The Sounds of Our Lives (formerly General Music Discussion)

[truthaboutluv]

I assume this is the Cash Me Out girl? Well no worries, I'm sure Cardi B has that award on lock. 

In other music news, Kendrick Lamar became the first Hip Hop/Rap artist and first non-Classical/Jazz artist to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music, for his album DAMN. , which is a pretty huge deal. I posted about this in the Grammys thread because yes, I couldn't help noting that this is the same album that of course lost AOTY, as has all his other albums.

But in all seriousness, this is truly an amazing achievement on his part and more importantly, well deserved. Kendrick is unquestionably, in my opinion, one of the most talented and prolific artists (not just Rap/Hip Hop) making music right now. Here are some interesting articles about his win. 

New Yorker magazine discussing what his win means in a larger context.

The runners up for the award saying how they feel about losing to Kendrick (spoiler - they are thrilled for him).

Edited April 20, 2018 by truthaboutluv

[UYI]

After the tragic bombing that occurred at her concert in Manchester last year, it is SO good to see Ariana Grande back with a new single again. She has earned whatever success she gets from this point on now, and then some.

[Zola]

 

Totally and utterly stunning!!!

[27bored]

P!nk’s latest album just went Platinum. Good for her. I’m glad talent still prevails.

[27bored]

So Halsey apparently does coke.

[AgentRXS]

So Kanye West posted his new single on his website: http://www.kanyewest.com/

The nicest thing I can say is that he still has his producing talent. I think Chicago wrote the lyrics, though.He really should have just left it as an instrumental.

[UYI]

Nothing else matters now, because ABBA is reuniting and will save us all:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/apr/27/abba-announce-first-new-songs-for-35-years

[UYI]

Hell has truly frozen over, because Sweden's favorite band is finally back, even though they actually once turned on a BILLION dollar offer to reunite for a tour in 2000. 

What are your favorite ABBA songs? 

I have many, but here are two:

Edited April 29, 2018 by UYI

[27bored]

Ugh...

I love Christina and I’m glad she’s back, but I’m tired of this bullshit.

In this article she’s complaining about how confined she felt doing the Boice and how they would tell her how to dress and how to act. Christina, that’s called TV. If you want to make six figures for a few hours of work a week and barely promote your music and not tour and go home every night and marry production assistants and have two kids, that’s what you have to do. 

She sounds just like she did when she was twenty and promoting Stripped. Except now she’s 37 and still acting like her dad won’t let her wear a midriff to the mall. 

[AgentRXS]

On one hand, I agree with her. The Voice sucks. I stopped watching it because I was tired of the sob stories and seeing fantastic vocalists sent home in favor prepubescent mumble singers. And if I were her, I would have quit the minute they signed me up for that Whitney Houston hologram fuckery.  But yeah, she's not Cher or Cyndi Lauper. Her brand isn't about being authentic or outlandish. They hired her because she was a diva that they could afford. She had a sweet gig, all she had to do was sit in a chair and collect money.

At this point, I either want Christina to bring back her Back to Basics or even her Stripped era sound or just give up the entertainment industry all together. She's not a great actress, she's not interested in hosting TV, she doesn't seem interesting enough for reality TV, and we aren't interested in her dance music. Get it together, Xtina.

[truthaboutluv]

Not going to comment on The Voice stuff because I don't really care, as I've never been a fan of the show. But I heard the new single and I just think at this point Christina's like that person who just keeps missing the mark on what's cool and fresh and interesting. She's trying but it's like she's still just stuck in this dated box. Christina is proof that an amazing voice alone is not enough. I just don't think at this point she gets it - gets what's hot, what works best for her, etc. I guess it's back to doing features for other artists. I mean it's not a bad gig - she gets paid and her name still shows up if they got nominated for anything. 

[UYI]

30 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

Not going to comment on The Voice stuff because I don't really care, as I've never been a fan of the show. But I heard the new single and I just think at this point Christina's like that person who just keeps missing the mark on what's cool and fresh and interesting. She's trying but it's like she's still just stuck in this dated box. Christina is proof that an amazing voice alone is not enough. I just don't think at this point she gets it - gets what's hot, what works best for her, etc. I guess it's back to doing features for other artists. I mean it's not a bad gig - she gets paid and her name still shows up if they got nominated for anything. 

