ellie

This song is growing on me, but hearing Mika dropping the word whore after he lectured me over what a girl is right in the song before is ludicrous

On 10/2/2019 at 5:32 PM, dcdeb said:

(She gets her sparks with the light on?)

Genius has this line as ' You can see sparks with the light on'.

This song reminds me of Pick up off the floor but less cynical, I dont get the feeling theyre singing at each other but about a broken hearted friend.

My thought was this maybe about a friend suicide...

51 minutes ago, mellody said:

 

He wanted to go back to his roots, the way he felt when he wrote LICM. And - I think I've said it before on another thread - when I first heard LICM, almost every song sounded familiar, as if I'd heard it before. Queen, Abba, Beatles, Cutting Crew (though I only noticed that similarity because he explicitly mentioned it in the credits),... but still it was new and fresh, Mika's own creation, although the sound strongly reminded of other songs. And with MNIMH it's the same.

Personally, I don't think of other songs in particular when listening to Mika's new songs - the only exception being the Bridge in San Remo, which reminds me too strongly of TLC's Waterfalls. But of the others, no. Sure, IWTHLN sounds like it could be by The Beatles, but I can't pin it down to one particular Beatles song. Billy Brown also sounded like a Beatles song to me, I remember spending weeks on trying to find out which one it was, and at some point I just gave up.

Cream/Ice cream? He even got similar dancers as Prince.

Im not talking about just a familar sound though, I hear similarities in structures and themes and even in vocal styling that almost verge into parody ( I really cant unhear Britney and Ricky Martin on Dear Jealousy and Platform Ballerinas  ). I wish at least he wouldve just stuck only to an era of music like on LICM but here hes trying his hand at all kind of pop that im just left wondering what exactly is his point as an artist? What does he has to say exactly - that he can write a pop song? I mean, I knew it give me something more lol.

Anyway like I said in a different comment maybe the 'issue' for me is the lack of Greg Wells

4 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

Oh, come on. Do you really think this album is sooo bad???

Lol I couldnt resist making a joke

I mean I like it, but I feel its kinda average and nothing special.

6 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

At least Mika's younger fans will learn something about GOOD music from 70' 80' 90'

Will anyone remember Mika for his music though?

31 minutes ago, Anna Ko Kolkowska said:

This is Mika version 2019

Yeah well, I wish Mika version 2019 wasnt such a plagiarist

46 minutes ago, giraffeandy said:

 Like the more introspective songs stand for Michael and the more danceable for Mika. Or most likely I'm starting to overanalyze everything. 

I prefer Mika then, Michael doesnt seem to have much to say 

36 minutes ago, Chris_14 said:

As for mentioning the kitchen, I haven't paid attention to it at the beginning. But after some thoughts I believe it may be a casual choice, like this word fits better in the line compared to other rooms names. And afterall, we often see Mika himself in kitchens, cooking and enjoying himself, so I do not think it was intended to have a negative connotation.

Well obviously, but I could also assume that anyone who makes flippant comments about women doesnt actually mean it negatively. 'Shes dancing like shes in her kitchen' is no different than 'she looks like she woke up with make-up' or 'shes dancing like she wants it' or 'shes crazy not knowing the words of this song'.

Anyway, Ill stop this song just isnt for me

Cry is my favourite but I liked it cuz it reminded me of Ocean Drive by Duke Dumont which I used to be obsessed with, not cuz its a Mika song. Its bizzare how imitative he is of other artists on this album and while thats not new, I didnt use to guess the exact song that inspired him after 30 seconds Dunno, maybe he's always been like this and Greg Wells was better at hiding his limitations lol. I have a feeling I wouldve appreciate this album more with a different production.

58 minutes ago, NancylovesM said:

I'm just realizing Platform Ballerinas had a few Ricky Martin "She Bangs" moments in it.  Or is it just me? 😃

Yup, I hear that too

2 hours ago, giraffeandy said:

 

Idk but the line "She ain't like no other señorita" seems very ironic to me, I don't think he means it serious.

 

Isnt the whole idea that she is different?

