steve reich <=> beyonce

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Compare:

(1) Reich’s “Clapping Music” (one of the phasing pieces)

to

(2) Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”

(sorry, no embed for this one)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVEGfH4s5g

I’m teaching a course this summer on the philosophical, aesthetic, and compositional relationship that tie mid-20th c avant-garde art music to 70s punk, hip hop, and disco (and beyond). So, let me tell you, Cage and Reich are all over the radio these days, just in cleverly hidden forms.

This is another favorite of mine. Compare:

(1) Laurie Anderson’s “O Superman”

there’s even a shout-out to her mom!

with

(2) Lil Wayne’s “A Milli” (here’s the Lil Mama freestyle, which is in some ways better than the original)