There are so many obvious angles and influences to Rye Rye’s "Boom Boom" video that you can't help but first look at the song like a Billboard-aspiring product instead of a fun and goofy dance thing, which is too bad. YouTube commenters seem divided about who Rye Rye is biting more, Nicki Minaj or M.I.A., the latter of whom is releasing Rye Rye's debut on her Interscope imprint, NEET, on May 15th. There's a bit of pitched-down vocal processing three quarters in that sounds like the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow." The video's garish animated backdrops are a blend of Freemason symbols, #seapunk set pieces, and arcade graphics. And most amusingly, the chorus quotes the Venga Boys at length, begging for comparison between Rye Rye and her tongue-pierced, campy cowboy-hatted forebears. Watching her blatantly draw from so many sources, you're left almost wishing she had lied better about it. But maybe putting rip-offs out in the open raises an important point, after all. Maybe what is so great, and true to Rye Rye's always-grinning personality, is that if you approach "Boom Boom" with a little cynicism, the video gives you exactly what you're looking for and cuts you out, like a sieve sifting out grumpy duds. If you're looking not to have fun, you're not going to have any. But if you let yourself not give a shit and stop worrying if you really buy it, maybe you'll grin a bunch too.
