Yes, Drake has been a musical pain in my ass for a couple years or so now. Why? He’s boring. I mean, listen to this slog of a song.
Does he sound like he cares about, or even believes anything he’s saying? No. Instead of sounding “overdosed on confidence”, he sounds bored. “God-do-I-have-to-do-this-just-give-me-my-paycheck” level bored. That goes for “Started From the Bottom” too.
Started from the bottom now we're here Started from the bottom now my whole team fucking here Started from the bottom now we're here Started from the bottom now the whole team here, nigga
Like, whoa. Don’t overexert yourself with your song celebrating how far you’ve come.
Let’s see, what else, what else? “The Motto”, YOLO, who cares. Was there anything that I liked?
Yeah, there was that, but that was mostly because of Eminem, who completely blows everyone away both in his lyrics and his flow. What about something I liked that Drake specifically did?
Oh yeah, I did like that song. I wonder why? Oh, that’s right. It’s something called “emotion”. Drake’s singing at least kind of sounds like he gives a damn about his lyrics. And with that, we make it to the current song.
“Hold On, We’re Going Home” brings it back to a more “Find Your Love” Drake. Less rapping, more singing. So how does “Hold On” hold up? Let’s see. (Unfathomably long intro notwithstanding.)
I got my eyes on you You're everything that I see I want your heart, love and emotion endlessly, I can't get over you You left your mark on me I want your high, love and emotion endlessly
See, now this is the Drake I enjoy listening to. Sweet and soulful. It’s strange, actually. While a musical artist’s ballads are sometimes the most detached from any emotion, Drake actually taps into more emotion in his love songs. The song’s still not particularly exciting, lyrically or musically, but given the subject matter, it really doesn’t have to be. “Just hold on, we’re going home.” I feel like the perfect mood was captured here, so kudos to both Drake and Majid Jordan.
Yeah, this is a much shorter post than normal, and I apologize for that. Trashing songs give me a lot more material than praising them. Unfortunately, that’s just how the world works and there’s nothing we can do about it. Anyway, go Drake. More this, less…
This Flashback Friday, we’re taking it back to when things were groovy.
Man, they just… they don’t write like this anymore.
Nope.
No.
No. No. NO.
Anyway, back to this song. I think what I like most about this song is its sincerity and earnestness. In a world where you’d think the people would have had enough of silly love songs… okay, I’m a few years ahead. But this song doesn’t dabble in fairy tales or exaggeration. Sometimes love stinks. And before The J. Geils Band said it, these guys were here to say it.
Everybody plays the fool sometime There's no exception to the rule Listen, baby, it may be factual, may be cruel I ain't lyin', everybody plays the fool
What a straightforward, honest, refreshing chorus this is. Yes, sometimes love can be sweet. But sometimes you just end up playing the fool. And you’re not alone, either. Everybody plays the fool.
Okay, so your heart is broken You sit around mopin' Cryin' and cryin' You say you`re even thinkin' about dyin' Well, before you do anything rash, dig this Falling in love is such an easy thing to do
The triviality of love is really highlighted here, especially in contrast to the pain and anguish this person feels. It may be blunt, but it’s also very eye-opening. It also retains that cool, groovy feel that the 70’s had. Can you even say “dig this” anymore without sounding horribly dated? If not, that’s a shame.
And hey, it’s not your fault either.
How can you help it when the music starts to play And your ability to reason is swept away
Yeah, everybody plays the fool, but they come by it honestly. You can’t help it when the music starts to play. Love’s a fickle game, and this song is here to help you realize it.
Yeah, not much else to say. Just a great song for its time. Now back to sappy love songs. Where’s that Christopher Cross song? Agree? Disagree? Comment below?
That trend I want to talk about is dance music, and the turn it’s taking. You’ve definitely heard what I’m talking about if you have any knowledge of the music of the past year or so. I’m talking about dance music changing from this…
to this.
It started around when we were giving DJs more attention, sometimes more attention than singers. Suddenly, David Guetta and Calvin Harris were big names in music, rather than just side artists. (Did you know Guetta helped produce "I Gotta Feeling"? I sure didn't.) I think I can pinpoint one of the first “more serious” dance songs that made it big.
This was a stark difference from the dance music we were used to. Most of it back then - and yes, I feel old too when I refer to the distant year of 2010 as “back then” – usually filled up all the space they could with music and lyrics. But here’s a song that showcased the DJ more. Heck, the singer wasn’t even credited on the example I gave. This led to more experimental, beat-heavy dance songs making it big on the charts. There was still Flo Rida come 2012, but his music was slowly falling out of favour. And it’s interesting that I bring up Flo Rida, because one of his late 2011/early 2012 songs used a sample from the artist I want to talk about today, Avicii.
