Spin̈al Tap bassist Derek Smalls is back with his first new song in five years: “Must Crush Barbie.”
Nope — Smalls isn’t buying Barbie mania following the release of the blockbuster film this summer. Smalls called it the “embodiment of lukewarm water,” and in his press release, the new song is described as an “excoriating attack on the pink sensation” and a “much-needed antidote to the ubiquitous pinkness that has spilled out of movie theatres this summer and onto the high streets with wall-to-wall media coverage.”
“Must Crush Barbie” is indeed a cantankerous takedown of the Mattel fashion doll brand and the subsequent film. Based around a guitar riff that sounds vaguely like the old Batman television theme, Smalls bellows into the mic such phrases as “wasted film and ink” and “too much pink,” making his point in as few words as possible. The classic Spin̈al Tap sound is alive and well.
The track is also a welcome music-industry comeback for Smalls following a less-than-successful venture into the volatile market of cryptocurrency.
“Been spending the last year or so as Brand Ambassador for BruegelCoin, the Dutch cryptocurrency,” Smalls stated in the press release for his new song. “Since it was cratering this past spring, I was following the news more than usual, which is where I got bombarded by all the Barbie BS. I don’t know which angered me more, but it’s really hard to write a song about crypto. But the overwhelming shroud of pinkness definitely deserved a major pricking. And that’s where I came in.”
The press release contains no news of whether the single will precede another studio album by Smalls; his first solo effort featured a star-studded cast of guests such as Donald Fagan, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Taylor Hawkins, and more.
For now, you can stream “Must Crush Barbie” below.
“Must Crush Barbie” Artwork:
