The Sounds of Our Lives (formerly General Music Discussion)

[UYI]

52 minutes ago, Billina said:

It's a shame about Eddie Money and Ric Ocasek.  I used to listen to a Cars greatest hits CD at my workplace at a time when people still listened to CD's.  Everyone loved it.  It was one of the few CD's we could all agree on.

When I was 13 in 2002, I got the Cars' greatest hits CD, and I still have it and love it. "Shake It Up" is a huge favorite of mine;"Hello Again" is another, especially after a Nick at Nite promo used it in 2005, lol.

I actually still buy CDs when I really want an artists work; I had an iPod for a long time, but when it stopped working/charging I never bothered to get a new one; I have a PC instead of a Mac so trying to deal with charging something that might not even be compatible with my computer--I didn't even want to deal with it. And I use streaming a lot now, anyway. 

[UYI]

[WendyCR72]

2 hours ago, UYI said:

😞

[Jaded]

I'm relieved to know he died while sleeping apparently so Paulina didn't come across some horrid scene.

[NutMeg]

On 8/20/2019 at 7:30 AM, 27bored said:

I think I’ve said it before but Nicki Minaj is actually an underrated singer. She’s at least as good a singer as Rihanna. Here’s an under-the-radar song — that sounds 2016-ish even though I think it came out last year — by her and ZAYN. It’s kinda nice. 

I agree that she's very underrated. I put it to her very often featuring on other singers' songs in mostly the same way. The first time I saw an other side of her was in Grand Piano. There are other gems on that album, such as Bed of Lies, featuring Skylar Grey. Those were never singles, so are not very well known, unfortunately. I can't seem to add links after the first so I'll just leave Grand Piano here. Overall, I think her singles are very limitative as to her whole range.

On 9/14/2019 at 12:43 AM, 27bored said:

Don’t Call Me Angel by Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana del Rey is #1 on trending. 

The song isn’t the bop it should be. It’s the lead single for the new Charlie’s Angels movie. But they got three chicks who just aren’t doing it for me. For one, I don’t find any of them sexy. Ariana is cute, Lana is at best kind of pretty, and Miley looks rose hard and put away wet. I have no idea why she’s aging badly (well, I have an idea, but I have no confirmation). 

That said, Miley works the best for the song and video. Ariana is still doing the pretty girl doing pretty singing while looking pretty thing, but there’s too much of her. She has a verse and she sings the hook. Then Lana, who I’ll admit I was most interested in hearing what she did with the song, comes in and basically does an entirely different song. To be fair, I wish they would’ve left her part out and wrote an entire song around it because it works in its own way. She invokes a certain menace that could work on its own, but in a big pop song like this is supposed to be? It sounds out of place.

I hope pop music makes a comeback, but I’ll be honest and say I wish this song had a female rapper on it. I think an Iggy Azalea or Meg thee Stallion (whom I would’ve preferred) would’ve worked great. 

I fully agree! The song is blah, the video has too much Ariana and too little Lana. Miley seems to work the best, but soon becomes a bit cliché. I kind of wish, weak as the song is, that we could have three different versions, by each singer, we'd have three very different stories despite the same lyrics. 

On 9/14/2019 at 4:21 AM, UYI said:

I absolutely love Lana Del Rey's new album, Norman Fucking Rockwell! (NFR! for short). There are a few music critics who feel it's one of the best pop albums of the year, if not THE best, and, well, I can see (or in this case, hear) why.

She follows her muse to the point where she'll never fully be a mainstream pop artist with big top 40 hits, but that's okay. Her fan base is loyal and she's true to herself. That's enough. 

Also, I LOVE the cover she does of Sublime's "Doin' Time". She somehow makes it work, both for herself and within the context of the album.

Love it too. She has a very strong history of covers, among my favourites are Blue Velvet and God Knows I Tried, she's also had at least a song covered, Gods and Monsters, amazing version in American Horror Story performed by Jessica Lange.

On 9/14/2019 at 6:22 PM, Billina said:

Okay, so, I totally don't get Lana del Ray.  Granted, I haven't listened to an album of hers in its entirety, but what I have heard has been slow, and melancholy.  Total downer music, the kind I want to slit my wrists, to.  What is the appeal?

