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ATRL: BoTB Week 13: Making Simple, Beautiful, Sweet Love
ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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BoTB Week 13: Making Simple, Beautiful, Sweet Love
I think I know what Ryan's eight-pointer will be! ![party](images/smilies/images/smilies/party.gif) This features the first - and last time this round that a lead singer of a group goes up against one of her solo works. Interesante!
Eminem, performing Beautiful
Utada Hikaru, performing Simple and Clean
MGMT, performing Congratulations
No Doubt, performing Making Out
Santogold, performing Creator
Justin Timberlake, My Love (featuring T.I.)
Gwen Stefani, performing The Sweet Escape (featuring Akon)
Phoenix, performing 1901
Considering this as the left-field week of Round 2, it will be fascinating to see who moves onto the next round. Let's say WEDNESDAY?
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Member Since: 6/10/2009
Posts: 6,321
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8. Creator - Santogold
7. 1901 - Phoenix
6. My Love - Justin Timberlake ft. T.I.
5. Beautiful - Eminem
4. Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani ft. Akon
3. Making Out - No Doubt
2. Utada Hikaru - SImple and Clean
1. MGMT - Congratulations
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
Posts: 22,475
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Well, I already know what my 8 will be. And probably my 7. But I guess it'll be fun to see the others try.
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/23/2008
Posts: 14,330
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I will definitely remember to participate this week. I will definitely remember to participate this week. I will definitely remember to participate this week.
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Member Since: 3/30/2009
Posts: 79,408
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Justin Timberlake, My Love (featuring T.I.) 8
Gwen Stefani, performing The Sweet Escape (featuring Akon) 7
Eminem, performing Beautiful 6
No Doubt, performing Making Out 5
MGMT, performing Congratulations 4
Utada Hikaru, performing Simple and Clean 3
Santogold, performing Creator 2
Phoenix, performing 1901 1
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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It's an interesting week - I know my favorite song, but everything else sort of falls in between?
Beautiful - I admire the sentiment, and appreciate the sample, but a lot of doesn't really work for me - which is not to say it's bad (luckily, this far into the competition, there are few bad songs), but it doesn't move me. 2
Simple and Clean - This, surprisingly, does. Maybe it's because it has (arguably) the most reasoned, old-school sense of melody this week. I was passingly familiar with it because of the Kingdom Hearts commercials, but hearing it in full really does something for me. I think it's the strain in Utada's vocal that sells it. It could do with a lot less production, but it is a keeper. 7
Congratulations - I kind of knew going into this round that MGMT would have a hard time; Congratulations is not the song that Kids is. It's harder to get into, because it doesn't offer the same thrills - but that doesn't mean it doesn't work in its own way. 4
Making Out - The only song I hadn't heard at all this week, and sadly, it didn't leave much of an impression. 1
Creator - There seems to be two sides to Santogold, based on her debut album: the street-wise, assertive, confrontational one, based on this song and L.E.S. Artistes, and the softer, more vulnerable - but still confident side - based on Lights Out and I'm a Lady, which got her this far. I prefer the latter - this comes off as too much of a M.I.A. impression. 3
My Love - I've long had problems with this song; namely, Justin's falsetto, T.I.s last few bars, and the overall emphasis of rhythm over melody. I can't deny that it all works, though. 5
The Sweet Escape - Not an unpopular opinion, but the best thing Akon's ever done, right? Gwen sings in a lower register than she usually does her, and it runs the risk of making her sound apathetic - but the song itself balances everything out. 6
1901 - Never has gibberish sounded better. 8
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Member Since: 11/3/2010
Posts: 14,422
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8. Creator
7. My Love
6. Sweet Escape
5. 1901
4. Making Out
3. Beautiful
2. Congratulations
1. Simple and Clean
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Member Since: 11/2/2009
Posts: 19,838
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Creator - Santogold 1
1901 - Phoenix 2
My Love - Justin Timberlake ft. T.I. 3
Beautiful - Eminem 7
Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani ft. Akon 6
Making Out - No Doubt 4
Utada Hikaru - SImple and Clean 8
MGMT - Congratulations 5
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Member Since: 12/9/2009
Posts: 13,069
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8. Utada Hikaru "Simple and Clean" - My first Utada song. :heart:. This is what led to my stanning years ago. It brings back wonderful memories to hear this classic. I soon delved into her Japanese discography afterwards. From what I remember, no other song in English quite hit me like this one.
