:: arjanwrites music blog ::

[FREE MP3] Simon Curtis "Starlight" (Produced by Vincent Did It) *Exclusive*

It's a big day for pop singer Simon Curtis. Not only did he relaunch his web site today, but he also unveiled a brand-new Vincent Did It remix of "Flesh," a track that first appeared on his most recent LP "R∆." But wait! There's more Curtis hotness finally being unleashed today that marks a Vincent Did It collaboration of a different kind.

Check out an exclusive download of "Starlight," an unreleased track that the singer originally recorded during the "R∆" studio sessions. It's a soul-stirring piano ballad that was produced by Vincent Did It (aka Vince Frank, formerly known to pop aficionados as Frankmusik).

Curtis is excited about finally sharing this very special track with his fans. "I wrote this song with Vince over a year ago," he writes me in an email today. "I was being approached by a label who 'wanted to hear more of my voice' in my music, so I went to his studio, he told me to sit back and let him do his thing. In fifteen minutes he'd written this beautiful, sweet piano piece. I started singing to it, we collaborated on the lyrics, and two hours later it was completely finished."  

He adds, "I think this song went from 'ah I need to do a ballad!' to a finished song in about two and a half hours. I was sweating bullets as I was hopping on a plane to Uganda the next morning and knew I wouldn't have any time to finish it. It was really, really fast. I love working with Vince. He's so brilliant."

The combination of Curtis' heartfelt lyrics and intensely emotive performance with Frank's keen sense of melody turns out to be one of Curtis' finest. The singer explains that "Starlight" was inspired by a very personal experience. "I wrote [Starlight] about an incredibly special relationship, not necessarily a romantic one, as it began to end. The writing was on the wall and this song, in hindsight, predicted exactly how I would eventually feel about it over a year later. Probably how I'll always feel about this person, actually."

"Starlight" once again proves that the best pop happens when you combine meaningful, relatable storytelling with a powerful melody. This track delivers all that to the fullest, plus Curtis' stand out vocal performance is one to remember. It's fantastic that Curtis is finally sharing "Starlight." It's a gem and we're honored to be the ones brining it to you today exclusively and for the very first time.

 

[NEW] Preview Conor Maynard's Debut Single "Can't Say No"

It looks like Britain has another new pop obsession and his name is Conor Maynard. The 19 year-old Brighton singer/songwriter has hit the fast lane in the last few months after he first made a name for himself early last year as one of Britain's most popular YouTube stars known for covering other people's songs. Fans loved it and even artists started to take notice. Many celebs tweeted about him and Ne-Yo even called his house and offering to produce him.

But Parlophone was the lucky label who ultimately ended up signing Maynard while encouraging him to continue to build his social media following. With 50 million YouTube views, he now has the 7th most subscribed music channel in the UK, his Facebook fans now stand at 175,000 and he has more than 60,000 Twitter followers. All of that without releasing a single piece of original music. Yeah, that's impressive and I'd imagine a bit of pressure as well.

With all that online success, it is time to take it to radio and up the charts. On April 30, Maynard will release his debut single "Can't Say No" that was co-written by Conor and produced by The Invisible Men (the men behind Jessie J, Nicola Roberts, Pixie Lott). Echoing the slapping tunes of The Cataracs, "Can't Say No" is an edgy, electronic slice of prime R&B-styled pop that is nothing like the cookie-cutter teen pop sound out there, which will surely help to get him noticed. 

"Can't Say No" precedes his debut album which Maynard has been working on in recent months with the likes of Jermaine Dupri (Usher, Mariah Carey), Midi Mafia (50 Cent, Frank Ocean), Kevin Rudolf (Jay Sean, Lil’ Wayne), Sandy Vee (Rhianna, Pitbull), Crada (Drake, Kid Kudi) and legendary songwriter Dianne Warren. 

Earlier this week, Maynard posted a brief introduction of his new music on YouTube (his second home) to give fans a good taste of "Can't Say No." Watch it on YouTube and keep your eye on him as big things are sure to happen.

[NEWS] Rufus Wainwright Teams With Mark Ronson on "Out Of The Game"

Today, Decca Records formally announced that Rufus Wainwright will release his eagerly anticipated new album, entitled "Out Of The Game," on May 1st. Produced by none other than Mark Ronson, this is the seventh studio album from the Canadian singer that follows 2010's quietly intimate outing "All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu." The first single to be taken of the LP is the uptempo title track that should be unveiled soon.

A press release describes "Out Of The Game" as "a labor of love for both Wainwright and Ronson." Rufus calls the album "the most pop album I’ve ever made, while Ronson recently states that "it's the best work of my career." Recorded in New York in the fall of 2011, the twelve songs are "hook-laden, memorably arranged tracks reminiscent of Rufus’ early work."

Musicians on the album include the Dap-Kings (who Ronson also used for the groundbreaking Amy Winehouse "Back To Black" album and his own "Record Collection"), Wilco’s Nels Cline, Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Andrew Wyatt from Miike Snow, Sean Lennon and sister Martha Wainwright.

Ronson explains that "Out Of The Game" "has a real '70s, Laurel Canyon spirit." Wainwright adds that he was very inspired by some of the great pop writers of the past, including Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Elton John who once affectionately named Wainwright "the greatest songwriter on the planet." The singer sums it up best when he describes "Out Of The Game" as "brash, beautiful and also very Rufus."

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[NEW] Labrinth Unveils Lyric Video For New Single "Last Time," Collaborates With Emeli Sandé and Mike Posner

After shaking up the British pop scene with "Earthquake" late last year, Labrinth's tremors continue with the brand-new "Last Time." Once again, the beatmeister cranks out a high-energy, vocoder-happy pop ditty filled with oscillating sound effects and punchy strings that help further define his progressive pop aesthetic. Add to all that sonic action lyrics about living the high life in Berlin, New York, Paris, Ibiza and Tokyo, and what you have is a song that can easily resonate everywhere.

Labrinth debuted with "Let The Sun Shine" in September 2010 that was followed by "Earthquake" (featuring his pal Tinie Tempah), which rocketed to the top of the British charts in October and stayed in the top ten for an impressive six weeks. "Earthquake" proved that Labrinth has his finger tightly on the pulse of things, seamlessly mixing up a hodgepodge of genres into one tightly-produced power jam.

The London artist likes to describe his new "Last Time" as a "an electronic sci-fi record." Labrinth tells Pyro Magazine, "It's kind of a bit electro housy and very musical. When you listen deeper into the music you can hear that because there are a lot of layers on the track ( . . .) I remember thinking 'I want to try something different, I want to kind of branch out a bit' I looked at it as myself going around the world and experimenting all different flavours and coming out of my little box to see whats out there, thats when I made 'Last Time.'"

"Last Time" is taken from Labrinth's forthcoming debut record "Electronic Earth," which includes a duet with Emeli Sande on "Beneath Your Beautiful" that he co-wrote with Mike Posner. Labrinth describes the album as "just loads of different mixes of energy there we’ve got some old school flavours, new school flavours." "Electronic Earth" will be out in the U.K. on March 19.