Arash ft. Rebecca – Suddenly (Watch)
I haven’t heard a more desperate attempt to capitalise on the success of a past hit since Lou Bega’s thankfully well forgotten follow-up to Mambo No.5. A few years ago, Swedish-Iranian Arash released a brilliant single called Temptation with Rebecca on vocals, one of the best summer Euro hits of recent years. For this new single, he’s recruited the same singer and basically recreated Temptation with different lyrics and a few new musical bits. Unfortunately, while sounding so similar, Suddenly is nowhere near as catchy and of course not as unique. Still, a recreation of Temptation is obviously miles better than one of Mambo No.5.
70% Poptastic!
Sharam ft. Daniel Bedingfield – The One (Watch)
I thought when I heard of thi that Daniel was back at last, but really he’s just done a Samantha Mumba and provided extra vocals for a new remixed version of his old hit, If You’re Not The One. I don’t think it’s going to work at all, because the original is too recent and well-known. Cascada did well with Truly Madly Deeply, but I think that was cos most of their disco-chav fans wouldn’t be very familiar with the original, while I think a larger number of them will know If You’re Not The One, and if you do this dancey version really doesn’t work at all, at least not for me… and I like the original and dance music, so they’ve not got much hope really!
66% Poptastic!
Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl (Watch)
The new mascot of sexism is beginning to make waves here in the UK, so I suppose I must talk about her now. And yes, while we’re on the subject, I would like to bring yesterday back around, and remember the good old days where Max Martin and friends were a little more discerning. I should have expected Katy Perry’s arrival, as Avril Lavigne’s jump over the fence from annoying twitville to the land of poprocktasticness left a space in the annoying twit category. I’m sure she’ll get along very well with Queen of Twitville, P!nk. The reason I dislike these acts so much, when I adore some similar ones, is that I detect in them an attitude which I despise. They’re like the feminists who think that to gain equality we have to copy men, even their bad sides – isn’t it better to rise above and demonstrate how to be in control with class and dignity? Hot’N’Cold is a great song, though.
32% Poptastic!