If you're a person, which I'm quite sure you are, you probably fall into one of two camps: Christmas Music is either your favorite or least favorite thing in the world. It's pretty split between people who love Christmas to no end and will eat up anything and everything holiday-related and people who are sick of hearing the same songs and seeing the same decorations year after year and just want it to stop. Now, I myself am in the former category, and as someone who adores Christmas and the holiday spirit, I thought i'd take this Christmas Day to share some of my personal favorite holiday tunes, be they overplayed classics or underrated gems. If it's a beautiful song that gives off the spirit of the holiday, it counts. So I invite you all to sit back, enjoy, and maybe add some of these to your future holiday playlists. I'm FlamingScribblenaut, and I'll see you in January for my year-end lists. Merry Christmas.
~~~~~
"Christmas Eve/Sarajevo" Trans-Siberian Orchestra
(Christmas Eve And Other Stories, 1996)
~~~
"That Spirit Of Christmas" Chuck Brown feat. Eva Cassidy
(The Christmas Song/That Spirit Of Christmas, 1999)
In a lot of ways, hype can be very helpful to a project. It can create buzz and get you excited for the release of the given creative work.
But hype can also be very dangerous.
Take me for instance. I have sort of an unfortunate habit of setting absurdly high expectations for any given creative work, bet it a television episode, a movie, or yes, an album. This, more often than not, tends to lead to disappointment, and it's more of my own fault than that of the thing itself. This can be a problem when, say, your favorite band announces a new album that promises to be everything they'd ever done times ten, one might set sort of a ridiculously high precedent for said record.
Because yep, that is exactly what happened with me and this new album from Coldplay.
My favorite musical artist of all time and the biggest band in the world right now, Coldplay are a band of not only incredible musical and artistic talent and depth and one with an impressively diverse catalog, but also have had some of the biggest influence on rock and pop music in the past 15 or so years.
Coldplay were one of the first bands I gravitated towards when I started really getting into music, and with a string of phenomenal albums including masterpieces like A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, and Mylo Xyloto, which I stand by as being one of Coldplay's most enthralling and wonderful releases to date, among others, they went on to impress me and inspire me like few other bands really ever have.
I'll admit, after last year's Ghost Stories, which I absolutely loved, I was really surprised to see them announce a new album so quickly afterward, especially with the rumors that this may very well be the band's last album.
So, when this album finally hit Spotify, I came in and listened to it immediately. And now that I've given it some time to sink in, how does A Head Full Of Dreams turn out?
OK, let's make one thing perfectly clear: this is, from top to bottom, a pop album. There's no going around that, this is a pure pop record. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, Mylo Xyloto was also pretty much pure pop and that album is, in my opinion, one of their absolute best, and from an artistic standpoint, the more upbeat, poppy sound does make sense.
See, the band said this album is sort of meant to be a companion piece to last year's Ghost Stories, sort of the "getting over the breakup" after the "wallowing in sadness and pity because of the breakup" of the last record, so a more upbeat, celebratory sound certainly fits.
Here's the thing though: seeing as Mylo Xyloto was Coldplay's other big "pop" album, it's inevitable the two are going to be compared, and this album does not match that one. It just doesn't have the same powerful, operatic explosion of color and beauty that was Mylo Xyloto. Those themes are still there, they're just not as strong, as the production is a lot more washed out, reverb-heavy and sleepy, even on the quote party tracks like Hymn For The Weekend. It's not bad, but it doesn't really do the themes of the album justice. There are moments of that colorful bombast that do occasionally shine through, like the excellent opening title track and "the single" Adventure Of A Lifetime, but for the most part, this album just doesn't match the pure joy and wonder of Mylo. If anything, I think Mylo makes a way better contrasting companion piece to Ghost Stories.
That being said, I do think this album at least sounds nice. Not as uplifting and colorful as I would've liked, but it still has a very nice, happy vibe to it. It's just more of a content, sentimental kind of happiness than celebratory or wonderful, and I do kind of like that angle. The best example of this is the track "Fun", featuring incredibly talented pop singer Tove Lo. Fun is one of my favorite tracks on the album, perfectly capturing the feeling of reminiscing on a past period of your life, feeling that wave of nostalgia and just thinking, "man, wasn't that great?". Chris and Tove play off of each other excellently, and the aforementioned washed-out production actually really works for this sort of track. It's one of the biggest highlights, no question.
But unfortunately, this album does have the exact opposite of a highlight in it. I've ling said Coldplay have never put out a legitimately bad song. A few weaker tracks here and there, but nothing outright awful. Well, I'm said to say that streak has been broken. Broken by the bewildering bundle of bad that is the hidden track X Marks The Spot. I think this is Coldplay's attempt at a Chris Brown-style hip-hip R&B type thing and it's kind of completely awful. Seriously, I know Coldplay, and the Coldplay I know is above that.
Thankfully, they prove that they actually are above that on the very next track, the absolutely gorgeous, wonderful track Amazing Day. This was the first track revealed from the album, and oh what a glorious first taste it was. Amazing Day is flat-out beautiful. Shimmering guitars, ethereal, soaring production, a song about looking out upon the beauty of nature and the world, it's a truly stellar track. I really would've liked if the album has a few more tracks like this.
And of course there's the best song on the album, the closer Up & Up. If this is indeed Coldplay's last album, Up & Up is the best note they could possibly go out on. A song about optimism and facing your challenges, about how maybe we face struggles, maybe everything's not perfect, but we're gonna get it together, and we're gonna keep moving. The two guitar solos, one of which provided by famed Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, are the best parts of the song and close the track out beautifully. It really does feel like a grand finale, a final bow, and while I do hope that this isn't Coldplay's last album, if it truly is, Up & Up might be their perfect final bow.
