"Don’t tell me how I had a vision
That this day would come to be
Call it luck, call it intuition
Here I am (here we are), isn’t that enough
For a little bit of reality
Fate is good, fate can be real
If you believe it’s what you feel"
Prologue To A Fated Fandom
“Ugh. I despise Mandy Moore. A plague onto her
& her fans!”
& her fans!”
That was my first reaction to ‘Candy’ in the summer of 1999. Come on now, as pop fans we’ve all been there. We've all had visceral reactions to both things we love & hate. Mandy, unfortunately, ended up on the wrong side of that range at the start.
I mean, this was 1999. The year of Britney (Gold), Christina (Silver), & Jessica (Bronze?). I was ‘Team Britney’, hard… so in my unfair worldview, even Christina & Jessica sorta felt like also-rans to Britney in the female pop movement of ’99. I did like Christina, though (and tolerated Jessica, I guess) but they were most definitely not Britney level in my book. For better or worse, sometimes I pick favorites & am fiercely loyal to whom I deemed the 'worthy one'.
By the time the buzz started around Mandy Moore, she seemed like the most desperate of all the Britney copies. A cheap sales pitch by Epic to cash in on the ‘teen pop craze’. To me, there was no room for this little tween hanger-onner (is this a word? who knows?) in my pop sphere. I found her intolerably try-hard in an industry where I tend to even find the most manufactured pop endearing. I mean, she basically had merchandise in Toys R Us the same week she had a single. Dolls! There were Mandy Moore barbie dolls for a singer who had no top 40 hit. Madness! ( I mean, who did she think she was? )
Oh, but she did have a first single…and what a single it was. It arrived in all of its glossy glory in the summer of 1999 with the full force of the pop hype machine behind it. Some loved it. For me, it landed with a gigantic ‘thud!’.
To say I did not like Candy was an understatement. Despite the pretty intro, it deterotiated quickly into a sugary tooth decay of a song that did not work for me. From the awkwardly innocent , but weirdly loaded lyrics… to the super try hard video that seemed like a bad juice box commercial. It was all a cringe fest, to me. Everything that was successful about ‘Baby One More Time’ or ‘Genie In A Bottle’ was trying to be copied, but none of it was connecting with me. Had there been a Popjustice Forum at the time, I would’ve been there for the draggings & maybe leading them!
As you can tell, I had that petty & visceral pop-rage we’ve all experienced as pop fans from time-to-time. This girl had incurred my pop-wrath & I wasn’t here for her. Thank you, next.
The thing is, despite not even becoming a top 40 hit, Candy was everywhere. In some ways, Mandy Moore helped pioneer the the omni-present, semi-flop, buzz single concept. Her legion of fans got her video on MTV’s TRL for months & she started to become a name pop star despite 'proper chart' success. (In many ways, her type of success perfected a lot of pop fandom we still have in place today.) I found this oddly fascinating & also a tad infuriating.
With me, though, she was in the pop fandom hole and it can be hard for most to get out of that once they are there. Turned out, she’s is not just anybody, though. She’s Mandy Moore… and things started to happen in quick succession that changed my mind about her.
"I keep hangin around
Got some attachment to you..."
Got some attachment to you..."
The seeds of a future rate host are planted
The first thing that changed my mind was the release of the song ‘I Wanna Be With You’ in early 2000. Quite simply: I. Was. Floored. It showed a maturity beyond her peers & the song was just beautiful. Her vocal was stunning & the song gave me pop chills….as much I wanted to deny it. I loved the song & video. I saw her perform an acoustic version during MTV's Beach House in summer 2000 & I was wowed with her live voice. She was also interviewed & I found her completely charming. Noooo!!!! I was being bewitched by this little pop sorceress! Surely it was temporary & I would snap from this enchantment. I wasn’t yet a fan, but I backpeddled on my earlier thoughts & removed the plague I had wished upon her & her legion.
