Rhisiart Posted December 12, 2017 Posted December 12, 2017 (edited) Rhisiart's 2017 in Review I spontaneously decided to make a Best Of list this year! And I don't know how to do graphics, so this is all you get. Plus that downtime last night ruined my whole potential schedule so I don't have the patience to try now. I enjoyed 2017 as a year of music. So many people that I've been a casual fan of dropped new music. The quality overall ranged from fantastic to cringeworthy, but all elicited some type of reaction and emotion from me that I'm excited to dig into. However, I haven't quite gotten the chance to really sit down and listen to a good chunk of the things that I wanted to. This list will sort of document my music queue, as well as be my introduction to many artists I've never truly got to know. I'm excited to dive into some of this year's gems (and junk) and hope I find some new ones too! I won't just be limiting myself to music either. I also plan to discuss some of the tv shows and movies I've seen, and some of the video games I've played and my progress on them. At the beginning, all of these will be in no particular order. I know the whole point of the Best Of is to do our own rankings, but I have so much I want to cover and my taste and favorites fluctuate constantly. This whole thread will be more of a stream-of-conscious thing, whatever I feel like discussing that day is what I will cover. Around the last few days, I'll take a look back at everything I reviewed and rank them from there. With all of that said, if anyone out there happens to read this, I hope you enjoy my thoughts! This is my first Best Of list I'm doing ever, please bear with the mess. If I don't already know you, I hope we can find something in common and become friends. My first post will be about a certain girl group that released 3 different projects this year and managed to top themselves with each one. Edited December 19, 2017 by Rhisiart
Rhisiart Posted December 12, 2017 Author Posted December 12, 2017 (edited) Update 1: Red Velvet (Rookie, The Red Summer, Perfect Velvet) Update 2: Disney/Pixar's Coco Update 3: Katy Perry (Witness) & Taylor Swift (Reputation) Update 4: Demi Lovato (Tell Me You Love Me) Edited December 19, 2017 by Rhisiart
Rhisiart Posted December 12, 2017 Author Posted December 12, 2017 Day 1: Red Velvet I first dipped my toe into the K-Pop world a couple of years ago, and I'm still only wading the waters. I'm always blown away that the mad performance skills the average K-Pop group has, they really do raise the standards for Western groups. The one group that immediately caught my attention from their debut was Red Velvet. Ice Cream Cake was a stellar introduction to the girls and their dual concept (The Red side being the fun pop songs, while The Velvet side being the darker R&B driver tracks). Then their first album, The Red, really converted me into a stan with 10 fantastic pop songs that your faves wish they had. Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy, and Yeri are 5 amazing talented girls, and the work they've put into RV and all of it's endeavors deserves a round of applause. ---------- 2017 was a marvelous year for Red Velvet with 3 major projects under their belt. Early this year, they released their 4th EP, Rookie. Their second project that chose to meld both of their concepts into one, Rookie is probably the strongest EP they've released so far overall. Rookie is (or was, just wait a few paragraphs) my favorite Red Velvet single ever. It's so quintessentially them, being very quirky with a lot of experimental sounds and beats throughout the production. In a lesser group or producer's hands, the song would be an unlistenable mess, but every sound and vocal is meticulously crafted and placed to somehow make an extremely catchy and brassy pop song. Rookie also shows the groups strengths as a whole package, showing off their vocals, looks, dance skills, and music videos that really take a dump on many VMA nominees of year's past. Interesting enough, Rookie is arguably the weakest song on the EP. Little Little is a chill and breezy R&B midtempo with some soothing synths, lovely strings, and fantastic harmonies. Happily Ever After is even more kooky and strange than Rookie was, but it serves as a cute, high-energy bop. Talk To Me serves Yours Truly-era Ariana Grande with the sweet melody and the steady piano that carries the song and makes it an album highlight. Considered one of the best songs on the album, Body Talk gives us the full-on Velvet experience with an ethereal and moody groove with some fantastic production. The EP closes with Last Love, a solo sung by Wendy (who I personally think might be the best singer of the group) that is so gorgeous. This somehow ended up as the Rookie song with the most plays on my iTunes. It really belongs on the credits of a nice romance, Wendy has fantastic control over her voice and knows how to work it. ---------- In July, Red Velvet released their 5th EP, The Red Summer. I personally compare this EP to Ariana's Christmas & Chill EP, on the basis that both are seasonal projects that are great enough to be played at anytime, especially in their opposing seasons. At a short but solid five songs, The Red Summer shows why their Red concept is so popular and well-loved. Overall, this is one of Red Velvet's weaker project, and definitely the weakest they've released this year, but that doesn't make it without its merits. The lead single and first track of the EP is Red Flavor. Probably Red Velvet's most known and beloved single to date, Red Flavor is immediately infectious and perfectly