And THIS, right here, is why Britney, in spite of being a less gifted singer (GREAT dancer, though), ultimately outdid her in terms of success, that and her boundless charisma/sweet personality (not that they really were ever similar artists, certainly not as time went on, but the comparisons were there from the beginning due to their debut albums being around the same time/their MMC backgrounds). Granted, she's not at the level she used to be, either, but still. 

And yet, in the case of Demi and Selena, their most obvious successors (in terms of starting at Disney/going on to pop stardom), I FAR prefer Demi to Selena. Go figure. 

Edited May 4, 2018 by UYI

[truthaboutluv]

Just now, UYI said:

I FAR prefer Demi to Selena.

That's because Selena's music sucks. Selena Gomez' success as a "singer" is one of those baffling world mysteries to me that I don't think I will ever comprehend. 

[UYI]

1 minute ago, truthaboutluv said:

That's because Selena's music sucks. Selena Gomez' success as a "singer" is one of those baffling world mysteries to me that I don't think I will ever comprehend. 

I almost snorted a second ago. It's not a funny statement, per se, but the bluntness of it opening your comment killed me.

You're totally right, though. I do like some of her songs (It Ain't Me is a guilty pleasure, I'll admit it), but...yeah. She should probably stick to acting. 

[GaT]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

I heard the new single and I just think at this point Christina's like that person who just keeps missing the mark on what's cool and fresh and interesting. She's trying but it's like she's still just stuck in this dated box. Christina is proof that an amazing voice alone is not enough. I just don't think at this point she gets it - gets what's hot, what works best for her, etc. 

I heard the song & I thought it sucked, have you seen the video? It's really bad. She's dressed in an oversized tracksuit (is that still a thing in hip hop?) & they keep doing close ups of her mouth or her licking something, & at one point she even makes a V over her mouth. She's still trying to push the "I'm so sexy" crap & failing. In addition, the song is co-produced by Kanye West, who is also credited as a composer and lyricist, & this is really not a good time to be associated with Kanye.

[truthaboutluv]

3 hours ago, UYI said:

I almost snorted a second ago. It's not a funny statement, per se, but the bluntness of it opening your comment killed me.

What can I say, I calls 'em as I see 'em. 

[27bored]

Oh God. I hate to say it, but yeah, it might be a wrap for my girl. “Accelerate” is straight up ass, and I almost started crying through the video because of how bad and embarrassing it is.

First of all, I watched this little home video of Christina that was professionally shot. In it, she’s doing some weird approximation of Lemonade, with the voice over and whatnot. But it’s all about finding herself and shit and it’s like, Christina, you’re 37. You’ve gotta get over yourself. But beyond that, and the thing that bugs me is, she’s talking about all this self-love and self-acceptance with clearly augmented lips. I mean, her new mouth is really distracting. I kept staring at her lips the whole time wondering why she has Kim Kardashian’s mouth.

It’s the same thing she did during Stripped where she was talking about self-love after getting nose and boob jobs.

It's so tone deaf. If she got online more, she might realize that her entire career people have been begging and pleading with her to not do so much. Like, you don’t need the fire red lipstick and the pounds of makeup and the gaudy outfits. Less is more. But there’s an overarching tackiness to her aesthetic that she seems intent on not addressing.

But back to NuMouf. If the little trailer video wasn’t bad enough, she devotes the entire (budget) video to her NuMouf. I’ve doing that pout to make my girlfriend laugh all weekend. It’s ridiculous. And dude! There’s a part of the video where she STRAIGHT jacks Miley Cyrus’ Dead Petz album cover. I have to think that was intentional. There’s no way it was coincidental.

So, right now I’m not seeing it for her if the new album sounds like Accelerate. It doesn’t even sound finished, and the song sounds like three features thrown together, not a coherent song with two rap features. 

I was able to find a song that leaked called Fall in Line, and it sounds like a slight return to form for Christina. Heavy percussion, sort of a muted hip-hop vibe, but it works as a mid tempo pop song with plenty of runs and whatnot. 

To be honest, Christina should’ve made an album not unlike Demi’s latest, Tell Me You Love Me. A good number of those songs would’ve been well-served in Christina’s hands, especially the two singles. 

