Hey All. Well I know my Top 10 Songs normally pop up on Fridays, but I was sick this whole weekend with a cold. You know my wifi limitations, so I didn’t feel like getting up and walking to Target or anywhere else to post this.
What you’ll get is a lot of Bowie, Harris and Daft Punk (would it be TOO random to have a Daft Punk week in the coming weeks?), it was an interesting week to say the least.
So here it goes. ENJOY!!
10. David Bowie “Up the Hill Backwards”
9. Beyoncé featuring Drake “Mine”
8. Fergie “L.A. Love (La La)”
7. Nirvana “Rape Me”
6. Daft Punk “Musique”
5. David Bowie “Fashion”
4. Calvin Harris “Faith”
3. Daft Punk featuring Panda Bear “Doin’ It Right”
Happy Friday Folks!!! This is gonna be a hella random Top 10 list, I’ve been kind of all over the place this week Music-wise. I’ve actually been trying to get through a bunch of new albums (Jennifer Hudson, Interpol, Basement Jaxx, Julian Casablancas + The Voidz) but having difficulties doing it because a) work has been mad busy and I can’t really focus on the music when I listen at work and b) I tend to always revert back to my Beyonce’s and Rihanna’s when I’m free from work. So… the goal is, next week, to take off ALL my “comfort” music and really really listen to ALL the latest albums I’ve obtained. This week is this week, and here it is. Enjoy!
10. Chris Brown “Add Me In”
I love the wordplay on this “Math = Sex” song.
9. Rich Gang featuring Young Thug & Rich Homie Quan “Lifestyle”
AGAIN, this song is mad dumb but so damn catchy and laid back. Can’t hate. Won’t hate.
8. Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys “Empire State of Mind”
I went back to that Alicia Keys Hits playlist I made (more on that a little later), and that “Part II” of her and Jay’s Epic #1 hit is on there but it always leaves me wanting the original version. Hence, it’s #8.
7. Chris Brown “Lost In Ya Love”
This song is just too cute.
6. Chrisette Michele “A Couple of Forevers”
Another album I’ve been trying to get through, “Better” by Chrisette. Actually I need to listen to ALL of her albums, but this is the current one I’ve been trying to make it through. This song is so beautiful, and she is SUCH a great singer.
5. Jay-Z & Beyonce “Forever Young/ Halo (Live)”
Okay so the big “On the Run Tour” was aired on HBO this past Saturday, and you guys. You KNOW I’m a big fan of both Jay and Bey, but I wasn’t really INTO the show. I almost blogged about it, but work on Monday didn’t allow me the time to wrap my head around all that I wanted to say. However another thing happened on Monday, I downloaded the torrent for the show and watched the parts that I missed (which was basically “On the Run” and this ending number), and I just thought this mash up was amazingly emotional and sentimental and all that. WOW! did I write enough? #Kiiiiii
4. Alicia Keys “Unthinkable (I’m Ready)”
So. I’m gonna do it. Remember that post I made about “Potentially Awesome Greatest Hits Albums“, and later on I said I was thinking of posting the playlists on YouTube. Well I think I’m gonna do it. I want to use cool pictures and cool editing techniques to do it, and I decided to start with Alicia because I LOVE the playlist I made for her. I decided to just start with ONE song and this is the ONE, which is one of my favorites by her. I wanted to just use one to see how easy or difficult it would be, so stay tuned on the YouTube playlists. (By the way, yesterday is the very first time I actually saw this Music Video and I think it’s GREAT! Great message)
3. Ed Sheeran “Photograph”
I actually listened to Sheeran’s “X” album a few weeks ago, and I liked it, but nothing really stuck with me so I decided to give it another listen. This time, this song stuck! So beautiful.
My absolute favorite moment on the “On the Run Tour”, and y’all know I am NOT a Nicki fan, but I loved this performance. The dancing, the swag, the energy. The DRAMA and intensity that comes with this song is perfectly displayed on stage, but at the end of the day “Bow Down” and “***Flawless” are FUN songs and that was also brought to the stage. BRAVO BEY! (well, I’m only able to find THIS on YouTube, sorry guys!)
I’ll be honest, I’m not in the best mood right now and was almost not going to do this post. But hey, I still have over an hour before my class starts and I already promised I would post it… so, this might be a little condensed and not really what I wanted to share, but I’ll try my best.
