I was 26 years old when “Clint Eastwood” was released as a single, but I have to admit that my initial exposure to this song was through a remix that was being played by KNHC in Seattle. I thought the idea of a “virtual band” was an interesting one, and my interest was piqued when I heard that Damon Albarn (from the band Blur) was the lead singer for the project. Because I was used to hearing the remix of the song, I think that the original sounds too slow. The original is fantastic, but I’m more used to the remix.

Wikipedia cites a Reddit Ask Me Anything with Damon Albarn for an explanation of the song’s title. Apparently, he stated that they were listening to a lot of dancehall music at the time they were recording and imagined that Clint Eastwood would be a cool moniker. He also apparently said that he’s a great fan of Clint Eastwood.

“Clint Eastwood” was being promoted as a single at the time that we were compiling the AeschTunes Top 40 chart. Since it was the Ed Case Refix that we were familiar with, that was the version of the song that appeared on our chart. “Clint Eastwood [Ed Case Refix]” debuted on the AeschTunes Top 40 in August 2001 and it peaked at number 12 in October 2001.

Gorillaz would follow up “Clint Eastwood” with “19/2000,” which sadly, never made it onto the Billboard Hot 100.

For this post, I’m embedding both the original version of “Clint Eastwood” and “Clint Eastwood [Ed Case Refix].”

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In 2006, electronic music act Venomocean released the five-track VoyageV EP. This was the act’s second release, which followed its 2004 self-titled debut album.

The EP opens with “I Made You Real,” a song we charted when we were running the AeschTunes Top 40. The song peaked at number six on our chart on February 20, 2007. This is a midtempo electronic track that includes hints of new wave in its musical arrangement. While this more of a midtempo track, it’s got a catchy feel to it. Lyrically, the song seems to be from the point of view of a speaker telling someone else that they’re not alone because they have the speaker by their side. Vocalist Barbara Babilonia’s smooth vocal performance does a great job of complementing the musical arrangement while capturing the emotional intent of the song’s lyrics. In my opinion, “I Made You Real” is the strongest track on VoyageV.

Next is “Alone Again,” which is a midtempo synthpop track, with an arrangement that kind of sounds like it has some hints of EDM in it. Looking at the lyrics, they appear to be from the point of view of a speaker who’s in a relationship where there’s trust issues, and the speaker seems determined to leave this person behind and be on their own again. There’s a sense of empowerment to these lyrics, and Barbara’s vocal performance sells the listener on the speaker’s determination to change their situation. I really like what this song has to say, and it’s another song that I enjoy on this EP.

This is followed by “For Eternity,” another song from this release that we charted on the AeschTunes Top 40 back in the day. This song peaked on our chart at number 17 on June 26, 2007. “For Eternity” is the longest song on the EP, clocking in at five minutes and two seconds. This is a midtempo electronic track with a catchy sound to its musical arrangement. At one point in the track, there’s a sonic shift where the arrangement slows down and becomes a little more minimal, but this shift sounds natural and adds a nice layer to the song’s sound. The lyrics here are interesting, because I think they could be interpreted as either a person addressing someone else or this could be seen as someone’s inner monologue, especially if it’s from the point of view of someone’s conflicting emotions. Barbara’s vocals have an almost dream-like quality to them, which almost makes me think these lyrics could be closer to the “inner monologue” idea rather than being more literal. I love the feel of this musical arrangement, and combining it with the vocals and the lyrics, “For Eternity” is another winner on VoyageV.

“Definition” is an instrumental, which makes this song stand out on the EP. It’s a mid-to-uptempo synthpop track with what sounds like some hints of EDM in its musical arrangement. It’s not quite a song you can dance to, but it’s pretty close. The track, which clocks in at about four-and-a-half minutes, is an enjoyable instrumental that doesn’t feel out of place among the rest of the tracks that appear on VoyageV.

The EP closes with “Expert Active,” which is primarily an instrumental. The vocals on the song are very minimal, but there’s enough here to keep this song from completely being an instrumental. This is a mid-to-uptempo electronic track, and it’s got a sound that could potentially fit in with material from the 2020’s EDM scene. The outro of this song makes it the perfect song to end the EP with.

With this EP, Venomocean put together a great release that combines elements of synthpop, electronic, and new wave music yet still making music that has its own identity. VoyageV could potentially appeal to fans of the electronic and synthpop music scenes.

VoyageV can be found on Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on June 23, 2026)

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I was 26 years old when “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” began receiving airplay on pop radio. It had been over a decade since I’d last heard anything new from Kylie (which was “Wouldn’t Change a Thing” back in 1989). This isn’t really surprising, of course, since Kylie basically disappeared from pop radio in the U.S. in the late 80’s/early 90’s.

