A Europop blog by an American appreciator of all things Eurozone. Opinions expressed here are personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views/opinions of Warner Music Group. Contact here.
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German "Americano": Bei Mir Du Scheen
This is fascinating. A new viral video and dance track called "Bei Mir Bist Du Scheen" is heating up in Germany this fall and winter and it very much reminds me of "We No Speak Americano." The new song is based on an old Yiddish song composed by Jacob Jacobs (lyricist) and Sholom Secunda (composer) for a 1932 musical, "Men Ken Lebn Nor Men Lost Nisht." More recently, the song has been given an update by Berlin-based DJ OGB along with Azerbaijani singer and recent (almost) Eurovision Song Contest participant Ilhama Gasimova, who lives in AZ but travels a lot to DE. It's all enough to make your head spin. Just know that this track is being downloaded, streamed and played like crazy in Germany (after a run in Azerbaijan in a different version in 2010) among dance fans with a curious ear for different sounding beats...or at least those who liked the "Americano" vibe. Yes, this is the official video (for now, anyway).
ESC Winner Nigar Jamal's "Crush On You"
Hey do you guys remember earlier this year when Azerbaijan won the Eurovision Song Contest? No? Ok I'll fill you in. A duo, Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, were the surprise 2011 victors with a song called "Running Scared." Now, Nigar is stepping out solo and this is her (pretty sure) first solo music video. She's going by the name of "Nikki Jamal" and she's got a "Crush On You." Check out the R&B/pop song below. It's like what might happen if Beyonce was from Baku.
Russian Billionaire's Son: Future Pop Star?
Just came across an interesting article on Sky News regarding an Azerbaijan-born singer whose father, Aras Agalarov, is a well-known billionaire who lives in Moscow. But the article didn't have any music videos, which is what Europopped is here for, friends! Emin Agalarov now lives in London and he's trying to make it big as a singer, despite daddy's billions. He has a few singles out, but his most upbeat (and latest, I believe) is "Just For One Night." The song is not bad, and the video looks ok (although next time we'd like to see some of dad's billions in a big-budget clip, right?). Also of note: this dude is friends with Eurovision winners Ell & Nikki and dates the President of Azerbaijan's daughter. Rough life!
Eldar & Nigar Not Running Scared At ESC
In just a few hours, Azerbaijan will compete in the first semi-final here at Eurovision in Germany against more well-known favorites all but assured to advance (such as Russia). Press and fans are now gathering to watch nineteen countries battle it out this evening. Eldar & Nigar have one of the best, and perhaps most surprising, songs in contention tonight with their "Running Scared." The official video is a winner as well. Lots of people in the press centre are fans of this song. What are your thoughts? Is this tune good enough to advance to the finals? It's a love song y'all. Check it. UPDATE: Azerbaijan advanced to the finals tonight with their performance of "Running Scared" and now the country is among the top 5 to win it all this year at Eurovision, per several bookmakers.
Safura sizzles in new clip
This is why I love Europe. A Swedish management company (smartly) gave Azerbaijani singer Safura Alizade a deal this year (perhaps they knew she would be well-received at Eurovision in 2010), and this excellent new video for her second single, "March On," off her debut disc, was just released this week. It doesn't hurt that she's easy on the eyes, but Safura can certainly sing and she may well be a big star someday.
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