RSRCH

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Hello everyone, I'm doing some impromptu research.

[Poll #1264707]

As I said above, it's not a test so don't get too neurotic about it, I'm just curious. Feel free to discuss The State Of Pop In 2008 further in the comments, if you want. Linking to YouTube videos and that is very much encouraged; get on a soapbox.

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

It started off REALLY PROMISING what with all the bassline and Estelle and Kanye and Lil'Mama, and then everyone just sort of gave up trying :(

Luckily CHART BOSH has been the unlikely saviour of the year. I still inexplicably love that Bob Sinclair song innit.

Possible mitigating factor: no unifying ZOMG song as per Umbrella last year?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been toying with doing a post like this. I found it very easy indeed to name five terrific singles, which I'd classify as pop (using the wide-ish screen definition I tend to), but which others maybe wouldn't. For individual stellar tracks it's been as fine a year as ever, but for "pop" in the Popjustice sense, nothing's really registered.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

lockedintheatti named five more tracks I love, none of which I thought of. The poptimists tracks poll this December is going to be MAZING but there certainly won't be as clear a winner as last time.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I think the lack of a real unifier, as Kat identified above, is a very significant factor this year. Nearly all pop that we've got excited about has been splinter-group pop in one way or another. Everyone has stuff they love, but there's nothing that everyone loves.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Blimey my Opera just went bonkers when I tried to reply to this. Really must learn to use my internet browser.

Which Bob Sinclair? I quite like him.

I think the disappointment of Bassline failing to rule the world is one I am not going to get over fast. 'What's It Gonna Be' is still one of the best things I've heard in years.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Nah the great pop continued to come thick and fast...the charts are a real red herring. They've been depressing to look at recently but they're a terrible indicator of pop music.

Genre of 2008 = funky house.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I wish to hear some of this but don't really know where it lives. Where should I look?

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

listen to 1Xtra shows via iplayer

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Yes, & I feel the same about your five, didn't think of them either. But still all more skewed towards the first half of the year, feels like we've really hit a dry patch. Can Britney deliver again and give us our first unifying pop smash of the year?

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Me neither. I haven't had such a rush of excitement about a genre for years, and for it then to come to not very much has been crushing :(

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

unsurprisingly, my choices are somewhat indie. if paper planes doesn't count i would like "ready for the floor" instead.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Five songs off top of head:

Crazy Cousinz ft. Calista - Bongo Jam
Wookie ft. Ny - Fallin' Again
Jazmine Sullivan - Need U Bad
Kat DeLuna ft. Busta Rhymes - Run The Show
Low Motion Disco - Love Love Love (Aeroplane Mix)

Five albums (not off top of head - actual top 5 albums I've heard this year):

Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War
Mariah Carey, E=MC2
Lil' Wayne, Tha Carter III
Lindstrøm, Where You Go I Go Too
The-Dream, Love/Hate
Young Jeezy, The Recession
Wiley, Grime Wave
Danity Kane, Welcome To The Dollhouse
The Bug, London Zoo
Anja Schneider, Beyond The Valley
Shed, Shedding The Past
Akiko Kiyama, 7 Years

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Swapping one indie for another there!!

I think VW may still be my album of the year, mind you. I was all set for 2008 YEAR OV LIKING INDIE AGAIN but it hasn't really happened. I blame Some Foals.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

yeah, the archived Footloose sets especially.

I did a Poptimists post on funky house here (http://community.livejournal.com/poptimists/607375.html) w/links to various artciles, Youtubes and such.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

yes, moar indie ;)

some foals probably responsible, yes. i saw a band of young people on thursday night that were kind of some foals playing kings of leon songs, WRONG WRONG WRONG...

i did have big hopes for bassline but there you go (flipping smugpolice going invite only didn't help...)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes I think the charts swing in and out of sync with what's actually exciting, and currently they're certainly 'out'. But it's nice when they do align and the lack of that is something to be sad about.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

None of yr funky house recommendations have left any lasting impression on me, I'm afraid. :(

Possibly they work better in a club setting.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

looking back over the year's top 40 polls WOAH 'Piece Of Me' got so many more than anything else

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

just heard the Wookie one on 1Xtra Takeover show i'm listening to on iplayer and it's really great (i think they sped it up a bit altho this isn't necessarily an improvement in itself)

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

My token indie pick for the '08 is The Little Ones. Both the last single ("Morning Tide") and the new one ("Tangerine Visions") are terrific sunshine/mum-pop. I must investigate their new LP.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

This one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61bVC8nYy98"). It's basically just an old dancehall track that's had a slightly stronger bosh beat plonked on the top but somehow it's improved the original IMMENSELY.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

"Falling Again" is certainly the pick of the bunch I've listened to.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I think of that as an 07 song as we were all excited about the album last year (and in fact came 3rd in last year's poll)

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Don't understand - there's been a lot of great singles this year, but surely nothing's going to touch American Boy in the polls?

(though I understand that it's a single, not a movement like Bassline)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

yeah, same goes for 'Paper Planes' i guess. 'Break The Ice', 'Can't Speak French', Robyn singles, 'The One' and Sugababes 'Denial' are other hangover/album tracks from last year which did well in the poll