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deadcactuswalking · 2 years

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REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 11/06/2022 (Post Malone’s ‘Twelve Carat Toothache’)

For a 10th week in a row, Harry Styles is at #1 with “As it Was” – welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

This is actually a pretty slow week thankfully, with only Post Malone to really worry about, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be anything to cover, as there was a decent amount of movement within the chart. Of course, we start with the notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. Sure, “Levitating” by Dua Lipa exiting isn’t a surprise considering how easily it can come back, but we also have “Charmer” by N-Dubz only lasting two weeks and “Prince Andrew is a Sweaty Nonce” only lasting one, with both being expected, but the latter being a bit disappointing. In terms of long-term losses, we can say farewell to “Black Beatles” by D-Block Europe, “Everything’s Electric” by Liam Gallagher, “MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT” by Elley Duhé and finally, “Used to This” by Wilkinson and Issey Cross, which is a shame since I think it could have gotten higher than #33 but it had a long run.

What’s unique about this week is the amount of returning entries, which is kind of sizeable. Two are songs that will move in and out like “Save Your Tears” by The Weeknd at #72 and “Finesse” by Pheelz and BNXN, but we do have two unique stories, those being “Shotgun” by George Ezra at #75 thanks to residual album hype and “God Save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols boosted to #57 thanks to a jubilee-themed re-release. It’s a pretty weak Sex Pistols cut and that’s even by their standards, so I’m not thrilled it’s back but the message still lands decades later. Our notable gains – songs up at least five spots from last week – are also kind of interesting, as we have “Stay the Night” by Sigala and Talia Mar at #56, “Churchill Downs” by Jack Harlow featuring Drake at #52 thanks to the video, “House on Fire” by Mimi Webb at #44, “Don’t Forget My Love” by Diplo and Miguel at #35, “Last Last” by Burna Boy entering the top 40 at #29 (I’m really kind of baffled with this one), “Cooped Up” by Post Malone featuring Roddy Ricch getting the album boost to #18 (it should be concerning that this is Post’s highest-charting song), “Afraid to Feel” by LF SYSTEM zooming up off of the debut to #13, “Green Green Grass” by George Ezra entering the top 10 at #9 (joy) and finally... well, that’s when we get to our top five.

Our top five this week, bottom to top, consists of “SPACE MAN” by Sam Ryder surging up to #5, “About Damn Time” by Lizzo at #4, “Go” by Cat Burns and, just missing the top, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” by Kate Bush at #2, with “As it Was” of course at the top. Now, before we get to our new arrivals, I’m going to discuss some albums that didn’t make an impact on the singles chart – and you may notice a trend with most of these.

Off the Charts

EGOT the EP – CyHi

I wanted to give Kanye’s protégé turned ghostwriter a chance on this EP that CyHi, I suppose no longer “the Prynce”, put out but this just feels embarrassing. Sure, CyHi still has a recognisably raspy voice and his flow isn’t awful, but none of the hooks click and CyHi’s brand of vaguely introspective flexing and punchline bars don’t sound as interesting on here as they have on features prior, probably due to the really sub-par production where each beat is as stiff and as generic as the next. My favourite track is “Help Me God”, but that’s not saying much as I didn’t like anything here.

Get Used to It – KayCyy

Again, I really wanted to give another one of Kanye’s protégés turned ghostwriters a chance, but for an album running at nine short tracks, barely below 30 minutes, you’d think it went by at least a little bit quicker. Gesaffelstein is nowhere to be seen on production here unlike KayCyy’s last project, which leaves a lot of this feeling oddly generic, and lacking in the unique department that KayCyy was able to ride pretty effortlessly. Ironically, on more standard pop-trap production, he sounds awkward and stiff. That’s not to say any of the features really shine here either, it just feels very bog-standard, which is kind of the case for a lot of these new releases. My favourite track is “Look What I Found” with Lancey Foux.

Chronophage – Chronophage

This feels like the definition of standard indie rock. It’s well-made, sure, but to the sacrifice of character and whilst I do see some new rave energy in tracks like “Burst the Shell” or pretty compelling songwriting in the catchy “Summer to Fall”, both my favourite tracks here, the rest is pretty rote filler that isn’t dynamic enough for it to all come together. It’s fully okay, and I think someone who is more into their indie rock could enjoy it, but it’s not for me.

