Brighton Pride is fast approaching, so to celebrate, we have updated our Brighton Pride Weekenderplaylist, dedicated to one of the city’s biggest annual events, promoting equality and diversity with the aim to eliminate discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and more (LGBT+) community.
This playlist has been lovingly crafted to include a variety of tracks, by the artists performing at Brighton Pride 2019, as well as some other great anthems!
If you already own the songs and want the custom artwork, please feel free to copy/download it below:
We hope you enjoy this playlist as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it!
On Saturday 4th August 2018, Preston Park was brought to life with the UK’s largest, annual Pride Festival and this year was especially huge, with over 57,000 people partying the day away. This was, in part, due to the presence of the one and only Britney Spears, headlining the main stage. Also performing were Louise, MNEK, Mabel, Pixie Lott and Ella Eyre. The afternoon was utterly incredible and people had a truly unforgettable time…the best Brighton Pride yet!
Mabel‘s performance was great – considering she’s not released an album yet, I still knew most of the songs she performed (through their online presence and radio airplay), such as ‘Fine Line’, ‘Ring Ring’, ‘My Lover’ and ‘Finders Keepers’ (which can be seen in the YouTube video below). However, even those I didn’t know were captivating to watch due to her excellent live vocals and high energy. A lot of her songs have clear R&B and reggae influences which means her debut album (that she is currently working on) should be really interesting!
Pixie Lott
It’s been a while since Pixie Lott‘s last album (the self-titled Pixie Lott in 2014) but she sure showed how sensational her voice and just how many massive hits she’s had with this fun-filled performance. Some of the stand-out performances included ‘Mama Do (Uh Oh, Uh Oh)’, ‘Boys And Girls’, ‘Turn It Up’ and ‘All About Tonight’ (which can be seen in the YouTube video below). I’m just gutted she didn’t perform her summery 2017 collaboration with Anton Powers, ‘Baby’. Regardless, her vocals were flawless and she looked like she was having the time of her life…let’s just hope it won’t be long until a new album emerges!
Ella Eyre
Considering she’s only had one album, Ella Eyre has had a lot of hits, not only through her own tracks but also through her incredible collaborations. The set was packed with notable performances and in fact I could mention them all for different reasons…she was just truly remarkable.
‘Good Times’ followed by ‘Together’ really got the crowd going; ‘LOV(E)’ had some great audience participation elements with a real Caribbean feel to it; her cover of Jermaine Stewart‘s ‘We Don’t Have To Take Our ClothesOff’ was pure perfection and then her final tracks were all some of her most notable collaborations – ‘Waiting All Night’ (originally with Rudimental), ‘Answerphone’ (originally with Banx & Ranx) and it all came to a close with the monster hit ‘Came Here For Love’ (originally with Sigala). Her vibe is very dancehall meets drum & bass topped off with a touch of soul…it was the perfect summer sound to bop around to at this year’s Pride and get everyone warmed up for Britney!
Highlights:
Her vocals were flawless and crowd interaction was top notch.
The songs she performed were perfect – the audience pretty much knew them all and if they didn’t, she taught them to us.
Her use of audience participation was brilliant, particularly on ‘LOV(E)’.
The energy she pours into her performance is truly contagious and certainly got people moving!
Setlist
Good Times*
Together
LOV(E)
Ego
We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off (Jermaine Stewart Cover)*
Waiting All Night
Answer Phone
Came Here For Love*
* These songs can be viewed in the YouTube playlist, below.
Britney Spears
BRITNEY. WAS. AMAZING! Sure, she didn’t sing a word live, but when you look past that, her performance was out of this world!
It had everything you could want from a superstar of her calibre; it was fast-paced with high energy, superb choreography, several costume changes, interesting set pieces and video backdrops, a live band and it was packed to bursting point with hit after hit. Including some off her most recent album, Glory, which I was really pleased about!
Her set was further diversified with different versions or intros to some of her hits, such as ‘…Baby, One More Time’ and Toxic’.
With someone like Britney it’s very difficult to pick out favourite performances of tracks as it’s just one big, epic show that you can’t help but enjoy from start to finish but if I had to pick some; ‘Work Bitch’ was an incredible way to start the set and had the audience going wild, ‘Me Against The Music’ had some amazing set pieces just like the music video (cracked walls), ‘Slumber Party’ as the choreography was sexy and the song is just sensational and ‘Till The World Ends’ as the audience were loving every second of it and at the end, the confetti canon exploded with rainbow colours…it was magical!
It is a shame that Britney doesn’t really sing live but there are so many other ways she makes up for it and I still can’t believe she headlined Brighton Pride…it was certainly a performance you did not want to miss!
Highlights:
There really are so many highlights to choose from; the colours, the lights, the sounds, the movements; she is just a sensational performer that puts her every effort into what she does – she’s remarkable!
Oh and Britney getting someone out of the audience to chain up and be a part of the choreography for a song was hilarious!
