Radiator

A year ago, my mom told me and my sister about how in her high school in the ‘80s, all the “cool kids” would sit on the radiator. Conveniently located at the front of the school, this imaginary throne gave the high school royalty a place where they could flaunt their popularity and let everyone know where they stood on the social food chain. I thought this was an interesting concept–how public displays can radically skew one’s perception of a cohort of people when in reality these “cool kids” are just like us. All “cool kids” grow up and have families and problems of their own. The truth is that when we superficially compare each other, we'll always be left feeling less-than—regardless if we sit on the radiator or not. So I thought I’d write a song as a nod to that experience and the truth that nothing is ever as good as it seems. 

The music video is of found footage from the 1970s featurette “Junior High School” featuring a young Paula Abdul. Footage courtesy of Steve Jacobson, Briana London, Michael Nankin, and David Wechter.

Oh, also “Radiator” is a pop banger and super fun to dance around to in your room :)