I was running on the treadmill, and Jay-Z/Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind came on my iTunes. It’s a song that I particularly like, but I also think it’s cool that it’s a song that’s basically also a soliloquy to the city of New York, and how much Jay-Z thinks it’s a great place.

Somewhere along the line, I thought about Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York, and how it was such a classic, iconic song, and that it could probably never be replaced. I’m not saying Empire State of Mind replaced New York, New York as the anthem of the city, but it says something when it’s played at some point during every single Yankees home game at Yankee Stadium, in addition to Sinatra.

The bottom line is that Empire State of Mind is a song that, sure lyrically rap, which tends to make some people nervous, but has what I think is a catchy melody, beat, and is overall harmonically pleasing to listen to. Clearly, I’m not the only person who thinks this, and it’s a song that has done pretty well for itself in the grand spectrum of things.

Continue reading “Why can’t Atlanta have a decent city song?” →