Well…it’s not really new hair. It’s my usual cut, just blowdried slightly differently, ’cause the hairdresser was experimenting.
Hair actually styled, as opposed to the usual rolled-out-of-bed-and-spiked-up-the-fringe-with-some-hairspray.
(I’ve only just noticed that my phone camera takes flipped images when in selfie mode. I’m going to have to do something about that.)
The main difference I’ve noticed is that normally, when I have my hair dried at the salon with a diffuser, Geth says something like ‘oh, they did your hair all ’80s for you!’ and I have to explain that I didn’t actually ASK for my hair to look ’80s (mainly because I’d be scared of getting funny looks), it’s just the way the cut falls when it’s dried that way. Today, the hairdresser did the curls with a brush and blowdryer instead. Geth’s comment was ‘nice hair, Farrah Fawcett’, and I can’t work out if that’s meant to be a compliment or not.
It’s nice, but it has dropped in volume in the five hours since I had it done, which is an issue I often have with this type of blowdrying. Back to my usual low-maintenance styling tomorrow.
Day 93 equals Now! #93, which came out on 18th March 2016.
This is how the world looked in March 2016. Yes, it’s me at another goth gig (this time Resistanz), wearing the same T-shirt as in yesterday’s photo. I still miss Resistanz and its £1 cans of Somersby cider, though there’s no way I could drink as many of them as I used to these days (it used to be a forty-can weekend).
On with the hits!
Track 1: Lukas Graham – 7 Years
It’s a nice tune, but I find the theme a bit irritating.
Track 2: Justin Bieber – Love Yourself
Another nice tune with an awkward theme. It’s also too slow for me.
Track 3: Zayn – Pillowtalk
Zayn Malik’s first solo release since becoming the Robbie Williams/Geri Halliwell of One Direction and leaving the group about a year before they split ‘went on hiatus’. It’s too slow for me, and the tune is pretty forgettable.
Track 4: Coldplay and Beyoncé – Hymn For The Weekend
Gorgeous tune – really like this one.
Track 5: Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza [SeeB Remix]
Mike Posner returning to the charts with this surprise number one hit. It’s a lovely chillout tune with a wistful theme.
Track 6: Zara Larsson – Lush Life
Solid danceable pop tune – big fan of this.
Track 7: Jonas Blue and Dakota – Fast Car
Dodgy house cover of the Tracy Chapman classic. Should have left well alone.
Track 8: Shawn Mendes – Stitches
Pretty tune – quite like this one.
Track 9: Major Lazer, Nyla and Fuse ODG – Light It Up [Remix]
Boring tune, and it’s too slow for my liking.
Track 10: Snakehips, Tinashe and Chance The Rapper – All My Friends
Good singalong chorus, but it’s too slow for me.
Track 11: Little Mix and Jason Derulo – Secret Love Song
Horrendously saccharine and slow! Not my kind of thing at all.
Track 12: Jess Glynne – Take Me Home
Irritating tune, and again it’s too slow.
Track 13: Ellie Goulding – Army
The tune’s quite interesting, but it’s a little too cheesy for me.
Track 14: One Direction – History
Too acoustic-y for me, but the tune’s okay.
Track 15: Selena Gomez – Hands To Myself
This tune doesn’t really do it for me, although there’s some interesting stuff going on with the backing track, and it’s got a good atmosphere. The theme’s awful, though.
Track 16: Jason Derulo – Get Ugly
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Jason Derulo on track 11.
This one’s got a good rhythm and a slight retro tinge – I quite like it.
Track 17: Sigma and Rita Ora – Coming Home
I find this tune pretty uninspired.
Track 18: Elle King – Exes and Ohs
Great classic-sounding blues-tinged rock. Really like this.
Track 19: Olly Murs – Stevie Knows
Love that retro-sounding funk. Good stuff.
Track 20: Jack Garratt – Worry
Slow and boring, with some odd instrumentals that are very distracting.
Track 21: James Bay – If You Ever Want To Be In Love
Pretty tune, and it’s got quite a good rhythm. I like the rock-edged guitar too.
Track 22: Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Choir – A Bridge Over You
This was the 2015 Christmas number one – a charity choral offering. It was the first time, due to streaming becoming more popular than downloading, that the X Factor winner’s single didn’t really get a look in for the Christmas number one – in fact, Louisa Johnson’s Forever Young is not even included on this Now! compilation, which marks the first time since Steve Brookstein’s Against All Odds from 2005 that the X Factor song has been left out by the Now! compilers.
Anyway, this song is a dodgy mash-up of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water and Coldplay’s Fix You, but I’m sure it raised a lot of money for charity.
Track 23: Justin Bieber – Sorry
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Justin Bieber on track 2.
I love this song, though. It’s the only Justin Bieber song I actually like, and it’s a cracker.
