This is Song of the Day with Neena Savage where I, Neena Savage, share my song of the day.
A little background on me; I like all types of music (even country sometimes!) I’m willing to give anything a try. One of my favourite things to do is surf through Spotify, exploring every nook and cranny of the streaming service for new music to add to one of my 117 Spotify playlists.
I take the time out of my day to dig through Spotify, so you don’t have to.
Today’s song is L.E.S. Artistes by Santigold.
Released in March of 2008, “L.E.S. Artistes” is the second single by American artist Santigold.
L.E.S. Artistes was a massive hit, Rolling Stone placed it at #2 on Singles of the Year, Pitchfork Media ranked it #4 at The 100 Best Tracks of 2008, and the song sits in the book 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die.
Also notably featured on the soundtrack for the video game NHL 08 and Band Hero, as well as episodes of 90210, The Hills and even in the Zac Efron classic 17 again.
The title stands for New York’s trendy Lower East Side. “It’s not a French thing,” Santi explained in an interview where she went onto explain that the song
“is playing on the fact that everyone tries to make things fancy and it’s really pretentious” and “about being accosted by the New York scene and the scenesters and hipsters, who are really not artists and are just pretending to be. They’re all about just being seen.”
What she’s talking (or singing) about is still strikingly relevant, 14 years later in 2022. There’s been a huge upsurge of young “influencers” moving to NYC, and living a glamourized lifestyle of internet fame, NYU fashion and espresso martinis. Basically, LA is no longer considered trendy for the young artist.
@katebartlett life is good can’t complain ♥️ #fashionstudent #fashionschool #nyc #newyork #dayinmylife #dayinthelife #fashioninstituteoftechnology
This phenomanon is prompting conversations surrounding privilege, gentrification and the “influencer pipeline”
Not only did Santigold’s L.E.S. Artistes lyrics age well, so did the sound. The heavy percussion and overall loud tone and vocals make it the perfect song to blast in your car and belt out alone or with a trusted friend who won’t bully you for trying to match Santigold’s range.
I’ve had this song on repeat since I rediscovered it, and I think you should too.
That was my song of the day for Song of the Day with Neena Savage.
Keep reading and listening for more.