Mainstream Monday : Why is Leighton Meester singing...?

Things I like : electropop, boys singing in falsetto, and Awesome New Republic's track "Birthday" off their latest release, Rational Geographic Volume I, which combines the first two items on the list.

Awesome New Republic - "Birthday"

Things I don't like : Leighton Meester singing way out of her range on a weird cover (?) version of the "Birthday." It's all right, I guess, until you hit the refrain, and then it just makes me want to cover my ears and run away. Also, the fact that she's a girl singing it makes it less subversive and therefore less interesting. She becomes just another poplette wailing about a guy she fancies. That's been done already. A lot.

Leighton Meester - "Birthday"

Truth be told, until very recently, I had no idea who this girl was. I would hear her name and think, "Who in the hell is that...? Also, that can't be her real name." True fax. (See Also : I went to a taping of What You're Watching...With Alexa Chung (seriously) and Whitney Port was a guest and all I could think was, "Who...?" Clearly I don't watch The City, either.)

Anyway. I echo the sentiment of a random commenter over here, "Gag. If that's 'help' she needs more." Or perhaps the dude who said, "Was ok until the chorus..ahhhhh, that felt like brain rape." I guess I just don't understand...why? Why do a cover of a song if you're going to make it sound exactly the same but with more back-up singers?


You can get ANR's Rational Geographic Volume I for absolutely free over here. You just have to give your email and location.