An Add-Shot of Pop: Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso”
Breathy and a bit bratty, in the best possible way, Sabrina Carpenter’s breakout hit, “Espresso” is easily a song-of-the-summer contender. As the track awakens, it’s cool and quiet, just the sound of shimmery synth keys, handclaps, and a deep bass line in the background can be heard. But it’s quick to rise and shine into a caffeinated eight-line chorus (repeated four times in less than three minutes) that proudly boasts the effect one can have on a partner, specifically the prowess of delivering a shot of love so strong, it’s enough to instill a bout of insomnia (“Say you can’t sleep, baby, I know/That’s that me, espresso”).
And while this hook and most of the lyrical content, for that matter, are far from grammatically correct (“Walked in and dream came trued it for ya”; “One touch and I brand newed it for ya”), certain liberties are allowed when crafting a smart, sugary pop song, the kind of sonic addiction that gets into a listener’s veins and brain, and won’t let go. Is it that sweet? I know so.
From Fosse to Ari: The Origin of Ariana Grande’s “yes, and?” Video
As long as there have been artists, it’s pretty safe to say there have been critics. The relationship between the two is a complicated one, for it’s the artist who, in an act of vulnerability, steps into the arena (often literally) to present the creation, and with that, comes the (welcome or unwelcome, hopefully at least constructive) critique from the sideline.
An artist who recently commented about this relationship is Ariana Grande, via her latest music video for “yes, and?” from her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, which saw the light of day on March 8. The track’s sound evokes classic piano and hi-hat ‘90s dance music, while the video treatment harkens back to a stylish ‘80s music video and even further back to an iconic ‘70s movie musical, so therefore, Ari’s video is an homage to an homage. Let’s put on our dancing shoes and retrace our steps:
One of the best depictions of this artist-critic exchange was featured in Bob Fosse’s 1979 semi-autobiographical musical-drama, All That Jazz. Broadway director and choreographer, Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider essentially portraying Bob Fosse) is burning the candle (and many cigarettes) at both ends, trying to cast and create a new show, plus complete the editing of a film, all while barely co-raising his young daughter, and popping a lot of pills.
The new show that Gideon is working on entitled, NY/LA, a loose reference to Fosse’s very own, Chicago, features a musical number about airline travel called “Take Off With Us” (a cheeky title already filled with foreshadowing). Gideon invites a few suit-wearing financial backers to preview the song and dance, which starts out with the character of a purser (Sandahl Bergman), along with her crew of dancing flight attendants, touting the exceptional service they will bestow up their passengers (“They only live to service you...”). The first half of the performance is bubbly, which garners smiles, even a round of applause midway through from the straight-laced observers, but unbeknownst to them, there’s a second half that suddenly turns steamy (literally), with one of the dancers welcoming all aboard “Airotica,” Gideon’s ode to the “Mile-High Club.”
The studio goes dim, now lit only via a few flashlights, with the dancers peeling off their clothes (the “take off with us” double entendre now realized), and pairing up to perform a sensual, then overtly sexual, albeit artistic, number, much to the confusion and disappointment of the backers, the realization sinking in about the limited monetary and sponsorship potential that the addition of “Airotica” will bring. “There goes the family audience,” the head backer whispers to his colleague. At the end, Gideon asks what they think, only for the head backer to feign acceptance and approval with a nervous smile.
Ten years later, the dancer and choreographer, Paula Abdul used Fosse’s “Take Off With Us” as the basis for her “Cold Hearted” music video, directed by a then relatively unknown, David Fincher. The video starts out with a group of record-company executives arriving at a rehearsal space, seemingly uninterested in what they’re there to preview. One says it’s a “Bob Fosse kind of thing; it’s gonna be really, really hot,” to which another executive nervously replies, “Yeah, but tastefully, it’s tastefully hot.”
The first two verses and choruses find Abdul and her crew dancing much to the toe-tapping approval of the executives, but by the bridge, a couple of the dancers begin lowering the window shades, thus beginning Abdul’s (understandably much tamer) version of “Airotica.”
A couple of the executives are turned off, a couple of them turned on. Similar to Gideon asking his backers, Abdul asks her audience, “Well, what do you think?,” to which a conservative executive reluctantly replies, “It’s very nice.”
In January 2024, Grande released “yes, and?” as a self-empowerment reminder amid a social-media culture of click-and-critique. The video came at a time when Grande, once again, became the subject of chatter surrounding her personal life, specifically her short-lived marriage, and quick subsequent kindling of a new relationship with a co-star from the film adaptation of Wicked. For the Christian Breslauer-directed video for “yes, and?,” which starts similarly to Abdul’s, a group of jaded critics reluctantly arrive at an industrial space, yet ironically can’t seem to talk about anything but Grande and her signature ponytail, with some of the critics even rehashing, and reacting to, internet-sourced gossip.
