#this (and the reprise chorus) is one of her best choruses of her career and the storytelling in the verses is insane | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

auditorydaydream-blog · 5 years

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Michael Jackson - Scream (2017)

Released: 29th September 2017 (compilation) 1980-2014 (individually)

Many artists fall into myth and legend as superstars, and one artist who we can safely call both a legend and a superstar is Michael Jackson. He wrote and sung some of the most notorious tracks of the 1980s and 90s, releasing the best-selling remix album of all time with ‘Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix’ and some of the best selling albums of all time with ‘Thriller’ (1982) and ‘Bad’ (1987). ‘Scream’ is a compilation of some of his greatest Halloween-themed hits and album tracks, summing up the essence of an artist. While the track list was questioned by many reviewers and the inclusion of several songs was somewhat perplexing, I am coming to this album with an open mind, having heard very few Jackson songs in my life.

The album opens with jazzy funk-pop song ‘This Place Hotel’ from ‘The Jacksons’ fourteenth studio album ‘Triumph’ (1980). The song is a perfect opener for the album, the percussion and brass complimenting Jackson’s smooth vocals on the chorus. The softer, piano driven segment towards the end of the song contrasts the rest of the song drastically, almost making one think that Michael wrote a few bars of a love-ballad and glued them onto the back end of the song, somewhat perplexing the listener. The hook is catchy, making the song a song that will no doubt be stuck in my head for days and the song is all round an extremely upbeat, catchy song, even if the ending does confuse me somewhat.

‘This Place Hotel’ – 8/10

The next song on the album is ‘Thriller’, a song we all know and love from ‘Thriller’ (1982). The song is the catchy, Halloween-themed disco bop we all expect it to be, living up to expectations as Jackson’s signature song. The song re-emerges every 31st October, leaving it a little overplayed and trivial, although remaining nostalgic all the while. I also must compliment the brass on this track, as I did with track one. You could even dance to the instrumental of this song, being one of the greatest disco anthems of all time, we all know what this sounds like and it is hard not to bring out your monster claws whilst listening to this.

‘Thriller’ – 9/10

‘Thriller’ is followed by ‘Blood on the Dance Floor’, from Jackson’s incredibly well-selling remix album ‘Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix’ (1997). The song has a catchy bassline and the chorus is infectious, although the choruses are a little bland, consisting of whispery grunts and ‘ah-s’, leaving Jackson’s voice a little hard to hear. The vocals on the pre-chorus however, are impeccable, preceding the funky disco chorus that leaves the listener dancing, as with ‘Thriller’. The bridge is also really captivating, continuing the trend from the chorus and pre-chorus, leaving one wishing that he’d used those vocals on the verses. Also, the outro is a little generic, sounding like something you may hear in a lift, a little too soft to succeed the bridge. I almost hope the song went out with a bang. This song is a fun disco-bop on the chorus and bridge, but the verses are a little bland and incoherent.

‘Blood on the Dance Floor’ – 4.5/10

‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ is the next track from Rockwell’s album of the same name (1984). We don’t hear Michael until the choruses so I will not comment on Rockwell’s verses. Michael’s vocals on the chorus are notorious, and rightly so, the synth backing track and catchy beat complimenting Jackson’s voice. The vocals themselves are just as impeccable as ‘Thriller’, with very little audible flaws in Jackson’s voice. There is not much more to say on this track since we do not hear Michael much at all.

‘Somebody’s Watching Me’ (Jackson’s vocals) – 8/10

‘Dirty Diana’ follows, a catchy rock track from 1987’s ‘Bad’ album. The song is typical of a rock track from the period, almost reminding me of Journey’s ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ in some aspects, it may be the guitar instrumental in the background. Even if the song follows many rock conventions, it’s still a catchy and unique guitar-driven banger, simply a head-banging tune, not as disco-poppy as some of the previous tracks on the album. The lyrics are also interesting, alluding to ‘Diana’, a woman who is promiscuous and charming, sleeping with multiple people during the progression of the song, although Jackson does not let her lure him, singing ‘You seduce every man, this time you won’t seduce me’. As a rock fan, I can say that this is an extremely well-composed track.

