With renewed attention on Victoria Beckham thanks to the hit Netflix documentary, itβs the perfect time to revisit her 2001 self-titled debut album. In this episode, Chris and Chantel Nicole dive into the music, image, and legacy of Posh Spiceβs solo era - one that was largely dismissed at the time. Was "Victoria Beckham" an overlooked gem? A misunderstood moment? Or simply not the pop moment it was supposed to be?
We break down the production, vocals, lyrics, and the industry context that may have stacked the odds against her. From "Not Such an Innocent Girl" to "Midnight Fantasy", weβre revisiting the album that had ambition, attitude, and a whole lot of fashion...Join us on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/CCTVPOPS
Follow us on social media: https://linktr.ee/cctvpops
- 0:00 - Intro
- 1:49 - "Victoria Beckham" Album Info
- 3:56 - "Not Such An Innocent Girl"
- 10:50 - "A Mind Of Its Own"
- 17:42 - "That Kind Of Girl"
- 21:31 - "Like That"
- 25:52 - "Girlfriend"
- 29:40 - "Midnight Fantasy"
- 34:18 - "I.O.U"
- 40:19 - "No Trix, No Games"
- 43:53 - "I Wish"
- 49:16 - "Watcha Talkin' Bout"
- 54:15 - "Unconditional Love"
- 57:27 - "Every Part Of Me"
- 1:00:40 - Cut or Keep
- 1:01:57 - Overall Thoughts & Final Rating
References:
- βNot Such An Innocent Girlβ MV https://youtu.be/Dl15xG3cHd4?si=m58Ugsjv5i8dEvUJ
- βNot Such An Innocent Girlβ Live (Both Versions) https://youtu.be/eTNwRB6_XDc?si=mezkQw0ES3X-BbQP
- βNot Such An Innocent Girlβ Live on CD:UK (Evil Version) https://youtu.be/ijAJaityAcU?si=ZYypY_Q2ykpL6kTn
- βA Mind Of Its Ownβ MV https://youtu.be/zGZj6lWlzu8?si=QaXUVu5-J4B2X5Q7
- βA Mind Of Its Ownβ Live at Des OβConnor https://youtu.be/terOqvMEzeQ?si=ZIwhaE4KXfWVxsCF
- βMidnight Fantasyβ Live at G-A-Y https://youtu.be/KUspyhrXvds?si=jIXKezTwE-e2ua25
- βI.O.Uβ Live at Parkinson https://youtu.be/Tvf04-F47d8?si=6BaG59UdHEqa3nSO
- βI Wishβ feat. Robbie Craig Live at Friday Nightβs All Wright https://youtu.be/aJKRFzrIXqc?si=RqAKMGEWMNcLre6j
00:00:00 --> 00:00:08 Victoria Beckham may be a fashion icon now, but she was the underrated Spice Girl who may have released Pop Gold with her self-titled debut album.
00:00:11 --> 00:00:31 We are so close to 6 subscribers on YouTube. Yay. Thank you all so much for joining the CCTV crew. And if you're on a podcast platform, please give us a rating, follow, and share the episode because it really helps us grow and find other global pop music fans. And if you're listening to Victoria Beckham, you clearly have good taste. So let's find more people with good taste.
00:00:31 --> 00:01:01 yes and if you do want to support the show hang out with us for exclusive live session to talk to us unfiltered and request episode topics you can become a crew member at patreon.com slash cctv pops and a huge shout out to all of our cctv crew members who who we will give a shout out toward the end of the episode because there's just so many of you like i'm overwhelmed it's great thank you all so yes we are finally doing a solo spice girls album this has been
00:01:01 --> 00:01:31 requested quite a lot over the past few years because I think Forever was one of our very first episodes. And we have since basically completed the Spice Girls catalog. Yes. All the B-sides, all the bonus tracks. There are rumors of this whole Forever 25th anniversary edition. So maybe some demos for us to review. But for now, we're finally getting into the solo Spice stuff. And while this isn't timed as perfectly as Right Back Atcha, I'll see you next time.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:47 and how they timed their episode perfectly with the Netflix documentary announcement we are here you know just a few weeks after this documentary was released so not that many weeks like one right yeah yeah we're good we're good yeah
00:01:47 --> 00:02:02 Alright, so let's get into it track by track and talk about the self-titled album by Victoria Beckham. It was released in October 2001. Victoria was the final Spice World to release her first solo album. And unfortunately, this remains Victoria's first album.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:28 only officially released album. However, the album did peak at number 10 in the UK's album chart and was originally titled Innocent Girl before being changed to the self title. And though the album was panned by critics at the time, looking back and especially after that recent Netflix documentary, it is clear that Victoria was often unfairly targeted by the British media no matter what she did. So let's take a proper look back.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:53 And we will now discuss the production, vocals, visuals, performances, and then drop our individual ratings. But viewer discretion is advised. Your fave will be criticized. Before we get into the songs, though, let's talk about this iconic album cover. Yes. You've got the bedazzled VB logo. You've got this panther. Uh-huh. And she's looking fierce. Yes. You know, she does have, like, feline...
00:02:54 --> 00:03:15 features you know and she's all slender and sleek like a black cat and i love the um baby fatness of it all with the vb in the in the and the panther kind of just sitting there i think it looks really sleek you know she's known for her little black dress it's like what sporty spice says in in the spice world movie should i wear the little gucci dress
00:03:15 --> 00:03:42 The little Gucci dress or the little Gucci dress. Yes. So, yeah, we're here for that. And then it has a cute little rhinestone choker. So it's like, ooh, what's going on? Why does it look so dangerous? So nice look. Nice look. I love it. It's very striking. And she looks amazing. Yeah. And I do think it does reflect what the vibe of the album is. Ooh, yeah. Yeah. It's quite confident. And like you said, it's sleek. Yeah.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:58 I'm here for this yes that panther is so funny like listen to the album we did so let's get into it and talk about these tracks starting with the first one Not Such An Innocent Girl
00:04:03 --> 00:04:25 And this was done by Andrew Frampton and Steve Kipner. And this was released as the first single from the album in September 2001. And the song was originally recorded by Willa Ford, but was never released. This song peaked at number six in the UK singles chart. And it was released the same week as Kylie's Can't Get You Out of My Head. Ooh, wow. I wonder what would have happened.
00:04:25 --> 00:04:43 Our crew member, Ren, says, I'll be honest, I don't remember anything off of this album bar Not Such an Anistate Girl, which in fairness is a great song. And we'll see if we agree or not. So, Chris, how do we feel about Not Such an Anistate Girl? Yeah.
00:04:43 --> 00:05:00 So we did talk about this already in our solo spice pop off episode. So definitely check that out if you haven't. But I do think Victoria going the more just R&B tinged pop route does make sense for her voice.
00:05:00 --> 00:05:21 And just her general vibe. And I think this is a pretty strong lead single. Like when you listen to the whole album, this is, I would say, one of the catchier tracks on there. And it is sonically representative of kind of where she was going. I do think the song itself is a tad...
00:05:21 --> 00:05:43 faceless in a way so if you listen to some of the spice girl stuff like she was i think at the helm of a lot of the more r&b ish stuff like she used saturday night divas for the credits of this netflix documentary and she often i think that is one of her favorite ones so that this vibe has always kind of been her yeah but i feel like just lyrically i just don't see her writing this
00:05:44 --> 00:06:11 Oh, yeah. You know? No, that's valid. Yeah. That's valid. However, I do think she sounds great. You know, in the Spice Girls, I mean, she was kind of shafted in general when it came to the vocal distribution. But, you know, when they sang together, it was usually the lower harmonies. She rarely got to do any ad-libs or any runs or anything. A bit more in the Victoria or in the Forever era, but not so much in the first two albums. So just hearing her full range. Yeah. Yeah.
