is...

Rihanna - Umbrella



Released: 14th May
Trivia: I feel bad to choose something so mainstream but this song is the one that will always remind me of 2007, holds so many great memories, and still sounds as brilliant as it did 8 months ago. As with With Every Heartbeat, its huge success shows that there is no point complaining that the charts don't reflect actual musical quality, because if a song is good enough it will find its way to the top. If an artist isn't getting the chart positions they deserve, then they'll just have to make something even better, until its brilliance can be denied by no-one.
Best bits: 1. You can stand under my umberella-ella-ella-eh-eh-eh
2. When the sun shines we'll shine together
3. BECAUSE!

Robyn and Kleerup - With Every Heartbeat



Released: 6th August
Trivia: What is there left to say about Robyn? She's amazing, a superstar, the most special lady in pop. But I would like a new album in 2008...
Best bits: 1. I don't look back, still I'm dying with every breath I take
2. And it hurts with every heartbeat
3. We could keep trying but things will never change

Alphabeat - 10,000 Nights of Thunder



Released: February
Trivia: In 2008 Alphabeat are touring the UK! Unfortunately they're supporting Palladium, who haven't done much to impress me yet (and now The Feeling are back there's little point in trying), but they're coming to my town and it only costs £7, so it would be rather silly of me not to go. I can't wait! Click here for my Alphabeat interview from back in January.
Best bits: 1. You're so ooh (dododo), you're so aah (dododo), you're so coool! (baby you're so supersupremedibabadioh)
2. You give me 10,000 nights of thunder but I will give them all back to you
3. I was not looking for arty-farty love

E-Type - True Believer



Released: 16th May
Trivia: I first heard of E-Type when I bought a CD by a Danish girl duo called Bikini in Copenhagen many years ago. I guess they were his prodigies, and even covered his early hit Do You Always. They seemed to be pretty popular at the time but now there's no trace of them on the Internet.
Best bits: 1. I'm a truuuuuue believer
2. You're my inspiration in life (up-di-daddy-daddy)
3. Because of you! (because of yooooouuu) That's what I do!

Margaret Berger - Will You Remember Me Tomorrow



Released: January
Trivia: I like the video for this, but the song is too special for a normal dance-pop video and Margaret is too special for normal dance routines. But I guess a song as special as this is rather hard to come up with a suitable video for. Margaret seems adorable throughout, but when she's doing the point in a circle dance move you can see her heart's not in it. I love point in a circle but only when the pointer is stupid enough to think it's an original and meaningful piece of choreography, or knows it isn't and camps it up anyway. Still I can't seem to stop watching it - there's something so engaging about an outwardly cheesy song sung so earnestly, and something quite ethereal about Margaret, now she's blonde, which perfectly fits her musical persona.
Best bits: 1. Kissing in the dark of night, never wanna say good night, oooh baby
2. Time goes by (it goes by), and you don't know what you should know
3. Deep inside you always were my sweetheart, but I never thought you'd taste so sweet

Måns Zelmerlöw - Cara Mia



Released: 5th March
Trivia: 21-year-old Måns is considered quite the hottie in Sweden, and is currently appaearing on billboards and bus stops everywhere promoting the clothes shop MQ, along with Agnes (not Magnus) Carlsson. He seems to be quite a fan of TV contests, having competed in Melodifestivalen 2007 and Idol 2005, but the only one he's won is Let's Dance, the Swedish answer to Strictly Come Dancing.
Best bits: 1. Come closer, cara cara mia, cara cara mia, love is all we need
2. Come! CLO! SER!
3. I'll always love you, I know, baby, don't gooooo!

BWO - Chariots Of Fire



Released: 4th June
Trivia: This was the first single BWO released in the UK, and next apparently is Sunshine In The Rain. Both have been very popular on The Box but that's about the extent of their UK success, unless you count my triumphant conversion of my best friend to the cause simply by taking him into a Swedish music shop. He was immediately drawn to the beautiful BWO poster, grabbed the headphones by the CD (which had just come out), and moments later he was joining me in crowning them Sweden's finest. And that's why he's my best friend!
Best bits: 1. Ohh-oh chariots of fire, higher and higher ascending above
2. It's a brand new day, things will go my way, every night I pray, every time I say
3. Worlds colliding, we keep on riding

Miley Cyrus - See You Again



Released: August
Trivia: I first discovered this song quite early this year (from a live version on YouTube), and had to wait a few months to get the album version, of course immediately posting it on Into The Groove when I did. Since then it has deservedly become a big fan favourite and was released as a single, and has been the first of her singles to receive significant US radio airplay.
Best bits: 1. My best friend Leslie said "oh she's just being Miley"
2. The last time I freaked out, I just kept looking down, I stu-stu-stuttered when you asked me what I'm thinking 'bout
3. Ooh-ohoh-ohoh I can't wait... to see you agaaaaain!

