Britney Spears/In The Zone -- slice and dice here

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I really wasn't looking forward to this one, considering its awful cover artwork and the fact that even Madonna couldn't save "Me Against The Music" from my wrath, but there are nice things in there, like "Toxic," "Early Mornin'," "The Hook Up," and "Brave New Girl", with a lot of synth effects that give it a nice touch.

Best track: "Breathe On Me," hands down. Probably because it's essentially like a Kylie song. Actually, it sounds similar to "Come Into My World," but sexier. Very good.

The last track is a remix of "Me Against The Music," that comes off way better than the original, but nothing spectacular.

All in all, a nice mixture of rhythms and textures with a couple standard Britney ballads to fill in space. I noticed there are a lot of middle east touches scattered here and there through the record as well, but the album as a whole sounds better than I thought. That said, has Britney always sounded this nasal all the time?

Anyway. Download, take a listen and tell me what you think.

― Miggie (Miggie), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

most disappointing album cover ever

― cinniblount (James Blount), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:06 (twenty-one years ago)

it looks like some locally produced cassingle from 1991

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

blount otm. is the album completely pharellified or more diverse?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Madonna's performance in the video for "Me Against the Music" actually made me sorta sad. It just seemed so oddly desperate and awkward.

Why do people care about Britney Spears? I sincerely don't understand it.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:10 (twenty-one years ago)

TS:

vs.

― William Bloody Swygart (mrswygart), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

haha - Amateur!st so OTM..

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:11 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, the madonna part was uncalled for and kinda desperate. what a weak track, too.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

britney has ALWAYS had bad albums covers though!!

― goato mountington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

sho'nuff, but you can dream, can't you?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

...or could it be that the '91 New Jack aesthetics revival starts HERE?!

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:13 (twenty-one years ago)

That said, has Britney always sounded this nasal all the time?

!!!! Dude WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Save my pennies for the Greatest Hits, then. Can't be that far away.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 10 November 2003 15:21 (twenty-one years ago)

baaderist is right! the next brandy cover will be styled like this (we hope):
http://www.posterplanet.net/pictures/images/Jj2c1.jpg

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, what's up with the varrying pronunciations of the word "dance" in that single?

When Britney (backed by a choir of studio fabricated replicants) sings the hook, "LET ME SEE YOU DANCE", it sounds a bit like "DUNCE," whereas when Madonna reprises the chorus, she pronounces it "dance", ala "France", "pants" and "chance"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:25 (twenty-one years ago)

you're getting pretty detailed in your critique, alex. not that you didn't make me laugh, though.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:27 (twenty-one years ago)

What good is a critique if it doesn't pour over minutia?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

cover of first album wasnt bad?

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

my thoughts exactly, charlton.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

The glimmering artificial "we are dance robots come to shimmy on your soul" quality of "Me Against The Music" is precisely what makes it work so well. No one does sexy dancing android better than Britney.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I think music in general at the moment could do with far fewer androids and far more humanity.

― Ian MacDonald Jr, Monday, 10 November 2003 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Unless we're discussing.....

http://www.clubdevo.com/images/devophoto2Small.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

what are you going to be pouring over the minutiae?

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

if it's butterscotch i am so there

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Artists emulating androids make all of my favorite music (with the notable exceptions of the post-punkers and Prince).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Bach, op. 412 Robotic Offering

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I am aware that I am gradually turning into the Melanie Phillips of ILx.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 10 November 2003 15:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Bach's genius lies in his mastery of counterpoint; his stuff is DEEPLY logical once you wallow around in his language for a while.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I prefer illogical music.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 10 November 2003 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Such as...?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:42 (twenty-one years ago)

(This is the point in the thread where Dan asserts that 99% of all music is logical.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

logical yes but robots a bit anachronistic no?

still point taken

yes music is math basically

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Too many examples to list. I want to hear music which isn't afraid to change its mind halfway through, music which is uncertain and vulnerable. Music which can touch me and embrace me, rather than just stare at me coldly as if I'm not rich enough to come into the shop. The appeal of the alien/android/untouchable/indestructible pop star has waned for me. It worked last year but not now. Too damned sure of itself.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 10 November 2003 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

amateurist - that argument is exactly the one Kant used to support his claim that music is the lesser of all the arts. do you agree?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

no it is the greatest of the arts

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

is kant one of the producers on britney's new lp?

