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haknew · 3 years

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anon asked: I HAVE SONG RECS :DDD I tried not to do songs that you would have obviously heard before but a lot of the songs here are still popular but I couldn’t help but add them 😭

AHHHH thank you so so so so much for all the recommendations anon ! your taste is absolutely impeccable !!! i think i vibed with a lot of these maybe we are a bit similar ^~^ and no worries about your picks ! i totally support you and your incredible music taste no need to defend yourself :p ! popular songs can still be good ones ! thank you again and i tried ... to ... get through them all i’m so sorry JHGFDJHGDK you’ll see i get through like ... half and then ran out of energy T^T i’ll probably get back to this list some other time when i have free time and update with thoughts ! thank you for sending so many in ! i found so many new songs to add to my playlist heh thank you lovely !

Pop

cherry by rina sawayama - super cute ! i love these kinds of pop songs it’s right up my alley :o !

xs by rina sawayama - her voice is so well suited for this style ! i watched the mv and djkfhskgrjf HHH idk she gives me mitski vibes even tho their music is pretty different, you have peaked my interest i’ll definitely look into more of her stuff :o !

comme de garçons by rina sawayama - the bass line T^T !!! the talk-y (?) parts are so good i got chills, it’s like a rave song low key haha :p ! it’s so good !

Any song by Rina Sawayama 😭 - yes yes i’ll try to look more into her stuff !

Kpop

123 by nct dream - i’m only an honorary guest of ncity but one of my irls ults them ! and dream’s music has always been a bit more my speed :o ! this has more nostalgic kpop vibes to it ! i said this before but i really am more a pop person at heart and this is so good ^~^

Up to you by pretty much and nct dream (HAECHANS PART HHHHH) - oooh are you a haechan stan 0v0 i like jaemin tho i admit my knowledge of dream is limited (my fren ults renjun heh) also yes yes consent is very important kids u.u dskjghkdfj YOU’RE RIGHT THO haechan is a singer he SINGS, i love the vocal harmonies !

Oasis by crush ft zico - those electric keyboard synths (?) amazing ! this song bops u.u

Moon by everglow - !!! i actually have heard this a lot before ^~^ i got so excited when i saw this bc it’s so good ! it’s definitely one of my fav everglow songs too i think i overplayed it a lot when it first came out *v*

Woowoo by dia - i love the ocean wave sounds ! that’s so cool i love how summery it is ! it kind of reminds me of loona too ! ggs are just >>> i love the fun and brighter pop songs so much 🥺

Secret garden by Oh My Girl - i’ve heard a few songs by omg ! and i really like a handful of them, secret garden kinda gives me early gfriend songs vibes too ! it’s so pretty ! i really love when songs utilize strings in their instrumentals too ! it’s a bit slower paced too which is really nice ^~^

Page by got7 - YEEEES okie actually maybe unpopular opinion but spinning top is one of my fav got7 albums ! i used to listen to the whole mini on repeat ! i actually used to ult got7 too for a few months heh ^^ BUT YEEES i love page ! got7 always have bangers love them so much

Nekkoya by produce 48 - AHHHHH ANOTHER SONG I LOVE !!! i’m actually a wizone haha :p so i’ve seen produce 48 ! tho admittedly it probably contributes to my burning h*tred for mn*t and any survival shows ;;;; but i loved the title song so much ! i used to unironically play it on repeat djghskfj

Puzzle moon by gwsn - AHHHH YOUR TASTE !!! i also followed gwsn from debut and puzzle moon is so so so cute ! it’s such a bop too ! they have such fun and catchy songs !

Goblin by sulli - ahhh the xylophone chimes ! they make the song sound a bit haunting before the piano comes in ;;;; it really reflects the mv story so well i think ;;; and sulli’s voice is so beautiful ;;;; it’s got that characteristic background vocal harmonies that sm artists usually do and it’s just really beautiful !

What are you up to by kang daniel - today on can you tell jess is unfortunately a bg stan daniel’s songs have been so good :,)) i stopped following all the wanna ones closely after a while but ! he always surprises me ! his songs are such vibes u.u

Best day ever by yeri and nct dream - the TRUMPETS YEEES it’s so upbeat and fun !!! the cheering is so cute i love it !

Hair in the air by yeri and nct dream - JAEMINNNNN !!!! I LOVE YERI SO MUCH PLEASE ! i love the vocal harmonies between her and the boys 🥺 it’s so cute T^T ! renjun’s a singer HE SINGS

119 by nct dream - ah yes this is ncity brand u.u LOL they always have really filled chorus instrumentals and use a lot of vocals to fill up the space which i think is really cool and something i think immediately screams sm artist :0 ! i think renjun’s voice really sells this for me tho HIS VOICE IS AMAZING him and haechan yeees it’s a banger tho :,)

Save me save you by wjsn - i love wjsn’s music so much ! it sounds so magic and ethereal and totally bops ! their voices are so beautiful too and work together so well and i think this song’s style really suits all the members’ voices so well too !

Loonatic by loona - YEEEEES loona are my ult gg ! and oec is probably my fav unit in terms of music ! i have spent many a day playing their whole discography ! haha :3

Up by izone - MY GIRLS ! yes yes up is so cute ! i love it so much ! the choreo is so cute too ! i love izone please ;;;;

N/s by stray kids - oh boy okie ;;;; i’m like not a good judge of a lot of hip hop / more rap heavy songs ;;;; bc i was classically trained as a singer in choir ;-; so i’m sorry i do not have much to say about this one ;;;; it slaps tho ! i probably wouldn’t listen to it normally if you hadn’t recommended it tho so ! good to listen to smth outside of my normal preferences

Sunshine by straykids - OH very very different from the last skz song KJHGKFJHKD yea this is probably more my speed i’m so sorry LOL T-T it’s so good tho :o ! i don’t listen to a lot of skz bc i figured i wouldn’t be able to vibe with them but this one is so good i really like it ! skz and ateez man i’ve been trying to stan for ages but music is a big part of why i stan /stan/ certain groups more seriously and it’s also why i’m only honorary nctzen lol clearly i have been enlightened (literally *looks at my past ult groups* yeaaaa)

Blueprint by stray kids - YEEES IT’S SO UPBEAT ! i love upbeat and brighter songs (i am consistent like this T-T) it’s got summery tropical vibes to it too ! it’s so cute !

Question by stray kids - another banger yeeeees ! i vibe with the lyrics too u.u love that

Any mixtape by stray kids (but I really love 1 and 4) - oooh i still have a lot to get through so i’ll save these for my own time haha ^^

I’m your girl by khan

Revolution by Alexa

Secret by wjsn

I wanna be by key and soyeon

Handle it by twice

Teenager by got7

Take by jus2 (CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH)

Bump bump by woodz

Stylish by loona - this is one of my fav loona b sides yeeees !!!! love them so much !

Outta my head by somi

Jpop

showersnow by orbit

show off by orbit

crazy love by orbit

any orbit song ngl 😭

poison girl by nanaka suwa

lost umbrella (I like the tsukishima kei version cause it sounds like lee know :DDD)

Notice by moe shop

Kawaki wo ameku (domestic girlfriend opening)

The day by porno graffiti (my hero academia opening 1)

Odd future by uverworld (my hero academia opening 4)

Again by yui (full metal alchemist brotherhood opening 1)

More English music

Luxury by azalea banks (Ive heard she’s said some terrible things tho 😭 WHY DOES IT SLAP)

Hurricane by Bridget Mendler (I miss this song and ready or not too 😭)

Little dark age by mgmt

I got a couple one direction recs bear with me here 💀

Happily, Magic, AM, 18, Tell Me a Lie, Through The Dark, Wolves, Night Changes, Better Than Words

Hip-hop/rnb

Leaked by lil tjay

Pretty little fears by 6lack and j cole

Water by joe gifted

The London by young thug

Bands by shoreline mafia

Swervin by a boogie wit a hoodie

Father stretch my hands pt 1 by Kanye west

More English music (indila is French)

Northern lights by kennie

I am not a robot by marina

Tourner dans le vide by indila

Parle a ta tete by indila

Greek tragedy by the wombats

Viva la vida by Coldplay (SHHHHH DONT ROAST ME)

La da dee by Cody Simpson (SHH IT MAKES ME HAPPY 😭)

Move your body by loving caliber and anders lystell (this ones good to make u feel like an early 2010’s movie protagonist :D)

Mariposa by Peach tree rascals

Sunflower by post Malone and swae lee (like many songs on here it’s popular but I still wanna put it here cause they make me happy 😭)

I got really carried away sorry I hope you haven’t heard too many of these 😭😭 OKAY BYEEE ❤️

#anon #jess.replies #not tbz #jess.text #ask games #shared songs hour #oh god i am so so sorry anon i swear i'll get to all the others on my own time T-T #i just underestimated all the asks i was going to get with recs and i can feel my energy fading #''faded in my last song~~~'''#i know i said i'd get around to all of them but it's nearing two am djgdkjfhg I'M SO SORRY #i'll come back to this list and update it with thoughts if i have time :o !#so what have we learned today kids ... jess does not have taste whatsoever #also also that ggs >>>>>>#i'm sorry to all my stay friends <///3 truly i have no taste u.u

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tmtica · 3 years

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LOSER LIKE ME, aka jordan joins the new directions

so essentially this is mostly for fun but also a reference point for my glee au that I only write with like 3 people in but I’m pretty much married to at this point. I’ve organized the majority of this playlist in order of what jordan tackles in the glee club for the weekly assignments + the in-between numbers she folds into her repertoire for fun / for assignments that we never saw in the show but could easily exist.

