#her lyrics and her sound has been stuck and the whole album feels like listening to the same song over and over again

[blues-valentine]

Don’t get me wrong because I genuinely think Taylor Swift is a talented lyricist but she really has not artistic growth… She has written the same exact songs four hundred times but now she just puts a random words generator. Like, some of those lyrics sound AI generated. And she’s 34 years old but her albums still speak on the same things. There’s zero evolution. Some of those lyrics feel targeted to a 19 years old that is in her “indie aesthetically bad boys that get high and I think I can fix phase” which is basically the same as her old material but way more cringey for some reason. And I’m not trying to compare but Beyoncé at that age was making Lemonade. It’s hard to think this is the biggest pop star the world has to offer us. This is white mediocrity. The songs are fun to edit over fictional characters but when you put into perspective her whole work is so lackluster. So utterly boring and predictable. Maybe she needs to take a break (?). And somehow, people and white music critics will pretend this album is comparable to the likes of Cowboy Carter.

[weaselle]

let's talk racist algorithms

i have a weird relationship with music for reasons i won't get into, but as an example, despite loving music, i have not been able to make myself listen to music on purpose in about 6 months. Music is weird for me. BUT I DO LOVE IT

I'm a poet, if i'm really feeling myself i'd even say i'm a word-smith, so rap has a really special place in my heart

The first rap artists i heard and bought an album from them on tape cassette and would listen to all the time were Snoop Dogg, McHammer, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (that's Will Smith for you young ones) De La Soul, and Vanilla Ice

This was 7th and 8th grade. Rap was the new rock, the kids were going wild for it, and because my school let students select the lunchtime PA music, Vanilla Ice was played at lunch almost every day at school.

We had zero black students at that school.

(I still remember the exact day Vanilla Ice stopped being popular at school, but that's about the severe homophobia of the time and a different story)

Now let's come back to today. When I listen to music it's often on Youtube, or Pandora. And i noticed a problem with these platforms pretty early on.

See, I had taken a big break from rap. Like i said, i have a weird relationship to music i don't have time to get into, but i didn't pay much attention to what was happening in rap for a long time. I'd had a friend who was excited to get me to geek out over Eminem with her a few times, and i went through a phase where i was in love with Digable Planets (high key recommend if you like an indie feel with a smooth jazz sound and east coast vibes)... I had a secret love for that one verse by Left Eye in Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls, could sing every word of Shoop, and i adored every Missy Elliot song that i heard on the radio. And that was about it. As a lyricist myself, the one that stuck in my head the most from this time was eminem, because lyricism is his whole thing.

I don't go to concerts. I don't buy albums. I tend to like specific songs more than specific artists. I know, i know, but that's not the point. When i can listen to music without it fucking me up mentally, I listen to music on Youtube and Pandora

And lyricism is my main attraction to rap, so when i came back to it on Youtube I put in Eminem first.

And right away, Youtube started recommending other rappers to me. And very quickly, i discovered that i was being recommended mostly white rappers.

I really like Hopsin, I went through a Dumbfounddead phase, i was into Dax for a minute, i like Domo Wilson, the J. Cole songs i like I REALLY like, I'm obsessed with Snow tha Product, I love the first Janelle Monae album i heard, i still fangirl over Missy Elliot, it's no surprise i like Joyner Lucas...

All of these i discovered and listened to via Youtube.

But because i like eminem, because I had a phase where i enjoyed a couple indie artists like Watsky, Wax, and Dan Bull, and because my depressed ass was drawn to NF and now a little Ren, when Youtube recommends rap artists to me, 90% of the algorithm recommendations are white artists. White men, specifically.

I had a similar problem with Pandora.

I actually had to create a special Pandora station that i seeded with three black artists and then ONLY liked non-white artists AND disliked every white artists that came up, just to get a station that wouldn't turn itself into a white rap channel.

It makes me furious, because i don' want to care about who is a white artist and who is a black artist!!!! I just want to listen to music that i like!!! But these bullshit music platforms make me have to care a lot about who is white and who is black just to not be pushed into racist music tastes and i fucking hate it.

And, if i'm being super honest, one reason i really hate it is because i know i probably really do have some internal racist tendencies when it comes to music, because i was raised white in america, and i really resent having to fight these fucking algorithms instead of, idk, being helped by them. I need to be able to look at my feed and assess it for my own unacknowledged racism... like, if there was no algorithm, and i looked at my music history and saw all white artists, i could be like, OH. I need to look in the mirror about this. But instead i have to play this weird tug-a-war with the platform about it and i can't tell what's my own deficiency and what is being forced on me. But SOME of it is being forced on me.

I mean for fucks sake, Snow tha Product does half her lyrics in spanish and the algorithm sees me love her and STILL recommends mostly white men. Hundreds of hours of listening to her, and zero spanish artist recommendations. Its infuriating.

Anyway, if you're curating your music tastes mostly online, and you start with white artists at all, then you really really gotta work to not fall deep into the bias.

And if that's what's happening with the music, how much more insidious must the social commentary content bias be

[sophiesonlinediary]

Official TTPD Review

Fortnight - Such a vibe with headphones on, but still far from being my favorite though. I'm quite shocked this is the first single but I do really like it now at the second listen, still sad post malone didn't get his own verse i was excited for that :/

The Tortured Poets Department - The charlie puth mention really ruined verse 2 for me sadly, but the bridge ruined my life "At dinner, you take my ring off my middle finge. And put it on the one people put wedding rings on. And that's the closest I've come to my heart exploding" LIKE WTF HEART = BROKEN the title of the song is really cool but i dont know i wasnt expecting the song to sound like this.

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys - I think this may be my second least favorite from this album i dont understand why i didnt really like this song. Maybe it was the vibe of the song and sound especially the choruses which sadly didnt hit. i love how she wrote about a rocky relationship in this song. I feel like this one will definetly be a grower

Down Bad - literally one of my favorites from the whole album. Maybe it's cause the sound feels familiar to me kind off like midnights vibe. But wow that chorus is amazing truly so catchy and the lyrics like wow. i love this song so muchhhh

So Long, London - Not what I expected but still so heartbreakingly pretty. I love her voice in this song it's so pretty and the lyrics are so good oh my god. I swear the verse 3's in this album are vile. "I died on the altar waitin' for the proof" like god damn this whole song is amazing.

But Daddy I Love Him - I loved this song so fucking much. When she said "I'm having his babies" my face dropped and then she hit me with "no not really but you should see your faces" was really fun i'll probably never forget that. i believe this song is of everyone trying to decide her love life for her. And her being like fuck you guys it's my life and you have to accept it and i love her for that!

Fresh Out The Slammer - Those choruses are so good man especially the second one is so good and so me. On first listen this one isn't very memorable but still really good. Now that i've listened to it more like i love this song so much too and the bride ahhh <333

Florida !!! - Ok so maybe i'm a little biased but man this one is so fucking good. I have loved Florence and Taylor for years so like them collaborating was like everything and more. I have now listened to the song like thrice and wowwwww i love it so muchhhhh. Taylor, Florence, Fl welcomes you with open arms man. And like verse 3 was so good their song writing skills are out of this world.

Guilty As Sin? - What an interesting song, like man, idk how to feel. I love the chorus fs. I've come to interpret this song as her having thoughts of a man who possibly isn't available per say or it's just something that can never happen between the two but the want for eachother is there. "They don't know how you've haunted me so stunningly" I love this lyric btw and the chorus right after like wowwww

Who's Afraid Of Little Old Me - ME IM SCARED WTF. Her screaming that line was everything and like the second half of the song is so incredible like wow. also this line has stuck with me since last night "Then we could all just laugh until I cry" ALSO THE ASYLUM WHERE THEY RAISED ME SDJNVFI. I love how she's kind of portraying herself in this song as like the stereotypical scary neighbor in movies. At least that's how I saw it. The whole bridge is incredible and magnificent I adore this song.

