"Get Outta My Way" is a barnstorming, shut-the-fuck-up-and-throw-your-hands-in-the-air moment of pop euphoria that will probably become our favorite moment on Kylie's new album Aphrodite.
We just had to get that out of the way.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Rachel Stevens...A look back, five years later
It's been five years since Rachel Stevens released Come And Get It. To sort of sum things up, Come And Get It is one of its decade's most stylish, brilliantly executed pop records. It got rave reviews from the British press upon its release, but its singles all performed below expectations, and the album itself limped somewhere into the top 30 on the charts before disappearing from sight. In a world where there are numerous pop injustices, this was truly the greatest of them all.
"What happened with Come And Get It?", many have asked. It's not an entirely pointless question. It had all the makings of a pop success. Good looking female singer- check. Established pop credentials- check (she was a member of S Club 7...not exactly credible, but established nonetheless). Slew of top producers- check. So what got bungled up along the way?
We believe the project failed because it had no real idea which audience to aim itself at. The pop landscape was a bizarre one in 2005. Girls Aloud got lucky, but most other pop heroes were falling on their swords as people turned more and more to indie rock or hip-hop. Rachel Stevens was the prim-and-perfect, Grade-A pop starlet primed for success, armed with the right ammunition, and audiences were turned off by that. Girls Aloud remained successful because they had always been a bit of a hodgepodge, rough-around-the-edges gang, but Rachel was too pretty, the package was too sleek, too commercial. There was no real audience lapping it up, and as a result Come And Get It tanked the way it did.
That doesn't remove the fact that it is a fucking incredible pop album. Critics accused her of being detached and sounding completely disinterested in her singing, but Christ on a bike who cares when the songs are just so good? She got producers like Xenomania (amazing), Richard X (amazing), Rob Davis (amazing), Hannah Robinson (amazing), Jewels and Stone (amazing), and so many more to throw the best batch of pop that money can buy into her perfectly toned lap. The results were splendid, even if only ten people gave a shit.
Let's have a listen to some of Come And Get It's more amazing moments:
"Crazy Boys"
Like 2004's massively wonderful "Some Girls" (which also made its way onto this album), Richard X dresses up "Crazy Boys" as a rough, not-quite-finished slice of industrial pop. When that chorus kicks in though, everything seamlessly comes together and the listener is left in a state of sheer euphoria.
"So Good"
The Kylie-esque video aside, "So Good" is...well, so good. A sort of "I Will Survive" for the 20th century, as one review put it, which might be stretching things a bit, but as a harmless piece of electro-pop, high marks all around.
"Funny How"
Ah, Xenomania, you can do no wrong.
"I Will Be There"
If Depeche Mode produced a song written by Dianne Warren for Britney Spears, it might sound something like this. We know that description doesn't exactly sound promising, but trust us, it's worth the listen.
"What happened with Come And Get It?", many have asked. It's not an entirely pointless question. It had all the makings of a pop success. Good looking female singer- check. Established pop credentials- check (she was a member of S Club 7...not exactly credible, but established nonetheless). Slew of top producers- check. So what got bungled up along the way?
We believe the project failed because it had no real idea which audience to aim itself at. The pop landscape was a bizarre one in 2005. Girls Aloud got lucky, but most other pop heroes were falling on their swords as people turned more and more to indie rock or hip-hop. Rachel Stevens was the prim-and-perfect, Grade-A pop starlet primed for success, armed with the right ammunition, and audiences were turned off by that. Girls Aloud remained successful because they had always been a bit of a hodgepodge, rough-around-the-edges gang, but Rachel was too pretty, the package was too sleek, too commercial. There was no real audience lapping it up, and as a result Come And Get It tanked the way it did.
That doesn't remove the fact that it is a fucking incredible pop album. Critics accused her of being detached and sounding completely disinterested in her singing, but Christ on a bike who cares when the songs are just so good? She got producers like Xenomania (amazing), Richard X (amazing), Rob Davis (amazing), Hannah Robinson (amazing), Jewels and Stone (amazing), and so many more to throw the best batch of pop that money can buy into her perfectly toned lap. The results were splendid, even if only ten people gave a shit.
Let's have a listen to some of Come And Get It's more amazing moments:
"Crazy Boys"
Like 2004's massively wonderful "Some Girls" (which also made its way onto this album), Richard X dresses up "Crazy Boys" as a rough, not-quite-finished slice of industrial pop. When that chorus kicks in though, everything seamlessly comes together and the listener is left in a state of sheer euphoria.
