Destination Jam: A tribute to Karen O on her birthday with five of the best songs from Yeah Yeah Yeahs
It's Karen O's birthday today, November 22, and what better way to celebrate than with some solid Yeah Yeah Yeahs music. The leader for the legendary indie rock group turns 42 years old today and we want to honor Karen O on her special day with five memorable Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs. Check out our Destination Jam playlist below.
'Maps'
With a band that consists of one person singing and just two members helming the instruments, it can prove a serious challenge to present music that catches on despite such limitations. But who can forget the timeless 'Maps'? There's a striking beauty to it -- it appears dry or bitter at its surface at first, yet a flood of emotion beckons to run through the cracks.
In the video, tears run down Karen O's cheeks which was apparently not staged. "They were real tears," she said according to Contactmusic.com. "My boyfriend at the time (Angus Andrew) was supposed to come to the shoot – he was three hours late and I was just about to leave for tour. I didn't think he was even going to come and this was the song that was written for him. He eventually showed up and I got myself in a real emotional state." Karen O explained.
'Rich'
Have you ever wondered what Ruby Rose would look like with long hair? Long before blowing up onscreen with 'Orange Is The New Black', and her famous pixie cut, Rose made a defiant statement shedding long blonde locks and showcasing some hardcore tattoos in the video for Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 'Rich'. The song itself also made a strong statement for the press who often used to label Yeah Yeah Yeahs as a garage band.
'Heads Will Roll'
The second single from their third studio album, 'It's Blitz!', 'Heads Will Roll' is sung from the viewpoint of the Queen of Hearts in Lewis Carroll's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'. A widely famous track, this song has been used in numerous settings in popular culture. 'Heads Will Roll' featured in series such as ' Atypical', 'Succession', as a mash-up with Michael Jackson's song 'Thriller' on 'Glee' and more. It's latest usage was in a teaser for the 2020 film 'Birds of Prey'. 'Heads Will Roll' is one of our favorite upbeat tracks by Karen O and the band and we still hope for a Yeah Yeah Yeahs comeback with kickass songs such as this.
'Zero'
Move on to one of our favorites, more melodic Yeah Yeah Yeahs' numbers and here is listed 'Zero'. Also, a feature on 'It's Blitz!', this lead track off the album took a notable turn to the sounds of electropop. Although the sonic change may have been unexpected for longtime fans, 'Zero' still received much love from both fans and critics. The song takes elements of '80s pop and mixes it into indie rock, but the best way to probably put this track is: if Roxette's music had a rebellious younger sister, then 'Zero' would be her.
'Gold Lion'
We wrap up our Destination Jam playlist with one of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' most hard-hitting tracks. Raw, gritty and fierce 'Gold Lion' kicks into a steady power beat with heavily distorted guitar as the track swells with enigmatic lyrics such as "Gold lion's gonna tell me where the light is" and "We'll build a fire in your eyes. We'll build a fire when the cover's getting brighter" and "Tell me what you saw."
Destination Jam is a daily list of songs that will keep you entertained and grooving up top in lieu of feeling drained and losing the plot. Look out for a fresh selection of great tunes from MEAWW to refresh your mood every day!