CONTROLRadioUK Picks 5 Songs You May Not Have Heard Of

Here at CONTROLRadioUK we're always on the look-out for music be it for the playlist, or just because we think the tracks are pretty neat so heck out our picks below.



I'm really sad I didn't get the chance to feature this last week, because this is so awesome I've been listening o repeat, but I can only include 5 songs here; with so much awesome music things get bumped. Ordinarily The Last Shadow Puppets are not my thing. I've included them here before because the video was so great I couldn't not. This time they're here partially for the video & also because this sounds really good. Ok! I'm living for Alex's dancing because this guy has a lot of energy. Gonna also comment I studied French at school (yet another interesting fact) before switching to Spanish & once you're Espanyol you don't wanna go back (I'll always love you Francais for giving me crossaints), so for me liking a French song is a rarity and they make this song sound so exotic when in English the lyrics are pretty redundant. The Last Shadow Puppets are an English super group I thought I'd hate for eternity, but actually turns out they make some ok tunes. This song ISN'T take from the album 'Everything You've Come To Expect' which considering the events of this year must now be looked at as a cruel twist of irony, but instead the 'Dream Synopsis EP' which you can pre-order now.



I could wax lyricals about how Dua Lipa is my favorite new female singer this year, I've yet to hear a song from her I don't like & it is mind-boggling how she's been releasing songs from her debut album since last year but it's not out until February but what's the point? I've said it all before & if you don't know who Dua Lipa is by now...... well where's a bangheadondisk.gif when you want it?



I'm gonna straight up admit I know nothing about Shay, nor what she's actually singing here, since my Foreign Language Education stretches to a few words of French & Spanish followed by bits I pick up watching Foreign shows so I can't give insightful commentary here. All I can say is I like the sound of the song, so did the rest of CONTROLRadioUK HQ. But you should know we spent hours searching on Google for information about her & this song, because we're nothing if not professional here at CONTROLRadioUK HQ. Still didn't come up with anything useful. My above limited education tells me she's either French or sings in French & possibly has an album called 'Jolie Garce' that you can pre-order now but don't quote me on that. My apologies for my total Language failure this week, but I assure you I do have some Language books on my Christmas list. Not very helpful right now I know! But come next year I'll be a Master of the Arts.



And on this weeks edition of 'Say something nice about a music video, don't just be snarky all the way through because it's not professional' we have this. I'll start by saying I absolutely love the song & I have taken a peek inside their back catalogue which has some tunes. I'll then continue by saying I love the scenery in this video which is so calming, relaxing & so beautiful it makes me wondeer why I'm not exploring this beautiful planet we're home to, instead of having my passport gather dust. I'll also say this is one of those songs where the vocals & music go together so perfectly it's dreamy. Oh & being out in the middle of nowhere with mountains is on my list of dream vacations. I may have made some above snarky commentary to the rest of CONTROLRadioUK HQ when i first came across this song. You should know it did provide a lot of laughs & I did get a few head nods agreeing with me. Unfortunately I can't repeat said conversation here partially because I don't wanna seem like I'm being mean when I'm not. Also because I'm not allowed to. Yes my dear faithful audience! There's only so much snark I'm allowed to include in these articles before I'm told off. Joseph is an American folk band and their album 'I'm Alone You're Not' is available now.



The lyrics here I am to point out are slightly repetitive & apparently this song doesn't go anywhere 'so why on earth would you want to choose this as a pick'? Well if you stay with the song beyond the first 50 seconds, you'd see the lyrics are deep & not every song needs to be bursting to the bream with base & music on top of each other. I'll acknowledge the fact I'm not a fan of 'Gold' which was released before this, but that's simply because I never like the 'it' songs which are overplayed; come back to me in a year or two's time & I'll possibly like it. I'll also say I really like what she's done with this video; the premise is simple yet so powerful. She's also getting points for how pretty this video is (I will never apologise for appreciating scenery). Kiiara is an American singer/songwriter and the 'low kii savage' EP is available now.

