Oh baby, baby... 90s Pop Princesses Rate WINNER WINNER

I just have to express what a brilliant top 16 this is, quality tracks from top to bottom. All deserve to be in the top 15...all but one, that is: Everything My Heart Desires.

 

I don't know, Autumn Goodbye is an absolute sweetie of a bonus track, but it doesn't really sit beside the top 10 material does it?

*prepares to be proved wrong when Autumn Goodbye reaches #5 and is revealed as one of the people who gave it good marks*

 

My attitude towards Autumn Goodbye is... conflicted, to say the least, which will become evident in my commentary.

 

Hold on to your wigs...

16



I Wanna Love You Forever

Average : 7.8
Highest score : 10 x 12 @tylerc904 @Angeleyes @unnameable @CasuallyCrazed @Sprockrooster @londonrain @Robert @vague @PushyBakerFriend @Robsolete @Remorque @RUNAWAY
Lowest score : 3 x 1 @ThisIsRogue // 3.5 x 1 @JamesJupiter


Jessica is down to one track as we say goodbye to her debut single. It peaked at #7 in the UK and is still her most successful single in the US, charting at #3. By far the most 10s given out so far, but it also received a few low and mid-range scores, stopping it from going any farther- you're welcome.

Honestly, I've always kind of hated this, which is a shame, as I've never really taken the time to listen to Jessica, other than a few songs. I just cannot take her vocals here, but I'll give her snaps for debuting with a ballad, I suppose. I remember my mum absolutely hated it, too ha!


"First time hearing this in a while and it’s... a lot" starts off @WowWowWowWow, while @berserkboi thinks, "The instrumental is okay, the vocals begin to grate very quickly though" and @DJHazey reveals, "Surprised I vaguely remember this, but it's tad on the boring side. Also the backing vocals in the later choruses are terrible and it's reminding me of too many other sappy ballads I hate". "Oh yeah, 1999 was in the Latin guitar comeback era. Although this is not sun-soaked, its very emoting in the rain isn’t it?" ponders @A$AP Robbie while my fellow low-scorer @ThisIsRogue shares, "I know this reached #3 on the Hot 100, but I will never like this song. I don't think it's a good introduction to Jessica as a debut single, or as the opener of her debut album. I don't understand why her team would want to present her as older than she is with sappy ballads and over-singing that sounds strained? No thanks". @iheartpoptarts has some rather hilarious pop trivia, "Who debuts with a ballad? Way to come across less fun than the other pop princess girls right off the bat. Oh, and she didn't make it on Mickey Mouse Club either. Remember when the MMC audition scores came out? Hehe."

Spoiler: Audition scores

"I forgot how dramatic this song is. Still so good after all these years!" feels @RUNAWAY, while @Angeleyes also loves the drama, "She overdoes it here, especially the bridge, and the lyrics are perhaps the most melodramatic of any of the songs, but I absolutely love it" and @unnameable adds "What an epic ballad! I love this". @Sprockrooster says, "I always forget she has the range. I adore this vocal extravaganza!" and @vague shares, "I appreciate that she debuted with a ballad as opposed to the other girls' boppy debut singles (Reflection doesn't count!!). Nice lil slice of dramatic pop; I really like this. Oh, man, her vocals are kinda painful to listen to at times, tho".


"I, like Jessica herself, blow my voice out every damn time I get INTO this. Such a melodramatic anthem. 10,000 lifetimes better nawt be too much for you to give mister. I genuinely hope this is Top 10 here, though I'm guessing Chrissy and Britney will hold most of those spots and that I Think I'm In Love will be her last track standing" says a psychic @tylerc904 and @PushyBakerFriend preaches, "Yaas Jessica, rip through the notes, rip through that key change, rip through your vocal chords with ferocity, fighting for this relationship. She shred her voice for this song, so you'd better give it some respect!". And finally, a word form our rather dirrty @londonrain, "“Pour yourself all over me and I’ll cherish every drop here on my knees”? I love a relatable ballad. In all seriousness, this is the most overdramatic vocal performance in this rate and I love it. The song is slightly too big for Jessica’s voice, but she uses every vocal trick in the book to haul her way through it, including that middle eight which is so clearly right at the very edge of her range - and then she nails the “I’m gonna LOOOOOOVE” taking us back into the choruses. I low-key wish a Christina cover of this existed so she could match the level of bombast in the instrumentation. Now THAT would have been an easy 11".

​

 

At least the CORRECT Jessica Simpson song is the last one standing.

 

Kinda funny how @londonrain seems to be among the highest or lowest scorers in basically every single elimination.

