Posts from May 2014
29
May 14
JAMIROQUAI – “Deeper Underground”
Another early 90s press darling scores another late 90s number one – except the reaction isn’t “Wow” this time but “what kept you?”. Within a year or two of turning up, Jamiroquai had moved from The Face’s anointed to a bona fide UK best-seller. By 1996, they’d built a solid global audience and were briefly the toast of MTV for “Virtual Insanity”. They were big. But – plenty of airplay notwithstanding – their singles belied their size. That one tremendous video aside, Jamiroquai were a steady presence in pop, never a dominating one.
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28
May 14
PWC14 Quarter-Final: Iran v South Korea
Chile, Nigeria and – as of this afternoon – England are through to the Pop World Cup semi-finals. One more team will join them – Wichita Lineman’s Iran, who thumped Switzerland in the second round, or Iain Mew’s South Korea, who dispatched the USA. There are no underdogs at this level of Pop Football, with Iran a previous semi-finalist and South Korea widely tipped to go all the way. We expect a tight battle between these two sides.
QF4: Iran v South Korea - which do you pick?
- IRAN: The Waterfront 58%
Loading ...This match ends on Monday – go below the cut for songs, and a farewell to Ghana.
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27
May 14
ANOTHER LEVEL – “Freak Me”
It’s no “Boom Boom Boom”, but “Freak Me” is the frankest boyband track on Popular so far – a cover of Silk’s 1993 R&B hit, which gives Dane Bowers and company the opportunity to sound (and look) intensely earnest and moody while pitching to go down on you. (For some value of “you”). It goes as far as it can without needing a radio edit – and at the old school pre-Matthew Bannister Radio 1, “Freak Me” might still have picked up a ban. But behind the corny growling about whipped cream, this is a celebratory sex jam with consent and respect at its centre. “Let me lick you up and down, til you say stop… Let me do all the things you want me to do.”
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24
May 14
Game of Thrones S04E07: Mockingbird
Ooh, it’s all going to kick off spectacularly and soon! This week is all about the build-up and the antici….pation. If only previous table-setting episodes had been like this – and I’m not just saying that because it was a Tyrion-heavy show, thought that certainly helped matters. The last three seasons have given us Big Moments for episode 9 but knowing what I know and based on Mockingbird, I think the last three might be packed with shriek-worthy, help-it’s-killing-me moments.
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23
May 14
PWC14 Quarter-Final: Croatia v England
Our third quarter-final – and the last two European teams left in the competition. Croatia (managed by intothefireuk) are a team with momentum on their side, sneaking through Group A at the last second and then seeing off the Netherlands in the second round. England (managed by Ronald) find themselves at the treacherous Quarter-Final stage after a solid win over Cote D’Ivoire. The winner here faces either Iran or South Korea in the semis.
QF3: Croatia v England - which do you pick?
- ENGLAND: Years & Years 74%
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This match runs until Wednesday – songs below the cut, and a farewell to the loser of our first quarter-final…
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BILLIE – “Because We Want To”
Pop Between Realities, Home In Time For TOTP
I’ve talked about Dr Phil Sandifer’s TARDIS Eruditorum blog before on Tumblr, but I’ve held off mentioning it here until this post, for hopefully obvious reasons. TARDIS Eruditorum is a critical Doctor Who blog which has been running since 2011 and will end this year. Its format – which Sandifer calls psychochronography – should be familiar to Popular readers: take a cultural object with a long history, and write about it in chronological order. Naturally, writing about the thing ends up meaning writing around the thing. My brother gave me the first three volumes of the book edition of Eruditorum for Christmas, and it was the kick in the arse I needed to really get moving on Popular again.
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21
May 14
PWC14 Quarter-Final: Ghana v Nigeria
The last two African teams remaining in the tournament clash in our second quarter-final. Ghana (managed by Jonathan Bogart) made it here by beating Algeria, while defending champions Nigeria (managed by Cis) saw off France. The winner faces either Japan or Chile for a place in the final.
QF1: Ghana v Nigeria - which do you pick?
- NIGERIA: Seyi Shay 58%
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This match runs till Monday. Below the cut you’ll find the songs, the team talks, and a (slightly late) farewell to the USA…
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19
May 14
BADDIEL, SKINNER AND THE LIGHTNING SEEDS – “Three Lions ’98”
The opening of “Three Lions ‘98” is a spot of justified bragging – the hopeful murmurs of the original replaced by a stadium in full cry: “It’s coming home, it’s coming home…”. In musical terms, Baddiel, Skinner and Broudie really had won the cup – a football song that had been taken up by fans as a genuine chant. It made a sequel – or rather, an update – understandably tempting.
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PWC14 Quarter-Final: Chile v Japan
Welcome back to the Pop World Cup, and to the first of our four quarter finals. Chile (managed by lartsaegis) reached here via what turned out to be the narrowest Round of 16 win, against Cameroon. Japan (gaffer: Patrick St Michel) saw off Uruguay more convincingly. The winner of this game faces Nigeria or Ghana in the semis.
QF1: Chile v Japan - which do you pick?
- CHILE: Javiera Mena 53%
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This match runs until Friday! Both teams’ songs are below the cut, along with a belated farewell to Switzerland…
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18
May 14
PWC14: Quarter-Finals Draw
The Quarter-Finals of the Pop World Cup are now all decided.
Chile v Japan
Croatia v England
Nigeria v Ghana
Iran v South Korea
Well done all the managers – that’s a pretty wide selection of global pop there, and some very intriguing clashes. We’ll have the first of those up tomorrow.
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Poll to Poll - PWC Result
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