Wednesday, February 7, 2024

 Sunday At Foxwoods” - A Boys Like Girls Album Review


This is a little bit of an interesting album review for me. This is an album review where I don’t really know the band “Boys Like Girls” and, in fact, my first introduction to them was “Miracle” from this very album; even if they’ve been around for 17 years. I’ve probably heard their song with Taylor Swift, but I could not name a lyric if asked what a lyric in that song was. However, I really liked Miracle, and I wanted to know more songs from them, so why not review the album as well? I really don’t know what to expect as I’m writing this before hearing the songs, so let’s see together.



1. Sunday At Foxwoods 1:57


So this first song is an intro. Cool, we can’t really have intros in albums a lot these days, so it’s cool that they even had an intro to begin with, let alone the intro being longer than some songs on Pop Radio. There’s no lyrics in this intro, but the beat is really cool, and despite not having lyrics… wow, this is great. I love this. It’s almost like this could be an actual instrumental to a song, but it’s not. And I need to mention how this intro flows right into track #2. That smooth of a crossfade is almost extinct nowadays, So I also like how they are bringing intros that are actually intros back. Overall, cool intro. I like it. Now let’s get into the actual songs.


95%

2. The Outside 4:04


Remember me telling you that I’ve only heard one song from Sunday At Foxwoods going into this? That song, let me just remind you again, was called “Miracle” and really grew on me overtime. In fact, that song is the whole reason why this album review is happening anyway. This next song sounds very similar to “Miracle” and it’s called The Outside. So yeah, I really love this already. The lyrics start off with a bang - “It’s Okay, It’s Alright”. The lyrics can be cringey at times, but they usually aren’t, and hey - that’s just Boys Like Girls from what I understand anyway lol. If i had to tie this to one song, I’d probably tie this to “Year 3000” by Jonas Brothers, they both have a very similar vibe to them, and seem to have the same message. And I like “Year 3000” a lot, so of course I’ll love this one too.


100%

3. Language 2:58

Onto the third song, “Language”, and… is this just The Outside again? Probably. But, It still bops, and I love the chorus “Na na na na, La la la la, Speakin’ my language” It’s just so damn catchy! I love it! Now I can see why this was the second single after “Blood And Sugar”, which by the way, is track #4 so stay tuned for that review next. Anyways, One interesting thing about this song is that once it gets to the chorus, it seems like that first chorus is the rest of the song - And I’m perfectly fine with that, the chorus actually slaps. I love it. So yeah, you know what percentage this one is getting.


100%

4. Blood and Sugar 3:06


“Blood And Sugar” is the lead single (released May 19th, 2023) and to be honest, I don’t love this quite as much as the last three… but it’s still good! The chorus is slightly underwhelming, but the verses are really good. Sound familiar? Yeah, probably, but it’s true. These verses are actually amazing, but the chorus? Not quite as much. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still good, just not nearly as good as these verses. And, like most of these songs, the 5 second instrumental sections of solo guitar fit really well, and that is especially true here. So yeah, the verses make up for the chorus, which gives Blood And Sugar a…


93%

5. New Love 3:43


Is it just me… or do all these songs remind me of late 2000s / early 2010s songs by other artists? This song in particular seems like the chorus is word for word with “True Love” by P!nk and Lily Allen. But, I loved that song as well, so I’m not complaining. The only thing I could possibly complain about is the word “love” being in every line in the chorus - it somehow gets slightly annoying. But, it does fit, so whatever. On the flip side, I really like the coyote-like sounds of “Whoo-ooh” “Whoo-ooh”, it really contributes to the nice atmosphere this song emits. So, good song.


88%

6. Miracle 3:00


Okay, I think I mentioned this song probably way too many times in this review before it should be reviewed. But, It kinda deserves the hype, This song is such a bop. And to be honest, I didn’t always think it was this good. It took almost 3 months for it to grow this much on me. But, it finally did, And I’m so glad it did. I usually only like songs this much if the lyrics are amazing, and don’t get me wrong the lyrics are still really good, but not on the level of “Messier” and others. The annunciation makes it slightly hard to understand what Martin, the lead singer, is saying, but the important part is that music, and that’s what sells this on me. This bops 103%. And that’s what I’m giving it.


103%

7. Cry 3:38


“Cry” is the first of two ballads on this album, except this one does progress throughout the song. Unfortunately, It’s really only interesting the last 45 seconds, and the first 2 and a half minutes do sound boring, but they are redeemed by the lyrics. The lyrics are very cute - I like them. They don’t save the boringness completely, but they still save it at about 85% of the way. And that last 45 seconds saves it the other 15% of the way. Every album needs a good ballad, and this is exactly the song that fits the niche that’s needed. Keep it up.


