Rachel Sage’s new single is a solid track, taken from the soundtrack of the new version of eighties dance school classic ‘Fame’. As you listen to the lyrics of loss, longing, uncertainty and struggle, a rags to riches montage began to play in your head. You can just picture it; Coco is an aspiring dance student from the wrong side of the tracks, but with a heart of gold (perhaps with an alcoholic father). She just wants to learn to dance so freakin’ much! Cue montage: the rain is pouring down on a New York street, her wet grocery bags split open, then cut to Coco dancing in a dusty warehouse, she falls and her old and worn dance shoes split open and she has to tape them up. Maybe she cries a little. Then what’s this in the post? Why it’s an entrance letter to Fame. Hang on a minute, now she’s dancing on her way to work (at Mr Podadopolous’ Pizza Parlour), now she’s having fun again! She strokes a dog and dances a little with Mrs Bernstein from the apartment below on her way down the stairs (who has an old pair of dance shoes she can borrow). Will the other dancers think she’s too poor to dance? And will Tico the cute half-Cuban street dancer even notice her? The song is polished and well produced, with a nice piano lead and a rich bit of ‘wacca wacca’ guitar. But really, it’s a little contrived and for teenage girls to sing along to as they practice in their bedrooms for next year’s X-factor auditions.