Well, I'd say in good part it could be that singles (that make it on the radio) are far from a good showcase. But I do think she's an acquired taste, and it's taken me a few listen of her albums to really get into them, and end up loving most songs. What I like is that often each song tells a story, like a short novel, or a short movie. She has cited among her influences David Lynch, and it's easy to see why. She also has a very wide vocal range, spanning IIRC three octaves.

I give you Off to the Races, for the David Lynch cinematic vibe and High by the Beach, for a very different vibe:

[Pickles Aplenty]

Hmm...I really don't think Lana Del Rey (did I spell that right?) is my cup of tea.  I didn't hear much of a difference in those songs than what I usually hear, from her.  I don't like Halsey, or Lorde, or Billie Eilish, either, so maybe this is a type of pop music I just don't respond to.  Something about this style all kind of melts together, in my brain.  😕

[UYI]

Yeah, they're definitely an acquired taste for some.

And yes, you are correct on LDR's name. She did originally spell Rey with an "a" instead (early stage name adjustment, I guess, lol), but changed it later on. 🙂 

[27bored]

On 9/18/2019 at 1:44 PM, Billina said:

Hmm...I really don't think Lana Del Rey (did I spell that right?) is my cup of tea.  I didn't hear much of a difference in those songs than what I usually hear, from her.  I don't like Halsey, or Lorde, or Billie Eilish, either, so maybe this is a type of pop music I just don't respond to.  Something about this style all kind of melts together, in my brain.  😕

There’s this Sad Girl indie pop thing that’s been going on for a few years. I think Lorde might have it honest, but even with her it has diminishing returns. It seems like music industry is trying its best to avoid singerly singers, if that makes any sense. I think they associate traditional vocalists as amateurish because of American Idol and The Voice, where not mumbling or whispering into the mic and maybe being able to hit a high note or two is actually a good thing.

Seriously, I think I could take an average looking girl with an average voice and make her into a star within 18 months. The blueprint is obvious:

Dye your hair an unconventional color 

Get 5-7 visible tattoos

Get a nose piercing

Don’t smile too much in press photos

Sing with an off-patois accent, like you’re from the Midwest but maybe you spent a semester in Jamaica

Then all I’d need to do is get somebody to ghostwrite a few post-grunge rom lyrics and find a producer to pair those lyrics with light Trap production and she’d be a star. It’s so easy it’s actually kind of sad.

[UYI]

28 minutes ago, 27bored said:

There’s this Sad Girl indie pop thing that’s been going on for a few years.

While we're still on this subject, I wanted to ask you this: Would Post Malone be the male version  of what someone like Lana Del Rey is perceived as being? In terms of sound and mood, the comparison seems apt. 

[27bored]

1 hour ago, UYI said:

While we're still on this subject, I wanted to ask you this: Would Post Malone be the male version  of what someone like Lana Del Rey is perceived as being? In terms of sound and mood, the comparison seems apt. 

Definitely. The difference with Post Malone is he didn’t start a trend the way Lana del Rey and Lorde did. Post Malone is like Aaron Lewis (lead singer of Staind) with the production of the Migos. Oddly enough it works.

[UYI]

I forgot to mention him, but I've seen Khalid mentioned in the same vein too, especially when compared to Lorde. 

[UYI]

Happy 70th Birthday, Bruce Springsteen!

[UYI]

So this is happening:

[27bored]

On 9/22/2019 at 10:46 PM, UYI said:

I forgot to mention him, but I've seen Khalid mentioned in the same vein too, especially when compared to Lorde. 

Yeah he fits as well. Khalid is like too much (husky with a high top; bad dresser) and not enough at the time. Have you seen the video for Love Lies? The whole Khalid is chilling...like he just got through sipping lean. Meanwhile, Normani is dancing for her life like she’s trying to be Beyonce’s understudy. I imagine sex between would be like those routines on Dancing With the Stars where the dude can’t dance, so the chick just kinda dances around him.

3 hours ago, UYI said:

So this is happening:

So we’re just gonna let J. Lo do every damn thing now? First they pick her to do a tribute to Motown, now the Super Bowl with Shakira? It’s been a good decade since either one of these hoes has had a hit. I’m too tired to fact-check, but for real. J. Pro is gonna do Jenny from the Block and show her ass, literally, and Shakira is gonna bleat out Hips Don’t Lie so you can remember how much you hate that song.

Edited September 27, 2019 by 27bored

[trudi-tru]

Quote

It’s been a good decade since either one of these hoes has had a hit

I don't know why you feel the need to call them "hoes". They are two very successfull and talented women. Would you have used the same language for a man? Why is it that when a woman accomplishes something she has to be labeled a "hoe", thus implying the she only got where she is by whoring her way in.

