I play MIKA'a CD every day and his tunes are very upbeat and happy! I can't wait to get his new CD that I know he is working on currently.

I bought this album as soon as I heard the single "Grace Kelly" - at that time Mika was a huge deal across the pond and he was slowly making his way over to our side of the world. It's no surprise that he did end up making a bit of a splash if even it was based mostly on the hit single "Grace Kelly" with its clever use of keyboards, and minimal music tones, and Mika's falsetto, it is the perfect supplement in the world of Scissor Sisters type pop.

The whole album goes on from that catchy opening single including one of my all time favorite songs ever, "Lollipop" which is so sugary and poppy it almost rots your teeth threw the stereo - I want to do music like this. With each subsequent song Mika just reels in more pseudo love problems and rambling gambling beats. Even his attempts at heart felt ballads have a sort of ironic sense to them, is he really serious? is he just having fun? it's all so fun and undaunting it's hard to turn off even after going through the entire CD.

He's a little bit Freddie Mercury, a little bit Elton John, so basically he's a little bit Scissor Sisters, but there's so much happening here it's infectious. We'll see how his journey stateside treats him, and whether he can come up with another fun little notch in his belt when he gets around to making that next album.

I hope that this CD was good, but I never thought that it was enough!!

Mika's debut album, "Life in Cartoon Motion" is one of the more eclectic releases I've heard recently. Mika jumps from genre to genre on every track. From the sing-song school girl chorus of "Lollipop" to the Jason Mraz-esque "My Interpretation" you just can't help but love Mika's catchy pop sound. "Relax, Take It Easy" sounds like it belongs somewhere in "Night at the Roxbury" while "Billy Brown" sounds like it could almost fit somewhere in the Avenue Q soundtrack. "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" evokes a dance club from yesteryear, while "Over My Shoulder" sounds like music for a Cirque du Soleil act. Mika even takes on the pop music tradition of recycling the chords from Pachabel's canon in "Happy Ending" (listen close if you don't believe me). Between the powerhouse of sound from producer Greg Wells (who has worked with Jamie Cullum, Jars of Clay, the Deftones, Rufus Wainright, Lindsay Lohan and Hanson), the album's eclecticism and inventive arrangements that feature horns, beats, keyboards, guitars and others, this album is pop gold. And even with the album being so eclectic, Mika's signature energy and piercing falsetto vocals put his signet seal on each cut. The only drawback, is that because the album is so varied in genre, while almost everyone can probably find a song they enjoy, almost everyone can probably find one or more songs they could do without. Personally, I could do without "Happy Ending" and "My Interpretation," and other listeners can probably find their own songs that they could do without. In a nutshell, Mika's got a very strong debut that you really can't make the final judge on just by the single that is floating around. Give the whole album a chance, and pull down the ones that you really like and throw away the rest.

If you are in the mood for something fun, flirty and deliciously campy, make sure you pick up Mika's debut album "Life in Cartoon Motion". It is a collection of up-tempo songs and mellow ballads that will probably have you raising an eyebrow at first, and then dancing your heart out by the end.
Mika has a very strange voice - it's quite, well, manly when he sings in a normal manner, but he often ventures into the world of falsetto, and believe me, his falsetto would even make James Blunt jealous.
"Life in Cartoon Motion" opens with "Grace Kelly", one of many chart-toppers off this album. It is an incredibly fun and silly song about Mika's troubles getting signed under a label. It is a great album opener too, since it is a perfect showcase of what is in store for us. It has heart, it features well-sung vocals from Mika, and also features his trademark naughtiness ("Should I bend over, should I look older just to be put on your shelf?"). Mika, you old dog.
"Lollipop" continues in the same manner, until "My Interpretation" kicks in - it is the first ballad, with great melody and wonderful, well, interpretation.
Next come another two amazing chart toppers, "Love Today" and the unbelievably simplistic, yet effective "Relax (Take It Easy)". If you finally decide not to buy this album, make sure you at least get an mp3 version of this track - it is flawless. It is followed by another great track, "Ring Ring", which is one of my personal favorites.
"Any Another World" is probably the weakest track on the album, its undefined slow melody failing to strike a chord with the audience. Next, there is the musical theatre-like track, "Billy Brown", just as passable as the previous one. But then Mika compensates with the ridiculous "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)", a track you can't help but shake your butt to, no matter how big or small it is. The last two tracks, "Stuck In The Middle" and "Happy Ending" (reminiscent of Madonna's "Nothing Fails) gradually slow down the pace and end the album.
Although Mika's debut is by no means flawless, it is definitely an album to buy - a living proof that one doesn't have to succumb to generic pop in order to be a sensation.