‘Dirty Diana’ – 9/10

The next track is ‘Torture’ from the Jacksons’ album ‘Victory’ (1984). The song seemed to mark a new turn for the Jacksons, who started as a Motown/funk family band, eventually ending up writing synth-new wave-rock songs such as ‘Torture. The guitar instrumental and Jackson’s vocals almost seem to foreshadow ‘Bad’, three years later. The songs is extremely pleasing to the ear, although it doesn’t stick with me and I expect to forget it in a few days’ time.

‘Torture’ – 5/10

As we hit the halfway mark of the album, ‘Leave Me Alone’, my favourite Jackson track, follows ‘Torture’. Pulled from Jackson’s 1987 album ‘Bad’, the song’s instrumental is what keeps the song close to my heart, unique and dramatic, perfect for the song’s subject matter, fame and celebrity culture. The break into the chorus is extremely catchy too, the song’s title repeated multiple times before hitting the post-chorus where Jackson makes his trademark noises, Jackson also throws in a few ‘hee-hees’ throughout the post-chorus. It is almost impossible to fault this song, it is a piece of pure-Jackson perfection. My only complaint is that it would’ve been incredible for there to be a reprise of the song on the original album, the drop into the chorus setting the scene for a reprise perfectly.

‘Leave Me Alone’ – 10/10

We get hit with a catchy, repetitive, funky beat as we arrive at ‘Scream’ from ‘HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1’ (1995). The song features guest vocals from Janet Jackson, Michael’s sister. The two different voices complement each other on what turns out to be one of Jackson’s catchiest songs, something we learn as we progress through the 1970s style chorus. This song is also a good example of how you can throw in a few bars of piano solo correctly (I’m looking at you, ‘This Place Hotel’). Overall the song is very catchy and one of Jackson’s dancier tunes.

‘Scream’ featuring Janet Jackson – 9/10

‘Dangerous’ is the next track, from the 1991 album of the same name. The chorus and pre-chorus are catchy, although the verses share the same issue as ‘Blood on the Dance Floor’, Jackson is just too goddamn quiet and we somewhat lose the flow of the song, the drum instrumental overpowering Jackson’s whispers. The bridge follows the chorus in terms of flow and composition, including Jackson’s vocals and few ‘hee-hees’ Overall, the song is a little anti-climactic and one wishes the incredible instrumental and chorus had been used for a better song, the verse vocals are either too quiet or too raspy. The song also drags on for a lot longer than you think it will, dragging out the long verses.

‘Dangerous’ – 3/10

We move from ‘Dangerous’ to ‘Unbreakable’ from 2001’s ‘Invincible’. Michael’s vocals return on this song, giving us a funky, slow song with an infectiously repetitive beat and instrumental. The instrumental and composition somewhat resemble David Bowie’s 1975 hit ‘Fame’, it’s quite possibly the tempo that draws the similarities for me. The song is one of the highlights of the album, one where Jackson really does show us what his voice can do, unlike ‘Dangerous’. The song also features a verse from The Notorious B.I.G, marking new territory for Jackson. It’s hard to believe that this incredible song was released only 7 years before Ke$ha’s song ‘TikTok’, a complete switch in genre for the music scene.

‘Unbreakable’ – 10/10

Jackson returned in 2014 with a posthumous album of songs called ‘Xscape’. The title song from that album is next, and it’s a bop. It’s hard to imagine how much more unreleased material Jackson has, and how good that material is, since this song was clearly not deemed good enough to be released on an earlier album, possibly 2001’s ‘Invincible’ or a never-released album. The track is absolutely phenomenal for a song that was completely reworked without the artist present and leaves your head spinning.

‘Xscape’ – 9/10

The penultimate track ‘Threatened’ is a funky song resembling ‘Unbreakable’, clearly since it is also from 2001’s ‘Invincible’. The song is a catchy song, still timeless to this day, following Jackson’s Halloween themes. He growls multiple times on this song too, giving the listener chills on the back of their necks as Jackson really flexes. However, an uninitiated listener is confused by the random entrance of a strange man’s voice near the end of the song, this is never explained, although I would like an explanation please. Overall, this track is groovy and classic Jackson, although lacks any real individuality.