97%


8. Monday Morning 1:34


“Monday Morning” is the interlude of this album. Yeah, remember when people actually made interludes? Good times (geez, i sound like an old person there lmao). This interlude is cool though, It’s very similar to the intro, almost exactly identical in the way they work. I actually like this more than the intro for some reason. Maybe because I like the progression much better, i guess. I also love how it very smoothly transitions into track #9…


96%


9. Physical 3:30


Hey, look at them stealing a title of a Dua Lipa song! They’re such thieves, aren’t they?? …sorry, that was a bad “joke”. Anyways, it’s hard to beat Dua Lipa’s “Physical” (although it’s easier to beat other Dua Lipa songs) and although this doesn’t, it’s still good and It’s still cool; I like the beat, it’s very interesting but still nice. I like the progression too. Not much else to say about this, but it still bops. So yeah, still really good.


92%


10. Hourglass 3:43


I’m starting to get Boys Like Girls’ed out over here, but I only have 3 more songs so let me just finish them off. First off is Hourglass, which is a mid-tempo, very dreamy, indie-pop esque. It isn’t, but It still kinda sounds like it does. I like the vibe to this though, It’s very nice on a late night which is exactly what I’m listening to this on lol. Interestingly, I don’t remember the word “Hourglass” being said once in the song, but that doesn’t bother me that much. So yeah, good song. Not the best on the album of course, but still pretty good.


94%


11. Story Of A Lifetime 3:29


Just like many other songs on the album, This reminds me of another song for some reason. Maybe it’s the title? I really don’t know lol, but anyways - This might be the weakest song on the album. It’s alright, but it’s a semi-generic sound I’m not a big fan of. It’s still alright, just not up to the level that we’ve had so far. I guess it’s also slightly forgettable, but not extremely so. I could see this growing on me too, so we’ll see.


77%


12. Brooklyn State Of Mind 3:03


Interesting title, lol. Alicia Keys ripoff? Yes. Good song (again)? Also, yes. Definitely not as catchy as the Alicia Keys CLASSIC, and lyric-wise with the “All The Right Friends in All The Wrong Places” line, they seemed to have directly copied from OneRepublic’s “All The Right Moves”. Which, I loved as well. Still, catchy and I’ll remember that one line for sure. There’s not much else to the song, but that line is definitely cool, so it doesn’t matter that much.


83%


13. Lost In Wonderland 4:36

It wouldn’t be a rock album without a rock ballad, would it? Wait… Didn’t we already have a rock ballad in “Cry”? Maybe… But, gosh, Didn’t you want more? Wait… you didn’t? Well, too bad! Okay, I’m sorry, but this is boring. I can see why it’s here and why it’s the last song, But it’s not my cup of tea at all. I do like the city name dropping, and the lyrics are really cool, and that’s what partially saves the song, but my gosh the instrumental seems practically stripped acoustic, and that’s not really what I enjoy. Again, It’s cute, but it’s not for everyone, including me.


57%


Sunday At Foxwoods - Conclusion


Wow. That was actually really good; I actually didn’t expect that from a band I don’t know much about and I never thought of as a really well-liked band. But, hey, It’s still a really good album. Definitely coming back to almost all of these songs again. And, wow, thanks for reading all this. If you’re reading this, thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks.


Score - 91%


Sunday, January 14, 2024

Tate McRae [5] Mediabase Top 50 - January 7th, 2024

 

Hey! Welcome to the second post of 2024! Hope you're well and excited for my new blog! at least i hope so... anyways we say goodbye to SIX songs as part of the New Years purge. And, most of them are old and bad, so i'm relieved that they're gone.

One more thing: I mentioned adding stuff to this blog last week. Well, I'm adding peaks and weeks (as you can see), and also oldest songs. Personal Rankings, KRQQ Local Station Watch and most added will be added next week (hopefully). Thanks for understanding!

Exits
Jimmy Fallon feat. Meghan Trainor - Wrap Me Up [#49] {6w} Peak: 35
Zara Larsson feat. David Guetta - On My Love [#40] {11w} Peak: 31
Selena Gomez - Single Soon [#39] {19w} Peak: 10
Noah Kahan feat. Post Malone - Dial Drunk (Remix) [#36] {23w} Peak: 16
Jelly Roll - Need A Favor [#19] {23w} Peak: 12
Doechii - What It Is (Solo Version) [#10] {30w} Peak: 3

Top 50:

50. Olivia Rodrigo - Can't Catch Me Now [Debut]
49. Knox - Not The 1975 [Debut]
48. NCT Dream feat. JVKE - Broken Melodies [Debut]
47. MÃ¥neskin - Honey (Are You Coming?) [Debut]
46. Jason Derulo feat. Meghan Trainor - Hands On Me {Re-Entry} {5w} Peak: 46
45. Lawrence - 23 [Debut]
44. Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA - Rich Baby Daddy [+6] {7w} Peak: 44
43. Patrick Martin - Dandelion Eyes [+3] {13w} Peak: 43
42. Blink-182 - One More Time [+6] {9w} Peak: 42
41. Vella - Happiness [+4] {14w} Peak: 41

40. Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine [+1] {6w} Peak: 40
39. Olivia Lunny feat. Bryce Vine - Fix This [+3] {10w} Peak: 39
38. Pitbull feat. Nile Rodgers - Freak 54 (Freak Out) [==] {15w} Peak: 26
37. Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Uzi Vert - Everybody [+10] {2w} Peak: 37
36. Noah Kahan - Stick Season [+7] {4w} Peak: 36
35. Victoria Monét - On My Mama [+9] {4w} Peak: 35
34. Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea, right? [+3] {21w} Peak: 11
33. Troye Sivan - One Of Your Girls [==] {9w} Peak: 33
32. Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves - I Remember Everything [+3] {16w} Peak: 29
31. Jungkook feat. Usher - Standing Next To You (Remix) [+3] {5w} Peak: 31

30. LANY - XXL [+2] {14w} Peak: 30
29. P1Harmony - Fall In Love Again [+2] {6w} Peak: 29
28. Loud Luxury feat. Two Friends & Bebe Rexha - If Only I [+2] {20w} Peak: 25
27. Tiësto feat. BIA & 21savage - Both [+2] {18w} Peak: 27
26. Jonas Brothers feat. Bailey Zimmerman - Strong Enough [+2] {8w} Peak: 26
25. Diplo feat. Jessie Murph & Polo G - Heartbroken [-1] {21w} Peak: 20
24. Morgan Wallen - Thinkin' Bout Me [+2] {13w} Peak: 24
23. AJR - Yes I'm A Mess [+4] {11w} Peak: 23
22. Jungkook feat. Jack Harlow - 3D [+1] {15w} Peak: 19
21. Thirty Seconds To Mars - Seasons [+4] {7w} Peak: 21

20. Travis Scott - I KNOW? [+1] {16w} Peak: 20
19. The Kid Laroi feat. Jungkook & Central Cee - Too Much [+1] {12w} Peak: 13
18. Tate McRae - exes [+4] {6w} Peak: 18
17. Sabrina Carpenter - Feather [+1] {15w} Peak: 17
16. Teddy Swims - Lose Control [+1] {10w} Peak: 16
15. Kenya Grace - Strangers [+1] {14w} Peak: 14
14. Usher feat. Summer Walker & 21savage - Good Good [+1] {20w} Peak: 14
13. Tyla - Water [+1] {13w} Peak: 13
12. Dua Lipa - Houdini [==] {9w} Peak: 11
11. Doja Cat - Agoura Hills [+2] {14w} Peak: 11

10. Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [-2] {23w}
09. REMA feat. Selena Gomez - Calm Down (Remix) [+2] {71w} Four Weeks @ Number One
08. Olivia Rodrigo - get him back! [+1] {17w} Peak: 8
07. Taylor Swift - Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) [==] {10w} Peak: 6
06. Jack Harlow - Lovin' On Me [==] {9w} Peak: 6
05. Paul Russell - Lil Boo Thang [==] {19w} Peak: 5
04. Miley Cyrus - Used To Be Young [==] {20w} Peak: 4
03. Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer [==] {31w} Eight Weeks @ Number One
02. Doja Cat - Paint The Town Red [==] {23w} Seven Weeks @ Number One
01. Tate McRae - greedy {16w} Fifth Week @ Number One

☆ Biggest Mover Of The Week - Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Uzi Vert - Everybody [+10]

☆ #1 Song One Year Ago - Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras - Unholy (Sixth and final Non-consecutive week at #1)
☆ Biggest Mover This Week One Year Ago - Lady Gaga - Bloody Mary [+6]
☆ Favorite Song This Week One Year Ago - Raye feat. 070shake - Escapism. [#44]

☆ Debuts

Holy goodness, FIVE DEBUTS (plus a terrible re-entrant). Let's just get through them all.

So Olivia Rodrigo gets her first debut of 2024, and it's a song from The Hunger Games: Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes. Now, if you've heard Hunger Games songs before, they all have a very distinct sound. Very ominous, haunting, and the lyrics are all very unique. Sure, 'Can't Catch Me Now' is just your typical Hunger Games song, but that's what makes it amazing. I don't like movies, but I'm actually interested in the new Hunger Games movie. I really am. So yeah, this is really cool. It's slow, but it progresses unlike *other* slower songs. Good job, Olivia, and good job Radio for not leaving this unnoticed!

Knox makes his Top 50 debut, and this song is called, I'm not even kidding, "Not The 1975". Really clever. And it even references two 1975 songs ('Oh, Caroline' and 'Chocolate'). This has your standard production of a cheesy guitar rock song, but the lyrics are what makes it work. I really like his songwriting, and even the production doesn't suck like it could've. It works really well, and I can't wait to see more Knox and/or Not The 1975 to SMASH!

