A kung fu fighter in a disco

So far it's looking like

koganbot's predictions were spot on.

Anyway both these were hard decisions for me - two songs I think are genius pinnacles of pop and two songs which I think might be genius pinnacles but I've heard a bit two often. The Madonna/Missy decision was a lot closer, and there's no way I'd be unhappy at the one I didn't vote for winning. The Britney/Jacko was a bit easier - "Toxic" is more exciting but there's a bit more to "Billie Jean", and also I feel that poor old "Push It" should be AVENGED. (I'd have taken "Push It" here EASILY).

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I shocked myself by voting for Missy over Madge! I did not expect that but it's TRUE.

'Toxic' has well outstayed its welcome, Baldney or no.

The extra questions were ace!

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katstevens.livejournal.com

I'm kind of surprised Toxic went through, and as such have ticked it merrily.

Also Missy vs Madge seems a lot easier now. Into The Groove has been around longer yet sounds fresher.

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Easy for me. I am more bored of Billie Jean than I am of Toxic, but I am all about Get Yr Freak On now after dancing to it on Saturday and being reminded how awesome it is. Also a Madge v Jacko final would be BROING.

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Converseley I've gone off Push It a bit since Saturday - I remember thinking the first half is awesome and then it runs out of momentum a bit despite the beat and the hook being untouchable. Needs more MCing late on.

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lockedintheatti.livejournal.com

Hmm. I love these four songs, and they are all amazing pop music, but for some reason this final four (and the final eight even) seem less exciting than the equivalent stage in the Now polls.

Toxic is the only song to make both.

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I think not having the ideological colossus of Common People in there is making it all a bit less tense.

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lockedintheatti.livejournal.com

I think i'd also take Running up that Hill & Always on my mind over any of these as well. Although if Push it had made it that would have been a different matter.

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Yeah with the Now polls there were still sides to take and cheerleading to be done at this stage. I have my two obvious favourites in this but nothing to be shocked or shout about, bar AGAIN wondering wtf it is about 'Toxic' which elevates it so much - above all of Brit's other singles even! - for so many.

There is only one song to have featured in the P&J poll which I think I would vote for above everything left, 'Try Again'...

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The song itself is less important to Toxic than the fact that it's bursting with sound and event from pretty much every corner. Even the best of Britney's previous records lacked that fizz of excitement.

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lockedintheatti.livejournal.com

Does that mean then that a populist selection of songs somehow gives more interesting results than one selected by critics?

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Yes but this doesn't mark it out from the Britney pantheon! I mean, I agree with most of the praise for 'Toxic', I just don't get why it's the consensus Britney pick over at least six or seven of her other singles.

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Nope. The difference is in the selection of what goes through.

Actually the analogy is between the old European Cup and the Champions League, I have just realised.

European Cup = actual champions of every nation regardless of quality, in a big draw. This is like the Now polls where we took the winners and nobody else. So several of the big hitters don't make it in.

Champions League = the top 2-4 from every nation, in a group stage and then a knockout. This is like the Jop polls, where the competitive set is the top 160 qualifiers based on a percentage-based formula, regardless of their positioning. So big hitters all got through and what you have is a situation where there's some amazing play on offer but the whole thing feels less exciting?

(I dunno though, I never watched football back in the European Cup days)

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jeff-worrell.livejournal.com

Yes, v. hard this time. I may change my mind on BOTH my picks before voting closes.

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pot80.livejournal.com

Go team Madonna!

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pot80.livejournal.com

Alex, the thing is, it's the song that totally transcends Britney. The other songs require her context, but "Toxic" is something you can love even if you totally hate Britney Spears, it's that classic and overwhelming.

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Ha, I think this is correct, and you've not only hit on why "everyone" loves it but also why I'm slightly annoyed by/suspicious of/bemused by that love (despite loving it myself!).

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blue-russian.livejournal.com

Which one of the four semifinalists would you have voted for?

Both races today are so tight (as of right now), you can only call them on gut feeling.

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Also, to be fair, Common People would probably be in the final four now had we not all got bored of voting for it after the Now poll.

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blue-russian.livejournal.com

It transcends Britney only because she had gone through several persona by the time she got to it, and therefore there was nothing to attach to the song.

I think BOTM is a world-beater (Christ, the Travis cover even works!) but it's v. v. difficult for people to separate it from Britney.

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I prefer to think that you all just got 1x good taste in music in the intervening period.

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pot80.livejournal.com

I think it's more like by the time she did "Toxic" she had enough strength in the marketplace that her songs didn't have to be so branded to succeed.

Also, completely going against my context argument, I think people just really love hearing Britney sing stuff like "I took a sip from my devil cup."

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Are 'Into The Groove' and 'Billie Jean' the top two seeds? Have lost track of seeding - maybe when this is over a full list of the seeds and how far they got?

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I don't think it would have beaten Get Ur Freak On in any circs - that was a lucky draw for the Pulp hataz.

BUT I do agree that it's relatively underwhelming showing in its Jop poll, which led to it being unseeded, was down to post-Now boredom. So you're right really.

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