#shady reviews

[kirby-the-gorb]

[viinchester]

Funny TBOSAS Letterboxd Reviews 4

Hope you enjoy! Reblogs are appreciated. ^^

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || X || Part 5 || Part 6

[papenniesandbentoboxes]

The Reddit ND community is so irritating rn. Most of it is super negative about KEY and the stuff that isn't is downvoted and called dishonest and paid off. Yes, I received the game for free with the launch team. No, that does not mean I am not honest with my review. I am still incredibly honest about what I disliked in the game, which was a lot. However, I still liked the game. I can recommend it and like it and even talk shit about it no matter if I got it for free or not.

The Nancy Drew community has gotten so toxic lately and I just want to enjoy the new game. Let people enjoy the game without guilt tripping them, calling them dishonest, or calling them stupid. I like the new game, sue me. And I'm not dishonest for saying so. It's not a great game, it's just a good game really, but I had fun and enjoyed it. It's a step in the right direction. And I'm okay with that.

I hope we get more games in the future. If you didn't like KEY, that's okay, then don't play the next game if we get one. But don't be mean about people who did like it.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael Before Midnight: "Houdini" by Eminem

Eminem is one of the most controversial rappers of all time, and this reputation isn’t entirely undeserved. I mean, the man has an entire song that’s just six straight minutes of him acting out violently murdering his ex. Uncontroversial artists do not make songs like that. But I think people do give him a lot of shit and really try to underplay his genuine talent too, mainly because of how a lot of his work just hasn’t aged great.

You have to understand the time and place Em rose out of. The 90s was all about being nasty and politically incorrect, and the rap scene reflected that. The rise of gangster rap had guys talking about how cool the thug life was, and there were all sorts of vulgar tunes being cranked out (“Pregnant Pussy” is from the 90s, if that tells you anything). As a white boy in a cutthroat industry where black men are the kings being taken under the wing of the man who produced “Fuck tha Police,” Marshall Mathers really wasn’t gonna do anything other than assimilate into the culture of the time to survive. And it worked; he’s pretty much the only white rapper besides maybe the Beastie Boys who has kept a long and generally well-liked career. He played by the rules, made sure to acknowledge his place, kept his ego in check outside his songs, collaborated with the right people, and boom! Rap has its token white boy.

But the edgy violent white boy schtick that made Slim Shady so funny and… “endearing” back in the day is not really something people like in 2024. Since the 90s, edgy white boys like the Slim character have shot up schools, sexually assaulted women and gotten away with it, openly supported fascism, and whined about queer people and black people being in Star Wars. No one fucking likes a Slim because they’ve been ruining our world for a while now, so this character who was once a beloved aspect of Em’s career just doesn’t sit right with the people of today. Add onto the fact that he’s a middle aged man, and he can’t just be doing the same crap all these years later without looking like the cringiest man alive, a rapping Elon Musk. With all that, and the fact his upcoming album is called The Death of Slim Shady, you’d think maybe he’d drop a single to showcase how he’s evolved over his career, how his sobriety and fatherhood have changed him, and how the Slim persona is well and truly in the past.

Instead he released “Houdini.”

For better or for worse, this is a return to that classic late 90s/early 2000s Slim style, with everything that implies. Get ready for lots of references, offensive jokes, and more, cuz I’m going line by line to talk about the content of Slim Shady’s final comeback. And while I am going to analyze some of the lamer and more questionable jokes, I want to make it clear that I understand the Slim character is satirical and whatever. I'm not fucking dumb, and I've been listening to Eminem for 24 years now. Being satire is not an excuse to be unfunny.

After an ominous skit where Em’s manager Paul Rosenberg tells him he’s own his own for this album, we have an intro to kick the song off:

Guess who’s back, back again? Shady’s back, tell a friend Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? Guess who’s back? (Da-da-da, da, da, da, da, da, da) (Da-da-da, da, da, da, da)

As should be obvious to anyone with a passing knowledge of Eminem, this is a reuse of the intro of his classic “Without Me.” This is a double-edged sword; on the one hand, it is a fun little callback to his earlier career and helps once more establish that he’s bringing it like he did back then. But on the other hand, you’re reminding the audience of one of your best songs right off off the bat, so if this one doesn’t live up to that, you’re in for a world of hurt.

Now’s also a good time to mention that the song heavily samples “Abracadabra” by the Steve Miller Band. From what I’ve gathered, a lot of people find that song unbelievably corny… but that’s why I love it. And I mean, the song’s called “Houdini,” so why not sample the massive smash hit song that’s named after the famous magic words? Again, for me at least, sampling a song I already love means you’re gonna have to really kick it into high gear to make me want to listen to yours over what you’re sampling. There’s about a million songs that sample “When the Levee Breaks,” but how many of those do you think I’m putting on over Led Zeppelin, y’know?

Well, look what the stork brung (What?) Little baby devil with the forked tongue And it's stickin' out, yeah, like a sore thumb (Bleh) With a forehead that it grew horns from (Look) Still a white jerk (It's him), pullin' up in a Chrysler to the cypher With the Vics, Percs and a Bud Light shirt Lyrical technician (Yeah), an electrician (Yeah) Y'all light work (Haha) And I don't gotta play pretend, it's you I make believe (What?) And you know I'm here to stay 'cause me (Why?) If I was to ever take a leave (What?) It would be aspirin' to break a feve' (Yeah)

So far it’s been pretty solid. It’s pretty clear Em’s still got it, great flow, delivery, subtle nods to his past work, boasts about his skills, talking about how he started from the bottom… It’s nothing really groundbreaking, but it’s at least continuing the idea that Slim is back, baby! I sure hope he doesn’t derail his momentum in the next couple of lines with a stupid, cringeworthy jab at a woman who literally never did anything to him!