00:06:11 --> 00:06:29 And in this song, I think she sounds really good throughout. Yes, I agree. Nice head voice moments. The runs and stuff are all very clean. And she does have quite a distinctive voice. So I think having now listened to the Williford version, I do think Victoria's is better.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:57 Because I like her tone. Yeah. Like it's kind, it's like this thicker, it's like she kind of sounds like J-Lo, but like way better. Oh. Do you hear that? I can get some J-Lo from that. That's so valid. But she does have very just signature stylistic things that she just does. And I will mention that more as we go through the album. Oh, fun. Okay. But yeah, I think it's a little safe.
00:06:57 --> 00:07:23 but for that era yes it's not a bad song no i think i like this song when we were doing our solo pop-off debut with sparkle right um i feel like this is like a her a good decent attempt at like dramatic pop with an edge like it's not what people know spice girls for so that's good good start um the production does lean on those slick synths and a driving beat it's like
00:07:23 --> 00:07:46 It's pop, for sure, but it has a little bit of an R&B sheen over it, you know? Yes. She's being a little defined. She's being a littleβit's about reinvention a little bit and self-assertion. It's like, you think you know me, but you don't. So I think in terms of her trying to say, like, hey, I'm not just, like, the posh one. I actually have a brain or I actually do have a voice. It's cool. But, I mean, the first note in the song is, like, her doing some littleβ
00:07:46 --> 00:08:06 You know what I'm saying? It doesn't hide her voice. She's not pos. She's not innocent. I think this is a good rebrand moment, I guess in a sense, where it's like, I'm a complex pop woman. The emotion here is giving performative confidence, but I like that. She should be able to...
00:08:06 --> 00:08:19 Not just be like, yes, I'm expecting a car to come pick me up at eight. It's more just like, this is confidence. She's talking about a secret rose tattoo that she's dying to show someone, even though it was always on her arm. I don't know how secret it was. But, you know...
00:08:21 --> 00:08:41 I mean, I think this was a fun song. And Hani, she was giving in the video, in the performances. She's one of those people. I looked at her and I don't think, oh, yeah, she's going to give me an A count. She gave us A counts. And she was on the floor. She was everywhere, up and down. Yes. One thing we definitely need to shout out. Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:41 --> 00:09:11 is there are two versions of the choreography. It's so hard to do that. And she did them both. Not just in the music video, but like across all of the promo appearances. Yeah. Which is insane. It's so hard to do. Like when a dance is in your body, it's just there and you shouldn't have to think too much about it. But in this case, and it's not even subtle differences. They're like huge, huge differences. Like the whole first verse is completely different. The bridge is completely different.
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 Yeah.
00:09:12 --> 00:09:41 And even the whole like performance style is a little different. Like the innocent one is more soft. It's more feminine. And then the, not evil, but. Love a chap. The darker Victoria. Dark Victoria, yes. More hard hitting, more kind of hip hop based street style dance moves. And she kills both of them. She does. So like shout out to her. Because again, it's like people looked at her and said whatever the heck they were saying. But I'm like, do you not see the material? Yeah.
00:09:41 --> 00:10:10 Do you not see the material? I love the styling. I mean, I think the double Victoria Beckham action is great. I love a good video that does that. Like, Boa has it for one of her music videos, Destiny's Child, done it for Lose My Breath. So it's a lot of effort to do that. The video was fun and futuristic. The flying bikes, you know, the special effects. You know, they had a budget. Whether or not it's her money or David's money, I don't care. But it was a good budget. It was Virgin's money this time. Yeah.
00:10:10 --> 00:10:29 right right right okay but yeah i think for this one it's a good like hey i'm here moment for her yeah and she was smiling so much so it's like i feel like she felt really confident with this one so i think she liked it if she did she doesn't now then you 20 years ago did girl so
00:10:30 --> 00:10:57 So for me, I think, I don't think we gave scores for the, we like did our pop off, right? But I did like this one. I think I had a couple of times where I let it win a couple of rounds, right? So for this one, I will give it, I'll give it an eight. It's not like perfect. There's one song that is on this album though. Oh, I will also give an eight. Next up is A Mind of Its Own done by Victoria Beckham, Steve Kipner and Andrew Frampton.
00:10:58 --> 00:11:16 And this was the second single from the album, released February 2002, and she recorded it in French also. And this was called, let's attempt to say this, Mon cΕur n'en fait qu'Γ sa tΓͺte.
00:11:17 --> 00:11:33 Is that right? We'll see. This peaked at number six in the UK singles chart. And our crew member Darius did not agree with this being the second single from the album. That's so funny. What do you think? I agree. I agree.
00:11:33 --> 00:11:55 I agree. I agree. I agree. I just feel like this. She should have kept up this momentum of like hot, pop, sleek girl. And this was not it. What I will say is that I appreciate the vulnerable self-awareness and self-regret. This is like Victoria's sad girl with lip gloss moment. You know, it's like it's gentle. It's floaty. And it's like I'm emotionally independent.
00:11:55 --> 00:12:13 But I'm also a human, you know? I think the song feels okay. I think the spoken parts make it a little bit more interesting. But the lyrics kill me. I know you're gonna burst my bubble. But my heart don't care. I was like, Jesus. So things like that, I was...
00:12:13 --> 00:12:37 Things like that. I was just thinking to myself, oh, man, come on. I don't know. I mean, the lyrics are a little too, like, he's trouble and I want him. And I'm like, I don't know. I'm not expecting her to be, like, Shakespearean on this track. But just lines like that while speaking, I think the speaking parts are cool. It's just the lyrics that accompany them are not great. Yeah. But I will say I do, like I said, the speaking part was great. The pre-hook teases some vocal notes.
00:12:37 --> 00:12:45 you know, power, and then it becomes airy as it breezes through this meh melody of the chorus. The chorus melody is not...
00:12:46 --> 00:13:13 My heart's talked about, bah, bah, bah. Don't listen to a word I say. Doesn't know that I get hurt, too. It just sounds like a weird, like, campfire song. I don't, mm. She sounds good, though. She sounds good. I'll give it to her. The harmonies, I like. The coolness of her voice, the introspection. Like, this is legit the sonic equivalent of crying but then checking to look, to see if your mascara is running in the mirror. Like, ugh.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:33 You know, so it's like, it's really pretty, but it's also like, I don't hate it. I don't hate it. As much as I'm teasing it, I don't hate it. I'm just like, oh my God. You know, it's like that quick mascara. It's like, oh, my mascara is running, but I'm still crying, you know? Yeah. It is okay.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:54 Yeah, this was an interesting choice for the second single. In a way, I could kind of see what they were going for. They were just trying to show a different side to her, right? Because, yeah, I mean, there are quite a few more heartfelt moments on this album. So I think they were just trying to showcase that a bit more. But I feel like,
00:13:54 --> 00:14:22 There were some other songs that were stronger than this one. So if they were going for that, I don't think I would have gone for this one. I agree. It does kind of have this campfire vibe to it. It has like a sing-along quality to it. And it is more warm. And yeah, I do think she sounds good. I will say. I do think she sounds great. The spoken verses are interesting. Yeah. I don't know if I like it. I like the spoken parts of some of her other songs. This one...
00:14:23 --> 00:14:43 I just wonder what it would sound like if there was a melody. You know, like maybe I would like it more if there was a melody instead of this low, breathy situation. I do like the other, like instead of the verses, I do like the, you know, stop, slow down, take a deep breath.
00:14:44 --> 00:15:04 I'm here for that. I'm kind of here for those little moments. But full verses of spoken moments, I don't know. Really. I was mentioning some of her signature vocal style things, though. And my favorite is the second verse. The last line of the pre-chorus. Um...