Basically, my New York journey lasted for about 5 and a half months. I had lots of fun there, lots of frustration, met really amazing people. Even though I had moments of pure irritation, I truly did feel I fit in there as opposed to my Bay Area home. And I also felt like I was growing into the person I’ve always wanted to be.
But enough about all of that, let’s talk about the Music. I’m a music fiend, so the music I listened to and heard while there shaped my NYC Soundtrack. There are certain songs that now whenever I hear them, it always reminds me of a moment in New York.
So here is a chronicle of some of those songs and albums that now have a permanent New York stamp on them.
Jessie J “Wild”
The line “am i asleep, no i’m alive” was one that stuck with me the first day I was in NYC, walking around in Times Square and in disbelief that I actually made it and was there.
Britney Spears “Work Bitch”
I guess this song was a Billboard flop? Who cares, this song is the shit! And I would have never guessed it was a flop because when I finally did start going OUT this was very popular among DJ’s and drunks alike.
Ikona Pop & Charlie XCX “I Love It”
Speaking of going out, I swear it seemed like every time I entered a bar or club (well, the ones that played Pop music) this song was playing. I can’t stand the song, but whenever I hear it I’ll think of that.
Kendrick Lamar “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”
I think once I switched from tourist to job-seeker, this song helped out a lot.
Tamar Braxton ‘”Love & War” – Album
And yeah, my very confusing trips on the Subway were almost always accompanied with HER. This album was released only a few weeks before I left for New York so it was still new, but familiar enough so I could zone the fuck out and mime her amazing vocals and great songs. This album was actually the most played my entire trip to NYC … until of course Beyonce came back around, but we’ll get to that later.
Lorde “Royals”
I think Ikona Pop’s song was fading out at the same time this song was blowing up. I have a slight tolerance for this song NOW, but gawd I hated it when it was getting popular and of course all those bars were playing the hell out of this. Actually the night me and my FullBlast buddy went out to Industry I caught a pretty decent drag queen singing (and I mean actually Singing) this song.
Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake “Holy Grail”
Another song I HATE, but this was popular among the cars rolling past. I really cannot get over Timberlake’s screech fest on this song and still hate it, but it will always remind me of New York now.
Drake “Nothing Was the Same” – Album
Drake’s third album was released maybe a week after I arrived to New York. I wasn’t instantly loving it, but apparently NYC was. “Hold On, We’re Going Home” gave the Urban clubs LIFE nearly every time I went. And I would always hear random songs bleeding out of people’s cars (I guess this album replaced Jay-Z’s that year). One fun memory though, One night (had to be sometime in November) me and my girl -friend were out late hella drunk and we went to Boxer’s HK (one of our favorite spots) and it was empty so I guess the bartender or whoever put on the Drake album and me and my friend were acting mad crazy to “Worst Behaviour”. I should also say towards the end of the trip, I was really connecting with “Connect” (ha! see what I did there)
Eminem & Rihanna “Monster”
I remember getting an email that this song was out, and I just immediately went to iTunes and downloaded. I was suffering a real Rihanna drought and had to have it. I remember the night I did, I was in Brooklyn maybe my first week living there (I moved there late October) and I walked up and down the blocks with this song on repeat.
K Michelle “Rebellious Soul” – Album
Okay, so K. Michelle did an interview on The Skorpion Show. I liked K before hand, but I was struck by her comments on Tamar (or Ta-Muppet)’s album. Of course the girls were at odds at the time so she wasn’t going to say anything glowing about it, but it just made me interested in finally checking out her album. I’m glad I did because it definitely became a favorite.
James Blake – ALL
James Blake was my first and only New York City concert. I was really excited because I obviously love his music, and I was interested in checking out the NYC concert crowds. So I was getting ready by listening to him almost obsessively. I remember my night walks in the Bushwick area of Brooklyn vibing to his tunes. If I was going to pull one song, it would have to be “To The Last”.
Justin Timberlake “You Got It On”
Just dope, love this song.
J. Cole & TLC “Crooked Smile”
Remember when that TLC movie happened, well this (as well as the TLC Playlist I had to make) was because of that. I recall several mornings waiting for that 4, 5 or 6 to my Upper East Side job with this song on repeat.
