lhdang2000 Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 The Ed drag. Honestly, I don't think Divide is a horrible album, but I can't believe in what he wrote or the stories he was trying to tell in his songs anymore. And the guy needs to keep his mouth shut. 24-20: A perfect update 5/5. All of them are really cute.
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Big Sean - Bounce Back 8.8/10 Big Sean cuts right to the chase on Bounce Back. The cold, stark production is uncompromising; his raps are similarly blunt. Mantra-like in its recitation, the hook embodies what the song is all about– regaining confidence in the wake of failure. Sean's confidence manifests itself in his verses, which are sharp both lyrically and technically. He never misses a beat and does well to add a little variety to his cadence amidst the unrelenting backdrop. Harsh and serious yet confident and positive, Bounce Back is the perfect pep talk. Bonus points for the excellent piano-laden outro. This position in 2016: Amine - Caroline This position in 2015: Chris Brown & Tyga - Ayo This position in 2014: Kendrick Lamar - i
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Kendrick Lamar - HUMBLE. 8.9/10 On the indomitable HUMBLE., Kendrick Lamar completes his ascent to star status. His delivery is ruthless and commanding, like that of a boss who you can't afford to ignore. Lyrically, it teems with witty double meanings and brilliant puns that cascade so quickly it's impossible to grasp them all in one listen. It doesn't need a catchy hook, controversial line, or big-name feature–it's already thrilling by itself. Now a modern classic that gets blared everywhere, HUMBLE. has proven its bold allegations correct. It's as if Kendrick was asked whether he really deserves his standing near the pinnacle of the rap game, and HUMBLE. is a show-stopping, irrefutable answer in the affirmative. This position in 2016: Travis Scott & Young Thug f/Quavo - Pick Up The Phone This position in 2015: J. Cole - No Role Modelz This position in 2014: Drake f/2 Chainz & Big Sean - All Me
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Logic f/Alessia Cara & Khalid - 1-800-273-8255 8.9/10 1-800-273-8255's title is starkly indicative of Logic's motivation for creating it: to raise awareness of and start conversations about suicide. Of course, a song is not automatically good for having good intentions. But 1-800 is a moving, sincere effort from a group of passionate, talented artists. The instrumentation, dominated by a beautiful string section and a somber beat, is unambiguous (and this is important). Logic and Alessia's verses are very pretty, as is Khalid's haunting outro. They display outstanding chemistry, trading lines effectively and harmonizing well. But they make sure that their technical antics never overshadow the story they're telling. This position in 2016: Kent Jones - Don't Mind This position in 2015: Usher f/Juicy J - I Don't Mind This position in 2014: Rich Homie Quan f/Problem - Walk Thru
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 The Weeknd - Reminder 9.1/10 Reminder has the enviably flashy aura and flawless finish of a luxury vehicle. The Weeknd glides atop a blindingly sleek, ultra-fresh production that his airy high notes are perfect for. The slightly mysterious keyboard and the spotless percussion balance each other out beautifully. The subject matter is nothing new for him, but that doesn't dampen the atmosphere at all. While it might bother Weeknd purists, Reminder's space-age fusion of pop and R&B was one of the coolest-sounding things on the planet this year. This position in 2016: Tory Lanez - LUV This position in 2015: Future f/Drake - Where Ya At This position in 2014: Big Sean f/E-40 - I Don't **** With You
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 PARTYNEXTDOOR - Not Nice 9.1/10 Not Nice is a sizzling slice of dancehall befitting of a hot summer evening. PARTYNEXTDOOR's rich, natural tone imbues the song with fiery passion. It is difficult to resist swaying during the lustful chorus, which contains an awesome sample that augments its vibe. The backbone of the song–its rhythmic, thumping percussion–is irresistible, and it only gets better from there. It's a sensuous, colorful track teeming with heat, a far cry from much of the watered-down tropical sounds that have ruled the airwaves over the past couple of years. Its neat fade-out aside, Not Nice could keep me upbeat for hours on end with its unbridled spirit. This position in 2016: Bryson Tiller - Exchange This position in 2015: Silento - Watch Me (Whip / Nae Nae) This position in 2014: T.I. f/Iggy Azalea - No Mediocre
