All I Want For Summer Is Ice-Cream

Words by Kiran Gupta

The name MIKA has been slightly forgotten on the Australian music scene. The British singer-songwriter burst onto the scene with the lively “Grace Kelly” twelve years ago, with a debut album that went double platinum in Australia and that sold 7.8 million copies worldwide following suit. Although he has developed somewhat of a cult following in some Australian musical theatre circles, he has mainly plied his trade in France and Italy, singing to sold-out stadiums and taking his place as a judge on The Voice and The X Factor in each of the respective countries. He has returned with a brand new single of a soon to be released album which is certainly worth the wait.

“Ice Cream” is your stereotypical summer anthem in so many ways. The lyrical content seems to describe a normal summer day longing for ice cream, at least on the surface. MIKA’s songs are known for often sexualising lyrical content (the seemingly innocent song ‘Lollipop’ is another example) and this song is no different. MIKA notes that he often defies taboos and stereotypes in his songs and believes that overall creativity (in this case sexualisation) is often good for music. He describes the song as a “daydream fantasy” and indeed the chorus lines of “lying in the sun,” “melting on my tongue” and “all I want is more” back this up. Lyrically, it’s certainly a bold song but in a sense, that is its charm.

Musically, the song takes a few directions. The comparisons to Prince’s “Cream” cannot be ignored and the influences the song takes from this give the whole piece a much more suave, laid back vibe which is ultimately quite refreshing. Even outside of this, there is a distinct 70s and 80s vibe to the song which parallels the direction that many singers such as Adam Lambert are taking in rediscovering the music of yesteryear. This is a great thing for listeners as it creates so much more depth in the music industry than some of the homogeneity we have become slightly accustomed to.

So, as for MIKA, this is a fantastic song and a promising pre-cursor to his upcoming album. Hopefully, the album brings him back into the spotlight as this song shows he certainly commands it.