Last set! I beat Todd this time!
#5: "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic
Re-review!
The song opens with an acoustic guitar backing up Ryan Tedder's voice, starting out sounding like just about every "white guy with guitar" song. Luckily, after the intro, some piano and synth kicks in, giving the song some much-needed energy. Speaking of Ryan Tedder, he sounds great here. He spends a fair amount of time in a lower register, making it stand out all the more when he uses a solid falsetto.
This is an autobiographical song. Ryan Tedder has said that it basically represents how he felt when he first got married, working several jobs to make enough money to get by. The phrase "no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars" is what he would tell his wife, basically saying that their money issues would not last forever.
I quite like this song. Anyone who has had problems making money can agree with the lyrics, and Ryan Tedder's voice gives the right amount of passion, making the song hopeful rather than depressing, something that the music helps with as well. In the end, this song could have been quite depressing, but it was taken in a different direction, and with good reason.
#4: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX
With 4 hits this year, Iggy Azalea is officially the biggest pop star of 2014. I'll let that sink in. Oh, and repeat artist!
Well, I can't fault the music for not being unique. The music's basically driven by a bass line that can be quite easily described as "plodding", with some drums and a crowd chanting "hey" in the background at certain points. The hook is sung by Charli XCX, and sounds better than she did in her solo hit, giving the song a catchy chorus. Iggy, on the other hand...like her other work this year, the word "fake" comes to mind, but she doesn't even show all that much rapping skill in this song.
This is a "bragging" rap song, with Iggy rapping about how awesome and rich she is, and the hook bragging about how she is "fancy".
I...did not like this song. The music does nothing but give me a slightly dull headache, and the lyrics match Iggy, in that they are both laughable attempts at trying to seem "real", when they are faker than Pamela Anderson's...lips. Charli XCX does good on the hook, but despite what Flo Rida seems desperate to prove, you can't make a good song with just a decent hook. I'll stick to the Weird Al version.
#3: "All of Me" by John Legend
John Legend is an R&B singer-songwriter. He's had quite a bit of success in his career, including winning a total of 9 Grammies. However, this was basically his "comeback" (and first number 1 single) as while he had a fair bit of chart success, his last top 40 single was in 2008, although his albums have done consistently well and he's had success in the interim as a guest vocalist, lending his voice to songs such as Kanye West's "All Of the Lights".
The song is just John Legend and his piano for music. That isn't as boring as it might sound, however. John Legend is quite a skilled piano, and the piano line is quite pretty to listen, and isn't too repetitive, working as a great backing for John Legend's vocals. Speaking of his vocals, John Legend has a great voice for R&B. He has a lot of soul, and while he is usually in a low to somewhat high pitch, he does show a great high note in the chorus, giving Ne-Yo a run for his money.
This is a simple love song. He gives his all to his love, because he loves her with every inch of his being, and wants her to return the favor, because as long as he has her, he is always winning.
The lyrics are a bit cliche ("Love all your curves and your edges/all your perfect imperfections"), but this is the kind of song that really works with "cliche". The vocals are tight, and the music, while perhaps a bit simple, shows enough complexity to stand out over other "singer and piano" songs. This is maybe not the most complex song, but it makes me smile.
#2: "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry feat. Juicy J
Double repeat artists!
The opening music is basically a synth loop that sounds like the soundtrack to my insanity. After the intro...well, the synth music changes to a different riff (if you can call hitting a few notes a riff) on the verses, and the bridge. The chorus has a different synth line, and is the best-sounding music in the song. Katy Perry actually doesn't sound too bad, but she does have some shaky notes. Juicy J, on the other hand, shows some rapping skills, but his tone of voice is so dull, and personality so lacking, it almost cancels out those rap skills.
This song, essentially, is Katy Perry saying "don't mess with me". According to Katy Perry herself, she wrote the song from the point of view of a witch warning a man not to fall in love with her, because if he does, she'll be the last woman he loves. Juicy J...well, he basically raps the part of the man ignoring her warning.
Honestly, while this song definitely has problems, it's not all that bad. Yes, the music is repetitive and annoying, and Juicy J's part could be removed and probably make the song better, but I give Katy Perry credit on this song. She tries something new, pretty much throws off the autotune, and decides to actually tell a story with the lyrics. I don't know if she actually succeeds with this song, but I do appreciate her effort to give something more than standard teenage love songs.