You Can’t Kill Me – 070 Shake

Okay, so for the final time, I wanted to give Kanye’s protégé turned ghostwriter a chance and it actually worked out because this is a great album. Sure, it’s far from perfect since there is some filler and some of both the writing and production can feel at times non-descript, but throughout the vast majority of this project, with a really unique sound in alternative R&B, where Shake feels simultaneously hollow and distant as much as she is intimate, and given the cover art shows them faceless... that may just be part of the point here, to undermine all of the poetic romances, warning that the longing closeness will eventually become a distant obsession. The strings sound unnatural and MIKE DEAN’s production is once again pretty otherworldly, with Shake’s weird way of making voice cracks and bizarre inflections work completely. It ends on a bit of a sour note which is unfortunate because the middle part of this album is legitimately excellent and one of the more nuanced, if cryptic, R&B albums I’ve listened to this year. My favourite track is “Body” with Christine and the Queens. Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

NEW ARRIVALS

#71 – “Lonely Heart” – Europa (Jax Jones and Martin Solveig) and GRACEY

Produced by Jax Jones and Martin Solveig

Whilst often charting on their own, EDM DJs Jax Jones – from London – and Martin Solveig – from Paris – also team up as part of Europa, an alias that the two producers have released just three songs under. Their previous hits “All Day and Night” and “Tequila” hit the top 25, despite being really uninteresting and not all that different from what Jax Jones is doing – sadly, Solveig’s more melodic and anthemic form of house isn’t in right now so he seems to take a backseat. Maybe this new single is destined for the same success and well, I can’t say it won’t be a hit, but I can say that GRACEY sounds faceless over an instrumental that really could have done without having any vocals on it, as I kind of like it a lot if I’m completely honest. Sure, the stuttering vocals work well with the flubbering synth bass but that doesn’t make it any less annoying in the chorus, which is a shame because the tension here builds to a point that is both effective and not anti-climactic like most slap house, because expectations aren’t risen too high. What we do get instead is a more muted piano loop, a slightly subdued yet still pumping kick, as well as a uniquely tight perc in the drum pattern that adds some needed groove. The ominous tone of the warbling synth bass in that drop feels like it was cathartic but in a bizarrely ineffective way that kind of endears it to me, especially when it brings in the casual Y2K-era guitar loop: it all sounds reminiscent and desperate, which is fitting for the content that is a typical post-breakup track. This isn’t all that compelling as a full song, but I guess it doesn’t need to be, and if anything, I’m kind of excited to hear remixes of this, as it is decent and it may as well grow on me from here. For Jax Jones, that’s pretty impressive.

#63 – “Vegas” – Doja Cat

Produced by Yeti Beats and Rogét Chahayed

Okay, so you make a movie about Elvis Presley – aptly titled ELVIS – and for the soundtrack single with Doja Cat, you sample the original 1953 song by Big Mama Thornton instead of his version? To be fair, the original is probably better and I can imagine that Doja Cat would prefer to rap over beats that sample the black woman he covered and made famous rather than the gentrified, pop-friendly version, though I’m not sure that would fit what this film is trying to say, which we’ll see when it comes out. Naturally, we have some modern re-interpretations of Elvis songs from people like Eminem, Kacey Musgraves and Swae Lee, but Doja Cat’s is the pre-soundtrack release that actually charted. What surprised me about this is how organic a mix this was for a trap beat, with the stock horns and filtered sample vocals, as well as a slightly creepy show tune piano that all get hammered by the kicks and 808s, whilst Doja rants about this guy similar to the original track. Given that “Hound Dog” is comically accusing a man to be obsessed with sex, Doja’s bars about this guy that peaked in high school and is crawling back despite not being “the man” are pretty confidently delivered... so why isn’t it clicking with me? Well, part of it might be Doja’s flow and cadence that seems to slip around the beat rather than fully lay on top of it, which would work in a context other than this, where she’s supposed to be a bit more domineering. As it is, I’m not sure she can keep up with the sample in the chorus as she coos more, and her zanier delivery in the second verse, where I’m pretty sure she outright kills the dude, just doesn’t ramp up enough energy. The odd censorship might hurt it as well, as a lot of the bite is taken out of it by the inconsistent muting, especially the flow actually starts to gain momentum. There’s definitely a lot of potential here, but with a kind of unchanging beat, it just doesn’t get there for me.

