BILLBOARD REVIEW: Week Of 7/18/2015

Well, 5 new songs have entered the top 10 since my last Billboard review, so it's about that time. First, a reminder of the ratings I gave to the songs I already reviewed:
9) Hey Mama by David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha & Afrojack - 4/5
7) Shut Up & Dance by Walk The Moon - 5/5
5) Trap Queen by Fetty Wap - 4/5
4) Bad Blood by Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar - 3/5
1) See You Again by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth - 5/5

Alright, on to our new arrivals.




10) Song: Fight Song
      Artist: Rachel Platten

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc

You guys ready to get mad? Well, be prepared, because *flameshield up* I really like this song. Yeah, as far as empowerment anthems go, it's pretty generic, but generic doesn't quite equal bad, and I feel like this song is a perfect example of that. Fight Song basically talks about how Platten is going to take back her life and not let anyone hold her down. An admittedly done to death concept, but Rachel just absolutely sells the song with her passionate vocal delivery and explosive yet lush backing instrumentation. I do wish the song had given a little more detail as to how people have doubted her or the methods of how exactly she would take her life back in to her own control, but for what it is, I can appreciate it and really jam out quite a bit, actually. 4/5




8) Song: Where Are Ü Now
    Artist: Skrillex & Diplo feat. Justin Bieber

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nntGTK2Fhb0

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but..... Justin Bieber, of all people, has a song under his belt that's actually......good. No, for real, this song is actually quite excellent. In fact, same goes for Skrillex & Diplo, the producers of this track, as Skrillex is awful outside of First Of The Year (Equinox) and Diplo is a mixed bag, and it really is their production that shines through on this song with its blend of trap production with EDM and Middle-Eastern elements with tons of flavor and texture backing it. That's not to say, though, that Bieber should be left out of this, though, because he, too, is also really good on this song. His vocals have a lot of vulnerability and emotion in them, and his singing of how he was there for this girl in question yet she left him in his time of need is actually really impressive. Again, I do wish there was more detail in the lyrics as to how the girl broke his heart or the specifics of what exactly Bieber did for this girl, but again, I can't complain too much. It's good for what it is. Another 4/5.




6) Song: Can't Feel My Face
    Artist: The Weeknd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqt8Z1k0oWQ

The Weeknd getting his Michael Jackson on? Hell yeah, I'm on board with this. We have The Weeknd being his awesome self on this track, a fun bass line, ominous strings that open up the song that fit surprisingly well as a transition in to the rest of the song, goofy lyrics about how he loves that he goes numb whenever he's with this girl in question, it's really energetic, it has a lot of bounciness to it, you know what? Yeah, I like this. 5/5




3) Song: Watch Me
    Artist: Silento

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjW8wmF5VWc

...........Okay, really guys? This song is not only in the top 5, but incredibly close to being #1?

I hate all of you. I.....I really do.
On a serious note, though, where I found my pick for my favorite hit song of the year so far in my last review of the top 10, I've found my pick for the worst hit song of the year so far in this one, and really, is it any wonder why? Between its incredibly messy synth work, limp percussion and finger snaps, and lacking any and all energy, who seriously finds this song any fun? On top of that, the lyrics are not only super repetitive, but also rely on referencing a deluge of dance crazes, most of which are really outdated, thus adding an extra layer of infuriating laziness to this song that, needless to say, only makes this song even less listenable. Worst of all, though, is Silento himself. This Rae Sremmurd reject has a voice that I have no idea how anyone can find even tolerable as it's so high pitched and grating that I dare anyone to not hear it and then not turn the song off after 1.5 seconds (and that's being generous). I'd give this a negative rating, but I gotta pretend like I have some semblance of integrity, so it's no surprise that this song is getting a big fat 0/5. Seriously, f**k this song.




2) Song: Cheerleader
    Artist: OMI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGflUbPQfW8

*Sigh of relief* Thank god, a good song. In fact, an amazing song. One of the best songs of the year, to be more specific. The original version of this is good, but if you ask me, I feel like the Felix Jaehn remix just works so much better. The tropical flavored EDM and horns combine for this really easy listening experience full of energy and fun, and the autotune and reverb added on to OMI's vocals really added a ton of personality to that of what already existed within him. Oh, and the lyrics are awesome, too. It's basically about how OMI has found a woman who will stand by him no matter what and really loves him for who he is, and nowhere in this song does he ever come off as undeserving of any of it. Man, this song is awesome. Yeah, it's a 5/5.