Lady GaGa & R. Kelly “Do What U Want”
This song was surprisingly popular in NYC. The energy you would feel when it was played was high, like everybody was HERE for GaGa and the just released “ARTPOP” album. Another favorite song that accompanied me on my late night Brooklyn walks.
fun. “Some Nights” – Album
I honestly don’t know what spurred on my need to purchase this album, but I swear to you THIS album was such a big help for me throughout the last few months of being in NYC. By November I was getting extremely frustrated by not having a full time job, by my living situation at the time, by lots of things, and this album seemed to speak to me in several different songs. “All Alright” was my fave, “Some Nights”, “Stars” and a bunch of songs had lines in there that I related to and felt like “well hey, I’m not alone in this feeling”. I think “Why Am I The One” was especially funny because I was moving from Brooklyn to Washington Heights (my third time moving in three months) and “why am I the one, always packing up my stuff” perfectly fit my mood at the time. Bottom line, this album was my NYC album bar none.
So, I have an hour left in class and I won’t have time to finish this. As of now, I’m officially making this Part 1 and Part 2 should be up sometime tomorrow. And I’ll add YouTube clips and more pics and all that as well. The only reason I’m posting this now is because I promised it. It’s already Wednesday in New York and only a few hours left in Tuesday here… but, eh, whatever!
This post kills two birds with one stone. #BEYONCEWEEK is going ahead full steam, and I’m staying consistent with my Weekly #TopTwentyFiveTuesday, so… yay for me.
But nobody cares about all that, let’s just get into today’s list. MY FAVORITE Beyoncé songs. Being the huge fan I am, I have LOTS of favorites so it was a little difficult to file it down to only 25. There are lots of my other favorites that won’t make the list (“Video Phone”, “If”, “Get Me Bodied”, “***Flawless”, “That’s How You Like It”, “Disappear” to name a few), but what I ended up with I think is a good representation of her best music, her talents as a singer, and her ability to pick tracks that fit her perfectly.
So let’s get started shall we…
25. “1+1”
This slow burner is great because Bey balances subtle vocals which lead into some power notes. It’s a very beautiful, yet simple Alternative/Urban sound. The song definitely stands out as something unique and organic in her collection.
24. “Gift from Virgo”
A short, jazzy, breezy, soulful number that I didn’t immediately like from her solo debut. Now, every time it starts with that beautiful harmony I just can’t NOT listen to it. It’s really cute because it’s definitely an older sound, but the lyrics are more modern. Another instance of Beyonce’s ability to mix the old and the new.
23. “Yes”
I have always loved the writing on this song, one big example is how every other line alternates “You” and “I” at the beginning. I also really love the message of the song, because most people can relate to the idea of “the first time I say NO, it’s like I never said YES”, which can be related to lovers, friends, coworkers, family or anything.
22. “Ego”
Love the wordplay in this song, I love the cocky-ness, I love the “I got every reason to feel like I’m That Bitch”, and I love the groove of the track. Great song.
21. “Me, Myself and I”
One of those self-love anthems that so many people need to take to heart. I also love this song because it’s really fun to sing, and at times it’s pretty funny “no need to front like you’re still with me AAAALLL yo’ homies know!”
20. “Radio”
The best thing about this Electro/Urban/Dance track is the fact that the track is venturing into an area Bey hadn’t really been known for, but the lyrics and her vocal delivery is hilariously #ratchet (“I be on the hotline, like Err’day”) and just overall a really really fun song.
19. “Green Light”
“Give it to Mama”. Much like everything else on “B’Day”, this song is FUNKY and has some incredibly powerful vocals from our King. I also love the Neptunes production and how the song just builds and builds and builds, I never get tired of this song.
18. “Speechless”
This sexy Isley Brothers-esque slow-burner from Bey’s solo debut has definitely stood the test of time and become one of her classics.
17. “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Can you believe I almost forgot to include this Iconic song. I’ll admit, when I first heard it I wasn’t completely in love (sounded too much like “Get Me Bodied”), but as it became the phenomenon it is, it definitely grew into one of my faves.
16. “No Angel”
It’s hard to even come up with the words to describe why I love this song so much. The production is so beautifully complex, I love the message, and it’s just a cool laid back/almost Indie sounding song that hasn’t grown old for me yet.
15. “Halo”
Her vocals on this are so strong and powerful, but it’s really just a sweet love ballad that has become a staple of her Discography for good reason.
14. “Grown Woman”
Boooo for Beyoncé never OFFICIALLY releasing this uptempo piece of GOLD. From the lovely vocal flow, to the African vibes at the end, and the empowering and confident lyrics. It’s one of her best and most fun songs.
