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Special Event: atrlcritic | Ed Sheeran's new songs after the upgrade
Member Since: 4/22/2012
Posts: 33,490
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Charli XCX – Break The Rules: 8/10
After spending almost a year preparing this new era, it is all finally coming together with a set album release date and Break The Rules as the second single. It is an obvious departure from her debut, displaying more of an indie/rock flair, while her first album was situated in a rather electronic oriented soundscape.
Such a change of direction is always a risky move, but in this case I would say it works. Seeing as Charli has always displayed an attitude that was quite punk rock and rebellious, which already manifested itself in her collaborations with Icona Pop and Iggy Azalea, this song seems like a natural development and progress.
What I like about this song is how Charli manages to balance her attitude and confidence with a lightness that prevents the song from being too extreme towards either end of the spectrum – it’s neither too heavy on the punk rock side nor too cheesy on the pop side. It’s right in the middle, with an instrumental that stands out, most significantly the way it builds up during the chorus tricking the listener into expecting a dance breakdown and then going into the synth/guitar hook instead, which is pretty much the complete opposite.
The lyrics are the only weakness here, as I think they don’t show a lot of effort and lack inspiration; however, they will probably do the job appealing to the younger audience, especially as the release of the song coincided more or less with the end of summer, depending on which part of the world you are looking at.
This song ties in nicely with the two tracks we already knew from this album, and I think that Charli is on the right way with this sound, which is authentic and makes sense for her in every possible way.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
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holyground: music in review 
8.0
"unabashedly unapologetic"
highlights
"it's like i got this music
in my mind saying it's gonna be alright"
| Shake It Off
Taylor Swift
Well, well, well. Taylor Swift has returned with her new POP lead single and it has got the whole world crying out loud, and attacking her for various reasons. As a stan, you guys might think this is just a biased review and that all I care is pulling her score up. But I think, that as a stan, I think I know more about this song and Taylor than most of you, so I think it's my responsibility to try and address the "issues" that surround this song.
Firstly, Taylor's going full-on pop this time round, even her album will be pop through and through. Well to be honest, I'm scared too. But then again, I'm all for her doing something different. We've heard her do all sorts of stuff on Red, if she wants to hone into a specific genre this time, fine. Also, I absolutely love the production here. It sounds a bit like a certain Avril Lavigne song, but I think the horns are a good touch and the production is not overwhelming, almost a bit minimalistic.
Also, some think that this song is faceless, non-Taylor Swift and feels like all other pop songs out there. But I feel like Taylor has something that others don't: the sass. Not many people have that kind of confidence that really shines through in their music, without it being tied to some sexual connotation. This sass has been uniquely Taylor, and is prominent in the song.
Next, lyrics. Okay, I can't concede on this. But, we have heard her songwriting prowess on many of her songs. All Too Well could be a song that would make even a 40-year old singer proud of. So, her writing isn't very apparent here, but at least she does show her impeccable ears for melodies and hooks.
Lastly, the video. I'm not sure if most of ATRL feels like what half the world out there feels. One, they think that she's on a downward spiral on the video and second, that the video is racist. Lemme not touch on the second point cuz it's so ridiculous. The video is satirical, it is meant to be as silly as possible. The video (and the song) is not meant to be taken seriously, it's light-hearted and fun and that's all that matters.
At the end of the day, the purpose of the song is to make a statement, to show that she can make fun of herself and she doesn't care whatever people think. And to just have fun. After all, she did say something like this to Ed Sheeran, that the first single should make people talk. Well, she did just that. Will that translate to more people focusing on her album and the better songs on there? We shall see.
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previous reviews
archives
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anaconda - nicki minaj - 5.9
***flawless (remix) [feat. nicki minaj] - beyoncé - 7.5
pixie lott - pixie lott - 6.5
all about you - hilary duff - 6.9
lp1 - fka twigs - 8.0
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Member Since: 1/4/2014
Posts: 3,513
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Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
Oh Taylor, being a country star wasn't enough? You so greedy... Well, I guess we can officially say that Taylor Swift has transformed into a pop girl now. While "Red" already initiated this transformation, with "Shake It Off" and "1989" being labeled as her "first documented, official pop album" it's clear that country Taylor is no more. Welcome, poppy Taylor.
