Big Boi and Dre took the world by storm with the retro feeling Hey Ya, lead single from Speakerboxx / The Love Below. Even Polaroid jumped on the bandwagon handing out cameras at A-list parties. However in true Jekyl and Hyde fashion Outkast have switched the style with follow up Roses.
What Hey Ya was to Bombs Over Baghdad Roses is to Ms Jackson. Four songs, one group but two very different vibes. Roses is angst fuelled: you've got to wonder what Caroline did to be "the reason for the word bitch". Yet the organ/piano based backing to Roses, not to mention the video (brilliantly featuring Money Mike from Friday After Next) blunts any knife-edge the song is trying to deliver.
Roses has all the hallmarks of a smash hit, despite the fact that there's no real substance to it. It is just a catchy hook, and yes it actually says "roses really smell like poo-poo". Which indicates that the key demographic for single sales really is giggling tweenies. They might buy this in bucket loads but I doubt Interflora will be linking themselves to this particular ditty.
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