SEASON 2

episode 1, audition: mustang sally, wilson pickett

I know roderick auditions with the same song in season 6 but here at traumantic productions I do whatever I want and I want jordan to pull off an unexpected audition song that secures her place among the underdogs within new directions, thank you.

episode 2, britney/brittany: what u see (is what u get), britney spears

it’s one of jordan’s favorite britney songs and speaks to how she’s determined to stay true to who she is no matter what peoples’ perceptions of her is (even though she’s still young and finding herself)

episode 4, duets: you really got me, the kinks/cherry bomb, the runaways

pre-determined mash-up for the breadstix dinner for two duet competition with @nostlgic‘s john bender; it’s like pulling teeth at first but eventually the two end up seeing eye to eye and pull off a performance with jordan rocking the electric guitar and channeling her inner joan jett; they don’t win but they do a damn good job regardless.

episode 7, the substitute: crushcrushcrush, paramore

holly holiday said the glee kids can do whatever the hell they want and jordan wants to do more pop punk. also, any excuse to bust out the guitar is a good one.

episode 8, furt: stand by me, ben e. king

one of jordan’s favorite love songs and one she pulls out for carol and burt’s wedding.

episode 12, silly love songs: take a chance on me, abba

jordan (and this totally isn’t me projecting) really wanted to tackle abba for the “sing love songs for valentine’s week” assignment, so what?

episode 15, sexy: froot, marina and the diamonds

I know this song came out in 2015 and the episode aired in 2011 but this would be the least terrible infraction the show has ever had with continuity, also it’s a banger of a song, also I already know the staging goes from jordan starting out singing in the choir room for the assignment and by the chorus shifts to her singing in the auditorium in full old hollywood glam, as it should be. I’m a genius, thank you.

episode 17, a night of neglect: kiss me fool, fefe dobson

I fell down a rabbit hole of music I listened to in middle school and fefe dobson is severely underappreciated and neglected as an artist, and kiss me fool is the perfect combo of soulful and rock that captures jordan’s taste in music. she’ll shred through the hecklers..... until sue unplugs her amp/the mic/something to that effect.

episode 19, rumours: the chain, fleetwood mac

I picked a song off the album that wasn’t covered in the episode since it has to be rumors-specific but hey...... this actually works really well.

episode 20, prom queen: i want you to want me, letters from cleo; DONTTRUSTME, 3OH!3

jordan performs two songs (possibly more) for the prom; i want you to want me is a duet with @nostlgic‘s john bender once again, and she pulls out DONTTRUSTME because it’s a great party song.

SEASON 3

episode 1, the purple piano project: trouble, p!nk

jordan wanted to do more p!nk and figured this would be a good recruitment song for the glee club, to showcase the different music they do

episode 3, asian f: fame, irene cara

her audition song for the musical; she’s going for anita and rightfully gets stomped out of the running by santana (I will never stop simping for santana) but she enjoys being one of the shark girls all the same.

episode 7, i kissed a girl: nineteen, tegan and sara

it’s the gayest song I could think of that would be in jordan’s wheelhouse. I’m doing this for the lesbians.

episode 10, yes/no: your song, elton john

I know ryder covers this later but once again I do not care. it’s another favorite love song of jordan’s and one she would present to mr. schue for his proposal to emma.

episode 11, michael: the way you make me feel, michael jackson

michael jackson tribute week? she’s bringing the energy, the vocals, and the dance moves, as she should. also she’s ready to kill sebastian but that’s beside the point.

episode 12, the spanish teacher: como la flor, selena

yes I am biased but also how the fuck can you do a week dedicated to latin artists and not cover the queen of tejano? enter: jordan. everyone say thank you.

episode 13, heart: fall to pieces, avril lavigne

love song themed episodes = more favorite love songs from jordan, this one being a more alternative/pop punk one. who doesn’t love old school avril?

episode 16, saturday night glee-ver: she works hard for the money, donna summer

this isn’t on the saturday night fever album but donna summer is the queen of disco in jordan’s opinion and she, like me, does what she wants.

episode 19, prom-asaurus: heart of glass, blondie; tell it to my heart, taylor dayne

I might change this/add more but jordan went through an 80s mood that month and just felt like the two above would be solid for prom (and she’s right!).

episode 22, goodbye: don’t you (forget about me), the simple minds

yes this was covered in later seasons but I do not care it’s iconic and she’s gonna sing this to the seniors come hell or high water.

SEASON 4

episode 2, britney 2.0: what it’s like to be me, britney spears

another empowering britney song for britney week, take two. pretty much same deal as before.

episode 7, dynamic duets: SOS, ABBA; you don’t mess around with jim, jim cocre

this episode was superhero themed with the duets and I think both songs fit the theme and are also in jordan’s reach; she probably picks ABBA but that could change.

episode 11, sadie hawkins: still into you, paramore

once again this is specific to @nostlgic‘s john bender but in general...... such a good love song. I guarantee you if you sing this at your crush they will instantly fall in love with you.

episode 12, naked: maneater, nelly furtado

truthfully I can’t remember why I thought this would fit into the episode theme but once again, I do what I want and so does jordan.

episode 13, diva: if i could turn back time, cher

I realize that the network probably couldn’t afford the royalties to cover cher’s music but is that gonna stop me from proclaiming that jordan does exactly that during diva week? of course not.

episode 14, i do: everywhere, michelle branch

this doesn’t fit the rest of the episode so this is probably gonna change but hey, michelle branch is underrated and I’m doing everyone a favor here.

episode 16, feud: 1, 2 step, ciara ft. missy elliot/disturbia, rihanna

ciara and rihanna had a very brief feud that mostly happened on twitter and was resolved with little drama but since the episode is about doing music/mashups incorporating two artists with beef, this works. and it’ll fucking slap.

episode 17, guilty pleasures: before he cheats, carrie underwood

did you know jordan actually really loves country music? well, now you do.

episode 19, sweet dreams: sweet dreams, eurythmics

the assignment was about dreams and jordan decided to slack off that week with the music. she still pulls it off. will schuester is probably still a dick.

episode 20, lights out: edge of seventeen, stevie nicks

power goes out at mckinley and the glee club is challenged to perform music stripped down and acoustic; could you imagine how hard an acoustic version of edge of seventeen would be? you’re welcome.

episode 21, wonder-ful: sir duke, stevie wonder

it’s a stevie wonder tribute episode and you best believe jordan’s doing his best (my opinion) song

SEASON 5

episode 1, love, love, love: it won’t be long, the beatles

beatles tribute episode 1/2; it’s a song they didn’t cover and one she could handle. also it’s just a good song.

episode 2, tina in the sky with diamonds: can’t buy me love, the beatles

same as above, performed at prom, most likely with help from fellow glee-clubbers. she might even don a suit for the performance. she’s absolutely playing guitar.

episode 7, puppet master: since u been gone, kelly clarkson

from what I remember, the glee club is just going through ideas of what they could do for a setlist for their next competition and jordan would prepare this banger for consideration

episode 9, frienemies: cruel summer, bananarama

I honestly can’t remember this episode beyond the rachel/santana stuff but it’s a good song, let her do it

episode 10, trio: follow me, uncle kracker

see previous

episode 12, 100: how will i know, whitney houston

the aforementioned song was such a good cover in glee and one of the new directions performances jordan would absolutely want to revisit.

episode 14, new new york: dancing in the street, martha reeves & the vandellas

I just think this number would be fun to see with jordan exploring the city with her friends in NYC and with literal dancing in the street (because that totally happens in new york without motorists getting pissed)

#TBT.#i spent a stupid amount of time on this tonight #but hey! i had fun!