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do 7.2/10 From the instant the fit-for-Halloween intro kicks in, Look What You Made Me Do asserts itself as detached from the playful pop of the 1989 era. Each line is a thinly veiled shot at a Taylor Swift "rival," though I am hard-pressed to take these "rivalries" at face value due to Swift's propensity to write things based on the likelihood they will lead to success. Even if it's all an act, though, it's an entertaining one. The prechorus makes her sound positively villainous, and the cryptic chorus does well to enhance the sinister vibe of the song. The bridge, which contains the obligatory spoken section, hammers home her ruthlessness. In a sense, Look What You Made Me Do was made for ATRL all along; its egocentric sass and played-up drama neatly encapsulate stan culture. So it makes sense that it captivates despite its gimmicks. This position in 2016: G-Eazy f/Bebe Rexha - Me, Myself & I This position in 2015: Maroon 5 - This Summer This position in 2014: Eminem f/Rihanna - The Monster
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Maroon 5 f/SZA - What Lovers Do 7.2/10 What Lovers Do is a big, fat marshmallow– fluffy and overly sweet. With its irresistible guitar line and falsetto-driven hook, it's like a more tempered repackaging of Sugar. SZA shows up for a cute feature, and she feels a lot less out of place than she probably should on a song that plays exclusively (and effectively) to Maroon 5's strengths. Of course, it's completely unoriginal. The sheer quantity of these kinds of songs–these always-guarded pleas for love tweaked meticulously for public consumption–that the band has created is remarkable. Let's face it, then: What Lovers Do is not a meaningful musical composition. But there's appeal in its childish naïveté, and when that earworm of a chorus bursts open, it's reminiscent of the morning sun: as bright, though as predictable, as it gets. This position in 2016: DNCE - Cake By The Ocean This position in 2015: DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge - You Know You Like It This position in 2014: Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Sam Hunt - Body Like A Back Road 7.3/10 Sam Hunt has commented on how he desires to incorporate pop and hip-hop elements into his music; Body Like A Back Road serves as the first complete realization of that desire. Featuring "ayy!" chants lifted straight out of a DJ Mustard trap anthem and conspicuously ready-for-radio snaps, it's not especially bold even though it's different. The lyrics are dumb but cute, and Hunt's easygoing delivery sells them effectively. Body Like A Back Road packages the amiability and warmth of a sincere country track into a mainstream pop single. This position in 2016: Meghan Trainor - NO This position in 2015: Adele - Hello This position in 2014: Echosmith - Cool Kids
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Marian Hill - Down 7.5/10 Down manages to find elegance in emptiness. Lead vocalist Sam Gongol delivers a deliberate performance; her suspenseful tone dramatizes the fairly direct lyrics. The opening verse is captivating in itself but then there's this unforeseeable drop–this spasmodic, eccentric, crisp drop–that works because it adds mystique to the track. It's not a full-on adrenaline rush kind of drop, but it's a destabilizing force in the song, and in the arrhythmia of those finely chopped vocals there's a very modern beauty. I am a sucker for clever touches in songs, and the faint twinkle of the piano just before the second drop definitely qualifies as one. Down is an inventive pop song that's gripping in an atypical way. This position in 2016: Adele - When We Were Young This position in 2015: Taylor Swift - Wildest Dreams This position in 2014: Beyonce f/JAY-Z - Drunk In Love
