The resurgence in popularity of this Song of the Week selection pleases me on so many levels. For people my age, who were there the first time around and continue to love all of Kate Bush's work, it's a kick to watch how new generations have fallen in love with her thanks to Stranger Things and become new fans. It's so funny when they claim to have discovered her. Sure, TikTokkers. You, the best generation, are the first. Those of us known as Boomers and Gen X appreciate the LOLz for days. Welcome to the club anyway.
From the Stranger Things debut, Mancub and I bonded over the series and eagerly anticipate binge watching each new season. Those actors have sure grown and so has my young viewing partner. Thanks to moives and shows on Netflix and other streaming sites, and what he sees on Youtube and TikTok, he has a new appreciation of 'classic' music. We're both amused that songs I listened to when I wasn't much older than he is now are popular with him and his friends. It's especially cool when he realizes some of them have the longevity of three and four generations of fans.
This year Stranger Things added a new level of fan torture by splitting Season Four into two parts. Somehow that plan had escaped my notice so, after waiting patiently for almost three years and finally enjoying each episode, it was a bit of an abrupt shock to find out we'd have to wait until July 1st to see the second half. Oh, what delicious torture! As we excitedly talked over each new reveal in the plot, dissected tiny details and gamed out theories of where things were possibly going, in the way only fanatics can do, we giggled and gave props to Netflix for the well played decision...until we realized he would be with his dad the week the second half would be released. Though both a little bummed at that, we made a pact to wait the extra week after it was released until we were back at his mom's again to watch it together. The little boy who had roped me into letting him watch the sci-fi fantasy hit would officially be a teenager by then.
Having come from the Before Times, when we had to wait a week for each new episode of our favourite shows on cable and endure the summer hiatus, I remember how much it sucked. He is of the generation that's always had instant streaming available so he had no concept of that entertainment agony. It sort of surprised me that he kept to our bargain because even (supposedly) mature Moi, who understands delayed gratification, could barely stop myself from watching it that first week of July. But as we prepared our snacks, blankets and put on the seriously comfy clothes to finally settle in and enjoy whatever the Duffer Brothers, cast and crew had in store for us, I watched for signs he knew what was going to happen, but there were none. The boy has honour.
We stayed up insanely late and watched the whole thing in one sitting, thoroughly enjoying the second part as much as anticipated, and our theories have expanded into the sublimely ridiculous. We're bigger fans than ever. Once again back in patiently waiting for the next season mode, we now we have a Spotify playlist we both enjoy that instantly calls back our shared love of, and experiences watching, our strange thing. I'll include the link after the video of Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush -- Song of the Week 16OCT22.
Stranger Things Spotify Playlist