Top 25, y'all.
#25: "Chandelier" by Sia
This is the first solo hit for Sia, an Australian artist, in the US, although she did have success paired with Flo Rida for "Wild Ones" and David Guetta for "Titanium", as well as some success in 2014 when paired with Eminem on "Guts Over Fear". That said, she's been around for some time, with her first top 10 in 2000 over in the UK.
Music is a little minimalistic. It's basically just a simple piano line for the verse, with some loud drums and production for the bridge and chorus. It's not bad, I guess, but it's a little bland. As for Sia...not crazy about her in this song. She's a good singer, but she's slurring her words in the verse, possibly simulating being drunk. She sounds a lot better when she goes for the big notes in the chorus, but she also has an issue singing clearly, and sounds immature, something she wasn't in earlier songs like "Titanium".
This is a more thoughtful song than I expected. Essentially, the song is the thought process of someone using alcohol to escape their problems, and their rationalizing being an alcoholic.
I really like the lyrics to the song, painting the picture of someone who is using alcohol to deal with their problems. On reflection, I really do like this song as a whole, actually. The singing seems weak in parts, but I think that was intentional on Sia's part, using her vocals to show the desperation of an alcoholic, and the music does give the song a strong energy. Taking the parts individually, the song doesn't really work. When they are put together, however, they compliment each other greatly. This is one of those songs that is better than the sum of its parts.
#24: "Story of My Life" by One Direction
Honestly...I'm not dreading this as much as I normally would with One Direction. Sure, they're a boy band, and have made some pretty soulless stuff, but I enjoyed last year's "Best Song Ever".
Well, the music is pretty good, and unique for One Direction. The verses use only an acoustic guitar, backing the vocals. The music for the chorus is more upbeat, but it still manages to be quite restrained, using undistorted guitar and drums. The vocals are another interesting change. The chorus is the only part with harmonies, with the verses having just Harry Styles singing. Even in the chorus, the harmonies are kept to a minimum. By doing so, One Direction shows that not only are their harmonies great, blending together well, but Harry Styles has a very strong singing voice solo, not needing to rely on back-up.
This song is essentially the reaction of a guy lamenting the decisions he made during a bad relationship that resulted in a break-up. It's not portrayed as a healthy relationship, either, which is a bit of a surprise coming from a band that, well, usually deals with fairy-tale relationships.
I cannot overstate how much I liked this song. The music was solid, the singing was a lot better than I was expecting, and the lyrics are easily the most mature output from One Direction so far. It takes what has always been a positive for One Direction, their harmonies, and plays with it, using folk rock influences effectively. This is, to me, not only the best One Direction song, but one of my favorite songs so far this year.
#23: "Demons" by Imagine Dragons
Re-review! I liked it last year (in fact, it was one of my top 10 songs of 2013), but let's see if it holds up.
The song opens acapella, at least for one line, with the instruments slowly building. I like the piano line, but I do think the chorus is a bit overproduced, with the drums being a bit too loud. Speaking of the singer, he doesn't show a lot of range, but what he does show is a decent amount of emotion.
This song can be essentially summed up as "The world sucks, and don't look at me to protect you from it, because I'm not perfect". It's not quite that harsh, as he does say he's making an effort to be better to be able to provide for the woman, but he's also well aware of his flaws, and is telling her that on the inside, he is as flawed as anyone else.
I still like this song, but if I were to go back to last year, I'm not sure it would make my top 10. It's still a good song, with a message that isn't heard too often anymore, a singer putting some emotion into the song, and a music line that is solid, but overall, the song just seems to be missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the song is almost dreary. It's like, "Yeah, the world sucks and...well, I'm not perfect either". I don't mind unhappy songs, but this one doesn't do a lot to be enjoyable. Good song, but not a song I could really enjoy listening to.
#22: "Wake Me Up!" by Avicii
Re-review! Once again, a top 10 song for me last year. Let's see if it holds up better than "Demons".
The music definitely qualifies as "upbeat". It's played entirely on undistorted guitar and bass, at least for the verse and chorus, adding in a keyboard and synth on the bridge. It makes for a simple, yet catchy, rhythm, and definitely lets the energy flow with tight production that realized that being loud is not necessary to be energetic. Vocally, the uncredited Aloe Blacc is far stronger here than he was in his solo song this year, with a ton of emotion and range. You feel every word he is singing, and he connects quite strongly.
Lyrically, this song is essentially the inner thoughts of a young man. He wants to go discover himself, basically, fueling his passion. Older people are urging him to be cautious, saying he is too young to really know what he wants. His response is to wake him up when he is older and wiser, then.
