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Well, the energy levels are up a bit at least, with the first music you could describe as "fast" since the upbeat section of 'Summer Lovin'. In fact, I remember 'Because We Want To' as being the point when I decided to like "pop" music, rather than the Britpop stuff that was my main interest before then. I was already too old (and possibly too male) to claim to identify with it, and anyway I was far too cynical to consider this any sort of authentic voice of youth, but there's a level of positivity and fun that was lacking in a lot of other music around this time. And a proper memorable chorus, more to the point. I always liked the way it built up to the chorus too, and sort of imagined that it should be the closing track on an album; which apparently it was, though only in America. Over here the nearest it got was ending a Top 40 rundown, at which point she also became the youngest female singer to enter the chart at Number One. Whoever would have guessed that within ten years she'd be the ex-wife of Chris Evans?
Inevitably, what worked so well then is a bit less convincing now. To some extent my memory was just flattering the record: certainly, I'd forgotten the weird beatboxy intro part and the odd mockney rap that uses "upbeat" as a noun. Somehow, I'd even managed to forget the video, where Billie and friends are ushered into a rooftop club by a rhincerous in a suit. The bigger problem is that it's more of its time than I realised, a little too in thrall to the fashionable RnB production of a couple of years earlier. Perhaps it's part of the job of pop to be ephemeral and of the moment, though, and there was enough music in 1998 that didn't even sound good then.
Also appearing on: Now 41, 42, 46, 47
Available on: The Best of Billie
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