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Rihanna - Love On The Brain 7.5/10 Old-style power-pop isn't the sound I think of when I think of Rihanna. But on Love On The Brain, she pulls it off excellently. Its production, engineered to sound classic, features a distinctive guitar and exquisite string section. Her vocals range from delicate to fierce, creating a veritable rollercoaster of emotion to match the song's lyrics. Soul and sass are doled out in equal proportions, as are power and subtlety. The more I listen to Love On The Brain, the more I realize how badly it could have gone without a singer as professional as Rihanna. It's more a showcase of her talent than a genuine expression of her feelings. But it's convincing enough so as not to feel too impersonal. This position in 2016: Nick Jonas f/Tove Lo - Close This position in 2015: Selena Gomez f/A$AP Rocky - Good For You This position in 2014: Taylor Swift - Blank Space
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Bruno Mars - That's What I Like 7.5/10 That's What I Like is quintessential Bruno Mars. It liberally fuses influences from music new and old, comes with a healthy dose of boyish charm, and manages to stand out among the sea of love songs perpetually saturating the airwaves. It succeeds by ditching the contrived extravagance of 24K Magic for a more informal, peppy style (though this does not extend to the bridge, rendering it somewhat awkward). The production isn't ramshackle, but it has a cool unfiltered feel to it that, while contradicting the song's messaging, makes for a refreshing vibe. Despite the palpable enthusiasm, there's a sense of "been there, done that" with the content. But while Bruno's shtick is familiar at this point, his creative mind continues to find appealing ways to repackage it. This position in 2016: Ariana Grande - Into You This position in 2015: Jason Derulo - Want To Want Me This position in 2014: Passenger - Let Her Go
alexanderao Posted January 1, 2018 Author Posted January 1, 2018 Zedd f/Alessia Cara - Stay 7.7/10 In a year where DJs were pop girls' most frequent collaborators, Stay deservingly became the biggest such collaboration. Zedd's production emanates youthfulness, which makes Alessia Cara's still-maturing voice a perfect fit for it. From its drop–invigorating, like a rush of caffeine–to its addicting stepwise chorus, Stay conforms to a standardized structure yet puts a unique spin on many of its components. The heavy electronic effects applied to Cara's vocals during the hook are slightly distracting, but sonically consistent with the drop. Although the lyrics don't pack much of a punch, Stay retains appeal in Zedd's original production. This position in 2016: Daya - Hide Away This position in 2015: The Weeknd - Can't Feel My Face This position in 2014: Enrique Iglesias et al. - Bailando (Spanish)
ATRL Moderator Samson Posted January 1, 2018 ATRL Moderator Posted January 1, 2018 down, TWIL, stay, not nice
ATRL Moderator Legend E Posted January 1, 2018 ATRL Moderator Posted January 1, 2018 I think I stan/like all of them
JGibson Posted January 1, 2018 Posted January 1, 2018 Top 40: 7/7 Down + What Lovers Do + Look What You Made Me Do + That's What I Like + Love On The Brain + Body Like A Back Road
potent Posted January 1, 2018 Posted January 1, 2018 Humble, LOTB, and That What I Like I like The Weeknd this year at least but Reminder wasn't one of my favorites.
lhdang2000 Posted January 2, 2018 Posted January 2, 2018 Pop: 7/7. Great selection. Rhythmic/Urban: Humble + 1800.
moonlight. Posted January 12, 2018 Posted January 12, 2018 On 12/30/2017 at 3:02 AM, alexanderao said: 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. ldfl;fldlfd;l On 1/1/2018 at 2:30 PM, alexanderao said: Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do 7.2/10 From the instant the fit-for-Halloween intro kicks in, Look What You Made Me Do asserts itself as detached from the playful pop of the 1989 era. Each line is a thinly veiled shot at a Taylor Swift "rival," though I am hard-pressed to take these "rivalries" at face value due to Swift's propensity to write things based on the likelihood they will lead to success. Even if it's all an act, though, it's an entertaining one. The prechorus makes her sound positively villainous, and the cryptic chorus does well to enhance the sinister vibe of the song. The bridge, which contains the obligatory spoken section, hammers home her ruthlessness. In a sense, Look What You Made Me Do was made for ATRL all along; its egocentric sass and played-up drama neatly encapsulate stan culture. So it makes sense that it captivates despite its gimmicks. This position in 2016: G-Eazy f/Bebe Rexha - Me, Myself & I This position in 2015: Maroon 5 - This Summer This position in 2014: Eminem f/Rihanna - The Monster Taste
