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I mean a Spectator article is always going to defend singing the word “f*****” uncensored. This bit made me howl though: The reaction to the ban may well have been knee-jerk but it still cements the feeling amongst a certain generation that kids need to damn well grow a pair. It wasn’t the “kids” who were having meltdowns at the lyrics to WAP now was it.

The Steps album is now also £4.99 on Amazon.

I’m a bit surprised that Gary isn’t even top 20 on Amazon at the moment (he’s 27 and 34). For somebody who is going to rely hugely on physicals I would expect him to be much higher. For example, Kylie had both her versions of Disco in the top 10 on release. With 20000 presales , and Graham Norton and Strictly he’ll easily get the no 1, I’m just a bit surprised that he’s so low at the moment. I guess he must rely heavily on supermarket sales?

Oh I’ve just listened to the 3 Gary Barlow songs, and they’re pretty awful, not a single vaguely interesting idea between them. Still he’ll probably be no 1, though I’d prefer Steps to get there, at least they don’t sound comatose.

I don’t really know what to say to you then - maybe read this article if you want a very clearly articulated account of an experience that many gay men have gone through, and why the word can be harmful to them. https://theguyliner.com/opinion/dont-f-with-me-at-christmas

This idea that we’re all taking the word out of context, and that it means something different in the song...kind of loses credibility when Shane McGowan referred to the Pet Shop Boys as “faggots” a year later in 1988. He knew exactly what the word meant at the time he wrote the song.

For me it’s also the acrobatics people do to justify keep this one specific word played at 11am on Radio 1 on a Monday morning, whilst completely ignoring the fact that they censor every other slur in every other song. It’s all very...revealing.

To be clear, the term “f*****” was as degrading and offensive to gay men in 1987 as it is today, it’s just that most gay men didn’t have any platform or opportunity to express this, and many straight people didn’t care about homophobia. That is the context that needs highlighting.

But Fairytale is openly homophobic and you’re suggesting that gets mainstream play and is uncensored?

I’m afraid I have no idea what your point is...you object to lyrics about females exploring their sexuality, but not lyrics about straight people using “f*****” as a slur? The point is that Radio 1 censor WAP and not Fairytale, so I have no idea what your argument is.

So songs that contain anti Semitic, racist and homophobic references should have feee reign to be played on Radio 1 at any time of day, as long as there’s not too much swearing in the song?

Yeah, they never should have reversed the decision to censor it a few years ago. It just feeds into these bad faith arguments that keep being made as to why this song should not be censored and this dumb “defund the BBC!!!!!l” narrative that right wing nutcases keep perpetuating.

So to be clear you think that any song should be played uncensored at any time of day, no matter what the lyrical content is?

So should one of the biggest hits of the year “Wet Ass Pussy” not be censored at 11am on a Monday morning, because it’s “the language people are using at the time”?

I’ve never really understood why there was a debate in the first place about whether to censor the word on radio. All offensive words are censored on Radio 1, I never understood why people thought this shouldn’t be censored. Obviously the usual Twitter nutcases are having meltdowns about the decision.

I think it will depend a bit on how the Dua duet does. Midnight Sky was deservedly huge here, but I don’t think that one hit song will keep the album afloat.

If Fairytale of New York fades into obscurity as a result, I’ll take it.

I’m pretty sure it did, can’t find the exact post when it was no 1 but here’s the thread where somebody mentions how high up it is http://www.buzzjack.com/forums/index.php?s...9155&st=300

Remember when they made Westlife the first song on Hot Hits U.K. a couple of years ago.

I have no idea about the relative impact of Shout-out vs Head, but I do think it’s difficult to compare success of singles from the past 10 years to the years preceding based on sales alone. Currently 13 of the top 20 singles of all time in the U.K. are from the past 10 years, largely down to recurring streaming. Kylie’s Dancing has now outsold Slow due mainly to streaming - does that mean that Dancing has had a bigger impact than Slow?

Sold out. That was quick.

All these signed editions are great, but seriously how long before the bottom falls out of the market?

The Kylie store is down for maintenance...could they be adding new stuff?

500 of the vinyl were available when they went on sale, down to 385 now...

The turquoise cassette (and therefore the bundle) are now sold out, the clear white and blue still on sale. I expect them to also sell out soon though. I’m really curious how many were made.