on manufactured pop

When manufactured pop is good, its good. Of course when it is bad, it is real bad. Being recently bowled over by Girls Aloud’s win at the Brit Awards ‘09, I’ve taken on a sort of a revival (or rekindling) to the liking of their music. I remember being really into them when The Sound of the Underground came out and thereafter What Will the Neighbours Say. But soon after, they fell out of my radar.

For reasons unbeknownst, I thought they would fizzle out into pop oblivion and group member Nadine would be the sole member out of the group to have a successful solo career. But no… they had staying power the likes no one, would have thought a manufactured pop group will have.

From The Sound of the Underground to Out of Control, their brand of hard thumping electro-r0ck-pop has stood the test of time of pop. Their sound, not at all revolutionary (what with Xenomania first bequeathing his brand of electro-pop to Sugababes as far as I can remember) has edge, and has seen them through their 5 albums and 1 greatest hits compilation. Essentially pop, the Girls Aloud sound has more edge, sass and of course pretty and sexy faces to match with. Marketing played the biggest part in their success, they were lookers who could woo audiences not by just their looks but their sound.

All of them shared equal spotlight, getting  a chance to sing in each song. Catty fights or not, they have managed to stay on. If Spice Girls did not pave the way for manufactured pop girl bands, there would be no Girls Aloud. And if we did not have Girls Aloud, there would be no girl group with the right amount of eye candy to swoon over.

I’d say, continue making sweet music while you can Girls Aloud. If the ends come, at least you guys would’ve left behind a sort of pop legacy you can be proud of.

Their Brit Awards ‘09 single (after missing out on it a number of times), The Promise:

Their performace of it:

current addiction: thecocknbullkid/alesha dixon

I’m Not Sorry – quietly catchy this song is def better than On My Own. I like thecocknbullkid she brings a new aesthetic to the indiepop world, not that we are short of them. But you know what I mean.

Alesha Dixon. I can’t help but feel a little embarrased. This ex-Misteeq babe got a second break on Strictly Come Dancing, and I must say its not too shady. Breathe Slow is irritatingly cheesy but a whole lotta catchy. I know… not the finest pop song, but it helps that The Boy Does Nothing was damn good too.

Okay, enough said. I have a soft spot unsigned indie chicks and ex-girl group members.

nouvelle weak pour hollywood

Of pushing and shoving, arms grabbing and false hand-holding, we toil and wrestle to come up with a solution. But amount to naught at the end of all that effort. To duck and dive, drill and discover in fashionable consistency, only to return with no buried treasure. I really do not want to go on further, but do I have a choice?

In times of doubt and more reason to doubt, please drown yourself in some hollywood mon amour. Take in old songs classic and makeover them with lush bossanova and sexy deep crooners and get a perfect formula. Not exactly nothing revolutionary but nonetheless, sounds like how wine should taste.

Cos when nothing else matters, music weaves it’s beatiful sometimes loud and pulsating spell upon you. Or when you feel like emotions leave you for a split second, channel your “inner-indie” soul and let loose those disgusting desires and wishes so absurd. Total amatuerity in photography made from technology that allows us easy access to long gone techniques of photo-taking. Brings about a certain carthartic pleasure, but only fleeting, only fleeting… like how music is.