encapsulates the "sound" of the summer season that they were going for. The song is filled with island percussions and jazzy synths, giving the song a breezy and refreshing sound. Compared to their other songs, this song is very simple with how it's structured and sung, but once again, the execution is everything. The video in particular sells the song with the immediately iconic choreography. You Better Know is a very standard EDM-dance track that wouldn't be out of place on the radio over in the West. An otherwise by-the-books song is carried by the girls' soaring vocals and great delivery. Zoo is an album standout that incorporates jungle ambiance and animal cries throughout, and even has the girls singing the iconic Tarzan cry throughout the chorus. Definitely the hottest track on the album, this is the song you play around the late night bonfire at the beach. Mojito has the most interesting production on the album, it gives me "road trip, hanging out fo the sunroof" vibes hardcore. Bubbly and fizzy pop packed into a tight 3 minutes. The album closer, I Hear The Sea, is another Velvety R&B jam that has a very fitting title. With the pretty strings and airy vocals, it sets the mood of you laying out on the beach pitch-perfectly. Being the only real Velvet song on the album, it's another standout that's notable for nailing the album's concept the best. ---------- Released only a month ago, Perfect Velvet is RV's second full-length album and their second project under their Velvet concept after The Velvet EP. Perfect Velvet is truly a culmination of all of RV's work and artistry thus far, as after many projects and singles that focused on the Red concept, this album shows us the potential the Velvet concept truly has. This album lives up to its title with nine perfect songs. The album contains some of the best vocals and songs RV has ever had period, and I believe it will mark a turning point for them in their careers. Peek-A-Boo is the lead single and has quickly snatched the title of my favorite RV single. With a thriller-genre concept for the music video, the song gives us Halloween vibes just in time for Christmas. The xylophone that drives the chorus is a unique choice that stands out in a great way that help sells the dark and creepy sound the song is shooting for. This is Red Velvet's most bombastic and frenetic single yet, and a complete knockout with the girls' crystal-clear vocals and pristine production backing them up. RV someone keeps topping their MV game too, serving us some of their best looks and visuals so. Look gives Miss Carly Rae a run for her money with the 80s synths giving us one of RV's funkiest songs yet. These girls know how to ride a beat, and their soft and delicate delivery gives us a dream of a song. I Just might be my favorite song on the album, with one of the best openers for a song I've ever heard. So unbelievably current, but yet so fresh and new. The perfect hype song. I want to now put a spotlight on Kingdom Come. Near-universally considered the best song on the whole album, I would go as far to say that it's one of RV's best songs ever. Straight out of the late 90's slash early 2000's, Kingdom Come is an immaculate R&B record with peak vocals from the whole group. The snare drum beat is absolutely hypnotizing, and the harmonies and swagger the girls provide are just stunning. An absolute homerun. The following two tracks are My Second Date and Attaboy. These two songs once again give us the very experimental tunes that RV is known for. In the wrong hands, these songs would be totally tuneless, but they somehow ended up working. My Second Date is a cute and laidback jam with a jarring yet fascinating breakdown in the chorus. Meanwhile, Attaboy is near schizophrenic with sections of the song that appear stitched together at first glance. The chorus is shocking because it seems so out of place, but it really does tie the song together. It might be my favorite chorus on this album. Perfect 10 is another old-school R&B slow jam straight from our childhoods. The girls' vocals are like butter, and the production is sensual and smooth. Arguably the weak link of the album, About Love is a cute cooldown bop that yet again has a very fitting title. The positive vibes this song sends out are positively delightful, and also provides us with the sole rap verse on the album. A harmless and fun song. The album closes with Midnight Melody, and once again we get an Ariana-adjacent song. RV loves to end on a ballad, and this might be one of their prettiest yet. Right out of an old movie or a scene in a musical, Midnight Melody is romantic and fantastical, and a perfect closing to a perfect album. ---------- 2017 was Red Velvet's year. They proved any nay-sayers wrong that they are a force in the K-Pop industry and are here to stay, and showed that they are more than worthy to follow in the footsteps of their big sister groups Girl's Generation and F(X). Rookie is an extremely solid EP that could place decently on my list. The Red Summer was comparatively week, but still a worthwhile listen. Perfect Velvet is all I've listened to for weeks now, they came for blood and I'm beyond obsessed. This is an album everyone should take the chance to listen to. Perfect Velvet will absolutely be ranking high on my final list. But will it snatch the top spot? I'm thinking I might tackle some more K-Pop in my list, but I'm not sure who. I'm leaning towards writing about Loona and Twice, but we'll see. Tomorrow, I'll be talking about a movie I saw over the weekend that left me utterly speechless. Be warned, there will be spoilers.
