I think many of you readers will agree with me in saying that December is sometimes the time for forgiveness. A lot of events in my life have proved that recently, (actually, there’s one happening right now…) and as it should be expected, I find that feeling in some songs too. The next one I’m posting is no exception.

I’ve been a great fan of Marion Raven since her 2005 debut album Here I Am (which I highly recommend you because it’s full of emotions), and when I found out about her duet with the rock legend Meat Loaf I couldn’t do anything but wait until the release of the song. Like I expected, the song didn’t dissapoint me and I think it’s the best version, surpassing the one from Pandora’s Box and even Celine Dion’s version. I began to listen a lot to this song during the end of the 2006, particularly on December. That’s three years ago, and I have continued with this ritual ever since.

Meat Loaf & Marion Raven’s version it’s not only romantic, but emotional, sad, reflexive, and stormy. There’s pain in some lines of the song, and the ending is just magnificent. Marion’s voice matches perfectly Meat Loaf’s and gives the song a soft tone. The music video made for the single is also emotive and even epic. It’s a song about memories, about remembering the moments and being proud, happy and blessed because of them. A love song but not as many others.

Yesterday I listened once again to the song (in fact, I’m listening to it right now), and searched for a live videofrom Meat Loaf’s tour on YouTube. I found the video included on Meat Loaf’s latest DVD 3 Bats Live. The performance is amazing. I post the video as well as the lyrics. My best wishes to you all!

IT’S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW

There were nights when the wind was so cold,

that my body froze in bed if I just listened to it right outside the window.

There were days when the sun was so cruel,

that all the tears turned to dust and I just knew my eyes were drying up forever.

I finished crying in the instant that you left,

and I can’t remember where or when or how,

and I vanished every memory you and I had ever made,

But when you touch me like this… (Touch you like this…)

And you hold me like that… (Hold me like that…)

I just had to admit that it’s all coming back to me…

When I touch you like this… (Touch you like this…)

And I hold you like that… (Hold you like that)

It’s so hard to believe but it’s all coming back to me… now…

(It’s all coming back, it’s all coming back to me now…)

There were moments of gold,

and there were flashes of light.

There were things I’d never do again,

but then they’d always seemed right.

There were nights of endless pleasure,

it was more than any laws allow…

Baby, baby…

If I kiss you like this… (Kiss you like this…)

And if you whisper like that… (Whisper like that…)

It was lost long ago, but it’s all coming back to me…

If you want me like this… (If you want me like this…)

And if you need me like that… (If you need me like that…)

It was dead long ago, but it’s all coming back to me…

It’s so hard to resist and it’s all coming back to me…

I can barely recall, but it’s all coming back to me now…

But you were history with the slammin’ of the door,

and I made myself so strong again somehow,

and I never wasted any of my time on you since then.

But if I touch you like this… (Touch you like this…)

And if you kiss me like that… (Kiss me like that…)

It was so long ago but it’s all coming back to me…

I you touch me like this… (Touch me like this…)

And if I kiss you like that… (Kiss you like that…)

It was gone with the wind, but it’s all coming back to me… now…

(It’s all coming back, it’s all coming back to me now…)

There were moments of gold,

and there were flashes of light.

There were things we’d never do again,

but then they’d always seemed right.

There were nights of endless pleasure,

it was more than any laws allow.

Baby, baby, baby…

When you touch me like this… (Touch me like this…)

And when you hold me like that… (Hold me like that…)

It was gone with the wind but it’s all coming back to me…

When you see me like this… (See me like this…)

And when I see you like that… (See you like that…)

Then we see what went wrong ‘cause it’s all coming back to me…

The flesh and the fantasies, all comin back to me…

I can barely recall, but it’s all coming back to me now…

If you forgive me all this… (Forgive me all this…)

And I forgive you all that… (Forgive you all that…)

We forgive and forget and it’s all coming back to me… now…

It’s all coming back to me now…

When I touched you like that…

It’s all coming back to me now…

And if you do it like this…

It’s all coming back to me now…

(And if we…)

I think a lot of you readers may agree with me in saying that music nowadays is a complete disaster. Each day, more and more musical “stars” appear out of the blue and most of them have no quality or musical abilities and are just a weapon of consumerism. (Like Disney’s High School Musical…) But let’s face it. There are some singers around there that have a spark of hope and at least, the idea of what they are doing.