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) - GIRL NO YOU CANT AND IM SO HAPPY YOU ACCEPTED THAT. Once I got past the point that this song is about ratty healy I really liked it. it's vibes are so good and the imagery is amazing.

loml - what if i said this should've been track 5. This was the only song in the album I cried to on first listen. It hit me like a bullet and I will never forgive cat lady swift for not preparing me for this song. Literally so fucking hurtful i'm screaming oh my lord. I- no im never getting over this song, sorry not sorry. And the fact "They almost had it all" but there life was cut short aka the relationship ended oh god kill me.

I Can Do It With A Broken Heart - I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. This song is heartbreaking don't let the production fool you, the lyrics want to make you rip you're hair out. And you know what i'll be dancing to this song with a broken heart. "The lights refract sequin stars off her silhouette every night. I can show you lies" it's giving mirrorball like augh i love this song so much!!! and the chorus is everything "I'm so obsessed with him, but he avoids me like the plague" SO FUCKING REAL.

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived - DRAG HIS ASS TAYLOR YEAHHHH. HELLO WTF THIS SONG IS SO GOOD AND FOR ALL OF U HATING ON IT U JUST DONT GET IT THE PASSIVE AGGRESSIVENESS IS EVERYTHINGGGG. mad woman you'd be proud asf. also my religion mentioned as a tongue in cheek to his anti religion views 👏

The Alchemy - I'm not gonna talk about this song much but like I didn't like it at all, i'm sorry. It sounds like one of those Kelce parody songs 😭

Clara Bow - Not the name-dropping herself, damn. I wanna manifest that second pre-chorus btw 🤞 i need to see the light of manhattan. I truly love this song and I can tell it's very personal to her. she's had such an unbelievable career it's always interesting when she writes about it. loved this as the album closer!

this is my ttpd review. remember im just a girl who's only listened to this album twice so please dont drag me for these opinions. gonna do the anthology later!

[popbloganddropit]

The Tortured Poets Department - Taylor Swift (Part 1)

I’ll be posting 8 songs at a time to break this lengthy album up a bit.

Initial thoughts: She’s raw and unfiltered in a way she hasn’t been before.

But Daddy I Love Him and Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me are the immediate insane stand outs

The Black Dog? 🤮 CoSoSoM? 🫨 how did it end? Drag meeee for being nosy.

1. Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)- This is a very interesting introductory track/lead single. There’s some blending of (as far as we know) truth and fiction, which i think stays throughout the album. However, there’s not a ton for me lyrically or sonically for me to connect to here. The missing rhyme scheme in the first lines is distracting. I would have liked a little more Post Malone overall and a bit more duetting. I’m sure there’s some symbolism in their voices rarely overlapping in meaningful ways, but the hints of it we get sound good, and I want MORE. 3/5

Best Line: “All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February. I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary.”

2. The Tortured Poets Department- I like the sound of this, the melodies, most of the cheeky humor (“I think things I never say, like ‘Who uses typewriters anyway?’”), but the Charlie Puth and Golden Retriever lines really ruin it for me. They totally take me out of the vibe and are distractingly out of pocket. 2/5

Best Line: I like the “I’ve seen/read” lines in the pre-chorus, but the unhinged-ness of putting something as raw and exposed as, “But you told Lucy you'd kill yourself if I ever leave. And I had said that to Jack about you, so I felt seen” in a public space really sets the tone of the album.

3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys- I love her echo-y, layered vocals. Her cadence sounds like war drums that really fits the toy soldier metaphor. I think some slight production tweaks would have really taken it over the top. The vocals sound so cool, but there’s still room for a little more than a thwacking drum machine and a hint of sparkly synth. 3/5

Best Line: I love “I’m queen of sandcastles he destroys”. Runner up goes to “‘Cause you should’ve seen him when he first ✨saw✨me”.

4. Down Bad- I love the alien abduction theme and the trippy production to match. The dichotomy of the space-y verses and daily-life drudgery of the chorus works on a metaphoric and Down bad crying at the gym? The self awareness to call it teenage petulance before just saying “fuck it”? People not getting that Miss Swift is sometimes jealous king around and doesn’t take herself seriously 100% off the time will never make sense to me. 4/5

Best Line: “Did you really beam me up, in a cloud of sparkling dust?”

5. So Long, London- once the beat comes in, we’re off to the races and you can’t quite catch your breath through this whole song, especially with the gut-punching lyrics. A beautiful arrangement from Aaron Dessner here that effortlessly carries the weight of anger and heartbreak. 5/5

Best line: “And you say I abandoned the ship, but I was going down with it, my white knuckle dying grip.”

6. But Daddy, I Love Him- I love everything about this song. It sounds like a sunny, summer day. Maybe the narrator is a little delusional, but whomst amongst us hasn’t been? The bridge telling people off a bit is a great moment for her. “I’ll tell you something about my good name, it’s mine alone to disgrace,” feels like something she’s needed to say for a while. 5/5

Best line: there’s a lot of great moments, but, “I’m having his baby. No, I’m not, but you should see your faces” is such a hilarious double-take moment upon first listen that it has to take the crown.

7. Fresh Out the Slammer- I have seen the steaming numbers and y’all are SLEEPING on this track! It’s sad, it’s wistful, it’s a little sexy, it’s everything. I love the rolling cadence of the verses and the slower, haunting choruses. The decelerating outro is perfection. 5/5

Best line: “Now, pretty baby, I'm running back home to you. Fresh out the slammer, I know who my first call will be to”.

8. Florida!!! (Ft. Florence and the Machine) - Florida has committed various atrocities on the people of the United States of America, but this is absolutely not one of them. A song of escapism, ghosts, and a banging drum chorus that earns those three exclamation points. Hurricane Florence is a beautiful addition to the track and it wouldn’t sound out of place on an album of hers either. Every line of this is an earworm that you’ll catch h yourself singing over and over again. Fuck me up, Florida (!!!), indeed. 5/5

Best Line: “Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine. Well me and my ghosts, we had a hell of a time.”

[adiosterror]

🩶, 🎚️ and 🪽

(@/scarecrowbf ^_^)

Oh geez, three at once,, bet

🩶 (Song that reminds you of your f/o)

There's SO many I could say for this, honestly, but I'll have to go with (and highly recommend) Ascending Heaven by Asyndeton!

I have no idea where I first heard this song, but it really stuck with me when I was in school and I would listen to it every day while I read the comic. It's a very comforting song, especially the chorus with the lines 'I'll take away your pain, I'll hold you in my arms' both feels like a selfship thing and also how she treats her friends and all that. She's very stubborn on making sure everyone she loves is safe, going as far as to literally retcon the entire story so they don't have to die.

🎚️ (Album cover that reminds you of your selfship and/or your f/o)

I'm sure there's a lot of really good answers out there that I could say, and I'd love to hear any other ideas, but I'd have to say I'm split between two! There's the album cover for Homestuck Vol. 10 with all the kids meeting up which is awesome (it also has casey!! i love you so much casey), but that feels like too easy of an answer.

My other option would probably be Owl City's Ocean Eyes. I didn't even know this until I googled it, but this album came out in 2009! Just a couple months after Homestuck first started,, neat! I'd choose the deluxe edition of the album cover, the big lettering and white border makes it feel a bit lighter in color compared to the original. And also, the deluxe has a banger remix of Hello, Seattle.

🪽 (Song lyric that makes you think of your f/o and/or selfship)

There are SO many of these I could scream, but I'll stick to two just to keep it simple!

The first one is from Meteor Shower by Cavetown, specifically the line 'I'd sell my own bones for sapphire stones, 'cause blue is your favorite color.'

