Thanks so much to everyone who participated in phase 1 of Supaspaz's Double Choice Challenge; I received a very interesting and eclectic mix of suggested artists. This announcement of the competing songs marks the beginning of phase 2, where we will whittle down the competing tracks until we find the ultimate winner. The announcement will be made in five parts.
THE CONTENDERS: PART 1
Up first is Lady Gaga, an ATRL favorite. I first heard of Gaga back in the summer of 2008, when Perez Hilton leaked her track "Just Dance" on his website. I wasn't a big fan at first, but she won me over with her performance on "So You Think You Can Dance" just a few weeks later. With an arsenal of undeniable hits (and personalities) behind her - from the fierce and crazy diva of "Paparazzi" to the emotional keyboard virtuosa of "Speechless" - my love has only grown. But, as usual, when considering my favorite song of hers, it came down to her two epic pop masterpieces: "Poker Face" and "Bad Romance." This time I gave the edge to...
Madonna has been storming the pop music scene for longer than I've been alive and consequently, she is one of my earliest musical memories - from the Christmas when my mother bought me the "Ray of Light" album to her contribution to the "Austin Powers" soundtrack to MTV specials celebrating her 20th anniversary in the industry and beyond. I love so many of her songs, both classic and new alike, including "Holiday," "Material Girl," "Express Yourself," "Vogue," "Secret," "Ray of Light," "Beautiful Stranger," "Hollywood," "Hung Up" and especially the hauntingly gorgeous hits "Don't Tell Me" and "Frozen." But nothing ever makes me want to sing along quite like...
Nelly Furtado and I got off on the wrong foot. When I first heard "I'm Like A Bird," I thought it was a piece of treacly and boring music (I must admit that my opinion hasn't changed much in the intervening years). Things improved slightly with her intoxicating "Turn Off the Light." But I didn't really begin to love Nelly until the Timbaland-inspired genius of the "Loose" era. The album was full of awesome hits, such as "Promiscuous" and "Maneater," but nothing could top the epic and beautiful sparseness of...
I wanted to hate Justin Timberlake when he first went solo. For one, he was the lead singer of *NSYNC and I had always been on Team Backstreet Boys. Additionally, he had just dumped my girl Britney Spears and that automatically put him on my **** list. At first, I could pretend to dislike the luring strains of "Like I Love You," his first single. But once "Cry Me A River" hit the scene, my resistance was futile. Justin Timberlake slowly morphed into one of the most exciting artists in pop music, with classic albums like "FutureSex/LoveSounds" (one of my personal all-time favorites) and rare missteps (let's just pretend "Señorita" never happened). Along the way, he even released a song so good that it topped my appreciation for even "Cry Me a River"...
If I'm being completely honest, I don't have a whole lot of nice things to say about Miley Cyrus, especially not in her latest teen-****-who-can't-be-tamed iteration. But ask me if I was moving my hips like yeah to the anthemic chorus of "Party in the USA" last summer and well... you caught me.
The Contenders (I)
Lady Gaga "Poker Face"
Madonna "Like a Prayer"
Nelly Furtado "Say It Right"
Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around... Comes Around"
Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA"
Coming up in part 2...
Shania Twain
Hilary Duff
Britney Spears
Beyonce
The Beatles
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in phase 1 of Supaspaz's Double Choice Challenge; I received a very interesting and eclectic mix of suggested artists. This announcement of the competing songs marks the beginning of phase 2, where we will whittle down the competing tracks until we find the ultimate winner. The announcement will be made in five parts.
THE CONTENDERS: PART 2
I'm not always the biggest fan of country music, but every once in a while, I come across an infectious little slice of that most Southern of genres that just transcends my general aversion to twang. Maybe it's the rocking electric guitar riff, maybe it's the sex appeal just oozing from the vocal, but you can file Shania Twain's "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" into that category.
I first discovered Hilary Duff as the cute title tween on "Lizzie McGuire" - a show that, in its prime, I genuinely really liked. Soon, she branched out into a singing career, and try as I might (or I might have wanted to), I could never quite resist the charms of some of her music. Sure, for every hit like the girl power-anthem "Why Not" there was even more painful Disney dreck like "Our Lips Are Sealed" or "Wake Up." But Hilary really hit her stride with her foray into dance floor divadom - the neo-mod electro-pop of "Beat of My Heart" will always have a home in my iPod. Still, nothing can quite top the sonic space adventure of...
Britney Spears has been my favorite artist since she hit the scene over a decade ago and she will continue to hold a special place in my heart until the day I die. Through quickie marriages and shaved heads, rehab and K-Fed, I've stuck by that girl and my fandom has been rewarded with an undeniable discography chock-full of awesome hits: "(You Drive Me) Crazy", "Oops! I Did It Again," "Stronger," "I'm a Slave 4 U," "Toxic," "Everytime," "Gimme More," "Piece of Me," "Womanizer," "Circus." But my love for the legendary Ms. Spears is perhaps best expressed through the wide-eyed rapture I still feel listening to the strains of her breakthrough hit...
