Willow - 'Whip My Hair'
Fame - like sugar, saturated fat and films containing sex, violence, and swearing - is not good for young people. It's bad when you're the famous person, it's bad when the famous person is a member of your family. It's just bad.
You grow up unsure of people and their motives, you grow up surrounded by people who perhaps do not have your best interests at heart, and you grow up knowing that there is a ticking clock about your head, and when the alarm goes off - it could be now, it could be thirty years from now - that's it, you've just got to grab what you can and run off to obscurity.
This isn't just my opinion either, even the film Alvin & the Chipmunks has the same basic message: don't grow up too fast, don't get everything you want, whenever you want it, and don't trust people who have a financial stake in keeping you working.
At least Willow Smith is not alone. She has a famous dad, and a famous mum and famous brothers. If anyone can get through this with her head on the right way around, it's her.
(. It's messy)
And let's be clear, she is famous. The internet meltdown around this Rihanna-meets-Eve wallshaker has been nothing short of rabid. There have even been parodies on TV - notably one in which US chat show host Jimmy Fallon sang the song as if he was Neil Young, with the actual Bruce Springsteen joining in halfway through. That's a sign that your song is well known, when chat shows can reference it without having to explain what they're on about.
Luckily, all of the attention is justified. Even if it wasn't such an addictive rush of a song, Willow has an uncommonly deep and expressive voice, given her tender years, and she's nowhere near as bratty and annoying as, er, other young stars can be sometimes. And even though the song would still suit an older voice, there's something about the innocence of youth which just makes it more fun.
Yes, if you listened to nothing but 'Whip My Hair' for a week, you would be sick, but that doesn't make it bad for you in small doses.
Fame, on the other hand...well let's just see how this one pans out, shall we?
Download: Out now
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(Fraser McAlpine)
"Going to become a beloved track of the year at the schoolyards and a guilty pleasure for teens and even the older crowd"
"I guarantee this is the best thing you will watch today. "
"It's a bit Rihanna, Lil' Mama, and Ester Dean rolled into one."
Comment number 1.
At 29th Nov 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:WE WANT AN ELLIE GOULDING REVIEW NOW THAT SONG HAS BEEN OUT FOR TWO WEEKS AND IS NUMBER ONE ON iTUNES AND OMG JUST REVIEW IT SO MY LIFE FEELS COMPLETE.
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Comment number 2.
At 29th Nov 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:I'm also still waiting on 'Cooler than me' and 'Magic'
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Comment number 3.
At 29th Nov 2010, OddOne wrote:Will 'Cooler Than Me' EVER get removed from the Radi 1 playlist?
FAVOURITISM.
Whilst you wait, Bendter, here's my review of dear Ellie Goulding's 'Your Song':
And on this song, well it's crap isn't it? Hence why no-one has bothered to mention it till the third comment.
1 star. Now go back to school. I don't feel comfortable listening to you talk about your swagger.
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Comment number 4.
At 29th Nov 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:I saw your review, and I agree 100% with it. I saw it after typing in 'Your song' on google and it was the first result :)
'Cooler than me' is about #17 on iTunes I think. HOW ON EARTH IS IT STILL PLAYLISTED? Should get removed on Wednesday though.
And as for 'Whip my Hair', Willow, you are NINE.
If they wanted her to have a career in music, they should have waited a bit. This song is LISTENABLE but it's full of autotune.
It's like the Solo version of 'Club is Alive' to me. I know Willow is capable of a lot more. If only they waited till she was at least sixteen she could have had a decent career, but she is now going to turn into the female Justin Bieber (sorry Charice, that is not you)
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Comment number 5.
At 30th Nov 2010, ShamanofSexy wrote:@1 OddOne has given his review. Meanwhile, here is mine:
I also have to agree that Charice is NOT the female Justin Bieber. I honestly think she is a bit overrated.
I like 'Whip My Hair' but the coolness of it gets doused after several plays.
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Comment number 6.
At 30th Nov 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:Am I the only whose scared by how confident she appears for a 10 year old?
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Comment number 7.
At 30th Nov 2010, OddOne wrote:I feel like a paedophile when I'm listening to this song. Seriously. The fact she is NINE YEARS OLD yet she's talking about how she has swagger the size of a planet, and then goes bleating on about how she "does it likew no other", I get a very unusual sensation and feel the urge to turn it off, not necessarily because it's awful (but still...), but because of common decency!
Mods... BACK OFF. This is perfectly sensitive response. :)
luff yhoo weally...
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Comment number 8.
At 30th Nov 2010, kutox wrote:^ Don't you mean 'sensible'?
