Need For A Poptimist Poll

[koganbot]

In the last two weeks, three pop/teenpop singers released albums with a track entitled "Over It." However, only one of the "Over It"s was written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham, who wrote JoJo's "Too Little Too Late."

Katharine McPhee

Jordan Pruitt

Ashley Tisdale

YouTube of the Tisdale, in case previous link doesn't work.

EDIT MAY 2007: Tiffany Affair

Comments

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

Heh, funnily enough I JUST posted about this on my blog the other day. Summary:

McPhee: Pretty and melancholy, I like it. She's over the PAIN of losing a guy. Actually, she didn't lose the guy, the guy was leading her on without ever really loving her. Kelly Clarkson-lite lyrics. Extremely melodramatic in sound and concept, even if the lyrics and vocals aren't quite up to par. Actually, I get the impression (perhaps intentional) based on the lyrics and vox that Kat's not really over it at all! I think she'd take him back if he showed he could commit. McPhee's vocals sound too generic on record, which diappoints me. Nevertheless, I love the melancholy beauty and give this song an 8/10.

Tisdale: The central problem to this song is that the verses, bridge, and production are all rather boring without much going on. But, it's got a great chorus, great biting lyrics, and features one of Ashley's best, most assured, vocal performances on the whole album. Ashley's not over the PAIN of being in a relationship, like Katharine is, she's over the relationship itself. A subtle difference, but it takes the song from melancholy to assured. Good vocals and a good chorus propel this song to a 7/10.

Pruitt: Love the lyrics and vocals, not feeling the music at all. The song adds yet a third wrinkle to the title "Over It". Katharine's is about being over the pain, Tisdale's is about dumping a cheating boyfriend, Pruitt's is about refusing to take back a bad boyfriend. The meaning unfolds over the song very nicely. Lyrically similar to Kelly Clarkson's "Gone", though I think this song has better lyrics. But the music and melody are just too darned plain and boring, so I can only give this song a 6/10.

OK if we're talking poptimists poll....

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Any good at all: Pruitt (8/10), Tisdale (6 or 7/10).
See ILM for notes on former. The latter is good, but a bit too much of an early-Britney clone*.

Not: 'SexyHair' McPhee (3 or 4/10). I dislike this in exactly the same way as I dislike most of the new JoJo album. Interesting arrangement (as in the orchestration) though.

*However whilst I was over at youtube, I also listened to Ashley's "Headstrong" for the first time, which is awesome.

Re: OK if we're talking poptimists poll....

[koganbot]

Tisdale album being streamed in full here. She's weaker than Britney and her singing is less fetching, but she's got good material and a nice lilt; tracks three through five ("He Said She Said," "Be Good To Me," and "Not Like That") are as strong a run as I'm likely to hear this year. Interesting tension in Ashley's persona, as she wants to come across as the girl next door, but she absolutely dazzled as Sharpay, the Wicked Bitch Of The West, in High School Musical.

[(Anonymous)]

Was going to reply to this a week ago, and had to relisten to the Pruitt and the Tisdale just now to even *remember* them (I don't think a single one of these is all that good), but the one I disliked most last week is the one I like most now--Jordan Pruitt. It should be better, though; if I were producing (or remixing) the track, I'd definitely push the vaguely "ethnic" beat (and vibe) much more upfront. (I put "ethnic" in square coats for obvious reasons, because it's such a useless, dumb description, but also because sometimes I think it sounds "Latin," sometimes "Middle Eastern." Perhaps my confusion explains why, as a remixer, I'd push it harder in that direction, whatever the direction may be, South or East, I suppose.) 7.0

I like a lot of parts in the Tisdale (especially the indecipherable background vocals in the chorus, providing a nice, flowy cushion for the staccato lead vocal to rest against; also like the doubled-up funk bass/synth part), but it doesn't cohere into much for me. The melody is just kind of there--song needs more sweetener. 5.5 or 6.0

I love that the McPhee is a carbon copy of my #3 single from 2006, and it's catchy as hell (of all these, it's the one I've found myself thinking about most often when it's not playing) but it's way too held back, to the point where it feels like they gave up or something. "They" meaning the producers, but also McPhee, who, vocally, invests very little personality, or maybe it's just the inappropriate personality (too much resignation for this song? too much soft sexiness?). 6.0

scott