#61 – “Distraction” – Polo G

Produced by CuBeatz and Southside

Polo G took a couple months off – seemingly all he’s willing to take – and is back with a new lead single, and lyrically, it shows some promise. Polo G has always had a conscious tinge to the gang violence and paranoia, and with the addition of increased fame over the past few years, it’s gotten even more compelling, as was shown in “RAPSTAR” from last year which did grow on me. Sadly, this may have been a moment where Polo G realised the formula, as I do think a lot of ground is re-tread. That’s not to say there isn’t depth here, as the first verse talking about how he still has friends in the hood who are prone to violence but keeps them because loyalty is more important to him than a couple bodies is pretty compelling and honestly quite sad... but the second verse is more gang violence and paranoia without much depth to it all. As for the instrumental, we have your typical Polo G acoustic guitar loop accompanied by a somewhat awkward trap beat that is definitely not Southside’s best work, considering how slapped-on those 808 bass hits feel, as well as some unfitting synth flares and an overall atmosphere that fits for the content, but doesn’t allow Polo G to do much with his flow, as he just has his typical vaguely melodic cadence with frequent punch-ins, which by the end of the second verse sounds exhausted and bored, with the chorus not really having much to differ from the verses. If an AI were to be fed Polo G songs and tasked to produce an average, I think it’d sound like this, which is a shame because, once again, the potential is here.

#47 – “I Ain’t Worried” – OneRepublic

Produced by Simon Oscroft, Tyler Spry, Brent Kutzle and Ryan Tedder

I really didn’t think OneRepublic would still be trying to have hits, considering that if I were Ryan Tedder, I’d just live off of “Counting Stars” royalties for life – as he probably can – and then write a few songs for people here and there. The situation unfolded a bit more clearly when I realised two things, however: firstly, this song was made for the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack, so it’s not necessarily a lead single. Secondly, it samples “Young Folks”, a 2006 song by Swedish indie pop group Peter Bjorn and John, which I didn’t recognise initially... until I heard that iconic whistling melody that I’d hear many a time elsewhere in advertisements and soundtracks. OneRepublic did come, vaguely, from the late 2000s pop rock scene – if you can call it that – so it makes sense they’d crib from a folkish tune, even if that song is probably better than anything OneRepublic has ever done. With that said, I was curious to what they did with the sample... and it turns out that the whistle was actually re-arranged to fit with Tedder’s vocal melody that reminds me more of Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know the Better” than it does of “Young Folks”. It’s not a bad flip though, and I do think the bass and drums make for a decent groove, at least before the chorus where the multi-tracking and awkward pitch-shifting sounds messily layered over Ryan Tedder, whose falsetto isn’t awful but was not made for a high-paced, carefree song like this that doesn’t exactly pull off the fearless tone it wants to. It’s a completely fine single though, and honestly more than I expected from both a soundtrack song and a track that samples “Young Folks” – the delayed drop of the final chorus is a level of intricacy I was not expecting, even if it’s simple: I was half-expecting for the whistle melody to just be layered on a trap beat and lazily sung over. So, good job, guys, I guess? This week so far is full of missed potential... and given that our last two songs are from Post Malone, this trend doesn’t seem like it’ll be fading.

