Flight-Attendant Pop

[koganbot]

More wtf from Korea, Sunny Hill's "Darling Of All Hearts," which I described on Rolling Country as "sorta Irish folk-country flight-attendant pop" — though Mat points out on K-pop 2013 that "featuring" star Hareem plays the Swedish nyckelharpa (no doubt worth five times as much as the Irish pennywhistle he also plays*) and that the vocals in the "lalala" part sound very Swedish trad and the dance, too, looks Swedish. The LOEN Entertainment description improves our confusion by saying,

The song has a Bohemian polka-rhythm along with Jungle and Rock feelings with it as well.... the musician 'Hareem' joined as a session to make the music even more fun. The greek bouzouki, nyckelharpa, Drehleier, and the Irish Whistle is personally owned by Hareem himself. These instruments are rarely found in Korea, and in this song they make the polka even much more fun to listen to.

But actually, what makes the song for me isn't the whistle or the drone or the oom-pah but the breezy bright flight-attendant smile of the melody and the desperate cheer of the delivery, the lyrics by Kim Eana** about being the shoulder everyone else cries on while being denied a romance of one's own to cry about, and the video by Hwang Soo Ah turning the breeze and the desperation up yet another notch.

Watch on YouTube

I wish someone would analyze the melody for me. Seems like — I don't know — French musical comedy, or maybe it's Korean or something.

I can't think of any American act of the last fifty years that could pull off something like this, the happy smile that's got strength in it, but not big boisterous American strength, just a hard inner knowingness that doesn't negate the smile or slow the breeze. (Again, is there anyone out there who can describe this in terms of melodies and chords? It does seem countryish.)

*Dumb joke, false cognate, "nyckel" stands for "key," not "nickel."
**I don't actually know that they're her lyrics and not that of cowriter KZ, but Eana does tend to write lyrics.

Comments

[koganbot]

What I had in mind — what I don't think translates to America — is the "We are here to serve you" smile of the women and the melody. Americans always insist on a wise-cracking toughness to even their most "wholesome" girls. I'm thinking of Ginger Rogers as a prototype. And Madonna and Cyndi were playing with not being wholesome.

The thing about Sunny Hill is that they're not being compliant good-hostess types, but they're in a context where compliant good hostess is a viable type, and they use that type to come across as something strong and not compliant while nonetheless being as light and as engaging as the music.

Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky" might fit the type, though it's not as musically varied as "Darling Of All Hearts." Of course, Kylie's Australian, not American, but she had a couple of hits here.

[christophe andersen (from livejournal.com)]

Yes, we do insist on wise-cracking toughness. Your clarification makes it harder to think of an American singer fitting the type you mention without going all the way back to late period Doris Day (one of my faves).

I just watched the "True Blue" video and I do think it is an example of Madonna playing with the idea of being wholesome, both visually and musically, even though most of her work from that time and after was her playing with not being wholesome. Melodically, I think the song manages the "We are here to serve you" aspect as well, though I think her song "Cherish" is a better example and better song in general. Watching the Madonna video, I realize how little meaning I usually take away from videos. Generally, I find videos distract from my enjoyment of good songs though sometimes they help mediocre songs.

[christophe andersen (from livejournal.com)]

Your title "Flight Attendant Pop" and mentioning Kylie reminds me that there is a Kylie song that sort of has an airline theme ("Light Years") and in concert she acts as a flight attendant. Unfortunately, I can't find a clip online. However, she has another song called "Love Boat" that would fit the title "Cruise Director Pop" where she descends to the stage on a giant anchor. But of course, she's Australian and these songs are not hits in the US.

http://youtu.be/l2r0lj3CI2U

[koganbot]

Then there's Britney's "Toxic," which isn't at all what I have in mind, but she is a flight attendant.