Overall, this week gets a score of a 3.9/5. Not quite as good as last time, but damn good. See you guys next time.

REVIEW: Dear Future Husband by Meghan Trainor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShlW5plD_40


Y'know, I gotta admit, I'm in the minority of people who doesn't hate Meghan Trainor. While nearly everyone was mentioning All About That Bass somewhere on their worst hit songs of 2014 lists somewhere, whether as a dishonorable mention or on the list proper, I was over here jamming out to it. I found it to be an innocent song promoting body positivity (albeit maybe not in the best way) that people looked way too much in to with fun instrumentation and good singing from Trainor herself. Same goes for Lips Are Movin, but I'm gonna save my words for that song (*wink wink*).

Now, with all that said, can I say the same thing about her third top 20 hit, Dear Future Husband? Well................nope. Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope ALL OF MY NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My God, what the hell were the people involved in this song's making thinking? Seriously, there is no way anyone with at least one functioning brain cell would even for a second think of writing something so abysmal, so horrendous, so abhorrent that it makes me feel bad for identifying as a fan of Meghan Trainor. Seriously, I will defend her a lot, but I do have my limits, and this is definitely the breaking point.

First off, I do wanna say that not everything about this song is bad. The instrumentation is still funky and upbeat with a ton of energy and flavor behind it, and Trainor's vocals are still good as always. That being said, however, all of it is absolutely demolished by what the lyrical content wound up being. Essentially what Dear Future Husband is is Meghan Trainor listing off what she would like for the man that marries her later on in life to do for her. It starts off innocent enough just asking for compliments, flowers, dates, and basic stuff like that, but as the song progresses, Meghan gets more and more demanding and pretty damn psychotic. Seriously, what kind of man do you know that would put up with having to apologize after every argument (even in situations where the wife was clearly in the wrong), not being allowed to have any dirty thoughts whatsoever, and not being allowed to see his family as often as he would like to? Furthermore, how lame is it that this is addressed to a future significant other? I mean, seriously, what is she, 11?

Overall, this song is a giant trainwreck. It had really good music and vocals, but damn if those awful lyrics didn't completely render any positive this song had going for it completely useless. I wanted to like it, I really did, but goddamn, do I absolutely despise this song. Meghan, I love you, honey, but please, for future reference, no more crap like this. I'm giving this a 0.5/5, and I'll see you guys next time.

BILLBOARD REVIEW: Week Of 6/13/15

Hello, guys, and as part of a new series here at the blog of BackstreetMarceline, I am going to review the current top 10, and anytime there's 5 new arrivals (not including returning entries), I will let everyone know the rating of the previously discussed songs while I review the new entries. With that said, let's begin.




10) Song: Nasty Freestyle
      Artist: T-Wayne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGKK8eGQQEk

Aaaaaaand we're starting off with the worst song currently in the top 10. Yaaaaay. -_____-
Yeah, there is absolutely no redeeming quality to this song whatsoever. The beat is just this dismal mess of synth and piano cords, T-Wayne's autotuned vocals are not that listenable, and there's no connection at all anywhere within the lyrics. It's just this huge word salad of rap cliches and stupid, mind numbing punchlines. If you needed further proof as to just how much Vine hits usually suck (I would say all of them do, but Turn Down For What and Hot Boy exist), then this is it. Obviously, this one's getting a big fat 0/5.



9) Song: Sugar
    Artist: Maroon 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R8_2nJtjg

Talk about a complete 180. Seriously, Maroon 5 went from Animals, one of their worst singles, to Sugar, which is easily one of their best. The thing about this song is that it's just so much damn fun. I like the funky instrumentation that has a lot of texture to it, and I'm really into Adam Levine's performance on this song (yes, even the falsetto). Even the lyrics are pretty good. All they're about is just needing some good loving every now and then. A simple concept, but it's one that I think was handled pretty well in this song. This is definitely going on the best list at the end of the year. 5/5



8) Song: Hey Mama
    Artist: David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, & Afrojack

