Featured Reviews

Learn more about your favourite artists; find out what they are up and keep tabs on what interests you.

The Fear
Lily Allen 		Lily Allen was getting itchy feet after her record label repeatedly postponed the release of her second effort, "It's Not Me, It's You"; but finally, in the new year, her turn to revalidate herself will arrive, beginning with another slice of shiny pop, in which the singer indulges into pop stars' usual temptation of ranting about the difficulties of a newly acquired celebrity lifestyle. No panic, though; "The Fear" is not another of those self-pitying pats in the back. Instead, is pretty much "Alright Still" once again; with Lily's witty lyrics underlined by light electronic touches, making it even more chart-friendly. A strong return, only overshadowed by the sudden impact caused when her spontaneous version of Britney's "Womanizer" leaked from producer Mark Ronson's online radio show. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more
The Fear How It Ends
Devotchka 		Devotchka's music has always had a cinematic quality, first unveiled to major audiences as part of the successful indie flick "Little Miss Sunshine". The last track on that soundtrack was "How It Ends" and since then, its melancholic vocal nuances have been a recurrent inspiration, also used in the "Everything Is Illuminated" trailer. Its most original synchronization to date has to be the recent "Gears Of War 2" commercial. Maybe an odd choice to end up as background music for audiovisual battles against aliens, but Nick Urata's tenor grandeur and the fine strings and piano arrangements added a shockingly new epic dimension to the sophisticated, computer-generated images of the popular Xbox videogame. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more
How It Ends Fairytale Of New York
The Pogues Feat. Kirsty MacColl 		Included in our selection of "Five Christmas records you can play without embarrassment", "Fairytale Of new York" is the perfect song for people who don't really like Christmas songs: despite lyrics that work as an antidote against the typical sugary feast of good intentions ("Happy Christmas your arse, I pray God it's our last"), this rude vocal fight between the booze-shaped voice of Shane McGowan and the late Kirsty McColl has become a season favourite. Based on the story of many Irish emigrants escaping from the potato famine to the US in hope to become entertainers but failing in their venture, it has been reissued regularly since its original release on The Pogues' 1987 album "If I should fall from grace with God" and has even inspired a documentary about how it was conceived. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more
Fairytale Of New York Day 'N' Nite
Kid Cudi Vs. Crookers 		Crookers' remix of Kid Cudi's "Day 'N' Night" is now one of the biggest urban tracks in both the UK and Greek Holiday resorts, but how this came about is anyone's guess. Originally hailing from Milan, Italian production duo Andrea Fratangelo and Francesco Barbaglia first came to prominence in 2007 with a series of bass ridden blog-house monsters that gained the support from DJ royalty such as Erol Alkan, Fat Boy Slim and Soulwax,; whilst becoming favourites at clubs such as Fabric and Space Ibiza. However, it has been through the infamous "Booze Britain" style clubs of Malia and Xanthi that Crookers appear to be fostering their first crossover success. Combining US rap, a speed garage style descending bassline and electro beats "Day 'N' Night" has become the buzz record for many urban DJ's in much the same way that Timo Mass's Industrial Techno hit, "Dooms Night", became a surprise chart hit after finding favour with inner city urban audiences. If last year's big track from the Greek Islands, T2's "Heartbroken", is anything to go by then "Day 'N' Night" should be one of the tracks to look out for in coming weeks. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more
Day 'N' Nite Keep This Fire Burning
Outsiders Feat. Amanda Wilson 		This track may seem familiar to some and rightly so, having originally been sung by Robyn and then covered by soul sensation Beverley Knight a few years back. Since then the Outsiders (Vincent Morrissey and DJ Skweez) have taken this R&B/pop hit, reworked it with Amanda Wilson doing the guest vocals on their dance version (she of the 'Watchin' by the Freemasons fame). Maybe because of this the Freemasons have done a mix of the single with their trademark loops & beats set against their exuberant production, as distinctive as their own competent back catalogue and mixes of others, such as Beyoncé. The WAWA mix is a more housey effort, with more piano-based activity & a heavy, bass driven melody. Both versions seem more fun than the original, which appears too slow and the vocal sounds distant & uninteresting. All in all there is something for everyone out of the 11 mixes on the CD single and it's been huge all over Europe this autumn, simply because it's an uplifting slice of mainstream dance, that stands above most of the fodder in its niche. Stuart A. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more more
Day 'N' Nite Untouched
