Darin ft. Kat DeLuna - Breathing Your Love

[poptasticuk.livejournal.com]

My fellow Scandiphiles will certainly have heard of Darin, as he's one of Sweden's biggest artists and now on his 4th album at the age of 21. He is a Kurdish Swede who made his name on the first series of Idol. His first single was written by Robyn, and he's also worked with Max Martin and Linda Sundblad among others, but most notable now is his work with RedOne. You may know RedOne as the producer of Just Dance by Lady GaGa, as well as recent hits by major US acts such as Akon and Kat de Luna, and now he has been hired to produce Michael Jackson's new album... but his first big success was Darin's 2005 single Step Up. His new album Flashback is produced by RedOne, and includes 2 particularly interesting things. Firstly, the duet with Kat DeLuna (below), and secondly, a version of Just Dance with different lyrics, called Girl Next Door. I'm very interested to see what people who aren't immersed in the Swedish pop scene think of these songs, especially those of you who love American r'n'b music. How does Darin compare? Personally I've enjoyed his output over the past 4 years as much as all other male r'n'b acts put together!

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I heard this a while ago - it's a really good song which I think Darin just oversings (which might be a stylistic difference between R&B and Scandinavian pop) - he's got a good voice but it's like he puts everything! into! every! syllable!, so I don't get much sense of anything specific, the lack of nuance has the effect of flattening out the emotion for me. I prefer Kat's verse - I'd never call her a great R&B performer but she has a much better sense of rising and falling with the music.

(Kat DeLuna crops up in the oddest places. When I was in Ghent last month I half-heard what I assumed was a superior piece of Eurodance while I was brushing my teeth, but it turned out to be...the new Kat DeLuna single. She's a great singles act - 'Run The Show' is a definite favourite from this year.)

[poptasticuk.livejournal.com]

I like that Darin puts his all into it. I suppose I have never been one to care about the meaning in songs, just the sound (although lyrics that don't make sense are jarring), so perhaps that is partly why Scandinavian pop suits me so well. The decisive point for me is whether a song is catchy or not. I watched an interview with Dr Luke the other day where he said he writes his songs with nonsense lyrics, then replaces them with words relevant to the artist who the song is given to.

Was it In The End you heard in Gent? That one does sound very European, almost Eurovision-y, but I do think there are much better similar songs actually made in Europe. It's almost brilliant but something's not quite there, as with Calling You. She's certainly no Rihanna or Lady GaGa, but I won't be surprised if she eventually comes out with something really amazing.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I rarely notice lyrics straight away but the difference is that I can happily enjoy songs where I don't know/like the lyrics, but connecting to the lyrics is key for all my favourite songs (whether cuz I find them moving or funny or ridiculous or whatever). Also I like vocalists who do ~nuance~ better than those who just point their voice at the song without thinking about what they're singing.

Kat D is like a jill of all trades (but mistress of none), I first noticed her as a dancehall singer in '07 with 'Whine Up' (and yeah, it was 'In The End' I heard)...she deserves a hit or two here! I prefer her to Lady Gaga though, if only cuz DeLuna doesn't go on and on about what an ~artist~ she is when she proffers her warmed-up electro to us.