#.8 : Nicki Minaj is not a 'Stupid Hoe'

There's no need for me to introduce her, unless you've spent the last two years in the wardrobe that leads to Narnia. Nicki Minaj became one of the most influent hip hop artist of the world in a two-year time. I call that everything except sillyness.

PANORAMIC VIEW

Her pink wig hair, generous curves, oversized eyelashes and  tendency to provoke puritans minds made people say she was sulfurous, fake, a sl*t, irrespectuous, a sk*nk... People, take a seat. She's giving a new breath to the hip hop genre. There's no one who's rapping like Nicki Minaj, no one that went as far as she did and that's something no one can take from her. Here again we're dealing with someone that doesn't know what 'playing safe' means.

It's very hard for women to establish themselves into the overcrowded hip hop industry. They all fight to survive; in order to evolve in it, you need to be tough and determined to succeed. That's something Nicki Minaj applied with a rare elegance, taking classes at the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Manhattan, before being scouted by Fendi and then Lil Wayne. As Drake said before her 2012 Grammy's performance, she is one of the most intelligent hip hop artist  the world has ever welcomed in its arms. She succeeded in becoming an icon, a source of inspiration for incoming new artists and an example for all the women that don't use their talent by fright of being rejected. She's also an eminent gay-friendly and feminist activist.

ONIKA & HER ALTER-EGOS

The first album Pink Friday was released in 2010; the second, Roman Reloaded, in 2012. These two records are brilliant, fascinating, inspiring and questionning. By listening to the tracks you can't help to ask yourself: But who is this Nicki Minaj? Who is this Roman Zolanski?  

That's precisely what happens when an artist does his job properly. Heavy beats and sharp lyrics strike out as layers of her complex personalities go through the names of Roman Zolanski (a gay twin brother that only shows up when she's angry), Martha Zolanski (Roman's mother, appearing on 'Roman's Revenge') and Nicki Minaj (first named Cookie and then 'Harajaku Barbie' during her childhood). 

We then understand that Nicki Minaj is a character that protects Onika, the 'real' Nicki Minaj; a girl with a troubled childhood struggling with a drugged, alcoholic and violent father.

THE 2012 GRAMMY'S PERFORMANCE

The American Catholic League condemned her live representation that staged an exorcism for the hit 'Roman Holiday' (Roman's Exorcism to be more precise). Too bad for them, they obviously missed something; the performance was truly amazing. It was scary and emotional, while looking at it you actually get trapped into her singular imagination.

Nicki is something tough and irreversible I'm afraid, as she has the whole package. She's pretty, smart, tolerant, talented, funny, creative, challenging, resourceful and I could continue for ages like this, but it would prevent you from seeing again her performance just below!

'Roman Holiday', Grammy Awards - February 2012

PS: Who said she only was a rapper?

'Right By My Side' ft. Chris Brown - May 2012

#.7 : Icona Pop tornado

When I was working as an events assistant in London, I was hanging out with a friend at my apartment and we said: Fuck that, we're out. We headed up to Camden, the musician lovers area. It's at KOKO that I understood, seeing them perform the first quarter of 'Club NME' night, that the future of electro-pop was guaranteed.

PANORAMIC VIEW

The first thing that strikes out is the duet composed by two female lead singers. Nothing to do with the convenient stereotype of the tall-blond-blue-eyed Swedish girls. They're cute for sure, talented as well, which is always a good point. They bring the same amount of singing all along the tracks; there's no one that steals the attention from the other.

EP vs LIVE PERFORMANCE

That's the thing I appreciate more and more about artists: their ability to translate their studio voice in live performance. You can laugh; some international and well-established singers are just unable to do so (ask Rihanna). Some of them, like Icona Pop, succeed in adding value to the whole performance, it then become an adjusted show that makes them loved by the audience. On stage they show they're willing to mark the Earth wih their music. Between spontaneous choreographies and fluorescent paintings, they easily manage to recreate the atmosphere of their first clip, 'Manners'.

Some bits of 'Manners' (the chorus actually) have been used for the new Chiddy Bang,

'Mind Your Manners'.

Chiddy's version is very good, there's a real work on the beats.

WHY YOU SHOULD ADOPT ICONA POP?

For their originality, freshness and atypical charisma! You can bet you will hear more from them very soon. For now they released an EP, 'Nights Like This'; I can't wait to listen to their debut album. For now I invite you to discover their last hit: 'I Love It' (2012). Please add it to your 2012 Summer playlist, it's a real blast! 

#.6 : One Direction, a certified recipe since 1983

They have one chance out of three to end up overweighted, alcoholic or dead before 35. It is their drama that triggers interest, music is only an accessory, a way to legitimate their extended coverage. Virgins rhapsodize, they finally found a short-term investment with a 0% interest rate!! Ha, young people don't know where to spend their parents money nowadays. Directionners vs Beliebiebers, frenetic hashtags wars on Twitter, more and more blogs and fan fictions on the web; vudu dolls at their effigy will soon become regular security blankets. One Direction is the millenial boys band, the Beatles-wannabees fed with cameras, glitters, expensive brands and sulfurous groupies; 1983 because it's not new but desperately recycled.

Everything begins when Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis head up to the UK most popular TV show, X-Factor. The jury cry their eyes out: You're cute! You sing well! I loooove your style! Your hair! Ho! Ha! But you're not that much of a deal you know, we have the new Amy Winehouse on one hand and the heir of Michael Bubblé on the other...

Meanwhile, an idea takes roots into Simon Cowell's mind (producer of the show, loads of money but poor clothes choices during auditions: he doesn't have our time). They may not be strong enough as solo singers, but it would be likely to change if we put them together; they'll be invincible! I'll be the master of the 8-16-year-old maket!! *rubbing his hands*. He will suggest to Nicole to do the proposal though. Indeed it shouldn't be that obvious for people that are voting every week that the show is anything else but a fruit machine. 

