Who doesn’t love a comeback from their favourite bands? You have all of their albums backed up, loving each tune and next thing you know they release a brand new album. No one expects a comeback too, so usually that band as all the time in the world to perfect their next album. There is no rushed weak part in the album. They return triumphantly, restoring all of the love you initially had for them.
Below are three comebacks that happened last year that… well, weren’t too mind-blowing. In fact, in some cases, these bands fell flat on their faces. Before we begin, I love all three of these examples. I didn’t necessarily hate the comeback, but nothing seems to have happened from it. I try and break down why. Leave in the comments what you think of the bands and would you buy another album from them.
3 – NO DOUBT
I love No Doubt. They are an awesome band and their older songs are my default tunes to listen to. ‘Don’t Speak’ could actually, quite controversially, be my favourite song from the 90s. It is such a good tune that almost everyone knows and can sing along too. They pretty much invented their little genre, ska-pop, or at the very least, made that genre cool. Gwen Stefani may have had her ups and downs as a solo singer, but here, she had a hit every time.
So when it was announced they were making a comeback I was over the moon. Push and Shove, I believe, is a true return to form. It is a great dance tune and is also completely different from anything around at the moment. When I fancy something different, I turn to ‘Push and Shove’. I loved it. Not too many other people did. My Twitter feed and Facebook wall was filled with people groaning about their return. Apparently not many other people like their style of music. Please back up my love for this band in the comments.
Thankfully the band has confirmed that they are not giving up. They are making an album right now (the writing process is already complete) and we should expect it very soon. I am one fan that will be grateful for them sticking around.
2 – CHRISTINA AGUILERA
This girl has a hell of a voice. Her music was so good. Christina really seemed to be able to roll with the music industry, rebranding herself to whatever was popular. That’s why we have a wide range of her songs, from her cheesy 90s hits to her bad girl image and then her more mature ballads. We expected no less for her newest album. However, I cannot deny being a tad disappointed.
I know we cannot depict her comeback on this song, but other than ‘Moves Like Jagger’, this is the first we’ve seen of her in a long while. And it’s kind of cheap. Don’t get me wrong, the song isn’t bad and her voice is as good as ever. But it’s a lazy song, not the kind of thing you do for your comeback. I expected nothing else from Pitbull – his discography is built on this kind of track – but Aguilera is so much better than this. She just sings a chorus, putting little thought into the lyrics or material. This is a forgettable song when compared to the rest of the summer tunes.
1 – GIRLS ALOUD
Girls Aloud’s comeback was all that the media talked about for a month. They were one of the biggest bands going back in the day (god, I used the phrase ‘back in the day’), with great songs like Sound of the Underground (don’t make me do any more links – I’m exhausted. Just Youtube the song yourself!) and Love Machine. Then they spilt and Cheryl made it big on her solo career, despite not really having that good a voice. Kimberly Walsh did OK too with a few duets and Nicole… Nicole tried really hard. But when they made their comeback, surely the glory days were back.
Well… no. To be honest, I love ‘Something New’. I think it is a damn good club tune and is really catchy. It’s a bit of a girl power song, but surprisingly it’s not as segregating as I have found Beyonce’s girl songs to be. I think people rubbed against it slightly, because it was tough to shake the fact that it was a Girls Aloud tune. Not only that but they had abandoned their old stuff, which when looking at the evidence was probably the smartest move. However, this meant that, now becoming a girl band with club tunes, they were stepping onto The Saturdays territory. Despite all of that, the song was decent. So why did the comeback fail?
I can pick out a few reasons. One, the comeback was shoved in our faces too much. They released perfumes, got a documentary and got involved with Childrens in Need. They were the talk of the town constantly. So when they failed to back up ‘Something New’, they kind of fizzled out, like a raging fire that burned its fuel too quick. The second reason is… well, Sara. If you follow gossip news vaguely, you would know that she has a substance abuse problem. Watch the Something New video and you might notice that Sara is given minimum screen time. The truth is she wasn’t ready for the comeback, but it was the ten year anniversary, so their managers threw Sara into the mix. All five had to be there, otherwise Sara’s addiction would be awkwardly obvious. What could the others do when a young fan asked where Sara was?
Despite everything, I do hope the girls overcome this hurdle. Hell, I wouldn’t mind seeing Kimberly take a shot at a solo career one more time. I quite liked Cheryl’s ‘Under the Sun’ track too. And Nicole… well, Nicole is… Ummm… Hey, look, a Manatee!
Oracle of Film 