As these critics enter the space, an elated group exits. The new batch take their seats in front of a series of stone statues, one of which is in the form of Grande with her hands covering her eyes in a see-no-evil posture. As the song’s beat drops in, the statues crumble into piles of rubble. Grande is released to tell her story, with the bridge reserved for commentary to those who deliver just that about her (“Don’t comment on my body/do not reply/your business is yours/and mine is mine”).
Through confident lyrics and cohesive choreography, Grande and her dancers persuade the critics to drop their metaphorical stone exteriors as well. Yet just as this is achieved, she and her dancers within a flash assume their statuesque personas once again, perhaps symbolic of the thick shell needed to navigate the current, all-too-easy, drop-a-comment culture. As the newly elated converts leave, yet another cluster of critics enter, they too soon to be shook.
In summary, the common threads between the three depictions are as follows:
The critics arrive.
Principal female character with a group of dancers.
Principal character dressed in black, and wearing a black hat with brim.
Stripped-down, industrial-looking rehearsal space featuring scaffolding structures.
Principal character on top of the scaffolding structure.
The controlled critics sitting on chairs as the audience, as opposed to the creative artists “in the arena.”
There’s always a moment when the critics are enjoying what is presented to them.
The rehearsal space goes from light to dark for a version of “Airotica.”
When it comes to Ariana Grande’s “yes, and?” video, there’s no place like homage.
Photos 1, 8, 9, 10: Ariana Grande in the music video for “yes, and?,” directed by Christian Breslauer; Photos 2, 3, 4: All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse, cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno; Photos 5, 6, 7: Paula Abdul in the music video for “Cold Hearted,” directed by David Fincher.
Tour de Force: Five Madonna-Concert Faves
To commemorate her 40 years in the music industry, Madonna recently embarked upon her Celebration Tour, essentially a greatest-hits tour that also affords the Queen of Pop the opportunity to perform fan-favorite singles she hasn’t performed in a live-concert setting. One such track is “Nothing Really Matters,” her epiphanic Ray of Light reflection on love, and the cyclical nature of karma. The latter is smartly conveyed through stage design (rotating platforms; circular lighting rig) and costume (halo headdress; spherical cutouts in her “Frozen”-inspired gothic gown). This particular performance captures some of the signature elements that go hand in hand with a Madonna tour: music, fashion and (performance) art.
Throughout her peerless career, she has set out on a number of world tours. Granted I haven’t seen every one of them, but I am grateful to have attended five Madonna concerts (Drowned World; Reinvention; Confessions; Sticky & Sweet; MDNA), two of which make the list of my five favorite Madonna tours, while the other three on the list have been watched a number of times on VHS, Blu-Ray, and cable TV, and still serve as ones I wish I could’ve attended. “And it goes something like this”:
You Always Remember Your First: Madonna set out on her debut tour with 1985’s The Virgin Tour, with a setlist composed of tracks from her self-titled album, and her second album, Like a Virgin. Her Detroit, Michigan stop was the setting for the concert film, Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour. Throughout the 55-minute film, she exuded raw talent, and within minutes, it was evident she was doing exactly what she was meant to do: dance and sing (“get up and do your thing”). Although, at times, there’s evidence of a backing track, Madonna takes full ownership of her voice, and performed the vigorous choreography without gasping for air, tangling a rosary, or dropping a tambourine.
Towards the end of the opening number, “Dress You Up,” Madonna struts, then partially removes her multi-colored jacket to reveal her purple lace blouse. A confident star in born. Yet in keeping with the virgin theme, that confidence is offset by a moment of authentic innocence, revealed during an interlude in the second number, “Holiday,” when she becomes visibly moved by the realization that this hometown girl did good. “You know, I was never elected the homecoming queen or anything, but I sure feel like one now!” Another performance I tend to watch often: the Like a Virgin rarity, “Over and Over,” which featured her sporting teased hair and thrift-store-style fringe, with ‘60s go-go choreography at every step. The track includes the prophetic lyric for the ever-determined Madonna: “You try to criticize my drive/If I lose, I don’t feel paralyzed.”
Act of Ambition: Her most theatrical, and controversial, show to date, Madonna’s 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour was a rallying cry against ‘80s conservatism that could easily be summed up in two simple words: express yourself. And she, and her corps of dancers, did just that during a show that pushed buttons and purposely pushed the envelope. When “Causing a Commotion” turned 30, I wrote a post about this third song in the tour setlist. It’s one of the best in the show, for it captures some of the elements that make the Blond Ambition Tour so iconic. For starters, the show is style with sociological substance. To read more, click here.
