19 July 2007 Did the world really need solo Black Eyed Peas singles? Did the world really need Black Eyed Peas singles to begin with, says you. Anyway, here we are. This Fergie offering takes her from hip hop, or at least the Black Eyed Peas' dumbed-down concept of hip hop, into country-pop, crossover hits … Continue reading Fergie – ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’
Rihanna ft. Jay-Z – ‘Umbrella’
24 May 2007 One of the red herrings of pop culture is the alternate history: a singer turns down a song, or an actor misses out on a role, or a musician quits a band, only for it to be a smash hit for someone else. What poor judgement, what bad luck, is the thinking. … Continue reading Rihanna ft. Jay-Z – ‘Umbrella’
Akon – ‘Don’t Matter’
17 May 2007 Akon's bland, sugary voice and bland, sugary R&B hit a seam of success in the mid-'00s: after 'Lonely' and 'Smack That', here's his third Irish number one in two years. As you can tell, I'm not a fan. 'Don't Matter' is a sort of reggae-R&B fusion. It uses Bob Marley's 'No Woman … Continue reading Akon – ‘Don’t Matter’
Brian McFadden – ‘Like Only A Woman Can’
26 April 2007 There's a dedicated ulcer in the wall of my stomach for songs written by men about what they think Women are, can, like or do. And here comes Brian McFadden's latest Irish number one to get my gastric juices flowing like only a song called 'Like Only A Woman Can' can. The … Continue reading Brian McFadden – ‘Like Only A Woman Can’
Beyoncé and Shakira – ‘Beautiful Liar’
19 April 2007 'Beautiful Liar' feels less a duet than a strategic alliance between the most powerful chart-topping conglomerates of North and South America - a sort of pan-continental pop NAFTA. The video (below) posits them as equals, even down to the similar styling of hair and clothes. There's also parity of namedrop, with Shakira … Continue reading Beyoncé and Shakira – ‘Beautiful Liar’
Avril Lavigne – ‘Girlfriend’
5 April 2007 With its cheerleader-chanting vocals and clapping rhythms, topped with a prominent "you're so fine", 'Girlfriend' certainly owes a tip of the metaphorical hat to Toni Basil's 1981 smash hit 'Mickey'. However, it was a late-'70s US power pop band called The Rubinoos who went lawyer-side at its similarities to the chorus of … Continue reading Avril Lavigne – ‘Girlfriend’
The Fray – ‘How To Save A Life’
29 March 2007 There's a whole sub-genre of '00s landfill indie and alt-rock that soundtracked deathbed scenes in Grey's Anatomy. If you, a Grey's Anatomy character, caught the swelling strains of Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars', for instance, you weren't much longer for this world. 'How To Save A Life', title irony and all, is another … Continue reading The Fray – ‘How To Save A Life’
21 Demands – ‘Give Me A Minute’
22 March 2007 A lot has changed since 2007 - for instance, you now know 21 Demands by a different name. However, in 2007 a lot had already changed too. 21 Demands came to prominence that year as the runner-up in the latest series of You're A Star, which by now had recused itself from … Continue reading 21 Demands – ‘Give Me A Minute’
Mika – ‘Grace Kelly’
1 February 2007 There are two kinds of people in the world: those who like Queen, and those who'd sooner listen to roadworks. I'm in the latter, correct camp. Mika is clearly in the former: aside from name-checking Freddie Mercury, he could just as well have named this whole Freddie-style flamboyant piano-driven track after him … Continue reading Mika – ‘Grace Kelly’
Leona Lewis – ‘A Moment Like This’
21 December 2006 Here's another example of British TV dominating Ireland's pop-cultural marketplace: the X Factor winner's single was now as much an automatic Irish chart event as a UK one. And lest you think this was all just enthusiastic Irish boyband balladry fans lapping up the Irish boyband balladry style whatever the source, the … Continue reading Leona Lewis – ‘A Moment Like This’
