'Cause just when I think we're through, the memories come flooding back

The musical event you know you all were waiting for is finally here:



the studio version of the single from the combined New Kids On The Block-Backstreet Boys supergroup, the awesomely named NKOTBSB, has arrived.

With hooky synth staccato pulses and washes, a singalong chorus reminiscent of co-writer Claude Kelly's "In Your Head" for Jason Derulo but with less "seriousface intensity," lyrics that semi-function both in regards to a personal relationship and their relationship with the audience, "Don't Turn Out The Lights" takes up right where you would hope. It's a catchy pop song somewhere between mid- and up-tempo that won't alienate old fans but fits right into our post-RedOne pop universe.



There have been hints in the past few years that the two all-grown-up boy bands are capable of delivering songs that are both modern and in keeping with their earlier work. New Kids' 2008 comeback album The Block contained a surprising amount of songs that were not just relevant but actually good. I'm particularly partial to "Twisted," a synthy update of the boy band sound which surprised yet again by being a great Timbaland song right at that point where Timbaland's 2006 excellence was starting to fade out into the mediocrity faced by so many writers who suddenly have the whole world beating down their door.





The Backstreet Boys would take a little longer to return to electronic pop (and, once again most importantly, good songs), but they finally got there with 2009's This Is Us. It was still too full of filler, but, besides the enjoyable "Bigger"'s direct lift from their "I Want It That Way" past, it featured a few songs that put the group where they needed to be. Brian Kennedy twisted the joyful, synthy sound he brought to Chris Brown's "Forever" into something slightly more aggressive on "Masquerade," while "Bye Bye Love" was a floaty up-tempo song that danced between airy and insistent.

"Don't Turn Off The Lights" reunites the Backstreet Boys with "Bye Bye Love"'s Claude Kelly, but its other co-writers are a surprise: Emanuel Kiriakou and Jess Cates. Both are capable of good work, but I'd felt in the past that what they contributed to the Backstreet Boys counted amongst their forgettable pop-rock songs. Emanuel's contribution to The Block, "2 in the Morning," was one of its misfires (the world will never recover from "gotta know if you're mad at me/before Grey's Anatomy"). Further, in the past few years he's specialized in making ballads--including some great ones (David Archuleta's "Crush," for example), but I never would have expected him to have gone in this direction. I'm thankful to be this pleasantly surprised, though.

It's rare that your past musical tastes, modern chart trends, and your current preferences align. When it happens, there's a certain kind of joy that occurs, the kind that has you wondering if maybe you really should buy tickets to that tour you previously brushed off as you press repeat for the tenth time in a row. And really, nothing is better than that.

NKOTBSB's single "Don't Turn Out The Lights" comes out April 5 in the U.S. You'll be able to buy it from Amazon here (digital). "Don't Turn Out The Lights" will be followed by an album May 24 composed mainly of the two groups' old hits (though I suspect if "Don't Turn Out The Lights" did well they'd have more reason to record more new original songs).

(Hat tip to Robbie for alerting me to this important event.)

#95 New Kids On The Block, "Dirty Dancing"

Ooo, it's so crazy
She's like Baby
I'm like Swayze

Even a cheap, movie-promoting video can't disguise a catchy if completely dorky mid-tempo pop song from the reformed New Kids. Well, maybe it can a little bit, but hey, at least the last thing to happen is mildly amusing.

Based mainly on a cute piano riff, a one-syllable chanting sort of backing beat, lots of electronic backing effects, and some chorus vocal processing that could make you think you're listening to a Sean Kingston song, "Dirty Dancing" is the cute side of RedOne songwriting. I love good ridiculous lyrics, especially when put over a good beat, and the title-producing lines of "Dirty Dancing" are a doozy; the fact that the song doesn't just use the Dirty Dancing metaphor as a one-off reference but instead makes it the basis of the song only endears it to me even more. For me, the NKOTB album was one of the most refreshing surprises of the year; there's still no way I'd claim it's a good album all the way through, but to miss out on songs like "Twisted," Timbaland's best song of quite some time, and "Full Service" is a sacrifice you all really shouldn't be making.

