Which pop song touches your heart right now? And why?

I was going to do this on a seperate thread a while ago, but forgot about it. That Blue song I originally found kind of disturbing, because I thought it went "If you come back here alive", which posed all kinds of questions: where is she now? Has she become a missionary and is fighting off lions in the jungle? Is she possibly already dead, and he wants her to come back to life? Did he kill her in the first place? Maybe she went off to fight in the war?

But then Steve told me it was actually "If you come back in my life", which is nowhere near as good.

As to the original question... err, my brain doesn't work. I can't think of anything aside from Swedish electronica.

I really like "Emotions" which is surprising to me as I dont like sentimental RnB ballads. It's the singing that makes the tune for me too which is even more surprising. It's the kind of singing I'd usually dismiss as "a cat in heat". But I dunno, it MOVES me..

Rediscovering the Fugees' "Ready Or Not".

*thinks* Man, nothing comes to mind. Strange. I'll have to trawl through the mp3s again.

Ginuwine's "Differences". Normally r&b love ballads remind me of horrible school slow dances where that annoying boy has requested it for you. This is the same guy who did that dirty "Pony" song! Maybe that's part of the appeal, he's reformed from skirt-chasing and now realises how complete he is in a monogamous relationship all due to the Special Girl.

New Toya song! Every Toya song! Does anyone know about the Toya album? Worth buying? I can't imagine not.

Okay, explanation for the Blue obsession:

- lead-up to softness: as with Britney, Blue's first singles are harder/groovier and about gettin' it on (or spurning yo lover), so this sudden capitulation into ego-less devotion is more affecting. There's more of a narrative at work here than with Westlife, whose songs are all a slight tilting of perspective on the same scene. With Blue, their singles form a progression of jadedness thru lust into fragile born again belief.

- Lead-up to expansiveness: ballads are by definition expansive, but expansiveness is not the scruffy Blue's schtick. "All Rise" was catchy but was almost deliberately downplayed, as if to say "we're too manly for proper teenpop". "Too Close" went for the groove angle, working the disco bassline with only the high- singing lead vocalist's pyrotechnics suggesting that these guys actually, y'know, enjoyed singing (none of this is bad incidentally). So the Spector-ish overblown epicness of "If You Come Back" surprises in a sort of beat-Westlife-at-their-own- game manner. It's the musical equivalent of the softness aspect - by using overblown strings and choruses sparingly, Blue avoid debasing the currency (see also: 5ive's better ballads).

- I inadvertantly saw these guys live as part of the Rhumba Pop Festival, and even though they only played for about half an hour they were fantastic, putting on the best show of the day (though admittedly that's not saying much). So I was sort of predisposed to giving them a chance with this. The fact that the lead singer is gorgeous doesn't *hurt*, but I'm reasonably confident that this is merely the icing on the cake as opposed to the foundation of my appreciation.

The fact that the lead singer is gorgeous doesn't *hurt*, but I'm reasonably confident that this is merely the icing on the cake

Let *US* be the judge!

http://www.geocities.com/sophie2g1/blue_4.jpg

So which one is this lead singer paragon, then?

Bah! A perfectly fine image link and the machine complains, fie on it. A link to the same.

And now the page goes down. GRR. Another!

http://www.clioonline.com/blue/blue68.jpg

"Addicted to Bass" Puretone. Because it deals with addiction (to music/hook/bass/whatEVER). It is also about the realisation that you are alone in your obsession. Although you may be dancing together in the club, you are in fact in your own little fucked up world. I sort of relate to that.
I also rediscovered Your Song (and the rest on Elton's s/t record).

Top left one, Ned. Search: "Too Close" video. Although the slight constipated strain he gets when he sings high notes detracts. However, note as with most boybands that as well as being best looking he is also the main singer. OTOH, thankfully for once the band has no outright clunkers either.

Also, I suspect, though cannot confirm, that he may have been the one who complained about all the post-911 hysteria when it was obvious that the most important issue facing mankind was the decline of the whale population. He just has that sensitive- but-stupid look about him.

People, please don't be afraid to post stuff despite my embarrassing confessions.

