(The official album cover, photographed by Annie Leibovitz)
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What if we take a step back? The year is 1984 and two women, Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, are ruling the Billboard charts with their respective debut eras. They both showcase a Street/Post-Punk look, they both have a high-pitched singing voice and their songs are just as famous as their outfits.
The press immediately tries to create a rivalry between them, critics praise Lauper and dismiss Madonna, the public appreciates both.
Who is better? Who will stand the test of time? Who will fade into oblivion?
Back to present day.
Thirty-six years later, both women are respected legends and highly busy philanthropists who still release albums, sell out concert tours and win awards.
This review marks the start of a series dedicated to Madonna's peers and what better way to start it than to review the iconic She's So Unusual by Cyndi Lauper, Madonna's first big rival?
Let's go!
(Photo by Annie Leibovitz)
A pop-rock album enriched by dance, synthpop and soft-rock elements, She's So Unusual was released on October 14, 1983 and soon became an enormous critical and commercial success. Six singles were released from the album, four of which have since become some of Lauper's biggest classics.
Just like The First Album and Like a Virgin by our Madonna, She's So Unusual has a distinctive and appealing aesthetic, impeccably promoted by Lauper in her music videos and public appearences.
The album cover itself instantly makes people aware of Lauper's "persona": she's depicted wearing a vintage red dress and various jewelry, her hair is red and intentionally wildly styled and cut. She's barefoot (her shoes are in front of her, on the ground, next to an open umbrella) and she's photographed in the act of dancing on Henderson Walk in Coney Island, New York, right in front of the World In Wax Musee. Her punk-rock roots, her bizarre and non-conforming appearence are well showcased.
The album cover ended up winning a Grammy Award in 1985 for Best Album Package while Lauper won the award for Best New Artist.
The girl who just wanted to have fun sure made a big splash!
Money Changes Everything: The album starts with this great pop-rock track. Originally recorded in 1978 by the American rock band The Brains, it is the first of the five covers that appear on the album. Lyrically, it deals with money and how it negatively affects romantic relationships: "We swore each other everlasting love / I said well yeah I know but when we did / there was one thing we weren't thinking of / and that's money / money changes everything". Lauper's vocal performance on the track is superb as it perfectly conveys the melancholia caused by the end of a relationship. Money is an undefeatable force that has compromised the singer forever and she doesn't have the strength nor the will to fight it. In my opinion though, the lyrics should not be taken literally. I interpret them, indeed, as a complaint against capitalism.
The song was released as the fifth single from the album and it peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun: The second track on the album is the lead single, inarguably Lauper's biggest hit. Originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard in 1979, Lauper found the lyrics to be misogynistic so she partly re-wrote them and turned the song into the feminist anthem we all know: "Some boys take a beautiful girl / And hide her away from the rest of the world / I want to be the one to walk in the sun / Oh girls, they wanna have fun".
A dance/synthpop number, Girls Just Want To Have Fun is one of the most famous and timeless songs in pop music history and introduced Cyndi Lauper to the world. The impeccable production is accompanied by Lauper's signature falsetto and high notes. A song like this is what I feel is missing in today's pop music. I wish artists would bring back joy and lighthearted fun in pop songs.
The track peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide hit between 1983 and 1984. It also received two Grammy Award nominations in 1985 for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
When You Were Mine: Originally written, produced and recorded by Prince in 1980, When You Were Mine was released as the sixth and last single from the album. Lauper did not re-write the lyrics, keeping the male perspective: "I know that you're goin' with another guy / I don't care 'cause I love you baby that's no lie / I love you more than I did when you were mine". The lyrics talk about a man who's in love with a cheater who left him. He loves the woman even more now that she isn't with him.
Musically the song is over a minute longer than Prince's version and its new wave/synthpop nature is far more prominent compared to the original. Lauper's voice is the star of the song, easily her best vocal performance on the album and one of the best of her career.
As a big Prince fan, I think Cyndi Lauper did a great job on the track. It is probably the only Prince cover I truly love, along with Mariah Carey's version of The Beautiful Ones.