‘Threatened’ – 7/10

We leave our experience of this incredible album with ‘Ghosts’, another Halloween themed song, suitable for any of Jackson’s dance-groove albums. The backing vocals on the chorus are to be noted, featuring some elements similar to Michael’s Motown roots. One complaint is the lack of instrumental on his ‘ghost of jealousy’ line, most of the beat and instrumental vanishes, leaving the line to fall flat on its face, ruining any dance potential the song had. This track is not suited to be the closer, ‘Threatened’ would be a better closing track.

‘Ghosts’ – 5/10

Overall, ‘Scream’ as an album really summarises Jackson’s career, transporting us through his various stages and eras, showing us what his vocals can really do when flexed and showing us his genre flexibility, singing pop with his sister and rock solo. ‘Scream’ is the compilation of a legend.

Overall rating: 9.5/10

#michael jackson #scream #review #reviewer #bad #thriller #dangerous #invincible #blood on the dance floor: history in the mix #xscape #moonwalker

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tsdecoded · 7 years

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Burton to this Taylor

Before I begin, I need to specify that I am first and foremost a video analyst. I don’t really want to go into lyric analysis because I didn’t study anything related to that, but Ready For It just dropped and it kind of ties two music videos and three songs together. So, I’m going to give my analysis of what Taylor Swift is doing with this song!

Let’s begin shall we?

I was not a fan of Ready for It. *I need to specify this, because it’s the whole reason I got into the analysis part of this post!* I thought the verses made no sense and even though the chorus is one of my favourite TS choruses ever, I didn’t feel like it fit the song! It all felt out of place.

BUT I AM A STUBBORN GIRL! And I wasn’t going to give up on Tay Tay that easily, so I started dissecting the song. The verses still don’t really make sense to me, to be honest, but when I got to “Burton to this Taylor”, my interest peaked. Why? Well, because Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton are one of the most iconic couples in Hollywood’s history, but their love was problematic, to say the least!

Okay, this is where I put on my nerd glasses and take you for a Classic Hollywood history lesson!

Let’s begin!

*DISCLAIMER* I am over-simplifying this story… it’s such a complicated and intriguing story, and I am not a biographer! If you want to know more about the couple and this scandalous story, go read Furious Love or any of their biographies.

Anyways….

In 1954, a 28-year-old Richard Burton sees a 21-year-old Liz Taylor at a pool party and falls in love. She is gorgeous, famous, funny, and is completely ignoring him. In fact, Liz didn’t even talk to him at that party. Burton got hooked and it became a sort of personal challenge to get with her! Nine years later, in 1963, destiny would throw them together again on the set of Cleopatra, which by the way was the most scandalously expensive movie of its time. Burton was cast as Mark Anthony and Taylor was cast as Cleopatra. Now, this movie was an epic letdown, it was a mediocre biopic at best, but it is still an iconic film because it gave us Liz and Dick! Burton and Taylor fell in love while shooting this film. They were both married to other people, but it didn’t stop them from falling for each other. When the filming was over, they went back to their respective spouses, but they couldn’t stay away from each other and a little less than a year later, they both got divorced. In 1963, they tied the knot and thus began the fantastic story of one of the most turbulent and passionate love affairs of the Golden Age of Hollywood. They were married for 11 years, then they got divorced in 1974, just to get married again in 1975 and then divorced again in 1976.

Now, we can all agree that neither of them was a particularly stable adult. They were both alcoholics, suicidal at points, and extremely passionate. (It is said that Burton was an alcoholic as a way to drown his homosexuality, but I am not even going to go down that hole, because this analysis would never end!) Between the two of them, they had eleven spouses. Seven for Taylor and four for Burton.

This is perhaps the most extravagant, turbulent and craziest relationship imaginable! So, why is Taylor Swift so obsessed with it? I hadn’t realised this, but the Liz Taylor-Richard Burton imagery goes back to 1989! In fact, both Wildest Dreams and Blank Space hint to it.

Let’s start with the obvious one: Wildest Dreams.

Now, the music video for the song is very obviously a depiction of Liz and Dick’s relationship. -They’re both actors -They have an on-set romance -They’re in other relationships (at least he is) -They can’t stay away from each other (he runs out of the theatre after she leaves.)

Taylor even replaced her blonde signature look, for a black wig! Taylor is very clearly creating a parallel between herself and the actress.

I’ll come back to this video and this song later on, but for now, let’s focus on Blank Space.

Ahhhhh! Blank Space, my love…

I already did an analysis of this video, but here is another approach.

