When cruising around the streets of Syracuse, Top 40 hits are all it takes to turn the lamest minivan into the sleekest Masarati. For those of you with cars, you can probably agree there’s a fleeting sense of freedom when driving around Syracuse doing who-knows-what with the radio booming and the bass obnoxiously loud.  And for the wheel-less, waiting at bus stops for an immeasurable amount of time can probably get pretty obnoxious while the rest of us drive by blasting Katy Perry’s ‘Teenage Dream’ out the windows. But there’s something about Katy Perry chanting ‘Don’t ever look back!’ that instills a sense of reckless abandonment in all young adults.

Speaking of Top 40 jams, Jason Derulo’s ‘Ridin’ Solo’ also seems to inspire community sing-alongs, as students blare the pop artist with all windows proudly rolled down. In the song, Derulo sings — auto-tuned of course — ‘I’m putting on my shades to cover up my eyes,’ and in all seriousness, that sounds like a wicked good idea. Derulo’s shades definitely add cocky swagger to any driver to match the music, but I’ll wear them just for the UV protection during my cruise down the road.  I’m not much of a fan, but if you do rock the sunglasses after dark, then by all means, do so. Check out the 80s pop hit ‘I Wear My Sunglasses at Night’ by Corey Hart while you’re at it. Some designer shades might even make you ‘Cooler than me.’ Thanks a lot, Mike Posner.

The key line in Derulo’s song comes when he sings, ‘I’m feeling like a star, you can’t stop my shine.’ Students around the Euclid and Comstock areas seem to take these lyrics to heart. Driving around solo with Top 40 tunes seems to unleash everybody’s inhibitions.  All of you car-less people will know what I’m talking about when you eventually have your own ride. Then you can blast all the Katy Perry, Mike Posner, and Jason Derulo you want and feel like a star. There’s hardly anything corny about it. Out on the road with the beats bumpin’ is a nice feeling.  

On a side note, one criticism I have about Derulo’s track is when he says, ‘My head’s in the sky.’  We don’t need more students getting hit on Comstock or Waverly Avenues, so watch the road and not the sky.  

Now, you may be whipping around Syracuse and hit one of the many red lights when a car pulls up in the next lane. You’ve got the windows down with B.o.B’s ‘Magic’ blaring with a Top 40 hater rolling his eyes at your song choice. Resist the urge to be self-conscious and turn that volume knob all the way to level 11.  Look right into the guy’s eyes and start singing the hook out the window. Don’t be afraid to bob your head to the beat while you’re at it, and when the light turns green, dust him!  Believe me, it’s a huge rush.  

Macho-ism is certainly not a key to this year’s Top 40 hits. As feminine as Katy Perry’s or Justin Beiber’s hits may be, it certainly hasn’t stopped a bevy of muscle-clad men blaring the tune like it’s their national anthem. I, for one, will be proudly blasting music geared toward preteens until I get sick of it — if that day ever comes. It’s not the fact that the music actually has any talent, it’s the special frame of mind the bubblegum pop puts in our heads when we’re driving. It’s almost a hypnotic power. I might not buy Jason Derulo’s album, but I kind of get that feeling of ‘Ridin’ Solo’ whenever I hear his music.

Seth Crockett is a junior television, radio and film major and the pop culture columnist. His columns appear weekly, and if he’s not too busy riding dirty and scaring freshmen, he can be reached at srcrocke@syr.edu.

 

Published on September 6, 2010 at 12:00 pm