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taste-in-music · 4 years

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My Other Favorite Songs of 2019

This is a list for all of my favorite songs of the year that aren’t on my album of EP of the year list. (Read my top albums and EPs of the year lists if you want some context.) However, songs from albums that were on my rapid-fire review list are fare game. That’s enough preamble, this list is in no particular order (except, of course, for the final song.)

Listen along to the complete mix of all these songs HERE. Let’s talk about some great music!

affection by BETWEEN FRIENDS: This was my favorite song off of BETWEEN FRIENDS’s debut EP from this year, we just need some time together. This is the perfect swoony, dreamy pop song that was my relaxing Summer jam. I love the way the melody on the hook is ushered in with a churning bass in the pre-chorus and washes over me with each listen.

trevi fountain by Leo Kalyan: Leo Kalyan is one of my favorite, (and most underrated) dream pop artists, always able to capture a sense of otherwordly bliss in his music. If there was one word I had to use to describe this song, it would be romantic. This song feels purely, dizzyingly, head-over-heels in love, and it was on repeat for me all throughout Valentine’s Day.

Numb by Baker Grace: One of the most instantly catchy songs of the year. Chopped-up vocals don’t always work for me, but here they combine with the punchy production in such a way that they contribute to the “over-it” attitude of the song. God, what a bop.

Clumsy Love by Thelma Plum: This melancholy love song traipsed its way right into my heart as soon as I heard it. The light tambourines, bubbly guitar, and upbeat melody give this song a sunny feel that contrasts nicely with Thelma Plum’s heartbroken lyrics and delivery.

Love You For A Long Time by Maggie Rogers: If more people used that reverb-layered-vocal-chorus-of-angels effect in their music, then I would like that very much, because so far Miss Maggie Rogers has used it twice, (on this and “Retrograde”) and it has made those songs some of my favorites from her. This sweet, upbeat track was a surprising single after the album, and I swear I listened to it on a loop for a week straight. I’m going to love this song for a long time.

Karma by MARINA: This is probably my favorite song off of Love + Fear, or at least it was the song that I returned to the most as the year went on. The icy backing vocals and Spanish guitars give the track a cool and refreshing feel. MARINA’s performance is, as always, gorgeous, her rich vocals skating over the frosty soundscape with grace and a hint of sarcasm.

Gone by Charli XCX ft. Christine and the Queens: One word: BOP. I seriously considered ending the write-up there, but I’ll also mention that Charli and Chris have amazing vocal chemistry, the lyrics about being socially awkward are seriously relatable, and the bass is sick. Also, Chris’s lines in French? Iconic. Even the instrumental breakdown at the end has grown on me.

Death By A Thousand Cuts by Taylor Swift: This ended up being my favorite song off Lover, (with “Cruel Summer” taking a close second.) I am obsessed with the sparkly production, (my boy Jack Antanoff, once again, went antanOFF,) especially those flitting, echo-y vocal samples that start the track out and the glittering keys that dance under the verses. Along with that, Swift’s writing is sharp, recounting a breakup in a specific yet relatable way.

make up by Ariana Grande: This was the first non-single off of thank u, next that I really loved. I think it’s due to the fun, cheeky energy. The beat perfectly balances tense plucked bass, chimes, and vintage-leaning, pitch-shifted backing vocals, I especially love those “hey-hey-hey”s that pepper the chorus. This is a great song to get ready for a party to.

Don’t Say by Robinson: I didn’t realize how much I missed Robinson until she came back with this immaculate synthpop banger of a breakup song. The upbeat production on this make it fun and danceable, but Robinson’s delivery makes it a fireball of emotion as well. She’s supposedly dropping a new EP soon, and I can’t wait.

Live Forever by Nasty Cherry: Nasty Cherry were one of the most fascinating bands to emerge this year, backed by Charli XCX and a Netflix docuseries. Now I don’t care about all that so long as the music was good, and you know what? They’ve got some damn good songs, and I’m a sucker for all-women bands. This song edged out the band’s debut single “Win” for the list. The harmonies on the chorus, bright guitars, and all-around nostalgic feel of this song made this an instant pop-rock jam in my book.

Blinding Lights by The Weeknd: I’ve always found The Weeknd’s music to be most engaging when it sounds like he’s having fun, like in “Can’t Feel My Face.” This song is an absolute jam, with an instrumental that sounds like it was ripped right from the 80′s, (but it literally was though, it samples “Take on Me” by a-ha,”) and one of the most instantly likable choruses I’ve heard in a while.

Playing Games by Anna Of The North: This is just a total jam that I couldn’t stop playing at the end of the Summer. I love the light guitars on the verses and the smooth, relaxed-yet-upbeat feel. It’s probably my favorite song off of Dream Girl.

Sanctuary by Joji: Joji’s music has always been hit or miss for me, but this song is definitely a hit. The dreamy, spacey atmosphere built up by the spacious synths and Joji’s laid-back delivery instantly puts me at ease.

Soaked by BENEE: The song that introduced me to BENEE also ended up being my favorite from her. The jaunty, casual feel of this song make it the ultimate laid-back indie pop tune. Both of BENEE’s EPs from this year, FIRE ON MARZZ and STELLA & STEVE are quirky listens that are worth your time.

The King by Conan Gray: 2019 saw Conan Gray taking his lyricism into a more heartbroken and sarcastic direction, which was an interested evolution to witness. Out of all the singles that Conan Gray dropped throughout the course of the year, this one is my favorite. I love the way the chorus rushes through me with every new listen, Conan’s delivery is so dang breezy.

Twist by Dizzy: I swear Dizzy have nostalgic melancholy perfected into a science. This song has one of my favorite choruses of the year, featuring lyrics that are heart-twisting (ha, but no really,) and a gentle yet earnest delivery from frontwoman Katie Munshaw. Whenever I hear this I feel sad in a reflective, smiling-with-a-single-tear-rolling-down-my-cheek kind of way.

Joyride by SONIA: I came across this on a Spotify New Music Friday one week and clicked on it just for kicks and it has been one of my favorite finds of the year. SONIA has one of those smoky, sensual voices that I can’t help but love, and her performance paired with the yearning lyrics make for a song that is sorrowful yet romantic at the same time.

You Sexy Thing by Zella Day: And the award for comeback of the year goes to Zella Day, whose music I fell in love with back in 2016 and have been patiently awaiting for new content from since. She hinted at dropping new music last December, and boy was this worth the wait. This cover of the 1975 release by Hot Chocolate is retro, playful, and, what else? Sexy. I hope to hear more from Ms. Day in the near future, but until then, I will have this, Kicker, and the Man On The Moon/Hunnie Pie single on a continuous loop.

Red by Lucy Daydream: I found this song in my Spotify Discovery Weekly back in April, and what a fun find it was. This song is a relaxing indie pop bop with inexplicable replay value. I loved this so much that I even checked out Lucy Daydream’s album from this year, Awake & Dreaming, and while the rest of the album didn’t quite match this song in my opinion, I still thought it was a nice listen. I’m definitely keeping Lucy Daydream on my radar going into the future.

What About Love by BANKS: As I mentioned on my Rapid-Fire Reviews list, I wasn’t all that into III. However, there were some songs on it that I really latched onto, and this was one of them. This song conveys so much raw emotion, with one of BANKS’s most impassioned performances on the whole album. I love the use of autotune, quivering strings, sparse keys, and fluttering vocal samples to create an isolated yet overwhelming soundscape, (it’s amazing with headphones on.) Also, every lyric in this hits like a gut punch.

Harmony Hall by Vampire Weekend: I thought that I liked this song, but I guess I love this song, because it ended up being my fifth most listened to song of 2019? There’s definitely a reason for that, this song is so instantly likable, with a memorable guitar line, bright pianos, and one of the most anthemic choruses of the year.

Alligator by Of Monsters and Men: What a smash debut single this was, I was hooked from the very first chord. The energy in this song is unmatched, it has a sense of propulsive power that always hypes me up. The thin layers of distortion and reverb over the guitars and Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir’s voice give this song a sense of otherworldly eeriness that I really enjoy.

Blown to Bits by Charly Bliss: This song sounds like the jittery feeling I get after drinking caffeine in the best kind of way, if that makes any kind of sense. The buzzy guitars, vocal layering, and overall electric energy present on this track made it an instant favorite off of Charly Bliss’s album from this year Young Enough. Also the lyrics are weirdly relatable as they recount feelings of uncertainty and nostalgia, and Eva Hendricks delivers them with firepower.