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

What do you think of Mr. Bungle, Marcello?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:50 (twenty-one years ago)

i dont think any of the qualities marcello describes mitigate against music being fundamentally logical

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

ama> i'm afraid not, even though it would undoubtedly have been an interesting meeting between the two.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the problem here is that, far from being a big step forward artistically, which is clearly what Ms Spears is trying for, this album sounds confused, and Britney doesn't seem very confident. Why else would she call on Madonna to prop up an already quite good song?

Her last album was far better - it stands up quite well as a collection of pop songs of mostly the same variety with enough stylistic diversions to be entertaining all the way through - my own quibbles about leaving two of the project's best songs off the album aside.

This one feels like a scatterbrained each-way bet. A little here and there, but not everything sticks.

Having said that, "Outrageous" and "Breathe On Me" are very good. "I Got That (Boom Boom)" is terrible, and her having some buffoons yelp over it doesn't help at all.

I listen to Britney Spears because I like her voice when she sings pop songs. It's a nice voice for pop. She's forgotten that, she's trying to wave a magic wand that will turn her into some kind of genre-straddling collossus, doubtlessly inspired (jealousy?) by Christina, but at no point on this album, other than "Breathe On Me" does she sound comfortable. Some of the tracks that are good, like "Touch Of My Hand" and "Everytime" really could have been fantastic. I can't work out what's missing, but it feels unsatisfying, though at least it does remind me that her last album (or rather, the copy I made which substitutes "When I Found You" for "I'm Not A Girl" and "I Run Away" for "I Love Rock N Roll") is actually quite wonderful, and as an album, far better than any Madonna record.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

There's a very good point to be made juxtaposing the logic of a chord progression against the illogic of throwing disjunct musical styles together in one song, whiplashing between tempos/volumes/textures/what have you.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

The appeal of the alien/android/untouchable/indestructible pop star has waned for me. It worked last year but not now.

Hurrah! It's a bit tired anyway y now, with even Liberty X doin' it, but it's never been cogently explained to me why this was such a good thing anyway. Which doesn't make me a rockist, and I hope doesn't make MC I-Mac Jr (not that I dislike I-Mac, but it's a bit of a mantle).

― Enrique (Enrique), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I have listened to this record and I can't detect within it any compelling reason why it had to be made, no palpable emotion or feeling which had to be expressed via this record, other than to allow Britney Spears to continue being "Britney Spears" for another 18 months. I don't mind showbiz, but not showbiz alone.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 10 November 2003 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

that's true

i guess it's a mixture

thus the appeal of vintage instruments with their faltering tonalities

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post

― amateur!st (amateurist), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Marcello, what type of emotions are you looking for? Perhaps you and she aren't speaking the same empathic language.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

i ask again: who produced the record? is it in pharelloscope or is it a more diverse thing?

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

britney's abandoned track w/ the dfa is the best thing she's ever done -- they fucked up by not tossing it on this album (which is very disappointing, the album i mean).

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 10 November 2003 15:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Have you heard it, Yance? Where???

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 10 November 2003 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

(xpost)

Just evidence of any emotion whatsoever. I can't derive any emotion from her. I can't see that she's speaking any language other than what's been fed into her by her producers, Alphabetti Spaghetti style. I kept waiting for the facade to drop and for whatever the "real" Britney is to come forward and tell us what she really believes - or maybe she genuinely does believe that we should all Trust Our President Whatever He Decides To Do. Empathy with "the kids" perhaps - but only twice removed.

If I were really Ian MacDonald, of course, I'd argue that these days I just prefer listening to grown-up music, even if made by eighteen-year-olds (though IMac would never have added that last codicil).

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 10 November 2003 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 68 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Okay, I haven't heard this yet but anyone who says there isn't a large amount of good pop on_Stripped_ REALLY needs to listen to it again.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 28 November 2003 05:22 (twenty-one years ago)

i said that about 'stripped' and i haven't listened to it since!

