superstar Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 There's really nothing special in this article, I just thought the writing style was hilarious. There are a couple of really good quotes. ---------------------- On his chart-obliterating debut "Life in Cartoon Motion," Mika turned up his nose at everything music critics cherish. Experimentation? Maturity? Originality? Please. The Lebanese-born, London-based singer defiantly trampled on the hallmarks of good music, swamping his songs in falsetto squeaks, cavity-inducing sentiment and cheap lyrical innuendo that would make a first-grader blush. If you could see sounds, the album would be neon pink, but then again the experience would probably give you an epileptic fit: Mika's music alone is enough of a sensory overkill. Of course, no one would dare call it "good," but somehow, in its own giddy, effervescent way, the record worked. Sure, it often toed the line between adorable and annoying, and OK, it all kind of sounded like a nursery sing-along, but there was something irresistible about Mika's sheer pizzazz. Put simply, the boy had guts. The five-octave voice didn't hurt either. But therein lay the problem. From the start, Mika was little more than a flavor of the day: a cute boy with an elastic voice and a knack for preposterously catchy melodies. The short shelf life of his musical style (one that could easily be labeled "listen to it more than once and it gets irritating") combined with today's ADHD approach to pop culture didn't help either. The "one hit wonder" tag was lurking just around the corner. On the basis of his new album though, Mika is one pop phenomenon that isn't likely to disappear any time soon. Released last week, "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" is an ingeniously crafted follow-up to "Life in Cartoon Motion": bigger, better and - as you might have guessed from the title - gayer than Liberace in a sequined tutu. Everything about the record screams gay, in fact, before you even press play. The cartoonish cover art makes the whole thing look like a self-help guide to coming out, and that's before you flip open the CD sleeve, which ... well, let's just say the drawing of a naked, androgynous Mika clutching a pair of antlers is just one of its many oddities. It doesn't take a genius to work it out, then: "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" is a concept album about an adolescence spent in the closet. I could say that's primarily because of Mika's lyrics, and certainly there is a double or (usually) single-entendre to everything he sings, whether it's "Hold me in your arms / I'm just a boy like you," or "Blame it on the boys / who keep hitting on you." But then again, no one ever listened to Mika for his lyrics. It's through his music that the singer waves his rainbow flag, and the album is effectively a 50-minute sprint to pay homage to every gay singer in the history of pop. The piano-powered "Dr. John" sounds like Elton John on helium; the rather raunchy "Touches You" sounds like George Michael if he'd been out of the closet from the start; and the fluorescent Euro-pop of "Rain" sounds like the Scissor Sisters, but just, well, gayer. Freddie Mercury deserves a mention, too, if only because Mika himself seems so fond of name-dropping the guy. That said, listening to the album, you've got to wonder whether Freddie's doing a pirouette in his grave to all the Queen-like harmonies and vocal acrobatics on display here. It's hero-worship that verges on plagiarism, but Mika's love for all these musicians is so clearly genuine that it's hard to take it the wrong way. Of course, those who detested Mika from the moment he dropped "Grace Kelly" should stay well away. If "Life In Cartoon Motion" was a guilty pleasure, "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" should probably be serving a death sentence in musical prison. It's an album that makes an art out of tastelessness. Every song is an over-wrought, sugar-coated kaleidoscope, from the Lloyd-Webber-like histrionics of "I See You" to the candy-floss whirlwind of "We Are Golden." And then there's "Toy Boy," whose obnoxious Broadway stylings would hardly sound out of place at the climax of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." But that's the whole point of Mika. His music is the self-conscious antithesis of "good," and it's all the better for it. The singer's indestructibly catchy songwriting doesn't hurt matters either. In fact, when talking about Mika, the word "catchy" suddenly seems pathetically inadequate; it would be like trying to call Hitler "naughty." Mika's songs are an invincible audio epidemic: They will hammer themselves into your subconscious before the first chorus is over and will probably stay there for a year or two, festering away and then popping out of your lips at the most unwanted moments. "The Boy Who Knew Too Much" is unlikely to win Mika any new fans. In fact, if you don't like him, you should probably get your earmuffs out now, because these songs are going to be on the radio for a very, very long time. But enthusiasts of the singer's blindingly shiny brand of pop music could hardly ask for anything more. The album sounds like a caffeinated children's choir going crazy at a gay club, and I mean that in the best possible way. Pros Mika builds on everything that made him such a runaway success in 2007. His new album is bigger, brighter and better than his first. Cons Mika's a divisive figure, and if you hated his camp falsetto squawking two years ago, you should probably steer clear of this one. Download this "Rain," "Touches You," "One Foot Boy" http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/10/01/23970/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmbm Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Can't tell if the author likes Mika or not, but I love this bit The singer's indestructibly catchy songwriting doesn't hurt matters either. In fact, when talking about Mika, the word "catchy" suddenly seems pathetically inadequate; it would be like trying to call Hitler "naughty." Mika's songs are an invincible audio epidemic: They will hammer themselves into your subconscious before the first chorus is over and will probably stay there for a year or two, festering away and then popping out of your lips at the most unwanted moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mireille geha Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 There's really nothing special in this article, I just thought the writing style was hilarious. There are a couple of really good quotes. That is absolutely hilarious:aah:. Interesting opinion though. Was it from a gay magazine?Thanks for posting:thumb_yello: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racinghorse83 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 when talking about Mika, the word "catchy" suddenly seems pathetically inadequate; it would be like trying to call Hitler "naughty." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aayame Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Yeah, you can't really tell which way the author is going but it definately made me laugh- the imagery is great! The album sounds like a caffeinated children's choir going crazy at a gay club, and I mean that in the best possible way. :roftl: gayer than Liberace in a sequined tutu. This totally made my day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Sky Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 That review almost out-Mika's Mika in its unapologetic gushing and use of colourful adjectives Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guylainem123 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 thanks for posting had to read that one twice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lollipop_monkey Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 The album sounds like a caffeinated children's choir going crazy at a gay club, and I mean that in the best possible way. Best line EVAR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 This is fabulous That is absolutely hilarious:aah:. Interesting opinion though. Was it from a gay magazine? It's a newspaper from an ivy league university in the states. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmbm Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 It's a newspaper from an ivy league university in the states. I tend to skip those in my Google alerts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I tend to skip those in my Google alerts Usually not very Mika-heavy in the news department then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fmbm Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Usually not very Mika-heavy in the news department then? No, not really Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiibet Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 OMG, this was something hilarious!!! :roftl: Thanks for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickadee Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 That review almost out-Mika's Mika in its unapologetic gushing and use of colourful adjectives It reminds me of that other review that said something about Mika using every crayon in the box. It's like this person was trying to win a bet for using the largest number of superlatives, adjectives and metaphors in the one piece of writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzie Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 OMG, this was something hilarious!!! :roftl: same here.. From the title via the comparisons to other artists to bits like: "cover art makes the whole thing look like a self-help guide to coming out" I'm going to save this review - love it:thumb_yello: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soaring Simpson Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 It's funny, but if I'd decided I'd like the album on the strength of it, I'd feel I'd been misled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOUCHONNERET Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 thanks to post and again ap ic of THE jacket on the web,great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanessa Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 This was a great article to start the day Like a stand up comedy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn Mastin Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I suppose that one was a bit...different. But I'm still so sick of all the comparisons!!! T4P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatagordinha Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Thanks for posting. It was an amusing read but to be perfectly honest I am so, so sick and tired of reading the same old c*** about Mika now. Can somebody please post the links for the 875 interviews Mika has done that I must have missed? The ones where he goes on about Freddie Mercury. . Sorry, I have got my grumpy head on this morning . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mariposa Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 T4p! Enjoyed reading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Angel Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 OMG Thx for posting!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari62 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 T4P!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 It's funny, but if I'd decided I'd like the album on the strength of it, I'd feel I'd been misled Why would anyone in this day and age decide they'd like an album based on the review of a stranger? You can stream the music online and decide for yourself. To me the only purpose this kind of thing serves is to grab your attention for an artist you would otherwise have never heard of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kodes100 Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Thank you superstar for posting. I enjoyed the article but it left me scratching my head. I too can't figure out if the authour is promoting, insulting, complimenting or lambasting Mika & TBWKTM. I read it three times & I still can't decide. There are some really good quotes in this article - that is for sure. I guess I like it but don't agree with it. Weird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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