I can't help but feel that Brandon Flowers' "Only The Young" is such a misty, whimsical jam. And so I'm glad it's getting a proper single release.
The music video premiered today, and it finds B. Flo acting as a heavy-hearted ringmaster in a sort of Close Encounters Of The Third Kind meets Cirque Du Soleil affair. All that's missing is for Sigfried and Roy to spring out of some fey lion's den and sandwich Brandon in a pink cage.
All in all, the video is pretty nice to watch, but the most visually stunning bits are definitely the black and white segments.
You know, I kind of like Flowers' solo album Flamingo. I think it's just going to take some long, lonely winter day for it to really click with me.
The main activity on the Billboard Hot 100 this week comes from the songs that appeared in the Season 2 premiere of Glee. The singing troupe of TV dorks see their following covers hit the chart: "Empire State Of Mind" (#21), "Telephone" (#23), "Billionaire" (#28) [Note: for the record, I fucking hate this song], "Listen" (#38) and "What I Did For Love" (#51).
Elsewhere, all does not seem lost just yet for Selena Gomez & The Scene's moody dance-pop jam "A Year Without Rain." After dropping from #35 to #65 last week, the single now jumps up to #53. Her same-named album debuts on the Top 200 album chart at #4. (Is it any good? I've only heard a few clips—seems decent enough?)
That brings us to Florence + The Machine, whose "Dog Days Are Over" sadly falls from #21—where it flew to after Flo's stellar MTV VMAs performance the other week—to #73. Over on the Top 200, FATM's Lungs has a less dramatic plunge from #14 to #28.
And we'll end with these two final notes—first up, Brandon Flowers' Flamingo, which debuted at #8 last week, drops to #30. I actually made it the whole way through this album twice. It's not bad. It's just...there.
And at least Christina Aguilera can be happy that she's finally #1 again somewhere. Her Bionic single "You Lost Me" has topped the Dance/Club Play Songs chart. Triumph!
The U.S. Top 10:
1. "Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars" *2 weeks* 2. "Teenage Dream" - Katy Perry 3. "Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna 4. "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" - Usher feat. Pitbull 5. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz 6. "Like A G6" - Far*East Movement 7. "Just A Dream" - Nelly 8. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna 9. "I Like It" - Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull 10. "Club Can't Handle Me" - Flo Rida feat. David Guetta
So we have a new #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week in the form of "Just The Way You Are," the first official single by Bruno Mars. Of course, Bruno's celebrating will be dampened by the fact that he got busted for carrying cocaine around last weekend in Las Vegas. (Did he learn nothing from wise sage/music legend Paris Hilton?)
And then at #10 we have the sizzurp-slurping Far*East Movement, whose "Like A G6" makes me feel like drowning myself in a tub full of grain alcohol. Hey, kids—getting fucked up is fun! And so is getting arrested! Paaaaaaaarty!
Moving on to classier trash, two singles jump 72 positions this week—Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World)" (up from #75 to #3) and Florence + The Machine's "Dog Days Are Over" (#93 to #21). RiRi's jam benefits from being added to iTunes last week, while Flo performed on the MTV VMAs two Sundays ago.
FATM's LP Lungs also makes an impressive leap, from #44 to #14, on the Top 200 album chart. Not faring as well is Robyn's Body Talk Pt. 2, which drops from last week's debut position of #41 to #200. Ouch. At least Brandon Flowers managed a #8 debut with solo album Flamingo. (Two weeks ago he landed the album at #1 in the UK.)
And in slightly Sophie Ellis-Bextor-related news, Armin Van Buuren's Mirage, which contains their collaboration "Not Giving Up On Love," debuts at #148. I'm playing their jam this very moment in celebration of this momentous triumph.
The U.S. Top 10:
1. "Just The Way You Are" - Bruno Mars" *1 week* 2. "Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna 3. "Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna 4. "Teenage Dream" - Katy Perry 5. "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love" - Usher feat. Pitbull 6. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz 7. "I Like It" - Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull 8. "Just A Dream" - Nelly 9. "Club Can't Handle Me" - Flo Rida feat. David Guetta 10. "Like A G6" - Far*East Movement
While I'm glad Alexandra Burke has largely steered away from the deadly-dull ballad trap that many of her fellow X Factor alums have fallen into and it's super swell her Ace Of Base-y RedOne-produced single "Start Without You" has debuted at #1 in the UK this week, I'm more jazzed about the fact that Hurts' Happiness landed at a solid #4 on the Brit album chart.
