Popular - with Ariana Grande

[cathouzouf]

To my surprise, my daughter knows her:wink2:

[cathouzouf]

You see, I'm exactly at the opposite. I didn't like this song until I heard it live with only Mika's voice and the Polka Dot Choir from New-York. Now I can listen to the reccorded version but before I was skipping it all the time.

 

I don't really like this version because it's not my kind of music, but it's the music that a lot of younger American are listening to.

 

It was the same for me! Except I like the new version too!

[Christine]

Don't know how trustworthy it is, but here they write that it is a promotional single in the US.

 

They say it's available on US iTunes but it's not.

 

This song doesn't sound like it's "featuring" Ariana Grande to me. If anything it sounds like it's featuring Mika and it's more a vehicle for her than him especially since it's not even on his album and she's got a new one coming out.

 

I wonder if this is the girl he said he was working with/producing...although what BangBangLou's sister said made it sound like he didn't really know much about her.

[cathouzouf]

They say it's available on US iTunes but it's not.

 

This song doesn't sound like it's "featuring" Ariana Grande to me. If anything it sounds like it's featuring Mika and it's more a vehicle for her than him especially since it's not even on his album and she's got a new one coming out.

 

I wonder if this is the girl he said he was working with/producing...although what BangBangLou's sister said made it sound like he didn't really know much about her.

 

I don't think she is, isn't she swedish or something?

[Alie]

They say it's available on US iTunes but it's not.

 

This song doesn't sound like it's "featuring" Ariana Grande to me. If anything it sounds like it's featuring Mika and it's more a vehicle for her than him especially since it's not even on his album and she's got a new one coming out.

 

I wonder if this is the girl he said he was working with/producing...although what BangBangLou's sister said made it sound like he didn't really know much about her.

 

 

The song is different but it's the same thing as the original. Mika and a female vocalist. Priscilla bring the rap side, Ariana the bubblegum pop side. So what's the difference, for me it's still Mika's song...

 

After 4 listening, it's better, I THINK that maybe I could like it a little. BUT not my kind of music.

[lollipop161]

No no no I like much more the CD version! And the voice of Priscilla Renea is perfect! Why mika whyyy

[Lilasko]

Well her video has more views than any of Mika's so...

 

[YOUTUBE]CC1cWrxk_mI[/YOUTUBE]

 

Guess I was way off the mark when I said Mika wasn't willing to do what it takes as far as the US is concerned.

 

Sounds like "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes, to me

[bleueyes]

I love this version actually! With Ariana, I think that Mika will get more popular in the US and I will get to see him in concert!

[Christine]

Sounds like "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes, to me

 

Yes it's like it's sampled the way Mika has sampled the chorus of Popular. It is so blatant it must be intentional/credited.

[Lilasko]

Yes it's like it's sampled the way Mika has sampled the chorus of Popular. It is so blatant it must be intentional/credited.

 

It has to or it would be very weird.

 

 

I wish Mika would say something about this collaboration, who came up with the idea and why? I'm glad this have given him some attention, but their voices don't blend together at all. Sounds like someone have taken two different versions of the song and then mashed them together. She has a great voice but she sings it way too sweet, it don't match the lyrics at all. Priscilla sung it just right, with her quite ironic and playful voice. Ariana is more serious.

 

Just a question, is it just a feeling or is Ariana singing more lines than Priscilla?

[Lilasko]

Dont like they changed the lyrics from 'bitch' to 'ish' and '****' to 'things' tho.

 

It's america you know But I do agree, the * words gave the song another dimension.

 

Im not a fan of this version.

 

I showed this to my sister and she said Mika asked the choir backstage in hollywood if anyone knew who Ariana Grande was. They all said no. And he acted confused and it seemed he didn't know who she was either. He was Like "i guess shes on nickelodeon. I don't know. You guys are young so i thought you'd know" But she said he didnt mention a song.

 

Just thought that was interesting....or not.

 

That was interesting actually. Don't know how we should interpret that though. I just get the feeling it was the record companies idea, bot Mika's.