#1: "Happy" by Pharrell Williams
Repeat artist! Interestingly, even though Pharrell wrote the song, he was his own second choice for the song. His first choice? Ceelo Green. He actually got so far as to get a recording of Ceelo singing the song, and preferred Ceelo's version, but Ceelo's record company decided against it, because Ceelo was on the verge of releasing a Christmas album. Don't you love record companies?
The music, by modern standards, is pretty simplistic and minimal. There's a drum line, a bit of synth and piano, and clapping. With the little that the song has musically, though, it makes it work, making a sound that sounds kind of faux-Motown, with a beat that is way too easy to dance to. As for Pharrell himself, he shows a fair bit of vocal talent. His normal singing voice is already pretty light, but he hits falsettos several times, and each time he makes it sound effortless, not exactly the easiest thing to do.
This song is exactly what it says it is. He's urging everyone to clap and dance along if they are happy, and urging everyone to celebrate their happiness.
This song...honestly, I cannot understand how anyone can dislike this song. Be sick of hearing it? Quite possibly. But actually not liking it? The music is great to dance to, Pharrell has the right pitch and energy for the song, with a deceptively skilled voice, and the lyrics are just so...well, happy. This is a great song to just throw on and feel good. If you want to be "happy", this song will do it. Also, the Weird Al parody is great, and the video features Jack Black. Has nothing to do with the original, but...just saying.
Well, that was 2014. Thoughts? Eh. It wasn't exactly a bad year, but it wasn't a good year, either. There was so much stuff that was "all right", or bad in a boring way. There was some good stuff as well, but even that wasn't as good as, say, "Fuck You!" or "Get Lucky". This list is done, and I'm not upset about it. As always, I'll be doing my top and bottom 10, with the same caveats: no repeats from last year, and no repeating artists in the same list.
Previously: #10-6 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.869205-2014-Billboard-Top-100-10-6]
#5: "Counting Stars" by OneRepublic
Re-review!
The song opens with an acoustic guitar backing up Ryan Tedder's voice, starting out sounding like just about every "white guy with guitar" song. Luckily, after the intro, some piano and synth kicks in, giving the song some much-needed energy. Speaking of Ryan Tedder, he sounds great here. He spends a fair amount of time in a lower register, making it stand out all the more when he uses a solid falsetto.
This is an autobiographical song. Ryan Tedder has said that it basically represents how he felt when he first got married, working several jobs to make enough money to get by. The phrase "no more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars" is what he would tell his wife, basically saying that their money issues would not last forever.
I quite like this song. Anyone who has had problems making money can agree with the lyrics, and Ryan Tedder's voice gives the right amount of passion, making the song hopeful rather than depressing, something that the music helps with as well. In the end, this song could have been quite depressing, but it was taken in a different direction, and with good reason.
#4: "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX
With 4 hits this year, Iggy Azalea is officially the biggest pop star of 2014. I'll let that sink in. Oh, and repeat artist!
Well, I can't fault the music for not being unique. The music's basically driven by a bass line that can be quite easily described as "plodding", with some drums and a crowd chanting "hey" in the background at certain points. The hook is sung by Charli XCX, and sounds better than she did in her solo hit, giving the song a catchy chorus. Iggy, on the other hand...like her other work this year, the word "fake" comes to mind, but she doesn't even show all that much rapping skill in this song.
This is a "bragging" rap song, with Iggy rapping about how awesome and rich she is, and the hook bragging about how she is "fancy".
I...did not like this song. The music does nothing but give me a slightly dull headache, and the lyrics match Iggy, in that they are both laughable attempts at trying to seem "real", when they are faker than Pamela Anderson's...lips. Charli XCX does good on the hook, but despite what Flo Rida seems desperate to prove, you can't make a good song with just a decent hook. I'll stick to the Weird Al version.
#3: "All of Me" by John Legend
John Legend is an R&B singer-songwriter. He's had quite a bit of success in his career, including winning a total of 9 Grammies. However, this was basically his "comeback" (and first number 1 single) as while he had a fair bit of chart success, his last top 40 single was in 2008, although his albums have done consistently well and he's had success in the interim as a guest vocalist, lending his voice to songs such as Kanye West's "All Of the Lights".
