I know when I heard the Rihanna song, I was excited not by Rihanna but instead by the fact that The xx was in it. This was the exact opposite reaction to my then freshman dorm mates. I was always the odd one out, but that's okay! It let me listen to bands like this.
I can recall countless nights in high school and during summers where I'd stay up late into the night just listening to their first album xx. This was therapeutic for me in a way and a result of the enchanting and dreamy vocals of Romy Madley Croft, their leader singer.
The band from London, England formed in 2005 and still tours frequently. I know this because I missed my chance to see them live not once but twice. As Homer Simpson would say: D'oh.
Up until recently, I was under the impression that Croft was ultra-feminine and had long luscious hair a la Lana Del Rey. I had assumed al this as a result of her voice. I was way off.
The singer in fact has short dark hair and could easily pass as a male, perhaps her goal. She is quoted in a story by Trish Bendix of afterellen.com addressing her often discussed and speculated sexuality:
"It’s not something I really talk about. I mean, I am [gay]. But if I was singing about a guy, I would probably be singing a similar kind of love song, really. I feel like we never explain our songs directly — what they’re about or who they’re about. But I never want to be so secretive that it’s like denying it. It’s the same as everything about us: We don’t want to make a big deal out of everything. We’re not shouty."Croft brings up a great point: the personal lives of musicians should have no bearing on their music. *Slow claps*
Here is a cover of the song 'Islands' by Shakira and the original. Which do you enjoy more?
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