I was reading about Liz and Dick, and I came across this great article called “Why We Can’t Help Loving the Love Story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton” in it, we get this great paragraph:

From the moment they fell for one another, they would entrance and enrage the invested public, not to mention the paparazzi, nearly as much as they’d be entranced and enraged by the many facets of one another. Fans and haters (before the concept of haters was even invented) were drawn in by their shameless over-the-top romance, its scandalous headlines blaring across the pages of the tabloids, and their irrepressible need to be together, despite it all. Adding further resonance to the saga were the roles Burton and Taylor played in films throughout their relationship, which frequently paralleled their lavish personal lives: full of travel and expensive jewellery and entourages and love-making and joy, but also alcoholism and brutal fights and deep despair, heartbreak, and pain.

As I was reading it, I couldn’t help but think of Blank Space. Tell me that last line doesn’t sound like a very accurate description of Blank Space’s video!! Even the structure of the phrase matches the structure of the music video. It starts magical and perfect and soon we realise there’s a darker side to everything. Now, I’m not saying Taylor read the article and made the video around that line, but if you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that if fits both of them.

This is where I get really interested in this whole deal! There is a clear parallel between the singer and the actress. It’s mostly a parallel between their reputations (lol.. see what I did there?). Both of them have had issues with the media focus on their personal lives rather than their talent. That’s what Blank Space is all about! In a way, Blank Space is a reminder that Taylor is first and foremost an artist, her media persona is something that was created to sell magazines!

Both Liz and Taylor have had to deal with a very unfair representation of their character. Liz had to go through years of being called every single name in the book. I mean, yeah, she did get married eight times and she did steal other women’s husbands, but that should not be what we remember about her. She was a Hollywood legend! She won two Academy Awards, she portrayed some of the most amazing characters on screen, she was an activist, an entrepreneur, a stage actor, a film megastar… but her reputation tainted her legend. People will never be able to separate her from her “man-eater” image. Taylor Swift is dealing with a similar situation. She has won eleven Grammys, and almost three-hundred other awards. She has broken countless records, written whole albums by herself, headlined sold-out arena tours, she has donated millions of dollars to different charities, she has lead a career worthy of respect and legend status, but a quick search will show you that all people care about is who her latest boyfriend is. Even worse, just as Liz was in her time, she is hated for her dating history.

Both women have fallen victim of a sexist system that demonises female sexuality. This tainted reputation problem never really affects the men. I mean, Richard Burton had countless affairs, sometimes with underaged girls (x), but he is not judged or hated for it. He is first of all, and actor, and his legacy is as an actor and then as Elizabeth Taylor’s tempestuous lover. People still watch Woody Allen movies, elected Donald Trump as president, watch Casey Affleck and Joaquin Phoenix movies, listen to Chris Brown’s music… all these men (except for Trump) are regarded as artists, their every mistake excused, but we hate Liz and Taylor because they married/dated a few men?

Blank Space is basically Taylor’s way of showing the public how ridiculous this image that she has actually is. She reprises this idea in Look What You Made Me Do, but if I go there, I will never get out of there, and this post is already long enough!

So… WHAT DOES THIS ALL HAVE TO DO WITH READY FOR IT??????

Whoa.. chill! I’m about to get there! (I told you I was a nerd….)

Ready For It is the first time Taylor makes the connection between her and Elizabeth explicit. “Burton to my Taylor” - great play on words because it reinforces this connection. Both of them are Taylor. (DEEP)

After reading about their relationship, I was left wondering why Taylor Swift would ever want a relationship like that. She has always said she’s a hopeless romantic, and Liz and Dick’s relationship is more like an addiction than a relationship. Yes, it’s passionate and it’s epic, and it’s what movies are made of, but would anyone really want that? Maybe at first, but after a while you want stability, and loyalty, and companionship, and to feel at home. And that is what Taylor has been writing about all this time. So, why use Burton and Taylor?

