not quite

As glowing reviews of the KylieX2008 Singapore stopover pours in from the local media, let me, a humble Kylie fan give his two cents worth on this tour that Kylie and her long-time collaborator William Baker have put together.

First a little backgrounder. KylieX2008, the first full-scale international tour that Kylie Minogue has taken on after her brush with breast cancer, opened to amazing fanfare and pizazz to the London crowd. Critics and naysayers were literally wowed over by the bright lights, elaborate sets and decadent costume changes (provided by JPG no less) Kylie had put forth. KylieX2008 is also the most expensive Kylie tour in her repertoire of past tours. KylieX2008 has also made its way to the rest of Europe and certain parts of South America.

Singapore is the first Asian stopover for KylieX2008. And I must say, I was pretty honoured she chose to come to Singapore first, after the first botched attempt to bring her Showgirl Tour due to her medical diagnosis.

Having seen footage of her KylieX2008 London tour, I thought we would be getting the same. Lo and behold, at exactly 8:30pm the lights went down and graphics for the opening act shot up I realised there weren’t going to her amazing entrance of her on a spider web looking prop. Instead she came out from a cheap looking screen to sing Speakerphone.

It was almost as if, the Singapore edition of KylieX2008 was KylieX2008 redux. She cut out a whole segment of the original KylieX2008, namely the Japanese themed section in which she sang songs like, Come Into My World and Sensitized. Like A Drug was ‘skull-less’ and instead had her being pushed on a flimsy screen. That was due to space constraint of the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Nonetheless, Kylie put out a fantastic show. Looking visibly tired in the first act, she amazingly kept up and gave an amazing performance. Songs like In My Arms and Wow was so much better heard live. The atmosphere in the indoor stadium could have been better. Ardent fans was clearly outnumbered by general fans.

To have gone through half the world and still be able to put up a fantastic show, Kylie certainly earned her place as the Queen of Pop second to her Madgesty of course.

ambivalent

As pictured above, Little Boots. I got the heads up from a music blogger about her and after listening to what she has to offer, I am hooked. I need me some Little Boots! She, in a sense, has a unique style of her own. Her music is best described as electro-pop at its best. She may of course have to contend with the multitude of upcoming musical ingenues from that genre (one such artist that comes to mind is: Antigone).

Hailing from London, she has already made her music known through typical mediums such as youtube, myspace and even Glastonbury. More recently she performed on the Later with Jools Holland. That is quite an amazing for someone who has yet to put out an album or even a proper video. It does help that she as the ex-vocalist for the band Dead Disco.

Her performance on Later with blew me away. She uses a sort of technical keyboard and the piano to create her sound. This interesting feat, sees her using the piano and playing the technical keyboard all at once and that includes singing! She somehow manages to pull this off and give one of interesting performance, which makes her the one to watch.

With such talent, much is expected of her and she has already proven herself by signing on to a major label. Let us all hope that label grooms her well and proper. I for one am looking forward to hearing a full length album from her. The year is certainly coming to a good proper end with musical acts like her and Ladyhawke in the mixer.

Go to her myspace, sign up for her mailing list and get a delicious mixtape from hers truly. Amazing mixtape I must say.

www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic

off kilter

Of late, it seems, that I cannot put my finger on something random anymore. I try to be more centred, but get thrown so off course that I find it so hard to veer right back in.

I am sure these past few days at the greens would have thought me something, like maybe the industruy trade? Which it has , but I still feel myself stumbling and fumbling like a bumbling clown. And seemingly, I keep telling myself to give it more time, but how much more?

It is almost as if, you know you have the power to make change in your life but it somehow slips from your grab hold and falls through. I make excuses to not want to work, not want to meet these deadlines, which are more like restrictions sometimes, but I know I will still trudge on. Just because, that is all one can do.

One thing though, I have learned at the greens, I do extremely enjoy driving a buggy.

Old Amy

Oh Amy, will we ever see this side of you again?

Rest well and make good music please.

Ciara – Go Girl

Channel surfing has proved beneficial to my updating this space with a music related post. My first it in a long time, I might add. So today’s music fodder comes in the form of Ciara. I did not even know homegirl was back with a new album.

Ciara has always been one of my personal favorite RnB female singers, which counts for something in this field of almost saturated female RnB singers. From her Goodies days to Get Up, she has proven to be a worthy RnB star, staying true to what she loves best (dancing) and combining it with great dance tunes.

She is set to expand her repertoire now, with modelling and a possible fashion line (which self-righteous RnB star hasn’t gotten their own line yet) and of course a new album. I have read that Ciara’s new album, Fantasy Ride has been pushed backfor quite sometime already. I also did not know she had already released a new single Go Girl featuring T-Pain.

Now I was not really a fan when I saw Go Girl had a featuring-someone-thing going on. But it seems like this is a de-facto move for the RnB industry. It’s tried and tested, and proven to be successful just cos its like killing two birds with one stone. Ciara has also evolved looks-wise. I get her whole concept of Fantasy Ride, a futuristic, modern look. I tottally dig that, at certain angles, in her Go Girl video, reminds me Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls.

Go Girl itself is as typical an RnB song as it gets. But with Ciara on it, it just is ace (I’m biased like that). I kinda like the direction in which Ciara is going with Fantasy Ride. I don’t think this will be a direct hit but it stays true to what she is working towards.

Ciara is def a fly Go Girl!

sweet respite

I know this is kind of late to say, but it was good trip nonetheless. Indeed a good cultural experience. I can’t stop thinking about it. If you can’t stop thinking about a trip, that means it was a good one. That’s how I feel anyway.

This space shall be updated soon I guess. Let me get over it first.