Rhisiart Posted December 12, 2017 Author Posted December 12, 2017 4 hours ago, Fruity said: Can't wait 3 hours ago, PoKiTaurus said: Hello Lemme help support this 3 hours ago, ManDown said: Can't wait for your countdown. Thank you girlies.
Rhisiart Posted December 13, 2017 Author Posted December 13, 2017 These posts are taking a lot of work, but that's what I get for doing this on a whim and without an order to go off of. I was planning on doing a post daily, and I'll try to shoot for that, but they'll probably come every other day now. Anyway, let's talk Disney! Day 2: Disney/Pixar's Coco WARNING: THERE WILL BE SLIGHT SPOILERS!!! Everybody on the planet Earth loves Disney and Pixar, and if they don't, they're lying. They just know how to craft a film. They might take ages to work on one movie, but they don't waste a single second as they wring out every detail and chip out every kink until we get a near-flawless film. And Coco, for me, might be one of Pixar's best of all time. First of all, it's always nice to have an original story since Pixar has gotten caught up in sequel fever for a while now. Second, it's nice to finally have a little color in a Pixar film. It's extremely overdue and needed in our current social and political climate. Pixar always does their research, and the care and love they put into representing Mexican culture in a shining light deserve recognition. Specifically to director and songwriter Adrian Molina, having a Mexican American at the helm was so very important. Dia De Los Muertos as a fully was treated respectfully and fully explained for the audience, and it was so touching to see. There are so many details in the movie that make a loving nod to little bits of Mexican culture, and not knowing the references doesn't deter from the experience in the slightest. I myself am not Mexican (I am Puerto Rican ), but I heavily identified and related to this film a lot as a Latino. Disney movies (and kids movies in general) sort of follow very similar structures and story beats, but Coco still managed to provide a fresh and engaging tale. This had one of Pixar's tightest scripts yet and was probably one of their most mature and dark stories yet. Miguel as a main character is immediately likable and relatable, and the whole cast is rather complex for a children's film. The theme of family and the strong love and bonds we share, as well as the feeling of being creatively stifled in an environment where those close to you don't understand you, resonated deeply with me. Many of us didn't (and may still not) understand our families' traditions and underestimate their knowledge. Many of us wish they could understand our dreams and aspirations. And the lesson to be learned from the film (or at least the one I go from it) is one that I really needed to hear: that you don't have to choose between your family and your dreams, it's okay to have both. Spoiler The twist on who the villain is was very well done. To see straight up murder in a Disney movie these days, not to mention a pretty realistic and awful one, was shocking. This sort of cautionary tale of doing anything to get to the top is very timely with the currently Hollywood scandals popping up everywhere. The reveals felt pretty abrupt at the time,but they are properly foreshadowed and it once agains shows that Disney knows how to write. The villain's commeuppance reminded me of Monsters Inc and Zootopia, in that they get exposed and their lives ruined. What I appreciate about this movie that not many movies/tv shows do as much as they should (and maybe it's the sadist in me ), but I enjoyed seeing the villian get exposed to the entire city and not just the main characters. I got a good cackle out of that. 1 Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez don't really manage to top the behemoth known as Let It Go, but Remember Me is a simple and sweet song that is stunning due to its place in the story and the delivery, specifically the final reprise. I almost made it through the entire film without crying, but that last reprise just destoyed me. The songs all made me feel so nostalgic and right at home. I was shocked that Un Poco Loco and Everyone Knows Juanita were original songs and not old standards, they were pitch perfect in execution. My favorite number in the movie was the actual Latinx standard La Llorona. That entire sequence in the movie was fantastic. I don't think I'd consider the Coco soundtrack for my final list, but it does get an Honorable Mention. The soundtrack is lovely, but unlike most Disney musicals, I don't think the songs as a whole stand strong by themselves and work better in the context of the movie. ---------- One of my friends that I saw the movie with said that Coco was definitiely in Pixar's Top 3 and that the enjoyed this better than Toy Story 3. A bold statement, but I would have to agree. Pixar got everything right with Coco to make a flawless film. This film made me so proud to be Latino, I will forever hold this movie close to my heart. I only have a couple of movies left to talk about, but I have no clue which will take my top spot because they are all works of art. Next time, I'm going to talk about two white girls and their battle for the title of "Most Mediocre Album".