At the time, I was quite floored to not only hear that Kylie was finally having new material promoted in the United States again, but the sound wasn’t what I was expecting. But, you know what? I really liked “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” the first time I heard it. I still think this song is great, and I’m glad that Kylie was able to have a comeback on the U.S. pop charts with it.

It turns out one of the co-writers of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” was Cathy Dennis, best known for hits in the early 90’s such as “Just Another Dream,” “Touch Me (All Night Long),” and “Too Many Walls,” as well as her collaboration with D-Mob, “C’mon and Get My Love.” According to Wikipedia, Cathy and her co-writer, Rob Davis, offered this song to S Club 7 and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who both turned it down. But their loss was Kylie’s gain, and honestly, I can’t hear either of those other artists performing this song as well as Kylie did.

“Can’t Get You Out of My Head” was released during the time that we were compiling the AeschTunes Top 40 chart. We included the song on the chart when it debuted in January 2002, and it went on to become a number one hit on April 9, 2002.

After “Can’t Get Out of My Head” was a hit for Kylie on the pop chart, she followed up by releasing “In Your Eyes” as the second single from Fever.

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I share new music that I’ve discovered during the week on AeschTunes’ social media channels (Bluesky, Mastodon, Tumblr, and YouTube), and each Sunday I post a “New Music Discoveries” post to the AeschTunes website that collects all of the songs that were shared on the socials each week.

This is what I discovered over the past week. Check the songs out and see what you think.

Galantis recently released “Stay Alive,” a collaboration with The Devil’s Tax Return.

Musically, this is a slow-to-midtempo EDM track that has a bit of a “late summer” vibe to its arrangement. “Stay Alive” may be an EDM song, but it also has a calming feel to its sound.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Jonas Blue recently released “Girl.”

Musically, it’s an uptempo EDM track with a celebratory vibe to its musical arrangement and lyrics from the point of view of a speaker who’s grateful for their significant other. I’m hoping that dance radio and club play will help make this a summer hit.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Singer-songwriter Hayla recently released “Enough.”

Musically, this is a pensive electronic track with lyrics about feeling like you’re not enough for your partner and falling into feelings of inadequacy. Hayla’s vocal performance perfectly captures the song’s emotional intent.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Indie singer/songwriter Adam Rodway recently released “Matter Of Fact.”

Musically, this uptempo track has a bit of an alternative flair to it. Lyrically, the song is from the point of view of a speaker who’s been trying to keep a relationship alive realizing that it’s likely already over.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Musical project Lia Lefay has released “Champagne Trouble.”

This is a unique track for the modern era, which combines elements of swing and jazz with the current dance sound. The uncredited female vocalist’s delivery evokes a feeling from the big band era. It’s different, but I like it.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

St. Catherine’s Child is the moniker for singer-songwriter Ilana Zsigmond.

This is a unique take on the pop classic “Fly Me to the Moon,” which is most closely associated with Frank Sinatra. This version has a dreamy vibe to it, and Ilana’s vocal performance perfectly complements it.

If the embedded video doesn’t load, click here to view it.

Prince’s “Stone” was recently released from the vaults to promote the forthcoming release, Timeless.

I really liked the vibe of this song, and I’m actually a little surprised that Prince left this in the vault. I think this could have been a hit for him if he had released it.

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In 2025, Foreigner released a reissue of their 1981 album, 4. The reissue included an LP release, a digital release, a CD release, and a 4-CD/1-Blu-ray Disc release. This review focuses on the 4-CD/1 Blu-ray Disc version of the reissue.

As the title implies, 4 was the fourth album that Foreigner released, and it spawned two Top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Urgent” and “Waiting for a Girl Like You.” The album itself was a number one hit on the Billboard 200 chart.

Before I go on to talk about the music and material that appears on the set, I want to take a moment to bring up the packaging. It’s a clamshell hardcover book-style package that includes a 60-page booklet that has an interview with the band about the album, as well as credits and a producer’s note. This is the best part about the packaging, though, because how they placed the discs in here is horrendous.  They stacked three discs on one side and two on the other side of the book, and they’re so snug in the packaging that they’re hard to get out. There are some tabs at the bottom for each disc, but they’re not easy to figure out. We ended up scratching the second disc of our set when we tried to get the discs out and had to reach out for a replacement. As our experience shows, this packaging for the discs carries a very high risk of scratching the discs when you try to take them out, which means you need to carefully get them out and transfer them to different packaging immediately, as this packaging isn’t safe to take the discs in and out of repeatedly. Record labels, take note: this style of packaging is terrible for your product and the consumers, so never use it again.

