Taking a look back at "American Boy"

This past week this post received the most traffic to this blog. I haven't figured out exactly why, but I thought this would make a good opportunity for some reflection.

The context for the post was that I had just returned from a month-long trip to Europe with my brother. We heard U2 every single day we were over there. Four different countries, a few plane rides, train rides, a bunch of pubs and coffee shops, and without a doubt we would hear U2 at some point.

I'm sure someone visiting North America might find something similar, but the sheer breadth and diversity of venues, and the distances traveled... I dunno, I guess something about that stuck out to me.

We also heard lots of Stevie Wonder and Madonna as I recall, but it wasn't the same.

The definite theme song of that trip was this tune, "American Boy" by Estelle and Kanye... featuring a pond-crossing performing duo plus a bangin' beat; which is to say the song featured, for us, cultural context as well as the content to match. This song will forever be tied to that trip for me. Great song, catchy hook, butchered nightly by karaoke singers everywhere.