Chris and Chantel give you their honest review of Buzz, the third studio album from Steps, released in October 2000.
After the massive success of Step One and Steptacular, Steps took a bold leap forward - working with new writers and producers, maturing their sound, and stepping (pun intended) out of their comfort zone for the first time. The result is an album that feels like a group in transition - more sophisticated, more daring, and more grown-up than anything they'd done before.
Going track by track through the entire album - breaking down the songwriting, the vocals, the production, and the stories behind every song. And because this is Steps, we don't stop there. Also covered: the music videos, the live performances, and yes - the dance routines.
Is Buzz the moment Steps truly grew up? Are these singles the strongest run of any UK pop act in 2000? Does the album hold up over 20 years later?
No fluff. No filler. Just an honest, in-depth review from two people who genuinely love pop music.Join us on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/CCTVPOPS
Follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cctvpops
- 0:00 - Intro
- 0:44 - "Buzz" Album Info
- 3:05 - Album Covers
- 6:17 - "Better The Devil You Know"
- 14:51 - "Stomp"
- 22:02 - "Summer of Love"
- 29:45 - "It's The Way You Make Me Feel"
- 38:02 - "You'll Be Sorry"
- 45:29 - "Learn To Love Again"
- 49:19 - "Never Get Over You"
- 54:00 - "Hand On Your Heart"
- 57:58 - "Happy Go Lucky"
- 1:03:08 - "Buzzz"
- 1:07:32 - "Here and Now"
- 1:17:00 - "Paradise Lost"
- 1:22:00 - "Turn Around"
- 1:26:42 - "Wouldn't Hurt So Bad"
- 1:31:57 - "If You Believe"
- 1:36:28 - Cut or Keep
- 1:38:37 - Overall Thoughts & Final Rating
References:
- “Better The Devil You Know” MV https://youtu.be/Xl-deXhe1-0?si=cNh30aYHU7SrfQZ4
- "Better The Devil You Know/Vogue" Live at What The Future Holds Tour https://youtu.be/2VBH5Nqv8qk?si=MTw8FxfN768gLKeg
- “Stomp” MV https://youtu.be/aMblBLQQ-O0?si=eERRSJLwHp1RiF69
- “Stomp” Live at TOTP https://youtu.be/UbiR_RQm5aA?si=uav6eBWHD1cEhkHR
- “Summer of Love” MV https://youtu.be/HUG2y4Gpf9w?si=4pMpi5104sQVhGfU
- “Summer of Love” Live at Steps Into Summer https://youtu.be/MJYpAec6PfE?si=AJxJOMKmbKaDfIoq
- “Summer of Love/Paradise Lost/Despacito” Live at Party on the Dancefloor Tour https://youtu.be/qbBrvGFHUtE?si=12OANNvygx0QuISI
- “It’s The Way You Make Me Feel” MV https://youtu.be/E9L-0x92vXk?si=ZAf74rbO-cNnALel
- “It’s The Way You Make Me Feel” Live at TOTP https://youtu.be/0VpngCSxoXk?si=UJnAp9bMlyQavAWo
- “You’ll Be Sorry” MV https://youtu.be/cYDzYZJMx08?si=B7O7z1skAYMuoh5z
- “You’ll Be Sorry” Live at Gold Tour https://youtu.be/lCRQOtzOG50?si=jHQJxunJmu6cdZal
- “Never Get Over You” Live at Steptacular Tour https://youtu.be/817LZ3lgeSk?si=wHzWpiHWQJm87mus
- “Hand on Your Heart” Live at Gold Tour https://youtu.be/Di-ZPeaFFV4?si=YMvUF9BeFlPldQnn
- “Here and Now” MV https://youtu.be/-jwJ4GcsOPs?si=cyASBYP8HFGJjYA7
- “Here and Now” Live at Blue Peter https://youtu.be/WX_0omCwfNM?si=R6CP0CbaTY274yAn
- “Here and Now” Live at Gold Tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjPVFlz5n4U&pp=ygUWaGVyZSBhbmQgbm93IGdvbGQgdG91cg%3D%3D
- “If You Believe” Live at Gold Tour https://youtu.be/QhcgymT3Fts?si=JUDpvBrtko3WWpRZ
00:00:00 --> 00:00:03 But I have a W and O. But I have a W and O.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:30 This is CCTV, the nonstop pop show where we provide our unfiltered, honest opinions on global pop music. And today, we're talking again about Steps. Yay! So their 30th anniversary is fast approaching. So we're going to keep making our way through their discography with our album review. So we have done Step 1. We've done Steptacular. And then we skipped ahead and did What the Future Holds, Part 1 and 2.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:45 And of course we interviewed Steve Anderson about the, what the future holds tour as well. You went through every single song on the set list. It's definitely go check that out if you haven't. But for now today, we're going back to 2000 and doing buzz. That,
00:00:45 --> 00:01:12 Is Right and Buzz is Step's third studio album released in October 2000 in the UK and the summer of 2001 in Asia, Australia and the US through Jive Records. It followed the massive success of Steptacular and arrived at the height of the group's commercial peak. And the album debuted at number four on the UK's album chart and was certified double platinum, signifying over 600 copies shipped in the UK and achieved success around the world.
00:01:13 --> 00:01:31 And musically, the album marked a maturation in image and sound for the group, with the group branching out from Pete Waterman and getting contributions from other writers and producers. And the album leans into disco revival, Latin pop, and of course that late 90s, early 2000s dance pop.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:43 But of course, they maintained the tightly choreographed high camp pop identity that defined steps. And each of the five members got to contribute to the writing of a song also. Oh, we're finally in the room.
00:01:45 --> 00:02:02 So let's get into it. We're going to dive into the production, vocals, visuals, and performances of each song. And then drop our individual ratings. And of course, you are free to join us as part of the fun of this show. But viewer discretion is advised. Your fave will be criticized. Oh. Oh.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:21 Okay, so let's talk about, we have a couple album covers actually for this album to talk about. We have the UK version of the album where we get them in this like futuristic blue tunnel situation. Yeah, yeah. What do you think of the UK cover?
00:02:21 --> 00:02:41 Okay, so the UK cover, I feel like... I don't love it. Okay, hear me out. If you guys have ever seen any kind of early 2000s or whatever kind of cartoon that was an Asian character or a white blonde hair character, those two will always be the ones with color in their hair. So I feel like...
00:02:41 --> 00:03:10 this reminds me so much of like like coldly oko or like maybe um digimon or something it's just very futuristic like we're stepping into the future um buzz as an album title is very interesting because it's like you know the buzz the beehive is buzzing you gotta you gotta input uh beyonce the beehive is buzzing yeah i like the title um the again it's just giving like you know
00:03:10 --> 00:03:37 dystopian future but like there's like cool kids inside the club and we're gonna see i don't know it's just it's okay i don't dislike it i don't love it i just feel like the other one other album covers i feel like i like a little bit more i mean they were just heads floating heads but we like the floating heads yeah i would say the british cover there's something about it where clearly their styling has changed it's not as bubbly and bright as the last two albums were um
00:03:38 --> 00:04:03 But I don't know, there's something about it that doesn't fully land for me. I'm not sure what it is. It isn't cohesive. Maybe that. Yeah. But then you get to the European international cover with them all in black in this, like, very blank faces. Yeah, very solemn. And it's almost too mature. Yeah. But it doesn't match the album. But I like the picture. They look really good.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:33 No, they look delicious, but they look like a band. Like we want to play instruments, like really serious. Yeah, doesn't match. Like, can you imagine buying this album? And then you're expecting like some big dramatic kind of situation, which to be fair, these songs are pretty big and dramatic, but maybe not in the way that this image is giving. I think Better the Devil You Know is not what I'm getting from this album cover. Then you have the Japanese album cover, which is like this yellow photo shoot situation.
00:04:33 --> 00:04:54 Okay, so it's given senior photos and these are the cool kids. They're always hung out together. As we go on, we remember. It's okay. I just feel like for them to have gotten this far and to be adults, the pictures aren't giving. I would say the UK version takes it for me. Aside from the styling issues, if it would have been all black...
00:04:54 --> 00:05:20 but lee's wearing a suede black jacket and then lisa has on a black shirt with sequence with you know it would have been all black maybe but i think because it's like disjointed colors and textures it's just not giving but i would say it's probably the better option because i thought we like the all black situation because they match like everyone's kind of on the same wavelength this one is cute it's cute it's cute but it's giving giant headshots
00:05:21 --> 00:05:39 Yeah. I mean, look, I actually like some of the single covers from this era. Like, I maybe like the here and now cover. Okay. With some of the sunglasses and stuff where some of them are looking away and stuff. Yeah. I kind of love that. Yeah, I think I like the single covers more than the album covers this era. Left strong. Right.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:54 Did you buy this album? Yes, I have. Both the UK version and the international version. Because the international version had human touch on it, which I did not have. So I literally bought it again, just for one song.
00:05:55 --> 00:06:18 You know what? Fans like you keep artists like me alive. Thank you. Yes. Which, if you like Human Touch and you want to hear us talk about it, we will talk about the bonus tracks exclusively on Patreon. So come join us at patreon.com slash cctvpops. Well, let's start with the standard version of the album. That's right. Uh-huh. And we're going to start with... Better the devil you know.
00:06:19 --> 00:06:45 I don't know why I'm singing the harmonies. I don't even think that's the actual harmonies inside the song, but it just sounds right in my head. I think that's right. It is, bro. That's right. Better than W, no. It was done by Pete Waterman, Carl Twig, Mike Stock, and Mark Topham. And this is a cover of the Kali Minogue 1990 classic and released in December 1999 as a double A side with Steptacular's Say You'll Be Mine, which peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart.
00:06:50 --> 00:07:13 And a music video was not filmed for this song, but there is a live performance footage video from the Next Step Tour used instead. So that's why I'm dressed up as. I didn't do the full red because, you know, thumbnails of this is going to go crazy. We're not going to have people think that they're possessed. But yes, before we get started, what is the UK's obsession with Devilmore?
00:07:14 --> 00:07:39 We're going to need one of our British listeners to fully explain this to us. Every single pop concert I've ever been to in the UK, there's always people with devil horns. Always. So it's like a little naughty night moment, you know? I mean, Protestant religions came from, Lutheranism came from, certain versions of Catholicism. I don't get it. But go off. No tea, no shade. I just, you know. Yours are pretty cool.
00:07:39 --> 00:08:09 Yeah, rhinestone. Isn't it cute? Yeah. When we go see Steps for the 30th anniversary, you got to bring those. I should. And then we're also going to go take that. So I'm going to bring them then too. Yeah. Nice. All right. Okay. Better the devil you know. So of course, we know Kylie's version as well. Yeah. Yeah, I think it's a fantastic choice. Obviously, Pete Waterman's catalog, you know, he wanted to choose from something he's done before. And I think they did a great job actually with the choice.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:29 It is objectively a great pop song, you know, and the one that they decided to choose, it already has those backing vocals that are made for the boys to do. Yeah. Vocally, it's right where the girls kind of where their tone sits, you know. So I think as a cover, it's a great choice. Yeah.
00:08:29 --> 00:08:45 And I actually do know Step's version better than Kylie's version. Because, you know, I became a Kylie fan, like, more in her Parlophone days. So, like, her early 90s stuff was more retroactive for me. Like, after I became a fan, I kind of knew her stuff. Um...
00:08:45 --> 00:09:02 So I think I'm actually more connected to Step's version. It's definitely more Eurodance-y in the production compared to Kylie's. But I think I like the variety and vocal texture between the three girls. I like the boys doing all the background vocals and stuff. Um...
