Funny thing about those Metric kids: They seem to consistently release solid CDs but, for some reason, they constantly choose to release my least favorite tracks off said albums as "singles".
The phrase "single" doesn't mean much in this day and age because, let's face it, what artist featured on this blog is ever going to get radio airplay? What a single does mean, however, is a music video for what, presumably, should be a stand out track and getting to see your favorite musicians enact strange scenarios is entertaining, right?
Moreso than being entertaining, however, most music videos offer artists a place to do something really goofy, memorable, or strangely touching in a short span. In fact, we covered both of those categories earlier this week, with Josh Ritter's "The Curse" taking "strangely touching" and Mayer Hawthorne winning over hipster hearts the world over with "One Track Mind". So what does that leave us to cover today? Well, unfortunately, it leaves us with Metric's "Stadium Love".
Don't get me wrong, I love Metric but tracks like "Stadium Love" and previous single "Gold Gun Girls" are the two tracks that have me reaching for the "next track" button whilst listening to Fantasies. I've often said the best thing about Metric is the fact that they juxtapose wry, self deprecating lyrics with dance music and songs like "Gimme Sympathy" or "Twilight Galaxy" are far better examples of that than the subpar "Gold Gun Girls" or "Stadium Love", arguably the weakest two tracks on the band's latest disc. The only thing, perhaps, that could make "Stadium Love" weaker is a weak video and... Oh, look what we have here.
So what does beat scantily clad girls in cages? Well, lots of things. Chipotle, for instance. Kittens. Chunky milk on the rocks. Wait... Scratch that last one. Anyhow, the fact is that Metric's delivered an insufferably cliche music video with "Stadium Love".
Don't get me wrong, it's shot great, and Emily Haines is always pleasant to look at, but if the crew on board seriously thought "Hey! It'd be real groundbreaking if we made Emily wear a super small dress and attempt to seduce the camera while in a cage. And, wait, wait, get this - The ANIMALS are LOOKING AT HER. Like a commentary on society! Oh my gosh, it's so meta or something, you guys!", they're laughably amateur.
Plus, as beautiful as Emily is, seeing her try to look so blatantly sexy takes away a lot of the uniqueness that makes her so attractive in the first place. Many of Haines' songs are about how a sexy, confident woman is the one thing she is not and seeing someone trying to make her into that is, to quote Haines herself, like watching girls in stilettos trying to run.
Let's face it, at the end of the day, isn't this a lot better?
