All fired up, I feel alive
The Saturdays 2022 Re-Rate - Results - [FINALE]
- Thread starter DJHazey
- Start date
Forever is Over is a great song. Do I believe that Kelly Clarkson was fighting for it? Not one bit, but her early sound is all over this and I love it. I’m also here for the vocal distributions throughout the verses where they’re passing around the lines between each other, especially the Vanessa/Frankie verse. I think I subconsciously took a half point off because no, it should not have been the lead single from Wordshaker. Ego & One Shot are both better songs. And also this live was never their strongest, it always seemed like a bit of a struggle for them.
he/him
And the ballad barrage continues.
14
8.33
On Your Radar Rank | 5th (5th in 2015)
VIPs | @JMRGBY (11) @AfternoonsInUtopia @Shockbox @Iggypig @RUNAWAY @Hazey's Mom @imaduck @Guy @Fuchsia @Duppe @Robsolete (10)
Villains | @Ugly Beauty (1) @iheartpoptarts (3) @Ana Raquel (6) @Untouchable Ace (6.2) @slaybellz (6.5)
Rank Change | +1
Score Change | -0.13
Most Solo Time | Rochelle and Vanessa
Hazey Says | That classic power ballad melody I love in that chorus. Vanessa really goes for it, especially on the last chorus. (9)
Their third single from On Your Radar, not promoted nearly as much as the previous two, due to Una’s pregnancy. The video was shot in Iceland and the song was performed several times, including the All Fired Up! Tour, Greatest Hits Tour, and the 2011 Children in Need broadcast.
While some people didn’t mind that this is basically a Rochelle and Vanessa duet, because how great they sound, others were turned off by that factor, thinking the other girls should’ve had their time. The Ina-heavy chorus was the center of that argument. While some haters dismissed it as ’just another girl group ballad’ and stated it should’ve never been anywhere near a single, most people disagreed wholeheartedly pointing out how it’s completely different from the typical Saturdays ballad and bring something far deeper than usual, packed with raw emotion. They also decry how it failed on the charts.
14
8.33
On Your Radar Rank | 5th (5th in 2015)
VIPs | @JMRGBY (11) @AfternoonsInUtopia @Shockbox @Iggypig @RUNAWAY @Hazey's Mom @imaduck @Guy @Fuchsia @Duppe @Robsolete (10)
Villains | @Ugly Beauty (1) @iheartpoptarts (3) @Ana Raquel (6) @Untouchable Ace (6.2) @slaybellz (6.5)
Rank Change | +1
Score Change | -0.13
Most Solo Time | Rochelle and Vanessa
Hazey Says | That classic power ballad melody I love in that chorus. Vanessa really goes for it, especially on the last chorus. (9)
Their third single from On Your Radar, not promoted nearly as much as the previous two, due to Una’s pregnancy. The video was shot in Iceland and the song was performed several times, including the All Fired Up! Tour, Greatest Hits Tour, and the 2011 Children in Need broadcast.
While some people didn’t mind that this is basically a Rochelle and Vanessa duet, because how great they sound, others were turned off by that factor, thinking the other girls should’ve had their time. The Ina-heavy chorus was the center of that argument. While some haters dismissed it as ’just another girl group ballad’ and stated it should’ve never been anywhere near a single, most people disagreed wholeheartedly pointing out how it’s completely different from the typical Saturdays ballad and bring something far deeper than usual, packed with raw emotion. They also decry how it failed on the charts.
Commentary
@Shockbox (10) - My fave ballad. Really wish we had gotten that X-Factor performance.
@daninternational (9.5) - Their best ballad probably.
@saviodxl (9.1) - It admires me how much they pushed this ballad to try and make it a hit. After a disappoint chart peak I guess they realized we were in it for the bops! So, a pretty song and a nice lesson learnt.
