Occasionally, a musical group makes an album that music lovers think is going to skyrocket the group and the group members to superstardom. When that happens, it’s always disappointing when the group ends up turning out a one-hit-wonder. That’s precisely what happened with the rock group 4 Non Blondes. When the group released their “Bigger, Better, Faster, and More!” album, it spent a whopping 59 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. The album’s second single was “What’s Up,” and it became an instant hit in 1993 and is still a classic. Unfortunately, “Bigger, Better, Faster, and More!” ended up being the group’s first and only album, and “What’s Up” was the only hit from the album. The band could have gone on to great things, but lead singer Linda Perry left the group in 1994 after the success of “What’s Up.” This turned out to be the end of the band because the remaining members abandoned the group shortly thereafter.
The 4 Non Blondes were in the middle of recording their second album when Perry decided to leave the group. Perry is an out lesbian, and her sexuality created tensions in the group. It’s insane to think that something like a person’s sexuality can create so much tension that it causes a great rock group to disband, but this was the early 1990s, and some people were still very uncomfortable with homosexuality at that time. Perry also says that she was unhappy with the group’s first album, but she didn’t elaborate as to why. Since going solo, Linda Perry has written songs for some fantastic artists that include Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Pink, Courtney Love, Gwen Stefani, and Kelly Osbourne.
While it’s unfortunate that this great band ended up going bust, we’re grateful for “What’s Up.” It happens to be one of my favorite songs, and I know I’m not alone. In fact, Lady Gaga even covered it at a concert, and her rendition is edgy and stirring. In her performance, the piano starts much slower than the 4 Non Blondes version of “What’s Up,” almost in the style of a ballad. When Lady Gaga starts singing, the audience knows they’re going to hear something incredibly special. I never dreamed anyone could do this song as well as the original artists did it, but Gaga nails it.
Lady Gaga hits all the right notes and makes this amazing song her own. When the drums enter at the chorus, things get intense. In the parts where the 4 Non Blondes go high, Lady Gaga goes guttural, delivering this song in a way like you’ve never heard it before. Listen below.
