Not long after I wrote the Alter Boy review, I came across 2 other songs of Simons that I hadn't heard before. One was called Flashback – a tune he wrote for Disney to mark their annual resort event of the same name. This is one of his most theatrical tunes – from the opening bars, it's almost impossible not to imagine him rising up on a smoke filled stage at the start of a concert while silhouetted dancers show off their choreographed moves. This is a song that is made to be performed on a huge scale, and was my first indication that Simon could write specifically as well as pouring out what was in his head and heart. The song provides enough Disney pomp and ceremony to work in a parade, yet retains Simon's trademark beats, lyrics and vocals as it details how you need to learn from the past to make your dreams happen. An incredibly catchy song, its proceeds also went to the The Leukaemia Society of America….
The second song I heard post Alter Boy review was Put Your Make Up On. Simon wrote this as his entry for the Popjustice theme tune competition. The backing track was the same for each contestant (a typically edgy-pop Xenomania effort) and the task at hand was to write a pop tune that would fit the music. The song Simon came up with is one of his most hit-ready to date and one that I find incredibly hard to get out of my head. Indeed I was playing it rather loudly on my stereo on holiday earlier this year, when I heard a knock on the door. Assuming it was someone asking me to turn it down, it was 3 lads wanting to know how I got my hands on an unreleased Scissor Sisters song! Naturally, I explained and a conversation ensued as to how they wished the Scissor Sisters had retained the edginess of their first album and put more songs like Put Your Make Up On on Ta-Dah. What is often genius about so called "throwaway pop" is how multi-layered and meaningful it actually can be if you take the time to listen properly. As a song, yes, PYMO is incredibly catchy, upbeat and I have no doubt at some point will have some amazing remixes. Lyrically, it's a commentary on the looks and image obsessed society we live in and the lengths people will go to in order to get where they want to be. Which fits well into the world of pop, and so is actually quite a clever entry for a Popjustice theme tune. Which all would have been brill on it's own – only Simon takes it up a notch and ends the song on a crucial highlight: a refrain that plays over the main chorus as he sings an internal monologue "as a kid I got a lot of shit for/liking my music but what is it for?/You should listen to this because it gives more/Yeah, but it sounds lousy on the dance floor!" I nearly hugged my computer speakers when I heard that – I can't imagine readers of Popjustice not relating to those lyrics about how you can be mocked for liking music you can dance to – and how music like that is perceived unworthy and throwaway. Clever, clever stuff (and be sure to catch the reference to xenomania and the sugababes red dress in the second verse!) This may well end up as one of THE pop songs of 2007…
