I think it’s a fair observation that we’re all obsessed with buying things. There’s no shame in that, technology, fashion, and more are more accessible than ever before, however this leads to a slight issue being that if you can get anything, what’s stopping you from getting everything? It’s a decidedly American conundrum that Austrian singer ViennaCC tackles head on in his charming, disorienting and fantastic track “Shopping Queen.” At first glance, an Austrian might be the last person you’d expect to tackle a seemingly heady and long standing argument against those easily swayed by the allure of “shiny things” but even to my surprise, despite the bombastic production of the track, he handles the subject matter with grace, humor, and a few instantly quotable lines.
It’s the type of track you’d expect to hear at a thumping club inhabited by the youth suffering from irony poisoning. The way he paints his subject matter, a person with their addictions to things, in an unflattering light without ever punching down is sure to elicit some laughs, but almost be cheered on by the wrong crowd. It’s a song with a lot to say, but is so casual about it that it might be easy for some to miss. It helps that this song is coming from someone who’s very staunchly taken a stance against the type of person they sing about.
A bohemian in nature with a love of art and culture, Vienna is the perfect type of person to deliver a hilarious takedown of the decidedly addictive qualities that come with a loaded credit card. Sonically, the track has a wonderful, energetic and bumping electronic score before his high pitched vocals come in. It might be a little surprising to some who might expect a simple house music track with the occasional voice over, but as the lyrics progress you can easily see why the song presents itself in the structure that it does. In some ways it reminds me of the music of the underrated band Sparks, and how they’d frequently use comedic and straight forward lyrics that while simple on the surface, carry some more sinister implications. It’s tough in some ways to hear this put upon narrator be demeaned by someone who’s quite literally using them for their money. It has very pointed observations and statements that almost paint the subject person as a villain on the same level as a Cruella Deville type figure.
The ugliness is however combated with sweet observations by Vienna about the importance of not wasting the one life we’re stuck with. It’s a song that firmly wears its heart on its sleeve and sincerity is greatly appreciated. Vienna’s skill as a multi-talented artist, being able to play piano, guitar and more, lends itself greatly to this ambitious track. The only major downside I can think of is that the song isn’t longer. I feel like with some intense escalation it would solidify itself as a potential club banger of the year, but as it stands it’s a fantastic track.
Cleopatra Patel
The music of ViennaCC has been heard all over the world in partnership with the radio plugging services offered by Musik and Film Radio Promotions Division. Learn more https://musikandfilm.com