Another Year In Pop: 46

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

X Factor hand-wringing still at the top, TI moves up to number 2.

[Poll #1298887]

Lower Reaches watch: It's officially Christmas! How do we know this? Because 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' is in at no. 59. Elsewhere in Mariah-world we have three other hits of hers in the top 100 thanks to last weekend's X Factor, with 'Hero' finally trumping Enrique in the Battle Of The 'Hero's with a firm position of 67.

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

This week has to be one of the worst in poptimists memory. I have nothing against the Killers, Duffy or Lemar but their songs are SO DULL that I may as well listen to paint dry. Guns and Roses is noteworthy at least but still rubbish.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

My ticks for Duffy and GN'R are generous, yes. But they help to emphasise the awfulness of "Human".

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I almost wish Brandon would grow his moustache back.

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

I actually quite like The Killers (esp their Lou Reed collaboration) but "Human Is Rubbish". So rubbish, in fact, that I absentmindedly hit "not heard any" when I meant THE OTHER ONE. They are all very poor.

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

Christ. I'm clearly so fucking knackered I can't even do the internet.

"Human" is rubbish!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Another reminder that you can never, ever underestimate the awfulness of the British public's taste.

Didn't everyone download 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' last year?

Guns'n'Roses are so bad...I feel kind of embarrassed on behalf of people who used to like them, I just seem them as these fat squawking losers, it's totally unedifying.

WTF is that 'We Have A Dream' thing? Please can that not be a MLK reference. Please.

WTF is Killers bloke honking on about now? "Are we human or are we denser"? That's not even a good bad lyric, if I'd come up with it I'd be trying to bury it in one of the verses, not hammering it home as the focal point of the song. Which is shit, obv, despite the JLC touches.

It is saddening that it took a gimmicky sample and a Rihanna guest spot to break TI here...why didn't this happen with 'What You Know' in 06? It's only, you know, the best hip-hop single of the decade.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

On the plus side this might pave the way for TI's 'Dead And Gone' to be a sizable hit...it's absolutely immense, and Justin Timberlake's finest vocal performance in ages too.

The chart performance of 'Whatever You Like' is so weird, it's been bobbing around between 40 and 70 for MONTHS now. It's much much better than 'Live Your Life', it works similarly to Sean Paul's 'Get Busy' - endlessly undulating melody, all the sections flowing into each so smoothly and satisfyingly.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I think TI just hasn't bothered much with promoting himself over here until now - he didn't release 'What You Know' over here at all! His guest spot on Justin Timberlake's 'My Love' was awesome though and it did really well, but he has taken his time capitalising on it, I agree.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

He hasn't been doing much promo this time either! (The terms of his bail mean that he can't actually leave the US at the moment.) Not releasing 'What You Know' was bizarre - forgot that was pre-download era, that wouldn't be an excuse any more - but even 'Why You Wanna' didn't do much. And his big hits before that, 'Rubber Band Man' and 'Bring 'Em Out', are just completely absent from UK chart history! It just seems so bizarre, these huge tracks which are integral to 00s pop history just passing this country by completely.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'Bring 'Em Out' got to #59 I think. Lack of promotion is a huge part of it. Snoop Dogg was much more visible back in the day and his chart positions seem to reflect this. There are less opportunities for someone like T.I. to get on UK TV now tho (other than just playing his videos on The Box), which does suck. Presumably there are just as many white kids buying/downloading him than were into Snoop 10-15 years ago - no real idea if this is the case tho.

The sound of TI's music integral to 00s pop yes but maybe it's harder for specific tracks to rise above the soup because of the generic nature. It's often also technically the SLOWEST 'pop' on the market these days which may be a factor. I wonder how Three6 managed it with 'Stay Fly' - standout anthem as it is, this isn't usually enough.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

People download "All I Want for Christmas Is You" every Christmas - it's made the top 10 of the download chart every Christmas since it was introduced, as has the Pogues one. Expect to see them both in the main Christmas top 10 again this year, and every year for ever zzzzzzzzzzz

The We Have A Dream thing is an oddly early Scottish World Cup Song (released for chrity to tie in with Children in Need). It is beyond awful, like all football songs other than World in Motion.

the Killers lyric is apparently a Hunter S Thompson quote, and it's dancer, not denser. Still doesn't make any sense though.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

"Dancer"? That...doesn't even make grammatical sense. People should not quote Hunter S Thompson.

