Song of the Summer 2019

I have a nominee for our next song of the summer. It is Shoshana Bean's cover of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Before reading on, please listen:

https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video;_ylt=A0geKYzIxdpc1eIAXUhXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyc2wxbzd0BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjcwMTJfMQRzZWMDc2M-?p=shoshana+bean+i+wanna+dance+with&fr=spigot-chr-ffmac#id=1&vid=e646ef65c98ba09d92409f4f5e24b002&action=view

I could listen over and over, and there are just a few things I have to point out:

*If you're my age (or Ms. Bean's age), you grew up with this song, and your childhood sort of comes back when you hear it. Part of Ms. Bean's enthusiasm is clearly just the enthusiasm you may feel for certain things forever pinned to your own early years.

*Obviously, "I Wanna Dance" is a song of yearning, and that's maybe slightly unclear in Whitney's upbeat version. Slow it down a bit, as Ms. Bean does, and it's suddenly a powerhouse opportunity.

*Ms. Bean--in other venues--sometimes gives me the impression that she is trying too hard, but I don't at all get that impression here.

*There's a strange mix of longing and ecstasy and playfulness in Bean's version. When she does the weird growl-y thing toward the end, she is clearly having a blast.

*Some people--before they write--skip through a page of--e.g.--William Maxwell's prose to Remind Them How It's Done. I think any display of excellence can be inspiring. Ms. Bean's work here is Surya Bonaly-esque. If I accomplish nothing else, let me at least introduce you to the recording.

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