The ex-Beatle still manages to enthrall and surprise audiences with his new album, Egypt Station, and snags the top spot on the Billboard 100 List on the way.
Artist: Paul McCartney
Album: Egypt Station
Genre: Rock
Rating: 7.3
McCartney’s painting, Egypt Station, is both the cover and namesake of his new number one album. PHOTO: Creative Commons
Languid, long and lamenting, Egypt Station by Paul McCartney (named after a painting he has done) has debuted as number one on the Billboard Artist 100 chart. McCartney’s latest solo rock endeavour, released on 7 September 2018, is his first number one album in over 36 years.
It is difficult to image that a 76-year-old could strike a note that resonates with both old and young alike, but such has been the trademark of the musician’s lyrics, which manage to engage both the mundane and profound.
Music writer for The Playground, Arnold van der Walt (27), comments on why he believes the former Beatle has remained so relevant throughout the years.
“Paul is impressive. I think the whole reason behind why people are still so taken with The Beatles’ legacy is because they changed the face of music,” he said.
“It might have something to do with nostalgia for when music was created in a different space and advertised in a different way than it currently is. Now it’s all fast paced. Everyone is a producer, everyone is a rapper and look at all the ‘Lils’ you have – there are about 400 just on Spotify alone.”
Paul McCartney (76) gained fame as the bass guitarist and singer for the popular ’60s rock band, The Beatles. The above image forms the front page of Philip Norman’s biography on the Liverpool native. PHOTO: Creative Commons
In his 25th solo album, McCartney switches between strains reminiscent of The Beatles’ heyday and more melancholic verses that suggest the artist’s cognisance of the sunset of his career.
In ‘I Don’t Know’, McCartney sings, “I got crows at my window, dogs at my door
I don’t think I can take any more,” in a candid display of sincerity uncharacteristic of the performer who is at his best, a quick wit and at his worst, drawn to controversy and deeply evasive.
McCartney’s voice is as iconic and familiar as ever. He comfortably eases listeners from one refrain to the next and most songs are routed in piano-heavy melodies that have been laced with catchy hooks and sunny tambourines.
Gabriela Werner (25), music compiler for MFM, speaks of McCartney’s latest success.
“Nobody has the ability to preempt the success of anybody in the world of music. Had you asked me last year this time if Paul McCartney’s album would have been a success, I probably would have said yes, just because of the kind of artist that he is,” she said.
The past 15 years have seen McCartney on a song-writing role. Egypt Station plays like a languid, rolling train ride, interspersed with ambient railway station noise. Its colourful cover is only matched by McCartney’s cheeky lyrics – proving his talent has not faded over the years. PHOTO: Kyra Tarr
The last time McCartney featured on the Billboards was with Rihanna and Kanye West in their joint single, ‘FourFiveSeconds’ (2015). In an unexpected twist, McCartney returned to his roots in Egypt Station with a frank, spontaneous submersion into his former style of songwriting that brandishes a modern sheen.
Brent Naudé (26) is in the process of becoming a chartered accountant and has been a Beatles fan for as long as he can remember.
“When people listen to him they get a sense of nostalgia from the sound of his voice.”
Architecture student, Michael Allain (24), speaks of McCartney’s commitment to marketing through popular media.
“He’s been very busy on Instagram and he even did a carpool karaoke to get the word out there. People have been obsessed.”
WATCH: Carpool Karaoke with Sir Paul McCartney
Danie Marais, author and renowned arts journalist, is less impressed by Egypt Station, but says he understands the popularity it holds with fans.
“As Leonard Cohen said in one of his final interviews: ‘The Beatles were never essential to me.’ A new McCartney album never really excites me; the latest one does, however, sound fresh and nostalgic at the same time, which is a difficult thing to pull off. So, I get that McCartney and Beatles fans love it.”
Werner continues to be impressed by McCartney’s cross-generational appeal.
“He’s bridged the generational gap. He’s smart to still be making music because he’s got my grandparent’s generation, my parent’s generation and millennials buying into his music. I think that is both tactful and from a creative perspective, just genius.”
From love songs like ‘Fuh You’, political protests such as ‘People Want Peace’ and laid back road trip rock like ‘Who Cares’, Egypt Station is the ideal album to reminisce on. Whilst it is easy-listening, the hellcat tempo will elevate your heartbeat and have you remembering just what Beatlemania was all about.
Werner believes the album’s success has gone beyond the music.
“The current generation of millennials – we love a good throwback – the hipster lifestyle and doing things and wearing things that our parents did; it’s all of a sudden cool again. Whether he knows that he’s capitalising on that market or not, it’s working for him.
“They were trendsetters when it came to music. They were way before their time. Not only in the music they created, but in their thinking and their approach to how listeners and fans were going to consume their music,” she said.
Love him or hate him, McCartney has nothing left to prove.
“Being in the audience actually looks like quite a lot of fun.” – Paul McCartney