14 Pop Culture-y Things That Turn 10 This Year

source: breatheheavy.com

... just to make you feel old (or just very confused), let's make a list of 14 pop culture-related things that will turn 10 years old in 2014. And ... go!

1. Facebook
And are we any better for it?

2. "Mean Girls"
Which also means that it's been 10 years since Lindsay Lohan was considered an ingenue, a good actress, attractive, and reliable by most. Tell me the truth -- do you still quote this movie?

3. "The College Dropout"

Kanye West releases his debut album and becomes a megastar instantly. Things haven't changed too much.

4. Britney Spears gets married ... twice

Within a span of 12, nay, 10 months, Britney Spears gets married in Vegas, has her marriage annulled, then inexplicably gets married to Kevin Federline.

5. Ashlee Simpson gets caught lip synching on "Saturday Night Live"

... and then does a weird jig. I can't believe that was 10 years ago. I remember watching that live, crammed into an uncomfortable corner of an eerie corner kitchen of my basement dorm hall. I didn't think she deserved all the hate then, and I still don't now.

6. "The Notebook"

And yet, I can't seem to imagine Ryan Gosling or Rachel McAdams a day older than they looked in "The Notebook." And I don't think they do look a day older now. If you're a bird, I'm a bird, right?

7. Paris Hilton's popularity

Ugh, I do not miss the era of celebrity gossip when all that mattered was what stupid thing Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, and Mischa Barton had done that week. But do you remember the phrase "That's hot"? And how Paris successfully trademarked it? The rockbottom of pop culture.

8. Massachusetts and same-sex marriage

The state of Massachusetts, then under the watchful eye of future presidential candidate Mitt Romney, became the very first U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriages.

9. "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County"

The reality show that spawned a new style of "reality" shows made its debut on September 28, 2004 and became arguably bigger than the show from which it drew inspiration: "The O.C."

10. "Nipplegate"

Justin Timberlake "accidentally" exposed 80% of Janet Jackson's star-covered breast at the Super Bowl. The pair consequently begin backpedaling with the lamest PR excuses I've ever heard in my life. I didn't think it was that controversial ten years ago, but now I just think it's plain stupid. Why would you end a song by ripping off a pocket of a woman's shirt to expose a sparkly star-covered boob? Like, what's the point? If it was purely shock they were after, I guess they succeeded. Also: ten years on, and people are still treating Justin Timberlake like he's some sort of demi-legend. Still don't get it.

11. "Napoleon Dynamite"

Now this is something that feels more like it happened 20 years ago, maybe even 30. And that probably makes "Napoleon Dynamite" a classic. Or incredibly dated when it was released.

12. "Friends" ends

Good riddance.

13. The Curse of the Bambino is lifted

The Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees to win their first World Series in 86 years. Yeah, I'm New Yorker born and raised, but I still know all about the Bambino. I happened to be living in Boston at the time, and it was madness. Pure madness.

14. The Olsen Twins turned 18

There was a countdown and everything. Sick. Especially since they still look underage, ten years later.

Music & The Impressionable Years

source: Lisa Loeb's Facebook page

I was reading a Billboard magazine article on females and Billboard records by Gary Trust when I came upon this line: "(and one of my favorite years of music ever, with it coinciding, unsurprisingly, with my sophomore and junior years of high school, given that those years are generally accepted as among music fans' most impressionable eras, as many of us retain a strong bond with the songs we like early in our musical histories. It's also when songs serve as intense soundtracks to crushes, which surely helps those songs linger in our ears, and hearts, years later.)"

Okay, so that was more than just one line. I've always assumed one's most impressionable years were in one's middle school years, I've been in the "business" of all things teens and pop culture and tweeny for years now -- since I was one myself -- and I have never assumed that ages 15-17 were one's most impressionable years, musically. Is it true? Is or was it true for you?

For me, it started at 13 and lasted until about 17, so I'm not really sure. I still think the best year in music during my adolescence was 1997-1998ish, with the going of alternative music and the coming of teeny pop. The Lisa Loebs, Wallflowers and Third Eye Blinds mixed in with the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees (Motown Records-era). I was 13. This era was my favorite not because I was crazy in love with a boy (Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys aside), but because I spent hours upon hours listening to pop station Z100 while doing my homework. (This would be loving through repetitive listening, an idea I was introduced to by the 1995 film "Mr. Holland's Opus.")