This post focuses on some of the most famous girls from the rock/pop genre, which can be sometimes quite repetitive or extremely enjoyable. Whether aiming at the punky style, or at the simple pop, the next ladies have managed to get some attention, thanks to their voice or their compositions. You might know all this ladies, or you might not. Let’s begin!

KELLY CLARKSON

Surely, this 27 year-old girl has known how to move in the musical industry. Like Simos Cowell once said: “She’s not a girl who got lucky in a talent competition; we got lucky to find her”. We can say that Kelly is probably one of the most wonderful voices around the media. Her debut album Thankful which combined pop and soul, had a moderate success, but it was its follow-up, the rock/pop album Breakaway the one that rose her to fame and worldwide recognition. Her third album, My December, caused a big impression because of its dark tone, but in 2009 she came back to the top-selling charts with All I Ever Wanted getting even a new Grammy Nomination. Recommended songs: Behind These Hazel Eyes, Because Of You, Low, My Life Would Suck Without You, I Do Not Hook Up, Since U Been Gone, Never Again and Sober.

AVRIL LAVIGNE

The second girl on the list comes from Canada, she is 24 years-old and is known as the Punk Princess. We’re talking about Avril Lavigne. She’s the owner of three fantastic albums, that include quite a variety of genres: Let Go, Under My Skin and The B est Damn Thing. Her fourth album is coming out in 2010. One bonus about this girl is that with each album she releases, she changes every aspect of her to give some fresh air to her songs. Rumous has it that she’ll come back to her roots with her next material. Recommended: Complicated, When You’re Gone, Girlfriend, My Happy Ending, Innocence, I’m With You, Sk8er Boi, Don’t Tell Me, and Take Me Away

MICHELLE BRANCH

This girl from Arizona is one of the most famous rock/pop girls. She might not have the whole fame of the previous two girls but there’s no doubt in saying she’s a sing of quality. She likes to experiment with different sounds and genres, releasing her fourth studio album in 2009. Her possesions: Broken Bracelet, The Spirit Room, Hotel Paper and Everything Comes And Goes. She also gained fame when she formed the Grammy-nominated country duet The Wreckers along her friend Jessica Harp. They released in 2006 the album Stand Still, Look Pretty which allowed her to explore her music with new rythms like the acoustic and the country. Recommended: Are You Happy Now?, Everywhere, All You Wanted, Sooner Or Later, Here With Me, Desperately. And with The Wreckers: Leave The Pieces, Cigarettes, Stand Still – Look Pretty and Lay Me Down.

KATY PERRY

She’s the newest girl in the group, but this doesn’t mean that she’s the one with less musical abilities. She has only two albums in her pocket: Katy Hudson from 2001, and her worldwide success One Of The Boys from 2008 that led her to be on the highest charts. Besides of having a nice body, she’s got a talent for writing some good songs. Her style is a bit weird, but manages to have a sticky pop sounds. She only has to train herself more in singing live. Recommended: Ur So Gay, I Kissed A Girl, Hot ‘N’ Cold and Thinking Of You.

P!NK

This list couldn’t be complete without this veteran singer, the controversial and exotic P!nk. Her discography includes: Can’t Take Me Home, M!ssundaztood, Try This, I’m Not Dead and her most recent album Funhouse. This 29 year-old girl has explored a lot of genres, from pop, passing through rock, punk, to R&B. She’s also known for writing songs with controversial meanings, that talk about sex, drugs, politics, and social problems. Her shows are worth-seeing and her music has evolved with the time. Recommended: Stupid Girls, U & Ur Hand, Get This Party Started, Just Like A Pill, Who Knew, Don’t Let Me Get Me, Funhouse, So What, Sober, There You Go and Dear Mr. President.

MARION RAVEN

Here it is, the final girl of the list. And this time, she’s from Europe… better said, from Norway. I’m talking about the dark, sexy, sweet and talented Marion Raven. She was the half of the lost duet M2M which rose to fame during the first years of the present decade. Her music os honest and full of quality. She composes songs with such emotions that you might even end up crying. She has two albums: Here I Am and Set Me Free. This girl has tasted a lot of genres, including rock, punk, goth, heavy, indie, soft among others, and she has done an excellent job. Her third album is coming out in 2010 and will be full of piano, according to her message on her website. She gained attention in Canada thanks to her duet with Meat Loaf called It’s All Coming Back To Me Now, one of the best power ballads of these days. Recommended: Break You, Here I Am, End Of Me, Heads Will Roll, Good 4 Sex, Crawl, Six Feet Under, Thank You, Falling Away, Get Over Me.

