The Saturdays 2022 Re-Rate - Results - [FINALE]

[Blayke]

I echo what @Holly Something said, I should have joined and shook these awful results up. Why Me, Why Now, Last Call, Golden Rules out!? Make it make sense. Anyways, my thoughts on the recent lashings:

Golden Rules - I never understood the Girls Aloud comparisons. I really enjoyed this as a different sound for The Sats. It was dark, moody and very welcome. It sure sits many cuts above what remains. Judging from the 2015 and this rate, I may be lone in this.

Anywhere With You - This Katy Perry wannabe. The "rapper". Basic and Uninteresting.

Love Come Down - Cute track and its the right time for it to go.

Lease My Love - Such a grating song. I blame both the production and the vocal producer for that MESS.

Last Call - A rare ballad moment from the girls. Vanessa and Rochelle were FABULOUS in this song. It deserves a much higher placing for standing out and being a traditional ballad. We didn't get many from the girls and none really that were this emotive.

Why Me Why Now - Devastated. This is one of my favourite songs from the girls, even though I much prefer the demo. I remember with the initial release of Chasing Lights it had the demo as the actual closer - Am I imagining this? or am I thinking of a leaked version of the album I downloaded before it was released? Anyway, what a fabulous song. The live version they can keep though.

Ready To Rise - I was so into this at the time. Nowadays it's such a basic song but it still bops for how basic it is.

 

[DJHazey]

I'd like to see some more of my low score extras leave next like:

Not That Kinda Girl

 

[DJHazey]

Another huge drop for On Your Radar.


54

6.99

On Your Radar Rank | 12th (10th in 2015)

VIPs | @Robsolete (10) @Ezz (9.25)

Villains | @AfternoonsInUtopia (1) @daninternational @If You Go (3.5)

Rank Change | -15

Score Change | -0.23

Most Solo Time | Mollie and Una

Hazey Says | God, this song is truly lackluster. The only part remotely memorable is Mollie’s hook, especially the way she sings the last few “knows”. (5)

It is assumed this was predominantly written by Mollie and Una since the demo is mostly them, even though all five girls have co-writing credits.



The main discussion for this song in the last rate came down to whether you were here for Mollie on the song, since she has a lot of solo time. Even those who weren’t here for Mollie’s lisp, found this to be a heartbreaking ballad nonetheless and a welcomed addition to On Your Radar.

Commentary

@Ezz (9.25) - OK so it's not groundbreaking but it is sweet and a good chance for the vocals to shine through the production. Also feels quite Una-heavy which is heavenly.

@Phonetics Girl (9) - Predictably, this used to be my fave track on this album, but it ends up never quite hitting the mark. Still, it's bound to flop, so it'll need all the points it can get.

@JakobVision22 (9) - For me, one of their most underrated songs. Everyone sounds fantastic and the lyrics are simple but effective.

@louciano (9) - This is a lovely, very Disney Channel type of ballad. Very saccharine-sounding, but, for me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The chorus is such a great complement to the delicacy of the verses.

@Hazey's Mom (8) - Disjointed, the intro is not very good, but it gets better.

@Sally_Harper (7) - I find the verses a bit clunky but I like the rest. For some reason I used to belt the chorus whenever I was doing the washing up in my student flat. No idea why it was always this song!

@daninternational (3.5) - Generic ballad shouldn't stick around too long.

At least the song is more memorable because I can sing the chorus in my head without it being on while I type this, I can't even say that about some of the other cuts so far. So maybe the 5 was a tad harsh, but it's definitely not one of my favorites. It was doomed by only getting one 10 though.

Shoutout Queen

Clearly, with a such a Mollie-centric song, she takes title as queen here, but all girls have gotten at least one compliment.

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#53 is back to the B-Sides and its elimination will make at least some people happy.
​

 

[DJHazey]

Here you go @Phonetics Girl.


