Saturday Flashback: Alexander Vasiliou – Illusion

“What is happening two minutes into the video please?”

Tim: On Monday we had a track by Alexander that was for the most part very good but in some parts just awful. Today, we’ll have a track without that last bit.

Tim: Right, first thing first: what is happening two minutes into the video please? Because I know it’s choreography and everything, and they want the dancers to turn around, but does the guy really have to move his hand around so it looks exactly like he’s preparing to do a wee?

Tom: Oh blimey, I didn’t notice that at first, then I went back, and you’re right: it looks like they’re about to win the Nordic Synchronised Peeing contest, which I assume is a thing.

Tim: Well if not we should trademark it, because it could have potential. I don’t know why that leapt out at me, but anyway. Aurally, pretty good. Slightly egregious use of autotune, I’d say, but top marks for final chorus howling.

Tom: Come on, that’s a five-out-of-ten howl at best. It’s a solid track: Children of Tomorrow’s much better, were it not for that guitar.

Tim: You’re right – lose the guitar and that one’s a better track. This on its own, though: good enough as a decent dance track, and so let’s just hope that Children of Tomorrow is just a slight blip.

Alexander Vasiliou – Children of Tomorrow

Tim: Alexander: part Greek, part Swedish, former child TV person, former Sweden’s Got Talent contestant, current music singer. Got all that? Here’s a tune that’s part dance, part straight pop and part…well, have a listen.

Tim: And I love most of that very, very much.

Tom: Agreed: when the first verse makes me sit up and pay attention, it bodes well for the song. Bit confused by the chorus not kicking in until much later than it “should”, but the eventual drop made up for it. But then…

Tim: But, that, thing, in there as a post-chorus is just plain unpleasant, compared to everything else – particularly when it’s followed immediately by that gorgeous second verse. It’s unusual for a verse to be my favourite part in the song, but with its introducing those fantastic strings it sounds just wonderful. The chorus on its own is decent enough, but then comes that bit again.

Tom: Five years ago, I’d have complained about a dubstep drop there, complaining it sounded just as discordant and odd. Now, is this a new trend that’s just starting, or is it just a producer making a bizarre decision to drop in a weird guitar riff?

Tim: I’d be more inclined to give it a pass if it was only after the first chorus and for middle eight, but then it closes off the song, and leaves a nasty taste in the mouth. I don’t know, maybe it’d be like the dubstep bit in Amazing and would get okay with repeated listening…but I don’t want to listen to it repeatedly. Massive shame, I think.

Tom: It is: because the rest of this is wonderful.