A Year In Pop: Week 12

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Avril! Hilary! The UK charts turn teenpoptastic this week with a #3 debut for La Vigne (and a #29 cameo from Hilary). Meanwhile the comical relief Proclaimers thing is number one.

[Poll #954743]

*the Pink record was left off last week's poll. I am reasonably sure I have not forgotten any more!

Comments

This week's mob

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there will be much discussion of Avril - I will let someone else start it! Tick, though.

Hilary Duff - had no idea Hilary was doing electropop - not especially good electropop at that, this is a marginal tick really.

Ciara - the Lex's incessant enthusiasm spoilered this one a little, it's good, slick R&B which anybody who has ever enjoyed R&B should probably be ticking, but it's not especially memorable - maybe with more plays...

Tiny Dancers - very ill-advised and clodhopping ska tint to this. No tick.

Seamus Haji - another marginal tick: not even in the same galaxy of good as the original but I liked the brazen-ness of the video: "Old School" (frightful ugly sister style disco queens) vs "New School" (kewl ravers). The lack of reverence appeals even if I don't agree.

Pink - kind of a Go-Go's-y punky girlpop number, quite hooky but like Ciara not immediately memorable. Tick, though.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

WOOOO!!!! It feels like the year has finally kicked off, we've had stellar singles which were the third releases from the album &c but following last week's debacle it's so good to have not one, not two, but THREE completely amazing in every way lead singles hoving into view.

"Keep a straight face when you tell a lie, always keep an airtight alibi" vs "And yeah I think you know I'm damn precious; and hell yeah, I'm the motherfucking princess" vs "You can even give blood, just do it with love".

AMAZING.

Also - the raps Avril and Ciara break into right at the end of their songs are awesome, Avril seals her deal with a bratty up middle finger while Ciara finally seizes the upper hand.

I love the moment in the second verse of 'Girlfriend' when the gorgeous backing vocals come in, disguised by Avril's brattiness.

All three videos are ace too!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

V quickly:

Only heard Avril, and it is ACE.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I ticked Tiny Dancers because after forty seconds of the video on youtube it reminded me a little of Tom Petty.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

btw Tom you forgot the new entry by some people called Ghosts. Which I doubt is any good at all but still.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

The Ciara record is by some distance my favourite thing to have appeared in these polls in quite some time. Avril is good. Hilarity = a bit generic and boring really, maybe I'd have been more interested two or three years ago.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I really don't like Avril Lavigne and one listenable song doesn't make up for years of UTTER HORROR so she gets no tick.

Hilary Duff is quite attractive and the song is quite good, so tick.

Ciara is very attractive and the song is very good, so (much firmer) tick.

Pink is one of my favourite songs on 'I'm Not Dead,' apart from the title track, so tick there, too.

Not heard Tiny Dancers, that 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' could have been good but somehow screws it up and becomes just really annoying.

Year To Date Top 3

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

1. Gossip
2. LCD Soundsystem
3= Long Blondes
3= Justin Timberlake

Video extra!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Right, have youtubed all the above now:

Avril (http://youtube.com/watch?v=cQ25-glGRzI): an obviously amazing pop smack round the face, 10/10. Video: Avril kicks sh1t out of a preppy version of herself with NO SHAME, 5/5. TICK.

Seamus (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rxzo2mjQhkc): mediocre bosh upgrade that doesn't add anything musically, 4/10. Video: 4/5 as features the FITE genre betwixt drag queens, a kung fu dude and Ver Cops. TICK.

Tiny Dancers (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rxzo2mjQhkc): appealingly simple guitar jangle that is just interesting enough to edge past my rather low tolerance for indie, 5/10. Video: pleasing big-faced man plays comedy ukelele and stands in cupboard full of board games, 3/5. TICK.

Duff (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Rxzo2mjQhkc): Reasonable electro effort, I've learned not to expect much from Hilary so this is alright I guess, 5/10. Video: Unmemorable running about in hotel corridors, 1/5. Marginal TICK.

Ciara (http://youtube.com/watch?v=dgb9UXM_J9I): V slick but disappointing, this one just doesn't do it for me (that Natasha one was way better!) 3/10. HOWEVER Video: 4/5, omg that girl can't half dance! I am fascinated by her, I just wish the song was better. Marginal TICK.

Pink (http://youtube.com/watch?v=E3CoSZFQMXk): Whatevs. 1/10. Video: cheap tour footage 0/5. NO TICK.