That same year, she got show on MTV called the ‘The Mandy Show’ where she just chatted with teens about the issues of the day. (Her marketing team has to be commended for the hustle they put into her. I mean, they really wanted her to happen.) Anyways, I caught some episodes & continued to be completely charmed by her. There was something different about her. At this point, I had to admit that I was becoming a fan. I had the bought the ‘I Wanna Be With You’ single & wound up buying the album (basically a repackaged version of her debut). Deservedly, 'I Wanna Be With You' became a real hit & I started rooting for her. She was no Britney, but she had become my second fave of the ‘The Big Pop Girls’ at the time. (I mean, maybe she wasn’t really a BPG, but you get the drift.)
She would leapfrog Britney in my fandom in 2001. The double whammy of the self-titled album Mandy Moore & her role in the Princess Diaries, moved her into the forefront of the mainstream pop girls from the era for me (though Nelly Furtado was really my fave of the time, she was sorta on the wonky fringes of the industry, & actively being marketed as the anti-big pop girl.) Mandy Moore, the album, exuded a confidence that outshone her peers & I thought it was amazing. Much like her label, I was disappointed it didn’t sell was well as it should’ve.
2002 saw Mandy finally really become a full-fledged star, & I was perched. A Walk To Remember was a bonafide hit & the soundtrack sold very well, arguably becoming her most successful musical project up to that point. What a time...
"I try but I can’t seem to get myself to think of anything but you"
Last night an album of random covers saved my life
It was 2003, where I hit peak stan for Mandy. The one-two punch of the movie How To Deal & the album Coverage sent me into transcendent pop tailspin, very few pop stars have sent me into. It’s fair to note, I was struggling with some pretty dark stuff around this time in my personal life & my Mandy fandom was one of the few happy things that kept me going. And kept me going, she did. I’ll be blunt, my desert Island album is Coverage. It has been since 2004 & if Carly Rae’s Emotion can’t surpass it, perhaps nothing probably ever will.
Coverage failed though, spectacularly, & Mandy was unceremoniously dropped from Epic. Well.
For me, though, she had done the unthinkable. She had gone from my least favorite thing in pop to my absolute favorite. Since then she been a mainstay in my pop obsessions, even due to her relevant lack of of consistent output.
While, she went on to concentrate mainly on movies & tv the next couple of years, she finally gave us the amazing Wild Hope in 2007 & it was worth the wait. It was also this year, I finally got to see her live & that was a special moment.
She gave us another great album in 2009 (Amanda Leigh) & has since mainly gone back to film & television, where she does the occasional singing or soundtrack work.
Recent news about the abuse she endured in her marriage to Ryan Adams has shed new light on why she stopped releasing music… but she appears to revving up to start agin. Good for her & good for us.
I think it’s safe to say, that if you’re wanting to take part in this rate, you're a pretty big fan & you’d love some new music from her ASAP (as it’s been over 9 years.) But, at least we have an amazingly solid & diverse discography to draw upon for rate purposes. Since we are twenty years into her career & it seems as if she might be starting a new era soon, this seems like the perfect point to rate her existing discog.
"And now I'm ready to be extraordinary..."
The Rate, The Rules, & The Rest
I have settled on 84 songs to rate. Why 84? Well, I’m a sucker for numerology & Mandy was born in 1984. Some of the extras included might seem a bit fringe, but I have included them for three reasons.
- One is that since this the first time she’s ever had a rate I wanted it to be very comprehensive.
- Two is that I feel like some of the extras, while ‘fringe’ do sometimes show off a part of her talent that deserves showcased.
- Thirdly, is that I just really wanted to include a few for pure greedy satisfaction!
I’ve built a Spotify Playlist with over 60 of the songs. I’ve also linked them all to YouTube below.
This rate is probably a bit ambitious for my first one, but I really want this thread to celebrate & serve as a mini-retrospective of her first 20 years in our pop lives. So, I plan some little mini essays & other diversions along the way. If you’re interested in writing a mini-essay about something Mandy related (that you feel would work better outside of your regular song commentary) let me know! I’d love contributions.
One last thing.
