I’m in love with… Karen O

Even if you haven’t heard of her, you’ve almost certainly heard her. If not singing with her band, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, then with her side band, Native Korean Rock, on the Where The Wild Things Are soundtrack as Karen O And The Kids, contributing vocals to songs by groups like The Flaming Lips and N.A.S.A., or making her own music, like the song featured in this Adidas commercial by Spike Jonze:

Since entering the public eye with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' critically-lauded debut album, “Fever To Tell,” she’s become something of a Renaissance Person. Aside from her various musical pursuits, she has also tried her hand at directing music videos, and serves as a makeshift guinea-pig/fashion model for her designer friend Christian Joy.

That’s all well and good, but OUR sordid love affair started when I saw the music video for the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song “MAPS”. I’d been a fan of the song ever since it hit the radio waves back in 2003, but it wasn’t until recently that I actually thought to seek out the video on YouTube. Everything that follows, does so because of this...

Echoes of Sinead O’Conner’s “Nothing Compares To You” video notwithstanding, this video truly captivated me. There’s something happening with her right there on camera that can’t be faked -- and you can tell, because she tries. She stands her ground with an admirable “the show must go on” resolve, but seems to rely on the carefully considered and choreographed motions of her performance to carry her through. Maybe because if she surrenders to the music, she might just lose herself completely. And even as the sadness wells up and the tears start flowing, she soldiers on to the end. This lead singer is laid emotionally bare for everyone in the world to see; immortalized at perhaps the most vulnerable of moments. It's real, and it's raw, and it's fascinating.

Now, this could just be a byproduct of my being a typical guy suffering from a terminal case of Knight In Shining Armor Syndrome, but the minute you show me a woman in tears, you’ve pretty much got my attention for the duration. It doesn’t hurt that the woman in question is captivating in her own right. Unconventionally beautiful (of mixed Korean and Polish descent) and apparently unafraid of baring her soul on stage -- or in this case, on film.

So, I did some research. First into the origins of the song, but that eventually became research into the band themselves, and that led to a dawning infatuation with the woman up front. Eventually, I found this video, which sealed the deal:

Look at that smile. Listen to that voice. The little dance she does. The way she gives herself over to the music, just enjoying the hell out of herself.

I was smitten.

(as was Letterman, it would appear)

I started watching every video I could find, and I soon discovered that the Letterman performance was only the tip of the iceberg. During the band’s live shows, without the expectations and regulations of network television, Karen O becomes like a force of nature. Raw, uninhibited, even playful. She owns the stage, and she owns the audience.

And, it all makes perfect sense once you understand...

...she’s fucking crazy.

See, it’s Karen O’s philosophy that, at a Yeah Yeahs show, the audience should be able to lose themselves in the music. Just completely go with the flow, the way she does! Problem is, she knows that most people have insecurities about letting themselves go in the company of strangers. Always worrying about what the person next to them might think. So, she takes the stage wearing the most colorful, garish, outlandish costumes that one could imagine; alternatingly sexy as hell or laughably ridiculous (sometimes both).

She does this, not to shock the audience, but to free them. They see her on stage, completely unafraid, dressed like a piece of living pop-art, and they feel less worried about themselves. Less restrained. Why worry about the person next to you when all eyes are on her?

This philosophy does not end at her fashion sense, either. In the course of a show, she flails, she screeches, she spits water at the crowd, breathlessly converses with them, and generally makes an unbridled spectacle of herself. If you were to combine the most notable exploits of Joan Jet, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley, you might start to get an idea of what this woman is like on stage. A true modern day rocker goddess. You watch her just to see what she’s going to do next, because you never know when it’ll be this…


Of course, this isn’t her ONLY stage persona. She seems to shift facades with each project she takes on. Sure, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O is a total wild-card, but Native Korean Rock Karen O is a much tamer creature...

And then there’s Where The Wild Things Are Karen O...

...who’s just adorable.

Now, before you start worrying that I’m about to leave my wife to run off and spend the rest of my days as a groupie lapping at the heels of Miss O, let me assure you…

I’ve only considered it once.

But I love my wife more than life itself, and no matter how many strange and gorgeous celebrities throw themselves at me in my daydreams, I would never even think of leaving her side.

Besides, even if I had a chance with Karen O, I don’t think I would take it. Truth be told...

...she scares me a little.

My admiration stems only from a place of… well, admiration! As an artist. I feel like I can follow this woman anywhere. She’s a pure entertainer, and whatever project she takes on next, I know she’ll make it interesting.

Hawt.