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CONTROLRadioUK Picks 5 Songs You May Not Have Heard Of

Here at CONTROLRadioUK we're always on the look-out for music be it for the playlist, or just because we think the tracks are pretty neat so heck out our picks below.



Have I mentioned how much I love Grouplove? Oh I haven't?! Well, like Dragonette I discovered them this year, and like Dragonette, they're one of my favourite new bands. I very much enjoy a good dance-a-thon to Grouplove because their songs have such positive energy to them it's impossible not to. The lyrics are quite good as well, not to repetitive, the video isn't the greatest I've ever seen but I won't be too harsh. Basically whenever I get a notification that a new song/video has come out my day is made, and the whole of CONTROLRadioUK HQ is dancing. I'm considering that a fine job done. Grouplove are an American Indie/Rock band and their new album 'Big Mess' is available to purchase/stream now. I can confirm it is excellent.



How do I be objective over this? I've liked The Veronica's on/off since my late teens & they make some fantastic under-rated music. This song here is another smash. The video & lyircs has an important story to them, and I do appreciate when Artists/Bands/TV Shows use their position to highlight issues in society. I've lost count of the amount of people who've found the strength to come out as a result of a character on TV doing the same, or realising they need help with addiction/substance abuse from viewing similar things. But I didn't find Ruby Rose a convincing actress in Orange Is The New Black, and that's not changed here. It might seem unfair singling her out with criticism here, and I do apologise for that. However if you're going to do a powerful story to your video that you hope helps others, you need it to be strong so people can look at it and think 'Damn this is me' or 'That's exactly like someone I know' & I don't get that here. It's only a small thing, but if I critic people for redundant song lyrics, music that goes nowhere & video's that take me right out of the song, then I have to critic the choice of people in the video. The Veronica's are an Australian duo and their album 'My Blood' is released in January.



I first heard this song a couple of weeks ago and I wasn't really feeling it. The song didn't seem like it was going anywhere and I didn't find the chorus particularly good. But when you give me a video that has pretty scenery? I will fall at my knees. It's another example of why videos are so important to music; yes making a great record is fine & dandy but if you don't have a visual to sell to those in doubt? Have fun cracking the top 40! I will say this still isn't the greatest thing I've ever heard as I think more could've been done with this lyrically, but it is not the worst thing I've heard this week & the chorus is now stuck in my head. Oh & MØ's solo music continues to be better than the collaboration's she's done with some high profile Artists. I thank it for being the type of bad you want to switch the channel over at but can't, because something intrigues you and that led to me checking out her solo records. MØ is a Danish singer/songwriter & I'm intrigued to see how her second album goes.



The rest of CONTROLRadioUK HQ hates this song, deeming it for some unknown reason depressing in sound, but I really like this. It has a minor sample on the guitar backdrop which I love & the whole sound of this song is so chill & relaxing. The lyrics are a little deep in places which I also like, the chorus is a banger and she's in a boat! On water! I. Love. Water. Being a mermaid is like #4 on my bucket list, so there's your interesting fact for the week! Considering the type of songs I'm forced to put here when I'm outvoted, I'm sure as heck gonna rebel against the system & feature something here I love even if no-one else does! MIYNT is a Swedish singer/songwriter & this song is off her 'EP no. 1' which you can buy/stream now.



Just when I was being swallowed up by all the fantastic pop/dance music that has met my ears recently & starting to forget all about rock, I came across this beauty. I love the subtle build at the beginning, the deep lyrics & how this monster comes at you in the chorus. It's rock perfection. As we're studying how scenes are built up in College right now with lighting/setting/direction, it's not escaping my attention how much this video focusses on light, which I'm guessing is symbolic to the songs message (quite the clever one I know). It's also interesting to me how this video does so much for the story of the song without really having a lot. They're also getting extra points for the desert intercutting and how beautiful the final scene with the young lady looks. Our Last Night are an American post-hardcore band (that's a new term for you) who are even lovely enough to include the lyrics for the song on the YT page so that's another point. They also have quite the back catalogue you can join me in listening to until next week, when I bring more wonderful music into your life. You're welcome.