Track 24: The Weeknd – The Hills
Great atmosphere, but I’m not keen on the theme.
Track 25: Coldplay – Adventure Of A Lifetime
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Coldplay on track 4.
I find the warbly instrumentals on this one a bit irritating, but I do like the retro-tinged beat.
Track 26: 99 Souls, Destiny’s Child and Brandy – The Girl Is Mine
Mash-up of Destiny’s Child’s Girl and Brandy and Monica’s The Boy Is Mine (which was itself based on Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney’s The Girl Is Mine). Brandy re-recorded her vocals, Monica didn’t, which I guess explains the credit. I do quite like the electro lines on this track, and it’s not as messy as you would expect from a mash-up.
Track 27: Tinie Tempah and Zara Larsson – Girls Like
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Zara Larsson on track 6.
I quite like this one – it’s very danceable.
Track 28: Fleur East – Sax
I’m a big fan of this one, but you expected that, didn’t you? Saxophone a-go-go. I highly approve.
Track 29: Craig David and Big Narstie – When The Bassline Drops
The start of Craig David’s inexplicable but strangely welcome comeback! This one’s got a good beat, and, as should probably be expected, a bit of an early ’00s tinge.
Track 30: David Guetta, Sia and Fetty Wap – Bang My Head
I find the beat on this one a bit jarring, and the tune’s pretty bland.
Track 31: Sigala and Bryn Christopher – Sweet Lovin’
Another forgettable tune, and I’m actually starting to get a bit fed up of the ’90s-inspired dance tracks now.
Track 32: Kygo and Maty Noyes – Stay
Again, this tune doesn’t do anything for me.
Track 33: Mount and Nicholas Haelg – Something Good
Not a cover of the Utah Saints track, which is probably for the best, given how many versions of that one have shown up on Now! compilations. This one’s a dance track with some interesting instrumentals, but yet another generic, unmemorable tune.
Track 34: The Chainsmokers and Rozes – Roses
There’s a good atmosphere buried in there somewhere, but the track’s too messy to feel it, really.
Track 35: Alessia Cara – Here
Really don’t like this tune at all – I find it very grating.
Track 36: Alan Walker – Faded
Another slow, boring track. The beat does pick up, but it doesn’t get any more interesting.
Track 37: G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha – Me, Myself And I
I quite like the rhythm on the vocals, but I’m not keen on the tune.
Track 38: Robin Schulz and Francesco Yates – Sugar
I like the guitar at the start, and it’s got a good beat.
Track 39: Dawin and Silentó – Dessert [Remix]
The lines on this are pretty jarring, and the tune’s nothing special.
Track 40: AlunaGeorge and Popcaan – I’m In Control
Irritating vocals, dull song.
Track 41: Twenty One Pilots – Stressed Out
I like the reggae-tinged beat, and the chorus is great – it gives the song an awesome eerie atmosphere. Brilliant lyrics too.
Track 42: The 1975 – The Sound
Love that classic pop feel – big fan of this track.
Track 43: Charlie Puth – One Call Away
Pretty tune, but it’s too slow and saccharine for me.
Track 44: David Bowie – Heroes
1977 classic back in the charts after David Bowie’s passing. I’m still sad about Bowie being gone even two and a half years later, and I wish I didn’t now associate this one with it being everywhere in early 2016. The song is as beautiful as everything else he did.
AQL are a telecommunications company, but I’m not sure if they’ve taken over this box for any purposes other than advertising. Either way, it looks very nice with its blue coat of paint, rather like the Wetherspoon phone box from Waverley Bridge in Edinburgh.
That’s us done with Leeds for now. Somewhere new next week!
Day 92 means Now! #92, which brings us to 20th November 2015.
This is how the world looked in November 2015 – or how I looked, rather – because this was the year we started going down to London for the Beat:Cancer event in November. I honestly think I looked about fifteen years older when I was bigger, although my improved hair/makeup game has helped too.
Let’s see what the party tunes were that year! No, they most certainly wouldn’t have been played at Beat:Cancer.
Track 1: Sam Smith – Writing’s On The Wall
It’s a Bond theme, so it’s got a good epic atmosphere, even if it is a slow Sam Smith song.
Track 2: Justin Bieber – What Do You Mean?
Not keen on the tune – it’s a bit depressing.
Track 3: The Weeknd – Can’t Feel My Face
Another tune that I don’t find particularly exciting. The chorus has quite a good rhythm, though.
Track 4: Calvin Harris and Disciples – How Deep Is Your Love
The vocals on this one really irritate me.
Track 5: Naughty Boy, Beyoncé and Arrow Benjamin – Runnin’ (Lose It All)
Too slow for my liking, and again the tune doesn’t do anything for me.
