OutKast's time-bending, genre-hopping masterpiece "Hey Ya!" is one of the best songs of the year—not just 2003, when it began an impressive nine-week run atop the Billboard Hot 100, but any year. André 3000 was operating on another level of genius when he conceived this danceable, retro ode to modern relationships, which jumps from hook ("1, 2, 3, uh!") to hook (an unexpected acoustic guitar line) to hook (the hand claps) so gleefully catchy that it doesn't even matter there's no real chorus. His acrobatic vocal performance adds a splash of irresistible charm, demanding emulation with each repeated listen. And it all culminates perfectly in a cheeky call-and-response section—who doesn't love feeling like part of an awesome song's awesomeness?—featuring the command to "Shake it like a Polaroid picture," quite possibly the greatest moment in modern pop music. A+
Nine years ago this week, "Hey Ya!" was the #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
No comments:
Post a Comment