53

7.01

B-Sides Rank | 10th (10th in 2015)

VIPs | DJHazey @Hazey's Mom @louciano @Sally_Harper @RUNAWAY (10)

Villains | @imaduck (1.4) @Phonetics Girl (1.5) @AfternoonsInUtopia (2) @Duppe (3) @If You Go (3.5)

Rank Change | +5

Score Change | +0.56

Most Solo Time | Una

Hazey Says | “I’ve had with today, I wish were yesterday” and the beat are S-Tier. I love how 'bopified' the chorus is compared to the original, like giving the perfect kind of remix. (10)

This was originally written by Una for her EP Sorry in 2006, which was brought back to life as the dance-pop B-Side to "Higher".

In the previous rate there was some debate over whether the original was a better or the amped up remix version the The Saturdays presented. Since it’s basically an Una solo-song with the other girls in the background, the degree in which you enjoy Una’s voice probably had a lot to do with your enjoyment this overall.

Commentary

@Sally_Harper (10) - I love this song. I love it so much, and I don’t even really know why, but I can happily listen to it on repeat for hours. Also, please tell me it wasn’t just me who thought the whispered part was “That bitch feels my pain” for far too long, even though it made no sense with the rest of the line?

@Hazey's Mom (10) - (Hazey: I made sure to tell her this was my Una's song and she agrees her voice is incredible on this.)

@louciano (10) - Queens of relatable song titles! Not sure how to describe it, but this song has an amazing quality in that it can make me feel warm and fuzzy inside, it's pretty euphoric.

@daninternational (9.5) - RnB vibes to this, really nice one.

@Ezz (7.2) - It shocks even me to type this, but would this work better as an acoustic version, the electronic bits seem unnecessary.

@saviodxl (7.1) - The remix slaps.

@Scaper (7) - The best use of the word ‘elapse’ in a pop song. I wish they hadn’t made the word ‘bitch’ near inaudible. Let Una’s bitterness come through fully damn it.

@Phonetics Girl (1.5) - Love that for Una, get those royalties! The only problem is I wanted another Forever Is Over and what I ended up getting sounds like a cheap remix, like cheaper than usual; the melody does not even fit the music?

I would've had this pegged for at least an 8.5 from @Phonetics Girl, so I was surprised and saddened by the score that rolled in. It seemed to be extremely divisive, judging by the spread of scores listed above. Remix >>> anything else.

Shoutout Queen

Nobody got any compliments in this rate except for my Mom and I praising Una. Back in 2015, as you can imagine, Una grabbed another 4 shoutouts and interestingly enough Rochelle got 2. I would say the other four girls are background singers on this Una solo track. It's like doing this shoutout game for PCD and having anyone other than Nicole for any song.

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Usually in discography rates, B-Sides just get decimated before we hit albums, but just to prove how strong The Saturdays back catalogue is, we've had a decent balance in the rundown. However, #52 will give us back-to-back B-Side hits.​

 

[Duppe]

Wish I Didn’t Know is very similar to Deeper to me in that it’s a cute album track from them that I like, very Disney-esque as has already been pointed out but it fits Mollie so well who definitely deserves to be the shout-out queen for that song.

Had It With Today was very much outstaying it’s welcome so I’m glad to see it gone. Two back-to-back B-Side eliminations next? I love to see it. I Can’t Wait & Turn Myself In to leave next. They can take Ladykiller with them also to be honest. I expect myself to be in the villain section for all 3 of these.

 

[Aester]

I find the intro to "Wish I Didn't Know" as annoying as other people seem to find the intro to "Lease My Love." The rest of the song isn't terrible, but I'm glad to see it go.

"So Stupid" and "On the Radio" are the only remaining b-sides I wouldn't mind losing at this point.

 

[DJHazey]

Two back-to-back B-Side eliminations next? I love to see it.

No no, don't get ahead of yourself dd, back-to-back for one more after Had It with Today going today. After that, it's not a B-Side elimination.

