Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Billboard 100 Top 10 for the Week of October 22
My Master's degree program has gotten off to an awesome start (All A's thus far). I got ahead on my work for the week, and since I have a little free time, I wanted to do a little writing. Since I haven't been listening to the radio much lately, I've decided to turn to the Billboard 100. I'm gonna give the top 10 songs a listen and share my thoughts.
1) Adele - Someone Like You
I honestly don't care for this song. I could get behind Rolling in the Deep, but this is just droll rolling piano and a song about lost love. A bit of a snoozer really.
2) Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger (ft. Christina Aguilera)
Adam Levine, you might be able to imitate Jagger's moves on stage, but your wimpy rock is nothing like the Rolling Stones. They were rebels in their day. You make safe, by committee music designed to showcase your falsetto. Christina Aguilera turns in a verse, but who cares at this point? She's filler to make the song a minute longer. Her voice isn't used to good effect here.
I've seen Maroon 5 live. I worked for Cumulus Media, and they played a company party. I feel sorry for the dudes in the band. They're all average joes, playing bland, unobjectionable music that gets their lead singer laid all the time, while they get stuck with his rejects and leftovers. That's what I imagine happens anyway.
3) Foster the People - Pumped up Kicks
I've heard buzz about this song, and based on my first listen... crap. I like the intro, I like the music. I just can't stand the singing. The bad effect on the vocals in the verse are only slightly less annoying than the verse. Why is this blowing up? Hipsters? An attempt to like something weird? That happens every few years (ie the popularity of the Polyphonic Spree back years ago).
4) LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It
What the heck did I just watch?
That has to be the most homo-erotic music video ever.
I actually dig the techno-esque beat behind the song. If I heard it on the radio I wouldn't really care about this song one way or the other. But the video.... I don't want to see a dozen dudes in speedos. What is wrong with the dudes in LMFAO. Barry Gordy, what hath your progeny wrought?!
5) Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts (ft. Adam Levine)
Adam Levine sounds like a whiny middle schooler on this track. His voice... the screwdriver is approaching my ear.
"Sentimental" rap with a pop hook. This isn't the best example of this particular style, mostly because the rapper here is average at best. His flow fits the song, but the metaphors are weak.
6) LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
I talked about this one on my Top 10 roundup back in June. Months later it's still on the charts. Yeesh, seems like more and more people are shuffling every day.
7) Rihanna - We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris)
I surprisingly tame track from Rihanna content wise. (Though she did stir up controversy where there would be none by getting kicked off a farm in Ireland for getting naked while filming this video).
A nice down tempo euro-club beat and Rihanna doing a decent approximation of singing make for a somewhat listenable track. This seems to have been produced for the sole purpose of making it into DJ sets. I can hear the beat can briding all kinds of tracks. I didn't hear a male on the track, so I'm guess Calvin Harris was the producer here. I could go research it, but nah. I'd rather get yelled at in the comments.
8) David Guetta - Without You (ft. Usher)
More euro-club trash beats from David Guetta. The Usher name has to be what's carrying this track. A dull beat supports Usher just kinda being melodramatic. "Withoutttttttt yoouuuuuuu"
9) Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel... (ft. Sabi)
This sounds almost exactly like "DJ Got Us Fallin In Love" by Pitbull. Meh. Sabi is the equivalent of the chick no one remembers from "Give my Everything."
10) Lady Gaga - You and I
I don't really care for Lady Gaga. There's nothing wrong with this song, it's well constructed I guess. I just can't stand the persona of the singer in question.
1) Adele - Someone Like You
I honestly don't care for this song. I could get behind Rolling in the Deep, but this is just droll rolling piano and a song about lost love. A bit of a snoozer really.
2) Maroon 5 - Moves Like Jagger (ft. Christina Aguilera)
Adam Levine, you might be able to imitate Jagger's moves on stage, but your wimpy rock is nothing like the Rolling Stones. They were rebels in their day. You make safe, by committee music designed to showcase your falsetto. Christina Aguilera turns in a verse, but who cares at this point? She's filler to make the song a minute longer. Her voice isn't used to good effect here.
I've seen Maroon 5 live. I worked for Cumulus Media, and they played a company party. I feel sorry for the dudes in the band. They're all average joes, playing bland, unobjectionable music that gets their lead singer laid all the time, while they get stuck with his rejects and leftovers. That's what I imagine happens anyway.
