Another Year In Pop: 32

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

For better or worse, Katy Perry is this week's brand new Number 1. Rihanna moves up into the top ten, and in inexplicable re-entry news, Baz Luhrmann's in at no.72 with 'Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)'. Okaaay.

[Poll #1238683]

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think this is the first time for ages that there hasn't even been one half-decent song in the top 5 :(

The physical release of 'Stryderman' pushed it up...one place to No 73 :(

The Lloyd single peaked at No 75, and DJ Q/MC Bonez are already plummeting, not that they reached much of a height to plummet from :(

The only really great (as opposed to Any Good At All) songs in the top 40 are about a million years old :(

Every second song seems to be by the Ting Tings or Alphabeat :(

'Body On Me' and 'Baditude' are OK (hey 'Baditude' has a shout-out to THE END!) but really WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY??? Why does the record-buying public have such terrible taste? Who the hell buys the fucking Verve when they could buy Tinchy Stryder?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

and why are Young Jeezy, Jennifer Hudson, Jazmine Sullivan, Cassie et al not being released here? ffs J-Hud WAS IN DREAMGIRLS. SHE IS KNOWN TO BRITISHERS. RELEASE HER GODDAMN SINGLE WHICH PISSES OVER THE ENTIRE TOP 40 ALREADY.

and I am sick in living in a country where 'A Milli' is not blaring from every car and flat and shop. How on earth has this song eaten America but is COMPLETELY UNKNOWN here.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

and WHERE IS MY FUNKY HOUSE INVASION.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Calm down dear! People are probably listening to this but they're just not *buying* it, that's all.

Verve WTF

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

What the hell is going on in this song? The intro sounds really... *different* and hints that it might even attain the dizzy heights of Not Dreadful, but then it just does the same thing over and over again? There's no chorus at all! I know R.Ashcroft doesn't have the highest standards in the world, but this is one of the laziest singles I've ever heard - like he's left the same tape running on a loop for 3 minutes.

Re: Verve WTF

[miss-newham.livejournal.com]

And why does the intro feature vocals by the Laughing Gnome?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

VERVE: hahaha MAJOR LYRICS ALERT - "Will those feet in modern times walk on souls that are Made in China?" CLEVER REFERENCE THERE FROM THE MODERN DAY BLAKE. Kat is right that the backing tape is a loop - this is the indie rock "A Milli" in that it's designed to show off the amazing skills, charisma and wisdom of the singer allowed to interact with such minimalism, and it is here that the Verve's master plan falls down a wee bit. Twat then, twat now. NO TICK.

NELLY: What is this sample? V familiar. Not an especially inspiring song, bumps around without ever striking me. Marginal, but no tick.

CASCADA: I think I agree with Piratemoggy that this is a bit of a missed opportunity, Cascada seem to be holding back a bit. Still good though - interesting how well the lyrics work in a rave alert context. TICK!

SPOON, HARRIS, ETC: Yes, I like this one, worth a tick, not something I'd listen to a lot, reminds me a bit of that New Young Pony Track except more joyful and good.

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS: It's like someone decided that the problem with the Beautiful South was that their baffling subtlety alienated the audience. No tick.

Grumble

[koganbot]

Well, Lex has already pushed ahead in the grumbling line, but, um, even though I'm not British, this week's offerings are worth a grumble anyway. And Lex is overrating "Body On Me" and "Baditude."

Re: Verve WTF

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

I thought it was Pingu

OK I have ticked this song. It qualifies as Any Good At All IMHO. It's basically a typical The Verve song: interesting sample - check. Competent landfill indie backing - check (in this case, driving the song along nicely). Weak lead vox by Ashcroft - check. Same as it ever was then.

I'm not quite sure what pushes it over the edge into tickdom, but it's got something about it.

Number Ones of the year so far

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

1067 19 Jan Basshunter featuring DJ Mental Theo's Bazzheadz Now You're Gone 5
1068 23 Feb Duffy Mercy 5
1069 29 Mar Estelle featuring Kanye West American Boy 4
1070 26 Apr Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake 4 Minutes 4
1071 24 May Ting Tings That's Not My Name 1
1072 31 May Rihanna Take A Bow 2
1073 14 Jun Mint Royale Singin' In The Rain 2
1074 29 Jun Coldplay Viva La Vida 1
1075 5 Jul Ne-Yo Closer 1
1076 12 Jun Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris & Chrome Dance Wiv Me 4
1077 9 Aug Kid Rock All Summer Long 1
1078 16 Aug Katy Perry I Kissed A Girl 1

*cries*

Re: Number Ones of the year so far

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Like: 3 (Estelle, Rihanna, Ne-Yo)
Tolerate: 3 (Basshunter, Madonna, Dizzee)
Dislike: 3 (Duffy, Mint Royale, Katy P)
Really Dislike: 3 (Ting Tings, Coldplay, Kid Rock)

Because the nightlife belongs to lovers

[koganbot]

The Verve "Love Is Noise": Agree with Kat that this just a lazy loop, but the loop itself isn't so bad now, is it? I mean, compared to what I was expecting. Serviceable DOR beats in the midst of big, sappy atmospherics (provided by our faithful loop). Singer is an awful wet blanket, but the atmospherics are enough to engulf the wetness. Borderline TICK.

