Yet Another Year In Pop: 17

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

It had to happen at some point: this week's number one is called 'Number One'. Well done there Tinchy.

[Poll #1390628]

Lower reaches watch: Alesha Dixon gets excited at 48; My Sharona jumps up to no 77 because of the Weetabix advert.

Comments

[koganbot]

Tinchy Stryder f. N-Dubz "Number 1": Woman sneaks into his heart, the strings giving warm approbation, but voice and beats are a bit frantic, as if he hasn't quite found his feet (while getting swept off 'em, though not to the extent that he forgets to rank his gf's by number, apparently). TICK.

Marmaduke Duke "Rubber Lover": A dance beat sounds like it's puttering around the shed. Dull everyman's singing. I have no feel for this song's intentions or its world. NO TICK.

Prodigy "Warrior's Dance": Super high voice, then ear thumping bosh, and the squeaky voice sketches a tune. Claws at my eardrums, but my feet are unmoved. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

Keri Hilson f. Timbaland "Return The Favor": Synths imitate pan flutes, Keri and Timbo promise each other lollipops, Autotune provides sheen. Keri's voice is just Keri's voice. Track is nowhere near as pretty or witty as it should be (in fact, the words are not witty but stupid, "I'll be a bad girl, punish me" "I'll be a bad boy dance with me" being the song's idea of sparkling repartee), but a TICK.

Deadmau5 & Kaskade "I Remember": Beats are standard little blobs of echoey beauty, singer whispers her way to standard integrity and mystery, and I'll have to call on the Boney Joan Rule to justify my tolerating her even though I'd bared my teeth at the Bat For Lashes woman. BORDERLINE TICK.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the comparison to 'Promiscuous' shouldn't do 'Return The Favor' any favours - Tim and Keri act like they're being as witty and sparkling as Tim and Nelly were on 'Promiscuous' (despite the sneaking suspicion that no one involved in that record actually knew what the word "promiscuous" meant), but the lyrics are just...nothing. 'Return The Favor' works despite that though, I think cuz it's such ear candy - love the transition to the 4x4 backbeat for the chorus.