I'll give her one thing, "Shake It Off" is catchy... and sadly enough, I'm very vulnerable for a hook that gets into your head. I've already caught myself lipping, singing and even shaking to it randomly during the day. So yes, the song will definitely find a way into your everyday life after you listen to it a few times, but not necessarily in a good way. I'm already getting annoyed by the horns, the lyrics and that awful bridge. These horn-like sounds are probably one of the worst things to happen to music in a while and I hope this fad fades away quickly. They don't do "Shake It Off" any good and the song could've been just as great/bad without them. Another issue that might have made an impact on my opinion of the song is the music video. I haven't listened to the song without watching it and to be quite frank, that makes the song even more cringe-worthy. Taylor is so awkward to watch that I literally cringe sometimes. Of course a video shouldn't be that big of a factor for liking a song but I haven't been able to block that mess out of my head just yet. All of this in combination with some of Taylor's sloppiest lyrics and this song really goes nowhere, except maybe into your head.
I will put it in Taylor's "wise" words, I'm a lover but I'm also a hater. I might be hooked on the hook for now but I won't be playing this voluntarily any time soon though. Because besides "Shake It Off" being catchy, there isn't much more to it. The lyrics are dull and the melody already gets on my nerves at times, so this really is a 50/50 situation for me.
5/10
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Member Since: 8/31/2013
Posts: 12,948
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It would be awesome if we could review Brood's new album "Evergreen" along with Ariana's
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Member Since: 2/5/2012
Posts: 791
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Member Since: 5/16/2012
Posts: 12,486
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"Break the Rules" by Charli XCX
"Break the Rules" is incredible. Charli XCX's odd but infectious singing mixed with the rock/dance hybrid production makes a great song. The song could have easily been another generic dance track, but the heavy rock influence on her vocals, lyrics, and production makes the song stand out as well as making it unique.
I remember listening to Charli XCX's Soundcloud mixtapes a long time ago and being very unimpressed by her material, so much so that I ignored her debut album. None of her recent hits, as good as all three are made me want to revisit her older material. Even if I still don't like her older material and debut album, she still has made a casual fan out of me with her current sound and I am looking forward to her second album Sucker.
Score: 9/10
Archive
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Member Since: 1/4/2014
Posts: 3,513
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Charli XCX - Break The Rules
I don't know much about Charli XCX except for her collabs with Icona Pop and Iggy Azalea. This was actually the first solo song I ever heard of her but it didn't disappoint. Charli has a very distinguishing sound and I kind of like it.
Lyrically "Break The Rules" doesn't have much to offer. It's a typical pop song where the chorus takes all of the spotlight. The verses are nothing but a few words thrown together that sort of fit with the title and hook. This hook though, is a lot of fun. After a few listens I was already bopping along. It's the perfect "Let's not go back to school" anthem. The lyrics of the chorus aren't top-notch either. Charli wants to break to the rules an be a rebel, we get that after a while but the production and Charli's vocals really get me going. The overall sound of the song really fits Charli's voice, a lot better than "Fancy" for example. There's still room for improvement but nonetheless the beat and chorus are great, they have been following me ever since I first listened to it, but in a good way.
"Break The Rules" has a lot of potential, although it lacks some wittiness lyrically, the overall production makes up for that. On top of that Charli has a very interesting sound, I'll definitely keep an eye on her.
7.5/10
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 6/15/2007
Posts: 29,795
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Quote:
Originally posted by borntodie
Except that most of those 30 people are Swifties who ran in here to inflate her score with Stan reviews.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Dollas n Diamonds
same thing happened for Anaconda and Flawless  |
Exactly. Something we thought of and has been shown, is that obviously stans are gonna run in and overly praise and haters are gonna run in and overly degrade a song. It's part of the atrl culture, not much we can do about that unless things are taken way too far.
Quote:
Originally posted by enxe
It would be awesome if we could review Brood's new album "Evergreen" along with Ariana's
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Maybe I can get Lee to update that album. I know he'd probably want to review that.
Will be calculating scores and updating with Kimbra after I eat.
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ATRL Moderator
Member Since: 11/16/2004
Posts: 28,450
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Taylor Swift - "Shake It Out" I've been a fan of Taylor since she first appeared on the country scene. I loved her early work, but as she gravitated more towards pop music, my interest started to waver. I was excited to see if Taylor would grow musically with this new album and single. Unfortunately, this song was even more of a regression. The song is catchy yes, but as a whole, the song's lyrics, melody and message are quite forgetful. The songs sounds recycled and corny. This single isn't the right direction Taylor should be going in.
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Member Since: 9/9/2012
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Taylor Swift — Shake It Off
August 22, 2014
Summary: Taylor Swift's newest Lead Single to her upcoming 5th album, '1989' makes a blast.
