Another Year In Pop: 43

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

We have a new number one! That makes it 18 singles going straight into the top ten for Girls Aloud (only their third #1, mind), round of applause there.

[Poll #1285924]

Bonkers re-entry watch: Purple Rain by Prince. Any ideas?

Comments

[koganbot]

As everybody knows, my middle name is Neal (but I'm thinking of changing it to Ambivalence).

Girls Aloud "The Promise": The retro verses are strangely dreamy, or experimental, or half-assed, the chorus revs up to Hi-NRG but is strangely even, or evened-out, even. This isn't clicking for me, but it gets a tick for trying. BORDERLINE TICK.

Guru Josh Project "Infinity 2008": Basic dance track, needs a dance floor, I suppose, but also needs more swelling and splashing. NO TICK.

Kardinal Offishall f. Akon "Dangerous": I like Offishall's flow, don't like Akon's, have heard this type before. NO TICK.

The Game f. Lil Wayne: There's genuine ambivalence within all this sadness, and as you know, Ambivalence is my middle name. "Made my grandmother pray for good. It never made her happy, but I bet that Mercedes could." So the Game is unique even though this is so predictable and conventional in its mourning. But it is conventional, and so slow, and Wayne plus AutoGizmo doesn't equal singing. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

John Legend f. André 3000 "Green Light": Goes steady and cool, slowly heats up under the cool. TICK.

Bloc Party "Talons": Tries clumped-up funk within the rock, tries hapless attempt at crooning, tries hapless attempt at feeling (or Cure-style restraint that tries to signify feeling). Actually, the stylization eventually finds its way to emotion, but we sure had to go through a lot of crap to get there. BORDERLINE TICK.

Chris Brown f. Keri Hilson "Superhuman": An OK professional track by two talented pros who've written some fine music but who often don't reach me when one or the other gets a name on the marquee. Still need to hear the Keri Hilson alb, though. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

(Bizarre that "The Promise" is doing so well both at poptimists and on the charts, given how unsteady and uncommitted it is. My tick isn't remotely out of the brand loyalty Lex was complaining about. I think European performers who self-consciously do "pop" often end up sounding unnecessarily constricted, and I want to grab 'em and shake 'em by the shoulders. The 90% ticky for this song is just strange, even though I'm part of the 90%.)