alexanderao Posted January 13, 2018 Author Posted January 13, 2018 LOL I didn't finish. Here are the remaining positions: Top 40 of Top 40 12. Camila Cabello f/Young Thug - Havana 7.8/10 (write-up) 11. Clean Bandit f/Anne-Marie & Sean Paul - Rockabye 7.8/10 (write-up) 10. Charlie Puth - Attention 8.1/10 (write-up) 9. Calvin Harris f/Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, & Big Sean - Feels 8.2/10 (write-up) 8. Julia Michaels - Issues 8.4/10 7. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still 8.5/10 6. The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This 8.8/10 5. The Weeknd f/Daft Punk - I Feel It Coming 8.9/10 4. DJ Khaled f/Rihanna & Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts 9.0/10 3. Halsey - Now Or Never 9.1/10 2. The Chainsmokers - Paris 9.3/10 1. Calvin Harris f/Frank Ocean & Migos - Slide 9.5/10 Top 40 Rhythmic/Urban Hits 12. Migos f/Lil Uzi Vert - Bad And Boujee 9.1/10 11. 2 Chainz f/Ty Dolla $ign, Trey Songz, & Jhene Aiko - It's A Vibe 9.1/10 10. Childish Gambino - Redbone 9.3/10 9. French Montana f/Swae Lee - Unforgettable 9.5/10 8. Post Malone f/21 Savage - rockstar 9.6/10 T-7. Lil Pump - Gucci Gang 9.6/10 T-7. Post Malone f/Quavo - Congratulations 9.6/10 6. Playboi Carti - Magnolia 9.7/10 5. Drake - Passionfruit 9.7/10 4. Future - Mask Off 9.8/10 3. 21 Savage - Bank Account 9.8/10 2. Khalid - Location 10/10 1. Lil Uzi Vert - XO TOUR Llif3 10/10 Top 25 Non-Hits 23. Future - Incredible 6.6/10 22. Bibi Bourelly - Ballin 6.7/10 21. The Revivalists - Wish I Knew You 6.9/10 20. Katy Perry f/Nicki Minaj - Swish Swish 6.9/10 (write-up) 19. Future f/Rihanna - Selfish 7.1/10 (write-up) 18. Lauv - I Like Me Better 7.3/10 17. Wiz Khalifa f/Ty Dolla $ign - Something New 7.3/10 16. 2 Chainz f/Travis Scott - 4 AM 7.3/10 15. Lil Pump - D Rose 7.4/10 14. Marshmello f/Khalid - Silence 7.5/10 13. Amine - REDMERCEDES 7.6/10 12. Drake f/Kanye West - Glow 7.7/10 11. Calvin Harris f/Young Thug, Pharrell Williams, & Ariana Grande - Heatstroke 7.8/10 @iHype. 10. Lorde f/Khalid, SZA, & Post Malone - Homemade Dynamite (Remix) 8.0/10 9. Rae Sremmurd - Perplexing Pegasus 8.1/10 8. Big Sean - Jump Out The Window 8.1/10 7. DJ Khaled f/Drake - To The Max 8.2/10 6. Young Thug f/Future - Relationship 8.5/10 5. Calvin Harris f/Future & Khalid - Rollin 8.6/10 4. Lorde - Green Light 8.6/10 3. Lorde - Perfect Places 8.8/10 2. Drake - Signs 9.0/10 1. Big Sean - Moves 9.3/10 Top 10 Albums 7. Kendrick Lamar - DAMN. 8.6/10 6. 21 Savage - Issa Album 8.9/10 5. Gucci Mane - Droptopwop 9.1/10 4. 21 Savage, Offset, & Metro Boomin - Without Warning 9.2/10 3. Halsey - hopeless fountain kingdom 9.3/10 2. Young Thug - Beautiful Thugger Girls 9.5/10 1. Drake - More Life 9.8/10 Also, Some Really Terrible Songs That I Would Like To Mention: Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry J Balvin f/Willy William - Mi Gente Liam Payne f/Quavo - Strip That Down James Arthur - Say You Won't Let Go David Guetta f/Justin Bieber - 2U Jason Derulo f/Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign - Swalla AJR - Weak Macklemore f/Skylar Grey - Glorious MGK & Camila Cabello - Bad Things Shawn Mendes - There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back Ed Sheeran - Shape Of You Ed Sheeran - Perfect Ed Sheeran & Beyonce - Perfect Duet Ed Sheeran & Andrea Boccelli - Perfect Symphony
alexanderao Posted January 13, 2018 Author Posted January 13, 2018 Thanks very much for following along and apologies for the poor effort this year. See you next December!
iHype. Posted January 13, 2018 Posted January 13, 2018 3 minutes ago, alexanderao said: 11. Calvin Harris f/Young Thug, Pharrell Williams, & Ariana Grande - Heatstroke 7.8/10 @iHype. Taste.
potent Posted January 13, 2018 Posted January 13, 2018 Okayyy Green light, Slide, Feel It Still, and IFIC are amazing, but so are Shape of You and SYWLG and Sorry Not Sorry so delete those
JGibson Posted January 13, 2018 Posted January 13, 2018 Top 40: 5/12 Feel It Still + Something Just Like This + Now or Never + Issues Non-Hits: 5/23 Wish I Knew You + Green Light + Perfect Places + Swish Swish Worsts: disagree with Ed Sheeran's songs (COTH, SOY, Perfect), Demi Lovato's Sorry Not Sorry, and James Arthur's Say You Won't Let Me Go.
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