Jadaver

I have a very clear cut favourite and least favourite here voted for Kelly first of course

'An Honest Mistake' is my sixth favourite song of the entire 2000s so an easy vote for me here 'Too Close' is great as well so unlucky to be up against The Bravery.

Oh my, I listened to Grimmy before school for a while back in the day but that had definitely escaped my memory Glad you're also a fan of 'Pure Shores'! All Saints were another brilliant match for William Orbit much like Madonna. Yay for a snap Gaga favourite then 🤩 it's one of those songs that's massively popular on the forum, so always one to watch in rates but I definitely get the hype. 'Black Coffee' is another 10/10 tbh so can't knock that choice! I love the way it builds to that explosive outro. 'Freak Like Me' is also brilliant, my favourite Sugababes single and received my top marks in the Pop Princesses 2 rate <3 I suppose it has sort of appeared through its Tubeway Army source material so far at least --- Thanks again for the comments <3 the noughties concludes this evening!

Even more instantly obsessed with this collab than expected omg

2000s #04 Lady Gaga - 'Bad Romance' (2009) #03 All Saints - 'Pure Shores' (2000) Next are two chart toppers from the opposite ends of the decade and both pretty BuzzJack-friendly ones at that! I first got into Gaga after being mesmerised by her in the 'Poker Face' music video, on top of falling for the song's catchy chorus. I swiftly bought a copy of The Fame and a big poster of Gaga as 11-year-old me had found her new idol. I rinsed this album, so it still holds a lot of nostalgic value, but I don't think it's held up as well as most of the new additions to The Fame Monster. Gaga's infectious melodies were still present, but there was a darker depth to the lyrics and production on this reissue that continues to appeal to me a lot to this day. 'Bad Romance' was chosen to lead The Fame Monster towards the end of 2009. I recall a demo version of the song leaking first but then Gaga premiered the song properly at Alexander McQueen's Paris Fashion Week show, just months before he tragically died. I was instantly blown away by this single and my awe has never waned. It took me a while to hear this song live but I finally ticked off that experience in 2022, when I watched Gaga's Chromatica Ball tour at Tottenham Hotspur stadium. I remember thinking I'd attend the tour around the time I turned 23 (the same age she was when 'Bad Romance' dropped) but it was actually closer to my 25th birthday in the end, due to Covid. The concert turned out to be a more stressful experience than anticipated (I got a banging headache after unexpected transport stress on the way there) but it was still surreal to hear 'Bad Romance' live for the first time, what a talent. 'Bad Romance' was written by Gaga herself alongside RedOne, who produced the record. The song is about falling in love with your best friend hence the "I want your love, I don't wanna be friends" lyric. However, Gaga said she was generally attracted to dangerous relationships, so it can be applied more broadly too. She seems a lot more settled these days with her husband (and now baby!) but the Gaga of 2009, who had experienced many tumultuous relationships in the past, details her feelings through a macabre lens. The pretty gruesome "I want your ugly, I want your disease" opener to the first verse quickly told us she'd be going down a much darker path for The Fame Monster. She even later uses the works of Alfred Hitchcock to express her cravings for a disturbed, wild lover with: "I want your psycho, your vertigo stick, want you in my rear window, baby you're sick". This song-writing feels like a step up creatively while not sacrificing her earworm hooks all the same. I love the drama of the French bridge as well which Gaga sells the hell out of vocally. She generally achieves a pleasing contrast throughout, with her lower register tackling the verses and a more powerful, soaring vocal taking over for the chorus. The layered production of 'Bad Romance' is also very appealing to me, especially the pounding techno-influenced synths and punchy percussion. Overall it's a pretty aggressive sound that only adds to the thrill of the obsessive lyrics. Gaga was inspired by German electronic music while on a trip there and challenged herself to make an experimental pop record, which resulted in the sound of 'Bad Romance'. The music video is also a work of art and fittingly twisted. Gaga is kidnapped and sold to Russian mobsters but she later scorches the highest bidder, visually bringing "I'm a free bitch" to life. I love the feminist metaphor in the storyline and how visually striking every scene looks. I particularly appreciate the Kubrick-esque composition of the video as a big fan of his movies. 'Bad Romance' climbed to #1 in the U.K. during its 7th week of charting but famously stalled at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gaga was blocked by Kesha's 'Tik Tok' and the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys collaboration 'Empire State of Mind' over there. ... Trainspotting isn't the only Danny Boyle film relevant to the countdown as All Saints' song for The Beach has a special place in my heart too! 'Pure Shores' is my favourite girl-group song since 'Be My Baby' although All Saints' fellow 2000 chart-topper 'Black Coffee' is right up there too. Pete Tong, who was All Saints' A&R man at the time, wanted the girls to be on the soundtrack for The Beach. However, Danny Boyle was not keen to have a pop group tied to his film. Tong managed to convince him after getting William Orbit on board for production duties. Orbit previously featured in my countdown as the producer for Madonna's 'Frozen', so scores another behind-the-scenes podium position. The lyrics were written by All Saints member Shaznay Lewis, who was shown a 40 second clip from a then unfinished The Beach and advised to write around it. Lewis loved the challenge of this rather than having to write about her own experiences. She composed the initial lyrics on a plane but then lost them, so some were rewritten. Lewis' lyrics detail a craving for a utopian place which is found later in the song, much like the beach setting in the movie. I love the escapism of her words and always reach for them when I'm on holiday. Vocally, it's Melanie Blatt who opens the song, but Lewis later joins her and the Appleton sisters also provide backing vocals. They all sound ethereal and harmonise beautifully together. William Orbit's production is of course a huge star of the show too. He creates a textured, ambient soundscape with synth delays, arpeggiated and reverberated guitars, electronic percussion and some atmospheric, filtered sound effects too - such as the noises that sound like whales. All of these components come together perfectly to create a blissful underwater world. I also appreciate the briefly heightened sound of the middle 8, as if they're cutting through the water. 'Pure Shores' had strong opening sales of 198k at the top of the chart and went on to become the second best selling single of 2000, only behind Bob The Builder's 'Can We Fix It?'. All Saints were knocked off the top by another William Orbit production when Madonna's 'American Pie' cover got there. RIP to such a unique, talented producer. 🕊️