I'm not even really sure if blue is her favorite color? I'm pretty sure it is, but there's some hot debate in the fandom about it being either blue or green. I'm on team blue because literally everything is blue except her original shirt and things based off it, which is just Slimer from Ghostbusters,, who is green,,,

But yeah, I think she'd look really pretty in sapphires, now that I think about it,,,

The other song is It Only Takes A Moment from the Hello, Dolly soundtrack!

This song stuck with me ever since I was a little kid, my favorite movie has always been Wall-E lol,, but the lyric for this song is 'Your heart knows in a moment, you will never be alone again.'

I'm not sure why I have it superglued onto June in my head, but the delivery of the line sounds so full of adoration and acceptance, it makes me feel that kinda way, you know? You can just hear the love in his voice, throughout the whole song but especially in this line.

Thank you so much for the ask!! It means the world to me, hehe,, I'm excited to see your responses too! ❤️❤️

[the-force-awakens]

Top 5 songs you associate with Poe and top 5 songs you associate with Marc 😊

Oh bless, I love me some music themed questions, thanks Chrissie! As we go into this I would like to state that I......do not control the music associations my brain makes lol.

Songs I Associate With Poe:

Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler. Yes...I am a gayass. This has been well established, but it really does fit him imo. I mean... it just does. One day maybe I'll get up the nerve to finally edit him to it. gif or otherwise.

Come and Get Your Love by Redbone (the album version). This one's entirely @leiakenobi's fault with her delightful Damerey fic, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy. The association of Poe dorkily dancing to it with Rey is forever going to be in my brain.

Kerosene Dreams by X Ambassadors. This one's @hermitmoss's doing, but it's one of my favorite songs, and it just...sounds like Poe. Specifically, it's a Poe and the Resistance song, as much as it is just a Poe song to me. I feel like it fits his relationship with the Resistance extremely well.

Children of the Sky by Imagine Dragons. Speaking of songs that just sound like Poe to me...when I first heard this song boy did I get hit with emotions, both for me and then later for Poe because...yeah. Yeah that's him alright.

About Love by Marina. I almost went with Little Black Submarines for this, but I wanted something a little lighter. I associate About Love with Poe mostly because it was one of the first songs I began associating with my canon/oc pairing for him, and some of the lyrics wound up being the title for the first ever fic I published of them. So, it just gives me soft and fuzzy feelings.

Songs I Associate With Marc:

Style by Taylor Swift. No, I do not know why. Well actually, that's a lie - I do know why. I saw a tiktok vid of him and Layla to this song, right around the time Moon Knight was first airing and....well now the association is stuck in my brain? So. Yee.

Cairo by San Fermin. I mean...yeah.

Night Crawling by Miley Cyrus and Billy Idol. Honestly, I associated this one so hard with Marc, that I ended up making a little vidlet of him to it.

Dreams by the Cranberries. There's this ambience thing on Spotify for Marc that I listened to a couple of times, and this song plays in the bg, so now it's a Marc song to me. [smacks the top of the song] this bad boy can fit so many of my blorbos in it (went from being an 11 song to a Poe song to a Marc song).

......Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) by Abba. Look... I said I don't control the brain associations, and I meant it. I legitimately have no good reason for it!!! No vids no memes, nothing. But at some point, I started associating it with him, I'm guessing because of the whole midnight thing? Marc would absolutely hate that I associate it with him, probably, which...makes it so much funnier than it already is.

Ask me my top five anything!

[buttsnorkeler69420]

HI HOWS THE ALBUM (← insane)

you know how when l(glu) was released april said this:

[image ID: a screenshot of text from a page on the song lyric website genius. it reads, "underscores said, 'Everything was too sad. I wanted to have some fun.' the text is white on a dull grey background.]

i underestimated it and i am having a TIME. um so i wrote up some thoughts i had on every song (i don't really know how to properly talk about music but i really like underscores so i am going to say things anyway haha)

(SPOILERS FOR WALLSOCKET BY UNDERSCORES BEYOND THIS POINT. content warnings for songs discussing grooming, war, suicidal ideation and transphobia.)

track 1: Cops & Robbers

i remember mentally exploding when i saw the thumbnail for this pop up on youtube. every time i hear the beginning guitar section my brain chemistry just is like... YEAHHHHHH ITS WALLSOCKET TIME!!!!!! this song just feels so so fun—the "haha gotcha" tone of it, and the speed and energy, and the part where it's like "and its full of all of your money / yEAHHH!!!"—i looped this thing so much until the other singles came out (and then i looped those. a lot.)

i love love love the bridge of this song and it gets stuck in my head all the time

track 2: Locals (Girls Like Us)

it's another underscores and gabby start banger!!!!!!! i love the songs both of these artists make and this one is no exception. immediately when the intro started i was like YEAHHH!!!! and then when the spoken "good luck" suddenly turned into that loud sample "Good Luck!" i was honestly startled enough to jump the first time i listened to it.

this is one of the songs where i don't really get the full symbolism behind everything yet (the whole horse section in the gabby part... basically gabby's entire part actually because i am not sure what the things they mention symbolize)

i really like how the repeating words mantra extends basically throughout the whole song in different ways, and the chorus is so so catchy

track 3: Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

i really enjoy the wordplay underscores uses in her lyrics a lot... like how she describes a fishing lure to play into the "taking the bait" theme in the chorus (at first i was like "huh??? what colorful piece of plastic?" and then i was like OHHHHH!!!!) and how she indirectly alludes to things ("the name of my illness/is just one letter short of my own" - S*nny is five letters and i think this song is about S*nny's queer identity so the four letter word being referenced here might be LGBT??? not sure / and the "my favorite animal is engraved on the sides of my ribs" which i currently don't know the meaning of, but the person on Genius who suggested it was a reference to the creation of Eve makes a really cool point)

the transition in this song to the Patented Louder Ending Section is just soooooo soooo pretty... it gets me every time...

shoutout to this "OH" in particular.

track 4: You Don't Even Know Who I Am

originally when this song came out (both unofficially in "The Story of S*nny", then its official release), it honestly was not my favorite, but now it gets stuck in my head a lot and i don't mind at all! the singing and effects pair really well together. I also really like the intermittent beeping sounds that occasionally show up.

edit: i was lucky enough 2 be able to go to a live show and OH MY GOD was this song SOOOO cool in it. the freaking lightbulb effect is so cool when i realized what was going on with it i screamed

originally when i first started listening to this song i really liked the last loud bit but now i'm not really sure why but it's kind of off to me now? i dont know maybe something about the notes is a little weird to my ears but i still enjoy

track 5: Johnny johnny johnny

oh my god. OHHHHHHHH MY GODDDDD. this song has been stuck in my head since my first listen and will probably stay that way for the next month or so. this song is so amazing. IMMEDIATELY i was extremely intrigued by the way it opened (i had never heard of the Johnny, Johnny hand game thing before, and upon looking it up i was like OH MAN you KNOW the song is going to be mind blowing when it has LAYERS like this).

i think my first impression with this song was that it kind of reminds me a lot of underscores's MARINA covers?? like in a really good way, since i think underscores has mentioned marina as an inspiration and it's so cool seeing how many kinds of music she can make

i also love how like... expressive underscores's voice is, even in ad-libs and effects like the repeated "whoops!" in this song... it adds so much to the atmosphere and the um. growing dread as you realize what this song is about and are more and more aware of the juxtaposition between its topic and its tone. (the "johnny's gonna be the one who finally makes me real" line gets me every time in particular.... aaaaaaa)

this song's climax near the end is also just so so cool... i love how it takes a ton of elements that showed up earlier in the song and suddenly puts them all together (the "johnny johnny johnny johnny whoops" chant suddenly appearing alongside the chorus and transforming as the two are played at the same time)

track 6: Shoot to kill, kill your darlings

HIP, HIP... HOORAY!!! ough. this song. man. MAN. i am so crazy about how well this song tells a detailed story while still being catchy and fun to listen to (same with pretty much the rest of the album too haha) because that is such an impressive feat. the repeating gun sound impacts between verses are so crunchy i love them.

