8 September 2001 Through the '90s and up to the end of 2000 our rap chart-toppers were mostly by children's TV characters and crass white men. So, Eve at number one feels like welcome progress on that front. She had already featured impressively with a verse of her own on the fabulous 1999 single 'You … Continue reading Eve ft. Gwen Stefani – ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’
DJ Ötzi – ‘Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)’
28 July 2001 We, the nation of ride-or-die devotees to 'Maniac 2000', aren't in much of a position to sneer at 'Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)'. Crowd-pleasing dance tracks like those were huge in the early '00s. When discussing Mark McCabe's contribution to Irish society I implied that DJ Ötzi may have subsequently been following the … Continue reading DJ Ötzi – ‘Hey Baby (Uhh, Ahh)’
U2 – ‘Elevation’
21 July 2001 Blur had a surprise US hit single in 1997 thanks to 'Song 2'. With its "Woo hoo!" hook and crunching rock chords, 'Elevation' sounds like U2's attempt to have a bit of that same 'Song 2' stuff for themselves. I'm not a fan of 'Song 2', Blur, or U2. I won't keep … Continue reading U2 – ‘Elevation’
Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink ft. Missy Elliott – ‘Lady Marmalade’
30 June 2001 Moulin Rouge was the movie hit of 2001. I remember being duly impressed by its opulent spectacle—the trademark of its director and former Irish number one act Baz Luhrmann—and its playful postmodernism. Less impressive was its reliance on the tired old plotline of a lead female character as male sexual possession, male … Continue reading Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink ft. Missy Elliott – ‘Lady Marmalade’
Shaggy ft. Rayvon – ‘Angel’
2 June 2001 'Better than 'It Wasn't Me'' is a pitifully low bar to clear, so it's a blessed relief to find that Shaggy's follow-up doesn't go for the same leery sexism and cretinous misogyny. Faint praise, I know. 'Better than UB40' should also be easy clearance for any serious reggae track - or so … Continue reading Shaggy ft. Rayvon – ‘Angel’
Geri Halliwell – ‘It’s Raining Men’
5 May 2001 Quentin Crisp had a brilliant quip in his autobiography The Naked Civil Servant about the effects of the Wall Street Crash on the London cityscape: "The sky was dark with millionaires throwing themselves out of windows." Could erstwhile Girl Power idealogue Geri Halliwell have had something similar in mind when choosing 'It's … Continue reading Geri Halliwell – ‘It’s Raining Men’
S Club 7 – ‘Don’t Stop Movin”
28 April 2001 A chart year or two from here, we'll have two UK girl groups—I've not seen the passport of all members to say otherwise—who each serve up hit after hit of sensational cutting-edge pop, right up there with the best music of the '00s. Placed beside them, S Club 7 feel like a … Continue reading S Club 7 – ‘Don’t Stop Movin”
Destiny’s Child – ‘Survivor’
21 April 2001 Drama! Yes, about Destiny's Child's immediate past—three departed members in acrimonious circumstances, plus “You thought I wouldn’t sell without you, sold nine million”—but also their immediate future. Much like George Michael as Wham!'s want-away star in the '80s, Beyoncé's solo superstardom was in 2001 a matter of when, not if. This phase … Continue reading Destiny’s Child – ‘Survivor’
Westlife – ‘Uptown Girl’
10 March 2001 This cover of Billy Joel's 1983 Irish number one was the official single for the 2001 iteration of the UK's Comic Relief, which once again makes me shake my head in wonder at the English sense of humour. I suppose since it's for charity I have to follow the lead of the … Continue reading Westlife – ‘Uptown Girl’
Shaggy ft. RikRok – ‘It Wasn’t Me’
3 March 2001 'It Wasn't Me' was only number one in Ireland for a week, but it then stayed at number two for the next seven weeks. This helps explain why you couldn't escape it in early 2001. And escape it is exactly what I wanted to do. I hated its sexism and misogyny: ha … Continue reading Shaggy ft. RikRok – ‘It Wasn’t Me’
