FEATURE:
Great Danes of Love
ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Robin Goodwin
Kate Bush’s Huge Contemporary and Continuing Influence
_________
I don’t think that enough features…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Guido Harari
have been written about Kate Bush’s influences. You get a few now and then, though most are framed around Stranger Things using Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) last year. I think we have heard enough about that! I will bring in mention of that soon, yet I think that show gets too much credit for popularising Bush’s music to a new generation. I think that it definitely helped reignite some love and awareness of her music, though this appreciation and new attention spreads wider than that one show/song. Even though a lot of artists have since covered Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) – which has not resulted in too much revelation or surprise -, the fact that Bush has been induced into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and her studio albums are being reissued means that this knowledge will expand. Hopefully fans will spread their wings and not stick solely with Hounds of Love (1985). Many young artists are finding Kate Bush’s music and covering her songs. Other are clearly inspired by her. You can hear some of Bush’s sounds and dynamics in their music. Beyond that iconic song and the ‘Kate Bush Effect’, the full breadth and wonder of her music is going to shape a whole new generation of artists coming through. I will nod more to that soon.
First, I want to bring together a couple of fairly recent features where the influence and impact of Kate Bush has been discussed. Last year, this article recognised how Kate Bush has become an idol for Gen Z. Someone having a clear effect on a whole new audience:
“When Kate Bush released Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) in 1985, it became one of her biggest hits. But against all expectations, 37 years on, it is back at the top of the charts, outperforming the latest releases by global stars such as Harry Styles and Bad Bunny. The song owes its surprise success to its appearance on Stranger Things, a 1980s-based sci-fi show on Netflix.
The series has introduced a new generation of young fans to Kate Bush, a British singer who was often criticized by those who misunderstood her work or disliked the fact that it was by a female artist.
“It was kind of sexist. People thought that Kate Bush was insane. People were embarrassed about admitting that they actually liked her and I think that is something, actually, one good thing about feminism nowadays is that she is not a threat at all,” said Icelandic singer Björk in an interview with Far Out.
Indeed, many global stars, including Rosalía, Adele and Lady Gaga, have spoken openly about the important influence Bush has had on their music. The English singer broke all the molds, she smashed expectations and paved the way for a new generation of pioneering female singers. She elevated her music videos into a kind of performance art, reinvented the concert experience and became a cult figure who endured despite her long absences from public life”.
I am glad that there is a lot of talk around Stranger Things. Even if it is given a lot of credit for putting Kate Bush back in the spotlight, it definitely did help get her name to new fans. There was a recent time when many saw Kate Bush as obsolete or a thing of the past. If an artist has not released music for years, they are often dismissed or forgotten about. The Conversation reacted to the success of Kate Bush and Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) after its Stranger Things appearance. It was a moment when her music crossed generations. An enduring artist who enjoyed a new resurgence from a song almost forty years old:
“Keen observers of popular culture will have become aware of the recent inclusion of Kate Bush’s 1985 song Running Up That Hill into the storyline of the widely-watched Netflix show Stranger Things. As a result of this inclusion, Kate Bush’s classic song was catapulted (again) into the mainstream musical scene, experiencing a true resurgence in popularity and ranking highly in download charts around the world.
Kate Bush herself provided a response by issuing a rare message on social media about the whole affair, not only declaring her enthusiasm over Stranger Things, but also her gratitude for its ability to bestow “a new lease of life” upon her now famous song.
As a result of the boost in popularity of Running Up That Hill, there has been great talk of a whole new group of music listeners from the Gen Z demographic “discovering” Kate Bush’s work, and becoming instantly enamoured with it.
An anecdotal look would seem to suggest that, somehow, Kate Bush is reaching greater fame in 2022 than she did during the 1980s, a prolific creative period that many would rank (unkindly) as the peak of her musical journey. And yet, while there is no denying the instant hold that Kate Bush’s music seems to be having on current listeners, there is definitely something strange in suggesting that her fame was only moderate in previous decades.
IN THIS PHOTO: Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine)
A contemporary icon
There is no doubting the fact that Kate Bush’s lyrics speak to a variety of identities and desires. She has been credited as an extremely influential figure by contemporary artists such as Lady Gaga, Tori Amos, and Florence + The Machine.
Unavoidably, there is a lot of nostalgia involved in the constant re-discovery of Kate Bush’s music as well, especially for those fans whose memories are attached to her songs from different moments in time. And yet, there also seems to be something more peculiar at play. Kate Bush’s music has a certain nostalgic feel to it, even if new fans and listeners do not have any actual memories of the past associated with her songs.
There is an intimate sense of longing that is interlaced within the fabric her work: a desire to feel, to experience, and to find oneself, which makes her performances so captivating. It is perhaps this definitive characteristic that maintains Kate Bush’s multi-generational appeal, as her music continues to speak to a multitude of fans across the years”.
