A New Decade In Pop: Weeks #1 & #2

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Back by reasonably popular demand, it's the weekly chart polls! Iyaz is the UK's newest #1, and despite humming the chorus all weekend I still keep finding myself calling him 'Jason Iyaz'. If Iyaz ever does a cover of 'I'm Yours' we will be in trouble.

[Poll #1510075]

2004 decade polls will resume later this week.

Comments

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

youngest top 10 ever? how old are iyaz and bieber in total?

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Iyaz: a solid TICK, as I might have expected from the people behind "Watcha Say". Catchy, and at least as good as anything that his mate Sean Kingston has done. Also, he's technically British, having been raised in the BVI.

Sidney S: borderline tick. I quite like the cute little whistling synth(?) melody in the instrumental bits. Also, the apparent randomness - and indeed pointlessness - of the "Riverside!" exclamations.

Just on Bebo: not as creepy as some have suggested. But the song is boring as hell. NO TICK.

I've ticked Alicia and this is basically the same song as Part I. Since I particularly liked what she brought to that, seems a bit churlish not to tick this Part as well.

Not heard Fat Em and will need some convincing to give it a whirl.

[rechabite.livejournal.com]

Despite Tom in the Grauniad having called for number ones with more of a sense of event "Replay" must be one of the least eventful of number ones. Dull and seemingly assembled out of a Lego Build Your Own Club Banger Kit. Suspect marketing rather than actual public interest is the culprit here but it's #2 on Billboard so stupid public settling for the mediocre for the millionth time can't be counted out. Wiley and Alicia (3 tracks in the Top 40! Go girl!) are the only other ones here which merit ticks.

[rechabite.livejournal.com]

As far as Ellie Goulding is concerned - the stupid record companies should have learned their lessons from last year, i.e. shove Little Boots down people's throats and they'll cough her back up, but let people decide for themselves whether or not they like her and you might be surprised.

Then again, I've heard Goulding - yet another mediocre, yelping pub rock chick to appease slavering baby boomer record execs wanting it to be the seventies again.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Saw Riverside on 4music the other night and basically went WTF? I thought it was pretty ace, but I hadn't realised how ubiquitous it is (e.g. also in the ads for banging new year ultra nrg clubland mix CDs).

[vumgarda.livejournal.com]

Is the return of "Dog Days Are Over" (only song of hers that I like) just due to being used on C4 Slumdog Millionaire adverts or is there some other reason?

Loved Ellie Goulding's last single a lot but all the extra production fairy dust they can find for the rerelease still doesn't make "Starry Eyed" sound like a hit. Just a bit too awkward and not-quite-there, much like "New in Town".

[koganbot]

Late on these, but I'll give 'em a shot:

Iyaz "Replay": Pleasant track that has nonetheless garnered my hatred for representing the sweet emptiness that's been clogging up the U.S. top ten for months now. There are good people involved (Rotem's done tremendous work with Paris and Tisdale); this is just one step too far into the sugar vapor. NO TICK.

Sidney Samson ft. Wizard Sleeve "Riverside (Let's Go)": They were fine without the rap, though I suppose it covers for the absence of "motherfucker" in the nonmotherfucker version. This is prime silliness anyway, like toy cars shrieking their brakes in rhythm. TICK.

Justin Bieber "One Time": Ah, Justin's sweetness is natural and doesn't swamp itself in saccharine to get across. Could be great, but needs better songs. This is one of his more not-bad ones, voice double- and triple-tracked but light enough to leave an air-current underneath. TICK.

Florence + The Machine "Dog Days Are Over": She's starched and stiffened but eventually bends at the joints, while sounding every bit as wooden but now knocking into walls and banisters and stuff. NO TICK.

Lostprophets "Where We Belong": They were borderline OK last time; here they're monotonous, layering rock-like gestures one atop another. NO TICK.

Wiley & Chew Fu "Take That": This is as subtle as an attack of giant, man-eating squids, Wiley riding the cephalopods to victory. TICK THAT.

Alicia Keys "Empire State Of Mind Part II": A lovely voice an' all, but the verse is slow and pedantic; there are payoffs in the by-now famous hook and when the drums finally enter, but it's a long time getting there. I miss the sample from "Love On A Two-Lane Street," which only shows for about eight seconds. NO TICK.