Using a ricocheting ping-pong ball as the base for a drum line sounds like a bad idea. But Enrique has taken this hallow sounding bounce and propelled it into an international smash. The song follows the brokenhearted formula as a pre-kiss off song (Do you know what it feels like loving someone that’s in a rush to throw you away) and doesn’t stray far from the dancy Latin influence of his other tracks, so it takes barely a listen to feel comfortable with this one. With a great beat and a sing along chorus, its guilty pleasure feel makes it one to pump up as you get ready go out on a new date leaving that loser well behind.
What happens when you mix a little Lenny with lots of suga? You get ‘Real Girl’ from ex-Sugababe Mutya. Getting a jumpstart on her solo career last year with the brilliant ‘This is not real love’, a song she sang with George Michael, Mutya finally takes the plunge as a full blown solo artist. Ripping the familiar opening arrangement from Lenny Kravitz’s “Its not Over ‘til its over” and morphing it into an echo repeating throughout the whole jazzed up affair. You can’t help but move your body to the sway. The problem with this song also makes it great. The familiar feel reminds you too much of Lenny’s original and you long to hear that version, forgetting that Muyta is singing something about how she’s strong and real. A great track, destined to be the biggest number 2 song ever.
On my recent road trip through New York my list of hot spots to see seemed to grow with each mile I drove. By the end of my trip the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, shopping on Fifth Avenue (love the glass Apple store), Trump Towers and Central Park all sat neatly behind check marks on my ‘to see’ list.
Though it was great to visit such famous landmarks, the emotional blow came when I emerged from the subway and caught my first glimpse of Ground Zero.
Ghastly shadows lit from behind moved slowly along a chain fence. The ceiling closed in on me and the air became a little staler as I neared the edge and peered into the deep hole where two giants once reigned.
Essentially a mass grave for thousands who perished in the destruction, the hole left from the towers’ demise drew me in. The area feels heavy. Silence befalls everyone who nears the hole.
My mind conjures up memories of the disturbing images the world witnessed that September morning, beamed around the world on satellite TV.
As a human it saddened me, as a world explorer I questioned travelers’ addiction to Dark Tourism; ‘the act of travel and visitation to sites, attractions and exhibitions which has real or recreated death, suffering or the seemingly macabre as a main theme’.
While in no way a new phenomenon, Dark Tourism continues to thrive as an underlying purpose for many travelers. Upon my return from New York I identified other places of tragedy visited during my travels. Images of the Agent Orange-soaked badlands of Vietnam, the battlefields of Kentucky and the slave port of Ouidah, Benin seeped into my mind – all unconnected to the World Trade Centre, yet oddly intertwined in our collective history.
Though I had never been to New York prior to tragic event of September 11, 2001, it made me realize how fast things change and how important it is to explore the world’s treasures before any more are destroyed.
Little action affects the top spot this week as Beyoncé and Shakira rack up a third week on top. Just below them, the Manic Street Preachers bullet 26-2 with ‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough’, their first top ten in ions and the single predicted to take them to the top. A mere 5000 copies separate them from ‘Beautiful Liar’ but for this week, anyway they’ll have to settle for a respectable number 2.
Gym Class Heroes move into the number 3 position with ‘Cupid's Chokehold’ and the rest of the top ten reads much like last week until we get to the lower portion. Groove Armada Ft Stush plough into the top ten at 9 with ‘Get Down’ the song they debuted with last week at 32. This placing gives them their biggest hit ever despite being around since 1999 when they debuted with 'If Everybody Looked The Same' from the soundtrack to Madonna’s film “The Next Best Thing’.
Right behind them at 10, Hellogoodbye attack the entire chart with ‘Here (in Your Arms)’. From California, this band vocodes, bleeps and spins enough sunshine to overpower any other hit on the chart. This single sounds like nothing else on the entire 75 single chart. A cross between Daft Punk and Cher, and Sonny and Cher splitting a coke, this track bubbles with enough fun to claim summer anthem status a whole month and a half before beach season arrives.
While long considered a possible one hit wonder, Amerie climbs 28 – 13 with ‘Take Control’ a guitar strumming romp through super powerful woman land. She belts out her vocal with enough attitude to make you soon forget that this song is about absolutely nothing. A sure-fire top ten in a week.
New at 18, Dada Ft Sandy Rivera & Trix sweeten up the top 20 with ‘Lollipop’. Dada first charted with Deepest Blue a few years back but now along with club track singer Sandy the trio have their first dance chart cross over hit. While not necessarily a subtle single about enjoying the desserts of a lover, the beat infects and makes a great kick off to the summer club scene.
New at 37, crooner Michael Bublé flies the maple leaf along with fellow Canadians, Avril Lavigne (5) and Nelly Furtado (4 - Give It To Me and 27 - Say It Right) with his new single ‘Everything’. Not to be confused with the single of the same name that Alanis Morrissette charted with in 2004, this original recording is surprisingly only Bublé’s second. ‘Home’ his first hit charted in 2005 peaked at 31 but became such a huge hit on radio, stayed around for what seemed forever.
