alexanderao Posted December 25, 2017 Author Posted December 25, 2017 Harry Styles - Sign Of The Times 6.8/10 A world away from anything ever thought imaginable in a One Direction production session, Sign Of The Times is a 340-second epic that is undoubtedly overzealous but shockingly powerful. The refrain is like a stage show's controlled explosion– you anticipate the drama, yet it still hits hard. Anchored by booming percussion, Harry plays the role of the reassurer, singing with maturity and class in the specter of chaos. By the time he launches into the absurdity that is the bridge, the song is still picking up steam but no longer adding substance. It is a piece constructed such that a full listen is exhausting. It's a very heavy song about navigating through turbulence, so many of its theatrical moments are justified. But while its melodramatic flourishes (especially his final "we've got to, we've got to get away...," which I always want to scream at the top of my lungs) are riveting, it's comically extra once you get past them. This position in 2016: Meghan Trainor - Me Too This position in 2015: Meghan Trainor f/John Legend - Like I'm Gonna Lose You This position in 2014: Mr. Probz - Waves (Robin Schulz Radio Edit)
alexanderao Posted December 25, 2017 Author Posted December 25, 2017 Niall Horan - Slow Hands 6.8/10 Slow Hands blew up on pop radio a couple months too early, because its coziness and warmth are perfect for wintertime. Niall sings passionately over a cool rustic guitar, and I actually like the peculiar mixing of his vocals. But the lyrics are blunt and unimpressive, like a reductionist take on Taylor Swift's Style. Still, its simplicity gives it a traditional charm, and though it's not an artistic breakthrough, Slow Hands is a cute little sing-along. This position in 2016: Coldplay - Hymn For The Weekend This position in 2015: R. City f/Adam Levine - Locked Away This position in 2014: American Authors - Best Day Of My Life
JGibson Posted December 25, 2017 Posted December 25, 2017 Slow Hands + Water Under The Bridge + All Time Low
potent Posted December 26, 2017 Posted December 26, 2017 (edited) I wish I liked Praying (and what you wrote is true) but I honestly think it's really really bad I also wish SOTT wasn't so overdone and trying desperately to be this epic masterpiece WUTB is amazing though Edited December 26, 2017 by potent
MusicLoverDude Posted December 26, 2017 Posted December 26, 2017 Praying, What About Us?, Scared To Be Lonely
Temporal Posted December 26, 2017 Posted December 26, 2017 The two 1D boys right next to each other SOTT is a biT overrated, but maybe I need to give ha another chance!
alexanderao Posted December 26, 2017 Author Posted December 26, 2017 Kendrick Lamar - DNA. 8.3/10 DNA. sees Kendrick Lamar flaunt his technical prowess in a big way. He comes out a boxer, his lines landing like a flurry of punches. Lyrically, he's as sharp and incisive as ever. There's a palpable urgency to the song that just makes your heart race, although this is disrupted somewhat by the questionable beat switch. He uses a plethora of different rhyme schemes, tackling every one of them with unmatched ferocity. The beat (well, the first one) matches his energy, sounding gritty and ruthless. There isn't much else to say; in every possible aspect, DNA. is a primetime showcase of Kendrick at his furious, amped-up best. This position in 2016: Dreezy f/Jeremih - Body This position in 2015: Wale f/Jeremih - The Body This position in 2014: Drake - 0 to 100 / The Catch Up
alexanderao Posted December 26, 2017 Author Posted December 26, 2017 Migos - T-Shirt 8.3/10 All three Migos are wonderfully in sync for T-Shirt. Armed with endless adlibs, the trio take turns dishing out fun-filled verses over a dressed-up trap beat. Analyzed in isolation, their flows really don't differ by that much. The spacious, undulating beat ensures that the song never overwhelms. Why? It doesn't need to. It's executed with remarkable precision. Migos' intangible chemistry is what ties it all together; someone not listening carefully could be forgiven for thinking that Migos is one person. T-Shirt isn't anything new or unexpected for them, yet it feels utterly inimitable. This position in 2016: Madeintyo - Uber Everywhere This position in 2015: Trey Songz - Slow Motion This position in 2014: Bobby Shmurda - Hot N*gga
alexanderao Posted December 26, 2017 Author Posted December 26, 2017 Gucci Mane f/Migos - I Get The Bag 8.4/10 If I had to explain what was popular right now to someone not in the know, I would play them I Get The Bag. A straight-up trap song chock-full of triplets, it is the archetypal 2017 urban hit. Its controlled intensity is factory-like–if there existed a factory churning out streaming smashes. Quavo manages to navigate the long chorus efficiently, and Gucci Mane's verse is equally as strong as Takeoff's. The highly self-referential lyrics feel like fun inside jokes and would be cringeworthy if all three artists weren't as hot as they were when they recorded the song. I Get The Bag is conclusive proof that they have perfected current rap, made it a science. This position in 2016: Young M.A - OOOUUU This position in 2015: Rihanna - Bitch Better Have My Money This position in 2014: Tinashe f/A$AP Rocky - Pretend
