My Top 100 All-Time Favorite Love Songs (Part 5)
Love songs are here to stay. No matter what genre dominates the airwaves, romantic elements just keep on creeping its way into pop. Love songs know no season, gender, age and territory. It’s just so universal. Everyone can relate to love songs.
This is the fifth installment of my list of 100 love songs that I am completely in love with. This batch includes singles from number 31-45. Again, this is a personal list — songs that have touched me in many ways. (Click on the title of the song to listen to it.)
45. Ricky Martin feat Christina Aguilera – Nobody Wants to Be Lonely
I worship Christina Aguilera but most of her songs that I totally adore are not love songs — Beautiful, for example, is very inspirational but is not a love song. Nevertheless, her collaboration with Ricky Martin is a classic for me. It reminds me of my high school days and this song just speaks for many people who have been longing for someone, fearing the idea of being alone.
Time is precious and it’s slipping away
and I’ve been waiting for you all of my life
Nobody wants to be lonely so why
Why don’t you let me love you
Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera were huge superstars at the time and although it did not enjoy extreme success in the US (peaking somewhere around number 13 in US Billboard), I believe it was very successful in the rest of the world.
I also love most of Ricky Martin’s ballads such as She’s All I Ever Had, I Count the Minutes and his work with Meja, Private Emotion.
When I heard this song for the first time, I fell in love with it almost instantly. It’s just sensual, romantic and heart-breaking at the same time. I know the kind of sexual reference was intentional, but you can read it in a purely romantic way. The song encapsulates the feeling of being part of a relationship that has just ended but you invested so much emotions that when the relationship died, a part of you died with it.
I’ve never felt alone
Till I met you
I’m alright on my own
And then I met you
And I’d know what to do if I just knew what’s coming
I would change myself if I could
I’d walk with my own people if I could find them,
And I’d say that I’m sorry to you,
I’m sorry to you, and I don’t want to call you,
But then I want to call you cause I don’t want to crush you,
But I feel like crushing you
And it’s true
One thing that I really really really love about Mariah Carey is that she knows how to tell a story using her instruments — the voice and the pen. Mariah is not just an extraordinary vocalist, she’s also a good songwriter. Her songs are very believable — words unpretentious and voice soulful.
You called yesterday to basically say
That you care for me but that you’re just not in love
Immediately I pretended to be feeling similarly
And led you to believe I was O.K.
To just walk away from the one thing
That’s unyielding and sacred to me
I’m sure many of us have loved or cared so much about someone but sadly the feeling is one-way. And when they say that to us upfront, we pretend it doesn’t matter. But the truth is, we are devastated. That’s what Breakdown is all about. It’s just a beautiful song.
Christina Aguilera and Cher Join Forces in ‘Burlesque’
After Britney Spears’ snooze-fest called Crossroads and Mariah Carey’s near-career-suicide Glitter, Christina Aguilera makes an attempt to debunk the seemingly true idea that contemporary singers are not welcome in the silver screen. I love Britney and Mariah to bits but their performances in their respective first topbilled flicks really disappointed me. (Thank God, Mimi was able to redeem herself in Precious.) This is why I can’t help but be scared for Christina Aguilera, whom I adore as well.
Christina Aguilera’s fourth studio album Bionic was not well-received and there’s just too much undeserved negativity going on around her so I’m starting to fear that Burlesque might even worsen the situation. By the way, here’s the trailer:
After watching the trailer, I had this feeling that it would be a small town girl living in a lonely world going to Hollywood to wear almost nothing on stage cliche. But like what a friend told me, many musicals today are formulaic — Moulin Rouge is cliche as hell, Dreamgirls is freakin’ cliche, even Glee is cliche. What will make or break this movie is the execution.
God, I Miss Boy Bands!
I was just browsing songs on my iPod and I realized that I just miss the boy band era. Haha. I know boy band songs are like 300 different cheesy cheeses rolled into four minutes of music but hey, they are catchy as hell. And damn romantic, too.