Track 6: Charlie Puth and Meghan Trainor – Marvin Gaye
Great upbeat big-band-sounding pop – really like this tune.
Track 7: R City and Adam Levine – Locked Away
One of those songs that’s so dull I can’t concentrate on it.
Track 8: Rachel Platten – Fight Song
Too high-pitched for me – it gives me a headache.
Track 9: Jess Glynne – Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
Irritating tune, but the beat’s okay.
Track 10: Olly Murs – Kiss Me
I like the ’80s-tinged synthy lines on this one.
Track 11: Ellie Goulding – On My Mind
Some really nice instrumentals on this track.
Track 12: Little Mix – Love Me Like You
I find this tune a bit irritating.
Track 13: One Direction – Drag Me Down
Good rhythm, and it builds quite well, but the tune is fairly uninspired.
Track 14: Demi Lovato – Cool For The Summer
I really like the synth on this one.
Track 15: Years & Years – Eyes Shut
Nice piano at the start, but it’s a little too slow for me.
Track 16: Grace and G-Eazy – You Don’t Own Me
Cover of the Lesley Gore song. It was used in the 2015 House of Fraser Christmas advert, so now it’s a feature of the annual Christmas playlists on the music channels. It’s an okay tune, but in general I find there’s too much going on in this track.
Track 17: Birdy – Wings
Good tune, though it’s a little too slow for me.
Track 18: Aurora – Half The World Away
Cover of the Oasis song, the original being best known as the theme tune to The Royle Family. This was the 2015 John Lewis Christmas advert offering. It’s a pretty cover, but I find it a little depressing when it shows up on the music channels at Christmas time.
Track 19: Jamie Lawson – Wasn’t Expecting That
Too slow, cheesy and acoustic-y for my liking.
Track 20: Ed Sheeran – Photograph
Boring, depressing and again far too slow.
Track 21: Selena Gomez and ASAP Rocky – Good For You
Good atmosphere on this one, but as ever I could do with a more interesting tune.
Track 22: 5 Seconds Of Summer – She’s Kinda Hot
Good upbeat bit of pop-rock – the tune’s not that exciting but it’s refreshing to hear something in a different style.
Track 23: The Vamps – Wake Up
Great instrumentals, great atmosphere – shame the song is a bit too cheesy for me.
Track 24: KDA, Tinie Tempah and Katy B – Turn The Music Louder (Rumble)
Great danceable track – really like this tune.
Track 25: Galantis – Peanut Butter Jelly
Good beat, but the track’s pretty messy. I do like the ’70s-tinged lines though.
Track 26: Sigala – Easy Love
Another song that’s too high-pitched – it’s quite painful to listen to.
Track 27: Martin Solveig and GTA – Intoxicated
I really like the rhythm on this one – very danceable.
Track 28: MNEK and Zara Larsson – Never Forget You
The vocals annoy me on this one.
Track 29: Diplo and Sleepy Tom – Be Right There
Not sure what I think about the interpolation of Jade’s 1992 hit Don’t Walk Away. I hadn’t even thought about the original track in years. It’s certainly the most interesting thing about this track, which is very generic otherwise.
Track 30: Felix Jaehn and Jasmine Thompson – Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better)
Interestingly tinkly cover of the Chaka Khan classic. Obviously nothing can touch the original, but this version’s not horrible.
Track 31: Pia Mia, Chris Brown and Tyga – Do It Again
The beat’s okay, but it’s a pretty generic track.
Track 32: Rudimental and Ed Sheeran – Lay It All On Me
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Ed Sheeran on track 20.
I quite like this tune, and it’s got a good rhythm.
Track 33: Sigma and Ella Henderson – Glitterball
Repetitive tune, not enough beat. Quite like the ’90s tinge though.
Track 34: Disclosure and Sam Smith – Omen
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Sam Smith on track 1.
This one’s another dull tune – there’s just nothing interesting about it at all.
Track 35: Fetty Wap – Trap Queen
Interesting track with great rhythm, even if the tune is a bit repetitive.
Track 36: Format:B – Chunky
Irritating, messy dance track with painfully blaring vocals.
Track 37: WSTRN – In2
Starts off with some boring, random chords. The vocals have got quite a good rhythm, though.
Track 38: Ariana Grande – Focus
Great beat, good solid pop tune. Quite like this one.
Track 39: Silentó – Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)
I like the videogame-esque beeping on the backing track, but the vocals are daft in an annoying way.
Track 40: Joe Stone and Montell Jordan – The Party (This Is How We Do It)
Remix of Montell Jordan’s 1995 classic (see Now! #31 for review of the original version). It’s got a good beat, but I was never a huge fan of the original anyway, and the remix has a lot of jarring lines going on.
Track 41: Nick Brewer and Bibi Bourelly – Talk To Me
Messy and uninspired, and the rap is just irritating.
