Daily Star: Kick Ass review

[Cherol]

We Are Golden is "teeth-grating"? Pshaw.

[Marilyn Mastin]

That's true Marylin. But don't you think that his non die-hard fans only wanted to grab their chance to prove their opinion about him and his music? I mean he really didn't reach Top 40, but it happened to many famous artists too before Mika and recently. The contemporary pop music seems much more main tream as GaGa did with her last singles which I don't like so much, but Mika didn't give up from his concept cos he's and artist with his own (non) comercial vision.

Yes I agree with you. Mika is not the type of artist who is more concerned with making money than with his art. He'd sooner make music he believes in, than record songs that are guaranteed comercial successes. This is just one of the reasons we love him of course.

The problem with that review is that they've drawn on a truth (that Mika hasn't had a top 40 hit since WAG) and for them it is amunition to shoot down Mika with. They're not concerned with the fact that his songs were successes in France, or other countries, and that his tour sold out. That's why this review is more upsetting than ones with a lot of lies.

I just really wish that the radio stations in the UK had got behind Kick-Ass and I still can't understand why they did not!

But you are right when you say that other artists have gone through bad patches, where their comercial success hasn't happened. I just hope and pray that Mika WILL come through and be even bigger than before.

[Shine]

He was in the top 40 in France. That's also his home country kind of.

 

Was his home country. He might have some attachment to it but he doesn't live there. And I'm sure being successful in France is really pleasing for him don't get me wrong (and of course other countries too) but IMO if I was some famous musician and considered some sort of joke in my own home country I'd be incredibly upset. Not saying the UK think he's a joke, but there's a lot of negative criticism towards him sometimes. And I know he gets that everywhere, but it seems to be more in the UK than other places.

 

Is this somehow linked to a fact that Mika is not an English born singer like Mercury?

 

I don't know, I wasn't around in those days

 

I was around a lot and that's very true.

[Shine]

Yes I agree with you. Mika is not the type of artist who is more concerned with making money than with his art. He'd sooner make music he believes in, than record songs that are guaranteed comercial successes. This is just one of the reasons we love him of course.

The problem with that review is that they've drawn on a truth (that Mika hasn't had a top 40 hit since WAG) and for them it is amunition to shoot down Mika with. They're not concerned with the fact that his songs were successes in France, or other countries, and that his tour sold out. That's why this review is more upsetting than ones with a lot of lies.

I just really wish that the radio stations in the UK had got behind Kick-Ass and I still can't understand why they did not!

But you are right when you say that other artists have gone through bad patches, where their comercial success hasn't happened. I just hope and pray that Mika WILL come through and be even bigger than before.

 

It seems they twist the truth for their own reasons. And it's very unprofessional at the same time. The simply fact that NME didn't even mention TBWKTM among all the production speaks a lot for itself. They published a negative review about Robbie new album but they noticed him eventually. Mika was completely ignored by them this time and it's even worse IMO.

[Marilyn Mastin]

Is this somehow linked to a fact that Mika is not an English born singer like Mercury?

 

 

 

I was around a lot and that's very true.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but Freddie Mercury was born in a foreign country. I'm sure of it, and he made his home in Britain just like Mika and his family did. From what I remember also, Freddie was into art as well and was an excellent artist. It was a toss-up whether he became an artist or a singer.

Freddie and Mika had much in common imo. If Freddie had lived, they might have become friends.

[mikalollipop_karla]

this guy is a basta*d :boxed:

 

 

YEP

[AlexTerpsichore]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but Freddie Mercury was born in a foreign country. I'm sure of it, and he made his home in Britain just like Mika and his family did. From what I remember also, Freddie was into art as well and was an excellent artist. It was a toss-up whether he became an artist or a singer.

Freddie and Mika had much in common imo. If Freddie had lived, they might have become friends.

 

Yep. Mercury was born on the island of Zanzibar. His parent's were Persian. So he does have much in common with Meeks.

[IngievV]

I don't know, I wasn't around in those days

 

Well me neither, and a little research did let me know this for a fact:roftl:

 

Is this somehow linked to a fact that Mika is not an English born singer like Mercury?

