The fabbed-out British singer Mika never really gained any traction over here, thanks to American rock programmers only being into new rock that’s a) hypermasculine and b) often musically upstaged by the awful names of the bands practicing it. But that hasn’t stopped his unabashedly foppish ’70s revivalism, which at the very least led to him being a favorite among American Idol hopefuls. Mika’s new single “We Are Golden” continues his trip into the past, sounding like a hybrid of the Sweet and—really! (?)—”Born To Run.” The chanting crowds and lyrics about teenage worlds make me wonder what would happen if “Golden” got slipped into an oldies station’s playlist by accident. Would it make people confused? Would they just accept the alternate reality in which Mika existed as a ’70s superstar? Some radio programmer out there really needs to summon his balls and find out. Clip after the jump.
Mika – We Are Golden [YouTube; HT Popjustice]
Maura, surprised you say Mika wouldn’t take due to rock programmers? That’s the last genre I’d class him as. He’s extremely pop, but of that Euro pop variety which has never really caught on in the States.
Maura, are you a Los Bros Hernandez fan?
To me, this sounds like a cross between the New Radicals, Boston, and a radio commercial for a local auto dealer. Not necessarily in a bad way.