Track 42: KSI and JME – Keep Up
Inspired theme! Good atmosphere, too.
Track 43: Wretch 32, Anne-Marie and PRGRSHN – Alright With Me
Good rhythm – happily nodding along here.
Track 44: Philip George and Anton Powers – Alone No More
Cover of the 1998 song by Another Level. Very repetitive, and it’s another bland tune.
Track 45: Kygo and Ella Henderson – Here For You
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Ella Henderson on track 33.
The tinkly instrumentals are nice, but the track is slow, and I don’t like slow.
Track 46: Ben Haenow and Kelly Clarkson – Second Hand Heart
Great atmosphere, but the song’s too saccharine for my liking.
By the post title, I mean deliberately getting back into one, and trying not to get back into another!
The good one is reading. As a child I was a voracious reader and the only time I didn’t have my nose in a book was when I was writing my own stories. Then I grew up and the internet happened, and I went to university where I had to read nonfiction books for research all day long, and so my reading habits shifted from novels to blogs and forums, and my fiction-consuming habits shifted almost solely to TV shows and videogames. I’ve never really fully got back into the habit of reading books, although I do make a concerted effort every few months – I’m fully aware that my own writing improves when I read actual published works rather than stuff on the internet, interesting as a lot of stuff on the internet is. As such, for the last couple of weeks – ever since we got access to our books – I’ve been reading for an hour before bed. Also, I got a Kindle for Christmas, and in the last week or so I’ve been filling it up with ebooks to read while I’m on holiday. I’m looking forward to having some time for that again.
The bad habit – which I indulged in today but am not intending to repeat – is buying mounds of cheap clothing in Primark. Since my wardrobe cull, it’s been very important to me that I don’t end up replacing the mounds of cheap and unwearable clothes with more mounds of cheap and unwearable clothes, and so the clothes I’ve been buying so far this year have been better quality investment pieces that I know will get lots of wear. I realised that I don’t have enough lightweight summer clothes for my upcoming holiday though – in the UK climate you don’t usually need a lot of summer clothes, although the ones I do own have been seeing a lot of use during the heatwave we’ve been having for the last few weeks – and so I did break my Primark ban this morning. I don’t expect the clothes will last long, but I know I’ll get a lot of use out of them this summer – and that I now have the de-hoarding mental strength to get rid of them when they do wear out, which is the important thing.
I’m nearly getting to the point where I have enough clothes again. Not quite, but nearly!
(Books, on the other hand, I have far too many of – hence the Kindle, to make sure I don’t buy any more physical ones.)
Day 91 brings us to Now! #91, which was released on 24th July 2015.
This is the way the world looked in July 2015. The South of France was predictably warm, and we were enjoying the holiday gîte that Mum and Dad had rented – with plenty space for the six of us, although Geth and I only overlapped with Malcolm and Steff for the one night. Looking forward to another family get-together very soon!
On with the summer hits!
Track 1: Ellie Goulding – Love Me Like You Do
Irritatingly saccharine ballad, made worse by being from the soundtrack of the Fifty Shades Of Grey movie.
Track 2: Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth – See You Again
Pretty tune on the chorus, and it’s got a good atmosphere. Quite like this one.
Track 3: OMI and Felix Jaehn – Cheerleader
Nice upbeat pop song – big fan of this.
Track 4: Jason Derulo – Want To Want Me
Another solid pop tune. Great danceable track.
Track 5: Little Mix – Black Magic
It’s got a good beat, but I’m not keen on the tune.
Track 6: Tinie Tempah and Jess Glynne – Not Letting Go
I like the ’90s tinge, but the tune’s pretty dull.
Track 7: Major Lazer, DJ Snake and Mø – Lean On
That chorus should annoy me, but I actually quite like it.
Track 8: Years & Years – Shine
Interesting rhythm, and there’s a nice ’80s synthy tinge to the electro lines.
Track 9: Aston Merrygold – Get Stupid
Great mid-century retro sound, great upbeat tune. Good track.
Track 10: Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
I love this one – it’s a fantastic rock-edged party song that sounds like it dropped straight out of the ’80s! A favourite.
Track 11: Rita Ora – Poison
Quite like this tune, though I could do without the jarring instrumentals on the chorus.
Track 12: Natalie La Rose and Jeremih – Somebody
Very irritating interpolation of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which I can’t really get past. The rest of the track’s just bland.
Track 13: Nick Jonas – Jealous
I’ve always been torn about the lyric ‘it’s my right to be hellish/I still get jealous‘. On the one hand it’s super creepy and abusive and squicky. On the other hand, it’s a fantastic rhyme in a musical landscape where lyricism is not a strong point.
To sum up: awful theme, great danceable tune.