Ahem. With that rant out of the way, let’s talk about the music.

The first disc of this set is a 2025 stereo remix of the 10 songs that made up the original 4 album. Unfortunately, the original mix of the album wasn’t included on this release, so you only get this stereo remix on Disc One and the Blu-ray Disc, in addition to the Atmos Remix on the Blu-ray. When it comes to the 2025 stereo remix, I have to say that it sounds OK, but it wasn’t anything that really blew me away.

The album opens with “Night Life,” a straight-ahead early 80’s AOR rocker. This upbeat and catchy track is from the point of view of a speaker who prefers the energy and action of what the night life has to offer and looking for some action. Lou Gramm’s vocal performance perfectly fits with the vibe that the musical arrangement is going for, and he sells what the song is saying. “Night Life” has the right sound for the opening track of an album, and it gets 4 off on the right foot.

Next is “Juke Box Hero,” which was released as a single from the album. In the United States, it peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Juke Box Hero” is another rocker, and it tells the story of a young man who hears a sold-out concert from outside, which leads him to buy a guitar and learn to play it. He becomes a star and struggles to stay on top of the charts and ends with an almost full-circle moment of our protagonist encountering a fan outside the stage door at one of his performances and is reminded of how his career began. Lou’s vocals are fantastic on this song, and his performance gets the song’s story across in a powerful away. “Juke Box Hero” is among my favorite songs on 4, between the story in its lyrics, Lou’s vocals, and its musical arrangement because everything perfectly converges together to create a strong song.

This is followed by “Break It Up,” which was also released as a single from the album. Like “Juke Box Hero,” this song also peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Musically, this song is more of a midtempo rock track, but it incorporates very noticeable keyboards at points in its arrangement. In some respects, I can kind of hear some similarities with their earlier song, “Cold As Ice,” but I’m not willing to say that the band was trying to recreate it. Lyrically, “Break It Up” is from the point of view of a speaker who’s beginning their significant other not to break off their relationship, and Lou’s vocal performance truly captures the intense emotions that the speaker is feeling. Personally, I really enjoy “Break It Up,” and I find it a little surprising that this song wasn’t a bigger hit when it was promoted as a single.

“Waiting For a Girl Like You” was the big hit on the album, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. This power ballad includes a distinctive synthesizer theme, which was performed by the then-little-known Thomas Dolby. Honestly, I think that synthesizer theme, along with Lou’s stirring vocal delivery, is what made this song stand out and become such a hit. For me, personally, “Waiting For a Girl Like You” is easily the standout track on 4, and that it’s among the classic songs from Foreigner’s career.

Next is “Luanne,” which was released as the final single from 4, but it only managed to peak at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100. Musically, this is a catchy AOR track with a focus on melodically twangy guitar hooks that really should have helped this be both an AOR and a pop hit. Lyrically, it’s a song about a high school crush, with the speaker dealing with the frustration of unrequited love. Lou’s vocal performance perfectly captures the speaker’s feelings and emotions, in addition to complementing this musical arrangement. “Luanne” is another song that I really enjoy on this album, and it surprises me that it wasn’t a bigger hit.

This is followed by “Urgent,” which was released as the lead-off single and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Musically, it almost sounds like a combo of rock and soul, which gives it a very unique vibe. This is another track that utilizes synthesizers played by Thomas Dolby, but it also has a rhythmic sax thrown into the mix that was performed by Junior Walker. All of this comes together to create a seductive feel that works perfectly with the song’s lyrical theme. The cherry on top is Lou’s vocal performance. Listening to this, I can hear why it was such a hit when it was released in 1981. It was catchy and brought something new to the table with this arrangement.

Next is “I’m Gonna Win,” an AOR rocker. However, unlike most of the material on 4, there really isn’t a strong hook to it, either musically or lyrically. It has a great lyrical message about having determination to succeed despite difficult circumstances, and Lou’s vocals capture the speaker’s voice, but I wish the arrangement had more of an “anthemic” feel to it. As it is, “I’m Gonna Win” didn’t leave a strong impression on me by the time it finished. It’s not a bad song, but I don’t think it’s among the strongest material on the album.