So in the end, does A Head Full Of Dreams stack up with Coldplay's other works? Well, yes and no. Yes, there are some absolutely stellar standout moments, but as a whole product, A Head Full Of Dreams doesn't really stand out to me as the rest of Coldplay's work. There are quite a few kind of forgettable tracks, and of course that one awful track, but I'd say the good moments are more than worth checking out this thing for.
And if this is the end for Coldplay, we can at least say they've left behind an incredible discography and will no doubt go down as one of the greats.
BEST SONGS: Up & Up, Amazing Day, A Head Full Of Dreams, Fun feat. Tove Lo, Everglow, Color Spectrum
So, with the 5th and possibly best season to date of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic soon coming to a close, I felt it only appropriate to do something special in commemoration. After all, this show holds a very close and special place in my heart. Friendship Is Magic has left a deep and emotional impact on me like almost no other show has. It's a wonderful series with great characters, a wonderful, fascinating world, stunning animation, hard-hitting and mature morals, and a sense of beauty and wonder like few other shows have.
So the question came: what to do? What could I possibly talk about to emphasize what an incredible ride this show has been? Well, in keeping with the theme of this blog, I felt it only appropriate to talk about one of the show's best out of many aspects: the music.
Friendship Is Magic may have one of the greatest soundtracks of any television show I've ever seen. Musical numbers that range from sweeping, grand, symphonic orchestras to great character pieces to just incredibly catchy and memorable tunes, lead songwriter Daniel Ingram has crafted some fantastic music for this series, and now only seems like the appropriate time to look back on and pay tribute to 5 (so far!) seasons of excellent work.
The only rule here is no short-form or throwaway songs. I'm only going to be picking songs a minute-20 or longer. So, no Equestria The Land I Love or Behold Princess Twilight Sparkle, unfortunately.
Also, I'm going to be talking about these songs with the knowledge of their context within their respective episodes (in other words, spoilers), so it'd be a good idea to watch these episodes before we go into them. Or just watch them because they're great episodes. Seriously, this is a fantastic show, watch it.
And now, sit back, grab some cider, and let's get the party started.
10
Seasons 4 and 5 have been really interesting compared to the previous seasons. After Magical Mystery Cure happened and Twilight became a princess, the writers started to take a lot more liberty and play around with bigger, more conceptual, and in some cases even more adult storylines. Not that I'm complaining, this is one of the reasons Seasons 4/5 were so fantastic, and they're the reason we get episodes like The Cutie Map.
The Cutie Map is hands-down the darkest episode of Friendship Is Magic to date. Playing around with concepts of cults, marxist ideologies, loss of identity, and brainwashing, The Cutie Map successfully proved the show could not only do heartwarming, adorable, emotional, and action-packed; it could also do outright scary and creepy (in a good way, of course.).
Don't believe me that a show like this can pull off creepy? Just listen to this.
#10. "In Our Town"
(S5E1, "The Cutie Map", Part 1)
Starlight Glimmer is my favorite villain in the series, as she represents one of my favorite villain types, the master manipulator. In this episode, she was portrayed in the most creepy light possible, showing just how gleeful she was in manipulating and twisting ponies into giving up their identities and becoming unidentifiable husks of themselves.
That sadistic joy comes through in this song, and that helps it be all the more unsettling. Ingram stated this song was inspired by World War 2-era propaganda music, and it shows. Listen to that upbeat, high-spirit instrumentation and then really listen to the lyrics. They're such a happy and optimistic depiction of such a horrifying concept, made even scarier with the knowledge that Starlight planted this idea into their heads not through magical mind control or anything like that, but her own sadistic forms of manipulation. It shows just what a real, sociopathic monster Starlight is and makes her actions feel all the scarier. Some of these lines ("you can't have a nightmare if you never dream") are absolutely unsettling because of this.
The Cutie Map and especially In Our Town is one of the few times the show has pulled of what could be classified as genuine horror. It's unsettling and disturbing in all the best of ways, and it shows just how far the writers are willing to go with darker, higher-concept stuff, which is just awesome.
9
Say, what happens when you cross My Little Pony with something right out of The Nightmare Before Christmas?
Something awesome.
#9. "Stop The Bats"
(S4E7, "Bats")
Stop The Bats is one of the series' most compelling musical numbers for quite a few reasons.
Most of this song's strengths come from style and tone. Simply put, this song is dark, and for different reasons than In Our Town. In Our Town was dark because of the discomforting implications and subjects of the lyrics and the contrast between them and the song's very upbeat, peppy tone. Here, the darkness lies in the tone completely. Yes, this song sounds like something straight out of a Tim Burton film, specifically in the instrumentation during Applejack's segments. It's brooding and sinister, almost gothic in a way, matching perfectly with Applejack's pure resentment and anger in her vocals and lyrics, showing off Ashleigh Ball's incredible vocal chops in a big way.
Of course, the song really becomes fascinating when Fluttershy is added into the mix, as her segments sound like a completely different song yet still fitting in perfectly. Her segments provide a perfect contrast to those of Applejack, as her defense of the Bats comes with much softer, brighter instrumentation, and provides and excellent contrast in tone and motivation to Applejack.
The conflict itself is very compelling as well. The two have complete opposite opinions on how to deal with the situation, and the way they constantly bring up points against each other paints the conflict as if neither side is technically correct, and that helps the song paint one of the most compelling conflicts we've seen within the Mane 6 in the entire series.
And don't even get me started of that little hate chant at the end. That... that's just haunting.