This song definitely holds up after a year. The instrumental work provided by Incubus members is strong, and Avicii's production keeps the energy high without overpowering Aloe Blacc's vocals. Not that that was a big concern, because Aloe Blacc's vocals are great, with a wide range of emotions and vocals, and his lyrics paint a great picture of a man who is ready to go out and discover himself, with all of the regard for advice that most young men have. This is just an uplifting, positive song, and it puts a smile on my face every time I hear it. I have no complaints about this being a big hit this year and last year.
#21: "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel
Funny story about this song. As you may be aware, this song was originally featured in the movie "Frozen". It won an Oscar for Best Original Song as well. Well, Idina Menzel (playing the role of Elsa) sang the song in the movie, and the songwriters knew they had a hit on their hands. However, they made two versions of the song, the Idina Menzel one for the movie, and a Demi Lovato version for the soundtrack. You may notice that this is not the Demi Lovato version. That's because Idina's version was a far bigger success on the radio. That's right. The original version from the movie was a bigger pop hit than the pop version. Gotta love the irony.
The main instrument in the song, at least for the first verse and chorus, is an uptempo piano in a minor key. After the first chorus, the piano is joined by a string section. It all makes for a song that is both fun to listen to and appropriately light in tone, to allow focus on Idina's vocals. Speaking of her vocals, all I can say is wow. Her Broadway training clearly pays off, because her voice has a huge range, and she has the right amount of passion in her voice. She sounds a little sharp on some of her highest notes, but with how much she does right, and how much range she hits perfectly, I can fault a couple of sour notes.
This song, through Elsa's character, focuses on the inner turmoil of someone who is different and ostracized for those differences, before deciding to embrace those differences and saying to hell with anyone that has a problem with it.
This song is ridiculously overplayed, granted. When you think of Frozen, this is one of the first things to pop into your mind. That said, this is still a fantastic song. Some of the vocals are a bit sharp for me, but the range that Idina does show is impressive even inside of those notes, and the passion in her voice is communicated greatly, with the music backing her up perfectly. The lyrics are specific to her character's situation, while still being open enough to connect and inspire anyone listening who feels somehow different from others. Is it overplayed? Yes. Did it deserve to be a hit? Oh, hell yes. By the way, the video is a clip from the movie, rather than a lyric video.
Wow. That was a very good set of songs. When the only one that disappoints me is a former top 10 song from last year, you know it's a good set.
Previously: #30-26 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.868621-2014-Billboard-Top-100-30-26]
Next: #20-16 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.869102-2014-Billboard-Top-100-20-16]
#25: "Chandelier" by Sia
This is the first solo hit for Sia, an Australian artist, in the US, although she did have success paired with Flo Rida for "Wild Ones" and David Guetta for "Titanium", as well as some success in 2014 when paired with Eminem on "Guts Over Fear". That said, she's been around for some time, with her first top 10 in 2000 over in the UK.
Music is a little minimalistic. It's basically just a simple piano line for the verse, with some loud drums and production for the bridge and chorus. It's not bad, I guess, but it's a little bland. As for Sia...not crazy about her in this song. She's a good singer, but she's slurring her words in the verse, possibly simulating being drunk. She sounds a lot better when she goes for the big notes in the chorus, but she also has an issue singing clearly, and sounds immature, something she wasn't in earlier songs like "Titanium".
This is a more thoughtful song than I expected. Essentially, the song is the thought process of someone using alcohol to escape their problems, and their rationalizing being an alcoholic.
I really like the lyrics to the song, painting the picture of someone who is using alcohol to deal with their problems. On reflection, I really do like this song as a whole, actually. The singing seems weak in parts, but I think that was intentional on Sia's part, using her vocals to show the desperation of an alcoholic, and the music does give the song a strong energy. Taking the parts individually, the song doesn't really work. When they are put together, however, they compliment each other greatly. This is one of those songs that is better than the sum of its parts.
#24: "Story of My Life" by One Direction
Honestly...I'm not dreading this as much as I normally would with One Direction. Sure, they're a boy band, and have made some pretty soulless stuff, but I enjoyed last year's "Best Song Ever".
Well, the music is pretty good, and unique for One Direction. The verses use only an acoustic guitar, backing the vocals. The music for the chorus is more upbeat, but it still manages to be quite restrained, using undistorted guitar and drums. The vocals are another interesting change. The chorus is the only part with harmonies, with the verses having just Harry Styles singing. Even in the chorus, the harmonies are kept to a minimum. By doing so, One Direction shows that not only are their harmonies great, blending together well, but Harry Styles has a very strong singing voice solo, not needing to rely on back-up.
This song is essentially the reaction of a guy lamenting the decisions he made during a bad relationship that resulted in a break-up. It's not portrayed as a healthy relationship, either, which is a bit of a surprise coming from a band that, well, usually deals with fairy-tale relationships.
