Iyaz - 'Replay'
Oh would you look at that? We were only just talking about people not being able to use the word shawty convincingly, and Sean Kingston's name came up as being a very fine example of this phenomenon in action.
Now he's got himself a little protègè, someone he could probably legitimately call Shawty with some confidence, due to their mentor/pupil relationship (it can mean that or "sexy lady I haven't yet bothered to learn the name of", you see), and what is the very first word on his new BFF's very first hit single?
Well it's not gonna be spatchcock, is it?
(. Yeah, that's right, he's scrolling the photos in the sky, and it doesn't look at all bizarre.)
Don't worry if you missed it, by the way, it comes around a LOT.
There are definitely things which are not dreadful about this song. It's a sweet little tune, and Mr Yaz sings it gently, like a wheezy Akon - or a less robo-nasal Sean Kingston, fittingly enough - and that's fine. Justin Timberlake isn't exactly Tom Jones in the vocal stakes either, didn't do him any harm.
He's got some nice metaphors going on there too: There's the one about his girl being like an earworm, which is kind of cute, but also kind of funny because having a melody going round and round in your head can be massively annoying. So if you were to try and impress someone with the idea that they're stuck in your mind, just like the greatest hits of the Cheeky Girls, and then you fail to get their name right...well you're gonna have to be quite hot to carry it off, s'all I'm saying.
The same goes for the idea that she's a gun and you're the holster. It starts of sounding OK, so long as you don't picture it clearly, then very quickly becomes a bit icky, and the more you think about it, the worse it gets.
Anyway, the problem is that the song doesn't really do anything once it starts. The chorus begins, there's a verse, some more chorus, some more verse, a certain amount of self-congratulatory "hey!" business, and that's yer lot. Really, if the music isn't going to get different, then there needs to be more SOMETHING - dynamics, volume, ideas - to keep the interest going for the last minute or two.
Otherwise it's just a slightly long ringtone: The sort of thing that gets stuck in your head like, like, oh y'know, looking at someone hot that you can't get out of your mind, and then calling him/her a titch.
Download: Out now
CD Released: January 11th
91Èȱ¬ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
PS: Here's Iyaz on the Chart Show, answering some random questions.
Comment number 1.
At 6th Jan 2010, CurtainJerker wrote:SHE'S the gun and YOU'RE the holster? But that would only work if... oh good lord. I see what you mean.
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Comment number 2.
At 6th Jan 2010, catman231 wrote:Dear Mr Fraser
Are you going to be reviewing upcoming Vamp Weekend offering 'Cousins'?
Many Thanks
(Opinions on the album, which you can listen to on their website, would be nice from fellow chartbloggerers. It gets 8/10 from me)
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Comment number 3.
At 7th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:Yeah I'd say 8/10 is a fair review for Contra, the songs lack the energy of the first record but seem to be musically stronger, personally I prefer the energy of the first record which was 9/10 album touching on a 10/10.
Lots of great tracks on it though, Cousins being one of them.
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Comment number 4.
At 7th Jan 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Haha I had the same thought process as Curtains.
(God awful song)
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Comment number 5.
At 7th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:catchy little tune . I can see this appealing to many and going top 5 . A lot of young ones are gonna like this . .
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Comment number 6.
At 8th Jan 2010, thranjax wrote:or younglings, if you are a jedi.
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Comment number 7.
At 8th Jan 2010, thranjax wrote:Liam and Curtains, you are both dirty minded and should hang your heads in shame. Or you might become a holster for Lady GaGa ! and you don't want that...
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Comment number 8.
At 8th Jan 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:I dunno, might be worth it just to make Spirit jealous.
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Comment number 9.
At 8th Jan 2010, thranjax wrote:Of who? Dunno if he is a giver or receiver :)
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Comment number 10.
At 8th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:Active or passive ?
Interesting...
Thranjax , you know I hate being labelled !
And on this subject , which band took their name from 4 letters , that one of the members saw on the back of his Grandmother's sewing machine !?
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Comment number 11.
At 8th Jan 2010, thranjax wrote:Is grandmother's sewing machine a euphemism? Did she have a tattoo?
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Comment number 12.
At 10th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:AC/DC took their name , from what a band member saw wriiten on the back of his grandmothers sewing machine.
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Comment number 13.
At 10th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:At 5 , well I did say it would go top 5 , it's now number 1 !!
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Comment number 14.
At 10th Jan 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:You didn't see that coming though :p
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Comment number 15.
At 11th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:No .
Right back at the start of December 2009 , I was convinced that Riverside would be a huge hit, as I knew it had Radio 1 backing , and had huge promotion in all the top club chains in the UK.
Add the infamous version with the expletive , and you had a dance monster , that nearly every clubber knew through word of mouth , and thus would be huge at retail . I thought possible number 1.
Iyaz's Replay is a real catchy tune that appeals to the main record buying demographic , but yes , I am a little surprised it went to number 1 .
I know I said top 5 , but this is brilliant for Iyaz .
Well done !
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Comment number 16.
At 11th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:Iyaz's real name is Keidran Jones and he hails from the Virgin Islands and was "discovered " by our handsome friend Sean Kingston , and signed to his record label .
Replay sold 106,000 copies to chart at number 1 .
This is unusual for this time of year for a song to sell so many..
For example , last year LADY GAGA sold 66,000 copies at the same point to be number 1 , and the year before ,the topical BASSHUNTER sold 35,000 copies of NOW You're Gone to chart at number 1 .
Expect the biggest challenge for the number 1 spot next week to be Fireflies by OWL CITY , which I predict is heading for the top 5 . (At LEAST ! )
The release date has been brought forward , as there is a copycat version doing the rounds .
It's gonna be a huge hit !!
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Comment number 17.
At 11th Jan 2010, Keith Fusco wrote:Not a bad song, however I feel like it's one big chorus.
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Comment number 18.
At 11th Jan 2010, CurtainJerker wrote:I wonder if sales of baseball caps and big gaudy earrings took a dip this time two years ago. Surely the Liams and Shenises couldn't have had enough money for those AND the Basshunter single that week?
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Comment number 19.
At 11th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:I don't think Fireflies will get the number 1 this week purely because it's only being sold through Itunes at the moment and there it's behind Iyaz. Then again it's only the beginning of the week so things could easily change.
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Comment number 20.
At 11th Jan 2010, BloggingLiam wrote:Nah no number 1 for fireflies. It's too much of a grower. I didn't like it at first, but now I love it. I suspect it will be in the top 20 for ages, but never reach the dizzying heights of number 1.
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Comment number 21.
At 11th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:I can't love Fireflies because the lyrics make me want to kill someone.
'I get a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs, as they teach me how to dance' WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Comment number 22.
At 11th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:Oh , wow , I love that lyric ! :0
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Comment number 23.
At 11th Jan 2010, thranjax wrote:What does it mean? If you are getting shocks from ten thousand lightning bugs, you would probably dance.
But... a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs? So nine thousand of them don't hug you? Why is that?
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Comment number 24.
At 11th Jan 2010, spirit wrote:Yeah , nine thousand bugs who are afraid of body contact .
Why is that ?
Difficult upbringing , parents never hugged them ?
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Comment number 25.
At 12th Jan 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:I'm guessing a thousand hugs from ten thousands lightning bugs would mean you only get 1/10 of a hug from each bug. 1/10 of a hug probably only accounts to the bugs moving towards you with the intention of hugging you.
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