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO59tfQ2TbA

Speaking of surprises, here's a song by David Guetta, usually thought not to make very good music (and, in some cases, lives up to that) that's actually pretty great. I do have a few technical gripes such as how monotonous the flow of the verses can get along with the fact that a line from Birthday Cake (one of the worst songs EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) was used for the chorus, but aside from that, yeah, it's really good. Guetta and Afrojack did a really good job with this beat and how energetic, wild, and chaotic it is while keeping it sounding good, Nicki's performance is great, and Bebe Rexha's vocals are amazing. While I don't really buy Minaj as a standard cooking and cleaning housewife, like, at all, it doesn't really come off that way to me. It's really more of an "I'll be faithful to you and right by your side" type of deal, which I can get behind. Overall, pretty good. 4/5



7) Song: Want To Want Me
    Artist: Jason DeRulo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rClUOdS5Zyw

Another funky song? Hell yeah. I'll be damned if this isn't DeRulo's best single to date. Everything from the instrumentation to the vocals right down to the lyrics is just so full of life and passion that it's hard to deny. Every element of this song feels very cohesive, and it all culminates in to this wonderful piece of music. I don't think I need to tell you that this is a 5/5 song for me, but I will just to inform you. Also, is it just me, or is anyone else reminded of late 80s to early 90s synthpop from this?




6) Song: Earned It
    Artist: The Weeknd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waU75jdUnYw

So.............people hate this song?
I gotta be honest, I wasn't expecting anything good to come out of the trash that is 50 Shades Of Grey, but to my amazement, we got TWO amazing songs out of it, and believe me, I'll be talking about Love Me Like You Do later this year. Earned It is just a sexy song, pure and simple. It's orchestral production, the chamberish feel that works surprisingly well, oddly enough, with the atmosphere in the song, and The Weeknd's voice is smooth and beautiful. I don't think I'll ever forgive him for being the guy who said "do you like the way I flick this tongue or nah," but as long as he continues to make songs like this, I just may be able to forget about it. 5/5




5) Song: Uptown Funk
    Artist: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPf0YbXqDm0

Everybody and their third uncles twice removed have already praised this song to high heaven, and really, can you blame them? The funky instrumentation, the sheer amount of force and energy in this song, Bruno Mars' charisma and excellent voice, everything about this song is just plain fun. Sure, it's a song where Bruno Mars brags about how awesome he is, but never once does it ever feel like he's being condescending to the listener nor does he ever come across as insulting. In fact, at the end, he actively encourages the crowd to join in with him. 5/5, no doubt.




4) Song: Shut Up & Dance
    Artist: Walk The Moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JCLY0Rlx6Q

I got this song alllllll the way back when it was free on iTunes, and let me just say, easily the best free song I picked up from there. When it comes to a song that aims to be nothing more than just a glittery, fun pop-rock jam, man does Shut Up & Dance deliver. The bouncy instrumentation with its rollicking guitar work and shiny synthesizers combine perfectly with Nicholas Petricca's vocals, and the whole thing is just a huge jam. Also, can we just take a minute to discuss how much fun that music video looks? No? Okay. Whatever, the song's still a 5/5 (wow, there are a lot of those in the top 10 this week),




3) Song: Trap Queen
    Artist: Fetty Wap

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_kF4zLNKio

Look guys, I tried. I tried to hate this song. I claimed for the longest time that I absolutely despised this song. However, no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't resist the infectious amount of silliness that this song has to offer. Sure, the lyrics are nothing special, but it really is Fetty Wap's loose delivery and the production that hold this song together. Oh my god, I can't believe how much I like this song. This is really embarrassing. 4/5




2) Song: Bad Blood
    Artist: Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo

1989, let me just say, is a phenomenal record, not to mention Taylor Swift's best record by a country (or should I say pop :P ) mile. Shake It Off, Blank Space, and Style were all amazing songs, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I was excited as heck to find out what the fourth single was. So how is Bad Blood, exactly? It's......okay. K-Dot easily steals the spotlight with amazing flow, a ton of energy, and a plethora of clever punchlines, and T-Swizzle's voice is amazing as always with a really well done chorus. The beat, however, while not terrible at all, is pretty weak and is mostly percussion. Also, Taylor pretty much just handed the song to Kendrick. She really doesn't do much aside from sing the chorus and bridge. This is definitely not as good as the album version, which is actually quite a bit better. As a whole, I do like this song, just not nearly as much as I'd like to, so I'll give this one a 3/5.