This is followed by “Woman In Black,” a mid-to-uptempo rock track with a catchy chorus that grabs the listener. Lyrically, the song seems to be from the point of view of a speaker who’s fallen hard for someone on a physical level but nothing has gone beyond fantasizing what it would be like to be with them. I really like the almost “mysterious” vibe that the musical arrangement has, especially as the speaker keeps referring to the “woman in black” as being a mystery to them. In my opinion, this is among the standout tracks on 4.

“Girl on the Moon” is the penultimate track in the album’s sequence. It’s a slower song which includes keyboard textures and slide guitar in its arrangement. I love what these elements add to this song, as they help to give the track a bit of a “dream-like” quality. There’s a sense of longing and unattainability in the lyrics, and Lou’s vocal performance helps to bring this across to the listener. I think this is a great song on the album, and I think sequencing it at this point in the album makes perfect sense. It really wouldn’t have worked anywhere else, and it gives the listener a chance to catch their breath before finishing the release.

The album closes with “Don’t Let Go,” a midtempo rocker from the point of view of a speaker who’s pleading with their partner to not give up on their relationship even though there’s friction between them, although we do see in the lyrics that they seem to “call it quits every other day.” The speaker obviously doesn’t want to stay in this “on again off again” pattern, and you can hear this come through in Lou’s vocal performance. “Don’t Let Go” was the right track to end the album with, and it’s one of the songs that I enjoy on this release.

Overall, 4 is a rather strong rock album from the early 1980’s. While it may not be a perfect release, it includes a lot of strong material that helped to define the AOR sound of the era. Some of the musical elements that appeared here would go on to help define the sound of Foreigner’s next album, Agent Provocateur.

The second disc in this reissue of 4 is labeled as “Unreleased Songs & Alternative Versions.” It opens with “Fool If You Love Him,” a song that was originally recorded during the sessions for the album but wasn’t completed at the time. It sat in the vaults until this set was released, but the vocals you hear on here were newly recorded by Lou Gramm in 2025. Members of Foreigner’s current lineup also added new parts. What is heard here also adds a new verse that Lou had written for the song. Listening to this song, you can hear that it includes elements that would have been expected for songs from the early 80’s, but the track’s production sounds too modern to be a song from the era. Listening to Lou, you can tell that they’re newly recorded, but his voice still sounds good all these years later. “Fool If You Love Him” is a good song, though, and I’m glad that it was finally made available to the public after being locked away in the vault for decades.

The next unreleased track is “Love So Much Better,” which has a slinky feel to its musical arrangement. With the sound quality, I assume that this is an actual outtake from the era. I like the sound of this song, but it wouldn’t have fit with the musical direction that 4 went in.

“Knockout Power” is another unreleased track from the era, which is midtempo rocker. It’s a catchy song, especially the chorus, but I think I can hear why this ultimately didn’t make the cut for 4. It’s a good song, but it wouldn’t have quite fit with the direction that the album ultimately went in.

The final unreleased track is “Jealous Lover.” Musically, it’s exactly the same song as “Knockout Power,” but the lyrics are completely different. I think I like these lyrics a little better, but it still has the sonic issue of not fitting in with the material that made it to the 4 album.

The rest of Disc Two is made up of alternate versions of nine out of the 10 songs on 4. The only song not represented is “Break It Up.”

“Don’t Let Go” has two versions: one is labeled as “Don’t Let Go [Early Version]” and the other is “Don’t Say No [“Don’t Let Go” Early Version].”  As the title indicates, “Don’t Say No” changes the chorus line from “Don’t let go” to “Don’t say no.” As far as I can tell, most of the rest of the lyrics are the same, but the sound quality is such on this recording that the vocals are further down in the mix than the music. The other early version of “Don’t Let Go” is still a rougher recording than the released studio version, but the mixing of the vocals and music is much better on it.

“Juke Box Hero” is represented by to versions: “Juke Box Hero [Early Version]” and “Take One Guitar [“Juke Box Hero” Early Version].” However, it should be noted that the labeling on the versions are flipped. “Juke Box Hero [Early Version]” is actually the first of the two tracks instead of “Take One Guitar.” When you listen “Take One Guitar,” you can hear that the chorus from this carried over to “Juke Box Hero,” but the rest of the lyrics are completely different. To be honest, I think the lyrics as we know them are much stronger. “Juke Box Hero [Early Version]” is a lot closer to the released version, but it has a rougher sound to it than what made it onto the album.

“Waiting For a Girl Like You” is also represented by two versions: “Waiting For a Girl Like You [Vocal & Piano]” and “Waiting For a Girl Like You [Early Version].” The Vocal & Piano version is a little under a minute-and-a-half in length, and it’s simply Lou singing some of the lyrics while a piano is playing. It’s a very rough recording, but it’s a nice record of hearing some of the work that went into creating the song. The Early Version has a similar sound to the final version, but the synth flourishes that are associated with the song aren’t here. It was interesting to hear this song in an earlier version, and even here, you can hear that it’s a strong song.

