The Love Kickstarts Again

'Murica,

I am a little shocked and confused.

Why did you not pick this song up??? This has ridiculous catchiness and poppiness written all over it! Do you not see the 20 million hits on this song!?!?! Sheeeeesh.

My relationship to this song has a funny story to it: It all started in a hotel in London.

After my allergic reaction to authentic British seafood and taking benadryl to stop my body from shaking, I was really tired. So I went back to the hotel and was super bummed out that I was missing out on all the sights because my body was all sedated. So I decided I would have the London experience, even in my hotel.

So I turned on the TV. What a cultural experience. I loved it. London television was enthralled with Glee, for one, and it's a season behind. Commercials were a little quirkier and eccentric. And then, there was London's MTV equivalent. No Jersey Shore, no pregnant teenagers, just music videos.

And then Example's "Kickstart" came on. And in my mentally-delusional state it was the happiest little piece of London pop culture, and I loved it. I love Euro-pop. And I loved the thick British accent the singer has in the song. And a loved the offbeat London style all the dancers were wearing. I loved the clever footage.

Gah, I want to go back. Never mind the ridiculous high tax brackets in England. Never mind the lower quality of living. Never mind that it's rainy and damp 98 percent of the year. Never mind the angry Middle-eastern bus drivers that don't allow you to host sick dance parties. Never mind the risk of having shellfish slipped into my food on a regular basis.

I want to go back and live there longer than five days. I feel so European sometimes: I never eat in my car, I dress off-beat, I love traveling on foot and subway, I want to go see five-star plays every weekend, my nose looks like every other Londoner's, I love the sea and I love green, and I love their pop culture.

I just get so tired of American culture sometimes. Can we be a little more creative and appreciative of catchy European pop songs? Can we get rid of those three "mainstream" music businesses that decided that only the same 12 songs will be played all the time (Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, P!nk - cringe!) on every radio?


Sigh. It has returned, 'Murica, wanderlust.  You know I love you, but my half-British blood is flowing through my veins and is calling me to go on another wild and crazy adventure.