Posts Tagged ‘Waka Flocka Flame’

Half Full
Hot 100 Roundup—6/23/12

Thursday, June 21st, 2012

Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris—“All Around the World”
#22

You knew the Eurodisco was coming, right? But this is better than expected, with a great beat and all sorts of nice touches (love those live-sounding drum fills). Bieber’s singing continues to be a pleasant surprise, despite his occasional lapses into Chris Brown-style slurring. The inclusion of Ludacris, however, is a major stumble. When was the last time Ludacris contributed anything worthwhile to a track? I honestly can’t remember, and this is even worse than usual.

Lil Wayne featuring Big Sean—“My Homies Still”
#38

The beat isn’t as stunning as, say, “A Milli” or “Lollipop”, but at least it’s in the same ballpark, and suggests that Wayne is coming out of his post-prison funk. His raps aren’t brilliant, but he sounds like he has his energy back, even if he admits that he’s stepping aside from the game (at least the illegal parts of it). What I want to know is if he really spends his spare time skateboarding and listening to Rebirth?

Little Big Town—“Pontoon”
#51

It’s hard not to think of this as the country version of “Call Me Maybe”, a song so happy and infectious that attempting to resist it would cause a minor seizure. Though it never mentions the subject, it’s also about as sexy as country ever gets, with its deep, gently swelling groove and slide guitar creating a simmering heat. Like too many country records, there’s a certain smugness in its craftsmanship, and the sound could be looser to go with the light lyrical content, but otherwise it’s perfect.

Waka Flocka Flame featuring Nicki Minaj, Tyga & Flo Rida—“Get Low”
#72

This is built around one of the best hooks Flo Rida has come up with (which, whether you hate him or not, is saying something), but I have to admit that much of its appeal for me is based on what isn’t on it. No Flo Rida raps about rough sex and blow jobs, for one thing; Waka Flock Flame not yelling another. Nicki Minaj contributes nothing special, and the same goes for Tyga. But they probably felt that they didn’t need to; the hook carries the record along so well you barely notice the paltriness of everything else.

The Lumineers—“Ho Hey”
#90

Try to imagine a combination of .fun and Mumford and Sons. No, no, stop. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.

Imagine Dragons—“It’s Time”
#93

It would be unfair to label Imagine Dragons as merely fun. imitators. Most likely they were making this sort of record anyway, and are being seized on and promoted by the record company in an attempt to cash in. You can’t blame the band for that. But that doesn’t mean this is any good, or that if “We Are Young” didn’t exist anybody would pay attention to them. This sounds like fun. might if they were fans of Kings of Leon. The total lack of emotional confusion and/or subtlety in the lyric doesn’t help any, either.

The Black Keys—“Gold On the Ceiling”
#97

Boogie.

Thompson Square—“Glass”
#100

The worst kind of country acoustic balladry, based on an extended metaphor that might have worked if they hadn’t tried to get too much out of it or if they hadn’t tried to change it up in the last verse: they’re not just glass, but oil and water and gasoline too. That inconsistency might not have mattered, though, if the arrangement and singing weren’t filled through and through with sap. Oddly enough, that makes it even easier to see through them.

Pop is Strange
Hot 100 Roundup—4/14/12

Tuesday, April 17th, 2012

Justin Bieber—“Boyfriend”
#2

This may be a magic leap in quality and maturity for Bieber, but it’s still derivative as hell—music via Justin Timberlake, phrasing via Chris Brown. And the lyrics are dumb on every level. The worst isn’t the infamous reference to fondue by the fire, but a couple of lines later when he warns the girl of his dreams that his falsetto is coming. We already know that falsetto represents ecstasy and climax and all that, Bieber; you don’t need to tell us about it—especially not in the middle of the song.

Waka Flocka Flame featuring Trey Songz—“I Don’t Really Care”
#64

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

Trey Songz—“Heart Attack”
#65

Trey Songz’s new romantic sincerity is an interesting turn in his career, but it isn’t resulting in interesting music. “Sex Ain’t Better Than Love” was too quirky and went on too long, while this one barely exists at all. I appreciate that he has something to say, but he needs to find a more exciting way to say it.

