So this week is a mixture of soaring choruses and meaningful lyrics and some excellent Bollywood. Enjoy…

SINGLE OF THE WEEK: Chammak Challo – Akon

This is everything Bollywood should be. Fun, fast and energetic with a ridiculously catchy chorus. I love the end, where more instruments keep coming in and the music gets louder and louder. I have no idea what’s going on in the video but the song is fabulous so give it a listen.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Beautiful Lies – Birdy

So I was never really a fan of Birdy’s first album – I found Skinny Love a bit too sparse to really be enjoyable, so I kind of wrote her off as just another acoustic singer. Big mistake!! This new album is explosive and rich, the big choral backings remind me of Florence and the Machine except I find this album a lot more uplifting than Florence’s stuff, which can be pretty melancholic. First up is Keeping Your Head Up. From the very beginning this is beautiful, the piano keys get you excited, then her deep, rich voice comes in. And the chorus builds to a symphony of uplifting sound!

Next, we have Wild Horses – the meaning is totally different about letting go but the fabulous sound remains. Her lyrics are perfect at describing the feelings she is trying to convey and I love the tune of the verse and chorus.

There are loads more fabulous songs on her album, which is full of beautiful piano melodies and lyrics, so give it a listen!

RUNNER UP SINGLE: Marjaani – from Billu Barber

This is probably my favourite Bollywood song – it is so catchy, you just want to sing and dance to the chorus the moment you hear it. The dance in the video is also fantastic – an all round great!

COVER OF THE WEEK: Hold on We’re Going Home – Rixton (Drake Cover)

Following a great cover of Drake last week, I found this, which is a far more chilled out cover but it’s really great. Sometimes I prefer all the many covers to this song than the original. They have some awesome guitar sounds and harmonies and have a nice build in the final bridge.

So get listening!

Lots of love,

Sunny Kitty