My second favorite "year" was 2000ish (age 15): Nelly, Lenny Kravitz, Eve 6, Janet Jackson, Incubus, Christina Aguilera. A sobering little-bit-of-everything, with the reigning teen idols moving into their twenties. I was, now, crazy in love with a real, live boy and true, many of these songs remind me of him and of that time, but few of them are linked to romance or in any way linked to how I felt about him.

While Googling this "phenomenon," I stumbled across something called the Impressionable Years Hypothesis, which more or less says that tastes (and music, even more so) are set during these "impressionable years," though the definition of what is "impressionable" varies, ranging from age 10 to age 30.

So that being said, which years would you consider your most impressionable years, musically? What sort of events were they linked to, if any? In terms of musical taste, has yours changed outside what is deemed "the impressionable years"?

In 2008, when I was 23, I took a road trip down South that helped me look at country music with a more open mind. I'm a country music fan now, though not of the uber-twangy stuff. Yet.

2002-2003 Playlist

source: Michelle Branch's Facebook page

Wow, the past few posts I've done have all revolved around music. I need to start getting back into TV or pop culture, huh? Anyway, I'm back with yet another playlist from my adolescence ... perhaps the nail on the coffin of my radio-playing days. 2003 was the year I sort of dropped off of the pop radio radar and never quite recovered.

A lot of the songs on this playlist were less about songs that were popular at the time, and more about a sentiment I was looking for. I remember 2002 and 2003 were heavy on hip-hop and singer-songwriters, and anything else on this list was probably something I caught on a television show or movie.

- "Thinking Over," Dana Glover
I discovered this song from the trailer for the children's movie "Tuck Everlasting." Weird, but true.
- "Sexual Healing," Shaggy version
- "Game of Love," Santana ft. Michelle Branch
Gone from the spotlight in 2002 and 2003 were the Britneys and Jessica Simpsons, and Avril Lavigne (the "anti-Britney"), Michelle Branch and Vanessa Carlton temporarily took over. With the help of Santana, of course. But bubblegum pop prevailed in the end. It always prevails.
- "Damaged," TLC
- "Never Leave You (Uh Oh)," Lumidee
As annoying as this song was (and is), for some reason, it symbolizes all of this period to me. I can't really explain it -- maybe it's the joyful, youthful beat and girly, simple sentiment.
- "My Place," Nelly ft. Jaheim
- "Scandalous," Mis-Teeq
- "Calling All Angels," Train
- "Don't Wanna Try," Frankie J.
- "If You're Not The One," Daniel Bedingfield
The poor guy. DJs across America called him "Danielle Bedingfield" for ages after his debut single "Gotta Get Thru This" came out, presumably because his voice is so high. Oh well, I still liked this song in all its sappiness.
- "Sunshine," Lil Flip ft. Lea
Like "Never Leave You," this sound defined the period for me. This song's just better.

What were you listening to in 2002-2003?

With the exception of "Sexual Healing," here's the playlist via Spotify:

2001-2002 Playlist

Back then, Nelly used to wear a Band-Aid on
his cheek for his incarcerated friend.
source: Nelly's Facebook page

The 2001-2002 school year was a transitional time in my life, for more than one reason. It was around that time, like I said in my previous playlist post, that I began to listen to more than what was being presented to me on pop radio. I branched out not only by listening to music online when I could (technology was nowhere near as advanced as it is today, or even a few years later), but also by tuning into more LiteFM radio stations to learn about the music that had paved the path to what was popular in 2001.

And of course, September 11th happened. That changed the landscape for radio for at least a few weeks, with a lot of Adult Contemporary seeping into typically youthful pop radio stations, making my exploration of different types of music easier. It was also in the fall of 2001 that I began to listen to holiday music stations, or seek them out. Maybe it was when the onset of nostalgia crept into the national consciousness, I don't know, but I hadn't ever sought out Christmas radio before. I don't think I've ever fully recovered from wanting to relive the good times, the better days.

Instead of putting the songs in an order that flows well, I basically put the songs in chronological order, with the exception of a few songs. Again, not all of these songs came out in the 2001-2002 period, as I was beginning to explore other genres of music.