00:09:02 --> 00:09:26 I like both versions, but yeah, I think I'm just, I just am connected more to the steps one. But yeah, big shout out to Lisa in that second verse. She sounds great. Yes. Her belt is actually quite strong. It's not as natural, I guess, as Faye and Claire's, but she does bring a quality that's different from them. So it's always refreshing when you hear her sing something, I would say. Yes. Yes.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:57 And then also just the phrase, better the devil you know. I feel like as a kid, I had no idea what that really meant. But now as an adult, I'm using that word now, like in current life situations where I'm like, is the grass actually greener on the other side or better to just stick with what I know? Yeah. Yeah. I know so much. I like the theme of this song. It's just like, you know what? I'll stick with your bum ass over here with some bum I don't even know. Yeah.
00:09:58 --> 00:10:26 Say you won't leave me no more. She said, stop leaving. Come back. Stay here. What are you doing? And I think that is an interesting kind of concept. There's so many of us. I don't care what anyone says. Even if it's not a romantic reason, we all stay for something. Because we're just like, you know what? Bam. If I had to restart from zero at something else with someone else, I don't know if it's worth it.
00:10:27 --> 00:10:45 I'm gonna stick this crap out. And I do appreciate that. I do remember hearing this song first, but as a diva house lover, I would say like Kylie's more only because I just love how like R&B-ish it sounds as well. Like I can hear I'm every woman in that.
00:10:45 --> 00:11:13 You know, I think that's the reason. But it's just so funny because Kylie was dancing her little booty off. She was kicking and smacking. You know, I also love her dance, too. But yes, I think the clean lead vocals, tight group stacking in terms of how they're delivering. I mean, the song is already written this way. Yeah, sure. But again, when you actually have the bodies for the voices, it just feels a little bit more impactful. And it has the kind of bright enunciation that sells camp without sounding like a parody.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:28 Because there is a song on this album that I feel like feels a little bit like a parody, like a little bit of a lampooning. We'll get there. Oh, interesting. Yeah, I know. Okay. These little horns got me acting up, y'all. I'm sorry. But yes, I feel like this is a very big room pop cover. Pete. Pete.
00:11:28 --> 00:11:51 peachy, punchy drums, glossy synth layers, and a tempo that keeps the stage ready. And I think that's what keeps it different. It doesn't sound like Kylie because it's not Kylie. It's steps. You're going to get energy. You're going to get these bright sounds. It's built for choreography and crowd participation. But yes, I feel like at this point though, because they are different enough
00:11:51 --> 00:12:09 And I know the song. I'm okay with both, obviously. But I can't hear anyone else but these two artists doing it. You know, because I'm just like, who's going to sing this? I mean, like, okay. Unless you do like a little stripped down, like, lyrical dance competition, you know, version of it. You know what I'm talking about. Yeah. Don't forget.
00:12:09 --> 00:12:32 and what you're like girl get off the state beautiful lines beautiful lines beautiful turns but again i love the core idea of choosing familiar pain over unknown lands and it's in the mature opening a very mature opening for a group evolving past the bubblegum so out of the w no sure what did you think of some of the performances and choreography through the years yeah
00:12:33 --> 00:12:50 Yeah. What do you call this? Hand. This hand shimmy moment? Washing hand shimmy. Not their best movement. I'm going to be real with you. I don't think it's their best movement of the shaking. Yeah. It's not their, but you know, I don't, I don't, I don't. Like you remember it. Yeah.
00:12:52 --> 00:13:13 You're right. You're so right. I think overall, the evolution has been really good. They seem to really enjoy performing the song, too. I remember watching the, was it the O2 London performance at your house? And I was like, oh, my God. Oh, my God. Yes. Yes. So it's really it's grown on all of us in a way.
00:13:13 --> 00:13:43 It doesn't feel like they're doing a cover when they perform it. And I think that's really important. It's become part of their identity. And they really sat with it. And then as it's gotten older, we got the Vogue remix that we talked about with Steve. Mr. Steve! So yeah, I think it's evolved in a way where it's like, now it's not so cheesy. Yeah. You know? So I do appreciate that for sure. Yeah. Also, we have to know, they did the updated Vogue rap before Beyonce did.
00:13:43 --> 00:14:12 I'm in tears. Beyonce stole another idea. No, I'm kidding. I'm joking. The camera zoomed in a little bit when I was like this. I will say I do wish we did get a proper music video because I think they'd probably just do something really silly with it. But the performance video is fun. Their tours back in the day, there was just joy. Haunt my dreams. Oh yes, yes. They also haunt my dreams, like the giant heads. I'm going with that though. That was a different tour. I know.
00:14:12 --> 00:14:31 You said tours. I just love that one. That's true. But yeah, I think the original choreography is fun. There's like the slow walking. And then the choreography, it's like there's a lot of arms and pointing and stuff. I think it's fun. And yeah, it's not their best choreo, but it's memorable. It's still very funny. Like I was saying.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:51 And yeah, I think the song has developed really well. Like it has such a good energy to it live. And yeah, they've really, they own it. It's not a cover for them, for sure. So yeah. All right. So what do you rate this one? Okay. So for this one, I'm a favorite. I'm a favorite. I'm a favorite. I'll go to 8.5. Okay. I'll go 9. 9.
00:14:52 --> 00:15:17 Next is Stomp, done by Bernard Edwards, Carl Twig, Mark Topham, Pete Waterman, Niall Rogers, and Rita Campbell. And this samples Everybody Dance by Chic. And it was released as the lead single from the album in October 2000. And the song hit number one on the UK singles chart.
00:15:17 --> 00:15:40 yes okay you know i can understand why you like disco so much your life was full of it my life was full of it correct oh man i think here is another example of like group vocals are present eating used their full capacity chantable phrases the feeling of everything um
00:15:40 --> 00:16:10 like everything about the song feels like a party invitation um i love the harmonies throughout the vocals and then the flourishes of strings and other production elements throughout and then still the chorus sounded big so i think that is a testament to the vocal production here it's like you have all these layers coming in that could be considered quote-unquote too much but the harmonies were brought in a really nice way just to kind of you know add a little emphasis to
00:16:10 --> 00:16:30 that is not what the strings were doing i can't i'm not a violin but i appreciate them coming in and out so by the time you get like i remember this chorus when i was like a kid or like i remember this chorus when i was you know i was in college if your parents your parents parents whatever but there's like so like a generational groove going on you know yeah
00:16:30 --> 00:16:52 I mean, the headline is The Chic Connection, and we love that. It's a modified version, and you can hear that disco DNA and the guitar and the bass, and it's never a bad thing. Also, I think—I'm starting to think now that the dude that tried to cancel disco back in the day was mad that the baddies wouldn't dance with his raggedy butt because he couldn't hit the hustle back in 1979.
00:16:52 --> 00:17:20 Remember that day when they all went to that baseball field and tried to burn all the records? Y'all are some haters. Y'all are some haters. But now I look at the demographic. I was like, right. Cause you couldn't catch a groove. It's okay. But yes, I love this one. It's just fun. It's choreographed catharsis, epic escapism for everyone. And, and, and I think I also love the video, but we're going to talk about it in a few, but I think overall, the message was true. Like,
00:17:20 --> 00:17:39 Thank God for the weekend. TGIF. Yes. I also think, like, this is the lead single from the album, right? And I think it actually set it up really well. Like, this whole idea of they're finally kind of evolving their sound a little bit. And while, yes, this is still kind of the same players, right? It's like Pete Waterman and team.
00:17:39 --> 00:18:00 But bringing that sample and getting that kind of funk in there, it does mature their sound a little bit, actually. The whole thing is just a bit slicker, a bit more polished. Like they're no longer going to the middle school dances. They're like going to the clubs now, you know? So I think it was actually a very smart choice, actually, to kind of bring their sound together.
00:18:01 --> 00:18:27 Yeah, upgrade a little bit. A little bit more. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just a little bit older. Yeah, the lyrics are super simple, right? But relatable. Because, yeah, like you said, thank God for the weekend. Yes. Now let's go and enjoy life. Yes, go up and dance. Yeah, and yeah, I think the chorus is so fun. Like, built first thing along. It goes off live as well. Like, it is such a joyful song. Like, it's really hard not to smile at.
00:18:27 --> 00:18:55 At the very least. If you can't move your body, at the very least, the song makes you smile. You know? This is a way. And I love H. and Claire doing the bridge here. Thank God for the wicked. Bum, bum, bum, bum. Yes. And yeah, I love the production there too. Like the way it pulls back. It's all very dramatic with the bass line and the strings and everything. But yeah, I really like this one. It just, yeah, it always makes me happy, I would say. Yes. But yeah, what do you think of the music video?
00:18:55 --> 00:19:18 The music video, I was a little bit confused at first because I was like, y'all a little too old. You're playing like, you know, don't mess up my car. You know, I was like, I'm like, it's getting paid. I was thinking they were like assistants. No, no, that totally makes sense. I was just like, oh, my gosh. But, but, but, but aside from that, for this to be the lead single, if I was Lisa, if I were Lisa and I was just getting my teeth fixed and y'all keep zooming, I'm like, back up, back up.
00:19:18 --> 00:19:37 I'd be so bad. She is so cute. But I was just like, dang. And then they have a scene. Every time someone's sitting in that dang love seat, all they do is this. I'm sticking my lines, I'm moving my head. I'm sticking my lines, I'm moving my head. I'm bobbing my body and not doing anything else. And I was like, oh my God. So things like that I didn't care for. But like the story...
00:19:39 --> 00:19:57 brilliant thank you thank you on my next album um but yeah it's just a little annoying because it's just like why are we not moving like there wasn't like no you know you know like no neck going they were literally just like they're probably told by the director to just like sitting in a chair
00:19:57 --> 00:20:23 But aside from that, like, no notes. Like, it was just fun. I will say, ha, ha, ha, ha, lol to Lee. Because I may not even try lip syncing. He said, I'm here for the hot. Like, you're welcome. This was his protest era. Yeah, he said. You'll notice it throughout almost the whole, all the music videos here. He was like, I don't hear myself in these songs. I'm not lipping in it. Oh, really? I think, okay, because he was in there. That's what was happening. Yeah.
00:20:24 --> 00:20:34 That's what was happening. Even in the performances. I was watching some of like Top of the Pops and stuff. He didn't, he was like, I'm not, I'm not lipping any of this. He said, forget y'all. Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:36 --> 00:20:59 Oh, man. But yeah, I think it's so fun. It's also just so of its time. Yes. In every way. Yeah. Like you mentioned the colors and the hair that's also on the album cover here. Like Lee's spiky hair. Oh, my God. It looks wild. H has the bangs. Yes. H. H and his bangs. Oh, my God. It's just such a good time capsule to the 2000s.
00:20:59 --> 00:21:23 I feel like this video represents what Chris and I look like when we go out to parties and no one else is dancing. We'll let it go. Oh, God. And also, I will say the dance routine, though, this will be in my body for my entire life. Go ahead. You know? Make up your hands. Call. You don't love to dance. I'm sitting. So this is a word. Yeah. We're not syncing. We're not together. But he's hitting it. Um...
00:21:23 --> 00:21:47 But yeah, I, you know, it's from these types of dance routines that I learned like the basic disco grooves and stuff. Ooh, yeah. You know, the whole routine, like even the verses and stuff, it's all like classic, classic disco grooves. So it's all super easy to remember. And this is one of those where everyone joins along, like at the concerts and stuff. Yeah. You're gonna need to learn all the routines before we go to this tour next year. I'm so excited. I'm so excited.