 

Totally agree! Also them leaving out "bitch" and "faggot" kind of ruins the song for me! To me that was the heart of the song! I understand why they did it but it still annoys me! It sounds like a different song now, it's much more bubblegum and sweet and I don't like it, the song (to me) was about saying "I havent forgotten what you did to me" to people who hurt you in the past, whereas now it sounds like an "always be true to yourself" song that has been taken out of the next High school musical movie

 

That's exactly how I feel too!

[Christine]

Just a question, is it just a feeling or is Ariana singing more lines than Priscilla?

 

Yes she is. She is singing in tandem with Mika on lines that he sings solo on the original - like the dunking in the toilet line. That coupled with the fact that their voices don't blend, as you say, makes her voice totally dominate this track.

 

Since there hasn't been a peep out of Mika's camp I am not sure if this is going anywhere unless it is going to be used to promote Ariana. It sounds like he's coming back to tour the states soon so I guess we'll see what happens. But Pharrell did nothing for him so I don't know if this will. Celebrate is better IMO and I think Mika is too old for the tween set now. It may have worked when he was 23 but not now.

 

Stranger things have happened though so you never know.

[flyingkites]

... I think Mika is too old for the tween set now. It may have worked when he was 23 but not now.

 

That's what I was thinking too. The whole set-up makes me think this is a scene from some teen movie where Mika is Ariana's older brother and they come up with this cool song to show bullies how awesome Ariana really is.

 

I must admit the supposed cover for this single is quite nice though.

 

[Christine]

I must admit the supposed cover for this single is quite nice though.

 

 

Yes but it's such an old pic! I wonder if our Luke made this cover.

[Marilyn Mastin]

I've just come back after three days without internet access (Talk Talk sucks)

I haven't heard the new version as for some reason, Soundcloud doesn't work for me. It says Internet Explorer can't display the webpage, so I'll have to wait to hear it on YT or something.

But whatever it is, I approve! Mika has GOT to get himself known in the USA and Popular is probably the right song to do that.

Also, I happen not to like bad hearing words in songs. I don't think they are necessary at all. I know a lot of songs have bad words, so I accept it, but I prefer not to listen to them if I don't have to, so if the bad words have been taken out, its fine by me.

I just wish the best for the song. Of course it would have been great if he'd collaborated with someone like Lady Gaga, or Rhianna, or someone else on top of the pile, but it seems people know this young lady from Nickalodian and Disney, so that's a good demographic for getting Mika new young fans, and then charming their parents, aunts, uncles, etc.

All I needed in the beginning, was to hear Miika's voice. I hope and pray its the same for others now.

[Lilasko]

I've just come back after three days without internet access (Talk Talk sucks)

I haven't heard the new version as for some reason, Soundcloud doesn't work for me. It says Internet Explorer can't display the webpage, so I'll have to wait to hear it on YT or something.

But whatever it is, I approve! Mika has GOT to get himself known in the USA and Popular is probably the right song to do that.

Also, I happen not to like bad hearing words in songs. I don't think they are necessary at all. I know a lot of songs have bad words, so I accept it, but I prefer not to listen to them if I don't have to, so if the bad words have been taken out, its fine by me.

I just wish the best for the song. Of course it would have been great if he'd collaborated with someone like Lady Gaga, or Rhianna, or someone else on top of the pile, but it seems people know this young lady from Nickalodian and Disney, so that's a good demographic for getting Mika new young fans, and then charming their parents, aunts, uncles, etc.

All I needed in the beginning, was to hear Miika's voice. I hope and pray its the same for others now.

 

It's on youtube

[YOUTUBE]EQgetxVaIoo[/YOUTUBE]

[enigma]

O. M. G.

Mika.

This is truly appalling teeny pap.

You are capable of SO much more.

 

Please.

Forget collaborations.

Forget endless remixes and versions.

Remember you said you would always "chase a good melody"?

Well, just please write some good songs with good melodies and sing them yourself.

[lollipop161]

When he sings it live, it's much more similar to this new version, isn't it?

[jemmalee]

Oh dear it's got more sweetener than Diet Coke.

