The Music and Planet Project

Todd and Karen deliver a charming and folksy baroque pop sound in their latest single “Bougie Suzie”. Evoking certain periods of The Beatles, the duo combine tongue in cheek lyrical rhymes, bouncy strolling beats, and meandering, catchy chord progressions in the creation of their enjoyable sound.

Lyrically, the songwriters present the listener with an image-laden landscape, full of characters and the objects they use to define themselves, from electric cars to fake eyelashes. Through observations of the main character Bougie Suzie along with her condescending act of “looking down on the people of the town”, her “annoyant rage” and her “Tesla friends”, the band paint a vivid picture of this vexing persona and the self-important world she inhabits. Meanwhile, the songwriters position themselves as the outsiders, looking in on the scene with eyes and ears attuned to the social dynamics at play surrounding this person who they hope will one day slow down a little bit. Their annoyance with this arrogant character grows as the song progresses and reaches a point where they plead her to one day “just let people be”. The observer and observed dynamic defines the song and is reminiscent for this writer of the first album of the Arctic Monkeys (Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not), who tell tales of the various characters of their town and the streets and bars they inhabit. Though Todd and Karen are musically very different from the Arctic Monkeys, they take on a similar disposition lyrically here.

We all know a Bougie Suzie (or two or three), and Todd and Karen use their unique folksy sound and clever lyrical imagery here to conjure that feeling of encountering someone who is just a little too concerned with themselves. Bravo to the band for bringing together their musical influences and witty wordplay in the creation of this relatable scene.