The song is just John Legend and his piano for music. That isn't as boring as it might sound, however. John Legend is quite a skilled piano, and the piano line is quite pretty to listen, and isn't too repetitive, working as a great backing for John Legend's vocals. Speaking of his vocals, John Legend has a great voice for R&B. He has a lot of soul, and while he is usually in a low to somewhat high pitch, he does show a great high note in the chorus, giving Ne-Yo a run for his money.
This is a simple love song. He gives his all to his love, because he loves her with every inch of his being, and wants her to return the favor, because as long as he has her, he is always winning.
The lyrics are a bit cliche ("Love all your curves and your edges/all your perfect imperfections"), but this is the kind of song that really works with "cliche". The vocals are tight, and the music, while perhaps a bit simple, shows enough complexity to stand out over other "singer and piano" songs. This is maybe not the most complex song, but it makes me smile.
#2: "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry feat. Juicy J
Double repeat artists!
The opening music is basically a synth loop that sounds like the soundtrack to my insanity. After the intro...well, the synth music changes to a different riff (if you can call hitting a few notes a riff) on the verses, and the bridge. The chorus has a different synth line, and is the best-sounding music in the song. Katy Perry actually doesn't sound too bad, but she does have some shaky notes. Juicy J, on the other hand, shows some rapping skills, but his tone of voice is so dull, and personality so lacking, it almost cancels out those rap skills.
This song, essentially, is Katy Perry saying "don't mess with me". According to Katy Perry herself, she wrote the song from the point of view of a witch warning a man not to fall in love with her, because if he does, she'll be the last woman he loves. Juicy J...well, he basically raps the part of the man ignoring her warning.
Honestly, while this song definitely has problems, it's not all that bad. Yes, the music is repetitive and annoying, and Juicy J's part could be removed and probably make the song better, but I give Katy Perry credit on this song. She tries something new, pretty much throws off the autotune, and decides to actually tell a story with the lyrics. I don't know if she actually succeeds with this song, but I do appreciate her effort to give something more than standard teenage love songs.
#1: "Happy" by Pharrell Williams
Repeat artist! Interestingly, even though Pharrell wrote the song, he was his own second choice for the song. His first choice? Ceelo Green. He actually got so far as to get a recording of Ceelo singing the song, and preferred Ceelo's version, but Ceelo's record company decided against it, because Ceelo was on the verge of releasing a Christmas album. Don't you love record companies?
The music, by modern standards, is pretty simplistic and minimal. There's a drum line, a bit of synth and piano, and clapping. With the little that the song has musically, though, it makes it work, making a sound that sounds kind of faux-Motown, with a beat that is way too easy to dance to. As for Pharrell himself, he shows a fair bit of vocal talent. His normal singing voice is already pretty light, but he hits falsettos several times, and each time he makes it sound effortless, not exactly the easiest thing to do.
This song is exactly what it says it is. He's urging everyone to clap and dance along if they are happy, and urging everyone to celebrate their happiness.
This song...honestly, I cannot understand how anyone can dislike this song. Be sick of hearing it? Quite possibly. But actually not liking it? The music is great to dance to, Pharrell has the right pitch and energy for the song, with a deceptively skilled voice, and the lyrics are just so...well, happy. This is a great song to just throw on and feel good. If you want to be "happy", this song will do it. Also, the Weird Al parody is great, and the video features Jack Black. Has nothing to do with the original, but...just saying.
Well, that was 2014. Thoughts? Eh. It wasn't exactly a bad year, but it wasn't a good year, either. There was so much stuff that was "all right", or bad in a boring way. There was some good stuff as well, but even that wasn't as good as, say, "Fuck You!" or "Get Lucky". This list is done, and I'm not upset about it. As always, I'll be doing my top and bottom 10, with the same caveats: no repeats from last year, and no repeating artists in the same list.
The only reason this avoided the bottom 10 is because T.I. had another song I thought deserved it more. My "no repeating artists" rule saved this song from the list proper.
I debated long and hard about putting this on the list, because it's not actually a bad song. However, the sheer level of uncomfortableness, given Bobby's real-life troubles and admitting this song was at least partially autobiographical, made the song unpleasant to listen to.
Nothing offensive, but the song itself was so bland, and Katy's attempts at double entendres so cringeworthy, it had to go on the list.
