by sophie muellerIt all started with an impromptu chat with my pal Mary Wilton. Mary mentioned how Zoë Kravitz, the lead in Hulu’s remake of High Fidelity, works the whole big-headphones-with-wires look. I had yet to watch and wanted to most certainly check it out, if anything for some style inspo. That night with ample free time (a blessing and a curse one could say) I watched the first episode. And then the second. And then I started the third. I was genuinely laughing out loud and had a big smile on my face. This show had me hooked. The sepia filter that hangs over Brooklyn, the pretentious music banter in the record store, and navigating loves lost are the main facets of High Fidelity. It’s no surprise that so many music lovers enjoy watching this show as it is produced by leaders in the music industry, Kravitz and Questlove. As Rob, portrayed by Kravitz, recounts her top five heartbreaks, we start to learn more about her as a person. Some of which is charming (her socially awkward mannerisms, her relationship with her brother and friend Carlos at the bodega, and OF COURSE her ~too cool for you~ style). Despite all this, I think almost every viewer could agree she is an anti-hero for a variety of reasons: her self-absorption, lying to her ex-fiance, brother, and best friends, and how oblivious she is to everyone around her. Rob is, quite frankly, kinda the worst. Yet, this show had me clicking “next episode” every freaking time because I was holding out hope that she would get better, that life would be a little bit more bearable for her, and she wouldn’t end her night smoking alone in her apartment listening to sad songs. Perhaps this is because her story seems like real life adulting unabridged and not just sunshine and rainbows. At one point one of her friends (but maybe boyfriend?) Clyde bluntly tells her “you’re messy, Rob, and I’ve tried so hard to get away from that.” There are some moments I really cannot get out of my head after watching High Fidelity. One of my favorite moments in the show is when either Rob, Simon, or Cherise exclaim “top five GO!” for any category. It could be “me time” songs, artists that reinvented themselves, underdogs, or villains. Some of the most pure and authentic moments in the show come out of these rankings, filled with laughter and friendly debate. Sooo, without further ado, here are my top five moments from High Fidelity in no particular order. The Franki Valli vs. Lauryn Hill “Can’t Take My Eyes off of You” and “Should we sell a Micheal Jackson record?” debateWhen Simon and Cherise get into it regarding the best version of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” (recorded by both The Franki Valli and Lauryn Hill) in the first episode, within the first opening minutes, you know you are in for a whirlwind, especially when Simon pulls the “well at least he showed up on time for his concerts” argument, prompting an outburst from Cherise and continued debate. Another debate appears when a chic woman wants to purchase a Micheal Jackson vinyl as a gift for her boyfriend. The Championship Vinyl team debate the ethics of continuing to sell MJ content after his allegations of sexual assault. This snowballs into a discussion where Simon calls Cherise out for still listening to Kanye after he started sporting a MAGA hat. While this may seem like a minute detail in the show I enjoyed it because it reflected the very real pop culture discussions all music lovers are discussing time and time again. Episode 5Rob and her kinda friend/kinda boyfriend Clyde go on an adventure to Uptown, picking up an authentic vinyl collection from a ritzy artist seeking vengeance on her soon to be ex-husband. This only leads them to hunt the husband down and determine if he is bad enough to justify rolling out of Uptown with his insanely curated vinyl collection. Perhaps the best scene out of this whole fantastic episode is when they meet this mysterious husband at a bar and they get into some music talk. This man is as sexist as they come and turns to talk to Clyde about all things music. Clyde nods his head and tries to direct him to Rob, the REAL music master. Finally, Rob schools him with facts on Paul McCartney record release dates and the two kinda friends/kinda boyfriend-girlfriend leave the bar, laughing, thick as thieves. This joyous conquering of a musical conversation is something all music lovers can genuinely relate to (from both sides) and most importantly, that sweet sensation when you walk away victorious. The Phenomenon of the Secret Playlist and the Cute Guitarist in the BandEveryone’s been there. Making a playlist for a crush is a HUGE ordeal. In episode two, Rob breaks down the unspoken playlist etiquette that every music lover can relate to (no repeating artists, strong opener, strong closer and you cannot shuffle when listening!) and the notions of why playlists are such an effective way of communication (you can say how you feel without ever having to say it). ESPECIALLY the moment where she sends it to her ex with no message attached because the songs say everything. We’ve all been there... only to get distracted by a gorgeous person playing at a concert you attend. I think we could all easily recount a show where we arrived and after the first song had a crush on someone in the band. In High Fidelity though, Rob actually has a reciprocated crush with this guitarist… confessing to us that she had always dreamed about sleeping with a rockstar. CHERISEQuite frankly, Cherise adds a depth and dynamic to High Fidelity that has made this show as enjoyable as it is entertaining. One of the best moments from the show is when Rob finally shows her friend some much needed love and gifts her the baby blue Fender guitar Cherise has been working two jobs to save up for. The show ends with Cherise singing her own song while strumming this guitar and leaves you thinking “why are we just now hearing her sing?” Her budding music career is continuously alluded to leading up to the last episode but I really was not a fan of how Rob used her music aspirations as comedic material until she realized that Cherise was serious about doing the damn thing. Simon shows Cherise some love by helping her market her skills and interests to potential collaborators that come to the store. Cherise is as genuine and loyal as they come, so it was upsetting to me that her story got short circuited big time. This was even more evident when Simon had a whole episode dedicated to his top five heartbreaks. BUT WHY DIDN’T CHERISE GET ONE? At times the show dipped into the tough persona Cherise puts out to the world and her vulnerable moments of self-doubt, sadness, and hope as she embarks into a music career. Long story short, we got robbed of learning more about the lovely and bold Cherise. SIMONOf course, Simon made this list. He finds a way of getting to Rob that no one else ever can and making her have some perspective. His calm demeanor, quiet frustration, and blink-if-you-miss-it anger is palpable across the screen. I loved that we had an episode dedicated to showing us the inside scoop on the life of Simon. Perhaps one of the best moments in the series for Simon, is when his crush from the coffee shop comes to visit him at the record store. His crush sees the extensive cassette collection at Championship Vinyl, leading him to ask Simon if people actually still listen to cassettes. A fair question indeed. Simon, answers yes in the most Simon way, describing them as “weird...and warm.” He then goes on to curate a cassette for his crush at the coffee shop titled, what else, “Weird/Warm.” I think this also goes to show the amount of effort and care Simon puts into any and all types of relationships he has. A limited interaction with the cute barista at the coffee shop prompts an arduous process of curating the best mixtape known to man. Rob’s efforts pale in comparison yet as the protagonist and anti-hero, receives the greater attention as she puts together a Spotify playlist for her ex-fiance.
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