Santi White, a middling pop diva aka Santigold, has found a surefire way to get attention. Her song, “Big Mouth,” takes shots at Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Lindsay Lohan. Seems one would be enough. But White doesn’t want to be missed.
The singer has gone through several incarnations, including a name change from Santogold. She slipped under the radar after the release of her self-named debut album in 2008, except for tours opening for M.I.A. and Bjork.
She was also featured on tracks by N.A.S.A. (“The Spirit of Apollo”) and the Beastie Boys (“Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2”).
But her sophomore album Master Of My Make-Believe is due this spring, and she wants to make sure it’s heard. She collaborates with TV On The Radio’s David Sitek and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner.
“Big Mouth” picks up where older tracks like “Creator” left off, with intense syncopations, a relentless hook behind Santigold’s aggressive, confrontational delivery, and distinct world music flavor, according to Billboard.
The video, which mixes animation with live footage, takes Santigold over land, sea and into space. Lady Gaga surfaces first as a hideous mermaid. It’s an obvious shot at her mermaid act, which drew criticism for aping ’80s star Bette Middler.
An animated Lohan rears her ugly head with her trademark plumped lips and ubiquitous cigarette. Her boobs sport some serious flesh-eating dentures. Blue-haired Perry rolls into view right after in a take-off of her famous bare-butt photo.
The song has a distinct dance beat and much of the new album will as well. But Santigold told Billboard she will also include some lush ballads with heavily layered sounds, “like the way some old Kate Bush or Peter Gabriel songs were.”
Check out the video below. It’s a wild ride.