Whoa. Meta-Timbaland. I feel like there's a great post to be made about this, but damn if I know what it is. It's interesting, though, the reductive, almost American Idol-ish version of the producer-hooking-up process the song's narrative portrays, with the singer hearing a Tim track, liking it, going to LA, asking Tim for a track, going into the studio where the whole group is gathered doing their various things, and getting it. Right, cause that's how it happens. It's an interesting, and maybe really effective, twist on the wish-fulfillment songs of pop acts past; in a way, it's not that different from a Backstreet Boys song about how the widely-lusted-after idols could just spy you and then you could spend the rest of your lives together. Oh sure, Tim seems highly sought-after and in-demand and, um, expensive to hire, but if you just ask, you can hang with Bubba and get a Tim track of your very own. It's willfully ignorant of biz realities but kind of charming for just that very reason. I can't quite tell how much it's winking, and I like that. I also like the way Tim processes his voice at the beginning of the song.

Oddly enough, I'm listening to this back-to-back with Pulp's "The Professional," which is actually a meta-Pulp song, so it all works out pretty well. They're both good tracks, too.

ADDENDUM: The part from 1:50-2:02 where Timbaland does vocal imitations of his own past beats is kinda mind-blowing.

posted by Mike B. at 6:11 PM 0 comments