Genre(s): Pop, Bubblegum Pop
Release Date: August 18, 2014
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Taylor Swift really does know how to save the music industry, huh? The sistren came out of NOWHERE, and dropped the best song in a minute. Call me a bandwagon girl, but Pop Taylor. > Ever since 'Red' dropped, she's been on a role. Let's not forget one of the best Pop Songs of our time, 'I Knew You Were Trouble.'. With the Pop touch she now even has me considering buying, her forthcoming album '1989'. The song is playful, and nice done right from the attempts from other pop-stars lately *side-eyes Nicki, Katy, and Sia*. The song just gives me that feeling, and makes me also wanna dance around -- though that sounds corny. The video was also pretty nice to me, I like Taylor's personalty. She seems like a really nice person.
8.7 out of 10
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Member Since: 9/16/2011
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fffff Hype, did you really just delete and repost your review so that Lee would be last on the previous page instead of you?
Quote:
Originally posted by borntodie
this piece ends up as a song that can hardly be taken serious.
Slamming off the ‘haters’ – which in Taylor’s case are limited to tabloids and gossip magazines which honestly, I don’t think are even worth mentioning in a song
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Literally nothing about this song is meant to be taken seriously. Do you, like... Not get that?
And it's not just 'tabloids and gossip magazines,' although that is part of it considering that blogs, tabloids, and gossip magazines have resulted in the popularization of a lot of negative opinions about Her. I mean, She's clearly never had it as bad as, say, Gaga, but I imagine it must be terribly annoying to have half the world think that you're a serial dater, a feminist's nightmare, and an obnoxious attention-seeker, so it's easy to see how we ended up at the point where She felt like it was necessary to write a song like this. She definitely could have written a better song about it, but I feel like "Shake It Off" was the right approach for Her to take: it focuses on showing us, rather than telling us, that She doesn't really let people get Her down.
Anyways, I really like the way that this article addresses the negativity Taylor's faced.
Side note: one of the things that I absolutely love about the song that nobody around the internet has really touched upon is its relationship to "Mean." In that song about Her detractors, She foresees Herself someday "living in a big old city" where She'll be "big enough so you can't hit me." Flash forward four years, and She has become the confident urbanite She once dreamt of being. It's incredible.
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Member Since: 9/9/2012
Posts: 59,872
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Quote:
Originally posted by JakeKills
fffff Hype, did you really just delete and repost your review so that Lee would be last on the previous page instead of you?
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Member Since: 6/20/2011
Posts: 18,905
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Charli XCX - Break the Rules
I feel this song is a perfect step forward for Charli after I Love It, Fancy, & Boom Clap. I'm glad this song has more of an edge to it like some of her lesser known songs. I love the production, it is rocky and dancey and it just works so well for Charli's unique voice. The song is a little weak lyrically, but I really love the pre-chorus, the beat, and the hook. I have big expectations for her 2nd album after the monster year she's had and this single just hypes me up even more.
8.5/10
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 1/21/2012
Posts: 13,593
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Taylor Swift - "Shake it Off"
After tons of comments on how "maybe Taylor is the problem" regarding her numerous breakup songs, Taylor fights back with her new single Shake it Off. With lyrics such as "I go on too many dates, but I can't make em stay. At least, that's what people say." she shows how she simply shakes it off. Well, apart from the fact that she wrote a song about it. But you know what I mean.
All in all the song is just a fun, catchy, jokingly "I don't care about what y'all think of me!" style song which there are many more of. But it's original in the execution, so it's alright. The production is great, the chorus is (a little too) catchy, and overall I actually enjoyed it. I don't really get why the bridge suddenly has to talk about ex boyfriends and stuff though. I don't see how it fits in the song.
Verdict
A cute and originally executed unoriginal concept that's a bit weird at places.
8/10
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 1/21/2012
Posts: 13,593
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Charli XCX - "Break the Rules"
A cool bassline introduces Charli XCX's "Break the Rules". It sounds funky and I liked where it was headed. Then Charli started singing and I was even more excited, but this was shortly cut off when I heard the lyrics. "I don't wanna go to school, I just wanna break the rules". Really? That's the best you could come up with?
The song sounds funky and Charli's voice fits well into it, and the production is great too, but the lyrics are simply so bad that I could not enjoy the song in any way. This song is also completely unoriginal when it comes to all the rebelling teenager type songs. It's really just your run-of-the-mill I hate my parents song.
