22 June 2018 Ireland's chart-topping singles of the mid-to-late-'10s have been mostly a litany of bland, basic, trop-house-flavoured EDM-pop. 'Solo' is similar in particular to Dua Lipa's 'IDGAF' earlier that year in serving up big talk and a timid chorus F-bomb. Clean Bandit know how to top the charts with innocuous dance-pop, though their trademark … Continue reading Clean Bandit ft. Demi Lovato – ‘Solo’
Chuck Berry – ‘My Ding-A-Ling’
7 December 1972 What in God's name is Chuck Berry doing at the top of the charts—in Ireland, the UK and, amazingly, for the only time in the US—in 1972? Well, if it had ever gone away at all, '50s rock n' roll was having a glam- and nostalgia-fuelled renewal of interest. Berry had headlined … Continue reading Chuck Berry – ‘My Ding-A-Ling’
Lieutenant Pigeon – ‘Mouldy Old Dough’
2 November 1972 I turn again to the words of my guru, Hugo Drax: "Not being English, I sometimes find your sense of humour rather difficult to follow". Feigning interest in 'Mouldy Old Dough' for a moment, I discern a mixum-gatherum of traditional English cultural expression: music hall; sea shanty; medieval folk; Dickensian grotesquery; end-of-the-pier … Continue reading Lieutenant Pigeon – ‘Mouldy Old Dough’
Gilbert O’Sullivan – ‘Clair’
26 October 1972 Others abide Operation Yewtree's questioning; Gilbert is free. Even with lines like "to me you're more than a child" and "in spite of our age difference" there's no implication of anything untoward in 'Clair'. We know that this is simply the Gilbertian muse in action: take an idea whimsically, run with it … Continue reading Gilbert O’Sullivan – ‘Clair’
Ariana Grande – ‘No Tears Left To Cry’
27 April 2018 This was the first new music released by Ariana Grande after the bomb attack outside her concert in Manchester on 22 May 2017. Twenty-two people were killed by the attack and over a thousand others were injured. The up-tempo electro-pop of 'No Tears Left To Cry' aims to be defiant and resolute … Continue reading Ariana Grande – ‘No Tears Left To Cry’
Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa – ‘One Kiss’
13 April 2018 It doesn't say much for the star quality of Dua Lipa or Calvin Harris that 'One Kiss' puts me in mind of early-'00s randomer Euro-dance hits like Rui Da Silva's 'Touch Me'. Dua's chorus vocal hook is strong, and Harris's instrumental hook soon after is stronger still, but we used to have … Continue reading Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa – ‘One Kiss’
David Cassidy – ‘How Can I Be Sure’
19 October 1972 Every generation has its male pop teen-idols and pin-ups. Since the '90s, they've tended to originate in variety packs of four or five, known to science as boybands, so that you can choose your preferred dreamboat from the cheeky one, the cute one, the tough one, the talented one, or—let's not kink-shame—the … Continue reading David Cassidy – ‘How Can I Be Sure’
Drake – ‘God’s Plan’
2 February 2018 Maybe the provocative video for 'God's Plan' was acknowledgement that the track was especially bland and needed an add-on to grab attention. The synth riff and trap beat are nice but slight. Drake's rap, though, is a contrail of nothingness, a swatch of beige and off-white shades you could paint your kitchen … Continue reading Drake – ‘God’s Plan’
T. Rex – ‘Children Of The Revolution’
5 October 1972 The crop is getting noticeably thinner; 'Children Of The Revolution' doesn't have a bridge or a third verse, and at barely two-and-a-half minutes it's half the length of 'Hot Love' and two minutes shorter than 'Get It On'. Also thinning off here is the market demand; 'Children Of The Revolution' didn't get … Continue reading T. Rex – ‘Children Of The Revolution’
Dua Lipa – ‘IDGAF’
26 January 2018 I feel defeated. 'IDGAF' must be one of the dullest tracks ever to top the charts. From its lack of a tune to its lack of a hook, the whole thing is resolutely dour and flat. The pitch is Dua Lipa serving up attitude, but her cursive monotone is a subdued mumble … Continue reading Dua Lipa – ‘IDGAF’