Well, the list is over. There are obviously more rock/pop girls that can be in this post, but this six girls have fought for their place in the music industry and have won it because they deserve it. I personally like a lot the first one and the last one, but I recommend you to listen to all of them, because they are all different and use their own personal sound. Which one do you prefer? Feel free to comment!

Marion Elise Ravn (artist name: Marion Raven) is a Norwegian singer and musician. She was born on May 25, 1984 in Lørenskog, a suburb outside Oslo, Norway. She was formerly part of the duo M2M, along with Marit Larsen. After M2M broke up in September of 2002, Marion was offered a million dollar recording contract with Atlantic Records. Raven’s first solo album Here I Am was released in the spring of 2005. The solo effort displayed a more mature rock songbird that veered away from the bubblegum pop image cultivated by Atlantic Records for M2M. ‘Here I Am’ sees Marion collaborating with veteran producers Max Martin and Rami, Jimmy Harry, and collaborations with Nikki Sixx from Mötley Crüe for the song “Heads Will Roll” and rock band Everclear on the song “At The End of the Day”. The album mostly chronicles Marion’s heartbreak and finding her true identity in an ever changing pop landscape.

Marion Raven’s first album, Here I Am is the first version of Set Me Free. It’s hard to find and it’s my favourite version. She cut a lot of my favourite tracks for Set Me Free, for I guess her raunchier songs. This version had more depth, I think. “End of Me” and “Get Me Out Of Here” were my favourites. If you already have Set Me Free, then I’d suggest taking the exclusive tracks link, if you don’t want repeats. However, the full album of Here I Am is a little different overall. Anyways, here you go.

Marion Raven – Here I Am (2005 Exclusive Tracks)

SOUNDS LIKE/SIMILAR ARTISTS:

listen to gotta be kidding watch end of me

Hay que admitirlo. Si bien el medio musical del nuestro mundo actual es un completo desastre, hay varias lucecitas de esperanza todavía latentes, algunas comerciales y otras no tanto. Con este pequeño post, me refiero específicamente a las chicas del aclamado pop/rock, género musical a veces muy repetitivo, y otras veces extremadamente disfrutable. Ya sean tildando al punky, o al pop en su pura expresión, las siguientes señoritas han sabido hacerse en el medio, principalmente por su voz o sus composiciones. Puede ser que muchos de ustedes amados lectores, las conozcan, puede que no. Y empezamos con nuestra candidata número 1:

KELLY CLARKSON

Esta chava de 27 años, simplemente ha sabido hacerla desde su inicio. Y como dijo Simon Cowell: “Kelly no es una chica que tuvo suerte en un programa de televisión. Nosotros tuvimos suerte de encontrarla”. Podríamos decir que la Clarkson es una de las mejores intérpretes, vocalmente hablando, del momento. Tiene una voz estupenda, a la Celine Dion, sólo que hecha para rockear. Su exitoso album debut Thankful, con mezclas entre pop y soul, fue un completo pero humilde éxito. La fama le llegó con su segunda producción, el rock/pop album Breakaway, es la que realmente la lanzó a la fama, y al estrellato mundial. Le siguen My December & All I Ever Wanted, de éste año, cuyas críticas han sido: POP PERFECTION! Con Grammys incluidos, Kelly Clarkson no sólo tiene excelentes composiciones, sino un modo de hacer música muy, muy disfrutable. Recomendadas: Behind These Hazel Eyes, Because Of You, Addicted, Sober, Walk Away, Judas, Never Again, My Life Would Suck Without You, I Do Not Hook Up, Low, Since U Been Gone.