And this girl has totally ruined one of my teenage angtz songs "What's up" by Four Non Blondes in that video.

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]

 

If I wanted to be a teenage fairy princess I would totally wear that pink dress though:mf_rosetinted:

[MikaMadLuke]

Yes but it's such an old pic! I wonder if our Luke made this cover.

 

I actually did and they just cropped it. Hmmph.

 

[tiibet]

Yes she is. She is singing in tandem with Mika on lines that he sings solo on the original - like the dunking in the toilet line. That coupled with the fact that their voices don't blend, as you say, makes her voice totally dominate this track.

 

Since there hasn't been a peep out of Mika's camp I am not sure if this is going anywhere unless it is going to be used to promote Ariana. It sounds like he's coming back to tour the states soon so I guess we'll see what happens. But Pharrell did nothing for him so I don't know if this will. Celebrate is better IMO and I think Mika is too old for the tween set now. It may have worked when he was 23 but not now.

 

Stranger things have happened though so you never know.

 

I really tried to understand that Pharrell thing (well at least until I heard the original China Boy parts and realized how good it is) because Mika seems to genuinely like him but I just can't understand what he is doing here. He worked so hard to show his mature side and now this?

[Marilyn Mastin]

It's on youtube

[YOUTUBE]EQgetxVaIoo[/YOUTUBE]

Thanks Lilasko for that! Tbh, reading the thread I didn't know what to expect with this version. But I honestly like it a lot!

It's not too different, but its more of a pop song. There's no rap, so it sounds different, but to me, its not different in a bad way.

The main thing for me is that we still hear Mika in the chorus going, "Popular, I know about popuuuuuular," To me, that's what makes the song. I love his voice in that chorus and so will new listeners.

I also don't see what's wrong with, what's termed as, Bubblegum Pop. It hasn't done One Direction or Justin Bieber any harm at all! The point is, once Mika makes it in the states and people look up his other work, they'll see what a genius he is with music. He will then be able to do what the heck he likes and it will sell. But for now he just needs to gain a foothold in the USA and get onto the radio. This version of Popular might just do it for him.

[Christine]

Forget collaborations.

Forget endless remixes and versions.

Remember you said you would always "chase a good melody"?

Well, just please write some good songs with good melodies and sing them yourself.

 

If he's not going to sing them himself he should just give them away like he did with Madonna. If someone is going to ruin his songs at least he should distance his image from it.

 

I think collaborations could be good but he has to commit to it and pick the right people. I think if he wants to do something for the sake of appealing to a US audience for example then it would be better to be featured on someone else's song rather than the other way around. If there's going to be rap on it it has to be a rap song, not a Mika song. Otherwise it's just lame which defeats the whole purpose and he may as well, as you say, just stick to the melody and sing it all himself.

 

If he wanted to make changes to break out with Popular the song needed to be even more edgy than it already was. Something just short of Nicki Minaj. Going in the other direction just seems pointless to me. A collaborator should give him credibility not reduce it. And I think in the US he still has credibility even if he's not as widely known as he could be.

 

When he sings it live, it's much more similar to this new version, isn't it?

 

Yes the tempo is similar. It's one of the reasons I don't like the live version as much.

 

I actually did and they just cropped it. Hmmph.

 

 

You are becoming Mika's publicist!

 

I really tried to understand that Pharrell thing (well at least until I heard the original China Boy parts and realized how good it is) because Mika seems to genuinely like him but I just can't understand what he is doing here. He worked so hard to show his mature side and now this?

 

I'll be interested to see if he fully embraces this or tries to distance himself from it.

[Christine]

I also don't see what's wrong with, what's termed as, Bubblegum Pop. It hasn't done One Direction or Justin Bieber any harm at all!

 

But they are boys! Mika is a grown man. Now that he's an adult even Justin Bieber does not sing bubblegum pop. He is an R&B artist. He sounded bubblegum pop when he was 15 years old because his voice hadn't broken yet so it really couldn't be helped.

[A. Clay]

Ariana Grande ‏@ArianaGrande

'Something cool may or may not be on iTunes

within the next 24 hours!' @mikasounds