Kylie Minogue's song "German Bold Italic," from her 2001 album "Fever," uses the typeface as a metaphor for a passionate and intense romantic relationship. The lyrics describe the feeling of being overwhelmed and consumed by love, comparing it to the visual impact of bold italicized text. The song suggests that this intense love, like the typeface, is striking and unforgettable, even if it might be a bit much at times. It plays with the idea that this love is both desirable and potentially overwhelming, much like the often-overused stylistic choice of bold italic text.
The blog post on abcdinamo.com, entitled "Kylie Minogue song about a typeface," delves into the fascinating, albeit arguably unintentional, connection between the Australian pop icon's 2001 hit single "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and the German Bold Italic typeface. The author meticulously examines the visual presentation of the song title within the music video, specifically noting its distinct stylistic resemblance to the aforementioned typeface. While acknowledging the lack of explicit confirmation from either Kylie Minogue or her design team regarding the conscious use of German Bold Italic, the post posits a compelling case for its influence based on the striking similarities in letterforms. The author meticulously details the distinctive characteristics of the typeface, such as its pronounced, almost exaggerated, slant and the unique shaping of particular characters, particularly the capital 'C' and 'G,' drawing direct parallels to the typography employed in the video. The article further elaborates on the history and prevalence of German Bold Italic, discussing its origins and typical applications, thereby providing a broader context for its potential use in the pop star's visual branding. In essence, the piece presents a detailed visual analysis, arguing for a plausible link between a celebrated pop song's visual identity and a specific, if somewhat obscure, typeface, ultimately leaving the reader to ponder the intriguing possibility of this typographical connection.
Summary of Comments ( 42 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43473358
HN commenters were amused by the Kylie Minogue song "German Bold Italic," with several pointing out the unusual subject matter. Some discussed the song's quality, with opinions ranging from enjoyment to finding it silly. A few wondered about the typeface itself, with one commenter correctly identifying FF DIN as the likely inspiration. Some debated the merits of DIN, while others simply appreciated the unexpected connection between pop music and typography. A couple of users humorously suggested other typeface-inspired song titles. The overall sentiment seemed to be lighthearted appreciation for this quirky piece of pop culture trivia.
The Hacker News post titled "Kylie Minogue song about a typeface" links to an article about a German typeface called Bold Italic. The discussion on Hacker News is brief and doesn't delve deeply into the typeface itself or the Kylie Minogue song it references.
One commenter expresses amusement, simply stating "This made me laugh." Another commenter clarifies that the song isn't actually about the typeface but uses the phrase "bold italic" in its lyrics. They also mention the artist responsible for the typeface design, noting their interest in the choice to name it "Bold Italic" as well.
A third comment shifts the focus slightly, reminiscing about older versions of Microsoft Word that lacked true bold italic formatting for certain fonts, instead artificially emboldening the italicized text. They tie this back to the song, wondering if the lyric might be a reference to this software quirk. However, they ultimately acknowledge this is likely a stretch.
The discussion overall is lighthearted and doesn't offer substantial critique or analysis of the typeface or the song. It primarily focuses on the humorous connection between the two and a brief tangent about older word processing software.