I can remember back when we first met Beyoncé, toiling as the head diva in charge of Destiny's Child. I loved her even then (and "Say My Name" was my ****!), but when she broke off to do her solo thing, a true superstar was born. Beyonce has released a whole slew of fantastic hits over the intervening years, particularly "Irreplaceable" and "Single Ladies." But could she ever have reached the heights at which she stands today without that sensational debut - the brassy and fierce "Crazy in Love" - which still holds up as a modern pop classic?
From my parents, I learned an appreciation for The Beatles early on in life. In fact, before I ever really dove deep into the world of popular music, I was rocking "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and watching "Yellow Submarine" on VHS. I don't turn to the band as often any more, but my appreciation, enjoyment and respect (for they are true musical artists) remain. In fact, I challenge you to find me just about any song that can compare to the chill-inducing melancholy and pure poetry of "Eleanor Rigby." (And that refrain!: "Ah, look at the all the lonely people.")
The Contenders (I-II)
Lady Gaga "Poker Face"
Madonna "Like a Prayer"
Nelly Furtado "Say It Right"
Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around... Comes Around"
Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA"
Shania Twain "Man! I Feel Like A Woman"
Hilary Duff "Come Clean"
Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"
Beyoncé "Crazy in Love"
The Beatles "Eleanor Rigby"
Coming up in part 3...
Taylor Swift
Oasis
Keane
Paramore
Girls' Generation
Come Clean its is the best song of my queen , but also my favorite of all time , plus I love all the songs and artists you've chosen , unless Justin Timbarlake
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in phase 1 of Supaspaz's Double Choice Challenge; I received a very interesting and eclectic mix of suggested artists. This announcement of the competing songs marks the beginning of phase 2, where we will whittle down the competing tracks until we find the ultimate winner. The announcement will be made in five parts.
THE CONTENDERS: PART 3
While I can respect Taylor Swift's accomplishments as a performer, there's still something that bothers me about her as an artist. As best I can describe it, it's the increasing irritation I feel with her regression into a tweenage fairy tale land of Prince Charmings and happily ever afters - "Love Story," "White Horse," "Today Was a Fairytale," the list goes on. And that thematically childlike quality has infected all her music; songs like "You Belong With Me" and "Mine," while often very catchy, sound like the bedroom musings of the teenager she no longer is. What makes it all the more disappointing is that this actually seems to be a regression from her debut. I don't think she's ever lived up to the potential she showed on the liltingly beautiful and surprisingly mature "Teardrops On My Guitar."
Oasis could continue to release music until the end of time, and while it may stand on its own merits (as some of their later achievements like "I'm Outta Time" attest), I simply don't think any of it could make the same subtle impact or exert the same hypnotic power that "Wonderwall" has always had on me.
Keane's breakthrough hit "Somewhere Only We Know" is the kind of pleasant, pretty pop that burrows into your brain and then slowly fades away - which, of course, is probably why I didn't give Keane much of a second look until the pulsing, euphoric groove of the '80s-inspired "Spiralling" four years later.
Oh Paramore, you musical mascot of the "Twilight" generation. Sometimes I want to hate you, but you make it so difficult when you get in my face with that riot grrrl attitude in "Misery Business," that anthemic chorus from "That's What You Get" or that simple grace of "The Only Exception." (Sorry Twi-hards, but "Decode" still sucks.) And I could never even admit all that until you wore down my defenses with the marvelous...
One of the most interesting suggestions I received was Girls' Generation, a group I had never even heard of before this exercise. I have only a little experience with K-pop (which I find very hit-or-miss), so off I ventured into the annals of YouTube in search of their respective discography. Along the way, one song jumped out at me more than any other: the jumpy and propulsive "Oh!," which sounds ready-made for cartoon superhero.
The Contenders (I-III)
Lady Gaga "Poker Face"
Madonna "Like a Prayer"
Nelly Furtado "Say It Right"
Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around... Comes Around"
Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA"
Shania Twain "Man! I Feel Like A Woman"
Hilary Duff "Come Clean"
Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"
Beyoncé "Crazy in Love"
The Beatles "Eleanor Rigby"
Taylor Swift "Teardrops On My Guitar"
Oasis "Wonderwall"
Keane "Spiralling"
Paramore "Brick By Boring Brick"
Girls' Generation "Oh!"
Coming up in part 4...
Ellie Goulding
Radiohead
Coldplay
Jennifer Lopez
Evanescence
Well to start this part, I don't care about Girls' Generation, Taylor and Paramore, but Keane and Oasis
I'm surprised that you chose "Spiralling" instead "Somewhere Only We Know" and you're right, "Wonderwall" has a hypnotic melody and lyrics, it's amazing.
Quote:
Originally posted by supaspaz
It's funny, but the more I think about it, the more I think I should have chosen "Cry Me A River" instead. Maybe I should change my pick...