If I was to ask for Megan Thee (What?) Stallion if she would collab with me Would I really have a shot at a feat? (Haha) I don't know, but I'm glad to be back like

So a little context here, for those not in the know: In 2022, rapper Megan Thee Stallion accused fellow rapper Tory Lanez of shooting at her feet and saying, “Dance, bitch, dance” like he’s a comic book mobster. The case was taken to court, where Lanez was found guilty and then sentenced to up to 22 years in jail. Now, the two have shouted out each other before—Em interpolataed the hook of Megan’s song “Body” in 2021’s “Killer (Remix),” while Megan referenced “The Real Slim Shady” on her feature on Lil Nas X’s “DOLLA SIN SLIME”--but I’m not really sure the two are close to the point where it’s cool for Em to jokingly reference the time some psychopath acted like a Batman villain to her. The fact Megan’s 2024 diss track “Hiss” referenced Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed,” which was about Eminem, does make me side-eye this bar.

But hey, one corny, cringey joke is whatever. Let’s see how the rest of the song goes:

Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick) I'm 'bout to reach in my bag, bruh (Like) Abra-abracadabra (And for my last trick, poof) Just like that and I'm back, bro

So this is the chorus, and I have to say it’s incredibly lazy and boring. It’s just an Eminem-themed parody of the original chorus, and it’s not especially interesting. That being said, by token of being a chorus of a song I already like just with lyrical alterations, I don’t think it’s bad either. I just expect a little more cleverness from Eminem.

Now, back in the days of old me (When?) Right around the time I became a dope fiend (Oh) Ate some codeine as a way of coping (Mm) Taste of opiates, case of O.E. Turned me into smiley face emoji (Woo)

Here, now we’re back on track! Em is reflecting on his old self and talking about his drug-addled early career! Surely he’ll stay the course here and dig deep into his manic persona that was partly created by his addictions, and not veer off into alt-right talking points and child abuse jokes!

My shit may not be age-appropriate But I will hit an eight-year-old in the face with a participation trophy 'Cause I have zero doubts That this whole world's 'bout To turn into some girl scouts That censorship bureau's out to (Shut me down) So when I started this verse It did start off lighthearted at first (Hmm) But it feels like I'm targeted

Hoo boy, we’re whining about how “sensitive” the world is becoming and how censorship is coming to get you! Eminem is going full boomer now. But hey, maybe he has a point! You can’t sing songs where you violently murder the mother of your child and then abduct said child anymore, because of woke. You can’t rap about mass shootings right after they happen either, also because of woke. Whatever, grandpa. Let’s see if you have anything of actual substance.

Mind-bogglin' how my profit has skyrocketed Look what I pocketed Yeah, the shit is just like y'all had been light joggin', and I've been runnin' at full speed And that's why I'm ahead like my noggin', and I'm the fight y'all get in When you debate who the best, but opps, I'm white chalkin' when I step up to that mic, cock it then "Oh my God, it's him! Not again!"

Just some pre-chorus boasting topped off with a throwback to his song “As the World Turns.” It doesn’t completely erase the bad taste of his whiny boomerisms out of your mouth, but it’s at least something.

Sometimes, I wonder what the old me'd say (If what?) If he could see the way shit is today (Look at this shit, man) He'd probably say that everything is gay (Like happy) What's my name? What's my name? (Slim Shady)

Em’s had a long, troubled reputation with queerness. He came under a lot of fire for homophobia back in the day, but then his friendship with Elton John happened. There’s also his brief appearance in the Seth Rogen movie The Interview, where he plays himself as a closeted gay man. Even still, he’s often used queerness as jokes in his songs, mainly as an attempt to emasculate his opponents (something he even did to an actual queer rapper, Tyler the Creator). As a bisexual man myself, I do find it tasteless in general, but in the context of this song I thing it’s ok. Like yeah, the homophobic crackhead Slim Shady persona would call the world we live in gay. The line still feels a little weird, though; is the Slim persona actually singing this song, or is this Em reflecting on the Slim persona? It kind of muddies the water, and makes it hard to figure just how seriously we’re supposed to be taking everything here.

So how many little kids still wanna act like me? (Haha) I'm a bigger prick than cacti be (Yeah) And that's why these (What?) Words sting just like you were being attacked by bees (Bzz) In the coupe, leaning back my seat (What?) Bumpin' R. Kelly's favorite group (Uh), the black guy (Guy) pees (Pees, haha) In my Air Max 90s White Ts, walkin' parental advisory

Verse three starts off pretty good! The R. Kelly joke is extremely juvenile and crass, but that’s the sort of thing I enjoy from Slim. It may be low-hanging fruit, but that’s the fruit you wanna grab the most. Now what wacky sort of humor is Slim going to bring to this verse next? Surely he won’t make some incredibly stupid and corny joke that isn’t funny in the slightest and derails the whole song!

My transgender cat's Siamese (Why?) Identifies as black, but acts Chinese (Haha)

According to Genius, this line might actually be a reference to a Dave Chapelle bit from 2019’s Sticks & Stones. If that’s the case, I really don’t need to say much more. There’s no way to read this line in anything other than the worst possible light.

