25: "Chewing gum" - Annie
Flux that.
Written by Richard X and Hannah Robinson 2004
Part of 1000 Coolest, fifty of the greatest and most popular songs in history.
Ah, the halcyon days of music blogs. When people wrote about the music they liked, set it in context, tipped us off to exciting new thrills.
Back in 2004, when electro-pop was at its most exciting, Richard X from Xenomania wrote this confident, swaggering pop tune. It's sung-rapped by Annie, recouting the many failures of her many useless exes. The chorus line gets stuck in one’s head: “you think you’re chocolate but you’re chewing gum”, a diss to anyone.
Annie was the leading light in a «fluxpop» sound, defined at the time as "communicative tracks with a pop sensibility, crossover potential more at home online than on Radio 1." It was the sound of M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, lots of bright and glossy acts who helped shape the trajectory of 21st century music.
We always got the impression that Annie made pop music because she loved it, not as any massive art statement. Except that "Chewing gum" is a very meta single, it's a song about how pop songs are sweet and last for a few minutes and then they're done. Meta-songs are the most artsy of all songs, and one I would normally hate with a passion: it's a tribute to Annie and X that this song really hits.
Annie's still recording, still releasing songs in the dusty corners of the internet where nobody ever goes. Maybe I'll meet you there.