There are also two versions of “I’m Gonna Win”: “I’m Gonna Win [A Cappella Vocal]” and “I’m Gonna Win [Early Version].” The a cappella version is only 23 seconds in length, and all that’s in it is “ooh”s and “aah”s. Honestly, I’m not really sure that it was worth including on here. The Early Version is essentially a rougher-sounding version of the song before it was finalized for the album.

“Woman In Black” also has two versions on this disc: “Woman In Black [Early Version 1]” and “Woman In Black [Early Version 2].” The first early version has a rougher feel and some similarities with the final version of the track, but the lyrics are quite different. The second early version sounds a little more polished and closer in sound to the final version, but the lyrics are the same as the first early version.

This disc also has two versions of “Girl on the Moon”: “Alone Again [“Girl on the Moon Early Version”]” and “Girl on the Moon [Early Version].” “Alone Again [“Girl on the Moon Early Version”]” is a rough recording that sounds pretty close musically to the final product, but the lyrics are completely different. The Early Version has the lyrics that appear on the album version, and the recording is noticeably more polished than the “Alone Again” version.

Disc Two also includes early versions of “Night Life” and “Luanne,” as well as a version of “Urgent” that only has vocals on the chorus. As expected, the early versions of “Night Life” and “Luanne” are rougher versions of their respective songs.

The third CD in this reissue of 4 is labeled as “Instrumental Rough Mixes 1980,” and every song on the album is represented. However, three of the songs have more than one instrumental on here: “Urgent,” “I’m Gonna Win,” and “Woman In Black.” Also, there are instrumental rough mixes for “Fool If You Love Him” and “Love So Much Better.” Of the four CDs included in this release, this one was the least interesting to me, since all it contained was instrumental versions. To be honest, this is the CD in the set that I’m the least likely to go out of my way to listen to.

The final CD in this release is labeled as “Foreigner 4 Live Tour 1981-1982.” This is a collection of various live recordings instead of including a full concert. Tracks from three shows appear on this disc: Anaheim Stadium in California on July 17, 1982, Odeon in Birmingham, England on August 25, 1981, and Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany on December 19, 1981. While these are from concerts to promote the 4 album, there’s a combination of songs from the album and material from the band’s previous three releases. Overall, the audio quality is pretty good on these live recordings.

When it comes to the Blu-ray, I really don’t have anything to say since I haven’t actually listened to it. I’m personally not a fan of Blu-ray audio, and I prefer Blu-rays in these kinds of sets to have video content. We didn’t buy this set for the Blu-ray audio portion, because we were more interested in what was included on the CDs.

I’m glad to have gotten a hold of this box set reissue of 4, but I think this could have been a stronger product. The packaging needed to be completely different, and I would have included a disc with the original mix of the album instead of the Instrumental Rough Mixes, because I think there would be more interest from fans in having a remastered version of the original album mix instead of instrumental versions of the songs.

To be honest, I would only recommend this reissue box set of Foreigner’s 4 to fans of the band who want to own the new mixes of the album (the 2025 Stereo Mix and the Atmos Mix), or fans who have an interested in acquiring unreleased songs, alternate versions, and live recordings from this era of their career.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on June 20, 2026)

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Musically, “Very Good Year” is a mid-to-uptempo power pop track. There’s a guitar part that appears a few times in the arrangement that reminds me of similar guitar parts that are part of some of the rock songs from the 1970’s. This guitar part adds an interesting texture to this power pop tune. This song has a very catchy feel to it, with a memorable melody that becomes an earworm in a good way.

Lyrically, the song seems to be from the point of view of a speaker who’s talking to an ex-lover, lamenting how it appeared that this was going to be a very good year, but things have happened that caused them to split. The song’s lyrics are relatable for listeners who have gone through similar circumstances. The vocals really sell these lyrics, as you can hear the sincerity in the lead vocalist’s delivery. The backing vocals add a nice texture to the arrangement, while perfectly complementing the lead singer.

The song is a little on the shorter side, clocking in at just under three minutes in length. However, The Greenberry Woods effectively use this runtime to convey the lyrics’ message and sell them to the listener. To me, this is the perfect length: it’s long enough to get the message across, but it’s short enough that the song doesn’t overstay its welcome.

