Moments after hearing the new Sugababes song things have just got worse. It looks like Natalie Imbruglia may have lost it.
Oh how I've loved all her songs until now.
She's been criticised for lacking authenticity, presenting an image consistent with trendy female performers and more specifically those who write their own songs. I would however argue that she has had far more creative input in her records than she is given credit for (especially on White Lilies Island, the least commercial of her albums). And what does it matter anyway? Credibility is irrelevant if the end 'product' satisfies.
They're polished songs, maybe a bit too mainstream for some tastes but I love them. She has a distinct and strong voice and over three albums and a compilation I can honestly say that I like every song and b-side. I've thought she is one of the most consistent and underrated performers of recent years.
The new single – Wild About It changes all that. Massively.
This is the most horrendous song I've heard this year. Her last single – Glorious – was an excellent feel good song with a melodic energy. Wild About It tries desperately to be joyous but it is just banal and annoying. From the vocal callback ("she's wild about it") to the 'aah aah aah's' this is awful. At least Get Sexy by Sugababes has an irritating catchiness to it. Wild About It desperately wants to be. If I'm caught singing this (particularly when I see Natalie at the V Festival in a couple of weeks) permission is granted to sedate me.
And as for the video?
Goodness me, I don't know where to start. Please just tell me she had nothing to do with the hideous concept. Contrived 'dance' steps, cliché after cliché and, my personal favourite, the jazz hands. This is a tragedy, making a weak song even worse. Quite some feat.
Please let this just be a blip with the rest of the new album a return to the astonishing quality of Natalie's previous work. Stuff like this.
And to show that she can do light hearted this is the brilliant David Armand mime version of Torn - note the correct use of jazz hands.