Mixed Pop Groups & Duos Rate • WINNER ANNOUNCED

[Holly Something]

"But life goes on and on..."

#74

Stargate - 'Easier Said Than Done'

Average score: 6.623
High scorers: @Remorque (10) @AcerBenII (10) @beserkboi (9) @saviodxl (9)
Low scorers: @idratherjack (2) @Lost In Japan. (3) @Hudweiser (4)

Notable achievements:
Reached #55 in the UK singles chart in 2002



The back catalogue of Stargate, the hugely successful Norweigan songwriting and production team, reads like a who's who of pop and R'nB royalty for over 20 years and includes the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Mariah and many many others. In fact their characteristic sound was ubiquitous in the world of disposable pop at the turn of the century with everyone from Atomic Kitten to Blue to Mis-Teeq benefiting from their golden touch. Another of their songs -Hear'say's 'The Way To Your Love' - appears in this rate and even S Club 7's earliest outings were Stargate Studios spectaculars. In 2001 the team put their name front and centre by launching a vocal duo (although confusingly their debut 'Wilder' had a featured artist thus briefly making them a trio) made up of rapper Flex and Anne Judith Wiik from the group Soda. Despite displaying the typical Stargate flair and the promise of big things, our #74 elimination stalled outside the UK Top 50 and that was that. Success with this track really was easier said than...d (sorry - cheap!)

Voters say:

@saviodxl 9
JLo feat. random rapper vibes

@berserkboi 9
Blue All Rise as a Mixed Band Bop!

@Ezz 7.5
Love the moody architecture in the video

@unnameable 7
Like a slightly lower-rent Liberty X

@DJHazey 6
Lol, is this the UK/European version of Ja Rule and insert guest vocalist? Funny enough that his hook is quite possibly the most exciting part here

@Doodvid 6
I recall an article in Attitude magazine (possibly) that claimed this project was going to be massive for the producers. Also, it appeared on the compilation ‘‘Funky Divas - The Autumn Collection’ that a colleague got me for my birthday at the time. It sat amongst some CLASSICS on those CDs...

@iheartpoptarts 4
A below average Blue song with somebody trying to be Ja Rule on it. I would 10 the heck out of the Tyler one though.

@Hudweiser 4
Is this in fact 'Fly By I'?

No live performances found for this and the remixes are...not great, so here's their debut instead:


And let's enjoy some of band member Anne Judith's cute pure-pop output with Soda:





Possible candidates for the dreaded higly-anticipated rate sequel?

Old Popjustice forum says:

Shall we check that?

Oh yeah.​

I haven't heard this in so long so never noticed how much it sounds like All Rise/Fly By but it is a tune to be fair.

 

[Lost In Japan.]

My score was maybe a bit harsh but I expected much better from Stargate given what they’ve produced for others. The Blue similarities are there but those songs had hooks on hooks!

 

[Ezz]

And of course, Excellence combined with Supernatural (another of our rate entries) to create the mixed group Natural Ex.

This is confusing my brain about as much as the merger of S Club with Amelia Lily (referenced earlier by @iheartpoptarts!), so it's about time to look at one of the elements of this compound, with our next entry!....

You gotta help me man
I'm losing my mind
Someone help me please,
Aaaargh! (well, quite...)

#73

Supernatural - 'Supernatural'

Average score: 6.764

High scorers: @Conan (10), @Markus1981 (10), @Sprockrooster (9), @iheartpoptarts (9)
Low scorers: @berserkboi (2), @Untouchable Ace (2.9), @AcerBenII (3)

Notable achievements:

#1 single in Sweden, from their album 'Dreamcatcher' which also made #1.



Another of our Popstars alumni, Supernatural won series 2 of the Swedish version of the show in 2003. Supernatural was their inaugural release, borrowing rather heavily from the NSYNC style but also attempting a rock-y kind of sound? The closest I can think of is possibly Scooter that has dance and rock, but I'm sure there are better comparisons. A second single, 'Rock U' followed, which made #3. According to Wikipedia, the lack of promotion (not the quality of the songs?) from the record label led to their career stalling, with third single "Kryponite" being rather self-referential and landing at #56. For me that's a shame, as it's the best of the 3, being more purely pop. As discussed earlier in the thread, two of the members, Robert Skowronski and Sebastian Zelle formed part of Nexx, thankfully moving to a dancier sound.

Voters say:

@Sprockrooster 9
I stan this highclass drama the middle-8 brings.

@iheartpoptarts 9
Better than when Allstars did it.

@saviodxl 7.8
Nice enough, but they look like the budget version of Liberty X. I mean, that video, gurl...Nothing against manufactured pop, but damn, this is a bit too much.

