Sure Disney/Pixar’s latest jam Turning Red is a mother/daughter, coming-of-age story. But the story of 13-year old moves-maker and red panda rump-shaker Meilin Lee and her crew is also about being a fan. The best part is that it features 4*Town, the fake boy-band you never let yourself fall for in the past. Like Mei-Mei’s dad, their single “Nobody Like U” will have you sneaking to the basement with your CD Walkman.
The 4*Town tunes are credited to Billy Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell. I have not allowed myself to enjoy their Grammy and (gulp) Oscar-winning creations to date. Perhaps I needed the arm’s length of these five (wait…) flawless dreamboats, or just maybe this is the duo’s best work to date. The whole bloopity thing really works here, with the vocal harmonies rising like steam from Ms. Eilish’s saucy rhymes.
With the days of would-be hit songs reinforced by terrestrial radio and music television quickly fading, Disney finds itself in the enviable position of being able to reinforce hits via its films, which are streamed repeatedly on their own platform. The recent surprise chart-topper “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto is a great example. As a fan of fandom, I’d love to see 4*Town break out similarly.
Now, let’s blast the roof off Toronto’s Skydome with Robaire, Jesse, Tae Young, Aaron T & Aaron Z. Ride or die!
“U Know What’s Up”
“You know it’s us, yeah.” It is 4*Town, bitches! I love the descending bloops in this quintessential set opener. Watch to the end of the credits of the film to catch Mei-Mei’s dad digging it. You want it? I want it!!!
“Nobody Like U”
For the featured single, it doesn’t seem like brother Finneas bothered to compose another song – just tweak the bleeps and figure no one’s paying attention. Well, I am dammit! But like the A&R man said, “I like that. Gimme ten more just like it.”
“1 True Love”
Who doesn’t yearn to be loved and adored, to be your nobody-else’s nobody-else? This song has a creepy stalker obsession and secretly wants to be a Scorpions power ballad. As Abbey asked her parents when they called 4*Town stripper music, “What’s wrong with that?”
