles: his electro-pop production; her soaring choruses. If you know, you know. Alas, the Calvin Harris sound and the Florence sound that … Continue reading Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch – ‘Sweet Nothing’ →

11 October 2012 The archetypal James Bond title song has Shirley Bassey, or her most available equivalent, bellowing along to the strains of a buttoned-up orchestra. However, sometimes the franchise dips its toe into the bubble-bath of contemporary chart sounds - with mixed results. Duran Duran's hi-octane 'A View To A Kill' and Lulu's brassy … Continue reading Adele – ‘Skyfall’ →

4 October 2012 One Direction's 'Live While We're Young' is the track that kept 'Gangnam Style' off the Irish number one spot. Justice dispensed or justice denied? While K-pop would have been a welcome addition to our story of Ireland's chart-toppers, I must admit my slight relief at not needing to engage with the global … Continue reading One Direction – ‘Live While We’re Young’ →

6 September 2012 What motivational memes and inspirational quotes drove The Script and Will.i.am while making 'Hall Of Fame', do you reckon? An Insta post that says "Keep It Stupid, Simple"? A coffee mug with "Same Shit, Different Day" on it? That '70s poster of a tennis player scratching their arse, with the slogan "Yerra, … Continue reading The Script ft. Will.i.am – ‘Hall Of Fame’ →

30 August 2012 Here's Little Mix with their second Irish number one. 'Wings' still has one foot in The X Factor winner's-single idiom of inspirational journey. Happily, though, it forgoes that genre's usual sludgy balladry, instead going for up-tempo brass, handclaps and kick-bass drums. The verses are haters-be-hating sassy, the double-movement chorus is sweeping, the … Continue reading Little Mix – ‘Wings’ →

16 August 2012 Or if you like, the music from a ton of TV ads and montages but not the ukulele one, which is 'Riptide' by Vance Joy. Interestingly, while 'Little Talks' was originally a US hipster pick in late 2011 and then a global hit in 2012—between ad breaks as well as during them—it … Continue reading Of Monsters and Men – ‘Little Talks’ →

9 August 2012 Fans of copyright claims, case law and incongruous swearing will enjoy the details of Oyewole v. Ora, a legal action taken in New York by US poet Abiodun Oyewole against the Notorious B.I.G. and Rita Ora. Oyewole claimed Biggie's track 'Party And Bullshit' as interpolated by Ora's 'How We Do (Party)' infringed … Continue reading Rita Ora – ‘How We Do (Party)’ →

2 August 2012 Today's who's-related Irish Number Ones factoid: British singer Example, a chart-topper in Ireland with 'We'll Be Coming Back', is a nephew of '80s Irish footballer Tony Grealish. I'm not aware of Calvin Harris being related to any famous Irish person, but let that pass. 'We'll Be Coming Back' is the fourth of … Continue reading Calvin Harris ft. Example – ‘We’ll Be Coming Back’ →