I’m Just In Love With Your Sound!

Scissor Sisters “Paul McCartney” (Live 2007) – “Paul McCartney” is a song that tricks you into believing that you’ve hit the peak of musical excitement, but then hits you a bridge so glorious and ecstatic that it’s almost a disappointment when the song returns to its chorus. As such, you really don’t need much in the way of context to appreciate its charms, but Jake Shears’ story behind the title and the lyrics goes a long way towards putting the piece over the top in my estimation:

I have really vivid dreams. I had one about Paul McCartney. We were in a room by ourselves, having a conversation about songwriting. He told me some amazing things. Then, right before I woke up, he said – and it sounds a little cheesy if you just say it out of context – ‘It’s the music that connects me to you’. I felt like I’d had a visitation or something.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is specifically a song about music, but the emotional basis of the lyrics is universal: It’s about feeling lost and frustrated, and stumbling upon a moment of inspiration just when you needed it the most. The song had to feel exciting — it just wouldn’t make sense unless it came close to approximating the joy of awakening from doubt and malaise, and embracing a new confidence. It’s all the more beautiful when you realize that the most euphoric moment of the song is an expression of profound gratitude and humility. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)

Beyoncé “Suga Mama” (Live 2007) – I’m still a little confused as to why “Suga Mama” was never released as a single from B’day — I mean, c’mon, “Deja Vu,” “Upgrade U,” and goddamn “Beautiful Liar” may have featured high profile guest stars, but that fact alone doesn’t make them catchier or more instantly lovable than this upbeat soul number that Beyoncé wrote with Rich Harrison, aka the dude who did “Crazy In Love.” Unsurprisingly, the song’s tight grooves and super-kinetic beats shine in concert, and the song’s over-the-top energy allows her to play up the boldest, most emphatic aspects of her vocal style. When she sings like this, she sounds impossibly self-assured, as though she could make anything happen through sheer force of will. It’s pretty exciting. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)