Now that the fever is settling, it is time to write about Kate Bush. I was dumbfounded when Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) hit the charts last month. It was due to its appearance in Stranger Things. I’ve been watching the TV series since season 1. I thought the current season was relatively slow in the first few episodes but soon built up. And what do you know? The finale was an absolute banger. So, anyway, talking about Kate Bush, I was having a blast. Running Up That Hill happens to be a favorite song. I heard it back in the 90s when it was part of a compilation. I was already familiar with Bush back in the 80s when I was a kid. I watched the music video of her Wuthering Heights repeatedly. But, she never really became mainstream in this country. We’re more into Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet-you know, the slick boys that rock. Female singers that hit mainstream sing love songs. There’s no place for the quirky and pioneers like Kate Bush to hit the mainstream charts. But I now know that there were already local people who were fans. However, they belong to those with access to these things.
Now you have to understand that I am writing this retrospectively and in a child’s eyes. Because back in the 80s, I was still a child. I grew up in the 90s and discovered alternative rock. But I felt her echo in artists like Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, and many more. I read her name in magazines cited as an influence. So that makes her a pioneer.
After getting a digital copy of Hounds of Love(the only way then), I was entranced with the music. Then I started getting into other albums like Never Forever, Lionheart, The Kick Inside, and many more.
With the internet, everyone on this side of the world can now access her music. Be it via YouTube and later on streaming services. So yes, she continued to be influential and on the radar. But it wasn’t until the introduction of her song on Stranger Things that she got into the global mainstream psyche. Suddenly people started to get into her music. They started listening to her discography. Suddenly, listening to Kate Bush is what the cool crowd does. It makes me realize this thing too. That an artist, you need to create at least one fantastic song to stand the test of time. Call it your magnum opus. Like what she did with Running Up That Hill, the song introduced the new generation to her discography. So yes, kingdoms come and go, and nations rise and fall. Names shine for decades, but some do hit obscurity sooner or later. Kate Bidh has taught us that when the ego takes a backseat, and the creation comes from that particular place inside you, it will bear fruit one day. Kate Bush never tried to be a rock star or a pop diva. She was a consummate artist. Pure art can stand the test of time.