"So Good"
The Kylie-esque video aside, "So Good" is...well, so good. A sort of "I Will Survive" for the 20th century, as one review put it, which might be stretching things a bit, but as a harmless piece of electro-pop, high marks all around.
"Funny How"
Ah, Xenomania, you can do no wrong.
"I Will Be There"
If Depeche Mode produced a song written by Dianne Warren for Britney Spears, it might sound something like this. We know that description doesn't exactly sound promising, but trust us, it's worth the listen.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
'90s flashback, part 543
Everyone enjoys a raunchy tune every now and then. Few pop songs come as raunchier as Monifah's "Touch It" (particularly in the lyric "I want it more and more when you call my name and spank me"), but few pop songs also come as amazing as Monifah's "Touch It" (the brilliant sampling of Laid Back's "White Horse").
"Touch It" was a sizeable hit back in 1998, reaching No.9 on the Billboard singles chart. We feel that if this song were released in 2010 it would also be a fairly big hit, considering the Euro-sounding groove and synths.
(Wikipedia described "White Horse", which "Touch It" basically lifts its entire sound from, as a "crossover post-disco" song, so make of that what you will.)
(Aso, we're not really sure what's going on with the video's whole "Monifah performs for the troops" motif, but at least they're being realistic in realizing that most soldiers just want to see some pussy rather than some dolled-up Barbie yelling a jazz tune in their ears.)
"Touch It" was a sizeable hit back in 1998, reaching No.9 on the Billboard singles chart. We feel that if this song were released in 2010 it would also be a fairly big hit, considering the Euro-sounding groove and synths.
(Wikipedia described "White Horse", which "Touch It" basically lifts its entire sound from, as a "crossover post-disco" song, so make of that what you will.)
(Aso, we're not really sure what's going on with the video's whole "Monifah performs for the troops" motif, but at least they're being realistic in realizing that most soldiers just want to see some pussy rather than some dolled-up Barbie yelling a jazz tune in their ears.)
Some new Kylie developments to throw your way...
We're getting ever so closer to the release of Kylie's new album, and a couple of things out in "cyberpsace" have been heightening our anticipation.
1) Aphrodite megamix
*EXPLODES* was basically our reaction when we stumbled across this...
This is a megamix comprised of six tracks from Aphrodite- "Get Out of My Way", "Cupid Boy", Can't Beat The Feeling", "Too Much", "Put Your Hands Up", "Aphrodite".
For the record, "GET OUT OF MY WAY" LOOKS SET TO BE ONE OF 2010's TOP POP MOMENTS. Good Lord, the preview of this song has set our eardrums alight. We're in love.
We admit that none of the other tracks really impressed us in the same way..."Cupid Boy" seems very stagnant and awkward, and "Aphrodite" reminds us of "Nu-Di-Ty" on the X album. Trust us, that was not a compliment.
Further assessment is needed, however, before we can pass full judgement.
Then there's the b-side to the new single "All The Lovers". It's called "Go Hard or Go Home". Not a particularly outstanding track (hence its b-side status...the only people in pop who seem capable of turning out excellent b-sides are Girls Aloud), but it is a fun dance track that is definitely giving us a good idea of what to expect from Aphrodite- celebratory, feel-good pop. And really, we don't find anything wrong in that.
Oh Kylie, you temptress...
1) Aphrodite megamix
*EXPLODES* was basically our reaction when we stumbled across this...
This is a megamix comprised of six tracks from Aphrodite- "Get Out of My Way", "Cupid Boy", Can't Beat The Feeling", "Too Much", "Put Your Hands Up", "Aphrodite".
For the record, "GET OUT OF MY WAY" LOOKS SET TO BE ONE OF 2010's TOP POP MOMENTS. Good Lord, the preview of this song has set our eardrums alight. We're in love.
We admit that none of the other tracks really impressed us in the same way..."Cupid Boy" seems very stagnant and awkward, and "Aphrodite" reminds us of "Nu-Di-Ty" on the X album. Trust us, that was not a compliment.
Further assessment is needed, however, before we can pass full judgement.
Then there's the b-side to the new single "All The Lovers". It's called "Go Hard or Go Home". Not a particularly outstanding track (hence its b-side status...the only people in pop who seem capable of turning out excellent b-sides are Girls Aloud), but it is a fun dance track that is definitely giving us a good idea of what to expect from Aphrodite- celebratory, feel-good pop. And really, we don't find anything wrong in that.
Oh Kylie, you temptress...
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
All right...here we go...
Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" is one of the greatest singles of recent years.