@DJHazey 7.3
The song is fine but can we talk about how this is possibly the cheapest music video here?

@Ezz 7
Song is fine, not feeling the Buffy costumes at a freshers party video.

@Doodvid 5
I kinda love the out of sync choreography...but that’s it.

@berserkboi 2
This is no Partenaire Particulier - Partenaire Particulier, instead it’s a weak ass melody with grating vocal affectations! Dddd [Is this the song you were referring to recently, saying you wished it would leave?]

Their second single...




In a vain search for a live performance of 'Supernatural', I came across this peculiar bop!



I think the final word is best left to Old Popjustice!

 

[berserkboi]

Yasss - finally!! This is the one indeed @Ezz!!

 

[Doodvid]

How this beat some of the tracks lower than it, I…

 

[idratherjack]

I have lost nothing of value bar the Fast Food Rockers and Electro Velvet (don't @ me!)

I am surprised to be the consistent lowest scorer for a lot of songs so far but these "urban" mixed groups really don't do it for me. Maybe I was just a little too harsh!

I did give out about 40 x 10s, I promise! A lot of what is still to come are a bunch of my all time favourite songs and pop tarts.

 

[Ezz]

Yasss - finally!! This is the one indeed @Ezz!!

In hindsight my 7 was overly generous! Must have been in a good mood! Or it got some 'bounce points' from the rest of the S's!

 

[MilesAngel]

@iheartpoptarts 9
Better than when Allstars did it.
​

Well Supernatural was a rate discovery for me. I gave it 8.5.

I agree with @iheartpoptarts

 

[Doodvid]

"Don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no
Don't you tell me no"

#72

Björn Again - 'A Little Respect'

Average score: 6.786
High scorers: @Hudweiser (10) @MilesAngel (10) @DJHazey (9.3)
Low scorers: @AcerBenII (1) @Ezz (4)

Notable achievements:
Reached #25 in the UK in 1992
Possibly the only act in the main rate officially endorsed by ABBA?



"Couldn't enter the real thing into the rate so you included a tribute band instead eh?"
Kinda cheat-y I guess but...why the hell not. Our contest, our rules! And if you're gonna do it, it might as well be one of the very best of the genre belting out a camptastic parody of an all-time classic just to make the maximum impact! I992 saw a hugely successful revival of the ABBA back catalogue in popular culture with the release of the mega-selling 'ABBA Gold' compliation, and that same summer synth-pop legends Erasure dragged up as Agnetha and Frida on an EP of covers called 'Abba-esque' which stormed to #1 in the UK, sitting there for an impressive 5 weeks! Tongues firmly planted in cheeks, the Australian tribute group Björn Again responded with the 'Erasure-ish' single which featured covers of the hits 'A Little Respect' and 'Stop!' and made the UK Top 30 in September '92. Having seen them perform live, I can confirm it is a hilarious (if surreal) experience, and one that has the seal of approval from Benny Andersson himself who stated in 1999, "BJÖRN AGAIN are the closest you can get to seeing ABBA. ABBA will never reform!"
Despite the recent ongoing teasing of forthcoming new material from the super-group, I'm sadly resigned to believe exactly that...

Voters say:

@Hudweiser 10
I bought this single ('Stop!' was the other half of it and slightly better), *and* their album, which was largely disco-era covers. There are so many good versions of A Little Respect though, it's a hard song to screw up.

@DJHazey 9.3
I’m floored that the youtube uploader appears to be none other than ohnoitsnathan. I’m even more floored by the ABBA-adjacent magic at play here.

@unnameable 9
Nearly all covers of this song suffer horribly by comparison to the original, but their “Erasureish” response to Vince and Andy’s “ABBAesque” was entertaining.

@berserkboi 8.9
Very pretty but the Wheatus version is the one for me!

@Doodvid 7
It’s the vocal inflections and absolute precision to detail that wins me on this.

@saviodxl 7
An ABBA parody band covering a band that covered ABBA? My head is confused.

@iheartpoptarts 6
I had to run to Wikipedia to work out why they were covering this and not ABBA.

@Sprockrooster 6
I am so confused.

@Ezz 4
Pas pour moi.



The other cover on 'Erasure-ish' was this:



Further minor ABBA inspired hits followed:


​

 

[MilesAngel]

The original Erasure version is a 10, and so is this one. Bjorn Again do such a brilliant job of making it sound like an original ABBA song. I would also give both versions of 'Stop' 10.

 

[berserkboi]

Do you all know this version by the Teenage Dirtbags?

 

[Doodvid]

Do you all know this version by the Teenage Dirtbags?

Yup! Was a big UK hit for them - and I think I might’ve bought the CD single. Great version!

