Music Review - Crazy Frog / Athlete
‘Crazy Frog leaves me feeling Cold’
Crazy Frog, Axel F storms to number one in the charts after the first week of release, yes that’s right – that annoying ring tone I describe as the ‘ding ding frog’ went to number one in the singles chart!
People seem surprised. But why? It has happened before… Look at Barbie Girl, Bob the Builder, Mr Blobby and Tellytubbies. Well, there is a good reason why people are outraged, for the competition was not Mr Blobby, not Barbie and not even Bob the builder – it was international super group Coldplay with their new single Speed of Sound.
But let’s take an honest look at this. How can we be so horrible to the poor little frog when the only way a song can get to number one is with our support. In the past, the official number one was based purely on single sales, and with the main buyers of singles being kids, you could kinda’
understand Blobby hitting number one, right?
But the thing is, is that’s no longer the case – we have a diverse market of people downloading songs off the Internet which is now incorporated into our official singles chart…
Coldplay are a super group with global success, they’ve had 3 albums, had sell-out tours and been around ages… the band make great music from the heart. Crazy Frog on the other hand derives from a mobile phone ring tone originally cooked up by a Swedish teenager and then made in to Axel F by the German band Bass Bumpers. We’ve had Crazy Frog forced on us in Theatres, on the TV, on the Radio, in papers, magazines, everywhere – so here’s the question…
If something is forced on us enough do we begin to like it?
It is an annoying ‘song’ most people will agree with me on that, so why did it sell 150,000 in the first week of release, more people went out to buy or download the ‘ding ding frog song’ than they did Coldplay’s Speed of Sound…
Now that really is crazy!
The only answer to its success surely has to be the massive advertising and promotion campaign that Jamsta have cleverly devised - but there seems to be no easy answer as to why so many people buy it but won’t admit they like it!
But answer me this question, who will still be around in 5 years?
My votes with Coldplay…
“One to buy – Compilation CD of the month’
Now that’s what I call music 60. Featuring artists from McFly to Keane this CD boasts such a wide range of music that you might find the whole family borrowing it. In true Now tradition Now 60 features 43 songs you can play wherever whenever, at an uber cool party or at a cheesy birthday bash.
Disk One concentrates on those upbeat pop songs and Disk Two has much more of an indie-rock feel to it. Listen to Gwen Stefani, Kylie, McFly, Girls Aloud, Joss Stone, Keane, U2, The Killers, Athlete, Bloc Party, Robbie, Doves and much more…
That’s the great thing about Now, you find songs that you didn’t know you liked – I normally listen to indie and rock music but a great compilation CD like this allows you to experiment a bit more and find songs that you never even knew you liked! The other great thing is that everyone will like a few of the songs on here so you can please everyone!
Single Review – Wires by Athlete
For some reason not many people remember Athlete from their previous album ‘Vehicles and Animals’, strange considering it sold over 250,000 copies and
was short-listed for a Mercury award. In fact many people think that their
new release is from an unknown band.
One of the reasons could be that we haven’t heard much from Athlete for well over a year or maybe it’s that back in April 2003 they described their album as “quirky pop” which is notably different from their new material.
Whatever the reason, they disappeared from the radio and people’s minds, and the Deptford foursome would need to come back with a very strong release.
And boy have they done that… Queue their new single ‘Wires’.
Wires is based on a true-life experience that the lead vocalist had involving his newborn baby sons fight for survival. The lyrics of the song are deep and passionate and the tune is very catchy and memorable – the sort of song everyone feels the need to sing along to!
Well worth the buy and lets hope we see a lot more of the South London lads…