00:21:47 --> 00:22:02 I feel like calm down. It's like an excited baby. Oh, God. But yeah, I love this one. I think it's a highlight in their career for sure. Deserving of number one. So yes, I give this one a 10. Yes, this is my 10 as well.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:26 Up next is Summer of Love. And this was done by Carl Twig, Mark Topham, and Pete Waterman. This was released in July 2000 as a double A-side with Steptaculars, When I Said Goodbye, and the single hit number five in the UK singles chart. And I sang it really flat because it's high. It's so high. I'd rather be at the bottom.
00:22:30 --> 00:22:45 Oh, man. Well, I mean, this is a 10 from that intro alone. Oh, that's a plot twist. I mean, that's a spoiler. Excuse me. That intro is so good. That whole acapella choir moment. It's just so dramatic.
00:22:47 --> 00:23:16 Yeah, I agree. Yeah, but honestly, them going into this Latin pop situation, which was super hot at the time, if you remember, right? Yeah, it's super hot. It does make sense for them, for sure. And production-wise, it does balance the whole kind of Pete Waterman Euro dance situation with this kind of Latin pop moment. Yeah. But it is still a tad sexier than stuff they've done before. Mm-hmm.
00:23:17 --> 00:23:39 But yeah, I think production-wise, though, the harmonies are so good. It's a lot. But I think that's what makes me love it. Like, I think, especially because we miss it so much now in music, you don't get layers like this anymore. No, not really, no. Yeah, yeah.
00:23:40 --> 00:24:05 And so I think it's cool. Even in the chorus, you get the, ah, you have that in the background too. And it's just, especially now when they sing it live, it's all very powerful. Right. Right. Right. Yeah. A lot of great harmonies throughout. You have the second part of the verses being fully harmonized, right? You have H and Faye, the first verse, and then H and Lisa, the second verse. You even have H's bridge, which has a bunch of layers. And I love how Faye actually does the lowest harmony. Yeah. Yeah.
00:24:05 --> 00:24:26 which I think is cool. Yeah. We actually get some little actually as well. Here. He gets to whisper. What is it? Pienso que te quiero. Pienso que te quiero. He speaks French and Chinese. I'll leave my friend alone. Yeah, I can't. I don't know. Um,
00:24:27 --> 00:24:44 um but yeah i i think that's a very sexy kind of like yeah we don't suspect it so something in there it's better than like the quiero taco bell so i'll take it like yeah pienso pienso que te quiero means like i think i love you yeah i think i love you
00:24:44 --> 00:25:03 I mean, if you like being like really boring, I think I want you, but I think I love you. It's a little bit more like, um, but yeah, I think that I love you. Like literally, but yeah, I think it's kind of like, are you flirting with me right now? Are you flirting with me right now? Oh my God. So I love that line. Very nice. Um, but yes, literally my first note was this song. Yeah.
00:25:03 --> 00:25:21 And if you're new here, if I say this song, it's probably going to have a good rating. I think I say it every time. This song. But yes, this song feels like an airy, sunlit delivery. More belting, more glow. Sunny feelings turn into a song. But yes, I feel...
00:25:21 --> 00:25:40 I feel like the song and the group overall, even the way it sounds, it feels like postcard warmth. Like I wish you were here kind of vibe. You're like, damn it. Damn it. I should have booked that flight. Like that's what it's giving. Like if you weren't at the party, you missed out kind of like the video was giving that kind of feeling, you know, because the summer of love. Where were you?
00:25:40 --> 00:25:57 We're all at home. Right. You're at home. You know what I'm saying? Like everyone's singing from the same bright memory. Can you imagine it? Maybe it's you on a beach. Maybe it's you on a boat. Or maybe on a rooftop. Who knows? Maybe you're hugging somebody in Santorini. I don't know, but it's something. But again,
00:25:57 --> 00:26:12 I like this song. Also, because it reminds me so much of Irene Cara's What a feeling. I can have it all. I'm dancing for one. Oh, yes. Yeah, yeah. Great reference. Come on now. See, now, as like a...
00:26:12 --> 00:26:36 we both dance, but like I went to like a dance studio and the dance teacher I have was from Detroit. So she thought she was like Debbie Allen. She's like, I love fame. So she made us dance to a lot of the fame soundtrack. And I remember hearing this song and being like, Oh my God. Like, I was like, Oh, so it just stays in your head. And I feel like this song has that same kind of effect where it makes you think of a time, think of a moment. Um,
00:26:36 --> 00:26:48 And I think for me, the Latin Euro dance-ness of it all is fabulous. I think of... I texted you last night. I was like, hey, really random, but...
00:26:48 --> 00:27:10 justin to kelly from justin to kelly if you guys have ever seen it this would be a fun song on the soundtrack you know like right before madness like this is like right before madness happens she's like i don't you know i think everyone's having a good time also kelly clarkson would sing the crap out of the song can you imagine her belting that chorus oh my gosh doesn't matter
00:27:11 --> 00:27:25 Oh, y'all, you know, it's kind of hot for me, y'all. And she hits it. I just get like, you know, I get team rom-com from this. It's not a bad thing, like high school musical, even if you wanted to take it back further. But yeah, I like the song.
00:27:26 --> 00:27:42 What do you think of the music video and the dancer team? I love it. I love it. I love when any kind of... Oh, my horn. If it don't look... Thanks. Falling off. Hang on. I think that any video that can masterfully...
00:27:42 --> 00:28:03 double their artists i love and there's so many of them and then so many dancers and they managed to make it look as seamless as it could have been in the 2000s you know it's giving like you know you you edit remove the background and cap cut it's giving that sometimes you kind of see the edges soft it don't matter back in 2000 that was revolutionary y'all need to mind your business i love the video also claire
00:28:04 --> 00:28:31 delicious she looks so the ponytail you like the dark claire or the light claire oh it's okay dark claire honey first of all claire she was she wasn't like thick like oh my god she think but honey that body was giving okay i love dark claire's like little cut out and the ponytail so i'm gonna give it to slick i'm gonna give oh but then the bob depends on the day but i'll take a both for care of those those you know what i'm saying there you go
00:28:32 --> 00:28:54 But yes, did you have a favorite look or like a favorite moment in the video? Ooh, I mean, I just love the focus on the dance routine. I do remember saying that people thought it looked like a Gap commercial. Like the, because it's like all the really saturated colors for the, for like the good steps, I guess. Oh my God. Yes. Our brand is close for the season, you know? Yeah.
00:28:54 --> 00:29:24 Or Old Navy, yeah. Yes, exactly. Yeah, I appreciated the focus on the dance routine for like almost the whole first half at least. Because it's a really dynamic dance routine and them having all those dances around them, like it created such a good energy. And the way the dance routine is, you know, it's like a very dynamic dance. Like you have like a lot of arms, you've turned, you've moving around. And so it was very impactful seeing it in such a big group. Yeah. And then again, it was almost...
00:29:24 --> 00:29:45 a great way again to remind everyone yes we're still that kind of bubbly steps but we're all so cool so that it's like yeah so it's kind of funny like if you think about this album as a transitional album yeah this totally makes sense oh so what do you rate it oh i also give this a 10 it is my 10 too
00:29:46 --> 00:30:12 Up next, it's The Way You Make Me Feel. This was done by Jorgen L. Folson and David Kruger, released as a single in January 2001, hitting number two in the UK singles chart. Unfortunately, due to a small number of copies being made available a week early, the single actually hit number 71 the week before, meaning if those people had just waited, they may have actually hit number one the week after. Sigh.
00:30:12 --> 00:30:26 It's back. Too Busy Thinking About My Baby was credited as an A-side on the single with the Motown Mania performance used as the music video. Okay.
00:30:27 --> 00:30:56 Yes. I remember what you said about this song in our Can't Stop the Pop collaboration pop-off episode. I'm both an essay. Yeah, but I'm curious if your opinion has changed, but I'll give my opinion first. Sure. Yeah. So I really like this song. I do believe we differ in this. First off, this is their first single not produced by Pete Waterman and team. Now it's gone to like the Swedish pop team here. Yes.
00:30:57 --> 00:31:18 But I think the good thing about that is it still feels like it's written for them. Like you have the dynamics of the boys and the girls. Yeah. And I think vocal distribution wise, I think they did a really good job actually for all five of them. But I do think this is a great example of just that.
00:31:18 --> 00:31:43 naughty's pop song like it's super catchy yeah it's kind of cheeky and naive with the lyrics there's a lot of drama on the production with like the affected strings and stuff yeah like you could totally hear like a britney singing this you know um yeah i love lisa's delivery here she sounds so sincere and innocent and sad yeah both verses yeah
00:31:44 --> 00:32:09 It's so good. And of course, the bridge as well. You get H starting it off. And then Lisa gets to end the bridge leading into Claire's big note. So again, it's just nice to hear a more unexpected vocal distribution here compared to, I guess, what Pete Waterman tended to do. So it's just refreshing to have them work with some new people. Shout out to Claire's operatic moment as well. Yeah.
00:32:09 --> 00:32:36 Yeah, I really like the song. I also think, like, I've gotten to experience it live a few times. It was acoustic on the Party on the Dance Floor tour. It was, you know, with the kids coming out to sing it with them as well. That's cool, yeah. So, like, it's been a really nice moment live. So, yeah, I really like this one, actually. Okay. So, what did I say before? What did I say? I just remember you not liking it. Oh, that's right. So, if you guys can't stop the pops and...
00:32:37 --> 00:32:52 CCTV did a collaboration where we did like Steps versus the S Club Empire. And this did come up. I will tell you now, my opinion probably has not changed as much. It's the way you make me feel. It's just for me, I feel like,
00:32:53 --> 00:33:14 I hate the Swedish pop delivery that Faye was told to do. I mean, all of them, really. It's the way that you make it. I just can't. It just makes the song feel like an SNL parody. Yeah, I just, I don't need it. Well, look, that SNL skit, you know? Yeah. I don't sing it like that as much anymore now.
00:33:15 --> 00:33:36 Even when they sang it live on top of the pops and Faye was like singing like in her natural voice. Amazing. It sounded so good. Her voice sounded super smooth. Like you guys are already grown adults to be singing in a baby voice. And we already know you for how many albums deep. And then someone already has that sound. Again, it just gave, it gave us a now, you know, I was just like, so does it make it a bad song? No.
00:33:37 --> 00:34:07 but I just do not care for the vocal production there. I do also have a note about the call and response of the verses. It's wonderful because why have a co-ed group if they can't actually communicate sonically? So yeah, the lyrics are scandalous too. We haven't really gone into explicit detail, but having a feeling for someone that is taken and then singing on this bright, hopeful kind of production, it's like, oh my God, it's just kind of like, I kind of like you're spinning my world around. Girl, if you don't get your ass away from my man,
00:34:07 --> 00:34:36 I'm totally joking. But it's interesting how, again, I think everyone knows that it's step style. But it's crazy how you can sit there and have such a scandalous thing to say over this bright production. I just can't hold back. You better get away from me. I'm joking. I'm going to make you mine.
00:34:38 --> 00:35:00 It's not impossible. No, you don't. I should have seen the lyric. I'm sorry. I was sitting there like, it's crazy. It's crazy. But again, I think that's amazing that you have such romantic production. And meanwhile, it's about being someone's paramour. H and Lisa, bridge combination, didn't know I needed it. And also, H, Mr. H, Mr. H. H.
00:35:01 --> 00:35:25 great pop vocal like not enough co-ed groups in contemporary pop spaces including k-pop have proper male vocalists in their lineup like steps liberty x and then backwards not forward backwards yes but now i'm like girl are you saying are you just the rapper or whatever you guys love doing i don't know um but yes i love his voice great voice the live performances um
00:35:26 --> 00:35:41 No more. Nay, is that a thing? I appreciate it. And Claire not taking lead wasn't a loss. Now, for this one, I was like, okay, do we need it here? Her parts just felt a little bit more earned as the song progressed. Love those.
