Mika in US press 2019

[Kumazzz]

On 10/16/2019 at 10:05 PM, Kumazzz said:

Pride Source

https://pridesource.com/article/qa-mika-on-his-cathartic-new-album-writing-it-on-a-shtty-white-piano-the-consequences-of-being-out/

 

🔻PDF Three pages 803kb 2019-10_Pride Source_MIKA.pdf

 

 

Same as Pride Source interview

 

Peach Magazine - Issue 41 All Booed Up

• issuu.com peachatlmag/docs/peach41_issuu

 

 

 

 

[NaoMika]

Rolling Stone

 

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/2019-best-albums-rolling-stone-staff-picks-927916/

 

Best Music of 2019: Staff Picks
5322 words
20 December 2019

 

Steven Pearl, Copy Editor

1. Harry Styles, “Treat People With Kindness” 2. Tones and I, “Never Seen the Rain” 3. Megan Thee Stallion feat. Juicy J, “Simon Says” 4. Jonas Brothers, “Sucker” 5. Sofi Tukker, “Like This” 6. Partner, “Long and McQuade” 7. Mika feat. Jack Savoretti, “Ready to Call This Love” 8. Y2K and bbno$, “Lalala” 9. Missy Elliott, “Throw It Back” 10. Adam Lambert, “Superpower” / Katie Kadan, “All Better” (tie)

 

The biggest change in 2019 was how I listened to music: iTunes out; Spotify, YouTube, and every possible kind of streaming in. What I listened to — whether having a kiki, chilling out, or darting around town — was as pop-’clectic as ever. From bouncy alt feel-goods like “Never Seen the Rain” and nasty get-downs like “Simon Says” to stoner singalongs like “Long and McQuade” and the gorgeous, groundbreaking harmony of “Ready to Call This Love,” these are my favorite songs of the year.

 

 

[Kumazzz]

Atlas Artist Group.com

 

2019 Year in Review- Ending the decade with our favorite albums from an amazing year

 

---

With another decade coming to a close, the final year was once again filled with incredible music spanning every genre.

Choosing nine of our favorite albums from 2019 was a tough order- a testament to how many amazing bands and musicians touched our lives this year.

Check out Taylor and Olivia’s favorites of 2019!

 

Olivia- 2019: A year of pop

 

 

MIKA- My Name is Michael Holbrook

 

MIKA has been crafting soaring power pop for years without ever truly finding a strong footing in the United States.

His European fanbase has been clued in to what we’re missing, however, and My Name is Michael Holbrook is just another in a long succession of stellar albums.

Known for his glass-shattering falsetto, MIKA uses his vocal power and impressive life experience to create his most honest, introspective album yet. He really introduces his audience to the man behind the stage name- all while keeping his signature jaunty flair. 

 

[Kumazzz]

Billboard Pride

 

The 50 Best LGBTQ Songs of the 2010s: Staff Picks

 

Mika, “Good Guys”

 

Just because you're making an important point doesn't mean you can't have a little fun while doing it. On "Good Guys," Mika lightly mocks Paula Cole's 1997 hit "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" with his own lyrical twist, instead asking "where have all the gay guys gone?" Even when he's making a cheeky joke, the star still makes a point to get real about his queer heroes who helped him get to where he was in 2015, while also looking forward to what the future holds for the LGBTQ community. -- S.D.

 

 

for your information

 

Paula Cole "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?"

 

lyrics

Spoiler

 

Oh you get me ready

In your '56 Chevy

Why don't we go sit down in the shade

Take shelter on my front porch

The dandelion sun scorching

Like a glass of cold lemonade

 

I will do the laundry

If you pay all the bills

Where is my John Wayne

Where is my prairie song

Where is my happy ending

Where have all the cowboys gone

 

Why don't you stay the evening

Kick back and watch the T.V

And I'll fix a little something to eat

Ohh I know your back hurts

From working on the tractor

How do you take your coffee my sweet

 

I will raise the children

If you pay all the bills

Where is my John Wayne

Where is my prairie song

Where is my happy ending

Where have all the cowboys gone

 

I am wearing my new dress tonight

But you don't, but you don't even notice me

Say our goodbyes

Say our goodbyes

Say our goodbyes

 

We finally sell the Chevy

When we had another baby

And you took that job in Tennessee

You made friends at the farm

And you join them at the bar

Almost every single day of the week

 

I will wash the dishes

While you go have a beer

Where is my John Wayne

Where is my prairie song

Where is my happy ending

Where have all the cowboys gone

Where is my Marlboro Man

Where is his shiny gun

Where is my lonely ranger

Where have all the cowboys gone?