13. “Smash Into You”
Even though I give this song the side-eye because of that whole “Smack” “Smash” songwriting thing, I can’t deny it’s one of my favorite Pop songs from her. I love singing along to it, simply put it’s just beautiful. And I can never shake the images of her performing this on her “I Am Tour” DVD, with all the Diana Ross-styled cape flowing.
(ugh, I wish I could find the “I Am Tour DVD” Version)
12. “Irreplaceable”
OKAY!!! Just like “Single Ladies”, I CANNOT BELIEVE I forgot about this one. I guess with some of her biggest hits (and this is one of her BIGGEST) I tend to look over them, but honestly this is a GREAT GREAT song. I gotta give Ne-Yo his due, because the lyrics on this kiss-off record are HILARIOUS. But Beyonce makes it such a fun song to sing along with, and the attitude and tone of her voice matches perfectly. (I actually published this post and like 10 seconds later remembered I NEEDED to include this. No Harm, No Foul)
11. “Blow”
Well first of all, this song is Funky and Nasty just like a Prince or Rick James song in the 80’s. I love the retro-style of it, and I love how raunchy the lyrics are. Overall though, this is a REALLY good song, great vocals, perfect production, and fun fun fun.
10. “XO”
This song just makes me smile. EVERY TIME. Easily one of her best.
9. “Suga Mama”
Beyoncé and Rich Harrison make a great team, and this is Beyoncé at her FUNKIEST. Her vocals, all those soulful grunts and heft to her voice match perfectly with the track that drips with that hot buttered soul. I also really love the wordplay and the ad-libs and background stuff. I remember listening to this track for the first time and marveling at how Beyoncé knows exactly how to fill up each second of every song perfectly.
8. “Mine” featuring Drake
I could be here all day talking about this song. It’s amazing because it’s a merger of so many things – simple piano and vocal intro, a bounce-like mid-section, the hip hop outro, and the back and forth play of Bey and Drake. It’s all of these things, mixed with amazing lyricism, but it never feels like it’s doing too much. It’s perfectly balanced and a great listen.
7. “Crazy in Love” featuring Jay-Z
Her classic! There’s not much more to say other than it holds lots of nostalgia for us in the Beyhive, and it’s a really fun and up-tempo track that is one of her most infectious.
6. “Countdown”
This track is too much fun, it’s like the amusement parks of Beyoncé songs because there’s so many great elements to enjoy. Her voice is strong in the sung parts, but she gives us that Beyoncé as rapper edge at certain points. The sample from Boyz II Men is creative and perfectly placed. It’s confessional, but not sappy. And all the different changes in the production make it one of those songs that continue to surprise and intrigue the listeners.
5. “I Miss You”
Just beautiful! It’s a very simple song, she gives very simple vocals, but it’s all about the feeling and emotion, which definitely comes through … maybe more so than any of her other ballads.
4. “Drunk in Love” featuring Jay-Z
#SURFBOARD – Look, we all love this song. It’s sexy as hell, it’s funny, it’s something you can dance to or get down (if you know what I mean) to. It has so many elements that made it the hit it is. And I have no doubt this will stand the test of time as one of her essential recordings.
3. “End of Time”
Who is still mad Bey never released this as an official single? *Raises Hand! I just think this song is perfect, it’s a sweet love song set to this infectiously percussion-driven track. She sings her heart out on the first verse and does her little staccato vocals on the second. It’s just everything we love about Beyoncé in 4 minutes, and though it’s a Fan favorite, it would have been nice to have the world fall in love with this song as well.
2. “Sweet Dreams”
Beyoncé steps almost completely out of her element on this Jim Jonson Electro-fied track. Yes it’s what some might call a Dance track, but it’s beautifully layered and the lyrics are so intricate and well done – which isn’t really the standard for modern Dance songs. And her voice is so on point. It’s another one I’ll NEVER tire of.
1. “Upgrade U” featuring Jay-Z
Yup! I loved this song on the first listen, and all through the years I’ve never ever ever ever got tired of this fun up-tempo Hip Hop track. The production is insane, Jay’s verse here might be the best of all of their collaborations, and Beyoncé is on fire vocally. She just kills it.