I particularly liked the following boy bands and these songs:
- 98 Degrees — The Hardest Thing, Invisible Man
- A1 - Same Old Brand New You, Caught in the Middle
- BBMak — Back Here, Still on Your Side
- Blue – If You Come Back, Too Close
- BoyZone – I Love the Way You Love Me, Baby Can I Hold You
- Code Red — What Good is a Heart, This is Our Song
- Five – Until the Time is Through, Keep on Movin
- LFO – Girl on TV, Summer Girls
- NSync - Bye Bye Bye, Gone
- O-Town – Liquid Dreams, All or Nothing
- Westlife – Flying Without Wings, Swear it Again
No, I didn’t forget the Backstreet Boys. I just didn’t like them that much. Haha.
But if I were to pick just one, I’d say Blue. But I really, really love BBMak’s “Back Here” and LFO’s “Girl on TV.”
So now, I decided to write the Top 10 Boy Bands that we really, really miss. And I want to know who your choices are. Let me ask you this, which boy band was your favorite? Yeah, yeah, you can say Hanson. Mmmbop.
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My Top 100 All-Time Favorite Love Songs (Part 4)
OMG. I can’t believe that it’s been a year since I posted the third part of this list. I have actually completely forgotten about it. LOL. If you’ve been waiting for the fourth installment, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting for 12 full months. So now, here’s the fourth part — top 60 to 46 — of the top 100 love songs that I completely adore. I’m also posting some lyrics to the songs.
60. No Doubt – Don’t Speak
I love No Doubt. I love Gwen Stefani. And I love this song. There’s just something so painful about this song. You know the feeling of not wanting to know — or not wanting to hear it — because you know it’s gonna hurt real bad.
You and me
We used to be together
Everyday together always
I really feel
That I’m losing my best friend
I can’t believe
This could be the end
It looks as though you’re letting go
And if it’s real
Well I don’t want to know
Don’t speak
I know just what you’re saying
So please stop explaining
Don’t tell me cause it hurts
I think this song encapsulates that problem very well. And it’s catchy, too.
Also listen to: Cool and Gwen Stefani’s 4 in the Morning
59. Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
A cute, fun song but not short of effectiveness. Jason Mraz was able to create a feel-good song that is both romantic and insightful.
Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing
We’re just one big family
And it’s our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved
So I won’t hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I’m sure
There’s no need to complicate, our time is short
This is our fate, I’m yours
Also listen to: Clockwatching, You and I Both, I Melt With You
58. Alicia Keys – Fallin
When I first saw the music video for this song, the first thing I said was, “Man, this girl will make it big.” True enough, she did make it big in the business. Since then, I’m a big Alicia Keys fan. Set aside the controversies, she’s still a great singer and an awesome songwriter.
Sometimes I love ya
Sometimes you make me blue
Sometimes I feel good
At times I feel used
Lovin’ you darlin’
Makes me so confused
I keep on fallin’
In and out of love with you
I never loved someone
The way that I love you
After four albums and a ton of singles, I still think that Fallin’ is her best single to date. (With Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart at a close second.) This song just paints a good picture of what it feels like to be totally confused about your emotions — falling in and then out of love. And I know the song speaks for many people.
Also listen to: If I Ain’t Got You, Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart, No One
57. Sade – By Your Side
I’m not a Sade fan but I love this song. Not many of my friends know this song so whenever we talk about favorite songs and I say “I love Sade’s By Your Side,” they go “What’s that? Who’s that? What?” Haha.
Oh when you’re cold, I’ll be there
Hold you tight to me
When you’re on the outside baby and you can’t get in
I will show you, you’re so much better than you know
When you’re lost and you’re alone and you cant get back again
I will find you darling and I will bring you home
And I think it’s a great wedding song. 
56. Dido – Thank You
When you listen to this song without the lyrics, you’ll easily assume it’s a sad, sad song for the broken-hearted. But it’s the exact opposite. This song never fails to make me smile when it gets randomly played by my iPod.
