The 1990s were a bit of a golden age for Canadian divas.
They were many, and they were anything but clones of one another. There was a diva for everyone: Shania Twain if you liked country music, Sarah McLachlan if you liked piano ballads and the word ‘yearning’, Alanis Morissette if you liked being angry, and Celine Dion if you liked everything except music.
These were huge, multi-million selling, festival-headlining, arena-filling, globally famous women who made Canada proud. They opened the door for the next generation of Canadian songstresses: Avril Lavigne, Nelly Furtado, Carly Ray Jepsen.
But let’s not forget about K.D. Lang.
Originally categorized as country before crossing into the adult pop mainstream, Lang’s career is every bit as impressive as the women mentioned above. What’s more, her contributions beyond music make her perhaps even more valuable to Canadian culture.
Consider:
- She won a Grammy in 1993, beating out Dion. This was a year after she came out as lesbian. An openly gay woman winning a Grammy for a heavily sensual song in 1993 was a big deal.
- She is from the heart of the Canadian meat industry, and yet had the courage to spearhead a vegetarian campaign.
- She has performed at two different Olympics, 22 years apart.
- She’s arguably more versatile than her other Canadian diva counterparts- she’s won Grammys in the country, pop, and traditional categories.
- Unlike some pop stars, she rarely outsources songwriting, and has won Juno awards for songwriting and production.
- She is probably the only person in history to appear on all of the following: Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, The Jim Henson Hour, Ellen, Dharma & Greg, and Portlandia.
Now I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of K.D. Lang’s music. I’m more of a Sarah McLachlan type, even Alanis, and secretly, Shania.
But I am compelled to admit that, objectively, K.D. Lang is a legend.
And with all due respect to the other women mentioned above, K.D. is the only one I would trust with a Cole Porter tune.
What makes this a beautiful song:
1. Whereas Avril Lavigne was a pop-rock simulation of counterculture, Lang has always been the real deal. This song, sung from the point of view of a prostitute, was banned for its racy content upon its release in 1930. It’s the perfect Porter for K.D.
2. Whereas Sarah McLachlan’s crooning is usually pillowy-soft, there is an edge to Lang’s crooning, and it works perfectly here.
3. Whereas Celine’s belting has a tendency to feel like a fist directly to your inner ear, Lang’s belting of the word “love” at 4.35 feels like a victorious fist in the air.
Recommended listening activity:
Taking a long sip of Canadian whisky.