Like a motherfuckin' Hacky Sack, I treat (What?) The whole world 'cause I got it at my feet (Yeah) How can I explain to you (What?) That even myself I'm a danger to? (Yeah) I hop on tracks like a kangaroo And say a few things or two to anger you

So he does openly admit he says fucked up stuff to get a rise out of people. Going in to the song, I knew this. The guy’s a provocateur, it’s what he does, and the Slim persona has always been about being as flagrantly offensive as possible. But the thing is, even the stuff here I’m taking issue with doesn’t make me mad; I’m more disappointed than anything, really. Like he has to know that times have changed and people really aren’t all in on this sort of humor anymore, right? What is the point of bringing Slim back to a world that has evolved beyond him, even if to finally kill him off? If that’s what he wanted to do he could do it without trying to showcase the dated humor. This is the musical equivalent of watching an 80s sex comedy like Porky’s or Revenge of the Nerds. Like maybe it was funny way back when, but looking back at it through a modern lens it’s just really gross and unpleasant and full of terrible messages.

But fuck that, if I think that shit, I'ma say that shit Cancel me, what? Okay, that's it Go ahead, Paul, quit, snake-ass prick You male cross dresser (Haha), fake-ass bitch And I'll probably get shit for that (Watch) But you can all suck my dick, in fact Fuck them, fuck Dre, fuck Jimmy, fuck me, fuck you Fuck my own kids, they're brats (Fuck 'em) They can screw off (Yeah), them and you all (Uh) You too, Paul (Punk), got two balls Big as RuPaul's (Woah) What you thought you saw ain't what you saw (Nah) 'Cause you're never gon' see me Caught sleepin' and see the kidnappin' never did happen Like Sherri Papini, Harry Houdini I vanish into the thin air as I'm leavin' like

The rest of the final verse, save for another tired shot at cancel culture, is fine. I might even say it’s a bit funny; I like him taking at shot at Dre, himself, everyone he’s worked with, his own kids… That part is where it is really obvious the whole thing is tongue-in-cheek, because he is by all accounts a good and loving dad. Making fun of RuPaul and Papini are fine in my book too.

So I’ve been pretty critical of this song and rather unamused by a lot of its jokes. This must mean I hate it, right? Well… no. I can’t say I love it, but I really don’t think this is awful. Trust me, I’ve heard awful Eminem and this isn’t it. “Just Lose It” and “We Made You” are light years ahead of this song in terms of awfulness. On top of that, this is also the first single off of an album that’s all about killing Slim—I don’t really have the full context. For all I know, this could be part of an overarching concept of the album, Slim’s last ride before his inevitable death, and in that regard this is definitely a perfect modern take on the classic Slim Shady song, warts and all. We just live in a world where his kind of humor doesn’t age badly, it just ends up dead on arrival more often than not.

If nothing else, it still showcases Eminem has great flow, great wit, clever writing… and that’s what he should stick to instead of making tired, unfunny boomer jokes about cancel culture and queer people just to rile people up. Hopefully that’s what the rest of the album will be like when it drops. I doubt I’m going to review every single song on it since I’m no Todd in the Shadows and my musical knowledge is very casual, but maybe I’ll give my opinions. Until that time, though, I think I’ll just listen to “Venom” again.

[dad-friend]

ok listen. i know hbomberguy said he doesnt wanna become the type of youtube who spends their time doing drama videos or ruining ppl careers but like. if somebody doesnt start doing crazy detailed research on ryan hall, yall then i will

[cinematics06]

Okay I was listening to Eminem discography and listened to Mockingbird and holy crap I need to dedicate this entire post to this song

So as you read the title it is quite self-explanatory. Mockingbird opens with an amazing beat and beautiful piano keys and Eminem just starts singing his heart out. He starts telling a narrative of trying to raise his children in a tough financial situation with his modern day ex, Kim. Some parts that hit extra hard were when he said "I'm trying to give you the life I never had." and a segment where he narrated a time of trying to save money for his daughter, Hailie's college fund, and he was doing well until someone stole it all. He shows that despite all that comes his way, he still wants the best for his children. He's had rough experiences and doesn't want the same to happen to his children. The whole song comes as heavily emotional and can break even a heart like mine who barely ever feels like that. Anyways I'd recommend this song to anyone, it is a must hear in your life. 100/100 no question.

[minthara]

yeah i'm weak she can hang out with plush cullen and plush johnny silverhand once she arrives

[spearxwind]

love writing an email to a professor that says 'hey I cant turn in this assignment in the required file type because it crashes my computer to even attempt to' and getting as a response 'well it should let you. some of your classmates have done it'

[shezanenigma]

THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY

Eminem Album Review

💎💎💎💎💎

5 Diamond Review

By ShezAnEnigma

Eminem's newest album, "The Death of Slim Shady," is not just another collection of tracks; it's a reflection on his legacy, his inner battles, and the persona that has both defined and haunted him for decades. As always, Eminem draws from his own feelings and inner battles, creating a narrative that is both compelling and raw.

Since his debut album "The Slim Shady LP" in 1999, Eminem has been known for his sharp, often controversial lyrics and his alter ego, Slim Shady. Albums like "The Marshall Mathers LP" (2000)  and "The Eminem Show" (2002) showed us the provocative, unfiltered side of Eminem, with tracks that were intense and filled with intricate wordplay, dark humor, and brutally honest storytelling. 

Over the years, Eminem has consistently pushed boundaries and confronted personal demons, from addiction and mental health struggles to family conflicts and industry pressures. Albums like "Recovery" (2010) and "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" (2013) saw him addressing his battles  and seeking redemption, while "Kamikaze" (2018) and "Music to Be Murdered By" (2020) showcased his relentless lyrical skill and unyielding defiance against critics.