3) Foster the People - Pumped up Kicks
I've heard buzz about this song, and based on my first listen... crap. I like the intro, I like the music. I just can't stand the singing. The bad effect on the vocals in the verse are only slightly less annoying than the verse. Why is this blowing up? Hipsters? An attempt to like something weird? That happens every few years (ie the popularity of the Polyphonic Spree back years ago).
4) LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It
What the heck did I just watch?
That has to be the most homo-erotic music video ever.
I actually dig the techno-esque beat behind the song. If I heard it on the radio I wouldn't really care about this song one way or the other. But the video.... I don't want to see a dozen dudes in speedos. What is wrong with the dudes in LMFAO. Barry Gordy, what hath your progeny wrought?!
5) Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts (ft. Adam Levine)
Adam Levine sounds like a whiny middle schooler on this track. His voice... the screwdriver is approaching my ear.
"Sentimental" rap with a pop hook. This isn't the best example of this particular style, mostly because the rapper here is average at best. His flow fits the song, but the metaphors are weak.
6) LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
I talked about this one on my Top 10 roundup back in June. Months later it's still on the charts. Yeesh, seems like more and more people are shuffling every day.
7) Rihanna - We Found Love (ft. Calvin Harris)
I surprisingly tame track from Rihanna content wise. (Though she did stir up controversy where there would be none by getting kicked off a farm in Ireland for getting naked while filming this video).
A nice down tempo euro-club beat and Rihanna doing a decent approximation of singing make for a somewhat listenable track. This seems to have been produced for the sole purpose of making it into DJ sets. I can hear the beat can briding all kinds of tracks. I didn't hear a male on the track, so I'm guess Calvin Harris was the producer here. I could go research it, but nah. I'd rather get yelled at in the comments.
8) David Guetta - Without You (ft. Usher)
More euro-club trash beats from David Guetta. The Usher name has to be what's carrying this track. A dull beat supports Usher just kinda being melodramatic. "Withoutttttttt yoouuuuuuu"
9) Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel... (ft. Sabi)
This sounds almost exactly like "DJ Got Us Fallin In Love" by Pitbull. Meh. Sabi is the equivalent of the chick no one remembers from "Give my Everything."
10) Lady Gaga - You and I
I don't really care for Lady Gaga. There's nothing wrong with this song, it's well constructed I guess. I just can't stand the persona of the singer in question.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Rick Ross - You the Boss (ft. Nicki Minaj)
I went in to this song excited. I figured we'd get a Tony Danza cameo, or maybe they'd throw Alyssa Milano on the track, but NOOOOOO. Instead we get another lame Rick Ross "I'm a boss" garbage:
The problems on the track are all over the place. I'm on record with not being a fan of Nicki Minaj's singing, and the auto tune they throw on her here does her zero favors. The submissive "I'll do anything that you say" line from her doesn't jive with her independent hyper-sexualized in charge public persona. Nicki adds zero to this track. Maybe Wayne owed Ross a favor and dropped her on the track so that Officer Ricky is putting YMCMB out there when he drops Maybach Music singles.
Right now Ross is on multiple tracks with Wayne (9 Piece, John) and the two of them appear along with Drake in "I'm on One." Market over saturation guys.
Ross' flow is weak on this track. He sounds as bored rapping as I am listening. Nicki sounds robotic, not like her normally animated self. C.O. Rick needs to stick to doing street music. With a bangin' beat behind him he's very listenable. Trying to brag over a low key beat that sounds like it's supposed to be mildly introspective isn't his thing.
The best song about being a boss is right here:
The problems on the track are all over the place. I'm on record with not being a fan of Nicki Minaj's singing, and the auto tune they throw on her here does her zero favors. The submissive "I'll do anything that you say" line from her doesn't jive with her independent hyper-sexualized in charge public persona. Nicki adds zero to this track. Maybe Wayne owed Ross a favor and dropped her on the track so that Officer Ricky is putting YMCMB out there when he drops Maybach Music singles.
Right now Ross is on multiple tracks with Wayne (9 Piece, John) and the two of them appear along with Drake in "I'm on One." Market over saturation guys.
Ross' flow is weak on this track. He sounds as bored rapping as I am listening. Nicki sounds robotic, not like her normally animated self. C.O. Rick needs to stick to doing street music. With a bangin' beat behind him he's very listenable. Trying to brag over a low key beat that sounds like it's supposed to be mildly introspective isn't his thing.
The best song about being a boss is right here:
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