00:35:42 --> 00:36:01 you know yes but yes great delivery the music video also is a great delivery too because like this music video is so good this whole like 1700s dangerous liaisons parody well not parody just like a copy i guess yeah but the constant dangerous liaisons
00:36:02 --> 00:36:31 That's literally what the concept is. I love that. I didn't think that. I was just like, okay, it's giving like, you know, early whatever century that I can't really like identify right now. You know, like, I was just like, that's so amazing. I love that. But yeah, I loved it. Like, I was intrigued by all the different couples that we were seeing and got all their dancers involved. We had coupling between the members. It was very scandalous. We had some partner dancing ballroom situation as well. And then they're all like switching partners throughout it too. So I was like, wow.
00:36:32 --> 00:37:01 This really fits the song. It's great. Shout out to the crowd. I think they looked great. Yeah. Honey, if I have a little corset, I would say they all look like little versions of princesses. Like Lisa with her little braces. Lisa looks so cute. You love the braces. She is so, just I want to squeeze her cheeks. She's so cute. I love cute things. I love cute things, but she looks so cute. And her blue dress was giving Snow White. You have Faye in her yellow is giving, I want to say like maybe Cinderella-ish.
00:37:01 --> 00:37:16 Because he normally had a yellow dress with a blonde, you know? I could say Belle, but... Oh, maybe Belle. Maybe Belle. But, honey. Claire in the pink. She'd like Rapunzel. True princess. The guys are going... Whatever, no offense. But, like, you know...
00:37:18 --> 00:37:36 Beautiful tuxes, beautiful cummerbunds. But the girls gowns. I love that. Yes. And then, of course, for the What the Future Holds tour, then they did the whole Bridgerton treatment. Yes. With the extra strings in the production. They did the full ball gowns. They did the fans. Very campy.
00:37:36 --> 00:38:01 You guys have to, you guys, if you've made it this far, it's like only like four songs in, but watch our interview with Steve Anderson because like we could talk about this in great, great detail. Because as you can see, I'm like fiending and feral back here. So yeah, just handle that y'all. All right. So I give this one a 10. I love it. I give this one a 9. I just can't stand the freaking parody voice. I understand. That's fair.
00:38:01 --> 00:38:28 Okay, moving on to You'll Be Sorry, done by Carl Twig, Mark Topham, and Pete Waterman. This was released as a double A-side single with the albums Here and Now in June 2001, and the single peaked at number four in the UK singles chart. And Chantel now has a costume change as well. Don't I always?
00:38:30 --> 00:38:44 We got some pink sunglasses. Yeah, yeah, guys. The reason I did it is because, you know, I mean, we're not talking about the music video. We're not talking about the music video yet. But, like, I hate Chess's sunglasses on more than me. He does.
00:38:44 --> 00:39:10 I was like, oh, this is a serious song. He's not showing his eyes. The baby blues are tucked away. I like this one. This is one of their cooler sounding tracks, I think, for sure. And H is holding it down. Now, mind you, I can't see my note because I'm loud without my glasses. The glasses are dirty, people. Not even just that. I just can't see. I gotta get close. You're squinting behind the glasses.
00:39:11 --> 00:39:41 Hold on to the CCTV pop show. I can't see. Can't see shit. But you know what? I'm here for this because attitude first. The glasses really don't know anything. Yeah, they are. They are. Guys, welcome to the CCTV pop show. I can't see. See shit in a glass that's dirty. You got to keep this. Oh, there's a lash on it? Damn. You got to keep this in. It's amazing.
00:39:43 --> 00:40:03 This is a podcast, y'all. What can I say? But yes, attitude first. The tone matters as much as the melody. And I think it's that satisfying edge of like, I'm hurt, but I'm not helpless. Steps' clean delivery actually helps the confidence land harder, especially when it isn't shadow. Like, cause yeah, they could be like sitting there like,
00:40:03 --> 00:40:18 singing their faces off, but they wait for the chorus. You'll be sorry. You know, like it's getting like, it's getting like furious. And I love that. I love the chasing rainbows. You can't find line or chase rainbows. You can't find. I love that line. Like, what does that mean? Because you've gone too far.
00:40:19 --> 00:40:43 Okay. Like, I love it. I love it. But yeah, I think during our collaboration episode with Can't Stop the Pop, I remember saying I enjoy the song because it's a mix of genres. Like, it's Eurodance. There's pew, pew, pew, pew, pew, pew's going on. There's synths and stuff. And I love that thumping, pulsing beat. And there's even, like, this little drum and bass moment in the pre-hook. So I like that. You know, I appreciate the...
00:40:44 --> 00:40:55 weirdness of this, you know? And I think this is a strong, like, or angry song. Because Deeper Shade of Blue was, like, really sad, but this is kind of, like, a sister song, in my opinion, to that, where it's giving that kind of, like,
00:40:56 --> 00:41:20 alien club moment you know yes this is a great part two to deeper shade of blue i actually love you'll be sorry i think it is one of the more forgotten ones among the step singles right however i do think the group likes it and you know they still continue to include it in a lot of their set lists which i appreciate um they know yeah they know they know um but yeah this one again the drama
00:41:20 --> 00:41:49 So much drama It's such a strong production I mean it's as Eurodance I think as you get with this album At least but yes it does have Kind of the alien Kind of situation too Yeah I agree I have the same note about H Having him lead the verses He sounds really good here Really smooth I like Faye doing those Adlibs at the end too
00:41:49 --> 00:42:19 Beautiful ad-libs at the end, I will say. Yeah. But honestly, the best part of the song is just how petty the lyrics are. And the way the chorus is produced, you have that same choir-esque kind of situation that's also like Summer of Love. That's also in a lot of these Pete Waterman songs. But with these lyrics, like, one day your sky's gonna rain. Yeah. It's like, wow, this person really screwed you over. Like, whoa.
00:42:19 --> 00:42:44 It's so fun to sing. Yes, it is. You know? I screwed you over now. I mean... And also, I think I mentioned this in the Can't Stop the Pop episode, too. There was definitely some drama with the song actually being chosen as a single. Oh, really? So definitely go watch the episode because we kind of went back and forth with the boys talking about it. I remember it was, like, supposed to be a fan vote, but it was very clear that that was, like, just...
00:42:44 --> 00:43:03 Not actually what was going to happen And that they had already chosen this song There's also other stuff with like contractually Pete Waterman had to produce Every single So like they had If they wanted to release here and now They needed a Pete Waterman song as the A side The double A side So they only had somebody to choose from Like there's like a lot of like
00:43:03 --> 00:43:16 record label politics to it as well but i actually appreciate the song as a single choice and will always advocate for it um but yeah what do you think of the music video it is part two to here and now
00:43:17 --> 00:43:43 Oh, yes. Yes. The cosmic lotus. I think I mentioned it. Yes. She said, I was like, yes. What is that? Is that a lotus? I love it. Um, I don't, is it really a lotus? I think it's a lotus, right? It's a lotus. I think it's a lotus. Yeah, it's a lotus. Yeah. All you need to be watching is stop cleaning. I listen to you when I clean. Stop cleaning. Come look at the screen real quick.
00:43:43 --> 00:44:11 they were talking their mess okay um i do enjoy the music video i do appreciate that there wasn't like this crazy imagery really because the song is already kind of angry it's already kind of petty but they just look like they were cool they were dancing i do appreciate like a little distorted effect like that double color during the dance scenes and then the boys again all the boys not just not just hich lee was in sunnies too everyone was just wearing sunnies you know just
00:44:11 --> 00:44:20 You know, because you can't see my eyes. You can't see my tears and I cry. You know, it's giving that. They mean business. But also, I want to learn the choreography as well because it looks so cool.
00:44:20 --> 00:44:41 This is one of the cooler choreography moments for them. Yeah. For sure. The arm circles. You got the cross. A lot of hits. You know it already. Holy crap. I know every single step's dance routine. Like, I will know all of these till my deathbed. Like, Chris, you're like 100 years old. Tragedy.
00:44:42 --> 00:45:07 Oh, no, he's going to die. Oh, my God. Am I asking about this right here? Riling him up. No, he likes this. Oh, my God. Yes, I appreciate the music video. I mean, you can kind of tell the budget wasn't the highest for this. Right, right, right. Like, some of the shots of them on the platform, I was kind of like, okay, well.
00:45:08 --> 00:45:26 fun maybe could have done something a little bit more than this but the whole cyber situation matches the song yeah you know um i think it is effective because the dance routine is so dynamic so even though it's mostly performance shots it's still fun to watch i would say um but yeah i give this song a nine i will match you with a nine
00:45:27 --> 00:45:53 Moving right along to Learn to Love Again. And this was done by Andrew Frampton and Ian H. Watkins. So H are on this, y'all. And H. performed it as his solo track on the Steps Into Christmas Tour. Which unfortunately, Steps Into Christmas Tour is the only tour that was never professionally filmed. Whack. I know. I know.
00:45:53 --> 00:46:12 Someone release the tapes. Someone has to have a VHS tape of the screens, at least. Right, right. Release the Snyder Cut, y'all. What y'all doing? Come on. Yeah. So as we noted, all the members got to write a song each for this album. So we're at the first one. This is H's. I do.
00:46:12 --> 00:46:36 This one's okay for me. Again, a very dramatic moment. So I think leading in from You'll Be Sorry, I think the sequencing of this album is actually pretty good. Oh, yeah. Yeah. But yeah, it's very dramatic. Get that big booming drum hit. You got H going, forgive me. Like right at the start with that vocoder vocal. And then you get all these strings mixed in. There's like these electronic like...
00:46:37 --> 00:47:00 whoops and then there's like symbol hits yeah um i will say i i enjoy the verse melody actually very conversational h sounds really good there the chorus melody is where it loses me a little bit it's not a great melody for me um i think he sounds good but it just doesn't really do anything for me unfortunately um i will say though
00:47:00 --> 00:47:26 Even though these are quote-unquote solo tracks, for most of these, and we'll get to the others later where we can get into the detail, but at least the other members are present. You can hear all the other members here. They all get these little ad-libs and extra backing vocals. Lee, shout out to Lee. He gets this great ad-lib in the second verse. And I'm just like, wow. You're alive. He really deserved to sing more. Aw. You know? Aw. Aw.
00:47:27 --> 00:47:36 Yeah, I do remember, and the reason I mentioned the steps in the Christmas tour, like not being a film, I remember someone saying that this performance was like really can't be and dramatic, and I just wish we could see it.
00:47:37 --> 00:47:57 Lost... Was it Lost Media? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. This is Lost Media. I don't have too much to say about this song. Most of my sentiments match yours. I think when I first heard this song, I just thought about the melodramatic K-pop song. Like, you think about Second Gen. This is so... Second Gen. Like...
00:47:57 --> 00:48:24 I think this song has emotion. It has a groove opposed to like this driving force that's presented in earlier tracks. But where Fall Swords is, like you said, the chorus, where it's just okay. It's not bad. It just starts to feel like a solo track on a group album. And I get it. It's supposed to be that, but it just feels so much like, like, I mean, at least it matches the rest of the album. I will say kind of, it doesn't.