- "Why," Avril Lavigne
There was a time I really liked Avril Lavigne. It was mostly at the very start of her career, before she started really coming at people and trying to prove how anti-Britney she really was, or whatever. Actually, she's a fairly talented songwriter and a lot of her songs have been really good. In terms of vocals, I've always looked at Taylor Swift as a poor man's version of Avril Lavigne. I also kind of maybe had a teeny crush on her guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld.
- "Wherever You Will Go," The Calling
- "Can't Fight The Moonlight," LeAnn Rimes
- "Learn To Fly," The Foo Fighters
- "Drowning," Backstreet Boys
- "Valentine," Martina McBride
This was one of the songs that I picked up, listening to those LiteFM stations. Turns out there were a ton of crossover country hits in 2001-2002 ... I didn't realize until I started putting this playlist together.

source: Avril Lavigne's Facebook page

- "God Bless The U.S.A.," Jump5
I even listened to a ton of Radio Disney that year (and still do when my regular stations just aren't doing it for me). I loved the beautiful harmonies of Jump5, and just the vocals. Jump5 was very, very young back then, and the purity of their voices seemed especially appropriate for this song given the circumstances of the popularity of this song at the time.
- "We Fit Together," O-Town
- "Don't Let Me Get Me," P!nk
This was one of the first P!nk songs I really liked. Incidentally, this was around the time she went very pop, rather than the rough and tough R&B gal she broke out on the scene as.
- "I Hope You Dance," Lee Ann Womack
- "In The End," Linkin Park
I went through a bit of an angry period in the winter months of that year ... this song came in handy, along with "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd and "Losing Grip" by Avril being up there. "Losing Grip" remains one of my favorite Avril Lavigne songs to this day.
- "Where Are You Christmas," Faith Hill
- "Emotion," Destiny's Child
My favorite Destiny's Child song of all time, and it's not even theirs. I loved what they did with this song, I adored the music video, and I loved the soft tenderness this song offered, and comfort.
- "Girlfriend," 'N Sync
- "Blurry," Puddle of Mudd
- "Fields of Gold," Eva Cassidy
I first heard Eva Cassidy's rendition during one of Michelle Kwan's routines at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and immediately I went and downloaded the song. It's still among my top five songs.
- "I Need A Girl (Part 1)," P. Diddy and Usher, ft. Loon
- "Standing Still," Jewel
Jewel fans complained that she'd gone all pop on this record, but I didn't really care. I was going through something at the time (arguably still am), and this song really felt close to me. It was one of the first songs about identity, the Unknown and the in-between that I noticed, that came at a time I really needed to hear it. The lines "Out of the corner of my eye / was that you passing me by / a sweet sorrow is the call tomorrow" still hit me in the gut sometimes.
- "Just An Old Boyfriend," Kaci Battaglia
- "Hot in Herre," Nelly
Probably THE song of 2002. In fact, in the seventh and final season of the "Gilmore Girls," Rory and her friends threw a "2002 Party," and this was played at said party.
- "Complicated," Avril Lavigne
Don't love the song, but it brings me back every time.
- "Gangsta Lovin'," Eve and Alicia Keys
- "Just A Friend 2002," Mario
- "Heaven (Candlelight Remix)," DJ Sammy and Yanou
About a year before the DJ Sammy version of the song came out, I fell into love with Bryan Adams' version. That one will always be better or the best to me, but there's something about the Candlelight Remix ...

2000-2001 Playlist

source: MTV.com / Carlo Dalla Chiesa

I'm back to share my playlist from the 2000-2001 period, which, looking back, was probably one of the best "years" of music I can remember -- it had the perfect mix of the teenybopper music that had been so popular in the years prior, along with some alternative music of the 1990s and some hip-hop that would come to dominate pop music in the following years. The 2000-2001 period was probably one of the first years I really started to take an active interest in contemporary music outside of what was being fed to me through pop radio and MTV/VH1, so there are some songs here that may not necessarily be from the 2000-2001 time period, or songs that may not have been played on radio at all.

I started creating a Spotify playlist for this as I usually do, but so many songs were missing that I eschewed that idea and went straight for YouTube. One song from my personal iPod 2000-2001 playlist is missing from YouTube, a song that I really played the crap out of during this time period, and that song is "I Wish Me You" by Amanda Latona. She was mostly known back then for being the girlfriend of the Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean, but she was also a former member of a girl group managed by Justin Timberlake's mother called Innosense (which I believe Britney Spears was also part of before she decided to take the solo route). Ah, who doesn't love an incestuous pop music world?

