#top artist yet only these two made the list? lord forgive me

[hopeinthebox]

tagged by loml @cordiallyfuturedwight for the monthly breakdown. i might like you less now that you know me so well. tagging some crushes @aprylynn @thvinyl @monismochi @kimtaegis @banghwa @eoieopda @pauls-mccharmly @letmelovekoo @visionsofgideontheninth @kimchokejin if you feel so inclined 💜

[callmebrycelee]

Album Review: Confetti by Little Mix

During one of the bleakest years in human history, Little Mix has delivered us pure joy and happiness in the form of their sixth studio album: CONFETTI. I became a fan of Little Mix, a Mixer is what we’re called, a few years ago when I clicked on one of my coworker’s Spotify playlists. The first song of theirs I can recall listening to is “F.U.” from their fourth album Glory Days. After looking up their other albums I then ventured over to YouTube so I could watch a few of their music videos. I instantly fell in love with the choreo-heavy “Touch” and the slumber party-themed “Hair”. I then started looking at their live performances and I was blown away. For me, Little Mix is everything I ever wanted out of Fifth Harmony. Now before I get some hate, Fifth Harmony is/was a great pop group and without them we wouldn’t have Normani, but whereas some of the girls in Fifth Harmony are/were more vocally talented than others, each of the members of Little Mix - Jade, Jesy, Leigh-Anne and Perrie - have amazing voices and those voices blend together so perfectly.

I’m so glad I discovered Little Mix when I did because it gave me enough time to binge their albums, music videos and live performances just in time for their fifth studio album LM5 to drop. If I had to rank the albums prior to CONFETTI, LM5 would definitely be at the top of my list. Realistically-speaking, the album didn’t perform as well as their other albums but the album is damn near perfect in my opinion. I then later learned the girls were going through a separation with their then-record label Syco which is a major factor in why the album didn’t perform as well as it could. 

CONFETTI is Little Mix’s first album since leaving Syco so many of us were very much looking forward to what the girls were going to deliver without having Simon Cowell standing on their neck. Our first taste of a newly emancipated Little Mix came in the form of the 80′s-inspired “Break Up Song”. They released their second single “Holiday” in the middle of the summer and their third single “Sweet Melody” was released a few weeks ahead of the album’s November 6 release. Being in the United States, I stayed up past midnight so I can listen to the album and since it’s release it’s been in heavy rotation on Spotify. I thought it would be fun to review the album and rate each of the tracks. There are 13 tracks on CONFETTI and I will be giving my thoughts on each track as well as a score based on a scale of 10. For those of you reading this, keep in mind, I am one of way too many Little Mix fans to count so if there are tracks that you like that I do not rate as high, just remember this is my opinion so forgive me, HAHA. Without further ado, here’s my review of CONFETTI:

BREAK UP SONG: The first track on the album is also the album’s first single. Break Up Song is not only a total vibe, it’s a total 80s vibe. I was delightfully surprised when Little Mix released this song earlier this year. I love that this song is yet another reminder of just how freakin’ talented these ladies are. My favorite part of the track is Jade’s bridge towards the end of the song. The song is bright and fun and I simply cannot resist busting out some serious 80s dance moves every time the song comes on.  Rating: 10/10

HOLIDAY: While Break Up Song gives up 80s pop vibes, Holiday sticks its toes in the contemporary pop pool. It makes sense that this song was released smack dab in the middle of the summer because it is the perfect summer jam. I especially love the accompanying music video which features the girls luxuriating in a spa somewhere on the moon or maybe Mars. It’s sugary and sweet and just like Break Up Song it’s one of those songs you can’t resist dancing to. It should be noted Holiday is the second single off of CONFETTI and it is one of my top 3 favorite tracks off the album. Rating: 10/10

SWEET MELODY: When I first heard the reggaeton-infused Sweet Melody, my initial reaction was meh. Thank God I listened to the song again ... and again ... and again ... because on the second, third and fourth listening, I realized just how truly epic this song is. The lyrics are quite brilliant with my favorite being the Perrie-led second verse: “He would lie, he would cheat, over syncopated beats.” Not only is the song a banger, the music video is one of the best visuals Little Mix has ever released. The choreography is fire and you can tell they put their blood, sweat, tears and spinal cord into their dancing. Sweet Melody is my favorite track on CONFETTI. Rating: 10/10

CONFETTI: Prior to the release of CONFETTI, this track was made available. This song gives me late-90s/early-2000s R&B vibes and I quite enjoy it. It doesn’t hit as nearly as hard as Sweet Melody but this is yet another song I can picture being played in a club. If Little Mix releases any more singles from this album, which I believe they should, I think Confetti is a strong contender. I imagine the music video will be very heavy on the choreo.  Rating: 9/10

HAPPINESS: Category Is: Songs That Could Have Been Released By Britney Spears in the Early 2000s. Happiness is yet another track that was released ahead of the album. Unlike the first three tracks of the album which are very much songs about relationships, past and present, Happiness is the self-empowerment anthem we never knew we needed, especially in the year of our Lord 2020. Happiness is a splashy pop song but it doesn’t elicit the strong emotions I felt when listening to Break Up Song or Sweet Melody.  Rating: 9/10

NOT A PROP SONG: One of the things I like about Little Mix is every so often they’ll release an acoustic version of their popular songs, i.e., Black Magic, Touch, Holiday. This song is acoustic rock and it is not a sound I was ever expecting from Little Mix. If there was a sequel to National Manthem, it would be Not a Pop Song. I like to think of this as Little Mix’s emancipation proclamation after fleeing the clutches of one Simon Cowell. My favorite lyric from the song is in the chorus: “No more singing songs bout breaking my heart or my lonely nights dancing in the dark.” I absolutely adore this song and it gives me early Kelly Clarkson vibes.  Rating: 10/10

NOTHING BUT MY FEELINGS: This song from beginning to end is an absolute treat. I love how lowkey the song starts off and after the chorus, you assume the song is going to keep amping up but at the start of the second verse it goes back to being lowkey again. I love a song that keeps me guessing. I especially love the theme of the song, the struggle of wanting to keep things super casual with someone when deep down you are developing strong feelings for them even though you know you shouldn’t. If there was any doubt the ladies of Little Mix are not grown, this is proof. Rating: 9/10

GLOVES UP: One thing I like doing whenever a new album by one of my favorite artists is released is heading over to YouTube and watching people’s reaction the albums. It seem likes Gloves Up is a favorite off of this album and I just don’t get it. I don’t like to skip tracks, especially on Little Mix albums, but admittedly this is the one I’m tempted to skip when I’m listening to CONFETTI. I like the message but the song is a bit cliché. I hope that repeatedly listening of this track will make me like it, especially since I have a very strong feeling this is going to end up being a single. Rating: 6/10

A MESS (HAPPY 4 U): If Break Up Song had a sequel it would be this track. I love the lyrics and I love the instrumentation. It’s a gorgeous track and again something unexpected from Little Mix. I love Jade’s falsetto on this track.  Rating: 9/10

MY LOVE WON’T LET YOU DOWN: I feel like in addition to giving us great dance bops, Little Mix also delivers when it comes to ballads. The gospel-tinged My Love Won’t Let You Down is absolutely gorgeous and will be the perfect closing song on one of their tours. There are Little Mix songs where I think, wow, I’d love to see what the music video would look like and then there are Little Mix songs where I think, wow, I’d love to see how they’d perform this. This track is definitely of the latter variety. All four of our queen’s vocals are on point.  Rating: 10/10

RENDEZVOUS: Remember how I said there are three songs on this album that are my favorite? Sweet Melody is my fave track on the album and Rendezvous is my second-favorite. Rendezvous is sexy and sleek and reminds me of something Ciara would’ve released early on in her career. I also love that it samples the song Sway. I cannot wait to see how they perform this song on tour and I would love for this to be a future single because I would love to see Little Mix turn up the sex on one of their songs. This song reminds me of Notice for some reason from LM5. When Little Mix does sexy, the do sexy right! Rating: 10/10

IF YOU WANT MY LOVE: Like Gloves Up, If You Want My Love is another meh track on this album which sucks because it’s literally sandwiched between two perfect songs on the album. Perhaps this is another one I’ll have to keep listening to in hopes that it will grow on me. Right now I’m feeling pretty blasé about the track. Rating: 6/10

BREATHE: Yay! We get not just one ballad on CONFETTI but two! This is the perfect close to a pretty awesome Little Mix album. I’m happy to report the album ends as strong as it begins. Of the two ballads, I prefer My Love Won’t Let You Down but that shouldn’t suggest I don’t like this song. I love it and it’s another one I’d love to see performed live. Rating: 10/10

ALBUM OVERALL RATING: 9

[ipodclassic160gb]

2017 Year End Music List

Hello and welcome to another installment of my annual album/song of the year lists. It was a rough year! Thank you for reading I love you so much.

20. Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up

I never liked Fleet Foxes. I always thought they were the product of an NPR think tank (just like Wilco or Neko Case). But I gave this album a shot and it really did it for me. The music is just so lush! My only issue with it is that you kind of have to give this album your undivided attention and listen to soak in all of the details. You can also file this one under “albums that sound like their cover art”

19. Colin Stetson - All This I Do For Glory

Every release from Colin Stetson is remarkable in it’s virtuosity and sheer innovation. No other artist on this planet can do what he does with just a saxophone. However, since Vol 2: Judges his work has been a lot of the same. It might just be me, but I felt like this release changed up his formula just enough to make this some of his best music yet.

18. Blanck Mass - World Eater

I think any album by a member of Fuck Buttons has a certain loudness requirement it has to meet to be considered as part of their body of work. While I don’t think they’ll ever match the pulsing wall of buzzsaw distortion that was Street Horrrsing, this album takes me to that same musical realm.

17. Jlin - Black Origami

THIS ALBUM IS BATSHIT FUCKING CRAZY. It sounds like the drumline from the movie Drumline and a West African drum circle playing together but they’re both are performing on computer instruments. These songs absolutely refuse to be background music. There were moments on here that left me with my jaw dropped, just staring at the speakers because I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

16. Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

Big Fish Theory is a great example of an album where the risks pay off and Vince Staples feels like the only rapper capable of putting it together. The production is pretty out there and not only does Staples make it work, he makes himself at home in it. Even with producers like SOPHIE (if you had told me even a year ago that I would hear Kendrick Lamar rap over a SOPHIE beat I would have called you crazy), this album is West Coast to it’s core.

15. (Sandy) Alex G - Rocket

This album is honestly kind of a mixed bag, but the good songs are great and led me to listen to listen to other a lot of older Alex G. So I figured it was worth including in this list. To me, his music falls into the space somewhere between This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About and Either/Or.

14. Mastodon - Emperor of Sand

Since no one else is saying I’ll go ahead and say it: Mastodon is STILL COOL and this is by far their best album since Crack the Skye

13. Ross from Friends - You’ll Understand/Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes

Lo-fi house gets a bad rep because it’s bandcamp music made by enigmatic producers with funny names and is basically just an offshoot of vaporwave. That being said, lo-fi house is at the very least more functional than straight up vaporwave music and honestly…what’s wrong with funny names? 

12. Sheer Mag - Need to Feel Your Love

I love this band. They make such PERFECT and AUTHENTIC sounding 70′s rock. Do you remember The Darkness??? I liked The Darkness when I was A Teen but you could always tell that they were copying from someone else’s playbook. With Sheer Mag, I feel like you could put their music on a playlist right next to a Thin Lizzy song and no one would think anything of it.

11. Thundercat - Drunk

To me, this is Thundercat finally hitting his stride. The shorter songs suit him well and keep the album from getting stale. A lot of artists this year tried to capture the essence what it’s like to live in such buck wild times and a lot of them fell flat . This album captures that essence without even trying.

10. Visible Cloaks - Reassemblage

You know how you go back to look at the music you listened to the most over the past year and it’s like...what is this album I listened to like 100 times apparently? And it’s that album you would always play while riding public transit to help you relax and zone out? That’s what this album is and it’s really good

9. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic

Easily my favorite metal album in years. Not a moment of filler. This is music to punch people in the face to. 

8. Kelela - Take Me Apart

After seeing Kelela play the side stages at virtually every festival I’ve been to in the last four years I am really happy to see her blowing up from this release. The central theme of this album of yourself apart and putting yourself back together after losing someone hit EXCRUCIATINGLY close to home for me this year. 

7.  Charli XCX - Pop 2

Turning her back on the Iggy Azalea paycheck money to work with a set of producers who make music that sounds like you’ve wound up on the WRONG part of the internet solidifies Charli XCX as one of the realest artists working in pop music today.

6. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN.

This album is the last nail in the coffin of every rapper that is not Kendrick Lamar. It solidifies him as the peerless, undisputed heavyweight champion of rap music (honestly…the second half of “DNA” alone accomplishes this). It’s been such a gift to watch Kendrick make his way to the top.The only thing that worries me is that now that he’s at the top where can he go from here?

5. Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me

One of the most gut-wrenchingly sad albums I have ever heard. What sets this apart from other albums about death is the specificity. It is an unadorned look into what someone goes through when someone they love dies. I think I’ve been able to make through the album start to finish a total of two times

4. Fever Ray - Plunge

What makes this album great is that it carries the same political themes brought forth on The Knife’s last album into a more refined and structured space without it sounding any less bizarre. No other lyric better summarizes the current global political climate than “THIS COUNTRY MAKES IT HARD TO FUCK”

3. St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION 

I wouldn’t say that it’s St. Vincent’s best work by any means. However, there’s a handful of songs on here that just fucking GET to me. A lot of people seem to view MASSEDUCTION as this fun and sexy album but to me it’s just overwhelmingly sad. Yes there are some fun latex BDSM moments here, but they exist in the context of an album about loss and addiction. I don’t think I’ve ever cried at a concert as hard as I did when I heard this album performed live.

2. JAY-Z - 4:44 

This is one of the best albums of Jay-Z’s entire career. The real hero of this album, however, is No I.D.’s production. The "doing everything as big as possible” sound of Jay-Z’s other recent work only seemed to make him sound older. On this album, over slower more soulful beats, he sounds more in his element than he has in years. Jay-Z if you are reading this I do NOT forgive you

1. SZA - Ctrl 

If I could give AOTY specifically to the line “why you bother me when you know you don’t want me” I would. I connected so much with the loneliness and the uncertainty and the self doubt that lives at the heart of so much of this music. This is one of those albums that I will carry with me forever because it will remind me of a specific part of my life that was bad. And I’ll go back to listen to it later and I’ll be brought back to that time but I’ll miss it for some reason. Does this happen to anyone else? There’s a lot of music that takes me back to specific BAD moments in my life and makes me miss those moments. Hopefully that is normal.

Songs of the Year:

Lil Uzi Vert - XO TOUR Llif3

(Sandy) Alex G - Bobby

Carly Rae Jepsen - Cut To The Feeling

Anamanaguchi - Miku (NES Version)

The War On Drugs - Thinking Of A Place

The National - The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness

Gorillaz - Hallelujah Money (ft. Benjamin Clementine)

Cardi B - Bodak Yellow

Japanese Breakfast - Road Head

King Krule - Dum Surfer

Lorde - Green Light

Kelly Lee Owens - More Than a Woman (Aaliyah Cover)

Radiohead - I Promise

Payboi Carti - Magnolia

Lizzo - Truth Hurts

Thundercat - Show You The Way (ft. Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald

N.E.R.D. - Lemon (ft. Rihanna)

yaeji - raingurl

Arca - Piel

Calvin Harris - Slide (ft. Frank Ocean and Migos)

(2017 Overall Playlist) 

[thisselflovecamebacktome]

My top 5 albums of 2017

So I don’t know if it’s just because I was not big on the music of 2016, but I feel like this year has just been a brilliant year for music in comparison to the last few years. Like no joke, by April I thought I had my top 5 already picked... none of them made this list. On top of that, my two top picks are ones I never would have guessed would make the lists at all and quite frankly one the ones left, I thought my top 3 picks would have consisted of my fourth pick and my fifth pick along with another album and then my third pick would have been number 4. That is how good the music this year was. Favourites of mine that made brilliant albums were low on the list or didn’t even make it at all. Anyway, now that that’s out of the way, here’s my top 5 picks, my thoughts on them and my favourite song from each of them.

