Grace Kelly

Mika's hit from 2007 is an exuberant (and at times petulant) critique of the way the music industry seeks out individuality and talent, then insists on working it over into safely commercial products. (Of course, that he had such success with it suggests that things aren't quite as bad as the song makes out.) But the song also works as a more general statement about everyone's personal stand against the tyranny of our peers' expectations.

The original has a very rangy melody, which carries a considerable variety of vocal characterisation. The arrangement unfolds this onto the four different parts, each taking on certain aspects of the line's mercurial identity. Sharing the melody's vocal demands around does not necessarily make either the characterisation or the ranges easier, however, since it also means that every part is switching between lead and accompanying roles, at times quite quickly. So it needs generous ranges, quick-wittedness and - above all - performative swagger to carry it off.

There is space for the snippets of dialogue from the original track; but whether (and how much) to use it would depend on the performance situation. My own feeling would be that the middle one ('getting angry won't solve anything') works just fine slotted in between the verses, but that the snippets at start and end would need more setting up to make sense to an audience unfamiliar with Mika's recording.

NB - the list price on SMP includes 4 copies of the music