Track 14: John Newman – Come And Get It
Love that ’80s-feel funk on the backing track. I’m starting to sense a welcome theme to this Now! compilation!
Track 15: Ed Sheeran and Rudimental – Bloodstream
I quite like the tune on this one.
Track 16: Carly Rae Jepsen – I Really Like You
Nice upbeat pop song, even if it is a bit cheesy.
Track 17: Meghan Trainor – Dear Future Husband
The theme’s a bit awkward, but it’s a good tune.
Track 18: Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Hudson – Trouble
I like the instrumentals, and it’s got a good rhythm.
Track 19: Jessie J – Flashlight
Too slow and ballad-y for me.
Track 20: James Bay – Let It Go
I like the guitar at the start, but the vocals annoy me.
Track 21: Florence & The Machine – Ship To Wreck
I find the chorus on this one pretty irritating, but the atmosphere is great, and I like the folky feel.
Track 22: Hozier – Someone New
Interesting instrumentals at the start, but on the whole it’s a little too slow for me.
Track 23: Lost Frequencies – Are You With Me
Bland, forgettable tune – not keen on this one.
Track 24: Kygo and Conrad Sewell – Firestone
The tune irritates me, and the verses are too slow.
Track 25: David Zowie – House Every Weekend
Very repetitive, and there’s not enough melody for me.
Track 26: David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack – Hey Mama
Love the atmosphere on this one – great track.
Track 27: Flo Rida, Robin Thicke and Verdine White – I Don’t Like It, I Love It
Boring tune, uninspired theme.
Track 28: Galantis – Runaway (U And I)
The vocal style irritates me, and it’s another dull tune.
Track 29: Skrillex, Diplo and Justin Bieber – Where Are Ü Now
The lines are too jarring for me, and the tune’s really bland.
Track 30: Krept & Konan and Jeremih – Freak Of The Week
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Jeremih on track 12.
Good rhythm, good atmosphere – again I could do with a bit more melody though.
Track 31: Fifth Harmony and Kid Ink – Worth It
I really like that trumpet at the start, and it’s got a great beat – very danceable track.
Track 32: Deorro and Chris Brown – Five More Hours
Bland tune – nothing special going on with this one.
Track 33: LunchMoney Lewis – Bills
I love this upbeat novelty track! Happily chair-dancing here.
Track 34: Avicii – Waiting For Love
Love the tune on this, and that piano is gorgeous.
Track 35: Clean Bandit – Stronger
I find some of the lines a bit jarring, and the tune’s fairly bland. Good rhythm, though.
Track 36: Sam Feldt and Kimberly Anne – Show Me Love
Slow chillout cover of the Robin S classic, which has itself featured on a fair few Now! compilations over the years. It’s not my kind of thing, but at least they did something different with the song.
Track 37: Blonde and Alex Newell – All Cried Out
Highly irritating tune, uninspired beat.
Track 38: Kygo and Parson James – Stole The Show
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Kygo on track 24.
Another boring song.
Track 39: Rudimental and Foy Vance – Never Let You Go
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Rudimental on track 15.
Again, I find this tune very bland and forgettable.
Track 40: Pep & Rash – Rumours
The vocals are quite interesting, and there’s some intriguing beepy stuff going on, but on the whole it’s too messy for me.
Track 41: Dr Kucho, Gregor Salto, Ane Brun and Oliver Heldens – Can’t Stop Playing (Makes Me High)
I am literally yawning right now. One too many boring dance tracks.
Track 42: Lethal Bizzle and Diztortion – Fester Skank
This one’s brilliantly daft (sample lyric: ‘you might see me in a Lambo/camo snapback, Rambo/five hundred horses, Django/two-two chicken, Nando‘) and very danceable. Great stuff.
Track 43: Martin Garrix and Usher – Don’t Look Down
The tune annoys me – not keen on this.
Track 44: Tove Lo – Talking Body
Awkward theme, generic tune. Dull end to a generally poor disc two.
I’ve been drinking quite a few cans of Scrumpy Jack the last few weeks, as Sainsbury’s always have it in and it’s a bit more interesting than Strongbow.
Scrumpy Jack.
It’s not as sweet as Stella Cidre, but it’s smoother than Strongbow. It’s actually got a very light taste, almost to the extent of being a bit watery. In the summer, this is a good thing – it’s very refreshing. I expect this will continue to be my go-to for the next couple of months.
Day 90! This means Now! #90, which came out on 30th March 2015.
This is how the world looked in March 2015 – or more specifically, how Southampton looked on our very last night there. We moved to Newcastle the next day. I’ve blogged about these phone boxes before. Fun fact: I got my hair cut into that blunt bob in the hope of looking like the girl in the video for Last Christmas by Wham! but it didn’t really work out for me, unsurprisingly.
