‘Time to Pretend’ – MGMT
During their undergraduate years, VanWyngarden and Goldwasser were fascinated by the unique crawling motion of a praying mantis, which they observed and researched. A major impact on how the song’s unusual rhythm was created came from this source. While it is unclear if VanWyngarden intended his remarks to be taken seriously, he decided to write about his rock star dreams (“I’ll go to Paris and shoot some heroin”) despite the knowledge that they were not taken seriously. In certain circles, depending on who you speak with, we are thought to be drug addicts. “As a composer, ambiguity is what I strive for,” he said.
‘I Will Survive’ – Gloria Gaynor
Gaynor’s professional life was on the decline when the year 1979 rolled around. Following the death of Gaynor’s mother and the following spinal surgery, she was no longer the most popular disco artist in the world, but she was still very popular. When she performed the song “I Will Survive” on stage, she added a touch of cynicism to her delivery of the song. It was initially intended to be a B-side, but DJs saw its commercial potential and utilized it to promote the song as a club hit in lieu of the original.