SWEET "MERCY" ME

I tried to resist her. Lord knows I tried. But I guess I was fighting a losing battle. I'm talking about Duffy, 24, the hottest female singer to come out of the UK (Wales, to be exact) since Amy Winehouse, to whom she's often compared. Perhaps that is why I tried so hard not to love her. But I just saw the video for "Mercy" (see below), her No. 1 UK and Top 40 U.S. hit, for the second time, and halfway through, I decided that this was one bandwagon onto which I might be ready to jump. I know I'm a little late to the party because the video has been out for, like, ever, but I don't do MTV, so the only time I get to see videos is when I watch them online or when the Sony Channel plays them between programs, which was the case here. Duffy's girl-next-door good looks; her simple but stylish, monochromatic dress; her understated moves on the platform (love that platform); the sexy dancers (particularly the blazing bit toward the end)--without those images the song might never have managed grab a hold of me. Video didn't kill the radio star, as the Buggles sang all those years ago. It just won this one a new fan. Now I'm dying to check out the rest of Rockferry, Duffy's debut CD. Stay tuned.

Duffy: "Mercy"