Sean Paul—“She Doesn’t Mind”
#78

Did Sean Paul really expect to burst back onto the charts after his two or so years off without updating his sound? Things have changed—a lot—and here he comes with a record that could have been made five years ago, if not ten. He wasn’t much good then; now he sounds completely out of place.

Pitbull—“Back In Time”
#79

Sue me, but I love this, if only because six months after her death we finally get at least a partial homage to Sylvia Robinson, plus Pitbull at his silliest and the hackiest, most obvious dubstep insert you’ll ever hear. A stupid novelty that sounds exactly like a stupid novelty is supposed to sound: fast, funny, and irresistible.

Josh Turner—“Time Is Love”
#91

There are people I respect who love this, but I’m not one of them. This isn’t bad, but it’s essentially an updated George Strait record, and since Strait is making those himself I’m not sure I see the point. It sounds fresh because, aside from Strait, not too many people are making records like this, but it’s above-average commercial country and nothing more.

Michel Telo—“Ai Se Eu Te Pego”
#95

A bright, breezy, not too cloying Brazilian singalong. First time I’ve heard Portugese on the chart. The lyric is about meeting a beautiful girl at a party (things are the same all over). Pleasant, but nothing special.

Chris Cagle—“Got My Country On”
#98

Country hair metal (mullet metal?) with not a single cliché, country or metal, out of place. When Cagle takes the song to church I feel like pounding his pandering ass into the dirt. The worst country song to make the chart so far this year.

Dev & Enrique Iglesias—“Naked”
#99

This has been floating around the Bubbling Under chart since the beginning of the year, and once you hear it you’ll understand why it hasn’t gotten much higher. Dev is fine, but this a rare substandard track from the Cataracs, and Iglesias is as smarmy as ever.

Listen on Spotify

Hot 100 Roundup—1/28/12

Monday, February 13th, 2012

Train—“Drive By”
#60

There are lots of reasons why I should like Train. Their songs are bouncy and catchy, well-crafted, and even demonstrate some intelligence. Their lyrics, though never great, are generally free of cliché, and have an offhand quality that suggests they don’t take themselves too seriously. Serious or not, however, they still think very highly of themselves, and their sense of superiority and smugness, combined with a complete lack of depth, guarantees that their records will irritate the hell out of me every time. They’re like The Eagles without pretensions, but guess what? That doesn’t make them any better. This record has everything in it that has made them successful, and everything that makes them awful. Did they really think they could get away with that image of their love packed into a garbage bag? Did they think it was cute? For Train, acting like you’re clever is the same thing as being clever, which is just one of the many things they’re wrong about.

Van Halen—“Tattoo”
#67

David Lee Roth has always been the one thing that made Van Halen interesting. Not just for his own lunacy (who else would end a nonsense song about tattoos with a shout out to labor unions?), but for his ability to force the band to play up to it, thereby pulling them out of the sinkhole of hair-metal cliché. Without him they’re just another band with an above-average guitarist (Sammy Hagar is crazy, too, but he’s professionally crazy—he considers it part of his job—whereas Roth is the real thing). This record is a mess, but it’s a joyful mess, as if they couldn’t resist the urge to pack every nutty idea and hook they could think of into it. Not great, but boy do they sound like they’re enjoying themselves.

Snow Patrol—“Called Out In the Dark”
#78

I know Snow Patrol has earned a lot of respect from people with decent taste, but I’ve never heard a reason for it myself, and I hear it even less in this forgettable record. The song may have something to do with the Occupy movement, but the band is either too subtle, or too inexact, to make that clear. It’s U2 meets Radiohead, without the focus of either.

The Wanted—“Glad You Came”
#85

An earworm and a half, with a blatantly obvious double-entendre title hook designed to make the tweenies giggle between ecstatic screams. Already a smash in Britain (one of five top five singles for the band), there are a few clever moments slipped into the dance-pop clichés. I like the verse where each line starts with the last word of the line before it, and overall it isn’t cloying or bland. A perfect record for those who find Taio Cruz or Rihanna a little too hard.

