Alternative R&B: Marian Hill

I don't know exactly why, but when YouTube suggested Down by Marian Hill to me I figured it would probably be a cliché ballad. The start of the song seemed to confirm this since I only heard a piano and a female vocalist. It sounded nice but not really remarkable. I kept listening however and it's a good thing I did, because when the beat dropped, at 56 seconds into the song, my opinion changed completely. If you're a regular visitor of my blogs you've probably noticed that I'm a fan of hip-hop and trap beats as well as electronic parts. Down manages to combine these elements with cut up vocals, reminiscent of C2C (see my earlier blog) while at the same time maintaining a relaxed feel. I fell in love with the song.

Marian Hill, consisting of producer Jeremy Lloyd and vocalist Samantha Gongol, is a relatively new group that started out in 2013. My two favourite songs of their debut EP 'Play' are Loveit and especially One Time. I like the jazzy feel that both songs have due to use of a saxophone.

In 2015 the group released a second EP with several new songs, but it wasn't until 2016 that they released their debut album 'Act One'. The album contains a nice range of songs, from the relaxing I Know Why, to the urban Mistaken and the swinging I Want You. This last song reminds me a bit of the electro swing produced by ProleteR.

Currently their latest released song, the earlier mentioned Down, has almost 21 million views on YouTube so it's safe to say the group is blowing up. I can't wait to hear more of their saxy songs.

Other favourites: Got It, Lips and Wasted

Check out more videos on Marian Hill's Official YouTube Channel

Eurovision Song Contest

The Eurovision Song Contest, the longest-running annual international TV song competition in the world, was broadcasted again last week. This year several hundred million people watched the 42 participants put on a show on the stage in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Many people however, especially the ones that call themselves music fans, don't like Eurovision. They associate it with bad (read: commercial) music, crazy outfits and stupid dances. I have to admit this is partly true, but in recent years the amount of good acts is certainly increasing. 

The reason I still watch the event every year is because it's an excellent way to discover new music. On the one hand there's the traditional/folkloristic songs like Belarus and Hungary, while on the other hand there are the modern ballads as performed by Poland and Denmark (coincidently both were playboy models, but that's beside the point). Both electro (Norway) and rock (Ukraine) fans could also find something to their taste. Norwegian EDM producer JOWST was actually granted an exception for the use of pre-recorded vocals, which is normally not allowed. There's also room for different singing techniques as shown by the opera singer from Croatia and the yodelling duo from Romania.

The winner of this year's contest is an eccentric singer from Portugal named Salvador Sobral. His song Amar Pelos Dois sounds like it was composed in the 1960's but at the same time doesn't sound outdated. It's a beautiful composition that had the power to completely relax me amidst all the hard hitting dance tracks. A rightful winner if you ask me.

Other favourites from this year's show:

The Netherlands (the girls from O'G3NE have hands down the best harmonies in the competition)

Iceland (Svala brings a retro 80's electronic sound)

France (A catchy pop song sung by the beautiful Alma)

For more Eurovision songs check out the official Eurovision YouTube channel.