shelven Posted December 27, 2017 Author Posted December 27, 2017 1 hour ago, Navyofbadgals said: when is the next update @shelven Probably only when I get off my cruise at this point (which is the 30th) It would legit take me like an hour just to get all the YouTube links
Pedro Posted December 28, 2017 Posted December 28, 2017 I got extremely sick of Shakira's reject so I am kind of happy she refused the song though at first it slayed. I loooooove that version of HFIG!!
shelven Posted December 30, 2017 Author Posted December 30, 2017 I'm back on land so I'm ready to start this up again! I'm going to try to update daily from here on out so that this doesn't finish too much later than when I had initially planned (although I may not be able to update tomorrow). Singles #20-#16 coming up!
Navyofbadgals Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 3 minutes ago, shelven said: I'm back on land so I'm ready to start this up again! I'm going to try to update daily from here on out so that this doesn't finish too much later than when I had initially planned (although I may not be able to update tomorrow). Singles #20-#16 coming up! Wig off son
shelven Posted December 30, 2017 Author Posted December 30, 2017 shelven's Top 50 Singles of 2017 #20: "Sign Of The Times" Harry Styles Although I can't say I ever disliked One Direction, I simply never cared for the group or its music whatsoever. I had slight hopes for Harry's solo music when hype started to build about his upcoming album, and he really ended up exceeding my expectations with "Sign Of The Times". For someone leaving an extremely poppy boy band, the song is impressive on every level. The instrumental is rich and full, with its focus on guitars and drums harkening back to prior decades when a song's instrumental often expressed more emotion and musicality than the vocals or lyrics. Harry's vocals are also great on the track - he doesn't do anything over-the-top, but manages to show off a strong range that casual listeners of One Direction likely didn't know he had. While "Sign Of The Times" definitely feels like it's trying hard to capture the magic of artists like David Bowie and Queen, I don't necessarily consider that a bad thing, because the result works for the most part. #19: "Symphony" Clean Bandit feat. Zara Larsson As I already discussed earlier in this list, Clean Bandit are fantastic are making songs that are simultaneously catchy, fresh and surprisingly emotional for electronic music. "Symphony" is another stellar example of Clean Bandit's strengths in their discography, as it contains all of these elements in a song that can simply be described as euphoric. The production perfectly weaves through being minimalist and calm at some points to feeling full and energetic at other times. Clean Bandit also once again makes a strong collaboration choice, as Zara's vocals feel both innocent and powerful, which perfectly matches the emotional journey that this song takes its listener on. #18: "Now Or Never" Halsey With "Badlands" being one of my favourite albums of 2015, I was really excited to hear how Halsey would start her second full era (and arguably her first as a mainstream act), and "Now Or Never" certainly did not disappoint. The lead single perfectly captures Halsey's overall sound, as its unique blend of pop, electronic and rhythmic feels distinctly like Halsey. Lyrically, the song is definitely one of the simpler songs in Halsey's discography, but that actually contributes to the song's strengths - instead of distracting the listener with too many metaphors or too much symbolism, the lyrics of "Now Or Never" are straight to the point and therefore are arguably more emotional and honest. The overall laidback and "chill" vibe of the song also helped it stay fresh over many listens, and this is one song that grew on me immensely between the first time I heard it and now. #17: "Down" Fifth Harmony feat. Gucci Mane Like them or not, it's very hard to argue against the fact that Fifth Harmony are skilled at crafting songs that are simply extremely catchy and fun to listen to. And despite "Down" not returning to the heights that 5H had reached with "Work From Home" in my opinion, "Down" is nonetheless a catchy, fresh and super fun song to listen to. Like with almost all of their music, the production is perfectly slick and polished, and all four girls sound smooth and silky throughout the entire track. And unlike many of their other songs, "Down" actually feels like it's a strong GROUP song, with each girl's contribution seamlessly flowing into the other as opposed to it feeling like a bunch of girls' individual contributions are being pasted together. While "Down" may not have been the showstopper 5H needed for a lead single, looking at it purely as a song, it's another very strong contribution to 5H's signature style. #16: "Sua Cara" Major Lazer feat. Anitta & Pabllo Vittar It seems like every year for the past few years, Major Lazer has released a song with production that I fall in love with, and "Sua Cara" is that song for 2017. It is simply impossible not to want to move and dance to this song - the breakdown is unique and hypnotizing, the bass is prominent but not overbearing, and the instrumental overall has an exotic quality to it that makes it stand out from most electronic music this year. The song also benefits immensely from its featured artists. Anitta sounds sexy and enticing on the song, but it's ultimately Pabllo Vittar's contribution that moved me from liking this song to loving it, with her verse exuding a perfect amount of sass, confidence and excitement that makes "Sua Cara" not just a catchy song, but a memorable one.