BWO - Save My Pride



Released: 16th May
Trivia: In March this year I, along with many readers of this blog, got to see my beloved BWO in a tiny concert in London and they sang this song for the first time, proclaiming that none of us would know the lyrics. To prove them wrong I sang along to every word, although I'd never heard BWO's version before, just the Alcazar one which I'd had on repeat ever since I heard that BWO were to cover it.
Best bits: 1. I save my pride, oh-ohoh-oh! I save my love, oh-ohoh-oh!
2. Through the skies we travel forever, across the univerrrrse
3. I save my pride! I save my pride! I save my pride for love!

Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position



Released: 26th March
Trivia: I didn't think much of Patrick Wolf (apart from the almighty Tristan) before this year but now I've seen him live 3 times and even have a t-shirt!
Best bits: 1. To live, to learn, to love... in the major key
2. It's you! Who puts me in the magic position, darling
3. This Monday morning walk right past the fabulous mess we're in

Marion Raven - Break You



Released: 28th March
Trivia: This has been around a couple of years already but hasn't appeared in my top 25 before so this year, as it was released in the UK, I get a new chance to celebrate its brilliance.
Best bits: 1. Bet you never thought that I would break you!
2. Tell me who's the one who's crying... now?
3. What goes around comes around, you should know by now

Young Love - Discotech



Released: 30th January
Trivia: My confident prediction that this would be a huge hit in 2007 didn't exactly come true, did it?
Best bits: 1. She's back I can feel it in the ai-air, discotech, you know she's gonna be there
2. You can't fake this, only you can take this, I wanna lose control!
3. Stepping out tonight, flying so high, it's the good times keeping me alive

Robyn - Handle Me



Released: 29th October
Trivia: This was written and produced by Klas Åhlund, who should be known to followers of Swedish pop as a member of Teddybears Sthlm, and the writer/producer of Britney's new single Piece Of Me.
Best bits: 1. You’re a selfish narcissistic psycho freaking bootlicking Nazi creep
2. Let me tell you how it'd be, you won't get with this you see, cos you can't handle me
3. I think you’re kinda cute when you try and act like you ain’t looking

BWO - Give Me The Night



Released: 13th December
Trivia: Since it was only released 4 days ago, I can't find the cover photo so far, but it's nice to know that December isn't a completely barren month for poptasticness, at least in Sweden. You must check out the super-homoerotic video, which also features... a giant mouse!
Best bits: 1. Give me the night, the best is yet to come
2. We're gonna reclaim the street and get to the heat of the beat, SO!
3. I'm back on my feet, I gotta dance

Rufus Wainwright - Going To A Town



Released: 7th May
Trivia: This is the highest placed ballad of my chart this year, unless you count no.2, but I don't.
Best bits: 1. Tell me! Do you really think you go to hell for having loved?
2. I'm going to a town that has already been burned down
3. I may just never see you again or might as well

I just checked the UK charts, hoping to find someone who might challenge Leon for the Xmas no.1. You can imagine how surprised I was to find that no.1 is Katie Melua (what is she doing infecting the singles chart? she's an album artist!), and not just that but she has gained this by duetting with a dead person. Surely there is something morally wrong with using a dead person to get yourself a no.1 single? Just because Elton John got away with it does not mean she should. What with that horrible Soulja Boy single at no.3, I think I'm going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming onto the ferry on Thursday. I've come to expect the charts to be rubbish in December, but a song with the lyrics "I'm jocking on yo bitch ass" is not exactly bringing the Christmas cheer, is it? Although I suppose "haterz get mad cos I got me some Bathing Apes" could represent the bit where you meet up with your friends afterwards to show off what you got from Santa.

