MY LOVE

Westlife

Ballad. Surprise. Next!

GIVIN’ UP

Hairy Diamond

This is odd. Until the female singer (who's obviously heard too many Phil Spector and Motown records judging by her singing voice) starts warbling, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this was just another one of those old sixties songs that'd been rehashed and given a more up to date sound by chucking some rapper on it to add his own personal touch to the proceedings, thereby making the record a) deeply rubbish indeed and b) very popular with the kids, staying in the Top 40 for weeks on end and finishing up on Now 47 and any other kiddie-friendly compilation that'll happen to find its way under the Christmas tree come the morning of December the 25^th. This record is a) not rubbish at all, as it turns out it's pretty good and b) hardly anyone's going to notice it because there isn't a rapper on it, so its chances of going Top 40 are average at best (and even if it makes it it's going to disappear faster than Kevin Keegan) and it doesn't sound like anything you'd expect to find on Now 47. The reason for the difference is the vocalist. A rapper just wouldn't sound right on this (see Jay-Z for details), but whoever chose the singer got it spot on, because she sounds absolutely right for the job. See, some people do still put a bit of effort into making their music sound right. Don't they, Westlife?

SHE BANGS

Ricky Martin

Looks like this bloke's here to stay as well. Looks like we'll have to get used to it. There's not a lot to say about this one really, it's basically Livin' La Vida Loca Mark II - that's the model with the furry dice hanging off the rear-view mirror, the nodding dog on display in the back window and the "If This Car's Rocking Don't Come Knocking" sticker peeling off the bumper. It really is that naff. Let's give him credit, it's a nice fun song, it's got a stupid title, and no doubt girls across the land are just itching to see him jiggling about on Top Of The Pops again. He could've done worse - a limp, lifeless ballad springs to mind - so I'm going to let him off with this one because it's harmless.