00:15:04 --> 00:15:19 It's like once bitten, twice shy, the lyric is, is what you get, right? But she goes, she doesn't say the S, she goes, what you get? She like does this crazy. What you get? Like it's like very dramatic. What?
00:15:21 --> 00:15:48 I didn't notice the scene that brought it up now. Like, yeah, she does have her moment. Which I'm here for. Yeah. Also, the ad-libs near the end are great. So, yes, I do think the vocal execution is good. It's just the actual song, not entirely sure here. The French version is also very random. Interesting. Right. You know? Interesting to hear her sing in French, for sure. I was going to say, the effort is there. So maybe that would have been a little bit more interesting had it been a French song. Like, 99 love balloons. You know, like that kind of situation.
00:15:48 --> 00:16:11 Um, yeah. Well, what did you think of the music video? Oh, with her, like, sitting there being all giddy and happy through a cemetery? Um, well, okay, so it's kind of weird, right? Like, she's in this park barefoot, which I'm already kind of like, hmm. Um, and then she ends up in this abandoned house, and then she gets in the bed of this abandoned house. And I'm like, why? Why?
00:16:11 --> 00:16:23 you know oh your face is getting like confusive Victoria would never I guess now Victoria would never she'd be like um no no no
00:16:24 --> 00:16:52 Um, I, you know, I appreciate the effort to make her seem quote unquote down to earth. Like she's not just posh. She's a stripped down. She'll go to a dilapidated house. Like, I guess. But yeah, I mean, every time I see someone singing through a forest that looks really misty and moist and crackly with them, like a misty and moist in the sky, but like all crinkly and crackly with the leaves and the sticks. I think of all Leah's four page letter. So I mean, like, I just, that's just a lot to live up to. That video was so fun. Um.
00:16:52 --> 00:17:15 But yeah, this one's okay. I mean, I love her haircut. I love the skirt, nice gowns, beautiful dresses, you know, like... Right. Nothing happened. Like, it's not very entertaining. It's not iconic. Absolutely not. No. She did sing this live on TV. Yes, she did. There are lip sync performances too, but there are some live versions. Yes. And honestly, she sounds pretty good. Like, the song is in her range.
00:17:15 --> 00:17:40 you know she is confident she seems confident singing this yes um it's safe vocally yes but i just i agree that this was just an odd choice for a second single word up yo yeah um okay i will give it a seven oh yeah i'll give it a seven i was gonna give something lower but i was like let me not be too harsh i feel like there's worse
00:17:40 --> 00:18:00 Somewhere. Yeah. Okay, guys. Moving right along to That Kind of Girl that was done by Jack Kugel, David Frank, and Steve Kipner. All right. That kind of girl. What?
00:18:00 --> 00:18:11 Oh, that kind of girl, man. This song. I can't with this one. Okay, so... You don't relate to this? You know, on a broke biatch level, yeah. So I relate, like...
00:18:12 --> 00:18:34 Champagne and a paper cup. Yeah, sure. The lies. The lies. But, you know, I think the production is smooth. The groove is moderate. It's less ambitious than the singles. But it is serviceable as like a middle-of-the-road radio fair kind of situation. This song is really one of those, I'm just like you. I'm down to earth.
00:18:34 --> 00:18:45 I just want love like any other person. I want to love you. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's one of those songs that terrible. I won't go so far. I'd be like, oh my God, I hated it. It was so bad. Blah, blah, blah. I won't go that far. Right? It was fun. It was cute. Um...
00:18:46 --> 00:19:16 But yeah, I'm just like, it's not bad. I like the concept of her being like, listen, I don't need a lot. I don't need much. I just want to be, I'm that kind of girl that you can just be with, you know? And I appreciate that. I appreciate the vocal textures through the song. Like, oof. Yeah, lots of texture here. She's singing in her head voice. Breathy singing. It was nice. Her desire for her person in that first verse is obvious, you know? Like, I'm usually shy, but tonight, because it's you, I'm not.
00:19:16 --> 00:19:35 I love that every time we say the lyrics in these songs, we both put on this low, breathy moment I know, it's so hard not to Hey, you know what? It was effective She did her job Oh my god, so funny What are your thoughts about it?
00:19:35 --> 00:19:51 I mean, okay, I think I like the melody of the song more than the lyrics. Like, I actually think the melody is very nice. It sounds very sweet and warm. I like the kind of R&B ballad vibe of it all. Right, right. Right.
00:19:52 --> 00:20:11 But the actual lyrics kind of bring it down for me. Like, it is just very cheesy. Yeah. You know? And there are little production elements that make it even more cheesy. Like, that line in the second... I think the second time the chorus comes around, there's that, like, laughing when you're making love line. Oh, and she goes, oh, oh, oh, oh.
00:20:14 --> 00:20:34 Exactly. That was like, that is so unnecessary. Like you do not need to drive that point in like it makes it even worse, you know, like, so I feel like the lyrics actually bring this song down because I feel like if you wrote another song on top of this, like with different different lyrics, but kept the same melody, it's actually a really nice melody. Yeah, I think so. Yeah.
00:20:34 --> 00:21:02 And she sounds good again. Like the song, I think she's, yeah, she sounds very warm, which is nice here. And yeah, I do like the way they built the song. Like they do overlay the pre-chorus over the chorus and the final choruses. And there's some ad libs as well. So it does climax nicely. There's some nice harmonies and stuff too. Yeah, I agree. Yeah. But yeah, I think this is, the song is just brought down by the lyrics, I think. Yeah.
00:21:02 --> 00:21:30 Yeah. Okay, so I think it's going to be like a running thing here, guys. So if I do say it again, I'm going to say it again. Oh, no apology. But if I say it again, at least you guys know we're kind of sitting here. There's so much potential here. Yes. But I do believe the album does get a little bit more juicier as we go along. So let's just keep going. What do you rate this one? I'll give this one a seven. Yeah. I will match you with a seven. Nothing too low. I don't want to give anything too low, you know? Yeah. All right. Okay.
00:21:30 --> 00:21:54 Next is Like That, done by Matt Prime and Victoria Beckham. All right. Like that. Okay, now we're going a little more up-tempo again. Or at least, maybe not more up-tempo, but at least a bit more energy. Yeah, yeah. Okay, this one was a little bit confusing.
00:21:56 --> 00:22:18 The lyrics, right? Yeah. Yeah, the lyrics are very confusing. That's like all my notes. Really? Okay, yeah. Listen, I copied and pasted. I was like, yeah, okay. So, wait. Okay. Fans, I need to know. I was thinking, like, I thought the song was very much like in the mirror. You know, like, myself said, hmm? You know, it's giving that kind of vibe. But...
00:22:18 --> 00:22:34 Like, there's background vocals that sound like an inner thought, inner turmoil, and then she responds to it. Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. But, like, also, she could be talking to a friend. And I'm like, I don't feel like she's talking to a friend. And if she is, it didn't make that clear. So I was just like, mm, mm, mm.
00:22:34 --> 00:23:00 But overall, I think the song gives me the sense. It gives me strings. It gives me suspense. Harper's Scores and the 2000s are like cookies and cream, white and snow. It just goes together, you know? But yeah, I just, I do appreciate this one a lot. It's definitely of its time. But this is up my alley. This is one of those other songs that made me go, oh, I like this. Wow. Maybe she's really underrated. Like, wow. I don't know if she was cooking like this.
00:23:00 --> 00:23:14 She has good taste. So, yeah, I think it was... It's nice. I like the lyrics. Like, you know, you remember the lies that you denied. Remember how he hurt you? Do we want to go back to that? And the answer is no. Absolutely not. And I think one of my favorite parts is...