#40 – “Lemon Tree” – Post Malone

Produced by Post Malone, Louis Bell and Charlie Handsome

Twelve Carat Toothache is kind of a mess. It feels transitional or even unfinished in the terms of Post’s career, as he clearly puts not nearly enough effort into either the rap or pop cuts on here, which feel phoned in and honestly really bitter and pissy in a way that doesn’t flatter the stiff grooves drenched in insane amounts of reverb. In stark contrast, the more experimental and honest balladry typically has Post kind of hitting it out the park, with songwriting that may be on-the-nose but is at least more profound than starting off the second verse on “Insane” by repeating “second verse” four times. A mess is what I expected, and given that the theatrical and wistful “Wasting Angels” with The Kid LAROI genuinely sounds excellent, I got at least something good out of this record, which with some refinement that his label doesn’t seem all too willing to give him, it could have been a lot better (though I don’t think that would have prevented the #3 album from underperforming). I know a lot of people did not like “Lemon Tree”, but we actually have two sides of the album debuting, and this song is pretty great. Sure, the “lemon tree” metaphor is far from new or unique but the depressing sing-songy tone makes Post sound absolutely hopeless and frustrated over the wonky synths that scape around the distant chanting and honestly crappy-sounding acoustic guitars with as much faux twang as some of Post’s pronunciations here. I don’t really like how echoed the kick drum is when it comes in, but it adds some needed tension to the song to make time really feel like it’s catching up to him, so it’s not a complete whine and there’s something desperate here. It doesn’t entirely capture what songs like “Love/Hate Letter to Alcohol” do, but it’s one of the best tracks on that album, and I’m glad it’s charting, even if it absolutely will not last. Sadly, the next song from Post is on the other side of the spectrum.

#19 – “I Like You (A Happier Song)” – Post Malone and Doja Cat

Produced by Louis Bell and Jasper Harris

I don’t like to be this straight-forward but... this is ass. We get a monotone “cutesy” piano lead drenched in too much reverb to sound relaxing at all, a scratchier drum beat that feels like it’s taking wholesale from the same West Coast bounce as “Cooped Up” but sounding even stiffer, and not fitting any of the delivery. Sure, you could call the chorus from Post cute or fun, but his warbling just sounds silly on a more lighthearted song here, with an exhausted delivery that really shows how little Post cares about pop songs like this. It’s telling that he strains more when the darker bass hits at the end of the first verse hit and he’s able to warn Doja about incoming betrayal, and he sounds like he actually cares. Doja sounds even weedier and more nasal than usual, and I like the cooed harmonising in the chorus, especially with the retro-sounding synths, but the verse is dull and non-descript. Also, what is with Post and half-written, malformed bridges this album cycle? Once it gets into the wonkier, basically future bass beat in the outro, it actually sounds like it has some character with the flute... but then it ends, and Doja doesn’t even rap on that beat which sounds a lot more fitting for her tones. I hope this doesn’t stick around, even if I’m generally rooting for Post even with a worse album than his last, because I can see why this failed and I don’t think it’s largely his fault... but knowing the charts, this’ll be the song they make the hit. I guess Fleet Foxes are too beyond the UK public.

Conclusion

Fittingly for the quality of the album, Post Malone is getting both extremes here, with “Lemon Tree” as Best of the Week and “I Like You (A Happier Song)” with Doja Cat as the Worst of the Week. Maybe that says more about me than it does the music itself. As for the Honourable Mentions and Dishonourable Mentions, I can’t really say anything is either that great or even close to bad here, so take it with a grain of salt when I give “Distraction” by Polo G the Dishonourable Mention and... I can’t really believe I’m saying this, but Jax Jones, Martin Solveig and GRACEY the Honourable Mention for “Lonely Heart”. As for next week, I can’t really see much of interest disrupting the charts so for now, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!

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shehasworktodo · 4 years

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He Wants You to Know...

For the Men

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace."

-Numbers 6: 24-26

This message is for you, the one afraid to die alone, the dead man walking, staring at the sky with ungrateful eyes even though he knows where the stars came from. To the one I hope has found someone to pray with in his life of luxury, who's kicking down doors, the one that God made a "full-blown genius", who feels guilty when he goes to church even though the pastor says he's saved, who knows that it's okay to not know, whose life is in the Hand of God.

This is for you, the one who isn't looking for love, the one mistreated, the one who says they don't care, the one with dirty laundry, whose heart is lost, who calls out for help but does what he wishes. This is for the one who chose a mile over a never ending, a limited forever, swearing to God, a sinner in a church like me, who sometimes wants to die, who wished her the best even when she already had it, who looks in the mirror and doesn't see himself, who visions getting married and having kids, wishing he could feel nothing, who sold their soul, prays on a bed he's had a hundred in. To the one who was too young to feel something real, the one that misses who he was...

This is for you, the one that just wants to breathe, who God knows is here, who He, God, loves very much, who objectify, hate all they love, love the things that don't make sense, don't think about the future, who keep their distance from, who believe they waste their time, who try to fill the hole but still feel alone, who still can't find the girl, but until then...