P.S. Check out "Here's To Us" which releases January 19th!

K-Pop Boy Band NCT Dream also makes their Top 50 Debut, and this is actually a remix that features JVKE, who you might know from "Golden Hour". I can't lie, Golden Hour is amazing even though all his other stuff sucks. But not this! NCT Dream sound really good here, JVKE does too, and although it's slightly generic, it's still cool. I like it.

MÃ¥neskin are back for the first time since i believe "Supermodel" from summer of 2022. I prefer "The Loneliest" much more, I still wish that got big. But, this is still nice, albeit pretty standard for them. I don't really have much else to say about "Honey (Are You Coming?)", but I do like it at least. 

Hey, I heard you wanted a collaboration between JAAAAAAAASOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN DERUUUUUUUUUUUULOOOOOOOOOO and Meghan Trainor! Wait, You didn't? Well, Too bad! Aaaaand, just as i guess. This absolutely sucks. The Doo-Wop sound can get really overused, and in Meghan's case, well, she uses it in LITERALLY every song. And, to add insult to injury, this samples a classic from Ben E. King. And it takes up the whole song. Like, why? WHY? DID? WE? NEED? THIS?. Anyways, next!

And last, but hopefully not least, is a song I've never heard before from Lawrence. Yeah, them. The "Don't Lose Sight" duo. I absolutely adored that. This is a step down, but, it still actually slaps. The lyrics are really cool, and the production is kinda just there, but it's still great. So, Keep!

☆ She said "I like your blurbs, but you're not The 1975"

It's really nice to see Victoria Monét finally get the hit she deserves.

It's really nice to see Noah Kahan finally get another hit he totally deserves.

I've really grown into Fix This. ALOT. It's now my favorite song out of all the 50 songs. I just love it that much.

I also really like "Water" by Tyla, and somehow the Marshmello remix of it slaps even more.

If you have anything else you want me to add, or suggestions or albums you want me to review, let me know in the comments.

That's all for now! Thanks for reading! appreciate it!

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Tate McRae [4] Mediabase Top 50 - December 31st, 2023

 

New Year, new blog! I'll try my best to keep this up lol, remind me if i forget. anyways... let's see the one song that left Mediabase this week... RIP.

Exits
Cher - DJ Play A Christmas Song [#40]

Top 50:

50. Drake feat. Sexyy Red & SZA - Rich Baby Daddy [==]
49. Jimmy Fallon feat. Meghan Trainor - Wrap Me Up [-14]
48. Blink-182 - One More Time [+1]
47. Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Uzi Vert - Everybody 
[Debut]
46. Patrick Martin - Dandelion Eyes 
[==]
45. Vella - Happiness [==]
44. Victoria Monet - On My Mama [+4]
43. Noah Kahan - Stick Season [+4]
42. Olivia Lunny feat. Bryce Vine - Fix This [+2]
41. Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine [+2]

40. Zara Larsson feat. David Guetta - On My Love [-1]
39. Selena Gomez - Single Soon [+3]
38. Pitbull feat. Nile Rodgers - Freak 54 (Freak Out) [==]
37. Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea, right? [+4]
36. Noah Kahan feat. Post Malone - Dial Drunk (Remix) [+1]
35. Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgrave - I Remember Everything [-1]
34. Jungkook feat. Usher - Standing Next To You (Remix) [+2]
33. Troye Sivan - One Of Your Girls [==]
32. LANY - XXL [-1]
31. P1Harmony - Fall In Love Again [+1]

30. Loud Luxury feat. Two Friends & Bebe Rexha - If Only I [==]
29. Tiësto feat. BIA & 21savage - Both [-1]
28. Jonas Brothers feat. Bailey Zimmerman - Strong Enough [+1]
27. AJR - Yes I'm A Mess [==]
26. Morgan Wallen - Thinkin' Bout Me [-1]
25. Thirty Seconds To Mars - Seasons [+1]
24. Diplo feat. Jessie Murph & Polo G - Heartbroken [==]
23. Jungkook feat. Jack Harlow - 3D [-1]
22. Tate McRae - exes [+1]
21. Travis Scott - I KNOW? [==]

20. The Mid Laroi feat. Jungkook & Central Cee - Too Much [-2]
19. Jelly Roll - Need A Favor [==]
18. Sabrina Carpenter - Feather [+2]
17. Teddy Swims - Lose Control [==]
16. Kenya Grace - Strangers [==]
15. Usher feat. Summer Walker & 21savage - Good Good [==]
14. Tyla - Water [==]
13. Doja Cat - Agora Hills [==]
12. Dua Lipa - Houdini [==]
11. REMA feat. Selena Gomez - Calm Down [==] Four Weeks @ Number One