'in the zone' may be britney under-achieving, or whatever - idunno really, i've only heard the singles from the other three albums - but it sounds a lot better to these ears than xtina's divaing.

or, uh, the pop on 'stripped' might be good but i can't get past the voice. i can appreciate her vocal range and all that, i just don't wanna hear it. so i'll choose little or no range on decent production every time. but i'm punk as fuck, so...y'know...blah...

what i mean is 'IN THE ZONE' ROOLZ!!!

― brian badword (badwords), Friday, 28 November 2003 06:21 (twenty-one years ago)

There is a large amount of great pop on Stripped... just a lot of blah balladeering as well, which you don't get as much of on In The Zone. So proportionally there's more great pop on ITZ, but I think everything on it is trumped by "Make Over", "Dirrty", "Fighter", "Get Mine Get Yours", "Can't Hold Us Down" and "Beautiful".

Brian is right to an extent about Xtina's diva-ing, it's mighty impressive when it actually gels with the song but over 20 songs becomes a bit too overwhelming.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 28 November 2003 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I still haven't heard _In The Zone_ yet but I have no problem believing Alex's analysis.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 28 November 2003 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

What's worse, trying too hard and embarrassingly falling flat on your face (Christina) or not trying at all (Britney)? That's what 'it' (i.e. the Christina vs Britney matchup) ultimately boils down to. Me, I just prefer not to think about 'it'. I find it a lot easier to forget that these two lame-o's even exist and just revel in the natural charm of, say, Hilary Duff.

― Iam Anonentity, Friday, 28 November 2003 21:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Hilary Duff? FOUL EVIL BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Saturday, 29 November 2003 16:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Hilary Duff has natural charm? Surely that would involve having a personality in the first place?

I don't think Xtina ever falls embarrassingly flat on her face... when Stripped stumbles it's never because it over-reaches (it's when she DOES over-reach - "Make Over", "Fighter" - that Xtina's at her best.)

I still don't understand why In The Zone underwhelms me when the songs are so good. I've just realised that "Outrageous" ("outrageous! my sex drive! outrageous! my shopping spree!") was written by R Kelly...

― The Lex (The Lex), Saturday, 29 November 2003 16:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Can we get somemore "Everytime" love on this thread!? Its such an incredible heartbreak track.

I wanna cry everytime I hear it.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Saturday, 29 November 2003 21:48 (twenty-one years ago)

The strings on "Toxic" are my sound effect of the month. I must have listened to this song 20 times already.

― Sean (Sean), Saturday, 29 November 2003 22:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Hilary Duff has a distinctive personality for a teen idol. While she's bright, pretty and bubbly, she can also act a little goofy at times, and her goofiness doesn't grate because it doesn't seem phoney. Say what ye want, but Hilary is 'just being herself' way more than anyone else in pop right now.

What sort of a distinctive personality does Christina have anyway, apart from always acting in way that seems to say "Look at me! LOOK AT ME!!!"? Most pop stars have interchangeable personalities anyway. Pink is the same as Avril (faux rebellion), Christina is the same as Britney (faux sexual abandon & debauchery), etc ..

― Iam Anonentity, Saturday, 29 November 2003 22:24 (twenty-one years ago)

Notice me
Take my hand
Why are we?
Strangers when
Our love is strong
Why carry on without me?
Everytime I try to fly
I fall without my wings
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, it's haunting me
I guess I need you baby
I make believe
That you are here
It's the only way
I see clear
What have I done
You seem to move on easy
And Everytime I try to fly
I fall without my wings
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, your haunting me
I guess I need you baby
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song is my sorry
At night I pray
That soon your face
Will fade away

And everytime I try to fly
I fall without my wings
I feel so small
I guess I need you baby
And everytime I see you in my dreams
I see your face, your haunting me
I guess I need you baby

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Saturday, 29 November 2003 22:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Pedophiles.