alexanderao Posted December 26, 2017 Author Posted December 26, 2017 A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie f/Kodak Black - Drowning 8.4/10 Drowning's sober, haunting piano line captivates from the outset. A Boogie's singsong flow is slightly rigid but catchy nonetheless; the chorus, which uses just the right amount of repetition, is where he really shines. The normally raucous Kodak Black comes up with a remarkably tranquilized second verse, and his peculiar voice somehow meshes well with the production. Hopeful yet always grounded, Drowning has a refreshing down-to-earth feel to it. It's a very earnest effort and a nice cleanse from the uptempo tracks that have dominated urban radio of late. This position in 2016: Chance The Rapper f/Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz - No Problem This position in 2015: Rae Sremmurd f/Young Thug & Nicki Minaj - Throw Sum Mo This position in 2014: Chris Brown f/Usher & Rick Ross - New Flame
ATRL Moderator Legend E Posted December 26, 2017 ATRL Moderator Posted December 26, 2017 i didn't listen to these xox
lhdang2000 Posted December 26, 2017 Posted December 26, 2017 #Top40: 5/5. Praying + ATL + WUTB + SOTT + Slow Hands. Slow Hands stood out for me tho, really surprised that Niall put out such a great song.
K$Ellie Posted December 26, 2017 Posted December 26, 2017 Welp, Praying is way too low Water Under The Bridge and Sign Of The Times
alexanderao Posted December 27, 2017 Author Posted December 27, 2017 The Chainsmokers - Memories... Do Not Open 8.4/10 It doesn't take a genius to understand why The Chainsmokers' music provokes a snobbish revulsion from the vast majority of music critics. Over the past eighteen months, the duo has created music in an extraordinarily methodical manner. Their songs, both structurally and topically homogeneous, typically feature delicate soundscapes and pillowy drops to go along with youthful, innocent-sounding vocals. Some, like My Type, unravel gently and simmer pleasantly. Others have passionate, euphoric climaxes that aren't so much fun as they are fulfilling. On Memories... Do Not Open, they succeed by being shameless in their consistency. They have a formula that works much more frequently than it doesn't, and they see no reason to deviate from it. No wonder critics hate it so much: it's a brazen statement of self-satisfaction. The Chainsmokers are producers first, singers second, and lyricists third. Between the tender piano chords of Bloodstream and the beautiful twinkling synths of Paris, their production is pristine and alluring. In fact, a recurring theme on Memories is that the production is far more articulate than the lyrics are. Drew Taggart writes simplistically; his clumsy one-liners sometimes briefly derail Memories' songs, and even at his most introspective he doesn't come across as particularly profound. But his vocals are decent enough, and on occasion his innocuous tone enhances the naïvete of the music (he sounds practically prepubescent on Young). Break Up Every Night, a tongue-in-cheek ode to a confused relationship, is the best proof Memories offers that The Chainsmokers don't need outside vocalists to execute. But when they do introduce other performers, they tend to buoy the album. It Won't Kill Ya benefits from a composed Louane, Chris Martin delivers an inspiring performance on megahit Something Just Like This, and Emily Warren graciously lends her delicate vocal to the trio of Don't Say, My Type, and Paris. She harmonizes surprisingly well with Taggart on the latter, which features an exhilarating finish worthy of a mention in this review. Meanwhile, an uncredited Phoebe Ryan makes a subtle but brilliant appearance in the background of Bloodstream. Harping on the fact that The Chainsmokers aren't musical revolutionaries is a disingenuous way to approach Memories. It is an album with gorgeous, modern, not overcomplicated pop production. It's a little bit cheesy and a little bit simplistic, so it can't help but feel fleeting. But that impermanence, attached to every track on Memories in one way or another, is fitting– although it might not be the future of pop music, it well and truly deserves to be the now. This position in 2016: N/A, this list did not exist This position in 2015: N/A, this list did not exist This position in 2014: N/A, this list did not exist
Bitchcraft Posted December 27, 2017 Posted December 27, 2017 Ok stan for Harry, the most talented of 1D 2 hours ago, Woo said: ........ he HATES himself confirmed.
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