Music Features

INTERVIEW: Cristina Rae "Emptied Herself" to Portray Effie White

The America's Got Talent finalist will portray the character for a Clubhouse production of DreamGirls

Cristina Rae

Chris Haston - NBC

When Cristina Rae auditioned to be Effie White in the upcoming Clubhouse rendition of DreamGirls, she burst into tears.

The warm and boisterous Tennessean, whose powerful voice snagged her third place on America's Got Talent's 15th season, is no stranger to the character. She's portrayed the role four different times throughout her life. But the difference this time around was that she was reentering the role as a mother. When she originally auditioned for AGT, Cristina and her son were broke and living in her car. She gravitated towards AGT with the hopes of buying a home.

Keep ReadingShow less
MUSIC

AT&T's Fake Boy Band Accidentally Created a Total Bop

AT&T needs to drop the full "Summertime Lover" track immediately.

AT&T/ Kory Brocious

There's no doubt about it—"Summertime Lover" from AT&T's new commercial is an absolute banger. The only problem: It's not a real song.*

*UPDATE 09/20/2019: SUMMERTIME LOVER HAS OFFICIALLY DROPPED.

"Summertime Lover" is a fictional number performed by a fictional boy band in an AT&T commercial. The commercial hinges on the premise that a boy band without dancing is "just okay." Except the song they seem to have created solely to be used as a "just okay" boy band sample is accidentally a total bop. It's been stuck in my head for days, and I've watched the commercial like 80 times already just to hear the 30-second clip.

Just listen to that. Like, damn. I can't be alone in demanding that AT&T drop the full track immediately. And based off the YouTube comments, I'm definitely not.

at&t boy band

Obviously "Summertime Lover" is a major throwback to '90s heyday boy bands. The main hook, "Summertime love / With my summertime lover," could have been ripped straight from NSYNC. But when lead singer, Kory, uses his falsetto to sing, "Gimme one chance / I'll treat you like a princess," he carries enough passion and vocal talent to drive the band straight into the modern era. And that wink. Swoon.

So you know what, AT&T. Let's go a step further. On top of dropping "Summertime Lover" as a single (it's honestly a travesty this hasn't been done already), it's time to make this boy band a real thing. I know this is just a silly commercial, but I don't even care. Call up Kory and the boys, hire a choreographer, and make this happen. I swear to G-d, I would buy a ticket to see these guys in concert.

You thought "Summertime Lover" was a big joke, but you were wrong. "Summertime Lover" is a big hit. Time to take it global. #DropSummertimeLover

TV

Kodi Lee Is Amazing—The Media's Coverage of Him Is Not

Kodi Lee's appearance on AGT is wonderful, but his talent is not indicative of every autistic person's experience.

Kodi Lee on America's Got Talent

Singer/musician Kodi Lee is America's Got Talent's latest breakout star—and the media's latest subject of terrible autism-related news coverage.

Golden Buzzer: Kodi Lee Wows You With A Historical Music Moment! - America's Got Talent 2019www.youtube.com


Make no mistake, Kodi Lee is an incredibly talented musician and performer who deserves every ounce of fame and fortune he'll inevitably receive. He also "happen[s] to be blind and autistic too," as he mentions in his Twitter bio. We've written about Hollywood's autism fetishization trend before, so it's important to emphasize the fact that, overall, it's wonderful Kodi is being featured so prominently this season on AGT––the problem lies entirely with the surrounding press coverage.

America's Got Talent has never been a show that shies away from exploiting people's individual hardships and personal tragedies for ratings, so it's no surprise they would go that route for a talented musician with autism. That being said, aside from the audience's collective "AWWW" at the first mention of Kodi's autism, AGT actually handled the topic pretty well, at least within the framework of their baseline exploitative model. Giving Kodi the Golden Buzzer felt deserved, given his excellent performance, and the hosts seemed to treat him with respect when they congratulated him afterwards.

The same can't be said for Newsweek's coverage of the contestant: "WHO IS KODI LEE? 'AGT' CONTESTANT OVERCOMES ALL ODDS, RECEIVES FIRST GOLDEN BUZZER OF THE SEASON." Kodi Lee is a self-described "musical prodigious savant," one of roughly 25 people in the world with a combination of perfect pitch, audio photographic memory, and a hyper-focused attunement for musical expression. This means that he has a natural inclination towards musical talent that's significantly greater than the average population. Newsweek's booming assessment that Kodi has "overcome all odds" to receive the Golden Buzzer is, quite frankly, inane. As mentioned on his official website, Kodi has been performing music for years. Music is not only his passion but something he is uniquely equipped to excel at. If anything, the odds he'd be great were strongly in his favor.