Rhisiart Posted December 13, 2017 Author Posted December 13, 2017 On 12/12/2017 at 2:37 AM, Ari. said: Impressive group Even by the standards of K-Pop has set with work-ethic and performances, I'm always shocked at the level of quality RV gives.
poki Posted December 14, 2017 Posted December 14, 2017 (edited) CoCo really caught me by surprise. It's a realyl great movie! I love your writing style btw Edited December 14, 2017 by PoKiTaurus
Rhisiart Posted December 14, 2017 Author Posted December 14, 2017 23 minutes ago, PoKiTaurus said: CoCo really caught me by surprise. It's a realyl great movie! I love your writing style btw Thank you! I only saw it this past Saturday, but I can't stop thinking about it. I want to run back to see it again.
ATRL Moderator Tsareena Posted December 14, 2017 ATRL Moderator Posted December 14, 2017 I haven't seen coco yet so I can't read your post on it but I love your writing for your best of list
Rhisiart Posted December 14, 2017 Author Posted December 14, 2017 1 hour ago, Tsareena said: I haven't seen coco yet so I can't read your post on it but I love your writing for your best of list Run to your nearest movie theatre NOW! Now is the perfect time since that half-hour Frozen short after the previews and before the movie was cut.
Pedro Posted December 14, 2017 Posted December 14, 2017 I really enjoy your concept. I haven't watched Coco but I intend on doing it!
Loyalty Posted December 14, 2017 Posted December 14, 2017 Haven’t seen Coco, but it looks really cute I’ll probably I̶l̶l̶e̶g̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ watch it sometime
Rhisiart Posted December 15, 2017 Author Posted December 15, 2017 13 hours ago, Pedro said: I really enjoy your concept. I haven't watched Coco but I intend on doing it! Thank you! It's such a good movie. 12 hours ago, Kathlen♡ said: Haven’t seen Coco, but it looks really cute I’ll probably I̶l̶l̶e̶g̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ watch it sometime If there's any Disney/Pixar movie that deserves a coin, it's this one!
Rhisiart Posted December 15, 2017 Author Posted December 15, 2017 1 hour ago, Prismee said: RV Coco is one of my favorite movies ever Icons, the both of them.
Staryu Posted December 15, 2017 Posted December 15, 2017 I still need to see Coco, I know I'll love it tho
Rhisiart Posted December 16, 2017 Author Posted December 16, 2017 20 hours ago, Staryu said: I still need to see Coco, I know I'll love it tho It has to be seen to be believed.