00:48:24 --> 00:48:51 sound like an outlier i think it does maintain the metallic digital situation that's happening on buzz so i do appreciate it but it's okay yeah yeah i will say though andrew frampton was fun seeing his name uh we've mentioned him a few times because he's worked with a lot of other albums that we've done but i know one song that he did was break the dawn by michelle williams
00:48:52 --> 00:49:18 We break the dawn. We break the dawn. We break the dawn. I love you singing like as a soundtrack as you were talking. Just in case. Because I'm like, we're not trying to lose any kind of financial backing. So, yes. I love him as a choice to collab with the members. But, yeah, I give this one a 7.5. Just a cent for me. Hmm.
00:49:20 --> 00:49:33 Okay, next up is Never Get Over You, done by Nigel Butler, Ray Hedges, and Miss Lisa Scott Lee. And this was performed as her solo track on the Sceptacular tour, which we do have footage of.
00:49:38 --> 00:50:04 Yes. Oh my God. I found the hello. Um, I thought it was so cute. H was like, okay, so there's five members of the group. I can't do an accent. Don't come for me if you want to. Five members of the group, we have H, Lee, Claire, Faye, and the kids are like, Lisa! He's like, no, no. H, Claire, Lisa! Oh, that's right, Lisa. And I was like, don't do that. That's not the H show that she thought that was, but go off.
00:50:07 --> 00:50:28 yes I do appreciate the song the drama of the beginning the organs the bell tolling it made me think of tragedy like the prequel of tragedy where Shadi knew the guy sucked and she still went with him but like she knew from the beginning he sucked I was like okay girl go off I guess I think it's good to kind of have that
00:50:28 --> 00:50:55 I guess not a callback. And I don't want to call anybody lazy. So I'm going to say it's a callback. A callback to a sound that you've used in the past, you know? And the lyrics, I learned my lesson just when I thought I found heaven. Like, she's like, I'm good. But I'm not. I'm actually really obsessed with you still. And I'm like, girl, Phil, I thought I was not. Yeah, relatable. Yeah.
00:50:56 --> 00:51:18 Listen, you don't know what she got until it's gone. Or maybe you do know how good you had it. And you're like, I'm okay with this, but actually I'm not. I'm tweaking right now. What the hell? Turn a whole chalant person into a tweaker. This is like the Eurodance version of, I wish I knew how to quit you, you know? Yes. Yes.
00:51:18 --> 00:51:45 where the yearning is still there. I do appreciate the Euro pop gospel of it all, the dramatic theatrical flourishes, the big drums, the glossy synths, and the cathedral mood at points. So I think, not that, but the question is, is the production too big for the person who was singing it? Yeah, I do think this was a bit overproduced. There's a lot going on. Like, the cymbal hits make me laugh so much in this, because it's constant.
00:51:46 --> 00:52:14 yeah it's just like oh my gosh um and then they put this effect on lisa's vocal which i don't love either yeah it's like this um yeah it's just like this filter that i don't think was necessary because i actually think she emotes pretty well naturally and that kind of removes some of that and she has a lot of textures as well which also um yeah it just gets lost a little bit when you put all that on i will say though i think the chorus melody is good it's very catchy um
00:52:15 --> 00:52:44 And I think if you like Steps discography, this is in line with that, you know? Yes. Like, it fits in well. Mm-hmm. And yeah, the wedding synths and stuff, I mean, obviously, I wonder if that was also for the performance as well. Because I will say, with a lot of the Steps solo tracks, some of them are only for the tour, you know? Mm-hmm. And so, I think they were also thinking about the performance in a way, for sure. And that performance, which we'll talk about in a second, but...
00:52:44 --> 00:52:51 that reveal that we get oh yeah like it goes from wedding to party we get some acting oh
00:52:52 --> 00:53:18 You know, I had to do a costume change or two during my performance, but I don't think I'll ever rip my clothes off like that. That was hilarious. Yes, I love the church pews turning around and turning into party boots. Yeah, club boots. Yeah, they're sitting there. I'm like, oh. I mean, hang on. Set design, go off. No, I loved it. The whole, like, caraway dress, like it was a woman's super basketball game. The transition was so funny. Hilarious.
00:53:18 --> 00:53:37 Yeah. Also, shout out to Lisa, because obviously she was definitely singing live, I think, on the tour, but they like dubbed it over for like the live for the film performance. But they kept her ad libs because she was doing the most woohoo yeah. I love it.
00:53:39 --> 00:54:00 She said, can you? Whoa, whoa, whoa. And she sounded great during those. They didn't need to dub her over. No, they didn't. That was so funny. I'm like, what the heck? Okay, go home, girl. She's in a walk-in. Whoa, whoa, yeah. She's so cute. I love her. Me too. All right, so not my favorite, but not bad. I give it a 7.5. This one, I'll give it a 7.5. Yes, I agree.
00:54:01 --> 00:54:25 Up next is Hand on Your Heart. And it was done by Andrew Frampton and Claire Richard. And Claire performed it as her solo track on the Gold Greatest Hits tour. Wait, question for you. Was this the tour where they were like, hey, we're done? And they still went out? Yes. This was that filmed version. They literally split up right before that show. Yeah.
00:54:25 --> 00:54:46 So we're done here. What? We're done. Let's go. Like five minutes to stage. You're sitting there like with your mouth agape. Watching that show is fascinating because they did such a good job. Yeah. I remember you told me about it and I was like, wow, that's professionalism. I don't know if I could. I mean, I probably could. I think we could do it. We've been in worse situations. We have. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:54:47 --> 00:55:17 Okay, so we're at our first ballad of the album. We get a Claire solo moment. I actually really like this one. I think the melody is really beautiful. I think the production is nice. It's very slick. You got this kind of heavy bass line. You got that kind of classic echoey snare drum, kind of snappy snare drum. You got this acoustic guitar. The song has a great build to it as well. Obviously, Claire is such a good singer.
00:55:17 --> 00:55:45 You know, so each chorus sounds a bit different. The second verse, it gets a bit more dramatic. The production amps up as well. And then you do get Asian Faye doing some ad-libs across the whole thing. So I think as a pop ballad, I think it's good. I think Claire's vocal makes it better. Okay, that's valid. I mean, I have Claire as my first note. Claire! Claire!
00:55:45 --> 00:56:13 That's the only note. Yeah, literally. Clara is one of the best voices in British pop, especially in a group. And she has such a good control of her voice. I would say that this song is not exactly the best display of her talent. Like, yes, there's some highs and some lows. Like, there's definitely some textures, but it's okay. And I think her textures definitely do save it. But I feel like it's very by the numbers for me. When I was listening to it, I was like, okay, all right, all right.
00:56:13 --> 00:56:43 I didn't skip it because it's her, but I was just like, okay. The lyrics I do appreciate. Hand on your heart, heart on your sleeves. Are you telling me where, when we're apart, you still believe we are meant to be? Mm-mm-mm. Love the sentiment on the track, okay? More ballad, credible, less wink, more sincerity, you know? It's asking for clarity instead of begging. And Claire's voice demands of a sponge. That's why I like it.
00:56:45 --> 00:56:56 It's okay. I don't know if I'm going to listen to it again. I can't take it back to you right now. But I like her. Okay, fair. What did you think of the performance that she did? She looks lovely.
00:57:00 --> 00:57:24 Yes. I will say what always threw me off about it is they have the dancers pretending to lip sync over like these new background vocals. Yeah. Because I guess they had to take Faye and H out. That was weird. And I was like, oh, this is, they probably didn't need to do that. It was weird. It was weird. Yeah. She's beautiful though. Okay. So what do you rate it? I go on a 7.5. It's okay. Okay. I'll go a little higher than the other two. I'll go an 8. Oh.
00:57:25 --> 00:57:55 you know what guys listen if you are enjoying this episode a little bit more than i enjoyed the past three songs you can totally follow us everywhere at cctv pops and if you want to hang out with us even more unfiltered than this join us and the cctv crew for exclusive live sessions and the ability to help out featured topics at patreon.com cctv pops and shout out to our patreon members who we will mention at the end of this episode because this episode would not happen
00:57:55 --> 00:58:15 okay let's move on to happy go lucky done by alex gregs andy goldmark brad damon and riprock and alex g riprock why is that name sounds familiar riprock because they did no strings attached
00:58:16 --> 00:58:28 You know what? I have digital get down in my notes. Yeah. You can totally hear it. If you know that it's them, you're like, oh my God, the production style is like literally that. Yeah, so fun. Okay. All right. Thank you for validating me.
00:58:28 --> 00:58:46 appreciate you um so yeah this one is interesting because it sounds like 2000s pop that was taking over our faves album but unlike it's the way you make me feel no offense to her there's no baby voice or mimicry and i think that's really important you can have something sound like something without sound like someone else
00:58:47 --> 00:59:16 You know, the BGVs are my favorite. As a girl who wants to be in a girl group, I love the sub vocals throughout the verses. The chorus is okay, though. It's just okay. I will say I just love how they sound on here, though. They. Faye. Yeah. I do want to say that I love how Faye sounds on this. Her voice is such a clear pop...
00:59:17 --> 00:59:39 tone it's so articulate beautiful um the lyrics jesus you know it's about being miserable while in a relationship super real so many people are in a relationship where they are in fact and i quote dying inside and listen that line i do my happy go lucky so well i'm even fooling myself y'all
00:59:39 --> 00:59:59 Y'all, if you are in a situation like this, run, run, blink twice. I mean, it sounds like a song from one of those songs where the wife has to stay with the husband because she's like financially dependent on him. And she has to keep up appearances because like he's the king or maybe he's like really influential. Like, you know, like our current administration spouses. Oh, my. Oh, my.
01:00:00 --> 01:00:29 No tea, no shade. But you can see someone's kind of checked out. You know, it's giving happy-go-lucky. Oh, me. Well, I think it's less they're in the relationship. They were left. Oh. Right? No, no. She's saying, like, literally, this relationship's not great. I just fake it so well. No, isn't the lyrics about that? No, I thought the verses are like, you left me. Oh. Like, I never saw it coming. And now I'm over the surprise. I'm wearing this disguise.
01:00:29 --> 01:00:56 Oh, okay. My bad. I read that wrong. My bad, y'all. But still, I think the joke was, this joke's the lamp. Guys, I am the quote-unquote, I'm the comedian of the pair of us. Chris is also funny, but my go-to is make you guys laugh, so don't take any grain of salt. Grain of salt. I don't care what you did. Okay. The bridge, though, is dramatic AF. Okay? I appreciate that, though, because the song does sound very happy, happy, jolly, jolly, happy, happy. But I don't.
01:00:57 --> 01:01:08 just like the switch up, you know? Yeah. I do appreciate it. So I feel like, we like her. But that's so, so much. It's okay. It's weird. I have a go, love hate with this one.
01:01:09 --> 01:01:32 I like it. Like, I think it's a good album track. Okay. It's not as good as any of the singles is kind of where I'm at. However, again, thinking about this album as a transition album. Yes. Them branching out and getting some of these writers. Uh-huh. Match some of their contemporaries a bit more. Uh-huh. Makes sense, I think. Yes. So, yeah, it's still kind of bubblegummy, but there is a coolness there that Pete Waterman...
01:01:33 --> 01:01:58 did not have in his production right um yeah i have a big note about fey here as well it's so interesting because this song and the next song i think it's like mostly the same team yes it is and clearly they preferred fey and lisa's voices to claire and h like h is like missing from both songs yes even lee
01:01:59 --> 01:02:14 gets a little bit. It's a moment. You got him vocoder these like low happy-go-lucky like moments. These little talky, breathy moments here. Yeah, yeah. Which I think is interesting. And Lisa's actually the one leading the chorus.
01:02:14 --> 01:02:37 which is interesting. Like, it's just a very different choice than what Pete used to do. So it's just interesting to hear. And yeah, actually, there's one lyric that you didn't call out that I find, that I kind of love. The, a smile's a frown turned upside down. That was always the most memorable lyric for me for some reason. I'm like, oh my God, that's so sad. Oh my God, that's miserable. Yeah.