Edited May 6, 2018 by 27bored

[UYI]

Meghan Trainor has released two more promotional singles for her upcoming album, "Let Me Be Right" and "Can't Dance". I personally like the former a little better as of right now, but I'm still excited for the album!

And it's nice to see that "No Excuses" is still doing well enough to get pretty consistent radio airplay. I really like it a lot. It's only grown on me with time.

[TrininisaScorp]

Bumping this up...I saw TLC a few weeks ago at Busch Gardens in Tampa as part of their Food and Wine festival.

They sounded good (lots of track vocals, but when you heard them sing, esp TBoz, they sounded great).  Their dancers were fab, and Chilli keeps up with the moves perfectly.  It's a little jarring to see them at what is basically a theme park county fair, but they put on a nice long show.  Got some On the TLC Tip, CrazySexyCool (Red Light Special!!), Fanmail, and some of the new album.  My friends and I were singing and dancing along, and I found the use of Left Eye via track was perfect.  I wouldn't accept anyone but Left Eye, and we were all rapping along.  

I will say...Chilli spent most of the hour and some they were on bitching about the sound.  Something was wrong with her monitor, but we were hearing her just fine.   It wasn't a good look.  You are in Tampa as an act a part of their Food Festival performing in a field next to a broken roller coaster.  Calm down, girl. 

Regardless, it made me rotate my TLC on my Spotify. I forgot how proto-feminist their lyrics could be, and 8th grade me really appreciated that.  "Well, you want my heart, and all my time
But it won't be there if you can't deal with my mind. Cause a girl like me, won't settle for less I require plenty conversation with my sex", indeed.  It makes me miss them more regularly and miss girl groups in general. 

[27bored]

Here’s Fall in Line by Christina and Demi

 

I probably shouldn’t complain after I’ve complained about her lack of output over the past five years, but this...isn’t doing it for me. The original with just Christina was leaked several weeks ago, and I liked it even though I felt the tempo was a bit too slow. With Demi, it’s all over the place. That’s not a slight to either of them; it just doesn’t seem mixed well. It’s like they had Christina and Demi sing the chorus and add in their own runs. They should’ve had Christina re-record her version first. 

That being said, I like the song, self-empowerment anthem drum beaten to death aside. I do think it’s funny that Christina has this obsession with showing people the real her when all anyone has ever said about her is that she does too much. Christina, you can sing, maybe cool it with all the runs. Christina, you’re a talented vocalist, no need to slut it up to get attention to sell a record. Christina, you’re such a pretty girl, maybe stop shellacking on make-up. Other than her stank attitude, all anybody has ever said is she should do less. Maybe she finally got it at 37.

Edited May 18, 2018 by 27bored

[TheGreenKnight]

I don't like "Accelerate," but I love "Twice" and "Fall in Line." I've always been a Christina fan though. Britney was okay, never had the hate for her that her fans seem to hold for Christina. I'm fine with Christina throwing shade at The Voice, since I've never much liked the show. There's been a handful of contestants I've liked over the years, but the only people who really benefitted from its existence are Adam Levine and Blake Shelton.

[Annber03]

5 hours ago, TheGreenKnight said:

I've always been a Christina fan though. Britney was okay, never had the hate for her that her fans seem to hold for Christina. 

I've always liked both of them, myself :). I haven't heard full albums by either of them since I was a teenager, but I've liked many of the singles I've heard from them over the years. Maybe sometime I'll poke around and check out some more of their non-singles. 

[27bored]

Britney always felt sort of for-the-moment for me, so I never got the hate for her. Plus, I think Britney had an opportunity around 2009-2011 to become an artist and she decided to keep making club music and collaborating with Will.I.Am, so I think I wrote her off as just an aging sexpot, not unlike Madonna but unlike Madonna. 

Christina has a slight lack of work ethic, which seems a little unfair to say except for the fact that her output is less than most of her contemporaries. 

I remember seeing a really low-budget documentary on Christina before her first album came out, and they interviewed someone who said Genie in a Bottle was a hit out of the gate, so Christina didn’t have to do a lot of the grunt level work that Britney did. Britney had to play malls and do the in-store appearances and stuff to pay her dues, but Christina didn’t. Partially because Christina was a good singer and her label really invested in her, but also: GIAB is a better song, IMO.