The Veronicas 		After their first two albums failed to make an impact anywhere but in their country, the international possibilities for these Aussie twin sisters didn't look too rosy. Luckily for them, a tour with the Jonas Brothers and a clever reference in their latest video to current vampire teen-flick sensation "Twilight" boosted their profile and gave them their first American hit. Like a modern equivalent to bubblegum pop, musically you can place The Veronicas somewhere in between t.A.T.u.'s dance pop and Avril Lavigne's saccharine punk. "Untouched", the second single from "Hook Me Up" has got a compelling air of teen drama and instant appeal from its first notes, thanks to its impossibly catchy strings hook. The Origliasso siblings count among the acts to watch in 2009. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more
Untouched Hallelujah
Jeff Buckley 		The best thing that's ever come out of the X-factor is none of its winners, but this year's recovery of "Hallelujah" as a social phenomenon. The Leonard Cohen penned classic, originally released on his 1984 opus "Various Positions", has inspired over a hundred high-profiled covers, being Jeff Buckley's the most notorious one. The late son of folk troubadour Tim Buckley revisited it on his timeless debut "Grace", giving such a magnificent and heart-felt rendition that many considered he could fairly claim the song as his own. Its spiritual overtones served to soundtrack Buckley's growing myth when disaster stroke and the singer drowned in the Mississippi waters, halfway through the recording sessions of Grace's follow-up. Alexandra Burke's winning choice, backed by the power of TV audiences will surely become this year's Christmas number one, carrying in her stellar trail Buckley's version, which inspired her performance, back to the charts as the surprising runner-up for the much coveted honour and generating a rumoured million pounds in royalties for Cohen. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more
Hallelujah Let The Drummer Kick
Citizen Cope 		Brooklyn based multi-instrumentalist, DJ and Producer Clarence Greenwood's band Citizen Cope originally recorded this track in 2002. Born in Memphis, Clarence started out as a DJ in the hip-hop act Basehead and this would have a large influence on his subsequent output as a solo musician. Indeed hip-hop along with folk, reggae, rock and blues all contribute to Citizen Cope's eclectic sound. "Let The Drummer Kick" is a prime example of this; featuring a hip-hop influenced live drum beat, playful looping piano riff and the obligatory DJ scratches. The vocal delivery has echoes of Bob Marley's mysticism and also the same repetition rhyming style of Stevie Wonder's "Past time Paradise" (sample lyric "Relations, Creation, Incarceration, Determination, Equation"). "Let The Drummer Kick" received plenty of attention on release featuring in the films Accepted and Coach Carter and the TV shows CSI:Miami, Entourage, but has now reached a new high on a 2008 sync to the car manufacturer Acura's TSX commercial. Citizen Cope also features on Dido's 2008 album "Safe Trip Home" on the track "Burnin Love" more  more
Let The Drummer Kick Mad
Ne-Yo 		2008 has indeed shaped itself as the "Year of the Gentleman", with Ne-Yo's supremacy as a song-writer and artist culminating in an album of the year Grammy nomination. "Mad" is the third consecutive hit taken from it and sees the heart-throb going back to his mellow comfort zone. Perfectly suited to the seasonal need for peace and tranquillity, it will easily carry on Ne-Yo's winning strike in the charts. Heshima, one of Amy Winehouse's backing vocalists, has also covered it and he's currently earning raves in youtube. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more
Mad Mrs. Officer
Lil Wayne Feat. Bobby Valentino & Kidd Kidd 		20 years ago Hip-Hop was raw, untamed and anarchic. When N.W.A penned hits like 'Straight Outta Compton' and 'F*** Tha Police', you knew the songs were all about rebellion, anti-establishment views and the disenfranchised urban youth of America. However, skip forward to today?s chart friendly and commercialised world of Hip Hop/R&B and we encounter Lil Wayne wanting to 'F*** Tha Police' in an altogether more literal fashion. Completing a year that has seen the New Orleans rapper drop an amazing 23 singles, Lil Wayne caps off 2008 with the release of 'Mrs Officer'; a tale of how even the long arm of the law is irresistible to Lil Wayne's charms. This is all perfectly depicted in the flashy video that sees Wayne stopped in his Ferrari by a female Officer, wearing a uniform that certainly appears to be non regulation, and promptly escorted to Lil Wayne's residence for further 'questioning'. Meanwhile Bobby Valentino, who handles chorus duties on 'Mrs Officer', abuses his authority as an active member of the force by stopping groups of Models at the scene of a crime. Bucking the trend of 2008 for electro touches and robotic auto-tuned voices, 'Mrs Officer' is a pleasant change of pace reminiscent of R. Kelly's 1990's R&B jams with a guitar/rim-shot break that could have been lifted direct from some long-lost Isley Brothers track. Unsurprisingly, 'Mrs Officer' has already been confirmed as yet another success from the half pint hit maker, with its peak at number 16 in the US Billboard charts. ©2008 Shazam Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. more  more

Shazam for Partners and Carriers

If you would like to know more and work with us, please get in touch!