Time After Time: The album proceeds with Time After Time, a track Lauper co-wrote with Rob Hyman. It's an emotional soft-rock ballad that deals with trust and devotion: "If you're lost you can look and you will find me / Time after time / if you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting / Time after time". Lauper also expresses her frustration with her inability to keep up with her lover, who also can't keep up with her: "Sometimes you picture me / I'm walking too far ahead / you're calling to me, I can't hear what you've said / then you say, go slow, I fall behind / the second hand unwinds". Their relationship is made of ups and downs but they'll always be there for each other.
Time After Time was released as the second single from the album and became a worldwide hit, also peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (Lauper's first single to do that).
She Bop: The fifth track on the album, She Bop was released as the third official single. A pop-rock song, it caused controversy at the time of its release, as its lyrics dealt with female masturbation: "Hey hey, they say I better get a chaperon / because I can't stop messin' with the danger zone / hey I won't worry and I won't fret / ain't no law against it yet, oh she bop".
A verse in particular, placed after the first chorus, caused even more outcry, as Lauper is allegedly addressing God, hoping he will forgive people who masturbate: "She bop, he bop, we bop / I bop, you bop and they both / be bop, be bop a lu bop / I hope He will understand ". The rumors started as people noticed the "He", written with a capital "h".
She Bop became another big hit for Lauper, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It's one of my favorite songs of the 80's.
Trivia: In 2013, Lauper revealed that she recorded the song topless in a dark room, while tickling herself.
All Through The Night: Originally written and recorded by Jules Shear, All Through The Night was released as the fourth single from the album. Lauper turned the original folk-rock track into a sweet synthpop ballad. Lyrically, the song deals with falling in love, the joy of finding a significant other and always being there for each other. It's a less melancholic and more hopeful track compared to Time After Time: "All through the night / I'll be awake and I'll be with you / all through the night / this precious time when time is new / oh, all through the night today / knowing that we feel the same without saying".
The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lauper's fourth consecutive top five single in the USA.
Witness: Written by Lauper and John Turi, Witness is a catchy pop song with ska elements. Lyrically it deals with wanting to end a relationship before becoming the witness to its downfall: "Jailbird chained to walk / you used to talk, talk, talk / but the melody none at my love / and I don't want to be / I don't want to be / I don't want to be a witness". Witness is one of the songs Lauper wrote in the 70's with her former band Blue Angel. It can feel underwhelming at first, after the amazing first six tracks but it gets better with each listen. The beat dropping after the second chorus with Lauper laying some vocal harmonizations over it makes it even more enjoyable.
I'll Kiss You: Cyndi Lauper is known for her sense of humor and curious eccentricity (like our Diva after all) so obviously her musical output reflects that. I'll Kiss You is a pop track with highly prominent drums that make it easily danceable. However, the lyrics make the song this time: Lauper sings about a love potion she bought from a gipsy. She'll use the potion once she is with her boyfriend so she can finally kiss him, even though it'll be their first date and her mother told her not to kiss a boy so soon into a relationship.
Not even a character of the Ranma 1/2 universe could come up with something similar. I absolutely love this song and I think it would have been an amazing single. Unfortunately, it was released as a promo single only.
He's so Unusual: Originally written in the late 20's by Al Sherman, Al Lewis and Abner Silver and recorded by Helen Kane (the inspiration for the Betty Boop character), He's so Unusual is the fifth and last cover on the album. There's an old record scratch effect throughout the song and Lauper sings accompanied by a distorted piano. The lyrics describe homosexuality in the 1920's from the point of view of a woman who's attracted to a man who doesn't want to make love with her: "When I want some lovin' / and I gotta have some lovin' / he says please stop it please / he's so unusual....".