Now, Avicii hasn’t really achieved much Billboard success until this song. Sure, his song “Levels” was sampled by Flo Rida, propelling “Good Feeling” into a hit, but the song itself never reached any higher than #60 on the charts. But with the new dance trend in effect, Avicii cashed in on it and now, he’s in the Top 10. Funny how that works.
I suppose I should talk about what I personally think of the trend itself before I dive into this specific song. It’s definitely interesting. I’m not sure how well it actually works on either a dance song level or an emotional level, but I do enjoy listening to a lot of these types of songs. So, how about this song? Does it hold up? Let’s find out.
Feeling my way through the darkness Guided by a beating heart I can't tell where the journey will end But I know where to start
They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes Well that's fine by me
Uh… Mumford and Sons does dance music?
No, not even that. Where’s the dance music here? I thought that previous songs like this might be hard to dance to, but this is just straight up folk music! It’s like dancing to “Ho Hey”.
So eventually the dancey-ish music does kick in, but even then… I can’t dance to this. Actually, this and other songs like this are ones I don’t consider dance music. At most, it’s fist-pumping music. The beat here’s also really repetitive. It’s just the same thing over and over again, retooled a little halfway through to sound marginally more intense.
No, sadly, this song doesn’t really do it for me. The tone is very confusing. If you set out to make a dance song, or even a fist-pumping song, why lyrics like this?
So wake me up when it's all over
When I'm wiser and I'm older All this time I was finding myself And I didn't know I was lost
Wait, what does that even mean?
“Wake me up when it’s all over”? Not only is that a really stark contrast to any sort of excitement, but how are you “finding yourself” in your sleep? You didn’t know you were lost? Then why were you finding yourself?
I might be nitpicking here, but these lyrics just reek of throwing random words into a blender and hoping it comes out inspirational. Which it might, if you don’t look at the lyrics too closely and realize it’s a whole lotta nuthin’.
And just to prove that the writer of this is absolutely bonkers, let’s go back to those first few lines again.
Feeling my way through the darkness Guided by a beating heart I can't tell where the journey will end But I know where to start
They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream Well life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes Well that's fine by me
Oh, yes. Quite the journey you’re taking, just lying there, asleep, with life passing you by.
…What?
This is baffling, maddening, infuriating. Two things it’s not: a dance song or inspirational. I hate to just dismiss this whole song as pointless noise, but that’s what it is. There’s nothing here of substance, the music, the lyrics, and the combination of the two muddle any message it might have been trying to send, and if there is a message, it’s lazy and demotivational. “Wake me up when it’s all over.” This is basically “The Lazy Song” without even admitting it’s a lazy song. Despicable. That’s all. Agree? Disagree? Comment below!
Make no mistake: When I said that the movie songs dominated the charts back in the day, I meant it. This song was Boyz II Men’s most successful single, as well as the most successful Motown single, ever. Yep, it was featured in a movie.
That movie was Boomerang, a movie which I have never seen and barely even heard about until this review. Honestly, given the lukewarmreception, I don’t think it was the strength of the movie here that propelled this single to #1: I think it had something to do with the song.
And what a song it is. So emotionally powerful, exactly what one would expect from Boyz II Men today. However, it’s not perfect. There’s one part of this song that rubs me the wrong way. It’s in the spoken word after the second chorus. See, the song is about a desperately-in-love guy who is willing to forgive his cheating girlfriend if she would just come back to him. And it’s all fine and good, up until about here:
I'm not out to go out and cheat on you all night Just like you did baby but that's all right
Passive aggression: what every lady should look for in a man.
The guy does redeem himself with heartfelt lines like this:
Right now, I'm just in so much pain baby 'Cause you just won't come back to me
D’awww.
Ultimately though, it’s not the lines that make this song great. It’s the flawless delivery. There’s no way you can listen to this song and not feel a twinge of sadness for the narrator. Although I guess the movie would help to create the illusion that this is one guy, and not… five.
I’m not helping my case, am I? Look, it’s a love song by what could be classified as a Motown boy band. This was their “I Want it That Way” (until they had other hits of equal caliber). But the difference is I actually believe the emotion conveyed here. They sound really desperate for love, rather than the fabrication of love to make money. And if they succeed in that for this song, then it can only be declared a success.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new queen in pop music.
