New Pop on the Block

Jordin Sparks – Battlefield (Listen)
When Mr Popjustice described this song as ‘big’, he wasn’t wrong. In fact, the chorus is so big that I feel that the difference between its intensity and that of the quiet, simple first verse is a bit too much. Other than that, however, I have no complaints. In a post about Jordin last month I wondered if it was possible for her to release a song better than the magnificent No Air, and while I’ll need to give this a few more listens before I decide whether she’s achieved it, the fact that those listens are necessary is telling enough. Jordin is giving David Archuleta a run for his money as American Idol’s most poptastic alumni, and since I hear that David has been instructed to stay away from electro-poppy music, it looks like Jordin could soon be far ahead of him in this race. One thing I can say about this song is that it is going to be as big as it sounds… perhaps bigger!
98% Poptastic!

Varsity Fanclub – We Will (Listen)
With all the new boybands coming out in America at the moment, and none of them so far getting very far, it’s easy to get them confused. It is particularly unhelpful that they all (or at least Varsity, V Factory and Menudo) seem to be working with RedOne. Would it not be easier to merge them all into one band and release an album completely written and produced by RedOne? The number of similar bands is making it difficult for any of them to shine through, but I hope that one eventually will and can be the BSB or *N Sync of the ’00s. It’s about time we had one! We Will reminds me most of a boyband song from about 6 years ago, Knockout. I loved that song at the time, and it would be nice to think they were ahead of their time, but I think the similarity is in fact due to both acts wanting to present a tougher version of a boyband. That angle worked for 5ive, but I’m not sure it’ll work now, because there is no wimpy boyband for them to be a tougher version of. I think we need the wimpy one first before these guys can step in.
80% Poptastic!