1 February 2003 Let's be clear: no one for a minute thought that T.A.T.u. and 'All The Things She Said' was any sort of considered, supportive depiction of real-world same-sex relationships. It was a Russian record producer called Ivan Shapovalov getting two young singers, aged 17 and 19 at the time, to cosplay as the … Continue reading T.A.T.u. – ‘All The Things She Said’
Tag: 00s
Girls Aloud – ‘Sound Of The Underground’
11 January 2003 Girls Aloud are the best pop group of this century, and the string of '00s singles they had with the writer-producer team of Xenomania is the most thrilling run of chart hits since '80s Madonna and Prince. 'Biology': the song with four choruses! 'Call The Shots' and 'Can't Speak French': worthy of … Continue reading Girls Aloud – ‘Sound Of The Underground’
Eminem – ‘Lose Yourself’
7 December 2002 'Lose Yourself' is Eminem's second Irish Christmas number one in just three years. I like to think of nostalgic Irish families tucking into Christmas dinner, then gathering around the festive fireplace, all to the seasonal good cheer of this and 'Stan' plus a few slur-laden bars of 'Fairytale Of New York'. Peace … Continue reading Eminem – ‘Lose Yourself’
Westlife – ‘Unbreakable’
9 November 2002 Didn't we use to have more of these things? This is Westlife's first Irish number one in a year and their only Irish chart-topper of 2002. Maybe their stock-in-trade of wedding anniversary anthems wasn't the best mood music for Saipan-riven Ireland. Anyway, 'Unbreakable' is more of Westlife's usual boil-in-the-bag overwrought boyband balladry. … Continue reading Westlife – ‘Unbreakable’
Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland – ‘Dilemma’
19 October 2002 As a player who has several plus-ones on the go, I find a mail merge spreadsheet template an invaluable labour-saving and time-management tool to keep all my plates spinning and my squeezes keen: "Hiya {{term of affection}} hope ur keeping that fine {{part of body}} warm for some {{physical interaction}} {{day of … Continue reading Nelly ft. Kelly Rowland – ‘Dilemma’
Las Ketchup – ‘Aserejé (The Ketchup Song)’
12 October 2002 Hands up: who heard this and as a result assumed 'aserejé' was Spanish for a tomato? And up goes my hand. It's actually just a made-up word that runs together a few well-known anglophone pop vocalisms: "I said a-hey" and the like. To be precise, it's the character in the song, a … Continue reading Las Ketchup – ‘Aserejé (The Ketchup Song)’
Avril Lavigne – ‘Complicated’
28 September 2002 I recall hearing quite a few people at the time using the epithet 'anti-Britney' about Avril Lavigne's 'Complicated'. Two decades later, here's where I get to say: not so fast. Yes, there was a space in the early '00s for a young female singer who wasn't presenting sexualised content in sexualised wrapping. … Continue reading Avril Lavigne – ‘Complicated’
Atomic Kitten – ‘The Tide Is High (Get The Feeling)’
31 August 2002 I've given you fair notice by now that this trip through the '00s Irish number ones will not be, contrary to what we thought we remembered, an extended Xenomania victory parade. We've already seen Six score two number ones, more than either Girls Aloud or the Sugababes will manage, and now here … Continue reading Atomic Kitten – ‘The Tide Is High (Get The Feeling)’
Mad’House – ‘Like A Prayer’
24 August 2002 Ireland went buck-wild for Euro-dance in the early 2000s. Why was this? Well, Ireland had gone buck-wild for Euro-dance in the early 1990s too and, as I proposed in my thesis here on 'Maniac 2000', those were both feel-good times for Ireland in general. To borrow the MBA vernacular of our Celtic … Continue reading Mad’House – ‘Like A Prayer’
Shakira – ‘Underneath Your Clothes’
27 July 2002 Remember in Argentina at the start of the '00s when there was an economic crash, a run on the banks, IMF intervention, and public riots? The President of Argentina at the time, Fernando de la Rúa, was unable to get a grip on the situation, and resigned in December 2001 in deep … Continue reading Shakira – ‘Underneath Your Clothes’
