Cheesy dance pop has always been amongst my favorite styles of music, and Agnes Carlsson’s third album, Dance! Love! Pop!, is everything that a cheesy pop music lover like myself could ever hope for. It is filled with dance tracks, upbeat ballads, and uplifting “I can do this!” tracks that are sure to please any pop lover. Everything about this record is true, unfiltered pop, so it may be to strong for your average lover of pop music; but not for me. From the first moment I heard the blaring disco violins of the MASSIVE first track and dance anthem, Release Me, I knew that Agnes was the real deal.
She rose to prominence by winning Swedish Idol, and she is just another in what seems like an endless stream of amazing pop artists coming from that tiny country. This being her third album, she departed with her record label, and stated that she wanted to do something more fun, and more poppy… the result is an album that is almost over the top with pop greatness. There are so many fun tracks on this album, and even the lower points of the record aren’t half bad. This is one of those albums that really grew on me; see, the first track of the album stands so far and above everything else, that it was hard to get past it. However, after many, many listens, I have definitely come to realize that there are several amazing songs on the record, all of which employ that perfect pop formula; catchy rhythms, upbeat lyrics, and killer vocals.
This is definitely one of the best pop-dance records that came completely out of left field this year; I am sure that very few of you will know of Agnes here in the states. That being said, she exemplifies everything that I love about pop music; not only is it like a sweet, sweet candy for your ears, but you can dance and smile to this decadent treat. This album is exactly what pop should be; fun, entertaining, and very well produced. I have been amazed at how much pop greatness continues to pour out of Sweden, and with Agnes’ third album, I am beginning to realize that there is no chance of that slowing down.
Sparkle Factor: 
Stand Outs: Release Me [audio:http://www.duanemoody.com/audio/fsf_117_agnescarlsson-releaseme.mp3]
Sometimes I Forget, Don’t Pull Your Love Out, Open Up Your Eyes.
This is just what we need to bring us some good spirits; a new gay anthem, right?! This song is amazing, and I am in major music debt to my friend Stu for this one. He simply told me that I had to hear it because it is amazing, and well, he is right… it is utterly amazing and the only bad thing about it, is that it isn’t longer. It is so feel good and has the perfect dance beat. It doesn’t get much gayer than this; it is practically it’s own gay pride float!! Agnes is another one of those amazing Swedes bringing us the best that pop has to offer, and she was a winner of Swedish idol to boot! Play this song on repeat for a little while, and you will definitely be dancing around and have a smile on your face… trust me; I’ve been playing it on repeat all week long!
Okay, I have to admit that I have been holding this one back for a few weeks now. I love the song (it seems that Red One and Akon can do no wrong these days, production wise, eh!?!), but I couldn’t find an mp3, so that I could feature it on one of these five song Fridays (damn you iTunes and your mp4’s!). Well, I managed to scrounge one up, because I had to bring something peppy and fun for this week; especially with the aforementioned stuff swirling in my brain. Tami Chynn has had a couple of hits in her home country of Jamaica, but this is her first one to try and capture the US market. I have to say, that this song has taken me by storm. It is a great hip-hop flavored dance jam, and should definitely deserves to be on the radio. I can’t wait to see what else we have to look forward to from Ms. Chynn.
This is unfortunately one of those songs that I was told about in the past, but I never got into it; only to hear it again later and be instantly taken by it. I hate when I am like that, because I really love sharing stuff with other people, and I really like getting recommendations myself; it’s just that sometimes I am out to lunch for whatever reason, and I guess if it doesn’t click then, I forget all about it. Well, lucky for me that I came back to this one, because the chorus is catchy, and will stick with you (even if it doesn’t the first time around!!). Laura brings us her great folk-pop from the UK, proving yet again that there is a ton of great music coming from those islands. It’s crazy to me that she’s only 18, because she definitely sounds older than that in her vocal styling. This is such a great single, and I absolutely love that chorus.
To quote 
Okay, I will admit openly that I am posting about Jamelia this week because of something that I wrote on