In "The Death of Slim Shady," Eminem takes us on a ride through the chaotic mind of Marshall Mathers, where Slim Shady's influence is still strong. The first two-thirds of the album hit hard with that familiar, in-your-face style. Songs like "Lucifer," (produced by Dr. Dre) "Evil," and, "Antichrist" bring back that vintage Slim Shady vibe, full of biting commentary and controversial takes. Eminem doesn't hold back, targeting everyone from Lizzo to MAGA pundit Candace Owens, with some particularly pointed jabs at Caitlyn Jenner and the late Christopher Reeve.

But the real turning point comes with "Guilty Conscience 2," a powerful sequel where Eminem faces off against his alter ego. This track feels like a climactic moment where Marshall Mathers finally confronts Slim Shady, leading to a symbolic "murder-suicide." It's a moment of catharsis, marking the end of an era for Eminem.

As the album progresses, the tone shifts dramatically from aggressive shock rap to more introspective tracks like "Temporary" and "Somebody Save Me," a poignant duet with Jelly Roll. These two songs are my favorites because they have a deeper emotional pull and feel incredibly personal. Eminem is known for writing from his heart, and you can sense how difficult these tracks must have been for him to create. In "Temporary," he includes snippets of audio featuring him and his daughter Hailie, reflecting on how she will feel when he dies. In "Somebody Save Me," Eminem opens up about his struggles with addiction and his regrets as a father and uncle. These songs are slower, more reflective, and deeply emotional, painting a vivid picture of a man who has missed out on significant moments in his life and is filled with remorse.

While "The Death of Slim Shady" has echoes of "The Eminem Show" and "Encore," it's not a throwback. The production and the wordplay is as sharp as ever, and Eminem's flow is versatile and confident. He may be 51 now, a long way from that kid who broke out in the 1990’s but this album proves he still has the same lyrical prowess.

Overall, "The Death of Slim Shady" is an album that demands to be listened to from start to finish. Eminem's ability to balance the raw, controversial edge of Slim Shady with his personal reflections on regret and redemption makes this a standout in his career. This album isn't just about saying goodbye to Slim Shady; it's about Marshall Mathers coming to terms with his past and looking forward to his future. It’s an emotional, powerful journey that leaves a lasting impact.

[popculturegenealogy]

A different type of family tree: Applying family history concepts to animation

"Modern Cartoon Family Tree 2.0" by AlexB9598w

This family tree is unlike any other tree I've seen before. I thought I'd do a fun one this week. It's not focused on a specific character or on the draw of family, the latter which I wrote about before. Instead, this shows the connection between people and their different shows. It all starts out with Donovan Cook and moves down from there. I think this tree is interesting in that it shows the connection between these shows. However it is also, you could say, limiting. I say that because it doesn't exactly focus on the interconnection between people. I know that, for instance, that Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey are married, but this chart only shows them as writers. Similarly, I know about the controversy which enveloped Twelve Forever, leading to the end of the show, and Shadi Petosky, a trans woman, becoming the executive producer of the show and having her own project on the way. Since I don't know most of these shows, I'm narrowing it down to the shows I do know and working back from there. Let's start with one of my favorite shows, Cleopatra in Space, and focusing on the executive producer of that show, Doug Langdale.

Reprinted from my Genealogy in Popular Culture WordPress blog. Originally published on August 28, 2020.

I then expanded this by looking at the companies behind each one of these productions, and it starts to look more like a bit of a tree, showing the parent companies and production companies. Keep in mind that Sony Pictures Television, as of 2002, owns both Columbia divisions, so the chart would look a little different now. Additionally, DreamWorks is now owned by Universal Pictures, a division of NBC Universal, which is, itself, owned by Comcast. So, the chart would look different today.

Now, I wanted to expand this a little more, so I originally wanted to look at all those who have been listed as being on the Cleopatra in Space crew (herein called Cleo Crew), apart from Doug Langdale. Since that was 40 people, I narrowed it down to storyboarders, which consisted of 18 people in total: Aaron Brewer,  Abigail Davies, Adam Temple, Andrew Marshel, Bob Suarez, Chris Ybarra, Derek Thompson, Eugene Huang, Gary Ye, Ingrid Kan, Kevin Slawinski, Laurianne Uy, Samantha Suyi Lee, Scooter Tidwell, Thalia Tomlinson, Topher Parnell, and Wei Li. From there, I broke it down by the overlapping shows that they had worked on. [1] I ended up narrowing it down mainly to DreamWorks shows, as you'll see in the chart below:

We learn a lot from this. For one, Chris Ybarra and Bob Suarez had worked together and/or on two of the same shows: Big Mouth and Turbo Fast. Additionally, Adam Temple and Wei Li had both worked on Carmen Sandiego, while Abigail "Abby" Davies and Laur Uy had worked on Spirit Riding Free. We also find that Bob Suarez and Laur Uy worked on the same show too. Even more fascinating is the fact that ALL of these productions were on Netflix and most, apart from Carmen Sandiego, were tied to DreamWorks. We can conclude that many of the storyboarders probably knew each other and/or had worked with one another in the past. If we combine this with the information about Doug Langdale I showed earlier, it would mean that Langdale worked on the same team as Bob Suarez and Laur Uy on The Adventures of Puss and Boots. These connections were likely part of the reason they were hired in the first place.

In sum, this is a unique family tree of sorts, which shows connections between those in the animation industry. You can see who the "parents" (like DreamWorks and Houghton Mifflin) are and who the "children" (like Bob Suarez and Laur Uy) are as well. This sort of analysis is much better than the "modern cartoon family tree" shown at the beginning of that post. That post almost treats the connections between individuals as static. I may do another one about LGBTQ animations or something else. We'll see what happens! As always, comments are welcome, as I'm deeply unsure about what I'll write about next.