I Dream of Androgyny: If one thought Madonna couldn’t get any more controversial with the Blond Ambition World Tour, in 1992 she released her Erotica album, and the art-core coffee-table book, Sex. A year later, she launched The Girlie Show. Madonna’s platinum-blond pixie cut was the antithesis of the robo-ponytail that she sported on her previous tour, allowing her to blur the lines between conventional female and male. The four female dancers, who also embraced an androgynous aesthetic, each with short, boyish haircuts, served as doppelgängers of their male-dancer counterparts.
The show, set amid a cabaret-carnival theme, featured some of Madonna’s best live vocals, particularly during the fourth track in the setlist, “Rain.” The performance put heavenly three-part harmony centerstage, thanks in part to backing vocalists, Donna De Lory and Niki Haris. It gets even more soothing with the inclusion of The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination” in the already beautiful bridge. The lyric in “Rain,” along with a corresponding golden-yellow lighting cue: “Here’s comes the sun/And I say never go away” also signified the transition from the dark “Dominatrix” section to the forthcoming Studio 54-inspired section, commencing with a disco/funk version of “Express Yourself.” It’s one of those goosebump moments brought about by Victor Bailey’s bass-synthesizer, Paul Pesco’s guitar scratch, Omar Hakim at the kit, the red curtain rising, the organ keys, those percolating electro-disco blips, and Madonna sliding off a gigantic mirror ball to begin the chorus.
While parts of the show move a bit slow (“Like A Virgin” as an homage to Marlene Dietrich; a long “Holiday” that overstays its welcome; an Alice In Wonderland fever dream that is “Justify My Love”), Madonna ends on an upbeat note for the last song, “Everybody,” as the way to introduce her band members. (Her introduction of the aforementioned bass player, Victor Bailey is one of my favorite moments in any Madonna concert.) She also mashes up the second verse from Sly & The Family Stone’s “Everybody is a Star” into the beginning of this funky finale.
Pop as Punk: By 2001, Madonna hadn’t toured in 8 years. During that time, she starred in the Alan Parker movie-musical, Evita, gave birth to her daughter, Lourdes, and recorded and released her masterpiece that is Ray of Light. One year into the new millennium, Madonna set out on her Drowned World Tour to further support the already successful Ray of Light album. The opening section donned an English punk-rock sound and vision, with the audience seeing and hearing Madonna play electric guitar live on “Candy Perfume Girl,” followed by a cheeky ‘60s-pop performance of “Beautiful Stranger,” the song she contributed to the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack.
The fiery red “Geisha Girl” section saw Madonna reversing the conventional submissive role to one of a dominant warrior, complete with aerial acrobatics. The “Country Girl” chapter allowed the audience once again to see her strum her guitar on “I Deserve It” and “Secret,” and later on “La Isla Bonita” during the “Spanish Girl” section. But it’s the finale that featured “ghetto-fabulous” performances of “Holiday” and “Music” that showcased Madonna’s mind-blowing ability to dig deep and deliver strength at the end of an already physically demanding show. (The first time seeing Madonna was during this tour, on a stop in Oakland, CA.)
I Must Confess: The 2005 Confessions on a Dance Floor era was Madonna’s return to (‘70s disco) dance-pop. In 2006, she launched her taut Confessions Tour, which incorporated a gigantic mirror ball that descended from the rafters to open the show. This iconic symbol cracked open like a crystal-encrusted egg, and hatched the icon herself, dressed in an English-equestrian outfit, complete with a riding crop used as a “dominant” double entendre. “Future Lovers” mashed up with Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” set the modern-day disco tone, followed by “Get Together,” then a remarkable remix of “Like a Virgin,” performed with physical prowess on a merry-go-round-inspired cowboy saddle, with a powerhouse parkour-heavy performance of “Jump” to conclude the opening section.
Later, religion, rock n’ roll, and roller skates also play roles in this brilliant show, which concluded with her ABBA (“Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”)-sampled hit at the time, “Hung Up.” (I had the pleasure of attending a tour stop in San Jose, CA.)
These five concerts alone easily cement Madonna as the greatest female entertainer, who for three decades was certainly a (tour de) force to be reckoned with.
Photo 1: Live Nation; 2: Warner Music, Sire Records; 3: Blond Ambition World Tour - Yokohama; 4: Warner Reprise Video, Maverick, Sire; 5: Warner Music Vision, Warner Reprise Video, Maverick; 6: Warner Bros., Warner Music Vision.
Gotta Have Fate
The Netflix documentary, Wham! is as much about destiny, as it is about one of the biggest pop acts of the 1980s and its global impact over a mere five years. The story of how Georgios “George Michael” Panayiotou and Andrew Ridgeley became the legendary pop group is told mostly through archival footage and audio soundbites.
