This is my token year-ender blog. I know some friends have been waiting for this.
But before that, here’s a recap of the Best of 2007.
Best Song: The Way I Are (Timbaland)
Best Album: Daughtry (self-titled)
Best Movie: Transformers
Best TV Show: Pinoy Big Brother Season 2 (Local), The Amazing Race Asia 2 (Foreign)
THE YEAR 2008 IN MUSIC, MOVIES AND SMALL TUBE
If I were to summarize the entertainment landscape for 2008 in one word, I’ll have to say GLOBALIZATION.
For music, the spotlight is back to mainstream (pop even). Very unlike the previous years (which were dominated by rap or alternative music), this year was a mish-mash of genres.
Producers even looked at the other side of the Atlantic shore and I’d say that British music achieved its overdue worldwide success this year. UK spawned the best new act for 2008 (Leona Lewis) and then capped the year with the legends...Coldplay and Radiohead.
On the US-front, the Top 40 became the permanent resident of the established rhythmic blues and rap acts; the likes of Li’l Wayne, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ne-yo and T.I.
T.I. had back to back #1 hits. Rihanna continues her chart success with the string of crossover #1s. Mariah nabbed her 18th #1, overtaking Elvis in the record for most #1s. Britney made a huge comeback as her song Womanizer made the almost- impossible record leap to #1 (from #96). Teen pop power is generated by the over-rated marketing gimmickry otherwise known as The Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus. And some Taylor Swift and the Davids of American Idol.
On the local front, after two years of lording it over the charts, OPM music took the backseat. Maybe the fans grew tired of the endless remakes and lacklustre songs from the formerly formidable bands. But there were OPM artist who made news abroad. Arnel Pineda joined American band Journey but he has big shoes to fill. Charice Pempengco wowed the viewers of almost all the US talk shows and made it to the David Foster special alongside the likes of Josh Groban.
For movies, we still did not see the parade of blockbusters; unlike the time when we have Harry Potter and LOTR in the same year. In the wake of Heath Ledger’s death, The Dark Knight descended upon us and ran away as the year’s biggest hit and runner-up on the all-time box office chart (second only to the unsinkable Titanic). Before year-end, darkness again descended as vampire cult phenomenon Twilight sunk its teeth on millions of girls screaming for Edward, Jacob and Carlisle. Suddenly, vampire became the new magical wizard. Let’s not forget Mamma Mia! which sung its way from the curtains of Broadway to the silverscreen and generated the biggest soundtrack this year. I’ll never look at Meryll Streep and Colin Firth in the same way again.
Television gave another banner year for medical dramedies like House, Grey’s Anatomy and Dexter. Josh Swartz gave birth to Gossip Girl (the new O.C, bitch!). There was laughter through the depressing recession via 30 Rock, Californication, Entourage and Ugly Betty. On the local front, we saw local adaptations of foreign shows, including Koreanovelas and more reality shows (please spare us from a local Twilight).
So roll out the red carpet for the Best of 2008.
Of course, these are highly biased and subjective. Mock me if you want, but these are the songs and movies that defined my life in 2008.
BEST SONGS
There are a lot of great songs this year so I cannot narrow down the best to only 10. Hence, here are 20...and believe me I still had difficulty choosing them from my playlist.
1. Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis)
2. Forever (Chris Brown)
3. Bye Bye (Mariah Carey)
4. The Man Who Can’t Be Moved (The Script)
5. Apologize (Timbaland feat. OneRepublic)
6. That’s What You Get (Paramore)
7. Whatever It Takes (Lifehouse)
8. Take A Bow (Rihanna)
9. No Air (Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown)
10. Four Minutes (Madonna and Justin Timberlake)
11. Mad (Neyo)
12. Just Stand Up! (Artists Stand Up To Cancer)
13. Love Song (Sara Bareilles)
14. Viva La Vida (Coldplay)
15. With You (Chris Brown)
16. Decode (Paramore)
17. I Stay In Love (Mariah Carey)
18. Better In Time (Leona Lewis)
19. Energy (Keri Hilson)
20. Forget About Me (A Little Bit)
Most Played On iPod: Apologize (Timbaland/OneRepublic and OneRepublic/David Archuleta versions)
Personal Theme Song: That’s What You Get (Paramore)
Best Video: Four Minutes (Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake)
Best Dance Track: In The Ayer (Flo Rida) and Disturbia (Rihanna)
Best Wake-Up Song: Booty Music (Git Fresh)
Best Lyrics: The Man Who Can’t Be Moved (The Script)
Best Sampling: Bust It, Baby (Plies feat. Neyo) sampling Janet Jackson’s Come Back To Me
Most Irritating Song: Single Ladies (Beyonce)
Last Song Syndrome (LSS) Award: Womanizer (Britney Spears)
Best OPM Song (Original): Leap of Faith (Hale)
Best Remake: Another Goodbye Song (Van of PDA2)
Best OST: Twilight OST
Best New Acts: Leona Lewis, OneRepublic, The Script
Guilty Pleasure (Music): songs from The Ting Tings and Katy Perry
BEST ALBUMS
1. E=MC2 (Mariah Carey)
2. Who We Are (Lifehouse)
3. Spirit (Leona Lewis)
4. The Script (The Script)
5. OST - Twilight
BEST MOVIES
1. Twilight
2. The Dark Knight
3. Wall-E
4. Iron Man
5. A Very Special Love
Best Performance, Actress: Meryll Streep in Mamma Mia!
Best Performance, Actor: Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Best Performance, Supporting Role: Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight
Guilty Pleasure (Movie): High School Musical 3
Worst Movie: For The First Time
BEST TV SHOWS
1. ASAP ’08 (ABS-CBN)
2. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (AXN)
3. Anderson Cooper 360 and Christiane Amanpour Reports(CNN)
4. Executive Class (ANC)
5. Kalye (ABS-CBN)
6. Entourage (HBO)
Guilty Pleasure (TV): Banana Split and Eva Fonda (in short...Christine Reyes)
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Here’s hoping that we will be more entertained in 2009.
Things To Look Out For in 2009
1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (movie)
2. New Moon (movie)
3. New CD releases from Justin Timberlake, Mandy Moore, U2 and Mariah Carey
4. American Idol (beginning Jan 14)
5. Transformers 2
6. Cars 2
7. Tayong Dalawa (local soap)
8. more independent local films