the line where it's like "he doesn't like what she chooses to do with her body / but he's given over his body as well / you'd think he'd get it more than anyone else"... OUGH...

this song is originally written in a very like... mostly conversational tone, but it's just so so fitting when at the end, OMB just accepts that her friend is going to go to war anyway, and to reflect this mood change, underscores just. drops all the fancy lingo and straight up repeats "I just don't want you to die" as the instrumental deteriorates. OUGH$$$))

track 7: Horror movie soundtrack

for some reason i was not expecting the banjo? guitar? notes that played in the album trailer to actually be a part of one of the songs in the actual album itself, and when that familiar tune started up, i immediately got chills and was like "OH SO WE'RE DOING THIS NOW".

god. the "you won't get away with this" being introduced as a calmer line that is mostly said like a quiet vengeful promise to becoming a big part of the crescendo is so so cool.

track 8: Old money bitch

i think this song was definitely my favorite of the singles when it came out because i could NOT stop listening to it and thinking about it when i wasn't listening to it. it is so so catchy. i didn't know where this sound would be in the album because i didn't have the tracklist memorized and it was such a gutpunch to hear it RIGHT after Horror Movie Soundtrack; we listeners just got to peek at OMB's current state of mind--her fears of losing her friend and her bitterness towards everyone except her friends and maybe "the girls"?--and then we IMMEDIATELY see that mara is bashing her on TOP of that. bonus points if mara happens to be included in "the girls"--I think this song does imply that OMB and mara were originally on good terms before their "first big fight" at a birthday party.

track 9: Geez Louise

i was NOT expecting to hear a rock/metal song from this album and i was smiling so hard when this came on. honestly surprised that i WASN'T expecting this because she makes so many different things but omg.

during my first time listening to the album, i'd remembered there was a song with a 7 minute timestamp in the trailer, but i forgot what song it was and by the time the album was over i was still waiting for the seven minute song. this song really does not feel longer than an average song to me somehow and it still feels only like three minutes every time i come back to listen to it.

i just... MAN. this song first being loud and angry and resentful, then bitter and dismissive with the "we don't have to talk about it", then suddenly transitioning into a feeling of like... an epiphany about identity in henhouse!'s part, is so so cool. the repeating "we don't have to talk about it" suddenly becomes like... an admittance of a sudden unspoken kinship. it's so... augh...

i had never heard about henhouse! before this song and after i was done with the album i immediately went searching and was shocked to only find one song... i am so excited to see more from henhouse! in the future though

track 10: Seventyseven dog years

hold on... is that the scream sample brakence uses in hypochondriac????? (maybe it just sounds similar haha)

the "do do ee oo ee oo oh oh"s in the background fading in and out are so pleasant and the crunchy texture of the drums in this one are so nice and i really like how the song transitions very nicely in and out of busy-ish loud and quiet sections

it's a little hard to hear the vocals during the louder parts but still a very cool experience!

i don't really know what the significance of dogs in this album is yet but i am curious because they've popped up a couple times (this song, the whole "ilovemydog77" password, arg and song thing)... i wonder if it has something to do with "dog" being an anagram for "god"

track 11: Uncanny long arms

ohhhhhh my god oh my god. i already knew this song was gonna be crazy because JANE REMOVER but man. i got interrupted in my first listen during the first verse of this song but i was so bewitched by the vocals that i had the chorus stuck in my head until i kept listening. another AWESOME example of how much vocals have been growing and evolving since the past albums... all the singing in here is so good and this song is just captivating.

the echoey louder part of the chorus ("and i saw that my hands were in a different place than before"/"and i woke up and felt my hands all on the carpet") transitioning into that ADDICTIVE "i can touch my toes/without bending over") is just so so pretty.

AND THEN THAT PART WHERE IN JANE'S SECTION IT DROPS OFF FROM THOSE VOCALS INTO A CRAZY EFFECTS ZONE. when the vocals suddenly break off and stutter and you suddenly honestly feel a little scared at where the song is going and then it fades gently into strings and more echoey vocals. GAH..... this album and its ability to play with my feelings...

(currently talking about this song while taking into account the current theories on genius that it is about mara realizing she has stalked S*nny so much that now she is talking to her, she has realized that she has overstretched and done something wrong (the metaphor being "waking up with long arms"), then deciding to withdraw ("getting an arm reduction").

the inlaws callback actually blew my mind when it showed up. i guess it kinda is a bit of irony in terms of the Lore... originally the lyrics of kinko's DO fit mara because she doesn't necessarily have real struggles (but yearns for S*nny's tough upbringing and struggles), but NOW she is just realizing what she has done by inserting herself into S*nny's issues and realizing she could affect them and have a huge impact for better or worse... ough...

track 12: Good luck final girl

this song feels both really cozy and mournful,,, especially the tune of the chorus and its tone... i can't decide whether "i hope you get what you deserve/that's not how this thing works" is more bitter or hopeful, but i think that's kinda the point because the description of this song says it's about the main characters realizing how they should grow up

considering there are 3 verses for our 3 main characters... i thiiink that the middle verse is most likely S*nny's (it talks about a girl down the block offering to help her, but she rejects the offer and says she doesn't need "people like that" anymore; likely referring to mara, "the girl next door" whose interactions with her were um. yeah.)

i am not sure which in the top and bottom match with old money bitch and mara... i think the last verse is OMB mostly because of the "ive postponed my suicide indefinitely" line, and also because of the sudden tone shift of the song (no more guitar, ambient noises in the background giving the feeling of being around people but feeling alone, the repeating of a final line over and over at the very end until it fades away like in Shoot to kill, kill your darlings)

um yeah. good album. good luck. wall sock er 👍

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Top 10 songs of 2023, reviewed by yours truly

As per tradition when Spotify Wrapped comes out I write short reviews of the best songs of the year so here we go:

10. One More Time by blink-182

The biggest reveal from the world of pop punk last year was that blink-182 is back... again. First I was a little sceptical especially after hearing Edging but this song, and its video made me listen. The lyrics are about the long lost friendship between Travis, Mark and Tom, and to be completely honest I shed a couple teardrops the first few times I gave it a listen. Amazing song from an amazing record.

9. Homicide by Magnolia Park

I'm completely new to this band, I found this song randomly in an Instagram reel that caught my attention. It's super catchy, almost Linkin Park-ish vibes that is a little "Octanecore" little pop punk, but nevertheless an absolute banger.

8. Jaded by Spiritbox

Spiritbox is the new shit in the scene, everyone and their mom knows about it. But just a little less than a month ago they put out an EP consisting of 6 melodic and heavy bangers called The Fear of Fear. This song stands out from the EP because of the insanely catchy chorus, the breakdown with the clean guitar melody and just the overall feeling of the song. Courtney has always been open about her influences (even and especially the pop ones) and this song is a great example to it.

7. Lost by Linkin Park

On the 20th anniversary of Meteora, Linkin Park released a bunch of unreleased material from the recording session of the legendary album and this was the first single off of it. What more can I say about it? If you haven't heard it despite liking Linkin Park then shame of you.

6. Without A Whisper by Invent, Animate

Another surprise as I've never been a big fan of the band. Not being so into the Deftones-y spacey vibes before, this band always has been a hit or miss. Until Heavener. It's blended so seemlessly that first I didn't even notice that there's now screaming instead of singing with a bunch of reverb. I still almost never skip this song despite Heavener being released earlier this year.

5. Fake Out by Fall Out Boy

This one is probably the only song on the list that is not a single, not even the top 3 from their album So Much (for) Stardust. The boys are officially back and this song proves it, The falsetto hook in the chorus got stuck in my head after the first few listens. I'm really really glad they are back to playing instrumental music because that's what they do best.

