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Veteran Poster
Username: Ferociouskitty
Post Number: 600
Registered: 02-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 07:35 pm: | |
I wonder if Beyonce's version of At Last would have become the classic that Etta made it.
Good question. I hate to generalize--but I will! "At Last" isn't "Single Ladies"-enough for Beyonce's core fan base. And fans of "At Last" likely aren't and won't become die-hard Beyonce fans.
It begs the question of whether or not today's stars possess the staying power and the chops to have signature songs that endure more than 6 decades and more.
Actually, it's not really about staying power. If Etta James never sang another note after 1941 (per Cynique), "At Last" would still be her signature song and would still have endured to this day. I loved that song long before I knew who Etta James was.
So, I guess it's really about a combination of talent and the right material, both of which are able to transcend persona and "looks" (or whatever the trend of the day is). Are we seeing that kind of aligning of planets these days? |