Poptimists Tracks Of 2008 PART FIVE

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Here it is! The ten best tracks of 2008 according to YOUR votes.

10. MJ HIBBETT AND THE VALIDATORS - "It Only Works Because You're Here" (28 points)

I'll let the voters go into more detail on this one, I think.

9. ADDICTIVE ft T2 - "Gonna Be Mine" (29 points)

Mariachi bassline explosion! 2008's most unjust non-hit gets its due.

8. LIL WAYNE - "A Milli" (30 points)

Hip-hop's biggest crossover ripples through to Poptimists.

7. CASSIE ft LIL WAYNE - "Official Girl" (33 points)

That rarest of things, an actual Cassie release!

6. MGMT - "Time To Pretend" (40 points)

MGMT are too hip for embeds. Their other hits picked up a vote each too.

5. SANTOGOLD - "L.E.S. Artistes" (45 points)

A handful of these points were for the XXXChange remix (which is also very good). Santogold. A horse. Rum goings-on.

4. GOLDFRAPP - "A&E" (47 points)

Alison G. cavorts with some leafy otherkin. Benefitted from a late flurry of votes.

3. WILEY - "Wearing My Rolex" (78 points)

featuring N London dance troupe the River Fleet Foxes.

2. JORDIN SPARKS AND CHRIS BROWN - "No Air" (94 points)

The runaway early leader, then flagged a bit in late voting.

1. ESTELLE ft KANYE WEST - "American Boy" (113 points)

"Who killin them in the UK? Everybody gonna say you, K" - it is impossible to find an actual video for this song on YouTube!

Thanks to all who voted - tomorrow I'll put up the full list and appendix (every song mentioned). Now let the debate begin!

Comments

[cis.livejournal.com]

I like 'with you' a lot - hugs all over the world! - but i don't think it's a patch on, say, 'kiss kiss' (though that's '07). I might like it more if it wasn't so very very like 'irreplaceable': the musical similarity means that i sort of dismiss it from my brain even when it's playing, the charm of the lyrics can't hold my attention.

The whole cheesy-stadium-trance-with-autotune-and-reedy-synth-line simplicity of 'forever' makes it brilliantly thrilling, to me. It succeeds far better at the house'n'b style than, say, 'Closer', which was house-y but far too complicated to convince.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I think 'Forever' is a touch overseasoned w/the autotune - Chris's voice is reedy enough without it? love the "as long as you love me" BSB reference though. I agree on 'Kiss Kiss' though - it makes no sense that 'Shawty Get Loose' got so much love but this was ignored! "I got paper, girl" - pause - "that Lamborghini!" - beat!

'With You' really benefited from sticking around for ages, I find the innocent simplicity of the sentiment very heartwarming and it grew on me v gradually.

[cis.livejournal.com]

reedy enough without it

but that's the funny thing - his voice is reedy, the autotune is reedy, the synth line is reedy; the backing vocals are foggy, the the wash of echo is foggy, the synth accomp is foggy. it has that same unbalanced too-much-of-a-good-thing bleariness as... whatever filter-disco track it's being so suggestive of.

other amazing things about 'kiss kiss': "you know i just turned eighteen and i get a little mannish" ♥_♥

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

OMG yes - I think that's the last single that CB's mentioned his age on? for a while it was all "just turned 16", "only 16" &c &c, I seriously expected him to start singing "barely legal". TWINK'N'B.

[cis.livejournal.com]

I just: "mannish". idk that word suggests to me, like, butchish babydykes? slightly sweet, slightly sexy, play-acting masculinity. absolute twink'n'b.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

haha INDEED. more WTF lines: "you see this bandanna hangin'? that means I'm - like a bandage!" and obv "my anatomy is birdlike" (what?) (no seriously, WHAT?)

and T-Pain's "Nappy Boy! and Pretty Boy!" outro <3

birdlike - yeah, you heard right

[cis.livejournal.com]

isn't it 'like a bandit'? not that that's any more clear.

all the grunts and awooos and drum machine stutter, and that huge-empty-hall echo: oh oh crunk'n'b.

Re: birdlike - yeah, you heard right

[koganbot]

When bandits go robbing, they pull their bandannas up to cover part of their faces, as a disguise.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

(btw did u get my email the other day?)

[cis.livejournal.com]

argh yes i swear as i get closer to a deadline my inability to respond to email approaches infinity.