8
Pinkie Pie is a character I've long had massive admiration for. Her journey to spread happiness and laughter to everyone around her and her perseverance to keep positive and optimistic in the face of fear or doubt is something I admire heavily. Her goal is to spread perpetual happiness and joy, regardless of circumstance, and she's someone I truly look up to in that regard.
And in all her great moments, there's one song, one song from this show that makes me fall in love with this character all over again every single time. A song that showcases all of Pinkie's best traits at once and I consider to be one of her highest moments.
And no, it's not the one you're thinking of.
#8. "Pinkie's Lament"
(S4E12, "Pinkie Pride")
Pinkie's Lament is a brilliant showcase of how much you can do with with a musical number. In what would normally take a very long-drawn out scene, this song tells a very powerful and heartwarming story and hits every emotional chord it can in just two minutes.
Not to discredit The Smile Song or anything (in fact you can consider that the honorary #11), but I feel this is Pinkie's best musical portrayal to date, and a lot of that comes down to pure emotion.
I mean, the first minute or so of this song is genuinely heartbreaking. It's rare that we see Pinkie feel so defeated and down, but the way her sadness is conveyed still fits perfectly with the Pinkie we've come to know and love. Lines like:
I've put away my party cannon,
I've deflated all my balloons
, would probably sound ridiculous out of context of the character or the situation, but when put in context, they actually become very striking and powerful. Seeing her in this state and showing how she handles it with utter defeat is genuinely sad to see. We've rooted for her in the past because of her undying optimism, so to see her in shambles like this is just heartbreaking.
But then we get to the second half of this song, and this is where everything wonderful about Pinkie really shines through. She comes to realize once again what her passion is; spreading happiness, especially to her loved ones. All I can say is that this is the reason I love Pinkie Pie. Just read some of these lyrics:
Oh, look at those happy faces
All the parties that I had thrown
I made them laugh, had such a blast,
a smile that's all their own
they loved seeing me, the real Pinkie
show them a time of their life like they've never known,
like they've never known
These lines almost make me cry tears of joy whenever I hear them. It's such a triumphant moment, where Pinkie finally comes to understand just how much her parties and general optimism mean to her and the ponies she cares about. It's a truly touching moment.
Pinkie's Lament and Pinkie Pride cemented Pinkie in my Top 5 favorite characters of the series, and it stands as one of her greatest moments. If this song goes down with the same if not even higher legacy than The Smile Song, I honestly wouldn't complain.
7
5 Seasons.
I took us 5. Seasons. To finally get a Rainbow Dash solo song.
And I'm not even gonna complain, because oh boy, was it worth the wait.
#7. "I'll Fly"
(S5E4, "Tanks For The Memories")
Tanks For The Memories is undoubtedly one of the greatest episodes of the series. Its handling of such a serious subject matter as a close one's death was exceptional, and Rainbow's reaction in the face of it, perfectly demonstrating the stages of grief while still keeping Rainbow recognizably herself, was handled beautifully, not to mention tons of brilliant jokes and references that kept the episode funny and entertaining without downgrading the emotion or message of the episode whatsoever. It's a brilliant piece of television, and Rainbow's first solo song is the icing on the proverbial cake.
Musically, I'll Fly is one of the most enjoyable songs in the show from a personal standpoint. I'm a sucker for a good rollicking guitar groove and some big orchestral flourishes. This song has sort of a pop-punk feel to it, and I love me some pop-punk.
But of course, the star of the show is Rainbow Dash herself. I've already touched on what a fantastic singer Ashleigh Ball is, and this is one of her best performances on the show to date.
This song also holds a very special place in the episode. All of Rainbow's concern through Tank, to the point of going to what could be considered absolutely insane measures, are all made completely understandable through this song. The fear of loneliness, the care for her friend, the idea of her actions being necessary, it's all there and portrayed in a very sympathisable and believable light. It makes the emotions of the episode that much stronger.
What else can I say except that it's one of the best parts of one of the series' finest hours.
6
The Best Night Ever is a really underrated episode.
I mean, I get why not many people talk about it. It's certainly the least impressive of the season finales, on a much smaller scale and hasn't had near the show-wide impact of Magical Mystery Cure or Twilight's Kingdom.
That said, I don't want to discredit this episode. Despite not being as spellbinding or massive as its followers, it's still a very clever, funny episode with a wonderful atmosphere and six very well-done and highly entertaining storylines that intertwine very well, and all the episode's highlights come together beautifully in the song.
#6. "At The Gala"
(S1E26: "The Best Night Ever")
Instead of one massive musical number, At The Gala plays out like a series of short vignettes, all of which are absolutely wonderful, and the song pulls them all together perfectly.
Each of the Mane 6 gets their respective moments to shine, and each of their verses is fantastic and takes on a whole new tone and idea surrounding the event and fits each of them perfectly. It provides a very interesting look into how each character wants the Gala to play out and makes the rest of the episode all the funnier when their plans inevitably crash and burn.
My favorite of the segments is easily Rainbow's. Ball's vocals are as fantastic as always, and the music turns more heavy and almost rock-ish, which I love. A close second would go to either Pinkie or Twilight's segment, Pinkie bringing her character enthusiasm and joy makes her a blast to see, and Twilight's segment is just gorgeous.
If I were to rank all 6 of them, favorite to least favorite, it'd probably go: Rainbow, Pinkie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity.
At The Gala has everything great about the music in this show. It's grand, full of heart, very diverse, and above all, just wonderful.
5
Ah, Magical Mystery Cure. I could go on and on and on about this episode, and I probably will someday, but this episode deserves absolutely 0% of the hatred it gets.
Magical Mystery Cure is hands-down my favorite episode of the entire series, and every time I watch it it only grows better and better. It's a practically flawless episode, the story is conveyed excellently through both the music and the characters, the emotions are heavy, and Twilight becoming a princess was the best decision the show ever made, opening up new paths for stories and development that the show took full advantage of.
