I’ve always grabbed singles from Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs — with “Zero” as one of my all-time favorite songs. But, I’d never played through all of her music until this roundup. I was pleasantly surprised by the consistency of her sound. It’s raw without feeling chaotic. She sings about dark and light topics, often simultaneously. The topics may be moody but, the beats are easy to play in the car.
In an interview with Loud and Quiet, Karen O discussed her solo album Crush Songs — giving insight into her style and process.
“I was thinking about that because I figured someone would ask me about it. In many ways there’s not a huge difference – a crush song and a love song are the same – yet I feel like with crush songs, it’s just the beginning of love, the early stage where it’s all fantasy and it’s all projection and melodrama – all the fucking best stuff is the crush, y’know? And even the heartbreak and the unrequited aspects, y’know, it’s good. And then love songs are, I feel, a bit of a different animal – similar, but a little further down the line. The crush is all feelings that come rushing in; the fantasy of what could be or what never was.
“When you fall in love, you’ve got so much to gain but you also have to kill off some stuff too,” continues O. “You have to murder parts of your heart too, y’know? Because I think that every love that you ever have always stays with you, but you can’t have too much of that lingering around in order to make space for this new thing and to commit to being with ‘the one’. So there has to be loss as well, so there’s mourning and there’s grief for what you have to lose to gain. So a lot of these songs are working through that – there’s loves that had to go in order for a new love to come, and y’know, there’s a lot of mixed emotions with it.” – They Don’t Love You Like I Love You: Karen O, crushing hard
I kept that vibe in mind as I listened through her body of work.
I listened to Karen O the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Discography and these are the songs I added to my playlist
Her music has a lot of motion to it — an energy that I love when I’m powering through a task list. Most of these songs were added to the list I use when I’m working at my desk.
With the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Fever to Tell (2003)
- Rich
- Date with the Night
- No No No
- Tick
- Pin
- Maps – This was actually already on my list
- Y Control
- Modern Romance
Show Your Bones (2006)
- Gold Lion
- Phenomena
- Honeybear
- Cheated Hearts
- Sweets
It’s Blitz! (2009)
- Zero – This was actually already on my list
- Heads will roll
- Skeletons
- Hysteric
Mosquito (2013)
- Sacrilege
- These Paths
- Area 52
- Under the Earth
Cool It Down (2022)
- Spitting off the Edge of the World
- Lovebomb
- Wolf
- Different Today
As Karen O
Crush Songs (2014)
- Other Side
- Indian Summer
Lux Prima (2019)
- So Far
Colors Inspired by Album Covers
While I listened, I created a color palette for each of her album covers. The artwork favors bold, bright colors, often clashing and dissonant. It evokes a similar energy to her music. It keeps your eyes bouncing around — with the exception of the Lux Prima cover.
Interestingly, yellow ties many of the album colors together. I’m always looking for a new version of the sunshine hue. So, I’ll definitely reference these at a later date.
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About Danielle Verderame’s Lynchburg Agency
I am a writer first. I specialize in content-heavy websites, bringing together my 15 years of marketing background with my imaginative aesthetic. Most of the time, I optimize small business websites for search and social media. Through Verderame, LLC. I offer my services to small businesses who need assistance with their websites, content, and search engine optimization.
In 2023, I launched a boutique Lynchburg Agency under Verderame, LLC. And it’s all focused on retail. Our small team specializes in marketing services for makers, eStores, and retailers. We’re ready to maintain, manage, and promote your store on any platform including WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, Square Online (Weebly), Comment Sold, Pinterest Shops, and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) Shops.
If you’re looking for marketing help, email me at danielle@theshopshop.co.