AVRIL LAVIGNE

La segunda competidora, viene de Canadá y sí, es la aún joven Avril Lavigne. Con 24 añitos cumplidos, Avril es poseedora de tres albums estupendos: Let Go, Under My Skin & The Best Damn Thing y ya está lista para sacar su cuarta producción a finales de este año. Algo que se le reconoce a esta rockerita, es que con cada disco que saca al mercado, se reinventa a sí misma, aunque su buen bajón lo dio en el 2007, pues su look de punk combinada a fresa sorprendió a muchos e hizo que perdiera algunos fans. Ha pasado de pandrosa, a emo, y de ahí a fresa, yo me pregunto: ¿Qué viene ahora? Sin embargo hay que admitirlo. es buena en lo que hace, toca y compone su propia música, es charmante y… está casadita con Deryck Whibley, el vocalista de Sum 41. Recomendadas: Complicated, My Happy Ending, Girlfriend, Innocence, I’m With You, Nobody’s Home, Dont’ Tell Me, Take Me Away, Fall To Pieces, When You’re Gone.

MICHELLE BRANCH

Esta chica de 26 años, proveniente de Arizona E.U., es otra de las rockpopers más famosas. Si bien no goza de la fama tan grande de las dos chavas anteriores, no cabe duda que Michelle es grande. Su gusto de explorar diversos géneros le ha dado una gran audiencia, y ya va por su cuarto album. En su haber tiene: Broken Bracelet, The Spirit Room, Hotel Paper, y en estos meses que siguen, Everything Comes And Goes. Michelle también se anotó otro tanto por formar el exitoso dúo country The Wreckers en 2006, con su amiga Jessica Harp. Con este proyecto, fueron nomindas al Grammy por su producción Stand Still, Look Pretty y ayudó a que Michelle experimentara con un género nuevo para ella, aparte del acústico, el alternativo, el folk, al que se suman los dos po los que está en la lista. 100% calidad y 0% pretensión. Recomendadas: Everywhere, All You Wanted, Sooner Or Later, Here With Me, You Set Me Free, Desperatly, Are You Happy Now? y con The Wreckers: Stand Still, Look Pretty, Cigarretes, Leave The Pieces, Lay Me Down.

KATY PERRY

Podríamos decir que esta chava es la más nuevecita en el medio. Apenas tiene dos albums en su haber, uno del 2001, Katy Hudson y su mainstream album del año pasado, One Of The Boys, con el que se posicionó a las listas de popularidad. Katy Perry tiene aparte un punto por su cuerpo muy sexi, hay que admitirlo. Su estilo es un poco más freaky, llegando a lo weird, pero… bueno, su pop/rock es pegajoso, y aparte combina con el beat sound. Sin duda sus presentaciones son todo un espectáculo, y su composición es bastante buena y directa, sin pretensiones. A lo que podríamos tirarle algo es a la voz, pues se ve que aún tiene que aprender a afinarse un poquito. Recomendadas: Ur So Gay, Hot ‘n’ Cold, I Kissed A Girl, Thinking Of You.

PINK

Esta listita no podría estar completa si esta veterana del género, la siempre controversial y exótica Pink. Can’t Take Me Home, M!sundaztood, Try This, I’m Not Dead & la reciente Funhouse son sus producciones, en las que esta chica de 29 años ha explorado desde el pop, pasando por el acústico, el rock, el punk, hasta el R&B. Ha tenido sus altibajos, como su tercer album, y sus mega hits por supuesto. Es conocida por siempre dar doble sentido a sus composiciones, y no sexualmente hablando, sino en otros sentidos, como éticos, políticos o socialistas, pero siempre dichos con verdad directa. Sus espectáculos son dignos de verse (en especial el de Wimbley), y sin duda su música ha pasado de calidad a incluso culto. Recomendadas: Stupid Girls, U & Ur Hand, Sober, Get This Party Started, Just Like A Pill, Who Knew, Funhouse, So What, Don’t Let Me Get Me, There You Go, Dear Mr. President.