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CONTROLRadioUK Presents Throwback Thursday: Best Musical Moments

The one thing I enjoy more than Music? TV! Having said that over the years it has become less about enjoyment & more about dissecting. Still there are moments in TV that shock me to my core, bring along the tears, those big useless feels & let me know things are getting serious. Whilst writing, acting & directing are obviously key to getting those moments across, music is what really does it. Watching a show where they have the big funeral scene, you're trying to fight back the tears as your favorite character is gone forever, and a big soppy ballad plays overhead? It gets to you. So for this weeks Throwback Thursday, I'm choosing some of my favorite musical moments from TV Shows. As with last week this doesn't necessarily incorporate my all time favorites because the list is too big. But these are musical moments on shows that really stand out to me. So enjoy reading, and on some occasions judging my taste in TV show



The Artist: Imogen Heap
The Song: Hide And Seek
The Moment: The O.C Season 2 Finale 'The Dearly Beloved', Marissa shoots Trey to stop him killing Ryan.

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: It was tough to choose between this and 'The Moment I Said It' which was played during an early Criminal Minds episode, but I had to go with this. The SNL parody is extremely amusing & there has been a lot of talk over the years, regarding whether playing this song when the guns fired was the right choice (the camera angle, slow motion & blood through Trey's shirt didn't help) but The O.C ruled my teen life for 3 glorious years, and this was a big moment. It was one destined to happen the second Trey tried to force himself onto Marissa. Yes I could've done without Seth's phone call to Marissa to try & stop Ryan, and standing back, screaming for Trey to get off Ryan whilst he was beating him within inches of his life was a bit stupid. But the first time I watched the episode, the first time I sat through that scene with my heart racing & the first time that gun went off and this began? Shiver went through my body. The O.C like One Tree Hill was known for its awesome soundtrack, and I don't think this let the side down.

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The Artist: Mikky Ekko
The Song: We Must Be Killers
The Moment: Teen Wolf Season 2 'Raving' closing montage.

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: I was a big fan of Teen Wolf up to Season 3a. It introduced me to a lot of good music & their use of dance music during fight scenes was a bit different to the norm. The closing montage to 'Raving' is one of the best the show has ever done & this song suited the atmosphere perfectly. I was one of those lucky enough to watch the episode early & there was so much that went down in the episode. But when this song started playing, inter-cutting between those scenes with the stray pieces of dialogue? I knew it was going down. On re-watches I'd say this and 'Motel California' are my favorite episodes of Teen Wolf, for the music, the directing & the stories involved.

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The Artist: Glee Cast
The Song: Dancing Queen
The Moment: Glee Season 2 Episode Prom Queen Final Scene

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: I do recall mentioning Glee did a lot of things wrong but gave us a few good moments; this would be another of them. Now I have to say overall I hated this episode. I wasn't here for the stupid love square between Rachel/Jessie/Finn/Quinn. I wasn't here for Kurt trying to force Karofsky to come out as gay. Yes the suggestion was part of a strategy to be victorious against his peers who tried to humiliate Kurt with the nomination for Prom Queen. But just because he could eventually take the humiliation in his stride & turn the situation on its head by being happy to accept his crown, that didn't mean Karofsky had to do the same. Telling a person to take a stand & be true to themselves by revealing their sexual orientation to everyone before they're ready to is not cool. I do however love the end scene first because it is a great Abba cover, and second after an episode full of drama it was good to just have fun. Sing-along at your prom, dance with your friends and get your picture taken. When it wasn't trying to preach or retcon from one ep to another, Glee did light-heated moments really well.

