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

[Navyofbadgals]

@Mark Rih stans

[Samson]

sorry i love u as a member and a friend, but keep it

[Mark Rih]

1 hour ago, Navyofbadgals said:

@Mark Rih stans

Oh yes I do

 

good job Alex  you never disappoint

[Lazuli]

No...

[Brandon]

 

The Chainsmokers 

[Bubble Tea]

On 12/27/2017 at 2:51 AM, Legend E said:

i didn't listen to these xox

Same I'll check back later, xxxx.

 

 

 

[Hey Gurl Hey]

Chainsmokers...

 

[alexanderao]

Gucci Mane f/Drake - Both

8.5/10

 

Behind a gold-star beat co-produced by Metro Boomin and Southside, a rejuvenated Gucci Mane and a sassy Drake join forces to produce fireworks on Both. Gucci's energy is contagious, and Drake's suave chorus balances that out nicely. The production gets down and dirty; in stan parlance, it "goes off," and I think that's the best way to sum it up. It's a boatload of fun– the perfect soundtrack for a wild, carefree time. The lyrics reflect this as well, with Drake matter-of-factly detailing his smoking and drinking activity. Both is a head-banger through and through, brimming with unadulterated energy.

 

This position in 2016: Kid Ink f/Fetty Wap - Promise

This position in 2015: Post Malone - White Iverson

This position in 2014: Drake - Trophies

[alexanderao]

Migos f/Gucci Mane - Slippery

8.5/10

 

The quirky cousin of Bad And Boujee, Slippery benefits from that kooky synth that dominates the instrumental and from a far superior guest feature three-quarters of the way through the song. Offset snags the spotlight here, speeding up and slowing down with enviable flair. Quavo adds onomatopoeia to his ever-expanding resume with the unconventional chorus. I am tempted to copy and paste what I wrote about Migos' unflappable chemistry on T-Shirt, because it applies just as much here (also, Gucci Mane really does play the role of fourth Migo well, doesn't he?). Slippery would probably be a very dull song if four rappers were randomly selected to perform it. But it's instead five minutes of raucous, slightly immature fun that couldn't be more apt for a Migos track.

 

This position in 2016: Belly f/The Weeknd - Might Not

This position in 2015: Rae Sremmurd - This Could Be Us

This position in 2014: DJ Khaled et al. - Hold You Down

[alexanderao]

GoldLink f/Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy - Crew

8.5/10

 

The widespread critical acclaim that Crew has received is shocking to me–especially considering its relative lack of success compared to most of the songs on this list–but it's all deserved. Brent Faiyaz effortlessly anchors the song with what might be the smoothest hook of the year, his buttery voice carving right through the punchy beat. GoldLink is quick on his feet with his dense, deadpanned flow, while Shy Glizzy provides a more flamboyant contrast. The former's verse morphs into the latter's without a hook in between the two, a neat structure reminiscent of last year's Chill Bill. It makes the song feel far less repetitive and far more whole. Well-organized and well-executed, Crew is a remarkably complete song despite its short length and no-frills approach.

 

This position in 2016: Jeremih - oui

This position in 2015: Natalie La Rose f/Jeremih - Somebody

This position in 2014: Trey Songz f/Nicki Minaj - Touchin, Lovin

[alexanderao]

Kyle f/Lil Yachty - iSpy

8.6/10

 

Much like Broccoli, which also featured Lil Yachty prominently, iSpy is a joyfully carefree song (and this is probably not coincidental). The vaguely childish production is delightfully bouncy and congruent with Kyle's laid-back flow. Some of the lyrics are awkward, but this only adds to the charm. iSpy is satisfyingly pure, sounding like the weight of the world has been lifted off of its shoulders. Its melodies are upbeat and its performers sincere. While its paradisal worldview might seem unrealistic or corny, Kyle and Yachty manage to make it endearing. It's nice to just forget about everything for a moment and be happy, and that's what iSpy is all about.

 

This position in 2016: Kevin Gates - 2 Phones, Rae Sremmurd f/Gucci Mane - Black Beatles (tie)

This position in 2015: Jidenna f/Roman GianArthur - Classic Man

This position in 2014: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/ScHoolboy Q & Hollis - White Walls

[alexanderao]

Travis Scott f/Kendrick Lamar - goosebumps

8.8/10

 

Travis Scott's peculiar delivery and a slightly unsettling beat give Goosebumps a sinister, unruly vibe. His signature autotune breathes life into his lengthy verse, a beautiful rollercoaster of melodies both dark and playful. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar stops by after the second hook to fire off a slick verse that he makes sound easy. He's completely in the zone– I can just envision him performing the entire verse in one long breath, without blinking his eyes. Goosebumps is a vivid song, yet it feels like merely a teaser for the eccentric world of Travis. It's an alluring listening experience that always leaves me wanting to try to understand it with ever more clarity.