00:23:14 --> 00:23:31 The background vocals on this one, like I said, being the inner thoughts, but then after the last chorus, you get a post chorus and it kind of gives you a little bit of a resolution. Like the guy's paying for his mistake now. And I think it's less just like, we're not going to let him come back. It's like, no, he's paying for it.
00:23:31 --> 00:23:59 Very gloaty, very petty I'm here for it, absolutely here for it But again, just confusion about thematically What we're trying to What's the POV here? That's about it though But aside from that The lyrics are definitely confusing Because it's like, you go from using First person, where it does sound like She's speaking to herself Yes But then, at other points, like you mentioned It sounds like her Talking to a friend Yeah
00:23:59 --> 00:24:22 And helping her through this situation or trying to just like drill it into her like you deserve better than him. Do better. So like part of me was like maybe this was written for a girl group and it's kind of like Destiny's Child's Girl where one of the members is like going through this and the rest are the supportive friends around her. And they forgot to fix that for a solo artist. No.
00:24:24 --> 00:24:44 I was riding with you. He said it. I forgot to fix it. I don't know. Cause yeah, it kind of just, it's not logical when it switches between first person to like third. I guess it's kind of third person. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cause Ellie, he is always a he.
00:24:45 --> 00:25:03 Oh, yeah. But the you is sometimes herself and sometimes someone else. Okay. That's where it's confusing. Maybe she is talking to herself. Like, oh, God, let's not. But I know. I know. Okay. You know what? Maybe it's for all the women out there.
00:25:04 --> 00:25:31 for all the people out there, whomever, however you identify. I mean, there's quite a specific story she's telling though. So I don't. That was me. Anyway. Okay. Anyway, aside from the lyrics, I agree with you. Yes. I like this one. Me too. Great melodic moments. Yes. I do like the way, like, especially with the pre-chorus, it's like you get the questions and then, you know, I think it's fun. Um,
00:25:31 --> 00:25:52 And the whole melody, it's fun to sing along to, for sure. I do think this is one of the stronger songs on the album, like, overall. I have on my nose too, Defo strong track on the record. Yeah. Despite these lyrics being a little confusing. Yeah. Like, huh? Okay, so I'll give this an 8.5. This one's my 8. Okay.
00:25:52 --> 00:26:12 Up next is Girlfriend. Girlfriend, let me give you something I know that you love. And this was done by Jay Valentine, Dane Bowers, Damian Thomas, Harvey Mason Jr., and Victoria Beckham. And it was produced by the Underdogs. Yes. All right. Okay, Underdogs.
00:26:12 --> 00:26:41 you know we know them they've done some great songs um that i love yes and yeah they did this kind of 2000s r&b dance pop thing very well so they make sense as a collaborator yeah here for her um yeah there's a great energy to the song it's very catchy um the lyrics definitely tell a story and all the melodies are quite dramatic like i like the way the cadence of the melody is done and the kind of staccato kind of drive of it yeah um
00:26:41 --> 00:26:45 And then the dance break is perfect. Yes.
00:26:45 --> 00:27:12 It's perfect. Especially the little spoken moment going into it, too. You should really saw him. That's wild. He said he was blowing my back out last night. You should have seen him. That's crazy. I know. I know. One thing that does distract me, though, and this isn't just for this song, but this is one of the ones that I noticed it in, the background vocalists are not her. Ooh.
00:27:12 --> 00:27:33 And there are a few songs where this is the case. Right. And it actually is quite distracting because she doesn't have the most powerful voice, but she has a very distinctive tone. So it's very noticeable when it's not her. But then they also sometimes overpower her a little bit. Mm-hmm.
00:27:33 --> 00:28:03 Yeah, that's valid. So, yeah, this is one of those ones where it's a bit distracting for me, and I wish she just recorded all the background vocals as well. Right. Yeah, I think this one's fun. Yes, this one's fun for me, too. I feel like the lines are crazy in this song, but Tony Braxton has a sister song in the UK. This is like, he wasn't man enough for me, but she's more just like, I slept with him. Okay. He wasn't your boyfriend last night. And you ain't his girlfriend any more than I am. It's like, you know, like...
00:28:04 --> 00:28:19 Like, it's just the storytelling of this one is great. Like, you know, found my number in his pants and you hit me with the, hey, Barbara, this is Shirley. Girl, if you don't get off my damn phone, talk about him. Talk about him to him about his behavior. Don't talk to me.
00:28:19 --> 00:28:40 So I think... Hello, Barbara, this is Shirley. If you guys don't know, Woman to Woman is an old, old soul record where this woman named Barbara calls a woman named Shirley. No, sorry, a woman named Shirley calls Barbara. And there's a response called, From His Woman to You. And I guess Victoria is singing From His Woman to You.
00:28:41 --> 00:28:58 So hello, Barbara, this is Shirley. Okay, go off my phone. But yeah, the production is of its time and I love it. It's fun. It's bouncy. And it's right up in my alley in terms of style. So I think this is a good follow up for the previous track. Like that just kind of falls right into this one nicely. Yeah.
00:28:59 --> 00:29:25 The emotion feels relatable in his pettiness. Like, girl, you've got bigger problems than me. Truly. Because, hello. And even though her voice is thin, she does a good job of giving you some sass and attitude. Which is why. I feel like, you know what? This was not a bad attempt. It doesn't affect she's wearing a costume and like playing dress up. Yes. You know? So I like this one too. Yeah. I agree. She does emote quite well, actually. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:29:25 --> 00:29:40 I think this one is eight worthy for me. I like this one because I just think it's so funny. Okay, I'll do 7.5. Girl, friend, is it? Really? Oh, you should have seen. You know, whatever the hell she's... I have to suck with melodies, but the point is... Girl, friend.
00:29:40 --> 00:30:00 Okay, next is Midnight Fantasy, done by Victoria Beckham, Anders Hansen, and Johan Aberg. And this song was performed once as a campy cheerleader-themed performance at GAY. And there's a very low-quality video of this available on YouTube, which is totally worth watching.
00:30:00 --> 00:30:12 And actually on Spotify, this song has way more streams than any other album track. And our crew member Darius thinks that Midnight Fantasy was 100% a missed single opportunity. I agree.
00:30:15 --> 00:30:41 I agree. I agree. My undisputed favorite on this album. It's escapism. It's romantic idealism. It's sensual. It's playful. I love that balance. The verses sound seductive and enticing. And then suddenly you're blueskadooed right into this purple pink fairy line with butterflies and warm lights. I think this is a lighter pop kind of.
00:30:41 --> 00:30:59 track with catches. The hooks are catchy and there's a lot more open arrangement. Like everything kind of just not prances, but there's something frolicky about her saying that I'm like gonna rock your dang world, you know? The song is very bright for a
00:30:59 --> 00:31:21 song about being someone's midnight fantasy. I'm not sure about you, but I could totally hear like Rina Sawayama or even Addison Rae covering this. Like if you listen to Addison Rae's album, it's, she had a bunch of Swedes on her stuff. So it's like, she would totally do this. Yeah. Make it sound a little bit more like whispery, breathy, like, you know, like baby vocals, but it's fine. But Rina Sawayama has lucid, um,
00:31:21 --> 00:31:50 Yeah. That kind of fits like this or even like a K-pop company buying their rights and releasing this as like a, an album track. The song is bright. It's fun. It's good. Again, undisputed fave for sure. Yes. Also agree. This is the one on the album. God, the Swedes, the Swedes know how to write a pop song. This is true. Yeah. Yes, I agree. Definitely miss single opportunity for sure. Like if this was the follow up, I feel like instead of a mind of its own. Yeah. Yeah.