10. Doechii - What It Is (Solo Version) [==]
09. Olivia Rodrigo - get him back! [==]
08. Billie Eilish - What Was I Made For? [==]
07. Taylor Swift - Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) [-1]
06. Jack Harlow - Lovin' On Me [+1]
05. Paul Russell - Lil Boo Thang [==]
04. Miley Cyrus - Used To Be Young [==]
03. Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer [==] Eight Weeks @ Number One
02. Doja Cat - Paint The Town Red [==] Seven Weeks @ Number One
01. Tate McRae - greedy [==] Fourth Week @ Number One

☆ Biggest Mover Of The Week - Jimmy Fallon feat. Meghan Trainor - Wrap Me Up [-14]

☆ #1 Song One Year Ago - Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras - Unholy (Fifth of Six Non-consecutive weeks at #1)
☆ Biggest Mover This Week One Year Ago - Metro Boomin' feat. The Weeknd & 21savage - Creepin' [+7]
☆ Favorite Song This Week One Year Ago - Rosa Linn - Snap [#17]

☆ Debuts

Our only debut this week is from Nicki Minaj & Lil Uzi Vert's Everybody. It samples a song from the 2000s, It has a downright obnoxious beat and it is very short. Sounds like bad song material, right? riiiiiight? Well, not quite. Yes, It has obnoxious production from DJ Smallz 732; Remember him? The guy that made the stupid short weird remix of Players? Yeah, He produced this track... and... it doesn't... suck!??? Yeah, It doesn't... It actually... :funmusicslaps:

And that was our only debut, so let's move on.

☆ I'm a multi-million dollar home BODY!

So our first thing to note is a thankful drop from annoying christmas music that you didn't need, aka Wrap Me Up by Jimmy Fallon and Meghan Trainor. Yeah, remember Jimmy Fallon's *other* whack ass christmas song from 2021? It Was A... Masked Christmas? Yeah, you're better off with me not telling you about it. NEXT

Olivia Rodrigo and Selena Gomez's songs that should've been recurrent if it weren't for the freeze both got bumped into the top 40 again. Okay??? Both are great songs though so i'm not complaining.

Our biggest jump of the week is a tie between the aforementioned Olivia Rodrigo track bad idea, right? but there's also Atlanta-based Victoria Monét and her song On My Mama. Love this track and I'm super happy for her to be getting some success. She sure deserves it.

Noah Kahan has a followup, albeit a song from summer of 2022 and the lead single and title track of his newest album. Stick Season is the name and although Dial Drunk is better, this one's still alright, and it'll almost certainly grow on me. Hope it does!

Nothing else to note so i'm gonna spend some time telling y'all that tonights post (if it's out tonight) will be much more involved. I'll add a ranking of all 50 songs, some more stats like peaks, weeks and oldest songs, and also give some insight into songs that are currently on the Spincrease and Taking Off charts. 

If you have anything else you want me to add, or suggestions or albums you want me to review, let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading! appreciate it!

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Tate McRae released her new album 'think later' and... yeah... (REVIEW)

 


Hi everyone! I haven't posted in a while, so i thought i would make it up with my first ever album review! This one being on Tate McRae's "think later", an album that released literally yesterday. I've been a big fan of Tate McRae, as i have listened to almost all of her discography since One Day (one of her very first songs). i thought she would peak with I Used To Think I Could Fly, her debut album, but then greedy released and oh my that was a bop.

Unfortunately, i may have been right all along at originally peaking with IUTTICF, so let's see.

Track Overview

1. cut my hair (2:55)

Okay, I'm immediately underwhelmed. It immediately starts off with the chorus, which i would be fine with if the chorus was uptempo, but this is midtempo and kinda does nothing. the verse sounds the exact same as the chorus, and there really isn't much to it. The production sounds completely AI generated, and her voice sounds sooooooooooo drowned out in autotune (at least here) where i can't even enjoy it without having to think how artificial it is.  Speaking of artificial, this is the exact type of song an industry plant (like Jax) would make. You then get to the lyrics, which are so drowned out in autotune that you can't even enjoy it, but the blurry lyrics you do enjoy is "make you sweat". sound familiar? Yeah, meh.

28% (Bad)

2. greedy (2:09)

So this is the lead single off of 'think later', meaning uh oh was left as a single everyone will probably forget about. And oh my i'm so glad they chose this instead of uh oh. This is a bop, and although the lyrics are very similar to in cut my hair, the message gets across so much better, and her voice is so much clearer here. It's also much catchier, which is a great sign. I WILLLL WAANNTTTTT MYSELFFFFFF. Bop.

The chorus slaps, gets the message across, and the verses help accompany that. How a song should be. So yeah, expect a high rating for this one...

100% (Perfect)

3. run for the hills (2:23)

'run for the hills' seems to be the focus track off the album (a single released with the album essentially). Good choice. Although it's short, just like greedy, it's still catchy, and although the vocals are ever so slightly drowned out, here they actually work like that. It adds to the whole vibe of the song which i like. On a related note, i just like the title "run for the hills", i really think that's a cool title just by itself.

