Even Christina Aguilera haters have to admit, the gal’s not your run-of-the-mill pop tart. MTV News is reporting that the third single from Xtina’s Back to Basics double disc will be "Candyman" (currently streaming here, at the artist’s MySpace page), and to my ears, it’s the romping-est, big-band-iest single by a popular singer since Madonna’s "Hanky Panky." Not surprisingly, Xtina’s in great voice on this ode to a bad-boy beau, and if you close your eyes, you can practically picture a video filled with a rousing bouts of jitterbug and a flurry of jazz-hands. Oh, wait, the jazz-hands part is me, sitting here at the computer. And miracles do happen because my office door is closed. But speaking of miracles, does a track this retro stand a chance on the Billboard charts? My heart is hoping yes, but in a tuneless world where Gwen Stefani’s unspeakable "Wind It Up" can crack the top 10, my mind fears otherwise. What say you, PopWatchers?
Snap judgment: Christina Aguilera's 'Candyman'
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Comments (1-30) of 63 Add your comment
I heard Xtina sing this on New Year’s Rockin eve and I got to tell you – it is a damn catchy song. If she has a great video – I think it could be big!
I think it stands a chance. It’s definitely catchy and people have probably already heard it used in the ipod commercial. I don’t love it myself, but I like it.
This song rocks -she sang it on the New Year’s Eve show – not sure which channel and yes I’m lame that I saw it – but she was fabulous.
I noticed this song as soon as the CD came out, and it has been one of my favs since. I love all that swing/big band stuff, but I don’t think the general pop public that adores Fergalicious generally agrees with my taste, so I’ll continue to enjoy the song on my own if the radio-addicted public won’t join me.
It’s pretty much a rip-off of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. So, unless she’s planning a nursing home tour of the southern U.S., I’m not sure this one will have legs.
I first heard the song from the Verizon chocolate bar phone commercial and thought “This is a pretty cool song. Perfect for the ad, but would be even better as a single”. And lo and behold, Z100 starts playing it. Give XTina credit, at least she tries something different. Britney, Jessica, are you two paying attention?
The song is great! And it sounds like a rip-off Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy because it samples the song
The song is great, one of the album’s standouts and it’s things like this that separate her from every other pop singer, she tries new things AND has the chops to back it up.
Kudos to Christina for taking a chance with this song.Its very catchy but will radio play it??Its Christina so they will spin it and wait for public reaction.
This song’s great, and if it can bump Fergie from Hot 99.5’s (in DC) rotation, then I’ll love it even more!
I loved this song the first time I heard it on GMA. I was hoping it would be the 2nd single but I’ll take 3rd. This is sooo going to hit! I can’t wait for the video.
The fact that the hideous “Wind It Up” can make the top 10 is due to the power of a recognizable blonde starlet commodity in this commodity crazy world, and Candy Man has that going for it, too. It also has:
a) The “what’s that song from the commercial” quotient, courtesy of the Chocolate phones.
b) Retro-style mixed with filthy lyrics. “He’s a one stop shop, with a real big AAH!” Nothing’s naughtier than modern filth with a classic sound!
c) Retro-style period. (See the success of Norah Jones, Corrine Bailey Rae, etc.) In this age of the tuneless top-40 — where rappers not singing are interrupted by women singing two notes over and over again — people are hungry for a melody.
fagulous.blogspot.com
My husband and I love her CD Back to Basics. Candyman is a great song, but I am kind of suprised it would get radio airplay considering the lyrics. But hey, if Promiscuous by Nelly Fertardo (sp?) can be #1 then surely Candyman which is a hell of a better song, can too.
I doubt it will be a hit, but at least she’s finally showing some of the ‘retro’ stuff she promised. The first two singles were very mainstream.
And while “Candyman” is infectious, isn’t it basically a retread of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” (and “Hanky Panky”)?
I’ve been on this sort of Chriskanka Aguilera fast of late. But that should not imply that have an equal distaste for her music. This last album was quite original…more so than that overrated “B’day” from Miss B (‘B’ standing for bullsh**). Furthermore, “Candyman” was an immediate standout track from the entire doubleset and I still find it as such. I say kudos to her for ignoring musical adversity of late (and the fact that radio just plain SUX) and spear-heading a retro sound for a single. The song is sexy, fun, naughty, and catchy.
I’ve gotten my 65 year old father and all his friends hooked on “Candyman.” I keep telling them she’s talking about Cherry-flavored Soda Pop when she signs “Makes my Cherry Pop.” As if he’s the maker of her soda. Because I simply don’t feel comfortable explaining that slang.
Perkle – LMAO@ “Fertardo”! OMG, I about fell out of the chair when I read that out loud. It’s actually “Furtado”. But hey, live and let learn. LMAO….”Fertardo”…i think I just found my new insult of the week. Observe: “Oh my God, you are such a fertardo.”
Ugh – I can’t believe she didn’t release Understand or Save Me From Myself. The only decent songs on her awful comeback train.
The song while 40’s retro is marketable. Commericals are using these types of songs all the time. For example, “You and Me, and the bottle makes three”, “Mambo #5 (which still is very annoying)”, and “Jump Jive and Wail” which was a big commercial success for Gap. “Candyman” is being used for Verizon’s Chocolate phones. And as for content, need I remind everyone about Clarence Carter’s “Stroke it”? It is amazing what artists can get away with.
Gretchen… What comeback? She never went anywhere. wtf?
What say I, oh faithful PopWatch reader? I say that Gwen Stefani’s Wind It Up is freakin genious and I love it. The perfect work out song!
this song is better then fergie’s crap, but i admit that gwen’s latest cd is not as good but i like wind it up and im really digging her new one w/ akon, but for some reason i dont see this being that big, but i am rooting for lily allen to become a hit in the states
It’s the best song in the album. It should be a single!
Thanks to Jason for pointing out that this song is a complete rip-off of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. I am surprised no one else has noticed that…I think that the chord progression is basically identical! I am a little bit over this whole 40’s thing with her. It is one thing to be inspired by an era or style but another completely to just ape that style with no originality. I also wish that someone would sit her down and tell her that not every note needs to be sung at full throttle…they are called dynamics. Use them. Ugh, I just hate this trite, cliched caricature shtick.
Anything that is actual SINGING as opposed to faux-singing/”gangsta” rap is fine by me.
Love that song. Love the Back to Basics album. I think it is not only a great opportunity for people to hear her great voice, in great form, but it is totally danceable. I can dance to it in my car, speakers blaring! I think it has the juice.
“Candyman” has already gotten a lot of exposure by being used on a Verizon/LG phone ad. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOcp16AKgEA
I like it.
http://www.allaboute.net/blog
Sweet shuga candied yams! That’s the verse I hear when I play this cd.
This is a great song but it’s not commercial enough.
xtina has more talent in her little finger than Beyonce, Fergie, Brittany and the other poptarts out there
it can absolutely be a hit
Christina is the best female singer in the recording industry-she deserves some commercial kudos. “Candyman” has some soul and real singing. It makes “Irreplaceable”, which is currently on top of the charts, sound like it was sung by a chipmunk. Three cheers for Christina, and may she rise straight to the top.