Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Kelefa Sanneh, We Hardly Knew Ye

The World's Most Irksome Rock Critic may have departed The New York Times, but over at the Arts section of The Newspaper of Record, his spirit lives on, especially when it comes to that all important Song of the Summer contest.

From today:

In the summer of 2007, Rihanna’s “Umbrella” was the inescapable song of the season, booming from car windows and city parks long past Labor Day. This year there has been plenty of competition for the crown: Lil Wayne has two contenders, “Lollipop” and “A Milli”; Rihanna is back with “Disturbia”; and Katy Perry ignited ChapStick sales with “I Kissed a Girl.” Other songs might have dominated the summer charts in a bigger way, but for the artist Andrew Kuo, whose visual music criticism can be found at nytimes.com/music, no song better captures a lazy afternoon on a city stoop than “Lookin Boy,” a hilariously detailed insult-fest from the Chicago rappers Hotstylz.


The song in question...



Yup, does it for me. Easily as good as "Umbrella." How's that for a ringing endorsement?

Seriously -- say what you will about the Times, but do they know their demographic or what?

3 comments:

Wendy said...

Na ga listen.

The picture is bad enough. Like a WWF wannabe.

steve simels said...

Actually, the song was probably moderately amusing the first time. After that, not so much.

Unlike "Umbrella," which pretty much sucked eggs from the very first second you heard it...

Anonymous said...

Once again I ask why do you care Steve? The NY "Times" music critics get a rise out of you constantly. Don't take the bait.

Go to the window, throw it open and scream " I'm deaf as hell and I'm not gonna listen anymore!"

ROTP(lumber)

Now return to your living room and put on "Something Else" or "Sells Out" and sooth your tired ears with the musical elixor of the gods.