 

 

 

I was around a lot and that's very true.

 

Aha, see I don't talk complete shizzle!

 

No matter if TBWKTM didn't do as well as expected, it's a case of second album syndrome. And well he sold out lots of amazing venues, live gigs are the future of music anyway.

[Lena]

Mika is in EuroHit Top 40 on Russian Radio Europe Plus. But I consider what to be favourite and to be in a tops is no same. I see many the foolish songs, suiting to be a sound background in a car but no more.

http://www.europaplus.ru/index.php?go=Chart40&page=3

[CrazyChloe15]

ahhhh...

 

it makes me soo angry..

Mika fans love him for who he is.. i doesnt matter if he gets into 'the top 40' or not i wish people could leave him alone.. the 'journalisit' ovbiously twists things and hasnt met Mika in person.

 

:( :(

[laura*]

ahhhh...

 

it makes me soo angry..

Mika fans love him for who he is.. i doesnt matter if he gets into 'the top 40' or not i wish people could leave him alone.. the 'journalisit' ovbiously twists things and hasnt met Mika in person.

 

:( :(

 

:thumb_yello:

[Shine]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but Freddie Mercury was born in a foreign country. I'm sure of it, and he made his home in Britain just like Mika and his family did. From what I remember also, Freddie was into art as well and was an excellent artist. It was a toss-up whether he became an artist or a singer.

Freddie and Mika had much in common imo. If Freddie had lived, they might have become friends.

 

Yep. Mercury was born on the island of Zanzibar. His parent's were Persian. So he does have much in common with Meeks.

 

True. His born name was Farokkh Bulsara and he grew up in India before coming to UK. Unlike Mika, he's changed his name to an English name and never wanted people to know about his real origin. This is a crutial difference between Mika and Freddie IMO. The other similarities are quite obvious.

 

Well me neither, and a little research did let me know this for a fact:roftl:

 

 

 

Aha, see I don't talk complete shizzle!

 

No matter if TBWKTM didn't do as well as expected, it's a case of second album syndrome. And well he sold out lots of amazing venues, live gigs are the future of music anyway.

 

Ditto. It seems that only MJ Thriller was the huge exception.

[sariflor]

Sara, I am in violent agreement with you, and have been saying this for

a while as well in various threads. I know I don't work in the "industry" but

the way this whole album has been handled has baffled me.

 

That said, I think I posted this review, or one quite similar to it, several

days ago -- can't find it, so I'm not sure if it's a different one. If it is,

it's a shame that TWO different people had the same assessment.

 

Kick-Ass should've kicked ass in the charts. I don't know why it didn't.

Yeah, it's nuts, isn't it? . I still can't believe it. And the way they did things like promoting Kick Ass when it couldn't be purchased, then ignoring it when it finally became available, etc... The whole thing was disgraceful, and extremely poorly planned.

The album itself had hardly any promo anywhere. I just don't get it, and it makes me angry.

 

Mika is in EuroHit Top 40 on Russian Radio Europe Plus. But I consider what to be favourite and to be in a tops is no same. I see many the foolish songs, suiting to be a sound background in a car but no more.

http://www.europaplus.ru/index.php?go=Chart40&page=3

 

That is exactly how I see it as well, Lena. The music on the charts right now is mostly crap, and lacks any sort of originality and artiness to it. It's all the same bull.

 

 

True. His born name was Farokkh Bulsara and he grew up in India before coming to UK. Unlike Mika, he's changed his name to an English name and never wanted people to know about his real origin. This is a crutial difference between Mika and Freddie IMO. The other similarities are quite obvious.

The funny thing is, that they have an inverted situation. FM was pretty foreign, and tried to hide it. Mika on the contrary, totally magnifies and exagerates his roots

[babspanky]

Is this somehow linked to a fact that Mika is not an English born singer like Mercury?

 

 

So what are you saying, that we are xenophobes?

Nobody gives a toss where anyone is from in music surely?

 

And for the record I was never a Queen fan as such but they were there all through my growing up years and later and as a casual observer and music lover I never noticed negativity towards Freddie Mercury. To me he was just the singer in Queen and as time went on, Queen became national treasures, Freddie along with the rest of them.

