It’s My Birthday, the much-awaited album of American rapper Will.i.am was released recently to some amount of scepticism. Those who loved the original song were shocked to find that this version had the same tune but with strange lyrics.
Pavitra Kunnamthodi, a dancer in the city says, “The song is monotonous. Especially the part where the lyrics ‘it’s my birthday’ keeps repeating all the time. But, it’s easier to dance to this track than the the original, which only Prabhu Deva could crack.”
Will.i.am teamed up with R&B artiste Cody Wise to create a remix version of Urvasi Urvasi. However, the response to the attempt was mixed. But, Swapnil Ex-t Kumar, founder of city-based hip-hip group, ‘Proximity Crew’, says, “The rehashed song is alright. But when I compare it with the original, then I might not dance to it with as much enthusiasm.”
Rahman, who had been actively supporting Will.i.am’s efforts says, “Though I haven’t given any input in the new version apart from the tune, I liked the attempt. It’s very flattering and it links the original to a larger audience.”
When we brought up the negative comments, Rahman said, “I know that the original was an integral part of a whole generation, and when something is a part of one’s life, it’s hard to digest a little
change.”
