8 September 2016 - Dolly Parton - Jolene

You know, now that Scott Colvin doesn't write for this blog, we have a lot less country.  (Yes, I know - I posted this last week.  That was the first country I had posted in a year, at least.)

Over the next several weeks, I am looking to remedy that.  We start with a song about the woman at a Nashville bank who was trying to take care of Dolly Parton's husband while she was on the road.  As the story goes, Jolene (probably not her real name) the bank clerk knew damn well the song was about her, and yeah, there was a catfight.

Dolly kept her man.  And also had a huge hit single that branched her into both pop music and the UK pop charts.

As an added bonus, here's a live duet version of the song that Dolly did with her goddaughter.

Did I mention her goddaughter happens to be Miley Cyrus? (If you read Totally Covered, you already knew that, and that Miley does a pretty damn good version of the song herself)

7 September 2016 - Meghan Trainor - Me Too

I have to be honest.  I like myself a little less for liking this song.

But I think that's the point.   It's somewhat narcisistic..... but, most likely, M-Train was going for positive image.  Which makes it ironic that the original video for this song was Photoshopped to make her look thinner.  Ridiculously, by the way.

It's a pretty simply constructed song, really.  And still, it's got a nice beat.  So I will appreciate it.

(and like myself a little less)

2 September 2016 - Sia - Elastic Heart

With her new album out, I've been on a Sia kick lately.  And for the big hit that this song was, it was completely underappreciated, even by me.  So I decided to give it a second look.

And you know what?  It's full of raw emotion, like a lot of her music.  It's smart and full of interesting metaphor, like a lot of her music.  And she's got a huge voice to carry the song, like all of her music.

1 September 2016 - Charli XCX - Vroom Vroom

I have to open up with this: I have serious misgivings about this post.

SERIOUS.

This is a sharp departure from any of her previous work.  In fact, I absolutely hated this..... until I went back and listened to the Icona Pop theft, and realized that, although this is far MORE heavy electronica than we've heard, it's still Charli.  And it's still good to see her making more music.

Still, not too much of this, OK?

30 August 2016 - Troye Sivan (ft. Alessia Cara, and not) - Wild

I first heard this song when Troye Sivan released it as a solo song last year.  I didn't post it then, because while it was interesting, it didn't quite reach the heights I needed it to for inclusion here.

Adding Alessia Cara, on the other hand, and making it a duet... that made it a whole new song, and I love it.  I hope you do as well.

As a frame of reference, here is the original, which is at least being performed live....

29 August 2016 - Madonna - Don't Tell Me

This seems like a very Libertarian song.

Don't tell me what to do.

This is probably my favorite Madonna song.... but not because of this version.  I mean, this version is fantastic.  There's no doubt about it.  It's nice to see Madonna discover a little bit of Nashville sound and mix it seamlessly with her own.  And what a mix it is!!!!!



No, it's because of this version. Where the quintessential dance artist of her generation PLAYS HER OWN GUITAR.  Because it was important to her.  Fantastic!

26 August 2016 - Tove Lo - Cool Girl

EASILY the most anticipated song by me so far this year.  I've been waiting for this for a very long time.

And the words at the end of this video gives me hope for a album deserving to follow the modern classic Queen of the Clouds, which to follow in October, when Lady Wood is released.

Ultimately, the song is the same catchy dance-pop with lyrical depth that Tove Lo does so damned well.  And that's OK.  That's what she SHOULD be doing.  She's very good at it.

And yeah.  It does look like she shaved her head for real.