Pop Rewind

Cyndi Lauper released the cut-to-the-bone break-up ballad “My First Night Without You” as the second single from her third studio album, A Night To Remember, in 1989. The song, which she co-wrote with veteran songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, featured production work from Lauper herself and long-time collaborator Lennie Petze. Though Lauper had already established an impressive history of releasing chart-topping ... Read More »

Released in 2002, “Freeek!” was far from being George Michael’s biggest hit, but it did mark a drastic change in direction for the pop singer. The futuristic music video that accompanied the single was directed by the still very much in demand director Joseph Kahn (Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears). The clip for “Freeek!” incorporated a futuristic theme — cyborgs and sophisticated ... Read More »

For most of us, music has always played an important role in our lives. Music is one of the most cherished human experiences. Greek philosopher Plato once said, “Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.” I find it remarkable how certain ... Read More »

Ana Voog, the former front woman of the Minneapolis based pop/rock outfit Blue Up, first gained attention after launching the website anacam. The website, which constantly beamed a new image twenty-four hours a day live from her apartment, would regularly garner upwards of twenty million hits a month. One year after launching her website, the musician, visual artist and performance artist inked ... Read More »

There are always certain songs that strike an emotional chord, whether for better or for worse. For me, one of those noteworthy songs is “Love Comes Quickly” by synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. With lyrics like “sooner or later, this happens to everyone” and “love will always get to you,” the song highlighted an emotional side of the Pet Shop Boys. While ... Read More »

It is easy to forget that before Paula Abdul was a certified pop star and talent judge, the pint-sized superstar was a very much in demand choreographer to the stars — most notably the legendary Janet Jackson. After meeting Paula in 1984 on the set of The Jacksons’ “Torture” music video, Janet brought her in  to work on a few ... Read More »

Helmed by the distinctive falsetto of vocalist Jimmy Somerville, openly gay pop music trio Bronski Beat couldn’t help but stand out amongst the tremendous number of synthpop bands beginning to saturate the market in the early-mid 80s. Much like the distinctive sound of Pet Shop Boys’ vocalist Neil Tennant, Somerville’s voice is instantaneously recognizable. Though the band scored several UK ... Read More »

Kylie Minogue’s iconic single “Slow” celebrated its 10th anniversary last week, so I wanted take the opportunity to look back at one of Kylie’s greatest moments. It’s very rare that the melody of a song’s verses is just as strong and memorable as its chorus, but that happens to be the case with Kylie Minogue’s 2003 single “Slow.” When the opening beats ... Read More »

We always hear that lightning never strikes twice. While the saying isn’t always true, it is a rare occurrence, and some of us have to learn that the hard way. Take British model Naomi Campbell for example. In the early 1990s, the super-model turned her attention to pop stardom. Considering that Campbell’s favorite method of communication is assaulting her employees, associates, ... Read More »