Ooh a rare Fontaines song that doesn’t have Grian lead vocals but a great pick nevertheless 🥰

Ooh that Gary song was sampled in ‘Where’s Your Head At’ by Basement Jaxx so that’s a smart pick!

That is another wonderful Jessie Ware pick 🤍

The Tweenies didn’t quite manage it but ‘Number 1’ by Tinchy Stryder/N-Dubz got there!

Voted for the wonderful 'bad idea' as my favourite ...and 'six thirty' in the other poll which is probably the least memorable positions song for me

October line-up is out! 10th: Danny Dyer / Sasha Keable 17th: James Norton / The Streets 24th: Cynthia Erivo / Blossoms

Both of these are good but I went for LeAnn too!

Congrats Rollo on the 39 yesterday as well, love the snap scores 🥳 today's game: Round 1: 36 (didn't get: 1973 - one year out) Round 2: 30 (didn't get: The Range - annoying miss, Elvis Costello) 3-in-10: 3 (I Feel Love, Hot Stuff, On The Radio)

Confirmed 🖤

I might have considered 'In My Mind' in the past but I got bored of slap house pretty quickly so the iconic 'Dragostea Din Tei' it is!

Pleased to hear you're a fan of 'An Honest Mistake' too! It got my top marks for Rollo's 'BuzzJack's Ultimate Number 7 Single' event last year and ended up just missing out on a place in the forum's top 20. I really like what I know from Bloc Party during that era as well :) ooh yes Blondie are a good shout. I may have to be secretive about my Pop Factor identity at the moment but I sent them to the last edition, so naturally approve of any influences from them :D That's a fantastic potential choice of favourite Britney song if I say so myself! I agree the strings really enhance it. I need to get into more from The Editors but I do love 'Munich' and 'Papillon' 🥰 Fair enough, that Kylie song is pretty good as well, although unsurprisingly my favourite from that era is 'Slow' with those dark synths!

