I can totally understand your feelings on the song, and sometimes, I feel the same way. "Hold On, We're Going Home" is practically a fast-paced romp compared to it. And "We Can't Stop"...man, I'm glad "Wrecking Ball" came along to wash WCS out of my system.
I'm bored, confused and irritated at the same time!
Sometimes I like to imagine that Max Martin is the grownup version of Montana Max from Tiny Toon Adventures. You know, the spoiled rich kid who was only concerned with amassing as much wealth as possible... rather apropos, don't you think?
In all fairness, I developed a grudging appreciation for 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' over time, and I didn't really mind 'I Knew You Were Trouble' all that much. But unlike those two songs, '22' does not have any redeeming qualities whatsoever.
First of all, just what is '22' supposed to feel like? That's such a random, arbitrary age to base a song off of. Well, according to Taylor, it's 'miserable and magical', and it also makes her feel 'happy, free, confused and lonely'. Now, I understand that human emotions are complex and often difficult to put into words, but... come on Taylor. Show, don't tell. You can't just say you're feeling 'miserable' when nothing in the song, either musically or lyrically, evokes feelings of misery. Everything about the song seems to imply that you're having the time of your life.
Also, I'd really like to see what Taylor thinks a hipster dresses like. I'm sure it's just as hilarious as Katy Perry's portrayal of a nerd in the 'Last Friday Night' video.
Last year, I remember making some offhand comment about how Luke Bryan's dorky goofiness was part of what made him endearing.
You know what? I take it back. Luke, your dorkiness is no longer charming. Please stop, for the love of God.
Seriously, this is beyond syrupy. Over some placid, lifeless guitar music, Luke Bryan croons about how, at a moment's notice, he'll stop all his plans just to spend more time with his girl. Sometimes sappiness can be tolerable if the artist sounds really heartfelt and sincere, but this song doesn't even have that. 'Baby, you can crash my party anytime'? 'Ain't a spot downtown that's rocking the way you rock me'? This is the kind of prose that makes it onto Hallmark cards.
Actually, now that I think about it, Luke Bryan sounds kind of... defeated. He may insist that his girl is all he needs, but he still goes on and on about all the fun he could be having with his friends right now. 'Wreck my plans, baby that's all right'? Yeah, Luke, I'm sure it is. If you were trying to be heartwarming, you failed miserably. If anything, this song is just depressing.
"22" only bugs me because it's so formulaic and beneath Taylor. That's some Taylor Swift (album) bonus track quality songwriting right there. That said, it was a total guilty pleasure for a few months. I think that's part of Taylor's appeal; She makes both genuinely outstanding music, and guilty pleasure bops.
No, you're not, 2 Chainz. You're just like every other third-rate rapper.
Now, I can't help but feel like I've heard this song before. Slow, tepid, monotonous beat... a chorus of 'hey's during the verse in a vain attempt to liven things up... where have I heard this?
Oh, now I remember! This sounds exactly like Rack City, the song that ranked 8th on my Top 10 Worst List last year! And- would you look at that- it's produced by the exact same guy, DJ Mustard.
There's not much I can say about this song that I didn't already say about Rack City, but I will say this: Tyga may be untalented and uninteresting, but at least he could enunciate, which is more than I can say for 2 Chainz, who sounds like he just got his cavities filled.
Also, 'DJ Mustard'? Really? That's your stage name? What, are the rest of Garlic Jr.'s henchmen working as producers too?
The song for anyone who's ever wondered, "What would Simon and Garfunkel sound like if they really, really sucked?"
Musically, I have no problem with this song. In fact, the sad thing about it is that the melody is actually quite pretty, and in the hands of a better lyricist, this could have been a beautiful piece of work.
But it's all ruined by the laughably insipid high school-level prose. You only miss your lover when you let her go? Gosh, what an insightful, original observation. It's not like we haven't heard that one a trillion times before. Of course, Passenger can't even get that right, because later on, he laments that '[he] loved too much and dived too deep'. So, wait, was he too clingy or too neglectful? Which is it? He can't have been both, can he?
Also, I know it's kind of mean to make fun of his accent, but would it kill him to try not to sound like Woody Allen with a bad cold?
Yeah, the lyrics are nothing new, but still they can be quite uplifting and inspiring. This song has put a smile on many people's faces (including me), and it is a fact that in today's world, people still take lots of things for granted, be it other people or sunshine or the comfort of your home. It's a song about not appreciating what you have/being more appreciate of the good things in life, even if it's small things.
Fair enough if you don't like his accent, but if you wanna pick on a song because of its lyrics, there's much worse out there imo.