100% (Perfect)

4. hurt my feelings (2:02)

The shortest song off the album, and just like greedy and run for the hills, this one is insanely catchy. Even more so for this one. It starts off with the intro which i can't lie is kinda bland, but after just 8 seconds it gets excited with this really cool verse and the chorus which is even cooler. Yeah, i actually like this more than greedy AND run for the hills despite it's length. you can't spell Brilliant Outstand Perfection without BOP.

104% (Spectacular)

5. grave (3:13)

the way this is the first song on this album that's actually a reasonable length for a song. Anyways, this is a ballad, albeit a nice but unoriginal one. I usually really like ballads, and this is no exception. The flow is nice, it speeds up after the first chorus which is great, and i like almost every song that gradually progresses from a ballad to midtempo. But, i guess, i just prefered the live version she had performed on Saturday Night Live and this slightly underwhelmed me. Still a great song.

95% (Great)

6. stay done (2:51)

this is another ballad, which i guess i shouldn't be complaining about considering it's Tate McRae, after all. However, unlike grave, this one doesn't really progress. There isn't a live version to compare it to, so that's a plus. It's a pretty song and i like the instrumentals, but it's a "loud ballad" if you will; the instrumentals are loud to drown out the vocals. I guess this can be a good thing, but in 'stay done' it just seems like they're hiding the fact it's a boring song. I still like it, but i'd prefer if it went somewhere.

80% (Good)

7. exes (2:39)

exes is the second single of 'think later' following greedy. It was released 3 weeks prior, and yeah... This isn't really impressing me. It's catchy, but in the repetitive, even slightly annoying way. The lyrics are slightly too mean for my taste, the trap-ish beat is not really my cup of tea, and the whole "kisses to my exes" line is really off-putting and not something i would want in a song. Now, it's still catchy, but not in the way greedy is. The lyrics also sound like if you put "create mean payback music that a 5 year old would write" as a ChatGPT prompt.

Overall, it's still decent; it does sound nice, but it's not much more than that

57% (Decent)

8. we're not alike (3:00)

I really like the electric guitar sound in the intro here. It's really cool. The intro is slightly long, but hey, that's not a big deal at all. the chorus, verse and pre-chorus are all slightly slow, but pretty good. Except for the chorus; it's a really good buildup to the chorus, and there they kinda fumbled it. Now, the chorus is still good, but it's a weak spot of this song. 'we're not alike' also seems to be another case of "hey, let's start upbeat and keep the same beat for the entirety of the song" and it gets boring. Even the bridge is like that. So yeah, it's good, but also not anything special.

73% (Good)

9. calgary (2:20)

So if you don't know, Calgary is her hometown. I really find it neat how she made an ode to her hometown as if it's some miniscule village in Vermont. Either way, still cool. As for the song however... yeah this is another case of a song that stays the tempo the entire time, which i'm not really a fan of. This is perhaps the slowest song off 'think later', and it sounds nice but again - it's not special. It's cool how she's telling a story. Great, that's how music should be. You don't make me automatically like a song because you tell a story. And the "get my shit together line" is again very off putting. It kinda sounds like "hey let's drop a swear word in there to make me sound edgy".

40% (Mediocre)

10. messier (3:57)

'messier' is the longest song on the album (clocking in at almost 4 minutes) and it's not even close. And... this might be my favorite on the album. I really like the midtempo flow of the chorus and the progression of the song, Progression is almost always a big plus of a song. the "tell me, tell me" gives me a major vibe of "past life" by Trevor Daniel and Selena Gomez (remember that) a song i also absolutely love. in 'past life' the lyric is "don't re, don't remind me" which almost sounds like "tori tori" the way they are saying it. So yeah, this is a really cool song. The bridge is a semi-weak spot, but again i still like it so it's not that big of a deal. Is it my favorite? Probably not, but it's still really cool, amazing and i love it.

102% (Spectacular)

11. think later (2:13)

'think later' is the title track off the album... but why is it #11? what? Anyways... yeah, this is kinda annoying, the lyrics are alright and Tate sounds good here, but why... the beat is insanely annoying and loud and not something that's fun to listen to. I can't even tell what Tate is saying because the bass and beat is just so damn loud... Not much else to say. Thank god it's only 2 minutes.

34% (Bad)


12. guilty conscience (2:32)

This one is also slightly annoying, but at least it's slightly enjoyable to listen to. and at least i can actually tell what Tate is talking about here. pretty cool lyrics and song, and i'm liking the rihanna style repetitive lyrics in the chorus and intro. However, that is the annoying part and the verse is much better. This is pretty good, albeit slightly on the short side. But hey, at least it's a good song.