Nine-tenths of the way through this Now! marathon! Let’s see (or hear, rather) what music sounded like as we entered the second half of the decade.
Track 1: Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars – Uptown Funk
This is hands down my favourite song of the ’10s. The ’80s-tinged funk sound, the beat, the lyrics – just wonderful. I love it.
Track 2: Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
It’s a slow ballad, so it’s not the kind of thing I’d usually be a fan of, but I do actually really like this.
Track 3: Years & Years – King
Good tune – big fan of this one.
Track 4: Maroon 5 – Sugar
Another good, danceable tune.
Track 5: James Bay – Hold Back The River
It’s the kind of thing that would normally be too acoustic-y for me, but the rhythm is great, so I quite like it.
Track 6: Sam Smith – Like I Can
Sam Smith finally releases something a bit upbeat! Another good track.
Track 7: Olly Murs and Demi Lovato – Up
I really like this duet – it’s got a great rhythm and a lovely tune. Good stuff.
Track 8: Meghan Trainor – Lips Are Movin’
I find this one to be a bit of a disappointing follow-up to All About That Bass, but I suppose it’s got a good beat.
Track 9: Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand
This tune really irritates me.
Track 10: Sia – Elastic Heart
Good rhythm, and the tune’s quite interesting.
Track 11: Ben Haenow – Something I Need
The X Factor winner for 2014, this year doing a cover of a OneRepublic song. As usual, it’s pretty uninspiring. At the time of writing, this was the last X Factor winner’s single to get the Christmas number one, and hopefully – due to the combination of the X Factor finishing earlier in December nowadays and the continued increase in streaming and related decline in downloads in chart figures – it will remain that way forever.
Track 12: Take That – These Days
It’s Fake That version II, now only featuring Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald! Mind you, after the happy reunion of all five members for the Progress album, I’m actually okay with the lineup swapping about a bit. I’ve made my peace with that. Only took me twenty years.
This song is quite good, actually. Great beat, nice tune.
Track 13: One Direction – Night Changes
It’s a saccharine ballad, but I don’t hate the tune.
Track 14: Alesso and Tove Lo – Heroes (We Could Be)
This tune, on the other hand, is incredibly irritating. It’s nothing to do with the David Bowie classic, but Bowie and Brian Eno were apparently credited anyway due to the identical title. Nice to see some actual acknowledgment there – most artists releasing songs with identical titles to classics don’t bother.
Track 15: Kelly Clarkson – Heartbeat Song
Another highly annoying tune.
Track 16: Calvin Harris and Haim – Pray To God
I really like this one – the tune’s lovely and it builds really nicely.
Track 17: David Guetta and Emeli Sandé – What I Did For Love
I quite like the tune on the chorus, and it’s got a good atmosphere.
Track 18: Usher and Juicy J – I Don’t Mind
It’s got a nice smooth soulful feel to it, but the tune’s fairly uninspired and the theme is kind of creepy.
Track 19: Marlon Roudette – When The Beat Drops Out
Love those steel drums, and the tune is quite nice.
Track 20: Chris Brown and Tyga – Ayo
The tune’s okay, but on the whole the song’s pretty uninspired.
Track 21: Fergie – LA Love (La La)
‘Not on Spotify’ Type 2: YouTube Pause (TM).
Good atmosphere, but the vocals are extremely annoying.
Track 22: Tough Love – So Freakin’ Tight
Repetitive and irritating, and the theme’s very awkward.
Track 23: Philip George – Wish You Were Mine
I like the My Cherie Amour sample, but the rest of the track’s pretty forgettable.
Track 24: Avicii – The Nights
Good chant-along song – quite like this one.
Track 25: Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding – Outside
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Calvin Harris on track 16.
Dull, forgettable tune, though the atmosphere on the chorus is quite good.
Track 26: David Guetta and Sam Martin – Dangerous
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had David Guetta on track 17.
Great tune, wonderful atmosphere – some really interesting lines going on here.
Track 27: Flo Rida, Sage The Gemini and Lookas – GDFR
Good rhythm, but there’s not enough melody for me.
Track 28: DJ Fresh and Ella Eyre – Gravity
Boring tune, uninspired beat.
Track 29: Sigma and Labrinth – Higher
The atmosphere’s okay, but again the tune’s pretty dull.
Track 30: Tchami and Kaleem Taylor – Promesses
Nothing exciting going on with this track except for the bizarre spelling of ‘promises’ in the title, which is just irritating.
Track 31: Blonde and Melissa Steel – I Loved You
Good beat, but it’s another bland tune.
Track 32: Oliver Heldens and KStewart – Last All Night (Koala)
Really interesting electro lines going on in this track, and it’s very danceable.
Track 33: Wretch 32 – 6 Words
Slow and boring, with a slightly jarring beat.
