Adam De Lucia's new single, "Girl," turns the traditional storytelling of pop music on its head in a way that's both cheeky and surprising. Where songs about being attracted to sex workers often veer between the melancholy and the moralizing, like The Police's Roxanne or Genesis' Mama, De Lucia handles it differently, with a lighter, almost mischievous touch, matching cheeky lyricism with a classic pop-jazz sound.
"Girl" pays homage to rock 'n' roll's golden age, with notable influences from The Beatles' "Twist and Shout" and "Ticket to Ride." It's a sound that feels immediately familiar but refreshingly new, in part due to the subtle jazz crossover that weaves through the arrangement. It's a style De Lucia only dabbles in, about 10% of his catalog is devoted to this kind of thing, but here it makes the song feel light and breezy, swinging in a way that hints at the playfully subversive nature of the lyrics.
The tune is as bright. The lyrics tease a form of musical and literary intertextuality that rewards listeners and readers who dig a bit deeper. But rather than shy away from the social taboo of the subject, De Lucia's words welcome it with the wit and grace of a kind-hearted soul, and the result is a tale as endearing as it is unorthodox.
"Girl" is not just a song about desire, it is a declaration of the range of modern songwriting. Blending pop with jazz flourishes and a playful spirit for the taboo, De Lucia lures listeners into a world where attraction is a secret and celebrating difference is done without judgment. It's a bracing reminder that pop can still surprise and delight if artists dare to encircle the familiar from a different direction.
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