Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope | Teen Ink

Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope MAG

November 22, 2010
By ThatBlondGuy SILVER, Mableton, Georgia
ThatBlondGuy SILVER, Mableton, Georgia
5 articles 1 photo 69 comments

Ah, the gift of music. It was bestowed upon the human race roughly 6,000 years ago because of an effort between the Norse god Thor, Aphrodite the Goddess of Love, and Elton John. Some believe Jesus may have been involved too, but this hypothesis is frowned upon by most musical historians.

Through the years, many musicians became popular while others failed. Only a select few are destined to be remembered by mankind. Among those are Mozart, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, and – finally – Regina Spektor, the Undeclared Empress of the Universe.

Spektor, the Russian-born singer/songwriter behind the albums “Begin to Hope” and “Far,” is a musical genius. Her anti-folk style is both original and revolutionary. She makes quality albums with such shocking consistency that one has to wonder whether she is an angel. Did it hurt when you fell from heaven, Regina?

Spektor's voice is distinguishable, satisfying, and ­addictive. She makes perfect use of staccato and legato,
and her crescendos and decrescendos are flawless. She acknowledges the importance of pronunciation, intonation, and articulation. Each song has a personality, a face, an identity. Her music is never boring.

In addition, her lyrics are pure poetry, her songs positively drip with wisdom beyond her years. She alludes to great works of literature and obscure historical figures. Her fictional characters are relatable and human. Her stories are enchanting, and the way she tells them is hypnotizing. Spektor is intelligent and witty, and her songs are insightful to the point of being intimidating. In fact, I'm shivering.

Spektor's music is rapidly gaining popularity in an explosive insurrection of delirious musical fervor. Whether she is singing the introduction for the television series “Weeds” or the female part in a song by bespectacled alternative-rocker Ben Folds, whether she is rocking out with The Strokes or having her music appear in “500 Days of Summer” with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Spektor never goes unnoticed.

More important than her genius or her message, more important than her faith in God or the life-changing effect her music has on her fans, Spektor is attractive. Insanely attractive! I think it's her eyebrows.

My suggestion: join the revolution. Make a run to the nearest music store and buy several copies of each of her CDs. After that, make the unnecessary purchase of all of her songs on iTunes. Share her music with your friends and family. Hum her tunes at school and whistle them in the middle of a church service. The Regina Revolution will never die. So join it. Join it before it joins you.


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This article has 3 comments.


on Dec. 4 2011 at 3:40 pm
ThatBlondGuy SILVER, Mableton, Georgia
5 articles 1 photo 69 comments

Hey! Thanks for the constructive criticism! I admit--this was probably not a quality article. I've been feeling out of the creative mood for some reason. I tried dressing up in women's clothing and listening to Blondie, because usually that helps. But I guess it just didn't work this time.

Also, I commend you on your uses of the word "tripe" and "drivel." If that's not cool, I don't know what is.

Again, thanks for the comment, and I look forward to meeting you in person. How does this coming Friday sound? You like Olive Garden?


on Dec. 3 2011 at 12:43 pm
SunkistKisser BRONZE, Tempe, Arizona
1 article 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Not one would mind, neither bird not tree<br /> If mankind perished utterly<br /> And Spring herself, when she woke at down,<br /> Would hardly know that we were gone.&quot; ~Sara Teasdale<br /> (Yea, I know, it&#039;s kind of deep, but I kind of dig it.))

This is great! The first couple paragraphs were great- they were quirky and fun. :) I'm a huge fan of Regina Speckor and I think it's rediculous how more people don't know who she is. This is a very nice review with lots of voice and spark. Love it!

mtigges said...
on Dec. 1 2011 at 12:12 pm

Unfortunately, I'm not able to rate below one star.  I'm as big a fan of Regina Spekter as anyone, but this article is pure hyperbolic drivel.

She is not a "genius".  She just writes quirky high quality pop tunes.  Give it a rest with silly tripe like "did it hurt when you fell from heaven".