We're almost a month into 2023, and we're still writing 2022 on our checks.
Just kidding. We haven't written a check in years.
But that's how we're getting you back to 1998, when bluesy guitarist Everlast broke onto the scene with his only solo hit (he previously had a hit with his group House of Pain) - a song that uses each verse to tell a story of someone who is figuratively drowning in their life (and literally drowning in the video).
By the way, "his only solo hit" is by no means a measure of the success Everlast has had, as he has continued to create music that resonates, and has been nominated for several awards. Here he is, performing his best known song just a couple of years ago. His voice is raspier, which lends itself well to the bluesy tone of the song.
You had to know we'd get here eventually. Today is the day.
Drew Garrett and Lauren Willey didn't have a lot of confidence in their singing abilities. This is why they went with talk-singing on their viral hit that many have called "Worse than "Friday"".
These two young songwriters (that's right, they wrote this) also didn't actually think they're hot. This song, from 2012, was the first of just a few singles by the singer-songwriting duo - all in a similar style, and all clear parody.
But we know the real question: where are they now?
We did a #WickedGP deep dive to find out what the ladies were up to since their viral fame. Drew Garrett is a holistic health coach with her own business. Lauren Willey's Instagram bio clearly states that she is a "lifelong hoop earring advocate & beauty PR w/ @behrmanpr". Both appear to be living successful, happy lives outside the music industry.
According to Billboard, it was "Heat Waves" by Oxford band Glass Animals. Which is quite an achievement, since it was released in 2021 as a single (and ended up #16 on THAT year end chart) and took 59 weeks to get there. It spent more than a YEAR on the pop chart before it hit #1, and spent a month there. And that's just what it did in the US! In Australia, it spent 85 weeks in their top 10, the longest run by far of any single.
It's not like Glass Animals is some big hitmaker overnight success of a band. They've been around since 2010, and this was their first big hit.
So what made this song a hit?
Well, weird Minecraft fan fiction that highlighted the song didn't hurt, but I'd like to think it's the simple lyrics and captivating electronic beat. Anyone can sing along to this song. Even me! Hell, I'm singing along right now.
It also may be the fact that they are a different band, with an accessible look. They aren't overstyled. They're a real band, writing real music. And they perform it live, too.
"You know, people will actually read about Christina Aguilera. Why not continue down that road?"
"Sure. But I should go non-obvious and not the literal second single from Stripped, right?"
"What? What is that single"
""Beautiful". I literally mentioned it yesterday."
"Oh yeah. You did. But I kinda think you have to. It's her biggest hit and her best known song."
"Ugh, fine. Can I at least talk about new facts people might not know, like that it was written and produced by Linda Perry, who most people know from 4 Non Blondes?"
"It's not like I can stop you."
"How about the fact that this video won a GLAAD award for the positive and normalized portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community, who have adopted it as kind of an anthem?"
"You really can't not mention that. Better mention the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance as well as its nomination for Song of the Year. You love mentioning awards."
"How about the lack of assless chaps?"
"....."
"What else do I need to say about this song?"
"Did you mention the second video?"
"The what, now?"
"Yeah, Christina made a 2nd video for this song in 2022, with a focus on body acceptance and the issues of social media in regards to that."
"I did NOT know that existed."
"Yeah, she even put some mental health resources right on the front page of her website. They're still there right now, as we write this."
"Yeah, I see that. Looks like this was a 20th anniversary rerelease as well."
"I mean, yeah, but do you see the greater good she's trying to do here?"
"Well, what about the other version of the song/"
"What other version?"
""You Are What You Are (Beautiful)". She rerecorded it in a different style for her greatest hits album."
The birth of Xtina happened in 2002, as Ms. Aguilera was looking to blast the virginal image that her record label was trying to push.
If the song didn't accomplish that, the video sure as hell did. A dirrty, gritty affair, featuring mud wrestling, furries, and a relatively scantily clad Xtina ended up being an immediate hit and propelled the song to #5 on the pop charts.
The songwriting team included Redman, whose 2001 song "Let's Get Dirty" was a strong inspiration for this single, which Aguilera fought to be the first single from her Stripped album (over eventual megahit "Beautiful").
To go a little bit into how the sausage is made, I like to add a live performance in a lot of these posts. In the case of this song, there are a lot of performances from 2002 and 2003 in which it is not clear whether or not Christina is singing or just lip-syncing (I believe she is singing but using a helper track). Sure, there are a lot of assless chaps, but I like to give you, the reader, a different perspective of the song.
Then I found this full-band performance. No doubt she's singing the hell out of this song here.
It was really only a matter of time before Nicki Minaj sampled Rick James, right?
Released in August 2022, this song was an instant hit - and by instant, I mean huge Spotify debut, #1 Billboard Hot 100 debut, a spot on her Greatest Hits album (she's been around long enough to have one of those!).
The bigger deal is that it was only her third #1 - and her first in a couple of years.
The All-American Rejects scored their biggest hit to date - #4 on the Hot 100 in addition to topping the US Rock charts - with this angry, angry song. Of course, the band had someone in mind - some real asshole, in their words - but they're not saying - or telling the subject.
Anyway, it's a great straight-ahead rock song that was a refreshing take in 2008.
