new (and old) music friday #6: kate nash, will young, the 1975, bros

this week saw me once again revisit old favourites, with a few new releases thrown in for good measure.

1. will young

i know, i know. he won pop idol in 2001 and hasn't done much since, right? wrong. so very wrong. i have to thank my mother for playing 2011's echoes in her car on repeat the last week, because i've discovered so many great songs that had somehow passed me by. you may remember his single jealousy, which currently has a hefty three million plays on spotify, but the album tracks are just as worthy of your attention. my favourites include losing myself, i just want a lover and runaway, the latter of which i've not stopped playing all week. contrary to most winners of reality TV talent contests, will stuck to his own guns, writing every song on this album, and created a perfect blend of disco, funk, and of course pop. there's something slightly haunting about the lyrics which accompany the slick production of this album, but i've been singing the line feel a breeze of a new beginning in my head non-stop, because i have a feeling that good things are coming, and they start with the discovery of this album. 

2. the 1975

again, i have to thank my mother for reminding me just how incredible the manchester band's debut album is. we've been listening to the city and sex at full volume all week, and i'm still stewing over the fact that they didn't play the city when i saw them live in march. though truth be told, i'm not sure i'd be able to handle it; there's something about this song that makes me feel impossibly happy and sad all at once and i can't listen to it without getting this strange feeling in my chest. another song i've been listening to on repeat, though it breaks my heart every time is antichrist. the lyric i love the house that we live in / and i love you all too much rips right through me and i find myself in tears after each listen because i'm just so fucking glad to be home and i wish i'd appreciated it more while i was still living here, instead of being the stereotypical sulky teenager that i now see my brother morphing into, even though he's only eleven. he might roll his eyes at me and my mother singing along full blast to cheesy 80s hits, but i just hope that one day he understands what it means to be home.

3. kate nash

this is definitely my favourite release this week. kate nash finally made her return to the music world in the form of a collaboration with HOLYCHILD, entitled rotten teeth. needless to say, it was love at first listen. having so much time away from uni over summer has its downfalls; i find myself questioning all my life choices prior to this moment and the lyric i can never be the girl i wanna be / no no, i'm never free hits me right where it hurts, though hopefully this feeling won't last forever. the video is also excellent; totally weird but in the best way (the bearded man/lady (?) is everything). 

4. britney spears

after reading this excellent article about taylor swift's shake it off, in which critics discussed the idea of "persecution pop" - taylor's somewhat half-hearted critique of the media's treatment of her vs britney's piece of me - i found myself listening to 2007's (iconic) album blackout at 3am the other night. special attention must be given to break the ice (this video though!!), piece of me itself, and of course gimme more, aka the ultimate badass bitch anthem, which i want to play every time i walk into a room. 

5. shura

this week shura released the video for her latest single what's it gonna be?, a tale of (potentially) unrequited love with a twist. watch the video until the end to find out more, though that shouldn't be a problem seeing as the song is so good. what i love most is the honesty of her lyrics; i don't believe in forever, but i still wanna give it a try, goes the second verse, and as someone with a rather cynical approach to all things romance (i'm just realistic, okay?), i appreciate her acknowledgement that nothing lasts forever. 

6. bros 

of course, none of my posts would be complete without a smattering of 80s cheese, and this week it comes from bros and their 1988 smash hit i owe you nothing, perfect for getting-ready-to-go-out while getting-the-fuck-over-someone. 

honourable mentions

this week i finally got around to watching burlesque and it honestly changed me as a person. i've been singing along to express all week and it serves as a perfect pick me up when i'm not feeling so great about myself. if only i had the moves to go with it; though i think they'd be best performed in the privacy of my bedroom with nobody to witness my total lack of rhythm. 

i also watched ricki and the flash and despite meryl streep's star turn as sparky punk rocker ricki (formerly known as linda), the film struggled to retain my attention all the way through. i was just about to change the channel until i saw there were only ten minutes left, and i'm glad i carried on watching until the end because her band's cover of my love will not let you down certainly didn't let me down. to me that end scene perfectly sums up what love should be; celebrating with all the people you love on the dancefloor. watch it here and you'll hopefully understand what i mean.

finally, this week's playlist can be found here.