FIREWORKS ON LAKE MICHIGAN

Y'know, when I heard the first track that was by [Insert name of well-established rapper here] featuring Chris Martin, I got kind of annoyed. After all of the hullabaloo Martin made about NEVER veering from his band mates in order to do a collabo. with another artist, it seem kind of tired that someone who seemed to be such a genuine artist had proven himself to be a hypocrite. At least three such collaborations later, I'm finding that I don't care. Not if I get songs like Kanye West's "Homecoming."

Now, obviously the song is already pretty well-established, but I suppose it has an additional personal meaning to me: it's all about Chicago, where - in three months time - I'll be starting my new college-grad life. That being said, the recently released video for "Homecoming" is not only one of my more favorite videos from Kanye's arsenal (it helps that there are no over-the-top churches/Evil Knievel/bodies in car trunks/R&B superstars), but it's also a nice little tour for me to get acquainted to the city that I will soon be calling home. Apparently, I need to get a flatbed 18-wheeler.






"Homecoming" (Kanye West feat. Chris Martin)

PULL UP THE COVERS...

I used to hate the idea of making a cover for a song that had been released within the past 3 years. If it's well enough known to be covered by a greater-than-or-equal-to-B-list musician, I clearly still remember it and am likely sick of hearing it on my radio and/or iTunes, right? After checking out the all the Radio1 and 'Even Better Than the Real Thing' releases, I discover there is something to be heard there.



One of the best examples I can think of is with 30 Seconds to Mars' cover of Kanye West's "Stronger." Put aside your hatred for Jared Leto's shellacked and sheened asymmetrical hair and the fact that he reminds you of that creepy guy who sits in the corner of the bar and waits for the first girl to fall off her barstool. The band's cover of "The Song of 2007" helps somehow spin all of the annoyingly pompous similes/metaphors that Kanye wouldn't dream of sparing his prized singles into a fairly emotional ballad. There are times, even, when Leto sounds self-loathing and desperate - an impressive feat given the original intent of the lyrics. So, for making a Kanye/Daft Punk collabo sound humbly human (after all?), I'll ignore the involuntary shivers that their lead singer invokes and give props to 30 Seconds to Mars for giving everyone a reason to believe in covers again.


"Stronger" (30 Seconds to Mars)