Lana Del Rey—“Video Games”
#91

I wish more of the voluminous commentary on Lana Del Rey focused on what this song is about, because I could use a clue. The general landscape is clear enough: he’s a rebel, he’s the leader of the pack, he’s Johnny Sunshine, she’s never loved a man the way she loves him, etc. The difference is he’s a complete cypher, perhaps by intent, so distant and disinterested that no matter how she throws herself at him—begging, teasing, cajoling, purring—he never reacts. Finally, she decides, or pretends, that she’s won him over anyway, and all is self-deluding bliss. That’s how I read it, anyway. At least that’s the best reason I can come up with for the constant shifts in vocal approach and timbre, and the song’s air of quiet, romantic desperation. That’s giving Del Rey the benefit of the doubt (actually, more than that, it makes her sound like a genius), when it’s possible that the record is a lucky shambles, something that fell together by chance (best previous example: Counting Crows’s “Mr. Jones”). Guess I’ll find out when I listen to the album.

Foster the People—“Don’t Stop (Color On the Walls)”
#97

Born one-hit wonders, I never expected to hear from these guys again. I’m still not sure I have.

MGK featuring Waka Flocka Flame—“Wild Boy”
#98

More a shouting contest than a rap record, and an unfair one, too, because no one outshouts Waka Flocka Flame, except maybe Lil Jon, who isn’t here. I wish he was; he might add some life to this generic hunk of blah.

Listen on Spotify

Hot 100 Roundup—12/24/11

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Glee Cast
“We Are Young”, #12
“Survivor/I Will Survive”, #51
“Man In the Mirror”, #76
“ABC”, #88
“Red Solo Cup”, #92

T-Pain featuring Lil Wayne—”Bang Bang Pow Pow”
#48

After the failure of two strong singles a year or so ago, it appears T-Pain has decided to go the more obvious route to revive his career: bigtime guests, obvious samples and/or beats, an avoidance of any subtlety or musical games. So we get straightforward gangsta-party music, with lots of sex, lame raps, gunshots, the works (including Lil Wayne, whose rap I can’t recall at the moment). Because it’s T-Pain, he doesn’t sink a low as others might, but it seems damn low for him. I wonder what happened to the album those earlier singles were from. There’s no sign of them on Revolver, not even the deluxe version.

fun. featuring Janelle Monae—”We Are Young”
#53

A problematic generational anthem. The message goes something like this: “The parties over. Sorry I hurt you. I’ll help you home and we’ll get some sleep and tomorrow we’ll change the world.” Fair enough, but I worry whether the scar he gave his ex is metaphorical or actual. Janelle Monae’s presence is negligible, which is just as well in this case. The melody has a certain lift, but the arrangement is too sparse and the overall effect is hollow. I’ll blame that on the band, not on their generation.

Jake Owen—”Alone With You”
#90

I like the feel of this, and Owen sings it well, but it doesn’t get anywhere near as down in the dumps as it should, and Owen doesn’t seem to be putting up much of a fight against this particular femme fatale. She’s got him whipped, and he sounds too weak to even think about resisting. At the same time, he doesn’t sound like he’s all that turned on by her, either, and if she can’t manage that, what possible power could she have over him? Little details like that are what makes songs come alive, and this doesn’t have them.

Keith Urban—”You Gonna Fly”
#91

I’m beginning to think the only difference between Urban and Rascal Flatts is that there’s only one of him. His sound is a little rougher, to be sure, a little more rock and roll, but that’s like saying that shag is a little rougher than fleece. It’s still designed to be warm and cozy and nothing else.

Kelly Clarkson—”I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
#93

It’s been almost a decade since Clarkson won the first season of American Idol, and you would think she’d have shaken the dust off her heels by now, but every once in a while she still sounds like she’s a contestant. This is overdramatized, oversung, and like too many American Idol competitors, Clarkson seems to have no idea what the song is about. She also throws in a change in the lyric, intentional or not I don’t know, that strips away any sense the song might still have made, even with her singing it. Don’t even get me started on the trumpet solo. A mistake in just about every way.

Waka Flocka Flame featuring Drake—”Round of Applause”
#97

This opens with a loud belch. I find it impossible to listen afterwards. Even among rappers (or rap yellers, in this case) there should be such a thing as dignity. Maybe more so.

