20 December 2007 The 2007 series of The X Factor wasn't a vintage year: no dazzling winner like Leona Lewis, no breakout finalist like One Direction or Olly Murs, not even a people's leftfield favourite like Jedward. Small-boyish Leon from Scotland beat big-boyish Rhydian from Wales, the two of them essentially distinguishable only by the … Continue reading Leon Jackson – ‘When You Believe’
Tag: 2007
Leona Lewis – ‘Bleeding Love’
25 October 2007 Insofar as any pop music analysis can be methodologically sound, I remember having a lightbulb moment at a small local gig in November 2007. There, I heard the support act—a hipster guy with a ukulele, naturally—play their version of 'Bleeding Love', then number one in the charts. Ironic or condescending cover versions … Continue reading Leona Lewis – ‘Bleeding Love’
Shayne Ward – ‘If That’s OK With You’
27 September 2007 The final three months of 2007 see the Irish number one spot taken by three winners of The X Factor in a row, making it four Irish chart-toppers for UK TV talent show winners that year alone. And there'll be three more in 2008 and four in 2009. To put that in … Continue reading Shayne Ward – ‘If That’s OK With You’
Sean Kingston – ‘Beautiful Girls’
30 August 2007 Content warning: self-harm. Regular readers will recall me mentioning how I spent a good part of the '00s and '10s living in Paris. One of the novelties of French music radio and TV was that they'd air the sweary version of English-language hits uncensored. For instance, I'd be hunting-gathering in my local … Continue reading Sean Kingston – ‘Beautiful Girls’
Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson – ‘The Way I Are’
26 July 2007 Helping the grammar police with their enquiries here: superstar US electro-R&B producer Timbaland and singer-writer Keri Hilson, plus in the video (below) additional verses by rapper D.O.E. and Timbaland's brother Sebastian. That's a whole lot of people not to catch a typo. In fairness, though, that title is smart: it jolts this … Continue reading Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson – ‘The Way I Are’
Fergie – ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’
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’
