Jive
Pop, 2000

I’ve always hated Steps. I thought they and their cheesy Europop-on-LSD music are the sort even Satan would tremble in fear to. But after Buzz, I take that back. Buzz is simply delicious, a far cry from their vile two previous albums. Eschewing most of the usual PWL rejects, Steps instead play on the retro 80’s sound. The result is divine.

Of course, those who couldn’t stand this type of cheese will throw up their stomach’s contents to this. But me, let me take out my sneakers and risk a broken hip by dancing to Stomp, which will be right at home in the soundtrack of Fame. Buzz fits right at home too, as is cheesy, corny pieces of fluff like Turn Around and Human Touch.

Then, people, let’s pop on the Dirty Dancing nostalgia and sway your booties of the samba-mamba martini of Summer of Love and Paradise Lost (complete with references to caravans and desert winds).

Finally, we can cool down to a slice of John Hughes movie, where we can all hold hands and sing to songs that could be from the soundtrack of Sixteen Candles: It’s the Way You Make Me Feel and Here and Now are sappy cedar slices of pop ballads at their corniest and most fun. It even brings a tear into my eye to hear these girls (and yeah, those two guys too) trying their best to be Cyndi Lauper in If You Believe, co-written by Ms Lauper herself.

Buzz is a trip, a wonderful one. It’s psychedelic and it brings out the best in everything cheesy and corny and exuberant fun. Steps, will you ever forgive me for thinking the worst of you?