Yeah Yeah: The album has come to an end. Yeah Yeah is a funny and crazy song on which Lauper literally screams her love to a boy. The lyrics are intentionally childish and very straightforward, allowing the fast rhythm of the song to take over and shine. This song is another example of Lauper's sense of humor and I love when artists have fun with their music: "Now the mountain is high / the river is deep / we always knew / we hold the key / Roses red / Violets blue / love you baby / till I'm dead".
In conclusion...
I think She's so Unusual is one of the strongest debut albums in pop music history. It introduced an important side of Lauper's personality to the world; her crazy, eccentric, punk, rebellious and unusual side.
While her songwriting and composing abilities are perhaps better showcased on other albums (her label didn't give her much freedom at the beginning of her career), I still find this album incredibly "personal" as Lauper genuinely feels emotionally attached to each and every song.
What I love about this record is the way the album cover comes to life in my mind while the songs are playing. I can picture that barefoot, red-haired, dancing girl living the songs.
Truly one of the best sound-imagery matchups ever.
"Let your body move to the music".
(Photo by Annie Leibovitz)
Money Changes Everything: The album starts with this great pop-rock track. Originally recorded in 1978 by the American rock band The Brains, it is the first of the five covers that appear on the album. Lyrically, it deals with money and how it negatively affects romantic relationships: "We swore each other everlasting love / I said well yeah I know but when we did / there was one thing we weren't thinking of / and that's money / money changes everything". Lauper's vocal performance on the track is superb as it perfectly conveys the melancholia caused by the end of a relationship. Money is an undefeatable force that has compromised the singer forever and she doesn't have the strength nor the will to fight it. In my opinion though, the lyrics should not be taken literally. I interpret them, indeed, as a complaint against capitalism.
The song was released as the fifth single from the album and it peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun: The second track on the album is the lead single, inarguably Lauper's biggest hit. Originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard in 1979, Lauper found the lyrics to be misogynistic so she partly re-wrote them and turned the song into the feminist anthem we all know: "Some boys take a beautiful girl / And hide her away from the rest of the world / I want to be the one to walk in the sun / Oh girls, they wanna have fun".
A dance/synthpop number, Girls Just Want To Have Fun is one of the most famous and timeless songs in pop music history and introduced Cyndi Lauper to the world. The impeccable production is accompanied by Lauper's signature falsetto and high notes. A song like this is what I feel is missing in today's pop music. I wish artists would bring back joy and lighthearted fun in pop songs.
The track peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide hit between 1983 and 1984. It also received two Grammy Award nominations in 1985 for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
When You Were Mine: Originally written, produced and recorded by Prince in 1980, When You Were Mine was released as the sixth and last single from the album. Lauper did not re-write the lyrics, keeping the male perspective: "I know that you're goin' with another guy / I don't care 'cause I love you baby that's no lie / I love you more than I did when you were mine". The lyrics talk about a man who's in love with a cheater who left him. He loves the woman even more now that she isn't with him.
Musically the song is over a minute longer than Prince's version and its new wave/synthpop nature is far more prominent compared to the original. Lauper's voice is the star of the song, easily her best vocal performance on the album and one of the best of her career.
As a big Prince fan, I think Cyndi Lauper did a great job on the track. It is probably the only Prince cover I truly love, along with Mariah Carey's version of The Beautiful Ones.
Time After Time: The album proceeds with Time After Time, a track Lauper co-wrote with Rob Hyman. It's an emotional soft-rock ballad that deals with trust and devotion: "If you're lost you can look and you will find me / Time after time / if you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting / Time after time". Lauper also expresses her frustration with her inability to keep up with her lover, who also can't keep up with her: "Sometimes you picture me / I'm walking too far ahead / you're calling to me, I can't hear what you've said / then you say, go slow, I fall behind / the second hand unwinds". Their relationship is made of ups and downs but they'll always be there for each other.
Time After Time was released as the second single from the album and became a worldwide hit, also peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 (Lauper's first single to do that).
She Bop: The fifth track on the album, She Bop was released as the third official single. A pop-rock song, it caused controversy at the time of its release, as its lyrics dealt with female masturbation: "Hey hey, they say I better get a chaperon / because I can't stop messin' with the danger zone / hey I won't worry and I won't fret / ain't no law against it yet, oh she bop".
