Yeah Yeah Yeahs Karen O: “I’m going to steamroll you and you’re going to like it”
The iconic frontwoman of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O, has discussed her live performances ahead of the band dropping their long-awaited new album Cool It Down at the end of this month.
In a new interview with The New York Times, O explained the reasons behind her colourful stage presence and the influence she has had on artists that are breaking through today.
“Disarming is another speciality of what I try to do with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs,” she said of her role. “I’m being absolutely ridiculous, quite overtly sexual, totally heart-on-my-sleeve. I’m going to steamroll you, and you’re going to like it.”
In the interview, Perfume Genius, who collaborated with Yeah Yeah Yeahs on ‘Spitting Off The Edge Of The World’, discussed how the New York legends inspired his own style of performance. “Before I would go on tour, I would watch videos of them, and live shows, just to gas me up,” he said. “They’re just so [expletive] cool.”
Perfume Genius added: “[In the music industry] a lot of people are in your ear, talking to you and suggesting things. To just maintain a core warmth and kind of magic about what they do and how they approach things, it’s inspiring to me.”
The director of the video for ‘Spitting Off The Edge Of The World’, Cody Critcheloe also told The New York Times that Karen O has “a bewitching goddess energy that very few people have — it’s like an aura that kind of takes over the crowd.”
Reviewing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ single ‘Burning‘ back in August, Far Out‘s Jordan Potter said: “The slick new single comes with the band’s trademark noir disco sound. Produced by Andrew Wyatt, ‘Burning’ brings a delicate introductory piano melody through bold textures of synthesiser, electric guitar and violin arrangements while Karen O’s distinctive vocals ooze confidence. ‘Burning’ is the next jigsaw piece that will undoubtedly make for a pretty picture at the end of September.”
The band are currently on tour in the US, with the release of Cool It Down set for September 30th.
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