U. S. GIRLS RANKS HER FIVE BEST SONGS

Meg Remy on the Lyrics, Layers and Love from “the Power of O”

ASKED TO RANK HER FIVE FAVOURITE U.S. GIRLS. SONGS ahead of releasing eighth album Bless This Mess, Meg Remy chose to honour the work of beloved collaborator Onakabazien, a.k.a. Louis Percival.

“Bless This Mess is the first U.S. Girls release since 2011 to not feature a co-write or production by [Percival]. But Bless This Mess could not have been made without the O,” she explains. “I felt [Percival’s impact] was ripe for exploring in listicle form. The U.S. Girls catalogue reads like a ‘How to Collaborate’ guide. I am proud of that.”

5. “HIGH SCHOOL POETRY” THE ISLAND SONG ( 2011)

“High School Poetry” is one of my earliest collaborations with Louis. When I heard this instrumental, it made me reminisce about Friday nights at the Tinley Park Roller Rink. That, of course, led me to reflect on all the awful (but necessary) poetry I wrote in high school. Ya gotta start somewhere...

4. “WOMAN’S WORK”

HALF FREE ( 2015)

Louis as mad scientist giving me a potion to drink and seek oblivion. Heavy and dark, but oh so melodic. This song has 444 layers — there’s even some mandolin in there. And Louis is the voice being vocoded. He really turned me onto that sound, which has appeared on almost every U.S. Girls record since Half Free.

3. “THE BOY IS MINE” U.S. GIRLS ON KRAAK ( 2011)

Okay, so neither Louis nor I wrote this song, but it was one of U.S. Girls’ first “hits.” Can’t really beat a cover of [Brandy and Monica’s] “The Boy is Mine” where one person is playing both characters in the song. Louis has a real knack for making music that is as sweet as it is sinister.

2. “DAMN THAT VALLEY” HALF FREE ( 2015)

This beat still haunts me. To this day, I feel blessed that Louis let me have it and make it my own. Someone once told me that Flying Lotus listened to this on repeat the night Donald Trump was elected. I haven’t verified this story, but I can perfectly picture it.

1. “PEARLY GATES” IN A POEM UNLIMITED ( 2018)

This song is all about the Power of O. If I remember correctly, Louis actually plays bass on this track. He rerecorded it in the mix phase, unsettled with the studio bass that had been laid down. Louis does not stop until he is 100 percent satisfied, snubbing all deadlines like a true artist.