best of alexanderao's 2017 Year-End Event | Everything else

[K$Ellie]

...Ready For It? and Bad Liar making the list  they're way too low tho

[prézli]

Not a fan of these.

 

 

[Brandon]

 

Ready For It? 

[lhdang2000]

We both begin our countdown with I'm The One.

 

RFI and Bad Liar are really good.

 

[Mark Rih]

a good start!

YD&B is my fave from the set it's relatable I know nnn

the acclaimed top 40 hit Bad Liar being here

 

[Mr. Loco]

I'm the one is really cool, and the best Bieber has released this year 

 

...RFI is also great, tho it got old fast for me

[Dom]

ready for it and bad liar are both 10/10

[alexanderao]

9 hours ago, Navyofbadgals said:

I find Young Dumb and Broke to be somewhat irritating tbh

He has done much better.

1 hour ago, Mark Rih said:

a good start!

YD&B is my fave from the set it's relatable I know nnn

the acclaimed top 40 hit Bad Liar being here

 

I find BL to be overrated on this forum, but it's not bad. And if I had to succinctly describe #s 30-40 of my pop list every year, it would be "they're not bad."

[potent]

YD&B is cute! I prefer Location though

[Mark Rih]

4 minutes ago, alexanderao said:

He has done much better.

I find BL to be overrated on this forum, but it's not bad. And if I had to succinctly describe #s 30-40 of my pop list every year, it would be "they're not bad."

accurate

Fetish is much better imo

 

love the fact BL is acclaimed tho, just to clock the haters

Edited December 15, 2017 by Mark Rih

[Red]

I won't lie...I kind of love "Young, Dumb & Broke" and like it more than "Location". What can I say? Sentimentality matters with me.

[ARTPØP]

Yessss RFI and BL!

[MusicLoverDude]

Bad Liar and Ready For It?

Make sure you comment on mine too!

[Lazuli]

...Ready For It?, Bad Liar and Young Dumb & Broke  

[alexanderao]

 

2 Chainz f/Quavo & Gucci Mane - Good Drank

7.6/10

 

Good Drank is an unassuming, subtle pleasure. The drugged-out keyboard line anchoring the production is an apropos backdrop for 2 Chainz's casual delivery, and he is backed by a neat singsong Quavo hook. Gucci Mane drops by for a super-clean verse that improves as it progresses. The song flows very smoothly, maintaining a chilled-out vibe without descending into boring territory. It is a thoughtful collaboration, with each artist weaving his own style into it; 2 Chainz projects maturity and bluntness, Quavo supplies cool melodies, and Gucci is the technically sharp one. The natural chemistry of this Atlanta trio allows Good Drank to become something more than the sum of its parts.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2015: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2014: N/A, this list was a top 30

[Chemical X.]

I’m living for this organized schedule.

[Legend E]

tew str8 for mee

[moonlight.]

 

On 12/15/2017 at 2:02 AM, alexanderao said:

 

Taylor Swift - ...Ready For It?

6.0/10

 

...Ready For It? lacks the magic of Wildest Dreams, the personality of Blank Space, and the universality of Shake It Off, so it's easy to feel a little disappointed with it. It's understandably difficult for Taylor to sing convincingly about sexual fantasies when she is so adamantly attempting to maintain her appeal to young fans– and this contradiction is front and center here. The lyrical content takes a relative back seat here, though, because the song boasts a beautiful, soaring hook tailor-made to soundtrack dramatic moments. Max Martin's production is well thought out, never overwhelming her and injecting noise into the song at the right times. That said, the awkward half-sung verses are a major liability, as their main purpose seems to be simply to enable the chorus to rise above them. ...Ready For It? is questionable in a lot of ways, but it is a lively song with commendable spirit.­­­

 

This position in 2016: Sia f/Kendrick Lamar - The Greatest

This position in 2015: Zedd f/Selena Gomez - I Want You To Know

This position in 2014: Ingrid Michaelson - Girls Chase Boys

 

