High Schooler by Day, Aspiring Candyman by Night
Do good things really come for boys who wait? Exploring how Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics" made retro swing feel cool again.
What’s a song that instantly takes you back to high school?
The year was 2006. TIME declared me as their Person of the Year (or you, if you were reading the weekly news magazine), Twitter was in its infancy stage, Pluto stopped being the ninth planet, Britney Spears was pregnant again, and I was a 14-year-old junior high schooler juggling puberty and Geometry like my life depended on it. So many things were happening at once. The world was fast-evolving. Everything was rapidly changing. People were jumping on the internet to discover what’s up, who’s down, and what’s next. It’s either you keep up or get outdated. Then Christina Aguilera released Back To Basics. Suddenly, being stuck in the ‘50s felt cool again.
Twenty years ago, the likes of Black Eyed Peas and The Pussycat Dolls ruled the music industry with their party-ready anthems and flashy music videos. Their sound pretty much dictated what was hot at the time. In fact, being on top of whatever latest bangers they had unleashed to the radio and music television felt like a requirement to be considered a cool kid in school. Fergie’s ‘humps,’ and Snoop Dogg’s unforgettable roll call of the Dolls’ names were the rage back then. I enjoyed it all, more than I should if I’m being completely honest. But I’ve always known that deep inside me, I have an old soul somewhere.
But I’ve always known that deep inside me, I have an old soul somewhere.
I do not frown over music released way before I took my first breath. In fact, I grew up listening to FM radio that featured songs which blew up decades before I was even born. Outside of the house, those classics were still ever present as jeepney drivers preferred that music. But I was a high school student, so the only thing I cared about was being cool and dreading when and where my next pimple would make its unfortunate appearance. So instead of professing my R.E.S.P.E.C.T. for Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin and company, I bugged my classmates to send me MP3s of Don’t Cha and Don’t Phunk With My Heart (via the miraculous powers of Nokia’s Bluetooth, of course). When Back To Basics happened and became a hit, I felt freer to express my love for old school jazz and soul.
Ain’t No Other Man was a hit from the get-go. The big voice, bold instrumentals, and bright visuals combination really made it a perfect lead single. However, it was the highly infectious Candyman that made me want to get up and dance in our school’s covered court. That’s not an exaggeration. I really wanted to do just that. Dance in front of the whole campus to the tune of Candyman. And it almost happened, had I not been too shy to tell my classmates what I really wanted.
However, it was the highly infectious Candyman that made me want to get up and dance in our school’s covered court.
Every year, our school hosted some sort of a dance sport. It was mandatory for every student to participate in it. As the dancers in our class started conceptualizing our number, they came up with the idea to divide our group into three so we could showcase different types of dances instead of just one, and then join forces in the end. The first group would dance to Sway by The Pussycat Dolls (I would have loved that too), the second one to Candyman (my preference)... and I ended up being part of the third group. I can’t even remember the song we danced to because I was too focused on being envious of those who were chosen to do Candyman!
I don’t even remember seeing the rehearsals of the other two groups, as we had our own choreography to practice and just relied on cues as to where and when to enter the dance floor. But when showtime came, I was completely blown away by the Candyman part! When its call and response intro started enveloping the covered court, everyone including my schoolmates, who only subscribed to contemporary music, seemed so excited. There was twirling, lifting, and flirting everywhere. I realized then that as much as I would have wanted to do that part, I could not have done it the way my talented, gifted and trained classmates did it. Their agility and strength to throw their dance partners like a pizza dough was something I wouldn’t be able to pull off then, and possibly up to now, given my frame. In the end, I cheered as loud as I could because I was thoroughly entertained by their performance.
These days when Candyman comes on, I sometimes still picture myself donning the military costumes and breaking into a dance. Even though two decades have passed, it continues to bring me back to that very moment. Somehow it also taught me a lesson on perspective. Just because I wanted it badly didn’t automatically mean that it belonged to me. If someone else is obviously more capable and is a better fit, then let them have it. High school was certainly not always fun, but my memories of it were somehow filled with sweet and sugar, thanks to Candyman.
Check out Justin’s short essay of the album in his Instagram post.
A listener who soundtracks every part of their day, from morning wake-ups to late-night lullabies. A reluctant nurse, aspiring writer, and frustrated musician who’d rather not imagine life without music.
