Who is popular today?

Ed Sheeran’s mooted male version would have been a disaster – it’s time to get Christina et al back together again
Lady Marmalade was, and still is, an incredible female empowerment anthem. Originally a hit for all-female outfit Labelle in 1974, it was covered by All Saints in 1998. But the definitive recording (sorry Labelle) was the Missy Elliott-produced version for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack in 2001. Who among us didn’t alert our parents to the fact we were failing GCSE French by chanting: “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?” thinking it was “something to do with dancing?” Back then it was a groundbreaking idea to have four pop superstars – Pink, Mýa, Lil’ Kim, Christina Aguilera – on the same track, singing about sex and wearing lingerie in the video.
But in 2019, DJ Khaled doesn’t get out of bed unless he’s got at least 23 artists recording his voicemail message, and pop lyrics are a bit more graphic than coyly referencing a sleepover in a foreign language (see: Megan Thee Stallion breaking down every sexual experience she’s ever had in graphic detail). But still, not content with appearing on every song and TV show ever, Ed Sheeran recently revealed that he wanted to do an all-male version of Lady Marmalade. Continue reading...