2003: the BRITs, The Postal Service and ‘Crazy In Love’
Beyonce - Crazy In Love
2003. What a year. I was 18, had moved to London and was working at a record label. Living the dream. First thoughts on the music of 2003 are namely Blue and Atomic Kitten, because they were the biggest bands I worked with at the time. We were also preparing VS for their brief brush with fame – I only mention them because Marvin is now one quarter of JLS.
One of the most memorable moments of my time at work was attending the BRITs after-party (I was too new at the company to be able to go to the actual awards). Blue had won Best Pop Act; other winners included Will Young (Breakthrough artist), Pink (International female) and Coldplay, who picked up two awards – Best British Group and Best Album for Rush of Blood to the Head.
Dizzee Rascal swaggered on to the scene in 2003, winning the Mercury Music Award for his debut album Boy In Da Corner.
His second single, ‘Fix Up Look Sharp’ was the first track of his that I heard, and was so different to anything else at the time.
By July I was back home and getting ready for university. The only half-decent club night on offer in Lincoln was the Thursday RnB night, where I’d shake my booty (or try, anyway) to Beyonce’s ‘Crazy In Love’.
Quite possibly the best song of the year, Beyonce definitely made her mark with arguably the hottest video of the year. I can’t think of anything bad to say about it; she looks great, she sounds great, Jay-Z’s rap adds, rather than detracts to the single… possibly the only thing I regret about this period of my life is going out to buy her album, which was full of boring ballads and not a patch on this.
By the time I got to university, Black Eyed Peas had released ‘Where Is The Love?’ Worth a mention for two reasons; firstly, it was the biggest selling single of 2003, and secondly because I absolutely hated it and everyone I was in halls with loved it. There was no escape.
I morphed from R’n'B to Emo fan toward the end of 2003, with ‘Hands Down’ by Dashboard Confessional becoming one of my favourite songs of the year. I remember hearing it for the first time on Radio 1; it was Jo Whiley’s record of the week and I scrambled around to find a piece of paper to take the name of the band down. This was rivalled by ‘Such Great Heights’ from The Postal Service. Beautiful.
In the world of singles, the year ended with – Shock! Horror! – a non-reality TV show Christmas number one. One of my favourite films of the year, Donnie Darko, spawned ‘Mad World’ by Michael Andrews (Featuring Gary Jules).
Other songs that were on my radar during the year were OutKast’s ‘Hey Ya’ and The Libertines’ ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’. Both very good.
Albums I bought included The Darkness’ Permission To Land (yep, I got caught up in all of that, too), Dido’s Life For Rent (I didn’t say I had the best music taste) and Death Cab For Cutie’s Transatlantacism.
My musical tastes changed quite dramatically during 2003, but I suppose that’s because my life changed quite a bit during the year too. Having my student loan to fund my musical explorations helped, too. Still, at least I moved away from manufactured pop and R’n'B – even if it was on to Emo…
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