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The Artist: Bush
The Song: Letting The Cables Sleep
The Moment: Charmed Season 2 'Astral Monkey', Leo comforts Piper over the Doctor's death.

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: So sorry to that lovely Doctor for the fact I don't remember his name despite it mentioned quite a lot through the episode, but this isn't about you! That scene wrecked young teen me & to this day whenever I re-watch that episode & get to the end, I can't help but tear up. It's a fantastic trio of writing, acting & music. Even though I can't remember his name the episode did spend time giving us insight into the Doctor's backstory & what drove him to the actions he took. We saw throughout the episode how much of a dilemma Piper felt not being able to give him the answers he needed, and how that turned to despair when he got their powers & had to die. It was a rare villain of the week storyline where there wasn't actually a villain of the week. Piper telling Phoebe & Prue how the Doctor had no wife or children because he was so devoted & seeing them want to help her feelings of guilt but having no answer. It all leads into Piper collapsing on her bed in tears & Leo appearing after feeling the pain she's in. It's al all round devastating, powerful, teary moment & this song was absolutely perfect.

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The Artist: Orphelia Has Orchestra
The Song: Suggestions
The Moment: Pretty Little Liars Season 2 Finale 'unmAsked'

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: For someone who'd already guessed Maya was dead, you wouldn't think the scene where the Liars discovered this would get to me but it did. The Liars think A has been discovered & the danger is over, with Hannah coming back and Mona unmasked but boy are they wrong. When the music's slowly building in the background as they notice the sirens but don't really pay attention, and then Emily runs to the scene because she knows something serious has happened. Her mum tells her the news about Maya and we watch as the coroner takes away the body, the music grows louder & the news sinks in. Death reveals are always hard in TV. Over-act, have the music too loud with awful dialogue & you're completely taken out of the scene. Don't put enough emotion in, have the music barely there with too much or too little dialogue & the death doesn't hit at all. I think PLL got the balance just right here. The music is what makes the scene since the lyrics are suitably apt. But the acting somewhat let's the scene down here as I was more affected by Spencer's sadness comforting Emily & keeping her from collapsing, than I was with Emily's devastation at the realization Maya was dead. I also found Hannah & Aria's reactions to be pretty weak as well, but I won't be too harsh as this was fairly early on in the shows run, they didn't have a wealth of acting experience to get them through the death reveal & I did still feel rather sad.

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CONTROLRadioUK Picks: Favorite LGBTQA Artists

Here at CONTROLRadioUK we're always on the look-out for music be it for the playlist, or just because we think the tracks are pretty neat so check out these picks from our favorite LGBTQA Artists.



PVRIS are a fantastic American Rock band I really need to release new music because I think I've worn out my 'White Noise' CD.

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Years & Years are a British Electronica trio. Got their album as a Christmas present last year and can very much say they're a bop & a half.

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Shamir is an American singer/songwriter and this song is so fun I can't stop dancing along. I seriously challenge anyone not to bop along to this.

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Hayley Kiyoko is an American actress/singer/songwriter & I'm never missing an opportunity to rave about how good her music is.

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Heather Peace is an English actress & musician you're probably more used to seeing on your TV screen, but she is quite the singer as well.

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CONTROLRadioUK Picks 5 Songs You May Not Have Heard Of

Here at CONTROLRadioUK we're always on the look-out for music be it for the playlist, or just because we think the tracks are pretty neat so check out our picks below.



Sometimes I show songs to CONTROLRadioUK HQ expecting to be told no because others can't grasp my superior musical taste. Sometimes I show songs to CONTROLRadioUK HQ & I'm pleasantly surprised that whilst others can't grasp my superior musical taste, they still think it sounds ok & it lands here for you lovely folks. I love the sound of the song, especially in the chorus, and how deep the lyrics are. Most importantly I like how the video's presented for a live VEVO performance. The balloons and flickering of light really help to emphasize the songs somewhat dark tone, and I look forward to hearing more stuff from Bishop Briggs (which I know I say every week but there's few joys in life better than discovering new music).



