Tag Archives: Katy Perry

Top 11 Singles Of 2008

Posted on January 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Top 11 Singles Of 2008 is probably my least favourite list of them all. Despite the fact that the songs are all amazing (obviously – I chose ‘em!), something about it just doesn’t flow. And I overplayed my number one song to such an extent (something like on repeat 15 times a day for six months) that it’s only just returning from a two-year banishment, a move required for me to appreciate its majesty once more.

However, this is the list that has had the most extensive tinkering. Originally Madcon’s Beggin’ was on the list – before I went to see Jersey Boys and realised everything great about that song was the Four Seasons sample! An Alcazar single was on there (before I tightened my UK-release only rules), as was Rihanna’s Disturbia (good but generic). In their place went Alphabeat (a song I loved but which seemed so instantly familiar, I thought it was one of those tracks from aeons ago that had bypassed my radar), Miley Cyrus (excluded back in the days when I held Hannah Montana against her) and V V Brown (a limited release single I only found out about after the list was done and dusted). The three nearly but not quites are also all songs I didn’t appreciate at the time but which I couldn’t do without now, yet something about them jars with the overall list, hence them not making the cut.

But enough talking, time for listing! Here’s eleven slices of 2008’s finest…

1. Hot N Cold – Katy Perry (4)
If you know me, you’ll know that I’m ever so slightly obsessed with Hot N Cold. The video holds a permanent place on my desktop and the song itself ain’t too shabby either. A Dr Luke/Max Martin chorus to end all others, and just when you might be getting bored of it, along comes the Jason Nevins Radio Edit, which made the impossible possible by making it even more epic on the scale of amazing than before.

2. Spiralling – Keane (23)
Those thrilling beginning wooooos marked the return of Keane in an entirely different guise from slightly wet piano-playing cousins of Coldplay. Some mental lyrics about fashioning you from jewels and stones we can take or leave, but the hook that swirls, spirals and sucks you in is simply irresistible. Intoxicating, hypnotising, entrancing and just plain bloody brilliant.

3. When I Grow Up – The Pussycat Dolls (3)
Dance breakdown? Check. Ridiculous lyrics? Check. Skanky outfits? Check. Nicole singing practically everything? Check. (Apparently, she even provides backing vocals… to herself). What a shame that the Pussycat Dolls follow-up album was absolute wank but at least we have this Darkchild slice of musical magnificence to remember them by.

4. Just Dance – Lady Gaga (1)
Lady Gaga delivered a well-deserved shot up the arm to the music scene and the brilliance of Just Dance is so great that it somehow makes Akon’s presence in a song bearable. The title isn’t a suggestion, but a command and with music this marvellous, a very easy one to execute at that. And I have no idea who or what Colby O Dennis may be, but his section takes the song to a whole other level.

5. The Promise – Girls Aloud (1)
I don’t know whether to be pleased or annoyed that it took Cheryl Cole being a judge on the X-Factor for the rest of Britain to realise that Girls Aloud are genius. The Promise, a delightful retro romp with finger-crossing dance routine and trademark nonsensical lyrics about walking primroses, may be their least exciting lead single to date – but that still makes it thousands of times better than just about anything else released in the year.

6. Fascination – Alphabeat (6)
More cheerful than Mr Happy after popping some Es, Fascination sounds like someone let off fireworks in a factory stockpiling old 80s records. Somewhere between The B-52s, Wham and Footloose, it was a frenetic jive around everything wonderful you could possibly think of about pop music, by a group who aren’t afraid to do everything in Technicolour, even if they know their way round the skinny jean/long cardigan section of Topman too. And after being deprived of mixed-gender groups for so long, the charming boy-girl interplay of Alphabeat’s vocals sounds so utterly delicious. The word is on your lips – say the word!

7. Run – Leona Lewis (1)
If artists insist on recording covers, could they please all be like Leona Lewis’ version of Run?! Saved from the clutches of Snow Patrol mediocrity, Run has it all. Lighters aloft, dry ice swirling, perfect vocals, choir appearing for the key change – this song is a thing of pure beauty. A future classic.

8. See You Again – Miley Cyrus (11)
‘My best friend Lesley said, “Oh she’s just being Miley”,’ may go down in the record books as the most ridiculous/amazing cult pop lyric of all time. Oddly, its utter inanity somehow contributes to See You Again’s overall excellence. A mesmerising shimmy across the dancefloor, with sparkly accents, seductive vocals and an absolutely stellar chorus, it slams a knockout blow to Disney detractors once and for all.

9. Crying Blood – V V Brown (-)
The insane lovechild of a Nintendo theme tune and the Monster Mash, Crying Blood is an unhinged reworking of doo-wop for the noughties. Exploding out your speakers with all the addictiveness of a batch of EU-banned E-numbers, Crying Blood has enough energy and exuberance for twenty songs, bottled down and boiled into two and a half minutes of pop lunacy at its best.