Rhisiart Posted December 17, 2017 Author Posted December 17, 2017 (edited) Day 3: Katy Perry and Witness VS. Taylor Swift and Reputation Before I even begin, let me say that out of all of the dumb celebrity beefs we've had the past few years, this one is the lamest and stupidest. I'm not getting into this, but both Taylor and Katy are childish for this pointless feud. Anyway, both Witness and Reputation we're highly anticipated by all of us. Katy's era ended up being a travesty, with terrible single choices and a sense of desperation leading to a near breakdown that was hard to watch. Her pop princess image had been shattered, and her negative press ended up overshadowing what is a wonderful piece of work. Meanwhile, Taylor's album rollout was very calculated and still has people talking. She's been a divisive figure for a long time, and many we're perched for the final results. Overall impressions seem to be begrudgingly positive, but of course Taylor will always have crazy fans and even worse haters. For me, I think Taylor managed to produce a body of work that made me somewhat come around to her. ---------- Witness is a good album, let's get that out of the way. Sonically, the album is brilliant. The album is extremely experimental with every song trying something new. It's a risk that manages to pay off in spades because the album is extremely well-produced and allows Katy to show off things we didn't think she'd be capable of. If her past albums were straight-up modern bubblegum pop, this album is her flipping through the pages of different forms and styles of pop. If nothing else, Katy has proved that she is growing and maturing as an artist. Vocally, Katy shines on the album. Her voice has only grown stronger with her age, and by her standards, the album has some of her strongest vocals yet. Lyrically, the album is a disaster. Filled with strange rhymes and syntax, the lyrics are stuff with horrible analogies and too-literal metaphors. What ended up hurting Katy the most is the mess that this era has become. It's a shame that when the album finally came out, we we're given what might be her greatest body of work yet, but by then the damage to her brand and legacy was complete. Witness is an album that really deserves a fair shot. The fact that Witness was not the lead single of this era is one of the biggest mistakes Katy has ever made. There's no doubt in my mind that the era would've been much better received if this had kicked it off. The song reminds me of a Kingdom Hearts theme by Utada Hikaru. Maybe it's the piano that opens and closes the track or maybe it's the ethereal pre-chorus. A fantastic song. Hey Hey Hey really encapsulates many of the writing problems the album has. Sia is usually very good with pumping out clean and concise lyrics, so it's strange to see her credited in this tragedy. It's the production that salvages the song, a super fun and admittedly catchy song. Roulette is another obvious single that has somehow been overlooked. The powerful 80s synths are immediately attention-grabbing, and the song is structured perfectly with a nice build and payoff. A quintessential pop song, Carly Rae would be proud. Swish Swish ultimately should've stayed as an album track, not every Nicki feature can be a hit after all. With a strong verse from Onika, the Taylor shade, and the whole swagger and vibe of the song, this could've been a gay anthem and freestyle playlist standard in the making. That is, until we got another joke of a video in the form of a Space Jam sequel we didn't want nor ask for. Deja Vu is a well-liked song that I personally never got into. Maybe it's the completely unforgivable "Chinese water torture" line. But it's a dark and groovy pop perfect for grinding on people you don't know in a dark and crowded club. Power might be one of my favorite tracks on the album. The writing is a mess, but it might be the best-produced song on the whole project. The song is shocking to hear for the first time, the song is plain bizarre and idiosyncratic, but it's so fantastically crafted. Mind Maze is tied with Power for most experimental and technical song on the album. It's ironic for me to say that I love Katy's vocal delivery here when she heavily uses the autotune effect. A stunning instrumental. Miss You More is one of the more forgettable songs on the album. It has its merits though, Katy's voice is soaring and she really manages to infuse and sell the song with a lot of emotion. A pretty and standard Katy ballad that's a nice cooldown for the middle of the album. Chained To The Rhythm is probably the only single that deserved to be one. Nowadays I find it very underrated. A finely-tuned pop song, Sia, Max, and Katy really came together to make a hit. Lately, I'm finding so many tiny details and flourishes in the song that really make me appreciate it. Mike WiLL Made-It put his FOOT into Tsunami. I'm surprised the song doesn't have his tagline, I feel like the song would be more popular if it did. Katy achieves what she was going for with this song with aplomb, a sultry and wavy song that really oozes. She rides this beat hardcore. Now, let's talk about Bon Appetit. I hated this song when it first came out. Over time, I gradually came around, but I still have issues. I don't think the song has a great build-up or climax, it never goes as hard as it could or should. Migos' verse is nothing to write home about. It