4. Might Love Myself by Beartooth

For me this year was about healing. Healing from a past breakup, losing my previous job, and just in general the depressing reality of adulthood. After hearing the first singles from the latest Beartooth album it was obvious that Caleb, the singer for the band had been through a similar journey prior to writing this record. This song stands out for me because of the overwhelmingly positive self-loving lyrics that are a must-listen when you have been through a lot of shit. I also like the little "whoo" before the second chorus, it really makes it sound like Caleb had a lot of fun recording it.

3. Haunted by Spanish Love Songs

The most underrated band on the list by a landmile. Also probably the most depressing band I've ever listened to, which says something. The whole new record No Joy has some really interesting musical changes from the previous ones, there's less screaming, less distorted guitars, it has more of a The Killers vibe than something off tumblr's 2015 pop punk hardcore best of (looking at you The Story So Far). Haunted is a bittersweet tune about being nostalgically sad about the old days, and for an old fart that is closer to 30 than to 20 it's a comforting thing that I'm not alone with this feeling.

2. LosT by Bring Me The Horizon

What do you get when you mix 'I'm not Okay' and current era Bring Me The Horizon? That's right, this fucking banger. I think throughout the year this song was the only one that I've never skipped. The pop punk-emo feeling is in every note, the breakdown is easily my most favorite of the year, the callout for it is even. "I think i'm gonna break down". Fucking genius by the most dynamic songwriting duo of the music scene, Oli and Jordan. The powerpop elements are also fun to listen to, it just blends really well. 10/10 banger, looking forward to the EP.

Ascensionism/Take Me Back To Eden by Sleep Token

The biggest band of the year was 100% Sleep Token. My Spotify was POSSESSED by their music this year, so obviously it was a tough choice to pick a song from their latest album so I cheated a little with the longest, most progressive songs of the record. Their music feels like a religious experience for me and the best example to this is Ascensionism, the "YOU MAKE ME WISH I COULD DISAPPEAR" line hits, the rap part fits perfectly, the guitars are heavy as balls, the piano intro is the perfect introduction, it's a 12/10 song, it's that good

And honestly I have the same feelings about Take Me Back to Eden. The titular song and its callbacks to Chokehold made me feel like I'm in a chokehold myself. The epitome of great songwriting was when from the nature sounds through rapping we got to the heaviest, low tuned breakdown of the last couple years

So there you have it, my personal top 10+1 list. If you read my review this far, thank you.

[ashes--writes]

TTPD by Taylor: A Review

Talking about Taylor Swift's new album, The Tortured Poet Department. I am a big fan of Taylor's songwriting and have been for many years now. I was looking forward to seeing the lyrics of this album, as it was marketed as a literary heavy work. As as literary enthusiast, I was really excited for this album. But after listening and going through the lyrics, I can say that I am disappointed, a sentiment shared by many other listeners. Some critisism include the music production or that it doesn't align with what's expected from an artist at Taylor's stage in life. Personally I don't have enough knowledge in the music area to comment on that. Also I am not interested in Taylor's personal life drama, I don't care much about her as a person, she lives her life as I live mine. I appreciate her as an artist, seperate from her personal affairs. Her personal life does not affect the way I perceive her art. However, another common critique is that the lyrics in this album feels overly wordy and forced. It's feels like it's written by someone stuck in beginners poet trap, using too many metaphors and vocabulary to sound smart and it ends up doing the opposite. And with this critique, I wholeheartedly agree. As someone who has experienced that phase, that's exactly what I felt while going through the lyrics. It was not upto the mark. It sounded very try hard and doesn't have the natural flow where the words work together to paint a clear picture. Many songs on the album aren't that great and the album could have done without it. And also the lyrics need some editing badly. It's way too specific, too many details and it leads to some loss in the relatibility factor for me, which is one of the things people enjoy about her music. As they say, don't tell, show. I prefer Taylor's approach in Folklore and evermore, where she uses metaphors to convey the emotions effectively. For me, those were some of her best works.

Despite my disappointment, there are few tracks on the album that I do enjoy such as The Prophecy, loml, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived, I Look In People's Windows and So Long, London. Overall, while there are few good songs, the album as a whole didn't meet my expectations, especially when I have seen what Taylor is capable of.

What do you think? What was your experience like listening to the album?

[avengers-rule103]

Rating the songs from RUSH! because everyone's doing it, it looks like fun, and i'm a sheep 🤷‍♀️

OWN MY MIND: 10/10 starting off with an absolute banger!!! something i love about måneskin is that sooo many of their songs have such amazing and strong energy and feeling behind them that you just want to scream them out and this is one of those!!

GOSSIP: 7/10 I do really like this song, the chorus has been stuck in my head since i first heard it which is always a great sign, but now that we have the rest of the album it's definitely a tad lower on my list.

TIMEZONE: 10/10 okay here's the thing, i fully understand that this song is talking about his girlfriend and being back in italy with her... i get it. buuut i live in australia soo the whole "the only thing that keeps us apart is a diffeent timezone" really struck cause like... it's true... kind of lol.

BLA BLA BLA: 5/10 i'm sorryyyyy!! i get this song is supposed to be funny, i get it, i swear, buut it's just not for me. i'm gonna keep listening to it in the hopes it'll grow on me but for right now... yeah.

BABY SAID: 9/10 i love this song, i love what it's about, i love that it's so clear he's trying to get to know her better and she is just not having it because they do not want the same thing, it's really well done and a very relatable experience!

GASOLINE: 10/10 i listened to this song many many many times through live performances and the entire time i've been so curious and excited for what the studio version was gonna sound like and i was so not disappointed at all. this is another song that you just want to scream and put your entire chest into it. love it!

FEEL: 9/10 this song is sexy af to me, it makes me want to... do.... things *cough cough* blue jeans and leather look great on people, but there really are some people where that shit just looks better on the floor, ya know?

DON'T WANNA SLEEP: 10/10 because I RELATE TO THIS SO FUCKING HARD OH MY GOD. another absolute banger!

KOOL KIDS: 4/10 how many of y'all absolutely hate me right now? this song just isn't for me, like with bla bla bla i'm gonna keep listening to it in the hopes it'll grow on me but if i'm being honest... i don't think it is.

IF NOT FOR YOU: 10/10 i'm a ballad hoe my guys, and this song is beautiful. it's so fucking beautiful. if someone wrote a song like this about me i would cry and melt and just never ever be the same again.

READ YOUR DIARY: 6/10: it's fun, it's a bop, but it's not a fave, i don't have much else to say about it tbh.

MARK CHAPMAN: 7/10 i can't reeally rate this one or any of the songs in italian fairly because i don't speak a word of italian, i know it's about a celebrity and a stalker from the little "storyline" at the bottom of spotify and that's it, the instruments were fun, it was a bop, damiano sounds great even though i have no idea what he's saying. yeah.

LA FINE: 8/10 it's so much fun, i did read the translated lyrics back when it was first released and since then i've forgotten and i can't be bothered to look them up again for this but it's great, i love it.

IL DONO DELLA VITA: 7/10 this song made me feel really emotional even though again, gotta look up the translated lyrics. but of course it's great.

MAMMA MIA: 9/10 this song hits in the right spot and if i could explain to you why this one hits but bla bla bla doesn't, i would... but i don't know, so i can't. it's fun, it's partially about self expression and only trying to be yourself and having other people look down on you for it and partially about eating someone out and ya know...why not?

SUPERMODEL: 9/10 another really fun one, i think with songs like this and mamma mia, gasoline, ect, seeing it performed live (for me it was *live* through youtube, i'm sure seeing them in person would hit waayy different) just adds another level. also the lyric "she'll never love you, you just look a bit like her dad" absolutely brutal and i love it.

