Browsing Category soundtrack
Wildcard (week 7):
Gabrielle Aplin – Be Yourself
English singer-songwriter Gabrielle Aplin rose to prominence early in her career, when she was asked to record a cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s The Power Of Love. It was the soundtrack of department store John Lewis’s annual Christmas commercial and went on to top the UK Singles Chart. The one-off single was soon followed by her debut album English Rain, which became a hit as well.
Aplin started 2023 with a bang, putting out her fourth album Phosphorescent. Less than a month after that, she’s already come up with two brand-new tracks: Side By Side and Be Yourself. Both were written and recorded for the computer-animated fantasy comedy film ‘The Amazing Maurice’.
In an interview with Atwood Magazine, she says about the project: “I am big into music and film. I love it. It was really lovely to work to a brief. (…) As a fan, it was a really wonderful experience. It’s a really wholesome film about literally being yourself and community, and how your individuality is your superpower. I loved writing that. I love putting bits of the script into the song. It was a really wonderful thing to do and a really wholesome experience.”
Be Yourself is Aplin’s new single. A joyful, up-tempo song with a lively beat and an infectious guitar riff. The uplifting lyrics reflect the film’s main theme.
Be Yourself by Gabrielle Aplin is the new Carte Blanche Music Wildcard. That means it’ll be featured prominently at the top of the blog for a whole week.
Follow her on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
In the Wildcards 2023 playlist you’ll find all of this year’s Carte Blanche Music Wildcards so far.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
RAGAZZAcd (feat. Giungla) – Lucida
*SONG SNACK*
Alessandro Baronciani drew a comic and recorded a CD as its soundtrack. This is the third single.
Follow RAGAZZAcd on Instagram | Spotify
Follow Giungla on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Hoshi – Nouvelle Ère
*SONG SNACK*
Hi-NRG track by Hoshi, the singing voice of Uta in the French version of ‘One Piece Film – Red’.
Recommended as well:
Et Même Après Je T’aimerai
Larmes De Croco (feat. Corine)
Amour Censure
Je Vous Trouve Un Charme Fou
Follow Hoshi on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Christon – The Story About A Boy Who Jumped Off A Cliff And Landed Softly
It’s been some time since Christon released music under his own name. He hasn’t exactly sat still though, writing and producing for other artists. International ones like Aloe Blacc, Ziggy Marley, Lost Frequencies and Mathieu Koss, as well as Dutch colleagues such as Guus Meeuwis, Ronnie Flex and Ellen ten Damme. Also, he’s currently presenting the TV programme ‘De Troubadours’, in which he writes a song in a day with fellow artists, based on their personal stories. And then of course, there are his other musical projects with names like Sir Notch and North [Sic].
Christon’s new single is called The Story About A Boy Who Jumped Off A Cliff And Landed Softly. This stripped down track is the title song of ‘De Jongen Die Van De Klif Sprong En Zacht Terechtkwam’, the debut novel of Dutch journalist Stefan Raatgever. This book deals with the coming of age and coming out of a 19-year-old boy. The book cover contains a sticker with the Spotify code of the song.
Raatgever interviewed Christon multiple times during his career as part of the band XYP, as front man of Rigby and as a solo artist. He became a fan and asked the singer to write a theme song for his book. This challenge was accepted.
“To me, Christon is one of the best songwriters in the Netherlands”, Raatgever explains. “He often deploys his talents for others, but I’m happy he sang this song himself. I’m proud of the beautiful way he put the theme of my first book to music. It’s a wonderful, Johnny Cash-like track.”
Christon, who already produced a soundtrack to his own debut thriller, ‘Adam’, adds he tried to stick as much to Raatgever’s story as possible. “I recorded this song in an intimate, acoustic setting. It incorporates both the struggle and the acceptance of the main character.”
Recommended as well:
Closer To A New Day
Younger Than Before
Where Do We Go From Here
Perfect World (feat. Maxime Barlag)
Follow Christon on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Montaigne – My Life Is Better With You
*SONG SNACK*
Recommended as well:
Technicolour
Ready
Follow Montaigne on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Don Diablo – Invincible
Dance is one of the Netherlands’ biggest export products. Dutch dance comes in a wide variety, ranging from epic enough for festivals to poppy enough for radio. Progressive and mellow, and everything in between.
Everyone knows Tiësto, Armin (those guys don’t even need a last name) and Martin Garrix, and Don Diablo is another one of the country’s top DJ/producers. Invincible is his new single. It’s the theme song for the AFK Arena game. For this track, he returned to his electro-based roots and created a high energy anthem with two faces. With this track, built around vocoded vocals and futuristic beats, Don Diablo gives Daft Punk a run for their money.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Lizzo – Good As Hell
Lizzo is becoming more and more of a phenomenon. Correction: Lizzo is a phenomenon. To such an extent, that even her older songs belatedly prove to be hits. Melissa Jefferson (the 31-year-old American singer and rapper’s real name) is currently #1 in the Billboard Hot 100 with Truth Hurts, a song originally released in 2016. But another song from that same year is doing great as well.
