Song #549: "Let's Hear It For The Boy" by Deniece Williams

Date: May 26, 1984
Weeks: 2

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All right, I think I've finally found a song in the 1980s that isn't trying to sneak a synthesizer into a song where it doesn't belong. This song is all synthesizers, and the effect is clearly deliberate. The result is a kind of charming, bright sound that is sort of appealing. Certainly music eventually figured out how to use synthesizers properly, and I'm glad to find such an early example.

Unfortunately, there's a lot to dislike here, too. The overall sound is quite thin. A little heavier bass and some more sustained tones might have helped create a more compelling overall sound. The drum machine feels robotic, too, which I think is a miscalculation. It makes it feel like a karaoke song.

Deniece Williams's voice is a bit hard to take. She's very whiny. Although, there's a part at the end where she really aims for a high note and hits it, presaging Mariah Carey's signature, that suggests to me that she really can sing. Wikipedia notes that she "has a five-octave range." That seems likely, but she's not really putting it to proper use in this song. I don't know if it's that she's outside her best range or if it's just the style of music she's doing, but her voice is pretty obnoxious throughout most of this song. I'm sure she's very talented, but she's not putting her talent to good use here.

The lyrics are fine. The sentiment is that she loves the guy she's with even though he has flaws. Nothing wrong with that. I can't really find fault with the lyrics, and really, they're pretty energizing. Hooray for love that's pleasant and happy.

This is one of those songs that bugs me by continuing on well after it's actually ended. After she sings that opera note, the song really ought to start its fade out right away, but the video I linked continues on for almost a minute more. It doesn't add anything to a song that's already pretty repetitive.

My verdict: Don't like it. This is a junk food song. It's pleasing enough the first time through, but the more I listen to it, the more it starts to bother me. Insubstantial pop songs can and should be better and not make me regret them before they're over.