Monday, July 24, 2006
Pop Music in "Quite Popular, isn't it?" Shocker
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 Is 2006 going to be the year that Pop Music firmly places itself back into the spotlight? Obvious mentions so far are Nelly Furtdao, Lily Allen, The Pet Shop Boys, McFLY, the surprising success of The Young Divas and the even bigger surprise success story in Australia with the High School Musical Soundtrack (which has sky rocketed to Number #2 this week on the ARIA charts). Hell. Even Paris Hilton's "Stars Are Blind" can be somewhat responsible for Pop's spotlight return.
And now a flow of amazing new music is headed our way. Alesha Dickson, formerly of Mis-teeq, has a new 'number' titled "Lipstick", which is an ace pop-rock ditty with a chorus so infectious, you may end up catching something. This is her first solo single and, if this is anything to go by, the album is going to be an absolute treat.
Justin Timberlake's new single "Sexy/Back" is a sensational slice of urban pop, filtered with a sound that almost rips off vintage Prince, but still manages to stay ridiculously fresh and innovative. In fact, something tells me that this is probably what Prince's "Black Sweat" from this year should have sounded like.
Black Eyed Peas harlot Fergie has a new album out in September hilariously titled "Dutchess". The first single off it "London Bridge (Oh Shit!)" is, in short, mindblowingly good. Yes, her nails-on-a-chalk-board "voice" is a bit much to handle after a while, but the chorus in this alone makes up for all of that. Can't say I'm overly excited to hear what she has to offer with a full album (not surprisingly, it's been produced by Will.I.Am) - but that certainly doesn't mean I'm not very interested to hear it.
After the rather average effort put into his last album "Intensive Care" (even though "Tripping" is quite possibly his greatest single to date, and album track "Gay Friend" is sublime on so many levels), it's nice to hear of the news that Robbie Williams has made a dance album this time round. First single, titled "Rudebox", is a minimal-electro-rap assault with glitchy sounds and a funky bassline. His rapping is not brilliant, but, you know, neither was Madonna's in "American Life". And that rap is now the ringtone on my mobile phone. (Er... What I am trying to say is that his rapping is something you will, after enough listens, grow to love). Reportedly, he's worked with The Pet Shop Boys (!!) and William Orbit (!!!) for this new album, and one of the tracks is said to be an ode to Madonna. So there you go.
Ta-dah! The Scissor Sisters are back with what is shaping up to be the POP COMEBACK OF THE YEAR. QUITE POSSIBLY, THE CENTURY. New single "Don't Feel Like Dancing" sounds like it's been ripped straight out of Elton John's disco-apparel-closet, and put through a rinse in the Scissor Sisters tumble wash for an added touch of brilliance. Ironically, I have not been able to stop dancing to this song. But maybe that's the whole point of it.
And then, to top off all this wondrous new music, comes this quote from newly married Girl Aloud, Cheryl Tweedy: "After our tour finished we went into the studio to record three new songs for the Greatest Hits. We've come up with six tracks we love and are now thinking we should do a new studio album instead." She then goes on to say "Pop is on a roll right now with Lily Allen and Nelly Furtado - and we want to continue being a part of it."
Thank fuck for that then.
All this new music is very exciting, with ace and interesting new releases still to come from Jessica Simpson (the video clip for her Holiday-by-Madonna-rip-off "Public Affair" co-stars Eva Longoria which, therefore, makes it the VIDEO CLIP OF THE YEAR), Paris Hilton, The Young Divas and, here in Australia, Dannii Minogue, but is all this wonderfull new music going to be enough? Is all this really all it will take for pop to have a good run in the limelight again?
Only time will tell really. Either way, you just cannot deny that it's a very exciting time to be a pop enthusiast.
2 Comments:
- 11:40 AM | Woodsman said...
Ok so i just yelled at you a second ago, but now I would quite like a favour...how does one get to hear the new Scissor's single over the net...How dare they not perform it on Rove - i watched that little fucknut cuntnose for a whole 30mins in the hope that they would. It was almost worth it to watch Ana run rings around him true, but now i am tres eager to hear the song....may i please sir, have some more...
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