Push the door, I’m home at last and I’m soaking through and through
then you handed me a towel and all I see is you
and even if my house falls down now, I wouldn’t have a clue
because you’re near me and
I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life
And yeah, I can truly relate to it. It’s nice to know that no matter how bad the world can be, there’s still someone who can make all the bad things go away at the end of the day. And it’s nice to know that there’s a song about just that.
Also listen to: Here With Me, White Flag
Album Review: Christina Aguilera – Bionic (2010)
“…The thing about Aguilera is that she’s used to zig when everyone else was zagging. And now, it seems like she decided to zag along with everyone else.” -EW.com
EW.com closed its review of Not Myself Tonight with these sentences. I wouldn’t blame them for thinking like this but I guess they were deceived by Not Myself Tonight. I love the single, don’t get me wrong, but this just didn’t represent the album in any way. Not Myself Tonight is like everything we have heard from today’s recording artists, except Christina can sing. I understand why they picked this track to be the first single — of all the tracks in Bionic, Not Myself Tonight is easily the most familiar and it is on this track that her voice is most recognizable.
But Bionic is more than that. Listen to Bionic and you’ll find Xtina going against the grain yet again, pushing the envelope harder, and yes, zigging while everyone else is zagging.
When Christina Aguilera said in an interview that she was experimenting more with her voice and exploring new ways to make music with it, she was not kidding. The album is unlike anything she has done before. It’s not even like anything other female performers and divas today have done before. Bionic is a big risk for an artist of her stature. It is not conventional. Yet, Aguilera was able to mesh her five-star voice with the different instruments that contributed to the genius that is Bionic.
To be honest, Bionic isn’t as futuristic as she sells it but it is indeed superhuman. And as you listen to it, subconsciously you are taken on a journey of a superhuman — opening with a big bang that is Bionic (track), taking you on a wild ride with Woohoo and Elastic Love, going deeper to the heart and soul of the album that is the four ballads at its core, and ending with a fun, wild, not-to-be-taken-seriously track that is Vanity.
I especially loved its row of ballads co-penned by Xtina’s long-time collaborator Linda Perry and new found ally Sia. It is the core of the record. It is as if Aguilera sheds of her metal armor, getting naked and revealing her heart and soul.It is Christina at her most vulnerable.
Most of all, Bionic successfully cements Christina’s status as probably this generation’s most versatile vocalist. She does urban, club-bangers, ballads and soul and does them well.
Here are what I think of each track:
First Listen to Christina Aguilera’s ‘You Lost Me’ and ‘Bionic’ Tracks (VH1 Storytellers Leaks with Lyrics)
It seems like Christina Aguilera is going the Stripped way again. Although Christina Aguilera herself had said that her next album Bionic was going to be Stripped 2.0 (with Not Myself Tonight as Dirrty 2.0), it’s only now that two of the tracks from her upcoming album Bionic (out June 8th) that it is confirmed.
You Lost Me, one of the tracks that leaked, reminds me so much of Beautiful, but this time the influence came from Sia and not Linda Perry. The title track Bionic, on the other hand, sounds definitely more funky and more pleasing than Not Myself Tonight in the same way that Dirrty was not the best dance track from Stripped.
Not Myself Tonight obviously went for shock value the way Dirrty did. It’s the single that’s most likely to spark controversy and I must say that it was successful in that department especially now that the provocative, daring music video is released.
Listen to Christina Aguilera’s live VH1 Storytellers performance of the album’s opening track here:
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It has a hard beat but it’s really hard to comment on it since the piece has very low quality (because it was recorded secretly by a fan who was part of the live audience). One thing’s sure, though: it’s really catchy and infectious. I’m just not sure if this is a full song or just an intro. If you’re a Legendtina fan, you know how much Aguilera loves intro tracks in her albums.
Meanwhile, here’s the strings-driven ballad You Lost Me. Listen, listen:
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It’s beautifully epic! It’s about infidelity. The melody and lyrics are haunting. Vocally, as expected, it was powerful but different since Aguilera obviously explored the softer side of her voice here. I love how she sang the “And we-e-e-e-e had magic, and thi-i-i-i-is is tragic” part. Also, the way she sang “You couldn’t keep your hands to yourself” was just damn piercing and sad, yet funny at the same time.