Verdict
A funky but unoriginal and frankly basic teenage rebel anthem.
6/10
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 1/21/2012
Posts: 13,593
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scores for shake it off and break the rules will not be taken after this point!!!
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Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 10,540
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Quote:
Originally posted by Phoenetic
Taylor Swift - "Shake it Off"
After tons of comments on how "maybe Taylor is the problem" regarding her numerous breakup songs, Taylor fights back with her new single Shake it Off. With lyrics such as "I go on too many dates, but I can't make em stay. At least, that's what people say." she shows how she simply shakes it off. Well, apart from the fact that she wrote a song about it. But you know what I mean.
All in all the song is just a fun, catchy, jokingly "I don't care about what y'all think of me!" style song which there are many more of. But it's original in the execution, so it's alright. The production is great, the chorus is (a little too) catchy, and overall I actually enjoyed it. I don't really get why the bridge suddenly has to talk about ex boyfriends and stuff though. I don't see how it fits in the song.
Verdict
A cute and originally executed unoriginal concept that's a bit weird at places.
8/10
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The only part I would greatly disagree. Is the original in the execution part. It feels uninspired, and doesn't scream Taylor Swift, in the essence for what she is known about musically .
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ATRL Senior Member
Member Since: 1/21/2012
Posts: 13,593
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Quote:
Originally posted by Matty
Shake It Off - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift | Big Machine | Release Date: August 18, 2014
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68 | Member Score
Generally Favorable Reviews
based on 38 Ratings | ddddd. | dddddd
"7 | Modscore
Generally Favorable Reviews
based on 3 Mods |
| | dddddddddddddd | Summary: The lead single from Swift's upcoming
fifth album 1989. | Record Label: Big Machine
Genre(s): Pop |
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| Member Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████26 | | d | ....iMixed: ███5 | | d | Negative: ████7 |
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| | Mod Reviews | | d | .iPositive:████████████████2 | | d | ....iMixed: 0 | | d | Negative: ████████1 |
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Quote:
Originally posted by Matty
Break The Rules - Charli XCX
Charli XCX | Atlantic | Release Date: August 18, 2014
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79 | Member Score
Generally Favorable Reviews
based on 17 Ratings | ddddd. | ddddddd
6.8 | Modscore
Generally Favorable Reviews
based on 2 Mods |
| | dddddddddddddd | Summary: The lead single from Charli's upcoming
third album Sucker. | Record Label: Atlantic
Genre(s): Pop / Punk / Electro |
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| Member Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████16 | | d | ....iMixed: █1 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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| | Mod Reviews | | d | .iPositive: ████████████████1 | | d | ....iMixed: ████████████████1 | | d | Negative: 0 |
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The results.
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
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holyground: music in review 
7.5
"raunchy hard goodness"
highlights
"i'm such a star, queen boulevard
blaze through the dark, never stop it's how we ride
coming up until we die"
| Break the Rules
Charli XCX
After releasing an album last year, Ms. Aitchison is all set to unleash her next pop juggernaut, even though earlier this year she did state that she wanted to make a punk album that would "piss people off". Charli is most known for either her sugary bops, or being the sidekick of Iggy Azalea. With Boom Clap and this song, she is trying to show that she's no Katy Perry, but a pop singer with an edge.
Boom Clap was a sticky and sweet song that filled with flowers and rainbows, whereas Break the Rules, like the title suggests, is much more defiant. The production is darker and harder, giving the song that kind of rebellious edge. Though it's raunchy, it's catchy and is a pleasure to rock out to. In fact, it sort of gives me Britney Spears teas. The chorus is the absolute highlight. The chorus rises in a techno fashion which is simply exhilarating. Britney wishes she could carry this much energy nowadays.
The things I would want to fault are probably the breakdown and the lyrics, for the lack of things to fault in this perfectly produced pop song. With such a ravey chorus, I felt that the riff in the breakdown was too cheesy. The lyrics aren't especially deep, and she doesn't exactly capture the rebelliousness well, unlike early Avril Lavigne.
Overall, this song is a certified bop and I think is more indicative of what's to come on Sucker. She's going hard, and she's gonna not give a damn. Basically, that sounds like the qualities of punk, doesn't it?
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previous reviews
archives
...
pixie lott - pixie lott - 6.5
all about you - hilary duff - 6.9
lp1 - fka twigs - 8.0
shake it off - taylor swift - 8.0
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Member Since: 8/19/2013
Posts: 27,248
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WAIT  The deadline already ended 
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