Dear Aubrey O’Day: Girl, I Can’t Understand Why You Wanna Hurt Me With This “Party All The Time” Cover

noah | August 3, 2009 4:00 pm

Former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day was the subject of a Los Angeles Times profile a few months back that discussed her fame online, and how she was a beloved target of gossip bloggers like DListed’s Michael K. Its discussion of her public image online—which has included rumors of bisexuaiity and a Playboy spread—could probably have another chapter added thanks to her just-released cover of Eddie Murphy’s “Party All The Time,” a song that’s only a year younger than she is. Why would O’Day elect to cover a song that’s frequently cited as annoying—No. 7 on VH1’s “50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs Ever,” No. 8 on the late Blender‘s “50 Worst Songs Ever”—as her entrance into the solo-career world? Why would she eviscerate its somewhat jumpy, Rick James-masterminded bass line for some bloodless synth-pounding? Why, too, would she append the Chappelle-ian exclamation “I’m Rick James, bitch” as a coda? (Perhaps to let the audience know whose popping bass line she wasn’t appropriating?) Indeed, this whole thing could be basically designed to keep her name in the ether, in which case, well, congratulations to you, Aubrey. You beat me again. Her version of the tune is streaming at Celebuzz, but feel free to compare it and contrast it with the original, below.

I really wish that there was evidence of Ted Leo’s version out there somewhere. Wonder if he’s still sore at us over the whole New Jersey thing? EXCLUSIVE: Aubrey O’Day Wants You to ‘Party All the Time’ [Celebuzz] Aubrey O’Day the person, or is this just Aubrey O’Day the persona? [LAT] Eddie Murphy / Rick James – Party All The Time [YouTube]