The unreleased BLUE MONSTER & BIKKI project has been a topic of speculation for over 2 years, ever since the album was leaked online.

The project only had one official single, “Pata Pata,” that was released in 2002.  They are best known for their cheesy style that has been described as a mix between Aqua and Sesame Street.

The self-titled unreleased album was recently revealed on Discogs, in which a very lucky person was able to post its details.

For the first time, Bubblegum Dancer reveals the writers and producers of “Blue Monster” – and you may be surprised at the talent behind some of your favourite songs.

“Motorcycle” was written by Jorge Vasconcelo and Juha Myllylä (aka Vasco & Millboy), who are best known as members of the group CARAMELL.  Jorge and Juha also wrote the track “Spacegirl” along with Dan Attlerud.

“Umpapa” was written by Håkan Häggblom and Thomas Häggblom, who have worked with groups such as SPIN-UP, in which they wrote the songs “Sing Na Na Na” and “Summerlove.”

“Walk Like An Elephant” was written by Niklas Pettersson, who is in the group Starclub.  The very cute “Monster & Friends” was written by Peter Fogselius.  “Together Forever” was written by Theodor Zakaria, who has remixed for Caramell.

Please note:  Adam Edelmann and Anna-Clara Blixt Modin wrote and helped write the tracks “Snow Monster”, “Night At The Opera”, “Super Monster”, “Monster Oh Monster”, and “Monster Oh Monster (Remix).”

SMiLE.dk’s Veronica contacted Bubblegum Dancer today with some very important news about the future of the project.  Below is the letter that she wrote to her fans.

Dear friends and fans!

As for the last year, you all might have noticed the more and more obvious absence of Hanna regarding blogging and correspondence on facebook and MySpace. This is mainly because of changed priorities of the projects in her life.  This resulted, a while ago, in the sad conclusion that Hanna now has choosen to walk her own path to fame and glory.  I respect that in every way and I think that we will come to see her shine like a star on all of us in a future not too far away!

Since we had a new album planned, the search for a new SMiLE.dk singer began, but filling the shoes after a talented singer like Hanna is not an easy task for any aspiring candidate.

Today we are back on track. SMiLE.dk is now complete again. This time the groups composition has more contrast than ever in both look and sound. I would like to introduce to you, my friend, Cecilia. She is eager to get into all that it means to be a “SMiLE”-girl, and from now on, gradually you will see more of her on our social community sites.

A further presentation of her will also be accessible, when we launch our brand new website, soon.

The new album that we are recording is an album for the fans, regardless if you are a fan new to the music or an old fan from the begining of the SMiLE era. Since it’s going to be a fresh start-over for the group, we have decided to also proceed with new producers on this album. This to better being able to get a new fresh sound, and a better perspective on the dynamics of our contrasting voices. Still, the new producers are intimately familiar with the history and sound of SMiLE, so the music will hopefully still be easily recognized by all the fans.

A new information page on Michael Kjeldgaard has been added to the Producers Index!

Michael is a producer and song writer from Denmark best known for his work with COMETZ, (arranged and wrote “Scooby Dooby Boy“, and produced “Please Mr. Postman“, in collaboration with Longhorn). Michael also wrote “Spacy Crazy Girl” by Ni-Ni, “Baby Baby” by BAMBEE, and produced and arranged “Sleeping My Day Away” by ME & MY… [more]

Euro Bubblegum Dance – An embarrassment?
Mitch Andrews investigates why so many bubblegum eurodance personalities are embarrassed by their association with the genre, and why bubblegum dance production decreased so suddenly.

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IN 1999 BUBBLEGUM eurodance was at the peak of popularity – and production.  It seemed everybody in Scandinavia wanted to be just like Aqua, a bubblegum dance group whose catchy music and silly lyrics was earning them fame and success all over the world.  Many groups began to form all over Scandinavia and Europe “mimicking” the style of Aqua, and the genre’s popularity soared, making millions of people happy for years to come.

However, 10 years later, it has become increasingly difficult to get in contact with the old bubblegum dance personalities.  Suddenly it seems nobody wants to talk about “the old” days, and for many, bubblegum dance is seen as an embarrassment.  But why is bubblegum dance suddenly seen as an embarrassment to old singers or producers involved in its production?  Why should music that was so popular ten years ago, be any different today?  If bubblegum music is so embarrassing for them, then why did they participate in its production all those years ago?  In this article I am going to explore reasons for bubblegum dance music’s decrease in popularity, and try to determine why many artists are now embarrassed by their association with the genre.

The bubblegum dance group Creamy is best known in English speaking countries for their album “We Got The Time”.  We Got The Time is a great upbeat bubblegum album with cheesy titles such as “Bye Bye Bike”, “Do You Think I’m Pretty”, and “Fantasy Spaceship”.  Creamy was led by two teenage girls, who began their career in music when they were very young.  As a result their music was targeted at a younger audience – probably pre-teen – and released during the peak of bubblegum dance production.  I emailed the girls from Creamy a few months ago asking if they would be interested in an interview for Bubblegum Dancer.  Their manager replied that they are no longer interested in answering questions about their past and have moved onto more “mature projects”.  Naturally I was disappointed, and it’s quite sad that the girls of Creamy refuse to talk about their old hits – especially when their old releases are full of such enthusiasm and energy, and much more successful than anything they have done since.  What has changed since then?  And what’s so embarrassing about this genre anyway?  Let’s see if we can narrow it down.

