Chart Chasers #31

Chart Chasers took a week off last week which means I have a bumper batch of songs to talk about today. NINE songs that are new to the UK chart this week (or last week in some cases as I’m catching up) but will they be any good? Time to find out!

Our first track today is by a band I love, The Vaccines. It’s called Teenage Icon. That doesn’t leave me with a lot to say. Hopefully this’ll be as good as many of the band’s other tracks!

Nice mention of former teenage icon Frankie Avalon. Avalon is the guy who sings “Beauty School Dropout” in the film version of Grease. This is a great Vaccines track with a particularly good chorus. It’s nice to see some proper music making the charts occasionally. 4/5.

Up next we have the member of N-Dubz who nobody really knows. It’s Fazer who hoped to follow in Dappy and Tulisa’s footsteps with this song Killer. It hasn’t done that well and I can’t imagine it’s going to be very good…

Sigh. This is yet another party-type track which sounds pretty much exactly the same. Fazer is a rapper yet here he is singing using autotune because he’s can’t sing in tune. I actually think Fazer is a decent rapper but he hardly raps in this at all. Why try and pretend to be something your not? It’s not working Fazer. 2/5.

I don’t expect much from the next track either. It’s Professor Green with some help from Sierra Kusterbeck (whoever she is). Weirdly it’s called Avalon though I don’t think it has any connection to our friend Frankie from earlier. This track is apparently the soundtrack of the new campaign for Relentless Energy Drinks so it’ll probably sell just cos it’s used on adverts.

I have mixed feelings about this one. Sierra has been hard done a little here and I think she really ought to get equal crediting to Pro Green. Her chorus is fantastic and I really like it. But then the verses are average to say the least rapping by Green, who I’ve never really rated as a rapper. His voice annoys me. I hope Sierra releases a Pro Green-free version of this track as it would be much better without him. 3/5.

Plan B is next with his new single Deepest Shame. Plan has been busy making films lately so let’s see if that’s distracted him from making good music.

I think this is pretty good, clearly Plan’s still got it. I think this is a song which grows on you after a few listens but after hearing for the first time I’m going to give it 3/5.

Uh-oh, Flo Rida’s back with a new song. This one is called I Cry. Looking at Flo Rida, he doesn’t look like the kind of guy who cries. He’s too tough and butch for that.

This is so close to being awesome. The melody is fantastic and I love electronic music like this. Rapping isn’t really necessary in this song and spoils it a bit. And it does sound a bit dubstep-py in places which is no good thing. But I absolutely love the main tune. 4/5.

There’s another four songs after the break, click “read more” and give it a few moments to load!

I have very little hope for the next track. It comes from X Factor winners Little Mix who are a genric girl band. The track is called Wings which is a terrible title. I just know I will hate this.

I was right. It’s too cheesy, has too much clapping and most of the “singing” is more like shouting. For a band they have a terrible harmony as well. 2/5.

It’s been quite a while since we last heard from Pink but she’s back with a new song. This one is called Blow Me (One Last Kiss). Thank goodness for the brackets.

Pink is one of the few artists who I’ve followed for pretty much their whole career. I’ve always liked her music, even when I was quite young, and yet again she’s produced another great, lively song. I love it. 5/5.

It’s the return of The Script next. I’m a big fan and even saw them before they were famous. Here lead singer Danny has called in a favour from fellow The Voice UK judge will.i.am and got him to feature in the song. This is Hall of Fame.

I love this. I was a bit sceptical about will.i.am’s involvement and wasn’t sure he’d fit in with The Script, but he clearly has. A great return from The Script, 5/5.

Our final song today comes from Ne-Yo. I hate Ne-Yo and his stupid hat. This song is called Let Me Love You.

God I hate this. I just want to steal Ne-Yo’s hat and slap him round the face and tell him to stop making money from complete crap. His voice really annoys me. He doesn’t pronunciate properly. And it’s just generic, boring music. 0/5.

That’s it for this week. As always, please share your thoughts on any of the songs here and check out The Chart page to see links to all 40 songs in the top 40. See you soon!