MARION RAVEN

Y cerrando nuestra lista, traemos un poco de sangre europea, más bien, noruega, y hablo de la darkie, sexy Marion Raven, que pertenecía al perdido dúo M2M. Ya tenemos aquí en Le Blogué una pequeña (y escandalosa entrada) sobre esta rockgirl, y una palabra que describe a su música. CALIDAD. Marion es de esas compositoras que graba sus sentimientos para quien la escucha desde la primera vez. Con dos albums en su haber, Here I Am y Set Me Free, del 2005 y 2007 respectivamente, esta chica ha probado ya varios géneros, el rock, el pop, el heavy, el gothic, punk, indie y el soft rock, y sólo cabe decir que le sale fantástico. Planea sacar su nuevo album para el 2010, y se aclara que experimentará con piano y rock principalmente. Rozó a la fama en Canadá gracias a su tour con Meat Loaf, con quien interpreta el super dueto It’s All Coming Back To Me Now una de las mejores power ballads que he oido, y que supera a la versión de Madame Celine Dion. Sin duda, Raven empezará a dar de qué hablar muy pronto. Recomendadas: Break You, Here I Am, End Of Me, Heads Will Roll, Good 4 Sex, Crawl, Six Feet Under, Thank You, Falling Away, Get Over Me.

Bueno lectores, esta pequeña lista ha terminado, aunque claro, no son las únicas, pero sí son seis chavas que han luchado por su música, y que han salido airosas. No hablo de si son comerciales o no, más bien de su calidad como artistas para consigo mismas. En lo personal, mis favoritas son la primera y la última, pero recomiendo ampliamente a todas, puesto que tienen tonos y diversidades diferentes. ¿A cuál prefieren ustedes?

Y por cierto, dado que todas se merecen algo… puede que haya algunas entradas sobre estas chavas en específico… sería injusto sólo darle a Marion la suya, haha. No se pierdan Bloguérs!

According to my blog stats Hot Norwegian Girls interest a lot of you.  It’s okay, they interest me too.  So because I love you so very much, here is my gift to you: Hot Norwegian Girls Part 2.

(All images open in new window)

Marion Raven:

Monica Hansen:

Lene Nystrom:

Angelica Rimer:

Kari Traa:

(My personal favorite) Marit Larsen:

Bueno así como El Amigo Gay tiene a su “Juliette Lewis” (sinceramente, no la conozco, entonces no puedo decir ni nada malo ni bueno de ella), puesta en un pedestal de sexy rock, yo por mi parte prefiero a la noruega Marion Raven. Música depresiva + ella, hacen que la depresión valga la pena.

Me volví fan de ella desde su primer álbum, y el otro día entrando a su web, descubrí que ya prepara un nuevo trabajo discográfico para este año. Si bien esta chava de 25, va empezando en el medio, me agradó bastante que su propuesta rayara entre lo soft, y lo punkie, entre el piano y la guitarra, y sin duda es mi primera elección para oir a la hora de deprimirme (neta, se ve que sufrió bastante en su vida), o de sacarme la depresión (aunque su música sólo hace deprimirte más). Con mezcla de guitarras, piano, violines, muchos no creerán que Marion fue una mitad del bubblegom dúo M2M en el 2000, y GRACIAS A DIOS se separó de su ahora competidora, Marit Larsen, para realizar un tipo de música bastante diferente, aunque no deja de ser pop/rock, pero mejor consolidado y con un look más agresivo que el que tenía antes.

Les dejo el video de su sencillo “Heads Will Roll”(co-escrito con Nikki Six, que fue censurado en Noruega), que si bien no es de sus mejores temas (líricamente hablando, sus depresivos son geniales y maduros para alguien de su edad), el video lo compensa bastante, y está grabado en un tono más alto de su voz normal. Más abajo, el dueto que hizo con Meat Loaf “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” hace tres años, por el que ganó una buena fama en Europa y Canadá, y le valió un año completo de tour junto a este artista. También pueden ver el video de “Break You”, al finalizar el primero.

Body Combat 39

El genial “cacho carne”, Meat Loaf, junto a Marion Raven, interpretando la canción “It’s all coming back to me now“, perteneciente al álbum “Bat out of hell-3″, del enorme artista estadounidense. Imprescindible:

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Break You

Here I Am

It’s All Coming Back To Me Now (duet cu Meatlof)

Si ultima astazi, “Like a Prayer”, hit-ul Madonnei, cantat alaturi de Aleksander With (nu ratati prezentarea artistilor in limba norvegiana!):

Marion Raven – “Set Me Free”

She’s on Meat Loaf’s last album on “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”. Best songs on this are probably “Falling Away”, “Thank You” and “Heads Will Roll”, which she wrote with Nikki Sixx. Most of them were either on her first album or the EP after that, but go get it.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/marionraven

MEAT LOAF & MARION RAVEN: It’s All Coming Back To Me Now