Armato & James Top Ten?

[koganbot]

Over on Tumblr I called for an Antonina Armato & Tim James top ten, since that pair have been consistently among the best writers and producers in teenpop for years, probably the only really reliable ones in the Disney stable. They certainly deserve critical recognition and analysis.

This is in response to Maura's referencing them in regard to Disney's recent Shake It Up: Live 2 Dance compilation LP and her pointing out that back in the day Armato had co-written Brenda K. Starr's "I Still Believe" and the Glenn Madeiros/Bobby Brown "She Ain't Worth It."

Haven't relistened to the Armato-James catalog, but these five would likely make it into an ARMATO & JAMES TOP TEN, at least into mine:

Miley Cyrus "See You Again"
Selena Gomez & The Scene "Naturally"
Hoku "How Do I Feel (The Burrito Song)"
Aly & AJ "Not This Year"
Aly & AJ "Potential Breakup Song"

Watch on YouTube

If you have choices of your own, or want to endorse these, you can do so on Tumblr, where they could actually get noticed, or here on my lj, if you'd like.

(To avoid confusion, in case someone actually participates in this: Armato & James didn't write Bella Thorne's "TTYLXOX," the track from Shake It Up: Live 2 Dance that Maura embedded.)

Comments

Not Already Mentioned

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

In no particular order:

Miley Cyrus - Fly on the Wall
Hoku - Another Dumb Blonde
Aly and AJ - Bullseye
Vanessa Hudgens - Don't Talk
Selena Gomez - Love You Like a Love Song

Runners Up:

Miley Cyrus - Who Owns My Heart
Aly and AJ - Like Whoa
Miley Cyrus - East Northumberland High

Haven't heard (or can't remember) any of the Hope 7 songs in the back catalogue.

Re: Not Already Mentioned

[koganbot]

Hadn't realized they'd done "Don't Talk." Definitely belongs on my list, maybe even at the top.

[(Anonymous)]

Clearly, their work for Miley, Selena, and Aly&AJ is their best work. What else is there?

I've always liked "Bet on It" from HSM2. "The Big Bang", the one Tim James kept for himself, is decent. Miranda Cosgrove - "Bam" is fine too but probably not top 10 worthy. Don't really like Sick Puppies. Haven't heard Beach Girl 5 and some of the other second tier stuff they do. Seems like they save their best tunes for the top line Disney talents.

Hmm. Realistically, ranked, but just off the top of my head:

1. "See You Again"
2. "Not This Year"
3. "Naturally" (3 of my all-time favorite songs)
4. "Fly on the Wall"
5. "Potential Break Up Song"
6. "Division"
7. "Off the Chain" (Selena Gomez)
8. "How Do I Feel?"
9. "Love You Like a Love Song"
10. "Bet On It"

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

Whoops, this was me.

[koganbot]

Want to put in a pitch for Selena's "Outlaw" on When The Sun Goes Down. Guy has a different character from the criminal in Britney's "Criminal" (he's not a killer, he's just running from love, and she's gonna bring him in), but the melody — and the very good singing and production — has the same pang of sadness, saying something that the lyrics don't (that the running will be perpetual).

Jordan Pruitt

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Forgot about Armato/James's contributions to the Jordan Pruitt oeuvre. The only real highlight far as I can tell is "Boyfriend."

From Hope 7, here's OK "I Want Everything." Don't remember the rest of it.

Re: Jordan Pruitt

[koganbot]

Also like the Armato & James "Love For A Day" and "Always" (so that's three of my four favorites on Pruitt's Permission To Fly).