77% (Good)

13. want that too (3:10)

oh look, another ballad! And just like the others (set aside grave) it's not that interesting. This is more on par with her tracks from her last album (IUTTICF). The lyrics are alright even if they're slightly generic. At least they aren't in your face annoying. the production however... yeah the production is alright too, but it's also slightly boring. The vocals have depth to them it seems, which is cool. But, Tate's voice seems to be better on rock-ish songs. 

EDIT: Wait this actually speeds up, nice!

82% (Good)

14. plastic palm trees (2:52)

Creative title, and creative song too. I also like the title of "plastic palm trees" but that isn't as cool of a title as run for the hills. Still, nice song. It doesn't really go anywhere, but that isn't too big of a deal here because it at least sounds nice with a good, kinda ocean-like vibe. It's cool, i like it. But, for a closing track, I expected more.

67% (Decent)

Conclusion


So yeah, I have a few mixed feelings of this album. A bunch of great bops, but then some songs that are either just good and nothing more, or downright bad like 'cut my hair'. Some just aren't interesting, or too drowned out in autotune for me to enjoy.

One thing i can take away from this album is that she might have actually peaked with IUTTICF (I sure hope not) but either way I'm glad she is getting all this success because she is still great with the songs like "greedy" and "hurt my feelings". 

My mom thinks that these songs sound ai-generated, and for some of them, she isn't wrong. However, some of these are genuinely great and even amazing and don't sound AI-generated whatsoever. Especially hurt my feelings and messier.

Overall - 74% (Good)

'think later' doesn't suck, don't get me wrong. It's actually good. But she did fumble the bag in 2 songs in particular which definitely lowered the score.

Thursday, November 23, 2023

2022 Year-End Special - My 17 worst hit songs of 2022...

 Daniel1784's WORST Hit songs of 2022 (Bottom 17)


Welcome! to my worst hit songs of 2022. The bottom 17. Oh, you all will have so much fun making fun of my hopefully not tasteless flop music taste. I really wonder what y'all think will be on this list. any guesses? anyone? no? ok... Anyways, I generally can tolerate most songs, even the ones that are just "ehhhhh" but there's always the good amount of songs that are just absolute torture to listen to. This year was really weird in a lot of ways, which i will get into later. Let's see what qualifies, first, shall we?

  • Debut on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown sometime between January 1st, 2023, and November 18th, 2023.
  • Debut on my personal radio chart (Daniel's Mainstream Top 30) sometime between February 4th, 2023, and November 18th, 2023

Alright, now that that's out of the way, let's see what all our dishonour*able mentions are. These first seven songs are songs that definitely could have made the worst 17 if they met the criteria listed above.

Dishonorable Mention #1: Havanna Winter - death wish

So Hits 1 has this thing where they obsessively pick up every song from these random artists that next to no one care about. Havanna Winter is one of them, some edgy 16 year old teen that only seems to be copying other mid artists. "Rain Rain Go Away", her debut single, sounds like a direct copy of Nessa Barrett & Jaden Hossler's "la di die" and la di die wasn't even good, let alone good at all to deserve a direct copy. She then went on to copy the D'Amelio's in various songs, and even this "death wish" song, seems like it is copying the D'Amelio's in some aspects. On to Death Wish itself, it has edgy lyrics, a generic and ubiquitous 4-chord guitar that you could find in basically any song, and minimal production on top of that. You can honestly tell this song was either rushed or low budget, and that's not a good thing. The lyrics are also so basic. 

it didn't have to be this way, but now that it is this way, I definitely won't be on the lookout for more music from Havanna Winter. No thanks for making me aware of her!

Dishonorable Mention #2: Chris Brown - Summer Too Hot

Chris Brown sure has a history, doesn't he? He's desperately trying to make a comeback with this wannabe summer anthem. And just like most summer anthem, I really don't like it. It's beat is so generic, and slightly irritating at times. Chris Brown's singing is alright, but the lyrics are so awful. Like seriously, can you sing about something else for once?

Dishonorable Mention #3: Labrinth feat. Billie Eilish - Never Felt So Alone

So if this was "Weirdest Songs of 2023" this would be top 5 at the very least. It's weird, It's bad, but it's not quite awful. Billie sounds genuinely better than she does in 93% of her songs, and Labrinth doesn't sound terrible, even if he still sounds pretty bad. What really makes me hate this is the annoying bell-sounds and the production all around. Like, seriously, this would have sounded good possibly if you just did a ballad or something, icl.

Dishonorable Mention #4: Coi Leray feat. David Guetta - Make My Day

The only thing that made my day when hearing this song was letting it immediately qualify for being a dishonorable mention.

In all seriousness, David Guetta has recently gotten a nickname of "The Recycling Bin" because of the only thing it seems he can do nowadays is sample popular 80s and 90s edm songs. And Coi Leray, another big fan of recycling older classics, decided it would be a bright idea to combine powers with the original and creative David Guetta to see how many original ideas there are in a song literally called "Make My Day". Guess how many there were. 0. ZERO. Z-E-R-O. Yeah, this song sucks, and it's not hard to see why.