Then there's the songs. One of the unfounded complaints bitchers like to lob at this episode is that the songs suck. Now, that's not a fair criticism at all, seeing how music is almost entirely subjective, and they don't take away from the episode because they don't detract from the plot at all. In fact, quite the opposite. The songs carry the story and emotion of the episode masterfully and manage to squeeze the episode's big story into 22 minutes without it feeling rushed.
You can't say an episode is bad just because you don't like the songs. I swear, the baseless bullshit people spew at the episode just because they don't like princess Twilight because they can't handle change and refuse to look at his episode even the slightest bit fairly... I forgot where I was going. Anyway, A True True Friend.
#5. "A True, True Friend"
(S3E13, "Magical Mystery Cure")
Much like the episode as a whole, A True True Friend does an excellent job capturing the themes and the overall feeling of the show.
MLP is very optimistic, uplifting, and wondrous, and shows what a wonderful thing friendship is, and this song captures all those themes beautifully, and because of that proves to be one of the series' most potent songs. It's the everything about the show show in its purest form; a beautiful, emotionally powerful piece about friendship and the beauty that can be found within it.
Also, the song is just composed fantastically. It's got this shiny and happy acoustic riff at first, but it just builds and builds as each member of the group is restored, the orchestral arrangements and larger and larger scope of each movement make the song really feel like a big, important moment. Seriously, that final chorus sends shivers down my spine.
It's not the best song in Magical Mystery Cure, but it's still a damn close second.
4
All four princesses are singing, your argument is invalid.
#4. "You'll Play Your Part"
(S4E25, "Twilight's Kingdom", Part 1)
This is how you start a season finale.
Throughout Season 4, people wondered if Twilight's princesshood was going to lead to anything large. It finally did with Twilight's Kingdom, and boy is this song wasn't a way to kick things off.
Twilight is one of the most emotionally investive and consistently growing characters in the show, and her worries about princesshood and the implications of what is essentially growing up create a very serious, mature, and even in ways relatable conflict that added a lot of real depth to Twilight's character while simultaneously kicking the "perfect pretty princess" stereotype of other media directly in the face, and oh what a wonderfully cathartic kick it is.
This song does a wonderful job on conveying that emotion. Through her part of the song, we feel Twilight's struggle, her pain, and it's genuine. We've seen her have trouble adapting to her life as a princess throughout Season 4, going through many personal hardships and struggles, and we've sympathized with her all along the way, which is what helps this song hit all the emotional chords it does, especially when the other princesses come in and comfort her, assuring her that one day, she will, in fact, play her part in all this, and as comforting as their words are, Twilight still feels unsure. That's where this song's power comes from; it shows Twilight's struggle and how even if words of encouragement can help her, they won't solve everything, which makes it all the more compelling.
Also, this is one of the most beautiful songs Ingram has ever composed. The guitars, harps, operatic vocals... it all comes together to something that's just unbelievably gorgeous.
I've seen people complain that this song was unnecessary, but that's really not true. This song was needed to fuel to emotional conflict of Twilight, otherwise the rest of the episode wouldn't carry the same weight. It's not just a retread of Twilight's uselessness as a princess, because it has Celestia, Luna, and Cadence there reminding Twilight of her importance, providing another point of view on her conflict and this fleshing it out more, again helping make the episode all the more compelling.
And really, even if it did technically serve no purpose, who cares? It's still an utterly beautiful song, and easily the best of Season 4.
3
Some musical numbers are good.
Some musical numbers are great.
And some musical numbers are so damn amazing they alone can elevate an episode into true greatness.
Case in point...
#3: "I'm Just A Pony"
(S5E24: "The Mane Attraction")
I mean... oh man, this song. This song single-handedly elevated The Mane Attraction from a good episode to one of the best of the entire season. MLP has always had a thing for Broadway-style musical numbers, so bringing in an actual Broadway actress and singer for an episode was a brilliant idea, especially given the fact that it genuinely feels like something straight out of a Broadway musical. It's massive, it's sweeping, from a purely musical standpoint it's one of the series' most impressive showcases to date.
As expected, Lena Hall's performance is phenomenal. Not a bit of her talent is wasted as her vocals are striking and passionate. She just belts it out and it's absolutely stunning. The song's message, about staying true to yourself no matter what and coming to realize who you are, is an especially powerful one and serves as the best possible way to deliver the episode's moral.
Honestly, I don't know what else to say. This is an Emmy-worthy song with a phenomenal singer and a beautiful orchestra coexisting to create a song this is truly striking. Well done, Daniel Ingram. You have outdone yourself.
2
I try not to be too obvious when it comes to the higher-up entries on these lists, but let's be honest, anyone who knows MLP saw this coming a light year away.
#2. "This Day Aria"
(S2E26: "A Canterlot Wedding", Part 2)
I mean, do I even have add anything here? This song has already collected every high praise, rave, and award imaginable, and it god damn deserves it.
This Day Aria is one of the great villain songs. This song has been compared to golden-age Disney a number of times, and the comparison is just about there. I've long said that if any current-day animated brand could compete with golden-age Disney, it would be Friendship Is Magic, and This Day Aria is the golden example of that, as this is a villain song right on par with those of Disney's golden-age classics.
The two halves of this song play off each other masterfully, and while Chrysalis' portion, which just oozes of all the greatness you'd expect from a really good villain song, is fantastic, is definitely think real Cadence's portion is my favorite, as it's definitely the most emotional performance seen in a musical number from this show to date.
The animation, music, and imagery in every second of this song are absolutely *beautiful*, and they all add together to feel truly grand, as well as just plain gorgeous to listen to and look at.
