Yet Another Year In Pop: 20

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

The Peas finally nab their 2nd number one, Eminem and Shontelle scrape into the top 40. Plus, what do you get when a duck attempts re-entry? Geddit? RE-ENTRY.

[Poll #1402250]

Lower reaches watch: this week's bizarre re-entry is Dizzee Rascal's Fix Up Look Sharp at #78. Any ideas?

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Uhhh why is 'Ain't No Sunshine' in the charts? It's one of my favourite songs ever but..what?

'Boom Boom Pow' settled down as a solid 7/10 once the initial WTF factor dissipated, but next to all the other shit in the top 40 it's a beacon of hope. From the BLACK EYED PEAS, of all people.

Endeavouring not to hear anything else off the Eminem album.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Wow, WTF is "Beautiful" doing on the UK charts? I think it's one of the best songs on his new album (one of the few good ones, even) but it's not a single, is it?

[koganbot]

Sorry Bill, but I don't usually tick re-entries unless there's something special and potent in the story of its re-entry. Ticked the other three, however.

Black-Eyed Peas "Boom Boom Pow": Mesmerizing, weird, strangely gorgeous, in-your-ear irritating, hilarious. Totally unexpected chart domination in the U.S., the best thing to happen to the charts this year. BOOM BOOM TICK!

Eminem "Beautiful": The sample is wooden, but Em himself is less deliberately robotic and distant than on "We Made You" and "3am." This is very borderline; what's making it potentially tickable is the line about being a hard act to follow, meaning others will have trouble following him but even more meaning he never could figure out how to follow up on his original brilliance. Chorus is clumsily obvious in both its message and sound, though. VERY BORDERLINE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT TICK.

Shontelle f. Akon "Stuck With Each Other": Starts portentous with the chords from Iggy's "Passenger," then a mid-level r&b girl is sweetly vulnerable, and Akon's more heavy-handed poignancy fails to squeeze the life out of things, for once. This is a grower, now provides reliable sway-with-the-rhythm moments. You guys should give it more of a chance. TICK.

[jel-bugle.livejournal.com]

Dizzee = on Jonathon Ross the other week, and at some Radio One festival in Swindon is all I can think of.