Tom Ewing

The People’s Pop Polls are over so I’m out of here. Thanks to everyone I’ve chatted with over the years, see you around I hope!

Went for RUTH after some thought. In the end RUTH’s ability to reach out and connect with a completely new audience in a completely new context impresses me more than IFL’s ability to still evoke a vanished future (but both are v impressive)

Two of the most extraordinary women artists in pop represented by their critic’s choices but hey, both these are great records and they aren’t entirely dissimilar in theme and it might even be… close??

I genuinely prefer Groove here, a lucky dip of hooks and samples and moving parts, but I ran both semis on the same day cos I thought only one had a chance of being close :)

That doesn’t really answer the point about irony - I think the fact GIITH allows for ironic listening is a sign of its breadth and strength as an invitation to joy: the party doesn’t ultimately care about your motivations

For me this was the clarifying conversation xitter.gq/tomewing/status/180750…

Lots of other art can make me cry but only one type of art can make me dance

Like A Prayer - blue always indicates the winner!

Let the choir sing! Madonna needs a few more votes to push her into the final four of the poll of polls…

I prefer ITG in most contexts but when I came to the songs on Popular I gave Groove 9 and Prayer 10 and I stand by that: it’s a rare example of a self conscious event single that nails what it’s aiming at, even if what it’s aiming at *is* a bit too big and corny