1) Song: See You Again
    Artist: Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgKAFK5djSk

Well, who knew Wiz knew how to be good at rapping about something other than weed? And actually be BETTER at it? Guys, I've found my favorite hit song of the year so far. The rapping is done with so much passion and heart that it really does tug at my heartstrings, and same with Charlie Puth's chorus (seriously, his vocals are amazing). Let's be real here, though, it really is the lyrics that drive this thing home (no pun intended). Even ignoring the fact that this is a tribute to the late Paul Walker, this song is still emotional and well written as hell heaven. The message of holding a lost loved one in your heart in hopes that you'll one day see them again is just sweet, and I defy anyone who says otherwise. At no point does the song ever just feel like a cheap cash grab. It stays 100% genuine the whole way through, and that really comes in handy, especially for these types of songs. With all that said, this song is easily a 5/5.



So yeah, as a whole, this week of the Billboard top 10 scores a 4.1/5. That's an amazing score, and all of those 5/5's definitely help. Let's hope the top 10 stays awesome. I'm Halston, and I'll see you guys next time.

REVIEW: Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

                                            www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM


Ok, I gotta confess something: Taylor Swift is one of my guilty pleasure artists. What that means is I enjoy her singles as a guilty pleasure. This includes the singles that others don't consider to be very good such as We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, 22, and I Knew You Were Trouble. She's always been someone who I liked way more than I should, and I can attribute to how much charisma, energy, and emotion is brought in to each of her songs, both from her and the production and instrumentation. I'm not even a little mad at her sellout switch from country to pop. In fact, unpopular opinion here, I think it's the best decision she could make. The instrumentation backing her might've had a country sound to it, but she always felt more like a pop singer if you ask me, and I feel like the more poppy, dubsteppy production she's been fond of lately is really doing her a lot of favors.

Now, with all that said, what do I think of her new song, Shake It Off? Well, I do like it, but not quite as much as I'd like to. It isn't that bad, though, and here's why.

First off, the production and Taylor herself are full of energy, and the song is extremely catchy. Taylor seems to be really enjoying herself on this song, and really does a good job at getting the listener pumped up.

However, there is one major thing holding this song back, and that is that Taylor is trying way too hard here. Seriously, Taylor is doing her best to make a "forget the haters" anthem, and not that she's doing a bad job or anything, but I just can't see her as that type of person to be as in your face like that, so it becomes pretty jarring.

Still, this song is definitely worth a listen. I'm giving it a 3 out of 5 for now, but I can definitely see it growing on me and think this song has a lot of potential.

EDIT: Man has this song really grown on me. Looks like I was right. Now I don't even care how hard she's trying. It's just a really fun song with a lot of goofy moments in it, and for a song about haters is actually pretty mature. It's now definitely a 4.5 out of 5.

REVIEW: Black Widow by Iggy Azalea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3u22OYqFGo



That's right, folks. Iggy Azalea has another top 20 single this year, and just like with Fancy, it's awesome. Alongside that, she brought along amazing vocalist Rita Ora to add to how good the song is. Really, this review's gonna be covered majorly with praise, so just sit back and enjoy the positivity.

To start off, this song has a really dark feel that works incredibly well with the lyrics displaying Iggy's incredible ability to show vulnerability. Speaking of the lyrics, they're able to show how mad at the guy in question she is and how heartbroken she is that the relationship didn't work out without outright demonizing him, and any song that's able to do that automatically has my respect.

Rita Ora's chorus adds to the dark feel of the song and really gives her the ability to show off her vocal abilities. It's her work on songs like this and I Will Never Let You Down that really fit her style, and she should definitely do more songs like that and less like generic crap like How We Do (Party).

As for the production, it's minimalist, but also ominous and interesting enough to keep the song from being boring, which really lends the song a lot to work with.

If I had to have a complaint about the song, it is that Iggy's flow is a bit choppy and disjointed, and that can get in the way a some points in the song. Still, it's not a major hindrance, and doesn't keep the song from being as great as it is. I give it a 4 out of 5, and am comforted in the knowledge that it's songs like this that continue to prove how awesome Iggy Azalea is.