Edens Edge—”Amen”
#99

Despite the name of the group and the title of the song, this is not Contemporary Christian Country, or Christian anything aside from the way it uses common pentacostal phrases as a lame joke in the chorus. In the who’ll-be-the-next-Lady-Antebellum sweepstakes (formerly the who’ll-be-the-next-Sugarland sweepstakes), these folks are dead last, with a sound designed to be so soft and sweet and nonthreatening it barely exists. Somehow that makes their use of religious terms even more offensive.

Listen on Spotify

Hot 100 Roundup—6/11/11

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Scotty McCreery—”I Love You This Big”
#11
Lauren Alaina—”Like My Mother Does”
#20

At first listen it seems as if the latest American Idol survivors have been granted better material than previous winners. But even though these songs are more specific in detail and less generic in overall tone, they’re still terrible, with lyrics that make you gasp in awe at their utter inanity. McCreery and Alaina make the best of it and deliver what they think is expected of them, but McCreery’s voice lacks seasoning—he needs experience: alcohol, sex, even more religion—while Alaina’s attempts to bend her song to her will result in a lot of growling and screaming and only make things worse. They’ll both do better. Whether either of them has the talent or brains to do much better is still an open question.

Glee Cast
“Light Up the World”, #33
“Pretending”, #40
“For Good”, #58
“I Love New York/New York, New York”, #81
“As Long As You’re There”, #93

Lady GaGa
“You and I”, #36
“Marry the Night”, #79

The pleasure I take in Born This Way is largely a matter of sonics and structure. That’s not a putdown. When you create something that for the most part is collage and pastiche, both musically and lyrically, sonics and structure are what make the difference between bland imitation and creating something new, and GaGa gets them right every single time. And then she boosts them. The drums and guitar on “You and I” may owe their inspiration to Queen, but they outstrip and outboom anything that band ever did, and the fact that they’re tied to a song that borrows from highway rock and roll and even country and western puts it in a league of its own. “Marry The Night”, meanwhile, is more Springsteen-inspired disco, with a coda beamed in from a mid-90s rave. I still have my doubts about her lyrics, which are often blander than they need to be, and I don’t think she’s making anything truly new out of her sources, but her merger of hard rock with disco diva anthems (which is what that ridiculous cover photo is all about, in case you were wondering) is wondrous, even if it ultimately doesn’t lead anywhere. Don’t think of it as something new, but as a well-earned celebration of a greatness we may have missed at the time.

Beyonce—”1+1″
#57

I have my doubts about Beyonce’s soul moves, especially her high notes and the dynamics that accompany them, but thematically this is a breakthrough, the first Beyonce song about a relationship I’ve heard in which she isn’t either asserting her iron-willed dominance or making like a supplicant to her godlike man. That see-sawing from one extreme to another was getting tiresome, and this is a welcome relief. I bet it’s a relief to Jay-Z, too.

Lil Wayne—”How To Love”
#69

I don’t think it’s the softness of sound that has caused so many people to write this song off. Sentimentality is as much a part of rap as any other kind of music, and if anyone has earned the right to a little mellow down time it’s Lil Wayne. What probably bothers hardcore rap fans more is the sense of empathy the song is based on. It isn’t really a love song, and it certainly isn’t a sex song. Instead, it’s a real attempt to understand where this woman is coming from and what she’s feeling, something more along the lines of Prince’s “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” (even though the situation appears to be completely different) than your standard lover man rap. In other words, thematically it’s as far from the mainstream of rap as Wayne’s phrasing and twisting trains of thought have always been. Like the pre-prison “I’m Single”, it’s a record by someone who’s trying to sort out the world in all it’s aspects, not just as it relates to his place, position, and pleasure. Musically, Wayne still isn’t sure what to make of these ideas, so he falls too readily into cliche, but if he should ever figure it out, or find a collaborator who has, then watch out: he may well remake rap yet again.

Reeve Carney featuring Bono & The Edge—”Rise Above 1″
#74

Not sure exactly what I expected a Broadway soundtrack written by Bono and The Edge to sound like, but I wasn’t expecting standard-issue U2, that’s for sure. Way to stretch your stylistic limits, guys. As for Reeve Carney, his Bono imitation is so exact I can only assume he thinks of Spiderman as a warm-up for that more lucrative U2 biopic that’s bound to appear sooner or later. Either that or he has a great future in tribute bands.

