Songs I Dig - 11

See? I told you I'd have a new "Songs I Dig" blog out in a relatively short order after the previous one. This time around, only one artist had appeared on a previous SID blog. So you'll see mostly new artist in this edition and five very enjoyable songs. Some of them have been out for awhile already and one was released within the past few weeks. Whatever the case, they are all great to listen to and they make up the songs I listen to pretty frequently as of late. So here we go, in our 11th edition of the songs I dig, here are my picks:

"Hot n Cold" by Katy Perry - Our only returnee to the Songs I Dig blog in this edition; Katy Perry has another smash hit on her hands with this song. Obviously "I Kissed a Girl" grew into a mega-hit despite the taboo topic of a girl kissing another girl and liking it. "Hot n Cold" deals with a male protagonist who is wishy-washy over his relationship. If you haven't yet seen the music video for this song, the plot involves a couple who is at the alter saying their "I do's." When it gets to the groom, he is having doubts in saying "I do" to marrying his fiance. The groom then runs off, with the female antagonist following after (this being Katy Perry). Basically, he can't make up his mind whether he wants to be with her or not. Is she the right one for him or would he be better off with someone else. So the female would like him to make up his mind quickly for once. The chorus is made up a bunch of parallel opposites including hot and cold, yes and no, in and out, up and down, etc. It's a really catchy song and before you know it, you're singing along to it. At the end of the video, the groom wakes up from the dream he was having (all of the events within the video are mostly a dream sequence) and finally says his "I do" to marying his bride.

"Fall For You" by Secondhand Serenade - I have a feeling many of you have heard this song for awhile now, but the radio stations around me just recently started playing this within the last month (either that or I was completely unaware). When I first heard it, I thought it was a song by Simple Plan or one of those other emo-punk rock bands. But Secondhand Serenade is a relative newcomer to the pop-rock scene. The song opens up with a gentle and soft piano intro. It gradually builds into a rock ballad. One of the things that truly drew me into the song was the chorus with the lines "Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you." That is incredibly touching and I really think it hits a soft spot for anyone listening to it. It's the perfect love song and it no doubtedly will be playing at wedding receptions across America. The basic premise of the song is about a young couple who has definitely gone through their stuggles as of late. They are beginning their reconciliation and on this particular night, they are re-discovering themselves all over again and falling in love with each other like they did when they first met. The male figure in the song most certainly cannot live without her female companion because "a girl like (her) is impossible to find."

"Shattered (Turn the Car Around) by O.A.R. - This band, also known as "Of a Revolution," may have been considered a one-hit wonder by some. But with their newest hit which has been out for a few months now - that claim can be refuted. Some of their more popular hits from past albums include "Hey Girl," "Love and Memories," and "Heard the World." "Shattered" is a more softer sounding rock song, but it definitely deals with a heavy issue. Most songs tend to deal with love, lust, break-ups, etc. This song is no exception except here, the male figure would rather push the female antagonist out of his life and in fact, that is what he tends to do until the end of the song when instead of driving his car away and out of her life, he turns around. The complete attraction that he feels towards her is too much and it becomes like a gigantic magnet. Even though he's burned out from his entire life, the attraction he feels for her is just too much to simply walk away. He's basically asking himself how many times can he keep doing this to himself. What will it take to finally get her out of his life? Obviously it is going to take a lot because he simply cannot push her away.

"Warwick Avenue" by Duffy - The singer who hails from Wales has made a huge impact not only in her home region of the world but also here in America. Her first hit "Mercy" became a smash #1 hit and "Warwick Avenue" might not be far behind. "Mercy" was such a retro-sounding hit that it drew in people of all generations. And I talked in the previous song profile about most songs dealing with love and other relating topics; well "Warwick Avenue" deals with a painful break-up. If you've seen the music video for this song, Duffy herself is seen in the back of a car, completely distraught and destroyed over a relationship gone wrong. She is crying with her make-up running down her face from the tears she is shedding. It's actually a pretty powerful scene, even though the video is rather bland. She's basically having one last meeting with her male companion to hash things out one final time but they will never be together as a couple again. I think the video is a bit of a contradiction to the song because in the second stanza, the lyrics state, "You hurt me bad, but I won't shed a tear." All she's doing in the video is crying. Just being a bit nit-picky, because overall, I think it's a great song. Certainly a very powerful break-up song from one of the newest world-wide, up-and-coming singers.

"Better in Time" by Leona Lewis - Leona is quickly becoming one of the newest female divas in the music industry, and I truly mean that in a complementary fashion. She first burst on the scene by winning "The X Factor" show in the U.K., a singing competition similar to "American Idol" here in the states. Her debut album has been #1 here in the U.S. after breaking onto the scene in America in early 2008. "Bleeding Love," her first song released from the album here in America quickly shot up to #1. "Better in Time" is on pace to do the very same thing if it hasn't already. It's another break-up song but I don't sense as much hatred and despair over this particular break-up in this song like I did in "Warwick Avenue." Essentially the female figure in the song has just gone through a break-up and is in the initial stages of the healing process. Everything is still pretty fresh, so it's going to take her awhile to really trust and get over things. At this stage of the break-up, she's seeing many different reminders of him. Everything from watching TV to having constant thoughts about him. It appears she still has feelings for him but it's probably for the best that they separate and move on. After all, things will "only get better in time."

So that wraps things up for this edition of "The Songs I Dig." I hope you enjoy these selections just as much as I and if you haven't checked them out, please consider doing so. It's easy to find all of these artists on myspace and listen to their music, and you don't even have to be a member to do so! I haven't started on a list of new songs quite yet for the 12th edition of the Songs I Dig, so it may be a little while before you see it. But sometimes, it doesn't take very long for me to come up with five songs that I find enjoyable enough to listen to. Be sure to check back to "Luke's Ponderings" very soon for the next "Songs I Dig."