Of course, raise a flag also for Brandon Flowers hitting #1 with his own debut solo album Flamingo. I'm crazy curious to see how that one's going to fly here in the U.S. when it's released this week. XOLondon did up what I'm sure is a brilliant song-by-song review of Brandon's LP, but I've thus far managed to steer clear of all leaks and write-ups. I guess I'll just be surprised once my copy of the deluxe edition arrives. Hopefully I'm not chucking it in the recycle bin come week's end.
Back on the UK singles chart, The Script's bland new dirge "For The First Time" sleepwalks its way in at #5, while the once-golden McFly have a ho-hum #6 entry with "Party Girl." Guess it's not enough to just whip your clothes off and pose for the cover of Attitude anymore. Some amount of decent music must actually now be required to maintain chart success. Better luck next time, lads.
And then there's Alesha Dixon, who, let's face, probably has her best days, hit-single-wise, behind her. There's not much about her in this era of Leona, Gaga, Ke$ha and Alexandra that really stands out. Here's hoping she can ably avoid the Sophie Ellis-Bextor curse of decent songstress/lack of fanbase. But for now, her latest single, "Drummer Boy," has debuted at #15.
The U.K. Top 10:
1. "Start Without You" - Alexandra Burke *new* *1 week* 2. "Teenage Dream" - Katy Perry 3. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz 4. "Please Don't Let Me Go" - Olly Murs 5. "For The First Time" - The Script *new* 6. "Party girl" - McFly *new* 7. "Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna 8. "Katy On A Mission" - Katy B 9. "Club Can't Handle Me" - Flo Rida feat. David Guetta 10. "This Day" - Emma's Imagination *new*
Three quick thoughts on the UK chart this week, then I'm off to bed:
* Kudos to Taio Cruz for landing another #1 with the infectious "Dynamite."
* Similar congrats to Brandon Flowers, whose solo single "Crossfire" debuts at #8 and becomes his highest-charting song since the Killers' "Human" reached #3 two years ago.
* Hoo-ray for Hurts nabbing a respectable #21 debut with "Wonderful Life." High hopes for the album doing well!
The U.K. Top 10:
1. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz *new* *1 week* 2. "Love The Way You Lie" - Eminem feat. Rihanna 3. "Club Can't Handle Me" - Flo Rida feat. David Guetta 4. "Green Light" - Roll Deep 5. "Katy On A Mission" - Katy B *new* 6. "We No Speak Americano" - Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP 7. "Billionaire" - Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars 8. "Crossfire" - Brandon Flowers *new* 9. "Beautiful Monster" - Ne-Yo 10. "Airplanes" - B.o.B feat. Hayley Williams
I have to say, I'm getting more and more into this idea of Brandon Flowers as a solo artist after seeing his music video for "Crossfire" and now the Flamingo album cover art. (Album out September 14.)
Longtime Chart Riggers will know that this blog's first year revolved around mucho fandom for Hot Fuss and B-Flo himself. By Sam's Town, my (as well as a multitude of others') patience had worn a bit thin for the band. And while Day & Age was a return to synthy form for the Vegas quartet, the magic sparkle shooting out of Brandon's shorts seemed to have faded.
I guess I'm open to the idea of a full-on Flowers renaissance. While it doesn't seem like solo material is necessary from him, what can it possibly hurt? ("Crossfire," if anything, proves that the guy still has some decently-melodic asexual angst left to croon about.) So far, so good.
Brandon Flowers' music video for "Crossfire," his sensitive grower of a first solo single, premiered today. You know, this song took a few listens to work its way under my skin. But under there is where it's at.
Anyway, the vid features B-Flo being beaten and tortured by a pair of ninjas throughout the four+ minutes. Naturally, the first person to jump to his rescue is a butt-kicking Charlize Theron. Too bad she wasn't decked out in her Monster garb. That would have been hot.
The clip ends with them driving off in a beat-up pickup truck into the sunset. Charlize is at the wheel and she puts an arm around poor, fragile Brandon. She's such a dude.
Brandon Flowers' Stuart Price/Daniel Lanois/Brendan O'Brien-produced solo album Flamingo is due out September 14.
