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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 6,868
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1989 // Taylor Swift // Review
I'm going to start off by talking about my first reaction to Shake It Off. I hated it when I first listened. I hated the dated horns, I hated that the melody didn't go anywhere, and I hated that my beloved Taylor Swift was selling out. Red is one of my favorite albums ever. The pop tracks were pretty good on that record, but the songs that steered away from the pop vibe were what I really loved. When Taylor said that she was going to go full-pop, I wasn't happy. And I was even more unhappy when I heard Shake It Off. But that was just my first reaction – I found myself singing the chorus without realizing. As I started to expose myself to the song more and more, I couldn't help but enjoy it for what it is. Little did I know that this would be my exact take on 1989: I have to let go of non-pop Taylor, and enjoy 1989 for what it is – a pop masterpiece.
 Track-by-track review
1. Welcome to New York: This was another track that I hated when I first heard it. It was released as a promo single, and after the stellar Out of the Woods, I wasn't impressed. Being a New Yorker myself, I expected to love it right away. But I didn't. I still don't think it's anything special, but this is another song that you find singing to yourself. It's a cute album opener, but that's about it.
2. Blank Space: Let me start out by saying I don't get the Lorde comparisons with this song at all. Yeah, Lorde uses kicks in her songs, but that's about it. Blank Space sounds too happy to be a Lorde song (no shade, I love Lorde). To me, BS is a more mature version of Shake It Off. Taylor sings as the character the media has painted of her: a serial dater. "...Look at that face // you look like my next mistake // Love's a game // wanna play?" For me, the chorus is the highlight of the song. The production and melody work together very well. The only criticism I have for this song is that I don't like how at the end of the chorus, the whole production stops when Taylor says "and I'll write your name." I find that a bit corny. Apparently this is the next single, and while it's a good song, there are many more songs that scream SINGLE to me than this one...
3. Style: ...And Style is a perfect example of a song that screams SINGLE. As if the title wasn't clear enough, the lyrics make it even more obvious that this song is about Harry Styles. "You got that long hair, slicked back // White tee-shirt // And I got that good girl faith // and a tight little skirt," the lyrics describe Harry to a T. The production is very similar to that of other pop songs, such as Do What U Want (Lady Gaga), Love Me Harder (Ariana Grande), and Sledgehammer (Fifth Harmony), but I love songs like this. The pulsing synths and the lustful lyrics, sung in a feel-good way, makes this song anthemic to me. I can see this song being one of Taylor's biggest hits yet – I can imagine kids driving late at night in their car, shouting along to the lyrics. This song has to be a single.
4. Out of the Woods: The only word I can think of to describe this song is epic. The way that this song's production builds up as it progresses is genius. The lyrics of this song tackle a wild relationship that wasn't meant to be, as well as a snow mobile (i think?) accident. You can really feel the hecticness of this relationship Taylor is singing about through the production.
5. All You Had to Do Was Stay: This song is cute filler. Compared to the rest of the album, it isn't really anything special.
6. Shake It Off: I already addressed this song earlier, but I have one last thing to add; compared to the sound and feel of the rest of the album, this song doesn't really fit in. I guess that's why it was the lead single? The only other song lyrically similar to SIO is BS.
7. I Wish You Would: Another filler song, imo. I can only bop to this when I'm in a certain mood. I feel like this song is supposed to be like Out of the Woods, but it doesn't have the same epicness the other song has.
8. Bad Blood: This was the song I was most hyped for, even though I'm a fan of Katy. I wanted to see if Taylor would outright scalp Katy like she did to John Mayer, or if she would give a slick drag like she did to that ugly writer in Mean. Sonically, if Sleazy by Kesha and Taylor's We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together had a baby, it would be BB. It's a song that I can pop my ***** to while being mad at my friend for backstabbing me. That being said, I think that Bad Blood is the weakest song on 1989, lyrics wise. But what makes up for that is the emotional delivery. It literally sounds like Taylor is pouring out her heart in this song, rather than sitting down and processing her feelings so she could write about it. I wonder if Katy will retaliate.