Since Mandy is perhaps known as well (or to some even more) for her movies & acting (and because I’m sure many raters have their fave Mandy movies, etc) I’m including the option to also submit a ballot your top 10 Mandy acting moments.
This can include movie roles, tv show roles, voice work, etc. You don’t have to submit 10 if you don’t want. If she only has three you really liked etc… that’s fine.
Your #1 gets 10 points, #2 get 9 points, and so forth. I’ll assemble those ballots into a little mini chart, so we can see what her most popular acting roles are.
A complete list of her roles is here>
You have 5 weeks to get me your scores, commentary, (& your optional top 10 Mandy movie/tv roles.)
*edit: Extension granted! APRIL 29th is when ballots are due!
To send me you scores, simply drop me a Private Message. There's a PM friendly songlist below. (Remember to add up to 10 fave Mandy acting roles, too... if you want.)
As far as your song scores, I don’t like Zeros for scores, so please rate all the songs 1-10, with one 11 for your absolute fave Mandy song. Decimals are allowed in the rate (.1, .2, etc for scores between 1-10). Send as much commentary as you want with your scores.
Whew, that’s a lot! So excited to go on this rate journey with you all. Let’s do Mandy proud!
Mandy Moore Discography Rate Song List (titles link to YouTube)
So Real
- So Real
- Candy
- What You Want
- Walk Me Home
- Lock Me In Your Heart
- Quit Breaking My Heart/Reprise
- Let Me Be The One
- Not Too Young
- Love Shot
- I Like It
- Love You For Always
I Wanna Be With You (The PJ Edit)
Mandy Moore
- In My Pocket
- You Remind Me
- Saturate Me
- One Sided Love
- 17
- Cry
- Crush
- It Only Took A Minute
- Turn The Clock Around
- Yo-Yo
- From Loving You
- Split Chick
- When I Talk To You
Coverage
- Senses Working Overtime
- The Whole Of The Moon
- Can We Still Be Friends
- I Feel The Earth Move
- Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
- Drop The Pilot
- Moonshadow
- One Way or Another
- Breaking Us in Two
- Anticipation
- Help Me
- Have a Little Faith In Me
Wild Hope
- Extraordinary
- All Good Things
- Slummin’ In Paradise
- Most Of Me
- Few Days Down
- Can’t You Just Adore Her
- Looking Forward To Looking Back
- Wild Hope
- Nothing That You Are
- Latest Mistake
- Ladies Choice
- Gardenia
Amanda Leigh
- Merrimack River
- Fern Dell
- I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week:
- Pocket Philosopher
- Song About Home
- Everblue
- Love To Love Me Back
- Indian Summer
- Nothing Everything
- Bug
Soundtracks
- Stupid Cupid
- On The Line
- Only Hope
- Someday We’ll Know
- It’s Gonna Be Love
- Top Of The World
- God Only Knows
- Singing To The Song Of Life
- Secret Love
- When Will My Life Begin
- I See The Light
- Healing Incantation
- Wind In My Hair
- Amazing Lucky Scarf
- Willin’
- Invisible Ink
Album Extras/Misc:
PM Friendly List *(updated 3/19)
So Real
I Wanna Be With You (The PJ Edit)
12. I Wanna Be With You
13. Everything My Heart Desires
14. Want You Back
15. The Way To My Heart
16. Your Face
Mandy Moore
17. In My Pocket
18. You Remind Me
19. Saturate Me
20. One Sided Love
21. 17
22. Cry
23. Crush
24. It Only Took A Minute
25. Turn The Clock Around
26. Yo-Yo
27. From Loving You
28. Split Chick
29. When I Talk To You
Coverage
30. Senses Working Overtime
31. The Whole Of The Moon
32. Can We Still Be Friends
33. I Feel The Earth Move
34. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
35. Drop The Pilot
36. Moonshadow
37. One Way or Another
38. Breaking Us In Two
39. Anticipation
40. Help Me
41. Have a Little Faith In Me
Wild Hope
42. Extraordinary
43. All Good Things
44. Slummin’ In Paradise
45. Most Of Me
