"Yeah, I'm a big dreamer
I'm a believer
Just try to tell me 'no'
I'ma go full steam
No, can't slow me down
I built this house
From the inside out
Block by block
From the bottom to the top
I know just who I is
And I know just who I'm not"
-Anjulie, "Stand Behind the Music"
Just try to tell me 'no'
I'ma go full steam
No, can't slow me down
I built this house
From the inside out
Block by block
From the bottom to the top
I know just who I is
And I know just who I'm not"
-Anjulie, "Stand Behind the Music"
Canada's Anjulie is quickly creeping up my Stan List for a multitude of definitive reasons. The main one is obvious: she makes catchy hooks that are not only danceable, but lyrically empowering and creative. But really, I love her because she is who she is with no apology. She's a genre-bender in the best poppy sense ("Just name a genre/Yeah, I've tried it.") and it works for her because the common denominator is her attitude.
Her latest single, "Stand Behind the Music," is the second offering from her still untitled sophomore record, following the dance hit "Brand New B*tch." The song is a warrior's battle cry, proclaiming Survival in the Music Industry for a female artist who kind of fits in that other category. She's no sex kitten popstar and nor does she want to be, but she's not a sole soulstress or a serious alternative either. Basically, she's the Every Woman. She's a little of this, she's a little of that -- and she doesn't need labels to pin her down.
"Stand Behind the Music" is Anjulie's version of P!NK's "Don't Let Me Get Me" or "Stupid Girls" in such its a bit of a slap in the face to the Socialite Popstar. "Alright, already/I'm getting blinded/From all the frauds/All the phonies/All the fakes," she sings in the first verse alone. It only gets more biting from there, tossing out "I can't stand this poptart candy/Hos gettin' famous, gettin' naked, gettin' randy/Chew it up/Make my teeth rot/You think I'm talking to you?/I'm probably not/(Not!)."
In addition to being a word to the girls (and boys) who build their careers based on fame itself, "Stand Behind the Music" is a message to Recording Artists of 2012 and Beyond. That message is clear: none of the attention you recieve means anything if your music is empty. It's a message that many anti-pop audiophiles have been spouting for years , and while I personally feel that all music is subjective (it could be the cheesiest song in the universe, but if it means something to you as the listener, it's not necessarily pointless, is it?), the cry doesn't fall on deaf ears. There is no question pop in particular has become incredibly pre-fabricated, but that idea is not exactly new news. Would I appreciate more pop artists writing their own music? Absolutely, if they are capable. However, just because you can write great songs, it doesn't necessarily make you a heavy-weight recording artist (just as many have proven), and vice versa. To be fair, the fact that she's throwing something like this out there, encouraging a dialogue in the very least, shows that Anjulie has some heft to her.
In addition to being a word to the girls (and boys) who build their careers based on fame itself, "Stand Behind the Music" is a message to Recording Artists of 2012 and Beyond. That message is clear: none of the attention you recieve means anything if your music is empty. It's a message that many anti-pop audiophiles have been spouting for years , and while I personally feel that all music is subjective (it could be the cheesiest song in the universe, but if it means something to you as the listener, it's not necessarily pointless, is it?), the cry doesn't fall on deaf ears. There is no question pop in particular has become incredibly pre-fabricated, but that idea is not exactly new news. Would I appreciate more pop artists writing their own music? Absolutely, if they are capable. However, just because you can write great songs, it doesn't necessarily make you a heavy-weight recording artist (just as many have proven), and vice versa. To be fair, the fact that she's throwing something like this out there, encouraging a dialogue in the very least, shows that Anjulie has some heft to her.
Putting aside the career statements, "Stand Behind the Music" can also serve as the perfect Anthem for a young person who strives to be in control of their life. So in summary, "Stand Behind the Music" is kind of my new found theme song.
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