01:02:38 --> 01:03:04 Like, turn that smile upside down. No, turn the smile upside down. What is it? Turn the frat wave. Yeah. Yeah, that's what it is. Turn that frat upside down. Not me sitting on the meta line. My bad. Sorry. But yeah, like, I don't, again, I think it's, like, fine. Yes. But as an album track, I enjoy it. Like, I would never skip this if it came on. I would. 7.5. I'll go an 8. Yeah.
01:03:05 --> 01:03:27 oh my god hmm up next we have the song's called buzz yeah what do y'all and it was done by mark muller andy goldmark and ripping rock this is where my digital get down yeah yeah
01:03:33 --> 01:03:57 I think the zipping and the zapping synths, there was buzzing, like a literal buzzing. Like the we have, it was giving. Digital club pop. And I think because this has more of like an R&B swing, or at least the very, at the very least, like a groove. I jive with it a little bit more. I do jive with this nicely. It feels like the response to Digital Get Down, like where the girl checked her email while she was out with friends.
01:03:58 --> 01:04:28 Or maybe like before she went out and was like, oh my God. You know. Shouts NSYNC. I love the No Strings Attached album. Did we review that? We did. Listen, one thing about pop and our show, we'll never run out of topics. So if you're like, did you do the album yet? If we did, go check it out. We did it. Leave a comment. But yes, I think Lisa's light voice is perfect for the production. The melody and the structure is very familiar to me.
01:04:28 --> 01:04:57 Divas that we love so much, like one of their solo tracks. The hook delivery is playful and sticky, the buh-buh-buzz. Like the stuttering phrasing is used like an instrument essentially. It's a track where the mouthfeel of the words matters as much as the meaning. Because like, let's be real here, like buzz as a track title? What's happening? And it was used to kind of give you, again, the mouthfeel, like the buh-buh-buh. Like come on, like, buh-buh-buh. You know? I see your face kind of, go ahead. Buh-buh-buh.
01:04:58 --> 01:05:21 Well, here's the thing. It's just making me laugh because I remember just loving this song. Remember, I was like 10 years old when this song came out. So like, I just thought it was fun to sing along to with the stuttering. Oh my God, it was so cute. I've only seen one picture of you when you were a kid. I think you were playing like an instrument or something. It just stays like it. I just think little Chris just sitting there. I know what I want to be when I grow up.
01:05:21 --> 01:05:50 like it was just singing performing um it was so cute um so yes i agree and i did you sing the the little chris also sing like the the the bridge part with the lee's voice yeah lee's little rap i think i did i love that they have that going on because the song already sounds really digital go an extra step go that extra mile and make it sound like a robot is making her turning her on like
01:05:50 --> 01:06:11 Yes, yes Yeah, I kind of have similar notes to you This one's a bit funkier There's a bounce to it, which I appreciate And again, very similar vocal distribution Like I mentioned to the last song You got Faye on the verses You got Lisa leading the choruses And getting some little post-chorus ad-libs And then Lee
01:06:11 --> 01:06:38 Yeah, he's got that little rap verse. He also has the little call and response situation in the chorus too. Buzz. Off you. I love it so much. And then shout out to Lisa. Wait, what? I sound so glad you're here because I can't do it. You can do it. And then actually Lisa gets the final chorus ad libs and she sounds great.
01:06:40 --> 01:07:04 Yeah, it's so interesting. Like, yeah, I guess maybe Claire and Asia were just fully missing from these sessions or something. Or these Swedish people were just like, no. Too much soul, y'all. We need pop-up. You know what? In my defense, when people think about, like, Black Americans, they go, yo, yo, yo. So, you know. Fair. Fair.
01:07:05 --> 01:07:32 um yeah i think kind of i think this one's good um it's a fun title track again i just remember just loving singing along to it just because i thought it was fun to sing it's so funny um but i feel about it the same way that i do with with maybe the last song and that it's not as good as the singles oh yes yes yeah but i do like it a little bit more than the previous track so this was an eight for me okay i'll do an eight as well yes yes
01:07:32 --> 01:08:00 Okay, now we're on to Here and Now. Here and Now. Done by Allie Thompson, Andreas Carlson, and Quiz and La Rossi. And this was released as a double A-side single with You'll Be Sorry, which, as we noted before, peaked at number four in the UK singles chart. But this song was remixed for the single release. We have the Soundtrade mix. Yes, you know what? Yeah.
01:08:01 --> 01:08:27 As much as I'm terrible at whatever accent that was, Swedish and pop music, the Scandinavian sound is great. Yeah. Okay, like, I can't deny that. It sounds like Swedish pop. The beat is tight. The chorus is expansive for the emotional lift presented via harmonies. And the guitar synths are strong. And it acts as their own hook. I think that's so important. Like, there's so many, like, pop songs that...
01:08:27 --> 01:08:51 That is a copy, the Max Martin kind of like Swedish pop thing. There's like a guitar sound that we can all pick up on. And I feel like the vocal delivery here is so much better than the one on It's the Way You Make Me Feel. I don't hate it. But again, you don't have to be like, baby, let's do it. It's like a song. You don't have to do that.
01:08:51 --> 01:09:19 you know and I feel like this the vocal distribution of this track is balanced and even Lee has a moment in the pre-hook and other spaces and he sounds good is he like a vocalist is he a singer no but he's there he's getting a cut of the pie too give him a good piece of pie like what is happening um so I do appreciate this song a lot I love the energy in this one like oh my god I love
01:09:19 --> 01:09:38 Yeah, I really like this one as well. I do remember when the album came out, a lot of people were like, this has to be a single. Like, it was such a clear highlight from the very beginning. Yeah. And, you know, we mentioned the U.S. release that happened in July 2001. Yeah.
01:09:39 --> 01:10:08 There was one song that we'll talk about in the bonus track section that I think was... People, please remind me, Steps fans, like, no single was actually released in the U.S. properly from this album. I think the album was just put out, like, randomly. Wow. From what I remember. But that random song, Mars and Venus, there was, like, a promo CD for it. So I think there was plans to release that single. Anyway, all this to say, here and now I think should have been...
01:10:08 --> 01:10:38 the final U.S. attempt. Maybe, yeah. I think it would have actually had a decent chance if they got to promote it properly. You know, their U.S. promotions, I think, you know, I feel like the plan just wasn't there. Yeah. They got to open for Britney, which is great. Yes. You know, and I think they had a Disney Channel show, concert. But yeah, I feel like if they had one more chance, I would have tried this one just to see because it has that Max Martin-esque thing.
01:10:39 --> 01:10:44 Swedish kind of quality that was charting everywhere. Right. Yeah. Um,
01:10:44 --> 01:11:10 And yeah, the chorus is quite anthemic. It's catchy. It's super full with all the harmonies. And yeah, I have a note here about the vocal distribution as well. I will say it always has annoyed me that Claire is layered on top of Lee in his pre-chorus. I don't think they needed to do that. He could have held that down on his own. He can't do it on his own. He's got it. They didn't need to do that. Yeah, we didn't need one.
01:11:10 --> 01:11:37 Yeah, I love the remix for the single. Like, this is a great example of why people were doing single versions because the single version has so much more energy. It's slicker. It's more polished. And of course, the most important change, Claire's big note. All the music drops out. She gets to belt her face off before the final chorus kicks in. Yes.
01:11:47 --> 01:12:09 That does not happen. In the album version. That's literally in the version. Yeah, but in the music video, I was literally sitting there like having Claire spin in this choreography while she's belting is wild. Let her just say that. I know it's lip synced, but the fact that she's... I went, why is she...
01:12:11 --> 01:12:37 She spun once. I don't know why I did it twice. But like... I was like, guys, let's have our moment. Like, the world stops when she's safe. Speaking of the dance routine, no, that's actually my favorite part of the dance routine. The hand slap into the spin. Yes, I love that. She's got to sit there and go... Oh, man. So we talked about the You'll Be Sorry video, but this was actually the prequel to it because they have to get to the lotus flower UFO. Right.
01:12:38 --> 01:12:45 So what do you think of this whole hedge maze on an alien planet situation?
01:12:46 --> 01:13:11 I liked it. I'm prepared. Are you pretending to lean against a fake wall? Yeah, with the flowers popping up. With flowers popping up. Yeah, y'all. Oh, yeah. You know, I liked it. You know. They didn't rely so heavily on so much CGI. I mean, that's a lie. They did. I was trying to be nice. That was so much CGI. The maze, the wall, the dance space that they were dancing on. Everything was just like, let's superimpose these kids in there. Um.
01:13:13 --> 01:13:31 But no, I don't mind it too much. I do like the video. It reminded me of a video game. And I think my only biggest qualm about the two pair videos is that the costuming does not fit the color scheme of the music video. Whoever did it, the colors aren't complimentary to the music video.
01:13:31 --> 01:13:55 you know i'm not saying they have to be dressed up like in shades of blue with like flight attendants but like the colors didn't match like you see how i'm like i'm not matching right now how it's irritating the crap out of me like that's how i feel about that video like red and green don't go but the but the blonde see hello yeah i think they tried to make them look cooler but the colors just didn't pop
01:13:55 --> 01:14:07 That's what it is. Exactly. It wasn't that. That's my only like biggest like quote unquote gripe about it. But aside from that, I do appreciate it. I can understand. It was like 20 something years ago. Like if I were to watch it as a kid, I'd probably been like,
01:14:08 --> 01:14:36 Yeah, I did love the music video as a kid. However, watching it now, I think the only thing that really threw me off was, because you know you get to see the map in the beginning. Oh, yeah. And I'm like, why are they on a planet with like six different terrains? Like it definitely looked like a video game. Where it's like now you're in the snowy mountains and then you literally just like walk a step over and then you're in the desert. And then you're like in a city. And then the way they had it for their solo shots...
01:14:36 --> 01:15:00 each scene behind them in the little window was a different part of the land. And I was like, that's overthought. They didn't need to do that. You know, I feel like people in 2000 were just so hopeful for the future. I feel like... I'm going to let y'all know now. Transmission from the future. It all looked like that. Eh. I don't know.
01:15:01 --> 01:15:22 Maybe another 25 years. I don't know. I think more. We'll wait. We'll wait for the... It'd be like Zootopia. That's what it looked like. That's what I was trying to say. It looked like Zootopia with a different... Oh, with the different terrains. Yes, you're right. Oh, my God. Yes, I think in terms of performance, I love the dance routine. It's very dynamic. I'm not.
01:15:22 --> 01:15:48 And they've had some great versions throughout the years. They actually opened the ultimate tour with it, where they come out of the hyperbaric chambers. Very dramatic opening that leads straight into You'll Be Sorry as well, actually, with that tour. We got that fun version that Steve did that started the encore on the What the Future Holds tour. Oh my god, yes. Yeah. This has had some great moments. Yeah.
01:15:48 --> 01:16:06 scared of the dark. Anything that is scared of the dark like attached to it I'm like, it's good. Yes. It's a pile of crap. It's still good. Like, I don't care. We haven't reviewed that album yet. We haven't done Party on the Dance Floor. Isn't that the reunion one, right? It is. Oh my God. Wait, was this album the one before they broke up?
