JGMAR is one of those that you tend to dislike because of overplaying and overexposure but as a song alone it is one of the best from TTAL.
Meh. I knew JGMAR before it was a single obviously and I didn't like that much then either. But you're a big fun. fan so I can see why you might have a different opinion.
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Originally posted by Fireman25
VH1 is a good platform to discover new artists. Lorde, HAIM, American Authors, Emile Sande ect. I know them because of VH1. Good write ups.
Yeah I agree! Their YOKs were just getting annoying around late 2011 but recently they've been really on point.
Olly's releases this era were so confusing. There were two different versions of Right Place Right Time, one for the US and one for the UK. He started rapid-fire releasing singles from the UK version (I swear Army of Two, Dear Darlin', and RPRT were all released within a span of like two months) while Troublemaker was still taking off in the US. Then when that one was finally done, the next US single was announced as Dance With Me Tonight. But apparently it was cancelled last-minute, and we haven't gotten a second single since. Even regardless of the messiness, it was hard for me to give this a high placing because it's over two years old. I'd been listening to it on YouTube for quite some time before Olly's album finally became available on US iTunes. Still, it's a pretty brilliant song. Forget all the 70s and 80s throwback songs that became popular this year; Dance With Me Tonight would fit right in with the late 50s/early 60s doo-wop craze. Who needs all these modern clubs and dances when you can bring your firecrackers outside and just "break it down" in the streets? And if you end up getting arrested, at least you can say you had a damn good time. Also, is that main trumpet line sampled from somewhere? I swear to God I've heard it before. This is the first of two songs by Olly Murs in the list.
OneRepublic "If I Lose Myself"
Confession: this one would probably be a hell of a lot higher if someone other than Ryan Tedder was singing it. Seriously, am I the only one who finds his voice incredibly annoying? At least there's not too much falsetto (Can't Stop makes my ears bleed!); plus, the song itself is great. The jazzy breakdown at the end of each chorus is so unique and refreshing. I'm also beginning to see Native as sort of a concept album, with a theme of animals and nature. The Feel Again video was filmed in the middle of a huge forest (and the song was compared to Florence + the Machine's Dog Days Are Over, lol). This video has tons of owl and fox projections in the theater where OneRepublic is playing. And the Counting Stars visual features a large alligator climbing around an old, decrepit house. Let's not forget the album cover or album title either! Maybe there's a gospel theme as well; I mean look at the revival scene in CS and the church choir in SIN. Very cleverly planned era Mr. Tedder. But your voice is still not "Something I Need" in my life. I can only overlook it if you create another masterpiece on the level of All the Right Moves. This is the last of two songs by OneRepublic in the list.
Guy Sebastian & Lupe Fiasco "Battle Scars"
We need more Lupe fans on ATRL. I know a lot of you guys don't usually like hip-hop music but he's so much better than those mainstream rappers with their boring flow and meaningless lyrics. He focuses his music on important issues facing our society today, such as poverty, war, and terrorism. This song in particular talks about the struggle of wanting to fight for something that is clearly a lost cause. The lyrics seem to state that the "something" is love, but the video suggests that maybe there is a deeper meaning. After all, Lupe has some very strong political views; he's repeatedly voiced his disapproval of the Obama administration and the US government as a whole. Could this really be an anti-war anthem? I don't think we'll ever know, and that's the beauty of it all. Lupe is a very intelligent and informed guy; he purposely gave the song an ambiguous meaning, because he wants people to think about the lyrics rather than just zone out to a mind-numbingly catchy song on the radio. That's probably giving too much credit to the GP’s attention span, lol. But it's always worth a shot.
Oh and Guy Sebastian's great too! He has a phenomenal voice. Lupe just deserves more attention, so I gave it to him in this write-up. This is the only song by Guy Sebastian and the first of two songs by Lupe Fiasco in the list.
All Time Low f/Vic Fuentes "A Love Like War"
Clarification: pop-punk and punk-rock are two very different genres. It's my #1 musical pet peeve when people try to use the terms interchangeably. For example, not too long ago I saw an OP in a thread that called Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance pop-punk. Like, that's just plain ignorance. Get your genre classifications right. I'll reiterate what I said in that thread: pop-punk is more upbeat, buoyant, and not associated with kids acting or dressing "emo". I even wrote a whole essay on the topic in English this fall during our Compare/Contrast unit. That being said, I feel like the confusion is arising from songs like this. All Time Low is known for their pop-punk music, but they released this guitar-heavy song with vocals from Vic Fuentes, the lead singer of punk-rock band Pierce the Veil. So how would it be classified? I'd actually say mainstream rock. It fits in nicely with the Pearl Jam, Shinedown, and Five Finger Death Punch singles played there. I do kinda like the old ATL better, but bands can't stay the same forever; this is a nice change of pace and I commend them for experimenting with new sounds. This is the only song by All Time Low in the list.
Cassadee Pope "Wasting All These Tears"
It may be a surprise for some of you to know that I do watch The Voice! I just usually don't comment on the thread here because I like to DVR the episodes and watch them days or sometimes even weeks after their original air dates. Well when I saw Cassadee auditioning for the show in Season 3, I had a little bit of a meltdown (in the good way, lol). You see, she used to be the lead singer of the pop-punk band Hey Monday, which was my favorite band from 2009-2010. She did a great job in all the rounds and her rendition of Over You is one of my favorite reality show performances of all time. But I didn't think she was actually gonna go country for her album. So when I heard the news, I was kinda horrified. Then when her album came out and I listened to it, my reaction was a combination of happiness and relief. It's not a country album. It would be better described as a pop-rock album with hints of country in some of the songs. Personally I don't get why people keep putting this one as their top track; for me the trinity is clearly Champagne, Good Times, and I Wish I Could Break Your Heart. But it's still a emotional, touching ballad that could've been a huge pop / HAC fall crossover hit if her label had sent it for adds. Grrrrr. This is the only song by Cassadee Pope in the list.