© 2020-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] I also found that Aaron Brewer and Eugene Huang storyboarded Little Big Awesome, which was produced by Amazon Studios and Titmouse, Inc., and that Aaron Brewer and Bob Suarez storyboarded Niko and the Sword of Light, produced by the same groups. Additionally, Frank Squillace directed Jackie Chan Adventures, while Scooter Tidwell was a storyboarder. At the same time, Bob Suarez, Frank Squillace, and Scooter Tidwell storyboarded The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Furthermore, Abigail Davies worked on Cartoon Network's Ben 10, with Scooter Tidwell as a sequence director. Finally, Frank Squillace directed Transformers: Rescue Bots while Thalia Tomlinson worked as an animator for the same show.

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 27/07/2024 (Jimin, JADE, Eminem)

Once again, Sabrina Carpenter is at #1 - it’s the fourth non-consecutive week for “Please Please Please”. Otherwise, it’s a pretty fun, short week - possibly the first of quite a few this Summer - so welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

content warning: language, references to disability and bigotry towards wheelchair users

Rundown

As always, we start with the notable dropouts, songs exiting the top 75 - which is what I cover - after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, we bid farewell to not just all the football songs from last week bar “Dancing in the Dark”, all of which I feel like I don’t need to mention because they’re basically seasonal, but also a small selection of “Renaissance” by Eminem, “us.” by Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift and “CHIHIRO” by Billie Eilish. Where the chaos really shows up on this chart, however, is what actually stuck around.

So, occasionally, weeks happen on the UK Singles Chart where songs up above drop out or freefall thanks to their “chart ratio” changing to accelerated, which essentially crunches their real streaming numbers and can lead to the chart having a lot of movement in that week when they all coincidentally fall into this period. However, there’s not exactly an influx of new songs waiting for this to happen, and those bubbling under the top 75 haven’t gotten that much traction, so instead we have a bit of a bizarre week where new songs debut higher than they probably should and we have tons of notable gains and returns. As for the re-entries, this includes “Pick Up the Phone” by PAWSA featuring the late Nate Dogg at #74, “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay at #73, “Addicted” by Zerb, The Chainsmokers and Ink at #70, “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” by Luke Combs at #68, “places to be” by Fred again.., Anderson .Paak and CHIKA at #54 and “the boy is mine” by Ariana Grande at #53. On the other hand, there are tons of boosts for a mixed bag that includes “Alibi” by Sevdaliza, Pabllo Vittar and Yseult at #60, “I Love You, I’m Sorry” by Gracie Abrams at #58, “You & Me” by Disclosure featuring Eliza Doolittle at #57, “6 in the Morning” by Flex featuring the late Nate Dogg at #56, “Miles on It” by Kane Brown and Marshmello at #55, “Evergreen” by Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners at #52, “These Words” by Badger and Natasha Bedingfield at #51, “Pink Skies” by Zach Bryan at #43, “Set My Heart on Fire” by Majestic, The Jammin Kid and Céline Dion at #40, “Red Wine Supernova” by Chappell Roan at #39, “Birds ij the Sky” by NewEra at #35, “misses” by Dominic Fike at #34, “Move” by Adam Port, Stryv and Malachiii at #25, “Happier” by The Blessed Madonna featuring Clementine Douglas at #24, “Red Wine Supernova” and “HOT TO GO!” by Chappell Roan at #39 and #19, “Apple”and “360” by Charli xcx at #23 and #18, and finally, “Kisses” by BL3SS and CamrinWatson featuring bbyclose at #13. Phew.

The top five should look somewhat refreshed thanks to some ACR hits and some relatively newer hits rolling in. Firstly, we have Myles Smith at #5 with “Stargazing”, but a much more obviously new track is at #4, as Jimin debuts high with the track “Who”, which for those who don’t follow the charts as religiously or aren’t in the K-pop bubble are probably asking. He’s from BTS, we’ll have more on him later. At #3, which a lot of people will be very happy about, is Chappell Roan with “Good Luck, Babe!” whilst trailing behind Sabrina at #2 we get the similarly sapphic “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” by Billie Eilish. Of course, Sabrina’s still at the top, so let’s look at what ended up below to see if any of these new tracks are worth sticking around, though most of these have already planted themselves in the top 40 so it seems more than likely. As for what has yet to get there…

New Entries

#50 - “WILDFLOWER” - Billie Eilish

Produced by FINNEAS

The only debut we have for this episode that landed outside of the top 40 is actually a late entry for an album cut from Billie Eilish’s latest record, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT, which I admittedly don’t revisit very often despite really liking it on release. “WILDFLOWER” is around the middle of the album and hits especially hard after “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”. In “WILDFLOWER”, Eilish comforts a woman she had seen experience a rough breakup but eventually forms a relationship with said ex-partner, though the morality of that is up to question and Eilish feels somewhat guilty about having those feelings. That line in the first verse, “I wasn’t there but I know”, is so essential because it frames Eilish as an outsider, who only really saw one part of that relationship during that period, and is now getting to experience what she would have when she was with this person. That extended closeness and vulnerability with her friend not only strengthened her bond with Eilish but also, in a twisted way, Eilish’s relationship with the ex-partner, and I think it actually seems up to interpretation whether this song is directly addressed to her partner who broke her friend’s heart or whether it may actually change perspectives, I think you could do a great deal of analysis there, and the constant use of changing pronouns, whilst clearly necessary for a personal song, make those feelings of guilt feel multiplied and caving in on Eilish. I love the distant indie folk guitars being at a dissonance with the clean, echoing vocals Eilish is known for, and that chorus is heartbreaking. Both the first and second verse start with common post-breakup platitudes that make it appear as if Eilish is attempting to float these feelings off as meaningless, but that image of her is implanted whenever Eilish spends time with her new partner, even adding details about her clothing that make this feel incredibly real. That whispering bridge wherein she pits the love they now feel and how this partner has no intent to hurt her with the knowledge that they very much did hurt someone who is incredibly close to her at a vulnerable moment is honestly both a rough listen and read, it’s a resoundingly effective track about complex subject matter that should feel wordy and difficult to put into song but the Eilish siblings have made so loose and concise by evoking the most instinctual thoughts and feelings as the most constant, giving it a really overwhelming feel. This is the first of two absolutely fantastic songs debuting this week, and is definitely the more respectable opinion I have as, surprisingly enough, those two songs are consecutive. Oh, dear.

