the gang gets really dancey…
Sometimes you’ve gotta listen to the youth. Last year around this time, Pop-Break’s Joe Zorzi came to Bill Bodkin and said “Dude, I think Carly Rae Jepsen is gonna huge, we should try and interview her.” Our faithful leader responded with “Okay dude.” His usual ‘I’ll get around to it to after 25 other things first’ response.
And look what happened.
So when ‘Bro’ Zorzi came to us this year and said, “Dude…Icona Pop, gonna be huge.” We took him at his word, especially after the song appeared in the third episode of HBO’s Girls. So the gang got their dancing shoes on and tuned into the track that the Swedish DJ/electropop duo dropped and will be playing at one of our favorite music festivals, The Governor’s Ball Music Festival.
Jason Kundrath: There’s something about this track that makes me want to do a bunch of cocaine and dance my ass off at a club, singing along at the top of my lungs. Hold up a sec. Sometimes I get my life confused with HBO’s Girls. And I must say that episode was gold, and the use of this song in the club scene was electrifying. The gang vocals, the raging synths, the crazed lyrics, the pounding beat. Pure exhilaration. For days afterward, it was on my to-do list to find out the artist behind this killer song. Thankfully, the editorial staff at Pop-Break was way ahead of me on this one. To be honest, I liked the song a little better in context of the Girls episode, but it’s still great on its own. It’s cool to hear a club banger with lyrics that diverge from the typical (and boring) themes of “we’re going to party tonight!” and “we’re super sexy!” I mean, it’s a little weird shouting along about flaming car crashes, but I don’t care… I love it. Verdict: Add to the playlist.
Lauren Stern: When I think about Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’ featuring Charlie XCX, I wonder if there was a curse that only plagued artists who debuted great music in 2012. I mean this song technically came out in June and it was pretty under the radar until a cocaine-induced dance party from Hannah Horvath came along. How did we all miss such a great song when it was really under our noses this whole time? Why didn’t this song “blow up” on the airwaves and on the charts a long time ago?
This will continue to be a mystery to me, but I must say, I’m really glad all of our ears perked up and paid attention. Especially my ears – I mean, if it weren’t for Lena Dunham and her yellow mesh tank top, I probably wouldn’t have had the catchiest dance song since “It’s Not My Name” by The Ting Tings looping over and over in my head this past week. Verdict: Add to Playlist
Kelly Gonsalves: “I Love It” definitely does a lot right. In a lot of ways, this song is the perfect intersection of EDM and indie pop. The sterile, nearly-robotic texture of the ladies’ vocals juxtaposed against their cheeky, diva-attitude lyrics creates the atmosphere of a slutty Vogue theme song. This is the song that you’ll find yourself blasting when you’re done being pissed off and ready to stop giving shits and start partying away your troubles. Add that to the sexy Swedish accents and a vigorous bass-dropping beat, and you have a song worthy of the mainstream that won’t completely alienate all the indie lovers on the dance floor. Icona Pop does electro synthpop in a way that even people completely uninterested in the genre can get down with. Verdict: Add to playlist
http://youtu.be/QDwnPOgcprc
Brent Johnson: The purpose of dance music seems pretty clear: Give them a thumping beat that will make clubgoers shake, and throw in a snappy little synth hook or vocal line for those who want to download at home. But there are probably a lot of rock and alternative fans who wonder: Why aren’t more of the tunes spun by DJs these days actual songs with verses and structure and substance? That wasn’t a problem for Motown or even disco. It seems Icona Pop feels their pain. If it weren’t for the pulsating electronics, you might mistake the Swedish duo’s new single as a late-70s/early-80s new wave track. In other words, it’s hummable, it’s memorable, it’s robust, it’s danceable, it’s fun. It’s the kind of song that works both on a dance floor and on a music snob’s iPod. Verdict: Add to the Playlist.
Joe Zorzi: What a great pop song this is. It’s perfect for this generation with it’s catchy vocals and dance beats. The chorus lyrics (“I don’t care, I love it”) fit the typical mindset of a college student. There’s no real meaning to it but the IDGAF YOLO attitude is fully present and that’s all you really need these days. But it’s almost impossible to get “I Don’t Care” out of your head. I can only imagine how many dance remixes are going to be made of this song and I can’t wait to hear them the next time I’m out. Verdict: Add to the Playlist.
Bill Bodkin: Damn, this is a catchy tune. The vocals have this late 70s/early 80s snotty punk into New Wave thing going on, which makes it both familiar and fresh. What this also does is give every alt, indie rock and hipster out there a damn good reason to dance like no one’s watching…right along side the guidos who’ll be fist pumping when this song inevitably becomes a hit, mainstream radio single. For those of who want to keep your street, slot this song on your playlist along with LCD Soundsystem, MGMT and Passion Pit and your Williamsburg card will not get pulled. Jokes aside — this is a hot song, danceable and fun. Verdict: Add to the Playlist.
Final Verdict: This is our first unanimous Singles Party. We love this track and suggest you put this on your playlist ASAP.
