Mika And Other Thoughts About Over-The-Topishness

I love music that is over the top.

Absurd, outlandish, and way, way over the top.

I have even started collecting specific examples of exemplary over-the-topishness in a playlist. You wouldn’t have expected, but I call this playlist ‘over the top’.

Right now there is one song that heads the list of ridiculousness in such a way that I don’t think fleshing out the rest of the playlist will prove overly fruitful.

Mika with Life in Cartoon Motion wins – specifically “Love Today.”

As an 80s infused pop track with vocals by Mika, with his incredibly amazing Freddie Mercury voice, it wins. It just wins.

Mika miraculously made it onto my radar some time ago. Another instance of sudden love, I cannot remember where he came from. Only that one day I knew of him and loved his music, whereas the day before I had not a clue.

I really feel most pop artists ought to take a page out of the book of Mika. I realize that his utterly fabulous voice is not a dime-a-dozen thing, and that many pop artists must rely on other devices to secure their popularity, and that fact would make Mika mimicry difficult at best. But damn, Mika just does such a good job.

For one thing, his album is diverse. From 80s flashbacks to pop ballads to campy Beatles knockoffs, the album certainly isn’t repetitive. Each song is masterfully pieced together.

The fast songs are fast, with back up vocals, clapping, and other small accessories placed exactly in the right spot. The songs drop away to showcase Mika’s amazing voice, then close back in and seem to make his voice sound that much more powerful, with a symphony of sounds pushing it forward.

The slow songs are slow, melancholy, with strings sweeping in at the right moment to infuse the song with more emotion than just the lyrics and the vocals could convey. The lyrics are simply stunning, and worthwhile even without Mika’s voice singing them.

Nothing about the album is typical, despite it holding its rightful place within the realm of pop music. Each song tries something new with the elements of your average pop song, and every permutation works most excellently.

Mika is slated to come out with a new album in but a few days. September 21^st the world will be privy to Mika’s most recent strokes of genius. I for one cannot wait for “The Boy Who Knew Too Much“.

What to take away?

Mika is re-infusing pop music with danceability (not to be confused with grindability) and sheer awesome. Amazingly enough, his brand of awesome is greatly enjoyed by the world unlinke many other awesomely unique pop musicians. Also, his voice is seriously the best voice since Freddie Mercury.

What to expect?

Pop music that sounds like the singer is actually having a good time, and he expects you to be having a good time too.

What drink to pair it with?

A dwarf. At least, that’s what my Lithuanian friends call them. It’s a shot: half Red Bull, half vodka, with a squeeze of lime. Sweet, delicious, and sure to keep you dancing for some time.

Favorite song?

There are easily three battling it out for the top position. Initially “Lollipop” won due to how ridiculous it is, but then the ballad “Any Other World” took over due to it’s deeply rooted beauty. Right now, however, “Love Today” is winning. The song spawns epic dance parties, imitation falsettos, and the urge to put on some spandex and start an 80s revolution.