Gatagordinha

I'm just gonna sit here until Friday and wait for the sh** to hit the fan when we find out Celebrate is only a single en France

Certainly very catchy chorus. I've only listened once and already it's replaying in my head

Kind of puts me in mind of that Dizzee Rascal song, Holiday, which was a huge hit here. That kind of ultra summery vibe (without the rapping).

No idea yet whether I prefer it to MYH, it's too early to say.

I think he is going to have to be a lot more open about it now if he is peddling an album about "love". You can't write a bunch of love songs from the first person perspective and then claim you don't want to talk about it because it's private.

Yes that's a good point! I hope he has thought that through and got his answers ready..

One thing i never got was what happened to Kodes...

 

He was a very active member here and we got along well, then suddenly he got vanished and only a few weeks ago i found him on twitter...

I never got what made him go away and only a few tweets ago i noticed his biterness against mfc...

 

What happened???

he went over to the Dark Side

And now I have started to get flippant so I'm off

I have investigated some of these so-called bullying cases and have found that they are not even the result of fights. There are teens claiming to have been bullied on MFC by older fans who have a post count of less than 20, all of which are the "ZOMG, Mika is soooooooooo cute!!!" variety. I can't imagine they had any direct contact with any older fans, muchless have been bullied by them. I think they read conversations going on between others that they don't agree with or they are not embraced into the community quickly enough and get upset and leave. Which is understandable. I have walked away from most of the message boards I've stumbled across for those reasons. But it's beyond absurd to call this bullying. Strangers on the internet are not responsible for your feelings or how you react to what you read.

This sort of thing happens on every other fan forum I've been involved in, too. It does seem to be linked to not feeling included, which of course in the real world can be a form of bullying (if done systematically and in numbers against an individual with the express purpose of making that person upset). But it feels as if it is being applied with way too much sensitivity online.

Maybe in the case of younger people, who don't have as much life experience, it's wise to take into account their age and the fact that they may perceive situations differently. I know from my own experience of teenagers that bullying is now a big taboo (all the anti bullying projects that have gone on in schools in recent years have made it so, quite rightly) and it seems to me that they may have difficulty sorting bullying situations from normal disagreements and misunderstandings between people on the internet and therefore they cry 'bully' every time something upsets them. It's the way kids are programmed these days.

Not sure what the excuse is for older people who should know better, though

I am sick and tired of the term 'bullying' being bandied around the internet willy-nilly by people who just can't cope with either following rules or having their opinions disagreed with.

It is cheapening the term 'bullying', which is a very serious matter and does happen online of course. However, it is now being used by insecure and self righteous people to defend themselves when they feel they aren't being validated every second of every day on the internet.

Disagreements and fights happen all the time on internet forums and 99% of the time it is NOT 'bullying'. Save the term for REAL cases of victimisation and malicious persecution.

Spoken as one who was bullied in real life as a teenager and knows what bullying actually is, and isn't.

I have to say that, after a few days of listens and watching the video, I'm really liking this song. It's very catchy, and I like the 'robotic' voice, especially the repetition towards the end. I know that these things are not about comparing different songs, but I think it's much better than Elle Me Dit.

If he's going into this electronic type thing I would like it as well if he'd go a bit more 'hard core' and do something slightly heavier in that sense, if you know what I mean, cause I think that Make You Happy is only a little bit in that vein, and I'd actually like him to jump in the water rather than just dip his toes, if this is the direction that he's going in with certain songs. I don't know if I'm making any sense but I know what I'm trying to say .

Anyway, I would really like for him to not do this with all the new songs though,and keep some slower ones where one can appreciate his vocal talent properly, especially when he does them live.

The one criticism I have though is of the chorus lyrics, because since I've been listening to this, the Britney Spears "born to make you happy" song has been creeping up in my brain, and I REALLY don't appreciate that so yeah, please, Mika sort it out

I think I know what you mean about wanting him to go that little bit more hardcore with the electronic sound. I like Make You Happy, but it feels as if he's holding back a bit, to me. I almost want to get my hands on it and remix the song a bit, turn up the volume so to speak, to give certain parts a bit more oomph and conviction.

As for the live rendition of this song (and maybe any others he may have in the same vein), I don't think we need worry. I think he will find a way to deliver the songs live that does them justice, and showcases his voice, and shows that there are solid tunes behind the studio whistles and bells. He's been generally good at that kind of thing in the past after all.

Yes you know I'm finding a lot of the negative critiquing of this song sounds like rationalizations for "I don't like it because it's not my taste in music". There is nothing wrong with not liking it but that doesn't mean that there is no melody, that he's selling out or that he's not utilizing his talent to the fullest. This song is as melodious as most of what was on TBWKTM and certainly moreso than EMD, which is basically just rap. Having electronic beats and adding distorted vocals doesn't strip it of the melody. I'm sure he'd have no trouble performing this song with just a piano, unlike EMD.

 

Mika may be classically trained but he is a pop musician, not Mozart. This song is no more frivolous than Lollipop and with the falsetto the vocals are more interesting than dull songs like Erase and Blame it on the Weather.