Snow Patrol return to the chart this week with ‘Signal Fire’ from the Spiderman 3 Soundtrack at number 50. Meanwhile eternal flame ‘Chasing Cars” moves up two to number 45 this week.
New at 56, Right Said Fred comeback to the chart with ‘I'm too Sexy 2007’ as if it wasn’t all bad enough. Could those two shirtless Maawdolls have what it takes to shake it at the top 15 years later or is the modern listening public to sexy for this song?
The last new noteworthy track bumps in barely at 74. DJ extraordinaire, Armand Van Helden returns with ‘NYC Beat’. Another summer potential.
While the week started off hot with many predicting a full 18 songs charting by the Arctic Monkey, Beyoncé and Shakira head the pack with ‘Beautiful Liar’ for a second week. The monkey’s great new single proper ‘Brainstorm’ slips all the way to number 7 possibly because all their new tracks became available for download as singles according to the new rules.
They do, however, have the distinction of the only act with three new tracks on the chart including ‘Brainstorm’ as well as Fluorescent Adolescent (60) and 505 (74).
Up one notch each are last week’s 3 and 4, Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake with ‘Give it to me’ and Avril Lavigne with ‘Girlfriend’.
NeYo edges up to 4 with ‘Because of you’ while Mark Ronson Ft D Merriweather hold steady at 5 with ‘Stop me’. Apparently, their song was self-predicting.
Mika lands a second straight top tenner with ‘Love Today’ jumping all the way up from 18 to 6. This move proves he is no one hit wonder. To confirm the power of this greatest new discovery, former number one ‘Grace Kelly’ clings to the number 25 position while ‘Lollipop’ returns to the top 75 at number 73.
Gym Class Heroes has one of the highest movers this week with ‘Cupid's Chokehold’ up 24 – 8. Natasha Bedingfield slips 2 with ‘I wanna have your babies’ while Travis returns to the top ten with ‘Closer’. I never would have predicted a 26-notch jump for Travis since the song is mediocre at best, but then I did predict a number one for the Arctic Monkeys.
Two great debuts clock into the top forty this week. Dame Shirley Bassey makes a dramatic return to the top forty at number 38. Last heard on the Propellerheads fantastic track 'History Repeating' in 1999, Shirley makes yet another comeback.
More or less known as the dame that sings the Bond tunes, this song is neither a celebrated collaboration nor a soundtrack song. It's unclear really why the woman with the unmistakeable voice chose to come back now, unless it was to celebrate 50 years in the biz, but for this week at least she brings her special touch of class to the chart.
'The living Tree' is a slow burner that winds up to a belting chorus as Bassey begs to 'dance till her shoes cry" she howls for freedom and redemption over a tightly performed string arrangement. A beautiful Bond song this would make, in the meantime it’s the 27th chart single for this powerhouse who first hit the charts all the way back in 1957.
My second favourite debut comes from everyone's favourite drama queen. Amy Winehouse, caps off the list of impressive debuts this week that includes new tracks from The Manic Street Preachers (26) and Amerie (28) as well as the returns of Groove Armanda (32) and Lostprophets (34).
At 40 Amy strolls back into the charts with the title track to her international smash album 'Back to Black'. A song of tortured endearment, Amy comes to terms with the death of her relationship. "You go back to her and I go back to black". Truly tragic, truly magnificent. Someone pour this girl a glass of wine – she needs it more than anyone.
This week the all-star pairing of Beyoncé and Shakira takes over the top spot. It was a prediction that anyone could have easily made. The only surprise was that it took several weeks for 'Beautiful Liar' to reach the summit. In all honesty, it should be a great single. Unfortunately, the best parts of this whole collaboration are the rain soaked bum shakes in the video and the Freemasons remix that all but shakes the girls out of the song.
Right behind the girls and ready to claw into the top next week, The Arctic Monkeys jump 11-2 with their brand new single ‘Brainstorm’. Ironically the band that became so big on hearsay and the internet last year had to hold out for a physical release of their new single before cracking the top ten. This song should be around for at least a few more weeks as parent album "Favourite Worst Nightmare" sees the light of day this week.
Dropping from 1-3, the all star collaboration between Timbaland, Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake loosens the grip its had at the top for the last two weeks. While an awesome groove accompanies the track, ‘Give it to me’ remains little more than Nelly giving the kiss off to all those who called her a sell out, Justin giving the kiss off to all those who said sexy never left and Timbaland giving the kiss off to everyone else while reminding us all of how good he is.
Just below fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado, Avril Lavigne drops one with ‘Girlfriend’ leaving her number –one-less again this week despite strong sales.