#TopTenThursday didn’t really happen, but that IS a weekly thing I want to keep going on this here blog. But, in the effort of trying to keep this blog active, I’m going to add another weekly list – TopTwentyFiveTuesday, or maybe this will monthly, we’ll see. (Mind you, BOTH the TopTenThursday and TopTwentyFiveTuesday won’t be exclusive to Music)
This post is to make up for two things actually, the #TopTenThursday thing AND the post I planned on making about my favorite music of 2014 so far. I could have easily posted something quick and easy at the end of June, the official halfway mark of the year, but I have downloaded so much music that I haven’t gotten a chance to listen to yet. I wanted to give those albums (Agust Alsina, The 1975, Beck, Jack White, et. al.) a fair listen and have a broader, more researched list of my favorite albums of 2014. Unfortunately I still have a bunch of albums in my iTunes that have zero plays… and it’s damn near August already. SO – instead of doing that (it’ll just have to wait until the end of the year) I’m just going to post the songs that I’ve been obsessed with this year. Some new, some old, all great.
And here we go…
25. Toni Braxton & Babyface “Roller Coaster”
Their “Love, Marriage & Divorce” album is really good, and this opening track is one of the stand outs.
24. Shakira featuring Rihanna “Can’t Remember to Forget You”
Sexy video. Fun song. And… well, RIHANNA!!!
23. Robin Thicke featuring Tamar Braxton “For the Rest of My Life Part 2”
22. M.I.A. “Bad Girls”
I was obsessed with this song my last month in New York City. Nice flow.
21. Pharrell Williams featuring Alicia Keys “Know Who You Are”
My absolute favorite from Pharrell’s “GIRL” album.
20. Jessie J “Thunder”
19. Justin Timberlake “Not a Bad Thing”
This is such a cute little Pop song, don’t “fuck around” and sleep on it.
18. The Black Keys “Waiting on Words”
Black Keys’ “Turn Blue” is an excellent album, and this has become my favorite.
17. Calvin Harris “Summer”
16. Christian Falk featuring Robyn and Ola Salo “Dream On”
I OWNED Robyn’s self titled 2008 album, but somehow never paid attention to this. I really got into it this Spring as I was easing back into the Bay Area life.
15. Drake “Connect”
14. K. Michelle “Can’t Raise a Man”
Great great song with a strong message that ladies NEED to pay attention to.
13. St. Vincent “Digital Witness”
Randomly saw St. Vincent on “Saturday Night Live” this Spring, and I fell in love with this quirky (and seemingly Prince-inspired) track. YAAAH!
12. Andre 3000 & Beyonce “Back to Black”
I was late to the party on this one, but this Amy Winehouse remake is so weird and strange – right up my alley.
11. Kanye West “Hold My Liquor”
10. Jhene Aiko “The Worst”
Thank the BET Awards for this, I seriously had never heard the song before the show. Really addictive song.
9. Coldplay “Midnight”
Just one word : AMAZING! (it reminds me of How To Dress Well though)
8. Jessie J “Sexy Lady”
Probably the most FUN song I’ve discovered this year, this girl is so terribly underrated and under-promoted. This song could be HUGE, but oh well.
7. Robyn & Royksopp “Monument”
Robyn and Royksopp’s collaboration album has highs and few lows, but this opening track is just EPIC!! Amazingly textured and one of the best aural experiences of the year. (It’s just a tad long, but worth it when you get to that Saxophone effect)
6. Beyonce featuring Drake “Mine”
I always find myself coming back to this beautifully complex track.
5. Duke Dumont featuring Jax Jones “I Got U”
I heard this on some random commercial and just had to have it. The steel drums, the low-key House bump and the Whitney Houston sample just make this one of the best FEELING songs I’ve gotten into this year.
4. Mariah Carey “Make It Look Good”
3. A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera “Say Something”
Can’t even explain why I love this song, it’s so simple but makes such an emotional impact. Great stuff.
2. Mariah Carey “Faded”
This song is so sad, but the groove of it and Mariah’s vocals make it very addicting for me.
1. Coldplay “Magic”
Everything about this song is on point, the lyricism, the production and even Chris’ vocals are … well, they fit the song and mood.
Remember when I used to do a weekly Top 10 on my blog!? Well, IT’S BACK!!! Mainly because I feel like I need to keep this blog active, but also because I want to share to my readers what I’ve been getting into on any given week. So here goes!