 

Whatever Mika might say, and he does like to spread the propaganda, the UK certainly is his home country, he's lived here nearly 20 years and is a UK citizen.

 

I think he's so popular in France because he plays up to the fact that he lived there for a few years, speaks French at every opportunity which the French love of course, being so protective over their language, and sings lots of French songs.

Who can blame him for playing up to them? They lap it up and provide a big market for him.

In some ways, he has the best of both worlds, he gets his bread and butter commanding big audiences so close, in France, but at home he's not so big and can more or less live his life the way he wants to without any fuss.

 

I'm not sure why he's not so popular here. I agree with the people who say that the new album wasn't promoted enough or properly. I am sure that some people just aren't aware he had a new album.

I only say not so popular. He's just done a reasonable sized tour here and as far as I am aware, all but one was sold out. Not bad going really.

[RAK1]

This is just like what happened with the Scissor Sisters.

They couldn't get airplay for love nor money in the States, but in Germany and here, they went through the roof with their sales, and Jake has always said that making it in the UK was what made their career.

It seem to be a similar story with Mika, can't get proper airplay here, but in Europe, France particularly, he is pretty much a megastar.

The UK press like nothing better than to tear people down, and sadly Mika is an easy target, because he won't play their sad little games.

I agree with the promotion thing that Sara brought up.

The worst thing they could have done is not to release the last few singles on physical copy (cd's, vinyl), which is what helped all his other singles do well.

I know most people download now, but there are a vast amount of people who prefer the physical equivilant, as a collectable, if nothing else.

I hope, they take note and start doing it again for the next one.

[Lee-Ann]

Why don't they understand that it isn't Mika's fault but of his promoters who absolutely failed in this point?

It's the same here in Germany. Some journalists write articles about him that he failed and his second album was **** and blah blah blah. How can they write bull**** like that? How can they be so called "journalists" without knowing anything???

Arrgh:sneaky2:

[Marilyn Mastin]

This is just like what happened with the Scissor Sisters.

They couldn't get airplay for love nor money in the States, but in Germany and here, they went through the roof with their sales, and Jake has always said that making it in the UK was what made their career.

It seem to be a similar story with Mika, can't get proper airplay here, but in Europe, France particularly, he is pretty much a megastar.

The UK press like nothing better than to tear people down, and sadly Mika is an easy target, because he won't play their sad little games.

I agree with the promotion thing that Sara brought up.

The worst thing they could have done is not to release the last few singles on physical copy (cd's, vinyl), which is what helped all his other singles do well.

I know most people download now, but there are a vast amount of people who prefer the physical equivilant, as a collectable, if nothing else.

I hope, they take note and start doing it again for the next one.

I did download Kick-Ass, twice in fact. Once, just the single track, and the other, the EP. But if there had been cds available I would have bought one too. If there had been a vinal available I would have bought that aswell, as I already have the vinal of WAG.

People love to collect things, especially fans. Mika could have had far more sales of his last three singles, if they had been available as cds and vinals as well as downloads

[southeast]

Why don't they understand that it isn't Mika's fault but of his promoters who absolutely failed in this point?

It's the same here in Germany. Some journalists write articles about him that he failed and his second album was **** and blah blah blah. How can they write bull**** like that? How can they be so called "journalists" without knowing anything???

Arrgh:sneaky2:

 

Yes, in Germany nobody knows him (except the pple on the gigs). When they listen to his songs, they say: "Oh, yes, I know this one" but they don't associate the name "Mika" to the songs, so that's bad. Most of the pple who I ask, love "Relax", but that's it...

 

I never saw an interview with him as he was in Germany in March. Well, only one, but that was about fashion and he was one of 20 pple who they asked about their style. It is a shame! 2007 he was at "Wetten, daß.." und "Stefan Raab", those are very important TV shows here. This time not. I don't know if his PR team is bad, or if he's too positive and dancy for German taste (Pple here like depressive, intellectual, bad looking musicians who have terrible voices, cause they are considered more deep and stuff ). But on the other side Scissor Sisters were a great success here. So it must be bad PR, which is really a shame....

