Paramore - 'The Only Exception'
Honesty is a tough word to live up to in the field of modern popular song. The very act of singing your feelings instead of expressing them in the way your body most naturally would - crying, laughing, shouting etc - is a fundamentally dishonest thing to do. It might be cathartic, it might even count as a kind of therapy, but you're essentially putting a frame around your own troubled innards and inviting people to come and see the exhibition.
It's a layer of self-consciousness, a bit like that scene in Glee where Finn decides that the best way to tell his girlfriend's parents that they're about to become grandparents is to sing a song about it, to them, at the dinner table. It's a scene which came across as ridiculous and wrong, even on television; even on GLEE on television.
Try that in real life, and you'll probably find yourself having to eat a CD player. At carving-knife-point.
(Here's the video. It is tough being a hot girl.)
And yet, on the surface of things, singing is all about expressing raw emotion. The singer has to convince you, the listener, that they mean every word, even when those words are just a load of old nonsense. Hayley Williams is getting better at this with every single Paramore release. And this is the most honest-sounding yet.
Everything about it rings true: from the bits about the disillusionment of childhood, when you realise your parents are just people too, to the bits about the disillusionment of adulthood, when you realise that sometimes bad things happen to good people. And clearest and truest of all, the realisation that people who are good for you are few and far between and you need to cherish those people and most of all, ensure that they know about it.
Extra praise is due to the band for coming up with such a transparent, delicate arrangement, which allows Hayley to emote clearly, and builds up to a nice climactic power-ballad ending. It's about as honest as music gets, frankly, and as such, is pretty damn-near impossible to find fault with.
Download: Out now
CD Released: April 5th
www.paramore.net
BBC Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~52~RS~)
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Wait, so our we just giving out 5 Stars to everything Paramore produce now. I know the rating system doesn't really mean anything but awarding the first three singles 5 Stars each implies that they've made the greatest album ever or something.
The Only Exception is a decent song, even if it does sound a bit like a Katy Perry ballad, but I wouldn't say it's a 5 Star song. 3 Stars for me.
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Amen to that Harry!
3 stars also.
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I'm a big Paramore fan but even I wouldn't give it 5 stars. I gave it 3.5 stars over on Jedward.
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But I do agree with Fraser about how honest Hayley is getting with each Paramore release. And just because they have three 5 star releases from the one album, doesn't make it the greatest album ever, Harry, it means that they're just releasing good singles from the album.
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Well I give it 5 stars. Really nice song, and yep, Paramore have released 3 damn near perfect singles so far. Ignorance was an angry up tempo audio assault, Brick By Brick was as catchy as it was brilliant and The Only Exception is a slow song that really makes you think.
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I know, I was completely disappointed that Brick By Boring Brick performed so poorly in the charts. With that great video and everything.
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Id give this a solid 4 stars. I reserve my 5 star ratings for amazing stuff. So I wouldn't give any of the new Paramore stuff a 5 star rating.. probably one or two of the earlier songs would get 5.
But that's just me!
This is a brilliant, raw, sexy and honest song. Really enjoy listening to it. Even if it does sound a bit like Avril Lavigne.
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I believe that Once by Diana Vickers , as a pop song is very close to 5 stars , and will be a top 10 hit on April 25th 2010 .
How many stars for Diana's song for you Liam ?
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really really boring song.. don't get it at all..
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I also think it sounds a bit Avril Lavigne, Liam. But still that doesn't do much for me because it's not Avril herself.
As I said I'd give it 3 stars, half because it's not all brilliant like, but also because ''Brick By Boring Brick'' was VERY brilliant like.
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I was thinking how many bands have actually released three 5 Star song from an album in a row, so far all I could think of was;
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Time To Pretend, Kids and Electric Feel (though if I was being mean I'd say Electric Feel is only a four star song)
U2 - The Joshua Tree
With Or Without You, Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Where The Streets Have No Name
Michael Jackson - Thriller
if you forget about The Girl Is Mine; Billie Jean, Beat It and Wanna Be Startin Something
The Killers - Hot Fuss
Mr Brightside, Somebody Told Me and All These Things I've Done
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
PDA (though it was technically the radio single from an ep so it might not count), Obstacle 1 and Say Hello To The Angels
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out), Rebellion (Lies) and Wake Up.
I'm not sure about Guns N Roses because I'm not a massive fan of Paradise City and The Clash might get in there with the album London Calling
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well harry I'm sure a lot of people will think it, but I'm gonna have to say every single released from 'Whatever people say i am...'
btw random little fact.. that album sold 1.2 million copies in the UK and 100,000 in Argentina... Argentinians love it!
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I thought there was only two singles released from 'Whatever People Say...' - When Sun Goes Down and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor. If there had been 3 singles then I'm sure it's worthy of inclusion.
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The View From The Afternoon , from the EP ... Who The **** Are The Arctic Monkeys ?
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Actually I wouldn't say 'Somebody told me' was a 5 star track. There's better on Hot Fuss! It may be one of my least favorite Killers tracks actually. I'd also 4 star electric feel 'cause I'm mean.
'The view from the afternoon' is still on the album 'Whatever..', as well as the 'Who the ..' EP. So I guess that counts.
But because I am a complete mean person with my star ratings, I'm not actually sure I'd give 'I bet that you look good on the dance floor' a 5 star rating. The album made my top 10 list of the decade (basically ever, for me) .. but it's not a personal favorite track. 'The View from the Afternoon', 'Fake Tales of San Francisco', 'You Probably Couldn't See for the Lights but You Were Staring Straight at Me', 'Still Take You Home' (at a push), 'Mardy Bum', 'When the Sun Goes Down' and my personal favorite 'A Certain Romance' are all 5 star songs in my mind.
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3 5 star releases in a row? Hmm.
'Dog days are over', 'Rabbit heart..' and 'Drumming song' are all 5 star.
'Mowgli's Road', 'Hollywood', 'I Am Not a Robot'?
Check out Muse's single release list on Wikipedia and there's several groups of 3 singles that are all 5 star. The same for Radiohead.
I'd agree on Arcade fire, of course!
I'm not at home so I can't really just glance down my iTunes. I've checked and the Artic's and The Killers didn't manage to release 3 5 star singles in a row. Neither did Lily Allen, Adele, Scissor Sisters, Glasvegas, Jamie T, Yeah Yeah Yeahs or Kings of Leon.
Imogen Heap did manage it though, with 'Hide and Seek', 'Goodnight and Go' and 'Headlock'.
Gaga needs to release a 3rd 5 star single as 'Bad Romance' and 'Telephone' are her only 5 star singles in my book, since 'Just Dance'.
I'm now just thinking of artists I'm listening to at the moment ..
'Great Expectations', 'The '59 Sound' and 'The Backseat' from The Gaslight Anthem just falls short as 'The Backseat' is only a 4 star song.
Bloc Party did it with 'Flux', 'Hunting for Witches', 'I Still Remember' and actually made 4 with 'The Prayer' too.