Navyofbadgals Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 SOTT is better than the other songs this update
Navyofbadgals Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 9 minutes ago, shelven said: feels distinctly like Halsey. Just a side note and not being shady here, but it’s still a Needed Me copy, so distinctly like Halsey doesn’t work still a cute bop though
shelven Posted December 30, 2017 Author Posted December 30, 2017 1 minute ago, Navyofbadgals said: Just a side note and not being shady here, but it’s still a Needed Me copy, so distinctly like Halsey doesn’t work ddd I thought of this as I wrote that I agree melodically there's pretty obvious Needed Me comparisons, but I'd argue that the more electronic and alt-pop influence in the production at least makes the instrumental feel like a Halsey song (even if the melody borrows from other artists )
Navyofbadgals Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 Just now, shelven said: ddd I thought of this as I wrote that I agree melodically there's pretty obvious Needed Me comparisons, but I'd argue that the more electronic and alt-pop influence in the production at least makes the instrumental feel like a Halsey song (even if the melody borrows from other artists ) Well I can agrih that it’s not an exact copy and paste but I can’t agrih with it being distinctly Halsey cute update tho x
potent Posted December 30, 2017 Posted December 30, 2017 Symphony SOTT and Now or Never are so mediocre
lhdang2000 Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 SOTT + Down. Symphony tho. Such an underrated track + video. I think it's one of the best music videos ever. Maybe I'm just a sucker for these things, but the story got me over.
shelven Posted December 31, 2017 Author Posted December 31, 2017 Normally I like to update during the evening or night, but this will probably be the only free time I have today, so Singles #15-11 coming up in a bit!
Witch Privilege Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 On 12/15/2017 at 9:36 AM, shelven said: #42: "Love So Soft" Kelly Clarkson "Love So Soft" is definitely not the type of song that I thought Kelly would lead her next album with, but I am SO glad that she did. On this track, Kelly goes back to the sassy, fierce sound that started off her career with "Miss Independent", and despite the huge time gap between those two songs, the sound still feels natural and fitting for Kelly. The chorus is ridiculously catchy, and Kelly manages to showcase her great vocals in the song's second half while still maintaining the song's fun and upbeat attitude. And for those who know me well, having a horn-filled instrumental always gets a song points in my book. TASTE!
shelven Posted December 31, 2017 Author Posted December 31, 2017 shelven's Top 50 Singles of 2017 #15: "Whatever It Takes" Imagine Dragons As I mentioned in my description of "Thunder" earlier in this list, Imagine Dragons had a phenomenal comeback in 2017, and the fact that their third single of the year manages to make my Top 15 is just even more proof of that. "Whatever It Takes" is Imagine Dragons at their best - exciting, exhilarating, catchy and interesting. Dan's fast-paced delivery of the lyrics in the song's verses is electrifying to listen to, and the soft but gradually building bridge is one of the best bridges in mainstream music this year in my opinion. "Whatever It Takes" is also another strong example of Imagine Dragons's expertly crafted production, which balances a fine line between feeling like loud and strong rock while not being too loud and overbearing. Honestly, if it wasn't for a slightly mundane chorus (though still an exciting and catchy one), this song could have been a strong contender for my Top 10. #14: "The Cure" Lady Gaga I was a really huge Gaga fan from "The Fame" up until and including "ARTPOP", but after that, she lost me a bit. I appreciated her artistic exploration and experimentation with "Cheek To Cheek" and "Joanne", but the music itself simply didn't connect with me. So the reason I loved "The Cure" so much is that it immediately reminded me of why I had loved Gaga so much in the first place. While "The Cure" may not be showstopping or super memorable in my opinion (and that's a big part of why it fails to make my Top 10), it shows that Gaga is capable of keeping up with modern music trends while still holding onto her signature sound and identity. The song's production is polished and restrained so that it fits in with 2017 pop music, but the lyrics and Gaga's vocal delivery throughout the track still make it feel like a Gaga song, and thus makes listeners reminiscence on the days when Gaga ruled the pop music world. #13: "Green Light" Lorde As a MASSIVE fan of "Pure Heroine", I was one of the people who was extremely excited for Lorde's eventual comeback, and patiently waited the four years it took for Ella to come back with a second LP. Thankfully, I was rewarded with an extremely strong sophomore album, and "Green Light" provided a grand and impressive introduction to that album era. "Green Light" is a song that can be described as simply being fascinating to listen to - on my first few listens of the track, I was in awe at the way Lorde seamlessly moved through different sounds and musical styles in one 4 minute song, from the dark and moody verses, to the stripped down, piano-backed pre-chorus, to the drum-heavy, energetic pop/rock chorus. While the song misses my Overall Top 10 because I found myself moving away from it after hearing "Melodrama" in full and preferring many other tracks, it's still a great song and it excellently represents