THE LONELIEST: 10/10 yet another one that you just want to put on full blast and scream away the feelings and the pain and everything until your chest hurts. this song is heartbreaking and beautiful and i relate to it a lot. i did also see the performance they did of this not too long after damiano's grandfather passed away, and my grandfather's passing is the reason i relate to it so seeing him just kind of breakdown in the middle... i understood and just really wanted to give him a hug.

and just a little parting note, did anyone else notice juuust how much cocaine was mentioned since what happened at eurovision? i just thought it was funny. he's really holding a grudge over that, which is understandable but still funny. 😅

[idol-trickster]

🎶✨when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool) 🎶✨

@billyholztisch

OOC: I would have loved to answer this IC, but deciding what Trickster/Ji-Woon would listen to takes tons of headcanon space in my brain, which would take too long to think about to properly reply.

But since I got two of these I'll double the song amount and give you 10, straight from my Spotify most listened to! (I promise not to make duplicate artists' spots, so I'll list the "Top Song" and mention others from them.)

Zico - Freak This has been in my top songs for 3 months (since it was released) It overthrew Any Song, which was reigning supreme last year! She's a Baby is also one I adore a lot, Balloon & Being Left always hurt my heart (Dean's vocals are fantastic), and not to mention Anti is such a strong statement song.

2. Block B - Her This song, choreography, video, and aesthetic make me happy! Very Good is my gateway song to BB, but I've listened to Her more often recently. Their sub-group stuff Bastarz's whole I'm a Mess album is super sexy, and it's a treat anytime I get to hear P.O.'s vocals!

3. Enhyphen - Drunk-Dazed Sexy, Hype, and Catchy! It was great to see the performance in person, and one of my favs right next to Fever and One in a Billion!

4. DPR Ian - No Bluberries DPR as a duo is so talented and they work hard to self-produce! Though this song mostly DPR Ian is one of my favs for the tone. Scaredy Cat comes in right next to this one, but honestly, all their songs are REALLY my style. (They have a nice Indie sound)

5. Kai - Peaches "Pretty girl you're like peaches~" It's such a lovely song and I love the soft sound. It always gets quickly stuck in my head if I listen, and Kai's concept seemed so cute. I always remember how happy he seemed to have released this song, and that he wanted a fantasy feel.

6. Wonho - Ain't about you King is conquering the English vocals, and with such a sultry and good duet, they really balance out the song. The beat reminds me of being trendy and as if it belongs in Dislyte!

7. PRETTYMUCH, CNCO - Me Necessita The boy band sound with Spanish lyrics and a reggaeton beat made this a big hit on my playlist. I love it so much! Their other song Would You Mind is so fun and has such an 80s-90s sound it makes it a fun listen!

8. Salem Ilse, TXT, Alan Walker - PS5 I'm a console gamer, so this song was relatable! The vocals are gorgeous and the beat's so catchy, I end up humming this song a lot.

9. Vaundy - Tokyo Flash This just has such a great sound. It's very indie sounding and has a great melody to lyric composition. Everything compliments so well.

10. Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better Honestly, this song always makes me sentimental and grateful. I'm putting it here because I think everyone needs to hear this at least once. No matter how hard things get, and how un-ending it feels, it's always nice to have a positive outlook; sometimes when it doesn't feel like you're reaching any goals, something as nice as spending time with someone you cherish and having a good time is what we should look forward to, to enjoy our lives. It's a reminder to not forget the love and support we receive, and look forward to good days! Maybe to be kinder and take things easier on ourselves and make our happiness an important goal. (But other than that, I really adore Lisztomania from them too)

--- PS. As a bonus song, I adore "Sixpence None The Richer - Kiss Me (Japanese Version)"; it's hit my no.2 spot on Spotify, it's so classic! (and I discovered the Japanese cover from Tokyo Vice)

[itrustmydiscoverweekly]

This week I listened to a brilliant little album called Proof of Life by Joy Oladokun

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(4.5 out of 5 stars)(despite my efforts towards tech companies, there is no half star emoji)

Yeah, I loved this album. Heard about her because she opened for Hozier at the concert I went to and she was amazing there and the rest of the album is just as good. I love her sound because it is a little different from a lot going on right now but is still really cool. It's been quite a few weeks since I have listened to an album as much as I have listened to this one.

I had a lot of trouble picking favorites here because I love so many songs so much. This album is packed full of amazing instrumentation, catchy lyrics and genuinely addicting dreamlike musical ideas (and classical strings!).

ENOUGH YAPPING, (as always, not opinion order, just album order)

"Taking Things For Granted" I am addicted to the bass in the intro starting off, it is such a cool sound. The drums fit in perfectly and are so much fun. The drum crashes are timed perfectly and fill in the space between lyrics. I love how lyrically, the chorus and the rest of the lyrics are set up in the first verse where she shares the story from her childhood. I love this perspective on life that everyone is going through the same shit and sometimes you miss and hurt people but it's also ok to feel hurt when people mess up. The chorus of this song got stuck in my head a lot this week. I love this song a lot and I am only a little biased since I heard part of it live (I was getting out of the merch line as this song was playing and I caught the end of it). This is a phenomenal song.

"Sweet Symphony (feat. Chris Stapleton)" this song is a lot more pulled back and is gorgeous. It has a jazzier sound and works amazingly. It stands out beautifully within the album. This song has such GOOD bass; Sometimes songs really overdo the bass but it works here amazingly. I love the inclusion of some classical strings within this song, what else can I say, I am a cellist in my soul. I love them both singing on their own but their coming together for the last verse is gorgeous and I love how their voices work together. Love the drums here too even if they are less forward here.

"We're All Gonna Die" in my soul I am also a TØP fan, I love a happy-sounding, existential song. I will be 100% honest that I didn't realize Noah Kahan was on the track until like Thursday but he blends into this song amazingly and you can definitely hear how he influenced this song. I love the louder sound of this song a lot. The main overdriven guitar with the classical strings is really pretty and I love where it shows up. This song is really catchy and I love it a lot and it has a special place in my heart.

Honorable mentions!! 🥳🥳🥳

I definitely have a lot of honorable mentions here

"Changes" I love this song's main guitar (maybe ukulele) picking that carries the song, it is gorgeous. The lyrics are lovely and I don't really have anything to add as a white boy from the Midwest but I ask you to give it a listen.

"Somebody Like Me" I just love the line "Can anybody say a prayer?/ Can anybody light a candle for somebody like me?" I find it beautiful and this whole song is beautiful.

"Revolution" again, I am a big fan of the lyrics here, give the song a listen. It is gorgeous.

"Somehow" I love this song a lot, It very nearly made the top 3. I love ballads for hometowns as someone who doesn't really have a hometown. This song is just so gorgeous. I ADORE the chorus and the line "life can change with the weather". This is such a hope-filled song and I love it. This song is an amazing way to end off an amazing album.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Ella Langley - Hungover

You know, I haven’t listened to a whole lot of country music this year, but that’s starting to change. The next handful of reviews are going to be on some country albums, but aside from a few random ones, I just haven’t found too much stuff to listen to that caught my attention. Even the few country albums I’ve heard haven’t stuck with me, maybe with the exception of the new Zach Bryan album, but even then, that album isn’t as good as his last album from last fall. One country album that I’ve been randomly thinking about is the new one from Ella Langley, entitled Hungover. She went a bit viral for a clip of “You Look Like You Love Me” with Riley Green, but it was a few weeks until her album finally came out.

I figured I’d finally check it out, but it’s been interesting, because this album is one that I’ve been slowly revisiting over the last few weeks. It came out a few weeks back, but I kept thinking about it and wanting to listen to it again. Something about the record keeps drawing me to it, whether it’s Langley’s voice, her lyricism, or the really catchy sound that she has. I just keep listening to it, and it’s a rather hypnotizing album. This may be one of the best country albums I’ve heard this year, but I don’t think it’s one of the best of the year as a whole. I still quite enjoy it, though, and it’s an album worth hearing if you enjoy country music in any form.