00:31:50 --> 00:32:15 I feel like potentially her whole music career could be completely different. Yeah. That could have changed the entire trajectory of what happened. And she might even still be singing now, you know? Right. Yeah, it's sparkly. It's slick. It's sexy. And yeah, the whole kind of dance pop moment is great for her. The chorus is like, it's just so fun to listen to, to sing along to, to dance to.
00:32:15 --> 00:32:23 And yeah, she sounds really good. Love all the harmony layers. Some great ad libs here. I love the spoken. Come on, come on.
00:32:25 --> 00:32:53 As well. You do her so well. And then, yeah, this performance that we got. Oh, my God, yes. At G-A-Y. So I've been to G-A-Y. And I actually went... The first time I went was right after Girls Aloud's 10 tour. Oh, wow. And Atomic Kitten were performing. Jeez. And it was for the big reunion. And I think the time after that, I went after, I think, Beyonce. Oh, wow. And, like...
00:32:53 --> 00:33:05 It was like the best drag queens were all there. And I was like, wow, this club has like amazing. That's really cool. Amazing booking. That's so cool. And so watching this performance, I'm like, dang.
00:33:06 --> 00:33:27 All this for a club? Club. Right. She came down on a bed. Right. She came down on a bed. There's a lot of dancers. Yeah. And they literally, I don't think she ever performed this ever again. I watched the full performance. This whole thing was exclusive to G.A.Y. That was so, honestly, that whole performance was weird because she did Not Such An Innocent Girl act.
00:33:27 --> 00:33:55 At first. And then IOU. Not IOU. She did IOU. I think she did IOU. And then she did this. And then she did a freaking encore in a different outfit of not such an innocent girl. She had to show both dance routines. Yeah. Go ahead, girl. But also, she was singing along live. She was. While she was doing this very jumpy cheerleader situation. And she sounded good.
00:33:55 --> 00:34:22 She did. Shout out to her. I love this one. Yes. Ten for me. Definitely a ten. Yeah. Also, clearly everyone has great taste because it literally is, aside from the two singles, the only one that has over a million streams on Spotify. It's a great song. I'm a midnight fantasy. That's right. Up next is I owe you.
00:34:22 --> 00:34:51 And this is done by Chris Braid, Angie Frampton, and Victoria Beckham. She did performance a few times on variety shows, including Parkinson with live vocals and David staring at her lovingly. I remember that performance. That was weird. He was just like... You didn't think it was sweet? It was to a certain extent, but then his light skinness started popping out. He's like, you light skin? He said that. He said... You singing to me, girl? Uh-huh.
00:34:51 --> 00:35:20 Yes, she was. Yeah, I know, but it's just... Listen, people who know, know. He wasn't, hey, Joe Laskin behind. He had the buzz cut, too. He was feeling himself. He looked good. He did, but he had a Laskin face. Listen, he had a Laskin face. But it's okay. It's okay. He earned it. He earned it. I mean, while we're speaking of the performance, I will say I do think it's funny that they paid this whole fake band and fake background singers to, like, mime behind her as she sang live.
00:35:20 --> 00:35:43 yeah i was like wow that's a big budget but you got all these people on stage to not actually like anything live i guess it legitimized the performance we're right because it would look crazy if she was just alone on that huge stage i get it but but yeah i just think it's interesting that you know a lot of these shows they don't actually have the ability to even hook up enough mics to do a live band so right
00:35:44 --> 00:36:12 Gotta mind it. Okay. This song, I don't like. The strings are quite nice at the beginning. And then as they come in a bit later, they're very nice. But the actual production, I was very thrown off. I haven't listened to this in years. I was very, very thrown off after that little string intro when it turns into this like 80s synth moment. And I was like, oh. Like I kind of wish it just stayed like orchestral. Yeah.
00:36:12 --> 00:36:29 Or at least a bit more organic, because I don't love the kind of 80s production choice that they made here. Okay, yeah. So I do think it would have been better if they went something, I don't know, they made a different choice there. Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:29 --> 00:36:58 Yeah, I just, I don't like the melody of this song. Like those constant, I owe you. Which you were doing earlier, I can't even do it. I owe you. I'm just going to laugh every time. It annoys me. Like every time it comes up, I'm like, okay, this is like a little grating. Wow. And I think vocally, this song unfortunately does show some of her...
00:36:58 --> 00:37:26 limitations a little bit. Because I think she's trying to really push the power a little bit. And I wonder if it would have sounded better if it was a bit more delicate instead of this more kind of throaty execution. That's valid. Like a good example is in the bridge. The first part of the bridge is quite pretty because she's in her head voice, and there are these harmonies and stuff. And then right after the second half, then she really tries to push it again. Yeah. Don't love that.
00:37:26 --> 00:37:53 that's valid. You know, I think you and I had a similar sentiment. I was like, the pulsing and bouncing percussion kind of ruined it for me. I feel like for me, the lyrics aren't too much of an issue. Like, I like the sappiness of them to a certain extent. I'm a romantic girl, if I'm like, oh, so sweet. But I think I agree with you. The whole, I owe you. I'm not like, okay, I get it. Like, it's just, mm. Um. Yeah.
00:37:55 --> 00:38:01 You just say you're going to laugh every time I did it. I know. I'm going to laugh every time. Yeah. It's funny. It's funny. Okay.
00:38:02 --> 00:38:30 You know what, my friend is a man of his word. But yeah, so the bridge section is the highlight. You know, that little, the harmony there, and the whispery kind of like, oh, delicate boy situation. But yeah, that light belt moment takes you out of it. The strings are the best part. I mean, the song is sweet, and I mean, 25 years later, I guess it worked, you know? I don't know if she still owes him, but you know.
00:38:30 --> 00:38:55 um well he supported her business oh i don't know but yeah i think this song was meant to be like the emotional humility that softens this album's glossy veneer um so okay thanks for the inside look of your inside your perfect relationship perfect perfect perfect um at the time
00:38:55 --> 00:39:06 Well, whatever it seemed like. I mean, what it looked like at the time, right? So I think it's a very sweet song. And shout out to her for creating a track for this buzz-cutted man.
00:39:06 --> 00:39:32 At the time. Yeah. A footballer. I wonder, I mean, maybe someone remembers kind of the press at the time. Like, I wonder if she chose this because they were hoping that the David connection would maybe connect with people more. But, you know, for all these... It wasn't just Parkinson. Like, there's quite a few performances of the song. At least a handful. And it's like, you really should have used that slot to promote, you know, sing something else from this album. Yeah.
00:39:33 --> 00:39:58 Like, no offense. I think people are that wrapped up in her being his wife at that point. Well, I think, honestly, I think people are also just very jealous that she is with him or was with him at the time. Right. And that, I think, led to some of the negativity that surrounded her at the time. People didn't want her to succeed because they already felt like she had it all kind of thing.
00:39:58 --> 00:40:16 Hayton. Yeah. Hayton. Yeah. Ugh. Anyway, I give this one a six. Okay, okay. I'm at you. This is not the bad one on this album, y'all. We're getting close to her, though. Is it not? Um, this one I think is worse. Okay.
00:40:18 --> 00:40:39 Next up is No Tricks, No Games. Tricks with an X. This was done by Steve Kipner, Andrew Frampton, and Victoria Beckham. You see, no tricks, no tricks, no games, just me, just me. Okay. No tricks. Ridiculous. Like the cereal.
00:40:40 --> 00:41:10 I know, it's just so funny. Sorry. No chicks. No games. All right, the emotional walls are dropped and we're going for assertiveness. You know, she's clocking in with this garage tinge beat in the baseline. This one is definitely more of the rhythmic forward tracks that I like on here. You know, she's grounded. She's like, you know, I don't need to do anything. No makeup. I can take all of this off. Like, it's going to be just me.