Plan B's last three are all 5 star.
I could play this game all day to be honest. Think I'll stop there! I do only hand out 5 star ratings for brilliance in my eyes.. though it does look a little like I throw it around from all these! Hmm maybe I need to get stricter!
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Slow Hands
Evil
C'mere
The 3 singles from Interpol's excellent second album , Antics , are all 5 star singles .
Superb .
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Geraldine.
Daddy's Home.
Flowers and Football Tops.
3 ***** singles in a row for Glasvegas !
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I lolled at Daddy's home... wasn't that the complete opposite point of the song Spirit? :P Easy mistake to make! Also not 5 stars in my book!
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Oh , of course it's Daddy's Gone , and it IS a 5 star song .
The embarassing thing is , I got mixed up with the top 10 hit , Daddy's Home by ...... Cliff Richard !
Oh , the shame .
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The Big Mac , has the chance to re - edit all his mistakes , that we all highlight , but my Cliff Richard error is there for all to see , with no chance of being edited. Oh dear .
*Hangs head , sobs , realising cool reputation is all but lost.*
:)
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Going back to 1981 -82.
4 , 5 star songs in arow for Soft Cell .
1) Tainted Love.
2) Bedsitter.
3) Say Hello Wave Goodbye.
4) Torch.
Blondie
1)Dreaming
2)Union City Blue.
3)Atomic .
The Beatles
1)Eleanor Rigby.
2) Strawberry Fields Forever.
3)All You Need Is Love .
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers
1) By The Way.
2) The Zephyr Song.
3) Can't Stop.
Great debate .
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The Rolling Stones .
1) Jumpin Jack Flash .
2) Honky Tonk Women .
3) Brown Sugar .
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The Teardrop Explodes
1) Reward.
2) Treason.
3) Passionate Friend .
The Stereophonics
1) The Bartender and the Thief.
2) Just Looking.
3) Pick a Part That's New .
Roxy Music
1) Over You
2) Oh Yeah
3) The Same Old Scene.
The Prodigy
1) Firestarter
2) Breathe
30 Smack my ***** Up.
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Baby Bird
1) Bad Old Man .
2) If You'll Be Mine.
3) Back Together .
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U2
1) One .
2) Even Better Than The Real Thing .
3) Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses ?
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Kanye West
1) Jesus Walks .
2) Diamonds From Sierra Leone.
3) Gold Digger .
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I realise that some of my choices are not all on the same album , but they are all 3 singles released by the artists , in chronological order , so technically 3 singles in a row .
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I must also say, that I feel " Back Together " by Baby Bird , is quite frankly , one of my favourite songs , ever .
There are 2 versions , but the video with the couple kissing in the rain for 3 minutes , makes me melt every time .
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Oh dear I'm struggling to even recognise a couple of these artists Spirit. Showing my age a little here!
Good shout on the Prodigy. I was debating their last three single releases, but decided 'Warriors Dance' isn't 5 stars.
'The Zephyr Song' only 4 stars in my book though :p
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Wow, Spirit, this debate obviously appeals to you. I'm struggling to come up with three 5 star singles released in chronological order by a certain artist...but all great choices, Spirit.
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I did a long list explaining why some of them were 5 STARS or not but for some reason it got lost so I'll just have the artist with yes or no depending on my opinion.
Florence and the Machine = no
Marina and the Diamonds = no
Muse = yes with Stockholm Syndrome, Time Is Running Out and Hysteria
Imogen Heap = no
Lady Gaga = no
The Gaslight Anthem = no
Bloc Party = no
Plan B = not sure I'll have to look back at End Credits
Interpol = no
Glasvegas = no
Soft Cell = no
Blondie = yes with Atomic, Call Me and The Tide Is High
The Beatles = yes many times
Red Hot Chili Peppers = no
The Rolling Stones = yes
The Teardrop Explodes = no!
Stereophonics = no
Roxy Music = yes with Do The Strand, Street Life, Love Is The Drug and Angel Eyes that's 4 in a row!
The Progidy = no, didn't like Smack My B**** Up that much
Baby Bird = no
U2 = no, didn't like Who's Gonna Ride Your White Horse?
Kayne West = no
That's my opinion anyway though I am quite strict in giving out 5 STARS, really a 5 STAR song should be a future classic.
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Julian Cope
1)Sunshine Playroom .
2) The Greatness and Perfection Of Love .
3) World Shut Your Mouth .
Tears For Fears
1) Shout .
2) Everybody Wants To Rule The World .
3) Head Over Heels .
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
1) Relax.
2) Two Tribes.
3) The Power Of Love.
4) Welcome to the Pleasure Dome .
Queen
1) Another One Bites The Dust .
2) Flash .
3) Under Pressure.
Plan B
1) End Credits .
2) Stay Too Long.
3) She Said .
The Sex Pistols
1) Anarchy In The Uk .
2) God Save The Queen .
3) Pretty Vacant .
4) Holidays In The Sun .
The Smiths
1) This Charming Man
2) What Difference Does It Make ?
3) Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now .
David Bowie
1) Space Oddity .
2) Starman.
3) John I'm Only Dancing .
1)Ashes to Ashes.
2)Fashion.
3)Scary Monsters And Super Creeps.
James
1) She's a Star .
2) Tomorrow .
3) Waltzing Along .
The Skids
1) The Saints Are Coming .
2) Into The Valley.
3) Masquerade .
Big Country
1) Fields Of Fire .
2) In A Big Country .
3) Chance .
Editors
1) Bullets .
2) Munich .
3) Blood .
The Jam
1)Down in the Tube Station at Midnight .
2)Strange Town .
3)When You're Young.
4)The Eton Rifles .
5)Going Underground .
6) The Dreams Of Children .
7) Start .
8) That's Entertainment .
9) Funeral Pyre .
10)Absolute Beginners .
11) A Town Called Malice .
For me , The Jam released 11 , 5 STAR SINGLES IN A ROW , and this is probably why a lot of musicians rightly respect Paul Weller as a god like genius .
In short , The Jam were and ARE a big deal .
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no gaslight anthem harry?? awww... but i agree with bloc party's run of 4.. the prodigy and especially imogen heap.. i can't stress how great her album, 'speak for yourself' is.. not a bad track on it.. her albums either side of that one are mediocre in comparison
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@ 34
I'm guessing Spirit's a bit of a Jam fan!
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Marillion
1) Cover My Eyes ( Pain and Heaven )
2) No One Can ( This song is one of my absolute favourites of all time )
3) Dry Land.
Bob Marley and the Wailers .
1) Waiting In Vain.
2) Jamming.
3) Is This Love ?
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The Cure
1) Lullaby .
2) Love Song.
3) Pictures Of You .
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Def Lepperd
1) Animal.
2) Pour Some Sugar On Me.
3) Hysteria.
This albums a guilty pleasure , and the 5th single Love Bites is another 5 star gem !
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Depeche Mode
1) Barrel of a Gun .