(Also, sorry for how incredibly late this review is. I completely forgot about it last Thursday and just recently started my senior year of high school. Don't worry. There will be a new review this Thursday.)

REVIEW: This Is How We Roll by Florida Georgia Line & Luke Bryan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbxuXq_981s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KctTCSLLXKQ



Bro country, die. Just...die. You are useless, and we no longer need you.

So yeah, Florida Georgia Line, what is there really to say about them? They started off pretty decent with songs like Get Your Shine On, 'Round Here, and heck, I even like the original version of Cruise. However, over time, they just became more and more generic and lost the qualities that made them decent.

This brings us to This Is How We Roll, the song on the table today. Did I mention that bro country needs to die? Well, it does, and songs like this are a prime example. Songs like this are nothing more than homogenous and generic crap talking about the stereotypical country music topics of women, trucks, beer, etc., and pandering to the masses that only care if those topics are mentioned. It's not that good of a song. The instrumentation is clunky, the lead singer sounds like he's forcing a southern accent, Luke Bryan (an artist who I think is pretty good) barely gets any time to sing, and it all fails.

Of course, I'm sure FGL, Luke Bryan, and anyone involved with the making of this song knew that, so what do they do? They make a remix of it. Gee, didn't see that coming. This time they recruit Jason DeRulo (dammit, DeRulo, why do you keep doing this to me?). Normally, I wouldn't have a problem with this, but there's just one problem: THE SONG ALREADY HAS A GUEST ARTIST!!!!! Seriously, as much as I like Luke Bryan, wasn't he enough? Once again, just like with what happened with the remix of Cruise, unnecessary autotune, overly used synths, and EDM beats are added to make it a more poppy song. The difference between this and Cruise (Remix), however, is the core song here wasn't that good to begin with. And do I even have to mention how irrelevant DeRulo's verse is? I thought Nelly's verse on the remix of Cruise added nothing, but at least he stuck to the topic of the song. In this case, however, FGL talk about them picking up chicks because of how country they are whereas DeRulo talks about picking up chicks because of how "gangsta" he is. News flash, DeRulo: YOU'RE NOT GANGSTA!!! Even worse, he takes, like, half of Luke Bryan's verse. Bryan wasn't given that much time to sing in the original, and Jason DeRulo really had no business taking any of it. Besides, no matter how much you like or hate Luke Bryan, you have to admit that he is a much better fit for the little interlude he does than DeRulo will ever be.

Overall, I give the original a 2 out of 5 for at least being somewhat catchy, and the remix a big, fat 0 out of 5.

REVIEW: Believe Me by Lil Wayne

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFswqe0lhkI


I....don't know how to feel about this one. I mean, it's certainly....interesting, but...man, I get the feeling I really should like this song more than I do. Oddly enough, though, I don't hate it either. Yeah, we might wanna look pretty in depth in to this one.

First off, contrary to what the popular belief is, Lil Wayne and Drake both have talent and can really show their stuff when they put effort into their work. Often times, however, we get nothing but disappointing crap like Love Me and The Motto.It's a real shame, too, because I know they're so much better than that, and why they constantly decide that they want to throw their credibility out the window is beyond me.

In this instance, though, it's strange as they don't lean toward either side when it comes to the lyricism on this track. It's ok, but far too often does it switch sides from Lil Wayne and Drake bragging about their success and saying that they'll protect anybody who tries to mess with any member of their clique, and it becomes really distracting really fast.

Next up is the beat brought to us courtesy of Vinylz and Boy-1da. It's good, certainly not too boring, but it really feels like it's missing a lot of heft or weight to carry it through all the way. It's not so much weak as it is just...average.

In the end, this song is very polarizing. I can't say I really hate it at all, but I don't like it too much either. I'm giving it a 2.5 out of 5, and we'll see how Tha Carter V turns out.

REVIEW: Shell Shocked by Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, & Ty Dolla $ign

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zss1EHSuT1A


Ok, this song isn't on Billboard at all, and that fact is astonishing because not only does it need to be, but it needs to debut in the top 10. I swear, this is a song that if you don't end up enjoying the hell out of it after checking it out once you're done reading this review, then I really have to question why.

