Billie Eilish is just one of the latest singers to earn a bullseye on her back for singing about things other than, “I’m in love”, “My heart is broken”, or “How much is that doggy in the window?”. Others include Cyndi Lauper, Katy Perry, Madonna, etc., etc., etc. Well, the music industry has always had female singers that earned haters because their message either drew attention to an injustice, lauded a behavioral pattern that “common good folk” consider disdainful, or just rocked the boat by shining a light on the taboo.īack in the mid 90s, there was a wave of female singers that were creating a stir for one reason or another, such as: Alanis Morissette: “Jagged Little Pill” (Album, 1995) / Fiona Apple: “Criminal” (Song, 1996) / Tracy Bonham: “Mother Mother” (Song, 1996) / Helen Reddy: “I Am Woman” (Song, 1996).
On the plus side, the song is definitely a step up from March’s memeM! Hooks Hopefully, Nerdy’s sound and message will connect with them. I recognize I may be standing alone on this hill, as the group has already attracted a dedicated fan base. Needless to say, the approach isn’t for me. It’s all tied together by an Eilish-esque commitment to sardonic quirkiness. The rest of the track is quite fitful, moving from breakdown to catchphrase to rhythmic shift without settling on any element for long. To me, Nerdy’s chorus is more obnoxious than exciting.
I’m all for a haunted house bop! Unfortunately, we have heaps of ‘ na na na nee na,’ ‘ do do do do’ songwriting to deal with on our way through this attraction. But detached from the K-popisms of Nerdy’s melody, the production finally gains clarity during this bridge. This audio element underlines most of the track, giving it a funhouse/horror motif that has a ton of potential.
There’s a moment late in Nerdy when the vocals drop out and the beat is met with a cool violin sample.
I appreciate its groove, but the final product leaves something to be desired. More than anything, new single Nerdy feels like the natural successor to last year’s Zombie – still the group’s high water mark, in my opinion. But even when they’ve embraced pop fluff, it’s been filtered through a warped prism. Since their debut, Purple Kiss have shifted between lighter and darker concepts.