7. Santogold "Creator" - I absolutely love this ![flame](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/ccd10a8e.gif) . Great song.
6. Eminem "Beautiful" - Most other weeks, this would be my top song. I love how this game is opening me up to rap beyond Nicki ![Foxaylove](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/a20869ce.gif) . This was close to "Creator"
5. Phoenix "1901" - I have totally heard this in a commercial somewhere ![laugh](images/smilies/images/smilies/laugh.gif) . I like it, maybe I'll keep it ![Foxaylove](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/a20869ce.gif) .
4. Justin Timberlake "My Love" - His falsetto makes the song unique. I don't have an opinion on TI's verse.
3. Gwen Stefani "Sweet Escape" - I was never as fond of this song as other people have been. It's good but I feel she has better.
2. MGMT "Congratulations" - It is interesting but I honestly can't see myself listening to this more than a few times. I know it is unrelated to this game but the video to this is very interesting/creepy.
1. No Doubt "Making Out" - Oh look, it's Gwen again. I actually like her solo work more.
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Member Since: 10/3/2010
Posts: 50,276
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8 Phoenix - 1901 (Rating: 9)
7 MGMT - Congratulations (Rating: 8.6)
6 Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape (Rating: 8.5)
5 No Doubt - Making Out (Rating: 8.5)
4 Eminem - Beautiful (Rating: 8.4)
3 Utada - Simple and Clean (Rating: 8)
2 Santogold - Creator (Rating: 7.2)
1 Justin Timberlake - My Love (Rating: 4.1) ![Mazen](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/19971843.gif)
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 2/19/2003
Posts: 34,484
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Can I just say that I cannot get Simple and Clean out of my head??!?!?
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Member Since: 12/9/2009
Posts: 13,069
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Quote:
Originally posted by Ace Reject
Can I just say that I cannot get Simple and Clean out of my head??!?!?
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![worship2](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/korn0818/310230f4.gif)
I'm so proud of you Acey ![chick1](images/smilies/images/smilies/chick1.gif)
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Member Since: 6/25/2010
Posts: 6,659
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8. Simple and Clean- Utada
7. The Sweet Escape- Gwen Stefani
6. My Love- Justin Timberlake
5. Creator- Santogold
4. Congratulations- MGMT
3. Making Out- No Doubt
2. 1901- Phoenix
1. Beautiful- Eminem
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 9/26/2001
Posts: 22,475
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8) Eminem - Beautiful
-- Oh, don't act so shocked. One of the best songs of the decade is my eight pointer. And the sky is also blue, not red. Imagine that.
7) JT - My Love
-- This was the song that finally convinced me that JT's embrace of rhythm on FutureSex was the direction that he needed to go to be taken serious as a recording artist. Yeah, he had "Cry Me A River" on Justified, but really, other than that song, name one song that was as acclaimed off of that album. This song is, in a way, the sequel to CMAR, complete with more explosions and a bigger body count (in this case, the accentuation of rhythm). It doesn't quite reach the heights of CMAR, but it comes really close. As a matter of fact, the only thing preventing this song from CMAR levels of greatness is T.I.'s verse. It just feels out of place.
6) Utada Hikaru - Simple and Clean
-- Yeah, I'll admit that I'm SLIGHTLY biased toward this song, considering that it was, for all intents and purposes, the Kingdom Hearts theme. But it's also the song that separates Utada from the rest of her J-Pop brethren, in my honest opinion. Bart pretty much hit the nail on the head about the old-school feel of the melody, and Utada's vocals are breathtaking.
5) MGMT - Congratulations
-- It's not as immediately satisfying as their most popular songs, but, on repeat listens, it grows on you like a fungus and reaches that level of awesome quickly. Keep in mind that I used to dislike this song quite a bit, so it's a testament to this song's staying power that I like it now as much as I do.
4) No Doubt - Making Out
-- A pretty unheralded song from Rock Steady and probably deserving of a single release when you consider that No Doubt's only true abomination was the first single from that album. That being said, it kind of falls flat when compared to its competition this week.
3) Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape
-- I used to like this song, really. But when you hear a song two million times in the course of two years, it starts to gnaw at you, no matter the song. Hell, if I listened to, say, Muse's "Starlight" two million times, even I would start to dislike that song a bit. The constant "woo hoos" in this song PARTICULARLY piss me off now.
2) Santogold - Creator
-- I'm glad I'm not the only one who saw this as a lazy M.I.A. impression.