Lorde, who, as far as I’m concerned, came out of absolutely nowhere, has now succeeded both Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus this fall as having the next #1 smash hit with “Royals”. So, why is this song so popular? Who is Lorde? Why should I care, or should I care? Let’s find out together, shall we?
Lorde was born on November 7, 1996 – okay, hold on a second.
November 7, 1996?! That means she’s 16! What the hell?
I mean, do you remember any artist making music like this at 16? What was Justin Bieber doing when he was 16?
Nope. So not on the same level.
But of course, I’m only judging this Lorde song on how mature it sounds right now. At a knee-jerk how-mature-I-think-it-is scale (it’s a very well-known scale, trust me or look it up), we’re sitting at about Adele level, which seems appropriate, given that I was also shocked out of my shoes in 2012 learning that she was 23 at the time. Seriously, there’s a 40 year old woman inside there. Anyway, I enjoy Adele’s music well enough. I wouldn’t call it some of the best stuff of this decade thus far, not when we have acts like Gotyebreaking the mold even further. But her songs seem real, and authentic. I can get behind the subject matter and the way it’s presented; it’s soulful. Does any of this hold true for Lorde?
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies And I'm not proud of my address, In a torn-up town, no postcode envy
Okay, this is interesting. Starts off lamenting her background in less-than-middle-class life. I particularly like the line “I’m not proud of my address”. It’s a real concern that many lower-class people feel, being ashamed of their roots. Mentioning the stigma echoes the sentiments of a lot of people in this situation, I bet.
However, is she saying that poor people shouldn’t be “proud of their address”, or is she empathizing with them? Wow, this… this is actually quite complicated, and we’re only four lines in. Okay, bring it on.
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room, We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
All right, count me officially intrigued.
This is a song making fun of pop music that is now a pop song. 2013’s turning out to be a weird year, even more so than 2012. Yeah, every song is “look how rich I am!” But we don’t care! We’re driving Cadillacs in our dreams!
Yeah, I’m loving this. Go on.
And we'll never be royals (royals). It don't run in our blood, That kind of lux just ain't for us. We crave a different kind of buzz. Let me be your ruler (ruler), You can call me queen Bee And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule. Let me live that fantasy.
Okay, by the second half of this chorus, I’m a little confused.
The first half of the chorus fits in thematically: We’ll never be royals, we can find happiness in different things other than luxury, et cetera et cetera. By the way, good luck not becoming a “royal” after this song, Lorde. But where does the second half fit in? It seems to take a page off of the title, but what does it mean?
Let me be your ruler (ruler), You can call me Queen Bee
Whose ruler are you going to be? “You can call me Queen Bee”? Why?
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule. Let me live that fantasy.
“Live that fantasy”? After lines like this?
That kind of lux just ain't for us. We crave a different kind of buzz.
Instead of debunking your own chorus, why not dive into this “different kind of buzz” that you crave? Am I missing something? Let’s go back a bit.
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
Holy crap, maybe the first half of this chorus doesn’t fit.
You “crave a different kind of buzz”? It sounds like you’re craving this lifestyle that you’re mocking people for bragging about in pop songs.
This is getting harder and harder to unpack, and I’m almost ready to chalk it up to the writers not thinking the song’s lyrics through. But I will try one more time! Let’s start over.
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies And I'm not proud of my address, In a torn-up town, no postcode envy
Now the second line is confusing me. Not even because of conflicts in other lyrics; I just have no idea what it means. You cut your teeth on wedding rings in the movies? What? That sounds like you are rich and famous, being able to use wedding rings in movies as teething tools. Yet another contradiction!
Ehh… I guess I started out liking this song, but upon analysis, it’s starting to fall apart. Is there anything else of note?
My friends and I—we've cracked the code. We count our dollars on the train to the party. And everyone who knows us knows that we're fine with this, We didn't come for money.
No, I’m not getting it. I think I’m done with this song.
Not that it’s a total loss. It does pack some authentic emotion with the shame of where she grew up. But everything else with the song bragging about wealth and Lorde’s nonconformity to that… I don’t know what she’s going for, really. Does she really not care? Or is this just jealousy?
…Actually, that might be it. Looking back on the lyrics, this is a really passive-aggressive song. “Oh, I don’t care! You’re singing about your wealth, but screw you! I’m driving Cadillacs in my dreams! So much better than actual Cadillacs.”
I don’t know if that’s the tone that was meant here, but it sure comes off that way. Even the way it’s presented comes off as a little condescending. It’s definitely interesting, and a nice change from the usual fare in pop music. I am intrigued by it, but it also leaves me feeling a little cold. Overall, passable. I’ll never be a royal, but let me live this fantasy of pretending my opinions will change music.