I'd say more, but then I'd just start to be redundant. This song is already widely hailed as a masterpiece, and with a very good reason: because it is.
And that leaves us with just one question: what could possibly top This Day Aria?
1
Very few episodes of any television show have thoroughly impressed and struck me like Magical Mystery Cure. The episode is an incredibly emotional experience, and most of that emotion comes from seeing the growth, development, and even downfalls of our main character Twilight.
Twilight has had the most compelling storyline of any character in the whole show, as we've seen her in both her high points and her failures, where we could relate to her struggles and be proud of her accomplishments.
So when the time came to finally give Twilight her ascension into the next stage of her life, they did it right.
Man, did they do it right.
#1: "Celestia's Ballad"
(S3E13, Magical Mystery Cure)
I'll come right out an say this isn't just the best song of the series; this scene is the best moment in the entire series.
As the biggest moment in our main character's life, Celestia's Ballad holds the most emotion of any moment in the series. This is the moment Twilight has been reaching for pretty much since the moment she got her cutie mark, and it serves and a beautiful way of recapping Twilight's life, showing how she's overcome her many flaws, her struggles, and her adversity to friendship.
This song does something very few moments in animation have; actually make me feel proud of the character. Not just happy for them, actively proud of them. I honestly feel proud of Twilight for all she's accomplished and reaching this milestone, and as such, the song hits a very heavy and personal chord. Any show can make you feel happy for a character, but to actually create such a close personal bond between viewer and character is something it takes incredible talent, care, and love when crafting these characters to do. I won't lie, this song makes me tear up. In fact, the last few seconds of this song (right up to Twilight's reveal) sends shivers down my spine. It's a very emotional experience, and in my opinion, this scene, from beginning to end, is the best moment in the entire series.
Magical Mystery Cure is a shining example of what makes Friendship Is Magic so wonderful. For a franchise that was once the literal Satan of animation, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has really come to its own as a series not only worth watching, but worth cherishing and celebrating, and that is a truly impressive feat.
So here's to Season 5, and may tomorrow's finale impress and inspire as many episodes before it have. I'm FlamingScribblenaut, and remember: friendship truly is magic.
Now that the charts have significantly shifted to the point of granting us a brand spanking new Top 10, he time has come once again to dive into the wild world of the pop charts and pick apart the biggest songs in the galaxy.
The rules are the same as last time, so let's cut the bullshit and get to the fun stuff.
#10: "Like I'm Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor feat. John Legend
And... of course we have to start with Meghan Trainor.
Now, I'm not exactly what one would call a fan of Meghan Trainor's. I'll save my full rant on her for another day, but believe me when I say it's not exactly gonna be pretty.
Like I'm Gonna Lose You is not one of Meghan Trainor's worst songs per se, but that's not really saying much as Like I'm Gonna Lose You is still painfully weakened by her performance. Her other hits have a long, long list of problems and things that just irk me, but Meghan Trainor's vocals, while consistently pretty terrible, probably wouldn't make the Top 10 worst things about any of them. But here, Meghan's performance is what sings the whole song because Trainor's voice is one of the most annoying things ever.
In fact, this song brings in fellow and much better pop singer John Legend for a guest spot, and he blows Trainor out of the water on this track so hard it's not even funny. His smooth crooning fits this type of song much better than Meghan's obnoxious voice. It's never a good sign when the guest star completely outdoes the main star.
That said, believe me, I'll take this over All About That Bass, Lips Are Movin' or fucking Dear Future Husband any day of the week. Like I'm Gonna Lose You is a painfully weak song, but it does have the beneficiary of lowered expectations working for it, so I guess I can be thankful this isn't as bad as her other songs. Take from that what you will.
5.5/10
#9: "679" by Fetty Wap feat. the Remy Boyz
If there's any artist I didn't expect to become one of the biggest hit-makers of this year, it was Fetty Wap. I heard Trap Queen for the first time, instantly labeled him as a one-hit wonder worth ignoring and merrily went on with my life.
But, the pop universe is strange in that way, and as a result, we get 4 top 10 hits from this guy in the same year. Yipee.
Now, as far as current mainstream rap goes, Fetty's not the worst guy out there. When we have stuff like Nicki Minaj, Rae Shremmurd, Young Thug, Lil Wayne, and countless viral dance crazes poisoning the well as is, Fetty Wap is barely a blip on the radar, completely harmless. His songs are hardly ever objectionable or horrid, just either painfully boring or painfully annoying.
679 falls into the former category. As far as trap-infused brag rap goes, 679 is incredibly standard. The only unique thing about this song and, well, most Fetty songs is his voice, and outside of that it's pretty paint-by-numbers. Not horrid or offensive, but really not worth listening to more than maybe once.
5/10
#8: "Wildest Dreams" by Taylor Swift
Wildest Dreams is a song.
That's about all I got. Wildest Dreams is one of the most aggressively average songs I've ever heard.
The production is OK. Taylor's singing is OK. The lyrics are OK. Everything about Wildest Dreams is just so passionately, blisteringly, deeply OK. It's the pinnacle of passability, the tippity top of tolerable, the epitome of "eh".
Yep, Wildest Dreams exists. Man, does it exist.
5.5/10
#7: "Focus" by Ariana Grande
Remember Problem? That song from last year everybody liked then suddenly nobody liked?
Imagine if they took that song and remade it, except 500 times worse. Oh wait, they did, it was called Focus.
Focus is a mass clusterfuck of the worst traits of Ariana Grande's worst songs. The horribly obnoxious beat, the overt to the point of borderline creepy sexuality, Ariana's horrible attempts at falsetto, and a chorus that sounds like someone just found whatever they could in the studio and banged something out on it, this time in particular apparently being cooking utensils... yeah, all there.