5. What If Nothing - Walk The Moon.

I won’t lie, I was worried about this album. I loved each and every song on Talking Is Hard so damn much, and to be honest, typically when that happens, the next album that artist brings out is not to my liking. But thankfully that was not the case here. Walk The Moon came through and I couldn’t be happier. My most appreciative moments in this album, just like every album on this list is those of self love and healing. All up it was just a really fun, vibey album with meaning and I loved it.

Favourite song: All I Want.

4. Reputation - Taylor Swift.

So I was scared for this album for the complete opposite reason of What If Nothing. By the end of the 1989 era, only 3 were played regularly (This Love, Clean, You Are In Love). Considering how massive 1989 was, I wouldn’t have blamed Taylor for doing a similar project for her sixth album. Literally considering this came out the same day as What If Nothing, my hope was just to like one of them. Thankfully both artists came out swinging and I thank the gods every day that Taylor went in a different direction for Reputation than 1989. The irony with this album is that the moments of anger and the fuck you attitude was everything I wanted from Taylor since RED and yet it’s the moments of healing through love, both of yourself and noticing that given to you by others, that really shines in this album. The fact that New Year’s Day is the most like pre 1989 Taylor and the last song on this album also gives me immense hope for album 7 (assuming it’s not a greatest hits like predicted) and while I still love this album, the impatient side of me cannot wait for that.

Favourite song: Call It What You Want.

3. Tell Me You Love Me - Demi Lovato.

When Sorry Not Sorry came out, I knew that this was going to be a good album given it gave me Cool For The Summer vibes and to me, Confident was a good album. What made this album great is what came after. The juxtapose between Tell Me You Love Me the song and You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore contextually in terms of lyrics alone made me rush to get the Target deluxe version of this album on the first day, something I rarely do. Both songs were brilliant and projected a growth that, while shown in smaller ways by Demi over the years, showed just how far she had come. And as suspected, the album mirrored that well. Perhaps it’s that I feel that Demi finally realised that prioritising chart hits over lyrical value and what your audience wants wasn’t the way to get grammys, but something about this album felt more genuine and grown up than her others as a whole... and I say that as someone who adores the DEMI album. My only complaint with the album (apart from Daddy Issues #SorryNotSorry) is knowing that those who didn’t get the Target version would not have heard Smoke And Mirrors considering that was the second best song on the album in my opinion. Either way, this album was well and truly snubbed for the grammys and that absolutely breaks my heart.

Favourite song: You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore.

2. Rainbow - Kesha.

Now we reach the two artists I never imagined would make this list. If you had told me a few years back that Kesha would bring out an album that I would rate the number two album of that year, I would have either thought you were crazy or been very concerned for the quality of music for that year. And yet here we are. I won’t lie, the minute I found out what happened with Dr Luke and specifically when I found out he wasn’t working on it, I told myself I was going to buy this album regardless of if I liked it or not. As a rape survivor myself, to me it felt like an action of unity and my god am I glad I did. From the minute Praying came out, I was awestruck. Just the boldness of it along with how much I resonated with the song made me excited for the album. Much like everything on this list, the healing and love, both self and through others, aspects of this album are what make it beautiful. Sure, Hunt You Down, Boogie Feet, Old Flames and Godzilla (which you could argue is about accepting another person as who they are) are all great songs, but they will never be the songs you would use to describe this album contextually. Because, at least to me, this album is about the strength of forgiveness you find in Praying, the self empowerment of Bastards, Woman, Hymn and Let ‘Em Talk, the self love of Rainbow and Learn To Let Go, the healing to the point of finding someone you want to spend forever with in Finding You and Boots and just as importantly, the acceptance in Spaceship. Like despite the fact that this song isn’t really for me, that last part of the outro is just... wow. To be frank, this album is just healing in an album and once again, the fact it did not get more nominations for the grammys is just heartbreaking to me.

Favourite song: Rainbow.

1. Melodrama - Lorde.

Honestly? Pure Heroine was not my thing. Controversial I know considering every last person bar my mother who I know who listened to it adored it and recommended it to me due to my music taste. So guess who got the god damn shock of their life when Green Light dropped and they loved it? This chick. I still don’t understand what people mean that it sounds like something Taylor wrote because to me it doesn’t, but I imagine that the likeness is probably heard in the production as Jack does a lot for Taylor and did this song. Then Liability dropped and I knew I had to buy this album. I won’t lie, half the album (Sober one and two, The Lourve, Homemade Dynamite and Liability reprise) were growers for me. Like nothing about them stuck with me at first, but the more I listened to them, the more I found little things that I loved about them until I realised I loved all the songs, something so few albums have ever done to the point I can count them on my hands. Meanwhile I adored and still adore all the other songs from the get go. Personally I reckon that was because they were the more obvious story songs regarding moving on/recovering and self love. I mean flat out my favourite line of the whole album is “I love it here since I stopped needing you”. Just all up, this album is a deep cut, relatable vibe which, once again, should have been nominated for more grammys than it was. Like shit, I know I thought the grammys were a scam long before this, but the amount of albums they snubbed this year is just something else.

Favourite song: Liability BUT Supercut and Writer In The Dark are very close seconds.

[20straveling]

11.18.2017 ~ I am my Own Self, Hear me (expl)ROAR!

           To start with: I have changed my writing location. Previously, all of my blogs were written from the comfort and warmth of my bed, where I could unabashedly take my time lopping words into paragraphs to update the people back home. Today, on the eighteenth of November, in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen, I have chosen to write from within the aromatic and hazy haven of Yogurt Barn. Nothing short of my personal favorite location within the city, this little yogurt shop/café has been the subject of some of my absolute cutest and most “aesthetic” photos I’ve taken so far. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like it doesn’t deserve to be appreciated, but I know many of you are thinking: “come on Marissa, you couldn’t find a better place to religiously spend your money?” The answer is no, I couldn’t—I pick favorites and I hold onto them tight for fear of, well, who knows actually.

             Anyway, you guys probably want to get to the part where I tell you what I’ve been up to since my last post three and a half weeks ago! I am so sorry for being gone so long but when you hear what I’ve been up to, maybe you can forgive me? First thing to note, now that I’m finally telling you about the things I’ve been up to, is that I’m not trying too hard to go in chronological order because, honestly, when I get home I’ll just be spouting information and stories, rather than walking you through my itinerary.

           Okay, lets jump in: I got a new tattoo and a haircut within the same two-week window and I am loving this pseudo-reinvention of myself while being abroad. The tattoo is a beautiful daisy and accompanying sprig of leaves on my inner right arm. The haircut is a straight bob with an undercut (where they shave the underside of your hair, while leaving the top layers like normal). I’ll admit: I feel kind of like a badass with this look, which I need for a bit of moral pep during the last few weeks before heading home. The tattoo parlor I went to is the oldest within the city and the gentlemen there were very nice and were able to set up an appointment within the same week that I went in for a consultation. The cost was the price of expertise and materials and a beautiful tattoo, so I’d say it was worth it.

