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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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NOTICE!
If anyone has an idea for an alternative to the modscore (which hasn't been used in over 7 review periods), please PM me.
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Member Since: 11/13/2011
Posts: 6,570
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Quote:
Originally posted by borntodie
Would you be here for reviewing TH's album instead? We've already got 3 requests  |
I could potentially do it after this Thursday ^^
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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If we were to do Tokio Hotel I think it would start on either the 8th or the 11th.
I'm not thinking it'll get reviewed much, though. 
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Member Since: 8/27/2011
Posts: 36,557
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Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
If we were to do Tokio Hotel I think it would start on either the 8th or the 11th.
I'm not thinking it'll get reviewed much, though. |
But four people have requested it now, and I know of a possible fifth  And you could do it to broaden your horizon  Start on the 11th would be great imo
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by borntodie
But four people have requested it now, and I know of a possible fifth And you could do it to broaden your horizon Start on the 11th would be great imo |
11th is better because then we don't have 4 albums up at once.
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Member Since: 8/28/2012
Posts: 34,863
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Something In The Water
Carrie Underwood
What a beautiful song.
After releasing one of the best songs of all time, Blown Away, Christian chanteuse Carrie Underwood is back again with a new song. Something In The Water is not a "bop", but rather a beautiful, pleasurable and heart-warming song.
From the amazing lyrics, which are the best thing about the song -one of the most impressive songs lyrically I've ever heard-, to Carrie's breathtaking vocals, one has got to love everything about this song. More songs like this and Blown Away please. Nothing more to say. Respect.
Highlight/s:
97/100
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Member Since: 3/14/2013
Posts: 37,294
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 | Maybe one of the most important acts that broke through this decade, One Direction releases the lead single from their fourth album "Four". With their lead single, "Steal My Girl", they don't seem like breaking their generic lines that much, but it definitely feels like a growth in their music, after hundreds and hundreds of extremely generic singles. I love that, with this song, they brought us back into the 80s for a bit and it was a nice throwback, but other than that, there's nothing so important about this song. It's catchy and maybe I'll listen to it again in the future, but still, it is generic and not incredible. |
Score: 5.2/10
Other reviews
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 39,572
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My QOTC and SMG reviews should be tomorrow 
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Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 8,605
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I will be giving QOTC a glowing review tomorrow.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 10,569
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people throw out perfect scores so easily on here
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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I'm not sure a lot of people are checking the OP, so here's our reviewing schedule.
Currently reviewing
Upcoming
– Carrie Underwood - 'Something In The Water' [October 3rd - October 6th]
– One Direction - 'Steal My Girl' [October 3rd - October 6th]
– Tove Lo - 'Queen Of The Clouds' [October 5th - October 11th]
– Hozier - 'Hozier' [October 8th - October 14th]
– Tinashe - 'Aquarius' [October 8th - October 14th]
– Tokio Hotel - 'Kings Of Suburbia' [October 11th - October 17th] (unconfirmed)
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Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
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why does it say "unconfirmed" for TH?
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by borntodie
why does it say "unconfirmed" for TH? |
I might start it on the 8th. Still not sure.
If anything of note is coming out in the next few days, I want to keep the 11th reserved for those.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
I might start it on the 8th. Still not sure.
If anything of note is coming out in the next few days, I want to keep the 11th reserved for those.
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Isn't Gwen's single coming out tomorrow?
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Member Since: 3/26/2012
Posts: 37,592
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Carrie Underwood - Something in the Water
I am an avid Carrie Underwood stan. Always have been, always will be. Ever since I saw her audition way back in season 4 of American Idol, I knew she was something special. I've been following her since her first album. I've always been impressed with what new material she manages to come up with for each new album. With Some Hearts we saw her pop side. With Carnival Ride she stepped up the vocals and started with her classic emotional ballads and some more classic revenge/anger songs. With Play On, we saw the sass and a much heavier hand in writing. In Blown Away, she took her biggest step yet. She wrote several songs, stepped the vocals up yet again, and took all of her music videos the way she wanted to. After an album as good as Blown Away, I expected yet another huge leap forward in her career.
Then we got Something in the Water. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy listening to Something in the Water and it's a very good song, but what new innovation does the song bring? There's nothing new. It's some kind of weird So Small and Jesus, Take the Wheel hybrid with an instrumental straight out of Blown Away. Does this make it a bad song? No. It just seems a little unusual for a lead single of a Greatest Hits album to simply sound like a carbon copy of her past hits.
Moving onto the many (MANY) positives, the instrumental is fun. It's very country but has hints of pop in it. Carrie continues to walk the line between country and pop well. Her vocals are astounding here (other than one minor misstep). We hear her softer side (which is also present on All is Well - buy it on iTunes now!) and her famous belts throughout the song. The lyrics are nice too. I'm not even slightly religious, but even I'm feeling motivated to get to church after hearing the song. The Amazing Grace at the end is a little overkill, but whatever, it suits the message of the song. Carrie's training for the... hit? musical The Sound of Music: Live has obviously helped her because the belts are even more effortless than ever before. I could go on and on about the vocals, but this is a Carrie Underwood song. Good vocals are assumed.