1 hour ago, mellody said:

And Mika sings about a woman who doesn't keep to these conventions. Who dances like crazy, without caring who watches her, just because she loves it. Who doesn't care if her "best dress" gets dirty or even ripped, because she's not like the little girl in her sunday dress who isn't allowed to play in the sandbox because the pretty dress might get dirty. Who doesn't care if she doesn't look perfect, if her hair gets messed up, if her dancing looks weird, she just enjoys life

I get that but I have to ignore half of the lyrics then. I mean he's singing how this woman isnt dancing for anyone else... after the line before is objectifing her dancing moves ; or this part

On 10/5/2019 at 12:31 AM, mellody said:

Dancing in her platform ballerinas
Like she's dancing in her kitchen at home

which is implying what? that women are the most confortable in the kitchen

Also, what does this part mean? That she is bad at flirting? Wouldnt then her 'im not like the other girls' gimmick mean that she is after a guy as much as every other girl?

On 10/5/2019 at 12:31 AM, mellody said:

She don't have to aim to miss
Blowing up her lips to make them best to kiss
that won't even help to get a guy to kiss her better

I feel bad overanalyzing his lyrics but the more I think of this song the more nonsensical it appears to me

45 minutes ago, mellody said:

He didn't do this album to please.

 

Self-indulgent artiste album? I can see that

46 minutes ago, mellody said:

About the songs being more radio-friendly, I don't know - maybe some of them. Ice Cream, tho that didn't get played on the radio much, not even in France and Italy. Tiny Love surely isn't radio friendly. And many of the other songs also sound like the great music from the past century - unfortunately that's not what gets played on the radio today.

Dunno, I think many of the songs are very accesible both in terms of arrangements/production and lyrically/thematically. The lack of air-play may not have anything to do with the actual songs but with his label? Mika himself?

52 minutes ago, mellody said:

About it being personal or not... I indeed think he's more explicit than he used to be. Although yes, he did use personal topics before, but he often didn't make it clear for the listeners. For example, take Rio. I still think it's about him leaving Andy. But Mika never talked about the song in interviews, he also never played it live. Now if I compare that with "Tomorrow", which very likely is about them getting back together... Mika indicated that in an interview, and the lyrics don't leave much room for interpretations, it's about Mika having s*x. He even put that song out as a single. Now if that isn't personal, I don't know what is.

 

And also for Tiny Love (& Reprise), Dear Jealousy, Paloma, I went to hell last night, Ready to call this love, Blue, Stay High - I can feel him in these songs, his feelings towards himself and his loved ones. It's hard to describe, and some random music journalist who doesn't know much about Mika might not notice. But indeed the album feels very personal to me.

I think we have different definitions of personal lol. Attaching a personal story to a song doesnt make the song 'personal' to me but its a certain type of introspective songwriting that I was thinking of and that I feel its laking here imo. He is approaching most of the songs from an universal point of view which may be or may not be personal to him, and the songs became personal just because he says so. Actually, I almost feel like his stories and explanations are overpowering the actual songs and I would rather listen to his interviews than the album

Anyway, I like most of the songs at a superficial level because theyre super catchy and sound nice but I wouldve expected something more than basic bops and 'been there, done that' ballads from the album title and concept.

26 minutes ago, giraffeandy said:

Don't know if someone here feels the same when hearing the album from start to finish. I really enjoy the majority of the songs on this album but as an album, it feels a bit all over the place. 

Agree.

I think my biggest issue with this album, even though I like many of the songs is that the concept seems pretty weak, I fail to see any mika/michael distinction ( TOOL and NPIH felt more personal to me actually ) or why he felt alienated with the mainstream music industry when this album is leaning into commercial pop more than the others. So on top of being a mixed bag Mika makes it the more confusing.

Theres also this review https://theartsdesk.com/new-music/cd-mika-my-name-michael-holbrook 

Its a bit negative I guess but Sanremo and Cry are the highlights for me too so I really get where its coming from.

3 hours ago, Hannah_ said:

I think instead of it being implied that she’s not fitting the stereotypical behaviour of being a girl, it’s that she’s not fitting the horrid but sadly still pervasive idea that a girl should perform for others (e.g. men 😔). 

 

She does everything she’s doing because she wants to and is enjoying herself - “Grooving to the music like a woman do/Throws her body in it not for me not you/But for her”. Sure, she’s doing very commonly girly things, but she wants it to be known, in fact “she won’t ever let you forget”, that she’s doing them because that’s what she likes doing, and not so that she fits girly stereotypes and can be like “any other senorita”. 

 

The message of the song is repeated often in the chorus line “better be yourself your maker” - it’s how important it is that she’s dancing and laughing and wearing her best dress because that’s what she wants to do. She’s fleeing the idea that a woman should be performing for anyone other than themselves.

