Claw-dancing roundup

[koganbot]

Cross-posting from Tumblr, where cureforbedbugs wrote:

Were you mildly disappointed in the new M.I.A. album even though you kind of liked it, and decided to listen to M.I.A. knock-offs instead and were then disappointed in them, too?

Try THIRD generation M.I.A. knock-off Tkay Maidza, who out-clonestamped Santigold this year, and ALSO gave us a second gen Sant-O-gold and also gives a few hints of, like, is that Kid Sister? – or something. Basically, this album takes all the shit I’ve been kind of rooting for but not feeling for the last five years and just gives me a 100% decent all the way through album of it. Don’t expect anything less than totally derivative, and if that bothers you then, well, I hope you enjoy all of that super original horseshit you’ve got clogging up your year-end lists. 2016 is a nightmare; give me comfort food.

My reply: Haven't made it to the albums, but on this year's singles Tkay Maidza seems to be getting the singsong M.I.A. but not the jumprope or the tunnel-under-the-earth-and-claw-your-face-off M.I.A. Meanwhile, M.I.A. on her own singles (esp. various "Bird Song"s) is sing-songing and face-clawing and excavating like always. And on another meanwhile Tkay Maidza is shining as a sharp-toothed dance diva for Martin Solveig and Motez. And on a couple more meanwhiles, Tymee is still playing it too real and tough but she's truly grabbed me for the first time since she was E.via. And Die Antwoord are an art project disguised as a rodent infestation, but they're outdoing all the aforementioned.

Bird Song (Blaqstarr Remix)

Watch on YouTube

Banana Brain

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

Someone who appears to actually be Tkay Maidza on Tumblr liked and then commented "lmao" at that blurb. I admit I never imagined that she would ever read it! But it isn't supposed to be a pan. Will likely land in my top 10, not sure about its inflated #2 position at the moment. (Crayon Pop in heavy rotation in my car at the moment, and I'm counting their old rereleases as part of the album.) "Declawed M.I.A." is neither inaccurate nor inherently an insult -- my sense from trying the M.I.A. alb a few times is that I'm just fatigued and needed something more abrasive from her to get my attention. So maybe I'm grading on a curve here. (I also seem to have a "thing" for declawed knockoffs with solid tunes.)

[koganbot]

Btw, Blackpink's "Boombayah" starts with what sounds like a specific M.I.A. reference and then for the first 40 seconds morphs into a kinda M.I.A.-CL hybrid, before becoming a regular (and fairly successful) 2NE1 knockoff. (Producer and co-writer* is longtime Big Bang and 2NE1 guy, Teddy.)

Blackpink "Boombayah"

*This and the even better "Whistle" were also co-written by the American Bekuh Boom, though none of her non-Teddy collabs seem to be close to as good, of those I've uncovered.

[koganbot]

Hmmm. Thinking more about "Boombayah" — it's good, will make my longlist, but does go slack as it goes on. Haven't really analyzed why: starts strong, has one too many basic changes, maybe, and then just tries to ring more out of the chants and whoops than they're worth.