A verse in particular, placed after the first chorus, caused even more outcry, as Lauper is allegedly addressing God, hoping he will forgive people who masturbate: "She bop, he bop, we bop / I bop, you bop and they both / be bop, be bop a lu bop / I hope He will understand ". The rumors started as people noticed the "He", written with a capital "h".
She Bop became another big hit for Lauper, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.
It's one of my favorite songs of the 80's.
Trivia: In 2013, Lauper revealed that she recorded the song topless in a dark room, while tickling herself.
All Through The Night: Originally written and recorded by Jules Shear, All Through The Night was released as the fourth single from the album. Lauper turned the original folk-rock track into a sweet synthpop ballad. Lyrically, the song deals with falling in love, the joy of finding a significant other and always being there for each other. It's a less melancholic and more hopeful track compared to Time After Time: "All through the night / I'll be awake and I'll be with you / all through the night / this precious time when time is new / oh, all through the night today / knowing that we feel the same without saying".
The single peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lauper's fourth consecutive top five single in the USA.
Witness: Written by Lauper and John Turi, Witness is a catchy pop song with ska elements. Lyrically it deals with wanting to end a relationship before becoming the witness to its downfall: "Jailbird chained to walk / you used to talk, talk, talk / but the melody none at my love / and I don't want to be / I don't want to be / I don't want to be a witness". Witness is one of the songs Lauper wrote in the 70's with her former band Blue Angel. It can feel underwhelming at first, after the amazing first six tracks but it gets better with each listen. The beat dropping after the second chorus with Lauper laying some vocal harmonizations over it makes it even more enjoyable.
I'll Kiss You: Cyndi Lauper is known for her sense of humor and curious eccentricity (like our Diva after all) so obviously her musical output reflects that. I'll Kiss You is a pop track with highly prominent drums that make it easily danceable. However, the lyrics make the song this time: Lauper sings about a love potion she bought from a gipsy. She'll use the potion once she is with her boyfriend so she can finally kiss him, even though it'll be their first date and her mother told her not to kiss a boy so soon into a relationship.
Not even a character of the Ranma 1/2 universe could come up with something similar. I absolutely love this song and I think it would have been an amazing single. Unfortunately, it was released as a promo single only.
He's so Unusual: Originally written in the late 20's by Al Sherman, Al Lewis and Abner Silver and recorded by Helen Kane (the inspiration for the Betty Boop character), He's so Unusual is the fifth and last cover on the album. There's an old record scratch effect throughout the song and Lauper sings accompanied by a distorted piano. The lyrics describe homosexuality in the 1920's from the point of view of a woman who's attracted to a man who doesn't want to make love with her: "When I want some lovin' / and I gotta have some lovin' / he says please stop it please / he's so unusual....".
Yeah Yeah: The album has come to an end. Yeah Yeah is a funny and crazy song on which Lauper literally screams her love to a boy. The lyrics are intentionally childish and very straightforward, allowing the fast rhythm of the song to take over and shine. This song is another example of Lauper's sense of humor and I love when artists have fun with their music: "Now the mountain is high / the river is deep / we always knew / we hold the key / Roses red / Violets blue / love you baby / till I'm dead".
(Photo by Annie Leibovitz)
In conclusion...
I think She's so Unusual is one of the strongest debut albums in pop music history. It introduced an important side of Lauper's personality to the world; her crazy, eccentric, punk, rebellious and unusual side.
While her songwriting and composing abilities are perhaps better showcased on other albums (her label didn't give her much freedom at the beginning of her career), I still find this album incredibly "personal" as Lauper genuinely feels emotionally attached to each and every song.
What I love about this record is the way the album cover comes to life in my mind while the songs are playing. I can picture that barefoot, red-haired, dancing girl living the songs.
Truly one of the best sound-imagery matchups ever.
"Let your body move to the music".
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