Anyone remember this song from the Brazilian group CSS (Cansei de Ser Sexy), which means tired of being sexy?
So a rough outline of my day in the homestay. I’d wake up by 8:30 and get breakfast. Then, in typical Calabrian fashion, no one would leave the house until 5 in the afternoon. To be fair, it was 40 degrees Celsius and it was really hot. But still, the days got going very slowly. The advantage of this was that it allowed me to watch lots of MTV and read lots of good books. I formed a lot of opinions about music videos over my two weeks. Here are some comments I wrote in my journal, along with the relevant music videos.
Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)- Shakira: This would become a quasi-official anthem for the trip. The world cup had just ended and people loved this song and the accompanying “dance” (which I don’t see in the video). The version of this song in English (there is one in Spanish called “Waka Waka (Esto es Africa)”) is horrible. Lyrics like “If you get down/Get up Oh oh…/When you get down/Get up eh eh…” Ick. Listen to the Spanish version. I think it’s more catchy and better.
Ridin’ Solo- Jason Derulo: Oh Jason. His first two videos were actually pretty good (remember them?), but then he released this. I’m not a fan of his outfit (with the spikes coming from the shoulders) and the animation that occurs when he’s driving the car is ridiculous. Looks like something that would have been cutting edge in the 1990s. Also not a huge fan of dancing in front of this ridiculous light boards (other artists like this in music videos as well).
Not Afraid- Eminem: This music video was really well-done I thought. I wrote “very clean” and “visually striking.” I appreciated how personal and emotional this song was for Eminem.
Your Love is My Drug- Ke$ha: I actually have no idea how you’re supposed to write her name. It doesn’t matter. This video is really weird. I suppose that fits with how I perceive Ke$ha. Over the course of the trip, though, I would hear this song DOZENS of times. The Italians love this hippy/ trippy song.
Because The Night- Patti Smith ft. Carmen Consoli: This song must have been recorded as part of an MTV summer concert series. Otherwise, I cannot explain why MTV Italia would continue to show this live version of an old 1980s song. Personally, I don’t think Patti Smith’s voice is the strongest in this clip. Nevertheless, you could count on seeing this video at least twice a day.
Alors on Danse- Stromae: The french DJ recorded a really sweet video for his song. I really like the multiple camera perspectives for this guy’s day. It also shows a bit of french culture and tolerance, which is a cool thing. This song followed us everywhere, from H&M in Siena to the discotecca on our last night in Venice.
All The Lovers- Kylie Minogue: I think this video was popular because it resembled soft porn. The song is really boring and uninteresting. When I stumbled on this one morning on MTV, I thought I was on the wrong channel. Lots of making out and other things going on in the video. Love the unicorn. Heterosexual, homosexual, it doesn’t matter. Everyone’s invited to this orgy.
California Gurls- Katy Perry ft. Snoop Dogg: A lot going on in this video. I was surprised to find out that the Beach Boys were going to sue Perry and Dogg because he mentions, “I wish they all could be California girls.” At first I was sad with this video because I thought Perry had missed a great opportunity for a California beach video with lots of dancing. But I’ve warmed to it and its’ randomness. Why is she nude in a cloud? Why does she shoot whipped cream from her boobs? Why is Snoop Dogg watching over the game board? Yet, it’s fun. That’s all you want in a summer jam.
Not Intent on Arriving 
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