9. Wildest Dreams: Oh my god. When I was listening to 1989 for the first time, I was waiting for a song that would knock me off my feet in the same way that All Too Well on Red did. WD was the first song on 1989 to hit a nerve with me. The atmospheric production mixed with Taylor's sad lyrics struck me. I really felt this song, from an emotional level. I was waiting for a ballad, and Taylor delivered with WD.
10. How You Get the Girl: This song is a BOP! When listening to it, I can't help but imagine how good this song would sound if it were set up like a "country" Taylor song. I feel as if this song was originally composed as a country song, but was then converted into a pop song. To me, this is the only song on 1989 that is reminiscent of "old" Taylor, even though it's produced to be similar to the other songs on 1989. I think a country version of this song would have fit well on Fearless.
11. This Love: If I thought Taylor knocked me off my feet with Wildest Dreams, she damn well cut my feet off with This Love. She takes atmospheric to the next level – this song is cinematic to me, and that's what makes it so beautiful. It's so simple yet so complex at the same time... I can't even put into words my love for this song. Whoever Taylor wrote this song about, they must have had a huge impact on her. This is the only song on 1989 that she solely wrote, and it's arguably one of the best.
12. I Know Places: This song starts out promising. It sounds like Loved Me Back to Life by Celine Dion, and the verses are very dark. However, I don't like the melody in the chorus, which kind of ruined it for me. It sounded much better in the voice-note – hopefully on future tours, Taylor can sing a stripped back version of this song to wow me.
13. Clean: This song has the same effect on me that This Love had. It is beautifully written and produced, and that's all I really have to say on it. I love everything about this song. A perfect album closer.
Overall, 1989 is an amazing album. If you're like me, you were a bit iffy about it on first listen, because you're not used to this Taylor. However, once you get over that initial hump, you discover that this album is just as genuine as her other albums, just in a different way.
Score: 8/10
TL;DR: Taylor has delivered a pop album that you can bop to, but still manages to retain the genuineness we've come to love with her other albums.
Standout tracks: Style, Wildest Dreams, This Love, Clean
Songs you should skip: I Wish You Would, I Know Places
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Member Since: 4/28/2012
Posts: 6,273
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Reserved for my review for "Motion"
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
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Motion is Calvin Harris follow up to his insanely successful album 18 Months. The stakes were high but that also gave him the opportunity to work with whoever he wanted, which he did. The album is a collaborative effort from beginning to end. Fortunately he offered us a wide variety of collaborators from Gwen Stefani to All About She. The album is packed with explosive bangers and it's perfect for any dance party or any workout. I'm actually surprised by how much I like this album. Most Dance albums are filled with half assed tracks but not this one. I would even say that Motion is one of the strongest records released in 2014.
Love Now is my favorite jam. It's euphoric, it's hopeful and catchy as hell. The rocky but still soulful vocals are amazing. The strings are also perfect. This song is like Rather Be by Clean Bandit but 10x better. A worldwide smash waiting to happen.
Summer has great violins, a great drop but Calvin's vocals are really bad and elementary. I appreciate the use of strings in this Dance album. It helped make this album fresh.
Overdrive, Slow Acid and Burnin are everything that I want from EDM songs. The electronic drums are sharp and crisp, the drops are insane and most importantly they make me want to get drunk and dance like a wet chicken. I'm so thankful Calvin didn't put his cringeworthy vocals on them. These songs are by far, the highlights are of the album. They are ear fireworks. The outro for Overdrive is superb, very reminiscent of David Guetta's Shot Me Down.
Ecstasy is the only non dance track on the album. It's surprisingly a decent song. The lyrics are a little repetitive but the instrumental is nice.
Under Control is probably my least favorite song on the album. It's predictable, it's boring and sounds outdated. Nothing special.
Pray To God sounds like a throwback song from a 80s movie. That's a good thing by the way. It married Calvin's style and HAIM's style in perfect harmony.
