Thursday 4/15: The Veronicas—"Untouched"
Today, we look back on a 2007 one-hit-wonder by The Veronicas.
Welcome to Endless Scroll, the brainchild of Eli Enis (he/him), Eric Bennett (they/them), Michael Brooks (he/him) and Miranda Reinert (she/her). Since Feb. 2019, we’ve been a weekly podcast about music, the internet, and where those two things intersect. On Substack, we’re also a M-F newsletter about songs. Our format is simple: a link to a song and a short take from each of us about what we think of it. Each day of the week has a corresponding genre: Monday is indie, Tuesday is punk, Wednesday is hip-hop, Thursday is pop, and Friday is misc. Three days of the week are free but you can get access to all five weekly posts by subscribing for $5/month via Substack or $2/month via our Patreon.
Today, we look back on a 2007 one-hit-wonder by The Veronicas.
The Veronicas—"Untouched"
Eric Bennett:
If you were around in 2007, when the melodramatic opening strings of The Veronica’s lone hit “Untouched” first shot across terrestrial radio, then those first notes are all you need. The memories the song soundtracked come flooding back. For me, the song remains trapped in amber playing at Middle School dances, or in my friend’s mom’s car going to the mall. While it still sounds just as purposive as ever with its driving melody and near-cheerleader shouted chorus, it’s not something I want to inspect all that closely, because I’d like to keep it safe from my better judgment. I caught a glimpse of the lyrics while double-checking its release year, and off. “I go ooh ooh / you go ah ah/ la la la la / la la la la.” It’s not exactly high art. But that’s as far as I’m willing to drag it. Sometimes it’s important to let yourself have your fun, dumb pop songs, and let them be that. Keep them like a friend you haven’t talked to in a few years. You don’t need to know what they’re up to, and you probably don’t actually want to, that's why you have them muted. Just hold on to the memories.
Eli Enis:
I….really don’t remember this song at all??? Which is weird because this sounds like something I definitely would’ve been somewhat into when it was the on the radio, but I have no memory of ever hearing it! That said, it feels like Evanescence crossing over into Vanessa Carlton territory. The strings and the dramatic delivery have a certain ornamental quality that feels unique to that era of glossy, dark eyeliner piano pop, but it also has the energy and delivery of a song that could cross over onto alt-rock radio at the height of MCR’s reign. Maybe a Flyleaf opener? Anyways, it’s a catchy tune. Never gonna purposefully go back to it but now I’ve heard it, and I loved reading Eric’s words about just letting dumb songs be good memories. I feel that harder the older I get.