Meeting at school as pre-teens, Andrew and Yog, Andrew’s nickname for Georgios, became friends with a mutual interest in music. By their late-teens, the pair began writing catchy tunes laced with social commentary, plus ones that embraced the frivolity of youth culture (“Club Tropicana”), as well as others that appeared on their 1983 debut album, Fantastic. “Wham Rap! (Enjoy What You Do),” “Bad Boys” and “Young Guns (Go For It),” positioned Yog, professionally known as George Michael, as the rebellious protagonist, hell- (or heck-) bent on avoiding the 9 to 5 and “death by matrimony,” and set on saving Andrew Ridgeley’s character from a “straight-laced” life (one without George). Besides the (not-so) underlying homoerotic subtext, gay subculture iconography played heavily: leather jackets; tight jeans; aviator glasses—a look that solo George would don again for the Faith era. The musical and visual appeal of Wham! was far-reaching.
Co-crafting the sax-drenched power ballad, “Careless Whisper,” continuing into the Make It Big album (“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”; “Everything She Wants”; “Freedom”) and their final, Music from the Edge of Heaven (“Last Christmas”; “I’m Your Man”; “Where Did Your Heart Go?”), both traveled down the same creative pop-music path, only for them to hit the proverbial fork in the road, with personal goals and professional roles shifting as they achieved international success. Watching the documentary through the lens of loss, and letting go in life, adds further emotional resonance to what is essentially a story of unconditional love between friends, with one who must selflessly accept what is, so the other can become who he was destined to be.
Go-go watch it if you haven’t.
Heart Beats: The Summer of Kylie Minogue and “Padam Padam"
Although the official unofficial start to summer begins during the Memorial Day weekend in the latter part of May, Kylie Minogue’s summer to remember began on May 18, 2023, with the release of “Padam Padam,” the first single from her 16th studio album, Tension, out September 22. Snippets of the song teased before its release hinted at a more mysterious sound, with its electro-altered vocal and an ominous guitar riff. No one could have predicted, even Kylie and her production team, that this dark, menacing intro would kick off, what many would later consider to be, the “song of the summer,” a coveted title often associated with a lighter, more upbeat pop sound, reflective of that school’s-out, sun’s-out sense of carefree abandon. It’s the track’s (heart)beat-thumping chorus that would allow it to set itself apart from other pseudo contenders.
Just ten days later, Kylie celebrated her 55th birthday, and took to her social media to thank her followers for the messages, “the ‘Padam’ reaction and the love; it’s been an incredible week,” Kylie said. Incredible indeed, the song went viral on Instagram, and on Tik Tok, #padampadam would eventually garner 10 million hits in early June. This is the first of two significant moments, for it confirmed the speedy reach, and the immense impact, of “Padam Padam” in a relatively short amount of time.
The second moment also occurred in early June, when Kylie surprised the crowd of 80,000, who attended Capital’s Summertime Ball music festival at Wembley Stadium. The radio group posted the two-song set to its YouTube channel, which at the start of the performance featured a pre-filmed compilation of Kylie clips and some career stats. The cameras down on the stadium floor captured the reaction of some of the audience members (many presumably in their twenties) as they began to realize that the Aussie superstar was on the bill. It’s one of the most important moments in Kylie’s career: Here, a pop-music icon, some 36 years into her career, is connecting with many who weren’t even born when “The Loco-Motion” or “I Should Be So Lucky,” or perhaps even “Spinning Around” or Kylie’s signature, “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” were released.
The video montage, designed to heighten the hype, met its goal; when Kylie’s name was announced and she ascended on the stage-lift, the audience erupted in excitement, easily heard in the following video:
Kylie then went from stadium to studios, appearing on NBC’s “TODAY” show, and Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen, where Cohen asked her point blank if she had any plans for a U.S. tour or a Vegas residency, to which she coyly replied: “Very possibly.” The “very possibly” turned into “very definitely” in late July when she officially announced a Las Vegas residency at the Venetian’s newly renovated, 1,000-seat venue, Voltaire. She and casino executives were riding a “Vegas High” along with fans worldwide, but fast forward to August 9 when many of those fans went from a high to a letdown, due to a chaotic ticket-purchasing experience, and a crash of Voltaire’s site. Regardless, the first set of shows for November and December 2023 and January 2024 quickly sold out, as well as a second set of shows for the early part of 2024 that were later added.
Kylie also appeared on few radio programs in the U.S., such as the “Zach Sang Show,” and on 102.7 KIISFM, to talk “Padam Padam,” the new album, the residency, and much more. Around this time in August, the single had cracked the top 40 on Billboard’s U.S. Adult Top 40 and U.S. Mainstream Top 40 charts. Also, it climbed to number 1 on the U.S. Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart.