 

 

YouTube

 

 

[Kumazzz]

Esquire

 

Kickstart Your Pride Playlist with These 25 Songs

Justin Kirkland

 

---

This is a big year for Pride celebrations. For the first time in history, WorldPride is being held in the United States. The 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots also happens to fall in 2019. All of that is to say, 2019 isn't just your run of the mill Pride celebration, so you need a playlist that is going to keep the celebration going all year.

While everyone wants to jump on the Pride Wagon, the best entries on a Pride playlist are those that come naturally. The thing about any gay anthem is that it practically invents itself by fate.

The list below is a collection for any Pride gathering (with a couple tracks to ease the allies in the room into the fold). With a mix of the classics and some new hits, these 25 songs should serve as a good selection to get your own playlist started.

---

Whitney Houston — “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”

When You Should Play It: At the start of the party. No one gets the party started like Whitney.

Lady Gaga — “Born This Way”

When You Should Play It: Anytime, really. If an attendee doesn't at least admit that the Gaga song is a defining Pride song, then you can usher them out of your function.

Elton John — “The Bitch Is Back”

When You Should Play It: "Bitch" is a great throwback. It's also a really great way to troll someone by turning it on when they re-enter a room. DJ'ing is a sport.

Betty Who — “All Things”

When You Should Play It: When someone in the room mentions that they're an ally and loves to watch Queer Eye.

Dolly Parton — “Baby I’m Burnin’”

When You Should Play It: Dolly's short-lived disco period was a strange one, but it produced "Baby I'm Burnin'" which is practically designed to liven up a room.

David Bowie — “Rebel Rebel”

When You Should Play It: When you want to remind everyone that the best of the '70s didn't just belong to disco.

Queen — “Radio Ga Ga”

When You Should Play It: Pull this out when you need to remind the room that one of the best rock bands to exist was fronted by a wildly talented vocalist who happened to be a gay icon.

Kacey Musgraves — “High Horse”

When You Should Play It: Anytime you want a bit of a country influence. "Rainbow" is a bit too slow for a Pride dance jam and "Follow Your Arrow" has been worn out. Give this a try.

Madonna — “Vogue”

When You Should Play It: This is a Pride playlist staple. Play it whenever you want.

Lizzo — “Phone”

When You Should Play It: When you've lost your phone. AKA, the end of the night.

RuPaul — “Sissy That Walk”

When You Should Play It: When the same person who mentioned being an ally announces to the room that they also watch RuPaul's Drag Race.

Carly Rae Jensen — “Julien”

When You Should Play It: Play this when someone is reminded of their ex, but you don't want to bring the room down with those emotions.

Scissor Sisters — “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’”

When You Should Play It: Turn to this one when someone mentions that they wish there were still good glam rock bands putting out music today.

Janelle Monae — “Make Me Feel”

When You Should Play It: Play this when you want to amp up the sex appeal of the party without losing any of the upbeat vibes.

Cher — “If I Could Turn Back Time”

When You Should Play It: Like Madonna, Cher is a Pride playlist staple. Play this at any time.

Trixie Mattel — “Break Your Heart”

When You Should Play It: Set this one up when you want to infuse some country music into the list, but also want to shock half the room when you reveal the singer is actually a drag queen.

Mika — “Grace Kelly”

When You Should Play It: Like the Scissor Sisters, Mika is excellent glam rock. When you're inundated with the same synth pop vibe that's dominating radio right now, set the room up with some Mika.

George Michael — “Freedom! ‘90”

When You Should Play It: Listen. "Freedom! '90" is a nearly seven minute song. That's a lot of auditory real estate, so don't be afraid to play this between two solid jams when you need a come down period.

The Village People — “YMCA”

When You Should Play It: When an unnamed construction worker shows up to your event.

