Too young to die, too talented to forget
One of the best parts of working in publishing is getting to read a book early, before everyone else. “Na-na na-na boo-boo” my brain always chants as I crack open a fresh manuscript. This weekend while sitting on my unfinished (ie illegal) roof deck, I reveled in the job perk as I read Amy, My Daughter by Mitch Winehouse—a heartfelt account of what went right and wrong with the incredibly talented Amy Winehouse.
With a soaring music career right out of high school and a distinctive, gorgeous voice that sounded mature beyond her years, it is easy to forget that Amy’s success and death all happened before her 28th birthday. But Amy’s legacy lives on. There’s a recently launched foundation in her honor and, of course, her music. While reading the book, I was compelled to listen to her albums and while it is hard to choose my favorite song–in Amy’s short life she wrote and sung with such skill and brutal honesty–there are some top contenders. RIP Amy and her famous beehive hairdo.
#5 - Valerie. Though not technically an Amy Winehouse song (it was written by Mark Ronson), it was her vocals that skyrocketed the song to fame.
#4 - Rehab. Perhaps her most famous song, its message is dark and, sadly, prophetic. It is a true pop song in the best sense–playful, catchy and a tad dangerous.
#3 - Love Is A Losing Game. A sultry torch song that thrills as it breaks your heart.
#2 – Tears Dry on Their Own. A brutally honest conversation about loving someone who doesn’t love you back. Reading about Amy’s relationship with Blake, you see how she wrote this song from experience.
#1 - You Know that I’m No Good. This. Song. Is. An. Anthem. Amy’s soulful 60′s musical style is imbedded in your head after one listen.
Going Gaga
Thanks to her knack for unique sartorial choices, we’re predicting that you’ll bump into more than a few Lady Gagas on the street this October 31. What Amy Winehouse and her beehive and shakily-applied mascara were to trick-or-treat ’07, Gaga promises to be to oh-nine. If you’re looking for a last minute costume, check out this step-by-step video from Threadbanger (via MTV Buzzworthy Blog). Sadly, if you’re more inclined to do the muppet-poncho thing, you’re on your own.