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Setlist
Act I BRITNEY (Introduction)
Work Bitch*
Womanizer*
Break The Ice/Piece Of Me*
Act II Darkness (Interlude)
…Baby One More Time/Oops!… I Did It Again
Act III If I’m Dancing (Interlude)
Me Against The Music*
Gimme More
Clumsy/Change Your Mind
Act IV Scream & Shout (will.i.am Interlude)*
Boys
Do You Wanna Come Over?
Work It/Get Ur Freak On/WTF (Where They From) (Dance Interlude)
Act V Get Naked (I Got A Plan) (Interlude)
I’m A Slave 4 U
Make Me…*
Freakshow
Do Somethin’
Act VI Magic Circus (Interlude) Circus
If U Seek Amy
Breathe On Me
Slumber Party*
Touch Of My Hand
Act VII Jungle Fever (Interlude)
Toxic
Stronger/(You Drive Me) Crazy*
Encore Till The World Ends*
* These songs can be viewed in the YouTube playlist, below.
Finally, I want to say a massive thanks to the Brighton Pride organisers for putting together such an incredible line-up for this year’s Pride…it was amazing! Now…how the hell are you gonna top Britney next year?!
Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other live reviews here:
Brighton Pride is fast approaching and to celebrate, we have created our first ever, Brighton Pride Weekenderplaylist dedicated to one of the city’s biggest annual events to promote equality and diversity with the aim to eliminate discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
This playlist has been lovingly crafted to include a variety of tracks, by the artists performing at Brighton Pride 2018, as well as some other great anthems!
If you already own the songs and want the custom artwork, please feel free to copy/download it below:
Greyson Chance first shot to the internet’s attention back in 2010, when his sixth-grade performance of Lady Gaga‘s ‘Paparazzi’ went viral.
Since then, he’s matured into an incredibly talented singer and equally fantastic songwriter.
This latest release, ‘Seasons’, is stunning. He stated the track essentially embodies an embracing of a new path in life; “Rather than holding onto my past, or a lifestyle that I understood, I eagerly jumped headfirst into a completely new and unknown journey.” He continued, “It was also within this moment that I no longer regretted the missteps of my past, but rather appreciated the strength and wisdom I had garnered from them.”
There has been no music video released, as of yet, but we’ll keep you updated on this.
What are your thoughts of this incredibly talented singer-songwriter? Got a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or hit us up via social media.
As you probably know by now, we’re big supporters of Frankmusik (check out our interview) and if his latest single (‘Going Under’) is anything to go by, that’s not going to dwindle any time soon.
The electronic artist has been going it alone, without a label, for some time and he’s still producing incredible music, growing and developing his sound with each and every release. The singer’s latest track is very different from his previous releases and has a much for edgy, underground vibe to it, but it’s epic – the instrumental drop is sick beyond belief; I defy anyone not to start skanking out to it!
Bring on the new music and the first of 2 EPs this year, SS17, on June 17th 2017!
Our second track today is ‘On My Mind’ by London-based trio, Disciples (consisting of Nathan Vincent Duvall, GavinKoolmon, and LukeMcDermott).
The trio’s deep house song, is somehow relaxing yet at the same time, danceable. It’s got a late-night summer feel to it. It’s the kind of track that would keep you going well into the early hours especially with the combination of harmonised vocals, repeating, “On my mind” – it’s truly quite entrancing.
This is a fantastic song; one I could quite happily listen to on repeat, for hours!
A R I Z O N A are an incredible electro-pop band, who have over 200 million streams on Spotify, to date, and over 9 million monthly listeners, and signed to Atlantic Records just over 12 months ago.
They just dropped their latest single, ‘Electric Touch’ and it’s beautiful. A modern-day love song, crafted perfectly, with a little help from singer and songwriter, Julia Michaels.
Not only in the song incredible, but the music video is too – it is a moving video, starring a true-life young gay couple, and tells their story throughout. The couple contacted the band, asking for a short message, but in turn the band decided to honour them in a music video. It’s a real must-see, so check it out below.
In relation to the video, Hailee Ritcey (one of the two main characters in the story) shared the following on social media:
“For a long time this day has filled me with so much fear and anxiety. I’ve never been really sure what I would say, why I felt like I needed to post, or why it even mattered at all. It’s taken me a long time to come to this level of confidence with myself and with my relationship. I have been so lucky to have wonderful family and friends that have really helped me to this point. And I’ve realized the people that truly love and care about you always will, regardless. So a few months ago Carly and I took a trip to Seattle to see one of our favorite bands. Because their music means so much to us I decided to reach out to them. I knew it was a long shot to even get a response but then they took it one step further. They asked us to tell our story through their music. So this is my girlfriend. And this is A R I Z O N A. Thank you A R I Z O N A for creating this incredible opportunity for us and thank you for your music. So much love!”
What are your thoughts of this electronic band? Got a #MellowMonday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via our social media.
In case you didn’t already know, MUNA are an American band consisting of Katie Gavin, Josette Maskin and Naomi McPherson, who have been hard at work, crafting their own unique sound and brand of “dark pop”; this is their debut album, About U.
About U is an incredible debut album; it’s production is slick and the lyrics are playfully honest. The band have ensured to steer clear of gender pronouns to ensure their songs are able to resonate with a person of any gender or sexuality, yet they still cover a wide variety of topics; relationships, heartbreak, regret, freedom and individuality. Yes, it’s an album predominantly about the ups and downs of love, but MUNA have definitely taken a refreshing stance on it.
