Why New York can sing it's the center of world openly, and how other cities do the same thing differently

Praising New York, "a concrete jungle where dreams come true," Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind is a hit beyond the Big Apple. Yesterday in the tight department of Les Galeries Lafayette in Paris, hesitating between white woolen tights and apple green cotton ones, I listened attentively to the lyrics. The structure is catchy - an emotional chorus, concise and pleasing beats and builds that are hard to stay cold to. In addition to this steady recipe for success, Mr.J sings about the endless golden possibilities nyc offer whoever you started out to be (himself included) through a variety analogies including the Virgin Mary, Eve and Jesus, sports teams, neighborhoods, the World Trade Center, diversity in music, Robert De Niro and Bob Marley. A glorified rehashing of the american dream.

As I paid attention to the video and words, I wondered how other cities had been sung about by its own. I looked into the cities I've lived in - Paris, London and Montreal - and this is the palmares I came up with: 

For Paris, Teki Latex who embodies the Parisians' love to hate themselves and hence inability to sing about Paris in any other way than by using ambiguous irony; the Montrealers, Malajube, who with a DIY creative approach dilute their love for a provincial town into an endearing glass roof effect situation seen from within a fridge; and Blur for London - because even without a video - their sounds captures the terrible wit with which Londonders talk about the grayness of a city most would never want to leave because it's the only place where museums are free, beers are cheeper than water and Indian food better than in India.

Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys for Empire State of Mind (2010):

Teki Latex feat. Lio for Les Matins de Paris (2007):


Malajube for Montréal -40 (2006):


Blur for London Love (1994):