Together, probably the most anticipated song on the album, a duet with Gwen Stefani, is rather disappointing. Calvin's beat and production are impeccable but I'm not really feeling Gwen's singing. She sounds lazy, tired and she didn't put any of her special flavor into the song.
Faith, the album opener took few listens for me to love it. The beat is amazing and the lyrics are decent but Calvin's vocals are still bad, even though they are better here than in Summer.
Blame is another song that grew on me. I hated the not so sharp drums and the soft electronic beat but John Newman's godly vocals slay me too hard to care. John's chorus with the background clapping followed by the beat drop is insane. The bridge gives me goosebumps.
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Member Since: 8/15/2012
Posts: 6,964
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Taylor Swift
1989
Big Machine; 2014
( Disclaimer: After the roll out of the singles and music videos I turned to appreciate this album more. I'm amused to see an artist believe in her material so firmly that can produce more attention and consideration for it. I know the rating is done but since it's my opinion online I would wish it represented what I really think and will listen to the album a bit more to put that score a bit up to represent my opinion.)
'Welcome to New York' starts with a cool synth line and a laid-back beat, a little promising but then progresses with a normal poppy vocal melody that is not that bad but is not interesting either, then when you get to the "Welcome to New York, Welcome to New York" lyric, the vocal melody gets a little stale. The chorus is a little better, through the song Taylor plays with her voice doing melodies that sound friendly but aren't very emotionally deep or have the punch of a great pop hook. 'Blank Space' sounds like Lorde's 'Team' on the verses and 'Tennis Court' on the chorus, also by her, only that Lorde's vocal melodies are better. 'Style' has a Lady Gaga's 'Do Whar U Want' kind of instrumentation and a friendly pop vocal melody, though it doesn't sound very new, not a bad song just not very eventful.
The production in the album is pretty nice, the instruments, hooks are assembled in a very subtle but sturdy way. Like a good flagship car of an established non-luxury brand. Though is not bombastic pop like Lady Gaga's, all of these tracks seem like they were well taken care of after the melodies were created. Though, I feel that they spent more time perfecting the songs than actually writing great ones. These songs don't show much of an emotional range, like a hook that moves you too much, Taylor hits the highs in her songs but they don't feel particularly justified, they feel like they're there just to show how "cute" her thin voice can be, except in 'All You Had to Do Is Stay' when the note in the word "Stay" in the line feels perfect, but that's not her voice, or it is with some effect.
The big problem of this album is the melodies, there are not great hooks, Taylor floats around with melodies that seem like they were improvised in an intimate reunion on the beach with a fire, friends and a guitar with added pop production later. At the time it might have sounded great with the drinks and the whole friendly vibe but the songs don't stand very strong on their own, the melodies do get tiring when you start getting through the end of the album. Like if I was in a girls clothing store for an hour waiting for a friend to get a dress and this was on. Probably if I were one of the girls trying the clothes I'd be more excited, with the girly voice and pop music and the excitement of new fabric on me, I guessed this would sound better. This feels like the soundtrack to do something but not something to do on your own, it doesn't really take me anywhere. When I get to 'This Love', I'm freaking tired of listening to Taylor to do that trick of putting a high note in a melody for an effect like "This love is good This love is bad".
Taylor has a notorious problem, she seems to create melodies recycled from decades of mainstream modern music songwriting, like you can say, this part comes from this song, and this part comes from this other song. I feel I've already listened to these songs as the soundtrack of some romantic comedy. However, I feel like there was more effort in the songwriting of 'Blank Space', 'Style', 'Shake It Off', 'All You Had To Do Is Stay' and 'I Know Places', which in the latest Taylor sounds lively and emotional as she sings the chorus. I like the heavy drumming of 'Out of the Woods' but I can't do too much with the melody.
As for the lyrics, I couldn't care less, give me great sounds and you could be talking about making a sandwich. Taylor mostly talks about relationships but let's take a look:
'Welcome to New York'
Quote:
Walking through a crowd
The village is aglow
Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats
Under coats
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Ok.
