Another Year In Pop: 9

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Stagnation in full effect at the top end of the chart, with the entire Top 6 non-movers and the next four just shuffling about a bit. Is there anything going on at the back? See for yourselves!

[Poll #1148002]

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

YES:

Delinquent and Kcat - awesome obv, deserves to run away with the win. The most 2-step of the bassline hitz thus far - love the plucked guitar line, love that Kcat sounds like she's in some sort of blissful reverie, omg is this BALEARIC BASSLINE?? It's beautiful regardless.

Leona - I thought this was OK when I youtubed it a week or so ago, which is exactly what I thought when I first heard 'Bleeding Love'. Over the 5000 years 'Bleeding Love' spent at No 1 I gradually realised that it wasn't merely OK, it was in fact a classic pop song of epic proportions, so I'm hoping 'Better In Time' does the same. (It's a double A-side with another song called 'Footprints In The Sand' which is genuinely rub, though.)

NO:

Girls Aloud - this is the first GA single EVER which isn't "any good at all" :( It's just very boring.

Alphabeat - making office parties gayer doesn't make them any more fun ffs. Galumphing, clumsy, offensively jolly. Awful. You're all going to tick this and not Delinquent, aren't you? :(

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

You're all going to tick this and not Delinquent, aren't you? :(
Not me! These 80s pop revivalists are leaving me cold too. I'm not really feeling that BWO single either. Sorry, Jessica.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Hurrah!

I've hated BWO longtime and am irritated to find them in the top 75.

OMG though what is that I see at No 98 - wtf BENGA AND COKI'S 'NIGHT' IS IN THE TOP 100. How did that happen???!!! Amazing but...wow. I wonder if it will go any higher!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It's quite an old BWO song - what's it doing there?

It's also the only BWO song I really like so I will happily tick it if it goes higher.

Their last album was really woeful.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Surely all it takes for a track to reach #98 is for it to be bought by Benga, Coki, and their mums?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

It's more than eg The Knife ever managed! Anyway I assume Benga, Coki and their mums all got round to buying 'Night' sometime in the past year it's been out.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The Knife are all orphans brought up in the Arctic wilderness by a raven.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, good point.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

It's also that 'Night' just...doesn't even approach being commercial in any way. It's DUBSTEP, dubstep is this weird lurching abstract music which no one even tried to pretend could ever cross over, like they did for grime and so on. It's the least poppy genre in existence. It's incredible that ANYONE outside the dubstep community is listening to this, really.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Really? Have I got the right track (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNStVlJWy88), then? I'd buy this I think, it's got a nice high end, lots of proper bleeps (not that "proper" bleeps are neccesary, but they are nice), though I can see why the video is all about the "In the Deeps".

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Yeah I love it too and it's a total club anthem but...I mean, apparently for whatever reason this is actually getting daytime airplay on R1, and I can't even imagine that. I mean, since when did tracks as slow and dark and crucially instrumental as that sell outside of their communities?

[mindtaker-cro.livejournal.com]

since they can cross over to other communities that have no problem with crucially instrumental tracks, ie the bassline crowd! watch this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH7knv82V1U) for an example (about three mins in).

"Night" was apparently huge in Ayia Napa this summer, and since then it's been getting a lot of spins by bassline/4x4/funky house DJ's (that's "funky house" as in soca-flavored house made by disenchanted grime dudes, in fact Geeneus has done an official remix of "Night" + there are several UKG bootleg remixes floating around). it's even featured on the new Ministry bassline comp! anyway, it's not that slow, especially compared to halfstep, and while it may be dark it's also got a very, VERY catchy cook. very whistleable too!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

yeah I've heard the Geeneus rmx - it's on the new Rinse mix by Supa Dee, it's pretty terrific! I didn't know it had crossed over to the Ayia Napa crowd, makes sense though - I guess bassline will be a vehicle for a lot of grime and dubstep dudes jumping on the wagon, and more power to them. Tinchy Stryder's 'Dance 4 Now' from last year is basically bassline anyway, that track is amazing.

this is all very heartening, anyway.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'Dooms Night' was pretty uncompromising at first but yeah i'd say this goes further than that with it's subtlety.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I have never seen the BWO thing but this is because I am a massive miserabilist. 'Fascination' has some quite good mumpop aspects.

Listening to the Leona now it is sort of functional. Maybe it will become amazing, although probably only if it also gets a Jamie Duggan remix.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

BWO don't sound all that joyful to me. They sound spineless, wimpy and wet. Also they appear to be totally unaware of the concept of BASS.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I think it's the lack of bass that gives me the impression they are cheery. The shiny factor sort of puts me off a lot.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

DITTO, totally.

[credoimprobus]

HOLY. That's proper crossover, that is!

(I can't get over the fact that there's a cd single though, haha. You know a dubstep track's arrived when they stoop to putting it out in plebe format! (I totally approve, I have to say.))

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

dubstep for the masses. MASSSTEP.

[edgeofwhatever.livejournal.com]

Girls Aloud - this is the first GA single EVER which isn't "any good at all" :( It's just very boring.

You are stupid.

Also, how can you not think this is funny? "My love for you is epic! I cry! I fall! Why won't you talk to me? I must tell you how I feel! Um...but I can't speak French, sux."

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

oh it's probably funny but the music just lopes along clumsily. I'm over Girls Aloud like Cheryl should be over Ashley.