22 May 2008 Forgive my cynicism and lack of enthusiasm, but 'Take A Bow' reminds me of Beyoncé's 'Irreplaceable' (a.k.a. "To the left! To the left!") and its video (below) reminds me of the one for 'Irreplaceable'. Maybe Team Rihanna figured that consolidation of her new superstar status was the project brief, hence releasing a … Continue reading Rihanna – ‘Take A Bow’
Tag: 2008
Madonna and Justin Timberlake – ‘4 Minutes’
15 May 2008 '4 Minutes' is Madonna's last Irish number one single. After that, she has two singles in 2008-09 that both peak at number 10, then a 2012 track that only reaches no. 11... and since 2012 Madonna hasn't had any single crack the Irish top twenty. Not that the House of Ciccone will … Continue reading Madonna and Justin Timberlake – ‘4 Minutes’
Sharon Shannon with Mundy – ‘The Galway Girl’
10 April 2008 When Johnny Cash saw a late-career resurgence with sparse, stripped-back acoustic covers of 'Hurt' and 'Personal Jesus' in 2002, I waited to hear if the new Cash fans in Ireland would also rave about 'Forty Shades Of Green'. I waited in vain. Not that I have anything against that harmless ballad; I'm … Continue reading Sharon Shannon with Mundy – ‘The Galway Girl’
Glenn Keating and Greg Ryan – ‘The Munster Song’
3 April 2008 We've had nine Irish number ones about Irish and Man United soccer (not counting two football-related charity fundraisers plus a comedy ballad with a verse about a footballer from Cork), one about Wexford hurling, another that asks will Galway bate Mayo (answer: not if they have Willie Joe) but this is Ireland's … Continue reading Glenn Keating and Greg Ryan – ‘The Munster Song’
Flo Rida ft. T-Pain – ‘Low’
27 March 2008 Our first Irish number one from a San Marino Eurovision entrant, 'Low' is also the first of Flo Rida's six chart-toppers here. Given his chart dominance in the late '00s and early '10s, his unlikely Sammarinese repping in 2021 felt like a punchline to the gag of how far Flo Rida's star … Continue reading Flo Rida ft. T-Pain – ‘Low’
U2, The Dubliners, Kíla and A Band of Bowsies – ‘The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew’
6 March 2008 Christy Dignam, who has died just a few days before I write this, didn't have an Irish number one single with his band Aslan. However, as a credited member of A Band of Bowsies, the collective noun for the plethora of Irish singers appearing here, this is the third time we've seen … Continue reading U2, The Dubliners, Kíla and A Band of Bowsies – ‘The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew’
Duffy – ‘Mercy’
28 February 2008 The title and chorus lyric of 'Mercy' feel unfortunate since Duffy revealed the appalling ordeal she subsequently endured. (Content warning for that link: genuinely traumatic events.) Anyway, despite only topping the Irish charts for two non-consecutive weeks this was one of the biggest songs of 2008. A work client of mine even … Continue reading Duffy – ‘Mercy’
Basshunter – ‘Now You’re Gone’
24 January 2008 Was the nation of 'Maniac 2000' finally losing its taste for Euro-dance anthems? Certainly there used to be more of these records at number one in Ireland. And since in my 'Maniac 2000' treatise I linked the prevalence of Euro-house-trance bangers at number one to a feel-good factor of Irish society, their … Continue reading Basshunter – ‘Now You’re Gone’
Britney Spears – ‘Piece Of Me’
10 January 2008 New year, same old problems for Britney. Today, having seen many other famous young women being chewed up and spat out by tabloid paparazzi Internet frenzy, we hopefully have a bit more empathy and understanding for her and what she lived through in the '00s. Still, it's with a heavy heart and … Continue reading Britney Spears – ‘Piece Of Me’