And don't even get me started on Jamie Foxx, who provides the chorus opening line "focus on me" (or, more accurately, "FOKIS OWN MEH") in the voice of a dying donkey whose presence is completely unnecessary.
In conclusion, Focus is one of the biggest trainwrecks to hit the chart this year. Horrible, across the board, and I'm sure it'll be rightfully forgotten by the end of this month.
3/10
#6: "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes
I really like Shawn Mendes. His music is pretty genuinely charming and nice as far as pop stars go, and his blend of very folky acoustic instrumentation and stomp-clap percussion gives his songs a raw, natural feel to them that makes his stuff really enjoyable. I'd say I'm definitely a fan of the guy.
All that I said can be applied to Stitches. Stitches is a very nice song. Again, the combination of folky acoustics and stomp-clap percussion gives the song a raw, rustic vibe, it's very pleasant and mellow, as opposed to large and adventurous like, say, Something Big (also a very good song). Stitches is a more smooth, chill song, one that I like to see charting.
It's a good song, and I hope to see more of Shawn Mendes in the future, guy's got some real potential.
7.5/10
#5: "Sorry" by Justin Bieber
Oh... hi, Justin Bieber.
Yeah, remember Justin Bieber? That annoying little kid turned unavoidable pop phenomenon that we'd all wiped from our collective conscious 2 years ago?
Yep, he's back, and... he's improved. Like, a lot.
Now, circa 2010 Justin Bieber was not the worst horrific tragedy in the history of the universe like the Internet would have you believe, but that doesn't mean he still wasn't awful, because he was. Very much so, as a matter of fact, and as the early 2010's became the early-to-mid 2010's and Justin Bieber completely flew off the rails in both his music and his personal life, it was safe to say the reign of Bieber had ended.
But now he's back, and his new material is actually not so bad. In fact, in some ways, it's actually kind of good.
Take "Sorry" for instance. Bieber's vocals have improved drastically (his mid-20's lower range is much more tolerable than his adolescent falsetto-whine), and it fits well with the production (provided by Skrillex of all people), which itself has a nice, tropical-house vibe to it. I could actually see myself sitting down and listening to this.
Make no mistake, Sorry is not a masterpiece by any means, the lyrics are pretty lame, and I could very easily see how someone could call this boring or bland because it kind of it at points, but for Bieber, it's a definite sign of improvement, so you know what? I'll take it.
6/10
#4: "What Do You Mean?" by Justin Bieber
Oh... hi again, Justin Bieber. Fancy seeing you again.
A lot of what I said about Sorry also applies to What Do You Mean, but I feel each aspect is done a bit better here. The production is more captivating, Bieber's voice is more controlled, little details are more touched up and make What Do You Mean a better overall product than Sorry.
It's a decent song, and definitely one of his best. Bieber actually has quite some potential now, and I'm excited to see if he can really reinvent himself into a great pop star.
We'll see, and What Do You Mean, while still not great, does show a lot of promise. Not bad. Not bad at all.
6.5/10
#3: "The Hills" by The Weeknd
When I first saw this song on the charts and listened to it for the first time, I was stunned. The fact a song this... dark and non-radio friendly was becoming a massive hit was something I'd never seen before.
But I cannot be more grateful for this song's massive success because it is incredible.
The Hills is one of the most powerful pop songs I have ever seen chart. The production creates a dark, slow, haunting atmosphere with the Weeknd's smooth falsetto creating a very effective contrast, building up to an explosive climax in the chorus, where the singer screams out in his twisted, sick state of mind, painting a sinister, messed-up character and a fascinating look into his twisted psyche, only growing more dark as the bridge comes around, the soft piano line and chant-like repetition of "the hills have eyes" pulling you into the dark before exploding into one massive, final chorus.
The Hills is an explosion of psychotic confusion, debauchery, sexuality, and rage, and I love it. It's one of the best songs to chart this decade, and I cannot praise it enough. It's just fantastic.
9.5/10
#2: "Hotline Bling" by Drake
Ah, Drake. The meme king of 2015.
Drake has been absolutely everywhere this year, with 2 mixtapes, multiple hit singles, and an upcoming full-length album, Drake has cemented himself as 2015's biggest music star.
One of his most noteworthy and meme-worthy songs to date comes in the form of Hotline Bling.
Too bad it kinda sucks.
Hotline Bling is your standard "I used to love you and we broke up and you're seeing other people now and I'm jealous" storyline, and I'm sorry, but I cannot sympathise with Drake's plight at all. His lyrics just make him seem whiny, like an ex seeing other guys is this horrible existential crisis and it's just kinda petty.
And the beat is pretty generic, nothing really all that special, just a boring rap beat, and Drake's monotone delivery doesn't help matters.
In conclusion, Hotline Bling is a good meme. I'll admit it, I like memes, and I've seen some pretty funny stuff done with this song, from Wii Shop Bling to the various dance videos... it's a good vessel for the Internet to make some rather entertaining stuff with.
But as a stand-alone track, Hotline Bling falls completely flat on its face at just about everything it tries to accomplish.
Sorry Drake, but I don't think I'll be calling this cellphone back any time soon.
4.5/10
#1. "Hello" by Adele
Adele is back! Praise the pop gods, tell all your friends and family, Adele is back and as amazing as ever!
In case you were living in a cave in the cold wilderness throughout 2011 and 2012, for those two years, Adele was everywhere. Her songs burned up the charts, she won dozens of awards, she was a household name, and she deserved every bit of it. Adele is one of the best vocalists and songwriters in recent memory. Her gorgeous orchestral and piano-driving instrumentation back her in most of these songs have her music an emotional swell that most pop stars simply did not possess, and her vocals were some of the best the pop world has ever seen. Songs like Someone Like You and Skyfall rank among some of the best songs of this decade.
