In a previous entry, fellow Jiingo writer and music lover Shan professed his love for the newest Hilary Duff single, Reach Out. Despite his enthusiasm, and my own previous love for Ms. Duff, I have to say, that something just wasn’t sitting right with me and this song. See, a not-so-well known British artist by the name of Jamelia released a VERY similar record just a couple of years ago, and frankly I think that she used the sample better, and produced a better single as a result.

I will definitely say that it is hard to be “original” when you are taking a sample from a song that is popular in its own right, but I can’t help but feel a bit of “theft” on Hilary’s part. Since most people (especially those stateside that comprise the basis for Duff’s fanbase) don’t know of Jamelia, I can bet that Hilary’s people felt that no one would notice that she basically released an inferior version of Jamelia’s hit, Beware of the Dog. Again, it is the same sample, and practically the same song, but at least Jamelia doesn’t rely solely on the original lyrics of Depeche Mode’s hit, and in my opinion, her interpretation is sexier, more polished version.

I guess I am writing this more as a gripe, because great pop music that comes from artists like Jamelia often never sees the light of day over here in the states, and our own “pop/teen divas” sometimes rest on rehashing something that was already popular elsewhere in the pop universe (Jamelia’s Beware of the Dog was a pretty big single for her in the UK).

But don’t think that I am focused solely on American artists doing the copycat routine; the door definitely swings both ways (I’m looking at you, Leona “A Moment Like This take 2″ Lewis). I really feel that for music lovers like myself, it presents a frustrating scenario, to see the same songs being re-branded, rewritten, repackaged, and rerecorded; while there are so many other opportunities out there for pop greatness that don’t involve the same, or VERY similar songs being released by various artists. I can bet that Jamelia probably feels slightly robbed by Ms. Duff, because her song will never see the same attention that Hilary’s Reach Out most likely will; and rightly so, the similarities are unmistakable.

Listen for yourself:
Jamelia’s Beware of the Dog:

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and Hilary’s Reach Out:

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Now, I know that stuff like this will always happen in the cutthroat business that is the music industry, but it doesn’t mean that we have to like it; and I for one, don’t like it one bit. I wish that Jamelia could get the spotlight for this one, because I think her song is truly superior to Hilary’s. That being said, I do think Hilary looks amazing in the video, and she definitely has some hits of her own under her belt (hence my previous love for her coming into this fight); which makes me wonder why one of her MASSIVE songs like Outside of You didn’t get the video treatment? Oh well… regardless of the outcome, the least I could do is educate the masses about the two hits that sound the same, so that way, you can decide which one you like best, and potentially, you can discover more from  artists like Jamelia in the process.

Tags: Hilary Duff, Jamelia

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