For the record, Jennifer Lopez is having a very successful Vegas residency and Shakira a few months ago finished a touring her latest album, selling out arenas all over the world. I doubt people paid money for their shows cause they're just hoes.

[WendyCR72]

I think we can disagree about someone's music without calling these people "hoes", "dicks", or whatnot. Let's be a bit less misogynistic and more creative with the disagreements/adjectives from here on out, please and thank you.

[UYI]

Did this pair up surprise me at first? Definitely. (Well, not J-Lo, there were rumors for sometime that she was going to get it.) But after the last few years of tireless mediocre white dudes (Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5), this seems like a breath of fresh air to me. I do hope Carrie Underwood gets it at some point, though--her voice on a stage that big? HELL YES!

And the Super Bowl will be airing this year a week before the Oscars, and if J-Lo is indeed nominated for Hustlers like it's been suspected she will be--talk about a MOMENT for her. 

[27bored]

22 hours ago, trudi-tru said:

I don't know why you feel the need to call them "hoes". They are two very successfull and talented women. Would you have used the same language for a man? Why is it that when a woman accomplishes something she has to be labeled a "hoe", thus implying the she only got where she is by whoring her way in.

For the record, Jennifer Lopez is having a very successful Vegas residency and Shakira a few months ago finished a touring her latest album, selling out arenas all over the world. I doubt people paid money for their shows cause they're just hoes.

I meant no offense, so I do apologize, but I wasn’t being literal by calling them hoes. It’s just funny to refer to a group of people that way — funny to me, that is. Some of my favorite YouTubers routinely refer to their viewers as “hoes”. It’s meant to be more shady than literal. Would I say that about two men? Well, maybe, maybe not, but then again, I wouldn’t call a group of women whores (in the literal sense) just to slight them and their accomplishments. Unless, you know...

That said, I think it’s cool that they got two women who can put on a show, but I don’t know how relevant they are in 2019. Neither one has a back catalog full of English hits that would get people excited to watch IMHO. The draw for them is likely going to be Shakira’s belly dancing and J. Lo’s, uh, dancing. 

[truthaboutluv]

7 hours ago, 27bored said:

Would I say that about two men? Well, maybe, maybe not, but then again, I wouldn’t call a group of women whores (in the literal sense) just to slight them and their accomplishments. Unless, you know...

Should have probably just stopped at "I meant no offense". Because the fact that you admit you're not even sure you would use the same derogatory language for a man is very, very telling. And really, "I wouldn't call them whores unless you know..."

Edited September 28, 2019 by truthaboutluv

[Harvey]

Kesha is rumored to release the lead single from her new album (released in december) next week. I wonder if it's true

[27bored]

3 hours ago, truthaboutluv said:

Should have probably just stopped at "I meant no offense". Because the fact that you admit you're not even sure you would use the same derogatory language for a man is very, very telling. And really, "I wouldn't call them whores unless you know..."

Yeah, that is the one rule when issuing apologies. Don’t follow it with a “but”. I felt it important to explain myself and respond because, well, to be honest I thought it was fairly obvious I was joking around and not really coming for either one of them.

I said maybe, maybe not because I wasn’t referring to two men, even though I have Definitely called men hoes before. And “unless, you know” was stream of conscience given the poster’s comment. It made me think about J. Lo’s last minor hit, Dinero, featuring Cardi B...who has admitted she likes being a hoe...who has admitted she would sleep with guys then steal from them...who allegedly slept with a few DJs in exchange for them playing her songs...who routinely calls other women hoes in her songs...whose debut album went 3X Platinum...who is the first female artist ever to have every song on her album be certified Gold or Platinum...who just won a Grammy for Best Rap Album. I’m just saying.

And, though I might be pressing the issue, let me say I love women, especially ones who can play the Bad Bitch role. I’m firmly on the side of women doing what they have to do to get their money. I don’t criticize women for that. Men like Jay Z and Diddy have snaked people to amass wealth and fame and power and they get applauded for it. If a woman manages to beat the game by sleeping her way to the top, I say you can’t knock the hustle.

All I ever want is for them to be real about it and not pawn it off as a sexism/misogyny issue when some women are more than willing to sleep with a guy to get ahead. In those scenarios, I usually look down more at the guy who is so lame he has to barter for sex. 