This is kind of interesting to me because I don't buy any pop music really. But often I'll be listening to the radio and a song will really hit me. Of course I don't actually like it, it just takes advantage of me at a vulnerable moment. Keep telling yourself that Ronan, : )

I'd have to say Emotion by DC aswell was the last one I can remember that actually hit me. What I would say about it that's interesting is that whereas depressing country, or whatever else I choose to listen to tends not to bring out any romantic reaction in me, and often cheers me up, oddly, pop music hits me the hardest. I'm not sure why this is, or even if it is unusual, but I suppose pop has a certain lyrical overtness that is not present in other things I listen to.

Like Keiko, Toya's "No Matta What" has touched me 'art, to my slight surprise. It's not packed full of sonic whatzits, like lots of the pop I've liked recently- using little more than some muted jungle (right? Jess? Tim?) beats and distant guitar distortion, it manages to perfectly convey that sense of yearning, that irrepressible desire to let go and, well, Party All Night (like the song's subtitle sez). And that release comes with the chorus which, instead of going directly for the hips, explodes into sensuous semi-ambient swirls. I imagine this is what Christina Milian's dreams must sound like. And maybe it'll serve as the soundtrack my latest life-goal, which includes fitting as much teenage hedonism (okay, without all the nasty drugs and unprotected sex and extra-fast cars) into my last remaining months of teenagehood.

"Robert De Niro's Waiting", Bananarama.

"I Heard A Rumour", as above.

"Will I" (though probably just the hookline), Ian Van Dahl.

Robin that Ian Van Dahl song is *awful*.

Actually I suppose I can see why you like it. It's the trance "Crying At The Discoteque" innit? Only, like, not as good.

Yeah, that Toya song is great, although I think distorto jungle beats are pretty tech-savvy really. I think I know what you mean though - it's the lovely chorus that makes the song, sounding all sweet and ethereal in spite of the dirty beats. It reminds me of Janet's "Empty" (big compliment).

Blue update: they like Mis-Teeq and one of them wears a t-shirt that says "LOVIN' IT LOVIN' IT LOVIN' IT". I *knew* there was a good reason to like them.

Hüsker Dü - ‘Friend You’ve Got to Fall’ (live version from ‘The Living End’) Don't ask why.

Yo La Tengo's version of "by the time it gets dark" simply gorgeous.

Biz Markee, "The Vapors". The lilt in his voice and the little hip- hop history metatextualisms make it just pure joy.

"Crying At The Discotheque" definitely deserves a mention here. Someone else already brought up "Emotion", so I don't have to.

Not a recent song, but the best thing I've rediscovered over the past week is '100,000 Fireflies' by the Magnetic Fields. Incredible.

Scraph from Isan's Lucky Cat.

So, it's not exactly a pop song by definition, it fits the bill here sheerly for the fact that I can listen to it on repeat 5 times in a row and still feel like I should hear it just one more time.

I think I'm a sucker for old synths and Boards of Canada-style childhood-memory-inducing-melodies, but there's just something so undeniably precious and charming about this song - the simple beat, the way the synth seems to try and chase the beat but is always a step ahead...ahh, bliss.

Actually as you sense Tim I hated "Will I", and its predecessor, when I first heard them. It's just the desperate isolation and uncertainty of the hookline that gets to me, rather despite myself, plus that I like the singer's accent.

Billy Dods rates "Castles In The Sky" *very* highly, as I remember ...

It's an old one for me-- 'Happiness' by The Blue Nile. Because it reminds me of my cat Rain, who died January 10th at the young age of 8. Rest peacefully, Rainy. I like Emily's choice, too. Isan's "Lucky Cat" is brimming with beautiful songs.

Currently on repeat: Pieter Jan De Smet's Sister/Brother. Damn bastard didn't put it as an MP3 on his site so I am resorted to pushing the damn replay button and staying online. Grrr.
He's a singersongwriter. His music is dreamy. Influenced by Elvis Costello, David Bowie and the like. Floats a bit between heaven and earth. I like the way he goes from a high voice and then suddenly drops.

which pop song touches your heart right now? and why?

"Hard Drive" by Evan Dando, for reasons mysterious to me but I know having to do with my currently kindling a romance with a woman I hadn't seen in 25 years.