@Sally_Harper (9) - I love this song, and “And if there’s a small piece left of us, somewhere in the battles we have lost” is one of their best lyrics for me. The only thing I don’t like is Vanessa’s “COSIFTHERE’SA” before the last chorus, because on occasion it has actually made me jump.
@Scaper (8.5) - I wish the chorus was less shouty but I’ve always thought this was a really solid ballad and lyrically quite profound for a girl group song. Underrated.
@louciano (8.5) - Forgettable.
@Ezz (8) - Definitely feels in the spirit of Christmas chart battles.
@Phonetics Girl *\(7.5) - Another single choice I just couldn't make sense of, like one of their worst ballads, really? At least I got a lot of mileage from the stunning winter vid & I'll have to add 0.5 for the Rokstone Mix because it works slightly better as a slow bop.
I agree it fits in perfectly as a Christmas-time release, which is probably why my Mom loved it so much. I can't help but chuckle seeing @louciano's comment of "forgettable" again considering they handed several much lower scores in this. Usually, forgettable songs get 4-6 range for scores from most people.
Shoutout Queen
It's just Vanessa's world and we're living it, as this is now three in a row for her. Only a 4-to-1 win over Rochelle, but just goes to show you as we reveal they're top-tier songs, why Vanessa was sometimes considered their canon-lead vocalist.
---
#13 is from a non-On Your Radar song.
My villain moment has arrived! and it’s not the last because I have another very low score left
I mean…I get its appeal for some people but it’s not for me, never liked My Heart Takes Over and they have much better ballads, they all looked great in the video though.
The chorus of My Heart Takes Over is great, the verses let it down a bit. Vocals are nice. 7.8.
I have no scores left below 8.6.
I have no scores left below 8.6.
he/him
If it were up to me, I so would, but I only said 'not from On Your Radar' to make people think Living for the Weekend was on the hot seat here, but instead we're back to the one that started it all.
13
8.39
Chasing Lights Rank | 3rd (4th in 2015)
VIPs | @JMRGBY @WoW73 @slaybellz @Ugly Beauty DJHazey @soratami @Sally_Harper @RUNAWAY @MilesAngel @m_dimitrov @Remorque @Robsolete (10)
"Villains" | @imaduck (5.32) @louciano (6.25) @JakobVision22 (6.5)
Rank Change | +9
Score Change | +0.44
Most Solo Time | Rochelle and Una
Hazey Says | I love Frankie’s lines in the chorus such as “then I don’t wanna know what it is” which doesn’t really make sense to me grammatically after “if this is love”. I always contemplate this, but I never let it ruin the moment... This is one of the first songs I ever heard from the group and instantly fell in love. I think it’s underrated in the sense that it should be considered a top classic, but never is. (10)
Una to Digital Spy about the song: "It's about a love/hate relationship really. These two people are falling in love but they're scared of getting hurt. The verses are all about one of them stalking the other one, hanging out outside the other's window."
The song is built around a sample of Yazoo’s 1982 song “Situation”.
Co-writer Ina Wroldsen blogged on her MySpace site: "I wrote this song last summer on a track I got from my Danish friends; Cutfather and his previous partner Joe! They have borrowed the sample from a Yazoo song. Love it!!"
Producers Cutfather and Joe Belmaati originally used the Yazoo sample for their remix of Sugababe’s Ugly:
The song was mashed up with Moves Like Jagger on their All Fired Up! Tour.
Most voters in 2015 were ready to give it respect as being the perfect debut single for this band and that it would’ve been hard to present themselves any better. It did take some time to become a personal favorite for some people, who viewed this a grower. While others have grown tired of it, just like the girls themselves eventually did. The fact that all girls have their chance to shine was appreciated, but particularly Mollie’s parts and Vanessa’s adlibs, though Rochelle’s middle eight was not loved by all.
Commentary
@Sally_Harper (10) - Classic stalker anthem with nonsense lyrics! Remember when they first started performing, and they’d walk out on stage to this intro and then go into Up once they were all in formation? Iconic.