2000s #06 The Bravery - 'An Honest Mistake' (2005) #05 Britney Spears - 'Toxic' (2003) It turns out the Now That's What I Call Music! 60 song I teased in my opening spiel is 'An Honest Mistake' by The Bravery! I clearly remember discovering this on that compilation and enjoyed it at the time, but have only become more fond of it over the years, as my taste developed. 'An Honest Mistake' appears to be about complicated dynamics with an ex-partner. This includes awkward slips of the tongue, as explored on the chorus, plus the "I forget I'm still awake" part could be interpreted as the protagonist forgetting their relationship is actually over now. Lead singer and songwriter Sam Endicott delivers the anxious, clumsy words in a way that really appeals to me. I love his cold, detached style during the verses and the impressive falsetto notes he hits in the storming chorus. I think this song generally appeals to me so much because it sounds like a 2000s interpretation of my beloved 1980s new wave music. It's like New Order and Duran Duran had a more modern dance-rock love child. The track opens with snappy drum kicks and a driving synth loop, before introducing a sparkling electric guitar sound that enhances the post-punk revival feel. The band builds the energy and tension well throughout, including a more raw and reckless deviation during the instrumental break. The music video is wonderful too! We see The Bravery performing while a chain of dominoes, in addition to other objects, unravel. They were inspired by watching Domino Championships on TV while in Amsterdam, then got a seasoned champion to fly over and set up all the dominoes for them. Drummer Anthony Burulcich said Jay-Z once called it the "best white boy video" he's ever seen...! The Bravery experienced a promising start, as 'An Honest Mistake' reached #7 in the U.K. chart and they won the BBC 'Sound of...' 2005 poll, but they would not achieve any other top 40 hits. My favourite fact related to the band is that lead singer Sam Endicott was one of the composers for 'She Wolf' by Shakira! ... Britney Spears' 'Toxic' is another song I've already written about recently as it was the winner of my Pop Princesses 3 rate on BuzzJack just two months ago, with a decisive 9.61 average! Therefore, I can pinch and expand on some of my own previous contextual words. So, without further ado... Spears' fourth album In The Zone was launched with Madonna collaboration 'Me Against the Music'. This song reached #2 here in the U.K. but could only make #35 on the Billboard Hot 100. On paper, this first single made sense, as a superstar collaboration. But the true smash of the era was waiting in the wings. This strategy feels reminiscent of the single choices for Thriller, when big name collaboration 'The Girl Is Mine' featuring Paul McCartney was pushed first, before launching 'Billie Jean' to the world next. Britney Jean's secret weapon instead came in the form of 'Toxic'... I vividly remember the release of 'Toxic' as a single in 2004 and had to dance to it at school that same year. I instantly fell in love with this song and it's one of those childhood favourites I've never got bored of even slightly. It remains one of the best 'main pop girl' songs ever created for me and its accompanying album In The Zone is my favourite Britney record too. 'Toxic' was written by a team including British singer-songwriter Cathy Dennis plus Swedish talents Christian Karlsson, Pontus Winnberg and Henrik Jonback. Winneberg and Jonback are more commonly known as Bloodshy & Avant, who also produced the track. The song was originally written with Janet Jackson in mind but was instead offered to Kylie Minogue, who previously worked with Cathy Dennis on her biggest ever hit 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head'. However, Minogue turned the song down after hearing a snippet of it. In more recent interviews, she said she was unsure about recording a song called 'Toxic'. Kylie was a good sport and said she was not angry when it became a big hit for Spears. Britney recorded the song in Murlyn Studios, Sweden and Record Plant in Los Angeles. She seductively delivers the lyrics, which act as a metaphor for a lover who is like a dangerous, addictive drug. Kylie may not have recorded this track in the end but it still contains a lyric that talks of "spinning round and round", much like one of her biggest hits. 'Toxic' has an infectious dance-pop sound that also fuses elements of South Asian music. It contains a string sample from 'Tere Mere Beech Mein' by Laxmikant–Pyarelal, a Bollywood song from 1981. This instrumental hook lifts the production to the next level for me as it adds an interesting layer of menacing danger, much like the addictive yet toxic lover in the lyrics. The distorted middle 8 part particularly stands out to me as well for launching into that final chorus in dramatic fashion. The music video for 'Toxic' is one of her most iconic and my personal favourite visual of her career. This was shot by Joseph Kahn who had previously worked with Britney for her 'Stronger' video. She plays a member of cabin crew in a memorable blue ensemble. Britney's other standout look as a blonde is donning a flesh coloured outfit that is covered in diamonds. Elsewhere, she becomes a redhead and also rocks jet black hair. The visuals are influenced by a few other pieces of media. The birds at the very start are a reference to the works of Hong Kong director John Woo. The scene of Spears, as a redhead, standing in a futuristic Paris is a nod to Blade Runner. This look, with the red hair and catsuit, is inspired by Jennifer Garner's character Sydney Bristow in the TV show Alias. Finally, Brit took cues from the Marilyn Monroe film The Seven Year Itch when the draft from a motorbike lifts up her dress in the music video. The choreography throughout was handled by Spears and Brian Friedman; the latter very briefly replaced Louis Walsh as a judge in the 2007 series of the X Factor U.K. The elaborate dance moves in the video include a back handspring when Spears is trying to dodge a Mission Impossible style laser trap. 'Toxic' was Britney's fourth U.K. #1 single and the course correction needed for this era in the U.S., when it peaked at #9 over there.

