Only two chunks to go now – up tomorrow and Friday – so feel free to offer any predictions for the Top 10 in the comments.
33. WAKA FLOCKA FLAME – “Hard In Da Paint”: High-aggro Atlanta hip-hop, probably the most in-your-face track on this year’s list. What I like about this is how the vocal line has been basically exploded, every word surrounded by a shrapnel cloud of syllables.
32. KATY PERRY – “Teenage Dream”: Not a fan of this. The unsubtle style she (and Dr Luke) uses worked OK on dumb summer fun but falls flat when she’s meant to be reflective or inspiring. But obviously several of you thought this was triffic, so over to you, commenters!
31. MAGNETIC MAN ft ANGELA HUNTE – “I Need Air”: Have to admit I agree somewhat with this negative take on “I Need Air” but where the reviewer complains that it bubbles unresolvedly I can see how that might work in its favour – it’s found a way of taking the forcefield tension you get in some dubstep and putting it into a pop context for a kind of stadium claustrophobia that the vid evokes pretty well.
30. DJ FRESH – “Golddust”: Every few years there’s an unabashed pop-meets-D’n’B banger and this – new to me when I made the list – sounds like one through and through.
29. SCISSOR SISTERS – “Invisible Light”: The video contains NUDERY and more to the point does NOT contain the bit where Gandalf goes “SEXUAL GLADIATORS” so head for the Spotify list if that’s your thing. Best thing the Sisters have done since “Return To Oz”, most fun thing they’ve done since their early demos, probably.
28. MINI VIVA – “One Touch”: Is this the last time a Xenomania track will show up in an FT/Poptimists poll? Maybe. It’s the charts that got small, etc. etc.
27. ROBYN – “Indestructible”: Quick diversion to explain how we treat remixes! All versions of a track go into the points pot and the mix with the highest score is what’s featured – in this case, the single edit. But the acoustic version of “Indestructible” and an A-Trak remix got points here too, so if you like this version go check them out. Video is mildly saucy.
26. HOT CHIP – “One Life Stand”: Video edit here chops most of the build-up to get to the chorus, which is a shame as the track gives the impression (rather deliciously) of a shy dude having to work himself up to admit how much he loves someone and without that its sweetness seems unearned. Good steel drum action here though!
25. GOLDFRAPP – “Rocket”: I really thought everyone had forgotten this! Alison Goldfrapp aims for a turn-of-the-80s K-Tel vibe, gets it.
24. ARCADE FIRE – “We Used To Wait”: Also features a demo for the interactive thingy they did for this in which you can see your home suburb in Bittersweet Fire-O-Vision(TM). This has Bloke Arcade Fire singing on it and he’s a lot hoarser than he used to be, it seems to me. I am not very familiar with this song. What’s it about?
23. ARCADE FIRE – “The Suburbs”: And here he is again! No need to enquire re. subject this time though. “THIS VIDEO IS ABOUT THE COMING ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND THE MILITARY DICTATORSHIP TO COME, CAN’T YOU SEE THAT?” says a YouTube commenter. To me it sounds a bit like “She’s Electric” by Oasis. I’m not hearing much on these tracks to suggest I need stray beyond the comfortable enclave of “Sprawl II” to be honest! But glad to hear differently in the comments.
Next up! 22-12, and double entries from a couple of big stars, plus the longest track in the Top 50.