Well, that article I mentioned before has the answer:

Thirty years later, “Liz and Dick” is part of our shared historical understanding of romance, the ultimate kind of celebrity affair, one that still dwarfs the fleeting, 72-day benders of the Kardashian era. They seduced and destroyed and seduced each another again and again, and the public could not look away, nearly as enthralled by this train-wreck of a beautiful couple as the two were with one another. As icons representing a star-crossed, all-consuming, fantastical kind of love—like Romeo and Juliet, or, better yet, Marc Antony and Cleopatra—they offer the mythology of the absolute, whether it’s good or bad, better or worse. We love them because it was difficult beyond all imagining, but they kept going back. We also love them because it didn’t have to be difficult: They were living lives most of us can only dream of, with yachts and international homes and movie deals and million-dollar diamonds and entire worlds at their feet.

It’s all for the public, it’s all for the tabloids that sell the story.

Now, there’s another interesting line in RFI: “No one has to know” it’s the last line before the chorus. This line reminded me of “I said no one has to know what we do” from Wildest Dreams.

So, in the same song, Taylor is singing about the most mediatic and publicised celebrity relationship, and about keeping it a secret. It doesn’t really make sense, unless you see it as a song about both Taylors (and I don’t mean Liz here. I mean both Taylor Swifts). Ready For It is the love-child of Wildest Dreams and Blank Space and that is why the song doesn’t really make much sense at first. We get the media Taylor singing the verses, dripping with sarcasm and reminiscing of Blank Space yore.. and then you have the real Taylor singing the chorus, hopeful, sweet and sexy, reminiscing of Wildest Dreams.

In fact, Taylor has been singing about the secret part of the relationship since she started. The hidden/forbidden relationship is one of her motifs! And I finally figured out why. The real Taylor lives in the secrets, and not on the tabloids. We can judge her all we want about the men she dates (or doesn’t date)… about what she says or doesn’t say, about the clothes she wears… but at the end of the day, Taylor will always kick us in the ass with some amazing lyrics and great storytelling! She’s the only one that knows her own story!

“There once was a girl known by everyone and no one”

So, to conclude, I think Ready For It is about both Taylors. The Taylor that feels like Liz, overshadowed by her reputation; and the real Taylor, the one that lives in the secrets, that has real feelings and real desires.

It might not be my favourite song in her repertoire, but I think Taylor is a masterful lyricist and storyteller and I am very excited about this new era!

BRING IT ON!

the end.

How did I do @taylorswift?

#taylor swift #analysis #ready for it #blank space #wildest dreams #reputation #elizabeth taylor #richard burton

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shhoatuva · 7 years

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The Past, The Present, and Future: The Sound of Nayvadius Wilburn’s Declining Mental State

In a 2011 interview with an Atlanta radio station, rapper Nayvadius “Future” Wilburn was offered a career-defining question by the personality sitting across from him. “When it comes to you, as Future,” radio host B-High began. “What is it you want to bring to the Atlanta music scene that we haven’t already seen before?” The question came in lieu of the fact that despite having a chart-topping single in his writing and feature on rapper YC’s “Racks,” and releasing two mixtapes in the months prior to the interview, Future hadn’t yet completely distinguished himself from Atlanta artists who had the flame of their early careers smothered. “Stadium music, music with melody, something with a whole different feel.” Future replied after a short pause. “I just go off the vibes, it just has to grow with me.”

The idealism of his musical aesthetic being attached with growth as an individual soon set a precedent on the sonic and lyrical trajectory of Nayvadius Wilburn’s music. Life experience served as the most influential aspect of Future’s discography, and negative or positive “vibes” best serve as an indicator for his work’s persona. Future’s music would gradually depart from the utopic “stadium music” aesthetic and seep into a sound that was much more based around raw emotion, not necessarily a sound that was supposed to invoke emotion from a listener, but a sound that was much more telling of Future’s emotional state at the time of a song’s recording. Future’s sudden departure from an artist that meshed elements of cheery pop songs with trap music mirrored his departure from happiness. The subject matter and aesthetic in Future’s projects from 2011 until the present demonstrate the impact of his sudden rise to fame, the onset of a traumatic criminal history, the status of relationships with various women and his children, and the detrimental effects of copious drug usage.