10. Ke$ha “The Harold Song”
Okay, so here’s what happened. I pulled out a bunch of burned CD’s I made before I went ahead and ditched the physical element of music. I made a compilation of Ke$ha (who I have grown to love without any shame), and THIS song is one of those ones that show me that the girl has some actual talent. It’s such a catchy love song, and though she doesn’t show off amazing vocal technique… it’s just a little deeper than what the radio plays from her.
9. Beyonce featuring Frank Ocean “Superpower”
I’m in a Video Editing class (which ends next week!!), and for my Final Project I decided to use Beyonce’s “Superpower” video. Great song! It wasn’t necessarily my favorite from her new album at first, but it has grown on me considerably and I just love how it builds with the harmonies and the instrumentation. And the video is just epic to me, I love the slow-mo Riot vibe of the whole thing and it really does manage to have heart and emotions. Wish me luck!!
8. Kanye West “Power”
This song is just amazing, still. The track is INSANE, and there are certain lines that just really speak to me. More on Kanye very soon… like, Right Away!
7. Kanye West “Hold My Liquor”
The production on this track is just flawless to me, and it’s just an intensely dark and gritty song. More on this song in a future post about New York City and how this became a sad theme song for me. For now, enjoy!
6. Robin Thicke featuring Tamar Braxton “For The Rest of My Life Part 2”
I actually didn’t listen to this song at all this week, but I was scrolling through my LastFm plays and saw it and remembered how effortlessly my Tamar killed the vocals on this remix. Unfortunately, this remix never really got a fair chance to slay the R&B charts.
5. Mariah Carey “Faded”
Still my favorite song from “Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse”, but more on Mariah a little later.
4. Drake “Houstatlantavegas”
I randomly popped in a mixed CD I made in 2010, and this song came on. I hadn’t heard it in years, and I was kind of blown away that I still knew all the words. And I was blown away, STILL, at how amazing the song is.
3. Kanye West featuring Bon Iver “Lost in the World”
Last night, I was so into this song. That “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” continues to amaze me at how timeless and perfect it is in every way. This song is the perfect closer, because I think it’s pretty simple (lyric wise) but easy to relate to. It just spoke to me yesterday.
2. Mariah Carey “Make It Look Good”
This song might be the best from the new Mariah album, and it might eclipse “Faded” as my favorite pretty soon. I just couldn’t get enough of this song this week. The lyrics, her vocals, just the overall flow of this old-school sounding ode to being helpless to a bad lover. Good Job Mimi.
1. Coldplay “Magic”
Though I’m not the biggest fan of “Ghost Stories”, Coldplay’s latest album, I do think this song is excellent and highly underrated. I have to say that Brandy’s recently released cover of the song reminded me how great it is, and while I enjoyed her cover, I still think Coldplay did the best with the material. Great Great song. (Also a really great video that was snubbed when the MTV VMA nominees were announced this week).
Here’s What! With my move to New York City and all that surrounds making a new life for myself, I have allowed too many albums to go Un-Reviewed on this blog. I didn’t want to just let my opinions go to waste, because there are thoughts I have on a number of albums that I wanted to share. The solution I came up with is to do quick reviews on all of the Fall Albums that I’ve gotten a chance to check out. Starting with one of the most anticipated, Lady GaGa’s “ARTPOP” which comes out officially TODAY November 11th.
I’m not ranking the albums, I’m just posting my reviews in order from most recent release to the earliest, which is a lot of ground to cover but let’s do it!
Lady GaGa “ARTPOP”
Grade: B+
Favorites: Manicure, Gypsy, Do What U Want
“Applause”, the first single from GaGa’s 3rd full album, is a song that I don’t hate, but don’t love. A song that’s enjoyable, but not ground breaking to me. So it was the perfect set up for “ARTPOP” which has it’s highs and lows, but overall is just a decent Pop album. It’s definitely a lot more fun than her previous outing “Born This Way”, and maybe I liked the darkness and diversity of that too much and wanted more of it on “ARTPOP” which is mostly uptempo’s that actually remind you of some stuff from her debut phenomenon “The Fame”. On the plus side “ARTPOP” does seem like a grower, the production is complex and the lyrical content is laced with double entendres and deeper meanings that one might not catch the first or even fifth time listening to it. “ARTPOP” is fine, not great, but definitely enjoyable.