 

I love it 😍 It’s a rally cry for proud individuality away from any dictated gaze ☺️ 

I think thats what he was going for but its quite condescending and oblivious, Mika is also a man making assumptions about women's behaviour and taking digs at 'the other senoritas' while scolding the audience for ... assuming that a girly girl is a typical 'senorita'. How does he know the 'other senoritas' arent doing it for themselves too?

2 hours ago, silver said:

Maybe it's not about a "real" girl at all

Yeah I was thinking this makes more sense as a tongue-in-cheek song about a drag queen.

I dont get this song either... Wouldnt putting your best dress on, dancing shyly on your own and having fun at karaoke be considered girly stuff? Like the character he is describing sounds like a typical girl not someone who would need defending for being 'less of a girl'.

His label deserve a lot of credit this time for choosing the right singles, cant see better options 

1 hour ago, Anna-is-golden said:

I don’t understand the connection between the lyrics of the song (that seems happy and full of joy with just a little of loneliness) and the video (with this deep message about homosexuality in the ‘900). (I think the video is filmed to look like around 1960.)

Well Mika said this about the song: ''From, "San Remo" not being about San Remo at all, but being about growing up gay and being a 13-year-old gay walking around the streets of San Remo and feeling incredibly intimidated by every other masculine presence that seems more beautiful, more slim, more heterosexual — just cooler and better than you'd think you could ever be. That's what that song is about. It's not obvious but it's in there. ''

The music video being set up in the past is kind of the only way they could have portrayed this story imo since it is not really relevant for present day Mika and showing him as a teenager or whatever wouldnt have been taken well.

32 minutes ago, krysady said:

Weeks?? Usually it's only a few days 

Yeah dunno, I think his team sent the album to some sketchy bloggers/jurnalists this time 

28 minutes ago, Dominika said:

The album is online now. There must have been a leakalthough my friend told that the links with music has been removed

Its been on torrents/ been passed around for weeks

2 hours ago, Sandy Nimmo said:

This song’s catchy, but the chorus has been nagging at me since it was released and I’ve finally realised why...

 

Does anyone else think it sounds a lot like One Night Stand by Enrique Iglesias? The melody’s really similar IMO, and it might even be in the same key! 😮

Lol I thought the chorus sounds like Need you now by Lady Antebellum speed it up a bit 

6 hours ago, NaoMika said:

Paul Dixon (Artiste, Choir)

No 'auteur' credits then

Apple Music lists these as songwriters:

Tiny Love: Mika & David Sneddon

Ice cream: Mika & Daniel Black

Dear Jealousy: Mika, George Moore & Amy Wadge

Paloma: Mika & David Sneddon

Sanremo: Mika & David Sneddon

Tomorrow: Mika

Ready to call this love: Mika

Cry: Mika, Dan Priddy & Mark Crew

Platform Ballerinas: Mika & Amy Wadge

I went to hell last night: Mika & David Sneddon

Blue: Mika & Amy Wadge

Stay high: Mika, Dan Priddy & Mark Crew

Tiny Love Reprise: Mika, David Sneddon & Jodi Marr

1 hour ago, Kumazzz said:

"I have completely abandoned any kind of worry about what people may or may not think about my music. I have absolutely refused to mimic the sonics of anything that is mainstream,"

This is contradictory..

1 hour ago, Kumazzz said:

While past tours of his included incredible theatrics, props, dance numbers and more, his latest tour simply featured Mika and his band playing

This wasnt his first stripped-down tour..

1 hour ago, Kumazzz said:

he was heralded by many as the new Freddie Mercury (which Mika still calls "absolutely ridiculous")

Is he really not seeing the parallels between Bohemian Rhapsody/Tiny Love?

17 minutes ago, carafon said:

I may be wrong but from some of the symptoms he describes (speaking harshly ) it may rather be the frontal part of the brain that is "attacked" than a more vital part 🙏

"La pitié salpetrière " is a hospital whith research departments  ,but the question is how far and fast it grows as the skull doesnt allow much place for the brain if the tumor is too big

She may be on research/clinical trials... Those vague symptoms and him saying it is an agressive form of cancer sounds like it could be glioblastoma though which doesnt have a good prognostic..

5 hours ago, lollipop_monkey said:

Fun fact: If the Wikipedia entry for the new album is accurate, this is the only song on the new album that Mika alone has a writing credit on, without any co-writers.

Mika did mention a co-writer though, but I havent seen him credited anywhere lol. The featuring with Jack appears to be solely written too.