Gatagordinha

Really good review! I do wish though that reviewers - good and bad - would stop with all these references to Mika being childlike/childish/squeaky/hyper/on a sugar high/on energy drinks etc., it is becoming so so boring. It's not 2007 any more. Move on!!

Was just about to post this link too. I love this bit: "The budding young singer-songwriter, who is classically trained, shouted back that he could play the track, I Love It You When You’re Drunk."

I didn't really like that performance, sorry I find Celebrate to be tuneless when done acoustically. Very dull. But it's the single and he is stuck with that for now I wouldn't object to a full band version or even, horror of horrors, singing to a backing track, if it's to promote it and the album. It just does not suit acoustic treatment IMHO. I'm sure many of you disagree, but that's my opinion. Many Mika songs are lovely performed stripped back like this, but not this one.

Yes I agree, it's basic manners to show appreciation. However some people can be very close-minded. I know I bang on about it , but really, Mika is seen as a bit of a joke in certain circles here in the UK and just when I think I am being over sensitive about it or only seeing the bad, something like this reminds me of it. Of course, he also has his fans here and those who do recognise his abilities whilst maybe not being fans.. But I fear he'll always be fighting an uphill battle here. I believe and hope that one day he'll be elevated to National Treasure status, as that's often the way it goes! Then after that he'll be knocked off his pedestal again and we'll be back to square one! I love the UK media!

I was struck by the look of complete disdain on Paul Morley's face. That man is a music snob if ever there was one and I wouldn't be surprised if he loathes Mika Whatever!!

Is it? I didn't know, I thought it was Underwater. well that's good news. My 13 year old daughter, who kind of likes Mika but isn't a mega fan and has only heard Stardust once, to my knowledge, was singing it this morning. If that isn't instant pop appeal then I don't know what is. And she thinks Underwater is boring. So there you go.

I really hate to say this but I'm not at all surprised Celebrate hasn't charted. In my opinion, wrong single at the wrong time and not played on the "right" channels all adds up to poor sales. I just HOPE the album sells better. I think it will chart inside the top 10 but it needs to stick around a while and not plummet after the first week. Unfortunately I just don't think Underwater will do anything to boost sales of the album. Stardust would have been a better second single. That would stand a small chance of getting played on Radio 1. To be honest I have given up worrying too much about his chart placings here in the UK but it still frustrates me a little bit, although I wish it didn't.

Yes, this was my first thought too. I used to hate that show, when my kids were younger. But I remember taking my daughter to see him at the local shopping centre when she was 3. It was surreal (but not psychotic, thank god ).

I love this article! I generally despise the Daily Mail but credit where it's due, this is a balanced and positive piece of journalism (for once ). The part about coming to terms with his sexuality just made me melt a little bit inside Thanks for posting!

So where exactly is the venue, then? It's just that I have a mania for looking places up on google maps whenever something like this is happening

I think the phrase is "grudging praise through gritted teeth" On a general note, can I just say thanks to everyone who's reviewed the album so far, I won't waste space quoting all the posts, but I have enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts

But..but..but... I liked the jazz hands However, by UK press standards (towards Mika), this can be classed as a glowing review.