Quote:
Like any great love
It keeps you guessing
Like any real love
It’s ever changing
Like any true love
It drives you crazy
But you know you wouldn’t change Anything, anything, anything…
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Right.
'Blank Space'
Quote:
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
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So you like to inflict pain or something? Long list, eh? Like the players? It's cool when they tell you it's over? Like various strong relationships in a short time, Tay Tay? Cool.
'Style'
Quote:
You got that James Dean day dream look in your eye
And I got that red lip classic thing that you like
And when we go crashing down, we come back every time.
Cause we never go out of style
We never go out of style
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You're insane and you like to crash with your James Dean.
'Out of The Woods'
Quote:
Looking at it now
Last December, we were built to fall apart
Then fall back together
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I'm starting to notice a pattern.
Quote:
Remember when we couldn’t take the heat
I walked out, I said “I’m setting you free”
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So you're setting him free, what a poetic way to break up, right?
'All You Had to Do Is Stay'
Quote:
Let me remind you, this was what you wanted
You ended it
You were all I wanted
But not like this
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He ended it? But you said previously in the song that you believe him when he said he changed so I guess you started to react negatively to the way he was then he ended it because of that. Wish you could elaborate more on what is that is so terrible about the people you are in a relationship with instead of blaming or saying it was "meant to happen".
'Shake It Off', a song which musically draws from Madonna's 'Give Me All Your Luvin'' and Toni Basil's 'Mickey' with some cool saxophone, changes the pace lyrically and it's a nice way of knowing Taylor Swift doesn't really care about anybody else, good message as an empowerment song though if you look at the lyrics of the rest of her songs you can draw a big picture.
'I Wish You Would'
Quote:
I wish you would come back
Wish I never hung up the phone like I did, and I
Wish you'd know that I'll never forget you as long as I live, and I
Wish you were right here, right now, it's all good, I wish you would
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You're in a bad state because you hung up the phone someway. Well, baby, can't you like, call him? Are you unable to do so? Is it so hard? Oh, right, you wish he would.
'Wildest Dreams'
Quote:
He's so tall, and handsome as hell
He's so bad but he does it so well
I can see the end as it begins
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Oh, man.
In summary her lyrics give you the impression that Taylor is a girl who likes to hook up a lot but won't ever let you do her it if you thought it was just a hook up, so she feels obligated to own you emotionally so it's some kind of true love that went wrong. No Taylor, it was just sex, that's why he doesn't call you, why can't you have a little fun? In most of these songs he was the one who did something wrong, and that's why she won't lift a finger to fix the problem. So that's why she complains, she wants extraordinary effort from her counterpart and when the expectations are not met she cuts it off. She has a poetry to her, she's subtly seductive, she wants true love and she's best when she takes some damn initiative for a change like in 'I Know Places'.
Taylor seems to value true love a lot, but sadly that doesn't happen a lot, so she has to glorify her hook ups and short-termed relationships, she does the best with what she can, all these relationships she describes seem meaningful for a second, like she really cared but when she starts to describe the failures you get the impression that she's this exquisite girl who likes to have fun but also wants to be treated like the possible love of your life so she creates this magical world where both things are the same, testing the guy while having fun with him and create this fairy tale end. She explicitly wanted a fairy tale, like in her previous hit 'Love Story'. In "1989" the fairy tale gets to real life as she realizes the world we live is not one, like when she describes the dangers she feels as she gets affectionate with another one, so she feels the need to hide like in 'I Know Places'. I would like to know what danger she feels? What is it? Is it real? That'd be an interesting subject for a song.
I don't feel too much depth into this, I think she applies a lot of make up to her reality. The realest song here is 'Shake It Off'. She shakes off the negative in her life, good for her, but through the album it feels like she doesn't even know what is the negative in her or around her, I feel the pain she has masked with cutesy melodies and pop instrumentation, so it feels like complaining rather than true suffering so it gets kind of annoying.
