Jackie Tohn is a helluva hot kitten. She’s a former American Idol finalist and is currently one of the top seven contestants on BRAVO’s Platinum Hit. However, her singer/songwriter credits exceed far beyond some TV spots. She’s a YouTube star - both as a solo artist and as a member of Powerfox and Ponymane with Jes Hudak (check #3 on my 100 song list). In both 2009 and 2010 she released independent studio albums that have gained some moderate success.
Today’s song that I want to feature is called “What Is Love”, and you can view the official video for it at this link. The song was actually featured on the soundtrack of You Again, the feature film starring Kristen Bell, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis and Betty White. If you’re a KCRW fan, the song plays there as well. All this aside, “What is Love” is just a magical pop song. Tohn is a self-proclaimed “Rock-ness Monster”, and while her voice - and talent - pave the way for her to be an aggressively captivating pop star, she manages to pull back and just sing on this crafty ballad. The song doesn’t indulge itself in glitz or showmanship, and Tohn knows that on a track like this, it’s best to just let the words do the talking. For a summer evening, Tohn’s track is all too perfect. She’s almost too good at putting together pop songs for any mood. If you’re interested in any of her work, I recommend you making a google search on this one!