It has become a trend, lately, where crappy rappers with crappy music making skills come together to make a theme song for a crappy movie, and to everyone's surprise, the song is phenomenal. It's like when they went to make the song, they each said "Look, guys, I know we suck at making music, but this movie is most likely gonna be complete s**t, so we really need to give it all we got for this song so that it can make money." We saw it happen last year with We Own It by 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa where Wiz was at the top of his game, yet surprisingly it was 2 Chainz, one of the worst rappers in the game right now, rise above and actually end up being the better on that track, and it's happening this year with the song we're discussing today, Shell Shocked.

The instrumentation on this is bombastic, energetic, flavorful, and really feel like a shot of a blue lightning bolt moving right through you in pure awesomeness. The synths can be a bit grating at times, but because of their sheer pulsating fire and passion, I'm definitely more than willing to let that slide.

The wordplay and string of rhymes on this are clever and outright amazing. Each rapper on this raps about how they've got the back of the person in question using several puns relating to TMNT which, as many times as they're used, never get old or stale in the slightest. Kill The Noise & Madsonik (two no names who will probably fade in to obscurity after this, which is a shame because they're both awesome) handle the chorus extremely well and deliver what is now easily my new favorite catchphrase ever. "Knock knock, you about to get shell shocked." I will be quoting that for generations to come. Wiz Khalifa manages to top his performance on We Own It and deliver even more awesome lines, Juicy J spits fire and delivers some awesome wordplay and rhymes of his own (and keep in mind, this is the guy who gave us Bandz A Make Her Dance), but by far the biggest surprise for me comes from Ty Dolla $ign. He only uses half of his infamous autotuned singing (which even that isn't that bad) and really shows what he's capable of when he's not working with terrible producer DJ Mustard.

Overall, this song is just flat out awesome, and I will hear no word to the contrary. It is with that that I give this song the highest of honors, and give it a rating of a 6 out of 5. This song breaks the awesome meter, and will probably wind up on my best songs of 2014 list even if it never charts.

Wow, three positive reviews in a row. I hope I can keep this...*sees Believe Me by Lil Wayne & Drake on the charts*...well. This should be interesting. See you next time, folks.

REVIEW: Fancy by Iggy Azalea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-zpOMYRi0w



From looking at my 10 Worst Hit Songs Of 2013 List, you'd probably make the assumption that I despise brag rap. You'd actually be wrong. I despise brag rap when it's done incorrectly. In order for a brag rap to be properly executed, it has to have a beat that's strong and engaging without grating on the listener's nerves, clever wordplay, a string of good rhymes, and a lot of charisma from the artists on the song. If even one of those things is out of place, it could place the whole song in jeopardy of being terrible. Unfortunately, the brag raps from the past few years that got popular have been nothing but absolute garbage. Seriously, who can really say they genuinely enjoy songs like I'm On One by DJ Khaled, The Motto by Drake & Lil Wayne, Drank In My Cup by Kirko Bangz, Back In Time by Pitbull, or any limp song like them? This brings us to the song we'll be discussing: Fancy. How does it hold up?

Well, surprisingly well if you ask me. Why is it that I say that? Well, let's find out.

To start, there's the beat & Iggy and Charli themselves. A lot of people have compared this song to Rack City by Tyga, but that comparison's actually pretty unfair if you think about it. Both beats are incredibly simple, yes, but the beat to Fancy is more upfront with a lot of force and presence coupled with hi hats and gang vocals that really lend the song a lot to work with. The beat to Rack City, on the other hand, is dull, muddy, flat, and extremely lifeless to the point where not even the gang vocals help. Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX bring a lot of energy and flavor to Fancy whereas Tyga sounds like he's narcoleptic. Also, a lot have said that the beat isn't strong enough to hold up Charli's strong voice, but honestly I find this beat to be really flexible and able to conform to her strong voice, so it really works for me. So yeah, it's a check in those areas.

Next are the rhymes and the wordplay. Not really much to say here. They're really clever and well strung together. Iggy's been in the rap game for quite some time now and really commands the respect she deserves, and I think she really does a good job of it, so she has mine. There's one lyric, though, that everyone really takes issue with, and that's when Charli XCX says she's in the fast lane from LA to Tokyo, pointing out that the two are not connected. Well, duh, anyone with an understanding of basic geography would be able to figure that out. All she really means is that she's on her way to being well known worldwide. People are really overthinking that line.