2) It's No Good.
3) Home .
4) Useless .
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@ 34
David Bowie (the single greatest recording artist of all time!) has had many runs of brilliant singles.
1971 - 1972
1) Moonage Daydream
2) Hang On To Yourself
3) Changes
4) Starman
5) John, I'm Only Dancing
6) The Jean Genie
7) Space Oddity (re-issue)
1974
1) Rebel Rebel
2) Rock N Roll Suicide (one of my favourite all time songs)
3) Diamond Dogs
1980
1) Ashes To Ashes
2) Fashion
3) Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
4) Up The Hill Backwards
5) Under Pressure (with Queen)
1983
1) Let's Dance
2) China Girl
3) Modern Love (one of the most under-rated David Bowie tracks ever)
Unfortunately after that his career went a bit wierd but from 1970 to 1983 his output was pretty much faultless, always pushing himself to do something different whilst keeping what made him so brilliant in the first place.
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@35 Thankyou!! I have been banging on Speak for yourself for ages now and it mostly seemed to fall on deaf ears. It's insane. I also agree the other 2 albums (she's "only" had 3 right?) are poor in comparison. I'm glad when I got hold of her Discography I picked that one (mainly because it had 'Hide and seek' on) and not one of the others. Anyway..
I either need to have been born a lot earlier, or I need to sit down and listen to some old music. Probably the first to really dive into this debate fully, but I do need to do the second. Perhaps I should take inspiration from this.
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Also @33. Big YES to End Credits. At a push 'She said' is 4 stars, 5 is generous if I'm honest. It's the weakest of the three.
Muse also had runs of 5 stars with 'Muscle Museum', 'Sunburn', 'Unintended', 'Plug in Baby', 'New Born', 'Bliss', 'Feeling Good' in 2000/2001 (I make it 7 singles in a row, I'm sure of these you can pick at least one set of three!) and then again with 'Stockholm Syndrome', 'Time Is Running Out' and 'Hysteria' as you mentioned. I would also argue 'Sing for Absolution' is 5 star, so 4 in a row. Then again with 'Knights of Cydonia', 'Invincible' and 'Map of the Problematique'. 'Starlight' and 'Uprising' not being 5 star singles, shock horror.
In short I bum Muse.
Right now I honestly believe those Marina singles are 5 star. Although I'm just going through a Marina patch in my life at the moment. Maybe In a year's time I will look back and wonder what I was thinking. Her and Ellie are real talents, perhaps even eclipsing Little Boots from last year. Though not matching Florence..
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@ 25
I remember my dad mentioned he saw The Teardrop Explodes when he was younger and halfway through a song the lead singer had to stop because he felt too emotional, now I don't mean to be cynical but that's a little bit over the top.
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@ 43
I was never really a fan of Muse to begin with, like many other people, it was Plug In Baby that got me interested and New Born that proved they were brilliant.
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Oh, if we are doing David Bowie 5 star singles , at random , mine would be :
1) Space Oddity .
2) Starman
3) John I'm Only Dancing .
4) The Jean Genie .
5) Life On Mars .
6) Ziggy Stardust.
7) Rebel Rebel .
8) Young Americans .
9) Golden Years .
10) Fame .
11) Sound and Vision .
12 ) Heroes .
13) Ashes to Ashes.
14 ) Fashion.
15 ) Scary Monsters and Super Creeps .
16) Cat People (Putting Out Fire ) ( Used brilliant in INGLOURIOUS ****** starring Brad Pitt , directed by Quentin Tarantino )
17)Let's Dance .
18) China Girl .
19) Modern Love
"I know when to go out ,
I know when to stay in ,
Get THINGS DONE ! "
20)Blue Jean.
21) This is NOT America ( With the Pat Metheny Group ) Great song !
22) Time Will Crawl .
23) Jump They Say .
24)Hallo Spaceboy ( With The Pet Shop Boys )
25 ) Loving The Alien .
26 ) Under Pressure .
Wow !
That is not bad , 26 ! 5 star singles by one artist.
I think it's fair to say Mr Bowie has contributed immensely to the tapestry of great music .
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"I know when to go out , I know when to stay in , Get THINGS DONE ! "
That has to be one of my favourite David Bowie lyrics, me and one of my friends randomly drop it into conversation and people have no idea what we're on about!
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@44
Ha ha !!
Julian Cope stopping a gig because he felt too emotional ?
That sounds like my man .
I have met Julian many times ,and yes , he can be the most unpredictable of people .I spent a while in his company last year, and it was extremely surreal , probably more for him than me , but it was so off the wall.. I could not begin to try to explain.
I could share a few stories , but my lips are sealed .
The man is a star !
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Lady Gaga
1) Just Dance .
2) Poker Face .
3) Paparazzi .
3 great pop songs and accompanying videos .
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Kate Bush .
1) Running Up That Hill ( The Placebo cover is also superb ! )
2) Cloudbusting . ( Cleverly sampled by Utah Saints on Somethin Good )
3) The Hounds Of Love. ( Also brilliantly covered by The Futureheads )
3 brilliant songs from Kate .
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Delays
1) Lost In A Melody .
2) Valentine.
3) Hideaway .
How could I not include my Southampton buddies ?
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Adam and the Ants
1) Dog Eat Dog .
2) Ant Music .
3) Kings Of The Wild Frontier .
4) Stand and Deliver .
I have watched archive footage of this band , and part of me wishes , I was around to witness the spectacle first hand . A truly innovative and charismatic ensemble .
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Going wayyy back to look at Comment 17
It turns out GaGa will only be releasing four single from 'The Fame Monster' which wa scleared up for me kindly by spirit. (:
She's confirmed 'Alejandro' next, which I'm a bit dubious on because whilst it recalls Ace of Base's 90's synth-pop (good for older ears) the Spanish-type voice she utilises doesn't do wonders for me, I would've much preferred 'Dance In The Dark' or 'Monster', myself.
But she also said that 'Speechless' would be a single, so it seems that it will be the fourth. Here's hoping it is because it will show GaGa haters that she isn't just a one-trick, dance-pop pony, and to be perfectly honest she performs it very well live so will banish any previous dwellings on whether this gal can actually sing, because when she's not prancing about stupidly and she's just sat at a piano, that's when she perfomrs her best.
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Yeah but GaGa's already harping on about her third album and stating how "she wrote the anthem of our generation" in Liverpool about a week ago. I think Alejandro will probably be the last Fame Monster single now and we're going to get the new album a few months after that.
Something's telling me GaGa's got something of a Kanye complex with her bragging about how "she wrote the anthem of our generation" and how the Telephone video is "a masterpiece" when really its very hit and miss.
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More hit than miss , I would say .
The clue was , release the video , song rockets to number 1 , despite being :
A)Already on the album .
B) Already available to download for 15 weeks , before the video was released .
Don't know , how many the You Tube hit speedometer is up to now , but I am aware it hit 5 million in about 3 days !
Anyone know what it is now ?
