A plethora of amazing pop hits emerged in the early 2000s. But sometimes it’s the deep cuts that really mean something. Here are four non-singles from Y2K-era pop stars that deserve more recognition.
“Don’t Go Knockin’ On My Door” by Britney Spears
The four singles from Britney Spears’ May 2000 album Oops…I Did It Again may be the most well-known (Who doesn’t love the sheer power of “Stronger”?), but the deep cuts deserve some attention. “Don’t Go Knockin’ On My Door” takes all the sappy love songs Spears recorded to date and kicks them to the curb.
With her typical vocal embellishments (“Ooh yeah”) and pauses for dramatic effect, Spears confidently tells whatever guy hanging around, “It’s so clear to me, what we had is history / It’s ok, I can sleep at night / It will be alright.” That guy may not be ok, but Britney Spears is fine, and that’s what’s important.
“Magic’s In The Makeup” by No Doubt
No Doubt’s fourth album, Return of Saturn, from April 2000, marked their return after extensively touring in support of their breakthrough album Tragic Kingdom. At this point, the band retained their ska leanings, but the songs slowed down, turning to reflective ballads instead.
In particular, “Magic’s in the Makeup” sees vocalist Gwen Stefani wondering who she is now. It opens with the sucker punch lines, “Can you tell I’m faking it? / But I want to be myself / A counterfeit disposition / Can’t be good for my health.” Immediately, we’re thrown into the deep end of a conflicted psyche struggling with expressing a true personality.
“Get Another Boyfriend” by Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys released their fourth album, Black & Blue, in November 2000, and while it didn’t do quite as well as Millennium from 1999 (not to mention they had NSYNC breathing down their necks), it still featured several breakout hits. “The Call” is one, but another is the deep cut “Get Another Boyfriend.”
This track is much more sonically aggressive. It’s got a jagged, in-your-face beat and vocals that almost make you want to hide under a desk. There’s no lack of attitude, which painted the group as “bad boys on the prowl,” according to an Entertainment Weekly review. While the narrative-driven “The Call” took the form of a tragic opera, “Get Another Boyfriend” was the musical equivalent of maintaining intense, weird eye contact in the club.
“How You Gonna Tell Me” by Mya
In April 2000, Mya released her second album, Fear of Flying. Here, she became more creatively involved in songwriting. This lent itself to several hits like “Case of the Ex” and “Free”. The album cemented Mya as a voice for Y2K R&B, and deep cuts like “How You Gonna Tell Me” showcase that style. The track is essentially a reprimand to a friend who keeps giving relationship advice.
That’s all well and good, but the issue is, this friend needs to take her own advice instead. Mya drops some serious shade in the bridge, singing, “You about to lose your house and your ride too / ‘Cause you don’t handle business like you should do / But you know how to fix my thang / You dropped out of school in eleventh grade / Strippin’ every day just so you could get paid / But you know how to fix my thang.”
Photo by KMazur/WireImage
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