Prince — “Kiss”

When You Should Play It: If a few songs have gone by without a dead ringer, put "Kiss" on. Everyone loves Prince.

Kylie Minogue — “Love at First Sight”

When You Should Play It: Have this at the ready when your token English/Australian attendee grabs their third vodka soda and asks "Where's Kylie?"

Todrick Hall — “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels”When You Should Play It: If the party is missing a strong beat, whip this one out. It's also an instruction song, so everyone can get involved. There might be some education needed though.

Lady Gaga ft. Bradley Cooper — “Shallow”

When You Should Play It: This is a newly minted crowd pleaser. If the party hits a lull, whip this out. Everyone wants to scream with Gaga.

Troye Sivan — “Bloom”

When You Should Play It: Google the meaning of the song. That should answer the question.

Tegan and Sara — “Closer”

When You Should Play It: When the night is coming to a close. It's the most upbeat way to start winding the evening down.

Justin Kirkland is a writer for Esquire, where he focuses on entertainment, television, and pop culture.

 

[Kumazzz]

Billboard.com

 

December 18, 2019, 1:04pm EST

 

The 20 Best LGBTQ Albums of 2019: Staff Picks

by Billboard Staff

 

After the explosion of queer artists over the last decade, LGBTQ acts are finally in a position where they are able to create art that speaks not only to their lives, but to their community, with more freedom than ever before. For some, that meant crafting deeply personal, genre-shifted bodies of work that refused to bow toward what is deemed socially acceptable. For others, it meant publicly coming out, regardless of their level of fame, to imbue their catalogue with new meaning.

 

Whatever way you slice it, queer artists delivered in full force throughout 2019, and now it's time to celebrate. Here are Billboard Pride's picks for the 20 best albums by LGBTQ artists from 2019.

 

Mika, My Name Is Michael Holbrook

 

Coming out of a four-year hiatus from the music industry could be a difficult feat for any artist these days, but Mika is not any artist. On My Name is Michael Holbrook, Mika takes creative risks with the bubblegum sounds fans have become accustomed to, dabbling in retro pop sounds and sweeping ballads. With each song changing up the singer’s style, My Name manages to reintroduce Mika as a vital voice in the landscape of pop, and one that has no intention of going anywhere, anytime soon. -- S.D.

 

 

Edited January 3, 2020 by Kumazzz

[kreacher]

came across this review today, doesn't look like it'd been posted here before

https://www.washingtonblade.com/2019/10/10/buttery-new-mika-album-assembles-pastiche-of-throwback-pop-polish/

 

Washington Blade - October 10, 2019  by Joey DiGuglielmo

Buttery new Mika album assembles pastiche of throwback pop polish

First, I gotta get something off my chest: despite having released a glowingly wonderful new album, Mika has irritated me.

First, his current “Tiny Love Tiny Tour,” which kicked off last month and is on hiatus before resuming in November in Europe, featured a pathetically paltry three dates in the continental U.S. (there were two others in Montreal and one in Mexico City). Um, seriously? Your first U.S. tour in six-and-a-half years and you can only give us three dates? Not even a Miami show, where you actually live and recorded the new album? WTF?

I toyed with the idea of trekking up to New York for his show there, but am so glad I didn’t — he only played a paltry 70-minute set and completely ignored his last album, the 2015 masterpiece “No Place in Heaven.” He admitted in a recent Rolling Stone interview he used the no-frills U.S. dates to test material to unveil in a full-fledged production for the European dates. Um, gee, thanks. I mean, yeah, he’s a way bigger star in Europe so no surprise he keeps his eggs mostly in that basket, but this was such an egregious “#### you” to his U.S. fanbase, it’s positively insulting. 

It’s hard to be too upset however as his new album “My Name is Michael Holbrook” (***1/2 out of four), out last week, is almost as good as “Heaven” and its equally solid predecessor “The Origin of Love” (2012). 