Off topic (although still kinda on topic because ‘covers’) but I always enjoyed this from ‘The Mighty’ Girls Aloud:

 

[WowWowWowWow]

I am very behind in commenting so please pass me by.

Anne Judith Wiik from the group Soda.

Remember when I sent Soda to PJ00s 33 and came a tragic 31st place? I do! At least @saviodxl had taste and gave me a 12 and @Ezz, @iheartpoptarts, @Conan and @londonrain put me in their top 5's.

As for Jemini, there was a great book a few years back called Nul Points, where the author Tim Moore attempted to track down every act that got blanked at Eurovision... I don't have a copy anymore but the Jemini chapter was pretty uncomfortable reading. Having said that, if you went to Latvia representing your country and then returned to comments from the home press like "It was a dog of a song performed by two Scousers who had everything going for them save the fact, harsh but true, that they sang like yowling, cream-curdling banshees. 'We're confident,' 20-year old Gemma Abbey had said shortly before taking to the stage with Cry Baby. Confident of what, sweetheart? Shattering wine glasses from 100 paces with your toothgrinder of a top C? Gemma's opening note ricocheted off the microphone like a spaghetti western bullet and from that moment Jemini struggled." I could see how you'd be pretty bitter too.

 

[AcerBenII]

Hah I've killed so many songs so far

 

[AcerBenII]

I had no idea about Natural Ex / Nexx being ex-Popstars. Stay By My Side is a bop and a half.

 

[iheartpoptarts]

Crazy how Stargate delivered so many bops for others and then when it came to their own stuff they put out such a nothing kind of song. Why.

I am however obsessed with Tyler James singing about himself in third person. Tyler Make-You-Wilder you icon.

I had no idea that was the girl from Soda. I love Soda.



You'd think Popstars acts from Sweden would be next level amazing relative to most other Popstars acts because they've got all those top writers and producers like right there but I don't know.

 

[Ezz]

I'm bopping to that Soda track! Very reminiscent of Toy-box to me, another bubblegum act to try!

Crazy how Stargate delivered so many bops for others and then when it came to their own stuff they put out such a nothing kind of song. Why.

I am however obsessed with Tyler James singing about himself in third person. Tyler Make-You-Wilder you icon.

I had no idea that was the girl from Soda. I love Soda.



You'd think Popstars acts from Sweden would be next level amazing relative to most other Popstars acts because they've got all those top writers and producers like right there but I don't know.

 

[AcerBenII]

This one from Soda has one of the best middle-8s into a key change in any pop song

 

[iheartpoptarts]

This one from Soda has one of the best middle-8s into a key change in any pop song

I love this! It's such a Fun Factory song.

 

[Ezz]

Why does everything have to be a love thing
Think of all the sorrows that love brings​

#71

Scene 23 - 'I Really Don't Think So'

Average score: 6.795

High scorers: @Markus1981 (10), @saviodxl (9.5), @iheartpoptarts (9)
Low scorers: @AcerBenII (2), @idratherjack (3), @Sprockrooster (5)

Notable achievements:

A rare tie in this rate, just lost out to our #70 based on the number of 10 scores.



We're back yet again to Planet Popstars. I wonder if when they all reach retirement age they'll set up a hippie commune or a nursing home with bops? However, Scene 23 are a little unusual in that they didn't even get a proper single release. Winners of the US season 2 of Popstars, Scene 23 originally consisted of six members, with Moises Juarez being kicked out of the final line up by the series producers (this was possibly a blessing in disguise!). He apparently 'broke house rules'! After winning the series, the band only recorded 7 tracks for the soundtrack album, with covers from other artists and people talking about the audition process filling up the remainder of the album. 'I Really Don't Think So' was selected to be the first single, but never received a commercial release. The video did, however, did make it onto video channels. After their record label, London-Sire records folded, the group attempted to move to Atlantic Records in 2002. Not surprisingly, this failed and the group broke up. While to me this song isn't particularly original, I think it deserves a better fate than being a YouTube orphan, so it's great we got to include it here!

Voters say:

@iheartpoptarts 9
I feel bad for them. Most of the Popstars groups at least got one hit…

@berserkboi 7.5
Very 90s in many ways!

@Doodvid 7.5
Lovely chorus, and that guitar-pop sound is dreamy.

@Sprockrooster 5
#TeamK-Otic

This video made my laptop freeze, it clearly has an opinion about Scene 23. An alternative version where according to the upload 'the first part of the first verse is sung by Donavan then transitions to Josh. In the album version, Josh has the entire first verse':



The 'filmed on a Motorola Razr quality' adds to the charm, right?

Thanks to @AcerBenII and @Sprockrooster for the K-Otic references (this post has felt K-Otic indeed!) - here is their version!
​