Soon after the release of the mixtape consistently referred to in the interview between Future and B-High, “Dirty Sprite,” Future went on to release a mixtape titled “True Story.” The mixtape would include several of his more notable hits, like “Magic,” “Ain’t No Way Around It,” and “Tony Montana.” Lyrically, the songs are all predicated around a repeating chant based on the title of the song, making use of “economic” verbiage within a limited amount of beat. (Caramanica) This economic usage of lyrics would ensure the probability that these songs would become popular as a result of their simplicity and memorable world structure. With the exception of the choral arrangement on the intro to the mixtape, Future sings the choruses with assistance of a, while still minimal, noticeable dosage of autotune. Autotune had been proven throughout the past decade as an ingredient that could help distinguish one’s music from others, if used correctly. Future’s usage of auto tune throughout his early career took on an innocent appearance, as his voice was mastered a pitch above normal, assuming a lighthearted, radio friendly presence not completely parallel to the subject manner within the mixtapes. Future’s intent to solely separate himself from other rappers, as opposed to complete vulnerability through production and lyricism demonstrated a mental condition that wasn’t plagued by external issues. In comparison to later works, his voice was objectively less garbled, more upbeat, and characterized by the intermittent addition of a singing tone.

Production on Future’s first three mixtapes, including the two that preceded “True Story,” titled “Dirty Sprite” and “1000,” was much far less abrasive than much of the mixtapes circulating around the hip-hop scene, and even farther less abrasive than the mixtapes being released in Atlanta. Tity Boy’s (2Chainz) “Codeine Cowboy,” Alley Boy’s “Definition of F**k S**t,” and Waka Flocka and French Montana’s “Lock Out” were three Atlanta-based mixtapes defined by their abundant usage of 808s and subwoofer-shaking bass. (Richards) Throughout the years 2011 and 2012, Future’s mixtapes made usage of the crooning synthesizers and horns of producers like Mike Will Made-It, Will A Fool, and Zaytoven. The lack of abrasive, harsh production that typically defined Atlanta hip-hop artists during Future’s early career demonstrated a stark contrast between him and other artists. Future’s early work did not include darker, depressive subject matter like his later work. The hybrid formulation of a pop aesthetic with the “trap” lyrical themes would lead to a rapid rise of success for Nayvadius. The first three mixtapes would aid Future in reeling in a major label offer from Epic Records, and much commercial success.

The advent of newfound fame and fortune meshed with upgraded production value on his next project, titled “Streetz Calling.” The first track on the mixtape, “Made Myself a Boss,” used production from Zaytoven that maintained a bubbly and light-hearted tone. Much like the rest of the mixtape, the song uses celebratory anecdotes to remark at the success of his previous projects. “I paid my grandma’s rent/and got my little sister a house,” he urges. “I keep a pocket full of money every time I step out.” While his previous mixtapes fondly reminisced on his days of drug dealing, or combined elements of pop songs with Atlanta trap music, “Streetz Calling” would represent the merriest of work Future would release in the period from 2011 to 2015. The most observable example of this phenomenon would come on the third track of “Streetz Calling,” titled “Same Damn Time.” In a testament to his happiness, Future experimented with a slight departure from the formula that made him so popular: a chorus where his voice was not mastered to a higher pitch. Instead, he barks at the listener in an exaggerated version of his already grizzly voice: “I wear Gucci, I wear Bally, at the same damn time/Selling white, selling mid, at the same damn time.” Much like the subject matter where Future’s song character is that of a drug dealer that buys too much designer clothing, and sells too many drugs, Future was experiencing the byproduct of too much early success. The same departure was observable through the instrumentalism of “Same Damn Time,” which used a drum pattern and bass that typically would be considered too egregious for his earlier work. Future’s dialogue with the listener would assume its most celebratory form in this late 2011 period.