Dishonorable Mention #5: Jason Derulo feat. Meghan Trainor - Hands On Me

BUM! BUM! BA DA DUM! DUM! DA DA DUM! DUM! BA DUM! DUM! BA DA DUM! DUM! DA DA DUM! DUM! she was she was she was she was the girl next door, that's my fine ass neighbor, if she wants some sugar- 

yeah, that's enough sex music that samples a Ben E. King classic for now. And no, we never needed a song to sample one of the greatest songs of all time. So, no surprise, when Jason Derulo & Meghan Trainor sample it, it's definitely gonna be ass. NEXT!

Dishonorable Mention #6: Pitbull feat. Nile Rodgers - Freak 54 (Freak Out)

Pitbull went from being the party-starter to just keeping the party going for 15 years, and that's not a good thing whatsoever. This stupid song that's yet again about sex (*sigh*) also samples (*sigh*) a classic. and Nile Rodgers really doesn't help, especially since i can't even tell him apart from Pitbull's yelling and screaming about getting nasty and wild. The only good thing about this song is it's short. Good, I don't want to hear any more than i already have to.

Pitbull should go back to collabing with Chris Brown or something, because at least International Love was actually good.

Dishonorable Mention #7: Chris Brown - Under The Influence

This DHM is a little different; It is technically eligible, but it just doesn't quite make the cut of being absolutely terrible to listen to. That given, It's still pretty bad, because it's Chris Brown lol.

Alright, now that that's out of the way, we can finally see what my bottom 17 are.














































#17. Sam Smith feat. Koffee & Jessie Reyez - Gimme


Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
Gimme, gimme what I want, what I want
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme
Gimme, gimme what I want, what I want

- Except from Sam Smith's 2023 song "Gimme"

Yeah, creative, right? To be fair, this song isn't *terrible*. Sam Smith and Koffee sound alright and the verses aren't terrible. But the chorus is what makes the song so goddamn annoying. I'm so glad this wasn't a big hit. I can't even imagine if it was. Good thing they didn't give em give em give em give em give em give em give em give em give em give em give em give em give em give em what they want, what they want, oh

- side note: the song "Gimme" contains the word "Gimme" 112 times. Hey, at least it's an innocent word, not the N word like our next song.


#16. iCandy - Keep Dat



Yeah, I'm not gonna say the actual N word on my blog, but i will let you know that iCandy "sings" the N word almost 70 times, and unlike Gimme, the verses aren't alright. Since the N-word is throughout the entire goddamn song. It's one thing if it's heard once, but i don't need to hear it 70 times in a 2 minute song. The beat to this song is also your generic club beat that sounds like it's sampled (thank god it's not). So yeah, I really did not need to know this song existed, Hits 1 and Daly Download really screwed up for adding this when it wasn't a big hit.

This next song is one i sure had enough of.





















#15. Charlieonnafriday - Enough


No, Waffle, Charlieonnafriday has two n's in the name, not one. And the fact people should need to know that just because some guy from seattle decided to be "sewpuwr kewul and ewniquwey" and spell his name right. Hmm, sounds familiar, doesn't it?

This song is just a Post Malone copy. And even if Post Malone is good, that doesn't make it a good song. Not at all. His vocals are so drowned out in autotune just to make it sound remotely similar to Post Malone, and the production, just like in songs i've mentioned before, has next to nothing going on. Like, Why??

And while we're on the Charlieonnafriday topic...

#EX. Charlieonnafriday - I'm Not Crazy


So, If you're gonna sample a famous 2002 Matchbox Twenty song "Unwell" that was already mid to begin with, you can improve it, right? I mean, that's happened before with artists actually improving on older annoying songs (Notably Ava Max with Not Your Barbie Girl) but that rule only applies if you're an artist that's not already trying to copy people in your sound style alone. So, let's dive into the lyrics together, shall we?

First up is your drowned out keyboard-piano introduction which that alone already sounds like the song is bad; and it is, don't get me wrong. The first lyric just has to be "I'm not crazy, I'm just a little fucked up" "I know, It's always too late" "I still call you knowing you won't pick up" yeah, no. The drowned out autotune does it for me. I literally can't take this shit any longer. Please turn it off.

Daniel1784's Personal Assisstant: "No, We need you to listen to the whole thing for the review!"

No, I won't, I've already listened like 25 times and i know it's absolutely awful. Please put me out of my misery. Thank you.

And what's surprising the most is that Charlieonnafriday actually has decent enough songs, notably Same Friends with Lil TJay. But, this obviously isn't it. NEXT.




  “ Sunday At Foxwoods ” - A Boys Like Girls Album Review This is a little bit of an interesting album review for me. This is an album ...