Annie: "I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me"

So, Annie’s back. You remember Annie, right? She had that “Chewing Gum” song with Richard X? It was like the besterest thing ever. Bloopy electro pop with great lyrics? Anyway, this is her comeback single after 4 years away. It’s a bit of a let down.

The main thing is: we are now living in a post-Pussycat Doll world. Annie’s cutesy delivery on a semi-barbed lyric just isn’t as effective as it was four years ago. Also, the lyrics to this track don’t have that vicious bite and double-entendre which made “Chewing Gum” so appealing. Compare “I’m just a girl that’s only chewing for fun / You spit it out when all the flavour has gone” to “I know your girlfriend hates me / See, you know it’s true / The way she hangs upon you and watches every move.” The former was in a completely different league.

Richard X is back on production duties and second time around the marriage doesn’t have the same kismet defining muse/genius partnering like Kelis/Neptunes and Missy/Timbaland. Maybe it’s because his recent work with Róisín Murphy was more dramatic or his work with M.I.A more adventurous but “I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me” feels decidedly flat.

Let’s get this right though, there’s nothing bad about this song by any means, there’s just nothing great or fresh or surprising about it, which is a crime when you’re making pop. I just hope the album is a little sharper or she could be forever relegated as a one-hit wonder.