“Hi! I’m serial tweeter Kanye West, and despite all evidence to the contrary I have enough marbles to introduce this section of the FT Reader’s Poll Results! I’ve even listened to a few of them and everything. I like the ones with me on best. Hang on… there must be a mistake here. WHERE AM I???”
Cheers Kanye. Tracks #30-#21 under the cut!
30. Florence and The Machine – ‘Shake It Out’
Well done FT readers for not picking the r4c1st single! ‘Shake It Out’ sounds like Animal Collective to me which may or may not be your cup of tea, but whatever it sounds like at least you can rely on Flo for some big hand gestures and billowing robes.
29. HyunA – ‘Bubble POP’
The long version: HyunA is a non-ugly Korean lass who has launched her solo career after being in a successful girlband blah blah blah whatevs. The short version: STUPID DUBSTEP BREAKDOWN.
28. Avril Lavigne – ‘What the Hell’
‘Girlfriend’ Part 2 (not really) sees an increasingly glassy-eyed Avril shrieking her way through a series of irresponsible actions, i.e. it is awesome. Fans of anti-ageing creams/magic potions dished out by Isabella Rossilini may wish to note that Avril Lavigne is ‘only’ 27 years old.
27. Metronomy – ‘The Look’
I fell for The English Riviera completely this year, and didn’t help matters by going on holiday to Cornwall. Anyway, this is rather good considering it’s indier than Noddy Holder’s sideboards and the video features pigeons.
26. Patrick Wolf – ‘Together’
In this video Patrick has placed a stuffed fox upon each of his shoulders. Cue a wibbly-wobbly Werther’s Original moment of when I menaced Nicola Roberts with a stuffed fox at the Popjustice £20 Music Prize a few years ago [sniiiiip – Ed]. Where was I? Oh yes, if Robyn was a dude she’d be Patrick Wolf innit. And she would have robins on her shoulders instead of wolves oh wait.
25. Fucked Up – ‘Queen of Hearts’
Brace yourselves – it’s some Indie Rock with people shouting! Fairly sure Lauren Laverne says ‘effed up’ when announcing this on 6Music. File the video under ‘hein’.
24. Metronomy – ‘The Bay’
The big disco number off the album! The small-town seaside psychodrama is still present and correct but here Metronomy are imagining what it’d be like if they ever managed to leave Torquay, e.g. going to see The Rapture at Exeter Students Union.
23. Britney Spears – ‘Till the World Ends’
With Dr Luke, Max Martin and Ke$ha on the credits, Britney hardly needed to turn up, but the end result is somehow more uplifting and life-affirming than most of the Just 17-problem-page stuff we had last year (hello ‘Firework’). Not bad considering it is inherently another Apocalypse Sh4g track.
22. Adele – ‘NEVER MIND I’ll find SOMEONE LIKE YOOOOOOOUUU’
Title written EXACTLY as it was nominated, there. Foghorns ahoy for the biggest selling single of the year in the UK (over a million copies between January and July 2011). It only got to #55 in Japan though – suck on that, Adele!
21. Ms Dynamite – ‘Neva Soft’
It’s so nice to have Naomi back in full effect! This track has a strange old mix of beats but she lassoes it all together perfectly. Here seems a good place to link to the full list of members of So Solid Crew, sadly taken down from Wikipedia.
Coming up later today: into the teens!