It’s interesting, because this album isn’t anything special, but that doesn’t always matter. I don’t usually care as much about albums being unique than I do about its lasting value, and whether or not the album is memorable, but this is surely memorable. There are some solid hooks here, especially on “Blame The Bar,” “You Look Like You Love Me,” “Cowboy Friends,” “Nicotine,” “Better Be Tough,” and a few others, but the biggest issue with this album is that it’s very top heavy. I like the second half just fine, especially “Monsters,” or “Girl Who Drank Wine,” or what’s technically the album closer “Closest To Heaven,” but they don’t hit the same as the first half.

That could be due to the songs’ lyrical content being a little “heavier,” and the songs not being as energetic or catchy, but to put all those songs in the second half is a bit strange, but the album loses some steam by its second half. I do like the two acoustic songs at the end, especially “Broken In,” which basically says that she likes things, as well as people, that have experience, mileage, and knowledge, versus being brand new and/or naive. The second half just doesn’t do as much for me, and that could be why I haven’t going back to this as much as I’d like, yet I still keep thinking about it and listening to it again and again.

The thing is, there are a few things that keep me coming back. For instance, her vocals are superb throughout this thing; she’s got one hell of a voice, and she lets it rip throughout this project. The lyrics are surprisingly good, too, despite not being anything special, but they work quite well for what they are. I will say that this album feels a little long, but it’s only 45 minutes. You could do without a few songs, but taking off the acoustic songs makes the album around 39 minutes, so that’s not too bad. There’s a lot to like here, and if anything, this feels like a good stepping stone to something more unique and interesting. I’m definitely going to be listening to whatever she does next, especially if it’s as good as this.

[heterosexistly]

I'm listening to the new album gonna post my thoughts

1. I like it, "I love you it's ruining my life I touch you for only a fortnight", not the best instrumental. I think it would've been better as either a post song or a solely Taylor song weirdly enough. Underwhelming Collab which hers usually aren't (this doesn't include the reputation album I didn't like those).

2. No. Too many words, none of them good to me, and the instrumental is boring.

3. H&m type song, no.

4. Not bad but it needs something more... I think if it was another artist, even a younger artist or like not mid tempo pop. Really like the outro, could be a good song for ship edits.

5. Interested in the intro then got less interested with the pulsing beat, second chorus feels better, don't like the bridge. "Pissed off I gave you all my youth for free" is a good line.

6. The title is good but this isn't doing anything for me, like almost but no. Like I can skip it and be fine.

7. Feel like this didn't sound out.

8. This is sounding good. Florence came in and I realized why I'm not into this album and I will stop listening here.

While I love all kinds of music, pop music only sticks out to me if it's something like Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, Troye Sivan, Lady Gaga and this... Is forgettable to me for a few reasons.

1. None of the songs are distinguishable. All of them feel like they're around the same tempo, there's no beat or melody that gets stuck in your head, and so then we rely on the lyrics.

2. The lyrics aren't gut wrenching or easy to grab. Pop is famous for its good hooks at the very least, and so far that wasn't the truth at all. It's not like wordy songs don't work, but it wasn't working in the favor in this case. I think Fortnight was the perfect example of a pop song that works and could be a little bit catchy in Taylor Swift style but all the other songs were basically just Fortnight over and over.

Sidenote: wordy pop/deeper meaning pop songs exist and work in a lot of cases (Pretty isnt Pretty, Stoned at the nail salon, The Louvre, tbh the whole melodrama album)

3. The same song vibes also made me think about her whole discography and how I feel like there should be a little bit of growth in something but TS follows a formula, and it's still here and now it's feeling juvenile. I know it isn't actually all "boy break my heart and he sucks" but the overall vibe ends up getting there anyway.

But when I got to Florida!!! I realized my final problem.

4. Taylor Swift is an amazing storyteller and an okay vocalist. Pop songs get phenomenally better with better vocals but that still doesn't mean you need to do anything fancy. Troye Sivan has never own me away vocally but every song is enjoyable because the lyrics, voice, and beat are all there. This album requires you to rely on lyrics and voice... And neither of them are strong here.

Florence's tone is so unique it made whatever she sang sound so good. I think when Taylor sings:

"And my friends all smell like weed or little babies And this city reeks of driving myself crazy"

It's not even a bad line but something about her singing it feels odd. It's kinda like "Snow on the Beach" which sounded like a Lana song and should've been one.

But yeah that's why I stopped listening.

Idk I know a few "The National" songs and I don't listen to Jack's band but the vibes were way better in evermore and folklore.

[rabbitechoes]

this month was a very busy month for music. a lot of big artists started dropping in time for the summer. fortunately, there was a lot of good stuff to come out of it. there won’t be any Swans or King Gizzard on this list because i’m still working through their discographies, but i heard the albums they dropped were amazing. i’ll probably get to them by the end of the year. 

like last month’s, these songs are not ranked. i have listed my favorite track of the month though. maybe i’ll figure out a better order in the future, but they are in a random order for now.

also feel free to follow me on rate your music and twitter

“Dedicated to Tar Feather “ (feat. Anjimile) - McKinley Dixon

◇ featured on Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? - McKinley Dixon ◇ genre: jazz rap

McKinley Dixon’s 2021 album For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her was one of my absolute favorites of that year. His jazz rap sound was so refined and his lyrics had so much weight to them. His new album, Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? is an improvement on his already great sound. This track in particular is one of my favorites. The lush intro leading into that nice jazz rap sound is so nice. Dixon’s writing is still sharp as ever and you just kinda hang on to every word. Great track on a fantastic album.

“Green Light” - Squid

◇ featured on O Monolith - Squid ◇ genres: experimental rock, art-punk

O Monolith was one of my most highly anticipated albums of the year. Thankfully, it lived up to the hype for me. The singles still hit hard in the context of the album, but the album track “Green Light” is one of the strongest on the project. The frenetic vocal performances and the equally wild instrumentation make for an exciting listen. The chorus is subdued which subverts your expectations in the best way possible. 

“The Hillbillies” - Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar

◇ genres: jersey drill, west coast hip hop

I’m cheating just a little bit by including this song. It released at the end of last month, but it didn’t end up on streaming services until the beginning of this month. For that reason, I will count it. Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar team up again on this track and they are just having so much fun. There really isn’t much to say about the track beyond that. It’s just a fun listen. Most of the collabs between these two have the kind of playful energy that just clicks with me. 

‧₊˚✧ BEST SONG OF THE MONTH ✧˚₊‧ “Bending Hectic” - The Smile

◇ genres: post-rock, art rock

Yeah this isn’t much of a surprise. I really enjoyed The Smile’s record from last year. It was such a refreshing and fun listen especially in the context of the Radiohead discography. A Moon Shaped Pool was an emotionally heavy album with pain lurking around each song. This side project sounds like Thom and Jonny having fun making music again. Exploring new ideas with the excellent drummer Tom Skinner. "Bending Hectic” is an 8-minute, post-rock track that has you hooked the entire time. Thom’s vocals pair so nicely with the winding instrumentation. This is probably my favorite song of the month. If this track means we’re getting another album from The Smile, I am extremely excited.

“But Not Kiss” - Faye Webster

◇ genre: indie rock

Faye Webster adds new layers to her sound on this new single. The same sensitive songwriting is present here as it is in most of her work, but it puts a dreamy twist on it. I think this shift works very well. The song sort of tricks you at the beginning into thinking this is just another ballad Webster has become known for, but it quickly subverts those expectations through a sudden burst of noise. The drums, piano, and the hazy backing guitar kick this song into another gear. Really enjoyed this track and I hope we get a whole album with ideas like this.

“You Wish” - Flyana Boss

◇ featured on Make It a Double - Flyana Boss ◇ genre: hip hop

This song blew up on TikTok this past month and it has been stuck in my head constantly for a bit now. The verse that blew up is an obvious highlight and such an earworm, but the rest of the song is just as fun. There really isn’t much else to say about it. This is a fun little track and I really hope they go on to do more exciting things in the future.