IN THIS PHOTO: Caroline Polachek/PHOTO CREDIT: Ian Kenneth Bird
There is no doubt that she is an idol for Gen Z. She has inspired so many artists through the years. St. Vincent covered Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Other, including Björk, have often name-checked Kate Bush. You can see all the other artists through the years who cite Bush an influence or have been affected by her work. I think one of the most interesting developments and aspects is how Kate Bush is going to inspire artists coming through at the moment. Few would have thought that her music would still be influencing artists this many years later! Without releasing new music, she has managed to resonate with a young demographic. I think the appeal extends beyond one song. I am not sure what next year will bring. There is no doubt we will see activity in some form. Whether there is more retrospective or reissues, Kate Bush is going to be talked about and very much present. Artists like Caroline Polachek have been called the Kate Bush for Gen Z. Whilst the media is keen to compare modern artists to Kate Bush, it is clear ‘the original’ is very much relevant and irreplaceable! Even if she hit her peak in the 1980s, her music and lyrics are by no means dated. The fact is that Bush’s music speaks to the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ community. She speaks about understanding and love. Empathetic, deep, hugely original and inspired by film and T.V., these subjects and positives resonate and translate today. So many people gain strength, clarity and understanding from Kate Bush’s music. The music queen engages with fans but is not on social media. That is unlike so many other major artists, which is refreshing and inspiring.
There is a power and constant relevance to Kate Bush’s music that has attracted a young audience. The same is true now as it was in the 1970s and 1990s. This cross-generational appeal remains strong and hugely impressive. Even if it is common for each generation to herald a legacy Rock artist and strong female voice, I think there is something about Kate Bush that will survive and outlive what is expected. Rather than this being a fad or a brief idol who speaks to a young demographic, Bush’s music and influence is impacting in countries that did not pick her up the first time around. There were a lot of articles written about Kate Bush last year following the success of Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). Even if this article does mention that Hounds of Love track, the fact is that Kate Bush self-produced her work – and had this independence -, a sense of strength and defiance against her label at times, songs that discussed human understanding and compromise, the style and wisdom together with the beauty of her words and outlook means she has instantly connected with Gen Z:
“Following the premiere of the fourth season, “Running Up That Hill” became the top-selling and most streamed title in the U.S. according to Variety. This earned Bush her first No.1 single in the U.K. since 1978 and her first top 10 in the U.S. The song has been topping Billboard charts and remains in the top 10 on both iTunes and Spotify. CBS reports that the song has earned Bush over $2.3 million in streaming royalties since Stranger Things premiered.
Bush released a statement on her website expressing her love and amazement for the show that’s set in the 80s, which was when Bush released her fifth studio album Hounds of Love (1985). “The response to ‘Running Up That Hill’ is something that has had its own energy and volition. A direct relationship between the shows and their audience and one that has stood completely outside of the music business. We’ve all been astounded to watch the track explode! Thanks so much to everyone who has supported the song and a really special thank you to the Duffer Brothers for creating something with such heart,” Bush writes.
The independently-produced song heightens nostalgia as synth-driven ballads, big hair and whimesigoth fashion are making a bigger comeback than ever – and it just goes to show that Bush’s music transcends time and microtrends. Bush said that listeners can interpret the song in whatever way they please, but originally it was written as the idea of a man and a woman swapping places with each other to feel things from each other’s perspectives. Listeners can hear this in the lyrics, “And if I could, I’d make a deal with God / And I’d get him to swap our places.” The song’s original title “A Deal With God” was worrisome as it referred to religion, so her label changed it to “Running Up That Hill.” In Bush’s mind, the song will forever be called “A Deal With God.”
Hounds of Love is Bush’s self-produced fifth album that embraced beauty, radical synth exploration and themes of religion, murder and queer subjects. Proven to be a timeless masterpiece, Bush’s vocals manage to range from utterly beautiful to beautifully raw. Her myriad use of folk influences and theatrics create a unique sound as she expertly captures concepts of romance and the duality of life through a darker lens. Hounds of Love evokes a sense of mystery between the balance of light and dark, as well as the balance of beauty and eccentricity. The entire discography is beautifully dramatic and a testament to her deliriously weird aesthetics. Multiple charting musicians such as Björk, St. Vincent and countless others have credited Bush as a major influence in their sounds”.
After a very busy and important years for Kate Bush, her music and legacy, 2024 is going to be a year when there is transition and new evaluation. We will see rising artists cite Kate Bush as an influence. An idea of how her music has impacted young songwriters. The hope is, as it always is, that these new young fans and artists look beyond Hounds of Love. With a more expansive and explorative embrace of her music, that means even more artists will latch onto her brilliance! I feel Kate Bush is one of the most influential artists ever. Something that is not going to change. It is wonderful that we still hear of Kate Bush making an impression on so many people. Further proof that she is…
A queen and icon.