Maybe the answer will highlight , just how big a "hit" , the Telephone video was . . . .
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Ok , just looked !
The explicit version has 25 million views , the clean one , 15 million views .
Bearing in mind, there are other versions being viewed as well ,I reckon we are looking at close to 50 million views in around 3 weeks .
In commercial terms , was the Telephone video a hit or miss ?
:)
Ok , yeah it had some dubious acting , but didn't that just add to the appeal ?
:)
50 million , that's quite a number .
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I was sold on the video when I saw the cigarette sun glasses.
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Back to 3 , 5 star singles in a row .
Duran Duran
1) Hungry Like The Wolf.
2) Save a Prayer .
3) Rio.
Great stuff .
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Rio? Really?
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The Kinks .
1) You Really Got Me .
2) All Day and All of the Night .
3) Tired of Waiting For You .
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Yeah, 'Rio' is probably the most annoying song Duran Duran' have done... except for that rather unamusing comeback 'Reach Up For The Sunrise'.
Nill points
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ABBA
1) S.O.S
2) Mamma Mia.
3) Fernando.
4) Dancing Queen.
5) Money Money Money .
6) Knowing Me Knowing You .
7) The Name of the Game .
8) Take a Chance on Me .
This is pop music songwriting and delivery of the very highest order .
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COUGH COUGH
SUPER TROUPER
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Yeah , Rio .
That is one of the catchiest and most recognised pop music choruses of the 80's .
When Duran play it live , every member of the crowd will sing that chorus.
It's immense .
Just ask all the West Ham , Leeds and Manchester United fans who have sang it thousands of times.
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@ 63 .
Ha ha Oddone !
Your Rio is my Super Trouper , when it comes to annoying choruses .
lol
Good to hear Glasgow getting a mention in the lyrics though .
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Come on then, the rest of the world , is it just me playing the 3 , 5 star singles in a row game ?
:)
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I would play, but I don't know how, and I'm too lazy to look through this entire post to see if the rules are posted here.
HINT HINT
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Ok , it is what you deem , to be 3 five star singles in a row , for a certain artist .
The fact that it is your opinion , means that you CANNOT be wrong , of course.
It is your choice , and the only person you have to justify your selections to , is yourself.
In fact to make this game even more accessible , why don't we widen it to naming 3 five star songs by any artist , irrespective of dates .
For example .
Robbie Williams
1) Angels.
2) No Regrets .
3) Let Me Entertain You .
3 breathtakingly good pop singles .
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Come on peeps , have any of these following artists released 3 five star songs ?
1) Queen.
2) Elton John.
3) John Lennon.
4) T Rex .
5) Blur .
6) Oasis .
7) Gorillaz .
8) The Spice Girls .
9) The Supremes .
10 Elvis Presley .
11) The Who .
12) Simple Minds .
13) Beyonce .
14) P!nk.
15) The Pet Shop Boys .
16) Eminem ,
17) Jay - Z
18) The Black Eyed Peas .
19) Dusty Springfield .
20) Dionne Warwick .
21) The Backstreet Boys .
22) Take That
23) Paul MaCartney/Wings.
24) Guns n Roses .
25) Metallica .
26) Kings Of Leon.
27) Fleetwood Mac .
28) The Carpenters .
29) Snow Patrol .
30) The White Stripes .
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I'm gonna delve through the current Top 20 singles and for each artist, I'll choose a 5 star song by the artist with the Top 20 single and name my 5 stars songs by them if they've released any.
01. Scouting For Girls
They have none in my opinion, although their two lead singles are 4 star songs.
02. Lady GaGa
1) Just Dance (featuring Colby O'Donis and Akon)
2) Telephone (featuring Beyoncé)
Also Beyoncé
1) Crazy In Love (featuring Jay-Z)
2) Check On It
3) Irreplaceable
03. Plan B
1) End Credits (with Chase & Status)
2) Stay Too Long
04. Delirious?
I haven't heard much music from Delirious? but I imagine they have a 5 star single stocked away somewhere.
05. Tinie Tempah
Not yet.
06. Rihanna
1) Live Your Life (with T.I.)
2) I know a lot of people won't agree with this but... Russian Roulette
07. Justin Bieber
1) One Time
2) Baby (featuring Ludacris)
3) Eenie Meenie (with Sean Kingston)
4) Never Let You Go
^^^As you've probably guessed I'm being sarcastic.
08. Usher
01. Yeah! (featuring Ludacris and Lil Jon)
02. Burn
03. Caught Up!
Also will.i.am
As a solo performer, none of his songs get over 2 stars with me.
09. Inna
No and I doubt she'll ever have a 5 star song.
10. Cheryl Cole
Nope, no 5 star songs as a solo artist.
11. Jason Derulo
Again, no 5 star songs.
12. Ellie Goulding
Nope, not yet.
13. Alicia Keys
1) Fallin'
2) No One
3) Empire State Of Mind (with Jay-Z)
14. Black Eyed Peas
1) Where Is The Love? (featuring Justin Timberlake)
2) Let's Get It Started
3) Don't Lie
4) Pump It
5) Mas Que Nada (with Sergio Mendez)
6) Union (featuring Sting)
7) I Gotta Feeling
15. Owl City
No 5 star songs.
16 and 17. Timbaland
01. SexyBack (with Justin Timberlake)
02. The Way I Are (featuring Keri Hilson, D.O.E. and Sebastian)
03. Say It Right (with Nelly Furtado)
Also Justin Timberlake
01. Rock Your Body (featuring Vanessa Marquez)
02. Where Is The Love? (with Black Eyed Peas)
03. Signs (with Snoop Dogg and Charlie Wilson)
04. SexyBack (featuring Timbaland)
05. LoveStoned / I Think She Knows
Also Katy Perry
Nope, as much as I love the woman, she doesn't have any 5 star songs yet.
18. Florence + The Machine
01. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
02. Drumming Song
03. Cosmic Love
Also Dizzee Rascal
He has no 5 star songs yet, in my opinion.
19. Young Money
Nope, no 5 star songs.
20. McLean
No 5 star songs.
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Oh and Halo by Beyonce is a 5 star song IMO also.
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There is so much there I agree with .
Justin's Lovestoned is a superb song , and the last 2 minutes of the video where the tones and colours change , is subtlely superb.
Rihanna's Umbrella is definitely 5 star , as is Don't Stop The Music .
Bonkers by Dizzee is a 5 star . I.M.O
Alicia Keys . Totally agree on ALL 3 .
Poker Face and I Kissed a Girl and Hot n Cold , are to me , 5 star pop singles,
Starry Eyed and Whatcha Say are both 5 star singles too !
Great stuff Randy , and obviously , it's all down to personal taste.
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Randy , I would also add Single Ladies as a 5 star single too. So many awards , and a multi-award winning video .
An immense dance track .
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Yeah , Timbaland's The Way I Are is a fantastic 5 star pop song .
If memory serves , someone once told me that the Chartblog Review only gave it 2 stars !