I think that has played itself out nicely over the two decades they have been in the business. Britney still has her work ethic, whereas Christina has the talent, but she kinda expects the label to do most of the promotional work. She either hits a lot of high notes or shows her ass and they do the rest. Doesn’t work that way, especially not now.

[AgentRXS]

Speaking of '90s teen pop artists....Backstreet's back, alright!

I'm glad they are returning to their pop/R&B roots. The song is pretty catchy.

Edited May 18, 2018 by AgentRXS

[GaT]

It's a little strange for them to still be doing the boy band choreography IMO, they're grown men now.

[UYI]

Part of me wants to listen to it, but then I remember the rape allegations against Nick Carter last fall, and I just can't do it. Not now, anyway. 

[27bored]

19 hours ago, UYI said:

Part of me wants to listen to it, but then I remember the rape allegations against Nick Carter last fall, and I just can't do it. Not now, anyway. 

To be fair, it was one chick who said he raped her, like, fifteen years ago. They worked together professionally since then and I guess they dated for awhile. I remember reading her story and it seemed a little rote, to be honest. She was a struggling actress/singer, he was the big star. Afterward, she told her manager, who discouraged her from pursuing charges. In the wake of Harvey Weinstein's fall from grace, and at her friend's urging, she felt compelled to come forward. She filed a police report kinda knowing nothing is going to come of it.

I don't bemoan any woman wanting to make peace with something like that, but if you're going to do something about it, I think you should just file a police report and let the chips fall where they may. Publicly accusing the person when there's no way for them to really disprove the allegation -- and have to tiptoe around denying the accusation lest they be sued for defamation of character for branding someone a liar -- just seems kinda vindictive.

I came to talk about this song:

 

Apparently it's controversial because it contains "problematic" lyrics about bisexuality.

Ugh.

Let me preface my thoughts with saying that while I think the song is put together well -- it works as a piece of pure pop music -- and I think combining these four women was a savvy move, the song doesn't do much for me. The chorus is an earworm, but I don't find it particularly sexy or edgy or anything like that. It just seems like a fun, upbeat song, and it has a vague World pop vibe that I like considering the artists involved.

That said, I admire the provocation of the song and I hope it's a big hit. First of all, set aside the song itself, you have Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha, Charli XCX, and Cardi B. Cardi's the It Girl of the moment, but she's still not a bonafide star. I think this may be her first foray into mainstream pop. Bebe Rexha might still have the #1 Country hit, and if not, it's certainly Top 10. But aside from that, none of these ladies on their own, and likely not together, are going to get traction for a song just on name recognition. In fact, the biggest mainstream pop moment for the three singers here is singing the hooks on hip-hop records (Rita Ora and Charli XCX sang hooks on Iggy Azalea's two hits, Black Widow and Fancy, and Bebe sang the hook for Me, Myself & I by G-Eazy).

If this song was just another cheery song about partying, if it was a "man-bashing" song about how hot they are and how dudes are wack, if the chorus went BOYS BOYS BOYS ... I JUST WANNA KISS BOYS BOYS BOYS, most people wouldn't give a rat's ass about it.

So I respect them acquiescing to their slightly under-the-radarness and doing something clean, polished, and controversial. I know that might sound weird, but I'm exhausted by the Age of Outrage that now I really don't give a fuck about who's mad and why. It's all gotten so ridiculous. It's okay to let some shit go, even if you could piece together a cogent reason not to.

[UYI]

Ugh, this poor woman. :'(

[Annber03]

Yeah, I totally don't blame her for that. A year may feel like a long enough time, but it really isn't, especially not when it comes to trying to come to terms with and talk about something tragic of that magnitude. It'd be hard to know where to begin and what the right words to address the tragedy would be, I'd imagine. 

I'm glad she has been trying to find ways to work through and deal with her feelings about it, though, at least. I hope all of that is helping and will continue to help her find some level of comfort and support. 

Edited June 1, 2018 by Annber03

[WendyCR72]

While I'm lukewarm to their recent stuff, SiriusXM has a month-long limited channel devoted to everything U2 through June! As I type, they are playing "An Cat Dubh" live from Boston all the way back in 1981!

