Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 100 Most Dynamic Debut Albums Ever Made, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Click “Next Album” below to explore each album or view the full album index here.
CYNDI LAUPER | She’s So Unusual
Portrait (1983) | Listen Below
Selected by Libby Cudmore
Cyndi Lauper is better than Madonna. Her voice is incredible and passionate, her songs alternate between funky and heart-in-your-hands sincere, her laundry day outfits are probably more incredible than anything Madge and her design team could dream of. "Money Changes Everything" is a brutal truth not often talked about in pop music—that sometimes, a girl has to go where the money is, even if her heart's not there. It's a far cry from the coy bleat of "Material Girl" because it's not a celebration of wealth. It's a curse.
There's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Time After Time," of course, but Lauper really showcases her talents on her cover of Prince's "When U Were Mine," adding another intimate dimension to an already challenging song. And songs like "She Bop," "I'll Kiss You" and "Yeah Yeah" (with the Betty-Boop inspired opener "He's So Unusual") are brazen reclamations of female sexuality, offering demands to be satisfied, either by herself or with a lover.
Cyndi is a goddess, and she'll never let you forget it.
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