#38 - “Brand New Dance” - Eminem

Produced by Eminem and Luis Resto

Sigh, this won’t earn me any friends in the disabled community. Okay, so I’ve been vocal - especially recently - about my love for the silly, obnoxious and frankly confusing 2004 album from Eminem, Encore, and 20 years later, Em has released an album that not only resembles that album but features a song intended for release on it. The Death of Slim Shady, which I have discussed in-depth for the past two weeks here, uses some older vocal recordings to help it feel like Slim Shady, the one Em fans grew up with, is still rapping, and they use a lot of filtering and layering between the two voices to not just make the mix sound grainy and confused - which could be intentional or not, I have no idea - but also emphasise the album’s concept that Em and Slim are competing for room in Marshall’s head and will flash in and out of rapping in one personality or the other. “Brand New Dance” is a Slim Shady-led song that features basically no involvement from a sane Marshall, and is pre-empted by the track “Trouble”, where you hear the two struggling and insulting each other for 40 seconds, as Slim forces Em to down some pills and start making fun of quadriplegics, specifically one that any Eminem fan will be very familiar with: Christopher Reeve, or “Reeves” as Shady often says for the sake of the rhyme. Throughout his wilder moments, Reeve, an actor who played Superman before moving to activism as the result of being involved in an equestrian accident that leaves him in a wheelchair, is mentioned by Eminem, and this is especially true for Encore, including my favourite ever track from him, “Rain Man”, which basically has an entire verse explaining Shady’s love for Superman being torn away when he saw that he was disabled, and he feels guilty about it. Early tracklists for Encore including a song called “Christopher Reeves”, which was then taken off due to the actor’s passing that same year. 20 years later, here it is.

Under the possession of Slim Shady, a largely unaltered recording from 2004 plays, newly entitled “Brand New Dance”, which uses horse neighing and clopping in the beat and functions as a diss track to Reeve, by way of creating a dance fad that involves re-enacting the accident and pretending to be disabled, instructing his audience to “do the Christopher Reeves”. Jesus Christ. When I frame it like that, it seems awful, and given the fact that he’s been dead for nearly two decades now, it still is awful but there’s something so interesting to fixating on Reeve, much like the way he fixates on Caitlyn Jenner for the rest of the album. They’re irrelevant figures known arguably for things outside of their control rather than their careers, becoming easy targets for Slim Shady and demonstrating just how washed the guy is, and hence why he needs to die. In album context, hearing this bizarre beat that mixes the horse sounds with similarly flittery percussive sounds to those used in “My 1st Single” and obnoxious synth buzz, alongside some choral vocals, after a few tracks of semi-serious horror-themed production, does a great job at separating Shady from Em but also takes you by surprise. I know on first listen that I was basically dumbfounded to why and how this was included, and didn’t really understand fully until he literally explains half the album later on “Guilty Conscience 2” that it was recorded back in 2004, with this song and basically all of the album acting as a set-up for the useless, nonsensical and still remarkably offensive punchline that Christopher Reeve ruined the song for Em by dying so he had to take it off. That idea becomes even more egregious when Em talks more solemnly about his death and how it will affect his daughters just a few tracks later, and it may exemplify what I like most about this mixed bag of an album: it commits to the bit, not fully, but chaotically and almost improvisationally, just coming up with ways to one-up the recurring theme of Slim Shady being this shell of a man who echoes Fox News talking points.

As for the song itself, well, it’s incredibly offensive but the weird beat is hilarious and actually very catchy, and Em’s drug-addled, slurring delivery from the early 2000s is my favourite kind of vocal performance from him, making a lot of his multisyllabic rhymes end up a lot smoother to the ear as well as covering up some of the less discretely strange lines. I love how Eminem hasn’t just replaced outdated references with a new vocal take that somehow sounds even worse than 2004, but he’s re-recorded both entire lines and small fragments of bars for seemingly no reason, just to show that the “sane” Em is still in there somewhere. The back and forth between a multi-tracked cartoon voice and a frail sing-songy delivery that almost sounds like AI on the chorus is an inspired idea that places it firmly in the dance fad song canon, and in the second verse, he somehow rhymes several syllables of a line with a bunch of garbled onomatopoeia (more on that in a second). I love the “grand mal seizure” / “grandma, tease her” scheme, and the conceit of those lines is even funnier - next time you see grandma, surprise her and make her feel at home by doing the Christopher Reeves and showing up in a wheelchair. The bridge, where a new melodic vocal from Em is slotted, has been in my head for weeks, and is just the cherry on top of an unnecessarily hateful cake. He comes back, 20 years later, to record a new bridge for an already terribly offensive song, and in that bridge, he basically dedicates the song to Reeve as if this is granting his family any solace, whilst also dissing the guy for literally being deceased, like he’s somehow in control of that. “This is my Chris anthem, I’m giving Chris Reeves his chrysanthemums”. What did he ever do to you, Em?!

