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Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Kristinia DeBarge – Goodbye

Yup, as in the 80s act DeBarge. That’s as interesting as she gets, unfortunately…



[Video][Myspace]
[3.67]

Michaelangelo Matos: Interpolates Steam (I wouldn’t be surprised if “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” was the most referenced pop song of the last 50 years) over an “S.O.S.” ripoff so blatant you almost want to bow. Almost.
[3]

Martin Kavka: This sounds so much like Rihanna’s “SOS” that it makes me seriously question my love for her. But two points in my defense: (1) Rihanna has fabulous hair; (2) the production on Rihanna tracks is interesting, while the production on this sounds like it was done by a 16-year-old who just started playing with ProTools.
[1]

Ian Mathers: Well, at least it does better by the interpolated song than Ironik and Chipmunk did.
[5]

Hillary Brown: Kristinia seems to have a supple voice, but she hasn’t been given anything to use it on. This is kind of blah when it means to be pumping, flat when it should be perky.
[4]

Alex Macpherson: Third-tier singer who could maybe just about pull off a first-rate song ends up with third-tier song which would need a really stellar performer to make it passable; all concerned end up way up in the cheap seats, far far away from the action.
[3]

Rodney J. Greene: I would think that part of having “single girl swag” would be the ability to sing that phrase convincingly.
[2]

Doug Robertson: Britney has a lot to answer for.
[5]

John M. Cunningham: At least the White Sox PA booth can add this to their repertoire on days that Nancy Faust calls in sick.
[3]

Alex Ostroff: Point for Ciara-like use of the word swag. Point for self-conscious acknowledgement of the sample (“Me with my girls and we’re singing it”). Point for haircut as means of purging boy. Point for being vaguely enjoyable, albeit forgettable. But really…another vaguely syncopated blatant remake of a far more famous song? Where’s the joy in not noticing a sample until the third or fourth or tenth listen?
[4]

Additional Scores

Edward Okulicz: [2]
Jessica Popper: [8]
Martin Skidmore: [4]

4 Responses to “Kristinia DeBarge – Goodbye”

  1. Rodney, on May 7th, 2009 at 2:37 am Said:

    Somehow I missed her surname.

  2. Martin Kavka, on May 7th, 2009 at 12:33 pm Said:

    This rockets up from #75 to #42 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100. Sigh.

  3. Rodney, on May 7th, 2009 at 3:39 pm Said:

    Oh no.

  4. John, on May 8th, 2009 at 10:43 pm Said:

    @Rodney: Ha, my unedited blurb included the line “I don’t care if your last name’s Levert.”

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