- "The Space Between," Dave Matthews Band

- "Get Over Yourself," Eden's Crush

I actually never liked this song, but a year or so after the song came out, I realized that this song had been the soundtrack to so much of that year of my life, I couldn't leave it out. I much prefer the Eden's Crush (the girl group formed by the WB show "Popstars" ... the group which Nicole Scherzinger initially started out in) song "Love This Way," which makes an appearance later on in this playlist.

- "Crazy," K-Ci and JoJo

- "So In Love With Two," Mikaila

The only reason this song is on my list is because it brings me right back every time I hear it. Even back then, I thought the song was a little too teenyboppery for me, though it had a nice R&B tone to it. I liked the girl's voice, though. Another song from this era that's similar is the song "Broken Promises" by Tonya Mitchell. Neither song fully broke pop radio, though they were played in the wee hours of the night, I guess as a trial. Wonder what ever happened to both of them.

- "Ride Wit Me," Nelly

- "If I Was The One," Ruff Endz

The grammatical errors of this song still bug me (go figure), but the melody and beat are so entrancing, I can't help but love it.

- "Natural," S Club 7

"Never Had A Dream Come True" is the S Club 7 song that most Americans are familiar with, but I was guilty of watching their kids' TV show on ABC Family back then, so I was familiar with most of their songs and kept up with their career. "Natural" was the song that really stuck out to me, because it was a teeny bit less pop and slightly more R&B, which was a style I was really fond of (and still am).

- "All For You," Janet Jackson

One of my all-time favorite songs from my teenage years. This song makes me happy to this day, and I will chair dance if I hear it. "Doesn't Really Matter" was also released as a single in 2000, and it was equally good.

source: Lenny Kravitz's Facebook page

- "I Like It," Sammie

- "Butterfly," Crazy Town

Along with "All For You," one of my all-time favorite songs of this era.

- "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm

- "I Need You," LeAnn Rimes

- "Crazy For This Girl," Evan and Jaron

- "It Wasn't Me," Shaggy

- "Love This Way," Eden's Crush

- "Lady Marmalade," Moulin Rouge soundtrack

- "Again," Lenny Kravitz

I surprised even myself when I found myself falling in love with this song. I'd already been a minor fan of Lenny Kravitz's, but this song was so simplistic in comparison to the songs I preferred. I think this is just such a simple and beautiful love song.

- "Breathe," Faith Hill

- "I'm Like A Bird," Nelly Furtado

- "More Than That," Backstreet Boys

- "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)," 3LW

- "Drive," Incubus

Another song that defines this time in my life for me. This is such a great song, and part of what drove me towards more acoustic music.

- "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely," Ricky Martin ft. Christina Aguilera

- "Fill Me In," Craig David

I'm shocked and downright disappointed that Craig David hasn't had greater success in the United States. His music was so fresh at the time, and a fantastic fusion of pop and R&B that wasn't a filled niche at the time (and still really isn't). Plus, he's got such a pretty face.

- "All Or Nothing," O-Town

I wasn't a huge fan of O-Town, but something about this song -- or maybe the music video -- was so sad to me at the time that it made an impact and has stuck with me since. There was some controversy at the time among boy band fans over the intro of this song, as it was more or less identical to that of "Drowning" by the Backstreet Boys, a song that wasn't released until fall of 2001. Who copied who? Will we ever know?

- "How Long," Dream

Straight-up bubblegum pop, but such a princessy, girly song.

- "Here's To The Night," Eve 6

I don't think I'll ever not like this song. This song made me jealous that I wasn't a high school senior in 2001. I know it's supposed to be about a one-night stand, but that doesn't make me love the song any less. The lyrics are so true, so good for all time. The line "don't let me let you go" still haunts me to this day.

source: Eve 6's Facebook page

1999-2000 Playlist

source: Macy Gray's Facebook page

Like the early through late '90s, the 1999-2000 span was a good, good year for music, with plenty of diversity and range in musical styles. Alternative music still had a strong grip on pop radio, while pop princesses were taking over MTV's "TRL."

Below is a playlist of the most memorable of the songs I listened to while tackling my Math and World History homework, worrying about boys and growing out of my awkward phase (as if!) ... some of these songs I hated at the time, and others I knew would have a place in my heart forever. Here they all are in their glory 14 years later.