 

[soratami]

Whoever runs the music in my local mall (in Maine, USA mind you) somehow has enough knowledge of British pop deep cuts because I once heard Not That Kinda Girl one time and also some Girls Aloud album tracks. I think they've changed though because I haven't heard that kind of stuff in a while, sadly (though I'm only ever there to grab Panda Express really quick to bring home after work).

Funnily enough, I also remember hearing some Chasing Lights album tracks in the mall back in the day, on more than one occasion, and it's not like The Saturdays were ever exactly big here. Queens of malls.

 

[phily693]

Lease My Love - It always makes me laugh that they went to Darkchild for the name recognition and to say they’ve worked with him and that he’d serve them a bop, yet Lease My Love isn’t even him on autopilot, it’s the sound of him simply not caring but still happy to cash the cheque. They obviously knew that they got shafted and it was subpar material from him and having already paid for the session(s) they decided to cut their losses and chuck it out as a B-side. Or maybe featuring it on the actual album means he would’ve been entitled to more credit? The way this song/recording session was such a big thing for them (and rightly so!) it was definitely something featured and promoted quite prominently in their E! reality show or at least I have that clip of Frankie cutting that first line in the studio (it really isn’t a good opening line from her) burned into my mind. And after all that hype around it they go and put it out as a B-side… There’s no way that was ever going to be the plan. Yeah, you can tell the team were a tad disappointed. It’s messy and hollow sounding and they probably knew that too. But I live for them keeping it as a B-side, as if it’s some kind of shade for how he had most likely shopped this track/beat around many people and they got stuck with it. Everything about this song feels quite representative of what this whole era ultimately felt like: promise of big collaborations and producers with hype used to push their reality show. It was almost like their Sweet 7 in a way that someone in charge had no clue what made them unique and interesting or at least thought they knew what they needed to do to crack the American market but neutered them in the process.

Or maybe they were just happy to say they’ve worked with him and it didn’t quite fit the album so wanted to keep it to say they’ve actually collaborated with him? Either way, dreadful production and that opening line will forever haunt me.

 

[MilesAngel]

Why Me Why Now has one of the prettiest melodies of any Saturdays track, the synths are lovely and it's a great ending to the album (I don't own the edition with Just Can't Get Enough!). 10.

As has been said the chorus to Ready To Rise is a bit of a let down, but the verses are very good. 7.4.

Wish I Didn't Know is one of my favourite Saturdays ballads. The lyrics are relatably poignant. 8.

The production of Had It With Today is fine but the melody isn't memorable. 5.7

 

[DJHazey]

From the "should've been gone ages ago" department...



52

7.02

B-Sides Rank | 9th (8th in 2015)

VIPs | @RUNAWAY @MilesAngel @daninternational @Guy (10)

Villains | @AfternoonsInUtopia (1) @Sally_Harper (2) DJHazey (3)

Rank Change | +2

Score Change | +0.45

Most Solo Time | Vanessa

Hazey Says | I was about to just say ‘404 Not Found’ and call it a day as far anything salvageable from this, but I guess the synths are decent, the rest is boring and/or messy. It's not often a song from The Saturdays is 100% lifeless with no hooks, at least to my ears. (3)
​

Most of the commentary surrounding this B-Side was how all the B-Sides from On Your Radar were great (this being paired with My Heart Takes Over), with some rightly stating how most of their B-Sides are iconic. The love was usually put towards the production and melody.​

​

Commentary​

@daninternational (10) - BOP.

@Phonetics Girl (9.5) - "Wow, that's hot!"

@Ezz (8.5) - I love the more delicate vocals on the chorus and the first verse.

@louciano (8.25) - Not a standout, but certainly serviceable.

@Hazey's Mom (8) - I don't like the 'clackity-clack' sound, it drowns out the lyrics.

@Sally_Harper (2) - I just really don’t like this song.