 

This position in 2016: Rihanna f/Drake - Work

This position in 2015: Rae Sremmurd - Come Get Her

This position in 2014: Childish Gambino - V. 3005

[alexanderao]

Kodak Black - Tunnel Vision

8.8/10

 

With its iconic, boastful hook and brazen attitude, Tunnel Vision is a perfect expression of Kodak Black's rambunctious rebelliousness. Metro Boomin's beat is incredible: fleet-footed, wonderfully layered, and immediately infectious. Kodak is as energetic as ever, but he sounds especially focused here, firing carefully aimed shots at detractors and making his case for himself. His flow, natural and inspired, makes for lively (if immature) verses that don't dissipate any of the chorus's momentum. Tunnel Vision is an invigorating track, hard to ignore while it's in progress and hard to forget after it's over.

 

This position in 2016: Tory Lanez - Say It

This position in 2015: Meek Mill f/Chris Brown & Nicki Minaj - All Eyes On You

This position in 2014: Teeflii f/2 Chainz - 24 Hours

[Woo]

Slippery and Both 

[alexanderao]

Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill

6.9/10

 

Following the irrepressibly generic Shape Of You, this song really did come as a breath of fresh air. It's a genuine recounting of Ed's formative years, and he sounds far more like the budding young soul of the + era than the success-driven megastar of today. It bottles the essence of nostalgia well, blending Ed's candid storytelling with a chipper yet sentimental production. The bridge is, putting it mildly, uncomfortable–hearing Ed purr about his struggling friends certainly doesn't seem to jibe with the verses–but it can't take away from the pleasant briskness of the first 2 minutes and 50 seconds. I actually prefer the verses to the soaring but awkwardly structured hook. Castle On The Hill is a sweet ode to the past that resonates but doesn't really wow.

 

This position in 2016: Adele - Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

This position in 2015: Ellie Goulding - On My Mind

This position in 2014: Calvin Harris f/John Newman - Blame

[alexanderao]

Top 1 Worst Artists

#1

 

Ed Sheeran

Now that I've gotten my praise for Castle On The Hill out of the way, it's time for me to say what I've been ready to say for months: Ed Sheeran was far and away the most irritating voice in 2017's mainstream. He opened the year with a cocky declaration that he would sell more albums than Adele, and closed it with one of the most tryhard singles campaigns in recent memory. The sincerity and originality he displayed when he burst onto the music scene five years ago are completely gone; in its place are arrogance and greed. He has an insatiable appetite for success that manifested itself on the anodyne Divide, an album blander than plain yogurt and more contrived than the WWE. His miserable, cringeworthy attempts to pander to current trends (such as his laughably poor rapping on Galway Girl and Eraser to go along with the distilled faux-dancehall of Shape Of You) are the most notable aspect of the album. The funny thing is, he's completely upfront about all this. On the creation of Perfect, he stated: "I just wanted to beat ‘Thinking Out Loud.’ I wasn’t in any other mind... it was like, ‘I need to write the best love song of my career.’" Prompted to describe the remix to that song, he did so in terms of how successful he thought it would be: "I'm just basically going to 'Despacito' Perfect." In an interview with CBS, he admitted that he appears in his music videos because "my songs sell more when I'm in the video." He bragged to the BBC that, because many high-profile artists had released in 2016, that "I've got a full year of just all Ed, all the time." Are these the words of an artist making music to fulfill a passion, or are they the words of a ruthless marketer seeking an endless stream of chart-toppers? To me, there's no question about it– Ed Sheeran has become a total and complete sellout. I cannot take a single lyric of his seriously anymore; contextualized, nearly all of them read as calculated ploys to varying groups of potential consumers. His songs are no longer expressions of himself, merely kitschy products that he is advertising. His desperation is utterly shameful and his egotism is downright embarrassing. He has ditched integrity for commercialization and come to embody the worst of pop music. I hope he sees the big, fat "#2" next to Divide on the year-end chart and bubbles up with rage. 