00:41:10 --> 00:41:32 Yeah. So, yeah, I think it's most it's pretty grounded. I think the energy is saying I want you, but I have to play it cool until I know you're here for the long run, you know. So I think I appreciate how like even though she's coming across as a cool girl, she's also like, I want to be vulnerable, but you got to earn it, baby. So I like that, you know, yeah.
00:41:33 --> 00:41:56 why you're right we keep doing this voice thing i know i mean even in this one no tricks no games i love i love when she talks it's great me too icon okay maybe that's what it is i think that the stood the strings in the song add to the complex production present in the song everything is super smooth so yeah i like this one it's a good one it's fun i like it no tricks no games
00:41:56 --> 00:42:10 Yeah, yeah. That's super catchy. I really like it. I do love the way she pronounces buttons. I know what buttons to push to turn a man on. No buttons. Buttons.
00:42:16 --> 00:42:32 I love that. Every time it comes up, I like over, you know, over accentuate it. Yeah, she does do a good job with songs like this, right? Because it is still slick, but there is an attitude to it. So it fully fits.
00:42:32 --> 00:43:02 her tone and she does a really good job at it um and there's a confidence you can feel a confidence in it for sure um yeah i think it's a decent album track i think this is maybe not as good as some of the more upbeat stuff on this album but it did grow on me as i kept listening through the album i will say it didn't really stand out too much the first couple times around
00:43:02 --> 00:43:23 um yeah i i do i i do want to talk about her second album i know it was never released oh wow most of it has leaked and of course you know beyonce stole one of those songs um but you know i feel like okay she took one of the songs um
00:43:25 --> 00:43:51 I'm going to keep calling her a thief. It was Victoria's originally. Oh, crying. But yeah, I feel like she really kind of figured out her sound kind of later on better. But this is kind of a good like first step into it. Okay. So, yeah. Nice. Okay. I will give this an eight. This one's 7.5 for me. Okay. Okay.
00:43:52 --> 00:43:58 All right, up next is I Wish, and this was done by Soul Shock, Carlin, Eugene Wilde, and Peter Biker.
00:44:03 --> 00:44:31 And this song was planned to be the third single with a remix featuring Robbie Craig, a UK garage and R&B singer known for his collaboration with Artful Dodger. And apparently the single was scratched because Victoria became pregnant. But the single version was performed once on television. So we got something. We got to hear it. Yes. This one's interesting. It just sounds like, um, I'm real. What you get is what you see. I said J-Lo too. Oh.
00:44:31 --> 00:44:39 Yeah. Okay. Yeah. You, I mean, you called it in the beginning and now you said, I think her vocal tone kind of sounds like JLo, but this song definitely sounds like JLo. Yes.
00:44:39 --> 00:45:07 I agree. It sounds just like I'm real. The original version, not the one which I'll rule when she drops the N-word. But yeah, I think this is... Yeah. I'm just being silly and petty. Okay. But yeah, I think this one has that sleekness to... I do like the duet that was performed. I know I'm jumping and going a little bit, but I do like that duet that was performed. This one sounds good, but what's with the background vocalist? She is...
00:45:07 --> 00:45:35 Yes. Oi. This is another example. She's all over this. Dude, I don't. But it makes me go like, okay, I don't dislike the song because of that. You know, like, I don't know. How do you feel about it? Because I feel like that didn't bother me as much. And I like that she's sitting in the pocket with this song. There's a lot of just kind of like grooves here. And she's singing on, not that singing on beat is super difficult. But she's got the swing. She's got the groove. You know what I'm saying? Oh, yeah. So I appreciate it, you know? Yeah.
00:45:35 --> 00:45:55 Yeah, I do like this one. I agree with you. I also have a note that this is another one where the background vocalists kind of overpower her and it's distracting that it's not all just her. But I think the chorus melody is great. I think the lyrics are interesting, too. Like this whole idea of self-control. Yeah. Even though you're...
00:45:55 --> 00:46:07 ready to jump their bones, I guess. Yes. I kind of like the subject of it, and I like the way the lyrics are written. So I could see it as a single...
00:46:07 --> 00:46:37 I do find it kind of annoying that, you know, she did write the majority of this album. And of course, like, they were like, oh, let's choose another one that you didn't write to be a single. Like, I find that kind of weird because, I don't know, like, for example, the Spice Girls, you know, they're so proud that they've written every single one of their songs. And if you look through all the solo Spice stuff, they also wrote the majority of their stuff. So I don't love that the label seemed to be pushing, like, the few tracks that she didn't write, I guess. Yeah. Yeah.
00:46:37 --> 00:46:42 But, you know, I do agree with you. I think the version with Robbie...
00:46:43 --> 00:47:07 um was strong it was strong um i was listening to right back at you they were mentioning that he while he was relevant they probably could have gotten someone bigger because you know it's posh spice so they were like it could have been someone from blue you know it could have been someone from another group at the time that was hot and like kevin from liberty x or you know like yeah yeah
00:47:07 --> 00:47:27 No offense to Robbie. Yeah, no offense, but no, I get what she said. Just in terms of like marketing, you know. Yes, I agree. Okay, yes. You know what? Right back at you is, you know, one of those shows where I'm just like, damn, they'd be dropping gems. And it's true. I agree. As you mentioned, I'm like, dang, that would have been amazing. If only we can go back in time.
00:47:27 --> 00:47:56 And have us on their teams. Hello. Yeah. I will say the one thing with the performance, though, is it did feel a little like that was the first time they ever met. Met. Yes. Like, their chemistry was not there at all. Yeah. Even their performance style, like, their stage presence was not matching. Like, the energy was not matching each other. Yeah. And there was one moment where I think he tried to, like, put his arm around her. Around her. And she kind of just... She wasn't really feeling it. Like, it was a little odd. Yeah. Yeah.
00:47:56 --> 00:48:23 Yeah, he tried. She kind of was just like... I mean, she was kind of in her singing. Yeah, she was bouncing. He was just like, I'm a ballad singer, my love. I need to touch my duet partner. You know? That's what it's giving. The harmonies that he added were nice, though. Yeah, that's why I like it, because it's nice. Kind of giving that little push and pull. Yeah, I do wonder how it would have done. But I feel like...
00:48:24 --> 00:48:51 It just wasn't coming together for her at this time. So I'm not sure it would have made much impact anyway. Hmm. So I know they blamed her pregnancy with Romeo, but. Oh. Shrug. You know. Shrug. You know, yeah, you're right. All right. Wait, hang on. Wait, all that said, wait, what did you rate this song? I forgot. I actually like it. I'll give it an eight. Okay, not bad. Mm. Mm.
00:48:53 --> 00:49:22 Dang. I see why you gave it an 8. I was going to give it a 7.5, but the way I talk about it, I don't dislike the song and it doesn't like J-Lo. And I do like J-Lo. So I will match you, actually. I'll bump her up. I don't want to give her a low score for no reason. I think it grew on me. This one grew on me because I think I heard what you heard. I was like, this don't sound like her. But yes, 8. All right, moving right along to what you talking about, Willis? Oh, yeah.
00:49:26 --> 00:49:55 And this was done by Soul Shock, Carlin, Nate Butler, and Victoria Beckham. Oh, yes. This one is just... Not a harpy square. Harp. A harp. A harp. There we go. I like this one. It's more conversational mid-tempo. It's pleasant. Not a huge standout. But it is pleasant. There's a lot of, like... What's the word for it? The J-Lo thing. I can totally hear it. I mean...
00:49:55 --> 00:50:10 I also, for whatever reason, keep singing the melody to Unpretty by TLC in the first verse. Yeah, I don't know what that is. Only the first verse, though. Not like anything else. But yeah, I like this one. I think because of the harp score or the harp.
