Coming up will be Petula Clark’s recent appearance on BBC TV, but a couple of posts ago I featured a British pop music video by Spiller (who apparently is Italian). A girl group that really pushes the bouncy boundaries of Euro Pop is called K3, from Belgium.
Their language is Flemish, a variant of Dutch, but there’s some French in the lyrics too. These ladies don’t act their age, and in fact they do songs and shows for kids, but I still like this stuff, especially the catchy first song, “Frans Liedje.” Perhaps that’s because years ago Xuxa conditioned me, and before her it was ABBA. More about Xuxa later.
Here’s “Frans Liedje” in stereo. This song annoys my twin sister, and it’s a brother’s lifetime duty to annoy his sisters!
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/FransLiedje.mp3]
I’ve never seen Britney, so I wouldn’t know. Also, K3 has been around for ten years, and I don’t know if Britney goes back that far.
Its’ funny you mention the appeal to guys, because my friend Bismo said the songs didn’t pass his test of being listenable without the video, so he must have been reacting as a guy. But the act is actually done for kids, primarily the same audience that Radio Disney shoots for — “tweeny boppers” as my son Eric calls them.
I think the songs are super catchy and the production values are just outstanding. I’m not known for having a bad ear, and there are lots of clever touches and sound tricks in there, requiring some savvy engineering.
much later I figured out the other thing that bothers me about this group: the costumes are a complete rip-off of Britney Spears famous “Oops I did it again” video. YUK.
I had no trouble opening this! The girls are beautiful but they look like they are wearing Catholic school uniforms and singing a chewing gum commercial. I’m with Jean. I think you have to be a guy to appreciate this to the fullest.