10. Womanizer – Britney Spears (3)
Fast, frenetic, fantastic and fierce, this indicated that Britney was back and with bells on. Deserves a place for the intro alone – and yes, those are sirens.

11. Up – The Saturdays (5)
Who cares if they’re blander than Rachel Stevens buying magnolia wallpaper and vanilla ice cream when The Saturdays deliver infectious electropop as great as this?

Three nearly but not quites…
That’s Not My Name/Shut Up & Let Me Go – The Ting Tings, Dance Wiv Me – Calvin Harris & Dizzee Rascal, So What – Pink

Red Carpet Rundown: People’s Choice Awards 2011, Part III

Posted on January 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

The final part of my rundown of People’s Choice Awards 2011 fashions and finally… people I’ve heard of! Is it coincidence that they’re generally better-dressed? It is also coincidence that so few walked the red carpet, complete with the ‘People’s Choice’ shower curtains in the background?

Leighton Meester in Vionnet – My best-dressed at this event was Leighton Meester. But a few short months ago, Leighton would have been on the second list, a name that I saw continually cropping up on the fashion pages alongside Blake Lively but without me having a clue who she was. But I finally started watching Gossip Girl and Leighton is clearly the best thing about the show… and her dress sense ain’t too shabby either. Her style is generally a bit more interesting than Lively’s, a bit girlier and a lot more unpredictable. This dress is so unassumingly pretty, with a naïve handmade feel that made me tumble head over heels for it. I love the flattering ruched neckline, I love the gauzy quality of the grey over the subtle flash of the yellow, I love the appliquéd flowers, I love those peachy drop earring and I love Leighton’s stunning natural make-up, especially those smoky eyes. In short, total swoon.
Boyfriend says: Leighton has come straight from playgroup. Looks like there are food stains on that too too. [Suddenly, I don’t like this feature anymore…]

Kristen Stewart in Reem Acra – How awesome is this photo of Kristen Stewart? She looks like some blissed-out goddess, with nary a trace of the awkward teenager in sight. This gold sequin mini was an obvious choice for Stewart (can’t remember the last time she didn’t bring out the pins) but also, a more unusual choice as she tends to favour darker colours. It’s a total winner though – so glittery and gorgeous that it’s a real shame she denied it its red carpet moment. I love the subtlety of the nude satin back, which turns it from High Street to high fashion. It makes her look like the total star she is – and about time too. Embrace it, K. Stew!
Boyfriend says: A bit tranny-ish.

Taylor Swift in J. Mendel – Actually, the gold spangly number is more of a Taylor Swift thing. The former magpie of the red carpet (she could never resist anything shiny), Swift is finally branching out and discovering that amazing things happen when she does. After Minka and Leighton, this was my next favourite look from the awards. As the amazing Red Carpet Fashion Awards pointed out, there’s something very Rodarte inspired about this dainty blush gown – I’m gonna stick my head out and say it’s the slightly deconstructed nature to the delicate fabric. It fits in perfectly with the Black Swan ballerina fever (or should I call it bird flu?!) going round at the moment; Taylor’s even got a bit of a dancer’s pose going on too! But this is a signature look for her – sweet, innocent, demure – and she looks stunning.
Boyfriend says: I agree with the ballerina theme.

Katy Perry in Betsy Johnson – Imagine you asked your six year-old self what she would wear to the Oscars. You have this dress. Honestly, this shade of purple seems to do weird things to me where I lose all objectivity to any gown that features it (remember Sandra Bullock’s beloved Quality Street moment?) but this is sooooo pretty and girlie and just… gush… love. It’s all big flouncy skirt, lilac ruffles, veins of electric blue and Perry just looks like she loves wearing it. What’s more, the fuchsia peeptoes are amazing, as is the slash of bubblegum pink lipstick, as is the second pose. If Taylor Swift was butter-wouldn’t melt ballerina, then Perry is the ballerina butter-wouldn’t melt ballerina really wanted to be. My inner six year-old just did an excited hand-clappy dance.
Boyfriend says: Too much.

Jennifer Aniston in Dolce & Gabanna – Yes, most of us have been dying for Jennifer Aniston to step out of her style rut. But is this the look we were dreaming of? I highly doubt it. Women working menswear is meant to be an edgy cool look so I’m not entirely sure how Aniston has managed to make this look so safe, drab and 90s – the waistcoat looks like it was stolen from Chandler’s wardrobe on early Friends (or indeed, Penn Badgley and his never-ending parade of old man clothes on Gossip Girl). I don’t think it’s flattering, I don’t think it’s exciting and compared to every outfit I’ve featured (yes, even Tiffany Hines!), it’s just downright dull. That’s why I needed two pictures of Katy Perry – to plug the energy vortex Aniston had created! I’m sure Jen has a few more tricks up her sleeve, but this just ain’t it. Oh well. At least she looks better than she did in The Switch.
Boyfriend says: Just no.

