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100 songs of the decade: Youngblood – 5 Seconds of Summer

‘You used to call me baby, now you’re calling me by name’

Published

2 weeks ago

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Written by: Calum Hood, Ali Tamposi, Andrew Watt, Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings and Louis Bell
Produced by: Andrew Watt and Louis Bell
Album: Youngblood
UK release: April 2018
UK chart peak: 4

Look, here’s the truth: 5 Seconds of Summer have consistently delivered top-draw pop-rock from the word ‘go’, and they’re still as good as – if not better than! – they were when they first broke through five years ago. Even Want You Back – the Youngblood-era single that was met by the mainstream with a collective shrug – is, I swear, much better than everyone said it was at the time.

But Youngblood is their big ace; the deserved smash that returned them to the top-end of the charts in the UK (where it became their first Top 10 single since their initial hot streak), the US (where it became their first Top 10 single full-stop) and their native Australia (where it went all the way to No1).

The vocals are suitably affected, the rhythm is relentless and the underlying angst is perfectly realised. Truly a career-best song from an act who still don’t have the full widespread respect they deserve.

  • I’ll be writing about my favourite 100 pop songs of the decade; one a day for the last 100 days of 2019. They’re in no particular order, except the Top 10 – which will (obviously) come in late December.
  • See the full list so far here.
  • You can follow the rolling, daily-updated playlist below, or here.

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100 songs of the decade: I Know A Place – MUNA

‘They will try to tell you you’re not free – don’t listen’

Published

10 hours ago

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December 6, 2019

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Written by: MUNA
Produced by: MUNA
Album: About U
UK release: December 2016
UK chart peak: –

This is one of those songs that can easily make me cry. The Big One in the MUNA repertoire, I Know A Place was initially inspired by US Supreme Court’s legalisation of same-sex marriage, but its lyrics took on so much more poignancy when it was released six months after the Pulse shootings in Orlando.

About the spirit and solidarity of the LGBTQ+ community, it’s a tear-stained embrace of a track – an acknowledgement of queer trauma that invites you to put your hands in the air and feel pure euphoria, if only for a few minutes. Seeing it performed live is an emotional experience, I tell you.

  • I’ll be writing about my favourite 100 pop songs of the decade; one a day for the last 100 days of 2019. They’re in no particular order, except the Top 10 – which will (obviously) come in late December.
  • See the full list so far here.
  • You can follow the rolling, daily-updated playlist below, or here.

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Music

100 songs of the decade: On A Mission – Gabriella Cilmi

‘I never miss a trick just like a magician’

Published

1 day ago

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December 5, 2019

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Written by: Gabriella Cilmi, George Astasio, Jason Pebworth and Jon Shave
Produced by: The Invisible Men
Album: Ten
UK release: March 2010
UK chart peak: 9

The pressure to sex up her image was gross, but the actual music Gabriella Cilmi was divvying up during the Ten era was exciting, immaculate electropop; led by this Invisible Men-produced first single.

On A Mission is an 80s-tinged femmepowerment banger that packs – and I cannot stress this enough – one of the best spoken middle-8s of the decade. Whenever it’s on, I HAVE to chant along. I just HAVE to, it’s the law.

Gabriella didn’t stay in this lane for long: since she’s gone down a more independent route, her music has returned to the ~earthier vibe of her debut, which has been great (especially some of the stuff she’s put out this year). But! I will aaaalways have a massive soft spot for this brief moment when she was the under-rated Queen Of The Disco.

  • I’ll be writing about my favourite 100 pop songs of the decade; one a day for the last 100 days of 2019. They’re in no particular order, except the Top 10 – which will (obviously) come in late December.
  • See the full list so far here.
  • You can follow the rolling, daily-updated playlist below, or here.

Continue Reading

Music

100 songs of the decade: Don’t Hold Your Breath – Nicole Scherzinger

‘A bad movie ends and the screen fades to black’

Published

2 days ago

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December 4, 2019

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Written by: Josh Alexander, Billy Steinberg and Toby Gad
Produced by: Carl Falk, Steve Angello and Rami Yacoub
Album: Killer Love
UK release: March 2011
UK chart peak: 1

Remember that brief, divine period in UK history when Nicole Scherzinger could score a solo Number One single in the UK? Halcyon days!

Where the excellent Poison is a glass-shattering, absolute-racket-in-a-good-way banger, its follow up Don’t Hold Your Breath is… a glass-shattering, absolute-racket-in-a-good-way ballad. Scherzy sounds full of tear-stained resolve, and the full-pelt fist-pumpy production feels like stepping into a time machine to the turn of the decade.

Like Alesha Dixon, I’m happy Nicole has managed to remain a successful part of celebrity culture, but – even though this track in particular was a chart-topper – listening back to the likes of DHYB and Your Love just makes me sad that we didn’t give her more success when she was churning out the hits.

  • I’ll be writing about my favourite 100 pop songs of the decade; one a day for the last 100 days of 2019. They’re in no particular order, except the Top 10 – which will (obviously) come in late December.
  • See the full list so far here.
  • You can follow the rolling, daily-updated playlist below, or here.

Continue Reading

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