[alexanderao]

Now let's see if I can do 40 song write-ups and 7 album write-ups in 2 days haha

[Navyofbadgals]

LOVING the edsheeran drag 

LOVING it

[Legend E]

Quote

I hope he sees the big, fat "#2" next to Divide on the year-end chart and bubbles up with rage. 

 drag ha

[K$Ellie]

iSpy isn't awful I guess  Kii @ you praising COTH and then dragging Ed

[alexanderao]

Imagine Dragons - Believer

6.9/10

 

Believer has a very no-nonsense feel to it. Little time is wasted at any point in the song, which is arranged immaculately. Hampering it are two things: the tacky "___ things ___" structure deployed in the verses and the annoyingly in-your-face hook that tries to be a rallying cry but ends up closer to sonic assault. The buildup to the hook, though, is really well done, maintaining a semblance of restraint yet upping the urgency level from the verses. The production is not dark yet not light– fitting for a song about pain but about appreciating how pain can shape you. It's vaguely grating, though, and that probably has something to do with how unnaturally polished it sounds. Believer, then, constitutes a marriage of astutely structured pop with edgy arena rock, and neither of these elements is executed perfectly. But the song is snappy enough that there's no time to dwell on its wasted potential, and the last chorus provides (intentionally or not) a great moment of release.

 

This position in 2016: Kiiara - Gold

This position in 2015: Ellie Goulding - On My Mind

This position in 2014: Calvin Harris f/John Newman - Blame

[alexanderao]

ZAYN & Taylor Swift - I Don't Wanna Live Forever

7.1/10

 

When I learned that Zayn–the guy who tried a little too hard to be sexy on his debut single–would feature on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, I was suspicious to say the least. But I Don't Wanna Live Forever is a substantial improvement for him; he sounds just reined in enough, and his higher register plays well with the swirling production. As for Taylor, she emotes decently but doesn't elevate the track to a level unreachable by any other prospective duet partner. The song is safe, even bare compared to past Fifty Shades soundtrack singles, but it has a quality of warmth to it that gives it an inviting atmosphere despite the starkness of the verses. Throughout the track, it is the lightness of Jack Antonoff's production–that neat piano, tame bassline, and subtle snapping–that ensures that the song doesn't collapse under its own weight but rather glides along smoothly. I Don't Wanna Live Forever might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but it's nonetheless a cleverly put together pop song, albeit one rendered a little ephemeral by its nondescript lyrics and watered-down feeling.

 

This position in 2016: Calvin Harris f/Rihanna - This Is What You Came For

This position in 2015: Calvin Harris f/Ellie Goulding - Outside

This position in 2014: Ariana Grande f/The Weeknd - Love Me Harder

[alexanderao]

Katy Perry f/Skip Marley - Chained To The Rhythm

7.1/10

 

Marketed as "purposeful pop" by the artist, Chained To The Rhythm is really too circumspect to posture as an activists' anthem. It does contain constant allusions to current events, but the song is still an attempt at a hit first and a political statement second. This is for the better, because its glimmering, vaguely-bubblegum 80s synths are far more captivating than its predictable politics. Rounded out by a summery guitar and innocuous handclaps, the production is near-flawless. Katy sounds best during the verses' drawn-out notes; her awkward pronunciation of "distortion" and "rhythm" coupled with the insertion of the "drink, this one's on me" line sidetrack a promising chorus. Points deducted for the Skip Marley feature, which is nothing more than a shameless promotion of Skip Marley. Chained To The Rhythm is bizarre in that it comes across a guilty-pleasure track but tries to incorporate serious messaging. Ultimately, I care more about the free-flowing, bouncy vibe of the song than I do its substance; perhaps this is an allegory of Katy's perspective of the world, but we won't get into that.

 

This position in 2016: Daya - Sit Still, Look Pretty

This position in 2015: Tove Lo - Talking Body

This position in 2014: Katy Perry f/Juicy J - Dark Horse

[alexanderao]

Kygo & Selena Gomez - It Ain't Me

7.2/10

 

 

For his mainstream breakthrough, It Ain't Me sees Kygo apply his trademark tropical house to a more melancholic setting, flipping a bittersweet breakup into a rousing radio anthem. The song's melodies are warm and its instrumentation lush, but the whole thing is tinged with a sadness that validates Selena Gomez's brooding, vulnerable vocals. Gomez breathes palpable emotion into the song, salvaging a set of cringeworthy lyrics. I wish I could just cut the drop-before-the-drop in the first chorus, though, and the drop itself is pedestrian; it's vapid and anticlimactic, perhaps the most forgettable aspect of the song. It Ain't Me is an affecting song, and it succeeds in its ability to channel the pensiveness that permeates it. I suppose it is impressive that it manages this given how shallow it feels at times.

 

This position in 2016: Ariana Grande - Dangerous Woman

This position in 2015: Selena Gomez - Same Old Love

This position in 2014: Calvin Harris - Summer

[JGibson]

Castle On The Hill + Chained To The Rhythm + Believer