“Spirit 2.0″ - Sampha

◇ genres: alternative r&b, neo-soul

Admittedly, I’m not super familiar with Sampha’s solo work (I’ve been meaning to listen to Process for a while now). I have heard him through a bunch of features though. He always adds to any song he features on and his voice is very recognizable. This is his first single in 6 years and I was really blown away by it. “Spirit 2.0″ is a beautiful song. The first two verses have this incredible melody to them which he does so much justice to with his vocals. The choruses and the third verse pump up the energy a bit without losing the song’s mellow vibe. Just a really great track. I need to go back and listen to his first album especially if this single is teasing a follow-up.

“Rest” - Foo Fighters

◇ featured on But Here We Are - Foo Fighters ◇ genre: alternative rock

I never expected a Foo Fighters record to make me emotional, but this new album was full of heartbreaking moments. The passing of longtime drummer Taylor Hawkins weighs heavy on the band obviously, but they’ve channeled that grief into making their strongest record in years. There’s plenty of great moments, but “Rest” is one of the biggest highlights. The beginning of the song features a sweet, sincere vocal performance from Dave Grohl before bursting into a full-on noise rock track towards the middle. This is an emotional and almost triumphant closer to the album. Foo Fighters have already cemented their place in the modern rock scene, but I’m glad they’re still pushing along. I can’t lie and say I’m their biggest fan, but I think the music scene is better with them in it.

“Slide” - Feeble Little Horse

◇ featured on Girl With Fish - Feeble Little Horse ◇ genres: twee pop, noise pop

Girl With Fish was one of the most pleasant surprises of the month and quickly became one of my favorites of the year. The album is a great blend of sweet little tracks with an occasional noisy edge to them. This track encapsulates that perfectly. It opens with a gentle acoustic guitar driven verse with some electronic touches before shifting to a loud chorus. The songwriting on this track is also great. I have a feeling this album could rank pretty high on my year-end list.

“You don’t even know who I am” - underscores

◇ featured on Wallsocket - underscores (not yet released) ◇ genre: slowcore

Another great new single from underscores. “You don’t even know who I am” features a shift from the noise pop of their previous single in favor of a more slowcore direction. The instrumentation is sparse and their vocals are backed by an oddly haunting Dance Dance Revolution announcer sample. The lyrics dive into parasocial relationships which is an increasingly relevant topic. These new singles seem to be leading up to a concept album of sorts which is very interesting. 

“Mercury” - Youth Lagoon

◇ featured on Heaven Is a Junkyard - Youth Lagoon ◇ genre: indie pop

Heaven Is a Junkyard was also one of my favorite albums that dropped this month. I hadn’t heard anything from Youth Lagoon previously, but after hearing this I’ll probably dive into their catalogue soon. “Mercury” is a dreamy indie pop track with very nice layered production. The way the strings accompany the chorus is so gorgeous. Highly recommend this track and this whole album.

“Queen Jane Approximately” - Bob Dylan

◇ featured on Shadow Kingdom - Bob Dylan ◇ genre: singer-songwriter

The soundtrack from Bob Dylan’s 2021 concert film of the same name was released this month and while I haven’t listened (or watched) the entire performance, this version of “Queen Jane Approximately” has been on repeat for me. The original is one of my favorite Dylan tracks, but this version is very nice as well. This version is much gentler than the original. It feels as if Dylan is reminiscing as the song goes on, it is really beautiful. 

[analogskullerosis]

Tagged by- @cowgirliee and @delanore-roosevelt

Rules: shuffle your “on repeat” playlist from spotify or the music service of your choice and post the first 10 tracks

Note: These are all from Spotify, but I'll also be providing Youtube links for any non-Spotify users. :)

1 : El Dorado - Magdalena Bay (https://youtu.be/mA6lKJNsrqg)

I enjoy the way that singer Mica Tenenbaum switches between Spanish and English on a dime. It's like how Sarah Bonito switches between Japanese and English on Kero Kero Bonito songs. I also enjoy the late 80s atmospheric synthpop vibe this song goes for.

2 : So Hot You're Hurting My Feelings - Caroline Polachek (https://youtu.be/sn3cHUtNZKo)

I want Caroline Polachek to kick me in the head and run me over with her car.

3 : Funky Duck - Vulfpeck (https://youtu.be/dhNfddJRulQ)

"He owns a truck, but he drives a Saab" is the line that keeps me coming back. Also, Antwaun Stanley is just a killer vocalist.

4 : Mr. Pink - Level 42 (https://youtu.be/Dt1APRRddS4)

Imagine this: a fun little dance contest for couples, but they have to figure out how to dance to every second of this song.

Every Slowbro I run in Pokemon these days is named after this song.

5 : pRETTy - Lil Yachty (https://youtu.be/8w3z-7Hq9Ak)

Yachty's weird vibrato moaning at the beginning of this song will not leave my head. It makes me laugh. Fousheé's guest feature on the second verse is great.

6 : Unconditional - Magdalena Bay (https://youtu.be/hQjqyxC97gA)

My new go-to example of how to define "catchy, fun pop song." Chorus is infectious and has gotten lodged in my brain for days, bass line rules, the whole song is everything I enjoy about pop music.

7 : Romanian Drinking Song - Vulfpeck (https://youtu.be/Xg-5ie0OCo8)

Theo Katzman is the greatest kazoo playing drummer of our generation. When his kazoo follows that bass run at around 2:43 it is nothing short of spectacular. Also, Joey Dosik's sax keys apparently got stuck near the end of the recording but it still sounded good enough to keep. These dudes rule.

I've been listening to Vulfpeck's Schvitz album pretty much on repeat all year so far. The whole album rules and this one is a fun highlight.

8 : Woww - Magdalena Bay (https://youtu.be/mb-PYrATAuI)

This is the last Mag Bay song, I promise. This song always reminds me of something that seemed like it came from the Kirby SuperStar soundtrack. This mini song features classic insults such as: "Get out my face / With your stupid face." Lyrical masterminds. Mica Tenenbaum and Matt Lewin are the best pop duo working today.

9 : I Don't Want It At All - Kim Petras (https://youtu.be/JC9FA8lZRy8)

My personal issues with Petras aside (she REALLY needs to understand why people have a big problem with her choosing to defend and keep working with Dr. Luke, infamously known as the man who sexually and emotionally abused Kesha) this song rules. Like "Unconditional," this is everything I really enjoy about modern pop music. It's fun, it's catchy as hell, and Petras is fantastic performer. She's been deserving of the recent hype she's been getting (criticisms aside).

By the way, in case you were curious, yes, Dr. Luke is one of three producers on this song (though it's not under his usual name. He likes to use aliases sometimes in order to hide it... probably no big reason why). Yes, I can still enjoy this song despite knowing that. No, I don't think he should be allowed to keep producing pop hits.

10 : Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney & Wings (https://youtu.be/ZwnX0iqKDdQ?t=7)

This has been on repeat because I plan on writing about it (which you will be able to find over at @therecordconnection in the next few days. Shameless plug? I don't know what you're talking about.)

I'll at least say that this is in my Top 5 of 007 movie themes. I love how explosive and cinematic it is and the way the song randomly transforms into a reggae beat halfway through for like 40 seconds ("What does it maaaatter to ya?") is classic McCartney songwriting (even though that bit was provided by Linda McCartney). It's good stuff. Wings' two 1973 albums, Red Rose Speedway and Band on the Run, both turn 50 this year. They're worth your time. :)

Thanks for stopping by! These are always fun. I'd like to tag @memento-more-tea @themarvelousinterrobang @tahlwyn @the-mind-wanders @oleskellybones and anybody else that would like to join in! :)