Feeling :  accomplishedaccomplished  Listening :  The TV reports on Monte Carlo\\\'s fire  Reading :  Atonement

Since this domain is called nothingbutsong, I felt it appropriate to start writing things on music in the new year. From time to time, I will post articles for a column I will call “All the Pretty Faces” about musicians I like, along with a few YouTube videos and download links so you can get to know them as well. They won’t be typical profiles about musicians. Stuff like full name, bio, how long they’ve been in the business (unless it’s relevant to whatever I’m writing).

I will also be starting another column called “Time and Place, Suspended in Space.” It will be based on Songbook/31 Songs by Nick Hornby. Basically it will just be me fangirling about music in an essay type format. Sorta like Ruined Music, only the music isn’t ruined.

Also, I will be profiling unsigned bands in my “Ya Heard” column. If you are an unsigned band, know someone in the band, or simply are a fan who wants to get your band some exposure, please forward me some links, MP3s, videos, whatever you’ve got. I will be more than happy to get the word out if they’re worth it. I know I’m nobody, but you know what? Any press is good press. :)

This is me taking my career into my own hands. I am a writer, and I really have no excuse not to start writing. Mind you, Nothing but Song will remain a personal blog. I’ll still be posting about my life. I’ll still be posting stuff about my stories. But there will be entries that will take on professional tones. You heard it here first. :)

Mutya Buena’s Untapped Potential

I am a big fan of Sugababes, from the “One Touch” era to their current “Change” era. It’s edgy pop music. It’s not straight pop, like most pop music is, because the girls write their own lyrics. The songs they write deal with things all girls everywhere can relate to. Girl groups don’t last very long in the States, so I’m glad that Humaira introduced them to me during their “Angels with Dirty Faces” era.

After I got “Angels with Dirty Faces” from the US iTunes store, I went and got “One Touch” as well. I LOVED “Overload.” The trauma of seeing their lineup change so often didn’t affect me so much. I think that this is maybe because I’m based in the States and the girls haven’t found the right time to bring their music over. After I realized that Siobhan Donaghy sang lead on “Overload,” I went and bought her record on iTunes as well. “Revolution in Me” plays well today as it did when it was released in 2003. It’s not a secret, but my domain name is named after her song, “Nothing but Song.” So debating how cool I think Siobhan is is moot.

So I will debate the trajectory of Mutya Buena’s career. I love that she is half-Filipino, because that’s what I am too. The music she makes would definitely transfer well here in America. We love our R&B starlets over here! Anyways, I’m two years older than her, so I’m considered her “ate.” As such, I am worried about her. I had high hopes for “Real Girl” after hearing the demos on her MySpace. I didn’t realize it until the other day, but every single she is known for, she has been trading on someone else’s name. That sounds mean, but it’s true.

On This is Not Real Love, she was the guest vocalist on George Michael’s track from his “Twenty Five” greatest hits album. A solid pop track, Mutya’s vocals add that right kind of “ooh” to it.

On Real Girl, she samples “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over” by Lenny Kravitz.

On Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control), she was the guest vocalist. It’s technically a Groove Armada song.

Although Just a Little Bit is my absolute favourite Mutya song I have ever heard, it didn’t do well on the charts at all. I was so excited when the video was released. But when I actually saw the video, I felt it did not fit the song at all.

On B Boy Baby, which samples The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” (which you might remember from “Dirty Dancing”), Amy Winehouse sings backup on the song, but again, Mutya uses someone else’s beat. And, she is not alone on this track either.

Notice how the videos for “Just a Little Bit” and “B Boy Baby” look practically the same. Mutya walking around singing with hot boys in the background. Is her label too cheap to splurge on cooler videos? Who knows? I don’t. “Real Girl” was a good transitional video though. You saw her being a “real girl.” Much like “Freak Like Me” was a good transitional video for Sugababes. But her subsequent videos weren’t all that impressive.

It’s hard to keep up with press seeing as how she’s so far away. In retrospect, tracking down press isn’t hard since everything’s on the Internet these days, but I have a Google News alert set up and none of the things coming down the wires are particularly interesting.

She covered Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car and The Kooks’ Naive for Radio 1. I don’t count these as trading on someone else’s name, as covering songs for Radio 1 is expected.

A few demos she posted on MySpace before Real Girl was finalized were 2 The Limit, Addiction, Darkside, Love Story, and Sunshine. “Wonderful” and “Suffer for Love” began as demos on her MySpace but showed up on Real Girl. I think “2 the Limit” was probably too poppy to be on the record, but I think it’s a fun song. It should’ve been cleaned up and made a B-side.

I know that Mutya is busy being a mum, so maybe she’s only doing what she has to do. I know that originally she didn’t even want to go solo. She wanted to focus on her family, being a “real girl,” and songwriting (which I think she’s brilliant at, she’s pretty much co-written every single Sugababes have released), but they offered her a production deal she couldn’t refuse. I honestly think she has a lot of potential to be a massive star. She just has to work a little harder. She gave Sugababes a sort of “street” edge, and now that she’s gone, they’ve gone the generic pop route. None of the tracks from “Change” really stood out to me. I can predict singles from an album after hearing it a few times, and I didn’t hear “Change” or “Denial” as singles. I love “Surprise” though, but that’s for another article.

So to end this, check out Mutya’s record. I think it’s brilliant.