On 12/15/2017 at 2:04 AM, alexanderao said:

 

Selena Gomez - Bad Liar

6.1/10

 

Bad Liar is the most unabashedly minimalist single Selena Gomez has ever made. The production is very low-key but maintains an upscale feel to it, featuring a persistent bassline and just a dash of percussion. Selena's experimentation is admirable, but the verses are disappointing; her hushed tone is not at all captivating, and the lyrics are quite unwieldy and somewhat distracting (with the Battle of Troy line standing out as particularly questionable). Yet her subdued vocals in the chorus work well, the little pauses in between its lines further emphasizing the sparse nature of the track. It can't help but feel transient, though, and the lushness of follow-up Fetish furthered the notion of Bad Liar as a sort of one-off. Contrasted with Gomez's prior music, the song is certainly an interesting case study. That said, it's not particularly engaging overall.

 

This position in 2016: James Bay - Let It Go (DJ Mike D Remix)

This position in 2015: Nicki Minaj - The Night Is Still Young

This position in 2014: Pharrell Williams f/Miley Cyrus - Come Get It Bae

 

On 12/15/2017 at 2:07 AM, alexanderao said:

 

J. Cole - Deja Vu

7.3/10

 

J. Cole's flow here is assertive and steady, and he is backed by an un-retouched production that is rich despite lacking intricacies. In lieu of fancy rhyme schemes or tongue-twisting couplets, Deja Vu takes a no-frills approach, making for a song that just chugs right along. The hook is somewhat unwieldy, but this is made up for by the insistent rhythms of the verses. Despite the plainness of their delivery, the lyrics are thoughtful, and the introspective Cole always sounds better when his songs double as short stories.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2015: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2014: N/A, this list was a top 30

i knew you had taste  

[alexanderao]

 

Linkin Park f/Kiiara - Heavy

6.2/10

 

 

There is no doubt that, following the suicide of Chester Bennington, Heavy's words carry an added level of poignancy, even if they are somewhat simplistic. Despite the sadness embedded within the song, the synths have an optimistic, almost upbeat vibe to them, reflected in the concept of "holding on" which is emphasized in the refrain. Unfortunately, the remainder of the production feels very plain and replaceable. Kiiara doesn't do anything wrong, but her presence doesn't improve much, and various opportunities for harmonies are passed up. I do appreciate how concisely the track gets its message across. It is structurally smooth and never gets in its own way. But while Heavy is an indisputably meaningful composition, it mostly fails to captivate. In the end, its conventionality overwhelms its sincerity, and that is a bit of a shame.

 

This position in 2016: DJ Snake f/Bipolar Sunshine - Middle

This position in 2015: Nick Jonas - Chains

This position in 2014: Justin Timberlake - Not A Bad Thing

[alexanderao]

Maroon 5 f/Future - Cold

6.2/10

 

In a way, Cold flipped the notion of the Maroon 5 radio single on its head. It's decidedly less cheery than prior offerings like Maps or Sugar, and its production is more reserved and even a little dark. Of course, they rarely fail to deliver an effective chorus, and here Cold is not an exception. While the hook is neither splashy nor "fun" per se–you most certainly wouldn't belt it out triumphantly in the shower–it's deceptively catchy and unique, unencumbered by its length. Outside of the hook, the production is actually somewhat barren, but monotony is avoided because of the variance in Adam's tone and the shortness of the verses. Future is the token rap guest; he's accommodated here for the same reason that Kendrick Lamar was on Don't Wanna Know. In this case, Future's sinister vibe meshes markedly more naturally with the premise of the song than Kendrick's personality did with the happy-go-lucky DWK. Still, though, the song didn't need to cross the three-minute mark, and Levine's performance is just unconvincing. He doesn't sound invested in the song, which ultimately renders it difficult to be invested in as a listener.