00:50:10 --> 00:50:39 harp sound. I would say, again, it's just pleasant middle of the road for me. I like the production a little bit more, I would say, than I do like the vocals. At this point, we're getting to this, it sounds like the other tracks that you already have in this style. We're getting to that point for me. But it's not a bad song. It's solid. And again, I like her attitude. I do wonder who she's talking about because she kept saying the fame and the fans. Oh,
00:50:41 --> 00:51:05 Okay, well, that answers that question. Well, why do you think it's about Jerry? The fans and the fame changing her. I mean, that's valid. Okay, okay, that's valid. And she was talking, you know, some stuff in the press at the time. Ooh, see, this could have been a single. Stop talking about your man. Yeah, talk about Jerry. Right. Wait, hang on. That would get some attention. Maybe not. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
00:51:07 --> 00:51:32 whoops you know what me since i'm like who are you talking about it's so obvious he literally says they you started doing us wrong like us who's else is us man listen y'all getting back in my body yes the song though i think because i was sitting here listening to it and it sounds like the other like r&b tracks and like the arrangement sound you know at this point i'm like i need something a little bit different but i do appreciate the disc record of it all
00:51:33 --> 00:51:40 I do appreciate that for sure. Yeah. Yeah, it is interesting. Um,
00:51:41 --> 00:52:04 I mean, the whole relationship with Jerry is quite interesting. I think I forget when it happened, but in her autobiography, she does talk about how I think she did attempt to meet up with Jerry kind of post her leaving. And I forget if it was before or after this song came out, but she did mention that then the press showed up and she knew that Jerry told them.
00:52:04 --> 00:52:34 Yeah. Not keep tipping the press. Yeah. And so this whole kind of thing of like, there's no way I'm hanging out with someone like you, you know, kind of thing. It felt like that a little bit, like redressing that a little bit. And then of course, I'll just talk about how fame and fans, then you thinking you're better than us and stuff. Like if you look at, go back to forever, tell me why. Oh yeah. Same theme, same ideas in that. Right. No, you're so right. Yeah. So, so yeah. Uh,
00:52:34 --> 00:53:01 At least they've made up now. Jerry was at the Netflix documentary premiere. Oh, that's so nice. Yeah. Yeah, I will say my favorite line of this is, We're watching a DVD. What's a DVD? What's that? At least it wasn't VHS. Oh, yeah. This was kind of, you know, DVDs were still quite new in 2000. Yeah, the DVD made you had money.
00:53:02 --> 00:53:23 DVD, Dollars, very Dollaren. Yes. I will say her breathy vocal in this. Yeah. This is kind of what I meant for IOU. This is way more relaxed. And I kind of like how, yeah, I like how open it feels. And it doesn't feel like she's pushing too hard. So I do think she sounds good here. Yeah.
00:53:24 --> 00:53:43 Yeah, it's fine. I think melodically, nothing really stands out about it. It's just all a bit fillery. So it's just kind of middle of the road for me. I think the fact that it's about Jerry, or at least the guess that it's about Jerry, is the most interesting thing about it.
00:53:46 --> 00:54:06 yeah i get it's not bad it's just no yeah no i have no desire to ever listen to it you know i mean no i agree yeah and i think just looking at spotify it is the least streamed song on this album interesting yeah well okay yeah what score did you give it now i'm so curious a seven it's
00:54:07 --> 00:54:20 Okay, I'm going to do 6.5 because I don't think that... Yeah, fair. Not bad, not bad. Just tired of it now. All right, moving on to Unconditional Love, and this was done by Rhett Morins and Victoria Beckham.
00:54:25 --> 00:54:54 Okay, we're back here at a sweet ballad. Balladry has returned. Yes. What are your thoughts on this one? So I'm guessing this is the one you think is the worst song. Or worse than I.O.U., right? Yeah. Yeah, so I'm the opposite of you. I think this one is better than I.O.U. Marginally. Oh, okay. Now it's all. I hear you. Marginally. Now I hear you. Again, I feel like the production lets it down a little bit. Because, again, we're back to this kind of like...
00:54:56 --> 00:55:23 Fake guitar strums and fake drums. And you get record scratches and twinkly synths. I really don't like that. And then even with the vocal production, there's the vocoder on the bridge. I feel like this could have had the more campfire-y vibe. And it would maybe help to tie it back to A Mind of Its Own. Because actually, listening to the whole album, A Mind of Its Own is kind of...
00:55:24 --> 00:55:52 Like kind of an outsider. Oh, yes. It's the only one that has that kind of more organic, slightly more organic kind of like singing song-y thing going for it. It's very all saints of her. Yeah, this one's just, I don't know, don't love the production of it. I think the melody actually is nice. The lyrics, again, are very cheesy, but she sounds, you know, warm and sincere. Yeah.
00:55:53 --> 00:56:14 No. You know, I said the same thing. Cheesy beat sounds like karaoke. Yeah. Okay, here the album is starting to tilt toward earnest balladry. You know, it's heartfelt. It's super safe, though. I don't feel like there's any, like, even if you are going to do a ballad, you don't have to be the run of the mill by the numbers with production. So I feel like that was kind of a slight...
00:56:14 --> 00:56:26 It doesn't service her. I appreciate the sentiment, but lyrically, this is nothing special. When I see the bright lights in your eyes, I feel like the birds just learn to fly. Yawn.
00:56:26 --> 00:56:52 Yawn. Like, really? Come on. This is a sequel to IOU. A bonus track would have been better here at this point. Yeah. Because we get enough bonus tracks. We are going to talk about the bonus tracks, guys. We did not say this. But in our Patreon episode, sorry, in our Patreon episode, we are going to talk about the bonus tracks. You might want to head on over there so I can take my sorry back. I will say, with the Learn to Fly, her autobiography is called Learning to Fly.
00:56:52 --> 00:57:19 And I forget what came out first. Aw, David makes her play, she can fly. Oh, I think it's just her whole life turning to fly. Aw. But I guess it works both ways. No, I love that for her. It works both ways, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I give this one a 6.5 because I do think it is slightly better than I owe you. Slightly? I'm crying. Okay, you know what? I'll give this one a 6. Not a terrible score, see? Yeah.
00:57:19 --> 00:57:41 Just a D minus, yeah. Next and last on this album, a standard version of the album, is Every Part of Me, done by Soul Shock, Nate Butler, E. Yancey, Carlin, and Victoria Beckham. And this, while not credited fully as a feature, does feature the sounds of a very young Brooklyn Beckham.
00:57:46 --> 00:58:11 I'm in tears. Oh, my goodness. How old is Brooklyn now? Goodness. Now? Yeah, I know he's like, what, like 27 maybe now? It's crazy. You think about how young he was when this came out. You know, he was a baby baby. He's like, what, 22, 23? Not even. He's a baby. He's 26. Okay. Oh, that's not baby. Okay. He's like 22. He's not baby. But, yeah, I mean, the wiry...
00:58:11 --> 00:58:29 Wiry and sentimental is what I would think about this track. Like, I don't dislike that. The tribute to her son is so sweet. And I think the production sounds pensive. So it does not feel, like, saccharine and, like, I owe you. You know, like, it's just...
00:58:32 --> 00:59:00 This is definitely the emotional core of the album. Not just because it's dedicated to her son, but it actually just sounds good as well. I think it definitely, it just gives a hole underneath it all. I'm just a mom who loves her kid. You know? That accent was not posh at all. I don't know how to do one. Yeah, out of all the cheesy ballads on this album, this one probably is my favorite. And I think if...
00:59:01 --> 00:59:20 If she needed to, you know, do some promo slot singing a ballad, I would have done this one. Because I think the mother aspect of things would connect with people more than the David Beckham aspect of things. Right. Yeah. I could see that too. I mean, yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:59:20 --> 00:59:46 Okay. I agree. Yeah. And I think even melodically, like this song out of all the slower ones is the strongest one. Yeah. I agree with that too. And she sounds good too. Like very, very sincere. The melody sits great in her range. Yeah. There's some nice vocal layering and stuff in here. We even get a key change at the end, which has some ad libs over it. Like it sounds great. Like as an ending to the album, it's great. Um...
