I’m here today as one of
@berserkboi ‘s backup rate hosts to host a
Very Special Guest Elimination.
Which song leaves us at #20?
Is Overload more loved around here than Sound of the Underground, though?
The painful truth about that will be revealed shortly...
Let’s hope it’s #soon rather than actually shortly.
Oop.
#20
Sugababes - Overload
Average Score:
6.66
My Score: -1000
Finally, at #20 we say goodbye to the vastly overrated dirge from the Sugababes debut album that, as Steps say, is Better Best Forgotten. Thank you and goodnight!
*dramatic sigh*
Overload is not actually eliminated. Today’s real elimination is….
The Shirelles and Ronettes definitely need to make top 10 at least from the 60s! If 4ever beats either of them, christ!
#20
The Veronicas - 4Ever
Average Score:
7.682
High Score: 11x1 -
@tylerc904 ♡♡♡
Team Taste: 10x7 -
@GhettoPrincess,
@Untouchable Ace,
@Conan,
@Remorque,
@soratami,
@unnameable,
@DJHazey
Get Taste:
@kermit_the_frog (3),
@Aester (3),
@londonrain (4),
@Riiiiiiiii (4.2),
@Baby Clyde (5)
At #20, y’all have tragically and prematurely booted The Veronicas’ breakthrough single (and
winner of
their Popjustice discography rate), 4Ever. The first single from the Veronicas’ debut album
The Secret Life Of…, this pop/rock anthem with an ebullient chorus speaks to forgoing delayed gratification and seizing the moment to be (and be with) the person you want, because “C’mon baby, we ain’t gonna live 4Ever.” The best parts for me are the guitar riffs throughout and Jess’s high note on her adlib of “4Ever” on the final chorus.
4Ever was released 2005 in Australia, peaking at #2 on the ARIA charts and earning a platinum certification, and also and later released in the UK (#17 peak on the UK singles chart) and US (gold certification). This track was written and produced by hitmaking team Max Martin and Dr. Luke, who were also the team behind other pop/rock hits of the ‘00s like Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone, Pink’s U + Ur Hand, Katy Perry’s California Girls, Britney’s Hold It Against Me, and
@Robsolete ‘s recent PJ00s entry, Megan McCauley’s Tap That, among others.
The Veronicas are a pop/rock band from Brisbane, Australia composed of identical twin sisters Jessica and Lisa Origliasso. Named after bad-girl-with-an-attitude Veronica Lodge of Archie Comics fame, this sister duo has been making music under The Veronicas banner for almost 15 years. Their first album,
The Secret Life Of…. (2005), is quintessential pop/rock; its follow-up
Hook Me Up (2007) led the vanguard of electropop of the late ‘00s, and their most recent effort, the self-titled
The Veronicas (2014), sits comfortably in their pop/rock base. Those of you who have followed The Veronicas know that they have significantly more musical output than their three studio albums would suggest. They’ve written songs for other artists, such as t.A.T.u.’s All About Us, Kate DeAraugo’s (and Everlife’s) Faded, Casey Donovan’s What’s Going On, and Christina Parie’s Back to Life; they also have a rich back catalogue of unreleased songs to delve into.
What did y’all have to say about this one? We’ll dispense with Team No Taste first:
@kermit_the_frog (3) moaned “I feel like they are also responsible for Untouched? Which I irrationally hated. I can’t say that I like this any better.” Please, rid yourself of irrational hatred; it’s not a good look. My ex-PJ00s cohost
@londonrain (4) obsequiously opined “What is this Since U Been Gone/U + Ur Hand rip-off?” My question for you is: “What kind of amazing follow-up to Since U Been Gone and precursor to U + Ur Hand (2006) are you not stanning for?!”
Unsurprisingly, the rest of Team Tasteless -
@Aester,
@Riiiiiiiii, and
@Baby Clyde, left no commentary to justify their low scores, despite at least 2/3 of them being repeatedly quite vocal in the thread about wanting this song to exit. Live footage of
@Baby Clyde right now:
The members of Team Some Taste who left commentary include
@Zar-Unity (6.5), who remarked “Some well produced pop rock, as a duo? I love it when "tik took" is in the Lyrics. Tech: 4 Taste: 2 +.5 = 6.5 points” Yeah, it should have been a 5 for taste, but oh well. Bubblegum pop aficionado
@iheartpoptarts (7) said “I’m still a little bitter about the time pop went pop-rock for ages, but this is one of the good ones.” I’m glad that much is obvious.
More positive commentary came from
@DominoDancing (8), who mentioned this is a “Super catchy song. Great chorus. Which must be why the despicable Dr. Luke recycled it for U + Ur Hand.” Indeed, see
@londonrain? 4Ever begot U + Ur Hand which begot Tap That, which got diluted through the ranks of A-list to C-list producers to eventually beget hordes of random tropical house-infused PJSC entry that everyone is fawning over these days.
Our host
@berserkboi (8.3) commented “Although I still have a marginal preference for U + Ur Hand (which Dr.Luke copy/pasted and gave to P!nk, the audacity!!), there is no denying this is how you do a debut! The girls went on to do tracks I still favour (just on their debut you have Everything I'm Not) and This Love or Hook Me Up but 4ever will always be something us Australians will be proud about!” With these spot-on opinions, I’m sad
@berserkboi didn’t participate in the Veronicas discography rate last year.
@ComeOnGloria (8.5) gave praise for its “Good chorus” (are you sure you don’t mean amazing?). Even our duo of perennial rate villains only had praise for this one.
@Empty Shoebox (9) remarked “They sound a lot younger in this than they actually are. Is that intentional? Listen to the start of the chorus for an example. This is comfortably my favourite of the songs I didn't know and could easily have been a ten if that vocal moment sounded better. It even sounds the same on the 2009 version.” Well, the Origliasso twins were 20 when this song was released, and Jess in particular (who usually sings the higher harmonies and adlibs) does have a higher-pitched voice to Lisa’s more grovely tone. Even
@Filippa (9) is a fan, exclaiming “That’s a song I like! Good voices, good harmonies and I like those more rocking tunes!”
And finally, our 10-givers. My Veronicas rate compatriots thankfully came to represent here.
@GhettoPrincess (10) mentions “That chorus is glorious. I also love the middle 8 too. The production is a bit dated now but it’s still perfection especially with those ad-libs at the end.”
@Untouchable Ace (10) opines “Perfect debut for the twins and such a display of their attitude as well.” Agreed, I think we all like our girl groups to have attitude.
@unnameable (10) declares this is “Max Martin at his finest” - obviously! - and
@DJHazey (10) says “This was my 11 in their discography rate and honestly after all the songs I discovered back then and have since played over and over again...I think its title might be in jeopardy. Nothing at all against "4Ever" though, because that chorus is still pure fire and I still scream every word at the top of my lungs. What a 'grab you by the soul' anthem it will always be.” 11-giver
@tylerc904 didn’t leave any commentary for
@berserkboi, but perhaps he’d like to give some commentary now? This would have also been my 11 had I voted in this rate.
Music Video:
Music Video, 2009 Remake: