Bring it on just like before Let your body do the talkin'
I don't care how much abuse I have to take--"Get Up On The Dance Floor" may be completely RIDICULOUS, primarily a bunch of samples from famous dance tracks strung together, but it is also BRILLIANT. Sure, anything that lends itself to choreographed group dancing always has a huge chance of winning me over, but there's no part of this pop song that doesn't work for me. Even the Yazoo sample manages to seem winning and fresh in a year where Yazoo samples were suddenly all over the place (not that that's probably ever going to be a bad thing, to be fair). I realize being catchy and fun is not the be all and end of all of music, that that doesn't necessarily mean a song is good and that we all have different definitions of "catchy" and "fun," so I can only speak for myself when I say that "Get Up On The Dance Floor" is a song I had way too much fun listening to this year, a song I didn't have to work at liking; in the space of less than two months, it's apparently become my sixth most listened to song on Last.fm. Having a video I loved certainly didn't hurt it either.
Not only is today (technically tomorrow or Monday, but they're out digitally now due to time differences) a fairly brilliant day for British singles releases, it just so happens that the brilliance of three of those releases is enhanced by the dance routines in their music videos.
Same Difference's debut single "We R One," a bit like High School Musical crossed with Melodifestivalen, has been out for quite some time now, long enough to know that as a song it stands easily on its own two feet. The video, with its reaching-for-the-sky-and-jumping-inclusive dance routine, makes it just that little bit more exciting, though.
Even though I estimate there's a 55/45 chance Paul will come out of his vacation to post this video, I still feel obligated to post it for him: their performance from tonight's X Factor of said single. Confetti! That dance routine!
It's a relief, though, to know now for sure that George Sampson's sample-riffic "Get Up On The Dance Floor" survives without the (great) video accompanying it. It does benefit from being danced along with, though. I think possibly my favorite thing about the song is the way it teases you with the Yazoo sample before doing something else and then eventually coming back to it, using it in a really great way. Conveniently, the sample's return ties in with the best part of the video--starting with George breaking through a wall--if you're watching it. It's nice to know you don't have to be to enjoy the song, though.
Speaking of short but great songs with great videos, Frankmusik's "3 Little Words" (the Stuart Price-produced version) is out now, too. Sadly, EP track "Better Off As Two" (listen to a clip of it on PopJustice--it's the second one) doesn't seem to be available digitally, which is really tempting me to buy the physical EP (hence why I haven't purchased any of the tracks besides the main single yet). I've already praised "3 Little Words" and its video (as is true of both of the songs before this one, actually), but let me just say this again: brilliant exciting electronic pop with a video that only makes you love the song more.
Moving away from dance routines (sadly), Take That's new single "Greatest Day" is out as well. It comes accompanied by the great (that word's the motif of the day, apparently) b-side "Sleepwalking" (as well as album track "Here," which is apparently on some single version) and a performance on X Factor as well (with credit to Chart Rigger).
Still love the song, still love the cheesy video which perfectly captures the song's aura for me.
There's "Do Ya," that McFly single out, too, accompanied by "Stay With Me," a cover. I know I just posted this video, but for completion's sake, here it is again.
I'll still having trouble rallying up as much enthusiasm for this album as I want to be feeling (though there are some songs I love), but hopefully one day it'll just click.
With credit to PubliSpain, Naked, the debut album of Dutch singer Nikki, whose Kelly Clarkson-ish song "Bring Me Down" is really shaping up to be one of my favorite singles of the year, can be listened to in its entirety here. Good news: another version of "Brief & Beautiful" (though it plays as track 8, not track 9 as labeled)! Just what the world needed.
Surely Markoolio can't be imitating Lady GaGa's "Poker Face" in his new song ("The Markoolio Anthem")? I mean, the turnaround time given when "Poker Face" started taking off in Sweden...they just couldn't have done it quickly enough...could they? But what other (modern, unless we think he's going Boney M.) reason would there be for that very distinctive "ma ma ma ma" after the chorus (not the one near the chorus's beginning)? It's a heck of a coincidence otherwise.
I am beyond thrilled that finally, finally I was able to buy John Barrowman's "What About Us." My love of that song (an ultimate sing-along-in-your-car, clenched-fists sort of melodic power ballad) still remains at unhealthy levels--I'm blaming you, Gary Barlow.
Speaking of Popjustice-featured songs, I also love Britain's Got Talent winner George Sampson's debut single, "Get Up On The Dance Floor." Yes, he won for being a dancer, not any sort of musician, but that hasn't stopped me from playing this song (via its video), basically a mash-up of a bunch of famous dance tracks, multiple times. I will absolutely not back down on my love of this.
Also on the front of tracks that will probably be marketed towards British kids but that I adore, we've also got Same Difference's "We R One." Paul already analyzed the video, so instead I'll just leave it at this: fantastic song and fantastic dance routine for the chorus, especially during the whole "together, together, we're coming undone" second half of the chorus. Just as he did when writing for Marie Serneholt's solo album, Jörgen Elofsson's done a great job of making a song that harks back to '90's pure pop but that's still enjoyable for today. I wish he'd make songs like this--as opposed to the ballads he seems to mainly produce now--more often.
I don't care how much abuse I have to take--"Get Up On The Dance Floor" may be completely RIDICULOUS, primarily a bunch of samples from famous dance tracks strung together, but it is also BRILLIANT. Sure, anything that lends itself to choreographed group dancing always has a huge chance of winning me over, but there's no part of this pop song that doesn't work for me. Even the Yazoo sample manages to seem winning and fresh in a year where Yazoo samples were suddenly all over the place (not that that's probably ever going to be a bad thing, to be fair). I realize being catchy and fun is not the be all and end of all of music, that that doesn't necessarily mean a song is good and that we all have different definitions of "catchy" and "fun," so I can only speak for myself when I say that "Get Up On The Dance Floor" is a song I had way too much fun listening to this year, a song I didn't have to work at liking; in the space of less than two months, it's apparently become my sixth most listened to song on Last.fm. Having a video I loved certainly didn't hurt it either.
