dcdeb Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 By Sarah Rowland Before heading into the studio to record his sophomore album, Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. (aka Mika), listened to a lot of follow-up efforts by various musical acts. The hope was to figure out how to approach his second record after receiving so much international attention for his 2007 debut, Life in Cartoon Motion. As Britain’s rising pop star recalls, he wasn’t overly impressed with what he heard, but he did get the answer he was looking for. “I’d be like, ‘Well, these aren’t necessarily bad, but they’re not amazing—they’re just boring,’ ” recalls Mika, calling from the basement of Boston’s Orpheum Theatre. “I was just so confused by that. So often, I felt like the artist was more complex or more guarded or more worried, [like they] had this kind of fear percolating about what they were doing musically. And I was just like, ‘You know what? The pressure’s always going to be there, and I can either be fearful and miserable or I can take the attitude that got me here in the first place and behave like I have nothing to lose.’ ” Which is exactly what he did, and the result is The Boy Who Knew Too Much, an album that is just as flamboyantly pop as Life in Cartoon Motion—something he makes no apologies for. “I’m saying it’s okay to write a pop song,” says the Beirut-born singer. “It’s okay to write a three-and-a-half minute song with a strong hook. It’s okay to cite everyone from Harry Nilsson to ABBA. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t make me any less of a musician.” The best example of Mika’s hyper-pop approach is the new album’s opening track, “We Are Golden”, an instantly catchy sing-along that wouldn’t be out of place in a family-friendly Broadway musical. Then there’s “Rain”. This Euro-disco number is where the budding gay icon (who has stated that he’s bisexual) really shows off his falsetto. He slows it down for “I See You”, a piano-led ballad that few artists could pull off—if only because they couldn’t reach those notes if their lives depended on it. As with the first record, The Boy Who Knew Too Much is a cathartic exploration of Mika’s less-than-ideal teen years. “I was very shy,” he says. “I was considered a loser. I was an outcast. I was dyslexic. I had a funny dress sense.” While the themes are similar, he approaches his painful pubescent past differently this time round. “I was running away from my adolescence with the first album, and with the second album I confront it, and in some sense rewrite it into the adolescence I wanted,” he explains. As for the wicked little ****s who bullied him in school, and all the people who continue to wrong him today, Mika has found the perfect way to exact his revenge. “I write about people who I don’t like sometimes, but I put it in a pop song because I know that they’ll sing along to songs that are about them,” he says. “It’s this empowerment thing. I write songs about people I like too. I’m not just some sort of passive-aggressive stalker—although 80 percent of the time I am.” Mika plays the Commodore Ballroom on Tuesday (October 27). http://www.straight.com/article-265172/mika-exorcises-his-demons-pure-pop-pleasure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika4Life13 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 WOOO T4P ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikalollipop_karla Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 awwww thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Sky Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 He is just as much a stalker as we are:aah: and FYI I am NOT a stalker. I am the FBeye Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura* Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 As for the wicked little ****s who bullied him in school, and all the people who continue to wrong him today, Mika has found the perfect way to exact his revenge. “I write about people who I don’t like sometimes, but I put it in a pop song because I know that they’ll sing along to songs that are about them,” he says. And after this, I officially love him! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lollipop Love Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 As for the wicked little ****s who bullied him in school, and all the people who continue to wrong him today, Mika has found the perfect way to exact his revenge. “I write about people who I don’t like sometimes, but I put it in a pop song because I know that they’ll sing along to songs that are about them,” he says. And after this, I officially love him! you just officially loves him now? you're late laurita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywonka Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 T4P. Deb! But why do i keep reading the title as Mika exercises his pleasure with pure pop demons ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdeb Posted October 22, 2009 Author Share Posted October 22, 2009 T4P. Deb! But why do i keep reading the title as Mika exercises his pleasure with pure pop demons ???? Why? Because you belong in the Naughty Corner, Missy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mika4Life13 Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 T4P. Deb! But why do i keep reading the title as Mika exercises his pleasure with pure pop demons ???? ... :lmfao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura* Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 you just officially loves him now? you're late laurita *coughs* I had doubts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lollipop Love Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 *coughs* I had doubts. you can't doubt Mika, you can only put the blame on Mika :mf_rosetinted: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willywonka Posted October 22, 2009 Share Posted October 22, 2009 Why? Because you belong in the Naughty Corner, Missy! I'm already there, Deb, courtesy of my dear friend Guy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkly1 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 By Sarah Rowland Then there’s “Rain”. This Euro-disco number is where the budding gay icon (who has stated that he’s bisexual) http://www.straight.com/article-265172/mika-exorcises-his-demons-pure-pop-pleasure Really!! I must have missed that then cos I am sure I read that he said IF YOU WANT to you can call me bisexual and that says something different than he STATED it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcdeb Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Really!! I must have missed that then cos I am sure I read that he said IF YOU WANT to you can call me bisexual and that says something different than he STATED it I wondered why it even had to be worked into the article at all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiibet Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 “I write about people who I don’t like sometimes, but I put it in a pop song because I know that they’ll sing along to songs that are about them,” he says. “It’s this empowerment thing. I write songs about people I like too. I’m not just some sort of passive-aggressive stalker—although 80 percent of the time I am.” He can be so wicked. Love it Thanks for posting!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertina Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Really!! I must have missed that then cos I am sure I read that he said IF YOU WANT to you can call me bisexual and that says something different than he STATED it I wondered why it even had to be worked into the article at all... agreed 100000000000000% thanks for posting, i don't need google alert, but mfc alert. when i check my emails all the news are in mfc already:naughty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracekelly85 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 T4P! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marilyn Mastin Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 T4P. Great article and review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mari62 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 " I’m not just some sort of passive-aggressive stalker—although 80 percent of the time I am.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Angel Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 thx for posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxmika-maddo-joxx Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hunnyangel Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 thanks for the post x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louiza Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 t4p deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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