You find pleasure in your hands around the necks of others, and make fun of the noose that hangs around yours. I want to ask you:

Who are you in this world?

It's only so big. Compared to the rest of the universe we are nothing but specks of dust. What do you gain from living so lavishly on a planet that can only offer you so much? You get fame, money, women, alcohol; a cycle that never ends. Who are you to be deemed the greatest? Who are you to work so hard only to lift up your own name? As much as I hope that you are happy, I hope that you also know happiness is temporary. As up is to down, left is to right, happy is to sad. You just want to be happy, but there is a God who wants to give you something that will never end. I want you to see true joy that can be yours if you only ask for it. This has been written just for you. Brace yourself and take your time, because it's going be long.

"And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.'"

-Genesis 2:23

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

-Proverbs 31:30

You probably already know how powerful a woman can be. There's a woman in your life that's given birth to you. That woman struggled through so much pain to bring you into the world so that you can be the person that you are today. I do not know your story, so I will not try to tell it. You know who you are and where you stand, but know that you do not own anyone. No woman is yours to use and play with like some toy. Woman comes from man, a gift from the Creator Himself. He did not gift man with woman out of such care and design for you to dismantle them as if they were nothing. Woman is a gift for man. Women are subjective, not objective.

"And the Lord God said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

-Genesis 2:18

A woman is not a bitch, not a whore or a hoe, not a slut, not a cunt, not a thot. She is a child of God, same as you. Not all women get on their knees for the same reason. I'm sure you're old enough to understand that not all women are the same. You seek out the women who can please you for a moment, make you feel good for that little bit of time, because you have such an unlimited variety. You find the ones that are willing to do anything, be wild and adventurous, somewhat dangerous. You want the bad girls because the good girls aren't as fun. You seek out different women for a change in scenery. Do you see them as people? As mothers, daughters, sisters, friends? Do they truly make you happy? The same way God created you with such carefulness, such gentleness, such patience, such genuineness, such love... that love extends far beyond just when God created you.

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

-Galatians 3:28

Don't abuse your power over women. There are those that truly love and adore you, who want to have and hold your heart, treat you as if you were more than just a man with a really good label. You complain about the women that have treated you so poorly, who turned their backs on you, disrespect you behind your shoulder... Where do you look for these women? Are they the ones that idolize you or pay you no mind? Are they the ones that make you their god? Are they the ones that you make your goddess? There is a world of hurt if you think wild and crazy is forever. Maybe you're not looking for forever, which is why you're living the dream. You're satisfied with all the women you can get your hands on and don't care about whose toes you step on. If you're going to use the Lord's name, then respect His creation. You spend so much of your time diving into the sea of women you have at your fingertips and miss out on the beautiful gifts that God has for your life. Lord bless you if you make it out well.

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." -1 Corinthians 6:19&20

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"

-Mark 8:36

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

-Matthew 16:26

"For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?"

-Luke 9:25

I feel like this has been emphasized in the Bible so many times by three different people because the Lord knows its importance. You are what matters in this world, not your fame, not your fortune. You know that all of this glory will not last forever, so you enjoy it while you can. Don't associate your happiness with your riches. I believe in my heart that within yourself you are able to find true satisfaction in life rather than the life that surrounds you.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

1 Timothy 6:10

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

-Matthew 6:24

I hear your words. Not only do I hear, but I listen. You are being heard. You do not go through these struggles alone. I cannot put myself in your shoes completely, but I share my heart with you in wondering what purpose we have in this life. I am a hypocrite. I hold grudges. I have the mind of a sinner and the body of a "saint", but I can truly say that I love you without knowing who you are. You don't owe anything to me, you don't owe anything to anyone. The Lord's love surpasses every fiber in my being, but I went out on a whim hoping that if you read this or not, you'd know that there's someone out there. There's someone out there who hears and sees what your heart is trying to express. I am just as guilty. I am no better than you or anyone I know. I sit here writing this as your love, your support, your friend and sister in Christ Jesus. I write to you as a sinner in need of a heart of gold, a servant of our God who wants you to know that He hears, He knows, He's listening. I pray that He's spoken to your heart and that you know He's right there just waiting for you to listen back.

All my love.

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