The new outro the song closes off with is mostly just him waking up from the Slim Shady nightmare as well as him bringing back the electrolarynx voice from Encore which I just have to be appreciate, even if he’s going to use it to sound vaguely like Stephen Hawking and speak from the perspective of Reeve which is just ridiculous levels of hating. I almost wish he took it back to when he used it not to diss Michael Jackson but complain about what surgery supposedly did to him - he doesn’t hate Michael, but he hates plastic surgeons and hopes they all fucking die. In this song, he’s only annoyed that Christopher Reeve(s) died because it hurts his own product he’s set to release, and ultimately put this out as a sarcastic “tribute” which is just sick, man. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like his family has been quoted to have been offended or anything of the sort but there’s a certain audacity to this song that simultaneously makes me shake my head in denial and also force myself to recognise that this is a throwback to my absolute favourite era of Eminem, with absolutely all the tropes I love about it. It’s one of my favourite top 40 hits of the entire year and God, I wish it wasn’t.

#30 - “Chk Chk Boom” - Stray Kids

Produced by BANG CHAN, DallasK, Chae Kang Hae and RESTART

So Stray Kids are a K-pop boy band that I reviewed once before and somehow enjoyed despite all the chaos and confusion that their previous hit, “LALALALA”, led me down, but now we have a similarly monosyllabic and this time, onomatopoeic song that grants them their first ever top 40 entry, primarily because a lot of what’s above it somewhat crumbled. I have no idea what to expect from K-pop when it comes from less commercialised and Americanised acts (the BTS guys and BLACKPINK girls come to mind), as what they often end up releasing is an amalgamation of western trends in a bilingual mess that places cringeworthy lyrics in the mouths of a wide variety of singers all bundled in the same group, and this is the case even within BTS, though they’ve been smoother with it as long as they’ve been charting in the UK. As for whether my assumptions were correct, this is utter madness encapsulated into two and a half minutes because not even K-pop, which already likes to switch the production up several times within one song, is going to allow for a song to reach three minutes nowadays. We start with this chiptune-like synth that is already flubbery and gross before the boys invade with their explosion sound effects and a rap that honestly is not terrible flow-wise, and they sound much more comfortable in their own language. The industrial drums are honestly kind of sick, especially with that vocal fragment hidden in the percussion, and I wish the pre-chorus didn’t completely override that with a reggaeton rhythm and overproduced swell because it takes some of the impact away, especially when the chorus is so stilted and staccato. One of the track’s producers is actually the oldest band member, BANG CHAN, and he sounds the most confident on the mic, especially in English, I kind of want to hear the foundation of this beat with him delivering some verses. Otherwise, I’m somewhat disappointed this doesn’t go for something utterly insane like a drum and bass bridge, metalcore breakdown or phonk cowbells being introduced in the final chprus for no reason, but it still has the endearing madness of a lot of non-BTS K-pop, which I can always appreciate as a character trait despite it rarely ever being all too listenable.

#7 - “Angel of My Dreams” - JADE

Produced by Mike Sabath

Finally, we have the full round of all four Little Mix solo debuts, and it’s genuinely been pretty interesting, and a lot of the time, assuring, to see how the former quartet has sought to define themselves as singers. Sadly, not much has lasted from these acts in general, which is a shame since I’ve loved material from Leigh-Anne and Perrie, but here, we have Jade Thirlwall’s solo effort, and it makes complete sense that she would end up collaborating with one of RAYE’s producers, Mike Sabath, as this honestly has a similar dynamic, theatrical approach written all over it. That’s not to say that it’s a rip-off or that the sonic palate is all that similar, but the flipping of a sample on its head, the disparate beat switches, the commentary on the popular music industry and the heavy focus on impressive vocal layering, all contributes to a song that RAYE could have been involved in, and to be completely honest, Thirlwall fails to develop much of a unique personality, at least in this one song, instead acting as what sounds like a fusion of a multitude of pop stars, which actually makes perfect sense for the content. The sample in the beginning of the track is a lovelorn snippet from “Puppet on a String”, which Sandie Shaw not only took to #1 but made the first of five wins for the UK at Eurovision all the way back in 1967 in Vienna. The usage of this sample, according to JADE herself, is to play on the trope of the pop singer as a puppet and to demonstrate how that can be simultaneously true and untrue, with the rest of the track and its driving electro synths pouncing on the tension that exists between an act, fame and the fans in particular, to who JADE has a love-hate relationship with, and this is where the Madonna-like vocal inflections start to make sense thematically too considering her surprisingly meta output over the years. I do wish the song did a bit more with the sample to play into the theme more, or actually made that cyclical structure feel like it mattered: the overwhelming bass thrust of the mid-section is clearly supposed to play a contrast against the slower freedom of the R&B-inspired intro and outro, but lyrically, the song remains in the same tone and narrative place for its entire runtime, so it doesn’t feel nearly as cathartic to have that book-end as much as it should.

Regardless, I still think the song is maybe not the most impressive of the Little Mix solo debuts, or at least the one not closest to my taste, but definitely the clearest and most cinematic statement of them, whilst Perrie and Leigh-Anne played it slightly safe, and Jesy… well, we don’t need to talk about that. In regards to how this will stick around, or if Thirlwall will see more solo success, I actually think both the dynamics of this sonically and the more thought-through, daring presentation of how the song is written, grant her a lot more potential than the others, who mostly just stuck to what their strengths always were. She may have taken the longest but she may be the one from Little Mix to make it the furthest or the longest if she keeps up the quality and intrigue this consistently, even if I’m not as over the Moon about this as I want to be. I can tell she has the ability to make something I really love, and the fact that she didn’t come out with it nearly immediately like the other two actually gives me some hope that she’ll have more longevity.