Hmm, even the comments are pretty lukewarm for a B-Side that got five 10's, I'm with @Sally_Harper in that there's just nothing to like about it. It doesn't deserve to be associated with such a great album, I'm glad it's not on the main release. Plus, the song title bothers me.

Shoutout Queens

Nobody was given a shoutout in this rate's commentary, but in the last rate everyone but Rochelle got at least one, with both Una and Vanessa getting a couple each to take the crown.


I am going to be a bit busy today and figured this would be my opportunity to be able to sit down and get a couple eliminations out, so here is #51 as well.

This one will have a few of you saying FINALLY I'm sure, but I'm happy for the little bop that could!



51

7.04

Living for the Weekend Rank | 7th (11th in 2015)

VIPs | @AfternoonsInUtopia DJHazey @Hazey's Mom (10) @Ana Raquel (9.5)

Villains | @imaduck (3.22) @If You Go (3.8) @JMRGBY @Sprockrooster (4)

Rank Change | +12

Score Change | +0.86

Most Solo Time | All the Girls

Hazey Says | “There’s magic in this city” and the rest of the chorus are magnificent, especially when Una and Vanessa take it to another level and soar with the “Don’t know the way to go…” part. (10)

It was used as the original theme song to their E! reality series Chasing the Saturdays, later finding its way onto Living for the Weekend as the final track.
​

An acoustic version of the song is found on the "What About Us" single, which caused a lot of debate among 2015 voters. It seems most people preferred the acoustic version and didn’t have time for what they referred to as ‘cheap production’ on the album version. However, the basic boppers were all here for the craziness of the album track.​

Commentary

@Hazey's Mom (10) - A bop that makes me want to get up and dance! My son told me it was a theme song to one of their TV shows which makes perfect sense.

@saviodxl (8.4) - I remember listening to the snippet of this during their reality show and it gave me the chills.

@louciano (8.25) - Rating the fantastic acoustic version, it delivers the sentiment of the song a lot better than the album version.

@Ezz (8) - Necessary on this album? Possibly not but still a great summery track.

@Phonetics Girl (7.5) - Yeah, seems like dated is the word for the second half of this album. And again, I can't really be harsh with my score cause it's the disarming sort of datedness.

@daninternational (7.4) - I've got a soft spot for the production of pop music in this era, it transports me to feeling like a hedonistic lil gay boy dancing in UK bars.

@Sally_Harper (6) - Iconic theme tune. I prefer it as an acoustic song, though.

There's some more love for the acoustic version. Of course, I had the album version in the Spotify playlist.

Here it is:



Shoutout Queen

I am the only one who mentioned anyone this time around (Una and Vanessa), but Una also got a couple more shoutouts in the 2015 rate, so she gets another victory.



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#50 tomorrow is also from a later album.
​

 

[DJHazey]

Shoutout Queen Scorecard

Una | 11
Mollie | 10
Vanessa | 8
Rochelle | 6
Frankie | 4

(This is also with the song leaderboard on page one)​

 

[slaybellz]

Aaaand were back to eliminating good songs... I don't understand why Somebody Else's Life has scored so low in both rates. What's not to like?

The song just reminds me of their little reality show about trying to break America. I remember being a naive little stan watching the show every week, believing that if they broke America that was one step closer to them touring here. Then it got to the episode of Rochelle revealing she was pregnant and that dream came crashingdown.mp3

 

[jawow_]

I even bought Chasing the Saturdays series on iTunes as I couldn't watch it on the UK. The only time I ever digitally purchased a TV show. I was like 'the girls will huge - the female One Direction'... They weren't even the female Wanted.

 

[saviodxl]

@saviodxl (8.4) - I remember listening to the snippet of this during their reality show and it gave me the chills.