sounds radio-ready, but also lazy. I don't think it's a good fit for this album at all. However, the video might be one of her best to date and really did end up saving this song. Now, this is the point where I feel the album beings to drag, simply because of length. Bigger Than Me is another forgettable song with comparatively basic production and vocals. However, the lyrics and the message she's delivering is a strong one. Save As Draft is a gorgeous ballad with pretty strong lyrics (for this album), and it might be one of the stronger ballads on the album. Katy has a quite a few song that focus on lost loves on this album, but she manages to present them all in a new and interesting way. Pendulum is a song I needed to hear on the album. A brassy and bold gospel number, it's very uplifting and an enjoyable way to begin closing out the album. I don't think it's a song I would actively seek out to listen to, but I always light up when I hear it. The album finally closes with Into Me You See. I'm going to ignore the awful "open sesame" line, and say that this is one of Katy best vocal moments in her career. The tenderness and fragility in her voice is astonishing. It's very much a song to cover the ending credits of a movie. Lyrically (besides that one obvious misstep), the message behind this song makes it very fitting as a button on not only the album, but Katy's journey so far. We also get two bonus tracks courtesy of Target, Dance With The Devil and Act My Age. DWID is dark and heavy, and lowkey gives me Dark Horse teas. She sets the mood immediately, and the lyrics this time aren't so hamfisted to go along with it. A creepy bop. Act My Age is very much cut from the same cloth that Teenage Dream and Prism are. Tongue-in-cheek and breezy, this is a nice song the actually, really, end the project on. Both of these songs are good and could've replaced Bon Appetit. I also think Miss You More or Bigger Than Me could have been cut for either. ---------- When I first listened to Repetition Reputation, I did not like it at all. Slowly but surely, the album grew on me. However, I do stand by some of my initial criticism. The album is sonically cohesive, which is a double-edged sword. The album is very polished, but the entire album sounds like WOO WOO WOOP, TRANSFORMERS. The over-the-top and striking production leaves a massive first impression, but it also puts an expiration date on the songs and makes them age and go out of style quicker. Having 9 songs in the same key is a choice. Now, some people may not even notice that fact and it's not that big of a deal, but when the majority of the songs share similar song structure and chord progression, then it becomes a problem. A lot of tracks after the first half of the album really suffer from this. If you listen to each track individually, I’m sure you most manage to be very solid, but in the context of the album, it gets tiring to listen to. Another criticism I have with the album's repetitiveness is the lyrical content. Taylor gets a lot of **** about her song content, and I don’t think there's anything wrong with mainly writing songs about love. However, I think her issue is that if you’re going to continuously write about a topic, you need to do it in a new and fresh way every time. And I think Taylor has a problem with that both on this album and in general. Her songs are very good, but I don’t think she does enough (whether it be lyrically, vocally, or sonically) to make each song stand out and be unique with the album's context. With all of that said, this is not a bad album in the slightest. While I have issues with her overall writing, each song is refined to the standards Taylor set for herself. Taylor took a risk by going darker and harder than she has before, going out to both reinvent and reclaim her image, and I think she succeeded. She’s a successful musician that knows what she’s doing, and this is a tight and sturdy album that your average pop girl or guy would die for. I don't think Ready For It is going to age well. The track itself isn't that strong and it's very much a product of what's popular currently. But for now, it's THAT bop and a perfect way to get us kickstarted on this album. End Game had the potential to either be fantastic or awful considering the feature. Thankfully, it's the former. Future, Ed, and Taylor all equally deliver with strong verses and flow. All three have nice chemistry and really sell the song. I Did Something Bad is stellar and one of the highlights of the album. I believe it really captures everything Taylor wanted to do with this "reclaiming her image" concept. It's brassy, dark, but also honest and passionate. Honestly, it accomplishes the same thing LWYMMD did but better in every aspect, and I would've loved to have this as our lead single instead. Don't Blame Me is a vocal moment for Taylor, I'm beyond shocked. She shows her range with high and low notes and really impresses. The production on this song might be one of my favorites on the whole album, and I'm a sucker for a good choir. Delicate begins with a surprisingly personal lyric line that makes you pay attention to the rest of the song. This is written from a slightly a different point of view from the usual Taylor which is what I was looking for. The song is subdued and subtle, but very well executed. Look What You Made Me Do aged like milk. I'm not a huge fan of the Halloween Town