"I Try," Macy Gray

"Smooth," Santana ft. Rob Thomas

"Doesn't Really Matter," Janet Jackson

"Take A Picture," Filter

"What A Girl Wants," Christina Aguilera

"Someday," Sugar Ray

"Blue (Da Ba Dee)," Eiffel 65

"There She Goes," Sixpence None The Richer

"All The Small Things," Blink-182

source: Blink-182's Facebook page

"Everything You Want," Vertical Horizon

"Livin' La Vida Loca," Ricky Martin

"Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)," Nine Days

"Oops! ... I Did It Again," Britney Spears

"The Real Slim Shady," Eminem

"American Woman," Lenny Kravitz

"Then The Morning Comes," Smash Mouth

"Better Off Alone," Alice Deejay

"I Knew I Loved You," Savage Garden

"Bug A Boo," Destiny's Child

"Out Of My Head," Fastball

"It's My Life," Bon Jovi

"Get It On Tonite," Montell Jordan

"Wonderful," Everclear

"Girl On TV," LFO

"Try Again," Aaliyah

"Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me)," Blessid Union of Souls

"I Think I'm In Love With You," Jessica Simpson

"Bailamos," Enrique Iglesias

"Back Here," BBMak

"She's So High," Tal Bachman

"Thong Song," Sisqo

Summer Nostalgia: "Teen Beach Movie" outshines its predecessor "High School Musical"

source: Disney / Teen Beach Movie official site

Last Friday, Disney Channel premiered its newest Original Movie "Teen Beach Musical," starring Ross Lynch (Austin of Disney's "Austin and Ally") and Maia Mitchell (Callie of ABC Family's "The Fosters"). One of the reasons I tuned in is because adorable Maia Mitchell is one of my current girl crushes. The other reason is because summer nostalgia brings me back to hot afternoons spent watching old reruns of classic TV shows and loads of Disney Channel. You might know that I am a big "Gidget" fan, and generally a fan of surf movies, movies of the '50s and '60s, and of girl power messages. I'm not the biggest fan of musicals, but I enjoy those that are self-aware and smart. And "Teen Beach Movie" is exactly that. 

Being in my twenties, I was afraid that Disney was trying to model "Teen Beach Movie" after the success of the "High School Musical" franchise, but "Teen Beach Movie" is so much more than the first installment of HSM was. For starters, it played an extremely earnest character (Ross Lynch's Brady) off of realistic (if not cynical) McKenzie (played by Maia Mitchell), who was the voice of reason throughout the movie. Add to that some legitimately well-written music and well-choreographed dances with real strands of '60s beachiness woven throughout, and you have a legitimately good made-for-TV movie.

The movie opens up with Maia Mitchell's rendition of Hoku's "Oxygen." I think I'm one of the few people who know Hoku for more than her two big hits, "Another Dumb Blonde" and "Perfect Day." Yes, I actually bought her 2000 debut album, and it actually ranks among my favorite albums of all time. I wasn't surprised when I remembered all the words to "Oxygen."

McKenzie (Mack) is about to set off for a boarding school in the East and leave her boyfriend Brady behind when she decides to ride one last wave. Brady goes out into the sea to save Mack from an oncoming storm when they suddenly find themselves in the middle of Brady's favorite movie, "Wet Side Story," set in 1962. 

The song "Surf Crazy" really sets the tone for the movie to come: it's beachy, it's camp, it's got amazing choreography, it's colorful, and it's slightly psychedelic. 

While Brady clearly makes the most of the situation and places himself at the forefront of some of his favorite musical numbers, Mack desperately tries to think of a way to get back to 2013. The two accidentally change the course of the Surfers vs. Bikers plotline and spend the rest of the movie scheming to get things back to normal so they can get back home ... and discovering a few things about themselves along the way.

Though the story is told through the perspective of Mack and Brady, it's actually through Biker Lela (Grace Phipps) and Surfer stud Tanner (Garrett Clayton) that the movie's positive message about staying true to oneself is delivered. The casting director did a superb job with the casting of the Bikers and the Surfers, but particularly the role of Lela, who stands at a crossroads between the Biker lifestyle she's grown up with and her burgeoning interest in the Surfer lifestyle. Grace Phipps has a wonderful, rich voice that is perfect for all the sides of Lela: tough, conflicted, sweet, vulnerable. One of the movie's most touching moments occurs when Lela and Mack have a heart-to-heart and Mack delivers a post-Women's Liberation perspective of what it is to be a girl to Lela.

