What is this godforsaken pop song stuck in my head?

February 13, 2013 4:52 AM

Female vocalist similar to Stefani; mellow tune, but with fast, pluck-y strings; a descending "Oh-oh-oh-oh." Do you know this song?

So I heard this pop song at a party the other night, and it's been stuck in my head ever since. This is a shot in the dark, but it's driving me crazy.

I've heard it before, and recently, so it must be at least somewhat current - but it hasn't received heavy airplay. It has a female singer who reminded me of Gwen Stefani, but less whiny and melodramatic. It's fairly mellow and doesn't have heavy beat, but may have fast, pluck-y strings in it - and something about the melody vaguely reminded me of the beginning of "Amber" by 311.

The hook is the female vocalist singing a quick, descending "Oh-oh-oh-oh" every once in a while.

I wish to god I had something less vague to tell you. Any ideas?

posted by sarling to Media & Arts (15 answers total)

Can you sing it? If you can, try 'sound hound' app.
posted by typewriter at 5:08 AM on February 13, 2013

Marina and the Diamonds' Mowgli's Road has an "oh oh oh" hook and fits some of your description.
posted by cincinnatus c at 5:11 AM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Definitely not Marina and the Diamonds, and that video is going to give me nightmares. :-)
posted by sarling at 5:16 AM on February 13, 2013

My Favourite Game by the Cardigans?
posted by Meg_Murry at 5:38 AM on February 13, 2013

Martin Solveig's Hello, with Martina from Dragonette? It definitely has "plucky" instrumentation, Martina has the type of voice you're describing, and the chorus goes "Hello, oh-oh-oh-oh" with descending notes. This was pretty unescapable on mainstream radio around New York a while back, though.
posted by bcwinters at 6:16 AM on February 13, 2013

It's not "1,2,3,4" by Feist, is it? I have a hard time imagining you'd forget to mention the counting part, but maybe?
posted by Rock Steady at 6:26 AM on February 13, 2013

You're not thinking of Gloria Estefan's Falling In Love (Uh-Oh), are you? It's old, but it's got a mellow tune, plucky strings, a female singer doing a sort of a descending Oh oh oh oh, and it's one hell of an earworm.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 6:49 AM on February 13, 2013

Long shot, but is it Basia Bulat's In the Night?
posted by Johnny Assay at 6:58 AM on February 13, 2013

Could it be Closer by Tegan and Sara? It's the lead single from their new album, so it should be getting airplay a lot right now, it's damn catchy and has the oh-oh-oh. (I know you didn't mention two vocalists but more than a few people I know who didn't know T&S as a band didn't realise there were two vocalists.)
posted by halcyonday at 7:47 AM on February 13, 2013

It's more "eh eh eh" than "oh oh oh," and perhaps this is too obvious re: Gwen Stefani... but could it be Settle Down, the new single by No Doubt?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb_zZ3xItPI
posted by lewedswiver at 8:20 AM on February 13, 2013

Best answer: Hmm - Disparate Youth, by Santigold?
posted by vetala at 8:55 AM on February 13, 2013

Regina Spektor's Fidelity ?
posted by JamesD at 9:13 AM on February 13, 2013

Its not that 4 non blondes thing, right?
posted by grateful at 9:29 AM on February 13, 2013

Sara Bareilles - King of Anything?
posted by Cue the Strings at 9:36 AM on February 13, 2013

Response by poster: DISPARATE YOUTH BY SANTIGOLD FOR THE WIN!!! THANK YOU! But you know, a lot of these other songs are new to me, and some of them totally meet the description I gave... so I think I'm going to make them into a playlist. Thank you all :-)
posted by sarling at 1:06 PM on February 13, 2013 [1 favorite]