Oops, although better late than never! Great to have you here now, Dandy 🤩 This is particularly good timing as the 2000s #6 song I'm about to post is one I know both you and Bré are fond of too...

Giving It Takes Two a go and I’m not sure about the new (poorly lit) studio, plus the celebs being interviewed without their partners, but Ellie Taylor is a great new host!

Oh some huge Deandria favourites have dropped out since I last commented! Not heard 'Hologram' in a while but I recall its instrumental synth sound and championed it at the time, so was gutted when it DNQed :'( Great to see the HÆLOS mention, that second place was a new personal best for me at the time 🤩 I loved that Aeroche entry as well so could deal with it blocking me. I think I voted for 'Closer to Life' but remember it growing on me even more post-contest. 'Ankara' is stunning, that got my 18 points so we performed a gold medal swap that contest glad you also loved 'Ruins' <3 oops at us both achieving slightly frustrating positions that edition with 11th and 21st haha! But still a good showing for Fakear and especially after that DNQ streak. You were on a roll with back-to-back entries in fact as 'Les Enfants du Paradis' is a thrilling piece of music, another one I pointed highly!

Looking forward to this! I look back on 2014 pretty fondly in terms of both my personal life and the charts. I was particularly into commercial dance music at the time and even geeked out about it in my job interview for HMV towards the end of that year! I lost interest the following year and it never really recovered as I felt my electronic taste was now better served elsewhere. No qualms about Ben Haenow dropping out first, I'd never seek that out. I remember rooting for Only The Young on X Factor that year and my biggest takeaway from that series in general was that random man who shouted out "ONLY THE YOUNG!" every week that felt like the last semi-relevant year, as they managed to squeeze one more festive chart-topper out of the show and Fleur East's performance of 'Uptown Funk' made a lot of noise. I actually liked 'It's My Birthday' at the time, maybe the sample did some heavy lifting there, but it's aged terribly - very naff lyrics.

That looks like a fantastic selection! I was hoping 'Buddy X '99' would appear and you did not disappoint 🤩 'Gabriel' and 'Sincere' also particularly stand out as big favourites amongst many others looking forward to listening through this.

Broke the tie with a vote for 'Young Folks'

Well done John and Rollo for your 39s on Friday 🥳 hope you enjoy your holiday, John! today's game: Round 1: 33 (didn't get: Morrissey, Big Country) Round 2: 39 3-in-10: 2 (When A Child Is Born, Too Much Too Little Too Late) That second contestant was surely on the wind up with answers like Spice Girls and Dot Cotton

I was intrigued to hear your thoughts on the MCR song as I don't think you were around for my 2006 #1s countdown at the time, so I'm happy to hear you're a fan too and agree on it being their best single. I think my top 3 MCR singles would be that, 'Famous Last Words' and 'Helena'! ❤️ Oh Sigur Rós somehow didn't cross my mind for that contest but they would've been a brilliant choice! What a shame that Jester's Kingdom entry DNQed back in the day, although this was the same kind of era that failed 'Unfinished Sympathy' too before rules were more strict, so taste on here clearly could not be trusted back in the day Glad you like 'Loneliness' too! Ooh thanks for that, I'll need to give those other songs a go as I don't know too much of her catalogue despite being such a fan of 'Moi...Lolita'! --- Thanks all for commenting <3 2000s #6 and #5 coming this evening. Today marks a month since I posted this thread so time is flying!