For those of you who don’t remember Fefe Dobson, she was yet another Canadian musical gem. Dobson was relatively big in the mid-2000’s pop rock scene, but, unfortunately, her fame didn’t quite make it past 2010. Fefe’s look was a cross between Rihanna’s Unapologetic Goth thing and Avril Lavigne, who the media often pitted her against. Her music was whiny in the best kind of way and most of her songs were about typical teenage matters like, crushes, breakups, and lost loves. Dobson got a lot of attention at the beginning of her career, because she actually had an awesome voice and a genuine teen angst demeanor. However, when several record labels encouraged her to stray towards mainstream pop-stardom, she resisted, and continued to make her own type of music. At the time of Fefe’s popularity, other young singers like, JoJo and Michelle Branch, reached significant recognition because they succumbed to the interests of their music producers who pushed an acoustic sound on their records. Fefe, on the other hand, refused these requests and continued embracing the hardcore spirit that made her so great.
That being said, Fefe released a song in the beginning of her career that took off, and happened to be one of my jams as a kid. Back in 2004, I remember using my family’s Dell computer to listen to one of Fefe’s hits called, “Don’t Go (Girls and Boys),” a song that I had developed some profound, pubescent connection to. The chorus went something like this:
“Don’t go, Girls and boys, should be together
Don’t go, Girls and boys can rule the world,
Don’t go, Boys and boys should be together,
Don’t go, Girls and girls can rule the world.”
At the time, I remember having a sudden revelation about the statement she was trying to make here. I understood that she was, however subtle, publicly supporting same-sex relationships, and this excited me. This not only further reinforced my love for the song, but it also introduced my 10-year-old self to the idea of music as a political outlet. Okay, perhaps I am giving my younger self way too much credit and perhaps Fefe’s message was not as deliberate as I had hoped. Nonetheless, her lyrics ring true with the sociopolitical power music has proven to possess and musicians should make use of. Fefe Dobson may not be a practicing LGBTQI activist, but the point is, the message is in there, and that matters.
Though her career might have been short-lived, Fefe’s talent is unquestionable, her intentions are honorable, and she thus deserves some recognition for the mark that she made on Generation Y. And it’s her birthday…
Happy Birthday Fefe!
Here’s a link to a song Fefe released in 2013!
