TS: Akon "Lonely" -vs- "Black Eyed Peas "Hey Mama"

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cuz they play them both constantly on the radio station i listen to in the car. i like them both a bunch and i have never knowingly liked a black eyed peas song. but i gotta give it up to the akon song. i know there is an akon thread, but i wanna know which song is the future of the world.

― scott seward (scott seward), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:37 (twenty years ago)

"Lonely", and I say that as someone who completely adores "Hey Mama".

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:40 (twenty years ago)

If either song is the future of the world, that's slightly worrisome.

"Lonely" is easily the better, but I wouldn't want too many other songs like it out there.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:50 (twenty years ago)

"Lonely" rules. I made a joke on my blog saying I wish the guy was a one-hit wonder named Akorn and since then I've been getting google hits for people looking for Lonely by Akorn.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 28 March 2005 23:50 (twenty years ago)

I've not heard Akon (wait....does it have a sort've chipmunky, sped-up sample ala Kanye?), but I FUCKIN' HATE the Black Eyed Peas, so I'm going with "Lonely".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

I'm kind of bewildered by all the talk about "Lonely" because the R&B station I listen to all the time has never played it. the only time I even heard a little of it was in a snippet on a VH1 countdown.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

I mean "Locked Up" was ubiquitious in these parts but I haven't barely heard either of the followups that I see talked about so much.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 00:51 (twenty years ago)

I like "Locked Up" a bit more than this. Styles P is cool.

Both are a lot better than "Ghetto," bottom ten of the year for me.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 00:55 (twenty years ago)

Lonely is pretty bad (sorry micc). Sounds like a Kanye imitation.
Hey Mama is at least a guilty pleasure.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:06 (twenty years ago)

It is a Kanye imitation! Dude if you're gonna listen to pop you've gotta get used to people swiping shticks and making them more gimmicky and blunt.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:45 (twenty years ago)

Otherwise you're just "oooh STP is a pearl jam rip-off boo"

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:46 (twenty years ago)

calling any track with a sped up sample a Kanye imitation gives credence to the myth that Kanye invented (or even popularized) that sound in mainstream hip hop, so let's not do that plz.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:47 (twenty years ago)

and kanye stole this shit from "Witch Doctor"

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:47 (twenty years ago)

(x-post!)

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:48 (twenty years ago)

whether he invented or popularized it, he took it to the fucking back and akon is indeed running after the money trail

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:49 (twenty years ago)

BANK, not back, sorry

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:49 (twenty years ago)

well yeah, David Seville is the OG of this shit obv

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:49 (twenty years ago)

and a lot of other people took it to the bank before and at the same time as Kanye, even if he's the one who ran it into the ground and made it part of his identity more than the others. I'd just prefer some shorthand for this production style other than "Kanye imitation" (even "chipmunk" works better as a signifier, IMO).

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 01:52 (twenty years ago)

Oy. All I was saying was that "Lonely" sounds like a sub-par Kanye production. I'm well aware that he's hardly the first to do the sped-up motown sound and put a bass beat over it. My point is that Akon (who produced this track!) is intentionally aping a sound and that it doesn't sound half as good as what he was going for.

That said, I'm just finding this song boring. As long as I'm making the Kanye comparison, I would suggest that West is generally smart enough to sneak more than one hook into his tracks and Akon is NOT.

And Miccio, while I admire your contrarian nature and love for the WTF-edness of this track, I just don't see it maintaining the longevity of even the BEP.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 04:46 (twenty years ago)

But then I'm cranky cause my computer has been crashing NONSTOP FOR THREE DAYS.
So there's that.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 04:46 (twenty years ago)

sorry, don't mind my pedantry. the Kanye thing is acceptable if used as a signifier now and then, but when it came up repeatedly in this thread I got cranky myself.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

I got your 'contrarian nature' right here, punk. I liked this song before I knew what anybody thought of it.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 04:53 (twenty years ago)

I just don't see it maintaining the longevity of even the BEP.

This is literally physically impossible. The longevity of your average BEPs song is less than that of a Mission: Impossible instructional cassette. Dissolves upon impact.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 05:02 (twenty years ago)

"Where Is The Love?" will live forever in the hearts of the brave.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 05:04 (twenty years ago)

It helps that they ripped off "Torn."

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 05:04 (twenty years ago)

Is THAT where I left my contrarian nature? Why is there hair all over it?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 05:06 (twenty years ago)

I will most likely never be able to disassociate the BEPs from their ridiculous pre-Super Bowl performance.

EVERYBODY HAVE A HAPPY FOOTBAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 05:09 (twenty years ago)

To their credit though, I will say that "Let's Get it Started" definitely has a sort of classic nature to it. I could see that song continuing to populate airwaves, commercials and sporting events for years, perhaps decades to come.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

all I need to say Akon Rules Black eyed peas SUCK to HELL

― Jordan Austion McAllister, Saturday, 14 May 2005 21:57 (twenty years ago)

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