Lopez Blogs

Paul: 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. 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!)I would have to disagree with Matt’s statement below that the lyrics aren’t meaningful. I think there is a lot of social relevance in this track cleverly related into pop music. This may well end up as one of THE pop songs of 2007…

Discotheque:Much more of a Discotheque vibe and very Scissor Sister-y – we likey! The Eletro-pop revolution is well and truly underway and this catchy little number, with its slick vocal, will have us on that dancefloor faster than you can say ‘Unsung hero tonight’. Definitely one to listen out for people (and Glenn demands a bassed-up remix coz this song demands it!).

Robpop: Put Your Make-up On is extremely catchy. The Xenomania backing track and the “fetch” lyrics make one mighty fine hit single. If you like Scissor Sisters but feel they are too ostensaenous or stuck in the 70’s then you might just love the ditty from the boy who california city. He snips at cross-dressing, boys who like bubblegum and get bullied for it. It might be one of the few songs out there that pays tribute to the Sugababes Red Dress single of yesterday-year without being too ass-lickish. So what about the pop song itself? It sounds like a track that Kylie and Girls Aloud would have expected to have recorded when entering the Xenomania studios but ended up sorely disappointed. Putting aside the backing track and the very contextual lyrics, the vocals are given a brilliant space to shine and expose a killer voice coming from the lungs of Mr.Curtis. Turning to the lyrics itself, its about all those boys who felt just a little bit strange loving Kylie singles and went red when they bought their copy of Smash Hits. In short, its about me. It’s a shame he has to use a profanity as this song could take him to the mainstream only if record company politics puts it underpants on and allowed the track to shine.

Poppostergirl: I'm not sure what I can say about this that I haven't said before, so, in short: Xenomania-created Popjustice theme combined with Simon and Jadion's lyrics and melody add up to a song that can easily stay stuck in your head for days, especially that chorus and the part near the ending where Simon starts talking about what everyone thought about his love of pop music (which always leaves me wanting to sing along).

Nick: This is very good pop music. It reminds me very much of Darren Hayes in a lot of ways, and I'm glad that it's got a strong electro/eighties feeling to it, rather than just being straight ahead "teen pop," which would have been quite tiresome. I think this is probably one of Curtis' best songs.

Matt Lost In Limbo:The darling of music blogs on both sides of the pond puts his lyrics to the popjustice theme song and proves to be something of a disco stomper. There's a touch of the michael jackson's to his vocal delivery, but this by no means a bad thing. The track is again very instant, the lyrics are not deep or meaningful, but that's what pop's all about.