Monsieur Ivylander and I were cruising down the Seine in his bateau-mouche last weekend, and, as we listened to Liz Brady’s 1966 classic Partie de Dames, he commented that there was “not a whiff of kittenishness” about it. How easy it was for that quality to become a singer’s default position.
I confessed that I found it all too easy to succumb to the lure of kittenishness and to prove that, here is a thread in its honour. Your favourite slinky, sensual, kittenish tracks please.
Along with all those petite, chic, jazz chanteuses from La Rive Gauche, I’d be very interested to hear tracks from countries and genres where kittenishness is less expected. Can one be Icelandic or Bulgarian and be fabulously feline? Are there cat-like crooners in reggae or folk music?
To kick off here is Quadron from Denmark, featuring the Lovely Coco O. A beguiling lass who should ensure that all the toms here stop their cat-nap and sit up and take notice.
The quintessence of kittenismo?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJkxFhFRFDA
Or perhaps that’s Alizee?
I think most connoisseurs would agree that that was not the correct Alizee video. Bubble baths! Goldfish!
The bubblebath song is indeed the definitive Alizee. But it’s been posted a few times and I would not want the dear girl to be seen as a one fish wonder here on the AW.
One fish wonder?
Lace.
Sade is something of a sultry feline.
Ooops! Nothing kittenish about Paul Smith!
Laguid, sophisticated, cosmopolitan: Eartha Kitt is the kittenish archetype.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsPon0V1nyQ
So OTT, she’s almost a parody of herself.
Instrumentalists can also belong here.
Mysterious, mischievous and sensual and very popular among the geysers. Hildur Gudnadottir from Iceland.
Natalia Lafourcade from Mexico with a gem of a song Lo que construimos.
Any excuse to post the wonderful, constantly experimental Juana Molina from Argentina.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_2uVz1nMBQ
Ivylander is quite right. A soupcon of kittenishness goes a very long way.
Eartha’s probably the only one who can get away with having it as her default position.
No worries. I’ll just go on posting a few feline chanteuses who rock my cat basket.
Like these two great Brazilian singers who died far too yong.
Clara Nunes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a7-1QTLaLI
Elis Regina
It is Saturday.Let’s treat ourselves to a second helping of Elis.
No shortage of kittens in EDM.
Kittenish? Teach Me Tiger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwlWobbia6k
Tiger cubs? Excellent,
The perfect cue for a song about a lioness.
Ms Gadu and Mr Veloso are never wrong in my book either.
Caetano has been singing that wonderful song for almost 40 years and not surprisingly, he does it with assurance.
Here’s a far more low-key, tentative, sensual (dare I say kittenish?) version from a lady called Priscilla Ahn. And all the better for it too. I intend to now give her back catalogue a listen.
Kittens don’t get legless.
But they can become too tipsy for a tryst.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hapufz1NFkY
Two fine singers who I will happily post at the drop of a cat.
Simone White – getting all ambient and techno. Not typical, but it suits her.
Nellie McKay – doing a Country Joe McDonald cover. From her latest album of covers, My Weekly Reader.
A song about a soggy moggy? I’ll have that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69bcTk0K2Rs
A no-holds-barred Latin torch song.
My monomaniac obsession with feline singers is taking me down some strange alleyways.
Now in Tokyo to listen to Japanese soul singer(!), ACO, who released an album called Kittenish Love. A sort of geisha Sade?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L28TyZ8xPZY
Japanese rap anyone?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QcPwRdnYYs