Personal Selections No. 23- Pop Patriotism
songs that make America feel flirty
April 22nd was another Friday this year with a boatload of new music to hear. I sat at work trying to get a taste of all the new stuff I was anticipating- namely, Adrianne Lenker’s new LP, Hozier’s new EP, Tyla’s debut album, and the songs from Olivia Rodrigo’s extended version of her 2023 album “Guts.”
These projects are quite unique from each other and it was a bit discombobulating listening to it all back-to-back.1 However, in the wonder and mystery of the great new music fog, one song that especially stood out on first listen was the last song from Olivia’s new batch, “so american.” It reminded me of a few other songs that make me feel a little coy and sexy about being one thing I can’t deny: American. My default stance on being American is, at best, neutral and, at worst, cynical. But there’s something about a flirty song where the narrator is making “America/being American” a superficial romantic trope that gets me. Suddenly I don’t feel like an American (imperialism), but instead I’m an American (spunk and charm).
Such songs are not to be confused with those that paint a broad stroke of some American ideal, those songs that are often sung by Americans in celebration of their own country/culture. I’m thinking of Carrie Underwood’s “All American Girl,” or Tom Petty’s “American Girl.” These have their own time and place, too, but they aren’t the kind of songs I’m talking about today.
No, the micro-category I’m referring to capture “America” as a tool to use chiefly for flirting, something to evoke some kind of feeling of exoticism. A lack of self-seriousness that makes you forget for a moment that there are any substantial implications to one’s nationality.
In honor of Olivia Rodrigo bringing out of me the brand of patriotism only pop music can summon, today I’m sharing “so american” and other songs that make me feel like my accent is cute and my addiction to peanut butter is endearing.
so american x Olivia Rodgrigo
“so american” maintains the nostalgic and punchy 90’s rock sounds that her album “Guts” is filled with, but the soaring and catchy melody of the chorus makes it a stand-out. It sounds so wonderfully careless and hair-down compared to other more clearly meticulously crafted ballads on the album.
Lyrically, Rodrigo confesses to all the ways she’s head-over-heels for a guy that, you guessed it, lovingly calls her “so American.” In general, she doesn’t go into boring detail about what in particular her lover sees as “so American,” but the line with which she opens the song is especially satisfying given the refrain of the song:
“Driving on the right side road he says I’m pretty wearing his clothes.”
The fact that the only explanation she gives us about being American is the fact that she drives on the right side of the road is hilarious and perfect.
California x Lana Del Rey
Lana Del Rey’s whole catalogue is dripping with Americana, but most of it falls into that self-aggrandizing category I mentioned earlier (even if it’s often used with irony). The key with this song and the reason that it gives me that flirty America feeling is the way the reference to her country in this song is basically a throw-away line:
“Oh, I'll pick you up If you come back to America, just hit me up 'Cause this is crazy love, I'll catch you on the flip side If you come back to California, you should just hit me up”
There is simply something about the way she sings America and California that makes me feel like I’m the main character. There is a whole story to be told in these few words: where did the subject of this song come from and why did he come to California, USA in the first place? Where did he go? There’s much drama to imagine in the non-discretion we get. Perhaps, too, it’s the way that the chorus of this song breaks it into a subtle psychedelic rock moment, reminding me of the Beatle’s “Abbey Road.” The mid century British undertones make Lana’s casual West Coast references that much more exotic.
Carolina x Harry Styles
Oh, to be a girl Harry Styles can’t stop thinking about to the point of writing a song about you! According to legend, the inspiration behind this song was a blind date Styles went on with a fan named Townes (we know this is her name because he quite literally names her in the song). There was no second date, but there is this song, which I would rather have between those two options if i were Townes. The opening line of this song has me imagining one hundred and one ways I, myself, might charm a British pop-star simply by being from Georgia:
“She's got a family in Carolina So far away, but she says I remind her of home.”
Harry goes on to list all the little things that has made her the object of obsession in his mind, but the way he mentions off the bat that she is from one of the Carolinas immediately gives me an ego boost that I ride for the rest of this fun, cowbell inclusive, record.
Are there any other songs that you think fit into this niche category of “she’s American-tehehe”? If so, I’d love to hear in the comments! I can’t overstate you how much listening to songs make me kick my little feet.
All while also still wanting to return to Ariana Grande and Kacey Musgraves’ new albums released over the past two weeks!
She’s American by The 1975!