Anyway, on the second song of this Flashback Friday*, we’re going to take a look at one of these movie songs, “Best That You Can Do”, otherwise known as “Arthur’s Theme”, as it was featured in the movie Arthur, and that’s most likely why it became popular.
Now when I say “sappy love ballads”, you may take that as a pejorative. After all, we’re all supposed to hate sappy love ballads, right? They’re overdone and over-the-top, and they are the clearest marker of an artist selling out, right? Weeelllll, those all may be subjectively true, and some of the ones I linked above are a bit too sappy for my tastes. But I feel there’s a place for these love ballads in pop music. At least they carry sincerity when they’re done right. Now, I’ve never seen Arthur. But I can still enjoy this song, because it has that sincerity and relatable element in it. Many people are looking for that one true love, caught between the moon and New York City. It’s crazy but it’s true. Someone who turns your heart around…
Okay, so maybe it’s a little cheesy. But ultimately, it’s authentic enough that I can give it a pass. Also, it has a sax solo. Gotta love sax solos.
*Unfortunately, this will change to one current song and one Flashback Friday song a week. The reason behind the two of each this week is that I had a song for each that I already had queued up, and just decided to start off my blog with a bang or two.
Now this song I want to talk about isn't exactly ancient, but I figured it's a good song for looking at the career of Katy Perry, especially since I pretty much trashed her new single. Has she always been overhyped? Did she ever deserve all her praise and accolades? Well, let's find out. Today on Flashback Friday, we're looking at Katy Perry hit "Teenage Dream"!
You think I'm pretty
Without any makeup on You think I'm funny When I tell the punchline wrong I know you get me So I let my walls come down, down
Um... you know, I just have to ask the question: what the hell is up with Katy Perry's voice?
This doesn't sound like Katy Perry. This sounds like someone's drunk aunt singing karaoke after one too many brewskies. But let's look at the lyrics, too. Pretty generic, cheesy lovey-dovey crap. Let's move on.
Before you met me I was alright but things Were kinda heavy You brought me to life
Wow, spare us the details. But seriously, this is way too generic to even elicit any response from me. It's so devoid from any emotion. "Before you met me, I was alright, but things were kinda heavy"? Who cares?
Let's go all the way tonight No regrets, just love We can dance, until we die You and I, will be young forever
Okay, let's make one thing clear: When I was wondering what happened to Katy Perry's voice, it didn't necessarily mean that I appreciated her voice. Katy Perry is not a very good singer. And sometimes I can let it slide, like when she's singing aboutwaking up in Vegas. But not when she's singing a love song. Her mediocre singing combined with mediocre lyrics makes for - guess what? - a mediocre song.
I mean, even the title - "Teenage Dream". This doesn't imply romance. It implies undisciplined, irresponsible sex. Trust me, I've been a teenager. So when you have a title like "Teenage Dream" and you're singing about how he finds you pretty without any makeup on, something that implies more love than sex... it's just confusing.
But even though I've pointed out numerous things I've found wrong here, I can't get too mad at Katy Perry, or even this song. I find that her songs usually aren't meant to be taken too seriously. Her songs are a kind of brain candy: not mentally stimulating or challenging, but catchy enough that you wouldn't necessarily turn it off, either. This is one of Katy Perry's worst (before “Roar”), in my opinion, but even then, it's okay. There weredefinitelysongsfrom2010I hated more, and if I ever get to any of them, you're in for a treat.
But back to the question I originally posed: Does Katy Perry deserve all the hype? Well, she's not the worst possible artist to receive it. As far as pop music goes, she's relatively generic, no matter how much she tries to shock with her supposed bi-curiosity in "I Kissed a Girl" or the various things shooting out of her breasts in all her other videos. There are much better things out there than Katy Perry, but there are also much worse. And if Katy Perry is the one to represent pop music today, then so be it.
Yes, it’s been about a year since Katy Perry’s had a hit! And after hit after hit throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, that break felt much-needed for both her and everybody else. But has Katy Perry done anything new after this relatively long break? Has she grown as an artist, a lyricist, or a performer? Well, let’s find out.
I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath Scared to rock the boat and make a mess So I sat quietly, agreed politely
You. You, miss “I Kissed a Girl”, are now “scared to rock the boat and make a mess”. Since when does this fit Katy Perry’s personality? She’s always been loudand proud about her emotions and songs, however vapid and shallow they may be. What’s going on here?
I guess that I forgot I had a choice I let you push me past the breaking point I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything
Wow, Kelly Clarkson Katy Perry sure wrote a great song!