           {Here’s my two cents, for all those that don’t quite understand or agree with the choice to get tattoos: my tattoos are mementos, reminders. My favorite part of this city is the constant display and arrangement of flowers that add color and life to city. Yes, there are colorful people and colorful buildings, but the connection with nature will never go underappreciated within my own mind. I have photos of these flowers and the scenes that made me smile but the mentality of having living things, or a tattoo of a living thing, on my body makes me much happier because I am a part of those things that live and grow and die and return after their death. Also: my body is mine and I am the only one who has a say in what happens to it. The end.}

           Moving on! My haircut was quite the adventure because I got it done for free during student exam/lessons for Toni&Guy salon, which is actually right across the square from my beloved Yogurt Barn. The whole experience took about two hours, in which the teacher gave quite the sass-attack to some of the students, and I realized the girl cutting my hair was really good, but so anxious about creating an irreversible mistake on my hair. I reassured her that hair grows and honestly, just do what you’re comfortable with—and that kind of bit me back in the long run because, to be honest dear reader, I was not entirely pleased with my haircut when I walked about of the salon. They gave me a center part and the undercut was a triangle, rather than a flat shave like I wanted, but fear not! I have grown to love it, and I can part it however I want, obviously. My wise and clearly-much-smarter-than-I friend, Kelly, called me out and told me to stop being a wuss and just tell people what I want when I go into a service industry. She’s totally right. I am a wuss. I don’t like to inconvenience people or to cause unnecessary stress if I don’t have to: it’s much easier to stay quiet and remember that, in this case, hair grows.

           Also, fun fact, The Netherlands isn’t as huge into Halloween as America is (we tend to be excessive about everything) but our neighborhood is full of expats and so we attended the cutest little coordinated trick-or-treat festivities all day and collected a non-chocolate centered candy haul after running around after a little blue dinosaur (Emilio’s costume), and I was busy being an obnoxious adult who cared too much about Halloween as I dressed up like Harry Potter.

           On to the next adventure! For three blissful days, my friend from home came to visit and we tore up Amsterdam and had the most fun I’ve had in years. A three hour walking tour lead by a naturally sociable guide led to an amusing and educational tour of the inner city of Amsterdam, including the Red Light District and some of the canals­­—and a café/bar with a cat! (my friend and I love cats, so this was a potential highlight on the “unexpected” list). After our tour we toured the Van Gogh Museum and I fell in love with an artist that I had already adored from afar back in my Art History classes at St. Mary’s. Along with the wonderful artwork, we also discovered that audio tours within museums are completely worth the extra charge if you want to feel more immersed within the works, or if you’re like us, and have someone who’s not entirely sure they’re interested in the artworks that they’re about to spend over an hour looking at. We used audio tours for all of the following museums we went to, including the Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Rembrandt Studio, and Escher in the Palace (we went to a lot of museums, and thank god my friend actually enjoyed some of it, because they’re not really an art person like I am). While they visited, we stayed at an AirBnB and I can confirm that this is my preferred method of staying anywhere now. The comfort of a home with the amenities of a hotel all in one—I’ve started investigating long term stays for my trip to Ireland, but more on that later! Last couple of adventures in Amsterdam included a trip to the Zoo (mainly to see the Red Pandas), a great dinner out at a place called Haesje Claes, and the some time spent wandering around The Hague after two days of running ourselves up a wall to get all our planned activities done. A wonderful weekend with some great photos to commemorate the trip will be surely discussed when I return.

           The following weekend, the family and I traveled to Zaandam and went to the clog factory there, which is situated in the cutest little town that has been preserved from it’s factory days into picturesque quaint charm, surrounded by windmills and colored homes, and small shops. Although it rained for most of the time we were there, the atmosphere of the town was something I had been craving during my trip abroad, and something I plan to seek out again before I leave. I did not buy myself a pair of clogs—my mother’s rational voice of “when will you ever actually wear these” was constantly running through my head—but, I did buy a miniature pair that are more like keychain or display style because I loved the level of detail in the carving. The whole town was situated on a series of small canals and beyond the section where the “clog town” sat, lay fields and the actual world beyond. Only turning around to head home did we once again return to the city-scape and the more stereotypical Netherlands style homes.

           On to the final notes, which may come as a relief after reading two pages of single spaced story telling. I visited one of the oldest churchs in The Hague and it was absolutely stunning, as to be expected. I will never cease to seek out these beautiful creations that are testaments to the amazing works that can be created by man to worship amazing works done by God/Jesus. Honestly, I should be making an effort to explore more religious temples and grounds, but I’m not quite that comfortable yet with the invasion of other religions I don’t understand or know enough about. If you were curious, the church I visited is called “St. James the Church in The Hague,” and it was amazing to see how even within this church the details were naturally oriented, with vines and trees in the tile work and the general beauty of the rest of the art within.

             So, what’s next? This weekend I am touring the Peace Palace, and tomorrow, Sunday, I will be venturing out to some town to take photos of windmills—I haven’t quite planned that far ahead yet and therefor I can’t actually name anywhere yet. Next weekend, we have taken on the momentous task of hosting Thanksgiving (even though, in full European fashion, I am already skipping forward to Christmas), and then the final weekend I am here, I will be packing, prepping, and pretending I’m not about to be going home. That’s right folks, this Monday marks the two-week countdown for when I return home! The boring part of this means that I start working (hopefully) no later than December eleventh, but this also means I have so much fun to share very very soon with everyone and I cannot wait to tell you guys all about it!

 <3 M

 11.18.2017

[thesinglesjukebox]

THE CHICKS - MARCH MARCH

[7.44]

Presumably won't be sued by Judy and Suzanne Donaldson...

Katie Gill: Let's get this out of the way first: to the best of my knowledge, "March March" had already been written by May 1, the originally announced release date of Gaslighter. I suspect there's already an article out there claiming the Chicks are jumping on the #BLM bandwagon, which 1. ain't true in the slightest, and 2. if you think the group that was willing to publicly criticize the Iraq War in 2003 is doing this for brownie points, I've got some swampland in Florida to sell you. This is an absolutely powerful song that pulls no punches. The minimalist backing highlights the power of Maines' vocals and the group's lyrics. That "cut the shit, you ain't going to the gun range" is perhaps the most haunting aside I'll hear in all of 2020. And the transition from minimalist backing to that absolutely sublime violin solo is top-notch. But the majority of the power from this song comes from the video, which recontextualizes the song's more general indictment of various protestable problems like school shootings and climate change to focus on the current Black Lives Matter movement. The video is a triumph of editing, especially the absolutely arresting and heartbreaking list of names at the end. The moment when they start moving faster, fast enough to the point where you can't read them all, feels like a punch in the chest. If the VMAs actually gave a damn about music videos outside of the 20 or so approved VMA winning artists, this would be a shoo-in. But it does make you wonder how well "March March" plays on the album itself or in a performance context, without the sublime video to bolster it. [8]

Edward Okulicz: It's almost a pity that this isn't the debut single by an actual new group called The Chicks, because the opening lyric "march, march to my own drum," delivered like a serpent ready to strike, is as potent a statement of intent as Pistol Annies' "Hell on Heels." Only it sounds more like Lorde. Any country elements are ghostly, threatening to run away in the mix if you focus on them. The Chicks have done what Lady A(ntebellum) failed to do and met the moment head on. [8]

Jackie Powell: I appreciate that The Chicks are "meet[ing] the moment" by not only reflecting inward, but also giving voice and handing their platform to those who have been actually marching in the past two months. They know they shouldn't be in this video, and for the most part they aren't. I don't mind that we see Emily Erwin's hands plucking her dobro. The Chicks understand that their rebranding is more than a statement of their potential wokeness and clout (cough cough Lady A). "March March" has less of a sonic punch than its predecessor, but it does accomplish a lyrical gut-punch. "What the hell happened in Helsinki?" is delivered with such sarcasm but also a defeatist tone, and the guitar and banjo harmonize the answer. I remember that day, and I remember how Twitter and the news machine reacted. It was horrifying. The final chorus crashes with a percussive convergence, as a thunderous bass drum attacks the first syncopated motif from the first measure. The "march" is layered and has intensified. Overall, the track would have served The Chicks even before the world's racial reckoning. It could be interpreted as a bit more conceited: Natalie Maines and co. once again positioning themselves as the country stars who have "taken on" the Nashville establishment while making "the personal political." They've been "March March"ing to their own drum for a while. With their first full-length release in almost fifteen years, they ought to know they aren't marching alone. [7]

