Be(be) Aggressive…With Your 70s Influence: Bebe Rexha Relies on a Go-To Pop Formula for Her Third Album
For whatever reason, Bebe Rexha’s nonstop bop of a sophomore album, Better Mistakes, landed with a thud on the Billboard 200 when it was released [Read More…]
The (Zen) Take No Prisoners Return of Kesha
After the release of High Road in 2020, which happened just before the lockdowns of the pandemic would start to pop off, it’s safe to [Read More…]
“Love Is A Battlefield” As Forerunner to “Papa Don’t Preach”
It’s slightly uncanny that, in the early pre-fame days of Madonna’s career, her first manager, Camille Barbone, was grooming her to look and sound more [Read More…]
When Legacies Are Slightly Obfuscated by White Girls Dancing: Harry Belafonte and Beetlejuice
In the wake of Harry Belafonte’s death on April 25th, there’s no doubt that an embarrassing number of people likely had to be reminded of [Read More…]
Kim and Nicki’s “Alone” Isn’t Worthy of the “Better Off Alone” Sample
“I don’t know how you did it, Kim. You took a classic and actually made it better!” Zane Lowe exclaims obsequiously in an interview with [Read More…]
Death Becomes Her and Beef: On Being Attracted to the Energy of a Person You Despise
In 1992’s Death Becomes Her, the long-standing “friendship” between Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) and Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn) quickly reveals itself to be a frenemyship [Read More…]
That Littering Scene in Mad Men Cuts to the Core of How Corporations Would End Up Pulling A Fast One on Their Consumers
Amid the many scenes from Mad Men that still linger in one’s mind, one of the oddest (at least to modern eyes) is the moment [Read More…]
Florence + the Machine Takes Inspiration from The Lure and English Girl Drunkenness for “Mermaids”
Calling it the latest addition to the “Dance Fever universe” (and yes, it’s lovely that albums can be billed as universes now, too), “Mermaids” is [Read More…]
Ciara’s “Da Girls”: An Update on “Independent Women Part I” (But Is That Really A Good Thing?)
In 2000, Destiny’s Child heralded the dawning of the new century by unveiling “Independent Women Part I.” On the heels of TLC’s “No Scrubs,” released [Read More…]
SZA’s “Kill Bill” Remix With Doja Cat Opts to Further Elaborate on (Literally) Attacking “The Other Woman”
In these la-di-da times, it’s increasingly less “kosher” to “come for” “the other woman” in a cheating scenario. Or a scenario in which one is [Read More…]