Red Carpet Rundown: Met Ball 2010, Part III

Posted on May 15, 2010 | 3 comments

So far we’ve had my favourites, my err… other favourites and Tina Fey. I guess it’s about time we gave Tina’s sacked stylist some company at the job centre.

Vera Farmiga in Sophie Theallet – Ugliest dress of the night that wasn’t actively trying to be ugly. The bottom half, which finds ever-increasing ways to zig-zag Farmiga’s body in as unflattering a way as possible, is particularly nasty. Get back to your saloon in the Wild West, Vera!

Christina Hendricks in L’Wren Scott – It wasn’t a good night for baby blue, was it? It was nice of Christina to bring her baby falcon with her for company. Of course, no one is looking at the baby falcon or the strange orange make-up or the oddly frizzy up-do. They’re looking at her breasts. It’s for looks like this that the fact ‘breasts’ is only one letter away from ‘beasts’ seems so appropriate.

January Jones in YSL – Hendricks’ eye make-up clearly has nothing on that of her Mad Men co-star. There’s so much of it, it actually looks like a superhero mask. Aided with the concrete quiff, cat burglar gloves and garish colour contrast between shiny 80s prom dress pink and black iron balcony railings, she could definitely be a superhero of some sort. One of those self-made ones out of Kick-Ass maybe. I can only presume Jones is rebelling against being sooooo pretty as Betty by looking freakish in real-life. In which case, result!

Katy Perry in CuteCircuit – I’m loath to put a picture of Perry in because by doing so, that’s giving her the attention she wants. And attention-seeking is the only reason anyone would choose to wear this gown. It’s not a gown, it’s a party trick. It lights up! In neon colours! That’s like so cool… if you’re six years old and they’re glow-in-the-dark stickers you put on your ceiling to look like space. The light display would be by-the-by if it was actually a nice dress. But it isn’t. It’s cheap-looking, shapeless and looks like it was made from scrunched-up nappies. Thankfully unsoiled. Small mercies.

Kristen Stewart in Chanel – Unlike so many fashion critics, I have so much goodwill towards Kristen. I find her awkwardness endearing, even when it means outfits don’t look as nice as they should because she’s standing like Quasmido with the facial expression of someone about to have their photo taken… oh no, what, you took it just now?! But I wasn’t ready! But I can’t muster up much goodwill towards this dress. Remember the old saying about people so attractive that they’d look good in a bin bag? Well, here Chanel put that to the test and um… let’s put that saying to bed, shall we? But that’s not the main issue – what is going on at the bottom? It looks like it’s from a different (also not very nice) dress. The only consolation is that it looked equally horrid on the runway.

Carey Mulligan in Miu Miu – Since Mulligan is British and fairly new to the red carpet, I imagine she also had no idea what or who the Met Ball was. You thought Rachel Bilson wasn’t ‘event-appropriate’? Well, you’ll be weeping into your lace hankies at this. I actually like this dress a lot – it’s very cute, the floral embroidery is just lovely and it really works with the whole fresh-as-a-daisy charm Carey oozes – but it looks so out of place, and Carey knows it. Hands dug in pockets (they look like oven mitts), facial expression of ‘Woah… how come all these photographers are here? I thought this was just a casual little shindig?’, black opaque tights meaning (the Brit in her) that she was sure she would be spending extended periods of time outside… your stylist screwed you over, Carey. I’m sorry. I bet she knew what the Met Ball was all along, the bitch.

Diane Kruger and Zoe Saldana in Calvin Klein; Jessica Biel in Ralph Lauren – I’m not going to pretend these gowns are ugly because they’re not. However, look at what you’ve seen so far and admit, these are a little boring, aren’t they? Oh I know, fashionistas are supposed to worship the ground that Diane’s teutonic little feet walk on and yes, she does look stunning but this minimalist dress is just a little too minimalist for me. It is literally a bit of a blank. Zoe is the best of the lot – her gown fits her like a glove and it actually has some interesting texture and shimmer, plus the one-shoulder and the sparkle in her eye, saving it from being too yawnworthy. And after that shag-pile rug inspired Oscars look, I think she’s allowed a bit of a breather. I actually like Biel’s dress the most – it’s signature Ralph Lauren, fluid effortless drapey grace – but Biel herself is so boring. She can’t afford to wear a boring dress or else she drowns in a sea of vanilla.