SPOILER ALERT: So, the Verve of all people save this week from being yet another DON'T LIKE ANY.

Nelly f. Akon & Ashanti "Body On Me": Always liked Nelly for his light touch, and Akon back when his touch was light too. But this track is negligible. Light on its feet, but missing the old snap. NO TICK.

Cascada "Because The Night": This song has long needed a good dramatic dance version, the original Patti-Bruce rocker being a bit clonky. But this totally misses the swelling romance that a good disco version of "Because The Night" ought to have. There's no night in it! Not even any dusk. NO TICK.

(A plug here for Cyndi Lauper's current single, "Into The Nightlife," which has all the romance that Cascada is missing.)

Spoon, Harris & Obernik "Baditude": Oh my, this is zany, but w/ a dollop of ennui, like Gwen Stefani accompanied by farts. TICKLESS.

Scouting For Girls "It's Not About You": Actually, it is about you, your sorry voice in particular and the faux jaunty beats and crippled ooo-ooos that ruin what would otherwise be a solidly mediocre song. NO TICK.

uk poptimists in hating what's in the uk pop charts, shocker

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

spoon baditude is ok. i'll have forgotten about it soon enough, but it gets a little dance in the office chair from me.

cascada - ditto missed opportunity.

nelly and verve, blah

scouting for girls have inherited the 'quo joke' viz: "I see Scouting for Girls have released their song again"

Re: Number Ones of the year so far

[koganbot]

Like: 4 (Ne-Yo, Madonna, Katy P, Duffy)
Ticked but liked much more in another language: 1 (Basshunter)
OK but no ticky yet: 3 (Estelle, Kid Rock, Rihanna)
Still haven't made up my mind: 1 (Ting Tings)
Meh: 1 (Dizzee)
Really Dislike: 2 (Mint Royale, Coldplay)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I am now imagining Mad Richard actually doing 'A Milli'

*cries again*

Re: Number Ones of the year so far

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

nothing amazing for me, but plenty to like (obv yer lexical M do V).

what was last year's list?

Re: uk poptimists in hating what's in the uk pop charts, shocker

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

There's enough grumbling on this thread already that I'm actually holding back. Heroically, I might add.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I imagine one thing is the conservatism of radio programmers, who I think are ignoring lots of this stuff, and the other thing is that lots of the stuff missing out has a younger appeal, and the youngsters are probably more likely acquiring this stuff for free rather than buying it off iTunes.

I hope that is the case otherwise I would entirely lose faith in this country.

Re: Number Ones of the year so far

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Love: 2 (Estelle, Ne-Yo)
Like: 1 (Madonna)
Don't Care (Ticks): 1 (Rihanna)
Don't Care (Nonticks): 2 (Duffy, Coldplay)
Dislike: 2 (Basshunter, Dizzee Rascal)
Lowest Of The Low: 2 (Mint Royale, Kid Rock)
Hitherto Unplumbed Depths: 2 (Ting Tings, Katy Perry)

Re: uk poptimists in hating what's in the uk pop charts, shocker

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

i'm actually ok with the charts at the mo - i think it's been worse this year.

wft black and gold still hanging in at 21 - has that been on the charts for like funfteen months now? nb i like the song fine - just noticing the new dynamic added-download charts seems to like stuff hanging around a lot.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i can't believe you have succumbed to writing 'Britishers'. it is a DISEASE.

Re: Number Ones of the year so far

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

last year's below - completely appalling start, post Bouncy/Shakira Shakira it suddenly went on an unbroken run of amazing for months and months, only to be undone on the final stretch by Xmas-related gloop.

1050 27 Jan Mika Grace Kelly 5
1051 3 Mar Kaiser Chiefs Ruby 1
1052 10 Mar Take That Shine 2
1053 24 Mar Sugababes vs Girls Aloud Walk This Way 1
1054 31 Mar The Proclaimers featuring
Brian Potter & Andy Pipkin (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles 3
1055 21 Apr Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado
& Justin Timberlake Give It To Me 1
1056 28 Apr Beyonce & Shakira Beautiful Liar 3
1057 19 May McFly Baby's Coming Back / Transylvania 1
1058 26 May Rihanna featuring Jay-Z Umbrella 10
1059 4 Aug Timbaland featuring Keri Hilson & DOE The Way I Are 2
1060 18 Aug Robyn with Kleerup With Every Heartbeat 1
1061 25 Aug Kanye West Stronger 2
1062 8 Sep Sean Kingston Beautiful Girls 4
1063 6 Oct Sugababes About You Now 4
1064 3 Nov Leona Lewis Bleeding Love 7
1065 22 Dec Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua What A Wonderful World 1
1066 29 Dec Leon Jackson When You Believe 3

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

it is a mark of contempt when US ilx people do it and therefore entirely appropriate here.

Re: Number Ones of the year so far

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

so you think it's been a bad year for #1s but a good year for the top 5 in general?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

it is lame "noise" baby-talk almost entirely used by people who listen to a load of indie shite