For those not entirely familiar with Kylie, easily one of the most successful singers of the last 40 years, “Padam Padam” hopefully serves as the gateway single to discovering her previous, now-legendary, work in pop (the essential-to-own Light Years and Fever albums), dance (the dazzling 2020 album, Disco, which helped sustain many through a dark pandemic), indie-pop (1997’s experimental Impossible Princess), even torch/jazz (“Stay This Way”; “If You Don’t Love Me”; “Try Your Wings”; 2012’s The Abbey Road Sessions album), and that’s just scratching the surface as a recording artist. As a live-concert performer, they don’t call her “the Showgirl” for nothing (two tours entitled, Showgirl [2005, 2006]; XTour2008; Aphrodite Les Folies [2011] are vital viewing). Fittingly, her Vegas residency will solidify her as the consummate showgirl once again.
As summer 2023 comes to a close, it was one full of bright, sunny moments for Kylie Minogue, with “Padam Padam” representing the start to yet another era in her phenomenal career, one that shows no signs of going dim or, to keep with the heart theme, flatlining. The track also signifies a renewed faith in the power of music to bring people together for a very catchy common good. (Note: As this article is being finalized, Kylie has announced the second single, “Tension” will be released on August 31, 2023.)
The Pop Zeal Project (Track 85): LL Cool J: “Around the Way Girl”
Ladies Love Cool James, and LL Cool J, for short, loves them right back. He offered further clarification on his 1990 hit single, “Around the Way Girl,” where the rapper describes the type of woman for whom he’s looking. In the prologue to the music video, a frustrated LL, sitting in a casting session, shares what he doesn’t want or need in a girlfriend, particularly “a homegirl that’s jumping out the limousine with the fur on and all that.” All LL wants is a “regular girl.”
Together, LL (James Smith) and Marlon Williams craft visually descriptive lyrics, in order to provide insight for the listener as to the physical traits (“extensions in her hair”; “honey-coated complexion”; “perm in your hair or even a curly weave”) and fashion trends (bamboo earrings; a Fendi bag; New Edition Bobby Brown button) likely sported by “all the cuties in the neighborhood.” With LL’s massive rap-pop crossover appeal, he essentially took what could be considered a regional phrase, an “around the way girl,” and introduced it into the larger MTV-generation lexicon.
And while the lyrics start out addressing physicality and style sense, they eventually begin speaking to the personality of this independent young woman who can read a relationship (“You always know what to say and do/Cold flip when you think your man is playing you”) and, more importantly, knows her value even before getting into one (“I tell you come here, you say meet me halfway”). Unlike a year prior on LL’s track, “Big Ole Butt,” where Tina, Brenda and Lisa were relegated to one particular physical characteristic, on “Around,” “Lisa, Angela, Pamela, Renee” are admired for more.
Holding everything together on the track is the inspired inclusion of classic R & B and funk elements. Rick James earns a writing credit as well on “Around the Way Girl,” as it contains a lyrical sample (“You got me shook up, shook down, shook out on your lovin’”) from “All Night Long,” the 1983 single by the group James formed, Mary Jane Girls. “Around” also features aspects from Keni Burke’s 1982 song, “Risin’ to the Top.” All these components, and LL’s smooth, suave delivery, help make “Around the Way Girl” a timeless rap jam, “fine as can be."
“Flowers” Power: Miley’s Message of Self-Sufficiency
The new year is blossoming beautifully for Miley Cyrus, as the debut single, “Flowers,” from her upcoming album, Endless Summer Vacation, reached the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in late January. The track, co-written by Cyrus, Gregory Aldae Hein and Michael Pollack features references to Cyrus’ former marriage to the actor, Liam Hemsworth. In the first verse, “Built a home, and watched it burn” relates to the couple losing their Malibu house in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. But most notably, “Flowers” serves as a response to Hemsworth allegedly dedicating the Bruno Mars regret-filled ballad, “When I Was Your Man” to Cyrus. She offers a form of lyrical rebuttal in the following ways:
Mars’ chorus: “That I should have bought you flowers.”
Cyrus’ chorus: “I can buy myself flowers.”
Mars: “And held your hand.”
Cyrus: “And I can hold my own hand.”
Mars: “Should have gave you all my hours.”
Cyrus: “Talk to myself for hours.”
Mars: “Take you to every party ‘cause all you wanted to do was dance.”
Cyrus: “I can take myself dancing.”
From a production standpoint, Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson keep the verses quiet, gloomy, almost wilted, all constructed to make the cloud-free chorus flourish with confidence. Harpoon’s prominent disco-funk bass line lends smooth, soulful sass, the kind that inspires strutting down a hallway before erupting in euphoric abandon, as displayed by Cyrus in the accompanying Jacob Bixenman-directed music video. (The video is reminiscent of Francis Lawrence’s “Cry Me a River” for Justin Timberlake, who, like Cyrus, is shown breaking into the home of a former, and allegedly unfaithful, lover.)
