The Fizzypop Chronicles 2009: Volume Eight

Today has been very something kind of poo, making me feel blue blue. So I'm going to gloss right over that and get onto the sounds of summer cd I shall be sending around to my friends soon! First off (brits), can you actually believe it's summer? I'm no fan of the summer sun (it burns my neck and arms and makes me polleny) but this weather is bizarre. It's like being in The Day After Tomorrow - only with no hunky Jake Gyllenhall to rescue you. In fact, the only reason I still know it's summer is that Big Brother 10 is still plodding on despite a huge lack of interest from the world. I still dip in now and then - in fact it has actually produced one of my fave big bro moments EVER. Silly bint Noirin (who flirts with everyone, gets them to fall in love with her then cock blocks them with the old "i just like hugs. lets be friends" line) was in the diary room telling big brother that while she liked Marcus as a friend, she fancied and had kissed Siavash (leading him no doubt to SeeHerGash) but now fancied Tom instead. She was advised that honesty might be best to which she replied "oh no, i'm going to have to sacrifice myself. I feel like Jesus Christ" !!!! Quite literally jaw droppingly astonishing. I feel like Jesus Christ. Yes because Jesus was all "ooo Pointious Pilot, I know we fooled around last week but I actually fancy Judas Iscariot" (Pontious "i'll get you for this Jesus", etc). That's exactly what Jesus was about :P Ok, now I've blasphemed, on with this list! There are a whopping 8 big come back singles on this, compared with 3 this time last year. Aren't people busy when it rains a lot...

FIZZYPOP CHOICE OF SONGS FOR AUGUST 2009:

1 ~ Madonna, Celebration: It is literally extraordinary that this hasn't properly leaked yet and the world is impatiently drumming it's fingers to the beat of a dodgy camera phone clip on youtube. I've said as much as I can about this on Monday, so just go there if you haven't already. No doubt will be the sound of the summer...
2 ~ Whitney Houston, Million Dollar Bill: It is literally extraordinary that this hasn't properly leaked yet. Tragically already the album campaign feels like a proper mess. Different singles here and there. Different mixes all over the shop. But I am confident that I will at least like most of the album and according to D'Luv this sounds like it could be proper bonza. Hurrah. I'm all for 1992!
3 ~ Mariah Carey, Obsessed: It's almost entirely out of habit that I keep putting Mariah on these lists at all. I was so in love with her music in the 90s that despite the shoddy output in recent years I still cling on. This isn't bad per se, it's just not great. Sigh. When will I learn?
4 ~ Shakira, She Wolf: I sort of forgot about Shakira until Mike reminded me. I thought Hips Don't Lie was rubbish, but loved Illegal. This is quite discotastic and sounds like Shakira has been overdosing on Annie in the chorus. I like the fact that she practically spits out the lyrics and that it all goes abit crazy around the middle 8. Better with each listen.
5 ~ Mika, We Are Golden: Oh come off it. I know that you are all secretly in love with this song by now but you just don't want to say :P Again, I've already written about how much I love this (if Madonna doesn't leak it could be number one on Sunday) so I'll just say that his gold pumps remind me of that Sex and The City episode where Carrie snogged Alanis Morrisette. They didn't look good on Ms Bradshaw and they don't look good on Mika :P
6 ~ Backstreet Boys, Soldier Down: Yes, I know that's not the official title, but it's a lot less wanky and more in line with the song - which is actually quite a decent RedOne production that does indeed sound exactly like what a BSB song should sound like in 2009. It's a bit funky, a bit dancey and totally catchy. Score. (Shame the days of soldier up are over for me when I see the boys though :P)
7 ~ Blake Lewis, Sad Song: You know, for the life of me I can't think of which Cher song this reminds me of. Oh wait, yes I can - it's Song For The Lonely. This has that mix of vocoder and dance beats. I do find Blake quite charming and I'm entertained by this tune and found myself singing it quite a lot. I am amused at the battlefield reference (unrelated news - despite not reaching the top ten, Jordin S has sold 124,000 of that track in the UK. Marvy)
8 ~ Little Boots, Remedy: Glorious, glorious, glorious. Should this song (which is a spiritual lyrical sister to Heartbreak Makes Me A Dancer) have been the first single? Possibly, though I still think she should have hit with Stuck On Repeat. Poor Vicky gets a lot of stick for not being more successful (making her Sticky Vicky?!) but this song is just wonderful and I adore the album. Apart from the fact I love Stuck On Repeat a lot more than he does, Aaron has written the album review I've been stalling on for far too long...
9 ~ Marina & The Diamonds, Obsessions: I know I'm a bit late on this song, but i find it's ethereal minimalistic piano juxtaposed with Marina's quite haunting vocal to be quite quite mesmerising. I could honestly listen to her all day. I don't love this quite as much as ...Robot, but it's still a slice above most the myspace pop out there. And her blog is very often in the brilliant range.
10 ~ Bananarama, Love Comes: Oh this song gets better every time that I hear it. I'm just dying for a myriad of remixes to hit that pump up the bass and amp up the melody. Love how "love" is written in all disposal things at the beginning of the video. Love the britpop dresses at the end of the video. Quite like everything in between and the song is more moreish than a packet of Haribo Tangfastics. True.