Mac Miller—”Donald Trump”
#80

The white version of Wiz Khalifa, or Waka Flocka Flame, or maybe even Big Sean. How did we stand the wait?

Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter—”You and Tequila”
#92

Strong, steady, and never overdone, this is as good as Chesney is ever going to get. With Grace Potter playing Emmylou Harris, he almost sounds human. There’s still something that doesn’t come across, though, and the stiff perfectionism of this record keeps it from classic territory. Damn close, though.

Rihanna—”Man Down”
#94

Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 6/4/11

Lupe Fiasco featuring Trey Songz—”Out Of My Head”
#98

Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 5/21/11

Hot 100 Roundup—4/2/11

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

Glee Cast
“Loser Like Me”, #6
“Get It Right”, #16
“Raise Your Glass”, #36
“Blackbird”, #37
“Misery”, #52
“Hell To the No”, #53
“Candles”, #71

Of the three original songs, “Loser Like Me” is bearable, “Get It Right” isn’t, and “Hell To the No” is cute but empty. The covers run the usual gamut from competent karaoke to barely listenable. I’m only mentioning these at all because of the “original” songs, but in essence nothing has changed.

Selena Gomez & The Scene—”Who Says”
#24

Stuck in the midst of all the Glee songs on my playlist, I kept mistaking this for more of the same uplifting nonsense the show trades in. Gomez sings better, and uses more subtle arrangements, but if Glee should do this in a few weeks (and why shouldn’t they?), will anyone be able to tell the difference?

Rebecca Black—”Friday”
#72

With a sharper mix than the video version, and the rap removed, the only thing that separates this from any other piece of modern teen pop is the flat plainness of Black’s vocal and the stupefying banality of the lyrics. Both of which are actually a relief from the fine-tooled sameness of most teen pop. And notice I said banality, not cliche: name me another song that’s so plain spoken and honest about what thirteen-year-olds really think about. I mean, where you sit in the car, and who you sit next to, is important. It’s about time somebody sang about it.

Travis Porter—”Bring It Back”
#88

Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 3/12/11

Marsha Ambrosius—”Far Away”
#92

Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 3/19/11

Waka Flocka Flame featuring Kebo Gotti—Grove St. Party
#93

Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 3/19/11

Christina Perri—”Arms”
#94

As irritating in its way as “Jar of Hearts”, but a lot more interesting, if only for the arrangement, which builds into an impressive piece of Arcade Fire-influenced melodrama. Indie has always had it’s sentimental streak, but this may be the first time that someone’s managed to turn it into pure schlock. Could this be what the Grammy voters were really hearing?

Miranda Cosgrove—”Dancing Crazy”
#100

Reviewed in Bubbling Under, 3/19/11

Bubbling Under—3/19/11

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

Keith Urban—”Without You”
#107

It’s gotta be his looks, right? That and the oh so sincere little cracks in his voice. Granted, his songs and arrangements aren’t as tastelessly bombastic as say, Rascal Flatts, but his music is just as empty.

Marsha Ambrosius—”Far Away”
#112

Everybody was getting tired of the old Alicia Keys, so here’s a new one. Remember, Keys’ first album wasn’t that bad, either.

Nelly featuring Kelly Rowland—”Gone”
#113

I don’t think much of “Just a Dream”, but at least it feels like something new. This is just a mediocre love duet.

Waka Flocka Flame featuring Kebo Gotti—”Grove St. Party”
#114

I’m so tired of hearing people yelling “Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaah!” in the background of rap records that I’m probably harder on this than it deserves. Waka Flocka Flame isn’t a terrible rapper—his voice has an amazing tone, remiscent of Young Jeezy only not as rough, and his sense of flow keeps his stuff rhythmically interesting even when he doesn’t have much to say. Gotti, however, sounds like every third rapper you’ve ever heard, and he rhymes “motherfucker” with “motherfucker”—not just once, but over and over again. Talk about not having anything to say.

Miranda Cosgrove—”Dancing Crazy”
#118

This is where Nickelodeon seizes the tween pop kingdom that Disney, at least for the moment, seems to have given up. There’s nothing daring or particularly striking about this record, but it’s perfectly put together and immensely entertaining. The second half of the chorus, where Cosgrove sarcastically jokes about being heard over the music, is brilliant. The only real flaw is Cosgrove’s voice, especially on the first verse. Surprisingly enough, she sounds too young for the material. Tweens like their heroes and heroines slightly older than they are; it gives them something to aim for. Maybe Ke$ha should take a crack at it.

