Some of the best undiscovered music is played during car commercials. Time and time again I find myself Googling the car commercial in question to try to find out the artist and the name of the song that’s still reverberating in my head. I was pleased to find out that the artist featured in the latest Honda Civic commercial was none other than Santigold, who has been in the music game since 2007. I hadn’t heard anything new from her in a while, but it’s exciting to see her getting so much airtime with Honda right now.
Santi White, also known by the stage name Santigold or Santogold, is a Philadelphia native and a graduate of Wesleyan University, where she majored in music and African-American studies. Her stage name was coined by a friend as a nickname for the singer, and the distinctive pseudonym stuck with her when she entered her music career. Santigold cites 80s pop music as her primary influence, and although she acknowledges artist M.I.A. as being very similar to her in terms of musical style and sound, she expresses that, as artists, their influences and backgrounds are very different. Some of Santigold’s influences also include James Brown and Aretha Franklin, as well as reggae and Nigerian music.
Santigold has released two full-length albums: “Santogold” (2008) and “Master of My Make-Believe” (2012). The songs “Songs L.E.S. Artistes” and “Creator” from her 2008 debut album were staples on my iPod playlists in high school for their otherworldly, electronic beats and introspective lyrics. The song I heard on the Honda commercial over Spring Break is “Disparate Youth,” from Santigold’s 2012 album. I love this song for its seemingly island-influenced intro, induced by electric keyboard, followed by bursts of guitar riffs before Santigold launches in with her distinctive vocals.
Santigold describes herself as part of “a new crop of young, multicultural, female acts […] causing a stir on the Internet and in indie-label conference rooms,” and it’s exciting to see this breakout talent continuing to make such a strong impression on the music scene. With the promising reviews of her latest album, there’s no doubt we’ll be hearing more from Santigold. As Xzibit, formerly of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” might say, I’m going to blast “Disparate Youth” from the Honda Civic commercial while I drive in my Honda Civic.