Future grew up in the Kirkwood backstreets of Metro Atlanta, an area that was especially hard hit by the crack epidemic of the 1980s. Many of his aunts and uncles were affected by an addiction to crack cocaine. At the age of seven, Wilburn saw the murder rate in his hometown practically double over a summer. Years later, he was shot in the hand while attempting to sell drugs to make ends meet. (Winegarten) The gradual traumatic effects of this upbringing would creep onto his next project, “Astronaut Status.” Despite attempts to continue to continue the formulaic pop-structure that made him so popular, the influence of a criminal history and traumatic upbringing would influence Future’s sound from 2012 onwards. In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, Future stated: “When I was in the streets, I ain’t never think about that, man, f**k tomorrow, n***a, let’s do this s**t today,” he says. “I’m a f****g rock star, dogg. I’m enjoying this s**t, I ain’t trying to remember yesterday.” (Winegarten) His attempt to abandon his history would cause the traumatic sound to be repressed, and only become relatively minimally apparent on “Astronaut Status” in comparison to his later works. While some songs abided by many of the same themes as his earlier work, the lyrical content on “Deeper than the Ocean” and “Itching” represented two notable examples Future’s failure to completely repress the demons of his past. On “Deeper than the Ocean,” Future recites: “My n***a set my n***a up/this game is full of madness,” in memoriam of his status as a dealer in the drug “game.” “Sometimes I want to get inside my Escalade and crash it/my pain is running deeper than the ocean.” The inclusion of suicidal ideations on the song as a result of the stresses of drug dealing was a telling indicator of Future mental state. On “Itching”, Future compares a side-effect of crack withdrawal, itching, to his pursuit of money: “My fingers, they itching, they itching for that paper” he chants. The production on the song is muted, composed of a single lead synth and hi-hat pattern provided by producer Mike Will Made-It. Future’s willingness to draw from his murky past while simultaneously attempting to repress it marked a turning point in his mental state, and therefore the sound of his music.

In January 2013, rumors began circulating that Future was dating artist Ciara. During this time, Future released “FBG: The Movie” in preparation for a then unnamed upcoming album. The mixtape would see a return to the song structure that marked many of his successful early singles, like “B***hes Love Me.” On the song, Future was on chorus duty, reprising his familiar auto tune pitch to talk about the benefits of his sexual prowess, marijuana, and strong alcohol. The coincidence between this return to the pop structure and his relationship with Ciara was evident throughout the entire work. On “Fo Real,” he referred to Ciara: “I met that girl and had to spoil her, cause that girl’s so loyal/I met her when she was a dime and turned her into a quarter.” The note Future sung the lyrics in is higher than the rest of the song. Where the instrumental mostly occupies the tuning note of “B,” Future sings the lines referring to Ciara in a “C to C Sharp” scale, demonstrating his happiness about being with her.

Future’s 2014 album “Honest” would serve as the denouement as the story between Ciara and Future. On the album, tracks “I Won,” “I Be U,” and “I’ll Be Yours” serve as straightforward love songs in reference to Ciara. Future and Ciara were engaged just months earlier, in October 2013. A month before the album’s release, in March 2014, he announced that the two were expecting a baby boy. (MTV News) The restabilization of his mental condition in light of his love for Ciara was directly reflected in the subject manner on “Honest.” The three tracks feature Future singing the entire time, going into great detail about his habit of spoiling Ciara, and the continued commitment to a relationship with her. Future’s vocals were mastered at a high volume, giving the listener an “honest” exposition to Future’s psyche. Unlike previous projects, Future did not make mumbling or garbled language a deliberate part of the odes to Ciara. Instead, clear, elaborate language made up the bulk of the lyrics, marking a departure from the catchiness of his earlier works. Drug innuendos comprised less of all three songs in comparison to the songs on mix tapes past, instead focusing on the characterization of love. Future penned and sung the chorus to a song titled “Loveeee Song,” a song featured on Rihanna’s album, “Unapologetic.” The song paid homage to aforementioned characterization.

In August 2014, just three months after the birth of their son, Ciara and Future broke up. The effect on his music that this had was near immediate. He released three mix tapes within a four-month period from October 2014 to January 2015, titled “Monster,” “Beast Mode,” and “56 Nights.” At this point in his career, Future highlighted his problems via sound with false braggadocio, references to drug usage, and a darker production style. Whereas Honest ended with a glossy testament to love, titled “I’ll Be Yours,” Monster began with a cacophonous Metro Boomin-produced song titled “Radical.” The track begins with a pitched-down sample of an aboriginal didgeridoo, soon followed by the lowest pitched version of Future vocals ever observed in his career. Future’s exposition of anger, pain, and hurt in the months that followed the breakup with his ex-fiancée is apparent in the chant throughout the introductory verse. “Fuck all your attitude, fuck all your gratitude” he begins. In his early work, references to drug usage was only referred to metaphorically or in the pursuit of wordplay, while on the trilogy of mixtapes he released in 2014 and 2015, he goes into explicit detail. “It don’t fuck with my conscience/I’ll serve my auntie that raw,” he recites in a trance-like manner on song “Monster.” The same cocaine addicted auntie that he characterized in an early work and interviews with sympathy is now viewed with hatred, a hatred that runs so deep that he’s willing to sell her crack himself. On the three mixtapes, Future lashes out at the listener (saying that he’ll take their girlfriend on multiple tracks), Ciara, and most apparent, at himself.