With the New Year a little over a month in, and Valentine’s Day ahead, Cyrus’ “Flowers” could not have been released at a better time. (Likely its January 13 launch date was to coincide with Hemsworth’s birthday.) Two of the possible reasons the track has resonated with so many: Resolutions for better self-care are (hopefully) still in practice, with the song serving as an extra push to stay resilient; singles get an added reminder to tend to—and cultivate—self-sufficiency. “Flowers” is the musical equivalent of a dozen red roses.
Columbia Records. Album-Cover Photography by Brianna Capozzi.
Love ‘Em and “Leo” Fast: Holiday Sidewinder’s Ode to the One-Night Stand
In the summer of 2018, Australian pop singer, Holiday Sidewinder released her catchy single, “Leo,” with its refrain including a synthesized rhyming roll call of lovers, everyone from Leo to Rodrigo, Marco to Diego, and a few others. The track could be seen as one woman’s reinterpretation of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette,” the tale now told listing the names of “the jockeys that were there before me,” as His Royal Badness once sang.
“Leo” is certainly intriguing, for it manages to sound like one thing, but say something completely different. Sidewinder’s vocal style suggests coy innocence, while the lyrics point to a woman who doesn’t mince words (“I’ll give you tonight, but I won’t call you tomorrow”), even brazenly forewarning: “Lock up your husbands, and lock up your sons.”
Provocative content aside, and there’s lots of it, “Leo” works on its own as a smartly constructed pop song. The first verse features a bass-synthesizer as the hero instrument, giving it all kinds of ‘80s feels, with Sidewinder’s aforementioned vocal delivery adding a dreamy effect; her character mojito-intoxicated in the nightlife. After the roll-call refrain, the rapid-fire drums give way to the carefree-sounding chorus, the morning walk of (no) shame has never sounded sunnier, thanks, in part, to more melodic vocals, reminiscent of Gwen Stefani’s. And with the start of the second verse, the bass-synthesizer gets replaced by a deep bass-guitar riff, only solidifying its ‘80s new-wave nostalgia. Take a listen, and you too might quickly love it; if not, just move on.
The Pop Zeal Project (Track 77): Kylie Minogue: Bittersweet Goodbye
It’s no wonder the word, lullaby appears in Kylie Minogue’s “Bittersweet Goodbye” from her 2000 album, Light Years. The song itself sounds as if it is one, with its tender piano and sweet, comforting vocals. However, it’s not the traditional kind of tale from parent to child, but this time from one lover to another, during the night into the dawn, before the couple parts. The song is written ambiguously to allow for interpretation; the story doesn’t automatically deduce that a breakup per se is about to happen. Yet this still doesn’t lessen the curiosity as to what makes the goodbye bittersweet, eluding, in part, that there is some benefit or joy that comes as a result. Perhaps it’s the future reunion that can only happen after one leaves in the morning light.
Hold this Note: Kylie hardly performs this track live in concert, but did so during her 2012 Anti-Tour, a scaled-down outing, which stopped only in select cities in Australia (Melbourne; Sydney) and England (Manchester; London), where b-sides, demos and rarities were performed in smaller venues.
The Pop Zeal Project: Sheryl Crow: “Safe and Sound”
In 1997, pop/rock musician, Sheryl Crow sang the theme song to the James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies. Unfortunately, the song and the film, separately and as a pairing, failed to create any lasting memories, unlike many that had come before. However, five years later, Crow released her cool, Southern-California-inspired album, C’mon, C’mon, which featured a song entitled, “Safe and Sound.” Now THAT was what “Tomorrow Never Dies” should’ve been.
Granted Bond-film theme songs have varied in style, but there are some core elements that tend to be incorporated, giving the tracks immediate recognition, and, in many cases, help contribute to their longevity. Here’s why “Safe and Sound,” at least musically speaking, works as the Bond theme that never was:
Quieter verses with hints of piano harken to Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only.” (In a live capacity, Crow has been known to play piano when performing “Safe and Sound.”)
Those pop-ballad verses erupt to a rock-inspired chorus, not unlike Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Live and Let Die.”
As showcased on “Tomorrow Never Dies,” Crow’s vocal range still lends to that impassioned, big-voice quality reminiscent of Shirley Bassey’s work on “Goldfinger” and “Diamonds Are Forever,” and Lulu’s “The Man with the Golden Gun.”
Take a listen, and as the track plays, it’s easy to imagine the classic silhouettes and other artistic imagery featured in Bond-film opening credits. In particular, take note of the climactic crescendo and Crow’s vocal run; both cement the song as soundtrack worthy.