The track was penned by Sia and Christina Aguilera herself. God, it reminds me of the first time I heard Beautiful. Goosebumps. Here are the lyrics although this is still a work in progress. The low quality of the recording makes it hard to understand the words:
Christina Aguilera’s ‘Not Myself Tonight’ Music Video Review
Well, not really a review. More like a rant.
I just hate it that people are saying that Christina Aguilera is ripping off Lady Gaga and Madonna in her newly launched music video “Not Myself Tonight.”
First of all, I really don’t see any Lady Gaga resemblance in that video. She’s been crazy since Dirrty. It just annoys me that people are claiming Christina is copying Lady GaGa’s kinky moves when we all know Christina pushed the boundaries of teen pop music in her time when she released Dirrty and its even dirtier music video in 2002. She was criticized for that, saying she was being too provocative, too naughty. Now, almost every female pop performer is dirrty and even naughtier than X-tina. I think none of what pop bitches, including Lady Gaga, are doing today would have been as appreciated this much if Aguilera didn’t take the fall in 2002, if she didn’t pave the way, if she didn’t push the envelope so hard that time.
image courtesy of Merlito of pinoyexchange.com
Second, my God, some people just don’t understand what “homage” is. The music video is clearly a TRIBUTE to the one and only Queen of Pop, MADONNA. The scene wherein Christina’s on top of the stairs against a misty, foggy backdrop, among others, is inspired by the music video of Express Yourself (1985). Also, the leather-driven orgy scene is obviously a contemporary version of some scenes from Madonna’s Human Nature (1995). And many other scenes are reminiscent of Madonna.
See the Human Nature music video here and Express Yourself here.
I don’t really love the Not Myself Tonight music video but I think it’s genius! Why? Because this video is able to do the following:
The Crazy Christina Aguilera – Lady Gaga Comparison
I just don’t get it!
I don’t understand why in the world would people try to lambaste Christina Aguilera for the supposed “attempt to copy Lady Gaga” with her new single “Not Myself Tonight” and upcoming album “Bionic.”
image courtesy of www.holamun2.com
It’s not secret. I adore Christina Aguilera. I have blogged about her so many times. I have a copy of all her albums. I even started saving for the first time in my life just to see her on concert (the Manila leg of her Back to Basics tour). Beautiful is probably my all-time favorite song. She’s really one of the best singers (or artists) out there. She has been since Genie in a Bottle, over a decade ago.
Don’t get me wrong. I love Lady Gaga to pieces, too. Been a fan since Just Dance. My Most Played lists on iTunes and Winamp have her songs. I even have all her music videos on my iPod.
But the comparisons are just absurd.
Today, a Christina Quote is all over the net. It was from an interview in which she addressed this comparison.
“It just comes with the territory. That, in particular, is not even worth wasting the breath to comment on. I’ve been around for over a decade and I think my work speaks for myself.”
And now people are saying how conceited she is, how highly she thinks of herself, what kind of copycat she has become, whatsoever. But man, it’s true. She’s been around for years. And it was only brought up because the DJ asked her about the negative things Akon had to say about her. It’s just sad people never mentioned that. I actually believe it’s a tactful response to the question.
So here, I prepared a list of questions and accusations commonly thrown at Christina with some of my answers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Christina Aguilera was out of the music scene for so long sitting her ass off. And now she’s back out of nowhere with the same look and sound as Lady Gaga’s. What’s up with that?
A: What’s up with you? Are you on drugs? She got pregnant! She friggin’ delivered a baby. Of course she would stop for a moment, rest until her vagina healed, spend time with her son and build a family. You know why? Because that’s what people do. It’s not all about fame and glory. That bitch has a heart.
And besides, she’s been doing a film called “Burlesque!”
Also, Aguilera is known for taking too much time preparing for one album. And if you ask why, go ask the Grammy’s why they nominated Stripped and Back to Basics for Best Pop Album.
Q: So what? She still copied Lady Gaga’s music and stole her look!
