15 August 1999 Westlife at Cheiron! Could this single, written and produced by the same triumphant Swedish studio behind '...Baby One More Time' and 'I Want It That Way', be another 1999 pop classic? Have we been doing Westlife wrong all these years? Well, no. 'If I Let You Go' is a Westlife single. The … Continue reading Westlife – ‘If I Let You Go’
Ronan Keating – ‘When You Say Nothing At All’
1 August 1999 After Robbie and Geri, here's Ronan with the latest big solo move. Okay, so a re-listen to 'When You Say Nothing At All' reveals that Ronan Keating doesn't really shlur hish wordsh as popular lampoon would have it. I think he has more in common with what we now call "cursive" singers … Continue reading Ronan Keating – ‘When You Say Nothing At All’
Ricky Martin – ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’
25 July 1999 At the time of writing, Ricky Martin is involved in a widely-reported legal suit and counter-suit involving serious allegations against both parties, all as yet unproven. The matter has some unfortunate resonances with this particular Irish number one, so I'll try to keep things tasteful and considerate. 'Livin' La Vida Loca' was … Continue reading Ricky Martin – ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’
ATB – ‘9 PM (Till I Come)’
27 June 1999 ATB? '9 PM (Till I Come)'? Oh, it's that Ibiza trance-house track with the twiddly, wibbly instrumental hook. I remember hearing that distinctive hook everywhere, but I'm surprised to see that it spent a whole four weeks at number one in Ireland, longer than 'No Scrubs' and 'That Don't Impress Me Much' … Continue reading ATB – ‘9 PM (Till I Come)’
Shania Twain – ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’
20 June 1999 Obviously being a rocket scientist, Brad Pitt or car gotter pales in comparison to, taking a random example, a tall dark handsome Kerry person who speaks fluent French, runs marathons and writes sparkling, thought-provoking prose about chart-topping pop songs. Still, we should be considerate to the less impressive - right, Shania? The … Continue reading Shania Twain – ‘That Don’t Impress Me Much’
Baz Luhrmann – ‘Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)’
6 June 1999 The voice isn't Baz Luhrmann's but that of an Australian actor called Lee Perry. The words aren't Baz Luhrmann's either; it's the text of a 1997 column written by Chicago Tribune journalist Mary Schmich. The music barely rises above the level of a Bontempi keyboard demo setting. So, what exactly does Baz … Continue reading Baz Luhrmann – ‘Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)’
Various Artists – ‘Candle For Kosovo’
23 May 1999 I don't remember 'Candle For Kosovo', but I remember why Kosovo was in the world headlines in 1999. A decade that had begun so optimistically, with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the European communist regimes behind it, plus the end of apartheid and the liberation of Nelson Mandela, had quickly … Continue reading Various Artists – ‘Candle For Kosovo’
TLC – ‘No Scrubs’
9 May 1999 Truth be told, I didn't even know what a shorty was, which may explain other things. Thankfully, TLC introduce us to the concept of a scrub—also known as a buster—with the greatest piece of pop music exposition since the theme from The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air. With some relief I can … Continue reading TLC – ‘No Scrubs’
Westlife – ‘Swear It Again’
4 April 1999 Our new golden age of pop continues. Soon after Britney's '...Baby One More Time' we get something equally wondrous; take the familiar sight of five boyband lads with their matching white suits, air grabs and cruciform poses, give them what seems like just another romantic R&B-lite ballad with a key change at … Continue reading Westlife – ‘Swear It Again’
Britney Spears – ‘…Baby One More Time’
21 February 1999 Anyone born after February 1999 may disagree, but this feels like our first present-day number one. In chart pop terms, we've been living in a Britney and '...Baby One More Time' world ever since. The song made Britney Spears an instant icon and new type of pop star: the real-life girl whose … Continue reading Britney Spears – ‘…Baby One More Time’