[WendyCR72]

Okay. I think we have all had our say. Let's move forward now.

[UYI]

R.E.M. is one of my top 10 favorite rock bands of all time, and I will always regret never getting to see them on tour before they disbanded in 2011. So seeing this is really exciting to me.

https://pitchfork.com/news/michael-stipe-announces-debut-solo-single-coming-this-weekend/

[suomi]

Quote

The Beatles’ iconic 1969 album “Abbey Road” — which was reissued last week in a lavish 50th anniversary deluxe edition — album has returned to the top of the U.K. album charts after a record-breaking 49 years and 252 days.

This new milestone breaks The Beatles’ own record, which was previously held by “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the 50th anniversary reissue of which topped the charts in June 2017, after a gap of 49 years and 125 days.

Paul McCartney said, “It’s hard to believe that ‘Abbey Road’ still holds up after all these years. But then again it’s a bloody cool album.”

The “Abbey Road” anniversary edition — which has been remixed by longtime Beatles producer George Martin’s son Giles in stereo, high res stereo, 5.1 surround, and Dolby Atmos — uncovers many delightful surprises lurking in the previous mixes, and lots of outtakes that hadn’t previously made the rounds. 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/the-beatles-abbey-road-tops-british-charts-breaks-guinness-world-record/ar-AAIiCr

On 10/2/2019 at 9:43 AM, UYI said:

R.E.M. is one of my top 10 favorite rock bands of all time, and I will always regret never getting to see them on tour before they disbanded in 2011. So seeing this is really exciting to me.

https://pitchfork.com/news/michael-stipe-announces-debut-solo-single-coming-this-weekend/

Yeah, baby, almost 45 million views. Live at Glastonbury, 1999. When this comes on while I'm driving I have to pull over so I can safely blast and enjoy it. Sometimes I get to watch passersby boogie, lipsych and play some impressive air-mandolin. 

[WendyCR72]

On 10/4/2019 at 11:19 PM, suomi said:

The Beatles’ iconic 1969 album “Abbey Road” — which was reissued last week in a lavish 50th anniversary deluxe edition — album has returned to the top of the U.K. album charts after a record-breaking 49 years and 252 days.

Got this. The commemorative book is awesome but BIG. But the demos and extra tracks really makes this special. Not surprised it's doing so well - again!

[janie jones]

On 9/13/2019 at 7:21 PM, UYI said:

Also, I LOVE the cover she does of Sublime's "Doin' Time". She somehow makes it work, both for herself and within the context of the album.

This song irritates the shit out of me.  Her interpretation of the song is whatever.  I'm not really into her music, so it's not something I'd ordinarily listen to, but that's not what bothers me.  It's that the song name drops people (and a dog) she's never met and aren't involved with the present version of the song.  She should have changed that line because it makes it sound so karaoke.  Like the time I saw these people performing "Hips Don't Lie" down to the guy going "Shakira, Shakira," and it's like, that girl dancing around isn't Shakira, dude, so sing something else.

Am I the only one who thinks Billie Eilish sings like someone just woke her up?

Edited October 10, 2019 by janie jones

[Nergion]

On 5/20/2019 at 8:46 PM, Anduin said:

Some nice guitar, but the vocals didn't do it for me. You ever consider clean vocals? I find the usual death/black vocals kind of grating these days.

Thank you, Anduin. 

I don't think clean vocals would fit the music.

But yes I also find most death vocals grating. I try to keep them tasteful, sparse, and mixed deeper into the mix. 

Full album - Exomancer

Edited October 17, 2019 by Nergion

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Reminded me of someone trying to play a Metallica or Tool type of song.

Edited October 19, 2019 by One4Sorrow2TooBad

[Zola]

I am a big fan of Herbie Hancock, and came across this old You Tube vid of him in concert, and a tune called "Silver Hollow" - I have to say I am total mesmerised by this every time I listen to it, especially when I am in bed or lying on my sofa of an evening.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

[27bored]

Has anybody noticed a trend with pop artists of promoting singles without an album? Notably Halsey’s doing it. She’s released like six songs this year and still no album. Camila Cabello has like five songs in rotation right now and none of them, other than the one with Shawn Mendes, is really working. (I think; not sure how the latest one is doing). Selena Gomez has released two singles. Some others I’m forgetting, but yeah. What gives?