Anyway, I agree, it's an AWFUL song, I can't stand it!
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Comment number 9.
At 1st Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:I'm not sure, sensitive in the fact I tried to BE sensitive, but yes, I'm hoping it will be seen as a sensible response as well. :)
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Comment number 10.
At 2nd Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:Awful but possibly the catchiest song of the year.
She whips her bear back and forth.
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Comment number 11.
At 2nd Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:Probably her teddy bear. I presume she still has one? :L
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Comment number 12.
At 2nd Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:Definatly.
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Comment number 13.
At 2nd Dec 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:This song is more redeemable if you look up WHIP YO EXCORCIST up on YouTube! Hilarious!
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Comment number 14.
At 2nd Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:LOL. What an laugh that was! Actual laughing out loud!
See? We're such a good community when we're all here. :D
Maybe if we keep moaning BloggingLiam will rejoin us... :L
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Comment number 15.
At 2nd Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:No. No. No. NOT HE EXORCIST! I HATE REAGAN SHE MAKES ME DIE EVERY TIME I SEE HER FACE.
On the other hand...
there's a picture of her looking as ugly as usual and it says 'you think im pretty without any make up on.' I got a laugh out of that xD
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Comment number 16.
At 2nd Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:Oh I just watched it.
I Died.. With laughter.
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Comment number 17.
At 2nd Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:It's one of those thing you really shouldn't laugh at... but at the end of the day.. who cares!?
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Comment number 18.
At 2nd Dec 2010, Whimsee wrote:Kids are growing up too fast these days! The video gives me whiplash just watching it.
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Comment number 19.
At 3rd Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:Hehehe @18 you HAVE to whip. Its the law ;)
And omg i know its EVIL but the lyrics totally go with her 'actions' as it were... Especially the 'I'm just trying to have fun' and 'I'll Be fine' when you know she DEFINITELY WONT be fine! *180 degrees suckaz*
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Comment number 20.
At 4th Dec 2010, GC wrote:@stocksy She is saying "I whip my hair back and forth" not "bear" :). Still, here's an illustration of the latter:
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Comment number 21.
At 5th Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:@20 I KNOW shes saying hair haha! Its even in the name, I'm not THAt stupid ;)
I was merely referencing her age and how she plays with her teddy!
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Comment number 22.
At 5th Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:When I was ten I would play with my sister's Barbies.
o.0
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Comment number 23.
At 5th Dec 2010, kutox wrote:Oh no, this is scarily high on iTunes, it's going to be no.1 next week isn't it :( Haven't the charts been bad enough this year?
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Comment number 24.
At 5th Dec 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:@ 22, Ummmmm that's good to know I guess?
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Comment number 25.
At 5th Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:kutox! Bendter! Randy! It's a travesty!!!
It's #1 on iTunes!
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Comment number 26.
At 6th Dec 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:What's even worse is what song is below it! DIRTY BIT!
No number one for Ellie now. 'Your song' is the new 'Love the way you lie' : it's been dominating the downloads but misses out every week on the real chart number one.
Ellie has been number one on the big top 40 for 3 weeks LOLWHAT?
Whip my Hair was always gonna do well.
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Comment number 27.
At 7th Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:Worst Top 3 of the year?
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Comment number 28.
At 7th Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:Dirty Bit
Ridin' Solo
Like a G6
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Comment number 29.
At 7th Dec 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:Your song definitely makes up for it.
Whip my hair is amazing compared to some other number ones this year (Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh, Oh My Gosh)
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Comment number 30.
At 7th Dec 2010, OddOne wrote:Well, this week looks set to be quite a bad Top 5, considering there'll only be on e good song and the rest will be absolutely awful.
I'm reckoning Willow of BEP will have #1, with whichever of that pair who's not at #1 taking the #2 spot, Ellie in third, 'Like A G6' in 4th and 'Poison' at fifth.
Ew. 'Like A G6' is an abomination.
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Comment number 31.
At 8th Dec 2010, kutox wrote:Heheh, Like A G6 is one of my guilty pleasure (hate that term, but still) songs right now. I've been humming that riff for weeks. I also listened to the previews of Far East Movement's album the other day and liked what I heard! Although often when that happens, I end up not liking the whole album.
As far as the no.1 spot is concerned this week, it's lose-lose - either Whip My Hair or The Time (Dirty Bit). At least whichever one wins will only be there for 1 week. Still depressing for our singles chart though.
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Comment number 32.
At 9th Dec 2010, stocksy wrote:The girl who sings the chorus in 'Like a G6' sounds really hot. Like Uffie.
But the rapping is Poor! 1*
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