adjacent tune, and the production here is too harsh, making this one of the ugliest songs on the album. Really, the only saving grace of the song is the genius music video. So It Goes is another song I can't quite get into. It's very wavy and chill, and Taylor works out her pe with full force here, but it doesn't grab or hold my attention like most of the other songs. And it's not because it's a slower tempo, I can't quite pinpoint the reason why. Onto Gorgeous. Now, I vehemently hated this song when it was released. It's funny how out of all of the pre-released songs, this one might be the one to age the most "gracefully". The song itselfs sounds like a 1989 reject, and though it's knowingly corny, it's still corny nonetheless. I'd skip it more often than not. Getaway Car is a song that beloved by many, but does nothing for me. Maybe it's because it's another Jack Antonoff song, and I don't really like anything he did on this album. Maybe it's because it's a quintessential Taylor song, which means while pretty and solid, is also tired and through. Either way, I'm sleep. King Of My Heart is a cute song. I enjoy the use of autotune here and the production in the chorus goes off. The beatdrop in the verses makes me get down like Lil Kim. Inoffensive. Dancing With Our Hands Tied is a one of the most accessible songs on the album, instantly addictive. With shades of Emotion and Calvin, I could see this being a potential single late in the game. Dress is the song that suffers the most from having too many similarities to previous songs. I don't think this song brings or does anything new that makes it stand out. Sadly forgettable, because I hear potential. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things irritates me from the jump with the long title. All I manage to hear with this song is Annie, and I can't stand Annie. This is the kii-kii of the album, but every Taylor beef is so exhausted at this point, that the song ends up falling flat on its face. Call It What You Want is mellow and endearing, but I feel like it doesn't reach the crescendo I want it to. It's a very nice song to listen to, I've been getting into it more now with the weather being the way it is. This is another song that manages to tackle Taylor's concept this era in a smart way, making this song a real grower. New Year's Day is the complete antithesis to the rest of the album sound wise. Stripping everything back to just Taylor and her piano has her in her comfort zone and she does it well. I don't particularly care for this song, but her emotional performance of it on Jimmy Fallon is breathtaking. This song's existence is worth it for that arresting and heartwarming moment. ---------- To compare both albums, I think they both suffer from being too long for their own good. Both needed a good trimming and editing. Sonically, I feel Katy is the winner. In the battle between cohesion and experimentation, Katy's move was riskier and the payoff was greater. Katy impressed me more and Witness is the album I find myself returning to more. Lyrically, Taylor obviously wins. Despite my constant harping on the repetitiveness, Taylor is very intelligent and manages to get across her ideas and concepts smoother and easier than Katy's choppy and weird lyrical choices. Vocally, both impressed me with how they've grown. Both ladies showed a lot of range and power that I don't think we've seen from either of them so far. Ultimately, I prefer Witness to Reputation, but I recognize both as extremely well-done projects and both deserved to be remembered as the years pass by for being important albums for their respective careers. Neither of these albums will be taking the top spot on my final rankings, but both could end up placing somewhere in the Top 10. Witness is higher that Reputation for now, but we'll see if that changes in a month or so. Next time, hopefully tomorrow, I'll be talking about a certain ex-act. Edited December 19, 2017 by Rhisiart
Rhisiart Posted December 19, 2017 Author Posted December 19, 2017 I really didn't think doing this through. I'm not going to completely give up on writing these, but I am rebranding with a more fitting title change. If nothing else, it's nice to get my thoughts because I don't do that often, and it already helps me on ideas for next year. Bright side, I guess. Anyway, let's talk about 1%-Black Queen Demetria Lovato. Day 4: Demi Lovato (Tell Me You Love Me) I’ve always had issues with Demi. I felt that as she got older, her music got a bit less personal. Pop-rock worked for her, and her transition into what was currently popular never seemed like a good fit. And while I cannot deny her talent, I felt as if her music was either beneath her or completely misused her voice. For example, I find Stone Cold so unpleasant to listen to most of the time because of the way she "sings" it. Demi managed to finally win me over this era with this album and the accompanying documentary. In a bit of irony when looking at her last era, Demi seems much more comfortable and confident in both her music and herself currently. Demi is flourishing, she looks GOOD and finally seems to have gotten that stick out of her ass. Tell Me You Love Me is by far her best work, with some killer songs and fantastic production. It's a shame she got completely snubbed at the Grammys. She deserved at least one nomination for this body of work. Sorry Not Sorry is THAT