Tim de Reuse: Dramatic, unfocused rambling that could've come from any white country up-and-comer trying to cram a profound single into their feel-good debut album. The "lies are truth and truth is fiction" bit is wishy-washy enough, but choosing to end your second verse with an apparent plea that we all keep Russiagate in our minds betrays a catastrophic failure to understand what most of the country does and does not give a fuck about right now. A band that got nationally blacklisted for the better part of a decade after daring to condemn the Iraq war should in theory be positioned pretty well to say something incisive -- and yet, and yet... [3]

Alfred Soto: What makes "March March" a minor triumph aren't the lyrics, which are of course audible but nevertheless weirdly and touchingly mild for these anxious times, but the way the Chicks let the song expand its lung power. A trippy, haunting example of the genre's recombinant abilities unfolds in the last minute as Old Country's handclaps, banjo, and fiddle meet the echo and slight distortion of New Country. To deal with anxious times, art should remind audiences of how we see traces of what is lost in what is new. [7]

Katherine St Asaph: I did not expect them to almost turn into "Army of Me" -- not now, not circa Court Yard Hounds, not circa "Goodbye Earl" -- which was a cover, anyway -- not circa the bluegrass days. Jack Antonoff is producing (alongside Taking the Long Way's Dan Wilson), so "March March" mostly remains a yellow flicker beat. But as it progresses, it prove the Chicks' name change wasn't just cosmetic or #woke. They know half of you love them -- their loyal fanbase, and lots more people who don't listen to country but love the idea of them -- and will forgive pandering, via a single that's no more political or pointed than stuff by Brandy Clark or Eric Church or even occasionally Brad Paisley. (The "cut the shit, you ain't going to the gun range" aside is sassy-great, if obsolete -- the boogaloos aren't pretending -- and blunted when the Chicks reuse it on a throwaway line.) They also know there's no point pandering to country radio, the half that already hates then, and likely also that they're too much of a legacy act for pop-crossover radio. This gives them musical freedom, and unlike countless message songs with afterthought arrangements, they use it. "March March" dispenses with words for almost a full two minutes to show, not tell, via a Southern gothic (in both senses of the phrase) "I'm Not Done." Sopranos ping like sonar, fiddlers play like they're Nigel Kennedy, handclaps and banjos form a dense thicket. It's striking, and made to listen to, not just to retweet and Google lyrics. [9]

Steacy Easton: The harmonies are nice, and I've missed them, but the abstract, anxious and spiky instrumental -- especially the banjos, handclaps and mysterious production on the last minute of the song -- matches the innovation of the name change. [8]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: The Chicks occupy an odd space in my music memory. Their music was popular when I was a kid, but I was too young in 2003 to grasp how and why they were suddenly ostracized from the country music industry. After they disappeared, I never thought that much about it. It was only after Beyoncé and The Chicks' 2016 "Daddy Lessons" that I started to understand the subversiveness of their music. And it was only after perennial problematic fav Taylor Swift explained her fear of speaking about politics, in the context of The Chicks' blacklisting after speaking out about President Bush, that I began to understand how the country music establishment silences voices of dissent. "March March" is a band unapologetically doubling down on the principles that they were shut out for. It's a band using their white privilege to vocalize an anti-racist message that prioritizes black, trans, and POC lives--reclaiming space and power in a patriarchal, racist industry. It's a hyper-political country anthem that soundtracks this moment, but it's also more than that. [8]

Tobi Tella: Bluster and generic empowerment are not what white artists should be providing right now, nor does it match the mood of the moment. This is steely, gritty, minimalist, and resilient, from a group that's been walking the damn walk for over 15 years. [9]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[authorpanda-blog]

The Artist’s Muse: Chapter Seven

“That girl!” Yura shouted as she waved her hand, causing the wall to shift and move. Kagome gave a startled screech, almost falling off the wall. While Yura was distracted, InuYasha yanked the katana from his hand. “What the fuck are you looking away for!?” He yelled as he attacked her, causing a large gash to appear on her back.

“You shut up!” Yura yelled as she attacked him with her strands. “Heh. You were calm enough when I cut through you… But now you are upset, are you not? Around there somewhere… There is something you do not want us to find.” InuYasha stated, making Yura glare at him. “InuYasha! That skull over there, it is doing something!” Kagome stopped climbing and pointed at one of the skulls that had hair coming out of the mouth and eye sockets.

 “Shit.” Yura growled and used her strands to lift herself away. “Cage of hair!” She yelled and trapped Kagome, who had managed to grab onto the skull. Aiko managed to crawl his way over to InuYasha, tears in his eyes. “I just got you, please do not leave me.” He whimpered as he grabbed InuYasha’s face with his hands, trying not to look at his wounds. “I will never. But I have to help her.” The halfling replied to the boy, who nodded in return. “I will be right here.” Aiko responded with a nod as InuYasha got up.

 “Blades of blood!” InuYasha yelled as he cut trough a wall of the cage, managing to cut off Yura’s arm in the process. “InuYasha…” Kagome mumbled weakly, being restrained in mid air by hair. “Do not faint, the trouble is not over yet!” InuYasha yelled at the girl as the cage of hair started to fall apart. “Heh. Figures that with both her arms gone she can not support all that hair anymore.” He laughed before Yura’s severed hand moves and grabs the katana, stabbing him through the chest.

 “Fools, it is no use.” Yura stated from her perch atop the pile of skulls. “Crap… Even in that condition she can still control the hair!?” InuYasha glared at Yura, who simply grinned. “I am immortal!” She yelled as she sent her katana after him yet again. However, the sound of tapping made her freeze. Kagome had found the skull from before and was hitting it with one of her arrows. There were strands of hair coming from it that were connected to Yura’s hands.

 The arrow broke the skull in half and hit a comb, shattering it into pieces. Yura started to dissolve into dust, staring at Kagome. “That Yura bitch…… She had transferred her soul into a fucking comb. So, that is why I could not hurt her no matter how many times she was cut.” InuYasha stated as he stood, heading over to where Aiko was waiting for him. “InuYasha… Those terrible wounds… It is because you lent me your kimono top…” Kagome tailed off as she took his fire rat kimono of her back and handed it to him. “It is no big deal… Just find the shard, I will take Aiko to the old hag.” InuYasha shrugged and wrapped the kimono top around the human boy before picking him up bridal style. InuYasha grunted in pain as he lifted Aiko but refused to put him down.