So the band is formed and on the rocks! 5 weeks to recreate the equivalent of a 15-year long lasting friendship. But it is not enough to put 5 hansome boys together; they also need to vehiculate a brand image, because it's one of the most important component to their success (more than music actually), so we'll put everything in there. From the cute American hip hop well-behaved guy (bam! colored teddies) to the complete 'suit up' look without forgeting the British retro side à la Oliver Twist, everyone gets a piece of the cake.  

And the phenomenon is launched! One direction: 8-16 year-old pants (that's surely where the name came from, haha, you have some good sense of humor Simon, I like that). Girls have all their names in their mouth and wet their first underwear while listening to 'What Makes You Beautiful'. The clip says it all: we're talking about a girl that makes them fall in love, we end up with 5 retarded people running after the tide. I admit that I stayed speechless about the concept.

But who are the girls that allow this to happen all over again? We had Backstreet Boys, Take That and stuff, now it's One Direction... They will not last, that's the very point of all the enthusiasm around them. Girls will eventually grow up and realise they can't identify to 1D anymore, while 1D member will be assimilated for life as the five cute puppets that served as cash cows by Simon. As we speak a second album is planned to be released at the end of the year... I'm really sceptical about all this. But the recipe works well for them, I hope they will enjoy it before the heat collapses (and it will, for sure!).

#.5 : Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains

Partiels, partiels... qu'est-ce que je ne ferai pas, pour parler de musique. Et plus particulièrement quand il y a des gens au-dehors qui s'escriment à la révolutionner en y apportant un souffle étrange parce que nouveau, attachant parce qu'inspirant. C'est ce qu'ils font, Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains.

VUE PANORAMIQUE

4 mecs dans le vent, des gueules bien propres et bien apprêtées, à l'anglaise de Bristol s'il vous plaît... Le chanteur s'appelle Frànçois (non, ce n'est pas une faute de frappe, comme quoi l'originalité réside dans les petites choses), vous l'aurez donc compris: c'est lui le centre des activités, le puits de création, l'accroche market; d'ailleurs sa timidité (feinte? subie? inconsciente?) et son air constamment déconcerté ont poussé ces demoiselles à choisir leur camp.

Beaucoup de voyages, des rencontres d'usage et l'attrait pour les instruments l'ont mené jusque là, à fonder ce collectif. Les musiciens vont et viennent, l'important n'est pas l'humain mais ce qu'ils laissent derrière eux, ce qui durera. Et ça, ça se traduit sur pellicule, sur papier, sur notes d'intonation brit couplées à un phrasé dans la langue de Molière.

City Kiss, de l'album 'E Volo Love' (2011)

PAS QUE LA MUSIQUE...

De la brit française ou de french anglaise? L'effort est là et il est indéniable; seulement à mon avis, il n'y a pas que la musique qui constitue l'originalité de Frànçois (& The Atlas Mountains, mais je ne vais pas le réécrire à chaque fois hein). Derrière se distingue un univers unique qui s'étend dans toutes les formes de création possibles et imaginables; la caméra se prête à des plans précis, des objets volent la vedette à l'écran, une mine s'effrite sur du papier blanc. C'est l'histoire d'une imagination débordante qui dépasse son contenant; alors Frànçois s'efface pour la laisser danser seule, auréolée de sa propre gloire.

Quelques aquarelles réalisées par Frànçois. Envie de plus? Ici

J'ai vraiment un faible pour ces insatisfaits du réel. Ils se subtilisent aux règles du commun du mortel pour toujours surprendre, et nous faire comprendre que non, nous n'avons pas tout déterré du monde; le plus intéressant reste encore à venir.

#2 : Birdy phenomenon

A frail voice, a piano, bushy hair and please, add those cute braces to the all picture... Ha, it seems that Birdy got it all right. In these times of economic crisis it's always a good idea to capitalize on childhood, innocence and fragility values. Custom-build clips full of nostalgia, grey tones, ruins, lost paths, walks in the woods and white long vintage dresses; it clearly changes from wannabees waddling on the cafeteria tables.

PANORAMIC VIEW
According to French ads, she is the '2012 English breakout female artist', even though the debut album was launched in November 2011. This is how we roll in France, we're always six-month late when it comes to international music; we're too busy putting Rihanna's every moves on our channels.
When ones were gasping and exclaiming, I put myself on hold. Careful guys, 'Skinny Love' is a Bon Iver cover... Amazing and very well written song that suits to every beautiful voice. So I've listened to the all album and...

HUGE DECEPTION!

I was seized by a strange embarrassment. Those tracks are telling me something.

It's when I heard:

- We're all young and naive still... - 

that I finally get it: track 7, the song that refreshes the very monotone record is a cover of 'Young Blood' from The Naked And Famous. Actually, the whole album contains covers from the likes of The xx or Phoenix! The only track that is from her is 'Without A Word', a cute song that doesn't strike out unfortunately. 

IN BRIEF

Well, I still waiting to hear her first record! Listening to the whole thing was really painful for me. Not because I'm not fond of this type of music; I actually love that register. But I also appreciate artists that challenge themselves, try different things and reveal all the layers of their personnality as the record goes along. That's not what happens here and I can't admit this beautiful 16-year-old girl is monotone. I look forward to hear her next track (an original if possible) and I hope she will show us who she really is instead of hiding behind well-established songs.

PS: She makes me think of Janet Devlin (X-Factor UK 2011: she was carjacketed because her small and fragile doll voice was becoming so boring).