[Shine]

So what are you saying, that we are xenophobes?

Nobody gives a toss where anyone is from in music surely?

 

And for the record I was never a Queen fan as such but they were there all through my growing up years and later and as a casual observer and music lover I never noticed negativity towards Freddie Mercury. To me he was just the singer in Queen and as time went on, Queen became national treasures, Freddie along with the rest of them.

 

Whatever Mika might say, and he does like to spread the propaganda, the UK certainly is his home country, he's lived here nearly 20 years and is a UK citizen.

 

I think he's so popular in France because he plays up to the fact that he lived there for a few years, speaks French at every opportunity which the French love of course, being so protective over their language, and sings lots of French songs.

Who can blame him for playing up to them? They lap it up and provide a big market for him.

In some ways, he has the best of both worlds, he gets his bread and butter commanding big audiences so close, in France, but at home he's not so big and can more or less live his life the way he wants to without any fuss.

 

I'm not sure why he's not so popular here. I agree with the people who say that the new album wasn't promoted enough or properly. I am sure that some people just aren't aware he had a new album.

I only say not so popular. He's just done a reasonable sized tour here and as far as I am aware, all but one was sold out. Not bad going really.

 

I must say I quite dislike your rethorical question adressed to me.

I've never said that UK people are xenophobes. You've the one who implied that, and I was just simply wondering about the possible reasons of his "average" popularity in the UK at this moment.

I'd say Mika has covered many great songs in English so far not only the French songs and the UK is his home country as it was for Freddie, but their attitude regarding their origins was quite different as we came to conclusion in the previous posts.

It's true that French are so protective about their language, but nothing less than English. Think your own reaction ilustrates that fact in an obvious way.

[Shine]

Yes, in Germany nobody knows him (except the pple on the gigs). When they listen to his songs, they say: "Oh, yes, I know this one" but they don't associate the name "Mika" to the songs, so that's bad. Most of the pple who I ask, love "Relax", but that's it...

 

I never saw an interview with him as he was in Germany in March. Well, only one, but that was about fashion and he was one of 20 pple who they asked about their style. It is a shame! 2007 he was at "Wetten, daß.." und "Stefan Raab", those are very important TV shows here. This time not. I don't know if his PR team is bad, or if he's too positive and dancy for German taste (Pple here like depressive, intellectual, bad looking musicians who have terrible voices, cause they are considered more deep and stuff ). But on the other side Scissor Sisters were a great success here. So it must be bad PR, which is really a shame....

 

The very same is here. But I was convincied that he was very popular in 2007-2008 in Germany, I personally read a lot of interviews and very positive reviews about LICM and his artistic skills. That's why I was very surprised with the relative "fail" of his tour this year in Germany. Definitely the PR was very bad, lazy and not motivated to present him in a proper way. In 2007 he could do his gig in the Collumbia Halle in Berlin, but this time not, even though all the venues were completely crowded (I was in Hamburg and Berlin). But still think Mika was not in a good mood as he was in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland or somewhere else. The music taste in Germany is dictated by the American R&B, rap and hip hop at the first place like everywhere in the world. Plus Tokio Hotel.

[southeast]

The very same is here. But I was convincied that he was very popular in 2007-2008 in Germany, I personally read a lot of interviews and very positive reviews about LICM and his artistic skills. That's why I was very surprised with the relative "fail" of his tour this year in Germany. Definitely the PR was very bad, lazy and not motivated to present him in a proper way. In 2007 he could do his gig in the Collumbia Halle in Berlin, but this time not, even though all the venues were completely crowded (I was in Hamburg and Berlin).

 

No promotion whatsoever! That's why... His PR should not wait to get requests for interviews in the countries where they love him, they should try to get him in important TV shows in the other countries, like Raab in Germany. This show is late night, 5 days a week! And Mr. Raab has an excellent music taste and promotes musicians like La Roux, John Mayer, Eminem. He's often the first one in Germany to show some new talents and has a big influence, especially with young pple. So he's the one for Mika. I don't know if his PR has tried to promote him at Raab, but if they haven't succeeded, even if the show goes five times a week then they don't know what they are doing... My opinion.