Seems like it's going to be a cool channel with rare/famous, early/later stuff mixed in. It's on Channel 30 if you have SiriusXM.

[Annber03]

Ooh, shame I don't have Sirius. I'd be all into listening to that :D. 

[WendyCR72]

1 minute ago, Annber03 said:

Ooh, shame I don't have Sirius. I'd be all into listening to that :D. 

Always sign up for a trial!  :-)

[Annber03]

That's true! Maybe I'll look into that, then :). 

[WendyCR72]

16 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

That's true! Maybe I'll look into that, then :). 

Glad I could maybe help.  :-)

[WendyCR72]

So, I've been listening to that SiriusXM limited-engagement U2 channel, and apparently, the Super Deluxe version of Achtung Baby has a CD called Kindergarten: The Alternative Achtung Baby, all the songs on the "regular" AB CD, but demos/early takes.  All the titles on the "Kindergarten" have "Baby" in the title, a la "Baby One", "Baby The Fly". Well, one of those alternate takes I liked was the alternative version of "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" it has been playing.  For those without SiriusXM and/or are curious, here's that version. Lyrically, it's very different than what the finished version became:

[UYI]

I'm a poor person, so I can't afford SiriusXM (and even with a free trial I don't think it would work in my car, anyway), but for some reason I really love the traditional radio stations and the hourly IDs. I just really love them for some reason, getting to hear how they differ from city to city.

I'm just easily entertained, I guess. :)

[WendyCR72]

If you like radio stuff like that, @UYI, you should check out Airchexx.com .   :-)

[Neko]

I'm a little late with this, but I've been listening to Liberation for the past couple days, and...it ain't good.  It's not straight up ass the way Bionic was, but the best thing I can say about it is that some of the songs are okay.  I'm just not sure what Christina is rebelling against, this time; she's in her late 30's, a mother of two, and she's still singing about not conforming, and not playing by the rules, and blah, blah, fucking BLAH.  The whole attitude of the album gives off a watered down Stripped vibe, which is not exactly something I was begging for.  I had no idea Christina was complaining about having to act and look a certain way while doing The Voice, but now some things about the album are starting to make sense, I guess.  It's still not a big enough deal to bleat about being liberated and not falling in line, though, at least not in my opinion.  I don't know what I expect, at this point.  I haven't really liked anything she's done since Back to Basics, which was released in 2006.  That's pretty bad.

As for the comparison to Britney, well, I will choose Britney over Christina, every single time.  Britney's songs are better.  I don't care that she sounds like auto-tuned crap, I have more fun listening to Britney, and I actually really liked Glory, a lot.  Even Britney's later stuff sounds more complete and cohesive than the hot messes Christina releases.  Britney, FTW.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Sweet Summer Child

[truthaboutluv]

I've said it before that I really think Christina is just lost musically. I don't think she truly understands who she is as an artist, what her audience wants from her, hell maybe even who is still her audience and what is current and now. I feel like she keeps chasing this "something new and different than what everyone else is doing" and instead the result is always a collection of confused and dated sounding songs.

Like when I compare Christina to someone like P!nk, since they're the same age, came on the scene around the same time, I feel like while P!nk may not be selling Taylor Swift's numbers, she's maintained a a strong and steady career because she knows exactly who she is as an artist. She knows what works for her, what her fans expect of her and what will be radio friendly. Christina is just confused. 

She also needs to stop it with the burning of bridges. Girl hasn't had a hit in who knows when and she thinks it's wise to throw shade on the show that afforded her some measure of relevancy in recent years? I mean really?

[quangtran]

On 5/4/2018 at 2:33 AM, 27bored said:

how they would tell her how to dress and how to act. Christina, that’s called TV.

In broad terms, yes, but in the case of Christina so was told again and agian she was too fat and too bitchy on The Voice, thus between seasons had to lose a lot of weight and appear more pleasent. Even someone in their 30's will get a complex when having to change their whole look and personality.

32 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

I've said it before that I really think Christina is just lost musically. I don't think she truly understands who she is as an artist, what her audience wants from her, hell maybe even who is still her audience and what is current and now.