@Hazey's Mom (9.5) - The lyrics and the beat to this are excellent, what a great start to this list!
@daninternational (8.75) - The kind of song that only works from The Saturdays, if that makes sense.
@Phonetics Girl (8.5) - A slightly off debut single choice. Dark lyrics that don't even make sense but serve stalkerish vibes offset by the chorus that just pops off.
@saviodxl (8.3) - Serves well as an album opener, but as a group's first ever single, well, it's just ok. I'm glad they showed they are capable of much more.
@Scaper (7.7) - Nothing says 00s more than unhinged lyrics like these being given a complete free pass because they’re sung by pretty girls.
@Ezz (7.5) - Forgot how different the album version is!
@louciano (6.25) - The sample is good, and I like all the pieces. The song all feels a bit mismatched, the chorus doesn't match the instrumental, which doesn't match the verses either. A bit too all over the place for me.
I never actually get the 'dark' feel from the song, that most people are seeing. Though having the TV show 'You' on my mind (that I just finished the third season for the other night) -- it'd make a decent soundtrack for that dd. I was happy to see this cruise up the song rankings, considering its paltry #22 placement last time. It deserved the Top 10 spot it had until the final set of scores brought it back down to the #13 it ends at today.
Shoutout Queens
It was pretty lukewarm as far as the number shoutouts for this song, but these two get it with 3 a piece.
---
#12 is from Living for the Weekend.
Of course I would lose a 10 after losing my lowest score fff but yeah If This Is Love is the perfect debut for The Saturdays, captures that 2008 vibe very well.
Here’s another banger that used the same sample
It's a bit shocking If This Is Love didn't even make the top 20 in the last rate. #13 is good but I would have liked to see it in the top 10 here, such a classic.
As for My Heart Takes Over, it's nice but I always forget it was even released as a single, not exactly the most memorable moment in their discography.
As for My Heart Takes Over, it's nice but I always forget it was even released as a single, not exactly the most memorable moment in their discography.
If This Is Love was very nearly my 11, until I went for my final choice at the last moment (which is still in).
It has one of the best sample usages I've heard (better than the Ugly Remix). The lyrics are intriguing and slightly enigmatic. It's almost as if there are two conversations going on at once. I take them to be about insecurity and suspicion and how they can affect a relationship.
Very happy for it to rise so much, but I would've liked three Chasing Lights tracks in the Top 10.
It has one of the best sample usages I've heard (better than the Ugly Remix). The lyrics are intriguing and slightly enigmatic. It's almost as if there are two conversations going on at once. I take them to be about insecurity and suspicion and how they can affect a relationship.
Very happy for it to rise so much, but I would've liked three Chasing Lights tracks in the Top 10.
Shout out to the Moto Blanco remix as well.
Hot take? Disco Love hasn’t aged quite as well as some of their other classics, so I’d quite like to see it go next. What About Us deserves a top 10 placement; it sounds just as massive now as it did back then.
I read somewhere (here?) that the original title was “If It’s Not Love”, which makes so much more sense.
he/him
Falling at the same exact spot it fell at last time, second-to-last song outside of the Top 10.
12
8.47
Living for the Weekend Rank | 3rd (3rd in 2015)
VIPs | @AfternoonsInUtopia @Shockbox @slaybellz @Elysium @saviodxl @daninternational @m_dimitrov @Ezz @Remorque @Guy @BubblegumBoy @Fuchsia @TwistedInnocence @Scaper @Sprockrooster @Phonetics Girl @phily693 @Robsolete
Villains | @Ugly Beauty (1) @Aester @If You Go (5) @imaduck (6.3) @Attis (6.5)
Rank Change | +/- 0
Score Change | -0.25
Most Solo Time | Everyone
Hazey Says | Honestly, I have always found this one to be very overrated. I get how huge of a hit it was for them, so I certainly respect it. To me it is very 'by the numbers' without any long-lasting characteristics that have stuck with me over the years. The beginning of the chorus is the highlight – "whatever the weather…" (7)
One of the band’s most successful singles, beating #2 on the UK Charts by 20,000 copies and being certified gold.
