an excerpt from brendonholder.substack.com 👇🏿
There is a subset of songs across cultures and demographics that are treated as sermons. That is, they aren’t meant to be solely listened to; they are meant to be soulfully observed. When heard, whether it be at a summer barbeque, your neighbour’s Bar Mitzvah, or your aunt’s second wedding, the world seems to stop as its participants’ eyes scan the room for mutual recognition. Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” comes to mind. The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” is another. “Don’t Stop Believing”, “September” and “Back That Azz Up” all possess the same spellbinding psychosis.
Nicki Minaj delivers “Itty Bitty Piggy” with a braggadocios practice round. A gratuitous warm-up of forty seconds to allow the listener to complete their drink, collect their thoughts and round up their comrades prior to the song rewinding and starting over for real this time:
“You can't give it to 'em dry like that… / You gotta prep them for shit like that” she lectures, offering the listener both grace and a warning within the same breath.