Flashback! Debbie Gibson ~ Shock Your Mama

It's always an anniversary at some point for pop stars isn't it? This year, it's 25 years since Debbie became the youngest person to write, sing and produce a number one US Billboard song with Foolish Beat, 24 years since the still brilliant album Electric Youth came out, Sleigh Ride (from A Very Special Christmas 2) will turn 21 this festive season and it's 10 years since her broadway album, Coloured Lights was released. Today, however, I am celebrating the 20th anniversary of Shock Your Mama being released in the UK... it was the sparkling second single to be released from her 4th album, Body Mind Soul (and the follow up to the sensuous Losing Myself - which, btw, would be an amazing song for someone like Rihanna to cover) & showcased a fun, naughty side to Debbie (Ms Gibson if you nasty). Co-written with Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers (who also co-write major hits like Eternal's Power of a Woman & Boyzone's All That I Need), it was a spunky slice of frenetic pop that (lyrically) saw Debbie cast off those good girl vibes & get her freak on. Clever bon-mots abound, dripping with a flirty sauciness that is bound to bring a grin to your face ("You pick me up at 8 for dinner at 9/baby where did that hour go??"), all added to a positively percolating instrumental designed to get you on your feet & shimmy. On the album (and video) version, there's a brilliant middle 8 spoken bit by Debbie that I can still receipt word perfect on command to this day - making it one of the most fun Debbie songs to sing along to :) Add to this an utterly bonkers video that sees Debbie prance around with a young fella (who seems like he might be more interested in me) & freak out his parents (ergo, the inspiration for every teen dramedy pilot on ABC Family ever since) and it really is a tremendous song that has stood the test of time. AND! Criminally underrated too - it's one of pops greatest travesties that this peaked at number 74 on the UK charts. Insanity!

(PS, if you do track down a physical copy of the single, you'll be able to pick up rare non-album track Love or Lust which is the perfect companion piece to this song. Bonus!)