Arcade Fire “Reflektor”
Grade: C
Favorites: Flashbulb Eyes, Here Comes the Night Time, Normal Person
I’m not the biggest Arcade Fire fan, I knew of them but never listened to their music until their Grammy winning “The Suburbs” which has some amazing songs (the same for “Neon Bible”, the album before that). Their latest album “Reflektor” does have some truly stand out cuts as well, but the album overall strikes me in a weird way. At times it feels like they are uncomfortably out of their comfort zone experimenting with drum machines and more up-tempos. And at times it’s just a tad boring and overlong. When it’s good it’s great though, and maybe I just need a little more time to get into it.
Katy Perry “Prism”
Grade: B+
Favorites: Legendary Lovers, Love Me, Roar
Coming off her successful, and really good, album “Teenage Dream”, Perry got married and divorced and hinted early on that the follow up would be much darker. She stated later on that “Prism” ended up being a lighter album, and I’m wishing she stepped on over to the dark side as this third album plays as just more of the same from Katy. That’s not really a bad thing, the album is fun and funny and enjoyable. It just reads as a continuation of “Teenage Dream”, and I feel that the producers failed Katy on this album as they seem to deliver stale re-treads of former stuff, just with slight tweaks for the 2013 listener. Perry does her job vocally and lyrically trying to take the songs and make something new and different, but there’s only so far she can go. In general it’s a very cute pop album with plenty of hit potential. I would eventually like to see a darker, harder edged Katy emerge because I know it’s in her somewhere.
Paul McCartney “NEW”
Grade: A-
Favorites: Appreciate, Alligator, On My Way to Work
Sir Paul Delivers. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the “New” album, as I haven’t really followed McCartney’s solo career at all. However I was really pleased with what is a very satisfying and diverse album. Overall it’s very mellow, but he gives us different tastes of his talents with some very Beatles-like tunes, some Wings-like Rocker stuff, and he also provides some very beautiful contemporary songs. And with all this he seems so comfortable vocally and lyrically that it just seems like great and relaxing Jam session.
Sleigh Bells “Bitter Rivals”
Grade: C
Favorites: Sugarcane, To Hell with You, Young Legends
Don’t really have too much to say about this album. I do enjoy the Noise Pop of Sleigh Bells and I really enjoyed their two previous albums, and this third album is an enjoyable follow up. I just feel like they might have hit a peak as there’s not much new to report about their musical style. Yes there are some really fun peppy tracks, and some strangely beautiful down-tempos, but that’s just like their last album “Reign of Terror”. I think melodically they go into a more R&B/Pop terrain on this effort but that’s really the only thing that sets it apart and even that is very subtle. Good album, but nothing real unique or stand out.
Justin Timberlake “The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2”
Grade: C
Favorites: You Got It On, True Blood, Amnesia
I wasn’t expecting anything more than filler from this “Part Two” of Timberlake’s successful “The 20/20 Experience” from earlier this year. I thought it was a lazy attempt at getting his fans to spend more money on him (which, it still is let’s be honest), but I actually enjoyed a lot of what he had to offer here. I still believe that he could have done some editing and made ONE GREAT album, but it is what it is, and it’s pretty okay. You get pretty much the same of what you got on the first one, some electro’d out up-tempos and some soulful numbers. There still isn’t much as far as excellent lyricism or mindblowing vocals, but it’s still a fairly decent album overall.
Drake “Nothing Was the Same”
Grade: C+
Favorites: Furthest Thing, Wu Tang Forever, Own It
You guys know I love me some Drake, but ever since I got this album it has bothered me that I didn’t like it, and I couldn’t put a finger on why. There is a block of songs that I really love, but after they are done I lose interest and here’s my theory. On Drake’s last two albums he was the rapper who was hoping for legendary status, and then the rapper on his way to that status and just enjoying the moment. There was a sense of humility in him, and I think the problem with “Nothing Was the Same” is that all humility is gone and the record plays like a “Bow Down Bitches” as his confidence and ego are on 150. The album is fine, but I just want Drake to come back down to earth.
MGMT “MGMT (The Optimizer)
Grade: B
Favorites: Introspection, Cool Song No. 2, Astro-Mancy
MGMT are just weird, and I love it. Their third album “MGMT (The Optimizer)” follows suit with their last album in that it’s very mellow and very psychedelic, but somehow it’s a different type of mellow. It’s a more mature sound, and while there are a lot of tracks that feel very up to date there are others that go back to a 60’s sound (and seems like The Who was a big inspiration for at least two cuts). It’s a very balanced album, and at 10 tracks it’s the perfect length. These guys are still progressing which is a great thing, and still delivering very pleasing sounds which will make for a very diverse and interesting discography overall.
