I said in the original blog I was gonna settle for 12 people, and I wound up with a total of 18 which is awesome! Never settle for less, folks. And what a pretty solid batch of songs yall have sent in for this first round! There are a few songs I liked but got ranked lower by default, sorry! Anyway, let's get into it.
#Txashaun: Billie Eilish - Happier Than Ever
WHAT A WAY TO KICK OFF SEASON 2! I’ve always loved Billie, and this is the song I think everyone’s been waiting for her to make her entire career. This is just so thoroughly cathartic from the restrained start where she’s setting the stage of how AWFUL this man is, to the second half where she just starts EVISCERATING this asshole for everything he put her through and made her feel. This is a song I love but don’t return to that often for basically the same reasons as Praying by Kesha, it’s a deeply emotional and very raw song that carries a lot of weight and really earns its position as her magnum opus.
#UsernameThatWasFree: Qveen Herby - That Bih
Why did the woman from Karmin decide to go rap? I mean I probably shouldn’t question too much, a lot of old rockers go country so I guess rap is just that but for pop stars. Anyway, the song itself. First off, why is her voice so far back in the mix? I needed to pull up a lyric page to understand any of this. And when I did, all I found was… nothing that really appeals to me. I don’t really enjoy most rap that’s just the artist flexing. I think I heard some Egyptian elements in the beat? I like that. Will that be enough to drag this song that is aggressively trying to not appeal to me up high? We’ll see.
#Spinfur: Agnes Hartwich - Black Shiny Car
Alright, so this one ALSO had the vocals a bit farther back in the mix, but it fits the vibe a bit better here. I get the feeling that the lyrics aren’t the main appeal here anyway if I’m being honest. Is horrorcore a thing? Cause I think that’s what this is. The music is haunting, kinda sinister almost, and her voice serves to add to the atmosphere. Now, I’m normally not a big fan of horror movies or games or anything like that, but in music it hits that sweet spot where I’m unnerved but captivated. I think I like this!
#Zeptis: IAMX - Surrender
OK! I wasn’t sure what to expect from anyone coming into this but it definitely wasn’t the solo project of one of the Sneaker Pimps delivering some super relatable lyrics behind a beautiful yet melancholic soundscape. That feeling of wanting to just be done with it all, to surrender your life to end the vicious cycle of making changes and making mistakes, is one that I can imagine a lot of people besides just myself have felt. And the music behind it all was just gorgeous. This was a JOURNEY from start to finish, and it’s a journey I’m happy to have gone on! (PS: In the future please provide a link please and thank you!!!)
#HeavyRain: Kylie Minogue - Love At First Sight
Oh hell yeah, I love Kylie Minogue! The lyrics are kinda basic but I’ve never seen them as the appeal to her music. It’s all about the locomotive groove and just sounding great, and this fills that role pretty well! I’m not much of a clubbing person but I wouldn’t be surprised if something like this came on late at night while everyone’s drunk on the floor looking for a good time.
#Booyahhayoob: Linkin Park - New Divide
This may be one of the more generic songs they’ve written, but I can’t bring myself to care that much. It’s Linkin Park. They’ve always been my favorite band. I actually did see the movie this song was tied into, and it was… not great. This sounds fantastic though, Chester’s vocals are on point as per usual, and the rest of the band are bringing it as well! I’m not sure if this is going to be the easy top of the list like you may expect, but it should be pretty high because goddamn I just love this song.
#Aidan0621: Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club
Ok, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve thought about LDR at all or given her a listen. Where to begin with this… So for the first couple minutes, I was enjoying it just fine. I thought some of the places she chose to put emphasis in her words were kinda weird but nothing I couldn’t find myself getting used to in time. This was a good experience. And then the 3 minute mark hit and everything started getting WILD. I was NOT prepared for the tonal shift from her usual brand of laid back mellow melancholy to the second half which was lowkey kinda menacing. Overall, this is something I could see myself returning to! Good submission!!!
#Oswordo3: Mad Tsai - Killer Queen
Is horror-core a thing nowadays? I think this is the third one submitted this round??? Anyway, my first observation here is: is this about Carrie? If not, this would be the perfect theme song for a Carrie remake or something. It sounds nice, this dude has a good voice and the story about some psycho chick who may or may not have killed someone is pretty engaging, and the music behind it fits pretty well. Everything works as it should to create a pretty chilling yet engaging track!