Hot 100 Roundup—9/19/10

Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010

Selena Gomez & the Scene—”A Year Without Rain”
#35

I’m rooting for Gomez, but this doesn’t work. The song is too ordinary, the techno background doesn’t swell and highlight the melody the way it should (possibly because there is no melody), and Gomez’s teenage voice can’t quite negotiate the song’s not-that-subtle sexual metaphors. Her Disney material had more oomph to it, and nothing can disguise the fact that this is an ordinary power ballad dressed up as a dance track.

Waka Flocka Flame featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale—”No Hands”
#45

Essentially a remake of Dash’s “All the Way Turnt Up” with more, and less interesting, rapping. Even if I could take Flame seriously (I can’t type his full name more than once; it gives me the giggles), recycling one of your guest’s hits barely two months after it left the chart doesn’t seems like the best way to launch a career. A real career, at least.

Michael Buble—”Hollywood”
#55

I didn’t think much of Buble’s last record, “Haven’t Met You Yet”, but I may need to give it another listen, because this is catchy, intelligent, subtly sarcastic, and only occasionally sentimental. It’s full of wonderful musical jokes: the intro’s echoes of Glee; Buble’s phrasing, which somehow reminds me of Billy Crystal’s old Fernando character; a guitar part lifted straight from “The Bitch Is Back”; the background vocals on the third verse. The “find the truth in yourself” advice at the end is a bit of a downer, but otherwise this is almost perfect.

Rihanna—”Only Girl (In the World)”
#75

Rihanna has said that her next album will be more straightforward dance music as opposed to the gloomy half-rock of Rated R, but if this single is any indication, all that means is that the beats will be straighter. In its way, this is even darker and more forbidding than her last few singles, possibly because the beat is so straightforward and machine-like. It’s sex as a battlefield, where power means more than passion, and a proposition sounds more like a dare. This dramatic change in direction is fascinating to watch, and this isn’t a bad record, but it isn’t a great one, either. After what happened I can understand her stance, but she’s either overplaying her reaction or her loss of innocence has thrown her for an even greater loop than people realize.

will.i.am & Nicki Minaj—”Check It Out”
#78

I’m sure a lot of people will hate this on principal, so it’s probably useless to point out that this is the best thing will.i.am has done since The E.N.D. Whether Minaj convinced him to hold back or he’s finally figuring it out for himself, this is less overdone than most of his other records, and he’s perfected the art of isolating his hooks for maximum effectiveness (he also finds/steals great hooks). As for Minaj, she may or may not have anything interesting to say, but her vocals, and the way she shifts timbre and rhythm with pinpoint accuracy, are truly amazing.

Sean Kingston—”Dumb Love”
#84

Having spent a couple of years fiddling with brash electro, straight reggae, dancehall, and even a duet with Justin Bieber, Kingston makes the second best record of his career by going back to his “Beautiful Girls” roots and finding an ancient but undeniable hook—courtesy of The Del Vikings’s “Come Go With Me”—to build his adolescent fantasies around. He also makes the smart move of having the Smeezingtons (aka Bruno Mars and friends) put it together for him—or at least asking them if they had any spare hooks lying around. This could never be as much of a surprise as “Beautiful Girls”, but it’s a pleasant little jolt all the same. And here everybody thought he was a one-hit wonder.

Nick Jonas—”Introducing Me”
#92

From Camp Rock 2, where Nick is apparently learning how to be a member of Plain White T’s. I like the jokey tempo shifts and the grammar lesson, but this is essentially a vaudeville turn for sincere singer-songwriter types, and if you’re trying to impress by spitting out a million words at a breakneck tempo, those words need to be witty. 90% of these aren’t

Florence + The Machine—”Dog Days Are Over”
#93

Her voice is impressive (even more impressive live), but I have no idea what this arty loud-soft, loud-soft is about, and I don’t want to know. Of course, since she doesn’t enunciate much—she’s like a mixture of Annie Lennox and Natalie Merchant—I needn’t worry about it.