Karmin Acapella: 10 Reasons Why "Acapella" is Musical Perfection
On June 10, Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, the dynamic duo behind Karmin, dropped their latest single, "Acapella," and it was genius.
In a way, Karmin broke into the music business in the most "millennial" of ways. They got their start covering top hits from their living room in a tiny apartment in Boston and putting the videos up on YouTube, hitting it big with their cover of the rap anthem "Look At Me Now," which featured Amy rapping with the quality and skill usually reserved for the likes of Busta Rhymes and L'il Wayne. They hit it big nationwide with original hits like "Crash Your Party," "Brokenhearted," and "Hello," and are set to release a new album late this summer.
Their latest single is incredible, a masterpiece of independent-woman anthem meets rhythmic experiment meets shaken rap-melody martini. Here are ten things that make it great:
1. It encourages breaking up with someone if you’re not feelin’ it anymore
"Used to be your baby, used to be your lady, thought you were the perfect lover / All the harmony went fallin' outta key so now you gotta find another."
And you're just like:
2. It calls out partners that take credit for the best things about you
"Now you talkin' crazy, sayin' that you made me like I was your Cinderella"
...........
Rude.
3. It celebrates being single
"You and me are through though, watch me hit it solo/ Imma do it acapella"
Yes.
4. It says you shouldn't let money motivate your relationships
"Mama always said get a rich boyfriend / You don't gotta love him, girl, you can pretend / You bet I totes believed her, yeah every word she said / Thought he was gluten-free but all that I got was bread."
Karmin's sneaky promotion of the gluten-free lifestyle by comparing this undesirable partner to unexpected bread is also genius.
5. It references Olive Garden
"Out on our first date, he took me gourmet / We hit that Olive Garden, my Little Italy"
Interestingly, how many millennials see Olive Garden?
6. It reveals the perilous expectations so often associated with dinner dates
“Daddy always said let the gentleman pay, never ever go dutch at the buffet / I saw his bad intention, he didn't wanna talk / He put the saucy on it (Oops!) / Time to check my wallet."
7. It provides straight-up good life advice
"Daddy always said 'Money can’t buy class’/ 'You don't wanna get stuck takin' out trash'"
Accurate.
8. It tells us that even if you’re a famous musician, you can still make fun of yourself and then get back to the matter at hand
"Watch me do it in falsetto / Never mind, bring the beat back!"
9. They actually do it acapella
By concocting a largely acapella song in keeping with the title, Karmin once again demonstrates the power of the human voice and breaks conventions (for example, that white women can’t rap) to incredible effect.
In short, they "did it acapella."
10. It gives us the best possible way of viewing breakups
"Ooh, yeah I guess it wasn’t meant to be / Because he didn't do jack for me / I want a bean with the beanstalk / and if the magic ain't right, time to walk."
With "Acapella," which is available on iTunes June 25, Karmin pushes you to take the advice you always give others but can never follow yourself. If you're not into it, you walk away. Dating for money never ends well. Breaking up isn't the end of the world, it's starting down a new path to find what you want. Being single is stellar, and having lots of money doesn't make you a classy person. Don't be afraid to go it alone — to do it acapella.
And, perhaps most importantly, Olive Garden is a perfectly legitimate place for a date.