PJ TWENTY QUID RATE: Part One (2003-2007): The Winner!

Foundations - 5. I scored this a bit too highly. I don't mind the backing track, and some of the lyrics. But I can't stand the vocals, and I come from a place where most people talk like that (sometimes me included).

Stop Me - 4. Mark Ronson is one of the most overrated producers of the last 20 years. But I like the beat and some of the horns.

Dare - 6. I never got into Gorillaz, but this is my favourite, because I like the backing track and main chorus.

 

I'm still not sure how I feel about Gorillaz. I understand their appeal but I would never go out of my way to listen to them. They're very technically skilled, and as a Xenomania fangirl I like that they were so weird with their samples and song structure. But I've never said to myself "you know what I want to listen to right now? Some Gorillaz."

I do love this music video. Gorillaz Elton John is the cutest thing I've ever seen.

 

Gorillaz removed themselves from the Mercury shortlist in 2001 (presumably the reason they've never been nominated again) so I'm sure they would have approved of being up for an alternative prize.

 

Baby Goodbye is better than Electric.

 

Lee Ryan's solo career was certainly...a thing that occurred.

 

That’s really shit.

 

Delays - Valentine (2006)
Average Score: 7.64
Highest Score: 11x2 (@marie_05, @CorgiCorgiCorgi), 10x2 (@Phonetics Girl, @berserkboi) 9.5x3 (@Untouchable Ace, @Hurricane Drunk, @TéléDex)
Lowest Score: 3x2 (@WowWowWowWow, @2014)
My Score: 7​

‘Valentine’ is a single released by indie rock band Delays in February 2006. It was released as the first single from their second album You See Colours. Delays had initially broken out with their debut album Faded Seaside Glamour in 2004, which made the UK top 20. The single ‘Long Time Coming’ from that album was also a #16 hit, as well as featuring in ad campaigns and in the TV show Veronica Mars.

‘Valentine’ is a disco and electronica song, inspired by a a hurricane the band encountered on tour in the United States. It is written by band members Greg Gilbert and Aaron Gilbert. Greg Gilbert also takes the lead vocals; his vocal has been compared to that of Stevie Nicks and Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins. ‘Valentine’ also features additional arrangement and vocal overdub from Trevor Horn. Horn is a producer who came to fame as a member of The Buggles and as vocalist of prog-rock band Yes. Horn’s influence on pop music in the 1980s (among others, he produced the Frankie Goes to Hollywood album Welcome to the Pleasuredome, which houses ‘Relax’ and ‘The Power of Love’) saw him dubbed “The Man Who Invented the Eighties”. He has also gone on to produce hits like ‘All the Things She Said’ and ‘Can’t Fight the Moonlight’, as well as songs for fellow Twenty Quid nominees Robbie Williams and Pet Shop Boys; and he won a Grammy for producing Seal’s ‘Kiss From a Rose’.

The song charted at #23 in the UK, the same week Madonna hit #1 with ‘Sorry’. It was a success for the band, as it also gave them their first appearance on Top of the Pops. In a hetero moment of whatever, ‘Valentine’ also became frequently used on Match of the Day and MOTD2 for the ‘still to come’ segment and for match introductions throghout 2006. The album, You See Colours, reached in March of the same year and a follow-up single, ‘Hurricane’, made #35 in May. Delays have since

Frontman Greg Gilbert was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, and following his diagnosis turned his creativity to drawing, painting and writing poetry, with his atwork being exhibited in Southampton City Art Gallery and his poetry being selected for publication for Carol Ann Duffy’s “Laureate’s Choice” series. He sadly passed away in September 2021; Radio 1 DJ Eddy Temple-Morris paid tribute to “the most transcendently beautiful voice I’ve ever heard”.

Commentary:
@WowWowWowWow (3): Maybe Cupid can shoot an arrow through my brain instead of my heart, so I don't have to ever hear this again.

@DJHazey (7): Both video and song seem like they would've fit in perfectly with that Indie Rock rate.

@Sally_Harper (9): I have never heard this in my life but I think I love it. It’s sort of otherworldly to my ears!

@berserkboi (10): I guess exposure eventually leads to standom?

@Phonetics Girl (10): I've never heard a less binary vocalist. Ascending to heaven has nothing on listening to Valentine!

@CorgiCorgiCorgi (11): Never heard this song before. It's kind of a bop! You may have my 11.

 

I regret nothing!

 

I'm surprised that one did as well as it did. It's nice enough, but it could have gone a few spots earlier.

