- Will Smith
It’s no secret that Willow Smith is the daughter of actor Will Smith. Say what you will about his career (pun not intended), Will Smith is pretty famous. Willow’s proximity to fame is enough to generate buzz amongst viewers such as myself. Take a moment to imagine Black as the daughter of someone famous, let’s say Angelina Jolie. Wouldn’t you look at the daughter of Jolie differently than the daughter of some nobody?
- Age
It was pretty shocking to discover that Rebecca Black was only thirteen. Judging by her hair and makeup, she looked like she could be legal in at least a few states. Yet Smith pushes this envelope even farther. Smith was only nine when the video for Whip My Hair began circulating. The confidence Smith exhibited in Whip My Hair sparked comments such as “I could never have done that when I was nine years old”. . .
- Talent
OK, I admit this point is laughable. Debating over whether Black, Smith, or any recent pop star of the like actually has talent is petty, yet bear with me for the sake of this post. Watching videos for Whip My Hair and 21st Century Girl is an enjoyable experience. The music is catchy, the production looks legitimate (we can probably thank Will Smith for this) and Smith herself definitely has charisma. Viewers actually believe Smith. Believe that she is actually having fun, cares about what she is singing etc. Black, on the other hand, just looked hesitant and embarrassed. The music itself was choppy, the production looked like it had the budget of an elementary school play and Black herself just looked out of place.
I am a little embarrassed to be comparing two artists that barely scratch the musical surface. Both are fun to watch yet at the end of the day, they are not making a true impact on the college demographic. What I am trying to say is that you will probably not remember 21st Century Girl as a defining characteristic of your college career. But if you do, I’m not one to judge. And I promise this will be my last post that is at least half-dedicated to Rebecca Black. I realize it’s time I let her go.
Stepping away from young pop artists, I thought that I would try and redeem some of my credit by posting a few songs that I have been listening to this week. The first is from the English band, Broadcast. I had the chance to see them at Carleton last year and they were great live. Unfortunately, lead singer Trish Keenan died from pneumonia back in January. The song, Before We Begin comes from their 2003 album Haha Sound.
Another is Loft Music from The Weeknd. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about them. Loft Music comes from a mixtape entitled House of Balloons that was released last week. Apparently, they are “Drake approved.” I am going to assume that means everyone who likes Drake should like The Weeknd. I should also mention that Katherine, the same friend who introduced me 21st Century Girl made fun of me for listening to The Weeknd because they kind of sound like ’90s slow jams. But what does she know?
Finally, Wolf Parade’s I’ll Believe in Anything. Unfortunately, Wolf Parade is now on indefinite hiatus.
Hope you find something you like!