Lopez Blogs

Well honestly. You crack open the pre-Christmas bubbly and not a day later the early fruits of the campaign advice come flooding onto radio in the form of Sugababes "Girls". I read the brilliant article about it over at Popjustice before I actually heard the song, so was a little bit dubious at first. However, all my dubiosity has disappeared now i have heard the track and here are my reasons why (PS check out Strike Curious Poses' opinion on it too!):

• It doesn't matter that it was part of an advert. It's brilliantly retro and up to date all in one
• They have got a new wardrobe - they've bagged their red dress and got a nice slinky black number. Temptresses!
• It's got a touch of Mark Ronson about the production without Mark Ronson actually being involved. I like Mark but he's a bit everywhere at the moment, so horns and trumpets without him being involved are a-ok in my book.
• The scary popjustice forumers have branded the song "chavvy" Like Sugababes and Girls Aloud weren't chavs before! They've been in knife attacks, worn hoop earrings and beaten up toilet attendants.
• Much like the incredibly wonderful About You Now, which took several listens for me to realise how marvelously insidious the song was when it got inside your head, by 5th listen Girls is a pop almost cover classic in the making.
• Not every song the Sugababes has to be a Hole In The Head. When they don't make music that is all electro-pop people complain and yearn for those electro pop days. If they still did, you can bet people would grumble and say "well it's ok, but it's no Freak Like Me!" I think when pop acts try to make music to please everyone, it must be hugely stressful so they should just make the music they like and hope others like it too.
• The video is bound to be mega. Part Denial type catwalk fest, part massive strut around looking slutty, it will be all over the music tv channels and Christmas parties, mark my words. (Whatever that means)
• Changes (the album) was way too overrated. I mean it had About You Now, Denial and the ace My Love is Pink on it. If the new single and album match those, i will be a happy bunny!

Other tracks floating around:

• Franz Ferdinand have leaked a non album/non single track onto their webpage called Lucid Dreams. I forgot how much I like Franz Ferdinand and this song reminds me of why their third album needs to be brilliant.
• Xo has a non exclusive track for legal download from the new Jem album. I must do a retrospective on how amazing I thought the debut Jem album was. I will be sure to check out XO's roots when Madonna-ing in Cardiff...
• A very decent radio rip of Will Young's increasingly fantastic with each listen Changes is floating aroun there somewhere
• By the time those lovely Lorraine boys get around to releasing their album, it will surely be a greatest hits! Just whip it online already! The latest single of the most delayed album this side of Dangerous Muse and Chinese Democracy is a laid back groove called Tell It All that explodes in the chorus and should be a massive hit but sadly won't be :(