(label)
13 February 2017 (released)
13 February 2017
Slovenia is not really at the forefront of the global music scene. Just a brief glance at their Eurovision stats shows that they try, but never really succeed to top the charts. With 22 entries, they have finished in seventh place twice, and only come in the Top 10 on three occasions. While avant garde outfit Laibach and skilled cellists 2Cellos have made an impact on the international arena, their country-mates have failed to really have an equal impact. All that might be about to change with the arrival of Blubird, who kick off their international campaign with a cover of Kool & The Gang's Fresh.
BluBird are producer Damjan Jovic and DJ Dey (better known to his parents as Tadej Gujt), and both together and individually they have been building their name on the local circuit for several years. But the big question is do Blubird have what it takes to break the international music market?
Fresh is a fun slice of summery dance floor driven pop that certainly makes you want to swing your hips while taking cocktail sips, but released in mid-winter it seems mis-timed for a one-off summer hit. This must mean that their ambitions are bigger than replicating the successes of Los Del Rio, Whigfield and Jennifer Paige, but whether they have the musical gusto to do so remains to be seen.
Fresh does shake up the original but never really loses sight of the classic. While it stands on its own two feet pretty happily, it is nothing more than a safe, sure fire hit to introduce a new artist to a potential market area. While we will no doubt dance and sing along all year to this, we kind of crave something with a little more artistic integrity from their next release.