I think that “Very Good Year” is a very enjoyable track, and fans of The Greenberry Woods and their music will likely have an appreciation for it as well. I could also see this song appealing to fans of power pop and indie rock.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on June 19, 2026)

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“It’s Too Late” is one of the songs that really grabbed my interest. The relatable lyrics, combined with the simpler musical arrangement and Carole’s vocal performance, sold the song to me. This is one of those songs that I could better appreciate in my later teens and early 20’s, as I had the life experience to better understand what the lyrics really meant. To this day, “It’s Too Late” is among my favorite songs by Carole King.

From what I’ve learned about the American pop music scene of the early 1970’s, it really makes sense that “It’s Too Late” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on June 19, 1971 and spend five weeks at the top spot. Not only was “It’s Too Late” a strong song on its own, but being billed as a double A-side single with “I Feel the Earth Move” would have certainly helped propel this single to number one. Coming out of the 1960’s, it seemed music audiences were resonating with the more laid-back and simplistic arrangements that Carole King and other singer-songwriters of the era were releasing during this era.

In addition to hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100, “It’s Too Late” also won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1972. Over the years, the song has been featured in some Hollywood films, as well as in a sixth season episode of the television series, Glee.

“It’s Too Late” has also been covered by several artists since its release in 1971: Quartz featuring Dina Carroll, Gloria Estefan, The Isley Brothers, The Stylistics, Mike James Kirkland, John Paul Young, David Lasley, and Lucy Dacus.

Unfortunately for Carole King, the double A-side of “It’s Too Late” and “I Feel the Earth Move” was her only number one single on the Billboard Hot 100. She would have a Top 5 hit in 1974 with “Jazzman,” Top 10 hits with “Sweet Seasons,” “Nightingale,” and “One Fine Day,” a Top 20 hit with the “So Far Away / Smackwater Jack” single in 1971, a handful of Top 30 hits in the 1970’s, as well as a Top 40 hit with “Hard Rock Café”  in 1977. Carole’s most recent release is the “One” single in 2018.

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Musically, “Hate That I Made You Love Me” is a slow-to-midtempo pop track, with some hints of R&B and alt-pop in its arrangement. As I listened to this, I could hear that some of the electronic elements used in the music add a bit of an “atmospheric” feel at times to the song’s sound. And there’s also something about the production of the track that gives it a lighter and “airy” feel that reminded me of some of the pop material I was listening to in the early 2000’s. Apparently, the song was co-produced by Max Martin, known for his work in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s with acts like Backstreet Boys, Robyn, and Britney Spears, which could explain some of that early 2000’s vibe I’m picking up on. Ariana’s subdued vocal performance on this song perfectly complements the feel that the musical arrangement is going for, and her delivery helps to sell the song to the listener.

Lyrically, “Hate That I Made You Love Me” has a theme of expressing regret over a relationship. Reading through the lyrics, I also pick up on an underlying theme of conflicted feelings about fame and public scrutiny.

I think that “Hate That I Made You Love Me” is an interesting track, but at least on first listen, I’m not entirely sure how big of a mainstream pop hit this will be. But then again, Ariana has enough of a name with modern audiences that she might be able to make a song like this a hit and help pave the way for similar sounding material to gain attention. Even saying this, I still enjoyed the song, and I’m curious to hear what else Ariana will have to offer during this era of her career.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on June 19, 2026)

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Musically, “Hikari” is a J-pop ballad with a musical arrangement that focuses on piano that’s enhanced with acoustic guitar, strings, and percussion. Sonically, the song is very beautiful, but at times it has a bit of a wistful vibe to it. One thing that stood out to me was the extended final note from the piano, because I thought this added a nice touch to the arrangement. Knowing that the anime it’s being used for focuses on characters attending an opera school, having a track with this kind of a dramatic feel to it makes sense for its ending theme. Mika Nakashima has a great voice, and her performance on this song both complements and enhances the mood that the music is going for.

I listened to “Hikari” on Spotify, so I didn’t have easy access to an English translation of the lyrics. However, I managed to locate an English translation of the lyrics that’s been posted onto the internet. Reading through the translation, the lyrics seem to be from the point of view of a speaker looking back at the person they were in the past and also accepting the person that they’re now becoming.

I may not be watching the simulcast for the A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA anime, but if I was, this is a song that I would look forward to hearing each week.