Overall, this song is amazing. The things that Iggy and Charli list might not be fancy, but hey, what're ya gonna do? Not a great song, but definitely one that I do think is really good. I give this a 4 out of 5, and I really hope to hear more from both Iggy and Charli in the future.

REVIEW: Boom Clap by Charli XCX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOPMlIIg_38&feature=kp


I'm not a big movie person, and I haven't seen The Fault In Our Stars, but from what I've heard and seen, it looks pretty good and worth checking out. That said, the one thing I feared was that the lead single of the soundtrack to this movie would be a schmaltzy, cheesy, boring love song that wouldn't be all that good. Did that happen? Well, kind of. Here's what I mean by that, it's got cheesy elements, but it's actually very bombastic and has a good amount of energy behind it. And who's the mastermind that brought us such an amazing hit? Why, it's nothing more than Charli XCX.

Now, Charli XCX is what I like to call "Dev if she was any good." The reason I say this is because the two songs that Dev was tied to that got popular (Like A G6 by Far East Movement & Backseat by New Boyz) absolutely sucked. She was easily the best part of each song, but given how monotone and flat she was, I knew she couldn't carry a song on her own, and that was affirmed when In The Dark came out in 2011. The two songs Charli XCX has been featured on (I Love It by Icona Pop & Fancy by Iggy Azalea), on the other hand, are arguably extremely awesome. She has a lot of flavor and energy behind her voice (even if they are covered in effects and autotune) and really knows how to bring a lot to a song in order to liven it up. One question, however, still remained. Could she carry a song on her own? Well, in the case of this song, I'd say she did remarkably well.

Charli really knows how to make a song really upbeat while keeping the initial emotion in tact, and it shows here. She tones it down for the verses yet gives the chorus her all, and that really works in her favor. The lyrics are really sweet in the way that she describes this guy without being battered down with very many (if any at all) cliches, and as mentioned before, the production is lively and energetic while keeping the lovey-dovey mood in tact.

I do have one major complaint, however, and that would be that the song seems to be pretty unfinished. Seriously, the chorus is admittedly amazingly catchy, but it takes up the majority of the song. The verses are incredibly short and really don't give Charli the ability to show off how good her lyricism can really be, and I really wanted to see more than we got.

While it does knock the song down a few pegs, it's still a minor hindrance and doesn't prevent me from enjoying the song as much as I do. I give the song a 3.5 out of 5, and I really hope we hear more from Charli XCX in the future.

REVIEW: Rude by MAGIC!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIh2xe4jnpk


Why is this song in the top 10? Why is this song in the top 5? WHY IS THIS SONG SITTING AT #2?!?!?!? Seriously, if there's one song that really doesn't deserve the success it's attained, it's this one. Sure, there are some songs that it's awesome that they get the recognition they get despite not being deserving of it, but this definitely isn't one of them.

Let's start with the instrumentation. If there was ever a song that was the definition of cod reggae, this was it. The production on this is just so slow and boring, and it really doesn't mix well with the tone of the lyrics and the emotion conveyed in lead singer Nasri Atweh's vocals.

Speaking of the vocals, why are they so God awful and whiny? Seriously, do I even need to explain how much this guy sounds like a total crybaby?

Finally, there's the lyrics, and my God I thought they'd be the saving grace of the song, but nope. They just keep reminding me of how awful the song is. It starts off innocent enough with a guy ready to go ask his girlfriend's father for his blessing so they can get married. The song takes a turn for the worst, however, when after the father gives a simple "no," Nasri acts as though the girl's father just stole his wallet and blew all his money on useless junk. Okay, maybe that's exaggerating a bit, but from what we know, the father didn't make any inflammatory remarks of any sort nor did he do anything to Nasri and/or cause him complete torment when he was in the relationship with the girl. The problem here is pacing. No detail as to why Nasri thinks the father is "being so rude," and it just escalates way too quickly. Not only that, but to add insult to injury, Nasri says he's just gonna marry the girl anyway. Dude, if you were gonna marry her anyway, why did you bother asking for her father's blessing? Why are you so disrespectful of his wishes? Seriously, I don't think I've viewed someone as so much of a dick in these relationship songs.

I'll give Atweh some credit for actually being pretty charismatic in this song, which is what bumps it up to a 1 out of 5, but even still, this song's success was unwarranted and unneeded, and I won't be surprises or disappointed if they never have another hit.

