Magic

With three teens in the house, I get exposed to a lot of today's pop music.  And most of it,like most of any kind of music, is crap. 

But I have recently been digging B.o.B.'s "Magic." 

I have a number of reasons for this.  One is the presence of Rivers Cuomo.  I don't worship Weezer the way some people do, but they are always good for at least two irresistable power pop gems on each album, and Mr. Cuomo gives us a fantastically catchy, upbeat chorus for this one.

And I usually like songs where musicians of disparate styles come together.  Though both B.O.B. and Rivers Cuomo are fundamentally pop musicians, Cuomo has the "alternative" label, and, let's just be clear here--Weezer is one of the whitest bands on earth.  (Not that there's anything wrong with that!  Some of my best friends are white!)  I liked Run-DMC's "Rock Box" and the Anthrax/Public Enemy collaboration on "Bring the Noise," because they kind of suggested that music doesn't have to divide us but could actually unite us.  Walk together, rock together, and all that. 

So, yeah, I have idealistic reasons for digging this collaboration.  But also, it's just full of something you see very rarely in pop music these days: joy.  This is especially true in rap, which has gotten incredibly, annoyingly emo these days. Remember when rap was actually fun?  It seems like most commercial rap today features some dude whining about what a screwup he is or all his money doesn't make him happy or something like that.  These days, waking up in the morning feelin' like P. Diddy seems to imply being full of regret and ultimately unsatisfied.  Which I don't think was what Ke$ha had in mind.  ("It's easy bein' Puff, but it's hard bein' Sean," Diddy laments in his latest single that he didn't even write.  Apparently it's not that easy bein' Puff either, since Diddy has outsourced his confessional lyrics.)

And though most popular rappers are pop stars, there is still this thing in 2011 where rappers have to pretend to be "hood."  Thus Degrassi alum Drake talks about having all his friends around "'cause I don't even know who I'ma lose this year."  Yeah, it's hard out here for a Canadian TV star!  Keep it real, Drake!

B.O.B., though, about whom I know absolutely nothing, doesn't seem to be seeking fake authenticity-- he's just an unabashed pop star.

So it's refreshing to hear a pop/hip-hop song that's long on the joy and meaningless boasting and short on the "boo hoo, it's so hard to be famous."   And at certain hours of the day, if you stand outside my kitchen window, you may actually spot me dancing to this one.  (Not a pretty sight, I'll admit, but it does happen.)

(apparently the official video is only available with the ad. Feh. I'm putting it in anyway.)