In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Vanessa explained how having a reggae/dancehall track was an easy transition for them: "That's why it's fun to be pop because we can try different genres," -- "We're all so different anyway and have such different tastes in music so when we do a different genre of song it feels at least natural."
A lot of voters in the 2015 rate were reminiscing about the release week on Popjustice, refreshing iTunes to see if the song would hold onto its number one. Most were happy it was their first and only #1 on the charts or at least were just happy they got one, but some people rightfully stated that their catalogue has so much better, so the whole thing left them cold. Of course, most of us were stanning the Sean Paul-less version, but even his contributions weren’t exactly hated by anyone.
Commentary
@Shockbox (10) - I had a dream recently that me and Clara Amfo had the ability to go back in time to experience the biggest moments of pop. We went back in time to the Spice Girls at The Brits, Girls Aloud winning Popstars: The Rivals and The Saturdays winning a Brit for this song. Tagged Clara in this story and she confirmed that All Fired Up is that bop. Queen of taste.
@saviodxl (10) - Can I get an AMEN? The #1 happened! Talk what you want about this song, it's a bop and it was destined to be a hit. The nice original choreography, the "na na na"s in the chorus, the middle 8 in the Sean Paul-less version, everything was designed to build a pop hit. A shame they did not conquer international stardom as they planned, but hey, if every act that plans to insert themselves in the American market failed this way, the world would have many more bops to talk about.
@daninternational (10) - Sean Paul is my fave BPG and this song is already amazing without him.
@Ezz (8) - It's so joyful and works so well in a club setting. To get the number 1 after 4 years together is Popjustice indeed.
@Phonetics Girl (10) - As usual, I pretend the Sean Paul version does not exist. In a way, it's fitting as their first and only #1 hit as it's weirdly timeless, actually even getting better with age? Maybe, that's just me. The week it was released was when I discovered this forum and I've been lurking basically daily ever since, ha! How is it close to a decade since then?
@Scaper (10) - I have very fond memories of the release week of this single and the tense chart battle. Peak Popjustice forum and I’m glad the girls got their #1 before they split.
@Hazey's Mom (8) - I wish it didn't have the rapper or this could be better. (Hazey: We were doing this on the road and my offline playlist for this only had the single version.)
@louciano (8) - Love this. I don't think that it's anything new for the girls at this point, but it's undeniably great.
@Sally_Harper (7) - This suffers from the “I can’t believe that out of all their songs the public chose to get THIS to number one” thing. It’s decent, and I do like that they’re all on it, but they have other songs that are far more deserving. That said, the “let me take the lead” bit is an instant mood-lifter, I’ll give it that.
@Attis (6.5) - Rochelle sing beautifully and then comes the terrible na na na's.
Yeah, I'm usually into 'na na nas' and other vocalizing hooks in a pop song, but this time is completely falls flat and never enhanced the song for me. That and I agree with @Sally_Harper as far as what it suffers from. her?.gif
Shoutout Queens
Another one of those songs where the success of it is pretty spread out amongst the girls. However Rochelle and Una rise above with 3 shoutouts each.
---
The song missing the Top 10 was in it last time. So "One Shot" is the only song safe.