1) Phoenix - 1901
-- Funny. Bart's reason for giving this song an eight is my reason for giving it a one. ![:-!](images/smilies/images/smilies/aol_foot-in-mouth.gif)
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/23/2008
Posts: 14,330
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Phoenix 1901
This is one of the few tracks in this week's mix that offers anything remotely interesting in terms of musicality. The lyrics do not compute, but a muddy message can be forgiven when it appears some effort was put forth in creating some enjoyable and memorable melodious moments. (8)
Utada Hikaru Simple and Clean
Utada's voice is at times very thin and tinny, I hate the overall structure of the track (starting off with the chorus, the odd moments where the track seems to come to a complete halt, and so forth), but ultimately there's something here that's very enjoyable. The sentiment is sweet, Utada's delivery seems heartfelt and the melodies are pleasant. (7)
Justin Timberlake My Love (feat. T.I)
A go-nowhere-do-nothing pop track. My biggest frustration with "My Love" has always been that nothing happens. There's no big moment. There's no amazing bridge thrown in to change things up a bit. Nothing. It's an overlong cut of gated synths, lackluster beats, and Timberlake's signature all falsetto all of the time schtick. It's like, horrible, and on some level I like it, but it sure it forgettable and it's certainly not worthy of my love. (6)
Gwen Stefani The Sweet Escape (feat. Akon)
The production is cheap and Akon annoying, but there's something slightly enjoyable about this. A weaker moment in Gwen's singles discography. (5)
Eminem Beautiful
"Don't let them say you ain't beautiful. They can all get ****ed just stay true to you," Eminem sings in a moment that borrows its uplifting theme and sense of aggression from Em's ultimate anthem of perseverance, "Lose Yourself", but the in-you-face nature of these words seems so out of place in this slow, plodding, borderline melancholic, tune. Because of this disconnect between the attitude of the lyrics and the somber production tones, "Beautiful" never really sells the inspirational, keep-you-chin-up, message it presents. It seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. (4)
MGMT Congratulations
"Congratulations" isn't a bad song, but this folky number lacks the flash and the special moments that made the singles (and many of the album cuts) from Oracular Spectacular so memorable and appealing. On a positive note, there are still some of the psychedelic qualities in this track that caused me to have a brief love affair with MGMT, but the general feeling is so subdued and relatively uninteresting. I've listened to this several times in the hopes that its brilliance would suddenly dawn on me. I had the same hopes as I listened to it today. Not more than 5 minutes have passed since the song ended and I'm having a difficult time recalling the melody. Forgettable. (3)
No Doubt Making Out
Didn't make an impression. (2)
Santogold Creator
I don't have the patience for this pretentious, knock-off M.I.A., tripe. Annoying vocal ticks, annoying production, annoying. (1)
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 3/18/2009
Posts: 35,164
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Phoenix, performing 1901: Pure, unadulterated bliss. There's a reason this song was used in basically every commercial of 2009. [8]
Justin Timberlake, My Love (featuring T.I.): Positively hypnotizing. It always really makes me want to dance. [7]
Gwen Stefani, performing The Sweet Escape (featuring Akon): I don't know if "The Sweet Escape" is actually one of the best songs this week, but it's incredibly infectious and impossible to resist. [6]
Eminem, performing Beautiful: I really like Eminem's new sound. This is an impressively mature effort, and the sample is gorgeous. [5]
Utada Hikaru, performing Simple and Clean: I had no idea who Utada Hikaru was before this game, but I really like what I've heard so far. This is another very lovely entry. [4]
Santogold, performing Creator: Santogold is just so cool. Her music is different and interesting; it forces you to sit up and really listen. [3]
MGMT, performing Congratulations: I guess not everything can be "Kids." But when I'm in certain moods, I can also see how this song might be just what I needed. [2]
No Doubt, performing Making Out: I'm a huge No Doubt fan, so I'm disappointed that this was their song selected for this week. Their catalog is full of amazing music that should have easily pushed them to the next round, but this track is not dynamic enough to stand out. [1]
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Member Since: 12/3/2010
Posts: 19,759
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8. Simple and Clean- Utada
7. My Love- Justin Timberlake
6. Creator- Santogold
5. The Sweet Escape- Gwen Stefani
4.Congratulations- MGMT
3. Making Out- No Doubt
2. 1901- Phoenix
1. Beautiful- Eminem
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