[UYI]

11 hours ago, 27bored said:

Has anybody noticed a trend with pop artists of promoting singles without an album? Notably Halsey’s doing it. She’s released like six songs this year and still no album. Camila Cabello has like five songs in rotation right now and none of them, other than the one with Shawn Mendes, is really working. (I think; not sure how the latest one is doing). Selena Gomez has released two singles. Some others I’m forgetting, but yeah. What gives?

Add Katy Perry to that list, too.

And yes, I have noticed it (although Camila actually has announced her second album, Romance, is upcoming, and I think Selena is supposed to have an album announcement soon, too). It feels like one of three things to me:

1. Artists finding the album cycle old hat or passe enough that just having an endless amount of singles released is considered the better way to go (although the recent trend of "album bombs" obviously is there to dispute that, although that seems to be mostly within the hip hop/trap community/reserved for those who have the greatest success with streaming, too).

2. Artists who feel that they don't have the clout to support a full album release, and perhaps aren't interested in EPs or mixtapes, either.

3. Artists who have had their greatest success already and feel content just releasing songs they like and taking it easy (Katy Perry more or less said this about her recent output--although this could also easily be tied into doing damage control after the diminishing returns of her Witness era).

And then there are loose cannons like Miley Cyrus, can't forget that (although I think her album is upcoming, too).

Hope this helps, even though these are all largely my own guesses.

[GaT]

16 hours ago, 27bored said:

Has anybody noticed a trend with pop artists of promoting singles without an album? Notably Halsey’s doing it. She’s released like six songs this year and still no album. Camila Cabello has like five songs in rotation right now and none of them, other than the one with Shawn Mendes, is really working. (I think; not sure how the latest one is doing). Selena Gomez has released two singles. Some others I’m forgetting, but yeah. What gives?

Personally, I can't remember the last time I bought an album, I only buy songs. When iTunes first showed up, it was like the heavens opened up musically for me. I was so sick of buying CDs for a song I liked, & then finding out that none of the other songs on the CD interested me. What a waste of money. I think a lot of people feel the same way & buy songs instead of albums, & artists are selling their music the way people are buying.

[ebk57]

23 hours ago, 27bored said:

Has anybody noticed a trend with pop artists of promoting singles without an album? Notably Halsey’s doing it. She’s released like six songs this year and still no album. Camila Cabello has like five songs in rotation right now and none of them, other than the one with Shawn Mendes, is really working. (I think; not sure how the latest one is doing). Selena Gomez has released two singles. Some others I’m forgetting, but yeah. What gives?

Sheryl Crow released an album recently that she said was her last.  In an interview with NPR about it, she said she's not retiring, she's just going to release songs, no more album, because people don't buy or listen to music that way anymore.  This makes me sad.  

[dewelar]

19 hours ago, ebk57 said:

Sheryl Crow released an album recently that she said was her last.  In an interview with NPR about it, she said she's not retiring, she's just going to release songs, no more album, because people don't buy or listen to music that way anymore.  This makes me sad.  

The single once more rules the day, and thus does everything old eventually become new again.

[27bored]

On 10/25/2019 at 9:08 AM, UYI said:

Add Katy Perry to that list, too.

And yes, I have noticed it (although Camila actually has announced her second album, Romance, is upcoming, and I think Selena is supposed to have an album announcement soon, too). It feels like one of three things to me:

1. Artists finding the album cycle old hat or passe enough that just having an endless amount of singles released is considered the better way to go (although the recent trend of "album bombs" obviously is there to dispute that, although that seems to be mostly within the hip hop/trap community/reserved for those who have the greatest success with streaming, too).

2. Artists who feel that they don't have the clout to support a full album release, and perhaps aren't interested in EPs or mixtapes, either.

3. Artists who have had their greatest success already and feel content just releasing songs they like and taking it easy (Katy Perry more or less said this about her recent output--although this could also easily be tied into doing damage control after the diminishing returns of her Witness era).

And then there are loose cannons like Miley Cyrus, can't forget that (although I think her album is upcoming, too).

Hope this helps, even though these are all largely my own guesses.

I think all three are true to some extent. I think what’s striking is that these are pop artists doing this. We’re used to hip-hop artists dripping out songs here and there; Drake has made a career out of it. But for a long time pop has been more project based, and that’s not due to how people consume music these days but more so how music is marketed. 
 