Is this true ?
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I really must learn how to use bold text on this website. Hey, I'm good at dropping hints aren't I? :P
My five star singles, irrespective of dates, in preference order.
Lady GaGa:
-Bad Romance
-Paparazzi
-Poker Face
-Telephone
-Alejandro (future single)
-Just Dance
Take That:
-Said It All (amazing, don't say anything else or I will bite)
-Shine
-Never Forget
-Greatest Day
-Patience
-Back For Good
Beyoncé:
-Halo
-Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
-Crazy In Love
Justin Bieber:
Zilch, wayyyy
MIKA (had to :L):
-Rain
-Happy Ending
-Kick-Ass (Fraser, please review...)
-I See You (future single)
La Roux:
-Bulletproof
Little Boots:
-Remedy
-Stuck On Repeat (limited release)
-Meddle (limited release)
Florence + the Machine
-Drumming Song
-Cosmic Love
-Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
-Dog Days Are Over
Robbie Williams:
-You Know Me
-Rock DJ
-Let Me Entertain You
-No Regrets
-Tripping
Ladyhawke:
-My Delirium
Rihanna:
None tbh
Plan B:
-She Said
-Stay Too Long
-End Credits (with Chase & Status)
Coldplay: (in no order of preference because they're all so good)
-Violet Hill
-Viva la Vida
-Speed Of Sound
-Lovers In Japan (only given US release, watta shame)
-Life In Technicolour II (limited release, well worth looking up)
-Strawberry Swing
-The Scientist
-Lost!
-Clocks (who can listen to this song and not recognise THAT riff?)
-Yellow (or this one)
-Cemeteries Of London (album track, unreleased)
Paloma Faith:
-Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?
-Upside Down
-Stone Cold Sober
Jay-Sean:
Ha.
Jay-Z:
-Empire State Of Mind
-Run This Town
Iyaz:
None
Paramore:
-Brick By Boring Brick
-Ignorance
Jedward:
Still waiting...
Muse:
-Uprising
-Supermassive Black Hole
LONG POST
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MY ABBA
1) SUPER TROUPER
2) Voulez Vous
3) Knowing Me, Knowing You
4) The Name Of The Game
5) Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, (A Man After Midnight)
6) Money, Money, Money
7) Fernando
8) Mamma Mia!
9) Take A Chance On Me
10) S.O.S
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Ha ha !
Long , but brilliant post though .
Again , if memory serves , regarding Said It All by Take That which is an excellent song by the way , was that your first post on Chartblog , when you said that it would go to number 1 , but I said it wouldn't .
If I am right , my memory is amazing , if I'm wrong I will go away and do brain training for a while .
Again the Chartblog review somehow only gave it 2 stars , when agreed, it is a 4 or 5 star song.
Brilliant verse to this little gem , and when Gary sings in the chorus ...
"Nothing to say that matters "
That is the line for me , that elevates the songs chorus to excellence .
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If memory serves again , Paparazzi had quite an uninspiring review, that I felt never grasped the magnitude of the song , video , or it's soon to be global megastar , and only gave it 3 stars .
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@77 , sorry Odd One , it wasn't you , it was a character called stupidcriticsrus , who was a huge fan of Said It All .
Right , it's an evening of brain training for me !
:)
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Well, granted, it was an amzing song and if MY memory serves me right it made #9 in the UK, which isn't all that bad, but I still think it deserved better. Same with 'Up All Night' really, but then again, album sales went through the roof so no-one needed to buy the singles. ):
And yeah, 'Paparazzi' is a 5 star track for me, I might've let it go if Fraser gave it 4 stars... but THREE!?
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I go away for about a day and look what happens, I've got a lot of stuff to go through here.
@ 69
Obviously it's all subjective but this is what I think about Spirit's selected artists and whether or not they have three 5 Star songs.
1) Queen = yes but not in a row.
2) Elton John = no, not really much of a fan of Elton
3) John Lennon = with the beatles yes but on his own no. Both Lennon and McCartney needed each other, on their own their music lacks something - Lennon is too preachy and McCartney is too silly and poppy.
4) T Rex = don't know, need to hear more of their music
5) Blur = yes
6) Oasis = no
7) Gorillaz = yes
8) The Spice Girls = what?!
9) The Supremes = yes
10 Elvis Presley = yes
11) The Who = yes
12) Simple Minds = no
13) Beyonce = no
14) P!nk = no
15) The Pet Shop Boys = yes
16) Eminem = yes
17) Jay - Z = yes
18) The Black Eyed Peas = no
19) Dusty Springfield = yes
20) Dionne Warwick = yes
21) The Backstreet Boys = once again, what?!
22) Take That = no
23) Paul MaCartney/Wings = no
24) Guns n Roses = nearly - Welcome To The Jungle and Sweet Child O' Mine are great but the rest is lacking in something special (November Rain would be but it goes on for so long!).
25) Metallica = never been a Metallica fan so no
26) Kings Of Leon = no
27) Fleetwood Mac = need to listen to more of their stuff.
28) The Carpenters = haven't listened to much of them
29) Snow Patrol = no
30) The White Stripes = yes
@ 70
I assume we don't have the exact same taste in music but, in my opinion, a 5 Star song is a future classic or something that sounds game changing so I'll cast my critical eye on the current top twenty's chart artists.
01. Scouting For Girls
none
02. Lady GaGa
1) Bad Romance
Also Beyoncé
1) Crazy In Love (featuring Jay-Z)
2) Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
03. Plan B
1) She Said
2) Stay Too Long
04. Delirious?
Haven't heard any Delirious? apart from History Makers (which is a 4 Star song) so I can't comment.
05. Tinie Tempah
No
06. Rihanna
1) Cold Case Love - not really fussed by any of the other stuff, I'd listen if it was on the radio, though Umbrella is a good pop song.
07. Justin Bieber
NO!
08. Usher
no
Also will.i.am
no
09. Inna
no
10. Cheryl Cole
no
11. Jason Derulo
no
12. Ellie Goulding
1) Starry-Eyed
13. Alicia Keys
1) Fallin'
2) Empire State Of Mind (with Jay-Z)
14. Black Eyed Peas
none
15. Owl City
no
16 and 17. Timbaland
no
Also Justin Timberlake
no
Also Katy Perry
none
18. Florence + The Machine
01. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Also Dizzee Rascal
1) Dance Wiv Me feat. Chrome and Calvin Harris
2) Bonkers
3) Fix Up, Look Sharp
19. Young Money
none
20. McLean
none
@ 78
I believe Spirit you commonly state that everyone is entitled to their opinion so if Fraser doesn't like Paparrazi why does that make his review 'uninspiring' and failing in grasping 'the magnitude of the song , video , or it's soon to be global megastar'. Personally I'm not fussed but Paparazzi it's a 3 Star song for me as well.
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In all fairness , if you read Fraser's excellent Bad Romance review , you will see that he understands the impact on the pop world by Lady Gaga perfectly .