We know, we know...this has come as a shock to most of you avid readers of Mp3s and Cookies (....crickets....crickets....), and it's only been recently that we've finally thrown up our hands in defeat and embrace the song.
What is so great about it? It's not the most revolutionary tune out there, Madonna's done something similar before, Kylie's done something similar before. But there's something at the very core of "Bad Romance" that is strictly, 100% Gaga, and for that we have to give her kudos. The song is desperate and rabid while in the same instance cold, mechanical and militaristic. It sounds like German techno, a little "industrial" (not in the Rammstein sense, mind you...); it almost sounds like something that could single-handedly ignite an Eastern European revolution.
Then there's that hook, "Ra Ra Ra-A-A-, Ro-Ma-A-A-A"...it speaks a thousand words about the Gaga revolution that has taken the world by storm this past year. As much as we tried to fight off Gaga, as much as we pronounced ourselves unimpressed and irritated with everything pertaining to her, it is useless to deny that this fag-loving queen from New York has the entire music world clasped inside one sequined iron fist, and that "Ga-Ga-Oo-La-La" refrain is the calling of an entire generation of Gaga monsters.
So, viewers, we admit defeat, and we embrace the glory that is "Bad Romance". Please do not judge us for this.
We know, we know...this has come as a shock to most of you avid readers of Mp3s and Cookies (....crickets....crickets....), and it's only been recently that we've finally thrown up our hands in defeat and embrace the song.
What is so great about it? It's not the most revolutionary tune out there, Madonna's done something similar before, Kylie's done something similar before. But there's something at the very core of "Bad Romance" that is strictly, 100% Gaga, and for that we have to give her kudos. The song is desperate and rabid while in the same instance cold, mechanical and militaristic. It sounds like German techno, a little "industrial" (not in the Rammstein sense, mind you...); it almost sounds like something that could single-handedly ignite an Eastern European revolution.
Then there's that hook, "Ra Ra Ra-A-A-, Ro-Ma-A-A-A"...it speaks a thousand words about the Gaga revolution that has taken the world by storm this past year. As much as we tried to fight off Gaga, as much as we pronounced ourselves unimpressed and irritated with everything pertaining to her, it is useless to deny that this fag-loving queen from New York has the entire music world clasped inside one sequined iron fist, and that "Ga-Ga-Oo-La-La" refrain is the calling of an entire generation of Gaga monsters.
So, viewers, we admit defeat, and we embrace the glory that is "Bad Romance". Please do not judge us for this.
Bextor Overload
Over the years, Sophie Ellis-Bextor has proven to be one of our favorite popstars. Not only is the woman drop-dead gorgeous, but she has a terribly keen sense of picking excellent pop singles.
She's currently promoting her forthcoming album, Straight to the Heart, due in August, and she's got two cracking singles currently "making the rounds".
One of them is "Can't Fight This Feeling", which sees her as a featured vocalist with French DJ Junior Caldera. It reminds us of your standard '90s club jam and is packed with a killer, straight-for-the-jugular chorus. It is a fantastically gay three and a half minutes.
(excuse the rather naff video)
Then we have "Bittersweet", which is the official lead-off track from her album. Produced by the Freemasons (who, as you'll remember, worked with her on "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)", one of our top 20 songs of 2009), "Bittersweet" is essentially everything you've come to expect from such a collaboration. Freemasons throw in their typical brand of thudding '80s house sounds, Sophie sounds as posh and disinterested as ever, and really it's just spectacular (if slightly unremarkable...but in the business of pop, unremarkability isn't always the key).
(we personally like the radio edit more than the Freemasons remix, but that's just us)
She's currently promoting her forthcoming album, Straight to the Heart, due in August, and she's got two cracking singles currently "making the rounds".
One of them is "Can't Fight This Feeling", which sees her as a featured vocalist with French DJ Junior Caldera. It reminds us of your standard '90s club jam and is packed with a killer, straight-for-the-jugular chorus. It is a fantastically gay three and a half minutes.
(excuse the rather naff video)
Then we have "Bittersweet", which is the official lead-off track from her album. Produced by the Freemasons (who, as you'll remember, worked with her on "Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)", one of our top 20 songs of 2009), "Bittersweet" is essentially everything you've come to expect from such a collaboration. Freemasons throw in their typical brand of thudding '80s house sounds, Sophie sounds as posh and disinterested as ever, and really it's just spectacular (if slightly unremarkable...but in the business of pop, unremarkability isn't always the key).
(we personally like the radio edit more than the Freemasons remix, but that's just us)
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