Thursday, December 8, 2011

The Top 100 Songs of 2011 -- #82: "I'm a Goner" -- Matt & Kim, Soulja Boy, Andrew W.K.

2011 was a year of strange collaborations. Lou Reed and Metallica. Alice Cooper and Ke$ha. Jack White and Insane Clown Posse.


One of the strangest was a Converse-created mix-up that included Brooklyn indie-punksters Matt & Kim, party man Andrew W.K. and none other than "Crank That" rapper Soulja Boy. What the actual fuck?

It's always interesting to see how folks approach this. There tends to either be a mentality of "This is such a strange mix, it only could be the greatest thing ever" or "Holy shit, why? Kill it with fire!" Rarely is there a middle ground in the way people anticipate the music. It's either going to be supremely great or horrifyingly bad.

"I'm a Goner," the collaboration's end result, is actually neither of those things. It's not as bad as some might expect, nor is it an amazing collaboration. But it's endearing enough to deserve mention. The song takes the talents from all three acts and combines them together in a relatively seamless manner, making for a song that, although it sounds like it would be disjointed, is anything but.

Understandably, Matt & Kim shine the most here. The backing music is most susceptible to their musical stylings, so they certainly don't sound out of their element. Their chorus of "Believe me / I said I'm a goner" is incredibly catchy as well, one that will be stuck in your head for hours after.



Andrew W.K.'s part is interesting. As he is usually accompanied by crunching guitars, we have the opportunity to hear his voice in a more toned-down environment. It's strange not hearing W.K. go hard in the paint, as it were. He's more subdued, though, but still with an edge to his voice. Must be all that partying.

Surprisingly, Soulja Boy's contribution is not as poorly-conceived as what some might expect. His flow is tight by his standards, and he doesn't really stand out nor take away from the overall experience. This song is my favorite thing he's been a part of.

Again, 2011 has had its share of strange collaborations, but this and Jack White/ICP were at the top for strangest. In the end, "I'm a Goner" emerges victorious in a battle of the two. Then again, after hearing its opponent, it's not much of a shock.

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