A Year In Pop: 18

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

A new month, a new poll! Get that tick rate going again!

[Poll #982157]

All previous polls are still open, etc etc. if you've "got into" any of the year's pop platters since their initial blushing entrance to the charts.

Comments

Jojo's image

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I made this point on the last Jojo discussion but I wonder if her lack of poptimist-lady love is due to her 'less exciting' persona? Xtina is clearly dirrrty, Bouncey is clearly bonkers, we know way too much about Fergie's humps and we all know Natasha is a mental god-botherer like her brother. All brilliant personalities that gossip mags love/love to hate.

I know NOTHING about Jojo except that she is very young and can sing quite well.

Re: Jojo's image

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

NB This Lack Of Fun also put me off Xtina pre-Dirrty.

I'm not sure why girls need to be more interesting as performers than boys for me. But then apart from Justin I can't think of a male pop solo singer I'd potentially get excited about anyway.

Re: Jojo's image

[koganbot]

JoJo seems anonymous to me, which I don't consider a musical defect at all but is why there will never be any JoJo posters up in my room. But I suspect that she's too girly for the Lady Poptimists; even when she's mad and telling the guy to leave, get out, he's too little and too late, etc., it's a girl finally pushed to her limit by mistreatment, and she's still sugar and spice amidst her wails and sad tales (and in her heart she would do anything for real love, even wrong love). For boys, appearing to be like this ourselves isn't really an option (or anyway isn't something boys are pressured to be), so JoJo doesn't represent a potential path to be followed or rejected, whereas I'm guessing that for girls she does represent a path, one that Poptimist Girls would likely reject, hence her sound might feel a bit icky to them (as opposed to Blowhard Beth's at the top of our chart).

Re: Jojo's image

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

You might be on to something there. I like my girl popstars feisty, or if not feisty then insane. Notable exceptions: Cassie, Feist (hoho see what I did there!)

Re: Jojo's image

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Cassie is totally feisty:

I love it when they try to get scandalous
Even though they know they really can't handle it
(They can't handle it?) They can't handle it
Tryna take me out to dinner - I cancel it

Re: Jojo's image

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Well when you put it like that :-)

The impression I got for Me&U though was one of a lass whose sole purpose was to 'tempt' blokes with her feminine wiles - although the song was great it felt really uncomfortable (actually that's *why* the song was great) to listen to, like she didn't want to be saying all that stuff but some Evil Record Company Boss was making her sing it to appeal to sleazy dudes. Man, it's like my inner feminist coming out! Noes!

Re: Jojo's image

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Haha this is not what I get from it at all! I thought Cassie sounded scared, and it's a song with lots of underlying menace and dread, but it sounds like this is a situation she's planned for a long time with military precision, finally getting to be alone with the boy she fancies; and she's fantasised so much about it that suddenly the physical moment has arrived and she has no idea what to do next.

Re: Jojo's image

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I said in my review (http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,,1993460,00.html) that her wholesomeness was v endearing.

Didn't you like Rachel though? Surely she is the dullest pop star of them all?

Re: Jojo's image

[koganbot]

I think I was the only person to put the JoJo alb on the Pazz & Jop/Jackin' Pop lists. Actually thought it was hit or miss but that it was very good where it did hit, and I was amazed that she actually pulled off the Note To God song, didn't sound either sappy or overblown, just straightforwardly wishful. Really proves she can sing.

Re: Jojo's image

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I never really thought Rachel was that amazing tbh, great songs but dull execution. But at least she has a Thing: used to be in brill pop group that had a good tv show too. And the fact that she was the dullest but also the most successful is interesting.