Here are my highlights and lowlights of the X Factor final 2007:

Highlights
1. SAME DIFFERENCE!!!! Of course.
2. Same Difference flying
3. Same Difference on elves' shoulders
4. A small child calling Louis quite accurately "a grumpy old man"
5. Leon's seat looking appropriately like a toilet
6. His mayor hiding in embarrassment behind a sign
7. The return of High School Musical!
8. Simon deciding his best tactic was to make the contest a war of nations, since he represented the largest one, although sadly he didn't factor in that only minority groups vote for someone just because they're 'one of their own'
9. Kylie's new single performance and overall fabulousness
10. Same Difference's super-jolly journey montage
11. Leon being suddenly good on When You Believe... well, some of it (he looked as surprised as me at the high note)
12. Dermot - cute and funny -> a great host this year
13. Rhydian... well, I prefer him to Leon at least
14. "I know it's expensive..."
15. Sharon's original opinion of Rhydian: "He's revolting!!"

Lowlights
1. Same Difference having to sing that awful Joseph song again and getting Jason when Leon had Kylie - I'm so disappointed in Simon, it was embarrassing
2. Kylie's outfit for the duet, and having to sing with Leon
3. Katherine Jenkins' WEIRD voice!
4. Simon converting to Scottish for Leon - traitor!
5. Jeff Brazier's presenting skills, not that they exist
6. Same Difference not winning :(
7. Smug Louis when SD went out
8. Rhydian not being mad anymore, only serious
9. WHAT?? LEON???? Seriously undeserved - TRAVESTY.
10. When You Believe sounded much worse when he was the winner

I can't say I'm genuinely upset about the result because I stopped getting annoyed about singing contests a long time ago - it's just a treat if it goes well, as it did for us to get a group who sing Steps and S Club in the final. I have to complain about Leon, though. I don't have a problem with someone who isn't actually the best singer winning if they have other assets, such as a good personality or an interesting musical style, but Leon was negative on both of those scales. He is a childish wimp whose idea of originality is to transform every song into an imitation of Michael Bublé, already famous for his imitation of a very old style! Really it is a travesty for the music business that he would win, but at least we can put him away in the album chart and not have to put up with him in the singles chart after the first one or two singles that follow his first unavoidably big one. It's such a shame there isn't any other great song in contention for the no.1, so Leon could be the first X Factor winner to miss Xmas no.1 - that would be excellent.

Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend



Released: 2nd April
Trivia: I don't think I've ever before even had an Avril song in my top 100, and now here is one in my top 25! I can think of very few occasions where my opinion on an act has changed so suddenly and extremely, but when a major star brings out a new single that sounds like Shampoo, Shebang and Kim-Lian, and rips off a song covered by Lush... what can I do?
Best bits: 1. Hey, hey, you, you! I don't like your girlfriend!
2. Hell yeah, I'm the mother-fucking princess
3. She's so stupid, what the hell were you thinking?

Mika - Grace Kelly



Released: 16th January
Trivia: While it's this single that Mika is practically synonymous with in the UK, he has received a Grammy nomination for Love Today (best dance single) and 2 French NRJ nominations for Relax, Take It Easy.
Best bits: 1. I could be brown, I could be blue, I could be violet sky
2. Why don't you like me, why don't you like me, walk out the door!
3. So I tried a little freddie (MMMM)

Danny Saucedo - Play It For The Girls



Released: 23rd May
Trivia: Danny's full name is Daniel Gabriel Alessandro Saucedo Grzechowski and his parents are Bolivian and Polish, but it was Swedish Idol in which he competed in 2006. He is not the only singer named Danny Saucedo - rather strangely there is another from California who was born a year to the day before our Danny!
Best bits: 1. And I've been tryin' everyday to forget you
2. Play it for the girls, and for all the good times
3. Doesn't matter what they say, the dream never dies

Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love



Released: 22nd October
Trivia: I'm still amazed that this song is written by Jesse McCartney. How is that possible?
Best bits: 1. Keep bleeding I keep keep bleeding love
2. You cut me open and IIIIIIII
3. Closed off from love, I didn't need the pain