 

This position in 2016: ZAYN - PILLOWTALK

This position in 2015: Ed Sheeran - Photograph

This position in 2014: Ellie Goulding - Burn

[alexanderao]

Bruno Mars - Versace On The Floor

6.3/10

 

The prevailing motif of the 24K Magic era has been excessive cheesiness, and there is no better example of this than Versace On The Floor's laughably tedious intro. Mars croons faux-yearningly, backed by the most clichéd 80s-lite synths I've heard in a long time. It is here that I should confess my bias towards corny 80s synths. I enjoy the intimacy and tension that the production creates, but the phrasing is inexplicably tacky– lines like "take it off for me, for me, for me" and "let's just kiss 'till we're naked" inevitably elicit more chuckles than head-nods. Bruno's vocal performance is typically great, but Versace On The Floor mistakes extravagance for tired dramatics.

 

This position in 2016: X Ambassadors - Unsteady

This position in 2015: Rihanna, Kanye West, & Paul McCartney - FourFiveSeconds

This position in 2014: Sia - Chandelier

[alexanderao]

Drake f/Quavo & Travis Scott - Portland

7.7/10

 

For all of his recent cosmopolitan tendencies, Drake can still craft on-trend bangers with the best of them. On Portland, though, he is relegated to hype-man status for Quavo and Travis Scott, who take command once the song passes the one-minute mark. But even in his brief contribution, Drake demonstrates the fired-up side of himself–the one that we saw used to such good effect all over Views. The late-night feel of the production, meanwhile, suits Scott’s antics especially well. Buoyed by that infectious flute and by its entertaining lyrics, Portland is a heavy dose of fun that feels remarkably current and is sure to enliven any setting it is played in.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2015: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2014: N/A, this list was a top 30

[alexanderao]

Yo Gotti f/Nicki Minaj - Rake It Up

7.7/10

 

 

Yo Gotti is a frequent beneficiary of tremendously catchy club beats, and Rake It Up is no exception. Although it's an undoubtedly corny song that can't help but feel a little bit ridiculous, the echoing percussion and that video-game synth are quite addicting. Mike Will rounds out the production with a jumpy bassline and creates an atmosphere just sparse enough to allow the spotlight to train itself on Nicki Minaj's excellent feature, which she delivers with trademark eccentricity and gusto. She is a master at turning in charismatic performances, and Rake It Up is foremost an exercise in glorification. Gotti's basic flow isn't nearly enough to undermine a song whose foundation and attitude are so strong.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2015: N/A, this list was a top 30

This position in 2014: N/A, this list was a top 30

[alexanderao]

Martin Garrix & Dua Lipa - Scared To Be Lonely

6.4/10

 

 

 

Unlike the vast majority of ATRLers, I have refused to board the rapidly accelerating Dua Lipa hype train. To be clear, Scared To Be Lonely doesn't make me any more excited about her as an artist. It is, however, a very passable EDM offering that is superior to many of 2017's hits. Martin Garrix's raw talent as a producer is unquestionable; though this song is extremely generic with regards to structure, it is polished well. Lipa's voice has enough substance to carry the verses, and the drop is weirdly catchy, featuring a siren-like synth that cuts through the noise and entrenches the drop's melody in your head. Scared To Be Lonely doesn't really wow in any way, but it's pleasant and well-executed.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list was a top 20

This position in 2015: N/A, this list was a top 20

This position in 2014: N/A, this list was a top 20

[alexanderao]

ZAYN f/Sia - Dusk Till Dawn

6.5/10 

 

 

That Dusk Till Dawn's single cover is designed to look like a movie poster should have been a tip-off. It is almost comically theatrical, unabashedly attempting to generate melodrama from beginning to end. And it's unbelievably tempting to drag it ruthlessly for this. But dammit, Sia is just too good at power-pop for Dusk Till Dawn to be a bad song. Her and ZAYN's harmonized prechorus is admittedly very pretty, and both singers emote well throughout the track. Dragged out over four minutes, though, its dramatics are quite clearly overkill.

 

This position in 2016: N/A, this list was a top 20

This position in 2015: N/A, this list was a top 20

This position in 2014: N/A, this list was a top 20