I think the Paparazzi review was written by someone else , with a different viewpoint to me , hence the differing comments on the good Lady .
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Spirit you're actually correct, turns out the Paparazzi review was written by someone else (Steve Perkins in case you were wondering) and I mostly agree with everything he said. However I don't believe Fraser fell head over heels in love like yourself when Gaga first appeared, take this quote from his review of Bad Romance for example; 'even though the ChartBlog official view of Lady GaGa and her work has had to shift slightly from "good pop star, 'Poker Face' is great, but..." to "WE ARE TRULY BLESSED TO BE LIVING IN THE TIME OF GA",' this quote pretty much defines the public's attitude towards Gaga over the course of 2009, especially the 'good pop star but' part.
Just Dance showed she could effectively storm the charts with little celebrity help.
Poker Face showed she could write an addictive earworm
Paparazzi showed that maybe she was more than just a nicely packaged pop star even if the music was uninspiring (in my opinion).
and finally people were won over when Bad Romance showed she could pen a proper good pop song.
By know means is she the greatest thing to happen to music but at the moment she's the greatest hope of creating a true pop icon for future generations we have, apart from Beyonce though some may say she's already a pop icon (I am one of those people).
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I don't think Beyoncé and Lady GaGa are the only future pop icons, I think Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna and Justin Timberlake will all go down as future pop icons along with them.
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Britney Spears hopefully not, her output is generally poor.
Christiana Aguilera maybe, she probably needs another massive hit.
Rihanna will also probably be up there with the likes of Beyonce if she can create another big pop single like Umbrella or SOS (Russian Roulette just isn't good enough really).
Justin Timberlake hopefully will also make it to icon status as he is one of the most interesting pop artists around in my opinion, except when he's doing collaboration work in which he's often dull.
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@83
I really don't wish to say I told you so , but there are certain times in my music life , when you can absolutely hear just how huge songs will become , it's like a sixth sense .
As soon as I heard Poker Face back in the tail end of 2008 , I said to all and sundry what a tune it was.
You have only gotta read my first comments on Chartblog on Poker Face , where I said that it would outsell Just Dance , which had previously been Number 1 , and would go on to be the third biggest selling single of 2009.
Poker Face went onto be the biggest selling single of 2009.
Sometimes , you just know how huge people are gonna be , you can't reason it , you just know.
One listen to The Fame album in 2008 told me ... this woman is going to be a HUGE star .
Pretty much like the first time I heard Bonkers by Dizzee , and predicted number 1 , 6 weeks before release .
I am sure everyone reading this , have thought a certain song would be number 1, and weeks later it is .
I am sure we all have the magic sometimes.
It's easy to like a song yourself.
A lot harder to predict that another 100,000 will like it and buy it in one week to make it number 1 . You are basically gauging the music buying nation , and it's fun when it comes off.
At the rate she is going , Lady Gaga is on the way to being a global brand .
Somehow ,( and I think Fraser alluded to this somewhere ), Gaga is setting a benchmark in terms of pop song quality and performance for solo female stars , and with the exception of maybe, Beyonce who has her roots in a slightly different sphere of music , Gaga is leading the way ,in the last 15 months, in commercial success , media profile and general column inches and conversation .
I liken Gaga's arrival as very similar to Madonna in the 80's .Blonde singer/songwriter working with talented young producers ,with in yer face notice me, successful , pop songs with a sexual edge , appealing to a large audience but ruffling the feathers of a lot of others , yet being talked about by everyone.
Madonna wanted to be touched like a virgin for the very first time , whereas Gaga wants to take a ride on your disco *****.
Gaga has cited Madonna as one of her biggest influences , and boy does it show. This is a huge compliment to Gaga , when you analyse Madonnna's commercial success and global impact .
It makes me wonder what Madonna will come up with next , and who would ever rule out a collaboration between these two ?
It might happen one day.
Will Christina's comeback set the country on fire in the way Gaga has ?
Time will tell . . . .
It will be interesting to see how new material by Christina and Britney fares, after the emergence and effect of Gaga .
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I think there's no denying that Britney Spears, whether you love her or hate her, is already a pop culture icon. She pretty much has been ever since she first graced our music channels back in 1999 with that school uniform in the ...Baby One More Time video. The song was a #1 hit across the World and I think is sure to become a future classic, if it isn't already.
Other songs on their way to being classics by Britney include Oops!...I Did It Again, Toxic and Womanizer not to mention the countless other hits she's had alongside that. And all though I'm not a fan of her lip syncing, I do think she's talented. She mightn't have a powerhouse voice but there is no-one with a voice like hers on the radio. Britney also wrote the song Someday (I Will Understand) and played the piano which shows she has talent beyond the marketing and her sex appeal. She just needs to take control of her career to show her full potential.
Christina Aguilera has always been Britney Spears rival. She has an ear-shattering voice and, unlike Britney, took control of her career early, co-writing the majority of songs on her second album Stripped. Again Christina probably has future classics in Genie In A Bottle, Beautiful and Candyman. Christina always reinvents herself with each album.
Justin Timberlake, despite only releasing two solo albums, is on his way to becoming a pop culture icon. Both his albums have been given high critical acclaim. Nearly every single he's featured on has been a success, he put Ciara back on the map by featuring on her track Love Sex Magic and more recently, Carry Out is the only single from Timbaland's Shock Value II that has had any decent chart position, peaking at #11.
Rihanna has had four successful albums with future classics likely to be Pon De Replay, S.O.S. (Rescue Me), Umbrella and Disturbia.
Beyoncé similarly has had three successful albums and future classics in Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable and Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). She also has a powerful voice and is a great performer. She's had a number of lawsuits filed against her accusing her of stealing songs and whether those reports are true or not, they're unlikely to dampen her success.
As for GaGa, well, in two short years she's become a pop culture icon with every international single she's released so far going on to become a massive hit. Even LoveGame which didn't chart so well here was a US #1 and the word "disco stick" has become part of modern vocabulary. No doubt, GaGa will continue to deliver as long as she doesn't burn herself out.
I also think Black Eyed Peas will go on to be future pop icons, some people might find them irritating but ever since their third album Elephunk, they've had a string of hits and have been mega successful with this E.N.D. era. You can't deny that they can write/produce a proper pop song with plenty of hooks and if they continue to make videos like Meet Me Halfway and Imma Be Rockin' That Body, then they're sure to cement themselves as a pop icon for this generation.
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Love the previous post, but Lovegame only got to no.5 on the billboard hot 100, still I definitely get your point about all the above icons!!
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Ooops, my bad! She did get something like 5 Number 1s on the US Pop Chart or something though.
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Yeah the Pop Airplay chart I think, all her singles have reached #1 on that chart, tying her with Beyoncé (woop) and Mariah Carey (vomit).
And I complertely agree witgh spirit because ne of the biggest pointers to Madonna's influences on GaGa is the spoken interlude in 'Dance In The Dark', which rumour suggest Interscope want to release in the UK, Australia, and selected European countries as the next single whilst America get 'Alejandro'. Still speculation though.
