Attitudes in Acknowledgement

One of the most fascinating features of human behaviour is how completely different two people can react when facing exactly the same situation.

As the title suggests, French alternative singer Soko is stirred up by rather violent thoughts when he doesn’t call because of an other her. Despite her destructive keyline, her picturesque narration of everything that “would have been” explores the entire depth and breadth of her dilemma. Her most poignant observation is “I would have met your friends[…]/they would have liked me/cause – sometimes I’m funny.”

Soko – I’ll kill her (2007):

Mainstream golden boy R&B singer Lemar on the other hand has a way more funky approach to a similar situation, where she’s not interested because of an other him. Unlike the title suggests, however, he is well aware of the fact that the amount of justice in the world is a somewhat fluctuating concept. Perhaps this recognition allows him to maintain his happy-go-lucky attitude:

Lemar – If there’s any justice in the world (2004):

Even when evaluating one and the same situation in retrospect, it is astonishing how wide apart the views of different individuals can be.

Lauryn Hill (along with Mary J. Blige) considers her involvement with him to have been a mistake, and elaborates upon the extent of her detachment from him in her song. The only link carried over from the past for her is “I see him sometimes and the look in his eye is one of a man who’s lost treasures untold”:

Lauryn Hill featuring Mary J. Blige – I Used to Love Him (1998):

Madeleine Peyroux does not even touch the topic of having made a mistake because of having being involved with him. She mereley alludes briefly to “bad luck”. Her nostalgic-melancholic her makes her acknowledge: “When I think of your kisses, I’m still gonna smile – I’m still gonna miss you, once in a while.”

Madeleine Peyroux – Once in a While (2006):

Don’t feel too melancholic this week!

Eric