I don't think Christina is that conscious of those things, and consider that a good thing. It seems like she simply makes whatever music she wants (even if her albums end up a mish-mash of genres), when she wants to (which often leads to her music sounded outdated when finally released). Following the route of Pink and Kelly Clarkson would be a mistake (imo) because they boxed themselves into a commercially successful but less musically interesting pop-rock sound.

[truthaboutluv]

35 minutes ago, quangtran said:

Following the route of Pink and Kelly Clarkson would be a mistake (imo) because they boxed themselves into a commercially successful but less musically interesting pop-rock sound.

I never said that she had to sound like these women or follow their route but YMMV, I'd rather some clear cohesion from an artist versus a confused, mostly boring and dated mess, which is what Christina has delivered since mid-2000's. And just so we're clear, I'm not saying artists shouldn't evolve or grow and even change sounds from where they started.  That's more than fine because it's never a good idea to remain stagnant. But there still needs to be something recognizable of the artist and it make sense. I haven't gotten that from Christina in damn near forever. She just belts over some poorly produced crap. And it's always easy for artists and fans to say they don't care about being relevant or sales or whatever and it's all just about the music but something tells me Christina would happily enjoy having some hit songs and being able to actually tour successfully on her name alone, something I don't think is the case right now. 

[quangtran]

Being fadio friendly was mentioned, and I think that would be a huge mistake because that would push artists towards watered down pop or chasing trends. Beyonce became a far, far better artist the moment she stopped trying to create radio hits and just did whatever the heck she wanted.

Also, Christina is clearly not an artist that needs a distinct sound. She's always been the the type of artist who does whatever genre, and the fans are okay with it as long as her voice still sounds good.

27 minutes ago, truthaboutluv said:

And it's always easy for artists and fans to say they don't care about being relevant or sales or whatever and it's all just about the music but something tells me Christina would happily enjoy having some hit songs and being able to actually tour successfully on her name alone, something I don't think is the case right now. 

I've never had any doubts about her actually meaning what she says. Heck, given how rarely she releases music, I doubt she was ever as hungry for success like her peers.

[27bored]

1 hour ago, truthaboutluv said:

I've said it before that I really think Christina is just lost musically. I don't think she truly understands who she is as an artist, what her audience wants from her, hell maybe even who is still her audience and what is current and now. I feel like she keeps chasing this "something new and different than what everyone else is doing" and instead the result is always a collection of confused and dated sounding songs.

Like when I compare Christina to someone like P!nk, since they're the same age, came on the scene around the same time, I feel like while P!nk may not be selling Taylor Swift's numbers, she's maintained a a strong and steady career because she knows exactly who she is as an artist. She knows what works for her, what her fans expect of her and what will be radio friendly. Christina is just confused. 

She also needs to stop it with the burning of bridges. Girl hasn't had a hit in who knows when and she thinks it's wise to throw shade on the show that afforded her some measure of relevancy in recent years? I mean really?

Totally agree. I think P!nk realized early on that as long as her songs sound authentic and who she is as an artist and a person, the rest is window-dressing. Of course P!nk went from an R&B sound to a pop-rock sound, but that was when she was still a young artist, and she maintained that for the most part. But P!nk actually has a fairly diverse catalog without being so intentional about it. I don't feel like every time she does an album she has to go in a totally new direction.

1 hour ago, quangtran said:

In broad terms, yes, but in the case of Christina so was told again and agian she was too fat and too bitchy on The Voice, thus between seasons had to lose a lot of weight and appear more pleasent. Even someone in their 30's will get a complex when having to change their whole look and personality.

I don't think Christina is that conscious of those things, and consider that a good thing. It seems like she simply makes whatever music she wants (even if her albums end up a mish-mash of genres), when she wants to (which often leads to her music sounded outdated when finally released). Following the route of Pink and Kelly Clarkson would be a mistake (imo) because they boxed themselves into a commercially successful but less musically interesting pop-rock sound.