The movie's only flaw is the completely quirky and out-of-left field "Dr. Strangelove"-like plotline of Les Camembert and Dr. Fusion and their intentions to permanently alter the weather, thus keeping surfers off the beach and clearing the way for the hotel Camembert wants to build close to the shore. If presented in a less frenetic, modern and honestly -- stupid -- way, it may have added to the story, but it seemed so disjointed that it seemed not only to belong to a different movie, but a different era.

And being the musical that it is, "Teen Beach Movie"'s highlights rest in the colorful, cheerful (albeit cautious, thanks to Mack) and perfectly choreographed song and dance numbers. To some, "High School Musical" seemed so ridiculous because few of its story lines needed to be delivered through dance or song. But here, the singing and dancing only add to the story line, with tongue in cheek. The choreography and music are so tight and expressive, "Teen Beach Movie" just beats "High School Musical" by a long, happy mile. (Sorry Kenny Ortega.)

1998-1999 Playlist

The oh-so-controversial "Rolling Stone" cover ...
source: Britney Spears' official site

I've been gone for too long, keeping quiet on the nostalgia front ... summer time for all my teen obsessions is always busy, which for some reason, means that things are quiet. I guess it has all to do with the fact that I've always had a thing for musicians over actors or athletes (or any other type of celebrity), and summer is when they go on tour and -- as far as I'm concerned -- fall off the face of the planet. All of them, all at once. I know, my heart hurts just thinking about it.

For example, in 2013: New Kids on the Block are currently on tour with Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees. I won't be partaking this year, because I didn't love the new album that much, I think they're performing a lot of stale oldies, and ... I don't have the cash. Oh, and I don't want to sit through 98 Degrees. If it was just Boyz II Men and NKOTB, I'd give the tour a second thought. One Direction is also on tour, but I'm not young enough to be okay with sitting through 2 hours of high-pitched screaming and hysteria. (And I was abroad when the current tour went on sale and wasn't thinking 12-14 months ahead. The balls their management team have ... really.) Backstreet Boys are releasing a new album in July, with a tour immediately following. Again, I don't want to hear "I Want It That Way" for the umpteenth time, and Kevin -- in spite of my previous post -- gets no love from me, so his return isn't much of a selling point.

source: MTV.com

Sigh, it's hard to keep old fogie fans like me happy, huh?

In the meantime, I do have another playlist, taken directly from my iPod. It's a playlist I made back in the day that corresponds with the 1998-1999 school year (that is, September 1998 through summer 1999). It's appropriately summery tune-centric, for some reason, and I hope you enjoy.

And don't cry like I almost did the other day while listening to Pandora's "Summer Hits of the '90s" station the other day. (It was the juxtaposition of "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind and, embarrassingly, OMC's "How Bizarre" that did it.)

"Baby One More Time," Britney Spears

"When The Lights Go Out," 5ive

"Have You Ever," Brandy

"Chanukah Song," Adam Sandler (actually from his 1996 album)

"C'est La Vie," B*witched

"What's My Age Again," Blink 182

"Even Angels Fall," Jessica Riddle

"Smooth," Santana ft. Rob Thomas

"Genie in a Bottle," Christina Aguilera

"Miami," Will Smith

"Steal My Sunshine," Len (even better now that I'm older)

"Almost Doesn't Count," Brandy

"Summer Girls," LFO

"Heartbreaker," Mariah Carey ft. Jay-Z

"Tearin' Up My Heart," 'N Sync

"If You Had My Love," Jennifer Lopez

"Slide," Goo Goo Dolls

"Crush," Jennifer Paige
"No Scrubs," TLC

"Because of You," 98 Degrees

"Where My Girls At," 702

"Give It To You," Jordan Knight

"Angel of Mine," Monica

"Just the Two of Us," Will Smith

"I Will Remember You," Sarah McLachlan

"I Want It That Way," Backstreet Boys

"Kiss Me," Sixpence None the Richer

"Believe," Cher

List: Top 10 '00s Pop Albums

source:ChristinaAguilera.com

Continued from where I left off in 1999 with Jessica Simpson's "Sweet Kisses" album, I'm back to share a list of what I consider the best (teeny)pop albums of the first decade of the 21st century. It seems that though my first dabblings in the world of popular music were far more R&B-tinged, by the time I was settled in my teens, I was happily throwing my parents' hard-earned dollars into the teenybopper pop music pot. Maybe it was a sign of the times. (Maybe not.)