He's been absent from UK shores for the last couple of years, but far be it from Mika to take it easy in between playing shows the globe. Instead, he's been beavering away on his third studio opus The Origin Of Love, the results of which we'll be able to hear next month. Digital Spy met up with the singer to talk more about the LP, working with Pharrell Williams on his new single 'Celebrate' and the real story behind writing a song for Madonna. We hear you're not very well at the moment, is everything okay? "I've been having some problems with my throat but I think I'm over the worst of it now, thanks! It's fine, I'm a complete hypochondriac." It's been three years since The Boy Who Knew Too Much; what have you been up to apart from recording? "I've been travelling a lot, relaxing and playing some amazing and strange gigs. I didn't write anything for a year and a half. It felt horrible and I didn't know what to do. I was a bit lost and I'd worked back-to-back on my last two records - stuff that I'd been working on for years. I then toured incessantly, so I ran completely out of steam." How did you get yourself back into it? "I started growing up! I got my own place and settled down a bit. A lot of stuff happened in my personal life - something happened to my sister - and shortly after I felt ready. I booked a ticket to Montreal, found a hotel on the way out of the airport, had two shots of whiskey and wrote the first good song I'd written in over two years - the title track of my new album The Origin Of Love. It was then that I decided to leave my sister, family and past relationships behind." That sounds intense... "It was, but also great, because I finally had something to say again. Believe me, I was getting calls whenever RedOne was in town!" So how good is The Origin Of Love? "Hopefully very good! I had a much more liberal approach with this record. For my last album I had the idea that everything had to come from me only - I sat behind a piano for months - but this time I allowed more people in. There was one person who wouldn't work with me at first and I hounded her until she did. I approached this record like it was the last thing I was ever going to make." Doesn't that pile the pressure on you a bit? "It does in a way, but it's my Arab Sufi mentality. I think there's a lot to be said for that in music. You never know which gig is going to be your last." Your new single 'Celebrate' definitely gives off that vibe... "This single was me realising that I was happy again. I was that feeling that, f**king hell, I can make this strange music that no-one else is allowed to make! I can still envisage Nick [Littlemore] in the corner high as a kite and Ben Garrett who I found on the internet making beats in the corner. It was crazy." And Pharrell Williams, which no-one could have predicted... "It just worked. I lead the charge but there was no sense of hierarchy. The aim was just to make interesting music with charm and if it goes beyond that, then great. He was very clever and quick - he called me a scientist though which couldn't be further from the truth!" Can you clear up this Madonna business? Did you write 'Gang Bang' on her latest album? "There were a lot of people involved in that record. I wouldn't say I wrote the song, but I definitely wrote part of it. The result is actually a very cool colliding of lots of separate people and I love that chaotic nature about it. I like the song, I just wish all of them on her album was like that. It was cut with the attitude of a Grace Jones record - you didn't know where that song was going. That's what I love about it." Huge worldwide stars are all holding writing camps these days. Would you ever contribute? "I know that on Rihanna's albums all my friends write like maniacs for them, but they always get turned down. She's a superstar though, what do you expect? It's a dangerous thing to get involved with which is why I don't do it much. I'm happy to be on the new Empire of the Sun record though, it's going to be a brilliant record." You make left-field pop, which generally has a harder time finding success in the charts. Does that bother you? "The album draws from a rich pool of music that I love - Fleetwood mac, The Bee Gees and a whole encyclopedia of pop. I think that represents me well; my sound was born out of an accident - I'm not from a sound or scene. It means you have a responsibility to make a bold record, which is what I think I've done this time!" Mika's new single 'Celebrate' is out September 30. The album, The Origin Of Love, follows on October 8. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/interviews/a408352/mika-interview-ive-made-a-bold-crazy-album.html Not much new here, except maybe for the admission that he was only a contributor to Gang Bang, but I think we may have known that already

It's all a bit Norman Bates isn't it As long as he hasn't got a woman's skeleton in the cellar. and doesn't answer the door in women's clothes, then it's all fine by me

I thought it was a good performance and it will have done his profile a lot of good in the UK. You only had to read through the tweets about him to see how much he has been forgotten in this country these past few years. I mean I knew it anyway, but reading the tweets confirmed it. Of course there were the usual hate comments but I was heartened to see a good number of people saying positive things too - or just acknowledging that he's "back". I liked the different bit of the song he sung over Pharrell's talky bit. It fitted well. And his voice sounded great, I thought; very controlled. Same could be said for his dancing ... phew .

I agree Priscilla sounds great. Exactly the right kind of voice for this song. As for Mika's drawl-rap, the rubbishness is balanced by the fact that he's singing about not being cool at school, and we know that the ability to rap/MC well is seen as ultra cool among kids these days (all the popular boys at my kids' school are good at it:wink2:). So it makes perfect sense that Mika can't rap

