Recently I saw a post on my Facebook regarding David Guetta. It was a picture of a piano with ability to play a very limited range of keys have a look. Despite my rib cracking laugh the facetiousness of the picture could not be over looked because it was a brilliantly powerful image that conveyed a known fact about the current music scene we are slowly and painfully being tortured to death with dance music-think Brave Heart and his evisceration-“FREEDOM” alright mate!
Dance music is akin to vultures: it performs a telling service but boy is it irritating! It’s not to say that dance music does not have a place perish the thought many a night I have danced away to a David Guetta banger loosing myself in the intense build ups, the synthesized cacophony, the rolling drum patterns that wind up until you explode and of course alcohol. Don’t get me wrong I do like dance music but can you imagine eating lobster everyday-I am crustacean-ed out!
The issue surrounds the fact that commercially virtually every track in the top ten is dance influenced. Even the world of hip-hop which commercially still did to a point retain its rugged street origins has been transformed to something softer awash with the dance formula. Look at Pitbull who started out as a hard rapper who would look to take his powerful two hundred per sq inch of pressure jaws and place an intruder’s leg in them before ripping it off and eating it. Now Pitbull has become Chihuahua with a Napoleon complex and incessant barking (it’s called attrition) that grates like knuckles on a grater (ouch). Indeed Chihuahua has swapped baggy jeans for tailored garments and trousers that are worryingly rising higher and higher under his armpits.
Thankfully there is a rebel moment trying to bring varied music back to the commercial world and V05 represent one of those in the resistance. Their competition to find fresh new talent music has unearthed some real fire hopefuls. Of course they are all connected by superb shiny hair that even as a hardened bloke I can appreciate but of course it’s the musicality that is the draw.
While the acoustic guitar seems to be the favourite weapon of choice (I suggest bringing something a little different to the coming contestants) the class is undeniable.
Stand out performances despite the over-use of the acoustic guitar have been plenty in the search for fresh new talent. Bethan Horton (she has great hair) really sets the heart beat racing, a lover of country music (at eighteen) and a self-taught guitarist-now that’s something. Fresh like some summer shoots it’s her up beat and rather light-hearted delivery that captures your inner ear -there’s something of the Nirvana in her with that exploration of all the beauty of being a teenager with spots the size of their fragile egos, huge crushes, and relationships that last a month that are serious-(maybe I generalise too much)!
The stand out performer so far for me has to be Charley Macaulay aka Charlie Stryde from Southampton who indeed strides out like she is a NBA basketball player who is unusually tall even for the company of such giants. With her jet black long hair (check the V05 link) she is my tip for something special and a chance of that prize of performing a twenty minute set at the Isle of Wight festival.
Effortless is a word that one could use for Charlie who has already supported Will Young and the lady with the biggest voice Anastacia. Her song writing is on point and her performance track Foolin is blessed with a catchy hook and chorus that you can’t help but sing the first time of hearing it-it could bless the commercial stations and oust a couple of two note wonders! Other talent worth voting for are Kristina Lao and Anna Pancaldi who perform their own tracks and show that they are great vocalists too so I cannot wait to see the other talent coming through. Incidentally are the blokes not washing their hair and indeed are you not worth it let’s get some guys taking the V05 challenge!?
ENTER THE VO5 SONG CONTEST NOW
Semper Azeez-Harris