For me, the perception of the strategy is a bit troublesome. Say what you will about the album format, I think that’s a fallback excuse for most artists. I think many artists are trying to catch a hit before rolling out an album because it helps first week sales and the perception of success. Think Nicki Minaj for example. She spent a year dropping out singles that didn’t really do anything before releasing her last album, and the perception was she was trying to find a hit to ride into her album. 
 

Conversely, Drake did it and found success. I think many artists are trying to do it because of him. Of all the streams he has for Scorpion, like 3/4 of them are God’s Plan, Nice For What, I’m Upset, and whatever that song was with the stupid dance. I can’t remember right now. And that’s on an album with 25 (?) tracks.

Now that I think of it, Country artists have been able to do it too, even though they don’t try it as much. Sam Hunt rode Body Like A Back Road for a good year without releasing an album. Bebe Rexha definitely got mileage out of Meant To Be before she released an album. I can’t say she’s really had a hit since.

On 10/25/2019 at 2:12 PM, GaT said:

Personally, I can't remember the last time I bought an album, I only buy songs. When iTunes first showed up, it was like the heavens opened up musically for me. I was so sick of buying CDs for a song I liked, & then finding out that none of the other songs on the CD interested me. What a waste of money. I think a lot of people feel the same way & buy songs instead of albums, & artists are selling their music the way people are buying.

I hear you. The music industry got over for years on selling albums based on one or two good songs. That being said, people are kind of being everywhere just off one or two songs and it’s pretty annoying. I just think having a cute song is what it is, but it doesn’t mean more than that. I think that’s one of the main differences between Beyonce and Rihanna. Beyonce gave up her ubiquity to be able to make albums. Rihanna has always been a singles artist. Low-key that might be why she hasn’t released her album yet. She doesn’t have a hit single yet. 

On 10/25/2019 at 8:50 PM, ebk57 said:

Sheryl Crow released an album recently that she said was her last.  In an interview with NPR about it, she said she's not retiring, she's just going to release songs, no more album, because people don't buy or listen to music that way anymore.  This makes me sad.  

I feel bad for artists like Sheryl Crow. She’s a pop singer-songwriter, talented, but she’s white and aging. There’s really no place for her in pop music today, mainstream pop music, and even though she’s a serviceable contemporary Country/roots singer, she doesn’t have the built-up goodwill from that audience to be able to just put out albums and tour. Plus, she’s seen by many as a Hollywood liberal, so I doubt she’s going to endear herself to that crowd anyway. IJS.

[UYI]

The other Drake song you're thinking of from Scorpion is "In My Feelings" (the "Kiki, do you love me?" song).

And yeah, Sheryl Crow's country album from 2013, Feels Like Home, is great, but she said later on that she didn't at all like the radio station promotion side of the genre, especially since for women it's basically for nothing/minimal secondary airplay. 

[WendyCR72]

I think this is the earliest date ever that I have seen SiriusXM debut all of their holiday/Christmas radio stations! (Technically even earlier as the Hallmark Holiday Channel debuted around a week before Halloween!) But the rest of the options dropped today (i.e. Holly, Rockin' Xmas, '70s/'80s Holiday Music, and others).

[27bored]

I have to slightly revisit my opinion about Billie Eilish. Well, partly. I’m not sold on her yet, but I think I get it a little. I just listened to “bad guy” and, I kinda feel like that’s pop perfection. Like, I really think that song is going to be around in ten years, even if she’s a has been by that point. And by the way, pop perfection isn’t necessarily saying the song is great on its own. It’s saying it works as a piece of product. I can see that song in commercials, movie trailers, TV shows, trendy clothing stores, clubs...everywhere. Pop music is supposed to have a ubiquity and a bigness and that’s been missing. 

Her vibe is like Fiona Apple Gone Trap. I’m not convinced that there’s a lot of talent there, I get the feeling her brother is the maestro and she just hits her marks — mostly due to age and inexperience rather than having a vision, since she’s really just Lana del Rey by way of Lorde — but I can respect it because it’s working. 

[Bastet]

19 minutes ago, 27bored said:

I can see that song in commercials, movie trailers, TV shows, trendy clothing stores, clubs...everywhere.

Yep; CBS played a snippet of it as they headed to commercial during NFL coverage today.  I agree that beat is something that will be ubiquitous for a while.  It doesn't make me want to seek out anything more from her, but I do leave the song on every time I hear it while going through my radio station presets in the car - it's catchy and interesting, and I'm not sick of it yet.

