Lily Allen broke new ground by breaking through on MySpace, and the social-networking site has been a stepping stone for artists ever since. MySpace has welcomed the trend and now feartures a “Top Artists” list. Of course, MySpace fame is usually not in direct proportion to talent — it tends to depend on “hotness” as measured by the most friends or most page views. Here are some current top MySpace artists to check out, and some to avoid.
Tila Tequila, “Fuck Ya Man”
Tequila’s posed for Stuff, Maxim, and Time(!), and she owes it all to her MySpace page, which is crammed with scandalous photos and includes this track. On it, she wonders, “Why do these girls think, like, I wanna fuck their boyfriend?” in a squeaky Valley Girl–style rap, then admits that men visit her page with “lotion in hand.” Cool, but put the music on mute — it’s comically bad.
Ida Maria, “Any Given Day”
Gracing Sweden’s list of top unsigned MySpace acts, and reminding us once again that the Swedes know their music, Ida Maria sounds a bit like fellow countrywoman and Cardigans chanteuse Nina Persson on this beautifully spare folk tune.
Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, “Thou Shalt Always Kill”
Fresh from the UK’s burgeoning spoken-word scene, Scroobius Pip gets biblical with a list of “shalt nots” over DJ Dan Le Sac’s electronic blips. “Thou shalt not make repetitive generic music,” he repeats four times — a nice thought, even if they don’t necessarily achieve it.
One Republic, “Apologize”
The five members of this LA-based band are dashingly pensive in their photos, and seem to be aiming for Fray-style mediocrity on “Apologize,” an emo ballad with plenty of whining and canned piano. They owe us an apology for getting us to listen to it.