 “InuYasha... I can walk, you know…” Aiko blushed brightly and looked up at the injured halfling. “Hush. I want to carry you, alright?” InuYasha muttered, a light pink blush dusting his cheeks. Aiko smiled softly and leaned closer to his chest, being careful not to disturb his wounds.

 ~~~Elsewhere~~~

 “Tomorrow we will join with the army’s main forces. Everyone, raise your spirits over this wild boar tonight.” The leader said as he ripped the head off the boar. The warriors in front of him made noises of amazement. “O-Yakata is known for such great feats of unmatched strength.” One said to the others. As they ate, the leader kept boasting on how he would rip the head off the army general.

 A loud ripping sound filled the tent, drawing attention to a young man who stood next to the leader. “Move.” The man said as he ripped the leaders head off as if it was nothing. “You bastards are in the way. Get lost.” He told the warriors before turning slightly. “Jaken, the human head staff.” As he said this a small water imp ran forward, holding a staff. At the end of the staff were two heads, an old man and a young woman. As the imp, Jaken, placed the base of the staff in the ground, the woman’s face awoke and let out a screech.

 “The woman’s face is screeching, it appears that the tomb we seek is elsewhere, my lord.” Jaken stated with a bowed head. “Is that so…” The man sighed as realization struck the warriors. “These bastards are not human!” One yelled, his comrades grabbing their weapons. The man turned and faced the one who had spoken. “What is it, human? Do you not get it yet?” He asked as the warriors surrounded the imp and himself.

 “I will exterminate them!” A warrior yelled as they all charged. “Hn. How barbaric. Jaken, I will leave these idiots to you.” The man said and turned away. The imp scuttled forward with a chuckle. “Behold the power of the human head staff!” He cackled as he waved it around. The mouth of the old man opened, breathing fire and burning the warriors until nothing remained.

 ~~ A little later~~

“Lord Sesshoumaru….” Jaken hesitated slightly as he rows the boat. “What is it?” The man, Sesshoumaru, questioned the imp. “About the tomb… Would InuYasha know where it is?” Jaken finished his question, only for is Lord to swipe his toxic claws at the small imp. Startled, Jaken fell back into the water. Sesshoumaru held him under the water with the end of the staff. “You made me think of that half breed thing.” His lord stated as he held him down.

 “I beg forgiveness!” Jaken gurgled out water. “First of all, he is no longer alive. I heard he was sealed up.” Sesshoumaru stated calmly. “That is the thing… That seal has been broken.” Jaken bubbled out, struggling to breathe. “What?” Sesshoumaru glared at him.

 ~~Meanwhile~~

 “Treatment for my wounds? I do not need any. Go tend to Aiko instead.” InuYasha waved Kagome away from his perch on a sturdy tree branch. “I will, after I see to your wounds. You were badly hurt. Come down.” Kagome looked up at him, a first aid kit in the basket of her bike. InuYasha scoffed and rolled his eyes.

 “Sit.”

Master List

[deadcactuswalking]

HIDE IT IN MY SOCK -- THE TOP 10 BEST HIT SONGS OF 2017

Well then, 2017 was fantastic! Well, I mean, for popular music; in terms of anything else, 2017 was pretty horrible, but that’s not what we’re here to discuss. We’re here to discuss...

THE TOP TEN BEST HIT SONGS OF 2017

Yeah, it’s finally here – I wanted to really finalise my list before it was released so I kind of missed List Season entirely, but hopefully those extra weeks of working on these lists will be for the best. Now, throughout the last year, I’ve been more fascinated by and involved in the world of hip hop and rap music, including listening to artists such as Tyler, the Creator, BROCKHAMPTON and Anderson .Paak much more than I used to simply because the genre overall is much more easily enjoyable and accessible, even the more underground and alternative stuff. The reason for that is probably the dominance of urban music on the charts in 2017, with hip hop and R&B overthrowing rock as the most popular genre as of right now. This was expected for a while now, but it’s crazy how much hip hop and rap is more easily available now and especially insane how much hip hop and rap is on the charts now. I’m not really complaining for most of it – you’ll be seeing quite a lot of hip hop on this list – but the oversaturation of trap music, a brand of Southern hip hop, has really gotten on my nerves and honestly I’m starting to get sick of how anyone with ‘Lil’ in their name and lean in their cup can get a Top 40 hit nowadays, but that’s enough rambling and complaining! This is the best list, so let’s start things off positively and reveal the honourable mentions, because there’s a hell of a lot of them.

Honourable Mentions

These are ranked from how far they are from the list proper, furthest to closest. Let’s go!

XXXTENTACION – “Look at Me!”

I was tempted to put this on the list for the meme, but, nah, this sucks.

The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – “Something Just Like This” / Migos – “Bad and Boujee” featuring Lil Uzi Vert / French Montana – “Unforgettable” featuring Swae Lee / Cardi B – “Bodak Yellow” / The Chainsmokers – “Paris” / Justin Timberlake – “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”

I can’t decide if these songs are terrific or terrible. Other than that, I have nothing really to say about these other than I’m excited for Swaecation.

Adele – “Water under the Bridge”

I want to like this song.

DJ Khaled – “Wild Thoughts” featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tyler

I don’t want to like this song, but that groove is tight enough for me to forgive Bryson Tiller comparing sex to a cremation.

twenty one pilots – “Heathens”

I’ve yet to come to terms with the fact that I kinda like these guys.

Miley Cyrus – “Malibu”

This is the sweetest song of the year. Ew.

Zedd and Alessia Cara – “Stay”

This was on the list at some point. Guess it couldn’t stay.

Also, yes, since I don’t have much to say about these songs, a lot of these reasons will just be puns.

21 Savage – “Bank Account” / Post Malone – “Rockstar” featuring 21 Savage

21 Savage has never bored me like he bores other people.

Sweeter than a Pop-Tart

The only reason “Rockstar” isn’t on this list is because of the Pop-Tart diss. How dare you!

Travis Scott – “Goosebumps” featuring Kendrick Lamar

God, Kendrick is terrible on this.

Demi Lovato – “Sorry Not Sorry”

I ain’t got no problem, got no problem with this.

Niall Horan – “Slow Hands”

Why does everyone hate this again? This is too cute for me to dislike, even if it does compare sex to laundry.

Shawn Mendes – “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back”

Yeah, that guitar melody holds this back.

Rae Sremmurd – “Black Beatles” featuring Gucci Mane / Migos – “I Get the Bag” featuring Gucci Mane

Happy belated birthday, Gucci Mane.

Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber – “Despacito” (remix)

This is a really fun song, but it kind of bores me towards the end.

Big Sean – “Bounce Back”

Tragic irony.

The Weeknd – “I Feel it Coming”

This is one of the few times that a song is too repetitive for my taste.

Rihanna – “Love on the Brain”

Doo-wop-wop, shooby-doo-wop.

Charlie Puth – “Attention”

The ultimate battle between good and evil: bassline vs. falsetto.

Bruno Mars – “24K Magic” / Bruno Mars – “That’s What I Like”

Sorry, Bruno, you’re not #blessed enough.

Got to blame it on Jesus

Kendrick Lamar – “HUMBLE.”

I’m just not very good at talking about Kendrick, probably because if you hear his songs you’ll immediately know why I like them.

A Boogie wit da Hoodie – “Drowning” featuring Kodak Black

This nearly topped my list until I got sick of Kodak Black’s verse.

KYLE – “iSpy” featuring Lil Yachty / D.R.A.M. - “Broccoli” featuring Lil Yachty

These are fun but Lil Yachty exists, so they’re not on the list.

Touch my gang, we gon’ turn this s**t to Columbine

I hope KYLE and D.R.A.M. won’t end up as one-hit wonders, though they probably will be.

Ed Sheeran – “Castle on the Hill”

This is the only time you will see me endorsing Ed Sheeran because this song rocks. Too bad the rest of his output is cringeworthy or boring.

Harry Styles – “Sign of the Times”

We’re at the point where the only reason these songs didn’t make the list is because there were a few songs that were better. Exhibit A.

Playboi Carti – “Magnolia”

Consider this my honorary #11.

Charlie Puth – “How Long”

If this made the year-end, it would have been on the list.

Jason Derulo – “Tip Toe” featuring French Montana / CamelPhat and Elderbrook – “Cola”

These songs didn’t cross over to the US in time to be a hit, and that upsets me because these probably would have made the top five. Hell, I’m listening to “Cola” as I’m typing this.

N.E.R.D. – “Don’t Don’t Do It!” featuring Kendrick Lamar

This is my favourite single released this year overall. Tied with...

Tyler, the Creator - “Boredom” featuring Rex Orange County and Anna of the North

