Yé-Yé music

Years ago, in high school, my headmaster told me the French called pop music 'Yé-Yé music'. It wasn't meant as some cultural snippet but as a sneering put down. He was the same headmaster who blubbed to the local press when Neil Tennant wrote It's a Sin about his time at the same school. In other words, the man was a boring shit who hated pop music. And by dismissing Yé-Yé music, he missed out on something joyous. No wonder he was miserable. Here are two pop songs currently making me feel vindicated.

First up is a bunch of thrift store guitar twiddlers turned All Saints stadium pop gods. One Night Only have grown up - due in part to lead singer Georgie Craig's Glamorama-type existence as Burberry's pin-up boy - and become Keane/Duran Duran. I love bold, confident music, but the lyrics have to match. "The big screens, the plastic-made dreams" has such an 80s anthemic ring, it belies the true age of the singer (er, 20). Say You Don't Want It is now a bona fide top 40 hit, ripe to sound mammoth in Wembley Stadium.



Next up is someone who really doesn't need any poking from me. Web-rat, Sky Ferreira's One is everywhere at the moment. It's the kind of clever pop that gets on people's tits but others think is nothing short beautiful, just like the fashion shot of her above. Honestly, she doesn't need to bother after this.