Track 34: Charli XCX and Rita Ora – Doing It
Extremely bland and uninspired tune. It actually depresses me how terrible it is.
Track 35: Ne-Yo – Coming With You
Another boring tune, and repetitive to boot.
Track 36: Cheryl – I Don’t Care
Great beat, good solid pop song.
Track 37: Karen Harding – Say Something
Irritating tune, not my cup of tea.
Track 38: Gorgon City and Jennifer Hudson – Go All Night
Yet another dull, forgettable tune.
Track 39: Alex Adair – Make Me Feel Better
Dance track that sounds like every other dance track of the era.
Track 40: Labrinth – Jealous
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Labrinth on track 29.
This one is notoriously depressing. I’m going to have to line up about twenty ’80s party tracks to cheer myself up after this compilation is done.
Track 41: Ella Henderson – Yours
Yet another depressing ballad.
Track 42: Rixton – Wait On Me
Finally, something upbeat! I like the rhythm on this one.
Track 43: McBusted – Air Guitar
Unholy cross between the two biggest British pop-pop-punk bands of the ’00s, Busted and McFly. It’s as cringeworthy as you’d expect, but at least it’s not another slow ballad.
Track 44: Florence & The Machine – What Kind Of Man
Good atmosphere, and I like the rock guitar once the track gets going.
Track 45: Sam Smith – Lay Me Down
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Sam Smith on track 6.
Back to the depressing slow ballads. What was making people so miserable in early 2015? Time to line up I’m Still Standing and get out of here.
One of the most interesting things about the UK music charts in the 2010s – well, certainly for a chart geek like me – is the way the rules are continually tweaked in response to the evolving way that people consume music.
When I was a kid, it was a lot simpler – you went to a physical shop like Virgin or HMV and bought a single on physical media, either on vinyl (which was fading in popularity by the time I was starting to buy singles in the early ’90s), cassette (this was known as a ‘cassingle’ – I have lots of them because they were a quid cheaper than the CD versions and my pocket money didn’t stretch very far!), or CD. One purchase of a physical piece of media equalled one sale.
In the late ’00s – after the music industry’s decade-long fight against illegal downloading that had finally been mitigated by the likes of iTunes and Amazon MP3 – download sales started counting towards the chart (who else remembers Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles’ attempt to test the new rules by getting all his listeners to download Billie Piper’s Honey To The Bee and get it back into the charts?) This spawned the golden era of internet campaigns to get certain songs to number one, the highlight being the infamous Christmas 2009 triumph of the campaign to get Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name to Christmas number one instead of the X Factor single.
That era has been over for a few years now, because of streaming. With downloads, it was still the case that one purchase equalled one sale. Streams are more complicated, and this is where all the tweaking has come in. For a while, it was set out that a hundred streams equalled one sale. Then, after every single track on Ed Sheeran’s Divide album entered the Top 20 in early 2017, it was decided that only tracks that were expressly promoted as singles would be eligible for the charts. This last week, there has been another change.
It’s now the case that paid streams count more than free streams (so if you have a paid Spotify account, your streams count more strongly towards the chart than if you have the free version with the homicide-inducingly irritating adverts). It’s also now the case, more interestingly, that video streaming counts towards the charts as well. Having listened to the latest chart from Friday 6th July, it’s not clear that this has had any immediate impact, but I’m hopeful that this new rule will encourage music artists to make more exciting videos in the hope that they’ll go viral – videos have, on the whole, been very uninspiring for a good few years now, and some artists don’t seem to bother making them at all anymore.
It’ll be interesting to see how this continues to evolve.
Day 89 means Now! #89, which was released on 24th November 2014.
This is how the world looked in November 2014. Buffalo Bill’s was our favourite restaurant in Southampton, and so we went there for our wedding anniversary. I was wearing that silver top (which I originally bought for Millennium Eve in 1999 and is one of the many things I only just got rid of – I can’t remember whether I binned it or put it in storage) because I always wear my wedding shoes (which are silver) for our anniversary date, and my style is very matchy-matchy.
Let’s see what was in the charts during our final few months in Southampton.
Track 1: Meghan Trainor – All About That Bass
Love this one! Great mid-century retro tinge, brilliant theme, and it’s another one to which my Southampton Zumba class did a really fun routine.
Track 2: Olly Murs and Travie McCoy – Wrapped Up
Love the retro feel, but I could do without the rap.
Track 3: Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj – Bang Bang
Good solid pop track – really like this one.
Track 4: Nico & Vinz – Am I Wrong
I really like the tune on this track.
Track 5: Magic – Rude
I can’t stand this one – the theme’s just awful! Irritatingly, it was constantly stuck in my head at the time as well.
Track 6: Sam Smith – I’m Not The Only One
Too slow for me.