 

Will the Rehab's reign of terror ever end

 

Which I forgot to mention - this leaving now puts Muse as the final male vocal song standing. But how many more women will they outlast?

 

I knew this couldn’t be delayed any longer (see what I did there, etc.).

Considering that Delays are a) male, b) not exactly famous and c) a bit niche, I feared for where they would end up. But thankfully, their placing here could have been a whole lot worse. But where do I even start with them?

I’ve been a huge fan of Delays since the first few notes of Wanderlust. My music taste is what it is today because of them. They’re essentially Cocteau Twins, Geneva, The Byrds, The La’s and of course a whole lot of themselves rolled into one very likeable and engaging indie-pop outfit, with Greg Gilbert’s majestic soaring falsetto as the focal point. Greg is the #1 vocalist of the 00s for me, it’s amazing how he could go from angelic and ethereal to raw and gritty within the space of one song and sometimes even within the same line. I have such a soft spot for male vocalists with non-binary vocals.

Valentine was the song that should have been their smash, the moment that should have broken them into the mainstream properly. It’s essentially “Cocteau Twins go disco”, an ethereal and otherworldly “bop”, an experience.

As stated before, Sarah Harding was sadly not the only Twenty Quid Nominee 2021 took from us. Greg Gilbert’s passing was - and remains - devastating. A career cut short in the most tragic way when it felt like they had so much more to give. Unfortunately they never got the accolades they deserved, so the very least I could do for them is hand them my 11. An 11 in a pretty stacked rate and an 11 in a career stacked with 11s. This one’s for you, Greg.

 

Surrender Your Love - 8.5. It may sound similar to other songs, but it's just a great example of a feelgood funk track with horns (which to be fair is a genre which goes way back to 60's pop).

New Direction - 9. By far the best song on their first album, and the first indication of the grown-up sound of the best songs on their second album (inspired by dance music).

Somewhere Only We Know - 7.5. Nice enough, with good piano, but I wouldn't seek it out, although I wouldn't turn off if it came on the radio. But I prefer Keane's second album, Under The Iron Sea.

 

Regarding men and the Twenty Quid, Peter may have screwed up with the McBusted Extended Universe and (later on) Ed Sheeran to name a few, but at least he succeeded at including all of the best British male singers here. Greg Gilbert, Tom Chaplin and Matt Bellamy are pretty much a dream line-up. And “Won’t”!

 

Lily Allen - Smile (2006)
Average Score: 7.66
Highest Score: 10x8 (@K94, @Wild Man., @FINISH LINE, @Kyle., @DJHazey, @-SNS-, @Phonetics Girl, @soratami)
Lowest Score: 1x2 (@Sally_Harper, @Sprockrooster), 2x1 (@Untouchable Ace)
My Score: 7​

A big hitter falls before the top 30, and with the second most 10s in the rate so far (after “Won’t”). ‘Smile’ was Lily Allen’s debut single, released in July 2006. The daughter of comedian Keith Allen, Lily was thee nepo baby of the mid-2000s. Her first musical recording was a song written by her dad for the film Mike Bassett: England Manager (‘On Me Head, Not Off Me Head’) and appeared in the music video for his band’s song ‘Vindaloo’. After an initial deal with London Records failed, she signed to Regal Recordings in 2005 but didn’t get much money or focus from her label, who were focused on previous eliminees Gorillaz, and Coldplay’s X&Y. However, uploading some demos to MySpace and gaining a positive reaction, Lily was able to secure more creative control - enlisting Mark Ronson and Greg Kurstin to finish what would become Alright, Still.

‘Smile’ is built around a sample of ‘Free Soul’ by the Soul Brothers, ‘Smile’ is produced by production duo Future Cut, who Lily met through her first manager, TV presenter George Lamb. The lyrics are upbeat, taking delight in the suffering of an ex-boyfriend. ‘Smile’ initially charted on downloads alone (remember those days) at #13, before peaking at #1 for two consecutive weeks. Popjustice at the time was a big fan of ‘Smile’, saying:

Of ‘Smile’, the lyric “when you first left me I was wanting more / But you were fucking that girl next door” was highlighted, with Peter adding:

Ouch. However, Rachel still has all of her songs left in the rate, so who really gets the last laugh?