Find it on: The Block

I'm makin' a list of things that I miss whenever we're far apart

Is this really the video for the new New Kids on The Block single?



The mind boggles.


(Actually, I'm thinking now it must be some sort of Germany-only release tied in with a German movie. "Dirty Dancing" was one of my instant favorites on the album, though, so at least the song is great.)

Speaking of mind-boggling music videos, the video for McFly's "Do Ya" makes me pretty sure they are crazy. I just wish that craziness came through in this latest album more often.



I think Chart Blog put it best: "A nice Christmas video you say, Tom? Something to remind people of the spirit of giving, what with it being a charity single and all? Sounds brilliant. Oh, Dougie ordered a set of extras dressed as zombies, so they're all outside. You do know about that, right?"

You heard what love can do to you

Dear person in control of the music at my local dining hall,

I love you. I know we've never met, but what obstacle can age or gender possibly be? If you're a girl or gay guy, I want to be your best friend and if you're a straight guy, I want to date you. Usually we just get some radio station piped in (usually country or oldies), but lately, at certain times, we're getting stuff that's infinitely better. The Backstreet Boys' greatest hits? Jesse McCartney (second) album tracks? New Kids on the Block's "Twisted"? It's like you're communicating to me via one of those high-pitched dog whistles--no one else understands or is even aware, but I totally get you.

Please write back. I need to know what your hours are so I don't accidentally walk in while "Ring Of Fire" is playing again.

XOXO,
Poster Girl

Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets

In the ongoing "best brilliantly ridiculous lyrics of the year" contest which I've been documenting, we've had several really good entries so far:

I won't attend your pity party
I'd rather go have calamari
-Ne-Yo, speaking to a girl upset over a breakup on "So You Can Cry" (album track from the yet to be released Year of the Gentleman)

Not only does your body bang,
But I miss the conversation too
-Jesse McCartney, singing to an ex-girlfriend on "How Do You Sleep" (album track from Departure)

We only got one night--
Double your pleasure,
Double your fun
-Chris Brown, incorporating the Doublemint Gum catchphrase (before going all the way and just releasing an ad based on the song's instrumental) in his brilliant "Forever" (single from the re-edition of Exclusive)

We may very well have two new entries, though, and both from none other from New Kids on the Block. Beyond "Summertime," one of the first new songs I heard from them was "Dirty Dancing." In addition to tossing in a catchy little piano run amidst their synths, NKOTB manage to work in this particular lyrical gem in the midst of their usual talk about how all these hot girls hitting on them are making it hard for them to remain faithful.

Ooo, it's so crazy
She's like Baby
I'm like Swayze

That's made about a million times better by the fact that it's not just some tossed-out one-off line, but actually the key phrase of the bridge. I love it. No, this isn't just going to be some song (an actually pretty cute one, somehow) about dirty dancing, but one that's actually working an analogy with the movie.

HOWEVER.

I couldn't believe my ears when I actually got around to listening to "2 in the Morning" (a significantly less good song than "Dirty Dancing"), a song about how the guys' girl (and I do mean "girl," because they're certainly not dating people their own age in their "Summertime" video) won't talk to them from the time she comes home at 6 PM and that then runs through various times at which the girl still won't talk to them.

Girl, it's almost ten
Gotta know if you're mad at me
Before Grey's Anatomy

It really has to be heard to be believed (it's before the first chorus, so luckily you won't have to listen to that much.)

(Would you believe that there's actually a really good chance I'm going to write about this album again? It's true. Some songs because I actually really like them--"Twisted"--others because of sheer ridiculousness--"Lights Camera Action"--and others just they inspire in me the desire to actually say something about them--"Click Click Click.")

To buy New Kids on the Block's new album The Block, go here (physical) or here (digital; only available to American residents).

Next up: maybe that demo-related post. Or me living up to the above threat.