I'm just wondering if it's the same people downloading AIWFCIY, or if it's a fresh batch every year; if it's the former, people are mental and stupid, if it's the latter...where are they coming from? Surely everyone who wants it will have it by now?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Also it doesn't help that the OCC/everyhit/EVERYONE keeps failing to credit him on stuff eg Swagga Like Us.

It's "Dancer"

[ijgrieve.livejournal.com]

not "Denser". It's still a shit lyric, though.

I ticked Nickelback (it's much better than Rockstar - give it a chance), Duffy and The Killers (despite the shit lyric).

Re: It's "Dancer"

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

There's not much wrong with the Duffy that wasn't already wrong with 'Mercy' (which I ticked), but she loses points for sounding more screechy on this one.

[koganbot]

The Killers "Human": "Up to the platform of surrender/I was brought but I was kind." And away from the idiom of English you were led. Light drums, though, and a deft dance, voice between soaring and drifting. Maybe it's weightless or maybe it's just empty. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

Lemar "If She Knew": "She says I never listen and I'm not attentive to her emotions/I say she's got tunnel vision and she sees it her way so we can never work it out." I like the contrast between the aching prettiness and the doggedly diagrammatic lyrics (though without the prettiness I'd probably snicker). TICK.

Duffy "Rain On Your Parade": Dramatic start, then the music comes in with a Sixties shuffle, enveloped in darkness. But what's really going on isn't fealty to the Sixties; is more like trying to proclaim control over a variety of dance moves and then trying to figure out what to do with them; reminds me of Soul II Soul, actually (an act I underrated in its time). I think the woman's got basic fire, though her stylizations don't necessarily serve it all that well. TICK.

Nickelback "Gotta Be Somebody": OK melody that a nice minor pop country band could make a nice minor pop country hit out of. Instead, Chad's voice is gargling through the marbles in his throat, while roasting in a pit of roiling guitars. Absurdly terrible. NO TICK.

Guns N' Roses "Chinese Democracy": You hear thumps in the distance, anticipatory guitar, then... well, it's Axl all right, deep in his range. It always feels like he's holding his fire, when he stays in his lower register, and I suspect his upper register is gone. Good bass dance, reminiscent of Duff McKagan in the old days. Potential here, a coulda-been-mesmerizing vocal, guitar emitting momentary sparks. Doesn't quite get untracked. TICK, but I was hoping for way better.

Pudsey's Beautiful Dreamers "We Have A Dream": Let me guess. A charity track? A parody track? In any event, it's gospel done poorly; no heaven being reached for that I can hear. NO TICK.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Haha I hadn't noticed the Lemar lyrics. I like lyrics which are that oddly expositional - really captures that situation when you're making so much effort to be precise because saying the wrong thing will just make the argument kick off again; and inevitably it comes off as very dogged and strangely phrased. J-Hud does this in 'Spotlight', too: "Is this relationship fulfilling your needs as well as mine?"

[koganbot]

This may be the first I've heard of Lemar. I don't remember. Surprised that you and Kat think it's dull. Maybe I would if I'd heard a lot of Lemar. And I wouldn't call it exciting, 'cause it's not that kind of song, but it's pretty.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Oh my GOD people, stop voting for the Killers ffs!

Sugababes vs Girls Aloud is the worst charity single of all time because a)in theory it is not the very least listenable thing ever and b)in practise it is.

I am reviewing a charity single right now. I would like makers of this charity single to PUT THEIR BLOODY VIDEO ON THE INTERNET KTHNX so I can stop trying to watch it taped on someone's phone off the telly. D:

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I believe I know which one you are looking for - I spent considerable minutes over a frustrating lunchtime just now squinting at the screen trying to make out what was happening (a festive zombie mosh pit, by the looks of it).

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I managed to catch about 30 seconds at the end on 4Music earlier but then my mum wanted to watch Bargain Hunt and so I had to cease my quest to drool at young men with nose piercings do srs journalism,. There were indeed zombies and festivities, although I am not sure why exactly other than it looks quite awesome.

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

I am so looking forward to that time between buying Chinese Democracy in Woolies and actually listening to it!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

more than actually listening to it?

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

I already know I'm going to be disappointed :(

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

Dull sensible suggestion: borrow it from the library?