And as Hello proves, she's still got it. The massive, sweeping, gorgeous instrumentation, Adele's pained, vulnerable vocal delivery, the borderline poetic lyricism... it's all there, and it's all in top form.
Hello has a very distant, cold feel to it, and it works phenomenally well for such a regret-tinged tone of misery and pain. It's one of Adele's most emotionally effective hits to date, and if we can see her create more things like this, maybe even unfluencing more artists like her to get big, having her back is going to make for a great 2016.
Hello is fantastic, plain and simple. A great fit for #1, a fantastic way for Adele to re-introduce herself into the pop world.
Bravo.
9/10
And that's it, thank you all for reading. Next we'll be doing something a bit... different. You'll see.
I'm FlamingScribblenaut, and I'll see you all next time.
Ah, that good ol' evil laugh. Always love it. Hey guys, FlamingScribblenaut here, and today we're gonna be doing something special. Seeing as how it's the week of Halloween, and I fucking *adore* this holiday to no end, I always like to have the perfect music for this time of year, as I do with every time of year. There are lots of songs that are widely regarded as Halloween classics, you have your Enter Sandman, your Thriller, your This Is Halloween, etc., etc., and those are all certainly great songs, especially for the holiday, but today, I'm going to be sharing some of my personal favorite Halloween tracks, the ones that always get me in that perfect Halloween mood. This is a personal list and it's not gonna go in any particular order, so just sit back, grab some candy and/or some pumpkin spice flavored something, and enjoy the music. Happy Halloween.
~~~
"Halloween" by AFI
(All Hallows EP, 1999)
~~~
"Cemeteries Of London" by Coldplay
(Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, 2008)
~~~
"Ride The Wings Of Pestilence" by From First To Last
(Dead Trees, 2015)
~~~ "Die And Rise" by Lacuna Coil (Broken Crown Halo, 2014)
Hey! This countdown is Part 2 of a 2-part special, so if you haven't read part 1 yet, here ya go.
And now, on with the Top 10!
10
I've stated this before, but A Thousand Suns is a very dark, at times even bleak record. The sadness and regret of that album's more emotional moments an be really touching, if not heartbreaking.
But sometimes, in even the darkest of places, just that faint glimmer of hope, that faint moment of clarity can lift you up and inspire you to keep moving forward.
#10. "Iridescent"
from A Thousand Suns
This is one of the greatest ballads of all time. Not exaggerating.
This song is purely and utterly breathtaking. Mike's breathtaking vocal performance, the grand, uplifting chorus, the spacey, almost ethereal production... it all just weaves together brilliantly into a massive spectacle of music. I could go on for hours talking about how beautiful every second of this song is.
Iridescent is a song of hope. About persevering and moving forward, even in the most hopeless of times. Sometimes, even just a glimmer of hope can get you through the darkest of times. That is Iridescent represents to me.
9
Some songs are so beautiful and amazing that you could go on for hours about them.
Others are so beautiful and amazing, you can barely find the words to describe them.
#9. "Shadow Of The Day"
from Minutes To Midnight
Shadow Of The Day is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It's just so flawlessly crafted that I'm at a loss for words. I mean, I could list off things like Chester's vocals, the amazing electronic production, that guitar solo... all of them are amazing, but really, I don't think my words can fo it justice. You just have to hear it for yourself. It's really something special.
8
When I said Linkin Park knew how to end an album, I meant it.
#8. "The Little Things Give You Away"
from Minutes To Midnight
Linkin Park closed out their most diverse album with one of their most powerful songs.
In a lot of ways, The Little Things Give You Away feels like a spiritual predecessor to A Thousand Suns, with its bleak nature and heavily political undertones.
This song shows Linkin Park at their most musically proficient, as the music is really what makes this song. The slow strum of the acoustic guitars and the slow buildup of the production in the first half give way one of the most powerfully haunting songs of the band's history, the pained screaming and repetitions of "all you ever wanted was someone to truly look up to you" create such an intense mood and is one of the biggest emotional moments the band has pulled off. It's absolutely heart-wrenching just hearing the absolute pain and hopelessness of the song. It's a sad one, but well worth the listen.
7
Huh, the last 3 have all been slow songs. Let's change that, shall we?
#7. "The Catalyst"
from A Thousand Suns
Ooh yes, this song is awesome.
This song serves as the climax to A Thousand Suns, and what a hell of a climax it is. It's the most intense and powerful song on the album. This is more than a song, this is a battle cry. This is the soundtrack to an epic final battle for freedom.
The best part of this song is the chant. My god, that chant.
God bless us every one
We're a broken people living under loaded gun
And it can't be outfought, It can't be outdone
It can't be outmatched, it can't be outrun
God save us every one
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hand, sins of our tongue
Sins of our father, sins of our young
Just look at that. That is great fucking songwriting.
The real emotional heft of the song comes in the bridge. That "lift me up, let me go" is fucking powerful, the best part of the song.
A Thousand Suns is my favorite album of all time, and The Catalyst is my favorite song on that album. It sums up all the themes of the album perfectly, and is the perfect climax to a perfect album.
6
I've never seen the Michael Bay Transformers movies. I hear they're the worst thing in the world, but they don't look all that bad. Maybe I'll check them out one day out of morbid curiosity.
I mean, how bad can a movie franchise be when it gives us a song as amazing as this?
#6. "New Divide"
from Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen soundtrack
New Divide is pure, concentrated musical adrenaline. It sounds utterly massive and sweeping and urgent, the perfect epic song. Seriously, that instrumental breakdown in the middle... chills, man. Chills.