OK Sure.  Bubblegum dance is cheesy.  Most songs are about silly topics, and artists tend to sing in a girly high-pitched voice about incredibly cheesy and happy topics.  But how is that different from people singing about extremely miserable and depressing topics?  Both are “extremes” of music are they not?  How is death metal, a genre that also originated in Scandinavia, or heavy rock, somehow “cooler” that bubblegum dance?  Would Creamy have been less embarrassed about their music if they had released an album of hate and misery – something that seems to be more accepted in today’s music culture.  Or how about if their music was simply about love and everyday life?  What if it lacked the cute lyrics, bubbly beats, and irresistible hooks?  It is artists like Creamy and Aqua who dare to be different, and for that very reason there should be no reason to be embarrassed.  Bubblegum dance music may be cheesy, but it is this cheesiness that sets them apart from the others.  Their music was highly successful and is loved by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.  Is this a reason to be embarrassed?  I think not.

Many artists used bubblegum dance as a “stepping stone” for later success.  In the case of Miss Papaya, Linnea Handberg created her alias to make some money before she launched her solo pop career.  She wrote some cheesy bubblegum dance songs with producer Honeycutt, using her talent at catchy hooks, and Honeycutt produced them in a style that matched Aqua’s.  Much to Ms Handberg’s surprise, Miss Papaya took off, and she was even given a record deal in America, in which “Hero” was re-released to an American market with lots more remixes and a music video.  However, the single flopped in America, and as a result the Miss Papaya project was dropped by her new label.  But why did Hero flop?  The American market would not accept an artist that did not match with its usual “formula” of popular music.  Although Papaya matched Aqua’s style, Aqua was not popular enough in America for her to take off.  Linnea was naturally upset by Papaya’s lack of success overseas, and this probably triggered a lack of motivation on her part to continue the project elsewhere.  Because Linnea was involved in the Bambee project, Bambee was also discontinued.

Daze completely changed their sound for their 2nd album release because they wanted to attract new fans from the UK.  However, they lost their original fans in the process, and as a result very few people bought their new album with the “updated” style (which had a more hard rock edge to it) – except for the devoted fans who bought more than one copy in the hope that they would return to their original style.  Sadly, the  the group folded due to a lack of public support, and it became apparant to the members that they would have been more successful if they had left their sound as it was.

Many people feel that bubblegum dance music is for children and is therefore “immature”.  I disagree.  While bubblegum dance music may be “child friendly” it is by no means aimed specifically at children, and most songs are riddled with sexual references and hidden meanings that only adults would pick up on.  Take for instance the first verse in Bambee’s “Spaceman”.  When she says “Take me out tonight, I know the stars are bright, I wanna see your rocket”, she isn’t exactly referring to the space craft, which children would think, but something more sexual.  This not only makes bubblegum dance music extremely fun, but also very clever – the lyrics are well-written and often riddled with double meaning, something that requires much more thought that lyrics about love or hate that your average pop rock song would possess.  Also, bubblegum eurodance is not at all easy to produce, as the different elements and very specific sound make it quite challenging.  As a result, bubblegum dance artists should be proud of the complexity in their music.

Bubblegum dance had initially died out by 2002/2003, most likely triggered by Aqua and Toy-Box’s disbanding, and a need to be more “mature”.  By this time Aqua’s members were beginning to focus on their solo careers (a career that they will later discover to be much less successful than their actual band), and wanted to move on from the cheesy pop scene.  They had also become exhausted by their success, and were in need for a break.  Toy-Box probably shared similar reasons, though it hasn’t been confirmed exactly why they broke up.  They were right in the middle of their success and were just about to release their next single when they suddenly dropped the project.  Maybe they envisioned bubblegum dance dying out, and wanted to start something that would be more fruitful for them?  Or maybe they simply wanted to follow in Aqua’s footsteps, being the ultimate copycat and disbanding after two albums as well…

Many have blamed bubblegum dance’s limited success on its lack of promotion.  Most artists were only ever marketed in Scandinavia and Japan, and were not promoted properly outside of Europe.  No bubblegum project ever got the success or recognition that Aqua and Toy-Box received.  If artists like Crispy, Creamy, and Bambee had received the promotion that artists today get, I’m sure they would have been much more successful, and as a result bubblegum dance production would still be alive today.  As a music community, we need to become more open towards new styles – just because a style is not “mass produced” and “publicly accepted” does not make it any less impressive.

Bubblegum dance music is created by adults who dare to be different, and who want to make an impact in the world.  The music is happy and positive – a very refreshing change to the more sinister look at the world that music today gives.  Why would a bubblegum dance artist be embarrassed by music that is so positive and uplifting?  I certainly can’t find a reason.  While it isn’t aimed specifically at children, parents can rest in peace that their child is not being exposed to the horrendous messages of music today.  Todays music is littered with swearing and topics about sex, rape, and heartbreak.  An artist who is involved in music that is happy and relays positive messages should be proud, not embarrassed.

There is some amazing talent involved in bubblegum dance – producers, singers, songwriters, and mixers.  You know who you are. What I say to you is this:  don’t give up on something that you love and are talented at just because you feel that it is “past its best-before date”.  Great ideas do not have an expiry date, and bubblegum eurodance is one of them.  I would love to see this style make a comeback in the future.  It is incredibly catchy, fun and uplifting dance music that is bubbling with enthusiasm and energy.  It is well-produced and written, with great hooks and excellent singing talent, and most of all it has caused a great deal of happiness in the world.  While not everyone will admit it, everybody loves Aqua.  And therefore, everybody loves bubblegum dance.  Artists, next time you feel embarrassed about your old bubblegum work, don’t.  There is absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about.

The PRODUCERS SECTION has had a revamp.  It is now organised like the Artist Archive, with alphabetically ordered tabs.  More producer information will be added soon so stay tuned!