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Should We Be Listening to The Saturdays?

[caption id="attachment_93901" align="aligncenter" width="600"]The Saturdays The Saturdays[/caption]

As you know, I am perpetually fascinated by pop stars who are HUGE in England but can't even get served a day-old muffin in America. My beloved Olly Murs is a good example, but it looks like "Troublemaker" is becoming a legitimate hit in the States, so soon enough, we may all be squeezing his cheeks and lightly nuzzling his neck.

But what about The Saturdays? Since 2008, this girl group has had 11 top ten hits in Britain, and next week, their song "What About Us" will probably reach number one. If the Yanks can freak out about One Direction and even Cher Lloyd, then should we at least give these ladies a chance?

So far, it seems like the answer is "No." Did you know The Saturdays have a reality show on E!? That's airing new episodes right now? You probably didn't because no one is watching it. And why should we watch? Isn't a girl group supposed to have at least one hit before they get their own reality show?

Of course, the bigger question is whether Americans need to bother with The Saturdays' music. Let's start with "What About Us:"

Admittedly, this song does tell us where Sean Paul has been. Otherwise, though, it's just... fine. There's nothing offensive about it, but it's not an especially memorable song, either. Just your basic club track with a few diva notes on top.

Most of their singles are equally generic. It really makes you appreciate the Sugababes, another British girl group that never broke through in the United States. Most of their singles had an edge: They rocked hard or had beautiful harmonies or dropped nasty beats. By comparison, The Saturdays are forgettable. The one exception is their song "Forever Is Over," which was a U.K. hit in 2009. On this one, the ladies growl and howl with personality, and the rock-inflected backbeat demands a little attention. It doesn't just fade into the background like the beat-by-numbers tracks on their later songs.

Until the Saturdays deliver another hit like "Forever Is Over," it's hard to imagine them really breaking through in the States, even if we ARE in the midst of another British wave. We've got plenty of homegrown forgettable pop stars to distract us, thank you very much.

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Mark Blankenship would rather be listening to that Icona Pop song. He tweets as @IAmBlankenship.

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