When I decided to review this album, I wanted to do a very detailed review fueled by its commercial success in a troubled music industry, but I did this on the go and haven't even come to analyze songs part by part like I would have liked, but whatever. None of the songs really put me off that much, except the album closer, 'Clean', which is very boring and doesn't transmit any emotion. The lyrics really did put me off, she seems very spoiled but that she would mask it to appear politically correct, gimme some true raw emotion instead and true-to-yourself lyrics. Give me great melodies, with great hooks and kickass instrumentation. The production is really good, it does the most to liven up these songs which really are not masterpieces at all, however she can write some decent songs, I've found 5 in this thing so yeah, I don't get the hype, I gave my take on why that happens somewhere else but I'm not gonna mention any of that since I wanted to keep this about the music, I feel however no other person than Taylor Swift could have her success with these songs so good for her.
I find pretty parts of melodies thorough the album, sometimes a chorus works, like in 'How You Get the Girl' but it doesn't in a very triumphant way, much less can be said about the rest of the song. Other times the song doesn't progress into anything, like 'Bad Blood' where things get very repetitive but it wouldn't matter if it was something I wanted to get repeated, I find many notes, melodies, chord progressions that are supposed to feel nice but they don't transmit much, they feel like they were grabbed from everywhere and thrown together to try to make sense into nice pop songs. That doesn't work really that much, the chorus of 'Wildest Dreams' feels nice but again the rest of the song doesn't do a lot. Because these songs were constructed in such a good way, they feel better than what they really are but instead of using so many melodies found from various sources Taylor and her team should have prioritized make a song with a full punch rather than these constructions of tracks, that don't feel like songs just constructions.
I like this better than "Red", this album is more consistent but that album got 'I Knew You Were Trouble.' and 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together' which I think are better highs than this album has. I wish I could say something constructive since I really can't put this a high score, she's doing fine commercially anyway. I think the album must feel great for people who like easy music and won't listen many albums in their lives, so yeah, good job there Taylor, but for music fans, which in pop prefer explosive melodies, great hooks, twists, lyrics that challenge reality, different kinds of structures this doesn't give me something that can get to much, however this is close to half likable for me when I'm carefree and not paying much attention. Sorry Tay, I loved the sentiment of the album, the 1989 thing, the intention and I really wanted to like this album, but I can't be that cynical.
Favorite tracks: 'Style', 'Shake It Off', 'Blank Space', 'I Know Places', 'All You Had to Do Is Stay'
Least favorite tracks: 'Clean', 'I Wish You Would'
4.7/10 (Edited original score)
Score with the 'Bad Blood' remix and the 'Wildest Dreams' one: 6.8/10 (To be modified after further listens)
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
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Quote:
Originally posted by bluth
ALBUM: Taylor Swift - 1989
In a world where ambition followed with poor execution is rife within the industry, 1989's prologue of being a 'pure pop album' stands out as something humble, maybe even unambitious. However, upon listening to - perhaps - 2014's most anticipated album, it's clear to see that 1989, if anything, is a cathartic reaction against the industry's growing pretence; an album which so explicitly is aware of itself is refreshing to hear. Had Swift labelled this album, say, 'her most personal record to date' (registered trademark of Britney Spears), it would be difficult to take it serious. Instead, the album is somewhat audacious in its own humility, defining itself as take-it-or-leave-it pop which succeeds in the sheer acuteness to which the songs have been crafted.
Despite the Katy Perry 101 lesson in 'one lyric fits all songwriting' of the lead single Shake It Off being slightly disconcerting to those who feared Swift's loss of personality, the rest of 1989 is craftily varnished with the storytelling persona with which everyone fell in love to begin with. It's moments like this which present 1989 as a grand assimilation of all the most recent, compelling contributions in pop music, from the 'nice dress' Del Rey-isms of album standout Wildest Dreams and the ode-to-Lorde Out of the Woods, all assorted into one disc which is fully observant and masterful of the thing it attempts to imitate, all signed off in black marker pen with Swift's own signature.