01:16:07 --> 01:16:34 buzz yes so they did the greatest hits first right right right yeah i'm gonna like brand new brand new brand new brand new music yeah yeah yeah and then we waited a long time for then the ultimate collection oh and then we had the christmas album or the winter album yeah and then we waited a long time again before we finally got to tears on the dance floor sorry guys not party on the dance floor tears on the dance floor oh crying in the club you can't forget that yeah
01:16:35 --> 01:16:57 also we didn't have ratings but i mine's a 10 i like the song mine's definitely a 10 i love here and now but do you see why i didn't give it's way you make me feel a 10 magic you know yeah but i'm biased i love it's the way you make me feel oh also we didn't shout out here and now is also the name of their musical oh my god yeah which of course i did go see
01:16:57 --> 01:17:19 lucky yeah it's okay all right y'all moving right along to paradise lost this was done by mark toppin caltwick and pete waterman and this song was included in the set list of the party on the dance floor tour and this is where the party dance floor miss switch happened yes why he knows his stuff y'all okay i'm fine uh
01:17:22 --> 01:17:52 Okay, so this one, all I could think was Ace of Bass, right? Yeah, a lot of reviews said that back in the day as well. Yeah, I mean, like, it's tough to avoid that, like, reggae influence. It created a distinct bounce. And then you have this really thick kind of cry voice that was going on. Oh, that shit was another bit. I can't really say, like, Ace of Bass' music. Y'all can come from me if you want. Like, maybe I, like, never going to say I'm sorry. But, like, I'm not really listening to Ace of Bass. I don't go, oh, my God. Mm-hmm.
01:17:52 --> 01:18:21 I have to listen to Ace of Base. Even when they did it in Pitch Perfect. I don't like Pitch Perfect. Come at me. Come at me. I have my reasons. But I don't really care for it. So when I heard, I saw the signs, I was like, get me out of here, bruh. You know what I'm saying? No offense to anyone. I'm not saying anyone's not talented, but I just don't care for Ace of Base's sound. Okay, so you don't like the song? Nope. The song is okay. No, I'm joking. I'm joking. But it's okay. The song is okay. And I think it was just like,
01:18:22 --> 01:18:39 I like where it was trying to go in terms of like Paradise Lost and like the other little bit of influence that was in there. I don't want to say it was like completely like a reggae Ace of Base moment, but something. Because there's a certain culture trying to peek its way through. And I appreciate that. It's not just like Latin pop. There's something there. I don't know what it is.
01:18:39 --> 01:19:06 Yeah, I know what it is, y'all. But, like, the whole thing is, at least they try to not be so, like, derivative, and that's why I appreciate the song. But, honestly, I don't know if I have anything really, like, distinct to really say, except gorgeous gowns, gorgeous gowns, Faye and Claire can sing their faces off gorgeous gowns. Like, you know, like, it's just not my favorite. Yeah, even your devil horns agree with you because they are fall. Honey, they pad. Fall women.
01:19:08 --> 01:19:32 Um, yeah, I think my first note is also the Ace of Base comparison. Although I think having, I try to like look through some of like old reviews and stuff. I think this song is actually quite divisive. Either you love it, I think, or you're like not a fan. Like it's like one of those. Oh, so us. But I think that's aligned with the Ace of Base comparison actually. Because I think Ace of Base is quite divisive, like kind of what you were saying.
01:19:32 --> 01:20:00 Yeah. No offense. But I do think overall the song is actually quite well regarded among the Steps fans. And I think that's actually why they included it in that medley in the Party on the Dance Floor tour. Yeah, I actually like this one. I do think it's a strong track for what it is. Okay, yeah. It is giving more drama. And this whole concept of like, I don't know, it's giving Mamma Mia a bit as well.
01:20:00 --> 01:20:28 Oh my god. Okay. Okay. Okay. You know, like you're on a tropical island and you're like reminiscing about this fling and then the lyrics are so picturesque with like the caravan and the winds and the desert, you know? Yes! Sorry. Which I kind of love, you know? It's like very poetic like walking alone on the sand. Wish you were here again! Like this long ass again. You were saying this for me, right? You were really selling it.
01:20:28 --> 01:20:53 And then the chorus is, yes, Claire and Faye sound so good. They're so pensive. And then again, you get that big harmonized chorus as well. And Claire, I think Claire's vocals sometimes, she makes a song go up a couple notches in the score. Because her just belting that chorus...
01:20:54 --> 01:21:10 I mean, if I could detach my jaw from my face like her and Kelly, I would. Her technique is amazing. Like, y'all know what I'm talking about. You guys have seen Claire. Even Kelly, the tongue is flat. That jaw is dropping. Her eyes are like this.
01:21:10 --> 01:21:36 like all the like it's like it's like a part of the brain shut off just so all the energy that can go to the voice and it sounds like you know we have to go to the city we know it's like you know it's amazing i wish i remember like i mean that performance them singing that chorus live she kills it like i'm like this song is hype
01:21:38 --> 01:21:55 Again, set off the main power grid and just... What? Yeah. I wish. I wish. I wish. Yeah. No, I like this song. Okay. You sold it. So I'll give it a nine. Oh, okay. You don't sell that much. Okay, it's an eight. I'll keep it. Okay.
01:21:57 --> 01:22:26 Okay, let's move on to Turnaround. Done by Graham Stack, Oscar Paul, Michael Garbin, and Mr. Lee Latsford-Evans. And this was also performed on the Steps Into Christmas Tour. The Lost Steps Into Christmas Tour. Yes, Mr. Lee Latsford-Evans. He has aged so well. I'm weird with you. Younger him? I'm like, okay. Him now?
01:22:28 --> 01:22:29 Yes.
01:22:30 --> 01:22:58 I like this one. It's a little unexpected for him to be, not to be able to write a song, but I think when you're surrounded by people who are always singing and you're just the face of the group, your confidence might be affected. Or maybe you feel like I can't sing or something. I don't know what that man was going through. I'm just saying. After a while, it's like, I want to contribute. And he contributed, contributed, contributed. Oh, Lord Jesus. He contributed. So I think I appreciate the whole like,
01:22:58 --> 01:23:15 devotion language that borders on cliche. But again, a man who yearns is a man who earns. Turn around, turn around. Yeah, I might still walk away. If you say it enough times, I might turn around and tell you to shut up. You know what I'm saying? No, he said, he said, this time, you won't walk away. Oh.
01:23:16 --> 01:23:39 I'm running now. Goodbye. Goodbye. Yeah. I'm going to find you. Oh, Jesus. That's how that, that's how that spoken verse starts. You know what? You're so right. But yeah, I think the whole like Spanish guitarra flavor, um, it's nice. I don't hate it. It added a different kind of flavor, some sabor to our Euro pop. Um,
01:23:39 --> 01:23:56 I could totally see like it getting lopped in with them, like some, you know, waiting for tonight. But I think waiting for tonight is amazing. So I mean, like when I think about like the Latin Euro pop thing, like regardless of how you feel about JLo's Waste, whoever wrote that song wrote the F out of it. So like when I think of Euro pop,
01:23:57 --> 01:24:24 dance, Latin influences. I'm like waiting for tonight. It's like peak for me. Right. So I'm not mad at this. I will say that it is, you know, it's okay. It's like a boy band adjacent emotional rollercoaster ride inside of a co-ed group. I'm not mad at that though. We do appreciate the men's perspective. So we do because, you know, like when the girls come and add a little extra harmonies at the end, it's kind of rare.
01:24:25 --> 01:24:50 Yeah, but Faye sings almost more than Lee does. She gets the whole second first. She gets the bridge. No, I know. But the whole, like, you know. Like, think about it. Like, you know, I mean, it's hard with this group, right? Because it's like they're both, they're all trying to sing, like, from their own POV. But I'm thinking, like, think about a boy group singing this song. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's kind of, turn around. Like, I'm going to let you go. But I guess it's less kind of creepy when a woman sings it. So I take back what I said.
01:24:52 --> 01:25:14 Hang on, hang on, you're right I take her back Oh man It is refreshing to hear Lee Leaderverse and so prominent In the chorus as well He doesn't have as dynamic a voice That H has, but he does have a good Tone for this type of Song, so it is nice to hear him Here Yes
01:25:14 --> 01:25:39 And he understood the brief. They needed one more kind of pure Eurodance pop track just to flesh out the album. Yeah. And this kind of totally fits the bill. The chorus is simple, catchy. I will say this was one that I, I think back in the day, I didn't think that much about it. Actually, listening to it more as I've gotten older, I actually appreciate it more. Yeah.
01:25:39 --> 01:26:05 um again i don't think it's like the most groundbreaking song ever but i think it's a solid album track and i and i would say it's better than some of the other solo tracks in here oh yes i agree and i think maybe because i do like the whole like euro dance latin pop yeah i would say though if claire did some big ad libs over the final chorus you didn't like her like one little harmony yeah
01:26:05 --> 01:26:34 Is that even her? That sounds like Faye. Rose Faye, it is. Yeah, H gets some ad libs though, so at least he got in the studio for this. Yeah. What happened to the Spanish, y'all? Y'all didn't want to say something, you know, I pienso que te quiero. You know? You know, like, las cosas que te haría. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know? That's the things I would do to you. That's nasty. I have that in my song. That's why I said it. Nice. So what do you rate this one? I'd give this one
01:26:36 --> 01:27:05 Not the zoom in. I'll give us one an eight. Okay. I will match the eight. I'll give us one eight. All right. Up next is Wouldn't Hurt So Bad. And this was done by Andy Goldmark, Mark Mueller, and Jimmy Braw Lower. Okay. So I feel like every Steps album that we've heard so far, not count like from the pre-comeback era. Okay. Yes.
01:27:06 --> 01:27:20 They always love to end the album with these really dramatic ballads. Yeah. Yeah. It's just very interesting. This is a Faye and Lisa duet.
01:27:21 --> 01:27:41 So again, Claire in general, not as much in this album. Yeah. Which is very interesting, right? We should ask her. Y'all tag her on our post so we can get the questions, get the answers to our questions. Get the tea. Right, right. I'm not mad at it, right? Like Lisa, I mean, yeah, Lisa and Faye sound great.
01:27:41 --> 01:27:57 Again, Lisa doing those verses, very sincere. Faye is powerful and commanding in those choruses. Yes. However, you know, we get that key change at the end. Oh, yes. Which sounds like it was pitched. Am I right? Um...
01:27:58 --> 01:28:26 It sounds like something going on, yeah. Because it's very nasally. Yeah. And squeaky. And I know Faye wouldn't sound like that. So it feels like they made the decision to do a key change after the fact of being in the studio. Anyway, imagine Claire taking over the choruses for that final key change. Yeah, that would have been more fun. And then Faye doing all those crazy ad-libs over it. And that would have been a true climax.
01:28:27 --> 01:28:50 You know what? It's starting to look a little suspicious because why couldn't y'all get Claire to do it? Yeah. Huh. Hmm. Huh. Yeah. I think melodically, the song is not bad. No. Like, I think it's a pretty melody. And production-wise, very typical pop ballad production. You get the twangy kind of electric guitar. You got the classic drum pattern.
01:28:50 --> 01:29:16 This time it's kind of just session singers, I think, in those BGVs. But lyrically, not my favorite. So we're back to that situation of you liking someone else while you're in another relationship. Jesus. But this whole framing of it wouldn't hurt so bad if it didn't feel so good. And like, I don't love, I don't love that.
01:29:17 --> 01:29:23 Uh, yeah, yeah. Because my thing is, listen, we together and you don't just break over me, please.
01:29:24 --> 01:29:54 don't embarrass me just break up with me please you know but yes I will say that this the lyrical content is like you know a little bit more grittier like slightly nothing crazy but like slightly grittier because of the content you know let me confess something messy it's a strong choice late in the album in terms of thematic elements because it's not just sad it's complicated I'm thinking about cheating on my lover
01:29:54 --> 01:30:16 But I'm going to dead the situation before things get dirty and messy, even more complicated. You know, it's funky and it feels like the arms sway and less like a glitter confetti cannon. Like, you know, that part of the concert where we're just swaying. That's what it feels like. And I think that's... Listen, all the other songs have been like these glitter confetti cannons, you know. This is kind of like the...
