Exactly What She Does

Crossover “Extensive Care”

Vanessa Tosti has a perfect voice. Not so much in terms of technical singing ability, but in her tone and inflection – as far as I’m concerned, she’s got the perfect balance of cool, cute, charming, and clever. This vocal tone is the focal point of “Extensive Care,” one of the finest songs of the short-lived electroclash era. Tosti pays tribute to another stylish and unfathomably cool woman to the beat of a bouncy synth track, mostly calling attention to the gulf between how everyone perceives her (“she’s loved downtown for exactly what she does”) and her apparent insecurity (“you should see yourself the way I see you.”) The rest of Tosti’s line nod to the joys of creating a look and persona, and the power that comes from controlling your image and narrative, and standing out from the crowd. Tosti’s own coolness seems effortless, but “effort” is not the right word. There is effort in creating and living up to an aesthetic. What you’re hearing here and what she’s seeing in this other woman is someone who’s put in the work to be fully themselves.

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