Sounds Like Summer: Five Songs for the New Season
Is it Monday or Tuesday? There have been times recently when it felt like it was going to be an endless spring, but a new season has in fact arrived. Here are five tracks that can help put you in a summer vibe state of mind, no matter what day (or season) it is:
Nothing like George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun” to start the season right. The version from the “Beatles Love” show blended Harrison’s signature track with instrumentation from two other Harrison-penned songs: the magnificent meditation, “Within You, Without You,” and “Inner Light,” a 1968 B-Side to “Lady Madonna”:
Belinda Carlisle’s “Mad About You” is all kinds of sunshine. It’s (literally) upbeat (note the double-time bass drum in the chorus), and of course the video: Carlisle busting out signature dance moves; rockin’ the Ray-Bans; channeling ‘60s Ann-Margret in a convertible. Post-guitar-solo, Carlisle’s lower-register vocals rise to the sunny chorus, musically “pushing the night into the daytime”:
“Just get in and close the door” is what the driver encourages in “Stop for Nothing,” by the indie-pop duo, courtship. (lowercase and with a period). Airy electric guitar (one riff evoking ‘60s surf-music reverb) and deep bass lines (particularly the one after the above lyric) capture that carefree feeling of a sunny drive along the coast:
Kick back with Michael Kiwanuka’s “Light,” a soothing, soulful, symphonic track from the singer/songwriter. In the bridge, the sudden slide down the guitar neck, followed by angelic backing vocals is the sound a sunrise would make:
Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” references “that summer feeling” and a series of signature seasonal items to describe how love—and something more physical as the title suggests—can be intoxicating and addicting. The transition from first chorus into the second verse is brilliant, and how ‘bout this lovely lyric: “Strawberries on a summer evening/Baby, you’re the end of June.” Styles’ vocals also shine on the romantic declaration that is “Adore You,” which includes another nod to the season: “Your wonder under summer skies”:
The Pop Zeal Project: She & Him: “In the Sun”
Indie-pop group, She & Him, consisting of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, released “In the Sun” in 2010 as the first single from their second album, the aptly titled, Volume Two. Their sound has often incorporated a wink and a nod to cheerful-sounding ‘60s pop, with Deschanel’s lyrical content at times providing stark contrast to anything but. “In the Sun” is one such track, featuring a bouncy piano intro that sounds like the musical equivalent of summer, only to be eclipsed by the opening lyric that describes a relationship reaching its winter: “It’s hard to be ignored/When I look at you, you look so bored.” The choice for now it seems is the ignorance-is-bliss approach, perhaps until the one day when the sun goes down on creating excuses instead of facing reality, when feeling “ashamed sometime, every day” can no longer be kept inside.
Pop Playlist: Kylie Minogue: “The One”
The final single from Kylie’s 10th album, the aptly titled, X, “The One” is unique in that it’s part ballad, part dance. There have been various versions: The album appearance leans toward hypnotic ballad, while the Freemasons Vocal Club Mix picks up the pace and turns up the bass. The latter was adopted on her X2008 tour and in part on her 2009 North-American For You, For Me tour; Kylie Live in New York audio release. In 2011, she opted for a blend for the Aphrodite live performances. A video for the song was also released, with old Hollywood glamour (Kylie’s long-haired Veronica Lake look; kaleidoscopic visuals as homage to movie musicals) and bright art-deco arch references, serving as inspiration. The video also features one of Kylie’s dancers at the time, Jason Beitel. Ten years later, “The One” still resonates with Kylie, as it now resides on her 2018 Golden Tour set list.
House of Pop: Mid-Century Modern & the Music Video
Turned to MTV Classic’s “House of Pop” today to find the video for Wilson Phillips’ 1990 hit, “Release Me.” This track once again highlighted the group’s pleasant harmonies, while the video showcased the legendary Stahl House in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. The home was designed by the architect, Pierre Koenig in 1959, and continues to be an icon of the mid-century-modern aesthetic (floor-to-ceiling glass; clean structural lines; orb lighting, to name a few features).
Kacey Musgraves: The Woman of the “Golden Hour”
If you didn’t see Kacey Musgraves as the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” check it out. She performed two songs from Golden Hour: the country/disco, “High Horse” and the smooth “Slow Burn.” The unconventional marriage of country and disco on “Horse” works nicely (as it does on Kylie Minogue’s Golden), with its references to John Wayne and “giddy up/giddy up,” paired with a prominent bass line, congas, high-hat cymbal, and a sparkling saddle as mirror ball. With “Horse,” it appears as if Musgraves is stepping a bit out of her comfort zone, but then again standing on the “SNL” stage may turn the volume up on the nerves. Nonetheless, the creative departure is most welcome, and “Horse” is immediately catchy. She settles into the song and the performance, even towards the end serving a bit of ‘70s Cher, when Musgraves flicks her long black hair off each shoulder.