Charli XCX boosted this song up the list, but even her nice hook couldn't save this song. Iggy's attempts at bragging are laughable, and the entire song comes off as fake, something no bragging rap song should do.
This song just didn't sit right for me. In a year when a lot of rap is working on moving past the thug roots and finding a way to be inspiring, hearing a song celebrating those roots just felt like a throwback to a time best left untouched.
Yes, a lot of this song was unintentionally funny, including how little of a crap Snoop Dogg gave. In the end, though, too much of the song was just bad to avoid the list.
This is not the worst song Drake's ever done, but it is one of the most boring. A boring song with a boring rapper about a boring subject is...well, right in the middle of the worst list seems about right.
Kid In is a decent rapper, but the idea of a song dedicated to a girlfriend, urging her to not tell her family that they are "together"...just comes off as "trophy girlfriend". Good enough to lay, not good enough to take home afterwards.
Hearing Chris Brown sing about how women aren't loyal to him...yeah, I don't think I need to explain what's wrong there, and Lil Wayne is no better, considering last year's "Love Me".
For a long time, I was going to put this at the top of my worst of list. The voice was painful to listen to, and the lyrics were both too creepy and too goofy to be charming or threatening. The music video saved it from the top spot because it showed that Adam Levine was intentionally trying to be creepy. Even though he was a little amiss in the attempt, knowing that he was going for a certain tone was enough to save it, as it made the creepy undertones intentional. Unlike the number one song...
I don't know what I was thinking, not putting it on the list last year. But I'm glad, because no other song made me feel nearly as unclean as this song. The music was good, and the singing was decent, but that just made it worse, because of the lyrics. "Animals" was trying to be creepy, and missed. This song was trying to be charming (other than T.I.'s part, which alone would put this on the list), and came off incredibly, painfully...let's put it this way. This song could probably act as a trigger. I don't even think I'm exaggerating. Hated this song, felt I needed a shower, and felt like I was put on a watchlist for listening to it. Twice.
Only reason this didn't make a list is because of the "repeating artists" rule.
It made me happy. That was enough to get it on this list. Didn't do much more than that, which is why it didn't go higher.
See, now this is how you do a creepy, menacing song right. The tone is dark, the singing is both catchy, yet a bit menacing, and the lyrics paint the picture of an obsessed stalker without obviously trying to hard (See: "Animals"). A creepy song, and I loved every minute of it.
Very catchy song, with a lot of energy I didn't expect from an Ellie Goulding song. Was fun to listen to, and the lyrics somehow inspire without being clear what they are saying.
Her singing voice was a little unsteady in this song, but I believe that was intentional, and her emotions got through loud and clear, working well with the incredibly thought-provoking lyrics. It was either this or "Habits" by Tove Lo, and this one was more enjoyable to listen to.
One of two duets in my top 10, this song was quite fun to listen to, and both singers meshed well and seemed to have great chemistry, despite one of them being dead for almost half a decade. That takes great talent, and not just on Jackson's part.
What can I say? I have a soft spot for historical songs, and this song had a lot of uniqueness to it. In fact, I would say it was quirky, but endearingly so.
While "Lifestyle" was a throwback in a bad way, this song was a throwback to bands like The Smiths, in a very good way. The synth riff is catchy, and makes the song recognizable from the first notes, and the lyrics, while somewhat juvenile, are intentionally so, and speak to a part of us that everyone who has felt left out understands.
This song was just a lot of fun. One of two reggae-inspired songs, this one easily beat out "Rude" by having a message that is inspiring, and showing that the singer understands and believes in the message.
I'm still blown away by how good Ed Sheeran was this year. This song won a spot over "Don't" because this song was just a blast, capturing the party mood of the lyrics amazingly well. In addition, Ed Sheeran showed off crazy vocal talent that I didn't know he had.
This song won a place because everything worked out just as intended. The music complemented the vocals amazingly, both AGBW's singer and Christina Aguilera showed chemistry and were on top of their game, making the lyrics that much more believable. Out of all the songs this year, this was the only one that actually made me tear up. Any song that makes me that emotionally invested earns a spot up towards the top, and with this being the only song to do so this year, it was the easy choice for the top spot.
Previously: #10-6 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.869205-2014-Billboard-Top-100-10-6]
