I became a fan of Andy Grammer quite quickly when his self-titled debut album came out and I got his single “Miss Me” free as the iTunes Free Single of the Week. There’s something so sublime and real about that song to me. His latest single, “Honey, I’m Good” is doing pretty well for him as it currently sits at number three on the iTunes Top 100 songs, and it’s his highest charting song on the Billboard Hot 100. The song has a pretty catchy beat and positive spirit. However, it just reminds me of that song “Cotton Eyed Joe.” There’s just a similarity between the two songs. I found this mashup (below) that I think really emphasizes this point.
I’m not suggesting that it’s bad that “Honey, I’m Good” sounds like “Cotton Eyed Joe,” I just heard a similarity and I wanted to share; it intrigued me. I know there are music snobs out there (believe me, I’ve met them) who will look down at Andy Grammer for daring to create a song that sounds like another song and not being “original.” While I think it’s wonderful when artists are original and present a never before heard song or beat, I think collaborations/sampling/mashup/covers are what keeps music going. Listening to other artists, learning from them, and incorporating their style into your own music is how you grow as an artist. Plus being 100% original is rather difficult given the august history of music.