11 ~ Industry, Burn: Another D'Luv exclusive. This will be out officially in a couple of weeks and is a lovely breezy midtempo ballad that Steps used to do so much better than S Club (though Show Me Your Colours was nice). I'm eager for ridiculously attractive foursome to make some waves in the UK - just bribe people with Donal's yummy cookies and they'll be lining up in the streets to buy this equally edible tune :)
12 ~ Same Difference, Better Love Me: As I've said many times before, I refuse to give up on the brilliant Pop album. This gorgeous track is the spiritual successor to the aforementioned Steps Way You Make Me Feel and should really be the fourth single from the album now. Sigh. Sometimes the world is cruel. PS, apparently August 1st is National Same Difference Day. I'm down with that :) (Note to self: never say "down" in that context again)!
13 ~ Mans Zelmerlow, Forever: Now if I was Mans Zelmerlow i'd a) be a lot more gorgeous than I currently am (and let's face it, i'm pretty yummers :P) and b) i'd be cramming in 3 more singles this year from my "sophomore" album. Forever is the perfect late summer tune that just tinkles and dances out of the speakers with it's dance/rave "leanings". Whatever it's trying to be, it's a massively catchy tune with a great uplifting vibe to it. Brillo pants.
14 ~ Neo, Higher: I can't find a link to this :( Maybe Bobpops can help out? Anyway, I do find Neo to be perhaps the Mika that people will find less annoying?! This tune was my instant favourite of his quite brilliant debut album and his master of pop etiquette screams from every note within this song. No that didn't make any sense, but it sounds quite complimentary doesn't it?!
15 ~ Take That, How Did It Come To This?: Jason Orange, it's your time to shine. The That absolutely need to pick this as their fourth single whether they are having one or not. I love this song that makes self doubt and commentary on the craziness of modern life sound so heavenly and enjoyable. Jason sounds great - (should take lead vocal more often) and there are some great crashing piano chords in the background.
16 ~ Darin, Runaway: See, when popstars that are quite famous in their home country make an album that is meant to break the worldwide market, it can often lead to no international success and a bit of resentment back home. I'm not sure that has quite happened with Darin's latest album, but when there are great tunes like this - an effortlessly likeable "urban" club jam delivered with a lovely understated restrained performance from Darin, well home and away are missing out not making it massive.
17 ~ Kelly Clarkson, Already Gone: I forgot (already!) how much I like this song and I feel mightily ashamed that it is my number one song called Already Gone this year (sorry Deborah Gibson - oh the sacrilege). Kelly does ballads incredibly well and this is a modern day shuffling beat ballad that sounds just lovely on a dusky summer night. Raining or not. If Buffy were still going, this would be soundtracking something devastating.
18 ~ Taylor Swift, You Belong To Me: Great video for a good song. Nothing's gonna top the amazing key change adoring Love Story, but this is quite a perky little number that isn't going to change anyone's opinions of the verbose teen but it genuinely is (in my opinion) a pretty little song. I do wonder if there is anything in Taylor's life that she hasn't written about tho?!
19 ~ Arctic Monkeys, Crying Lightning: Bizarre but brave marketing campaign for this song. Played on radio then shoved onto iTunes straight away to prevent illegal downloading. No one knew about it so doesn't chart quite as high as some of their others. Now is out the chart, but a physical release is imminent and finally a video is here. The digital age is crazy. Which tells you nothing about the song!
Golden Oldie: Debbie Gibson ~ We Could Be Together: 20 years since she performed at Brosin2Summer at Wembley and was quite marvelous. WCBT is still a great summer single. I'm just sad that i ripped my 20 year old Electric Youth tour tshirt tonight :( Bummer in the summer :(

Back Fri (maybe) with a friday five. If not then deffo Sunday :)