what a good lead single should do. #12: "He Like That" Fifth Harmony After Fifth Harmony released "Work From Home", all of their singles that followed were still strong songs, but it began to feel like 5H wouldn't be able to release another single that was in the same tier of the pop excellence that was WFH. And while I definitely wouldn't say that "He Like That" exceeds or even equals "Work From Home" in quality, I honestly think it's worthy of being in the same tier as it. "He Like That" contains absolutely everything a 5H single should contain - a perfectly polished instrumental with something interesting or memorable (in this case, that catchy bass riff that forms the foundation of the entire instrumental), sassy and fun lyrics, and great sounding vocals from all four girls that culminates in a grand moment where they can showcase their voices at the end. Like I mentioned with "Down", "He Like That" is also another example of 5H really working well as one singular unit, with the subtle harmonies throughout the track and the quick hand-offs between girls really making 5H feel like a connected group. It's a shame that "He Like That" wasn't able to become a hit because of "Down" killing the momentum for the era, but hit or no hit, the song remains an excellent Fifth Harmony single. #11: "Disco Tits" Tove Lo The theme of this set of five songs seems to be "artists releasing singles that perfectly represent who they are", so it's fitting that the set finishes with "Disco Tits", which does exactly that for Tove Lo. With just two full-length albums before this, Tove had already crafted a complete image of who she is as an artist - extremely confident, sexual, and a master at electropop - and "Disco Tits" contains every one of these qualities. The lyrics in the song's chorus made me do a double take at first, but I quickly found it enjoyable and almost endearing in a way because of how vulgar and memorable it is, and that's exactly what I love about so much of Tove's music. In fact, this song is filled to the brim with memorable lyrics and incredibly catchy and fun moments (I honestly haven't gotten the "I say hi, you say hi, we stay high, we look so pretty, yeah" hook out of my head since this song's release), and effortlessly shows off how good Tove has become at making polished, memorable pop music in such a quick time.
Navyofbadgals Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 #13-11 are TALENT i dont **** with the others x
JGibson Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 4/5 Whatever It Takes + Disco T1ts + Green Light + The Cure
lhdang2000 Posted December 31, 2017 Posted December 31, 2017 Green Light + The Cure. Disco **** so close to top 10. Best song on the album too.
Staryu Posted January 1, 2018 Posted January 1, 2018 He Like That is a bawp, Disco ****, The Cure, Green Light
shelven Posted January 2, 2018 Author Posted January 2, 2018 TV Show #2 will be posted later tonight, but I really don't want there to be 3 updates on the same page, so someone else comment please
shelven Posted January 2, 2018 Author Posted January 2, 2018 2 hours ago, shelven said: TV Show #2 will be posted later tonight, but I really don't want there to be 3 updates on the same page, so someone else comment please Welp so much for that TV Show #2 coming up.
shelven Posted January 2, 2018 Author Posted January 2, 2018 shelven's Top 5 TV Shows of 2017 #2: "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" Season 2B / 3A Last Year: #3 (+1) As @Lee!! perfectly described in his own TV Show "Best Of" list, it's difficult to understand why and how "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" is such a fantastic show if you don't actually watch it, especially if you just look at the title or read a basic one-line summary of the show's plot. But the insanely multi-talented writer, showrunner, songwriter and lead actress Rachel Bloom has crafted a brilliant comedy with a clear, very unique identity, and she's simply flawless at consistently executing that identity in every single episode of the show. I already praised the end of the show's first season as well as the beginning of its second season in my 2016 "Best Of", and I legitimately believed at the time that I was writing about the show's peak... and then it proceeded to somehow get even better and more insightful in the second half of Season 2 and first half of Season 3. Beginning at the end of Season 2, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" took a bold tonal step - whereas it previously made subtle allusions to topics related to mental health, it chose to start tackling dark subjects like suicide, self-hatred and personality disorders in a far more direct manner - a risky move for a show that promotes itself as a comedy. And yet Bloom not only manages to address these topics in an educated, appropriate and realistic way not often seen on television (particularly not on network television), but she somehow also manages to keep the show hilarious and lighthearted, and this is largely due to the fantastic songs that appear in every episode. With the show having recently crossed 100 original songs, it's mind-boggling how almost every new song still manages to be funny, unexpected, fresh, and carry a relevant message. Overall, "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" proved in 2017 just how strong of a vision it has for itself and how committed it is to carrying that vision through in the best way possible, and I absolutely cannot wait to see where Bloom and the rest of the fantastic CXG team takes the show next.
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