Who told Christina that? I mean, they probably told her to be nice(r) on the show to avoid having a Simon Cowell-type figure, but that's just to protect the brand. As far as her being too fat, well, I don't know about them telling her that considering they got Kelly Clarkson to host in her spot, and Kelly's no twig herself. I don't believe in fat-shaming, but pop stars should be concerned about their weight for two reasons:

1) When your bread-and-butter is your singing voice, remember you have to be in good shape to keep it in good shape. I don't care how much talent and soul you have, trying to be a professional singer while carrying around a bunch of extra weight is going to damage your voice over the long haul. P!nk used to smoke and though she has a dark, raspy tone, she still can sing her butt off. P!nk doesn't have to drop keys, avoid songs in her catalog, or even compromise stagecraft in order to sing her songs. And she's older than Christina. She's taken care of her voice and stays in shape.

2) Being a curvaceous woman is fine, but you have to dress for your body type. Christina wants to have a plump, Sexy Mom bod, and then stuff herself into stuff she could pull off when she was in her early-20s. Gotta pick one, sweetheart. Either keep the pounds on and dress appropriately, or dress like a hoochie but get with the waist trainer and flat tummy tea.

[Neko]

Finally had time to finish listening to the album (thank you, Father's Day). ;)   I'll go track by track and give my opinion on each song, because I have nothing better to do...

 

Liberation: Meh opening track.  More BS about how Chris is freeing herself from the patriarchy, or something.  As it stands, I think Intro (Back to Basics) is her best intro song.  That one is actually kind of catchy, and soulful, and it really sets the tone of that album.  This one is fine, but forgettable.

Searching For Maria/Maria: Something about her inner child?  IDK, all I kept thinking during this track is why she is bringing The Sound of Music into this, and why the ghost of Michael Jackson is there.  All in all, a weird mix, for me.

Sick of Sittin': I actually don't mind the sound of this song, but it's more try-hard Christina stuff, and the lyrics...oof.  Saying you're not made for "fake shit" over the roar of a fake rock crowd is embarrassing.  Likening her time on The Voice to slavery is even more embarrassing, not to mention tone deaf.  It's a shame, because this song could actually be fun, if Christina didn't bend over backward to kiss her own ass, so much.  "I survived the dark ages...the root of evil couldn't change me"?  Give me a damn break.  NEXT.

Dreamers/Fall In Line: I guess I'm in the minority in that I really don't like Fall In Line.  I've heard people say it's the best song on the album, and a return to form for Christina, but I just can't get into it.  Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with the message, I'm just not moved by the song, itself.  I have never been a huge fan of Christina's message songs; I think they are the very definition of basic.  I really like Demi Lovato, but she doesn't add much to this song.  Not terrible, but not memorable, either.  That's a running theme with this album, BTW.

Right Moves: Nice little song, with a catchy little reggae beat.  I enjoy it.  Yup, that's pretty much all I have to say, about this one.

Like I Do: I just listened to this song, and I don't remember a thing about it.  Filler.

Deserve: This is the only song on the album that I really like, except for that dumb line about pancakes.  You can tell it's a very personal song for Christina, so it resonates more with me than something like Fall In Line does.  The gossipy part of me wonders if her relationship with Matthew Rutler is going to last, though, and I wish I didn't have that thought, but I can't help it.  It sort of reminds me of Understand from Back to Basics, another song about another relationship that didn't end well.  "Tell me I'm the one who deserves you" is heartbreaking to hear, though, and the way Chris sings it makes me want to curl up, under the covers.  I think she is at her best when she shows her softer, more vulnerable side.  It's much more genuine than Untouchable Female Warrior Christina, but that's JMO.

Twice: Well sung, I guess, but I am bored by it.  I don't care.  Does this also put me in the minority?  IDK.  The piano is nice, I'll give it that.  NEXT.

I Don't Need It Anymore (Interlude)/Accelerate: Yeeeeaaah...when even *I* think a song sounds sloppy and unfinished, that's pretty damn bad.  I know nothing of music production, but when I heard this, I immediately thought it was an unfinished product that got leaked.  I listened to it once, and that was enough.  It sounds rough and unpleasant, and it also sounds like a shitty throwback from 2001.  What was she thinking?

Pipe: Another song that sounds okay, with stupid lyrics.  This sounds like a lost track from The Emancipation of Mimi.  Mariah might have been able to make it work, but I don't think Christina can.  I don't hate it, it's just...there.  NEXT.

Masochist: More filler.  It's okay, I guess, but nothing to write home about.  Christina over-sings it, of course.  Ugh, let's just end this thing...

