Just learned that the hip British pop duo IDER of the tight braids and short bangs, will be in town for Dream Pop Sessions. I have a feeling they will soothe a lot of confused souls. That is what it is said they do. Make life better, even if only a bit. Made up of Megan Markwick and Lily Somerville, you can sample their electronica with a pop-rock-feel songs in shows at Eastwood City in Eastwood on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. and at Uptown Mall in Uptown Bonifacio on Feb. 9 at 8 p.m.
I like the easy, pop harmonizing of these girls. They have a type of sound that we do not get much of these days. They also write their own materials with very millennial themes. Listen to their song Mirror. I am sure you will agree it is very current and pure hit material. So is Learn To Let Go. Just like the sort of thing you can expect to find in their label Glassnote, that also has Mumford & Sons and Secondhand Serenade. Although I am not so sure about an album title like Gut Me Like An Animal, (Ouch). Still, I thought I’d check up on the UK hit charts to find out how the IDER is doing.
But I discovered something else. It seems like I have developed a very British taste for pop music these recent times. I love almost everything in the English hit lists. In fact, a lot of the tunes and albums are the sort I have listened to very many times. Hip-hop like Scorpion by Drake is represented but not to saturation levels like in the U.S. of A.
Instead, the leading big sellers are motion picture soundtracks. The Brits really adore them. Or Brit pop like big-voiced George Ezra’s and the trendy, laidback Dua Lipa, or pop opera like Andrea Bocelli, boy bands like Take That and even oldies by legendary rockers like Fleetwood Mac and of course, the very British institution, Queen. Get a hold of these lists. I am sure you will also love these sounds.
The Top 20 albums in the Billboard U.K. Albums Chart are: The Greatest Showman soundtrack starring Hugh Jackman, Zach Efron, Michelle Williams, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and others; Staying At Tamara’s by George Ezra; A Star Is Born soundtrack with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper; Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack featuring Queen; 50 Years: Don’t Stop by Fleetwood Mac; Always In Between by Jess Glynne; Odyssey by Take That; Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again soundtrack with Meryl Streep, Lily James, Amanda Seyfried, Cher and others; What Is Love? by Clean Bandit; Greatest Hits I, II and III: The Platinum Collection by Queen.
You Know I Know by Olly Mars; Dua Lipa by Dua Lipa; Divide by Ed Sheeran; Unchained Melodies by Roy Orbison with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Si by Andrea Bocelli; Phoenix by Rita Ora; Sweetener by Ariana Grande; Love by Michael Bublé; Scorpion by Drake; Don’t Smile at Me by Billie Ellish.
The Top 20 songs are: Sweet But Psycho by Ava Max; Thank You, Next by Ariana Grande; Nothing Breaks Like A Heart by Mark Ronson ft. Miley Cyrus; WOW by Post Malone; Sunflowers (Spiderman to the Spiderverse) by Post Malone and Swae Lee; 18 HUNNA by Headie One ft. Dove; Rewrite The Stars by James Arthur and Anne-Marie; Hold My Girl by George Ezra; Lost Without You by Freya Ridings; Without Me by Halsey.
Play by Jax Jones and Years & Years; Ruin My Life by Zara Larsson; ZEZE by Kodak Black ft. Travis Scott & Offset; Baby Shark by Pinkfong; Undecided by Chris Brown; Shotgun by George Ezra; Baby by Clean Bandit ft. Marina & the Diamonds; Going Bad by Meek Mill ft. Drake; Thursday by Jess Glynne; and Imagine by Ariana Grande.
Well, I also found out that IDER still has to land in the Top 20, albums or singles charts. And I still have to find out the true meaning of those letters, IDER. Not that it matters, really. These girls can call themselves anything and I would still be happy their music, warm and all-embracing, is around to provide lots of love.