oops, you're a stalker

When I realized somewhere in the weeks between Christmas and Super Bowl XLII, that I had been voting online vigilantly each day for my favorite Youtube video, the only thing that seemed appropriate was to keep it to myself. Who was I kidding - wasn't I too old, too serious, for this fangirl thing? What does this behavior say about me?

That was a little over 2 years ago when 10 top finalists, narrowed to 3, competed to air their music video during a 60-second Super Bowl ad spot, courtesy of Doritos. Imagine the glamour, the instant exposure that would come of winning such a contest and its prize of a record contract. Well, expectations are funny, aren't they? You can wiki or google Kina Grannis these days and get all the chronological details of how she campaigned and won, and how she later took a leap of faith and parted ways with Interscope Records.


Or, you can take a listen to Stairwells, the singer's independently produced painstaking effort, global release on February 23, 2010. As I write these comments, she is (I hope) taking a break to stretch, or else suffer writers cramp from autographing batches of pre-ordered CDs. If you want to know her story, listen to "The Goldfish Song" and experience the music recording industry from the perspective of a goldfish put out to sea. You'll hear a little doubt in her verse, then in a moment she reflects on the conflict of her decision. By the end, confidence emerges and she declares "This matter is mine... I'm not going to give it up."

The girl has integrity. I've learned that following her journey this far. My opinion of Kina and her music is far from those first 2 weeks of voting. I thought I shouldn't really like her much. She's far too pretty and sings songs with hearts in them - more than one, actually. And what is that, like perfect pitch? Not qualities that ordinarily draw me. Yet who would find it possible to resist?

I hesitate to let Kina know some of my reflections on her music. I think it's an unfair burden to go to the writer of a lyric and demand, how did you know, how did you write my song?! Well, she probably didn't. She wrote her own song. True enough for anyone who feels the guilt of disappointing others, then listens to "Delicate." I listened to her moving song, yet to be titled, and it's haunting refrain (also its working title) "when everything falls away from me..." And still, I wanted to ask her how my thoughts became her words?

There are no prerequisites for enjoying this CD. If an enchanting melody and gorgeous vocals are what you seek, they're in there. "Valentine," "Back to Us" and "Stars Falling Down" are so filled with the eternal optimism of love that I embarrass myself singing their lyrics. "Strong Enough" and "World In Front of Me" act like bookends holding together the chronicle of her quest to finish this body of work.

Well, she did it: crossed another finish line, only to find another race is ahead. Tour, tour, tour, Kina! I will see you in Portland at your next sold-out show.