Speaking of beef with Popjustice favourites, the B-side to ‘Smile’ also led to a bit of an argument in the press with another 2006 Twenty Quid nominee, the eventual winners Girls Aloud. Titled ‘Cheryl Tweedy’, it’s a satirical song from the perspective of someone who wishes they look like the Girls Aloud star. Cheryl took it at face value, saying:

Lily was not happy that Cheryl had taken it seriously and made clear that it was tongue in cheek, saying “It was a joke that not many people got. Of course nobody really wants to look like Cheryl, they just think they do.”. Cheryl and Lily continued to throw barbs at each other in the press and via MySpace blogs nn until early 2007. In 2018, Lily blamed this feud on sexual frustration.

‘Smile’ was followed up with three further singles from Alright, Still: the breezy ‘LDN’ reached #6 in September 2006, with the Mark Ronson-produced ‘Littlest Things’ just missing the top 20 in December of the same year. The final single from the album was the Greg Kurstin-produced ‘Alfie’, a tribute to her brother Alfie Allen (who would later go on to star on Game of Thrones), which reached #15. Alright, Still was also a big success, reaching #2 on release and getting Lily a nomination for British Album of the Year at the 2007 BRIT Awards, where ‘Smile was also up for Bristish Single of the Year. Lily herself was also nominated for British Breakthrough and British Female Solo Artist. Alright, Still also charted at #20 in the US (…where ‘Smile’ was later covered on Glee) and Lily received a nomination for Best Alternative Album at the Grammy Awards. ‘Smile’ is Lily’s only Twenty Quid nomination in this part of the rate, but lead single from her follow-up album ‘The Fear’ will be in a future part.

Commentary:
@Sally_Harper (1): I do love some of her songs but this isn’t one of them. In fact I kind of hate it, sorry.

@Sprockrooster (1): The way this invokes anger instead because of those cringe vocals.

@BubblegumBoy (7): I’ve always found this song too sickly sweet… ironic I know.

@berserkboi (9): A classic but not a fave from Lily!

@Kyle. (10): When this song came out the entire world stood still and we don't talk about that enough.

@DJHazey (10): This and LDN are the peak of what a Lily classic should sound like.

 

Wow! This rate really is brutal! Ddd

 

So our top 30 is...

2003 (5/12)
Abs - Stop Sign
Amy Studt - Misfit
Busted - What I Go to School For
Daniel Bedingfield - If You’re Not the One
Girls Aloud - No Good Advice
Ladytron - Seventeen
Lisa Scott-Lee - Lately
Mis-teeq - Scandalous
Richard X vs Liberty X - Being Nobody
S Club Juniors - New Direction
S Club - Say Goodbye
Sugababes - Round Round

2004 (6/12)
Busted - Crashed the Wedding
Emma Bunton - Maybe
Girls Aloud - The Show
Jamelia - Superstar
Javine - Surrender (Your Love)
Keane - Somewhere Only We Know
McFly - 5 Colours in Her Hair
Rachel Stevens - Some Girls
Rachel Stevens - Sweet Dreams My LA Ex
Shaznay Lewis - Never Felt Like This Before
Sugababes - Hole in the Head
Will Young - Leave Right Now

2005 (7/12)
Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh
Charlotte Church - Crazy Chick
Girls Aloud - Wake Me Up
Goldfrapp - Ooh La La
Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I Love You Less and Less
Mylo - In My Arms
Rachel Stevens - Negotiate With Love
Robbie Williams - Radio
Shapeshifters - Lola’s Theme
The 411 - Dumb
Uniting Nations - Out of Touch
Verbalicious - Don’t Play Nice

2006 (6/12)
Delays - Valentine
Girls Aloud - Biology
Goldfrapp - Number One
Gorillaz - Dare
Hot Chip - Over and Over
Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch
Lily Allen - Smile
Matt Willis - Up All Night
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
Rachel Stevens - I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
Sugababes - Push the Button
Will Young - Who Am I

2007 (7/12)
Amy Winehouse - Rehab
Bodyrox - Yeah Yeah (feat. Luciana)
Booty Luv - Shine
Calvin Harris - Acceptable in the 80s
Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooooh
Jamelia - Beware of the Dog
Kate Nash - Foundations
Mark Ronson - Stop Me (feat. Daniel Merriweather)
Robbie Williams - She’s Madonna
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
Siobhan Donaghy - Don’t Give It Up
Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Catch You ​

 

The Top 30 is gonna be a bloodbath...and I'm so excited !

 

Between the 0 for Kate Nash and the 1 for Lily Allen, I'm starting to think @Sally_Harper shouldn't have been allowed to vote dd