bop, a completely organic hit. I didn’t really care for the song when it first came out, but it slowly grew on me just like it grew on the charts. It’s such a feel-good song and so simple, but it really shines. It really is the perfect song to kick off the album and era. As I’ve said earlier, I’m a sucker for a choir. So Tell Me You Love Me is right up my alley. A soaring gospel number, it really sets the tone for the rest of the album vocally and thematically. Sexy Dirty Love is very stylish and fun. 80s synths have really become popular lately, and Demi smartly incorporates them with her new sound to make a modern and funky song. You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore is one of the vocal highlights of the album. Finally, Demi fully embraces R&B like we all begged her to since forever. Demi has never sounded better than she does here. Her vocals are explosive, and being paired with the strings behind her makes this song maddening beautiful. Daddy Issues is a fascinating song lyrically and conceptually. Demi takes these very revealing lyrics and pairs them with an addicting chorus and a sickening instrumental. Obviously an album highlight, Daddy Issues is one of Demi’s best pop songs ever and screams potential single. TMYLM is Demi’s most personal and revealing project yet, and I believe that’s a part of what makes it so good. Demi bares it all for us lyrically and vocally in a way that's so mesmerizing and tantalizing. That really shows in Ruin The Friendship. Another knockout, the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and interesting topic paired with some snazzy horns give us a smooth and sultry slow-jam for the ages. Only Forever might be my favorite track on the album in terms of production. The song is equal parts alluring and haunting, and the chorus is especially striking. The riffs in the pre-chorus and the final high note are to die for. Lonely is my favorite cut on the album by far. DJ Mustard outdid himself with a hypnotic beat, and Demi is showing off at this point with her voice. Perfect lyrics, and Lil Wayne’s guest verse is very good, he rides the beat and manages to somehow compliment Demi rather well. Crybaby paints a visual in my head that reminds me of Bey’s Why Don’t You Love Me. Dueting with an electric guitar that strums like something out of the wild west, Demi’s tempered rage in this song makes her vulnerable yet fearsome. Games serves me a small taste of early 2000s Destiny’s Child. It’s immediately memorable and catchy, and it’s probably the most likely song to become another single since it’s extremely radio friendly. The last two songs on the standard album are Concentrate and Hitchhiker. Both songs are relatively similar; they’re both in the same key and both are mostly stripped down with nothing but Demi’s voice and some guitars. At this point, Demi is running her victory lap and cooling down with two cute and subdued songs. They’re both destined to be underrated and overlooked, but they’re nice for what they are. We also get 4 bonus tracks. Instruction is a club banger. It’s not very impressive vocally, but it fulfills its purpose for tearing up the dance floor. Demi really takes us to church on Sorry Not Sorry Acoustic. She sounds so happy here like she just recorded a jam session with friends. No Promises Acoustic however, is disappointing. While Demi rerecorded SNS, No Promises is the same song but with a different instrumental layered underneath. The original was a sleeper hit this year, and while this version is decent, I’d rather listen to the original. Smoke & Mirrors is a stunningly written and performed ballad. Demi thankfully drops the vocal theatrics that she’s been known for and just sings, and sings well. Ready For Ya closes us out officially with another vocally subdued track. This song is alright, it’s well produced and sung, but I can see why it’s just a bonus track. ---------- To say that Demi impressed me with this album would be a massive understatement from her. She finally delivered on her potential and gave us a fantastic record. Now that we know what she's capable of, she has no excuses in the future and better continue to top herself. 2017 was a wonderful year for Demi that honestly makes me excited for the future. Brava. Who knows what'll come next time? We'll just have to see.
lhdang2000 Posted December 19, 2017 Posted December 19, 2017 I love your writing so much. It's like reading novels. I personally don't like RV's Rookie tho. It sounds so childish and pretty much the same with their previous efforts. Peek-A-Boo otherwise is a certified bop! And your whole post about Demi is amazing, I honestly read with a wide grin.
Rhisiart Posted December 20, 2017 Author Posted December 20, 2017 16 hours ago, lhdang2000 said: I love your writing so much. It's like reading novels. I personally don't like RV's Rookie tho. It sounds so childish and pretty much the same with their previous efforts. Peek-A-Boo otherwise is a certified bop! And your whole post about Demi is amazing, I honestly read with a wide grin. Nnnn thank you. I like writing but don’t do it often, so I always overdo it. I get the critism behind Rookie, it’s very similar to past singles. I do like what The Colleagues did with it. Peek-A-Boo is IT. I really was rooting for Demi this era, so I’m so happy that things finally worked in her favor.
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