House Of Glass by Cage The Elephant: This is just a banger through and through, and the fact that the opening riff is reminiscent of “Come A Little Closer” doesn’t hurt either. The verses maintain a nice sense of tension, with Matt Schultz delivering the lyrics in a near whisper. But once that chorus kicks in, it’s official, I have no choice but to become a swaggering badass.

still feel by half•alive: This was my first favorite song of the year, (and I know it was technically a single from last year, but the album dropped this year, so I’m counting it,) I remember playing this on a loop all throughout January. And you know what? It hasn’t faded on me in the slightest, this is still a banger through and through. The bass groove, the snaps, that little chime that comes at the end of the prechorus, it makes for one hell of a buildup. And once that chorus hits I have no choice but to groove off into the galaxy.

In the Afternoon by MGMT: Another comeback that made this year amazing! Not only are MGMT back with a new single, but they’re also independent now, which inspired my best pun of the year. This song slams, it’s filled with creepy atmosphere but by the end you’ll be dancing and singing along. Needless to say, I’m hyped to see what they bring into the new year.

My Favorite Fish by Gus Dapperton: The melody on this chorus is so catchy, once you hear it it will not leave your head. I also love the vibe of this song, it’s very relaxed and nonchalant in its delivery. I reckon it’d be a nice song to take a long, sunset walk on the beach to.

Little Trouble by Better Oblivion Community Center: Better Oblivion Community Center, the collaboration project of Phoebe Bridgers and Conor Oberst, put out a lot of great music this year. I was torn between this and “Dylan Thomas” to make the list, but ultimately picked this one because its energy, built up by squealing electric guitars and shuffling drums, is so upbeat, and over the course of the year it never failed to put a smile on my face.

Can’t Buy Happiness by Tash Sultana: Tash Sultana has always been a musician I’ve tended to admire for their talent from afar, never returning to their music all that often. This song, however, broke that pattern with its hypnotically beautiful simplicity. The gentle guitars that open this track blossom into a lush soundscape during each chorus, studded with grandiose synths, light cymbals, and Tash Sultana’s larger-than-life performance.

Fucking Money Man by ROSALÍA: I’m including both songs on this single release because they’re equally brilliant. “Milionària” is a lively, upbeat track that relishes in opulence, peppered with the playful refrain of “fucking money man” and snappy drums. The tone switches right after with the haunting ballad “Dio$ No$ Libre Del Dinero,” which warns of the dangers of greed.

Everybody Loves You by SOAK: The way the narrative on this song unfold as the track progresses is just beautiful. I don’t want to go too in depth, because I feel like it’s someone a person should experience without knowing anything prior. Let’s just say that this was a song I came back to whenever I was feeling emo, and the way it blossoms into brightness always has a way of making me feel better whenever I’m down.

Rylan by The National: So The National have been around for literal decades but I just discovered them this year, loving the song “I’ll Still Destroy You” off of Sleep Well Beast especially. However, I also really enjoyed this song, with its breezy rock sound and melancholy lyrical narrative. The ghostly backing vocals that inhabit the mix send shivers down my spine. Also, the bridge. Just, everything about the bridge.

Summer Girl by HAIM: This breezy, chill tune was perfect for those long, relaxed days in August where the afternoons drag on until 9:00pm. It reminds me of “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed, but a bit jazzier, with the saxophone and the playful “doo doo doo” refrain. I aspire to the levels of cool that HAIM have achieved. I know I’ll never reach it, but I still aspire to it.

cellophane by FKA Twigs: If there was any one quality that I would point to in order to describe why this song is so good, it would be its build in dynamics. This song starts out as sounding so fragile it could shatter at any second, which Twigs’s vocals barely rising above a whisper and backed in gentle murmurs and light pianos. However, as the sharper synths slither in and her voice gets more powerful, the sound builds to a gorgeous and jaw-dropping finale that never loses any of its emotion for a second.

Barefoot In The Park by James Blake ft. ROSALÍA: This song sounds like running through a forest while alien lights flash overhead. The ambiance is romantic and slightly chilling, made up of light marimbas, siren-like vocal samples, and whispering synths. I initially listened to this song because of ROSALÍA, but I ended up loving it so much that I checked out James Blake’s album from this year, Assume Form, too.

Bags by Clairo: Clairo’s debut album Immunity was a beautiful display of emotion and subtlety, and this was my favorite song off of that project. The production here is sweet and sorrowful, with flitting guitars and light drums, and Clairo’s lyrics and performance match perfectly. Everything about this communicates reserved, tender pining, (are y’all sensing a theme on this list?) It makes me go absolutely bananas every time I hear it.

Get Well by Donna Missal: Y’all know I’ll take any chance to talk about my queen Donna Missal. She released two singles this year, this and the excellent R&B slow-burner “You Burned Me,” but I had to pick this one for the list. Not only did this drop on Valentine’s Day, but I love how restrained and delicate this song is, both in its simple production and in Donna’s bordering-on-fragile delivery.

Falling by Harry Styles: This turned out to be my favorite song off of Fine Line. (My rapid-fire review for that album: pretty good, but a bit bland, and I missed the rock edge of Harry’s debut.) Still, this is a stunner if there ever was one. I’m just a sucker for a regretful love song with a bare yet effective instrumental and emotive vocals.

I Lost a Friend by FINNEAS: I’ve spoken multiple times about how I love the way this song builds throughout its runtime. This song starts out with a simple guitar line and slowly adds elements like distortion, flutes, and bass to communicate the emotional intensity in the lyrics. FINNEAS is a fascinating performer and producer, both in his work and with others, and I can’t wait to see what he does in the future.

Seventeen by Sharon Van Etten: This year I’ve been thinking a lot about the future, and one of the ways I would sate my anxieties about uncertainties to come would be through music, (I don’t know if that was apparent from many of my picks on this list.) No song better described the whirlwind of emotions ripping through me than this one. Sharon Van Etten’s take on giving advice to her younger self served as a comforting voice of reason to me throughout the year. Her performance here is assuring yet slightly concerned, nostalgic and yet tinged with regret. This almost sounds like a lost Stevie Nicks song, with a propulsive build of guitars, unrestrained synths dancing throughout the mix, and a chorus that I want to scream out the window of a car speeding down a highway. I absolutely adore it.

I Dare You by The Regrettes: If you aren’t surprised, then I’m not surprised. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned before that this is my song of the year, hands down. If “Seventeen” was the song that articulated all of my anxieties throughout the year, then “I Dare You” was the song that provided a reprieve from them. This song feels timeless, like it could’ve come out during a slew of decades, and yet it sounds modern as well. Every detail of the instrumental seems perfectly designed to form the most catchy and likable song ever created, from the light snares, to the “oohs” in the prechorus, to the colorful guitars. Also, can we talk about how adorable the lyrics are? They perfectly describe the flurry of feeling that come with a crush, from “you’re the one that brings the sun” to “there's a look that you give me, a switch / and my filter melts, and the words just slip.” Not only was this my most-listened to song this year, but I can’t think of a piece of music this year that made me happier every time I returned to it. Also, the music video was just as cute as the song was.

And that’s the list! What were your favorite songs of 2019? Any artists, albums, singles, etc. I should know about? Leave your thoughts and recommendations down below.

#favorites #songs #music #song of the year #song recommendation #not tagging every artist good lorde #taste in music #taste in music 2019 faves

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showerthoughtsreviews · 4 years

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As the year ends, I’ll start a tradition of sharing my 15 favorite projects

As 2019 ends, I’m able to reflect on my top 15 projects delivered this year, and I’ll do it every year from now on. Here they go.

#15 Romance by Camila Cabello

Even considering Camila’s sophomore album had questionable moments, I do think Romance brings something that 2019 was all about: experimenting sounds, blends and conventional approaches. To me, this is a project that might be able to grow as it has a lot of aspects that are pleasing, but as a whole it did lacked cohesion.

#14 Love + Fear by Marina

Love + Fear was Marina’s solo debut, as previously known as Marina and The Diamonds, and to me this project deserves to be included on the top list starting from the state of mind the singer is at this moment. The messages brought here were beautiful and her vocals are simply incredible, and a lot of tracks here end up growing on you a lot than you actually expect them to.

#13 Blood Harmony by Finneas

Finneas opened himself up to us this year with his debut EP and it did seemed like he brought some nostalgia on how good music can be; how mesmerizing lyrics can really be and grab you and also how simple production can still make the most out of a project.

#12 Cuz I Love You by Lizzo

Lizzo’s work this year was, definetly, a breath of freash air in such a good and happy mood. This project can be liked for a lot of different people because of her approach, vocal ability and whole concept of the album. Its uplifting flavor can really grow on you.

#11 III by Banks

Banks really got to take us into such a beautiful journey with III. It is amazing how much it feels she challenges the conventional in music but it still sounds so nostalgic and homely at the same time. This is a very good piece of work.