#4 - “Who” - Jimin

Produced by Jon Bellion, Pete Nappi, Tenroc, Pdogg and GHSTLOOP

Man, I wish I could enjoy BTS output more, but a few solo releases ago, outside of those kept more to hip hop and R&B like RM and j-hope, what ends up charting from these guys ends up being the most sugary and watered-down simulation of western pop possible. The fact that we see a lot of the typical gang involved here - Pdogg and GHSTLOOP - as well as pop songwriters such as Nappi and the admittedly very talented Jon Bellion, who I tend to like on a songwriting level a lot more than most due to his unique voice and distinct synthpop pastiche you can always hear even in songs he doesn’t perform himself, does not necessarily give me high hopes that this will do any better of a job than “Like Crazy” at showing me who Jimin really is. In fact, the largely derided “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” probably did a pretty good job at endearing me to Jimin based on lovestruck corniness alone. At least I like the cover art, so that could be a good sign… and well, firstly, the cover art does not fit the song at all but, secondly, I thought Jung Kook was going to be the 2000s R&B and dance-pop throwback guy from BTS, is there really such a need for trend-hopping that we’re going to fuse two distinct acts both on the same roster for the sake of a guaranteed hit? The mix on the guitars feels oddly muddy for this kind of throwback too, probably because of the cloudier 2010s tropical house elements they shower the mix with for no real reason other than shoving whatever can make a “pop hit” in there. Despite that cynical production, the same one that made me really not like “Like Crazy”, I’m actually really fond of this. In fact, I think it’s great.

You can hear Bellion’s voice both in that anthemic and mind-numbingly catchy chorus and the twinkly synth that plays a role best compared to a drum fill, it’s a cute little detail that worse songwriters would not have felt the need to include. I don’t like the mix at all, but it still hits with a solid groove, especially with how percussive other elements are - like that staccato Latin guitar acting as both a background aspect and a distorted one-off in each measure, or, similar to the Stray Kids track, using vocal clips as part of the drums, adding a uniquely hopping texture to it all. Most importantly, the hooks Jimin is delivery are perfect for this kind of youthful R&B-pop, and even if the lyrics are generic, that’ll probably just ingrain them further in my head. It plays to a lot of familiar tropes and in a very obvious way, but through what seems like Jon Bellion just understanding how bland it would have been without his finishing touches, or just the core greatness of that chorus combined with Jimin’s endlessly passionate delivery, it ends up feeling like it’s been there forever. To my surprise, I really do love this in spite of, well, myself, and I can honestly see it sticking around: they may have again hit that sweet spot between their unique character as a K-pop group and the algorithmic coating of Spotify pop that they hit around 2019-2020 as a group. I know that the fans are hiking the streaming and sales up so it won’t last too long or too high, but I can hope that this eventually simmers a return as a sleeper hit because it is pretty excellent.

Conclusion

Well, there’s not much to discuss here, but what is here is frankly on a really solid, way above average level pretty consistently. It was tough between my two ultimate favourites, but Best of the Week goes to Billie Eilish for “WILDFLOWER” as Eminem regretfully takes the Honourable Mention for “Brand New Dance”. Jimin wasn’t particularly close but that doesn’t make his song any worse. As for what takes the bottom spot, I suppose Stray Kids have the Worst of the Week for “Chk Chk Boom” but the song’s fine. As for what’s on the horizon, Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding are back with a new song together, Halsey’s hopped on the sample train and unfortunately, there’s a new Ice Spice album. For now, though, thank you for reading, rest in peace to… sigh, Christopher Reeve, and I’ll see you next week.

[langernameohnebedeutung]

John Deaux, funeral home owner.

[aethelredism]

Anyway got yelled at by the parents of a fifteen-year-old because we would not see her without an adult accompanying her to her appointment per Illinois state law and her parents found this inconvenient enough to threaten me about it.

[vegan-inu]

I listened to the new Eminem album recently. Don't get me wrong I don't think the album is amazing or even great, but this is what I've seen many people have been asking for. They want slim shady back and that's exactly what Eminem brought. This is on the same level as the slim shady LP (yes this means that I think it is mediocre). Yes there are new lingo and a lot of gen z borderline cringe stuff. But that's the best thing with the album. It's not bringing back old stuff and instead he refers to newer stuff that happens in the world and controversial things right now. What I'm trying to say is that y'all asked for this so don't complain when you get it.

[tulipsandsunshine]

The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe De Grâce) by Eminem.

I'm really not sure on this one, part of me says that I think he's overdoing it, while the other part of me says it actually goes kinda hard. I don't like most of the "controversial" things he says and I think he is just trying to remake the controversial songs he had in the early 2000s, I don't think this works in 2024. However, a few of the tracks are actually really beautiful and well written, such as "Somebody Save Me". Tracks like "Trouble" and "Evil" kind of make me uncomfortable when I'm listening to them because of some of the comments he makes. I understand that the album is a concept and he's showing us that the Slim Shady thing wouldn't work today, but I think he just could have done this better. Although, I really like "Brand New Dance" because it just feels like old Em (yes ik it's a cut from Encore).

Fav track: "Somebody Save Me"

Least fav: "Trouble"

6/10, could have been done much better.