First things first; Zak has a vocal range that is pretty similar to John Newman & every time I hear this song for a few seconds I'm very confused. Secondly i don't need songs to always have super deep lyrics along with really deep music. Sometimes it fits the tone and sometimes it can be a bit much, so I'm really glad that whilst this song has deep lyrics, they're accompanied by a beat I can dance to. Having listened to a few more of Zak's songs (and been made to really miss playing table tennis), this guy should have a good future ahead of him. Zak Abel is a British singer/songwriter and you can pre-order his debut album 'Only When You're Naked' now.



I cam across this yesterday and had to bump another song from the picks because this is so good, I couldn't wait a week to talk about it. This really surprised me because in the past I haven't liked her stuff that much. Not to say it's bad but it's not really my taste but I like this. The lyric video's is a little simple compared to some I've seen recently, but I love space so she gets extra points for that. The lyrics are slightly basic in parts and I really don't like how some musicians stick to the rhyming system which I think is out of date. But there are other parts of this song which are really deep & I love the music. It's not too in your face because that'd be completely wrong for the songs tone, but it doesn't just sit back either; the balance is perfect. Gabrielle Aplin is an English singer/songwriter, this is the first song from her new EP and her previous albums 'English Rain' & 'Light In The Dark' are available now.



This video reminds some at CONTROLRadioUK HQ of Kylie Minogues 'I Believe In You' which I think is a really unfair comparison because that video actually had some life in it - all this one does is make me want to sleep. But you know I'm willing to put a boring video aside when the songs fantastic, and this is. Yes the chorus could maybe be stronger, but like Gabrielle above, I think this song gets the balance just right. Fun fact for you? I got this confused with Bonnie Tyler because for the second time this week my brain can't handle names that are similar (though granted I wasn't the only person to mix up Criminal Magic for Criminal Minds so I won't be too harsh). Little history less for you here: whilst you may not know Bonnie, you will know songs she's had a hand in writing. My top picks are 'Supernatural' by Ke$ha & 'Legendary Lovers' by Katy Perry but there are many more. Bonnie KcKee is an American singer/songwriter and the 'Bombastic' EP is available on Apple Music & Spotify.



This song is awesome. Yes the video's a trip and a half but this song's been on repeat since I came across it. I love the build up, I absolutely adore the music & the lyrics are quite good as well. I don't think anything I say can quite do justice for how awesome this is, so just press play and thank me later. Temples are an English rock band and you can pre-order 'Volcano' now.

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CONTROLRadioUK Presents Throwback Thursday: Best Covers

We've traveled through time exploring some of the best songs from the 80's & 90's. Now I'm bringing you '5 Of The Best' and where else to start than with covers?

Covers have to not only have something special to them for me to be able to like them, but also bring something to the song that the original Artist. It can be something as simple as a different musical style or a range of voice which brings more music to the song or a video with a superior story that takes the whole song to another level. Also going to add I've listened to a lot of covers over the years including 'Hurt', 'Hallelujah', 'What About Now', 'Try', 'What Do You Want From Me', 'Don't Speak' & 'Don't You want Me Baby' & whilst I've loved them all, there isn't enough room for them all to be here (though I do advise you give them a listen)



The Artist: Leona Lewis
The Song: Run
Originally By: Snow Patrol from their Third Album 'Final Straw in 2003

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: I will be honest and say when I first heard Leona Lewis had covered this song I wasn't impressed. Snow Patrol are one of the first bands I listened to as a teenager & 'Run' was the song that got me into them because it was so hauntingly beautiful. When I saw her perform this on X Factor? I was blown away. She's kept the hauntingly beautiful tone of the song, but this version I'd say is more of a ballad and I love the slow build up to the end where this smacks you in the face. It can be difficult to cover a song by any singer due to the differences in vocal style & note reach (some can reach the high notes quite easily whilst others have deep voices that just can't reach). From my days at Theatre School I know it's even more difficult to sing a song by the opposite sex, but Leona has the vocal range to absolutely nail this & dare i say I've grown to like this song more than the original.