#10 Charli by Charli XCX

With her self-titled project, Charli XCX brought once again amazing flavour in what comes to the futuristic pop approach, creating very interesting bridges between production and vocals into her tracks. It does seem like a grower as well, and a introduction, per say, to a new way of music making.

#9 K-12 by Melanie Martinez

K-12 secured his belt in this listing not because of its production, even though amazing but lost at times, but yes for the lyrical content on it. Melanie is not the most talented song writer out there, but the amount of messages K-12 transmits to you, so softly directed but not too harshly given to you is the main reason you might fall in love with this project.

#8 Cheap Queen by King Princess

This was one of the best debut albums we got this year. King Princess delivered such a cohesive, amazing and beautiful body of work, full of relatable moments and surprises. This is a very interesting direction for the singer, as its proved already lyrics are excelent and production finds its way of working really good with it.

#7 WWAFAWDWG? by Billie Eilish

Speaking of debuts, Billie really created the hype for her’s, and she didn’t disappointed at all. The challenge of approaches and how these can be blended into artistry were very explored by Billie and mostly sucessfull in my opinion. This project does make you think about what music can really be in upcoming years.

#6 Truth Is by Sabrina Claudio

Truth Is is the most cohesive body of work the singer has presented yet to us. Sabrina Claudio found an amazing way of keeping a concept of an album described from start to finish, without going way too overboard on it.

#5 Turn Off The Light by Kim Petras

Turn Off The Light also secures a belt for how much it challenges musicality itself: this is a halloween themed project, and it is so beautifully arranged that you don’t need to listen to it only in halloween season. Kim braced herself and delivered amazing harmonies, runs and electro-pop sounds, not so predictable as you may think they are.

#4 Lover by Taylor Swift

In 2019 Taylor not only told us she was deeply in love, she invited us to experience it in almost every way possible. Lover brings a lot of nostalgia of how the singer used to approach music before, but also brings new elements that show she is somehow evolving; it’s blending the best of both worlds in a way. Lover is a wild ride of emotions and amazing stories, because Taylor does that in a beautifully divine way.

#3 thank u, next by Ariana Grande

Ariana brought something most of us weren’t fully expecting: incredibly personal and raw body of work. This project shaped a lot the view of music in 2019, as Ariana delivered a very r&b blended with pop sound, but in a fresher way than before, ans also her peak as an artist and as how her artistry really can shape her work.

#2 Madgalene by FKA Twigs

Magdalene is one of 2019′s gems. The way FKA created this world for us to dive in, so full of surprises and unexpected moments but also how deeply we can fall in love with her art with this project; all the constructions are non-conventional, all the approaches are made in order for you to exit wherever you are and enter this beautifully sad world.

#1 Norman F*****g Rockwell by Lana Del Rey

2019 brought Lana’s return in a bomb-like way that no one was really prepared for. Norman F*****g Rockwell comes with such perfect cohesion, lyrics, harmonies, vocal ranges, transitions, and a whole amazing vibe and state of spirit. This is without a doubt an amazing peak and an amazing body of work that is almost untouchable.

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beanieboidavid · 5 years

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I didn’t actually get tagged on this account, but I did get tagged on my main so I’m gonna extend that to here lmao, but anyways! The objective is to spell out your url with song titles-

B- Back It Up by Caro Emerald (oh man this song is literally SO much fun to listen to! me n my friends listened to in nonstop in probably like 10th grade!)

E- Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac (a fun sweet song! I just got back from vacation, and our tour guide used this as a wake-up/pay attention song every day on the coach so now it’s always gonna remind me of europe)

A- American Teen by Khalid (his first album is SO good and like if this song doesn’t get played on skam austin at least once im gonna be so sad..)

N- New Years Day by Taylor Swift (okay... reputation as an album I really appreciate and I understand where she was going... but the songs individually just didn’t stick with me much, except for this song! it literally has my heart! It’s so sweet and fun and lovely)

I- I Believe in Us by Leon (Leon is another underrated singer with an absolutely beautiful voice. This song is one of my all-time favorites)

E- Emotion by Astrid S (another norwegian icon.. this is one of Astrid’s best song in my humble opinion)

B- Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood (ugh! queen of emo revenge country... carrie really has the market cornered on angsty revenge songs)

O- Orange Trees by Marina (ugh! a literal perfect summer bop! I know this song is about greece, but as a floridian I feel that I also have some sort of claim to any song specifically about oranges and other citrus fruits... marina is such an icon and this song is so incredibly fun)

I- I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bun) by Four Tops (a literal classic, a timeless bop, a singalong song for all ages)

D- Don’t Kill My Vibe by Sigrid (my norwegian pop queen,,, this song is so much fun & whenever I wear my Don’t Kill My Vibe shirt I get compliments so like thank u for that sigrid (’: )

A- Alaska by Maggie Rogers (maggie rogers q literally has one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard, and this was her first big song. It’s so gorgeous to listen to.)

V- Valentine by Five Seconds of Summer (this whole album was a lot of fun, but this song is perhaps the most fun!)

I- I’ll Stand By You (Glee Cast Version) (.... if u watched glee you’ll get it.... just thinking of this cover makes me teary-eyed....)

D- Don’t Wanna Fall In Love by Kyle (this is literally one of the best car ride singalong fun songs... me and my friends really go wild when this comes on shuffle)

I’m gonna tag @whatcanisayimgay <3 you always tag me in things but I never have anything to tag you back with, so here’s my chance lmao

#music #my post

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jlf23tumble · 5 years

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I haven't seen one of these go around in a while, so I'm gonna start it myself, goddammit! Here are 10 songs I’m currently obsessively listening to by female artists, all of them on my most recent workout mix (read: they veer into aggressively peppy, and not all of them are new), but I love music recs, so I'm gonna tag some people to get theirs, too. Top 10 ladies only! Dudes get enough praise.

1. “Rockefeller Street,” Getter Jaani. Godddddd, this song is lodged so firmly in my brain that just seeing the title alone fires it back up. The sped-up version is quintessential nightcore, but I like this one's slowed-down Eurovision winner vibe.

2. “Deep,” Julia Michaels. I’m so here for all the swearing, the Bennie plus the Jets/Woman clapback in the chorus, and her lyrics in general.

3. “Bubblegum Bitch,” Marina and The Diamonds. I haven't listened to this album in at least five years, but goddamn, everything on it is so current? What I wouldn't give to turn on the radio and hear this particular song played to death.

4. “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart,” Miley Cyrus. That's right, none of this "feat. Miley Cyrus" bullshit, this is a Miley Cyrus song! The iTunes description says the forthcoming album's gonna be chockful of "sad bangers," and I'll play the shit out of it if her voice is the one delivering 'em.

5. “Rollin'/Did You See,” Dua Lipa. This girl knows her way around a cover!! Hard choices from the Lounge because she’s done so many outstanding ones, but I keep coming back to this (oh oh oh).

6. “Perfect,” Princess Superstar (and Mason, I guess...remixers!). I'm sad that I can't buy "Oh, no, I'm getting my period/shut up, bitch, it ain't that serious" on itunes (she wrote it for a menstrual cup commercial), so I have to settle for what I can get, sigh. I actually love this mix; the original is dated disco, but this is more recently dated disco? Idk, it works.

7. “Thank u, next,” Ariana Grande. There's not a swearing song in this world that I don't adore, but sonic twinkles around swearing? Someone beautifully making the case for lessons learned from fuckboys so that she can move on and love herself above all else? SO MUCH YES.

8. “Drew Barrymore,” SZA. Every single time this comes on my mix, I stop or slow down just to listen to her voice, which is why I tend listen to it at the end of whatever I'm doing, lmao. I can't believe this has been out for a year?? I still feel like I just heard it!

9. “Sucker Punch,” Sigrid. Why are the Swedes SO GOOD AT POP MUSIC???? Everything about this is a bop, but the best part is that the chorus actually IS a sucker punch, I see what you did there!

10. “Crazy,” Kacey Musgraves. I don't think there's a studio version, I just ripped it from a clean live audio, but I love the original and I fucking ADORE her kitschy country take on it.

Okay, I’m gonna tag tag tag, but feel free to do it anyway and tag me back so I can see!! I’m a nosy bitch! @horsegirlharry @newleafover @justlarried @silverfoxlouis @setsailtomorrow @thebiggersue @thewindmakesnicewaves @shark-myths @gloriaandrews @fullonlarrie

#music #lists

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deadcactuswalking · 5 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 10th February 2019

Nothing happened, at all.

Top 10

For its third week, Ariana Grande is at the top spot of the UK Singles Chart with her single “7 rings”, from the recently released thank u, next album – which I personally think was pretty mediocre. Regardless, I don’t see this going anywhere, especially since nothing happened.

