Yet Another Year In Pop: 21

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

A bumper crop of new entries this Bank Holiday Monday - Dizzee nabs another #1, Eurovision winner Alexander backflips his way to 10 while Brave Jade (not that one) manages a reasonable 27 despite the presence of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

[Poll #1405322]

Comments

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Dizzee - I didn't actually realise before that he is protesting that he *isn't* bonkers! OK that's slightly better - all that 'I'm mad, me' stuff is v off-putting. I like the grinding noise-bass riff but the rest of the track is a bit patchy. What a strange record to get to #1. Borderline non-tick

Daniel & Paolo & Empire - botherd

Alexander - can't really see why this won. It's sung moderately well, it's quite short, the dudes are doing somersaults around him. Gets weaker on repeated listens. No tick.

Star Pilots - I've just savaged the video to this over on my blog (http://tumblr.com/xfo1v3ypc), the cover itself is weak enough that I paid it no attention whatsoever during my rant. No tickety.

Keri & co - one of my less favourite tracks off the album, but the chorus is still utterly catchy, Ne-Yo is sweet and Kanye's daft rhymes raise a smile. TICK

Jade - was Leona, like, *busy* or something? I appreciate that this song needs to be belted out at the top of one's lungs but I worry for Jade's internal organs - if she keeps that up she'll rupture something. No tick.

Katy - possibly my favourite single of hers so far (damning with faint praise etc) in that she doesn't completely stamp her obnoxiousness all over it, and as a result I can happily hum the chorus. Borderline TICK

[koganbot]

Dizzee Rascal/Armand Van Helden "Bonkers": Dizzee is strong, Armand throws fuzzy noise at him, then booming noise, then gentle noise, then fuzzy noise once again, etc. Irritating, disparate. NO TICK.

Daniel Merriweather "Red": Light soul singer; they keep giving him heavy material. Last time he skated along well enough on the melody, this time he's struggling with passion, and it is a struggle. I'm tired just listening. NO TICK.

Alexander Rybak "Fairytale": Russo-Norwegian lightweight beats bevy of boring Eurovixens, decisive weapon being the fiddle bow he wields like a saber. TICK.

Paolo Nutini "Candy": A vibrato that outquavers Robin Gibb and Melanie put together; he's passionate here, creaking there, doesn't hold a mood. Too bad, 'cause the tune's nice. BORDERLINE NONTICK.

Star Pilots "In The Heat Of The Night": The '80s repeated but bleached empty. Track goes through the motions. How did this chart? NO TICK.

Keri Hilson "Knock You Down": Cool Keri delivers a pretty tune, Ne-Yo and Kanye add clumsiness rather than heat, the song survives. TICK.

Jade Ewen "It's My Time": Does her best not to make this sound like twice-swallowed gravy, but twice-swallowed gravy it is. NO TICK.

Katy Perry "Waking Up In Vegas": Clattering, crowded track, but there's a melody in there, and Katy's voice refracts into complementary parts: pissed, harried, amused. Borderline but not boring. BORDERLINE TICK.

Empire Of The Sun "We Are The People": First he makes like he's swallowing his tongue, but his voice penetrates nonetheless. Then he paints a nice mist in the sky. Don't know why this rather competent indie number gets bashed on the Jukebox while inept and enervated indie dance strides firmly into the sixes and sevens (though I do like Martin's description of Steele as Bowie with a throat condition). TICK.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Surely it wouldn't have killed Dizzee to write a second verse?

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

One verse in "Rolex" did Wiley no harm. Lessons were duly learned, I feel.

Hypothetical question: if "Bonkers" had been by Basement Jaxx feat. Dizzee and released in 2001, would it's %age score be higher or lower?

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

"Bonkers" aside - it's on a different level from everything else - the real moment of pleasure here was Alexander Rybak (although I've sat through some excrable stuff in the last hours). Empire of the Sun is shite, but it reminds me of Alan Parsons Project singles from the late 70s/early 80s (only a couple of which are Any Good At All, but I can never remind which ones are and which ones aren't.