Day 242 - Music Review 2014!!

I was a bit hazy this morning....got slightly Proseccoed AGAIN!!!

Apart from a trip into town for a coffee and catch up with Michelle, purchasing a new toaster (I cant have a burnt bagel again) and getting some salad (healthy attempt!) - my blog content would be limited....so what could I write about today?

With music playing as I was dusting my bedroom I thought to myself what were my musical highlights in 2014, which songs would make my top 10 of the year.....????

So in no particular order here they are:

1.  Doris Day "Secret Love" - In April it was my Nan's funeral and this was one of her favourite songs and it was played during the service.  I had not heard it before but it is such a lovely song.  When she hits those high notes it is quite emotional.

2.  Katy Perry "Dark Horse" - Even though this song was on her 2013 album Prism, and released in December of that year it really has become a song I love this year - helped by a wicked video, fantastic intro and its own body balance routine....."So you wanna play with magic"

3.  A Great Big World ft Christina Aguilera "Say Something" - A stunning understated song where Christina's underplayed vocals shine!  Her solo material isn't capturing the public's attention but her guest vocals are hitting the mark!

4.  Kylie "Kiss Me Once" - The title track from her latest album, I love this Sia penned track! Reminds me of her earlier material, long Rajasthan drives and a fun night with Sezzie P at the O2!!

5.  Beyonce "Drunk In Love" - Like Dark Horse, this track was released in late December 2013 - even though it has quite a bit of rapping, a tad raunchy and not my usual style this song just does something to me and how can you not resist a track that features "surfboards, watermelons and cigars on ice".  Even though the tempo is all wrong I love this track in the gym....

6.  Clare Bowen "Black Roses" (from Nashville) - the whole Nashville soundtrack came as a real surprise during the summer.  Absolutely love it and Clare's voice is just stunning - I chose Black Roses as it is so heartfelt and powerful (the live version is fabulous) but others like This Town, Looking For A Place To Shine and Waitin are also great country tracks.  I do also love the duet called You Ain't Dolly (And You Ain't Porter) - a tongue in cheek country duet:
"You ain't Dolly
And you ain't Porter
She's a little bit fuller
And you're a whole lot shorter"

Bring on season 3 of Nashville and new tracks :-)

7.  Taylor Swift - "Out Of The Woods" - On the USA adventure, Ms Swift played a big part of the trip musically and I know Shake It Off is the main song but we saw her perform Out of the Woods and I really like it!! Below is the actual link to the performance we watched in LA.  Her album 1989 is fantastic - one of the best albums of 2014...listened to it in its entirety for the first time when wandering New York.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVAfR3QjFKo

8.  Ella Henderson "Ghost" - What a debut, song of the summer - Ryan Tedder strikes again.  The best debut from an X-factor contestant since Leona's Bleeding Love.  This also reminds me of America, as we had Ella's album debut on a balcony in Yosemite on a Friday night while drinking wine and eating pizza!! Ahhhh, memories!!

9. Calvin Harris "Blame" - love this dance song, again played all the time on the radio in the States.  Catchy, infectious beat and I loved that on Strictly, Caroline & Pasha did their Tango to it - its great when they take modern tracks and do powerful dances to them!!!  Who remembers Emma Bunton's Tango to Maneater?

10. Nicole Scherzinger "Your Love" - I know this didn't get everyone excited but the beat just gets me....love this in the gym - "Knock me out like Michael Tyson"

So there you are, I have probably missed some gems but its difficult to think of the whole year in a few hours.  What are your favourites, be interested to hear.....???