Summer 1999 Issue: Music
Five To Watch File
by Steffi Blaque
The last summer of the millenium promises to be a memorable one in the various veins of pop music. Here are Easy Access's expanded seven choices for our Five to Watch summer music preview.
5. Jordan Knight: The former New Kid is the opening act on 'N Sync's summer tour. Another generation of screaming fourteen year old girls are about to find out what their older sisters saw in him all those years ago.
Prediction: Knight's popularity surges in the wake of new singles from the monster known as 5ive 98 Degrees of Back Sync Boys, as fans long for the good old days of NKOTB.
5. Manic Street Preachers: Proclaimed 'biggest band in the world' by a British magazine, this trio from Wales finally experience Stateside success with their new album (at least, it's new here) This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours.
Prediction: MSP's first single "If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next" may not make them the 'biggest band in the world' in America but will provide them the honor of owning the most successful longest titled song of the year.
5. Len: Overshadowing No Doubt's new song "New" on the GO soundtrack with the feel-good hit of the summer "Steal My Sunshine" is the Canadian contingent known as Len. Expect to hear this friendly little ditty everywhere you go.
Prediction: Len will have a longer stay in the top ten than GO did in theatres. In fact, it probably already has.
4. Flint: Devilish Doug, Juwan the Next Hendrix and pouty and potty-mouthed singer Cody are going to H.U.M.P. all summer long. Not with each other but on what experts are guessing will be the summer's hippest tour.
Prediction: Flint's new release, "Seven Year Old Lawyer", will be the ballad of the Summer of '99 and touch audio g-spots in a way that hasn't been seen since the Summer of '89 and Bon Jovi's "I'll Be There For You".
3. Blink 182: Has there been a funnier video than "What's My Age Again?" ever? The following of surf-pop's Blink 182 is surging since the release of their album Enema Of The State. Like Flint, they should make a name for themselves in concert on this summer's VANS Warped tour.
Prediction: Blink 182 has done their best to make nudity cool again. Enthusiastic nudists will romp like their heroes in their latest video but won't be protected by the editors of "What's My Age Again?" and that well-placed distortion.
2. Jennifer Lopez: Sexy film star Jennifer Lopez is out to prove she's a lot more than just an actress, dancer, Puff Daddy's ex-girlfriend and a glorified bottom. The title for her album On the 6 is metaphorical about her ride to stardom that all started on New York City's subway train 6.
Prediction: Forecasters in New York City call for it to be hotter than usual this summer. Forecasters in the music biz call for the first video from Lopez to be hotter than anything else.
1. Ricky Martin: Since his performance at this year's Grammys, all anyone is talking about is this former Menudo star. Martin has sold staggering amounts of Spanish-language albums and his crossover English debut is setting all sorts of records. Ricky Martin really is living la vida loca, the crazy life, or whatever you'd like to call it.
Prediction: The song-of-the-summer success of "Livin' La Vida Loca" and his legion of chicas loca will guarantee that we'll be hearing Ricky's next single "She's All I Ever Had" well into September.