The 36-year-old openly gay pop singer/songwriter has hit an unfair sales slump. All his big hits were from his first two albums (“Life in Cartoon Motion” and “The Boy Who Knew Too Much”). They’re hook-laden ear feasts, too, but the last two albums and the new one feature a leaner, more sophisticated pop craftsman that sadly hasn’t caught on. Sales for “Origin” and “Heaven” paled in comparison to the first two records and yielded no major hit singles either here or abroad. “Popular Song,” an Ariana Grande duet, hit no. 87 on the Hot 100. His biggest hit, “Grace Kelly” was a worldwide smash in 2007 but only made it to no. 57 here. 

Washed up at 36? What’s going on here? Thankfully, artistically that’s not the case.

Written entirely by Mika (in most cases with a bevy of co-writers) and a new production team (Mark Crew and Dan Priddy) “Holbrook” is a lean, glistening pop gem featuring deceptively tight hooks; logical, cascading chord progressions; witty lyrical observations; tons of trademark falsetto vocals; and an overall buttery, easy-on-the-ear sonic shellac that flirts at first with an impression of slightness but ultimately so bombards you with catchy choruses you succumb to its charms even when you try to keep it at bay. 

Among the standouts are ‘70s-flavored “Paloma,” which starts off as a slightly out-of-tune piano ballad, kicks into a lite bossa nova shuffle, then builds into a finish with strings and choir; the Fleetwood Mac-ish “Sanremo” with its sunny, loungy vibe; and effortlessly breezy and slinky “Dear Jealousy.” 

First single “Ice Cream” is a sexy, catchy ear worm. The party continues with “Tomorrow” (“who gives a s**t about tomorrow?”), another falsetto-soaked charmer. Opening cut “Tiny Love,” is catchy but feels a little pretentious and Beatles-derivative. Much later in the album, “Stay High” keeps the party going with a watusi groove and Monkees-esque chorus. 

Only occasionally does the album reveal flaws — “Cry” is a bit lame (but not horrific) and screams “B-side.” “Platform Ballerinas” gives things some unexpected rock crunch but feels jarring; Elton John-ish “I Went to Hell Last Night” is just OK and was “Tiny Love Reprise” really necessary? It’s different enough to be its own full cut but gets too big, overblown and soundtracky. A kids’ choir comes in, another character enters — it ultimately falters under its own pretentiousness. 

That might sound like a lot of quibbling for a three-and-a-half-star review, but the stuff that thrills works so exceedingly well, you just kind of take it and run with it. It’s the musical equivalent of delicately curated but highly accessible textile exhibit — there’s a sense that a lot of these pieces could have come from thrift store finds, but there’s just too many of them and almost no junk that you know you were falsely lulled into thinking this was easy to assemble. No single element is particularly original but it’s so expertly executed, you sense a master pop excavator is continuing work at his peak powers. 

[Kumazzz]

I had overlooked this article.

 

 

Forbes

Oct 17, 2019

forbes.com

 

Elton John, Summer Walker, Mika And Jess Glynne: 5 Releases Making Waves On The U.K. Albums Chart

Hugh McIntyre

 

From musical legends who continue to sell well every week to newcomers in rock and R&B who are quickly establishing themselves as talents to keep an eye (and an ear) on, there’s a lot going on when it comes to the albums chart in the U.K. this week, and a lot of the action worth discussing actually isn’t taking place inside the top 10.

Here are five titles that make waves on this week’s U.K. albums chart.

 

No. 7 - Summer Walker - Over It

American R&B singer-songwriter Summer Walker has enjoyed an incredible rise to stardom, and she’s currently having the best week of her still relatively new career in the U.K. this frame. The musician’s debut album opens at No. 7, granting Walker her first appearance on the list. At the same time, three tracks from the set appear on the singles chart, including one that rises into the top 40, her first to do so.

 

No. 19 - Elton John - Diamonds

Elton John will always be one of the most beloved musicians in the U.K., but at this point, it’s still amazing to see how well his music continues to perform in the country. The piano player’s compilation Diamonds, which features many of his biggest hits, earns yet another week close to the top, landing at No. 19 this time around. The lengthy release has now lived on the chart for 100 weeks, and it’s not about to disappear anytime soon.