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The Artist: Bastille
The Song: Final Song
Originally By: MØ

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: Have I ever mentioned how much I've come to love Bastille? Part of their unique appeal is they don't just cover songs. No, they mash-up as well! This isn't my favorite (that's a tie between 'No Scrubs' & 'No Angels') but I love what they do with this. Like with 'Run' I'm a big fan of the original 'Final Song' (and I featured it in the picks a while back) & Bastille aren't doing anything spectacular with it here but the mix with Craig David's '7 days' and 'The Final Countdown' is what takes this to another level. Daniel has such a great voice that he could basically sing anything & I'd love it. If you haven't checked out Bastille's mix-tape albums 'Other People's Heartache' then you should because it's fantastic.

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The Artist: OneRepublic
The Song: Send My Love
Originally By: Adele

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: Have I ever mentioned how much I love Live Lounge? I'll admit sometimes the covers really don't work due to reasons mentioned above, but most of the time they get it right. Bastile's a great example of that but even better? OneRepublic! I'll be honest and say Adele's version is my favorite (even if the videos a complete dud) due to her attitude in the song & music. This version here is a little basic musically & I can't use Live Lounge as an excuse since Bastille managed to give us a gem. But despite the fact they don't do anything with this Ryan is a fantastic singer who I am yet to hear on a bad song. It's also extremely difficult for anyone to cover Adele because her range is so high, but OneRepublic do that effortlessly here.

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The Artist: Glee Soundtrack
The Song: Rumor Has It/Someone Like You
Originally By: Adele

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: Ok first things first; Glee had one good season but after that it should've been wiped from TV schedules to save our brains from retcons & continuity errors galore. By us I of course don't mean myself because I tuned out of this mess after the first season. Glee didn't do a lot of things right but more times than not the songs they covered were fantastic. My top favorites are 'Don't Speak', 'Don't You Want Me Baby' & 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart'. My all time favorite? This magnificent mash-up which some say is a rare highlight of Glee & it's still permanently stuck to my playlists years later. As said above not a lot of people can cover Adele because of her high vocal range, but Glee do it superbly here. When people think of Glee you probably think of some individuals more than others. But there is a reason why this song is still one of the most talked about Glee mash-up's & indeed one of the best because Amber & Naya mesh so brilliantly together on this song it's unreal. They bring their two parts together effortlessly which gives us that glorious ending, the background vocals work so well with them & the music? Oh how I love the music. Whilst I like Adele's versions in their own right, this is a rare version of the cover/mash-up being completely superior to the original.

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The Artist: Little Mix
The Song: Dance With Somebody
Originally By: Whitney Houston

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: Funny fact for you here; I did not like Little Mix originally. I watched their season of the X Factor & during the early shows, they did not sound good. Somewhere down the line that changed but I still did not like them. A little bit further down the line ala Bastille, that changed & now I absolutely love them. Others here at CONTROLRadioUK do not and they are one of the Artists/Bands I'm banned from featuring in my picks (which is a massive shame I've protested against because I love SOTME along with the promo songs for 'Glory Days' which I cannot wait to be mine). But Throwback Thursday's & feature articles aren't picks so ha! Picking a Little Mix cover is quite difficult because there's such a big catalogue & they've excelled at every one I've heard. But I've chosen this one for the mix of Whitney Houston and Jason Derulo which included THAT note and led to the duet on 'Secret Love Song' (which I love musically but lyrically their solo version is superior). This mash-up like with Glee is so great because these girls work so well together & have so much energy that they put into their performances.

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CONTROLRadioUK Picks 5 Songs You May Not Have Heard Of

Here at CONTROLRadioUK we're always on the look-out for music be it for the playlist, or just because we think the tracks are pretty neat so check out our picks below.