Unless It's With You: Closing with another vulnerable relationship song, but this one doesn't carry the weight Deserve does, IMO.  More over-singing, more over-emoting, more of that weepy, ballad-y Christina that I never cared for.  Also, it's a weird song to close the album with.  And, it just...ends.  The song is over, and that's it!  We're done with Liberation.  What a nothing note to go out, on.  Yeah, I got a feeling not a whole lot of thought was put into this.

 

Final thoughts...I don't think Liberation is nearly as bad as Bionic or Lotus, and I actually like a couple of  songs, but the thing is, Christina needs more at this point in her career than, "It wasn't as bad as her last two albums/it was okay."  I don't think she expects to sell the way the way the young things like Demi Lovato or Ariana Grande do, but I just don't get the sense that she has ANY idea what she wants to say, as an artist.  When I read reviews of this album, the many producers she collaborated with are mentioned more than Christina, herself, and for someone with her talent, that's a problem.  I know she has never been a songwriter and has always relied on her producers the way so many of her 90's pop contemporaries do, but by this point, I expect a little more, from her.  She has the voice and the connections to get her there, but she keeps stopping short of the finish line.  It's like she realized it had been eons since her last release, and shat this out without giving it much thought, or care.  I think she's more of a singer than an artist, and that that becomes more evident, with every album.  YMMV, as always.

Edited June 18, 2018 by Sweet Summer Child

[GaT]

2 hours ago, Sweet Summer Child said:

Dreamers/Fall In Line: I guess I'm in the minority in that I really don't like Fall In Line.  I've heard people say it's the best song on the album, and a return to form for Christina, but I just can't get into it.  Don't get me wrong, I totally agree with the message, I'm just not moved by the song, itself.  I have never been a huge fan of Christina's message songs; I think they are the very definition of basic.  I really like Demi Lovato, but she doesn't add much to this song.  Not terrible, but not memorable, either.  That's a running theme with this album, BTW.

I think Fall in Line is just a meh song, but the video takes it into total stupidity for me. WTH is even going on in the video? They kidnap little girls to train them to sing while being filmed in some kind of prison? The stupid thing makes no sense.

[Neko]

2 minutes ago, GaT said:

I think Fall in Line is just a meh song, but the video takes it into total stupidity for me. WTH is even going on in the video? They kidnap little girls to train them to sing while being filmed in some kind of prison? The stupid thing makes no sense.

A reference to Christina's MMC days, maybe?  Or even her first, bubblegum album?  I dunno, your guess is as good as mine.

[UYI]

To bring things back to Pink for just a second:

I have to say, I can't help but be somewhat amused that, despite always having a "badass bitch" image (which she deserves, don't get me wrong), a lot of her most popular songs these last few years sound more like the soundtrack on a adult contemporary station for suburban soccer moms taking their kids to and from school in their SUVs before heading off to Starbucks. I mean, I understand that she's married and a mom now, and priorities change, but her image is almost EXACTLY the same as it was when "Get This Party Started" first came out. No shade, just somewhat funny to me. 

[GaT]

I happened to have MTV Classic on, & the video for "I Turn To You" came on. WTH happened to this Christina Aguilera? No "Look how sexy I am". just straight, strong singing without a lot of other (except for the blue contacts) crap. I kind of forgot she could do this. 

[Neko]

18 hours ago, UYI said:

To bring things back to Pink for just a second:

I have to say, I can't help but be somewhat amused that, despite always having a "badass bitch" image (which she deserves, don't get me wrong), a lot of her most popular songs these last few years sound more like the soundtrack on a adult contemporary station for suburban soccer moms taking their kids to and from school in their SUVs before heading off to Starbucks. I mean, I understand that she's married and a mom now, and priorities change, but her image is almost EXACTLY the same as it was when "Get This Party Started" first came out. No shade, just somewhat funny to me. 

This is why I lost interest in Pink.  She's been pushing the same image and sound for years, now.

[AgentRXS]

On 6/19/2018 at 12:29 PM, Sweet Summer Child said:

This is why I lost interest in Pink.  She's been pushing the same image and sound for years, now

Its almost criminal that her voice is going to waste on these bland, run-of-the mill vanilla adult contemporary songs. I am dying for her to put out just once more R&B album before she retires.