46. Few Days Down
47. Can’t You Just Adore Her
48. Looking Forward To Looking Back
49. Wild Hope
50. Nothing That You Are
51. Latest Mistake
52. Ladies Choice
53. Gardenia
Amanda Leigh
54. Merrimack River
55. Fern Dell
56. I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week
57. Pocket Philosopher
58. Song About Home
59. Everblue
60. Love To Love Me Back
61. Indian Summer
62. Nothing Everything
63. Bug
Soundtracks
64. Stupid Cupid
65. On The Line
66. Only Hope
67. Someday We’ll Know
68. It’s Gonna Be Love
69. Top Of The World
70. God Only Knows
71. Singing To The Song Of Life
72. Secret Love
73. When Will My Life Begin
74. I See The Light
75. Healing Incantation
76. Wind In My Hair
77. Amazing Lucky Scarf
78. Willin’
79. Invisible Ink
Album Extras/Misc:
80.Feel Me
81. Hey
82. Swept Away
83. Could’ve Been Watching You
84. Umbrella
Don't forget to add up to 10 of your favorite Mandy movies/acting roles. (#1 being your fave & so on). I'll create a mini-chart of those so we can see what are her faves among PJ. You don't have to fill all 10 spots, if there's not that many you care about.(I mean maybe you just love TANGLED & want to vote for that... *hint, hint*). A complete list of all her acting credits s here, to remind you: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0601553/
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- So Real
- Candy
- What You Want
- Walk Me Home
- Lock Me In Your Heart
- Quit Breaking My Heart/Reprise
- Let Me Be The One
- Not Too Young
- Love Shot
- I Like It
- Love You For Always
I Wanna Be With You (The PJ Edit)
12. I Wanna Be With You
13. Everything My Heart Desires
14. Want You Back
15. The Way To My Heart
16. Your Face
Mandy Moore
17. In My Pocket
18. You Remind Me
19. Saturate Me
20. One Sided Love
21. 17
22. Cry
23. Crush
24. It Only Took A Minute
25. Turn The Clock Around
26. Yo-Yo
27. From Loving You
28. Split Chick
29. When I Talk To You
Coverage
30. Senses Working Overtime
31. The Whole Of The Moon
32. Can We Still Be Friends
33. I Feel The Earth Move
34. Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
35. Drop The Pilot
36. Moonshadow
37. One Way or Another
38. Breaking Us In Two
39. Anticipation
40. Help Me
41. Have a Little Faith In Me
Wild Hope
42. Extraordinary
43. All Good Things
44. Slummin’ In Paradise
45. Most Of Me
46. Few Days Down
47. Can’t You Just Adore Her
48. Looking Forward To Looking Back
49. Wild Hope
50. Nothing That You Are
51. Latest Mistake
52. Ladies Choice
53. Gardenia
Amanda Leigh
54. Merrimack River
55. Fern Dell
56. I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week
57. Pocket Philosopher
58. Song About Home
59. Everblue
60. Love To Love Me Back
61. Indian Summer
62. Nothing Everything
63. Bug
Soundtracks
64. Stupid Cupid
65. On The Line
66. Only Hope
67. Someday We’ll Know
68. It’s Gonna Be Love
69. Top Of The World
70. God Only Knows
71. Singing To The Song Of Life
72. Secret Love
73. When Will My Life Begin
74. I See The Light
75. Healing Incantation
76. Wind In My Hair
77. Amazing Lucky Scarf
78. Willin’
79. Invisible Ink
Album Extras/Misc:
80.Feel Me
81. Hey
82. Swept Away
83. Could’ve Been Watching You
84. Umbrella
Don't forget to add up to 10 of your favorite Mandy movies/acting roles. (#1 being your fave & so on). I'll create a mini-chart of those so we can see what are her faves among PJ. You don't have to fill all 10 spots, if there's not that many you care about.(I mean maybe you just love TANGLED & want to vote for that... *hint, hint*). A complete list of all her acting credits s here, to remind you: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0601553/
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