01:30:16 --> 01:30:36 moment. And I think that's because it kind of sounds like an all-saint song. And before, it was like, I don't hear you. Why are you comparing? Fine, I won't say that. It's not a bad thing, but I think it has that swing of R&B without actually being complete R&B. I mean, if you want a true example of what this song could have done,
01:30:36 --> 01:31:02 listen to lately by divine it literally has the same slow swing and it also and it has like a little bit like a little bit gospel organ moment which is really hot in the uk as you and i both know they love a good i like this moment i was singing like the choir you know so like i think if you want to hear an example of what this song could sound like lately by divine um that being said
01:31:03 --> 01:31:30 there are parts of the concerts where I'm wondering why they put this song on the set list. And I feel like if this song was in any concert set list, and if it was, I do apologize. I probably would be like, let me go to the bathroom real quick. I don't know, but I don't, I don't think so. Also this song, from my understanding, it's only on the standard edition of the UK version. And I think it bizarrely is on the U S version as well. But for a lot of the other countries, it was a bonus track.
01:31:30 --> 01:31:55 Interesting. I mean, I guess for America, it sounds like R&B. Can I just say, the U.S. tracklist is bizarre, the songs that they chose. However, they do open the album with Buzz, which I'm not mad at. Okay, yeah. See, I tell you, it's the whole R&B thing. Anyway, so back to Wouldn't Hurt So Bad, I'd give this a six. My God. I'll match you.
01:31:56 --> 01:32:21 Okay, so we're at the final track of the standard album. We have If You Believe by Jasper M., Jan Polsford, Cindy Lauper, Chris Porter, and Miss Faye Tozer. And Faye performed this actually twice. She did it solo on the Steps into Christmas tour, but she also remixed the track for the Gold Greatest Hits tour.
01:32:31 --> 01:32:45 Honey, she is all over this track. It definitely has finale energy. It's warm and opening, open and encouraging. And I think that's the whole thing. It's meant to be like this big moment of like, you know,
01:32:45 --> 01:33:12 love can work, love will make a way. And I appreciate that. It definitely feels like a final curtain call. Much of it's my favorite curtain call. But again, it's like, you know, everyone's singing together. We're all front and center. You know, the lyrics are about, like, not wanting to disappoint people with the choices I've made. You know, I appreciate that. It does feel really cinematic in the latter half of the song. Yeah. And what I appreciate about this song...
01:33:12 --> 01:33:32 is that the whole album actually is that the women on this in this group can actually sing there are many groups you have just women and only one of them saying it for real okay you know but i think everyone kind of holds it down their own way lisa can give you something faye holds it down clary
01:33:33 --> 01:33:44 We all know she can do it. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just, we all have something we can do, but all the girls, none of the girls are a black hole. I appreciate that. Has Faye done musicals before? She doesn't now.
01:33:44 --> 01:34:04 Okay, yeah, because I can totally hear it, especially when she, her choices in not saying me, because of the way her mouth might be held, as opposed to saying, do you believe, believe in me? I was like, go ahead, May. Yeah. Go ahead, May. Yeah. And you go back to dreams, May. I was like, girl, that don't rhyme, but I know what you're trying to say. You know, but.
01:34:05 --> 01:34:26 So I do appreciate, because I listen to her voice, I'm like, it's giving pure pop vocal, but I feel like she can give me, you know, something. With the vamping and the dancing and the, you know, hands out stretched and act ones and act twos. And I do appreciate the live performance of this a little bit more, I think. The live performance. Yeah, the remix saves this song.
01:34:27 --> 01:34:41 for me. Bum, bum, bum. Yes. Oh my God. Bum, bum, bum. Yeah. I love that performance, actually. With her, like, on this, like, scaffolding situation. Yeah, and the dancing. The...
01:34:42 --> 01:35:01 she kills it she kills it um okay so the album version i mean it totally sounds like cindy lopper yeah i tried to look up like if there was a story behind this like did they actually have a session together or was this like a cindy original that kind of got passed around or something right um
01:35:02 --> 01:35:23 Yeah, I think Faye sounds amazing. She does. The production is definitely giving 80s ballad with that ethereal guitar and the synths and everything. And yeah, she builds the song up really well. Like each chorus really grows and her full belt is just very satisfying. But yeah.
01:35:24 --> 01:35:47 Again, I feel like I say the same thing about these final ballads on these first three steps albums. It doesn't really belong. No. It's just such an outlier. Yeah. The remix makes it a bit more accessible. Yes. For sure. It's not like, wow. It just feels like we got to prove that we can actually sing. We know y'all can sing. Yeah. Your songs are hard. Yeah.
01:35:49 --> 01:36:16 no one's singing that but yeah um but yeah i think i mean i'm sure it's cool that she has like a cindy lopper co-written track yeah um but i much prefer faye solo's track from the last album oh yeah so i'll give this one a seven that's valid hmm
01:36:17 --> 01:36:26 I'm trying to think about the remix. Okay, I can match you here. I can match you here because I don't know if I love the song, but I don't dislike it as much as the previous one, so.
01:36:26 --> 01:36:52 Okay. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So that is the end of the standard UK track listing of Buzz, the third Steps album. There are some bonus tracks like Human Touch, like Mars and Venus, like Too Busy Thinking About My Baby. So if you want to hear us talk about those, join us on Patreon at patreon.com slash cctvpops. But until then, let's do our Cut or Keep.
01:36:52 --> 01:37:18 Yes, and if you're new here, if you are new here, my horn hates this. It's becoming a cow ear. It helps? It is. Hang on! Okay, here I am. And if you are new here, cut or keep is where we cut a song that does not need to be on the album. And keep is when we keep one song that will represent the whole album. It is difficult.
01:37:18 --> 01:37:45 But again, it's subjective. So if you have one, let us know. And don't get mad. We cut your favorite song. Sorry. Yes. Not really. Okay. What song would you cut? Because I feel like I know. I feel like I know. It has to be Wouldn't Hurt So Bad. It feels wrong to cut any of the solo tracks, it feels like. That's valid. You know what? I'm not going to lie to you. I would cut Claire's solo track. She deserves a better song. Period. Period.
01:37:46 --> 01:38:08 For me. We do get a second attempt for one of the B-sides. So we'll see what you think about that one. Yeah. So I'm just like, I would cut that. Sorry, guys. Okay. And for a keep? Ooh. Honey. Ooh. Okay. Hang on. I thought I had my keep in my head, but now I feel like it's just so obvious because it's a single. I'm trying not to pick a single, y'all. What would your keep be for single? Yeah.
01:38:08 --> 01:38:36 summer of love yeah yeah yeah i think between that one oh stomp and and here and now are both here too though so that's hard for me oh okay hang on um but i get your choice for sure but yeah i think out of the album tracks buzz oh what's the fun one okay yeah little little chris is singing and he's very happy i would see hearing that's another one i like the swedish pop sound so it's like they're already singles i mean like it is what it is so yeah
01:38:37 --> 01:38:46 Alright, so overall thoughts. I will say with this album, I think it is not usually a favorite for the fans.
01:38:46 --> 01:39:15 Oh, why I don't like it? Why I don't like it? I bet y'all was that fan. Why I don't like it? Well, for me, I think it, like I've been saying throughout this review, it's very clearly a transitional album. Oh, yeah. Like, I think the single run is super strong. Mm-hmm. All of the singles on this album are awesome for me. Yeah. The album tracks are okay, right? The self-written tracks are okay. Yes. So, like, this was kind of their opportunity to branch out from Pete Waterman
01:39:16 --> 01:39:44 attempt to mature their sound, but they didn't fully know where they wanted to go. And then, you know, we do have a couple new tracks on the Gold Greatest Hits Tour that we'll definitely talk about later on, where I think that you can... It feels like they're actually starting to find it a bit more, but then, of course, then they split. Yes. Right? So, to me, this does feel like a step, as pun intended, a step towards...
01:39:45 --> 01:40:05 what they wanted to become as they got older, but it's not like fully there. Yeah. How old were they? Like twenties? Yeah. Like I think, I think it. Transitioning to the mid twenties. Yeah. Yeah. You're at the age and you kind of want to get out to like, it's just that too. Like you're just like, Oh, how we've been doing this.
01:40:06 --> 01:40:28 okay right so like it's not the super cheesy bubblegum thing that we got with the first two albums um and yeah you can tell they're trying to like get out like get out a little bit from that while still not alienating their fans right so yeah so yeah i think it's i kind of get why people think it's not their best album um but i enjoyed the listen
01:40:29 --> 01:40:58 You know what? Yeah, I remember playing this when I was exercising. I was like, okay, this is good. Good pulsating beats and stuff. And I think what makes buzz stick, even if it doesn't stick for many people, isn't just the singles, it's the emotional sequences. You know, you got disco rush, romantic defiance, processing a breakup, smile through it, persona kind of songs. And then, you know, reflective emotions and things like that. So I think it's good in terms of it's like,
01:40:58 --> 01:41:21 emotional arc if you will um even though the ending feels a little bit of a letdown but it's inspirational it's an inspirational exit it's a big note at the end it isn't like you know we're breaking up it's like if if you want this to work we can make it work baby um so yeah i think that i appreciate how well they balance death depressing and dance you know i think
01:41:22 --> 01:41:45 you know so funny you talk about the end of the album even the u.s version which has a completely different track list they end with hand on your heart like it was just a thing i guess the a and r's back then they were like we must end with a ballad oh my god old men need to go somewhere with their old ballads and stuff man we want to shake our butts what are you doing all right y'all okay so what's your final rating for this album
01:41:46 --> 01:42:04 Ooh, not gonna lie, my scores were a little bit low, like this ear, my little devil horn. So I will probably give it like, oh, maybe a 7.5. It might be an 8 because the singles are so strong and the 10s that are 10s are good. So it's kind of sitting in this weird like limbo. Yeah. You know, so maybe fudge.
01:42:05 --> 01:42:17 Ooh, but do I like it more than the other ones? I would say yes. Maybe a little bit. Not the solo tracks, but the songs. Those singles. Oh my God. 7.5. Screw it. I'll take my lumps. I'll take my lumps. Okay. I'm going to...
01:42:18 --> 01:42:36 Okay, I think I will go eight because the singles are so strong. And I do think the song was like Happy Go Lucky and Paradise Lost and stuff. They're like, they're good. Yes. So I'll take it. Yeah. You'll be my true eight. I'll just be like the maybe kind of sort of regretful 7.5 over here. If you...
01:42:36 --> 01:42:53 You know, I can take my lumps in the comments. Drop some lumps. That's all right. I'll accept it. Yes, everyone. Give us all your thoughts on all the songs. What did we miss? What did we not? What did you not agree with? What did you agree with? Let us know. Yeah. Just let us know when you think of this whole era.
01:42:53 --> 01:43:20 Absolutely. Yeah. Huge shout out to our CCTV crew on Patreon. Hillary, Lily, Emily, Darius, Phoenix, Ren, George, Julianne, Jonathan, Janelle, Jasmine, Luke, and Ivana. We are so grateful to all of you. And for everyone, you can follow us everywhere at CCTV Pops. If you're watching on YouTube, don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on notifications. And if you're listening on a podcast app, a follow or rating really helps us out. Until next time, that's Chantel. That's Chris.
01:43:20 --> 01:43:32 And we are CCTV, the nonstop pop show. I don't know how many of you know. I don't know how many of you know.