Following her performance at the MTV Music Video Awards, Good As Hell is climbing up the Billboard charts. It was originally recorded for the soundtrack of the movie ‘Barbershop: The Next Cut’, and served as the lead single from her debut EP Coconut Oil. Do yourself a favour and also check the track Worship off that EP.
Despite not being on Lizzo’s recent album Cuz I Love You (not even on the Deluxe Edition), Good As Hell is about to be re-released worldwide as her new single. A great choice, for the tune totally lives up to its title.
Recommended as well:
Lizzo (feat. Gucci Mane) – Exactly How I Feel
Lizzo – Juice
Lizzo – Boys
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Nouvelle Vague feat. Julie Delpy – Lalala
Nouvelle Vague is a French band, with musicians Olivier Libaux and Marc Collin as its constant factors. They surround themselves with a large rotating cast of mostly female vocalists. Some of them (like Camille, Phoebe Kildeer and Liset Alea) have also had successful solo careers, while Élodie Frégé is currently part of super group Gemme.
The outfit is best known for their bossa nova covers of new wave classics. That’s why the band name is appropriate in more ways than one. Nouvelle Vague is French for ‘new wave’, just like ‘bossa nova’ is Portuguese for ‘new wave’.
Julie Delphy is a French singer-songwriter, actress, director and screenwriter. In 2007, she produced the movie ‘2 Days In Paris’. She not only also starred in the film, she composed the soundtrack as well. She co-wrote one of the tracks, Lalala, with Marc Collin. It’s no cover, but an original song with a retro ‘60s sound and a beat you can’t help but dance to.
Although this bi-lingual tune is 12 years old, it has only just been made available on the streaming platforms. So let’s just pretend it’s brand-new, shall we?
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Sofía Ellar – La Revolución
Following the success of the Angry Birds games, the spin-off movie became a hit as well. You won’t be surprised then, to learn that a second Angry Birds flick can be watched in theatres as off 23 August.
The game’s (and film’s) soundtrack are in part responsible for the franchise’s triumphant reception. It’s a clever mix of classics and a few new songs. During ‘Angry Birds 2’, you can expect to sing along to tunes by Vanilla Ice, Bonnie Tyler, 2 Unlimited, Survivor, Minnie Riperton, David Bowie and Lionel Richie. Yes, it’s that diverse. As far as the new songs go, you’re already familiar with Kesha’s Best Day.
In the larger musical markets, the movie soundtrack will also contain tracks by local artists. The best I’ve heard so far, is La Revolución by Sofía Ellar. Álvaro Soler’s girlfriend provides the ‘Angry Birds 2’ theme song in Spain. A wonderful sing-along tune (if you speak Spanish, that is), with a very summery vibe. Lucky for us, Spotify, YouTube etc. are worldwide platforms, so you can also enjoy this wonderful track outside Spain.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.
Kesha – Best Day [Angry Birds 2 Remix]
Kesha has some terrible years behind her. No need to explain that, I guess. But judging from the title of her new single, her Best Day has now come. “I’m feelin’ so nice / I ain’t got no negative energy / High fives and good vibes / Wrote this one for all my friends / And enemies”, she sings.
In a statement, Kesha said: “I wanted to write a song that would make people feel GOOD. Life can be hard sometimes, and I wanted to write something to listen to in the morning to remind myself to be happy, grateful, positive and remember that I can choose to have the best day of my life (of my life, of my life). Every day. I also think high fives are great and would like to promote high fives whenever possible.”
Best Day is a bouncy tune, with plenty of finger snaps and funky plucked bass. Meanwhile, her vocals are being dubbed so often, it sounds like a whole choir.
Featured on the ‘Angry Birds 2’ soundtrack, Best Day isn’t the first song Kesha wrote for a movie. 2017’s This Is Me (from ‘The Greatest Showman’) and 2018’s Here Comes The Change (from ‘On The Basis Of Sex‘) are other recent examples.
For more great new music, follow the constantly updated Carte Blanche Music playlist.

I’m a music industry watcher and journalist. Worked at a CD club, a record store chain and was editor in chief of an entertainment trade magazine. Have been in the radio business since 1987, producing and presenting shows. Was music director of several stations. Also, I developed the European Border Breakers Chart, Music Moves Europe Talent Chart and ESNS Chart. CEO of Werner Bros. tekst | uitleg.