Tamar Braxton “Love and War”
Grade: A
Favorites: All The Way Home, Stay and Fight, Pieces
I talked about how much I loved this album on my YouTube channel, but I won’t hesitate to sing it’s praises one more time. Tamar Braxton, I would imagine, is a difficult artist to create a sound for as she is so fresh and current, but she’s also a grown woman who shouldn’t devote an entire album to “ratchet” club songs for fear of trying to be something she’s not. Thankfully Vincent and company pulled some amazing songs for her that show off her insane vocal abilities and provide some of the urban fun she enjoys. I love the fact that these songs are FULL songs and not the current standard of a half a verse, hook, same verse and repeat. I also love that vocally she fills each song to the very end with beautiful runs and vocal technique. It’s just a great R&B/Pop album that hasn’t gotten stale to me yet.
Interesting (quasi-embarrassing) tidbit about me ; when I was in Junior High I started to make my own Top 10 Music Charts. Who really knows why, but I started one day in my 7th grade Math class just ranking my favorite current songs. And from than it took a life of it’s own… and I consistently updated my chart every week until I was 20 when I finally got a bit of a social life and had to let it go.
Now, 12 years later, I’m bringing it back!! Of course things have changed, instead of this being a list of my favorite Current songs… it will just be a ranking of songs that stood out to me during the week. Whether it be new current singles, or songs I loved growing up that I’ve just re-discovered, or older songs that I never knew about. Anything could make this list, and I’m going to try to update it every week with a brand new set of 10 to keep it exciting.
10. Swizz Beatz Feat. LL Cool J & Mashonda “Ghetto Love”
I pulled out a CD I burned in 2002. This song was one I totally forgot about, while it’s not amazing it’s a nice relaxing song that I always dug.
9. The Police “Hole in My Life”
Simply for this line : “Be a happy man, I try the best I can, Or maybe I’m just looking for too much”
8. Whitney Houston “My Name is Not Susan”
Whitney could tackle ballads, house records, pop songs and soulful R&B. But this track, one of my favorites at the time, showed she could also attack the early 90’s New-Jack-Swing stuff and own it.
7. Tina Turner “Whole Lotta Love”
A few months ago I listened to Tina’s second official solo album “Acid Queen” for the first time, it’s pretty amazing and this remake of a Led Zeppelin classic is sexual, soulful and just perfection.
6. Talking Heads “Mind”
I can’t seem to get over early Talking Heads, and this funky laid back track became one of my favorites this week out of nowhere.
5. Michael Jackson “Stranger in Moscow”
Such a beautiful and underrated single from the King of Pop.
4. Fleet Foxes “Blue Ridge Mountains”
I listen to the Foxes whenever I want to chill and zone out, and this song is always the stand out from their debut album.
3. Chris Brown “Turn Up the Music”
With the recent release of two Breezy/RiRi remix collabs being hyped, I ended up downloading the original version of this song that I had never heard. Yeah the lyrics are basic, but it’s fun and the track is pretty insane.
2. Drake Feat. The Weeknd “Crew love
Easily one of my least favorite tracks from Take Care at first, it has really grown on me. It’s mainly the track which is very simple but deep at the same time (make sense?)
1. Prince “Let’s Pretend We’re Married”
Recently re-visited what I consider one of my favorite albums of all time (maybe the #1) “1999”. This track, that I have always loved but wasn’t necessarily a favorite, really grabbed me this week.
(can’t figure out how to embed right now, i’ll come back later and fix it) let-pretend-we-re-married-1zno5_2ifa7_.html
#Confession…
I started to post this last Friday, but got busy with work and didn’t finish it. so here’s the list from last week…
1. The Police “Invisible Sun”
2. Tamia “Officially Missing You”
3. Billy Idol “Dancing With Myself”
4. Talking Heads “Cities”
5. Amerie “1 Thing”
6. Mark Ronson Feat. Amy Winehouse “Valerie”
7. Whitney Houston “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay”
8. M83 “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire”
9. TLC “Creep”
10. Violent Femmes “Gone Daddy Gone”
(I’m gonna post this, but I think YouTube is acting kind of crazy right now so the videos might not work… I’ll re-edit when they get themselves together!!)
