Remember Lupe Fiasco? You'll probably remember his 2007 hit Superstar. If you don't, where the hell were you?!
The Show Goes On is the first single from his new album Lasers and samples Modest Mouse's brilliant 2004 track Float On. Of course it's given a hip-hop makeover and follows on from other recent rap artists creating hybrid hip-hop and rock music such as Tinie Tempah's (annoying) Written in the Stars. Float On is a great anthemic record and The Show Goes On subsumes a similar vibe. It's got a catchy hook, slick production and makes a great pop record, so is in a similar vein to Superstar.
On the other hand, this track wouldn't sound out of place on Kanye's Graduation album (2007) - certainly a compliment, but indicates that it perhaps lacks a certain unique quality. As such, although I'm sure it will see success in the charts, it feels a little stale. I wonder, then, if this anthemic style of hip-hop is more a step backwards than a progression.
3/5