Ola Svensson - Natalie



Released: 6th June
Trivia: Ola (a Swedish Idol contestant) used to be a boring balladeer, so I was quite shocked to discover this piece of jaunty poptasticness was his doing, and it's not a one-off as he now really is a proper pop star. Next year he will even be in Melodifestivalen, with a song called Love In Stereo.
Best bits: 1. Do you feel like I feel, Natalie? Natalie?
2. And you make me wanna shout it out, I got to ask you right know
3. I dream a little louder

Darren Hayes - On The Verge of Something Wonderful



Released: 6th August
Trivia: I didn't even know until I read it on Wikipedia just now that Janice Dickinson appears in this video. Then again, I have never watched a whole episode of America's Next Top Model and missed the entirety of I'm A Celeb this year, so I'm not very sure what she looks like.
Best bits: 1. You can dance in the devil's shoes, if you like walking in heels
2. When you let me go and I'm on my way, when the world below is cold and gray
3. On the verge of, on the verge of something wonderful

September - Can't Get Over



Released: 20th June
Trivia: I spent most of my summer sympathising with this single. How depressing!
Best bits: 1. You know I can't get over and I don't know why
2. And I go to sleep and leave it in tomorrow, but I wake up screaming halfway through the night
3. You! Don't wanna hear your name

Amy Diamond - Stay My Baby



Released: 23rd November
Trivia: This is the latest single to be released from Max Martin's hit factory, and I'm very pleased to note that he's back to his late 90s sound - this could easily be from Robyn or Britney's first album. A great direction for both Max and Amy.
Best bits: 1. Everything will be OK, everything will be alright
2. So now 'til forever stay my baybay
3. I'm never gonna give you up I'm never gonna have enough

Magnus Carlsson - Live Forever



Released: March
Trivia: Even before this song had been first performed on Melodifestivalen this year, Magnus had told us to expect a modern version of Take On Me, and we certainly got it. Sadly he only came 5th in his semi-final, not even reaching the second chance round, but nonetheless Live Forever was a hit and got to no.3 in the Swedish charts.
Best bits: 1. I'm gonna live forever
2. In everyooooone... goes on and ooooon...
3. Ah-ah-ahhh, ah-ah-ahhh, ah-ah-ahhh-ah-ah-ah-ahhh

Melody Club - Fever Fever



Released: 17th January
Trivia: Melody Club come from Växjö in Sweden, the same city as The Ark! I wonder if everyone there has silly hair-dos and sparkly jackets?
Best bits: 1. Fever fever leave my heart alone
2. Still my fading heart beats for your loooove
3. Nobody's aaangel!

When I heard that Måns Zelmerlöw had duetted with Magnus Carlsson on a new version of All I Want For Christmas Is You, I was understandably excited. Not only were two of my favourite pop boys singing a duet, but the song choice suggested Måns had come out as gay and he and Magnus were the latest celebrity couple! So you can imagine my disappointment when I heard a female voice and realised that Måns had instead duetted with AGNES Carlsson, a past Idol winner. Even worse news: They have turned a jolly pop classic into a totally snoresome ballad. But, on further reflection, Måns is far too young and cute for Magnus.

The best of November...

1. Miley Cyrus - See You Again
2. BWO - Give Me The Night
3. Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
4. Amy Diamond - Stay My Baby
5. BWO - Destiny Of Love (remix)
6. Pat Monahan - Her Eyes
7. Anouk - Good God
8. Backstreet Boys - Helpless When She Smiles
9. Cascada - What Hurts The Most
10. Mika - Lollipop
11. The Ark - Little Dysfunk You
12. Caroline Larsson - Sweet Little Gun
13. The Black Arts - Christmas Number One
14. Booty Luv - Some Kinda Rush
15. Simple Plan - When I'm Gone
16. Sahara Hotnights - The Loneliest City Of All
17. I Nine - Seven Days Of Lonely
18. Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
19. Nejra - Headstrong
20. A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover
21. Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
22. Ingrid Michaelson - The Way I Am
23. Isabel Guzman - All In Your Head
24. Rilo Kiley - Silver Lining
25. Lee Mead - Gonna Make You A Star
26. MissMatch - Breathe In/Breathe Out
27. Linda Kiraly - Can't Let Go
28. Kate Nash - Pumpkin Soup
29. Bruce Springsteen - Long Walk Home
30. Matt White - Best Days