I've come across a lot of new Artists/Bands this year; have to say Dragonette are one of my favourites. Their music is so infectious I can't help but dance along. It was extremely difficult to choose between this and 'Royal Blues' because they are both fantastic tracks in their own minds. Ultimately this wins because the sound grabs me just that little bit more, and whilst the track has no relation to the movies or character, Darth Vader is one of my favourite all-time villians & I love the original Star wars movies - anything that reminds me of their awesomeness is always a winner for me. Dragonette are a Canadian electronic music band from Ontario that formed in 2005. The album 'Royal Blues' is out this Friday and available for pre-order now.



This. Song. Is. BAMF. Seriously! I came across 'It's Just Now' a few months ago, and I didn't exactly know how to describe the song. It was like a mix of 20 different musical genres all bundled into 3 minutes & 14 seconds. Others here at CONTROLRadioUK HQ didn't know what to make of it either, but I persist and Sleigh Bells have given us another beauty here. Musically it's a little easier on the ears to understand, the lyrics are quite deep & it reminds me a lot of the late 90's sound. I absolutely adore the music here, specially in the chorus where it blends so well with the vocals & background vocals. The video's also got quite a retro feel to it and is always gonna be a winner with me because I love scenery, but especially with this video the lighting & directing. Sleigh Bells are a noise pop musical duo fro New York and their new album 'Jessica rabit' is released on Friday.



Another band I came across this year. I loved 'Brand New Moves' which was released earlier this year and this track is just as good. It was a bit of a fight to get this song on the picks this week as others here at CONTROLRadioUK HQ didn't feel as if the song goes anywhere. Since I'm constantly bemoaning songs that have great potential but go nowhere I'm gonna say that's a fair criticism; the video somewhat bores me & when I first heard this I was expecting it to go somewhere different. However it does grow after a few plays & if you do stick around to the end, it does have a great break-beat which I love. Hey Violet are an American from Los Angeles.



Sometimes songs pop up & you expect to love them but hate them. Sometimes songs pop up & you expect to hate them but you love them. It's definitely the later in this case & she gets extra points for co-writing one of my favourite Fall Out Boy songs 'Centuries'. I always love coming across Artists who bask in their culture, considering we live in a society that loves to Appropriate & it's mostly either dismissed or laughed at. This song has a great & inspiring story to it both lyrically and visually. I love the chorus, I love the drum & bass beats, everything about this is fantastic & I look forward to listening to more from her. Raja Kumari is an Indian American songwriter & rapper. Honestly I could listen to this song all day and never get bored.



My final pick of this week and it's another BAMF. With this BAMF though comes my gripe of the week; Skylar Grey is a criminally under-rated Artist. I've been a fan since I came across her solo version of 'Love The Way You Lie' which is a fantastic song I dare say is even better than Eminem's version with Rihanna. Some of my other favourites of hers include 'Coming Home' with Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 'Love Bullets' with Will.I.Am & 'I Will Return' on the Fast 7 soundtrack. She's got a tremendous back catalogue both as a singer & songwriter and 'Lemonade' here is no different. The story to the video is quite deep and interesting, along with the lyrics & I absolutely love the beats in the music (predominantly the snares & soft guitar). Skylar Grey is an American singer/songwriter and the album 'Natural Causes' is out now.

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CONTROLRadioUK Presents Throwback Thursday: Millenium

Hello and welcome to the next Chapter in our Throwback Thursday series. We've traveled through 80's Pop/Rock/RNB/Reggae/Dance. Now we're having a stop-over in the 90's. It was a glorious 10 years for fashion, technology & of course music. Some songs changed the landscape of music forever whilst some were unfortunate one-hit wonders & now at the end of our journey, take a look at these millennial belters.



