The Historiography of Pop Part 9 aka TEH FINAL

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Right, after 72 polls and a squidillion votes it's come down to this. In one corner the Pet Shop Boys, in the other Pulp.

I would do pictures of them but we all know what they look like.

[Poll #806433]

Please answer both questions!

(no subject)

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

A reminder to Poptimists to set your videotapes tonight for Channel 4, 10pm - 11.05pm for the Friday Night Project. I know it's usually dire, and you have to put up with an hour of those smug gits Justin Lee Collins and Alan Carr, but tonight's very special guest hosts for the last in the series are Cheryl Tweedy-Cole, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding, 60% of every Poptimists' favourite group, Girls Aloud. Guest band are The Fratellis.

Pop Choreography Categories!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Red Arrows: Classic triangle formation popularised by Thriller and cemented into pop video law by Britney & co. The star is at the focus of said triangle, leading their anonymous dance troupe along the street/roof/disco, captivating the viewer with impossibly intricate routines. A safe bet for an emerging pop solo artist intent on establishing themselves long enough to record a second album (unless you are Billie Piper whereby you are clearly destined for Greater Things).
Sunflower: Variation on the above whereby the artist is surrounded by anonymous dancers in a ring formation, e.g. Vogue, Louise Nurding-Redknapp's Naked (where she's on a sofa getting all steamy).
Linear: Dangerous if used in the wrong hands, especially with the combination of stools and most definitely erroneous if there are more than 5 of you (take note Pussycat Dolls). However this technique can work wonderfully given pinpoint co-ordination and complentary appearance of band members e.g. Girls Aloud, Steps, B*Witched doing their Riverdance (oh come on, you know it was GREAT).
Tandem: This dance style seems to have fallen out of favour in recent years, the most potent examples that spring to mind being Salt'n'Pepa and Mel'n'Kim - duos easily reflecting the moves of the other, yin-yang style. In order to make this method successful however it is VITAL that one half the duo is not holding a guitar (yes I mean YOU, Andrew Ridgley).
The Nineties: What do you do if you have an early nineties dance track but the singer doesn't dance? Doesn't matter, get your mates to do some running-on-the-spot and stick some 16-bit Amiga graphics underneath it (hi dere Adamski). Of course if your singer CAN dance then they can do the running-on-the-spot dance themselves and the result is truly amazing (see MC Hammer, PJ & Duncan).
In Ver Club: Most commonly but not exclusively found in RnB/Hip Hop videos, the artist mingles with the punters, strutting their stuff, grinding away at pretty member of the opposite sex and quaffing their Bollinger like there's no tomorrow. Hard to get wrong but not very memorable unless the clientele is made out of SKELETONS or the artist is only there because of a DOG (Maneater, the new Kelis single), or the club is disguised as a sauna (Britney's I'm A Slave 4 U).
Fite: Warring factions score points off each other through superior dance moves! Each side proffers a team member to "get down on it" whilst their comrades cheer them on. This is one of my favourite video formats, especially when girls fight boys (see Xtina's Can't Hold Us Down, Run DMC vs Jason Nevins).
Chaos Theory: All hell breaks loose! Can work extremely well but requires strong personalities from artist/band members (e.g. Spice Girls) to avoid disorientation by whirling popsters attacking the viewer from all directions with their choreography guns blazing.
Prog: The artist shows scant regard for the accompanying music or surroundings and tries to fit in as many 'jazz moves' as possible in order to Show Off. This can work well (Running Up That Hill) or leave the viewer confused and disappointed (Beyonce's Deja-Vu, all Michael Jackson videos after 1988).

Any more for any more?