It wouldn't be the first time she did this, 'Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)' was released only in European countries (except the UK and France), whilst American got 'Paparazzi', we got 'Poker Face', and France got 'LoveGame'.
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Re 87 .
Yeah Randy , your posts are making for exciting reading , and love the way you go straight to the point .
However , regarding Timbaland , and yes I firmly believe that Carry Out will be in the Uk top 10 this Sunday , both Morning After Dark and If we Never Meet Again , both went top 10 in the Uk , the latter going top 5.
I agree , of course Britney is a pop icon .
No question .
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@83 .
Lady Gaga proved she could pen a proper pop song with Just Dance , her first UK single .
I didn't have to wait until her 5th single Bad Romance to realise that.
For me , the writing was magically on the wall ,very , very , early .
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@Spirit
I know Timbaland's Shock Value II singles have performed well here but in the US, Morning After Dark peaked at a disappointing #61 and If We Ever Meet Again did worse peaking at #96. Carry Out by contrast has peaked at #11.
@OddOne,
Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say) was actually released in Australia, New Zealand, Sweeden, the Czech Republic, France and was also released as a promotional single in UK, Canada and Ireland. I agree with GaGa's label. I think Dance In The Dark is a much more appropriate choice to Alejandro. I hope its released but GaGa is adamant that Alejandro is released.
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Today a music colleague suggested to me , that one way of deciding just how much effect a singer or band have on the landscape of music , is by counting just how many 5 star singles thay have .
For example , at post 46 , I listed what I felt was 26 , 5 star singles by , David Bowie.
The Beatles would have near this figure for me , as would Madonna , as would Elvis Presley , as would Michael Jackson , as would Elton John.
We decided that this is the benchmark to reach , for todays crop of singers and artists .
After heated discussion we decided that so far...
Lady Gaga has 5 , ( We also took the impact of the videos into consideration . Every single is a 5 star ,apart from Lovegame )
Britney has 6 . Baby One More Time , Ooops I did it Again , Toxic , Womanizer , Everytime , and Born To Make You Happy.
Christina has 5 , Genie in a Bottle , Dirrrty , Fighter , Lady Marmalade (although a cover and as part of an ensemble , but the video was awesome ! ) and Beautiful.
Beyonce has 9 , 5 solo but another 4 more with Destiny's Child .
Justin Timberlake has 8:
Like I love You , Cry Me A River , Rock Your Body , Sexy Back , Lovestoned , 4 Minutes with Madonna , Signs with Snoop and Charlie and Bye Bye Bye with N-Sync .
He has done so many collaborations ,I may have forgotten one gem .
Shakira has 3 :
She Wolf , Hips Don't Lie , Whenever , Wherever .
Interesting .
What do ya reckon ?
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Rihanna has 6 :
Pon De Replay , S.O.S , Umbrella , Don't Stop The Music , Run This Town (with Jay and Kanye) , and Take A Bow .
We agreed she has many other 4 star singles too.
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I wouldn't necessarily give all those songs 5 stars but there's no doubting that they are some of their best known hits. I think Live Your Life with T.I. is also a 5 star song while Disturbia was a huge success for Rihanna.
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Yeah , make Rihanna 8 , Live Your Life and Disturbia are both 5 star songs .
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@ 87
Your obviously not alone in thinking the BEP are future pop icons look at this article I found on the Guardian website today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/apr/07/will-i-am-sly-stone
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Hmmm there's a lot to discuss here.
I'm not sure I can be bothered right now writing out my views on Christina, Gaga, Rhianna, Britney, Beyonce and Madonna. Did we forget Kylie?
I will make several short statements, summing my views up -
They are all influential.
Right now, Gaga is clearly the most influential.
Madonna is the most influential over all.
Christina is a much more well rounded, talented and influential artist that Britney. Britney is a product of her record label, despite writing one song and playing the piano once. Her music has barely evolved from 'Crazy' to 'Womanizer', it sounds pretty similar. Just more modern. With the weight of her production team, of course it's going to sound more modern.
Beyonce is of a slightly different genre, but lets be honest, it's all pop music. Beyonce is a more influential and prolific recording artist than Rhianna. But she has been around a lot longer.
Beyonce will continue to fight with Gaga for the queen of contempary music. She's probably winning, though that's because she is the more established artist.
Rhianna will bubble under nicely.
Ke$ha makes my ears bleed.
Christina will make a nice come back, but she has a family and seems content to make some great music, but not be the over exposed, media hogging, constant record churning machines that Beyonce and Gaga appear to have tunrned into. Thank God.
Florence is better than all of them.
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Ive got a large post half done on C+P, but I'll just steal 100.
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C+P? I'm gonna celebrate that I got the 101st comment! WOOOOOOO!!!!
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Interesting post Liam .
In terms of 5 star 5 star pop songs ,I reckon Kylie has 8:
1) I Should Be So Lucky . - Yes it's annoyingly twee and obvious , but it blew the chart , and introduced us to this popular singing actress.And many people know this pop nugget.
2)Hand On Your Heart
3)Better the Devil You Know .
4)Spinning Around .
5)Can't Get You Out Of My Head.
6)Love At First Sight .
7)Wow
8)Especially For You with Jason Donovan . Yes it was cheesy , but it was memorable and so iconic that even Johnny Vaughn and Denise Van Outen covered it.
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Now for 5 star singles, in my opinion, from these women -
Madonna (I'm not familiar with a lot of her stuff) - Into the Groove, Papa Don't Preach, Like a Prayer, Vogue, Another Suitcase in Another Hall (this probably doesn't count), Frozen, Ray of Light, Beautiful Stranger. Nothing from this decade in my opinion! She's a bit of a joke musically at the moment.
Rhianna - Umbrella, Don't Stop the Music, Disturbia. Nothing else. Take a Bow maybe, but only when sang in Glee.
Christina Aguilera - Genie in a Bottle, Beautiful, Hurt (I can't believe more people didn't say this). Maybe 'Tell me'.
Lady Gaga - 'Just Dance', 'Bad Romance', 'Telephone'. Started well, ending well.
Beyonce, as a solo artist - Crazy in Love (Im not even sure I like it, just gotta respect it), Irreplaceable, If I Were a Boy.
Britney Spears - Erm. Maybe 'Crazy', Boys (her best track ever), Toxic, Everytime, Piece of Me.
None of them are really my cuo of tea I guess! If I had to listen to a whole album by one, I'd probably pick Christina. She had more acceptable songs. If we averaged stars, she'd probably win.
Oh and Florence - Dog Days Are Over, Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Drumming Song, Cosmic Love .. probably Kiss with a fist too. I did love it, way before I'd heard the album and before she won the poll/Brit.
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Hey !
Liam , where is your favourite Gaga song Poker Face ?
lol lol
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Oh ironically I forgot Kylie too. But like Madonna, a good chunk of the earlier stuff was released before I was even born!