That's not to say Kodi hasn't overcome struggles related to autism––he surely has. But it's important to separate the inevitable struggles Kodi has faced due to autism from his musical talent. Kodi is a wonderful musician and a musical savant, who also happens to be blind and have autism. Conflating these elements only serves to "other" the majority of people with autism, most of whom are not savants and don't necessarily have the type of incredible talents that Hollywood loves to fetishize. This is the main problem with NBC affiliate News 3 Las Vegas's take: "AGT's singing sensation Kodi Lee inspires families living with autism."

The news segment included an interview with Dr. Erin Honke, a clinical neuropsychologist who works with children on the autism spectrum who said, "There's always hope as far as hidden strengths." This is likely true, but the doctor's point was that people with autism can often excel in certain areas, especially when those areas relate to their specific interests. She goes on to talk about how parents focusing on their child's interests can help with development, which is also true. The host, Renee Santos, takes this to mean something entirely different. "All children on the spectrum have strengths just like Kodi's," she says. No, Renee. No, that is not true. Kodi is a savant. Most children with autism are not savants––less than 10% of children with autism display any signs of savant syndrome at all, and 50% of savants don't even have autism. This is a dangerous myth to propagate because, at best, it misinforms the general population about autism. At worst, it completely erases the vast majority of autistic experiences.

Ultimately, Kodi Lee's appearance on AGT is wonderful. He's a skilled, hardworking musician whose appearance on the show displays how diverse people with autism can be. But it's important for the media and viewers to realize that Kodi isn't indicative of every autistic person's experience. He's simply one voice among many—albeit a very nice one to listen to.

Music Reviews

Kehlani's New Mixtape is a Triumph

The artist's 4th project is her best yet.

via TSNMI / Atlantic

Aptly titled While We Wait, Kehlani's newest mixtape is devoted to her unborn daughter, due in March. The title also acknowledges her fans fervent anticipation for her new album and is meant to tide people over as they wait for the release. But if this mixtape is the appetizer to a meal, we can't imagine what kind of delicacies lie in store. The singer's newfound maternal tenderness is present throughout, and she's showcased in a gentler, more complex light than ever before. But that doesn't mean she's left behind any of the sensual, R&B influences that made her famous. The mixtape is an exploration of love and commitment, allowing the listener to watch Kehlani gradually find healing as the songs progress.

"Footsteps (feat. Musiq Soulchild)" opens the collection poetically, proclaiming "Here's to being honest," and "When I walked away I left footsteps in the mud so you could follow me," themes that continue throughout the mixtape. While Kehlani could carry any song, no matter how minimal the production, the mix on this track perfectly complements her ethereal voice. It opens with the soft sounds of water and muffled synths, setting the stage for a fully realized R&B song that leaves the listener with a sense of spiritual refreshment.

Kehlani didn't come by this kind of insight easily and has been very open about her difficult childhood and battles with mental illness, which imbue her music with themes of resilience. In the vulnerable song "Butterfly," Kehlani reckons with the way her past has affected her view of love, and consequently dismantles the way masculinity can become a barrier in a relationship: "It'll make you no less of a man/To break your walls and simply grab my hand / Love shouldn't be contraband."

"Too Deep" is another exquisitely produced track that looks at the themes of honesty and complicated relationships through a new lens, considering the idea of a casual relationship suddenly getting too intense. It's a song that manages to be fun and optimistic despite the subject matter, but it's more than that. Kehlani laments "You don't wanna get hurt by me/I don't wanna be a crutch for ya" indicating the thing that sets this song apart from other artists' take on this theme: compassion for the other person involved in the affair.

Another notable aspect of the mixtape is Kehlani's seamless switching between male and female pronouns in the love songs, an undoubted nod to her queerness, something the singer has acknowledged as a significant aspect of her identity. It's a small thing, but an important detail that speaks even more to the great vulnerability of the project. With While We Wait, Kehlani gives fans her strongest offering yet: classic R&B soaked in a modern, poetic tenderness.

In the era of playlists, she has managed to make a project that is a cohesive, vulnerable journey, while still managing to give listeners nine stand-alone songs that can't be overplayed. The songs give a sense of a broken, grieving person who has decided to see the beauty in her scars and value herself enough to do the hard work of healing. Kehlani has always been raw and real, but on While We Wait, she opens her chest to fans and says "Here, listen, this is me."


Brooke Ivey Johnson is a Brooklyn based writer, playwright, and human woman. To read more of her work visit her blog or follow her twitter @BrookeIJohnson.


POP⚡DUST | Read More...

Rainbow Kitten Surprise Will Shake You Out of Your Pretension

Avril Lavigne Doesn't Know Who She Is Anymore

Is Pete Davidson "Ugly Hot" Enough to Be the Next Steve Buscemi