When I think of Scissor Sisters, the first thing that always springs to mind is their performance at the Brit Awards in 2007. Watching a band burst out of giant eggs embellished with glitter wearing only leather lederhosen then cavorting with large, bright pink Emus is not something that someone forgets in a hurry. Therefore I’ve always associated the band with being bright, brash, slightly tacky, and with having a fondness for falsetto vocals so shrill that they could shatter mirrors from miles away. However Shady Love, their first offering since 2010 shows a new side of the band. All of the above elements (well, apart from the falsetto vocals, but even they’re kept to a minimum) are gone. This single is slick, upbeat, catchy, and so totally different from Scissor Sisters other material that it’s slightly unbelievable that it is in fact their song.
However it all makes sense when you add to this the fact that Boys Noize, who was also responsible for Spank Rock’s new sound, produced the song, and that it was written by now infamous up-and-coming rapper Azealia Banks, who features in the song under the guise of Krystal Pepsy. Any fan of Banks will instantly recognise her influence on the track, and that’s what stops me liking this song as much as I could, because whilst playing it, all I could think about was how it sounded like a poor imitation of Banks’ single “212”.
Nevertheless I have to be honest and say, despite being quite scathing of it when it was first released, this song has grown on me with each listen, and I sincerely hope that this song gets it’s fair share of plays in the clubs this year – if only so that more people can enjoy the novelty of hearing Jake Shears rapping. Against my better judgement, I’m looking forward to seeing where Scissor Sisters go from this song… so long as it doesn’t involve any falsetto.
By Grace Barber-Plentie
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