5
Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO (featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock)
Topped the NZ chart: for 11 weeks from 4 April 2011.
The two members of LMFAO are descended from musical royalty. Redfoo is the youngest son of Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. Sky Blu is Gordon’s grandson. The uncle-and-nephew duo formed in 2006, playing in the electro house club scene in Los Angeles.
As if the duo weren’t well-connected enough already, Redfoo’s best friend will.i.am (of the Black Eyed Peas) introduced them to producer Jimmy Iovine. The duo’s demos were already polished enough for release.
The pair clearly don’t take themselves seriously. ‘Party Rock Anthem’ feels contrived, but it’s often enjoyable. The song returns its chorus, but elsewhere it takes unexpected twists. The “every day I’m shufflin'” section is lifted from Rick Ross’s ‘Hustlin”, while Lauren Bennett adds guest vocals toward the end. The harmonies in the chorus are pretty and unpredictable, adding some musicality.
The video is brilliant, with extravagant dance moves and the pair oozing charisma. There’s even a classic rock easter egg, where the line “No led in our zeppelin” is followed by a shot of a building frontage that recalls the cover of Physical Graffiti.
You could argue that ‘Party Rock Anthem’ is throwaway trash. You could also argue that it’s an ingenious masterpiece. I fall in the middle.
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While the music isn’t my cup of tea, the song is undoubtedly groovy. The video reasonably entertains me as well.
I used to dismiss music by giving it labels including “trash.” I no longer do that. At the end of the day, it’s all super subjective, and who am I to tell folks who might love certain styles of music or songs they’re listening to trash.
Like lots of things, it’s part art, part science. Like some things are indisputable – Rick Wakeman is a better pianist than me.
And some things are subjective. Does popular music have to be meaningful, or can it just be fun? Is a good pop song one that clicks first time? Or is it something more complex that takes a few listens to click?
I find it fun sticking ratings on things, but it’s always subjective to some degree.
Well, it was better than ‘Sexy and I Know It’! Eleven weeks though…!! More than enough
It’s just of wack in the southern hemisphere too – feels like it was released intentionally in mid-spring to become a summer anthem in most of the world. But it became a winter anthem here.
“Party Rock Anthem” takes me back to middle school! EVERYONE tried to learn how to do that shuffle lol!
Were you practising your shuffle every day?
Ok, maybe not everyone. But most of the kids in my school wanted to learn the shuffle lol.
I’m always wary of any song that has the word “party” in it. Not my thing but hey they looked like they were having fun and that is all that counts.
Party in a can!
I’m always wary of any song that has the word “party” in it. It’s not my thing but hey…they look like they were having fun…it’s always room for songs like this.
A perfect song to dance to.