A Year In Pop: 40

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

A more manageable eight new entries this week, including Aly and AJ's UK chart debut and the seventieth single off the Mika record.

[Poll #1067778]

Importantly, all previous polls remain open. Why "importantly"? Because you can GO BACK AND TICK ENRIQUE. This has been a public service announcement from the poptimists admins.

Comments

:(

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

I get a "Sorry, you're not permitted to see this poll" message when I try to speak of my great love for more than one of this week's hits...

Re: :(

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Hmm this is because I fucked up and posted it to my own LJ and then made it private to hide it. Hold on, I'll unprivate it.

Re: :(

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

OK, try it now!

:)

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

Worked, cheers!

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

Importantly, all previous polls remain open. Why "importantly"? Because you can GO BACK AND TICK ENRIQUE.

NO.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Hmm has 'Potential Breakup Song' been physically released yet? If not, HURRAH, but if so OH DEAR.

Outside the top 40 I am heartened to note MIA at No 69! Unless that's been physically released already too.

Aly & AJ and Kanye apart, the other new entries collectively plumb new depths of vileness.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Stereophonics: I'm quite proud of my thoroughness in checking this was bad.

Manics: Not actually bad - I don't think it quite merits a tick but this is a lot better than I would have expected a 2007 Manics track to be.

Nasher: Human beings are all different and every individual is special. No tick.

Mika: Lungy ballad like a higher Robbie W. Better, a bit, than "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" - this is not saying a lot.

Lethal Bizzle: Indie-grime! Threatens to go a bit "Ullo John Got A New Motor?" but pulls back from the brink enough to earn a tick.

Kanye: ABSOLUTELY NO SIGN of Penelope Keith in song or video :( This is alright.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I know it's unlikely to be a popular opinion here, but I think this is probably Mika's most bearable single so far, and just about good enough for 'Any Good At All'

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Phonics - steering clear of this one.

Elvis - whatevs

Manics - sounds like Design For Life (i can has arpeggio). Not exactly gripping stuff but they've done far worse. Not good enough for a tick.

Gnash - This is REALLY FRUSTRATING as she has rollerskating robots in the video and, like Foundations, the song is quite pleasant. BUT HER VOICE! SHUT UP SHUT UP! Can we get someone in to overdub her please? And change the enunciation? No tick until this happens.

Mika - better than the Big Girls song. Nowhere near as good as Grace Kelly. No tick.

A&A - YAAAAAY awesome awesome. Tick tick and thrice tick.

Lethal (http://youtube.com/watch?v=kpIFKKa1u-U) - hahahahah this is hilarious! "Chasing me somewhere random in Chingford, back then I was a little Linford". I like the stupid nameless indie in the background who are being drowned out by the proper meaty beats AND THEN GET BEATEN UP beat-en do you see. TICK!

Kanye (http://youtube.com/watch?v=fmX9ci9Fczw) - late-90s-retro hiphop with a clever video to distract from how dull the song is. Botherd.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Also: 'About You Now' just gets BETTER AND BETTER, as I knew it would. Their VOICES!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Physical release is today for A&A (didn't we discuss this last week? You were banging on about Litmus Tests or summat). Dunno about M.I.A.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

They were playing the album in Woolworths yesterday. To be fair, the volume was only just at the point of audibility, but hmmmm - sounded a bit bland TBH. "About You Now" is one of the strongest tracks.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I thought it was but hmv.co.uk claimed it was 1 Oct (ditto 'Jimmy').

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Hmm they have a knack for initially seeming bland at first (all lead singles except 'Freak Like Me', both of their last two albums) but ultimately being brilliant - it's kind of the raison d'etre of the Adult Pop Sugababes we've seen since Three.

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

I still think "Hole In The Head" is crap. Don't care for "About You Now" much either.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Kate Nash is certainly SPECIAL.

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

Kate Nash's voice is ghastly on Mouthwash, I liked it on 'Foundations' by contrast. All the trying to be girlish, it's actually painful to listen to (and not because of EMOTIONS)

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

The opening lyrics on Mouthwash make me want to break things. I! Have! Freckles! And! Spots! Oh! Noes! SHUT UP SHUT UP. Or at least say something interesting eg 'my freckles are awesome and I draw patterns in crayon linking them up'.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Luckily then the lyrics get much more insightful oh wait

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Hole In The Head' is ridiculously hooky.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes, revival at next Poptimism necessary I think!

[umlauts.livejournal.com]

I think time will not be that kind to the last batch of Sugababes singles. "About You Now" is not even in the same orbit as "Push The Button" or "Round Round" or "Overload".

you asked for it

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Sugasingles in order of greatness!

Run For Cover
Round Round
Too Lost In You
Freak Like Me
Overload
Angels With Dirty Faces
Push The Button
About You Now
Caught In A Moment
Stronger
Hole In The Head
Soul Sound
Red Dress
Ugly
New Year
In The Middle
Shape
Easy
Walk This Way

all but the last four merit AT LEAST 4/5 - in fact everything from 'Caught In A Moment' up is probably five star quality. That is a bloody good strike rate which doesn't really show any sign of decline - especially as latterly their best material has been album tracks ('Bruised', 'Whatever Makes You Happy', 'Ace Reject', 'Situation's Heacy'...)

Re: you asked for it

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think balladwise yr overrating Too Lost In You and Run For Cover, and underrating Caught In A Moment and New Year, I don't think Easy is as bad as you're making out and I think Hole In The Head is excellent (& it's a shame Xenomania didn't do much else in that ska-pop vein, apart from "Watch Me Go"). But the broad shape of this is OTM.

Re: you asked for it

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

There is no overrating 'Run For Cover' which a lot of the time is my favourite single EVER and jauntyalan will back me up on this! As for 'Too Lost In You' I think the best bit in it is near the end, when all the backing vox and atmospheres are swirling around in a big CAULDRON of emotion - "I'm lost in, I'm lost in" - and suddenly all the harmonies and synths converge on "EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU SO DEEP" and it is like a massive HIT of emotion.