Mary Lambert

Mary Lambert is the shit. Yup. That’s right. I LOVE her. I have a nonsexual crush on this self-proclaimed overweight, bipolar, messy singer-songwriter. Several months ago, I saw her perform at the Electric Factory in Philly. And it didn’t matter when the mike broke or whatever instrument or amplifier her musical accompaniment was using went kaput (true story, both things happened. It was a night of technical malfunctions). But Mary didn’t skip a beat. She rocked the house and my world.

So here are just a few things I love about her, her music and her songs.

1. She doesn’t try to be something she’s not. She’s gay. She’s overweight. She’s bipolar. If you don’t like that, she doesn’t give a crap.

2. She embraces all bodies, shapes and sizes.

3. Her music is inclusive.

4. She makes things funny. Often hysterically funny. I mean, have you heard Secrets lately? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqqqV50zaAc

5. I feel as if, when she sings, she is singing directly to me, and I’m pretty sure everyone else who listens to her stuff feels the exact same way.

6. Her voice is fabulous, her music original, and her lyrics actually mean something.

7. She hasn’t sold out and I am fairly certain she never will.

8. She takes an empowered stance on such limiting issues as depression, bipolarity, social ostracization, body shame, self-mutilation, and emotional imbalance.

9. She’s from Seattle, WA. I’ve never been to Seattle, but the movie Sleepless in Seattle makes it seem like a frigging awesome place to be and another of my favorite artists, Macklemore, is from there as well.

10. I feel like, if she were open to it, she and I could be good friends. Maybe that belief is inherently flawed, but I’m holding onto it until she tells me otherwise.

There are more, I’m sure, but that’s just what I came up with. And now for my top 10 Mary Lambert songs (in no particular order):

1. Body Love 1 and 2 (technically two songs, but I’m counting them as one)

2. Secrets

3. So Far Away

4. Sum of Our Parts

5. When You Sleep

6. She Keeps Me Warm

7. Assembly Line

8. Heart on My Sleeve

9. Jessie’s Girl

10. Sing to Me