[27bored]

Yeah it’s a good song. I just watched her do it on SNL and...yeah. That was ass, but to be fair it’s not a performance record. It might work in stark settings, but that’s not a big enough song to work with a big crowd.

I heard someone say that they think it’s a bit unfair that the only reason people take her seriously is because she wears baggy clothes and isn’t trying to be sexy. Well, I think that’s part of her appeal. 
 

I think the 2010s will go down in history as the decade of the death of the sexpot pop star, starting with Lady Gaga. I’ve thought Gaga was several things — smart, weird, funny, ridiculous, crazy — but never sexy. Camille Paglia wrote a scathing article about her years ago and it’s more true now than it was then.

Billie Eilish is kind of that come full circle. 
 

Even though I do think if she sticks around another four years and remains a pop star I think she’s going to tart it up a la Halsey, for now her whole South Florida Chic look works. It works to play up her vague Euro vibe as well. Brits don’t require their pop stars to be sex kittens the way we do, which is nice. 

[UYI]

Today is Tina Turner's 80th birthday!

[27bored]

Tina looks great! Congrats to her. 
 

I just came to post The Weeknd’s newest song, “Heartless”. Your thoughts?

[Harvey]

I love many of Abel's songs but this one is just more of the same, not particularly great. And that single cover is just ugly, what was his team thinking. Anyway, I am sure the album will have a couple of great tunes on it.

[27bored]

I’ve said before that I’d like Abel a lot more if he were gay. As weird as that sounds, this song kind of illustrates that. 
 

He sounds, well, gay. And I don’t say that as an insult, but he just does. He sounds like a gay guy doing an approximation of modern day R&B. When he says, “I been running through the pussy/need a dog pound”, my first thought, “suuuure you have. Please stop saying pussy.” The gauche lyrics are why I can’t just say he sounds fey. 
 

That said, I do like the song. Sounds like an album cut more than a single, but I like it. There’s a deep groove to it that gives me an 80s vibe, and his voice seems less indebted to MJ than it does to El DeBarge, which I think is more his speed anyway. I do kinda wonder if he’s able (...heh) to do this song live. It’s so fast and I don’t know if he’s a nimble enough vocalist to pull it off in a live setting. 

 

[27bored]

This is slight off-topic, but it needs to be said. Toddintheshadows is a Youtuber who does music reviews. He’s been mentioned here several times. He just did a video reviewing Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” and he not only hates it but seems to dislike Capaldi as well. 
 

First of all, I’ll say I’m not crazy about the song. It’s okay, but I see how it works as product more than being moved by it, if that makes sense. It’s not unlike my opinion of bad guy by Billie Eilish del Rey. I get why it works. It’s the kind of song that works for the soccer mom crowd that still listens to the radio with their kid in the car. I also think Capaldi sounds eerily like James Arthur, someone I am a fan of, who also had a big hit with “Say You Won’t Let Go”, which also worked for the same crowd.

Anyway. His video got suggested to me so I watched it and he wastes no time bashing this guy. It made me realize Todd has a pattern. Here’s a partial list of songs over the last decade that he hasn’t liked:

John a Legend - All of You

Ed Sheehan - Thinking Out Loud (and you can add in most his catalogue apart from “Don’t” and “Sing” from that one year)

Passenger - Let Her Go

Hunter Hayes - Wanted

Lukas Graham - 7 Years

Maroon 5 - Girls Like You

Virtually anything by Shawn Mendes

Virtually anything by One Direction

I could do some digging and find a few more, but that’s enough to make my point. What do those songs have common? They’re songs for women performed by men who have either a sensitive singer-songwriter image or just a good-guy image. 
 

Todd has said before that he had a lot of female friends in high school and he seems like it. Dudes who hang out with a lot of girls get this weird kind of resentment to other nice guys. Like, “no, only I can be the nice guy who wants to hold women’s hands and not make out with them. All other guys are pretending!” It’s such a beta male trait. It’s like a heavy set woman calling thin women stuck up and skinny you-know-whats without even knowing them.

What seals it is if you watch his best songs of 2018 video, he puts “Nice for What” by Drake fairly high. The pro-black-woman anthem he came out with right before it was exposed that Drake had a love child by a white porn actress who has used some racially charged language on Twitter and called him a deadbeat dad and had to hire an attorney to get Drake to accept paternity. That song.

