Jingles jangling pop ears

When Soundboard first heard the insidious, summery jingle advertising Subway’s new (and recession-friendly!) deal for $5 footlong subs, we had no choice but to admire its weird pop craftsmanship and go buy a bunch of sandwiches.

But when we discovered that there is an extended dance remix available for download right now on Subway’s website, we were forced to ask uncomfortable questions about the math that makes pop music functional. Are the sandwich-centric lyrics the only thing preventing this from being a respectable indie-pop or blog-house track? The remix sounds like something The-Dream could program while brushing his teeth, but what’s the original lacking in pop musicology?

Since it’s possible for a commercial jingle to do the functional legwork of a more traditional pop tune, are jingles the ultimate expression of pop’s utilitarianism, or its most insipid? The economy of pop music is in the service of conveying emotions quickly and universally, and you’d be hard pressed to find a more universally emotional and identity-establishing act in modern American culture than our consumer choices. Why not cut out the middleman? Of Montreal let an ad agency rewrite one of their songs to mention Outback Steakhouse. What’s the real difference in the way the song itself and the accompanying commercial move you?

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-- August Brown