23 January 2023 - Glass Animals - Heat Waves

What was the biggest hit of 2022?

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.

20 January 2023 - Christina Aguilera - Beautiful

"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."

"Oh, like "Genie 2.0"?"

"You DO read my blog! Yes, a lot like that.  Very electronic."

"I think it sounds like a funeral dirge."

"Can you be a little positive here?"

"Yeah.  I'm positive it sounds like a funeral dirge."

"Do you think there's video of her performing this song in assless chaps?"

"What is it with you and the assless chaps?"

"Ugh ok.  How about this 2016 video from Russian television?"

"Wow.  OK!"

"Yeah, it showcases her still-gigantic voice and her love of her fans"

"Agreed!!!"

19 January 2023 - Christina Aguilera ft. Redman - Dirrty

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.

18 January 2023 - Nicki Minaj - Super Freaky Girl

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.  

16 January 2023 - The All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell

This may be the angriest song we've ever posted - and we have posted songs with the F word in their title.  

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.

13 January 2023 - The Arrows - I Love Rock N Roll

If you read Totally Covered, you know the Joan Jett version(s) of this song is(are) a() cover(s).  

The Arrows wrote and performed this song in 1975.  This creepy, creepy song about picking up an underage girl ended up getting them a recurring TV gig on their own eponymous show.  Ah, the 70s.  It was on that TV show that Joan Jett saw the band perform the song - and her recordings became history.

The song is a classic because of what Joan Jett did, and despite the creepy, creepy subject matter, I have come to appreciate this version.  

12 January 2023 - Kim Petras - Future Starts Now

Kim Petras has been releasing compelling alt-synth pop music for years that has been really really good.  This post is about one that didn't get a real release, though.

This song was supposed to be the big single from her third album, which would have been her major label debut, Problématique, That album, for unknown reasons, never got released and was scrapped by the Republic Records, supposedly due to the fact that many songs, including this one, were leaked ahead of time (some speculate there are other reasons related to Dr. Luke, who we have mentioned before in not-complimentary terms).

Anyway, Petras says it's OK to listen to the leaks, and she has released this song as a single - and it ended up being something of a club hit - so if she's OK with it, we are, too.