Hilary Duff Samples Depeche Mode, But Did Jamelia Do It Better?

 

-- by NNN.com contributor Ryan McNally

 

Sampling is nothing new in pop music, and it can certainly be used to great effect. Sometimes it can make an old classic sound new again, and other times it can, well…be used by Hilary Duff.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Hilary’s post-Disney career, and I even bought her electro-lite masterpiece, 2007’s under-appreciated Dignity - but that was then and this is new. For the lead-off single of her newly-issued (as well as second) Best Of, Lizzy McGuire is back with “Reach Out,” sampling Depeche Mode’s ‘80s classic, “Personal Jesus.”

 

Duff, along with some bargain-bin rapper, attempts for a heavy, beat-driven “adult” (note the so-sexy-it’s-not video) electro-stomper – and the results are not quite worthy of a “Best Of.”

But we must not just simply point the finger at Duff: equal blame belongs to OneRepublic leading man - as well as “Bleeding Love” co-writer - Ryan Tedder (Hilary must pay well…). Tedder allows Duff to sing not one, but two ‘80s shout-outs: the first being the obvious, “Reach out and touch me!” But in addition, Hilary actually sings - and gives no credit in the liner notes - “Like a prayer, your touch can take me there.”

 

 

We get it Hilary - you listen to “older” music. But that doesn’t mean you should be ripping it off and, on top of that, sounding so lifeless as you do it.

To make matters worse for Duff, someone else sampled “Personal Jesus” and it did better in 2006: British singer Jamelia - along with Kylie and Britney contributors Bloodshy and Avant – made use for her Top 10 hit “Beware of the Dog.” Simply said, this is how you sample this track. No rapper, no “look at how edgy I am” dress up - Jamelia just gives it. (Although, it should be noted this was her last hit to date.)

 

 

Without a doubt, “Beware” is the definitive use of the sample, and it may even be the best use of a sample of all time! So while Duff and Tedder may think they pulled a fast one on America, they can’t fool the gays. (Below is an AOL session of Jamelia performing her "Beware" hit.)

 

 

Comments

[Cesar Silva]

I love the video; but I only saw the last 2 minutes or so on NewNowNext PopLab on 12/21...when are you going to rebroadcast it???

Where can I buy this, or the "Stranger" video???