Review: 'Let the Canary Sing' Reveals the Life and Work of Rara Avis Cyndi Lauper

The '80s gave rise to popular music's most innovative and ingenious talents. It was a decade of profound stimulation on the music scene, as musical genres embraced the advent of the music video. Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince began to assert their reign by combining images, a certain mystique adding a dash of controversy.

One particular artist was working herself into a frenzy, aspiring to show the world all she had to offer. Cyndi Lauper was uniquely talented from the beginning, and pursued a career doing exactly what every other artist of the time was doing, except that she was working harder – and she had the vocal acumen to stand out. She remains one of the most celebrated artists of her generation, even though many thought she was so unusual.

The documentary feature "Let the Canary Sing," directed by Alison Ellwood and streaming on Paramount+, looks back on Lauper's fruitful career. Although Lauper had been approached many times about chronicling her story, she avoided it. This time felt different: Current events are at an inflection point, and Lauper felt that sharing her life story would provide the catalyst for a much-needed conversation. Cyndi Lauper is many things: Pop icon aside, she's also an activist who has used her voice for more than chart-topping songs.

The documentary examines her early life, growing up in New York City, and the many troubles that she and her siblings faced at home. Her father was abusive, and she and her sister turned to music as a way to escape an unsafe home life. In her adolescence, she joined bands and explored avenues for performing, and wherever she went, Lauper got attention. Even in those early days, Lauper didn't fit the mold, but that didn't keep her from following her dreams. Finally, her paths crossed with the right people, who said: "Let the canary sing!"

The rest is as interesting as you'd imagine it to be. Lauper rode the wave and faced every possible explosive pitfall imagined. The documentary is shrewdly intimate, with commentary from Cyndi's sister and brother, as well as many of her contemporaries in the industry, including Boy George. It reveals the origins of the hit song that defined her, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," and the delicate backstory of its follow-up, "Time After Time," which is considered one of the "best love songs of all time." From the studio to the stage, Lauper is captured in each decade of her musical evolution.

Best of all, the audience is allowed to see her relentless dedication to protecting civil rights for all. Lauper has been an advocate for women's rights and health issues, and an unwavering ally of the LGBTQ+ community. She was on the frontlines of the fight against AIDS, and she supported those afflicted with the disease during the darkest days of the crisis. Today she continues her fight to ensure the protection of marriage equality, just as she lends her celebrity to defending a woman's right to decide what to do with her own body. Where she found the time to write music for the award-winning Broadway show "Kinky Boots" is anyone's guess, but thankfully, the cage door was open...

"Let the Canary Sing" is streaming now on Paramount+