Track 7: Tom Odell – Real Love
This one was the 2014 John Lewis Christmas advert song (it was the year of Monty the penguin), so it still gets played on the music channels at Christmas time. Again, it’s too slow for my liking.
Track 8: Gareth Malone and All Star Choir – Wake Me Up
Gareth Malone’s project for Children In Need 2014 – a choir of celebrities doing a cover of Avicii’s Wake Me Up. It’s not that exciting, but the voice-spotting can be quite fun.
Track 9: Ed Sheeran – Don’t
Good rhythm, interesting vocals – quite like this one.
Track 10: George Ezra – Blame It On Me
I’m not too keen on the tune on this one.
Track 11: The Script – Superheroes
It’s got a good epic feel, but it’s a bit cheesy.
Track 12: OneRepublic – Love Runs Out
I really like this one – the atmosphere is great.
Track 13: Maroon 5 – Maps
Pretty tune, quite summery.
Track 14: Hozier – Take Me To Church
Beautiful track – the tune, atmosphere and theme are all absolutely stunning.
Track 15: Charli XCX – Boom Clap
I find this one pretty generic.
Track 16: One Direction – Steal My Girl
Irritating tune, irritating theme.
Track 17: The Vamps and Shawn Mendes – Oh Cecelia (Breaking My Heart)
Uninspired cover of the Simon & Garfunkel classic with new verses. Not a fan.
Track 18: 5 Seconds Of Summer – Amnesia
Too slow and saccharine for me.
Track 19: GRL – Ugly Heart
I really like this upbeat pop song. Sadly, group member Simone Battle passed away during the promotion of this track, and they’ve not really had any hits since.
Track 20: Katy Perry – This Is How We Do
It’s got a good beat, but the tune’s pretty repetitive.
Track 21: Cheryl and Tinie Tempah – Crazy Stupid Love
It’s got a good beat, but the tune’s a bit annoying.
Track 22: Ella Henderson – Glow
Pretty tune, but it’s a little slow for my liking.
Track 23: The Veronicas – You Ruin Me
Dull and depressing.
Track 24: Calvin Harris and John Newman – Blame
It’s an okay tune, but it’s a bit forgettable.
Track 25: Sigma and Paloma Faith – Changing
Nice upbeat, feelgood track. Quite like this one.
Track 26: Lilly Wood and Robin Schulz – Prayer In C
It’s not the kind of thing I usually like, but I’ve got a soft spot for this tune.
Track 27: Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne – Real Love
I like some of the instrumentals, but the tune on the vocals irritates me.
Track 28: Jeremih and YG – Don’t Tell ‘Em
The beat on the various lines of this is very jarring. Not keen. Also, that Rhythm Is A Dancer interpolation is done really badly.
Track 29: David Guetta and Sam Martin – Lovers On The Sun
Great Western-tinged instrumentals, and the tune’s quite nice. Good stuff.
Track 30: Waze & Odyssey and R Kelly – Bump And Grind 2014
Reworking of R Kelly’s 1994 song. I’m not keen on the original anyway, and this dance version is just messy.
Track 31: Ariana Grande and Zedd – Break Free
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Ariana Grande on track 3.
Very uninspired and irritating tune.
Track 32: Nicole Scherzinger – Your Love
Another track where the tune is so bland I’m not sure it even counts as a tune.
Track 33: Pitbull and John Ryan – Fireball
Good beat on this one – very danceable.
Track 34: Wankelmut, Emma Louise and Mark Kinchen – My Head Is A Jungle [MK Remix]
That chorus is horribly irritating!
Track 35: ZHU – Faded
I like the retro-sounding bassline, but in general it’s too repetitive for me.
Track 36: Duke Dumont – Won’t Look Back
One of those ’90s-sounding dance track from the mid-’10s. It’s a bit too generic for my liking.
Track 37: Parra For Cuva and Anna Naklab – Wicked Games
Guitar-driven dance cover of Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. It’s not a patch on the original, which is beautiful – somehow this version manages to be dull.
Track 38: Fuse ODG and Angel – TINA
Nice feelgood tune, quite like this one.
Track 39: Ten Walls – Walking With Elephants
Takes ages to get going. When it does, it’s okay, but nothing special.
Track 40: Kiesza – Giant In My Heart
Some interesting lines on the backing track, but I’m not keen on the tune.
Track 41: The Magician and Years & Years – Sunlight
Another generic, bland tune.
Track 42: Melissa Steel and Popcaan – Kisses For Breakfast
I had this one stuck in my head for years afterwards. Thankfully it’s an okay tune.
Track 43: Professor Green and Tori Kelly – Lullaby
The tune on the sung vocals is pretty, but I find the theme too depressing.
Track 44: Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora – Black Widow
Good atmosphere, but the tune is fairly uninspired.
Track 45: Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Nicki Minaj on track 3.