Monster served as an initial response to the recent breakup, and track “Throw Away” was the most explicit of those responses. Future creates an interesting narrative as the song only makes reference to stark nihilism, where women only serve as sources of sexual favors, and are as easy to throw away as a “pistol.” Halfway through the song, the beat changes to one much more mellow. “Deep down, I believe you know a monster too.” Future’s bipolar behavior goes from one of hatred to understanding, recalling the multiple times that he did cheat and potentially be the cause of the relationship between him and Ciara ending. “Go on, f**k that n***a, and get it over with,” he instructs her. He wants Ciara to get sex out of her system if that’s what it will take for her to get even with him cheating on her. The song ricochets between a variety of emotions, self-loathing, manipulative, angry, compassionate: an ideal characterization of Future’s deteriorating and nigh-schizophrenic psyche. Future’s vocal volume changes after the beat switch, extenuating upon an impression of a schizophrenic “monster” with no control of his emotions.

The mix tape concludes with “Codeine Crazy,” an ode to his usage of promethazine codeine as a coping mechanism for both the custody loss of his son and his ex-fiancée. The track serves as the most self-aware of Future’s explanations about his depression: “I’m going crazy about it/I’m going codeine crazy/That’s how I’m living it/I’m feeling lovely.” he begins the song. Later, he confesses that “I’m an addict, and I can’t even hide it.” Future comes to a conclusive realization by the end of the mix tape, finding solace in abandoning his mainstream sound and lifestyle in lieu of one that includes a variety of women, drugs, and more visceral musical elements. It is in these factors where Future finds himself most comfortable. The confident nature of his lyrical presentation, ability to switch flows in an effort to garner unique performance, and newfound love for an Atlanta trap style that he attempted to stray away from all demonstrate this phenomenon.

“I can’t change, I was God given/they tried to make me a pop star, and they made a monster.” Future raps on his July 2015 album, “Dirty Sprite 2.” In the months that followed the release of Honest and the breakup with Ciara, Future utilized a grittier sound that marked a complete departure from his pop-friendly works throughout late 2013 and 2014. As opposed to the mixed array of producers used on previous projects, “Dirty Sprite 2,” Future completely depends on the work of young Atlanta producers Metro Boomin, the “808 Mafia” Collective, and Zaytoven. (Epic Records) The album was recorded in Atlanta, produced by producers residing in Atlanta, and mastered in Atlanta, lending credence to Future’s willingness to return to his original sound. Future’s willingness to work with these young producers also cultivated a transformative phase in his sound, considering louder percussions than any of his previous works characterize the beats used on Dirty Sprite 2.

In the investigation of Future’s transformation as an artist in regards to the state of his psyche, it can be noted that there is a methodology to which he abided. In 2011, he stated himself that he wanted to create melodic “stadium music.” In doing so, he subscribed to lyrical content and production styles that were similar to that of most pop songs. The inclusion of his previous life as a drug dealer soon began to reveal underlying thoughts within his subconscious to a small degree within his early mixtapes. However, his relationship with Ciara served as a reason to extend upon this “stadium music” style, beginning to edge into the R&B genre in terms of subject matter. With the abrupt end to their relationship, Future attached that style of “pop” music as a byproduct of his relationship with her. In an attempt to invalidate his failed relationship, Future’s late 2014 and early 2015 discography is marked by a complete reversal on “pop” themes, instead doubling-down on the “monstrous” side of his personality in order to continue his career.

Written by George Adeosun

Photos: Mr. Porter

Citations:

Caramanica, Jon. “Intricacy And Economy.” Village Voice. Village Voice, 11 Jan. 2005. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

Gale, Alex. “The 25 Best Mixtapes of 2011.” Complex. N.p., 25 Dec. 2011. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.

Weingarten, Christopher. “Future: How Hip-Hop’s Paranoid Android Became a Robocroon Superstar.”Rolling Stone. N.p., 15 Apr. 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.

Staff, MTV. “Future and Ciara Get Engaged.” MTV. N.p., 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 7 Dec. 2015.

#shho #shhoatuva #future #longread

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