The spirit of rock and roll might not be the same as the spirit of youth but they coincide too often for it to be a coincide. What they have in common is high energy and a sort of overwhelming good humor: they make you smile before you can help yourself, you can’t be a part of it and in a bad mood. At least you can’t be in a bad mood watching Infinities.
Infinities are two thirteen year old schoolgirls from Scotland who use dubsmash (an easy editing software) to explode onto your screen: a DIY aesthetic finds the kids jumping and kicking up their feet in their kitchen while lip-synching to a mix of everything from Shaggy to their French lessons, they dance, take on roles, flick their wrists, roleplay, switch roles and genders, and never stop moving except to discuss shaving their eyebrows.
Miriam is my Great-Niece and, speaking of infinities, one of my favorite people ever. It might be surprising a middle aged man who spends his life listening to music and might well be a perpetual adolescent, would get on so well with a thirteen year old he never gets to see, but Miriam, besides sharing a similar sense of humor, is an exceedingly sweet girl and tougher than you’d expect (with two older sisters and a Mommy to be reckoned with -though a pushover of a Daddy, I guess she has to be). Miriam treats me with kid gloves and she always maintains contact. Her friend of two years, and the other half of Infinities, is Hannah. A sweet looking kid with wild hair and wide eyes, light to Miriam’s dark, and a perfect match in goofiness.
From the very beginning of their “With Friends” video, they grab you, Miriam bobbing in and out of frame from the bottom in synch with Hannah from the side to Taylor Swift’s “Trouble”. It is funny and eye catching like they’re auditioning for the Muppets (especially given the goat substituting for the synch squeal)and also thought out -there is nothing random here (I’ve seen an earlier mix where something they deemed inappropriate was edited out in the final version). You feel secure you’re not having your time wasted and are happy to be lead into 84 seconds of high octane fun. It’s a grabber and it segues into “The Ebola Song”, a Sponge Bob interlude, and, personal best, “Lollipop”. The attention doesn’t flag and the fun doesn’t stop not even with the wrist movement and absolutely not with the super clever reprise of “Lollipop”. Dressed in their school uniforms, they are completely adorable.
Sure, I’m prejudiced, but favoritism comes with the job description for critics, and I’m not that prejudice. Infinities is pop art by other means, a well choreographed blast by two youngsters with the spirit of rock and roll inside em whether they know it or not. Their playfulness is just exactly what we want from our entertainment.
Here is what Infinities are lip synching to:
Trouble (goat version) – Taylor Swift
Ebola Song – Rucka Rucka
Sponge Bob “is this the crusty crab”(dialogue)
Lollipop – The Chordettes
Shaved eyebrows (dialogue)
Good Morning To You (Da Birds Are Chirping) – A Town
It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy
Je m’appelle (dialogue)
Flicka Da Wrist – Chedda Da Connect
The Little Einstein Theme Song
Snowman Anthem (Frozen remix)
Here is the video: enjoy