 

I like you guys, you can stay.

As for the rest of you:

 

I wanna hate you forever to whoever gave this iconic song a bad score.

For the people with taste who gave it a good score, let's enjoy this legendary performance:

 

This is a choice.

 

Hehe, I won't!

Looks like her (or somebody's?) VH1 Driven episode.

 

I regret not getting my votes in. I would have given this iconic ballad and its boppy follow-up 10s.

 

Glad this is gone! Fairly solid top 15 now!

 

15



Deep In My Heart

Average : 7.96
Highest score : 10 x 4 @Angeleyes @tylerc904 @iheartpoptarts @A$AP Robbie
Lowest score : 5 x 1 @Sprockrooster // 6 x 2 @RUNAWAY @londonrain



So Britney has managed to survive an incredible 17 eliminations without losing a track- the last song of hers to get cut was I'm So Curious all the way back at #33. Deep In My Heart was included on the international editions of the album, pretty much all except the US version, I think? Written by the same team behind (You Drive Me) Crazy, minus Max Martin, its cute, but I'm a little surprised it made it so far.


"This is the underrated forgotten gem" says @A$AP Robbie, while @WowWowWowWow shares, "Considering I started singing "I Want You To Want Me" by Solid HarmoniE over it, I think it's a good sign", but @berserkboi ain't a fan, "Not the sort of thing I love, sorry!". "Because I bought the US import rather than waiting for the UK edition, I didn’t hear this song until 2000. I still like it" reveals @unnameable, while @vague did the opposite, "This is really cute!! I actually imported the Australian edition of the album waaay back in the day for this track (and Autumn Goodbye)".


"I guess this was left off of the US version for being to Europop? That's the only reasoning I can come up with for why they removed one of the strongest songs on the album!" thinks @Angeleyes and @DJHazey says, "The "You've turned my whole around..." parts are nice and overall it's a much better sound than most of the stuff in the latter half of the main album". Little Pokemonster @PushyBakerFriend thinks, "This really has a Pokemon soundtrack kind of feel - I can easily imagine it in Pokemon Black/White (this is a compliment by the way). It's just so free and joyous, while almost miraculously avoiding sounding dated" and @iheartpoptarts stans, "If I was gonna go for the random bonus track flop 11—and I often do—this would totally be it".
​

 

I always kind of figured this too. Seriously, America, embrace the Europop - it's more fun than you!

 

No! I really thought this could go top 10 what with all the stanning going on, but I’m just glad it got so far even though it’s 5 or 6 places too soon.

I’ll say it one last time: Everything My Heart Desires is standing out like an underwhelming song in the Top 15 of a Pop Princesses rate!

 

14



Everything My Heart Desires

Average : 7.99
Highest score : 11 x 1 @CasuallyCrazed // 10 x 3 @soratami @unnameable @iheartpoptarts
Lowest score : 5 x 2 @PushyBakerFriend @DJHazey // 5.5 x 1 @Angeleyes


Originally recorded by Adam Rickitt, his version managed to peak at #15 in the UK, and was later covered by Mandy for the I Wanna Be With You album. I quite like this, as it stands out from most tracks in the rate.

"'Your love has no missing parts' *cringe* anyhow, this one is very bland too. Sorry bout it" says @DJHazey, @PushyBakerFriend can breathe a sigh of relief, as this is finally eliminated, "I keep on waiting for this track to take off in the chorus... and then it doesn’t" and @WowWowWowWow adds, "Maybe I like to pigeonhole my artists or don't appreciate it when they go too far afield, but this is Mandy's wheelhouse in my world". @Sprockrooster thinks, "This aged pretty damn well, despite sounding very from it’s time", @berserkboi reckons it's "Awesome" and @Angeleyes shares, "This sounds straight off of So Real, which is funny because I thought they were trying to market her differently with I Wanna Be With You. It's okay, but not as strong as some of the So Real tracks they cut".

"This is a cover apparently? Never heard the original, but quite like Mandy's version. It feels a little underwritten, but it's good" says @vague, @unnameable reveals, "I can’t believe Adam Rickitt got offered this masterpiece", and @iheartpoptarts is checking Adam out- mostly his music, obviously, "Yet another song I never knew was a cover until PJ. Adam Rickitt seems to be amazing and also shirtless a lot. Ooh, and he’s got an album. I must investigate immediately".

And a word from our 11-giver, @CasuallyCrazed, "This should have been her massive breakthrough worldwide #1 in another parallel universe. It stands up to any Britney or Christina classic". ​

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Well, with that one gone, Mandy can vacate entirely for all I care.