Lil Uzi Vert - “The Way Life Goes” featuring Oh Wonder and Nicki Minaj

Lorde - “Perfect Places”

Now to get to the actual list of ten—well, twelve—songs that I consider to be the best that American popular music had to offer throughout the year. Let’s start with #10.

#10

I have never heard a good Fifth Harmony song in my life, mostly because of how unappealing Camila was as a singer. I personally found her voice very squeaky and at times aggravating. Sure, artists improve over time, but when she went solo, I did not expect this big of an improvement.

#10 – Camila Cabello – “Havana” featuring Young Thug

This took me by surprise when I first heard it because it is so smooth despite its blending of many popular genres, including jazz-influenced piano and Latin percussion that despite classic influences, still feels incredibly fresh, especially in today’s pop climate. What I love most about the song apart from the obvious which I’ll talk about later is actually the lyrics and the performers, especially Young Thug. Camila is the main star, obviously, with her almost sassy performance, but the lyrics she’s singing contrast that swagger completely, and are about a boy who seemingly doesn’t care about her when they initially meet, with a careless stride into the club Camila’s in and a chessy pick-up line along the way which, of course, he says to all the other girls. A Joey Tribbiani reference starts Camila’s verse, and if you mention Friends, I’m pretty sure you get on this list automatically.

I’m doin’ forever in a minute (that Summer night in June) / And poppa says he got malo in him

Camila uses the Spanish word “malo”, meaning “bad”, describing Young Thug as a typical bad boy. That pre-chorus is also one of the catchiest moments in the top ten right now.

And he got me feeling like (ooh)

Camila’s great but Young Thug, however, is a genius. You know how guest rap verses usually talk about something completely unrelated, usually just bragging about all the typical rap subjects? Well, somehow Young Thug both does exactly that and subverts it at the same time. For the first part of his verse, he gives us more detail about who this bad boy is and reveals his name, Jeffery – Young Thug’s real name. Talking from the perspective of Jeffery (or himself), he details how he just graduated from college, where he was “fresh on campus”, to brag to Camila about his perceived “coolness”, for lack of a better word. He continues to brag and talk about how he’s a bad boy, paying prostitutes like Uncle Sam – yes, that is the similie he uses – until he starts to talk about the sex that Jeffrey and Camila supposedly had, describing it with several food metaphors, even proclaiming that it’s “history in the making”, shredding his bad boy persona and revealing glimpses of hope to raise a child and settle down. He then hilariously retracts his statement, going back to Jeffery bragging, showing how Jeffery’s fear of getting too close has really left Camila’s heart in Havana.

This is history in the makin’ on me / Point blank, close range, that be / If it cost a million, that’s me

He ends his verse by begging Camila and trying to reason with her, but his persona has clouded his mind.

I was gettin’ mula, baby!

What makes this even better is that this verse both fits into the story and is a throwaway rap verse about himself. Young Thug is a genius.

Also, it has a saxophone solo, which obviously makes it God-tier in my books. Fantastic song.#

Havana, ooh, na-na

#9

Let me make this clear: not every section will be as long as #10, but I had a lot of lyrical stuff I wanted to talk about for that song, so I did my best to keep it kind of concise while I explained why I love it. Most of these songs, however, I enjoy purely based on a musical standpoint and what better way to demonstrate this other than a song about what I assume is hipster nonsense.

#9 – Portugal. The Man – “Feel it Still”

This year was full of two things: stilted trap rap and funky-as-hell grooves. This is probably the funkiest and grooviest song out of the bunch, but it’s also psychedelic and eerie, creating a beautiful contrast between the percussion that sounds fitting in a disco or energetic soul track and the creeping bass and the jumpscare-worthy horns, as well as the fantastically creepy falsetto vocals performed by this indie rock band’s frontman, John Gourley, as well as the deep and reverb-effected vocals from the other members of the band, specifically the repetition of “is it coming?” just to lead to a non-climax; the feeling is still. The dial-up phone sounds during the first verse are also pretty clever and work with the “is it coming?” theme excellently as well. It feels like it’s right behind you and you’re constantly afraid of it, but it never comes. For a song that’s actually about wanting life to be peaceful like it supposedly was in the 1960s and 1980s again, it musically represents paranoia brilliantly. This psychedelic pop tune will be in my rotation for years to come.

#8

Yeah, I don’t have much to talk about for this one so I suppose we’ll just jump right into it.

#8 – Khalid – “Young, Dumb & Broke”

Khalid as a vocalist is one of the best newcomers to the pop world, and for someone with such a mature smooth soulful vocal, you wouldn’t expect him to have had his 20th birthday just a few days ago. Despite that, his first big single “Location” didn’t work for me, I suppose it just felt too minimalistic and slightly drab, somewhat dull in fact. His follow-up, however, is an R&B jam about reminiscing on when he was a young, dumb and broke high-school kid that just clicks with me. Maybe it’s the chill trap-hinting production, maybe it’s the catchy vocalisation in the post-chorus, maybe it’s Khalid himself, but I’m not entirely sure. This just really clicks with me on a level I didn’t really think it could, and I don’t have much reason for it either, but for an incredibly basic song like this I don’t think it’s necessary. It’s just a solid jam you should definitely check out.

#7

Who can relate? Whoo!

#7 – Post Malone – “Congratulations” featuring Quavo

That meme of a quote from Logic pretty much sums up why I like this song. It’s relatable to a degree where everyone can relate to it (whoo), because it’s just about having a small achievement in your life, and being happy that you accomplished it. It’s an anthem for people overcoming milestones in their life that mean more to them than it does to anyone else. Post mentions being on TV, which gets you some level of fame overall and gives you recognition, but the only people that truly notice and take it to heart are you and your closest friends and family.

My mama called, “seen you on TV, son” / Said, “s**t done changed ever since I was young”

Nothing has really changed at all, but to Postman Malone and his family, it means the world. It’s also an anthem for dismissing your haters – the main obstacle for anyone to get ahead – but maybe they’re not typical or conventional “haters”.

I dreamed it all ever since I was young / They said I wouldn’t be nothing, now they always say, “Congratulations!” (yeah)

He says “they” but he doesn’t specify, leading me to believe he’s talking about the voices in his head and his self-esteem pushing him down. What leads me to this theory, though? Huncho Houdini himself, Quavo. Do you notice that in the verse and the chorus, both Post Malone and Quavo have faint repetitions of “yeah”? Those are the voices that Post is being kept down by. In Post’s verse he even mentions what the voices have to say.

I know I sound dramatic, yeah

But he’s still determined.

But I knew I had to have it, yeah

Quavo, in his verse, portrays Post’s mindset and how all over the place is thoughts are: reminiscing on graduation...

Young n***a, young n***a, graduation

Attempting to find some energy and buzz to do something...

I pick up the rock and I ball, baby

...but he can’t. He tries to get help from out of this rut but he just can’t pick up the phone.

I’m looking for someone to call, baby / But right now, I got a situation

He later drops this beautiful line, wrapping everything up in one sentence.

My life is like a ball game

But in the end, despite everything all collapsing, Post gets through the struggle and reigns on top.

If you f**k with winnin’, put your lighters to the sky

Come on, who doesn’t f**k with winning?

#6 / #5

Hey, look, two consecutive Maroon 5 songs! God, there goes my dignity.

#6 – Maroon 5 – “Cold” featuring Future

#5 – Maroon 5 – “What Lovers Do” featuring SZA

I know everyone hates these songs but too bad, they’re awesome and also polar opposites.

“Cold” is a loose, dark tropical house track where Adam’s screeching vocals stand out as not a negative but a positive, being the only possible release of his anger and confusion against the muted bass in the verse, before the explosion of the chorus, where Adam outright asks his girlfriend, “why have you been so cold?” He shouts desperately, not worried but distressed and confused, in a state of isolation almost, until he finds a friend who can relate (whoo) in the form of Future. The whole song is a spill of Adam and Future’s emotions towards this woman, and it works beautifully in the tropical instrumentation. My favourite line is from Future:

So cold; this colder

The girl’s so cold that Future is cracking up a cold one with... himself.

“What Lovers Do”, however, is a tight funky synthpop track that focuses on Adam and SZA trying to do what lovers do, trying to be close but can’t. It’s not one-sided anymore, hence the instrumentation is much less natural and more stiff, because it’s not one man screaming at a wall, it’s a couple screaming at each other. Sonically, both of these songs are very fun, free songs with “What Lovers Do” having a tight groove and “Cold” feeling sparsely empty in its instrumentation but has a driving kick to it that shows Adam’s uncertainty. If you slander these songs, you can shut right up. Maroon 5 has never failed to delight.

I don’t wanna know, know, know, know

Oh, hey, ha, hey. I’ll be seeing you on my worst list.

No more, please stop

#4

There’s three very predictable choices for the near-top of this list, and here’s probably the most predictable one.

#4 – Childish Gambino – “Redbone”

Have you ever just loved a song so much because everything works? Everything is so beautifully meshed together that it’s almost too perfect.

Well, that is not what happened here at all because I shouldn’t like this as much as I do, and nothing works about it. The bass is too overwhelming, especially in the pre-chorus, sounding very sludgy for that whole passage, also, Childish Gambino’s falsetto is grating to the point it makes me want to eat some Red Leicester, but you can never deny that melody that started the meme that created – or at least developed - the surge of popularity for this excellently-composed track. I think its imperfections are why I love it, it sounds clunky and at times drags on too much but it fits in perfect with Gambino, who is vocally all over the wall, with a weak murmur in the verse, and a powerful screech in the final chorus. Despite being out for more than a year now, this hasn’t grown on me, this has just become more and more interesting and mind-boggling that it became a hit. It’s strange but so is 2017, which leads me to the reason I have this song so high. It represents 2017 extremely well – everything is strange, new and worrying, especially with Trump in office and the current political climate.

#3

What? You think he wasn’t gonna be on the list at all?

#3 – Kendrick Lamar – “DNA.”

Kendrick talks about racial, social and political issues a lot, and honestly, I couldn’t care less about what he brings up because his flow, punchlines, bars and especially production are all killer. This applies to this song more than any other Kendrick song I’ve heard. The stuttering trap production from Mike WiLL Made It brings more power to Kendrick’s first verse where he raps repetitively about what he has in his DNA or in his blood, stuff he’s dealt with so much it’s just natural for him. It is a hyped banger for its first minute and a half or so, before it switches to Geraldo Riviera being sampled stating that he believes hip hop music has damaged African-American youth culture, until Kendrick absolutely rips him apart in the second verse as the beat switches to a more gloomy and complex beat.

My DNA not for imitation / Your DNA an abomination

In this fantastic verse, he talks about the typical lyrical subjects Geraldo Riviera thinks hip hop is only about, and sarcastically glamorises them, saying sex, money and murder are what Riviera thinks are in his DNA. These verses from different perspectives make up and incredibly pumped-up track that is just excellent in every which way. Love it.

#2

And now for our only tie, both songs by two artists who have a hit-and-miss track record and one artist I absolutely love. Drank.

#2 – Jason Derulo – “Swalla” featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Nicki Minaj / Calvin Harris – “Slide” featuring Frank Ocean and Migos (Offset and Quavo)

Both of these songs are here not because of any deep lyrical meaning or any beautiful mesh of instrumentation or its elements, they’re here because of peer enjoyment. They also both have some of my personal favourite elements of music overall, just stuff that tickles my fancy more than anything objectively great. The simple melody of the synth in “Slide”, as well as the brilliant synth-solo in “Swalla” in the post-chorus, which I have grown to absolutely love and herald as the best moment in pop music this year, maybe tied with the start of Offset’s verse in “Slide”.

(Offset!) Good gracious! / Staring at my diamonds while I’m hopping out the spaceship

Everyone’s favourite homophobic hip hop duo, Offset and Quavo, provide verses on “Slide”, with Quavo’s being more of a transition and bridge from the moody slow drone of Frank Ocean’s lead vocal to Offset’s energetic verse, which proves him as more than a trap rapper, who can star on a disco song and steal the limelight from one of the best R&B singers of the past few years. They also provide great quotables.

Mama too hot like a (like a what?) / Mama too hot like a furnace (furnace)

B****es be dippin’, dancin’ with n***as like a nacho

Like a nacho? Huh?

The song itself is about someone who just wants to enter a richer man’s life, but also about a Picasso painting.

I might empty my bank account / And buy that boy with a pipe

I don’t know, and I don’t care because this song rules, as does “Swalla”, with Jason’s vocals fleeting over the upbeat instrumental, right before the excellent drum fill, which is more of a breakdown than anything, but not just a drum breakdown – a breakdown in sanity and a crazy moment in this party that doesn’t feel full until this insane drum fill, which fits perfectly with Ty Dolla $ign’s verse, but the true star here is Nicki.

Bad girl, no swalla nuttin’, word to young Dalai Lama

Her verse is fire, nothing else to say, truly one of the best verses she’s ever written.

Bless her heart, she throwing shots, but every line sucks

Let’s be fair, Remy Ma, you got bodied on not one but two hit singles. You’ve lost. Overall, two flabbergastingly great tracks.

But they’re still not the best hit songs of 2017.

#1

I may be breaking rules here but nonetheless, I believe this was the best hit song of 2017.

#1 – Lorde – “Green Light”

Nah, just kidding, it’s the joke song about the girl with the thicc booty.

#1 – Aminé –“Caroline”

The reason I do Reviewing the Charts and the reason I’m making this list is partially to analyse, review, talk about and share my opinion on pop music and culture, but what I really attempt to do is make you laugh, make you entertained, because that’s what we all want, right? At our very core, we want entertainment, and I don’t think any song this year is more entertaining than this.

Bad thing (s**t), fine as hell (whoa), thick as f**k

Over the beat that blends trap and old-school hip-hop synths pretty greatly, Aminé throws some lighthearted shade as he comically condemns one of rap’s longest-surviving lyrical mainstay, loving a woman only for her appearance, as he over exaggerates how careless he is for this woman to hilarious proportions.

Caroline, listen up / Don’t wanna hear about your horoscope / Or what the future holds / Just shut up and shut up and let’s get gory

There are some incredible quotables here as well, like this...

Holy s**t, I’m really lit

...and my personal favourite lyric of the year.

You say I’m a tall thug, guess I’m a G-raffe

That is the corniest yet also most outstanding pun I’ve ever heard a rapper spit.

If you want safe sex, baby, use the knee pads

Aminé manipulates his voice in some of the most interesting ways a pop-rapper has, and sounds great, especially when he’s singing on the chorus and then immediately goes to rapping about the girl again, like going from Ray Charles to Ying Yang Twins, or Ne-Yo to Ray William Johnson.

The reason this is on the list isn’t just because it’s funny, no, it’s because of his performance on the Tonight Show.

9/11, a day that we’re never forgetting / 11/9, a day that we’re never regretting / If my president is Trump, then it’s relevant enough / To talk ‘bout it on TV and not give a (f**k) / I’m black, and I’m proud / My skin is brown, and I’m loud

The outro of his performance is one of the best uses of someone’s platform to speak out against Trump I’ve ever seen. Nobody expects the one-hit wonder who eats a bunch of bananas in his music video to be talking about this, and to use his fifteen minutes to spread the word to millions of people on The Tonight Show is a very smart decision to use your fame. Make a difference before you fizzle out, or you’ll burn away without changing anyone’s life, without affecting anyone, which is the whole point of entertainment and art, to make a change in someone’s life who enjoys the music, or the films, or the art. It’s better that Aminé leaves his career as a one-hit wonder because I cannot imagine any better way to leave than this. Aminé, you’re divine, and your song is mighty fine. I’m out!

You can never make America great again / All you ever did was make this country hate again.