“Sweet but Psycho” is staying still, with Ava Max’s song still at number-two.

Similarly at number-three, “Dancing with a Stranger” by Sam Smith and Normani doesn’t move from last week.

Neither does Calvin Harris’ and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s “Giant” for that matter at number-four.

Finally, some movement – up two spots is Mabel’s “Don’t Call Me Up”, at number-five.

This means “Wow.” by Post Malone is down a spot to number-six.

Now, our first new arrival, as Billie Eilish debuts at number-seven with “bury a friend”, becoming her first top 10 hit in the UK, and her second Top 40. We’ll talk more about it later, but I’m impressed by how she’s been able to debut this high; definitely shows that new album will do big numbers.

“Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” by Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus falls down two spaces to number-eight.

At number-nine, up a spot from last week is Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved”

Also down two spaces is Post Malone and Swae Lee’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack cut, “Sunflower”, now at #10, slowly making its way off the charts.

FEATURED SINGLE: “Kids Turned Out Fine” – A$AP Rocky

Now, to interrupt your regularly scheduled programming is Featured Single, the segment where we look at a great song that is getting a single push of some kind but isn’t charting and spread some light on it briefly. Now this song in particular just got a really high-budget music video that combined some of its elements with Rocky’s other song “Changes”, which is all flashy but otherwise kind of unremarkable – but the song itself is great. There’s a catchy, psychedelic guitar sample that starts it all off, showered by scattered vocal samples and seemingly field recordings of playgrounds, before it switches to a slick trap beat that Rocky croons over, before everything slowly gets pitched down and slowed down as he mentions the drugs on his mind as a teenager, who is curious about venturing into substance use without caring about the consequences, and man, does it feel like it. This is psychedelic and confusing, once Rocky starts spitting and the bass actually appears, it just kind of explodes with only distorted guitar to accompany it, before a couple random “Yeah! Yeah!” ad-libs that cut it back to the beat as it was, and the verse continues normally as if nothing happened. Yeah, the album this is from, TESTING, is kind of like that, all of the time. Some of my favourite songs are trippy, chaotic messes, with moments like that random Diddy skit on “Tony Tone” about how he said something while her kids were listening that was vulgar, I suppose, that just cuts the song entirely and the transitions aren’t smooth, it’s just a miniscule interlude that takes place for no reason other than experimentation, and honestly despite lacking substance (Ironically), I love this song (Even though it is just vibe and nothing else, really) and how smooth it is in its controlled chaos, definitely one of the calmer moments on TESTING, but I can never see it being a hit, ever, despite how nothing happened. I think “Brotha Man” with French Montana, Snoop Dogg and Frank Ocean could have a better chance, perhaps “OG Beeper” with BlocBoy JB at a stretch. So let’s just get to the Climbers, Fallers and such.

Climbers

Did I mention nothing happened? This week was so dry and slow that Pinkfong rebounded with “Baby Shark”, up another five spaces to #19. That’s sad. It is alongside Kehlani and Ty Dolla $ign though, as “Nights Like This” is up 10 spaces from last week to #30, which is good because this is a pretty great song from two great artists, one of which I’m pretty sure is also serving 15 years in prison for cocaine possession. Yeah, okay, let’s get to the fallers.

Fallers

Now there’s a couple more here, to an extent. As expected, J. Cole’s “MIDDLE CHILD” is down five spaces to #14 – without a music video I don’t think this is a great lead single, sorry, Cole, I am excited for your next album but this song’s pretty boring. “Lost in the Fire” by Gesaffelstein and the Weeknd is down five spaces to #24, next to former #1 “thank u, next” by Ariana Grande down six spaces to #28 (This will rebound though, the album’s out now), while “18HUNNA” by Headie One and Dave is down nine spaces to #32. That’s it, though.

Dropouts

“Baby” by Clean Bandit, Marina and Luis Fonsi is out from #29 (That’s been kind of a flop overall, I’m just surprised it lasted this long), while other than that, we have “Comfortable” by Yungen and Dappy out from #32, “Think About Us” by Little Mix featuring Ty Dolla $ign out from #34 and 15 years in prison for cocaine possession, “Psych Out!” by AJ Tracey out from #36 (I guess the album didn’t do all too well?), “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes out from #37, and surprisingly due to recent circumstances, “Advice” by Cadet and Deno Driz out from #39. Rest in peace to Cadet – tragic he died so young in a car accident, and just in his prime time to release more material, sucks that his life was cut short at this point in time, and we only have limited music from the guy, he was only 25. On a lighter note:

Returning Entries

Actually, this isn’t a lighter note at all, this song sucks. “Grace” by Lewis Capaldi is back at #40 (Who cares?). Maybe the new arrivals will be better, there’s four of them so there’s got to be something good there.

NEW ARRIVALS

#39 – “i’m so tired...” – LAUV and Troye Sivan

So, uh, LAUV’s back with another song, huh? I thought he’d end up a complete one-hit wonder but I suppose he’s attempting that second hit, and you know what, I’m not complaining, I loved his last one (More on that when I post my best list; it’s concerningly high). Troye Sivan is okay, I guess, none of his stuff except perhaps “My My My!” has really grown on me all too much though. Sigh, what do these boring pop dudes have to say? That they’re sick of love songs? That all these fairy tales are full of it? That if they hear one more stupid love song, they’ll be sick? That they’re at a payphone trying to call home? Yeah, alright, enough playing around. This is LAUV’s first ever Top 40 hit in the UK (Congratulations) and Troye Sivan’s fourth, and is it good? Well, I can agree with the title’s message on the surface, I guess. Not that I’m tired of love songs, I’m just tired. The song itself? I mean, it is generic, but it’s quicker-paced than his last hit, and it seems to have some more energy, but that guitar strumming just kind of gets on my nerves, same with that mind-numbingly repetitive hook. There is a lot of genuine groove in the production though, especially the janky percussion, and Troye Sivan’s melodies are sonically sound. I can see this growing on me like LAUV has succeeded in before, but I could equally see myself hating this after hearing it more than five times (Because you know the radio will play the most bottom of the barrel stuff after the rise of trap-rap). It’s okay, I guess. Next.

#36 – “a lot” – 21 Savage featuring J. Cole

It’s about time this appeared, and I know exactly why. Back in late December, 21 Savage dropped his album as pretty much a Christmas present, with i am > i was being slightly inconsistent but there’s still a lot of quality there, and fun to be had, especially with the powerful opening track. Now that there’s a music video and now that 21 Savage has been detained by ICE for overstaying his Visa (Apparently he’s actually from the UK, but he’s been freed now), I can only see this rising from now on, and that’s good because it was going to be my Featured Single for this week if it didn’t appear. This song is fantastic, all three versions of it. It starts with a few different 21 Savages just repeating ad-libs while that great soul sample croons in the background of the trap skitters, “I love you for so many reasons, I love you for all seasons”. The bass hits behind 21’s insanely catchy hook with that multi-tracked, “A lot” playing after every line, until 21’s verse, which gets fittingly, broken down, for an unidentified sample to repeat, “I break it on down”, with random vocal samples and sound effects playing in between. While 21’s meaningful subject matter is arguably more important, and the section is totally filler, I love those little touches that show the layers of the production. 21 is essentially playing the underdog who’s seen and been through traumatic gang violence and experiences with women, who has still succeeded. But then you hear J. Cole drunkenly and tiredly say, “Yeah”, before going on a ramble about how 21 Savage had his kids in the studio or something, I don’t know, and then he goes off.

Some n****s make millions, other n****s make memes

Yeah, it may seem like I hate J. Cole’s guts from how all his charting stuff is really boring and always gets negative reviews from me, but he’s definitely one of the best rappers out when he really wants to bother. This whole verse is essentially a complete ramble, but he did warn us, although he does keep a general theme in his rapid flow and charismatic yet calm delivery, which is how the new-wave rappers and overall new-wave black society in the modern Internet age should have more guidance, and now that the older legends in that society are getting older and more mature, much like 21, he feels they should have more responsibility and that he feels bad for the even newer, younger wave of SoundCloud rappers who will regret all their decisions, including 6ix9ine, who I may add he doesn’t defend – he just feels bad for him as he knows at some point, Tekashi’s going to look back at what he did and ask himself, “Was it worth it getting myself into prison for essentially life?” I wonder if Ty Dolla $ign is thinking that while he’s serving 15 years for cocaine possession. 21’s alternate verse on the physical, live and music video versions also discusses people getting blocked at the border, and that families in ghettos still don’t even seem to have a right to clean water and are constantly stuck in financial situations and struggles with no way to escape, and it honestly seems like an anthem for 21, who’s gone through all this, with his verses combined probably being better than Cole’s, honestly. This song is like six minutes (At least the best version of the song is) so I’m surprised it’s gone this far, but it deserves it. Check this out if you haven’t already.