What I love about this album is how the style of it flows superbly yet each song has its subtle gems in the production, that make each and every one of them stand out.
It features all the fan-favourites (‘So Special‘, ‘Loudspeaker‘ (an unapologetic anthem for being your imperfect self – a real highlight of the album) and ‘Winterbreak‘) as well as their newest single ‘Crying On The Bathroom Floor’, which is packed with melodrama. Then there’s the huge, hit single, ‘I Know A Place‘ which is pure pop perfection – it’s catchy as hell and the lyrics provide unity; it’s an anthem for the LGBTQ community and has provided a beacon of hope for those who’ve suffered horrendous attacks in recent times.
The band’s sound is stunningly well-crafted; from the huge, euphoric synths and drum pads to the subtle, endearing guitar licks, Katie Gavin‘s vocals weave beautifully across the tracks. At times she has a vocal style similar to that of Katy Perry and the use of vocoders is subtle yet haunting – very reminiscent of Imogen Heap.
Some of the stand-out tracks (besides the singles) include ‘Around U’ (an anthem of detachment; freedom from a former lover), ‘After’ (an exploration of the feelings you get from the morning after the night before) and ‘Promise’ (an admission of lies that have been told, after it’s too late). ‘End Of Desire’ and ‘Everything’ are fantastic songs too.
All-in-all, this album is the perfect debut and thoroughly deserving of the rating I’ve given it. There isn’t much I can fault with it. It almost allows you to forgive yourself for past mistakes you made and empowers you to take control of your life by embracing the highs and lows of love and relationships. A thoroughly powerful and stunning release. I honestly reached the end of the record and wished that they could release another album of new music next week!
I hope you enjoyed ‘About U’ as much as I did! What are your thoughts? What would you rate it? Please leave a comment below or let us know via our social media.
Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:
I have been an avid MUNA fan for some time now, but their recent release of ‘I Know A Place’, has just further cemented my love for the trio!
It is incredibly anthemic and features a chanting chorus of “I know a place, Where everyone’s gonna lay down their weapons,” which is guaranteed to have everyone singing along.
It is firmly rooted around the LGBTQ community and lets everyone know that safe places can exist for those within the community. It’s one hell of a catchy tune with an uplifting message that just begs to be replayed over and over again; I certainly have been!
No video has surfaced yet, but I’ll keep you updated if/when one does!
In contrast to MUNA‘s ‘I Know A Place’, is the sibling duo, XYLØ‘s ‘Get Closer’, which looks at how relationships today are often shrouded with distractions in the form of social media, constant in-your-face advertisement and immediate access to information; all of which are detracting from face-to-face interaction and relationships and causing people to become more distant from the ones they were once inseparable from. The message is pretty dark.
The video helps to captivate these distractions in the form of the neon lights, lasers and strobe lights and depicts the song perfectly. Check it out below!
The Knocks are an electronic music duo from New York, consisting of Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson. Their name actually comes from when the pair made beats in their apartment and would get “the knocks” from their neighbours, to keep the noise down.
They’ve since gone on to record a string of singles and their debut album, 55, which features an incredible array of acts, including Alex Newell, St Lucia and Walk The Moon.
‘Collect My Love’, which features Alex Newell‘s trademark vocals, is one of the singles they released from the album and it’s got some serious funk going on – it’s reminiscent of Daft Punk‘s ‘Get Lucky’. The video for the song is pretty quirky too – it’s got that urban feel but with an air of “getting ready for a night out”; it’s just good fun!
What do you think of these guys? Has it given you that #FeelGoodFriday vibe? Please share this link on your social media sites!
This week’s Two4Tunesday features two bands which are signed to independent labels, and man they’re awesome!
I discovered the fantastic TEAM* while checking out what one of my favourite bands (Forever The Sickest Kids) was upto these days and discovered that the members were all currently working on side projects; TEAM* being one of them.
TEAM* consists of Caleb Turman and Rico Garcia (Forever The Sickest Kids), Jay Vilardi (The Almost) and Bryan Donahue (formerly of Boys Like Girls). To date, the band have released two EPs, TEAM* EP and Good Morning Bad Day.
This particular song is superb and almost like a crossover of indie, beach-rock and pop. The video is well worth a watch too; it’s quite an inspirational song and video.
TEAM* – ‘I Like It’
As for New City Kings, well they were a very recent discovery, when I saw them support McBusted on their recent tour. NCK have performed at South By Southwest, Bestival and Download Festival and supported acts such as The Cribs, Marilyn Manson, and London Grammar. The band consist of brothers, Mark Kovic (vocalist) and Ben Kovic (guitarist) as well as Ben Nyari (drummer). They hail from Chelmsford, Essex (UK) and although they are a British band, clearly have American influences.
I particularly like this song and felt it was worth sharing this week, as I can see this band going on to big things.
New City Kings – ‘Change’
Happy Two4Tunesday! Which 2 songs will you choose to share?
Muzik Speaks 