Ok here is my review/thoughts on TOOL. Origin Of Love I still think this is a very good song but badly let down by the production, which is too light and unremarkable. As the opener for the album it needs to have more oomph. A disappointment for me as I had higher hopes. It's better live. 7.5/10 Lola Perfectly pleasant, well crafted midtempo song with nice piano and vocal hooks, but it doesn't stand out, and it's not single material. 6/10 Stardust I think this could well be the gem on this album. At first it reminded me of a very good Eurovision song, the kind that would win hands down, but with noticeably more depth than that. It's pure adrenaline electrodance with a very modern feel with more hooks than a Peter Pan-themed fancy dress party, and Mika sounds genuinely full of longing in his vocals, which gives it a human edge that much music of this genre lacks. It MUST be a single. If Island don't grab this chance they will regret it. 9/10 Make You Happy (1) A departure for Mika in terms of him experimenting more with time signature and electronica, and of course the vocoder tool. Unlike some of Mika's work this is a song I can listen to on repeat without getting annoyed, as it's subtly affecting, both musically and lyrically, and it proves an important thing to me about Mika: he can push his boundaries musically when he wants to. That makes me happy for the future. 8/10 Underwater There's something about this song which just bores me, and it's called the chorus. I recognise it's nicely written, and the verses are catchy, but it does nothing for me overall and will become a skip candidate. 4.5/10 Overrated Now this is an interesting one. Schizophrenic or what? An intro that sounds like Kraftwerk and a touch of Radio Gaga in the verse, then Mika decides it would be a great idea to stick in the squeaky chorus of that old demo we have a soft spot for. Somehow though, it ends up working, in a crazy way. Definitely an oddity, certainly marmite, and potentially a live stormer. 6.5/10 Kids Mellow and almost like a chillout track after Overrated. Despite some interesting percussion effects, it's a bit wishy washy overall. Not remarkable but it has its place in the flow of the album 5/10 Love You When I'm Drunk As close as you can probably get to a signature sound for Mika. He brings a 70/80s vibe bang up to date with some flourish and a great, punchy vocal. Lyrically too this is going to make people nod and smile and connect. Very good mid-album track which blows away the cobwebs after Kids. 8/10 Step With Me the lilting, quasi-Lovers' Rock verse gives way to a delicious, sexy chorus which could have been sung by a Philadelphia Soul 70s manband or perhaps 90s Boyzone. Possibly the biggest earworm on the album, and showcases Mika's lower register to great effect. Potential single and/or a big candidate for a cover version by another artist. 8.5/10 Popular Song Mika doesn't so much rap as drawl Beck-style in this RnB/Broadway mashup. the fantastic hook in the borrowed chorus is the focus, of course, but Priscilla Renea's sassy vocals and the relatable lyrics make it a winner. Really catchy and another potential single 8.5/10 Emily Cleverly translated into English, in my opinion; it retains the general sentiment of the original very adeptly. Still a bit too bubblegum pop and repetitive for me but it adds fun to the album 5/10 Heroes Heartfelt ballad which evokes Any Other World and as such is not really my cup of tea. The falsetto chorus is nice, and it's well produced, but overall there is slightly too much schmaltz here 4.5/10 Celebrate This changes the mood considerably and is a bouncy and sunny contemporary pop song. Whether it was good enough to be lead single is very debatable though. 7/10 Make You Happy (2) The string-filled reprise is lyrically relevant, providing the response to the sentiments in the earlier version, but I prefer this as an electronic song. It rounds the album off well, though 6/10 Overall I'm giving the album 7/10. It's a solid, well crafted and catchy pop album which really deserves to be a success for Mika. But it's nothing groundbreaking or life-changing for me.

Does anyone else think Mika sounds a bit like Beck when he raps? Think of Loser, for example. I wonder if that's the idea, him being a fan etc., or if it's just that Beck's not the greatest rapper either .

Mika's just not a "details person" when it comes to time, is he That's the polite way of saying it anyway! Either that or he is just fiendishly clever at bamboozling us with his time references, so that we'll never be able to pin down his romantic entanglements .

What country do you live in? I can't see anything in the email about it (I speak French), but apparantely Barclay have tweeted that it's only for people in France

Well actually it does say there is an extra special unique password JUST for Ingie's computer.

I'm only going on what was said earlier in the thread, about it being only available in France. In mari62's post. I can't see anything in the registration confirmation email which says it, but as the email is in French then that may be a clue .

Black comedy and dark humour is my favourite genre of funny The darker the better. But I still don't see the humour in this video. I'm obviously missing something . Unless it's the dog running along in time to the music, that made me smile a tiny bit inside

Ok so I wasted 45 seconds of my life signing up to something I can't have Oh alright then! But they let me sign up and got my email address didn't they. Hmmmm. Not that bothered to be honest, I can wait. But I AM bothered, on principle, that this isn't a worldwide thing. I just can't understand, in this age of globalised media, why certain countries have to have priority.

In the email blurb, the director says the video has "a bit of humour". Can anyone point out to me where it is? I mean I have a good sense of humour, but I'm struggling