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Time to Make a Comeback
Indie | Monday 18th February 2013 | Kate
Amidst rumours that Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, David Bowie and Justin Timberlake are all making comebacks in 2013, Kate Nicholas discusses whether we should leave the past in the past or whether it is fine to re-embrace the 90’s and the bad haircuts and crop tops that they brought with them.
I am sure I am not alone in that feeling of nostalgia for the 90’s which rears its ugly head every now and again, the question of comebacks is an entirely different story; should once popular artists leave their musical success in the past and move on to newer and brighter career paths, or do they give it one last chance in the hope that they’ve still got what it takes?
I cannot go any further without mentioning that Super Bowl performance. Beyoncé, in her usual effortless style, absolutely smashed her performance in front of thousands of screaming fans inside the arena. Her medley of singles only further enforced the success she has experienced since launching her solo career with ‘Crazy in Love’. However, for me, the performance fell a bit flat when a certain two familiar faces literally flew on to the stage (I thought for a second Michelle was going to take a tumble). Whether that is to be blamed on microphone issues or the immense nerves they were bound to be feeling remains to be seen; we will just have to wait until their next performance as a group. Nevertheless, that performance already has me sceptical. Beyoncé alone can wow any male or female around the world. If you add in the two others, arguably less talented Kelly and Michelle, it is as if Beyoncé’s light is dulled to allow theirs to shine that little bit brighter, and I’m not sure that is a sacrifice I am willing to make just to try and recapture that Independent Women magic.
When it comes to comebacks Britney is quite clearly the queen. Her phenomenal highs and unbelievable lows have led to conflicting opinions all over the world. The bright-eyed, pigtailed girl we all fell in love with during Baby One More Time soon became the not-so-bright-eyed mother whose children were taken away from her after police arrived at her house in 2008 and discovered she was under the influence of an illegal substance. And we all remember the 2007 haircut which shocked the world as a shaved head only seemed to highlight Britney’s sunken eyes and a skin which was drained of all colour as she struggled through an extremely stressful period of her life. However, it appears that all that is in the past now that Britney is free to focus on her music career once more. But is this really a good idea? As a fan who lost faith in Britney when I was still in my teens, I am not convinced that she can truly leave her past behind to allow her listening audience to finally concentrate on only her music once more. However, the small part of me which still remains sentimental for those days when a hair brush and your school uniform was all it would take to become a pop star, hopes that Britney will give it one last shot and rid herself of the demons that have haunted her the past few years.
The cynics amongst us will remain adamant that, once you’ve had a shot at fame, you should leave that part of you behind and focus on a new career path, one which takes you away from the spotlight. However, I am equally as adamant that there is a part in all of us, however small, which is rooting for our past musical heroes. After all, the music we grew up listening to leaves a mark on each individual; whether it is the song that was played when you had that first dance with your crush, to the song that was on the radio when you first found out that you got into university, to even a song that bonded you and your best friend when you finally arrived at university. We all have memories which are so intricately linked with songs that, if the music from the past decides to rear its ugly head we can never completely turn our back on it as it would mean, to a certain extent, turning our back on our own pasts.