Since 2004 or so, I really haven't been keeping up with pop music, so this list will be skewed in many ways. Again, in chronological order, the list:

"SOONER OR LATER," BBMAK (2000)
BBMak was a blip on the pop music radar. I saw an interview One Direction did recently when neither Niall nor Zayn could identify BBMak's greatest hit, "Back Here." And BBMak (or at least the only one who really mattered to me) hails from Manchester, England, the general vicinity of Zayn Malik's hometown! (For the record, Niall could readily identify "Step By Step" by the New Kids On The Block, so this has nothing to do with the fact that he was only 7 years old when the album was released.) So I had a crush on Christian Burns (although Mark is looking good to me now), whose birthday was made suspiciously murky at the time. He was probably, like, 32 instead of the 26 or so he claimed to be, but whatevs. They released a surprising number of singles (hits, I'd dare to call them, because most -- if not all -- of them made it onto the "TRL" countdown) in the U.S., 4 or 5. The music was good, and for a second, I even tried to convince my friends that they were not a teenybopper band because they played their own instruments! They wrote their own songs! And they're old(er)! Which was all true, along with the fact that they had a decidedly more acoustic and organic sound than what 'N Sync was coming up with around the time ("Bye Bye Bye" and the like). BBMak broke up in 2003, long after I'd stopped caring about them, but I still pull out "Sooner or Later" every once in a while and give it a listen ... because after 13 years, it's still good.

"SHADES OF PURPLE," M2M (2000)

I know. You're probably thinking, "WTF? The 'Don't Say You Love Me'/'Pokemon' girls?" Yes, they were annoying and their voices whiny. But if you can get over that, they actually made some really decent music. In terms of songwriting, they were on Taylor Swift's level (or better) before Taylor Swift even became a teenager. They followed their debut album "Shades of Purple" with "The Big Room" in 2002, which, as a teen, felt like a lifetime later. Their star had faded a bit by then, and Marit and Marion officially went their separate ways the same year. "The Big Room" was good, but "Shades of Purple" was more satisfying in the way it captured the atmosphere of pop music at the time. They incorporated different flavors into their pop music, most notably R&B, and they did it incredibly effortlessly. I hadn't listened to M2M in about ten years' time when I stumbled upon them again recently and marveled at just how great two teenaged girls' songwriting skills were back in the day. I highly recommend both of their albums if you're into pop music from the late '90s/early '00s.

"BLACK & BLUE," BACKSTREET BOYS (2000)

Bringing it back to the U.S. now ... to me, "Black & Blue," and not "Millennium," is the Backstreet Boys' greatest creation to date. It was ever-so-slightly raunchier than "Millennium," but held steadfastly onto the sound the Backstreet Boys had already created for themselves. They had some angrier tunes on this, like "The Call" and "Not For Me," as well as your typical Backstreet fare, like "More Than That." And while "Shape of My Heart" wasn't a standout for me back in the day, it's become a sort of BSB anthem to me, far more able to draw a visceral feeling of nostalgia from me than the always bland "I Want It That Way." (Sorry.)

"IT WAS ALL A DREAM," DREAM (2001)

Sigh. I felt these girls had so much potential, and they brought to the table something other girl groups hadn't been able to offer -- an urban touch and a playful irreverence. Although none of these girls were probably from anything less than middle-class California, they were signed by P. Diddy (who had JUST changed his name for the umpteenth time) to Bad Boy Records. And because they were so close to me in age, I felt as if I could live my pop star dreams through them vicariously. I'm not entirely sure what happened with them -- I know the eldest member left the group to pursue acting, they recruited a new member and recorded a sophomore album which was never distributed. But I was able to get my hands on it some years down the line and I enjoyed it nearly as much as I enjoyed their debut. What a pity. Looking back at their music videos, it's kind of awkward how girls in their mid-teens are thrust in the spotlight. Maybe what happened to them was a good thing after all.

Sorry for the shoddy quality ... this was my favorite single of theirs 

and this is the only "copy" of the music video on YouTube.

"STRIPPED," CHRISTINA AGUILERA (2002)

Do you remember how much controversy surrounded the release of this album? Between the "assless leather chaps," Christina's "dirrty" look, the dark hair and impending weight gain ... blah blah blah. Bottom line is this was an amazing album, and almost an entirely different sound from her equally impressive debut album. I think "Beautiful" is overrated, but there were songs for everyone on this album, and gems like "Impossible," "Underappreciated," "Loving Me 4 Me,""Cruz" ... altogether incredible and probably among her best.