 

Grace Kelly shot to #1 instantly. Mika can talk a good game about making his own music and not compromising, but let's face it, the goal of a pop musician is to make it to #1. He didn't make a demo of GK in his basement and send it to radio stations. He collaborated with Jodi Marr to perfect it and spent months with an American producer to make a #1 record.

 

Just because this doesn't sound like Grace Kelly does not mean that he necessarily has some different motivation for what he's creating. If he's making music that he doesn't like just to get in the charts that's one thing, but there is no indication that's the case. He likes electronic music and always has. I don't think he needs to continue making music that is no longer relevant instead of music he likes just to prove that he's not a trend follower.

 

I guess I never believed Mika's "I'm such an original genius I can't be categorized" schtick so I have no problem with him switching to electronic music. I think he is an extraordinary singer but, like everyone else who started their career after the 80s, he's never made music that is truly truly original. I'm sorry but it's all been done before. I think the best talent you can have in the current age is to have a great ear and great taste and be able to borrow from the best and rearrange it to sound like something special.

But ultimately even the best results are simply a matter of taste. Some people are going to like it and some aren't. The same way some people liked LICM and some people thought it was a piece of sh*t.

Could not have put it any better myself

The BIB is hard fact, especially in pop music now. Mika's done it well enough in the past but I've always thought he could do it even better if he pushed himself more, and that's what I hope for from now on.

I agree! It does have that 'feel'.

let's wait and see..

Anyone else think it would make a great closing track for the album? It just has that sound, for me. Especially if the album version was a little longer, with an extended coda.

If it does turn out to be the final track, remember where you read it first (if not, ignore all the above )

Melachi is a lovely dog but it's a sign of how I'm really not a 'dog person' that the first thing I admired in that photo was the beautiful rug

I've listened to the song four times now and whilst not exactly blown into next week by it, I do like it. It's subtly catchy with that cool Scandinavian vibe to it (do we know who his collaborator(s) is on this one?)

I don't object to the autotune/"robot" voice at all. I'm a fan of electronic music and actually really love sampled and modified voices in songs provided they are done wisely.

My favourite part of the track by far is the end part, the 'never gonna give you up' bit. That actually makes the hairs on my neck stand on end as it's so definably Mika *coughfalsetto* and yet something new too.

it is high time he grew up and stopped talking about himself as a child

Like some have already said, he needs to stop writing like he's a teenager, because everyone knows he's a grown man.

I totally agree that he has done his childhood and adolescence to death now. He's almost 30 now for goodness sake and I already feel as if I now know more about his growing pains than I remember about my own . I'd like to hear him use the third person a bit more now, or at least reference himself in a more oblique way..which leads me to:

From a critical point of view I have to say that Mika writes wonderful melodies, but his lyrics leave a bit to be desired. For every line that is poetic and meaningful, there is one that seems to have been put in just because it rhymes.

So true (just had to use one of these newfangled smileys) Writing good lyrics is a particular skill and although Mika has a nice turn of phrase at times, it's not an area I see him as particularly gifted in. So there's no shame in getting help with this. I'm glad to see he is embracing collaboration more than ever now.

They would say it was a joke, but it's not a joke to me. I'd say it's an insult! Olly Murs was also on the panel, laughing his ass off, needless to say, I went right off him from that moment on!

I just had to comment on this, because the idea of someone like Olly Murs (sorry, Murs fans..) laughing their ass off at the expense of Mika is supreme irony as far as I'm concerned.

I think you might have hit the nail on the head there, Lena

One thing that I do hope he does with the new band, and this one of my main criticisms of him with this band business, is leave them to be just that: musicians in the background.

I think that what he seems to struggle with, in my opinion, is coherence. He has a band which he wants to use for certain things, like dressing them up in a theme or costumes, make they do all sorts of theatre routines, play dead, etc.... yet he wants them to keep a distance and be 'just the musicians'. He has at times treated them as friends, especially Martin and Cherisse, and used them for support on stage when he was feeling particularly vulnerable (all this is evident to any casual observer, I think) but at the same time he seems to want them to sort of disappear when he's not ready for them.

That is just not how things work in reality, and will always cause trouble IMHO.

When I see other solo artists perform, I often look at the band situation, and I have noticed two different scenarios: Scenario A: the bands where they are clearly artist + band, and there is a total divide, they are hired session musicians and that's it, or scenario B, where the artist and band are clearly very close, good friends, and go the long hog together as a team. This doesn't mean that they are not still a solo artist, but that they appreciate the support of their band and include them in things.

What Mika seemed to have created, and in my opinion that is where the problems lie, is a hybrid: The band were neither here nor there. And I think this is what he will probably need to think about for the next tour. Figure out what sort of involvement and relationship he wants, and stick with it. But he needs to realise that if he wants a band who are merely that, musicians in the background, he can't ask them to (for example) dress up in a Mozart outfit and prance around the stage playing or pretending to be shot dead, etc...They are musicians. I think that he's actually been very lucky so far, that the musicians he's had have been game for all that stuff

I hadn't thought about it in quite that way before, but now you mention it, it makes a lot of sense.