00:59:46 --> 01:00:09 I will say it is a little bit bittersweet listening to this right now because there is a bit of a rift happening between Brooklyn and the rest of the Beckham family. Whoa. So it's kind of sad, actually. It's a little sad to hear this because she's like, oh, like, I'm here for you. But he's kind of ignored them all right now. Anyway, this is family business. Right.
01:00:10 --> 01:00:38 Not my business, but still. But yeah, I do think this one is strong. The production is interesting. I will say when it came in with the kind of affected strings and yeah, the whole wiry situation that you mentioned, I was kind of like, hmm. But this one does work a bit better than I think IOU and then maybe the last one does. Oh, I agree. I agree. Oh, so what score did you give this one? I'll give it an eight. This is a 7.5 for me.
01:00:38 --> 01:00:58 Okay. All right. So as Chantel mentioned, there are some bonus tracks from this era, including Out of Your Mind, which did hit number two in the UK singles chart. So if you want to hear our opinions on these songs, come and join us at patreon.com slash CCTV pops. But until then, let's talk about
01:00:59 --> 01:01:13 what we would cut or keep from this album. Yes. Okay. That's killing me. Okay. All right. So, Chris. If I had to cut a song, like, eh, doesn't need to be here.
01:01:13 --> 01:01:41 I think it would be, I mean, I don't want to be too obvious, right? I mean, there's a couple of styles. I'm like, okay, whatever. But I think, honestly, I owe you could go. She ain't doing nothing for nobody. Yeah. If it's not, I owe you. I do think having a sentimental love song here makes sense. So, okay, you chose I owe you. I would probably keep unconditional love. I would maybe cut actually that kind of girl.
01:01:41 --> 01:02:05 oh yeah that's valid okay i would keep midnight fantasy that song is great i mean the night fantasy is obvious though one it is the one yeah maybe i should buy the rights i can't afford it but i'm not mad at that decision i'll be fun to cover okay so overall thoughts this is victoria's only official solo album as i mentioned there is
01:02:05 --> 01:02:17 There are all the leaks from the second album era. There are, you know, a couple of singles to release that are great. So I would love to talk about them. But let us know if you want us to. Anyway, what do you think?
01:02:17 --> 01:02:37 I think this is a solid, solid, solid first attempt. I remember listening to this and being like, oh, my God, I don't think she deserved the flag she got. But yet now looking back on it, maybe I don't have a good idea of what music sounded like back in 2000. I don't know. I mean, we were here in the Americas going through what we were going through, you know, glitter.
01:02:38 --> 01:03:01 happened one you know a month prior and that flopped and then you know even willis ford i want to be bad like she was supposed to release something around things were happening over here so the tone of music was not giving but in the uk things were different so i don't know what you would have been really hot you know back then i guess you know i'm saying like i don't so i don't know if what they were saying was like actually reasonable
01:03:01 --> 01:03:19 I don't know if I actually believe that what they were saying was like, oh, yeah, it's trash. But why was it not good? Because it sounds like anything else I'd be on the radio is a little faceless at times. Yeah. But for the moments that if you think about it, we keep embodying this weird like little voice thing. So maybe it's not as faceless as we think it is.
01:03:19 --> 01:03:43 Maybe. I don't know. But if we are mimicking her in that way, then there's something that was distinct enough for it to be good. I think there are some good solid tracks here. I think some of the singles were bad. Chosen poorly. At the end of the day. And I think some bonus tracks should have been on the standard. But here I am in my mama's basement. But the point still stands. Good-ish album. Yeah, I think...
01:03:44 --> 01:04:05 Look, so Midnight Fantasy, like I said, is the one. So I've been listening to that for years, just all the time. It's on a bunch of playlists of mine. The rest of it, I'm going to be honest, I haven't listened to most of these songs in a long time. And yeah, I think it all does feel very safe. Okay, yeah. That's valid. Yeah.
01:04:06 --> 01:04:24 And I think in terms of facelessness, like, yes, her voice is actually quite distinctive. And I love her voice. And I hate how even she is so self-deprecating about it now and not in a jokingly way. Like she, like, even in that documentary, she mentioned something about, like, miming.
01:04:24 --> 01:04:52 you know, or like, and I was like, no, like you sang live. Like, what are you talking about? Like, stop diminishing your abilities. Like you're a trained singer and dancer. You like work towards this your whole childhood. You're right. Like it does annoy me as a fan, um, how much she tries to dismiss herself actually. Yeah. I believe. Um, but you know, also now having watched the documentary though, and of course, I just having been a fan of her my whole life, you know,
01:04:53 --> 01:05:07 I think she did clearly care so much about what people thought of her. And so I think that ties into what's on this album. Like it does, it does feel like these songs could be kind of sung by a lot of different people.
01:05:08 --> 01:05:26 Yeah, I can see that. You're right. Yeah, we kept saying that. And part of that is also the major label thing too, right? Yeah. But yeah, I don't know. Like I mentioned, with the second album, she does take more risk. She has a bit more fun with it. Yeah. So yeah, it would just be interesting if she was actually given the grace to...
01:05:26 --> 01:05:56 um find her voice as a solo artist a little bit more but i agree honestly even if this album was all tens like she managed to a&r the best album in the world yeah the press and the general public were not here for her at that time yeah i don't think it would have made any difference yeah yeah unfortunately haters um and then also i mean like i said you will talk about out of your
01:05:56 --> 01:06:11 maybe people would have been more interested in it because I do think this kind of R&B tinged pop thing was so saturated at the time so maybe if she just kind of went a really different route and kind of just stuck with that that kind of thing
01:06:11 --> 01:06:29 Maybe would have been a little different as well. I don't know. So many different alternative timelines. But I think at the end of the day, I do think the album is fine. It's not a bad album. Nope. And I will always support her. And I did support her at the time. And it makes me mad that...
01:06:29 --> 01:06:54 she was judged and treated so poorly. Mm-hmm. I agree. Yeah. I agree with that one. But yeah, as an album, I would give it a 7.5. Ooh, okay. I was going to give it a 7. It's not terrible. Yeah. I would say it's not a terrible album. It's like one of those, like, hmm, I would skip everything. Yeah, yeah. Exactly. We haven't had a skip everything album, thank goodness. I know. When that day comes, we just won't release that episode. We just...
01:06:55 --> 01:07:24 I mean, unless you guys want to hear some really, like, some snarky comments, yeah, we just want to release it. Because I know me. I ain't nice. I don't like them. Not me cackling. Anyway. Victoria Beckham fans. Spice fans. What do you all think of this album? Victoria Beckham's debut album. What do we all think about it? Let us know in the comments below. And you can hang out with us and the crew on Patreon, including Emily, George, Lily, Julianne, Jonathan, Jasmine, Janelle, Darius, Wren, Louie, Hillary, Kelsey, Elsie,
01:07:24 --> 01:07:28 Ellie and Mackenzie. Woo!
01:07:29 --> 01:07:57 You know what? That's not like one of our songwriter lists that we have on the show sometimes. That's amazing. And don't forget, you can follow us on social media at CCTV Pops. We are growing in numbers. Don't get left behind and then wonder who we are later on. You know who we are now. Follow us now. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on those notifications for your YouTube channel, okay? And if you are enjoying the show on a podcast platform, please give us a follow, rating, and a review. Until next time, that's Chris. That's Chantel.
01:07:57 --> 01:08:06 And you're signing off for MSCTV, the nonstop pump show.