Remember like 10 seconds ago I said The Catalyst sounds like the soundtrack to an epic final battle? Yeah, multiply that by twenty. New Divide is the perfect pick to soundtrack a movie about an intergalactic war with robots and lasers and destiny and stuff.
Yeah, it's a soundtrack song to a cheesy movie, but it's a damn good soundtrack song to a cheesy movie.
5
OK, now's when we get into the really good stuff. The next five songs on this list rank up there with my favorite songs of all time. Not kidding.
To start off, we have one of the best songs of the past 5 years. Not kidding.
#5. "A Line In The Sand"
from The Hunting Party
A Line In The Sand is my favorite song of 2014 and yet another example of Linkin Park closing out an album in spectacular fashion.
The song starts off with a very tense, atmospheric electronic build while Mike delivers and incredibly haunting little sung poem, and I may add that this song is his best performance to date, before the guitars and drums kick in and the song explodes into a ferocious wave of anger and just hits you like a ton of bricks and it is glorious.
I've stated before that The Hunting Party is Linkin Park's heaviest album, and A Line In The Sand is the perfect example of that. It's every single member of the band at their best, pulling together a truly jaw-dropping song.
4
Remixes are a tricky art, especially remixes of things that were already great to begin with.
Reanimation is one of those rare occasion where the remixes not only lived up to the original, but even improved on them.
In fact, I would argue Reanimation is much better than Hybrid Theory and is one of the band's absolute best album.
You might think, "but Michael, it's a remix album, why would you consider it one of their best if you don't do so with the original?"
This is why.
#4. "1stp Klosr" feat. Jonathan Davis
from Reanimation
This is the prime example of a remix that surpasses the original in every way.
Don't get me wrong, I like the original One Step Closer a lot, but it pales in comparison next to this incredible remix.
This is a song that is mostly buildup. Most of the song is spent building up and atmosphere, creating tension, immersing you in the dark, heavy intensity of the song, as the electronic effects, churning guitars, and Johnathan Davis's haunting guest verse just create this massive wall of sound, building the anger and the intensity before the ending where it all just explodes.
The last minute and a half of this song is one of my favorite musical moment of all time. It's so intense and thunderous and powerful that it just overtakes you. It's every bit and angry and hard-hitting as the original was taken to the highest level possible.
That is what remixes are capable of, and that is what this remix does and does expertly.
It's simply massive.
3
Yeah... this band really knows how to hit the emotions.
#3. "Breaking The Habit"
from Meteora
Breaking The Habit easily the most raw and personal song Linkin Park has put out, as well as the darkest.
It speaks on the struggles of addiction and self-harm (both of which are shown in the incredible music video) even to the point of depression, and... it just captures it. The pain, the struggle, the wish to get out even if you can't... and that perfect display of emotion comes from Chester himself.
This song is a very close track to him personally (he's stated it's his favorite song that band's every recorded), and his performance on the track shows it. It's raw, pained, screaming... it's very striking and makes the song truly powerful. It's one of the two LP songs that has ever actively made me cry.
Believe me, it's fucking powerful.
2
This is the big one.
This is the song that first got me into music. As a young teen, I knew very little about music outside the pop charts, and I didn't have very developed tastes or eye for quality.
It's safe to say if it wasn't for this song, I wouldn't have ever come to appreciate just what a beautiful medium music is. Just how much it can do, what it can do.
Yes, this song, upon first listen so thoroughly blew me away that much. If it wasn't for this song, I don't know how different my life would be.
It was just that incredible.
#2. "Numb"
from Meteora
Even ignoring my very close personal connection to it, I can say that Numb is still an incredible song.
It's one of the most real and striking displays of true anger and feelings of being utterly trapped that I've ever heard. It's production is outstanding, that opening synth line, the pianos, guitars, drums... all weaves together into a grand and powerful instrumental, and Chester's incredible vocal delivery just ties it all together.
The best part of this song is the bridge. It's short, but it's one of the band's greatest moments. Just that massive scream of;
And I know
I may end up failing too
but I know
you were just like me with someone dissapointed in you
;is one of the most striking moments and one of the best pieces of songwriting and emotion I've heard in a song... ever.
It's all just so masterfully put together, I, to this day, admire this song. For being one of the most striking and real displays of angst and musical capabilities I've ever heard, and for being the reason I developed such a true, undying passion for music.
If it wasn't for this song, I wouldn't be nearly the same person I am today. And for that, Linkin Park, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.
1
I am, to this day, absolutely floored by this song. Most songs tend to not hit me as hard or with repeated listens, but this song is not one of those songs.
Every I hear this song, I am just as if not more blown away by how purely, strikingly beautiful this song is. It is, no doubt, one of the greatest pieces of music I have ever heard.
I highly respect Linkin Park as musicians, and this song is a big reason why.
There is only one word that can properly sum up this song for me:
Masterpiece.
#1. "Krwlng"
from Reanimation
Remember when I said only two Linkin Park songs have made me cry? This is the other one.
This song has brought me to tears through its sheer, utter beauty. It's truly breathtaking.
The way this song progresses, starting off slow and it just builds and builds, every verse and chorus perfectly placed and hits you right in the heart with just the sheer soaring power and beauty of everything... it's almost otherworldly. This song sends chills down my spine and brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.
Krwlng is unlike any other song I've ever heard. It's a true testament to what the art of music is capable of. It's one of the greatest musical compositions of the 21st century, it's my second favorite song of all time, and it is Linkin Park's magnum opus.
That's my list. Happy Birthday to Hybrid Theory, Happy Linkin Park day to all of you, and I'll see you all next time.