I cannot overstate how much I liked this song. The music was solid, the singing was a lot better than I was expecting, and the lyrics are easily the most mature output from One Direction so far. It takes what has always been a positive for One Direction, their harmonies, and plays with it, using folk rock influences effectively. This is, to me, not only the best One Direction song, but one of my favorite songs so far this year.
#23: "Demons" by Imagine Dragons
Re-review! I liked it last year (in fact, it was one of my top 10 songs of 2013), but let's see if it holds up.
The song opens acapella, at least for one line, with the instruments slowly building. I like the piano line, but I do think the chorus is a bit overproduced, with the drums being a bit too loud. Speaking of the singer, he doesn't show a lot of range, but what he does show is a decent amount of emotion.
This song can be essentially summed up as "The world sucks, and don't look at me to protect you from it, because I'm not perfect". It's not quite that harsh, as he does say he's making an effort to be better to be able to provide for the woman, but he's also well aware of his flaws, and is telling her that on the inside, he is as flawed as anyone else.
I still like this song, but if I were to go back to last year, I'm not sure it would make my top 10. It's still a good song, with a message that isn't heard too often anymore, a singer putting some emotion into the song, and a music line that is solid, but overall, the song just seems to be missing something. I can't quite put my finger on it, but the song is almost dreary. It's like, "Yeah, the world sucks and...well, I'm not perfect either". I don't mind unhappy songs, but this one doesn't do a lot to be enjoyable. Good song, but not a song I could really enjoy listening to.
#22: "Wake Me Up!" by Avicii
Re-review! Once again, a top 10 song for me last year. Let's see if it holds up better than "Demons".
The music definitely qualifies as "upbeat". It's played entirely on undistorted guitar and bass, at least for the verse and chorus, adding in a keyboard and synth on the bridge. It makes for a simple, yet catchy, rhythm, and definitely lets the energy flow with tight production that realized that being loud is not necessary to be energetic. Vocally, the uncredited Aloe Blacc is far stronger here than he was in his solo song this year, with a ton of emotion and range. You feel every word he is singing, and he connects quite strongly.
Lyrically, this song is essentially the inner thoughts of a young man. He wants to go discover himself, basically, fueling his passion. Older people are urging him to be cautious, saying he is too young to really know what he wants. His response is to wake him up when he is older and wiser, then.
This song definitely holds up after a year. The instrumental work provided by Incubus members is strong, and Avicii's production keeps the energy high without overpowering Aloe Blacc's vocals. Not that that was a big concern, because Aloe Blacc's vocals are great, with a wide range of emotions and vocals, and his lyrics paint a great picture of a man who is ready to go out and discover himself, with all of the regard for advice that most young men have. This is just an uplifting, positive song, and it puts a smile on my face every time I hear it. I have no complaints about this being a big hit this year and last year.
#21: "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel
Funny story about this song. As you may be aware, this song was originally featured in the movie "Frozen". It won an Oscar for Best Original Song as well. Well, Idina Menzel (playing the role of Elsa) sang the song in the movie, and the songwriters knew they had a hit on their hands. However, they made two versions of the song, the Idina Menzel one for the movie, and a Demi Lovato version for the soundtrack. You may notice that this is not the Demi Lovato version. That's because Idina's version was a far bigger success on the radio. That's right. The original version from the movie was a bigger pop hit than the pop version. Gotta love the irony.
The main instrument in the song, at least for the first verse and chorus, is an uptempo piano in a minor key. After the first chorus, the piano is joined by a string section. It all makes for a song that is both fun to listen to and appropriately light in tone, to allow focus on Idina's vocals. Speaking of her vocals, all I can say is wow. Her Broadway training clearly pays off, because her voice has a huge range, and she has the right amount of passion in her voice. She sounds a little sharp on some of her highest notes, but with how much she does right, and how much range she hits perfectly, I can fault a couple of sour notes.
This song, through Elsa's character, focuses on the inner turmoil of someone who is different and ostracized for those differences, before deciding to embrace those differences and saying to hell with anyone that has a problem with it.
This song is ridiculously overplayed, granted. When you think of Frozen, this is one of the first things to pop into your mind. That said, this is still a fantastic song. Some of the vocals are a bit sharp for me, but the range that Idina does show is impressive even inside of those notes, and the passion in her voice is communicated greatly, with the music backing her up perfectly. The lyrics are specific to her character's situation, while still being open enough to connect and inspire anyone listening who feels somehow different from others. Is it overplayed? Yes. Did it deserve to be a hit? Oh, hell yes. By the way, the video is a clip from the movie, rather than a lyric video.
Wow. That was a very good set of songs. When the only one that disappoints me is a former top 10 song from last year, you know it's a good set.
Previously: #30-26 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.868621-2014-Billboard-Top-100-30-26]
Next: #20-16 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.869102-2014-Billboard-Top-100-20-16]