But more importantly, it’s Musgraves’ crystal voice that shines, especially on “Slow Burn,” her return to the familiar: acoustic guitar in hands; taking her “Slow Burn” time, revealing lyrics that keep to a traditional country sensibility, but with a modern take, something for which she is known (“Texas is hot/I can be cold/Grandma cried when I pierced my nose”). Its sound is tender, its pacing is beautiful, and the sweet spot is revealed in the second verse when the band comes in: drums kick; bass rolls; steel guitar slides.
Pop Playlist: The Cars: “Shake It Up”
Listen to The Cars’ 1981 hit, “Shake It Up,” in comparison to their late-70s material, and one can hear how the band did just that. With a sound that at first was more rock-oriented with tracks like “Just What I Needed,” “Good Times Roll,” You’re All I’ve Got Tonight” and “Moving In Stereo” (yes, the song that played over that Phoebe Cates scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High), “Shake It Up” is pure pop-new-wave. With the birth of the MTV/music-video generation beginning in 1981, Ric Ocasek and the band embraced this sound through the new decade, with pop-ballad, “Since You’re Gone,” and later with 1984’s Heartbeat City (“You Might Think”; “Hello Again”; “Magic”; “Drive”).
Golden Girl: Kylie Wants to Go Out “Dancing”
Kylie Minogue just released “Dancing,” the first single from Golden. It’s easy-breezy pop that quickly triggers the feel-good goosebumps. It’s a smart, mature sound for the 49-year-old, blending country-inspired acoustic (think the gentle work of Sheryl Crow on Detours) with a thread of friendly hand-clap dance-pop. In a BBC 2 Radio interview, Kylie talked about how working in Nashville allowed her to approach the creative process in a different manner: “[Nashville is] so focused on the song and then you can take the song and produce that any way you want. But it’s just about the nuts and bolts of the song… at the alter of the song.”
And it shows in “Dancing,” as its layered meaning in the chorus resonates beautifully: “When I go out/I wanna go out dancing.” A literal reference to a joyful nighttime outing, yet there’s a deeper sentiment, in a non-morose manner, toward fearless freedom, mortality, and eternity: “Everybody’s got a story/Let it be a blaze of glory/Burning bright/Never fade away/When the final curtain falls/We can say we did it all/A never-ending of a perfect day.”
Fallen So Hard for Kelly Clarkson’s “Love So Soft”
It was love at first listen, upon hearing Kelly Clarkson’s “Love So Soft” from her upcoming, Meaning of Life. With Clarkson, it’s about that voice: soulful; controlled, yet able to open up vocally without resorting to four minutes of shouting as singing; always reliable; simply remarkable. Some are singers, but Clarkson belongs in the category of impressive vocalist.
It’s reflected in “Love So Soft,” a ’60s R & B-inspired track that blends a (bass) sax with an already bass-tastic beat in the chorus. Clarkson delivers raspy, attitude-filled vocals, transitioning into different melody lines from verse to refrain to chorus to bridge, seemingly four songs in one that connect beautifully. The video weaves in ‘60s elements, in the form of cars, fashion (headscarf and sunglasses) and midcentury-modern architecture (the “cliff house” with rose-blossom exterior; clean-line decor; copper chandelier). "Love So Soft” is so good.
Pop Playlist: Christina Aguilera: “Come On Over Baby”
Along with Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera became one of the biggest pop stars in the late ‘90s, thanks to “Genie in a Bottle” and “What a Girl Wants.” In 2000, Aguilera’s “Come On Over Baby” became the fourth single off her debut, self-titled album. Strong, soulful vocals and a driving dance-pop beat were customary for the first two singles, and for this track too, with “I Turn to You” the necessary power ballad. “Come On Over” served as provocative invitation, not just lyrically toward the song’s object of affection (“You better cross the line”), but as if toward the audience as well. With the world in a new millennium, Aguilera began to take steps toward (perceived image) change too, with “Come on Over” becoming her first “not that innocent” moment, only to pale in comparison to the later “Dirrty” chapter of her career.
Pop Playlist: Garbage: “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)”
A blend of rock and synth, with touches of mid-century pop, the 2001 song, “Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!)” by Garbage surely makes for an interesting listen. Although the band’s familiar, no-holds-barred rock-guitar riffs tear through, there are sweet-sounding production elements (handclaps; church bells) and Shirley Manson’s (girl-group) vocal delivery that allow the track to feel reminiscent of a bubble-gum song from the ‘60s… gone wild.