#48 Amy Diamond, "Thank You"

Thank you for all that you've done for me
Now I know what real love is supposed to be
Can't waste my time
So goodbye my baby, baby, baby
Thank you

If Rachel Stevens had had her solo career at 15, "Thank You" is what it would have sounded like. A throbbing electro beat and a skittery handclap type beat on top of that one add up to what you could imagine Rachel's up-tempo disco musical self sounding like if she had some of that youthful half-childish pep about her still. Swedish singer Amy Diamond, who released three albums before she turned sixteen, acquits herself well here, though, and I wouldn't swap her out for anyone; she's just young enough to keep the whole song playful--which it needs to be, given that that beat isn't dark enough to have tolerated much if any level of sultriness from the singer--but just old enough for her voice to not be too childish and for us to believe she could actually mean what she's singing. As Amy leaves a good-for-nothing boyfriend, there's genuinely no sadness, no regret--not even over time lost--from her. I can't help thinking that only someone still playing with puppy love could emerge this unscathed and bouncily happy from the experience. If all breakups felt like this, we'd spend all our time getting into relationships only for the purpose of getting out of them. The end result is a song that's not an angry brush-off to an ex, not really a bigging up of oneself, but just some pure pop fun.

Find it on: Music In Motion: Gold Edition