Single Review: Different Kind of Girl Feat. Aung Zin

Street Georges’ front man maestro Richard Beckmannflay brings us his third single Different Kind of Girl, another lockdown song hot off the press following on from previous 2020 lockdown project which was fittingly entitled Last Lockdown.

My initial reaction brought back memories of 70’s funk band Parliament.
“Perhaps it’s in the bassline,” chirps Richard in that dry Rich Beckmannflay style 
A very different song from his earlier work, his signature falsetto vibrato’s still heavily apparent (which are as iconic as his trademark jandals, seen wearing in the release image!)

This single screams of political nuance, pointing specifically at 3 ‘cultural’ regimes existing across our world (presented as ‘girls’ purely for this message’s sake), taking the piss out of 2 of our well connected ones (Britain and Hollywood) as build-up to the song’s true statement,

“The song is intended as a gift to the people of Myanmar to let them know their struggle for democracy is not unnoticed despite everything going on in the world stage of Covid.”

Burmese rapper Aung Zin, who co-collaborated from currently locked down Singapore, brings a gritty reality that we in comfortable ‘lock-up’ societies like Aotearoa can only superficially relate to. The contrasting styles of these 2 collaborators is extremely obvious; tongue-in-cheek intertwined with hard hitting fact!
“No need to discuss, your head be cut”
Richard pays honest tribute to people he has been privileged to share ‘wairua’ with, as he lends his voice to their struggle.

There is a special yin-yang coherence, highlighted as Mister Beckmannflay shares with me his musical journey, one that identifies in his opening Te Reo statement of his maiden song Running Free, that comes to roost for a time here in Different Kind of Girl. It is a sentiment that some things need a platform to be heard.
And in this tune, he trumpets it full volume!

A song with a simple melodic line, contrasted by thought provoking lyrics, and a real punch in the face message!

“Can you find me …
the kind of girl …
that upside downs my world …
A different kind of girl”

Click here to listen and give it a spin!