Although the first paragraph makes it seem like I'm going to give the song a bad mark, I really do like it. It's on repeat on and off throughout most of my day. If anyone else had released this song, I wouldn't have criticized it at all. It's just that I know Carrie is capable of even better than this. It's definitely a grower though, as I'm loving it more than I did for the first few listens.
Score: 90/100
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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I'll be ending Something In The Water and Steal My Girl in about an hour, so get your reviews in! (I know I'll get mine in too!)
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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The Lowdown: Cringeworthy pursuit of stadium power-pop turns out to be futile.
One Direction's latest lead single, Steal My Girl, feels like an overly artificial attempt to create a power-pop anthem. Lyrically, it is very cheesy and generic, but that is to be expected. During the first verse, the group's vocals are awkwardly crammed in between the loud drum-and-piano driven instrumental (which sounds extremely dated). For some reason, they are not allowed to sing while that instrumental is playing, except for the chorus. The chorus is a bombastically cheesy couple of lines with a few "na na na"'s tacked on to the end that are completely unnecessary. The second verse picks up where the first left off, and the simple guitar and handclap backdrop for the vocals puzzled me.
From the second verse, I was launched into another horrible chorus, and then a lazy bridge, and then the final chorus. This song did nothing for me. It's not catchy like What Makes You Beautiful, so it has nothing to mask the cheesy and laughable attempt at power-pop. The verses feel jumbled and confused, and the chorus made me feel no emotions whatsoever because it is so generic. I was just itching for this song to end.
Reviews:
Drake - 0 to 100 / The Catch Up (4.0)
La Roux - Trouble In Paradise (2.3)
Azealia Banks - Heavy Metal and Reflective (2.0)
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang (5.8)
Hilary Duff - Chasing The Sun (0.5)
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - Anything Goes (4.9)
Nicki Minaj - Anaconda (2.0)
Beyoncé f/Nicki Minaj - ***Flawless Remix (3.7)
Pixie Lott - Pixie Lott (6.0)
FKA Twigs - LP1 (1.7)
Hilary Duff - All About You (4.1)
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off (7.1)
Charli XCX - Break The Rules (4.6)
Ariana Grande - My Everything (5.2)
Maroon 5 - V (5.4)
Banks - Goddess (8.2)
Calvin Harris f/John Newman - Blame (8.6)
Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat (8.8)
Fergie - L.A.LOVE (la la) (2.5)
LIGHTS - Little Machines (6.7)
One Direction - Steal My Girl (2.0)
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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The Lowdown: Decent country-pop is inspirational and sincere but nothing too special.
The lead single off of country music superstar Carrie Underwood's first greatest hits album, Something In The Water is neither unremarkable nor spectacular. It has a few great parts and a few missteps. The notables in the instrumental are the piano (which gives the song a bit of an emotional touch) and the fast-paced guitar. Underwood's vocals are solid throughout the whole song. In the first verse, a banjo is subtly mixed in, which I liked. Lyrically, the song is inspiration and sincere. Being an atheist, I chose to ignore the religious undertones and focus on the actual message of the song, which is a positive one. The beginning of the chorus ("and now I'm changed... and now I'm stronger...") seems slightly disconnected from the rest of it because the only backdrop for Underwood's vocals here is the piano.
The second verse is a nice continuation of the first verse. There's not too much notable about it. The 3rd verse (bridge?) contains louder vocals than the verses, and seems a bit cheesy at times. The final chorus contains a choir singing "Amazing Grace" (a Christian staple) in the background, which I found to be a bit ridiculous and over-the-top. Overall, though, Something In The Water is a decent song. It is well within the realm of someone of Underwood's talent, and subsequently feels a little bit safe; there's nothing too special about this track. Nonetheless, it is not bad and will almost certainly be another successful country hit for Underwood.
Reviews:
Drake - 0 to 100 / The Catch Up (4.0)
La Roux - Trouble In Paradise (2.3)
Azealia Banks - Heavy Metal and Reflective (2.0)
Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang (5.8)
Hilary Duff - Chasing The Sun (0.5)
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga - Anything Goes (4.9)
Nicki Minaj - Anaconda (2.0)
Beyoncé f/Nicki Minaj - ***Flawless Remix (3.7)
Pixie Lott - Pixie Lott (6.0)
FKA Twigs - LP1 (1.7)
Hilary Duff - All About You (4.1)
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off (7.1)
Charli XCX - Break The Rules (4.6)
Ariana Grande - My Everything (5.2)
Maroon 5 - V (5.4)
Banks - Goddess (8.2)
Calvin Harris f/John Newman - Blame (8.6)
Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat (8.8)
Fergie - L.A.LOVE (la la) (2.5)
LIGHTS - Little Machines (6.7)
One Direction - Steal My Girl (2.0)
Carrie Underwood - Something In The Water (5.3)
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