Laurie Anderson has made an awe-inspiring mountain of music across her 40-year career as an experimental, trailblazing artist. You can attach multiple creative practices to her name, but her most well-known song—thanks to radio play from famed BBC DJ John Peel and an unexpected gen-z resurgence that landed her on the TikTok Billboard Top 50—is “O Superman.”
If you scroll, you’ve heard the sample of Anderson’s track; she modulates her voice to an eerie, disembodied being, flatly singing: “Well you don’t know me / but I know you.” She’s questioning justice, safety, power, and technology, but while “O Superman” conceptually floats somewhere in outer space, much of Anderson’s catalog is grounded, warm, and passionate.
Later this month, Anderson is set to perform in town as part of her Let X=X tour and alongside the NYC jazz ensemble Sexmob. The show is set to be a multimedia performance, showcasing her multi-hyphenate status while breathing new life into her extensive catalog.
If you’re new to Anderson, or just looking for a refresh, join us on this crash course primer of songs to add to your queue that aren’t “O Superman.”