― Whatever, Sunday, 30 November 2003 01:50 (twenty-one years ago)

THe only pedophile is the Hillary Duff fan, and that's assuming he/she is over 17 AND we're all perving nonstop, which to my knowledge hasn't happened on this thread (I make no claims for other threads).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Sunday, 30 November 2003 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Xtina has multiple personalities! As shown in each of her last five videos! And only one of them involves debauched skanked-up ho-ness, and the best thing about 'Dirrty' of course was that it may well have been the most authentic thing she'd one at that point.

If we were paedophiles (or indeed lusting over Britney), "Touch Of My Hand" (aka The One About Wanking) would've been mentioned sooner... but it is definitely a high point of In The Zone, if only because it's so BLATANT about it all.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 1 December 2003 00:41 (twenty-one years ago)

http://villagevoice.com/issues/0349/clover.php

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 02:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Brave New Girl is much better than Breathe On Me.

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:29 (twenty-one years ago)

ok sterl, i'm getting it tonight.

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, that review sold me. I'm gonna pick it up.

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 03:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I just realized why I like "Brave New Girl" so much: It's a lot like Vitamin C's "She Talks About Love"

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 04:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I hope Toxic is a single. (because I would love to see what they do for that video)

― A Nairn (moretap), Wednesday, 3 December 2003 06:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I bought the album, and I'm so glad I did; there's some great stuff on here. The Matrix produced track is the worst one I think, but that's just after one play. "Me Against the Music" may still be my favorite; it flopped, didn't it? But she's no Madonna, not that anyone would confuse the two. Even when Madge played disco dolly she was all overwhelming personality; even at her best (and Britney is competent throughout) Brit only sounds like a robot, albeit a sexy one that dances well.

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 11 December 2003 00:32 (twenty-one years ago)

"Toxic" is fantastic. However, the version I downloaded seems to start in media res -- is this how it is on the album, or did I get a wonky version?

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 11 December 2003 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

TOXIC is my favorite song of the moment, it's a hit of ecstacy.

― reo, Tuesday, 6 January 2004 06:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I still don't know the answer to my question.

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 6 January 2004 06:37 (twenty-one years ago)

three weeks pass...

the one I downloaded is only mono, and Yay the video is great!
Thanks Joseph Kahn!

― A Nairn (moretap), Saturday, 31 January 2004 02:08 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

Sterling was right: "Breathe On Me" and "Everything" are my favourite tracks. "Brave New Girl" is v. good but the idea of Madonna circa "Material Girl" and Madonna circa "Music" getting together to cover that Cowgirl song from a few years ago kinda unnerves me.

I really like "The Hook Up" too! "Showdown" could do with a bigger chorus but is also very nice.

What's the current single?

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 20 May 2004 08:46 (twenty-one years ago)

The current single is "Everytime". I'm convinced that not releasing "Brave New Girl" as a single is a big mistake - I played it in the (student newspaper) office, and while normally everyone does their best to ignore my music, this got a sterling reaction - the best I've seen since I played "Toxic" at the start of the year, certainly. I like "Breathe On Me", but it doesn't have that novelty what-the-fuck factor that "Brave New Girl" does.

Madonna circa "Material Girl" and Madonna circa "Music" covering "Legend Of A Cowgirl" THEN TURNING INTO DAFT PUNK ROBOTS!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 May 2004 09:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah but there's that law about third singles being ballads. "Brave New Girl" should be fourth single, split with "Shadow" for maximum law-abiding points.

I really like "Don't Hang Up" too. Guy Sigsworth is a good pop producer I think - he plugs into that post-William Orbit mould really well. (hey does anyone know if that Frou Frou album was good?)

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 20 May 2004 09:41 (twenty-one years ago)

This is sounding much better now it's HOT.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 20 May 2004 09:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I have a six-track promo of that Frou Frou album, it was decent enough but I haven't listened to it since. Imogen Heap's voice grates after a while. But now it's summer, so I'll dig it out after the exams.