 

But still think Mika was not in a good mood as he was in Italy, France, Belgium, Holland or somewhere else. The music taste in Germany is dictated by the American R&B, rap and hip hop at the first place like everywhere in the world. Plus Tokio Hotel.

 

Tokyo Hotel are not my kind of music... BUT: The singer is crazy like Gaga, and pple love them, so this can't be an excuse for Mika - he's definitely NOT too strange for the Germans...

[Sabine64]

No promotion whatsoever! That's why... His PR should not wait to get requests for interviews in the countries where they love him, they should try to get him in important TV shows in the other countries, like Raab in Germany. This show is late night, 5 days a week! And Mr. Raab has an excellent music taste and promotes musicians like La Roux, John Mayer, Eminem. He's often the first one in Germany to show some new talents and has a big influence, especially with young pple. So he's the one for Mika. I don't know if his PR has tried to promote him at Raab, but if they haven't succeeded, even if the show goes five times a week then they don't know what they are doing... My opinion.

 

 

 

Tokyo Hotel are not my kind of music... BUT: The singer is crazy like Gaga, and pple love them, so this can't be an excuse for Mika - he's definitely NOT too strange for the Germans...

 

Yor know that Raab called Mika the second Kübelböck two years ago. So I don´t think he is the right person to promote Mika in Germany.

[Marilyn Mastin]

No promotion whatsoever! That's why... His PR should not wait to get requests for interviews in the countries where they love him, they should try to get him in important TV shows in the other countries, like Raab in Germany. This show is late night, 5 days a week! And Mr. Raab has an excellent music taste and promotes musicians like La Roux, John Mayer, Eminem. He's often the first one in Germany to show some new talents and has a big influence, especially with young pple. So he's the one for Mika. I don't know if his PR has tried to promote him at Raab, but if they haven't succeeded, even if the show goes five times a week then they don't know what they are doing... My opinion.

 

 

 

Tokyo Hotel are not my kind of music... BUT: The singer is crazy like Gaga, and pple love them, so this can't be an excuse for Mika - he's definitely NOT too strange for the Germans...

All Mika needs imho is, some decent promotion. He has everything else. He has talent, charisma, looks, and he is unique. With the right people behind him, there is no limit to how far he could go and how successful (with his records as well as his tours) he could be!

[southeast]

Yor know that Raab called Mika the second Kübelböck two years ago. So I don´t think he is the right person to promote Mika in Germany.

 

Yes, I know: A mixture between K. and Freddy M. Very unfriendly (I mean because of Küblbock). On the other side both of those guys were very "publikumswirksam" (I don't know the English word. )

 

So what? He could sing "I see you" or something slow. Raab could change his mind about him. Journalists in other countries are much nastier than the German ones, Raab is just like that. He should try again nevertheless. That's what a PR-Team is there for and that's showbiz. And M. had so much rejections earlier, that shouldn't stop him. Raab is extremely important for the German market. Again, that's only my opinion...

[Christine]

The handling of Mika's later singles was weak, but Mika got a massive push for the launch of WAG and TBWKTM and radio and music buyers did not respond as expected. It was inevitable they were going to scale back promo after that. The same thing is happening with the press who were once championing TBWTM as a success and now calling it a failure. It's sad but I suppose it's sensible business (not to mention human nature) to not want to place further bets on a losing horse.

 

I've never said that UK people are xenophobes. You've the one who implied that, and I was just simply wondering about the possible reasons of his "average" popularity in the UK at this moment.

 

But what ARE you implying by wondering this, if not that English music fans are less likely to embrace a non-English artist? And if it were true, what would explain this other than xenophobia? I don't understand what you're getting at.

 

I have said this about Mika's insistence on coming across as exotic to Americans instead of emphasizing his American citizenship and heritage. And I will spell it out - there are Americans that are not particularly fond of people from the Middle East at the moment. This is not surprising given that they've been embroiled in a war for almost a decade and terrorists are moving about from country to country so the countries of the Middle East get lumped into one evil entity in some people's minds. But understandable or not, it is still xenophobia any way you look at it.