Despite racking up an impressive array of moderate poppy hits over the UK (some countries get all the pop-o-licious luck), a true breakthrough seems to be alluding The Saturdays. If This Is Love contain cuts that work as staple classics in my music collection ("If This Is Love", "Up!", "Work") and follow-up Wordshaker, all though it left many cold, only solidified in my eyes their importance in the pop landscape ("Wordshaker", "Lose Control" and "Not Good Enough" remain to be huge missed opportunities).
However, their sophomore album was only the beginning of proof positive that they are being miss-marketed. A scant number of singles were released when much more of a commercial push was viable, especially in a market with no Girls Aloud or Sugababes to readily compete with. The window of opportunity was wide open, and yet, the ball was fumbled (yeah, I can make sports references, okay?).
Then along came Headlines!, and while I can knock it all I want as a misstep into a confused and slightly bipolar image, thanks in large part to its first "single" "Missing You", it did provide some minor spotlights thanks to "Higher" and "Puppet". Still, the ardent Satz fan inside of me patiently waited for the storms to pass, confident in the fivesome's ability to produce a dancefloor sizzler that both sounds good and doesn't make me feel too much of a hypocritical sex kitten.
As The Satz ready for their third true album release (album title still unknown), "Notorious" was the first to surface earlier this summer. Next up is their upcoming single, "All Fired Up". It's arguably their most American radio friendly dance uptempo cut to date, and, not totally unlike with "Notorious", while I'm not over the moon, I'm much happier about this dance-friendly, synthy re-incarnation. It sounds much closer to the If This Is Loves of yore than the dizzying "Missing You"s of recent memory. However, while it makes me and several others happy to see them return to expected form, the market has become so saturated with this kind of club pop that I fear they will continue to blend in to the market rather than stand out as they rightfully should. (Because you see, it's only when they stand out that they will ever make their way State-Side, see.)
I'm definitely enjoying the single stabs prior to the third album's release, which bodes well for the impending release. It wasn't until I heard "All Fired Up"'s b-side "Ladykiller" that I found myself trully 'all fired up' yet again (haha), both for The Satz as a pop group, but also rather negatively once again for the fact that something as geniunely (and less overdubby) good being released as a B-Side.
"All Fired Up" is good, but "Ladykiller" is better. This continues The Satz rather infuriating trend of sitting on good material, rather than bringing it to the forefront.
Oooh, I've jumped right in
I know I've fallen hard for him
But he's creeping inside
Crossing over the line
I better watch out
He's a ladykiller
Oooh, what's happening
I know I'm getting hot for him
But I can't hold it back
It's a fatal attack
I better watch out
He's a ladykiller
Oh well. The Satz flag still waves at Melismatic. Werk it, ladies. Werk it.
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