Fans of Mika Nakashima and of the A Hundred Scenes of AWAJIMA anime will likely have the greatest appreciation for “Hikari,” but I think J-pop listeners may find something to enjoy here as well. As for western music audiences, I believe the song could potentially appeal to pop music listeners who don’t mind hearing a song that’s being performed in a foreign language.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on June 18, 2026)

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NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter Extra is part of a series of compilation CDs being released in the United Kingdom by Sony Music / EMI, which features songs that were hits in the U.K. between 1985 and 1989. This set is a companion to NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter, and it was released to highlight 60 more of the songs that charted in the U.K. during this time period.

The first new discovery on this disc for me was The Communards’ “You Are My World.” While I have familiarity with the Red album, the only material I know from their self-titled album prior to this is “Don’t Leave Me This Way” and “So Cold the Night.” Musically, I like how prominent the keyboards and piano are early on the arrangement, and the inclusion of the horns and strings later on add a nice texture to the track. I have to admit, though, that Jimmy Somerville’s vocals on the chorus aren’t as strong as they are on the rest of the song. Jimmy’s falsettos usually sound fantastic, but at times in the chorus, it sounds like he’s having to strain to hit some of those really high notes. Unfortunately, those strained vocals affect my enjoyment of the song. If it wasn’t for those strained notes, I would have really loved “You Are My World.”

Disc One introduced me to Nik Kershaw’s “When a Heart Beats.” Prior to collecting the NOW: Yearbook releases, the only songs I knew by him were “Wouldn’t It Be Good” and “The Riddle.” In addition to the tracks I’ve discovered prior to this, I can now add “What a Heart Beats” to the list of songs I know by Nik Kershaw. From doing some research, it appears this song wasn’t promoted as a single in the United States, which would explain why I’d never heard it before. “When a Heart Beats” is a midtempo new wave/pop track that’s enjoyable, although its musical arrangement isn’t as catchy as either “Wouldn’t It Be Good” or “The Riddle.” Nik gives a great performance on this song, though, which helps make up for the arrangement not being quite as catchy as it could be. It’s a pretty good song, though, and I’m glad that I discovered it while listening to NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter Extra.

Before now, the only song I knew by Arcadia was “Election Day.” This compilation introduced me to “The Promise,” a song that features uncredited backing vocals by Sting. From what I can tell, this song was never promoted as a single in the United States, which would likely explain why I’d never heard it before. After hearing the song on here, though, I understand why this song didn’t receive a single release in the United States. There’s not much of a vocal hook here, and the musical arrangement is a little on the boring side, and it wouldn’t have fit in with what was performing well at American pop radio in the mid-80’s. However, I do have to mention that Sting’s background vocals add a nice texture to the track. This isn’t necessarily a bad song, but there just wasn’t anything here to really grab my interest and keep it.

The second disc of NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter Extra introduced me to “Sun Street” by Katrina & the Waves. This was the second single from the album the group released after the success they gained with “Walking On Sunshine,” and I have to admit that I have no memory of hearing another song the radio by them until 1989’s “That’s The Way.” From what I can tell, “Sun Street” was promoted as a single in the United States, but I’m guessing that my local Top 40 station chose not to play it. Musically, this is a catchy pop track, but it’s got a sonic feel that never would have gotten it airplay on American pop radio in the mid-1980’s. I thought it was pretty catchy, thought, and the “na na na”s that appear in the chorus have a singalong quality to them. Personally, I enjoyed “Sun Street,” and it’s among my favorite new discoveries on this compilation.

Before listening to the NOW: Yearbook compilations, the only song I knew by Dexys Midnight Runners was “Come On Eileen.” This series has introduced me to more of the band’s material, and listening to this release marks the first time that I heard “Because Of You.” While doing research on this song, I discovered that this was theme song for a British sitcom titled, Brush Strokes. I think that between this and the fact that the musical arrangement has a strong emphasis on fiddle, this song never would have been a hit in the United States if it had been promoted here. From my research, it appears that it wasn’t issued as a single here, which really isn’t that surprising. I have to say that “Because Of You” is a good song, and I’m glad that I finally got the opportunity to hear it.

Disc Two also introduced me to “Riding on a Train” by The Pasadenas. While it may not have been a pop hit in the United States, it appears that it charted on Billboard’s R&B chart and peaked at number 73. The NOW: Yearbook series previously introduced me to “Tribute (Right On)” and this act’s version of “I’m Doing Fine Now.” I enjoyed the previous two songs I’d heard by The Pasadenas, so I had high hopes for “Riding on a Train.” Musically, this is a catchy late-80’s R&B track, with vocal harmonies that perfectly complement the song’s arrangement. I really enjoyed this, but I can hear why American pop radio would have passed on it at the time. Sonically, this just wouldn’t have fit in with what was performing at the American pop format in 1988. Even saying that, “Ridin on a Train” is another song I’m glad that I discovered while listening to this release.

