"Stimulation" by Wa Wa Nee

Song#:  3390

Date:  01/30/1988

Debut:  86

Peak:  86

Weeks:  2

Genre:  Synthpop

Pop Bits:  After having success back home, the Aussie band Wa Wa Nee attempted to break through in the States with "Sugar Free," a single from their self-title debut album. The song did fairly well cracking the Pop Top 40 at #35. For a follow-up, this next track was selected. Back home in Australia, this song was the band's debut single. It was a major hit reaching #2. However, it couldn't gain an audience in the US with the track spending only two short weeks on the chart. With that result, no further singles were released in the US.

ReduxReview:  Releasing "Sugar Free" first in the US was a good idea since it was an in-your-face electro-funk tune that was memorable and grabbed your attention. By contrast, this was a slicker synthpop tune that was similar in sound to some of the day's UK sophisti-pop. While not a bad tune, it just wasn't as hooky or interesting as "Sugar Free" and it wasn't enough to entice US pop listeners.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  By the time Wa Wa Nee had some success in the US, their debut album had pretty much run its course at home in Australia. So to keep fans interested between albums, the band pushed out a remix album titled called Ulta Mixes. It didn't chart, but it allowed the band time to prepare their second album. Blush would finally arrive in April of '89, three years after their debut album came out. It seems the band had lost some of the momentum gained with their first album as its first two singles just barely scraped the Aussie Top 40. The lackluster results kept the album from being released in the US. Following that disappointment, Wa Wa Nee would officially disband.

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