Kelly Clarkson – My Life Would Suck Without You (Listen)
This single has been greatly anticipated, which is good cos it’s by Dr Luke, but not so good cos he gave it to Kelly Clarkson. After her ungrateful eschewing of all things ace and Swedish on her third album (obviously not realising they were the only reason she was successful), he really shouldn’t have let her have use of his pop genius, but I suppose she is going to earn him a lot more money than a more pleasant but also less famous artist would, and he deserves to be mega-rich for all the brilliant pop he has given us over the years. When I listened to this for the first time I was waiting to see which of the other Dr Luke/Max Martin acts she was emulating, so I was surprised to find she hadn’t gone down the Katy or Pink route. It’s most similar to The Veronicas 1st album, but less playful and more foghornesque – neither of which is at all surprising with Kelly. It’s not my favourite example of Max-Rock but it’s much better than I Kissed A Girl or So What, and they were big hits, so this should be too.
90% Poptastic!
Private – Killer on the Dancefloor (Watch)
I thought Private must have finished releasing singles from this next album, as it has been ages since We Got Some Breaking Up To Do was out. It’s nice to have a new video from them, though, and this is a great choice for a single (although every song on the album would be an acceptable single choice). I could even imagine it being a success in the UK, as similar songs have done well, and then they could use it as a launchpad for their even more poptastic songs. This is what Michael Jackson would be doing if he was still sane. In the video, the lyrics are taken literally and Thomas Troelsen (or a man with his hairstyle in a mask) is scarier than ever before – yes, even scarier than in the Crucify My Heart. I sometimes wonder if his scariness will impede future success, but then they are such an incredible pop act I feel like they just can’t go unnoticed forever. Something must come of them at some point, surely?
98% Poptastic!
White Tie Affair – Candle (Sick and Tired) (Watch)
Lady GaGa is going on a US tour, and she is taking two support acts, but bizarrely they are both rock bands! One is Chester French, who are admittedly more pop than rock, and the other is this group, White Tie Affair. Their previous single, Mr Right, had a catchy hook but the singer’s voice was just too much of typical, ear-hurting emo voice. Like many current acts, they sound a bit like Under the Influence of Giants but mixed with a highly unappealing act, in this case Fall Out Boy. None of them have got anywhere near the great heights of UTIOG, who have sadly gone to the pop afterlife. Candle begins really well, sounding like something LFO would have done, but then it gets into a proper rock song and loses all its charm. It has to be the most disappointing song I’ve heard in quite a while.
33% Poptastic! (for the nice first 1/3)