Yet Another Year In Pop: 33

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

[Poll #1444911]

Yes, this is a repost; I got rid of the original poll because I found some Wi-Fi and had forgotten Jeremih.

Comments

GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

The first song in AGES that I'd give a hearty, enthusiastic tick to!



LOVE this gorgeous slow jam so much, so happy it's properly crossing over - incredible production, those sensual drum rolls and sighing backing vox and weird howls and all that SPACE. Best song in the top 40 by about several million miles. More at the Jukebox (http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=423). I gave it 9 then but it'd be an unhesitating 10 now, this will assuredly be one of my singles of the year.

SIP ON WEEZY WHILE WE SIT ON MY-Y-Y COUCH

Bafflingly the Youtube channel I got that off is...named after the world No 714 female tennis player? Is it...actually her running a Youtube channel devoted to R&B and hip-hop videos? If not...why would anyone name anything after Martina Balogova?

There was a great discussion about '22' (http://www.thesinglesjukebox.com/?p=1098) at the Jukebox too, Erika and Cis on fire there.

Calvin Harris is an intolerable human being and his popularity baffles me completely. Just...why would you ever listen to this?

Re: GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I won't lie, the Jeremih song makes me feel a bit sick. I've never really been wild about particularly explicit songs that are actually trying to be sexy (as opposed to, say, Trina just being filthy) and maybe I'm some kind of prude but the wussy autotune makes it sound like he doesn't even know what sex is and bleeeeee.

Also hasn't it been around since 2006?

Re: GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[hoshuteki.livejournal.com]

Also, cf. lyric: "Tastes just like Hershey's". Most people I know seem to think Hershey's tastes a bit of sick (I think it tastes odd, but not awful).

Re: GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

I've never had Hersheys I don't think, unless they make those tasty peanut things in which case: TICK.

Re: GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[hoshuteki.livejournal.com]

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups = MASSIVE BIG TICK from me, and a very much no tick at all from lots of people I've spoken to on the subject.

Re: GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Yes, those! TICKTICKTICKTICK. I also like the Reese's Pieces things. Who are these foolish deniers of THE TASTY?

American "Hershey" connotations?

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I dunno, for some reason TASTE OF HERSHEY'S in this song makes me think of um, er, posteriors. This song also makes me feel a little queasy sittin' on MY-Y-Y-Y couch but I've come around to liking it a bit. (Usually this song just makes me want to listen to "I Luv Your Girl" by The-Dream instead.)

Re: GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

What INSANE people dislike Peanut Butter Cups?! Never trust them again.

Re: GIRL U KNOW I-I-I

[koganbot]

[cis.livejournal.com]

'birthday sex' has been the nearest to a summer jam all year: there was a month or so when it was everywhere, phones on the bus, the pa at pride, out of car windows.

1. the gentle art of euphemism is dead!

2. for a song that's meant to be about celebrating her birthday it's basically all about him, the stutter emphasises this: my-y-y house, my-y-y- couch, i-i-i, tell somebody how i
(the video makes this impression stronger: she's draping herself on him, he's making no effort)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

basically he's describing his present for her in loving detail - the present being HIMSELF. now that's having cake & eating it.

u&k: 1x solo piano version of 'bday sex', 1x venom & damage remix.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

TICKY:
Bloc Party-

-bloops, bleeps, staticky noises
-funkeh
-Kele in intimate mode TICKTICKTICK

Pink also gets an TICK for sounding a bit like Eels.

NON-TICKY:
EVERYONE ELSE

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Discliamer: it's possible that Swine Flu has made me go a bit indie.

[ms-bracken.livejournal.com]

I have made a playlist (http://open.spotify.com/user/vincennes/playlist/7fCXkcNEGfxxyEQWAPDW0x) for my convenience, other people might like it too.

I would have ticked the Lily Allen if not for the enormously grating glottal stop in the chorus. SOCIETY NOT SOCIʔY LILY, I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT.

Birthday Sex is amazingly fun and cheered me up, by contrast.

[koganbot]

Lily Allen "22": Lyrics have been analyzed over hill and under dale already, but the music needs examination 'cause I'm genuinely amazed by what she pulls off. The accompaniment has all these blatantly chintzy bits you can't avoid and all these subtly lush bits that you don't immediately notice, distant oohs and aahs and so on, so the signifiers say Frayed Retro Showtune while the track is actually quite warm. And in parallel to this, her enunciation has a surface coyness, but her way of holding notes makes the tune unobtrusively sad and beautiful. She's kinda a great artist when she's on. TICK.

Calvin Harris "Ready For The Weekend": Went back to "Acceptable In The '80s" to see why I liked that one while thinking most everything after it is a turd. It's singing is bad and puts the whole thing at an emotional distance, but the distance makes the track feel utopian, trying to invoke an era when such goofiness could have style. And the tune's half-decent. "Ready For The Weekend" has far worse singing, which feels like total lack of commitment. The tune isn't terrible, and even a halfway competent singer could have pushed this up to the borderline, but it seems that competence would ruin the appeal. And when we do get competence via guest vocals in the chorus, it's not really all that, anyway. The verses make my skin twitch in distaste. NO TICK.

Bloc Party "One More Chance": Is the piano part copying something classic? It seems very familiar and likable, and I'd be fine with this, a pushy dance track that doesn't lose its roll in the pushiness, but Okereke is the worst possible singer for it. Again, even halfway competent could do it. Can't these guys insert a classified in Musicians Wanted? Why are consumers settling for this, mere gestures instead of music? NO TICK.

Jeremih "Birthday Sex": OK, it finally got to me, the pure prettiness overcoming the callow singing and ridiculous lyrics. Lex is right about the arrangement, something Asian and spare in the percussion that makes the mush on top feel haunting in contrast. BIRTHDAY TICK.

David Guetta f. Akon "Sexy Bitch": Rhymes "diva" and "meet her." More than once. Scads of other singers in unison would weigh this down less than Akon does alone, but it's nice hearing him be deliberately funny, and Guetta can create tunes and hooks. BITCHY TICK (BORDERLINE).

Peter Andre "Behind Closed Doors": Sure-fire soul pop that would be good if sung by Iglesias, maybe even by the Chipmunks, but here it's fuzzed-up with guitar, which doesn't totally ruin it. That's up to the straining singer, who sounds like he hasn't taken a good shit in weeks. And don't get me started on the lyrics. I can't believe I'm ticking this. BORDERLINE TICK.

Pink "Funhouse": Pink's obviousness in this Ohio Players or something take-off seems subtle in comparison to this week's other masters of obviousness. She's yukking up what would have been too heavy as anything but comedy, and is kind of heavy as comedy too, but there's a touching synth flourish that adds a dollop of feeling to the mock misery. BORDERLINE TICK.

Ian Brown "Stellify": I never did get Madchester (never had to try, living in distant America), but, um, hate to be repetitive, but bloke can't sing and this is a song that requires singing. Pleasant enough otherwise. NO TICK.

U-u-u-urgent & Key-ey-ey-ey-ey-ey

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

is it pronounced Jeremy or (as Fearne Cotton insisted on doing yesterday) Jeremiah?

Re: U-u-u-urgent & Key-ey-ey-ey-ey-ey

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

It's Jeremiah (oddest real name spelling currently on the charts?)

Re: U-u-u-urgent & Key-ey-ey-ey-ey-ey

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Jerem-I-I-I

[mcarratala.livejournal.com]

I voted for the Lily slightly to my surprise: I realised that the quality of the arrangement outweighs the dumbness of the lyrics.