Not only does Todd put that song on his list, but he features this lengthy sequence of him walking to a karaoke party and doing that song for a room full of women who seem to be into it. It’s gross just typing that out. I’m getting douche chills. 
 

Todd’s a “nice guy” who hates nice guys, in other words, he’s a hater. He’s the kind of guy who pillow talks about other men to women. 

[UYI]

I love Todd and I always will, sorry not sorry. And yes, I'm a woman. 😄 (Also, the song by John Legend is called "All of Me", and while yes, "Nice for What"'s music video does have a majority of black women in it, Olivia Wilde is in it, too, just saying. But yes, Todd had it at #2 on his Best List last year.)

And just to clarify: If Drake was trying to specifically have a black woman anthem with "Nice for What", that's awesome! But I don't know if Olivia Wilde would have been in the video if that were his explicit intent. It DOES stand out that she is the only white woman in the video though (that I remember, anyway), if that WAS his intent. Mileage varies, I guess, but OW's presence in the video seems to suggest a more general theme of women's empowerment, at least to me. I could always be wrong, though. 

I actually was going to post his review of "Someone You Loved", which he, indeed, called the worst number one hit of the decade. ("I will not be taking questions at this time.") For what it's worth, here's the complete list, with the caveat that we may still have one or even a few more before this month is over. 

The list of number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 from 2010-2019:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_the_2010s

And here's Todd's review of "Someone You Loved", which I personally thought was a righteous, hilarious thing of beauty. To each their own, I guess. (ETA: Damn it! I originally typed "Someone Like You", the similarly named but FAR better song by Adele! Sigh.)

Edited December 2, 2019 by UYI

[27bored]

7 hours ago, UYI said:

I love Todd and I always will, sorry not sorry. And yes, I'm a woman. 😄 (Also, the song by John Legend is called "All of Me", and while yes, "Nice for What"'s music video does have a majority of black women in it, Olivia Wilde is in it, too, just saying. But yes, Todd had it at #2 on his Best List last year.)

And just to clarify: If Drake was trying to specifically have a black woman anthem with "Nice for What", that's awesome! But I don't know if Olivia Wilde would have been in the video if that were his explicit intent. It DOES stand out that she is the only white woman in the video though (that I remember, anyway), if that WAS his intent. Mileage varies, I guess, but OW's presence in the video seems to suggest a more general theme of women's empowerment, at least to me. I could always be wrong, though. 

I actually was going to post his review of "Someone You Loved", which he, indeed, called the worst number one hit of the decade. ("I will not be taking questions at this time.") For what it's worth, here's the complete list, with the caveat that we may still have one or even a few more before this month is over. 

The list of number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 from 2010-2019:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number-one_singles_of_the_2010s

And here's Todd's review of "Someone You Loved", which I personally thought was a righteous, hilarious thing of beauty. To each their own, I guess. (ETA: Damn it! I originally typed "Someone Like You", the similarly named but FAR better song by Adele! Sigh.)

Eh, I’m not fooled by Drake. There are several indicators: the Big Freedia feature, the Lauryn Hill sample (that particular one), struggle lyrics about bills, Hittin’ angles like Fabo (millennial dance reference), confronting women who don’t act the same way in person as they do online, nice for what to these ___. It just seems like a pitch right up the middle. I understand he had more than just black women in the video, but that’s just for the video. I don’t think it had anything to do with the song. That’s partially evidenced by the fact that he did a whole reunion with his DeGrassi cast mates for the “I’m Upset” video (after he got thoroughly trashed by Pusha T).
 

There’s nothing wrong with the song in theory, or even in execution. It’s just really manipulative, so of course Todd liked it.

Edited December 2, 2019 by 27bored

[WendyCR72]

If there are any SiriusXM subscribers and U2 fans (like myself!) here, back in 2018 during the summer, U2 had a limited channel on SiriusXM with rare songs, concerts, and hit songs, etc. Well, it must have been well received, because I just got an e-mail stating that in 2020, U2 will have their own dedicated permanent channel like The Beatles, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, and Phish do.

Here are the details.

[UYI]

As most of you now by now, I love both Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, but I'm in the minority in that I love John a little bit more (forgive me, lol). So seeing them perform together again after all these years makes me so happy. (They also performed together at John's stop in Irvine, CA on the tour for his album the Lonesome Jubliee in 1988, but for some reason that performance has never been uploaded to YouTube. But at least we finally have this.) 🙂

Edited December 10, 2019 by UYI