Brandon's Buzz

Flo Rida (with the Bingo Players) — “I Cry” (from Wild Ones) —

In a trend that I can wholeheartedly support — if only because it draws attention to one of the greatest songs in the history of great songs, and that’s always a good thing — it has seemingly become quite trendy to construct upbeat hip-hop tunes around the still-thrilling chorus of Brenda Russell’s unforgettable 1988 classic “Piano in the Dark.” (Literally, I had to grab my own self by the hair the other morning and drag my clicking fingers away from the iTunes music store, where I bought so many such songs that I nearly gave myself carpal tunnel.) Flo is riding a hot hand of late, thanks to his smash collaborations with David Guetta and Sia — not to mention his ravishingly raunchy top 10 crossover hit “Whistle,” the lust-drunk lyrics of which make me blush urry time it pops up in a shuffle — and this irresistible slice of fierce fluff feels like one more triumph in a growing string of same. (In case you missed it, I had an absorbing conversation with Ms. Russell four years ago on Brandon’s Buzz Radio, and during the course of that chat, in what I would place amongst the show’s top ten most fascinating anecdotes, she revealed how “Piano” came to exist in the first place, and how — nonsensically — it almost wasn’t released as a single at all. The privilege of being able to ask Brenda the questions that elicited her stunning story stands as one of the highlights of my life, and if you’re at all a fan of great music, it’s sure to brighten your day.)