dcdeb

This review is from the Los Angeles Times online -- I assume it's in the print version of the paper, too. Not such a good one, I'm afraid, and he only gives LiCM ONE star (and apparently doesn't hear very well, got the lyrics wrong at the end)! But, at least it's coverage in a major US newspaper and it plugs the show tonight... I guess any press is good press? ************** Mika "Life in Cartoon Motion" (Casablanca)* "Do I attract you, do I repulse you with my queasy smile?" this new British chart-topper inquires in his U.K. hit and debut-album opener, "Grace Kelly." The question works just as well when applied to his music, which exerts the allure of the most seductive pop, but does so with the calculation of a predator. "Grace Kelly" is about someone so desperate to please that he'll assume any position ("Should I bend over?") and adopt any guise ("I tried a little Freddie … I've gone identity mad") to get it done. And while Mika presumably isn't describing himself, "Life in Cartoon Motion" sounds like a sampler of proven styles begging for approval. Drawing from Queen, Bowie, Elton, Wham! and the Bee Gees, among others, the falsetto-happy Londoner makes campy, operatic pop that throbs and pulsates, swirls and soars, whips itself into a froth, then dims the lights and goes all moody. In the best hands, pop's artifice can yield genuine depth of feeling along with its surface pleasures, and Mika (who plays the Troubadour tonight) finds it in "Billy Brown," a bit of Bacharach-style sunshine pop about a man who leaves his marriage for another chap. But over-the-top confections such as "Lollipop" and "Big Girl" make it seem like a random strike. He's in his early 20s, so he has time to harness his facility to a real vision. He could start by heeding his own lyric in "Lollipop": "Too much candy gonna ride your soul." Richard Cromelin *********** Article can be found at: http://www.calendarlive.com/music/cl-ca-rack25mar25,0,6395731.story?coll=cl-music

Or Sunny could ask one of us to subtly *pretend* to be Mika, just to throw everyone off the trail... you know, write things suggestively, drop little hints <wink wink>, then everyone starts to suspect... leaving the real Mika free to go on about his business... Hey, I like my idea! I volunteer to be the scapegoat! dcdeb

Fingers and other appendages definitely crossed for you, Shontih! Good luck! dcdeb

Well, it turns out the Perez Hilton party apparently was FRIDAY night, not Saturday. Just checked his site dcdeb

Mika's still only at 19%... the poll ends next Saturday, 3/31! http://music.aol.com/franchise/breakers-2007/mika-corbin-bleu-young-love

Great pix, Raha! Thanks for sharing them! One of these days, Mika will come to DC... dcdeb

I will do my best to stay online as long as I can It's just 8:30 p.m. here now... However, I think that I certainly will let Mika sneak in if he wants to! <waves to Mika!> OTOH, I'm assuming that Mika has bigger fish to fry tonight... isn't tonight Perez Hilton's b'day party? He'd probably go to that if he could... At least, that's what *I* would do! dcdeb

LOL! Dinner is done now... so I'm here for the night! LOL! I guess I have the advantage over all the Europeans... since I'm here in the states dcdeb

LOL! Yes, ummm... me too! dcdeb

Now... if you keep talking like that, I'm going to have to put my money on YOU! dcdeb

I officially proclaim this thread "Hazardous to my Health!" I can't stop coming back again and again to see who's posted, and I'm thinking: Is that Mika? Is THAT Mika? Could HE be Mika? Could SHE be Mika? It's driving me NUTZ, not to mention that I'm really starting to feel like I have carpal tunnel syndrome! Owwweeee! It's also hazardous in that my family are going to KILL me if I don't quit playing here on the computer and get dinner on the table! So, it's dangerous, but YES! I'm loving it! dcdeb

The other thing is, he could register a different user name each time he posted -- he wouldn't have to use the same name each time, right? That would really keep you all guessing dcdeb

Grace Kelly, without a doubt. dcdeb

LOL! Someone with my sense of humor -- thanks, ariel! NO! I'M Spartacus! dcdeb

This is so sad... as of 9:30 p.m. EST on Friday, Mika has slipped to 19%! Young Love is at like 55%! Is this a lost cause? Or will things pick up once Mika's CD comes out in the states on March 27? Remember -- as they say, "Vote early, vote often!" http://music.aol.com/franchise/breakers-2007/mika-corbin-bleu-young-love dcdeb

Until he does, I ran across this the other day. Maybe it will make you smile :-) http://youtube.com/watch?v=4mISU9czOII dcdeb

I'll bet you are, Sivan! You've had a BIG week -- but it's Friday now, and in just a few short days... Just wanted to thank you again for all your hard work! You're awesome! dcdeb

This is exciting news! I thought for sure Rolling Stone would NOT like Mika, but here they are naming "one to watch." Makes me very happy! (Sorry I don't know how to show the whole article with the photo here, I'll just link to it for you.) http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/13883400/rolling_stones_10_artists_to_watch/2 dcdeb

That's so awesome for you! Wish I could get up to NYC for next week's show, but it's just not going to happen I'll just have to hope that he makes the rounds through the States later in June, as some rumors are saying... *sigh* dcdeb

I don't know for sure, but I assume it's from that Virgin store -- they have the phone number right there, so I suppose you could call. Good luck! And tell Mika I said "Hi!" if you meet him -- and ask him when he's coming to Washington, DC!!! LOL! dcdeb

Just found these on the US mikasounds.com site -- don't see them posted here yet; sorry if they are: MIKA LIVE IN-STORE APPEARANCES! 03/20/2007 MEET MIKA!!! Mika will be performing and signing autographs in LA and NYC during album release week! Details below: Los Angeles: Monday, March 26th, 11PM Virgin Megastore Hollywood & Highland 6801 Hollywood Blvd (323) 769-8520 ***Pre-order your copy of "Life In Cartoon Motion" and receive a wristband which guarantees entry to this special performance! New York City: Friday, March 30th, 4PM Borders Columbus Circle/Time Warner Building *************** TV Appearances 03/19/2007 Mika will be entertaining the nation with three coveted TV spots next week! Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno - Monday, March 26th Good Morning America - Thursday, March 29th Jimmy Kimmel Live - Thursday, March 29th Check your local TV guide for times/channels. ******************* I still don't know how he's going to do the Jimmy Kimmel show in California and then his NYC gig that same day -- I thought the Kimmel show was a live show, unless they're taping that particular night. Still it will have to be early in the day West Coast time for him to get back to NYC in time... guess I'll have to wait and see. dcdeb

What wonderful photos! I'm so glad I thought to check in here one last time before I went to bed! How exciting for you! I bet you have very sweet dreams tonight! dcdeb

Thanks! It has me hooked now -- I can see that they are currently playing Grace Kelly in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and that it's ranked #8 there! Which kinda surprises me... Meanwhile... I don't see any Washington, DC stations (where I am) playing it

I just ran across a really interesting website -- interesting to me, at least, as I'm wondering how successful Mika will be here in the States. This site tells you what radio stations have recently played songs by a particular artist, in this case, Mika, of course http://web.yes.com/artist/Mika It updates itself in real time, too -- which I found to be pretty cool. Anyhow, for those of us in the US, and it looks like some other countries, too -- we can see which stations near us are playing Mika, just to gage his popularity here... I think it also shows MTV, which means if I see that pop up, I can run over to the telly to catch the video! (I don't usually have the TV on while I'm working here at home...) dcdeb

I think you can see what the cover will look like over on PerezHilton.com http://perezhilton.com/topics/mika/ If you scroll down the page to the March 15 entry, there's a copy of it. dcdeb