In a way, this shows Swift at her most self-aware and most endearingly self-depricating: a pop artist openly embracing the "I go on too many dates" and "Got a long list of ex-lovers" persona the media has built up for her. That is not to say, however, that the album is fully indulgent in the persona of pop, since Taylor's trademark confessional songwriting is still present and a vital organ in this body of work. The melodies (take, the anthemic Style, or 22's younger sister All You Had To Do Was Stay) are catchy and raring for both radios and arenas, while the lyrics tread idiosyncrasy and widespread appeal, culminating beautifully in the standard edition closer, Clean, which begins as stark and as vivid of the drought of which it speaks. Yet, unlike the sterility of many recent pop albums, not once does it feel like Taylor is ostensibly catering to others through both structure or lyrics. It's a work of joy - a product of fascination - and one which is accomplished by someone so understanding and self-aware.
While the pop landscape has recently been flooded by the likes of Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Britney Spears whom attempted to preclude their "spiritual", "personal" and "artistic" albums with marketing white noise, it is, in fact, Swift who is so unabashedly embracing of pop music in its purest form who emerges on top. Much like the music industry's last biggest album event - Beyoncé's self-titled, of course - which avoided prerelease pomp in order to inspire a message of the art directly connecting to the audience, 1989 is an album which reels back the pretence of marketing. Essentially, it's pop at it's most pure, endearing and enjoyable. Much like the delicate symbolism of 'you taking off your coat' in Style, 1989 merely asks us to drop pretence as tangibly as a coat for a while and for us to enjoy pop in it's purest, most visceral form: thus creating something simultaneously so simplistic and yet so astute in the way in which all it asks is for us to 'listen', 'enjoy'... and maybe even 'shake it off' while we're at it.
4 out of 5
Review archive
Tinashe - Aquarius
Calvin Harris ft. John Newman - Blame
Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj - Bang Bang
Azealia Banks - Heavy Metal and Reflective
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This is so well written 
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
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Mastamaind, I love your review. I had some of the same feelings. I even played the album again today but it's still not slaying me. There are few songs that are amazing but the rest is very meh.
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Member Since: 8/15/2012
Posts: 6,964
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Quote:
Originally posted by Superpower
Mastamaind, I love your review. I had some of the same feelings. I even played the album again today but it's still not slaying me. There are few songs that are amazing but the rest is very meh.
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Thank you, I put it on today for like 3 hours or more and I liked it less than I first initially when I thought of putting it a 4.5 out of 10. When I was near finishing the review I was like, I want to finish this already so I can change the music. I think I'll give it a chance later to see if I can like it more and give it more points in my book, but I don't know.
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 13,761
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Quote:
Originally posted by Mastamaind
You're insane and you like to crash with your James Dean.
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this is actually quite a funny observation
Quote:
Originally posted by holyground
This is so well written |
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ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 4/24/2011
Posts: 8,547
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We have 3 requests for iamamiwhoami's Blue!
Honestly, TRF.
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Member Since: 8/15/2012
Posts: 6,964
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I'll give '1989' one final listen to see if I can change the score.
By the way, I was thinking we could give votes to review older albums, imagine ATRLers reviewing 'Blackout', 'ARTPOP', 'Good Girl Gone Bad', 'Like a Prayer', 'Thriller', 'The Suburbs', etc. It'd be very cool.
Quote:
Originally posted by bluth
this is actually quite a funny observation
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 37,384
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I'll review Motion when I get the chance. I'm kinda swamped right now 
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Imagine Dragons' newest single I Bet My Life is a departure from the more pop-oriented sound of Radioactive and Demons. It begins with a haunting intro which sets the tone for the song. Frontman Dan Reynolds' vocals are reflective, honest, and bittersweet as he discusses the relationship between him and his parents. I think a lot of listeners will be capable of relating to the message of the song. The first verse does its job, Reynolds backed up by only a sparse guitar and folk-like drums that create an interesting atmosphere. Soon, though, the chorus comes in and completely transforms the song. It is a classic Imagine Dragons hook, with loud instruments, handclaps, loud sing-screaming (a la Radioactive) and a powerful, rousing mood to it as Reynolds belts " I! I bet my life!"