12
8.47
Living for the Weekend Rank | 3rd (3rd in 2015)
VIPs | @AfternoonsInUtopia @Shockbox @slaybellz @Elysium @saviodxl @daninternational @m_dimitrov @Ezz @Remorque @Guy @BubblegumBoy @Fuchsia @TwistedInnocence @Scaper @Sprockrooster @Phonetics Girl @phily693 @Robsolete
Villains | @Ugly Beauty (1) @Aester @If You Go (5) @imaduck (6.3) @Attis (6.5)
Rank Change | +/- 0
Score Change | -0.25
Most Solo Time | Everyone
Hazey Says | Honestly, I have always found this one to be very overrated. I get how huge of a hit it was for them, so I certainly respect it. To me it is very 'by the numbers' without any long-lasting characteristics that have stuck with me over the years. The beginning of the chorus is the highlight – "whatever the weather…" (7)
One of the band’s most successful singles, beating #2 on the UK Charts by 20,000 copies and being certified gold.
In an interview with Ryan Seacrest, Vanessa explained how having a reggae/dancehall track was an easy transition for them: "That's why it's fun to be pop because we can try different genres," -- "We're all so different anyway and have such different tastes in music so when we do a different genre of song it feels at least natural."
A lot of voters in the 2015 rate were reminiscing about the release week on Popjustice, refreshing iTunes to see if the song would hold onto its number one. Most were happy it was their first and only #1 on the charts or at least were just happy they got one, but some people rightfully stated that their catalogue has so much better, so the whole thing left them cold. Of course, most of us were stanning the Sean Paul-less version, but even his contributions weren’t exactly hated by anyone.
Commentary
@Shockbox (10) - I had a dream recently that me and Clara Amfo had the ability to go back in time to experience the biggest moments of pop. We went back in time to the Spice Girls at The Brits, Girls Aloud winning Popstars: The Rivals and The Saturdays winning a Brit for this song. Tagged Clara in this story and she confirmed that All Fired Up is that bop. Queen of taste.
@saviodxl (10) - Can I get an AMEN? The #1 happened! Talk what you want about this song, it's a bop and it was destined to be a hit. The nice original choreography, the "na na na"s in the chorus, the middle 8 in the Sean Paul-less version, everything was designed to build a pop hit. A shame they did not conquer international stardom as they planned, but hey, if every act that plans to insert themselves in the American market failed this way, the world would have many more bops to talk about.
@daninternational (10) - Sean Paul is my fave BPG and this song is already amazing without him.
@Ezz (8) - It's so joyful and works so well in a club setting. To get the number 1 after 4 years together is Popjustice indeed.
@Phonetics Girl (10) - As usual, I pretend the Sean Paul version does not exist. In a way, it's fitting as their first and only #1 hit as it's weirdly timeless, actually even getting better with age? Maybe, that's just me. The week it was released was when I discovered this forum and I've been lurking basically daily ever since, ha! How is it close to a decade since then?
@Scaper (10) - I have very fond memories of the release week of this single and the tense chart battle. Peak Popjustice forum and I’m glad the girls got their #1 before they split.
@Hazey's Mom (8) - I wish it didn't have the rapper or this could be better. (Hazey: We were doing this on the road and my offline playlist for this only had the single version.)
@louciano (8) - Love this. I don't think that it's anything new for the girls at this point, but it's undeniably great.
@Sally_Harper (7) - This suffers from the “I can’t believe that out of all their songs the public chose to get THIS to number one” thing. It’s decent, and I do like that they’re all on it, but they have other songs that are far more deserving. That said, the “let me take the lead” bit is an instant mood-lifter, I’ll give it that.
@Attis (6.5) - Rochelle sing beautifully and then comes the terrible na na na's.
Yeah, I'm usually into 'na na nas' and other vocalizing hooks in a pop song, but this time is completely falls flat and never enhanced the song for me. That and I agree with @Sally_Harper as far as what it suffers from. her?.gif
Shoutout Queens
Another one of those songs where the success of it is pretty spread out amongst the girls. However Rochelle and Una rise above with 3 shoutouts each.
---
The song missing the Top 10 was in it last time. So "One Shot" is the only song safe.
I know The Saturdays were known for their basic bops but even What About Us is too basic for them. But it gave them their long-desired number 1 so I can't be mad at its existence I suppose ¯\_(ツ)_/¯