APTitude

Some years it doesn’t happen to me at all. But, in quite a lot of years, some particular pop song will accost my senses and turn me into its fool for a period of weeks.

I am in one such period right now.

It’s not like I listen to a lot of pop music. I really don’t. If you want me, you’ll usually find me on the classical music radio channels with maybe a little talk radio thrown in. I really don’t hear a lot of pop. Except when my radio alarm goes off in the morning. The radio alarm is tuned to a pop channel, perhaps to try to give a peppy start to the day (how’s that going, Ken?). In the five or so minutes between the alarm going off and me falling out of the bed, there is usually a pop song or two intruding on my drowsiness and half-sleep.

I think that’s probably where I first heard ROSÉ and Bruno Mars's song APT. In the middle of a lingering doze. Is that why it’s become stuck so firmly in my head? Partially, I think, but only partially. Mostly I think it’s because it’s a complete banger and catchy as hell.

It takes me a while to fall for a song. I’m anything but what you might call ‘easy’. I think my first impression of this one was of it being a rather discordant affair with some person repeatedly declaiming ‘I put up with it, I put up with it’. A fleeting query about what in the hell I was listening to, and then back to another deep 30 second sleep.

First time of hearing – Odd. Second time of hearing – Hmmm… Third time - Sold, Just Completely Sold.

At the moment, in the height of my infatuation with the song, I think it’s one of those great pop songs that come along now and again. In a league with things like ‘Twist and Shout’ or Malcolm Mclaren’s ‘Double Dutch’, and that’s high praise indeed.

Go and have a listen to it, on YouTube or something. You may detect a little of ‘Oh Mickey, You’re So Fine’ by Toni Basil and you would not be wrong. The song is apparently based on a Korean drinking game where the word (ap-a-teu) is repeated over and over. (Tautology alert but never mind). Here’s a link to help you find it. Link  It may take a couple of listens, but I reckon you’ll be lost then, just like I am.

Or maybe not.

These little temporary musical obsessions, that I get, tend to pass fairly quickly so, by the time you get there, I may well be already on to something else. Plus, I am, as ever, late to this particular party. I think this single came out back in October of last year and it has apparently clocked billions of streams and views to date. So, it’s not like I’m showing you anything new.

But music is personal, isn’t it? One of the most personal things there is. A worldwide phenomenon can pass you by completely and then hit you in your own little head at your own little time. Isn’t it great?

So, yes, Rose and Brunos’ APT (pronounced ap-a-teu) will probably leave my head quite soon, I imagine, and I will start to wonder a little what all my fuss was about. But, if history is anything to go by, the song will never entirely go away. It will join ‘I Think I’d Better Leave Right Now’ by Will Young and ‘Price Tag’ by Jessie J, and numerous others, as one of those songs that make me smile whenever I randomly come upon them.

You can think me a lightweight fool for raving on about this pop song. Increasingly, I don’t mind. In fact, you have my blessing. To misquote a particularly wise sailorman, we are what we are, and the more we embrace that the happier we can be.

Meantime, why not meet me at the Ap-a-teu, Ap-a-teu, Ap-a-teu, Ap-a-teu...

Uh huh… uh-huh, uh huh.

1 comment:

Jim Murdoch said...

Okay. Right. So, we've done that. I listened to half the song. I get the Toni Basil connection. Not terribly impressed but I can see how it could bore its way into your brain. Immediately listened to half of The Flying Lizards take on 'Sex,Machine' as a… whatever the aural equivalent of palate cleanser might be. Earwash? I loved their version of 'Money' but, oddly, never listened to anything else by them so I dare you. It's… odd.

Music is, as you've probably realised, a HUGE thing with me. And my tastes are very broad. I can get as excited, genuinely giddy, over a new string quartet by Philip Glass as I can a newly-unearthed track by Pink Floyd… and everything in between. And I LOVE writing music only, old fart that I am, I can't play the stuff I write and have to rely on notation software to… whatever the aural equivalent of visualise might be, auralise? it. Suno is fun but I don't have enough control for my tastes although I am getting better. Just played Carrie my latest effort, a musical theatrical—musically theatrical? something like that—take on Waiting for Godot. Great fun. I'll post it on Facebook when I've tidied it up. Won't be able to stop myself. And I can't get THAT chorus out my head at the moment.

ROSÉ and Bruno Mars? I know the latter by name only. Couldn't tell you a thing about him. I thought he was a DJ. Do they still call them DJs? SJs? Stream jockeys? God, I'm old.