I haven't posted on here for, like, AGES! But this news has brought me out of the woodwork!

 

In a nutshell, personally I have no problem with Mika and the band members parting ways. I am assuming that they have parted on completely amicable terms and not due to anything underhand on the part of Mika or due to a 'falling out'.

 

Mika is a solo artist who happened to hire a group of musicians/singers as backing. He is NOT (i) an integral member of a group/band who is now deciding to ditch his band to follow his own aims/career OR (ii) a 'frontman/lead singer' of a group who the band can/could decide to sack (for whatever reason) - in both instances leaving the future of this entity called a 'group' or 'band' in jeopardy and uncertainty.

 

My point is just that Mika is, and always will be, a free agent who as a solo artist can hire who he wants to help him do his job best as he sees fit at any given time in his developing career. If, as seems to be implied, this is a new direction, then I trust his judgement to decide to hire/surround himself with other/new personnel who will fit in with this. I'm really looking forward to this new phase! Think it's time for a change.

 

For me it's always just been about Mika - much as I like Cherisse, Imma, Jimmy etc as individuals, I have only ever been interested in Mika at gigs etc - the band members to me are incidental tbh.

 

I do, however, think this news announcement could've been handled better though....

I agree with every word of the above.

I've never been too attached to any of the band members either, in fact at times I have felt slightly annoyed that some of the focus has been taken away from Mika during routines etc. I guess I am not one for too much 'band interaction' and all that goofing around on stage etc. Important to have a good musical chemistry of course, as I always felt Mika and Martin had for example, but that's as far as it goes really, for me.

If I want to see a band, I go and see a band. When I go to see a solo artist I'm only going to see that person and the rest is window dressing.

I do understand why people get attached to backing band members in any fandom, of course, but I don't share those sentiments.

I do wish all ex band members every success in the future though

That's the one bright spot here IMO. I am ready for radical change.

 

Oh so am I. Even if I hate it, I welcome it

Hmmm news indeed! Must be, if I'm posting .

Sad to see Cherisse move on but I'm absolutely not surprised. I've had a feeling for a while now that this next phase of Mika's career and this next album was always going to require some radical changes.

I can't see the album being out before September. Summer is a notoriously awful time to release stuff, and it's too soon for a Spring release (I think). Which leaves September onwards.

But what do I know

One thing I am glad about is that despite the obvious frustration for fans, Mika has thus far managed to hold back too much detail/snippets of the songs.. I really believe there needs to be a surprise element with this album. In fact nothing would please me more than if the release date were announced a week in advance or something. How great would that be?

I don't know. I just want something different and a little bit less 'industry' this time around. Looking back, I don't think the release of TBWKTM was handled too well.

Glad to see Mika doing a show in the UK this summer. It might be a nice low key way to introduce his new material into our market.

It would be really nice if his new album got good word-of-mouth publicity here. I can't see a media hard sell working at all this time round. Time to change tack. For that reason, this choice of venue/show might just be perfect at this point in time.

I won't be going, but good luck to those who try to get tickets.

Wasn't this show supposed to be about two the finalists? It's been on over an hour and they have been on for about ten minutes so far

I think they said he's coming back to do Rain and Elle Me Dit. But I'm not 100%

Are they gonna do the whole of LICM

Shame I will have to go to bed before Mika comes on (probably) but I just put the stream on out of curiosity, and I might watch a bit longer as I love listening to quebecois French

Exciting announcement?

Mika's drawn another doodle?

We have found some songs here and there online that have been published recently so we suspect they'll be on the album. We don't know anything else about them except some of the co-writers (Dan Wilson, Jodi Marr, Wayne Hector, Fryars et al)

Right, thanks Christine. Glad I haven't missed anything too major.

I do intend to start paying a bit more attention in Mikaland now the album is getting close.

'Confirmed' songs on TOOL

 

1.Make You Happy

2.Underwater

3.Kill Me On The Dancefloor

4.Overrated

5.China Boy

6.The Origin of Love

7.Elle Me Dit (English version)

 

Also likely:

8.The Fly

9.Want Forever

10.Cry A Little

11.Lola

12. Shadows

13. Everybody / Live Your Life

...so that's 13 ..

Edit: Blame it on the Weather makes it 14.

 

French edition / bonus tracks in French:

82 Rue des Martyr

Elle Me Dit

 

 

 

Does it look realistic and in line with the info we have?

What songs are these? Clearly I've been away too long....

A question for native speakers... how do you know he says "I can LIVE underwater" instead of "I can LEAVE underwater"?? Only because of the meaning, or is there any "pronouncing" difference?

The vowel in "live" is a short one (like the i in "with") and in "leave" it's longer (like the ee in "sheep")

Sometimes, in songs, singers slightly elongate the vowel in "live" so I understand the confusion. However, when they do that, it tends to be a sound more like "eee-uh" rather than the definite long "eeeee" in "leave".

Does that help?