As Lord Bonkers mentioned, or tried to mention, this track in his foreword to the latest Liberator Songbook, I thought I would investigate a little.
Olivia Rodrigo turns out to have followed the well-worn path from Disney child star to adult performer. Fairly or not, that always raises questions about whether the artist has that intangible quality, "authenticity". Even Steve Marriott worried that his evenings on stage as the Dodger in Oliver! somehow counted against him as an adult.
But Rodrigo co-wrote Brutal when she was 17 and is has said she is more interested in being a songwriter than a pop star.
Her couplet:
I'm so insecure I think
That I'll dies before I drink.
reminds me of America's dread of underage drinking.
That's something we are increasingly importing, and the Guardian appears enthusiastic about the use of biometric scanning to carry out age checks
I once wrote a nostalgic column for the Leicester Mercury about the days when we were more relaxed about the subject. Then teenagers could go into pubs, they drank beer and had to behave themselves: now they drink sprits or white cider in bus shelters.
Anyway, I'm pleased to find Lord Bonkers being sympathetic to a song about teen angst, even if his prescription for it may well be a cold shower and a brisk Focus round.
No comments:
Post a Comment