REVIEW: Ain't It Fun by Paramore

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFEmTsfFL5A


You know, there's a reason the sub-genre is called called pop-rock. This very reason is why I enjoy acts such as Avril Lavigne and Paramore. Then again, the fact that I enjoy Paramore would be a pretty good assumption anyways as they appeared on my best songs of 2013 list, but still. They definitely have a pop sound to them, yes, but they can really make some rockin' tunes. This brings us to the song on the table today: Ain't It Fun.

Well, folks, this is gonna be a pretty short one so here it goes: I freakin' love this song. Hayley Williams asks Ain't It Fun and my response is hell yeah it is. The awesome instrumentation that I dare you not to jam out to when it comes on, the energy provided in Hayley Williams' vocals, and just everything went in to making this song as fun as possible, and holy crap is it amazing.

"But what about the lyrics," you may be asking. "Surely they're an aspect of the song you don't like." Well, you'd be wrong because I like the lyrics too. Oddly enough, the question asked in the title is actually asked ironically as it portrays mundane, everyday life. The reason it does this is because the verses are a call to the younger generation who think life will come so easily to them and they'll get everything they want that it's nowhere near that way and they'll actually have to work to get what they want. It also tells them not to just give up over the tiniest inconvenience. To those who call the lyrics generic, I ask you this: how is any of what I just described generic?

I guess if I were to have any complaints about the song, it would be that maybe the message in the lyrics wouldn't be received because of just how fun of a song this is. Another would probably be that Hayley's delivery can make some of the lyrics a little hard to understand at times. These are minor hindrances, though, and don't affect my view of the song in any real way.

Overall, this is a fun and energetic song with an awesome message to back it up. I give this song a 4 out of 5. Keep up the good work, Paramore.

REVIEW: Wiggle by Jason DeRulo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiP14ED28CA&feature=kp

Here's something you thought you'd never hear out of me: I don't hate Jason DeRulo. In fact, I kinda like him. In the vast majority of his songs, I found myself blown away at how much energy he brought to the table, either in the emotion of his delivery (Whatcha Say, Marry Me, etc.) or in his choice of instrumentation (The Other Side, Don't Wanna Go Home, etc.). One unfair criticism of Mr. DeRulo is that a lot of the material he provides is nothing more than stupid and asinine, and even I'll admit, he isn't a good lyricist. That said, however, contrary to what the popular belief is, stupid doesn't always equal bad. Songs like Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith, I Love It by Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX, and pretty much anything in Weird Al Yankovic's discography are incredibly stupid, but they're still great songs. Now, don't get me wrong, stupid can also be utterly butchered, and you can see examples of that in The Fox and the Harlem Shake from last year. However, I never took DeRulo seriously, and I guess that's why I never really had a huge issue with him. I didn't even mind his overuse of autotune and stunning lack of personality.

Now, with all that said, you'd think I would enjoy his latest hit song, Wiggle. To that, I respond with this: Oh boy oh boy are you wrong.

Remember what I said about Jason having a lot of energy in his songs? Well, there's not an ounce to be found here. I would've been able to forgive the idiotic lyrics ("go 'head, go ham sammich." I rest my case), but the beat is so boring and grating that I can't get past them. The barely there instrumentation pretty much forces you to focus on the lyrics. Oh, and I wasn't kidding about him being a good lyricist, because these lyrics are beyond imbecilic. If they were any good, they'd be a redeeming quality to this song. They aren't, though, so they're not. Lastly, let's not forget that awkward pause after he says "you know what to do with that big fat butt." To me, that awkward pause represents the people who helped in the making of this song thinking "Dear God, he didn't just say that, did he?" Finally, there's Snoop's verse, which can be described using the following four words: monotonous, boring, lame, disgusting.

Overall, Wiggle is an unlistenable mess with absolutely nothing saving it from being terrible. I give it a 0 out of 5, and it's really sad I have to because I know Jason DeRulo can do so much better, but that's the way the cookie crumbles I guess.

(Note: Just because I give a song a negative rating doesn't mean I will look down on or bash anyone who happens to enjoy said song I gave the aforementioned negative rating towards. Please keep that in mind if you see me give a high rating to a song you dislike.)