A: As early as 2008, when she was on Back to Basics tour, she was already very vocal about the theme of her next album, which was still untitled then. She would go to the completely opposite direction of Back to Basics, which is a blast from the past. She declared she would be doing pop again (since Back to Basics sounded like a pop-R&B crossover).
Move Over Y’all, Christina Aguilera is Back!
Oh yeah, the Queen is back.
Just when the music industry is full of artists trying to surround themselves with controversies just to get attention, somebody genuinely talented will come and remind you what talent really sounds like. Oh yeah, Christina Aguilera is bringin’ it.
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Four agonizing years of waiting after her last studio album was released, the small girl who owns the greatest voice of this generation finally gave some sneak peek of her upcoming album Bionic (out June 8th) through the single “Not Myself Tonight.” As expected, she reinvents herself once again and this time offers futuristic electropop music. It’s a club banger, something I’d kill a DJ for if not played within a night.
It’s refreshing to see Aguilera without the 1930s look. It’s like she’s bringing back the Christina that most of us fell in love with. Been a fan since Genie in a Bottle.
The old Christina is gone. She feels brand new. And if you don’t like her, Fudge You!
And as always, Christina also proved that mad singing skills and club music can marry each other to produce an A-list dance tune. Her signature belts are present. Love it. Love it. Love it.
I must admit that I wasn’t hooked the first time I heard it; wasn’t that catchy for me. But it’s a grower. The more I listened to it, the more I got addicted. The lyrics are also off for me at first. Was a bit thrown off by the bisexual slant. A bit too pushed for me. Too attention-seeking, haha. But from someone who gave us Dirrty and Nasty Naughty Girl, I wonder why I was even surprised. Haha.
Boyce Avenue Returns to Manila for MusicFest, Also Featuring Kris Allen and Jabbawockeez
One morning in September 2007, I was in the office when boredom got the better of me. And like many bored members of the working class, I logged onto YouTube and looked for the music video of Rihanna’s Umbrella. The search made me stumble upon a band’s acoustic cover of the song. I was blown away. I even loved it better than the original. The band was composed by three brothers — Daniel, Fabian, and Alejandro Manzano. The band’s name was Boyce Avenue.
I became a fan instantaneously. That particularly video had only around 40 views. None of my friends knew them. Somehow I was glad. I thought, “This budding group is going to be my little secret.” I anticipated more “cover videos.” And they never failed to amaze me each time they post a new one. YouTube became my little world and Boyce Avenue was the only thing in it.
It was only a matter of time when those 60 views became hundreds, then thousands, then millions. They became an internet phenomenon with over 75 million total views on YouTube, 143,000 subscribers, and ranked as one of the top musician channels of all-time on YouTube. My little secret became the world’s. My little secret became everything but. And for these men, I’m more than happy.
I blogged about them and their first time in Manila (a mall tour). And now, I’m glad I’m blogging about them again because they’re returning to the Philippines for a major concert. And he’s not alone.
Jabbawockeez arrived in Manila last week and I’m delighted to hear they will be a regular on ASAP XV for a month. I’m not really a dance fan but it doesn’t take a dance diploma to know that they ARE great. Especially after the technical boo-boo on ASAP last Sunday. They were just the most creative-slash-professional group ever. They’re amazing.
Kris Allen will be performing at MusicFest, too. Allow me to die for a moment. (OK, I just died there.) I remember last year when every one of my friends was rooting for that Adam Lambert guy, I think I was the only one in my circle that was jumping out of my seat. Doesn’t matter, though. He’s won. He’s here. And I’m going to see him.
On May 31, 1985, tragedy struck when 41 tornadoes hit Canada and the US, leaving 76 people dead. At the same time, a doomed couple in the Philippines were having the best orgasms of their lives. Nine months (280 days) later, a healthy baby boy was brought into this world by normal delivery. That was exactly a week before Microsoft had its initial public offering.
Today, Yoshke Dimen resides independently in Mandaluyong City. He got a degree in Film from an overrated university in Diliman but is now pursuing a career in Social Media.
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