That last name looks familiar, doesn’t it?
Well, it should. Newcomer Kristinia DeBarge is the daughter of James DeBarge, who was 1/5 of the act containing his three brothers and sister back in the early Eighties. For those who can’t pick the members apart, he was the one who was briefly married to Janet Jackson.
Anyway, Kristinia’s debut single is called “Goodbye”, and it’s pretty interesting insofar as that her record label sounds like they’re trying hard to pitch her as the next Rihanna. First, there’s the look. Same skin tone, similar facial structure. Then there’s the song itself. Using the well-known “nananana…hey hey hey” refrain from the Steam song “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye”, it’s bound to appeal to kids who’ve heard the original song at a sporting event or something of that nature. Musically, it bears distinct similarities to Rihanna’s “S.O.S.”, from the song’s tempo to the bed of icy synthesizers that dominates the arrangement.
Folks, because I’m a good guy and it’s Friday, you will have three videos to feast your eyes on.
First up, here’s a YouTube vid playing Kristinia’s song while the lyrics flash on a screen. Guess they haven’t shot an actual video clip yet…
Here’s Rihanna’s “S.O.S.” video. Check out the similarities, huh?
That song’s still a banger. Finally, here’s Kristinia’s dad in action as a member of DeBarge. Look for them in an upcoming installment of Respect Due.
James is fourth from the left, right before lead singer El.
How does a British duo take a fun but pedestrian 60s song and turn it into an iconic synth-pop classic? Well, I don’t know, you’d have to ask Soft Cell how they did it. But the fact of the matter is that it was done!