Born in 1994, I popped out the womb just in time for the revival of bubblegum pop. My parents, Queens contemporaries and the self proclaimed biggest fans of the original punk act, The Ramones, didn’t mind my love for all things Spice Girls, Mandy Moore, and N*SYNC as long as I could still sing along with them to 80s punk classics like “Teenage Lobotomy” on family car rides.
Unorthodox? Maybe, but my little elementary school sized brain loved both dark punk and saccharine pop.
Quickly, I amassed a collection of CDs, Hit Clips, and VHS tapes featuring Aaron Carter, A*Teens, and S Club 7. Hours were spent playing Spice Girls with my sister- she was Baby and I was Sporty, obvi. Summer days in my backyard consisted solely of me memorizing the legendary “Bye, Bye, Bye” choreography.
Slowly, my dedication faded as all of my favorite pop groups disbanded, launched solo careers and started familits.
Shortly after, I hit middle school and became certifiably moody. My Chemical Romance and a plethora of other pop-punk/emo acts filled the hole that bubblegum pop artists left in my chest.
Now 22, I’ve turned, once again, to the music of my youth. Wanting to remember, I seek out Britney Spear the same way a housewife on reality television seeks out botox.
Tons of publications published articles on what they believe to be the best pop songs of the late 90s and early 2000s. Their lists aren’t wrong. However, their lists are predictable and often don’t include acts that aren’t named Britney, Christina, or Justin.
I demand justice for the forgotten pop acts of this perfectly curated bubblegum pop era. They delivered some of the best and most diverse pop bops ever.
Below are the best songs from the forgotten pop acts of the late 90s and early 2000s. Listen to them, then listen again, then add them to your iPhone’s music library.
“I Wanna Be Bad” – Willa Ford
This three-minute-long autotuned anthem had Britney and Christina SHOOK in 2001 after its release. Ahead of its time, in that it featured a rapper, this song deserves to be remembered.
I sure never forgot about it, even if I probably should have after hitting my best friend in the eye with my ponytail after tossing my hair while dancing to this in HIGH SCHOOL.
“Upside Down” – A*Teens
We were lucky to be graced with this Swedish quartet’s presence in the late 90s. They had everything- spiky hair, blue eyeshadow, and cheesy choreography, not to mention serious tunes? The group started out as an ABBA tribute group in 1998 and soon after went global.
“Us Against the World” – Play
Ok, but the Spice Girls who? Play, a girl group, produced hit after hit during the times of Tomagotchis and Britney and Justin.
“Never Had A Dream Come True” – S Club 7
I refuse to conceal the fact that this was the first song I ever cried during. Sure, seven-year-olds know nothing about heartbreak, but I’m convinced I had a star crossed lover in a past life that made me react to this ballad so strongly in elementary school.
S Club 7 had it all in the early 2000s. The seven piece mixed gender pop group were formed by the same man behind the Spice Girls and had their own television show. Take that, Backstreet Boys.
“C’est La Vie” – B*Witched
Since this track’s release in 1998, I’ve become obsessed with Justin Bieber, One Direction, Fifth Harmony, and the Jonas Brothers. None of the aforementioned acts’ songs are as catchy as “C’est La Vie.”
In the video for this record, all four members of B*Witched are sporting denim-on-denim looks, as they carry out choreographed dance routines.
B*Witched, native to Ireland, even managed to fuse a little bit of Irish music in this pop track and still have it be commercially successful!! How??
The Rogue Runway 