Sugababes Addendum

I should have probably made some sort of extra note about my allegiance to a pop group. Especially one that does not exactly pitch the most feminist image out there. Feminism is a tricky thing. I consider myself a type of feminist and I think that its a matter of fact that everyone should be. Kind of how you shouldn't be racist and that poor evil terrorists are sneaking over the Mexican border to eat your children and shower themselves with your tax money.

I'm a little off-track.

So, the Sugababes. If you are a longtime reader of this blog (sorry, even I had to laugh), you would know that while I am an avid connoisseur of music, I have also (for years) embraced that all my guilty pop pleasures should not have been guilty. Good pop songs are good songs. They are just in the pop genre.

The pop genre requires personas to be created. I realized that you don't have to take it seriously. I try to look at it like a Warhol or Lichtenstein painting. Without getting any deeper than that. Costume changes? Ridiculous songs? Fine. Just make it good listening (the 'Make It Work' philosophy).

One thing in my early days at Northeastern that helped me to get it was hearing the cute Scottish group Travis do a cover of Britney Spears "One More Time" with an acoustic and all maudlin singing. It was perfect.

Here's a reprise:


So anyway, the point is more of me covering my tracks. To convince those of you who have not had my moment of Pop Awakening that YES i like other music. (and as i usually think of my taste) GOOD music. I also realize (as music critics have discovered) that "pop" invades most music. Horrid bands ranging from Good Charlotte to Dashboard Confessional are pop groups. Bad pop groups. Because they are boring. and bad.

Really, the second you start putting elements of order in music, through singing, beats, riffs, etc in an order that people find pleasing and memorable, its pop.

In any case. I like the Sugababes. They make excellent pop music. Yes, the lyrics can be atrocious, the values put forth in the videos vapid and questionable, the dancing in the later videos slightly stripper-informed, its pop. If you can find yourself singing along to "Hole in the Head", "Since U Been Gone", "Can't Get You Out of My Head" or "La Isla Bonita" the job is done.

The only crime is to be boring like if you turn on a modern rock station. Or boring and unforgivable like Destiny's Child's "Cater 2 U".

Just you wait until my gushing Kylie Minogue post.