i love you singers whose vocals sound desperate i love you musicians who sound like if you don’t get this song out you’re going to explode i love you songs that sound like they’re dragging the vocalist with them 80 miles per hour down the highway tied to the back of a truck i love you voice cracks in emotional songs i love you unique voices i love you music that disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed

most real

Via

Year-End Poll #64: 2013

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Robin Thicke, Imagine Dragons, Baauer, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Justin Timberlake, Pink, Bruno Mars, Florida Georgia Line, Katy Perry. End description]

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With Billboard now counting YouTube views into their charts, we're seeing new artists reaching higher chart success from the strength of their music videos or internet virality in general, with songs like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' Thrift Shop and Baauer's Harlem Shake.

Speaking of changing technology, we now have to cover the biggest change that's going to define this decade in music. While first released in the States in 2011, Spotify's impact on the charts will start to become even more evident this year. It will still be a while before Billboard begins implementing data from Spotify and similar streaming services into their charts.

We're also starting to see the electropop and club music dwindle in the charts. Some have attributed this to Lorde's Royals, giving it an almost Smells Like Teen Spirit-esque mythos. But there's also the shift towards more folk and indie sounds in music (and commercials gravitating towards this music as well), streaming encouraging more individual listening, and general shifting tastes.

With the remix of Florida Georgia Line's Cruise, we're also seeing the rise in a subgenre known as bro-country. In terms of country crossover success, this subgenre would come to take over ballads and country pop as the main crossover sound. This is not the last time we'll see an example of country-rap fusion on the charts, and it certainly won't be the last time we see controversy over it.

And speaking of controversy, we need to talk about Blurred Lines. Specifically, we need to talk about Pharrell Williams v. Bridgeport Music. The court case concerned the song's similarities to Marvin Gaye's Got to Give It Up and Sexy Ways. Without going too much into it, the case ruled in favor of Marvin Gaye's estate -- a decision that forever altered the course of music copyright law. Since the ruling, we've seen a rise in lawsuits over perceived musical similarities as well as labels scrambling to give songwriting credits out to avoid potential lawsuits (if you ever wondered why Richard and Fred Fairbrass of Right Said Fred received songwriting credits on Taylor Swift's Look What You Made Me Do, that's why). To quote this entry from Harvard Law's Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law:

Aptly named, the “Blurred Lines” case is now blurring the lines of rather well-settled copyright doctrine and is sending shockwaves through the musical community. While it is unclear what the ultimate impact of Williams will be on the music industry, it has, at the very minimum, put artists and publishers on notice as to how they should approach musical composition to avoid legal issues.

These “copyright trolls” would acquire the copy-rights of older music, and then sue artists for infringement with the hopes of forcing a settlement. Many artists would agree to these settlements, as they often are less expensive than the costs of litigating the issue in court. 65 Further, the threat of litigation may incline new musical artists to obtain unnecessary licenses and other permissions that they feel will protect them from these lawsuits. (Quagliariello, 2019)

The arguments behind the initial court case are still being debated, but what can't be debated is the Pandora's Box of litigation that the case inspired.

Good thing this is the only controversy Blurred Lines had ever faced. At least that's what I'm going to pretend for the sake of this poll.

Dog Problems (2006) - The Format

song posters (part 1)

why wasn't i there

nate ruess sounds like if john mulaney had chosen a music career instead of comedy

56th GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California - January 26, 2014

All I’m saying is Oscar Isaac was on my number 2 song 🫣🫣

And I got Gabby’s album signed by her from the Guatemala project that Oscar and here were signing items for!

i got tagged by @funeralshawls to share 4 albums I’ve been fixated on recently... this was very hard because I just listen to everything on shuffle. Not pictured here, whatever the Wiggles put out. Get ready... to wiggle!

Grand Romantic: Nate Ruess- DUH.... Never not fixated on this album it's my entire personality. It's more of a lifestyle. If you haven't listened to this album we're friends but we're not REALLY friends. To know Grand Romantic 2015 by Nate Ruess is to TRUELY know me.. the Grand Romantic.

The Fame Monster: Lady Gaga- I really don't care she defined an era I could listen to this forever and not need anything else (besides Grand Romantic). Look at the material: hit after hit after hit. This is when music fucking meant something, now she puts out trash like the rest of em, it's sick.

TRAUMAZINE: Megan Thee Stallion- What more can I say she's her. I wish nothing but the best for this beautiful amazing strong talented woman and I am also in love with her. This album was gorgeous.

An Evening With Silk Sonic: Silk Sonic- What these freaks did in the studio for Leave The Door Open needs to be studied in a fucking lab.... INSANE amount of talent. Collab of the MILLENIUM. This is the type of album real music lovers DREAM ABOUT.

Ok thanks for reading my mental illness mwah i love u mwah

I tag: @rubykgrant @wellspokenrambler @dodi-li @karamatsueyes @sonicsshoes @unluckycalcifer @wow-wlw @sumptiousfeast @magpieshrike

when Nate Ruess screamed “no one’s gonna save us” with auto tune over and over for the last two minutes of Stars, so true bestie

Nate Ruess of The Format performing at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh 8/3/2006 📸: emjay on flickr

i've given everyone i know / a good reason to go