As is customary in this go go 21st century world in which we live, I occasionally partake in evenings that set out to be merely a quick get together with friends and quickly devolve into “youtube parties.” I have spent many a pleasant evening at my friends’ Ryan and Bobby’s place watching endless Celine Dion – “C’Mon girlfriend shook me!” – or similar fabulous videos.
One video with which we’ve become completely enamoured is Girls Aloud’s performance of The Promise on The X Factor. It really is the clip that keeps on giving. At first we became transfixed with the beauty that is Nadine Coyle and her Carry On-style over-acting, the best moment of which comes at [0:37] with her ramming “BABE!” down our throats, but her odd hairography at [2:28] is also brilliant and her open-mouthed belting at [3:31] is again divine. Sarah is amazing simply in her ability to stand during her solos. The woman looks like she Winehoused her way to the studio and I don’t think even she would sincerely describe herself as a “walking primrose.”
Cheryl’s best bit is her dodgy solo [1:00] from which the floor seems to drop out as her voice drops lower and lower while Kimberly drops some tinny realness on us at [2:55] although she has some pretty epic serious-face at [2:08]. Nicola is unsurprisingly perfect throughout, not least during her flawless if too short solo at [2:14].
Other highlights include some seriously dodgy choreography the best of which is what can only be described as a “hand flap” featured at [1:19]. The fingers crossed “promise” move is also pretty legendary and who could forget the pyro-key change at [3:18]? There’s also some great Dannii Minogue bitch-face at [1:53].
This video has everything. Needless to say Bobby, Ryan, and I have learned the complete choreography.
Back to my original point though, this video needs to be a meme. Not just a rick-rolling I’m-sending-you-this-ridiculous-but-frankly-amazing-video-when-you-were-searching-for-something-else meme either. I envisage the pinnacle of the video – BABE! – inserted into the climax of every video on youtube! Imagine: “I’m the king of the… BABE!,” “Imma let you finish but… BABE!,” or a cat falls of a table and then… BABE! So good right!