List: Top 10 (+1) '90s Pop Albums

"Teen People" from Summer 1999

I was discussing a 2002 Village Voice article on tween pop music with my friend and sometime guinea pig the other day, which of course set me down memory's lane. Remember names like No Secrets, Leslie Carter, P.Y.T.? I wasn't a tween when those singers made it big on Radio Disney, but I enjoyed them all the same. [Side note: When throwing a low blow, we often generalize fans of teen idols as twelve or thirteen-year-olds, but in reality, how old are they really?]

On my lovely, picturesque stroll down memory lane, I conjured up non-artificially sweet memories of great pop music from the '90s till now. It still, arguably, exists! Here is my list for the 1990s (if I included them all, this entry would be out of control), in chronological order.

"MUSIC BOX," MARIAH CAREY (1993)
This is the first musical purchase I ever made (or requested to be made on my behalf), and it was in cassette tape form. I had two copies which I listened to until both broke. And I was still in the single digits, age-wise. I think that's pretty telling. I downloaded it in its digital form last year and love it every bit as much as I did back then. I actually prefer "Music Box" to "Daydream," most probably because I wasn't subject to the overplaying of most of the songs ("One Sweet Day" and "Always Be My Baby" in particular).

"FACE THE MUSIC," NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK/NKOTB (1994) 
I think this album was the New Kids' best effort, and the one that has probably garnered the least amount of attention. After a short hiatus in 1992, the New Kids came back with a new image and a new sound, one more deeply rooted in R&B ... and it was mostly rejected. I get it, teenage girls are fickle and they probably don't want their idols to look like men or have facial hair. But this album was great! From "You Got The Flavor" and "Let's Play House," which are upbeat and a little naughty, to the R&B love songs ("Never Let You Go," "I Can't Believe It's Over") to the soppy pop ones ("If You Go Away") ... it's the stuff teenaged girls' dreams are made of!

"BACKSTREET BOYS," BACKSTREET BOYS (1996) 
The Backstreet Boys album I'm referring to is not the 1997 self-titled debut album released in the United States, but the one that became an international hit when Americans were still into Alanis Morissette and grunge/ska/Coolio or whatever. The U.S. version of the album was an amalgamation of songs from two albums that had already become hits overseas. Though both of their first two albums were great, I prefer the first one because it is a little more playful and upbeat. "Let's Have A Party" will always remind me of long summer road trips with my family, and "Get Down (You're The One For Me)" is a song I can still get down to today, though only in the privacy of my own room, and "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)"? C'mon. 2000's "Black & Blue" was the next best BSB album for me, beating out the possibly overhyped "Millennium" (1999).

"JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT," JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT (1996) 
I don't think anyone really knows this album exists. This is actually JLH's third studio album. Jennifer Love Hewitt attempted to rekindle her singing career between 1999 and 2002, but mostly people were like, "Why is Jennifer Love Hewitt singing?" I knew the answer to that because she was a cast member of my favorite show as a child, "Kids, Incorporated." She had a beautiful voice then and I'm sure she has a beautiful voice now, but darn it, won't the world let her show it? Her self-titled album was a real gem ... I haven't really heard the earlier ones in their entirety, but this one is a little more mature than expected for the sixteen or seventeen years she was at the time, and it's laid back instead of saccharine sweet. It hits that late '90s sound right in the head, though, and does it with flying colors. Ohh, the memories of summer 1997 that come flying back when I press play ...

"KEEP ON," NO AUTHORITY (1997)
"Keep On" was NA's debut album under Michael Jackson's record label, and the (FAR) greater of the two albums they released. Around 2000, they were given a bit of an image makeover and rebranding and were then thrown against Radio Disney walls. They didn't stick and they disappeared. I spotted one of the lead singers Ricky Godinez on an episode of Audrina Patridge's VH1 reality show a couple years ago (I ain't ashamed!). He is apparently a very flamboyant pilates instructor going by the moniker Ricky Rebel now ... we knew it was bound to happen. "Keep On" has a sexy, sleek, smooth assurance that should be borderline illegal for teenage boys their age (they were about 15-18 years old at the time) to wield. Plus, these are not bad looking guys.