The chorus doesn't last long, and following the hook the listener is plunged back into the bittersweet mood of the first verse. The second verse is emotionally powerful and the lyrics are very well-written. Following another chorus, a bridge comes in. Unfortunately, it is quite weak. Nothing stands out about the bridge sonically, and I wish it differentiated from the verses more. The instrumental is again very sparse, and in fact the last line of the bridge is delivered a cappella by Reynolds. This line, " Please forgive me... for all... I've done", feels like it should end the song. It is so simple and poignant and seems like a perfect ending.
My mood was completely jolted when the final chorus unexpectedly kicked in. Once it did come in, though, I expected it to be the crescendo of the song. In reality, it was just a regular chorus followed by 15 seconds of instrumental and an abrupt ending that could have been easily stretched out with a fading guitar (which I would have loved). I didn't really like this.
This song is an interesting juxtaposition, containing both melancholy and anthemic qualities to it. I'm pretty sure Reynolds was having some serious mood swings writing this, because overall the mood of the song is unclear. Is it sad, bittersweet, uplifting, or confident? The verses would suggest the first two, and the chorus would suggest the second two. Reynolds' vocals in the verses feel like they should be enduring because of the emotional weight they carry, but they really aren't. In fact, I surprisingly found this song as a whole fairly unremarkable. The chorus is definitely nothing special, but it's the catchiest part of the song. Lyrically, the verses are more sincere than most, but they almost seem overshadowed by the chorus.
It's tough to sum this track up. Nothing really makes me want to listen again. I Bet My Life feels like a poor man's Radioactive turned melancholy. It's an OK song, and there isn't anything bad about it per se, but it just doesn't resonate with me.
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)
Gwen Stefani - Baby Don't Lie (5.4)
Iggy Azalea f/MŘ - Beg For It (7.7)
Imagine Dragons - I Bet My Life (5.5)
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
| 1989 - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift | Big Machine | Release Date: October 27, 2014 | Review Period: October 27, 2014 - November 4, 2014
|  | dddddddddd
76 | Member Score
Generally Favorable Reviews
based on 32 Reviews | ddddd. | dddddd
}-- | Modscore
N/A
based on 0 Mods |
| | dddddddddddddd | Summary: The highly anticipated fifth album from the superstar. | Record Label: Big Machine
Genre(s): Pop |
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| Member Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████ 25 | | d | ....iMixed: ███ 5 | | d | Negative: █ 2 |
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| | Mod Reviews | | d | .iPositive: 0 | | d | ....iMixed: 0 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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1989 results.
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 12,666
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That's 1989's REAL Metacritic score too 
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
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Disappointing just like failing to beat Brit's record smh
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,973
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Metacritic teas 
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Queen of general favorability
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Member Since: 1/1/2014
Posts: 43,331
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Quote:
Originally posted by alexanderao
| I Bet My Life - Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons | Interscope | Release Date: October 27, 2014 | Review Period: October 29, 2014 - November 4, 2014
|  | dddddddddd
68 | Member Score*
Generally Favorable Reviews*
based on 5 Reviews | ddddd. | dddddd
}-- | Modscore
N/A
based on 0 Mods |
| | dddddddddddddd | Summary: The lead single from the Las Vegas-based band's second studio album. | Record Label: Interscope
Genre(s): Alternative, Pop |
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| Member Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████ 3 | | d | ....iMixed: ███████████ 2 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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| | Mod Reviews | | d | .iPositive: 0 | | d | ....iMixed: 0 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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I Bet My Life results (unofficial).
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
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Alexander, how are the suggestions from the survey doing?
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Member Since: 2/5/2014
Posts: 29,111
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Maybe I was just a little too lenient for ID 
Quote:
Originally posted by holyground
Alexander, how are the suggestions from the survey doing?
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I'm curious also.
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