At the heart of it, all of pop & rock is a novelty act. And, while those words may bring to mind dance renditions of the Macarena, being a novelty act is nothing bad. In fact, being able to surprise an audience is what hits are built upon.
The novelty about this tune is that it’s sung in a baritone voice, seemingly as part of an old-school as a barbershop quartet, one of the oldest forms of pop music. It’s playful, the vocals are pitch-perfect and the sound seems to resonate off of the pavement in the sweetest way.
Now, here’s a hook! So much so, that when lyrics about racial discrimination are sung, they hit like a sledgehammer. From the artwork, to the writing, this is very good!