The song just reminds me of their little reality show about trying to break America. I remember being a naive little stan watching the show every week, believing that if they broke America that was one step closer to them touring here. Then it got to the episode of Rochelle revealing she was pregnant and that dream came crashingdown.mp3

Same sis, same! The illusons of international superstardom these gals gave me. I was so ready to be the guy that says "I knew them before they were huge" etc

 

[slaybellz]

They weren't even the female Wanted.

Alright let's not get carried away...

 

[MilesAngel]

I like the crunchy synths in So Stupid, but it's the lyrics that make me love the track...and any song which references Jekyll and Hyde gets high marks from me (see also Me And I by ABBA). 10.

Somebody Else's Life is a great song and would've gotten a higher score if the audio quality was better. 7.7.

 

[Mvnl]

Something about Somebody Else's Life's melody does not work for me.
The first half feels like a chorus I heard (them do?) before, then the 'Don't know the way to go' part takes the melody in a direction that.. feels off?

 

[DJHazey]

50

7.11

On Your Radar Rank | 11th (14th in 2015)

VIPs | @loucaino @WoW73 (10) @Aester @Phonetics Girl (9.5)

Villains | @If You Go (0) @Guy (1) @Mistress of All Evil (2)

Rank Change | +7

Score Change | +0.62

Most Solo Time | Una

Hazey Says | I love the lead up to the chorus, especially “I traded the ball gown for an LDB and a bunch of cash” because it rolls off the tongue so perfectly. (9)

In 2015, this was the first cut from On Your Radar and it took 22 songs to do it. The band called it the ‘most pop’ song on the album, which probably is why some think it sounds the most like their older material and not as much like a dance track.

Commenters in 2015 pointed out Una’s and Rochelle’s ad-libs the most, with some loving one more than the other. The lyrics were the star attraction here, with how fun-loving they are, though the Simon Cowell one was called out for being unnecessary.

Commentary

@loucaino (10) - Cheesy as all hell but GOD it pops off! A highlight on an album already chock full of career highlights.

@Phonetics Girl (9.5) - I... can't say no to this absurd Disney bop? It was always one of like three songs from this album I found some connection with and it didn't even age that badly.

@saviodxl (9) - The Simon Cowell part was very cringe!

@Hazey's Mom (9) - A little monotone in parts but makes up for it with the chorus.

@daninternational (8.5) - I Say OK is such a rubbish title, wish they'd called it 'Rather Be Ugly'. I appreciate the Sugababes throwback.

@Ezz (8) - The verses remind me of early Gaga, the choruses don't quite seem to match somehow.

@Scaper (7) - Screaming at the quote Genius has from them about the song: “The lyrics of the song are quite basic so everyone knows what the song is about.” What kind of self-drag? Only they would write the lyrics ‘everyone’s dishing fouls, like they’re Simon Cowell’ when also trying desperately to get an X Factor slot each year and failing.

@Sally_Harper (7) - Basic bop, stupid lyrics. Rochelle and Una doing their best to make “I traded the ballgown for an LBD and a bunch of cash” sound profound always makes me smile.

@Attis (6) - That chorus is abysmal.

I agree that "Rather Be Ugly" would have been an amazing song title, good call from @daninternational. As you can see, the Simon Cowell line still gets named and shamed in 2022. Also, I am betting the line I highlighted above and @Sally_Harper references would have made @Ezz hear early-Gaga. I kind of forgot how good this song was until this rate, so I am glad we re-united.

Bonus analysis: Anyone catch @Phonetics Girl's subtle shade towards the album, well be prepared for her name to possibly be in the villain column as we move through the On Your Radar.

Shoutout Queens

As I mentioned above, Rochelle and Una's ad-libs get a lot of play for this song and @Sally_Harper mentioned it too in her commentary. No doubt in my mind these two take the win.

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#49 is the last B-Side before the section gets a break.

​

 

[Aester]

I find the dumb lyrics charming. "I Say OK" is not a song I listen to often, but when I do, it always puts me in a good mood. The chorus is super catchy.