Better the Devil You Know, On a Night Like This, Can't Get You out of My Head, Slow. Maybe 'Wow'.
If i had to pick an imported American (sorry Rhinna) solo female artist. Guess who probably wins? My old fav. P!nk..
There You Go, Get the Party Started, Don't Let Me Get Me (**!!!), Just Like a Pill, Trouble, Stupid Girls, Who Knew, U + Ur Hand, So What, Sober, Bad Influence. (Cannot believe she didn't realse 'All your fault' from Funhouse).
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Ok , I am going to have to list Madonna 5 star pop singles .
I have taken on board effect , recognition and impact on the pop world .
Remember the early ones may sound slightly dated now , but at the time they were box fresh and exciting.
1) Holiday .
2) Like a Virgin .
3) Crazy For You .
4) Material Girl.
5) Into The Groove.
6) Live To Tell .
7) Papa Don't Preach .
8) True Blue.
9) Open Your Heart.
10)La Isla Bonita.
11)Who's That Girl ?
12)Like a Prayer.
13)Vogue.
14)Justify My Love.
15)Frozen.
16)Ray of Light .
17)Beautiful Stranger .
18)Music .
19)Hung Up.
20)4 Minutes ( With the land of Timber and Timba )
One of my favourite Madonna songs is What it Feels Like For a Girl , to me 5 stars , but not in the grand scheme of things. There were another 10-15 ,4 star songs knocking on the door too .
So I reckon Madonna has 20, and is out in front , when it comes to the girls .
To put things into perspective , Madonna had her first number 1 in 1985 , and her last in 2008, 23 years difference .
This means that to match this, Lady Gaga, who had her first number 1 in 2009 , needs to have one 23 years from 2009 , that's 2032 !!!
So set your time machine for 2032 , and I will meet you there . . . .
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Oh , go on then , here are Pink's 5 star songs .
1) Get the Party Started .
2) Please Don't Leave Me .
3) So What !
4) Don't Let Me Get Me.
5) Just Like a Pill.
6) Leave Me Alone ( I'm Lonely )
7) You and Your Hand .
I make it 7 for Alicia Moore from Pennsylvania , U.S.A
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Ooff .. 'Who knew', about her boyfriend comitting suicide when she was very young and 'Sober' are both amazing, surely they should make your list?!?! Just kidding, each to their own!
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Yeah , sorry .
Pink has 8 !!!
Who Knew ? is my favourite Pink song , and I thought I listed it.
Can I just say in terms of emotion , delivery , melody and gravitas , it is an IMMENSE song.
Superb , superb , superb !!
Sobers a 4 for me , L .
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How could we forget P!nk??? Who is also a fantastic singer and performer live! Who Knew is absolutely amazing, which reminds me, I must download it NOW!!!
Also P!nk's videos are fantastic. She mightn't be as out there as GaGa but her videos always get repeat views from me...well except her last single I Don't Believe You which basically consisted of her running around in a wedding dress in black and white. Hope she's not losing her touch.
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If you like Pink watch her performance at this years Grammys, stunning. Pink has definitely got the performance part down, an area where I feel the other female singers are lacking, even the mighty Gaga doesn't touch Pink for that but she IS defo getting better.
I just can't watch Madonna perform, even though I like some of her songs. She's just too much of an ice maiden for me.
Here's another one into the mix: Nelly Furtado.
5 star singles(both solo and as a featured artist) for me are:
1)Turn off the Light
2)Try
3)Maneater
4)Promiscuous
5)All Good Things (Come to an End)
6)Say it Right (her best by far to me)
7)No Hay Igual (unreleased but still amazing)
8)Give it to Me
9)Broken Strings
Feel free to dispute or support, I'm a huge Nelly fan so naturally I'm biased.
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Sadly kingshleppy it's not really fair to count unreleased stuff, otherwise we could rack some more up for all of them.
Also you must be a massive fan if you gave 'Turn off the light', 'Try' and 'All Good Things (Come to an End)'! I personally would give 'Maneater', 'Promiscuous', 'Say it Right' and 'Broken Strings' 5 stars.. so still not bad!
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Actually Kingshleppy, No Hay Igual was released to Latin territories so it still counts. I have to say I love Nelly's Spanish language album Mi Plan, the two singles she released from it Manos Al Aire and Mas are pop perfection so good. You should give them a listen.
I saw P!nk's performance at the Grammys! Speactacular and she was singing live! However, the song, Glitter In The Air was boring as hell! All Good Things (Come To An End) is Nelly's best song! Not so keen on Give It To Me or Broken Strings though.
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In terms of 5 star SINGLES , I feel Nelly Furtado has 8.
1) I'm Like A Bird. ( How can you forget the impact of her first top 5 single , and it's amazing standout chorus ? )
2) Maneater.
3) Promiscuous.
4) Say It Right. (Superb!)
5) Try.
6) All Good Things Come To An End.
7) Broken Strings . ( This was one of the most played songs in Uk restaurants in 2009 . Make of that what you will , does thinking of Nelly make you eat quicker , or enjoy the food more ? )
8)Give It To Me .
Turn Off The Light and Powerless are 4 star for me , not quite to the standard and effect of the other 8 .
She is one helluva star though , with some great songs .
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Broken Strings. (This was one of the most played songs in Uk restaurants in 2009)
Doesn't suprise me, the song always sounded like background music to me
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@ Harry
Agreed, Broken Strings is background music to me too.
@ Liam
Comment 103, Take A Bow is so much better sang by Lea Michelle than Rihanna. The Glee version of Take A Bow is 5 star, the Rihanna original is a boring Stargate recycled 2 stars. I don't care if it was a Worldwide #1.
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@ 93, I knew it was something along those lines. Basically one single was released somewhere and another was released elsewhere. :)
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Mi Plan is a great album, I was mumbling Manos Al Aire to myself for aaages!! Just don't feel it's a 5 star song, as with I'm Like a Bird. I'd give them both 4 stars.
Watch the video for Try and you might see why I give it 5 stars..emotional stuff..
Yay for No Hay Igual, it's such a cool song!
On another note, I loved Glitter in the Air, it's simple and lovely, just lovely.
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With the three 5 Star songs game I think LCD Soundsystem deserves a mention;
Losing My Edge
Daft Punk Are Playing In My House
All My Friends
and North American S*** are all 5 Star songs and I know many people who would put Someone Great, Drunk Girls and Tribulations in that group as well.
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Haha the fact that the ad spammer described the guys as rich is brilliant. Best way of trying to get the girls involved obviously.
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It looks like Paramore's leading lady Hayley Williams is expanding her music career beyond the band as she features on B.O.B.'s new single Airplanes. Airplanes (Part II) will feature Eminem as well as Hayley.
If you're looking for some good rap music, B.O.B. is your man. He releases his first UK single Nothing On You featuring Bruno Mars on 17th May and here's hoping Airplanes gets a release over here too because both songs are incredibly strong.
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