American Authors "Best Day of My Life"
I know the idea that these guys sound like Imagine Dragons has been done to death. But you can't deny that it's true. This one is so similar to On Top of the World and It's Time (and I feel like it was inspired by the former!). Maybe there's something more unique on their debut EP, I haven't bothered to listen yet. I will say though that an Imagine Dragons song has never given me the warm fuzzies quite the way that this one does. The "ooh-ooh"s and the jazzy guitar riff in the chorus are so warm and inviting. And the video is another one of my favorites from this year. The plot is that Matt gets drunk at a bar, falls asleep, and has a dream in which a friendly monster accompanies him on a fun-filled day of adventure. Then at the end when he wakes up and leaves the bar, he drops some photo booth pictures that he took with the monster, leaving us to wonder if it was really a dream or not. Well honestly I don't care because THAT MONSTER IS FREAKING ADORABLE. I want to just jump through the computer screen and cuddle with it. I hope it might appear in future AA videos. This is the only song by American Authors in the list.
Walk Off the Earth "Red Hands"
More Canadian love! It's been a while haha. Well if you're Canadian you obviously know these guys. But if you're not, you still might remember their cover of Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know from last year that went viral and became popular worldwide. They have other covers as well, which put a folky spin on poppier chart-topping hits. And it's great to see they're taking that same approach in their own original music. Red Hands is a cute, subdued soft rock ditty in the vein of The Lumineers. The video is absolutely amazing, because it's so homemade. It's shot in the back of a warehouse, with small hanging lights as the only decoration. There's an occasional burst of confetti or mystical special effect, but overall there isn't much in the way of flashy visual appeal. So you might think "oh, it's just another boring performance video". Well, you would be wrong! Every instrument used in the song is displayed at one point; there's quite a variety. My favorites would probably be the glockenspiel and the ukulele. The use of video editing techniques is extremely on point as well; I'm not gonna pretend that I know the techniques because I don't, but there's an unedited version out there for anyone who's interested. Just make sure you watch the original first. I hope these guys stick around for a while and never sell out. They're such a breath of fresh air in the music industry. This is the only song by Walk Off the Earth in the list.
Goo Goo Dolls "Rebel Beat"
The HAC kings are back! They lost their ability to score mainstream hits long ago but honestly who cares. Their core fanbase is still with them, as evidenced by the recent Top 10 debut of their tenth studio album Magnetic. This was the lead single from that album, and I think the best way to describe it is "full of happiness". It's a party song for grownups! Kinda like the more mature version of Katy Perry's Last Friday Night. I mean, you never really grow out of the partying phase. When the huge obnoxious house parties grow old, you take it all out to the streets, Olly Murs-style. And in the video, it looks like the Goo Goo Dolls had a phenomenal time doing just that. There's a lyric that says "before I'm gone I need to touch someone, with a word, with a kiss, with a decent song", and I really think they interpreted it literally. I mean, there's guys who look like they could be 80 or 90 dancing with young girls and having the time of their lives and it's just so beautiful. Plus, everything that is fun can be found in this video; there are hula hoopers, skateboarders, street performers, and more. Honestly, I'd take this any day over a boring old house party. This is the only song by Goo Goo Dolls in the list.
Olly Murs f/Flo Rida "Troublemaker"
Ooh, double Olly this set! What a treat. I'm so glad he got a second chance at US success after Heart Skips a Beat flopped. A lot of people compared this one to Maroon 5's Misery, and I wouldn't disagree with that comparison; they even have similar subject matter (kind of). But I love both songs and just prefer to let them coexist in harmony. Plus Olly just has such a unique voice and personality. I often forget he came from The X Factor, which is how it should be with any successful former contestant, but when I do go back to his audition it's a huge pleasure to watch. He knows how to work a crowd, that's for sure. I wonder if this song is autobiographical, because he does kinda seem like the type to be attracted to "bad girls". And for those of you complaining about Flo Rida's part...I'd actually have to disagree there. I think he snapped out of his usual "generic nonsense" lyrical mindset and managed to deliver a nice verse. Let's put it this way: I own the iTunes version with Flo Rida. If a free version without his part in it became available, I would not pick it up. This is the last of two songs by Olly Murs in the list.
J. Cole f/Miguel "Power Trip"
Yeah I can definitely see why this guy has so much hype right now. I haven't listened to his album and I don't really plan to, but from the songs I have heard he's a pretty strong lyricist. This one in particular follows his thought process as he develops a deepening infatuation with a girl who already has a partner. He gets to the point where he even considers murdering the girl's boyfriend (which he actually does in the video). The production is breezy, slim, and almost poppy, but it still has a dark element that keeps you on edge; it's like the music that plays in a movie when something bad is just about to happen. And of course, there's the Miguel featuring. He's really the hottest R&B artist nowadays, everyone wants him on their songs. As I said before with #Beautiful, his smooth, sultry tone just flows like honey over any and every hook it is given. It gained the song some comparisons to OutKast, which is always a plus! I miss them so much, they just totally fell off the face of the earth after Roses. I guess Andre still has his featurings here and there. Well J. Cole has a ton of potential especially being compared to such legends, it's a shame Crooked Smile was just kinda mediocre. This is the only song by J. Cole in the list.
Thanks for the comments guys and happy 2014!
Next up: #70-66 and the 10 Worst Songs.