At number 4, Mark Ronson Ft D Merriweather drop with ‘Stop Me’ a perfect summer sing-along dance track containing a smashing sample of 'You keep me hanging on’ – More the Kim Wilde version that The Supremes original.
Natasha Beddingfield lands another straight top tenner with her less than coy new single ’I wanna have your babies’ jumping 15-7. Very different from her last, more introspective hit 'Unwritten’, her new track is a fun ditty with a silly read-my-mind chorus and a funny flute sound that just makes you feel happy. I’d love to hate this song given the inane title but it somehow works and has grown on me.
One spot below Natasha, Enemy pounce on the top ten with their track ‘Away From Here’ leaping 52-8.
Behind these hot movers, Peter Kay, Matt Lucas and the Proclaimers drop to number 9 while Gwen Stephanie loses her grip on the top five and falls four spots to number 10. If there is a God this song will nosedive faster than Gwen’s navel ring and we’ll be rid of it forever.
The highest of many debuts this week jets in at number 16. Ash haven't been in the charts for ions and would have loved to return to the top ten their first time out but as the title suggests 'You Can't Have It All'.
Mika's 'Love Today continues to rocket up the chart 32-18 while former number one 'Grace Kelly' Hangs on at 22.
Former boy band Busted member, Matt Willis, rocks in at 31 with 'Crash' a brilliant remake of the The Primitives track from the 1995 soundtrack to Dumb and Dumber. Completely faithful to the original, Willis cashes in on his appearance on the British reality television show 'I'm a celebrity - get me out of here' and makes a comeback. But the brilliance of this song makes his paint by numbers cover a welcome return to the top 40. I only hope it doesn't burn up the lower regions before slipping into musical abyss.
At 32 Just Jack returns with 'Glory Days'. He must have last January in mind when he actually had a good single on the charts.
The lower reigns of the chart seem oddly late nineties. Ocean Colour Scene flow in at 34 with 'I Told You So' an odd piece of 60s throwback mixed with electric guitars - or in other words it sounds just like every other one of Ocean Colour Scene's 17 top forty hits.
The boys from Oasis once declared Black Rebel Motorcycle Club the best new band in the world. They were wrong of course and the 'Club soon fell off the radar after a few minor tracks that cracked the top 40, the titles of which I can't even remember or bother to look up. This week they motor in at 35 with 'Weapon of Choice' - my choice is flick the mute button on my stereo.
Travis returns to the top 40 at number 36 with 'Closer'. It’s been well over two years since Travis has had a hit. Unfortunately, this track does nothing to propel them into the midst of modern music, sounding oddly like a cast off from 'The Man Who" circa 1999.
Dancing in at 39 is a great new track from Meck Ft Dino. 'Feels Like Home' feels like a great clubber for the summer with its thumping sample from Felix's 'Don't You Want Me’. I hope that this track makes the top regions of the top 40 home for a while but then I also hope some warm weather comes soon. But like spring in Canada, anything can happen on the UK Charts.
The once obscenely volatile UK charts keep calm this week. The Proclaimers, Peter Kay and Matt Lucas lock on to the top spot for a second week with ‘I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)’.
Just below them Avril Lavigne, moves ‘Girlfriend’ into the runner up spot. With no signs of the number one track slowing down, Avril may just have to wait patiently for a few weeks before taking over the top.
However, since momentum will have slowed by then, ‘Girlfriend’ could remain a number 2 victim.
Gwen Stefani moves back up a notch with the worst song of her career, or ‘The Great Escape’ while Sugababes vs Girls Aloud plummet 2-14 with ‘Walk this way’. One more week ought to do it before their ship has completely sunk.
Just outside the top ten, ‘Last night a DJ saved my life’ by Seamus Haji Ft Kayjay rockets 38 to 13 while Kings Of Leon make an equally dramatic upward move 50-18 with “On Call’. Expect to see them in the top ten next week.
Former Spice Girl, Melanie C, returns with a blah version of ‘I want candy’ at 24. This song could have been named I want money since it sounds so ridiculous and half hearted that the ploy to cash in before she gets too old, comes screaming through every bar of the track.
Faithless dance back into the chart at number 38 with ‘Music Matters’ Ft Cass Fox while Mika jumps in ten doors down with ‘Love Today’.
Still clinging strong to the top ten with ‘Grace Kelly’, Mika's unofficial follow up ‘Lollipop’ climbs to 68 making him the artist with the most songs inside the top 75.
Of note this week, Snow Patrol remain in the top 40 with ‘Chasing Cars’ while follow ups “Set the fire to the third bar’ and ‘Eyes open” have completely disappeared from the rankings. This song may just have another summer run before it drives away.
Some golden oldies re-appear as towards the bottom of the barrel. Cat Stevens plants firmly at 52 with ‘Wild World’ while Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ takes off at 62. And to a lesser degree, Justin Timberlake brings ‘Sexyback’ to 72.