#15 – “All I Ever Wanted” – Fredo featuring Dave

Now, back to some British stuff. Fredo and Dave are close friends, and honestly the chocolate frog and its mundanely-named partner are people I initially was just confused by, and you can tell during my review of “Funky Friday” months ago, which is a song I know oddly admire and adore for all its odd quirks. I didn’t think it was anything special at the time, but it’s slowly become one of my favourite songs of the past year. After listening to more stuff, though, as more from both has crept up on the charts, I’ve started to love them both, and seeing as this is the only song to enter the top 40 from the three Fredo album tracks entering on the top 100 this week from his album Third Avenue (That I’ll check out immediately after this episode), this is of course the one that left the most impressions on listeners. I’m really into British rap, especially the trap and the more low-key, soul and R&B stuff (Check out Tom Misch, he has some beautiful songs like “Good to be Home” and “Movie”, in fact the Free Form official Spotify playlist has some fantastic British hip hop, listen to some of it if you can and give these guys support), so hopefully this’ll be good, and, yeah, it is. It starts with a glittering piano and twinkling leads that are cheap but definitely symphonic and almost video game-like, with producer tags ham-fistedly appearing as the bass slowly creeps ominously. In fact, the whole song is really ominous as even when the hi-hats come in, there’s no real bounce and Fredo just yells at us. It’s pretty intimidating, and when the beat finally drops, we have that classic stock “Oh!” sound you hear in songs like “Leave Me Alone” by Flipp Dinero, “Dilemma” by Nelly and “3500” by Travis Scott, but here it has so much reverb that any other voice than Fredo’s troubled gang mindset feels distant. Dave is great here, referencing... Lil Baby of all people, with a more stable and serious flow, mentioning the people close to him who he’s lost to both prison and death, in a really long and fantastic verse. The emotionless vibe of this track makes it so much more full of emotion, and although it sounds slightly dated in its production, this is a dark and menacing yet almost sombre banger, pretty similar to one of Dave’s other songs, “Hangman”, and definitely deserves to be Dave’s sixth top 40 hit and Fredo’s fourth.

#7 – “bury a friend” – Billie Eilish

I’ve heard two other songs from Billie Eilish in full, and I love both of them; “when the party’s over” is a genius piece of songwriting from her brother Finneas, and “lovely” is a beautiful ballad with Khalid. Those were slow, minimalistic piano-lead songs, though, so what happens when she lends her voice to, uh... industrial funk? Yeah, this one is bouncier and this one is more danceable, and that’s why it debuted this high, especially with Eilish’s hype at an all time high right now, not because some British rapper cameos in literally less than one second at the start of the song. His name is Crooks, and I figured he would have an uncredited rap verse when I saw it had additional vocals from him, but it’s literally just him whispering, “Billie”, and a couple ad-libs. Eh, okay, but how does the music stack up? It’s brilliant, of course. With Kanye’s “Black Skinhead” as a point of reference, the minimalistic 808s and claps only accompany Billie’s multi-tracked and pitch-shifted vocals, before the verse starts and sound effects are scattered everywhere, with pained shrieks, glass shattering and moans adding to the lyrics. Seriously, I love little details where musical elements actually relate to the lyrics directly, but then that bass hits slowly and that one 808 just keeps going on with a shrill synth, and then it just ends entirely, pretty abruptly. This song is eerie and honestly pretty scary, and Crooks’ ad-libs and backing vocals contribute to that greatly. Eilish’s sing-songy melodies make it even weirder, even, making the song feel like a possessed toy box. That intense moment where it’s just that ear-piercing synth and the 808 is such an interesting musical moment, man, this is pop brilliance. It’s creepy art pop not designed to be an indie darling, but designed for the radio (This is insanely catchy as well) and that hits a soft spot for me. The best art is made for mass consumption. That new album’s coming in March by the way, and I’m incredibly excited.

Conclusion

That was a really freaking good week, actually, so I’m only having to force Worst of the Week out on LAUV and Troye Sivan for “i’m so tired...” (The song’s not even close to bad, it’s just my only option), with Best of the Week going to Billie Eilish again for “bury a friend”. Tied Honourable Mentions go to the equally amazing yet only somewhat flawed songs, with 21 Savage, J. Cole, Fredo and Dave all picking them up for “a lot” and “All I Ever Wanted”, respectively. See ya next week, but it won’t top this.

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taste-in-music · 5 years

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Music Monday (2/11/19)

I’m introducing a new format to Music Monday. Now I’ll have two sections, one for new releases, and one for older/not as new songs that I’m currently loving. Okay, let’s get going, then!

New Releases

Handmade Heaven by MARINA: Unfollow me now, this is gonna be the only thing I post about for the next week. I’ve wanted this for years fuck. What the fuck. Marina Lambrini Diamandis is back to save the entire music industry. This song is lovely, and all about finding your people and making a better world for yourself. While it’s not a giant pop smash like Froot or Primadonna, it’s just downright majestic, with pretty pianos and a rushing chorus.What are you waiting for? Listen to it!

Leaning On Myself by Anna Of The North: So many returns from favorite artists happened this week! This includes, of course, Anna Of The North, who’s album Lovers is one of my go-tos for a chill night in. This song is low key and simple, good for unwinding after a long day.

trevi fountain by Leo Kalyan: Vastly underrated and wildly talented, Leo Kalyan returns with this lush, majestic love song just in time for Valentine’s Day. I can’t recommend this man’s music enough, if you love dream/indie pop with melodic production, (think Troye Sivan, Conan Gray, or The Japanese House,) you’ll love this. And I certainly do. Just beautiful.

1,2,3 days up by Kim Petras ft. SOPHIE: Now this is a dream team-up if I’ve ever seen one, with spunky, energetic pop starlet Kim Petras and hyper-creative electronica producer SOPHIE finally getting together to collaborate on a track. This song is more low key then I expected, (it never gets as weird as other SOPHIE tracks like PONYBOY or even Hot Pink, the song she produced for Let’s Eat Grandma,) but it’s chill, synth-dance-pop sound is still enjoyable as heck, and some of SOPHIE’s experimental production gets to shine.

break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored by Ariana Grande: I found thank u, next to be a fairly disappointing album. While it was certainly a cohesive project, there weren’t that many standout tracks, and the production was underwhelming to me. The best songs off of it really were the first two singles, thank u, next, and imagine. This song, though, was a nice surprise. While it doesn’t have thank u, next’s energy or imagine’s bombast, it does have an interesting, tense atmosphere and a solid vocal performance.

Other Favorites

I’m Looking Though You by The Beatles: An oldie we’ve got here, but a goodie. I’ve always found The Beatles kind of overrated, and I still think they are, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have good, hell, great songs. I really like this one, with it’s vocal harmonies, raspy vocals, and simplistic rock instrumental.

Charmless Man by Blur: So I just started listening to Blur because a) Song 2 is a banger and b) I think Gorillaz is a pretty cool project and I wanted to hear Damon Albarn’s other music. So yeah, this song is a jam, if you’re into rock/Britpop check it out, (also Country House and The Universal, those songs are good too.)

Want You by Pink Paint: My Spotify Discover Weekly strikes back with this synthy, dreamy song that’s apparently from a trailer, and is the only thing that the artist has ever put out. I hope they end up doing more in the future, because this is great, give it a try.

Check out last week’s Music Monday.

Follow my personal playlist on Spotify.

#new music #music recommendations #MARINA #anna of the north #leo kalyan #kim petras #SOPHIE #ariana grande #the beatles #blur #pink paint #taste in music #taste in music monday

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deadcactuswalking · 5 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 2nd December 2018

Finally, we’ve gotten to December – this’ll be a busy month for me considering all the end-of-year lists and such, but it’s also the holiday season, so let’s look at how the charts reflect that jolly spirit? Oh, a new 6ix9ine song? Okay, well, we’ll get to that in a bit. Welcome to REVIEWING THE CHARTS.

Top 10

Staying at the top for a fourth week today is “thank u, next” by Ariana Grande, which has recently been knocked off in the US by “SICKO MODE”, but it’s still reigning pretty strong here.

The runner-up spot hasn’t shifted either, as “Woman Like Me” by Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj is still at number-two.

Actually moving this week, however, is “Thursday” by Jess Glynne, up only one space whilst still entering the top 3 at number-three.

Also climbing this week is “Without Me” by Halsey, now at number-four after a two-spot increase.