Prior to listening to NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter Extra, I was familiar with Kylie Minogue’s rendition of “Turn It Into Love.” However, I hadn’t heard Hazell Dean’s version until now. Hazell’s version seems to have a little more depth and character to its musical arrangement when compared with the Kylie recording, and the inclusion of the guitar solo adds a nice touch that’s missing from Kylie’s version. Don’t get me wrong, I like Kylie Minogue’s version of “Turn It Into Love,” but I think the Hazell Dean rendition is a little stronger. I’m glad I finally got to hear this song by Hazell, as it’s another new discovery of her material that I’ve enjoyed hearing on the NOW: Yearbook compilations.

Disc Three of this release introduced me to “Sold” by Boy George. After doing some research, it appears this song wasn’t promoted as a single in the United States, which likely explains why I’d never heard it before now. Musically, I love the sound of this one. However, after listening to the lyrics, I picked up on at least one British reference, which would have made this song a hard sell to American listeners. Boy George’s vocal performance is a mixed bag on this track, where he sounds fine on the chorus, but the verses can be hit or miss. It’s not a bad song, but I don’t think it’s necessarily among the stronger tracks in his catalog.

Hue & Cry is an act I picked up on thanks to the NOW: Yearbook releases, as I really have no memory of hearing anything by them on American pop radio back in the 1980’s. As far as I can tell, the act was never promoted here at the time. Musically, this is a song that has a feel that would have worked at American adult contemporary radio when it was released in 1989, thanks to its laid-back musical arrangement. The vocal performance sounds good on this, and it perfectly complements the vibe that the music is going for. I enjoyed “Looking For Linda,” and it’s a song that I’m glad I discovered while listening to NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter Extra.

Disc Three of this compilation also introduced me to “Don’t Go” by Hothouse Flowers. From my research, it appears that this song was released as a single in the United States in the late 1980’s, but as I’m listening to the track, I can’t hear this being promoted at American pop radio at that time because folk rock wasn’t exactly happening in the mainstream back then. It appears that the song had success on Billboard’s Album Rock Tracks chart and Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart, but as I wasn’t listening to those formats back then, it makes sense why I never heard “Don’t Go.” It’s a good song, though, and I love how the Celtic feel is melded with some rock and soul on here. This is another track I was glad to discover while listening to this release.

I’d never heard of Labi Siffre before listening to this disc, and it introduced to the song “(Something Inside) So Strong.” From what I can tell, this particular song by Labi Siffre made to number 49 on Billboard’s R&B chart but didn’t make it onto the Billboard Hot 100. From what I’ve read, Labi was inspired by a television documentary on apartheid in South Africa, as well as by his experience as a homosexual. I loved this song when I heard it, and you can hear how beautiful and powerful it is from both its musical arrangement and Labi’s vocal performance. I loved this song, and “(Something Inside) So Strong” is easily the strongest of the new music discoveries that I made when I listened to this compilation.

Here’s a breakdown of the artists that appear on NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter Extra: George Michael, Pet Shop Boys, a-ha, Eurythmics, Alison Moyet, The Communards, Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones, Arcadia featuring Sting, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the dark, The Colourfield, The Cure, The Darling Buds, Simple Minds, Paul McCartney, Sting, Swing Out Sister, Sade, Go West. Suzanne Vega, Bruce Springsteen, Electric Light Orchestra, Tina Turner, Heart, Europe, Bon Jovi, Huey Lewis & The News, Katrina & The Waves, Dexys Midnight Runners, The Pasadenas, The Four Tops, Five Star, Bananarama, Hazell Dean, Laura Branigan, Gloria Estefan, The Beatmasters featuring Merlin, Rene & Angela, Ray Parker Jr., Mica Paris & Will Downing, New Order, The Mission, Boy George, King, Transvision Vamp, Tiffany, Bros, Wet Wet Wet, Rick Astley, Level 42, Kim Wilde, Waterfront, Hue & Cry, Hothouse Flowers, The Christians, Debbie Gibson, Whitney Houston, and Labi Siffre.

NOW: Yearbook 1985-1989 The Final Chapter Extra included a lot of material that I was already familiar with, but I still managed to discover a good amount of new songs on this release as well. Even though these tracks didn’t make the cut for their respective years for the NOW: Yearbook and NOW: Yearbook Extra releases, many of them are just as strong as the songs that did make those initial compilations.

(reviewed by Lesley Aeschliman on June 18, 2026)

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