Janis Ian - At Seventeen

Janis Ian's 1975 album Between The Lines is her masterpiece, a record that shines ever so brightly in a catalogue full of great music. Of the 11 songs on it, there is of course one that stands firmly above the rest, the single "At Seventeen", a song about teenage angst and insecurity that has probably never been bettered. It hurts to listen to Ian's song about the cruelty of her peers, but as most of us know, it gets better, and the good ones win in the end, somewhat like the song hints at. Besides the insightfulness of the topic, the actual melody is also incredible, a slow bossa nova both intoxicating and soothing. What a piece of art this is!

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