Unfortunately, this means “Shallow” by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper has suffered, being pushed down two spaces since last week to number-five.

At number-six, after an initial surge due to TikTok and Snapchat, we have Ava Max somewhat proving longevity here with her first ever UK Top 10 hit, up seven spots from last week, “Sweet but Psycho”. Congratulations.

“Funky Friday” by Dave and Fredo hasn’t moved at number-seven.

“ZEZE” by Kodak Black, Travis Scott and Offset is actually up two spots to number-eight this week. “Guess we all made for each other”, whatever that means in the context of the song – listen, I reviewed the song in full and any time I’ve heard it since have felt like A-level physics tests, without any equation sheets.

“Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee from the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack is down a spot to number-nine.

Finally, to round off our top 10, Freya Ridings’ “Lost without You” is down a space to #10.

Climbers

Surprisingly on this slow week, we have quite a handful here. George Ezra’s “Hold My Girl” is obviously up eight spaces after the single push to #25, nearby “Baby” by Clean Bandit featuring Marina and Luis Fonsi up six spots to #26 – which will also get the album boost next week. “Mo Bamba” by Sheck Wes continues to rise ten positions to #27 (and I couldn’t be happier for it), while “I Found You” by benny blanco and Calvin Harris is up 11 spaces, taking me by surprise to #29. I didn’t necessarily think this would catch on that well, but I guess clubs are interested so I’m not going to be complaining – I like the song.

Fallers

Wow, we have much less of these than I expected. I knew it was a slow week but most slow weeks at least come with a lot more fallers than gains, yet we just have a spoonful. “Let You Love Me” by Rita Ora gets its streaming cut that takes it down nine or so pegs to #14, while The Greatest Showman hype dies down for P!nk’s “A Million Dreams” and James Arthur and Anne-Marie’s “Rewrite the Stars”, down five and one positions respectively at #16 and #17 – this isn’t happening soon enough, frankly. Since “Back and Forth” by MK, Jonas Blue and Becky Hill couldn’t possibly have a streaming cut, I’m just going to assume it absolutely collapsed this week down a whopping 23 spots to #37. Yikes.

Dropouts

“Leave a Light On” by Tom Walker drops out again from its #36 return last week, while of course “Broken Homes” by Nafe Smallz, M Huncho and Gunna is out from #38 as that type of grime-trap never does all too well unless it’s named after a Cadbury chocolate apparently. “Strip” by Little Mix featuring Sharaya J is also unfortunately out from #25, whilst the hilariously awful “No Stylist” by French Montana featuring Drake is taken with it from #22. “The Greatest Show” covered by Panic! at the Disco is also expectedly out from #39, but otherwise that’s all. Now, let’s get to the bigger story.

Returning Entries

Okay, cool, “Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga is back at #39, “Goodbye” by Jason Derulo and David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Willy William is back at #40, but the main headline is of course going to be the start of the influx of Christmas music. While I may need to deal with more of this when I potentially change the format next year, we still get enough in the top 40 over December so I apologise for the Returning Entries sections eventually becoming smaller and more monotonous as we go on – naturally by two years we won’t have any returning entries we haven’t talked about, other than special occasions like “Three Lions”, so this December month is pretty much the end of this section and also the start of me attempting to review Christmas music, which is harder than you think. While “Fairytale of New York” is at #66 and “Last Christmas” is at #52, the one that reigns over all, and is currently already at #14 in the US, is this classic.

#34 – “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carey

Well, this is one of the first times on the show I’ve reviewed both Christmas music and one of my favourite songs of all time. There’s something in the joy of those twinking bells and synths, Mariah’s sweet yet powerful delivery and most importantly the freaking sleigh bells, that make me want to involuntarily smile. The lyrics are simplistic yet they’re now just iconic, aren’t they? If you haven’t sung the chorus to this song, and you have a working voice-box, I doubt you’ve lived through even one Christmas. It’s not like the verses are anything to scoff at, either, hell, the bridge is arguably where Mariah really excels, especially with the male choir behind her providing some vocalisation that really has that carol feeling to it, especially with the main reason this song is so fantastic, other than the choirs, other than Mariah Carey being the vocal powerhouse she is (seriously, that final chorus is transcendent), and other than the joyful vibe, those sleigh bells combined with the driving percussion which just give the song such a punch that you need for a Christmas song to work as well as they can when you do them right. Even if Mariah Carey flops for the rest of her career, she’ll always be making bank out of this timeless tune which I hope stays for more than a while during the holiday season. Sadly, I can’t give this Best of the Week, but you’re damn sure I would if I had that choice. Sadly, not all of our Christmas returning entries will be this good over the weeks, although I’m sure this entirely makes up for it.

NEW ARRIVALS

Now you’ve got in that festive mood, how about we kiss under the mistletoe to aggressive trap-rap about gang violence? It’s that time of the year again.

#38 – “KIKA” – 6ix9ine featuring Tory Lanez

Listen, I don’t want to seem like I enjoy 6ix9ine’s music or defend his actions. He deserves that 25-to-life sentence, he’s an awful human being and most of his music reflects that in every way. If I really had the strength in me, I’d do what I did with “FEFE” and just ignore it completely, instead talking about 6ix9ine’s legal troubles, but this is Tory Lanez’s first ever UK Top 40 (and 6ix9ine’s third) so I don’t want to seem disrespectful to Tory, hell, he’s easily the best part of the song... which, yet again, I hate to admit, I like quite a bit.

The beat here really reminds me of the tropical trap stuff like “ZEZE”, and just like that song, Tory Lanez doesn’t let the melody go any further than a few seconds before he hops in for the hook, which is insanely catchy and I do like the dude’s voice, so he can pull off lines that may seem cliché like “I do my own stunts, Jackie Chan with it” with enough charisma, but then 6ix9ine comes in and just interrupts Tory with some repetitive, mindless bars that reek of “I wrote this in two minutes”, but it’s over quick and we do get a pretty funny reference to Bobby Schmurda’s hat, so we can quickly get to the kick that builds into the great hook again, hell, and in the second verse, after Tekashi steals a Lil Pump line (seriously?) and claims that he’s on some “Ray Charles, John Cena s**t” because he “can’t see the b****”, which is actually hilarious, Tory interrupts 6ix9ine in return with an admittedly funny skit with him replacing “TR3WAY”, a word 6ix9ine cannot legally say anymore despite his catchphrase “it’s f***in’ TR3WAY!”, with other words such as the Trojan brand of condoms, and the American chain Target, before bursting into laughter. Uh, yeah, I’m hesitant but this is a good ‘un, despite its many, many charming flaws – it’s clearly supposed to be funny, so that’s how I’m enjoying it.

Oh, and my friend Prez wanted me to talk about “WAKA” and while I do love A Boogie wit da Hoodie’s singing voice here, with a pretty catchy hook, I’m not sure how I feel about the song in general. The beat has a pretty intense string melody which I can dig, with Boogie actually developing a story which is interesting enough, until 6ix9ine literally shoots the song up, with gunshot and explosion effects that’d make you think he’s Joe Budden, but his part isn’t that awful and it’s insanely short because he’s the feature on his own album for the most part, so, yeah, this is a damn good Boogie song with a few intrusions from the Skittles-man. If we had a version without Tekashi, I’d like it even more.

#20 – “AirForce” – Digdat

Who’s Digdat? Good question. How did his first ever single debut in the top 20? I don’t know, but congratulations, I guess. Since I’ve looked more into British hip-hop, I actually recognised the name but didn’t know much about his particular brand of reggae or pop-infused grime-trap, so I did some research, and yeah he’s pretty okay, albeit a tad boring, so I didn’t expect him to get a hit on his own – and that’s because he didn’t. This song charted because of a remix from much bigger grime duo Krept & Konan, but since that has less streams, we’re talking about the original, and again while I appreciate the dark string-based production and Digdat’s blunt and fast delivery, it’s a bit too generic, I’m sorry. There’s too much bass here that overpowers the actual beat, and the first minute essentially being a bunch of synth-air with producer tags is a bit of an odd choice. The beat is pretty good but the mixing somewhat ruins it, but not enough to be all that noticeable. It just rounds out to a perfect, balanced, “I don’t care”. Hope Digdat gets some more recognition after this, though, the dude has potential.

Conclusion

I don’t feel like I can really give Digdat a Dishonourable Mention or Worst of the Week, but “KIKA” is just clearly so much better, so yeah, Best of the Week goes to Tory Lanez, whilst I don’t think I can really be that mean to DIgdat, so he gets Honourable Mention for “AirForce”. See ya next week, when I’m guessing there will be an influx of Christmas music!

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