In perhaps their greatest video yet, the Sugababes get their high fashion on in a man-tastic celebration of masculine inadequacy. Seriously, the girls look S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G here. Anyone have the director’s name yet? Anyway, shove together some glamourous gowns, a bucketful of sexy, shirtless men, Kylie‘s “Slow” video, and a motorcycle from PCD‘s Doll Domination cover, and you’ve got yourself the video concept “No Can Do.” The favorite moment for me? Lampshade hotties!
That Amelle…I swear, ever since she joined the troupe, Sugababes have gone nowhere but UP…And they keep on getting better! Now bring on “You On A Good Day” for single three. Or “Unbreakable Heart”! Or “Every Heart Broken”!
“No Can Do” will be released on December 22.
Blame it on their infuriating, ever-cycling line-up of fresh faced members, I’ll admit that I never cared much for the Sugababes in the past. Granted, I’ve always listened to the work, but in truth, I’ve merely been a passing fan. Alas, my feelings have completely changed, thanks to the release of the Babes’ sixth album, Spotlights & Catfights, their last-minute album originally scheduled for release in 2009.
An album I can safely consider as one of the year’s best, Spotlights shuffles and struts itself into the forefront of this year’s greatest with an energetic combination platter of sweetly sung piano-backed odes, swinging ’60′s kiss-off tracks, and moody Motown mid-tempos. The tracklisting is tailored to a finite perfection, allowing the album to flow in and out of moods and energies with excellent timing; its contents encrusted with sweet, rhythmic treats.
Jumping into the journey on the entirely wrong foot, “Girls” is one of the weakest efforts on the album, a mediocre choice of lead-off single and album opener. The track leads off with an overly promising, pleasing introduction of brassy horns and brazen chants. From there on, it falls flat. Nonetheless, it’s sound is faithful to the Spotlights structure, making the song feel much more tolerable in context.
Highlights of the album from hereonin are numerous and widespread, including “Side Chick,” the Robyn-lite concoction that harkens back to the glorious sounds of mid-’90′s mid-tempo groovers. It’s one of the essentials off the album, full of unforgettable sass and ‘tude. Considering the inclusion of the line “trying to get my ya-ya,” it’s fairly difficult to trump that argument.
“Every Heart Broken” is another triumph, transforming the Babes into vicious vixens, stabbing their way through a rather murderous endeavor. It’s the album’s most clever moment, as the girls innocently recount their victim’s misfortunate missteps: “Last boy was a director on a silver screen / He went and wrote a slasher flick just for me / When he said ‘Cut,’ I took it literally.” Devilish.
Even the bass-heavy “Hanging On A Star” seems to shine within the album, a purely kitschy, campy show of celebration as the girls go tra-la-la’ing across a bouncy, glittering bass. Hardcore Aloud v. Sugababes enthusiasts take heed: This one’s borderline Aloud in the verse bits, though distinctly Suga in others. It’s your call.
Then there’s the sweetly swinging heartbreaker “Sunday Rain,” a melancholy lament straight from the back archives of the Haus of Winehouse : “You break my heart, and I’ll break yours, that’s how it goes, it goes over and over.” “Unbreakable Heart,” “Sound of Goodbye,” and “Can We Call A Truce?” only add to the album’s content, providing chillingly fragile delivery, the girls seemingly moments away from turning on the waterworks at any time.
Spotlights, in retrospect, is perhaps the most polished attempt of the entire year. While Girls Aloud currently holds the overall title for Best Album (a feat achieved prior to the B. Spears release), the Babes have concocted the strongest fluid creation of 2008.
Hearing the album a month later, I remain slightly dumbfounded by the sheer amount of fresh sound quality and rhythmic senstation packed into this release. Each song contains dozens of riffs, rhymes, and rhythms destined for cluttering up the back of our minds during the midnight hour. The fact that it is absolutely plummeting down the UK Charts right now is sadly forcing the Suga’s release to become the Great Pop Injustice of ’08.
Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to highlight the album’s sorely overlooked crafting.There’s no skipper here–All killer, I promise. But please, don’t come into this album expected an aggressively up-tempo affair. Instead, allow it to marinate for a while. Listen casually, and I think you’ll find yourself in for a delightful surprise.
DL: Sugababes – Unbreakable Heart
DL: Sugababes – Can We Call A Truce?
DL: Sugababes – Every Heart Broken
Be sure to read this article from the Village Voice from Tuesday. Mikael Wood’s analysis of the pop scene in England encapsulates the feelings I’ve been banging on about over the past few months, exploring the inability for our favorite campy, high-quality girl groups of England to crack into the watered-down territory of the American pop scene during an age of conservatism. Long story short: America’s still missing out.
Thanks to David for the find!
I can’t wait anymore…
This is “Side Chick,” just one of the mind-blowingly amazing tracks from the Sugababes album Catfights & Spotlights, a album that is KICKING. MY. ASS. As for this particular track, it’s quite nineties mid-tempo R&B wrapped up with all the best shades of Robyn. The verses are addictive beyond belief, there’s talk of “getting in my knickers,” and the chorus is essential material. Get on this shit because it’s about to become classic.
Album of the year*? It’s possible. More on this soon!
*Declaration made prior to hearing upcoming albums from Girls Aloud and Britney Spears.
I distinctly remember someone once predicting that the video for “The Promise” was to be shot at a drive-in theater within one of the fan forums, so it was greatly pleasing to see a fan’s dream shoot finally come true.
As per usual, I’ve sectioned off the bits and pieces that are most pressing in terms of the Aloud’s new video:
Specific Points Of Interest:
-Girls Aloud likes to watch themselves. Lustfully. Cheryl and Nadine especially, though this really comes as no surprise to no one in particular.
-Girls Aloud in black and white are as equally talented as their colorful counterparts.
-Big Hair is quite in these days.
-The choreography is quite complex, probably as difficult as their “Biology” routine. Christ alive, these girls cannot move in synch for their lives.
-”Sexy! No, No, No” eye makeup has been borrowed once more.
-Note: Not a problem.
-There is, at last, a lengthy focus on Kimberley during her “section,” no doubt to appease the overly rabid Kimba-fans.
-Sadly, “Walking Primrose” apparently does not refer to the actual walking of some sort of animal named Primrose as many had suspected, but rather the actual location. Way to let us down Sarah. Loving the Edie Sedgwick look, though!
-Nicola is continuing to DROP THE BALL. Good Lord woman, would it kill you to mime that sub-par intro with the rest of ‘em? Don’t you know how utterly bizarre it looks to have everyone else down the line singing but you? We’re fighting.
And last but not least,
Many people have been throwing their two cents in on the whole new Sugababes campaign, so I figured I’d throw a few pennies of my own in as well:
The first 47 seconds: 9.5/10
Thereafter: 2.5/10
Oh, and Girls Aloud could have done it better. They’re too busy preparing their (better) first single, though.
The new Sugababes video for their single, “Denial,” has been released. It features whatever Sugababe members exist at press time, plus stop-motion photography. Additionally, you might see some flashy fashion (which I believe has been stolen from the wardrobe of RóisÃn Murphy), passing around of hearts, and some on-screen text every twenty seconds to help you sing along to every thirteenth word in the song. It’s America’s Next Top Model meets any old 90′s era Madonna video.
Ah yes, and you can buy their album, Change
And you, what do you think?
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