The Artist: Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue
The Song: Kids
Released: 2000

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: No word of a lie 16 yrs on this song still hasn't left my playlist. That's right!! This song has survived Record Players, Computer Players, MP3 Players & is now on my phone's player. It hit #2 in the UK and was certified Gold & Silver. To this day I love everything about this song. The chorus is my hook, line & sinker which I will never get tired of dancing my head away to. I don't know the lyrics by heart but I know the bits you need to know. Only thing I don't like is the stupid beatbox at the end; whenever that comes round this songs getting switched off. This video's really fun and somewhat sexy (I was banned from watching the video like 'Rock DJ', allowed to listen to the song, another testament to my mum's rules) . It's a rare song where I could go on all day about what makes it so great & still wouldn't hit the mark, because it really has to be listened to.

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The Artist: 'N Sync
The Song: It's Gonna Be Me
Released: 2000

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: 'It's Gonna Be Me', 'Tearin Up My Heart', 'Pop', 'Bye, Bye, Bye' & 'Gone'. Those are all the 'N Sync songs I know, like & play occasionally. This hit #1 in the US & #9 in the UK. I find the video cute & fun, but this is here because of the meme. If you don't know what it is then thank your lucky stars. Being an avid Tumblr user you can't avoid it coming round every year (just like Mean Girls & Halloween/Christmas) it's like Tumblr rule to reblog them so you do & then you get so used to it, you laugh along with all the other Tumblr folk whilst newbies are wondering what's going on. I won't deny 'N Sync make the occasional bit of good music, but they were and still aren't for me.

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The Artist: Steps
The Song: Deeper Shade Of Blue
Released: 2000

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: I know! Another Throwback Thursday, another Steps song. But if you only listen to one Steps song in your life? It has to be this one. It's my all time favorite of theirs & also one of my all time favorite songs ever. It reached #4 on the UK Chart because Steps were more about providing us with dance routines & bops to know by heart than setting the chart alight & I swear my love for this song does not stem from the fact my favorite colour's in the title. Pretty sure I've mentioned it before but it bears repeating; When H or Claire were on lead vocals Steps songs were brilliant. On the occasions Faye was lead they were still good, but H & Claire just had so much power with their vocals. The video fits the songs futuristic style & whilst it may not have an exact story to go with the lyrics, it still fits the tone of the song perfectly. The songs about the darker side of life and an attempt to break free which is again, a message that a lot of people can relate to. Honestly I just love everything about this song & 16yrs later like with 'Kids', I'm not bored & don't think I ever will be because every listen brings something new to the song.

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The Artist: Billie Piper
The Song: Something Deep Inside
Released: 2000

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: Yes, before Billie Piper became everyone's favorite Dr Who companion she was a singer. Made two fabulous and gave us this bop. To this day I only know 2 lines of the chorus, have no idea what the songs about or anything, but still I dance & sing those 2 lines with all the might I have. It reached #4 on the UK Charts & probably isn't as well known as some of her other songs, but I still love it. The video outside of the dance routine has not aged well at all. Like I actually find myself offended by the awful decor & attempts at outside shots. But the music's great. Billie's vocals are great (I know! Who knew she had it in her) & it's fun. Plus despite not knowing the damn lyrics, I can never get the chorus out my head. Doesn't make much sense now does it? Welcome to music!

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The Artist: Shaggy
The Song: It Wasn't Me
Released: 2000

CONTROLRadioUK Thoughts: The final song in our 90's journey. I know there's a lot of songs I could've chosen to end this Throwback Thursday special, but I had to go with this. Firstly because it's again a song I wasn't allowed to listen to until I was much older (and in this case I actually think my mother was justified). Secondly sometimes songs come across that when you hear them, perfectly describe someone you know. It could be the beats are similar to a person's personality or the lyrics should be next to the person's name in a Dictionary. This song and Kanye West's 'Gold Digger' are definitely in the latter category *mischevious cackle*. This song broke Shaggy into the Pop market & was a smash around the world being certified Platinum, Gold & Silver. Thank you Shaggy for the wonderful memories.

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