 

No. 46 - Jess Glynne - Always in Between

Pop superstar Jess Glynne has only released two albums, but she already has the data to back up the claim that she’s one of the most successful females in the genre. This frame, her sophomore release Always in Between celebrates one full year on the chart, and this big win comes just two weeks after her unstoppable debut album I Cry When I Laugh celebrated four years on the list (it’s currently at No. 92).

 

No. 57 - Mika - My Name is Michael Holbrook

Piano player and singer-songwriter Mika gets personal on his new album My Name is Michael Holbook, but sadly, after a break of several years, the title doesn’t perform as well as his previous efforts. The musician’s fifth full-length enters the chart at No. 57, becoming his lowest-ranking title yet. So far, none of the singles from the project have reached the songs list either.

 

No. 76 - Dermot Kennedy - Dermot Kennedy

As his first proper album Without Fear debuts at No. 1 on the U.K. chart, Dermot Kennedy also earns a second appearance on the U.K. chart with a self-titled compilation that combined a number of songs featured on EPs he released before he became popular. The set has been available for some time now, but it only makes it to the ranking this frame, coming in at No. 76.

 

[Kumazzz]

We missed this article.

 

Instinct

https://instinctmagazine.com/mika-takes-us-away-with-a-hedonistic-trip-to-sanremo/

 

Mika Takes Us Away With A Hedonistic Trip To “Sanremo”

November 7, 2019

 

Global pop superstar MIKA has returned to the music scene with his critically acclaimed fifth studio album “My Name Is Michael Holbrook”. One of the songs he has released is easy, breezy, beautiful “Sanremo”, a bubbly journey through hedonistic joy and finding that magical place with a lover filled with freedom and happiness. In a complete juxtaposition, the accompanying video is a stark commentary on the plight of LGBTQ people in recent history straight up until today. Homosexuality is still criminalized in over seventy countries, some in which it is punishable by death.

 

Set in a black and white fantasy world somewhere in 1950s Italy, Mika’s character says goodbye to his wife and kids in the morning. After a solo dancing scene in his apartment, he then sets off nervously and cautiously to find male love in the shadows while avoiding the gaze of clergymen and policemen alike for fear of being found out. Hints of “Querelle”, Jean Genet’s homoerotic novel come to life, are in obvious homage as he stumbles upon a somewhat netherworld of androgynous characters and eager seamen. One could also say there are little nods to Madonna’s 1990 Jean Baptiste Mondino directed clip for “Justify My Love” as she too discovered a world where her fantasies came to life without fear of judgment.

 

The dreamy wonderland escape in which the song creates is quickly broken as the video ends as he is stopped by a police officer.  The encounter is accompanied by an audio clip from an Italian politician warning about firing anyone who is homosexual working for his administration.

This creative embargo really speaks to the current political climate and reminds us how not so long ago, being homosexual was completely socially unacceptable reminding us that the plight of the LGBTQ community is still strong.

 

[Kumazzz]

ALBUMISM

 

50 Essential Albums by LGBTQ Artists | MIKA’s ‘No Place In Heaven’ (2015)

• June 7, 2019
• Quentin Harrison

---

Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be 50 Essential Albums by LGBTQ Artists, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Considering that the qualifier “LGBTQ” can often be open to various interpretations, for the purposes of this particular list, we have defined an artist as LGBTQ if he, she or they have ever publicly identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer. Moreover, albums by groups have been included in the list if any of their members fit the aforementioned criteria, even if some members do not.

 

Click “Next Album” below to explore each album or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & album index here.

 

MIKA | No Place In Heaven
Republic/Casablanca (2015)
Selected by Quentin Harrison

 

Recognized as a rare talent with his inaugural album Life in Cartoon Motion (2007), MIKA’s Technicolor pop grew even more sonically elaborate and lyrically intense on The Boy Who Knew Too Much (2009) and The Origin of Love (2012)—his latest record No Place In Heaven (2015) has left fans wanting more.

 

 

Handsome, humorous and reflective, No Place In Heaven possesses a striking sense of confidence and sensitivity, traits not always balanced succinctly on one album. As a writer and a singer, MIKA has assuredly set his own standard with his fourth record and that only puts (and keeps) him in competition with himself moving forward.

 

 

Spotify / No Place In Heaven

https://open.spotify.com/album/19N3nhHlow4Lc4uiN8IUeA