I totally planned out the perfect singles schedule for In The Zone: "Toxic", "Outrageous", "Everytime", "Brave New Girl", "Touch Of My Hand" - the last one just in time to be Xmas No 1 in the UK.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 May 2004 09:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha I used to own and enjoy the Imogen Heap *solo album* (I think I still have it somewhere actually). How odd.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 20 May 2004 09:50 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm really getting her confused with Amanda Ghost now. I can't remember which (if either) of them was good. I'm sure one of them had at least one superlative song.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 May 2004 09:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Imogen's singles were "Getting Scared" and "Come Here Boy". Actually she had this amazing self-produced and largely instrumental b-side called "Wireless" that was kinda halfway between Tori's "Datura" and, I dunno, DJ Shadow's "Blood on the Motorway" or something.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 20 May 2004 09:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Instrumental Imogen would be GREAT. "Datura" = most underrated Tori Amos song ever, in a parallel universe it would've become a cult ILM favourite - the SYNTHS in the chorus!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 May 2004 10:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I really like "Datura". But "Wireless" is even better. It kinda made me sad to see that she was becoming a vocalist in a trip-hop duo. Like wtf that ain't your talent girl.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 20 May 2004 10:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha ha Alex half the threads I'm posting to on ILM these days are private conversations with you.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 20 May 2004 10:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, ditto, you are single-handedly managing to destroy my revision schedule (a good thing obv). (And the temptation to post sarky comments about the new Streets album isn't helping!)

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 May 2004 10:07 (twenty-one years ago)

(also - feel free to email etc, though replies may be sporadic at best for the next week)

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 May 2004 10:25 (twenty-one years ago)

the album is good but i dont listen to it as much as i shd because i bought it on cassette just cos cassette goes so perfectly with the album art :/

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Thursday, 20 May 2004 11:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw a video from this album on TRL (channel surfing) and I couldn't bring myself to watch it because:

- it sounded like it was going to be a shitty balad
- the video had the terrible cliche of her getting out of limo and walking past fans

― 24 hours with the King of Snake. (SNAKE!) (ex machina), Thursday, 20 May 2004 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Well she isn't going to be driving over her fans in a Humvee or anything, is she?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 20 May 2004 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I own that Frou Frou album, but I have no idea where it is, and apart from a vague recollection that I sort of liked it, I can't recall what it sounds like at all.

― minolta (minolta), Thursday, 20 May 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I kept getting asked by various people 2 summers back if I'd heard Frou Frou, like it mattered. Either way, they never sounded too great.

I think Imogen is vaguely affiliated with an electro-pop band started by one of my best mate's bro and his friend right now.

― Barima (Barima), Friday, 21 May 2004 11:54 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

Is "Toxic" indication of a new melodicism in pop music?

I mean this at least half seriously. It seems a little more involved, melodically, than most of the Top 40/chart pop commonly embraced here.

(Granted, any time I comment on current pop music, there's a chance I am speaking utter nonsense, due to inadequate familiarity, but I thought I'd give this a try anyway.)

And I'm not saying that's the songs only strength. Yes, it has rhythmic and timbrel (sp?) strengths as well.

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 23 June 2004 13:18 (twenty-one years ago)

six months pass...

Ha I used to own and enjoy the Imogen Heap *solo album* (I think I still have it somewhere actually). How odd.

I just heard a demo from her forthcoming solo record. "Hide and Seek" is basically a vocoderpella ballad! beautiful. I was wondering if it was the new Daft Punk til I called the radio station.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 15 January 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

Spencer I always say this but you should try to track down this instrumental b-side she did called "Wireless", which is like one of the better moments from the second DJ Shadow album, really amazing intense stuff.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Saturday, 15 January 2005 22:25 (twenty years ago)

what's that in english ?
is it ironic her initials are b.s. and so is her music.

― the 3rd ying yang twin, Sunday, 16 January 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

Yes, that is very ironic.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 16 January 2005 14:49 (twenty years ago)

Who produced Breathe On Me and Toxic?

― Andrew (enneff), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 01:14 (twenty years ago)

"Breathe On Me" was produced by Mark Taylor (don't know who he is - ace track though!). "Toxic" was done by Bloodshy & Avant (who also did Christina Milian's "AM to PM" and "When You Look At Me"), but co-written by Cathy Dennis, who also co-wrote "Can't Get You Out Of My Head".

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 13:45 (twenty years ago)

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