#Imprincearthur: The Fray - How To Save A Life
Well, I guess it’s time to be sad now. I’ve always thought The Fray deserved a bit better, yeah they weren’t pushing boundaries or anything but they were pretty good. Of their 4 big hits, I’d say this is my 2nd favorite. I love the way this song leads in with a spare piano line and swells up over time, building on its raw emotional core. Death and loss are always difficult topics to discuss but they don’t really beat around the bush here, this is a pretty blunt look at life (or rather, the end of someone else’s) and that feeling of “maybe I could’ve done more.” And I always have room for a song like that.
#SeongWoo: Andrea Bocelli - Vivo Per Lei
This was simply GORGEOUS. The melody was simple but that clearly isn’t where the focus is meant to be, because those VOCALS are insane! Both Andrea and whoever that woman is have so much passion in their voices, even though I don’t speak the language I can clearly tell they’re putting their all into this. Upon looking up the lyrics, I see that they’re just as passionate as the delivery led me to believe, and I love that about this!
#LaCroix: Jack Johnson - Flake
I’ve always found most of Jack Johnson’s music to be ok. I’m not sure I’d ever actively seek out anything he puts out but I probably wouldn’t be too bothered to change the station if he came on the radio. This kinda just sounds like most of his other stuff, from what I’ve heard. That is to say, it’s alright, but not quite what I’m looking for.
#Samsam: Anohni - In My Dream
A 3 minute song that takes a full minute to start and cuts off like 15 seconds before the ending time is a bold choice. Now, I’ve never seen the show this is from so maybe this means a whole lot more within the context of the show. But from my perspective, this is a big ol’ nothing of a song. I would barely even classify this as a full song if I’m being honest. There’s maybe a minute of some limp beat and a few words at the end which, upon looking them up, could have been more interesting if they were developed upon. This just feels incomplete, like a song fragment maybe.
#Austino15fffan: Circa Waves - Sad Happy
This is simply INFECTIOUS. Almost immediately I was bopping in my seat along with the music. I haven’t really been taking the music videos into account but I will make one comment on it that ties into my thoughts: I am not someone who has a phobia of clowns so I will say that they were the perfect motif for the song. The lyrics tell a sad story of losing someone, while the music is infectious and very danceable, all together it just makes for a perfect blend which I absolutely loved!
#Lucas_RFS: Calvin Harris & Alesso - Under Control
Ahh, pre- Funkwave Bounces Calvin Harris. I remember 2014 Calvin Harris, and this sounds a lot like everything else I heard from him back in the day if I’m being honest. The groove is nice though, even if I would classify this song as inessential. I didn’t really care that much about his music back in the day, it just wasn’t for me. He’s made SO much better in the years since.
#Turkeylover: Kilo Kish - American Gurl
I listened to this a couple times and I’ve gotta be honest, I just don’t think I get this one. The beat is kinda stilted and her vocals are pretty far back in the mix, which I’m learning I’m just not a fan of that production choice more and more as I listen to more of these songs lmao. This definitely isn’t the worst I’ve heard, but I don’t see myself returning to this, sorry!
#Systrix: Sun Rai - San Francisco Street
This was a nice little song! I like the vibe here, this very much lives up to its title as I think this would be an excellent song to drive to. This is very relaxing, I could listen to that instrumental on loop for a while and be pretty satisfied. I think the lyrics are a bit repetitive, but I also don’t see them as the main appeal of this song anyway so that’s not too much of a detractor. All in all, pretty good stuff here!
#MrRobzilla: Mariah Carey ft. Ne-Yo - Angels Cry
Mariah and Ne-Yo together is a pretty safe bet here honestly! Both of them are pretty great artists, they both have excellent voices. After a while I kinda got lost in their voices and didn’t really pay attention to what they were saying, although upon looking it up I do like it. The melody is very spare which puts the main focus on their vocal performances, which I’d say was a great choice for these two! Nothing bad to say about this one, just another classic performance from two artists who I already know are great vocalists!
#Vixens: Allie X - Downtown
So I have dabbled in Allie X a bit and I like what I’ve heard from her in the past! This one though, I’m conflicted. Most of the time I don’t enjoy sex jams, but I’d say this one is… just alright. That one note in the background that plays on repeat during the verses adds so much more than I initially thought, it’s lowkey sinister and I love that. Her voice is great as per usual, and the music behind her is alright.
Alright! That was a lot of music to listen to and critique, but I have my scores in now! The top 3, in alphabetical order by username, are: #Austino15fffan #Booyahhayoob #Txashaun
And claiming the win in the first round of the season is...
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. Austino15fffan!
I was NOT prepared for something like this, you caught me off guard in the best way. I love it, congrats!