But seriously, this is taking a page right out of Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger”-like vague bashing of a man that did her wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I do like Kelly Clarkson. But “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” was probably one of her worst songs, and Katy Perry’s song is reminding me a lot of it right now. It’s just a little weak. “I stood for nothing, so I fell for everything”? I think that last part was already implied, thanks.
You held me down, but I got up
That was fast. “I fell for everything” followed directly by “You held me down, but I got up.” You know, if you’re going to write a “Stronger”-like song, why not just start out confident like her?
You know the bed feels warmer Sleeping here alone
At least Kelly Clarkson’s version packed a punch at the beginning, rather than encompassing two different states of mind in such a short period of time (which can work, but it doesn’t here).
The melody’s okay, I guess. Nothing much to say about the lyrics until the chorus.
I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar
Yes, quite a catchy melody. *hums along*-wait a minute! Where have I heard this before?
That’s right, aspiring musicians! When you hear a melody you like, the best thing to do is just rip it off! Vanilla Ice did it, and look where he is no-oh my God.
Okay, so maybe Katy Perry’s got a brighter future than that. But still, no excuse! I get that coincidences happen, I do. But this is juuust a little too similar for me to blow it off as simply that.
Well now, that’s ruined. How are the lyrics doing?
I got the eye of the tiger
Well, Katy Perry. How many people are you planning to rip off today?
Now I’m floating like a butterfly Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
Uh… Muhammad Ali? Really?
I went from zero, to my own hero
Okay, now that could be ripping off anybody, seeing as it’s a cliché that’s been awkwardly slightly reworded to make it not seem like one.
Screw this. What a waste of a comeback. This is just… boring and riddled with clichés. It’s like Katy Perry’s forgotten how to write her own material, and instead decided to just keep borrowing from other artists, whether it be thematically, lyrically, or melodically. Katy Perry tried to roar, but ended up sounding like a meek kitten.
Oh, and that tiger in the video needs to hand in its tiger badge.
Let's start things off by talking about Miley Cyrus. Unless you've been living under the clichéd rock, you know about Miley Cyrus. Chances are, you'd also like to stop knowing about Miley Cyrus. Let's face it: she started out terrible and she never went up.
In fact, she's gotten worse as the years progressed. Don't get me wrong, I still absolutely hated songs earlier in her career like "Party in the USA". Even for disposable tweeny-bop Disney music, they were particularly disposable in their genre, what with their outlandishly terrible lyrics and Miley's wretched singing. That's right, I'm here to voice unpopular opinions like "Miley Cyrus couldn't sing and still can't." Her voice sounded exactly like you would expect a teenage girl's voice to sound like: whiny, annoying, and reeking of "Listen to me!" without giving us something worthwhile to listen to.
But even though the Miley Cyrus of yesteryear was a particularly bad standout in a music subcategory divorced from any meaning and emotion, at least it wasn't... "We Can't Stop".
This song is Miley Cyrus' worst, and believe me, she does not have a shortage of bad songs. It's supposed to be a party song, I guess, but this song does not make me want to party. It makes me want to weep for humanity. Seriously, this is a depressing song. The vocals, beat, and lyrics are all lifeless. I can't understand why anyone would listen to it; it's not emotionally deep for a ballad, and it's not upbeat for a party song. It's an out-of-place anomaly that shouldn't be popular, kind of like Cyrus herself.
So join me, new readers, as we dive into Miley's newest single, "Wrecking Ball". I'm sure that, as the title implies, it will be yet another wreck of a song!
We clawed, we chained, our hearts in vain We jumped, never asking why We kissed, I fell under your spell A love no one could deny
Um... holy crap, I think I actually like this.
I mean, it's real, it's emotional. It's Miley Cyrus at her most believably emotional, certainly more so than the likes of "The Climb", which is a hacky motivational poster of a song. No, I'm actually digging this. Continue.
Don't you ever say I just walked away I will always want you I can't live a lie, running for my life I will always want you
...Wow. I haven't found anything to criticize yet. It's just... a good song so far. And I don't even mean "good for Miley Cyrus", I mean this is good. Well, what's the chorus sound like? I'm sure there's something to criticize...
I came in like a wrecking ball I never hit so hard in love All I wanted was to break your walls All you ever did was wreck me Yeah, you, you wreck me
Could this be a flawless Miley Cyrus song?
Her voice... actually sounds half-decent throughout the whole thing. Even if they're not the strongest vocals, at least they do enough to hold up the subject matter. The lyrics are relevant, even clever. Come on, there must be something to make fun of here!
Oh, yeah. People aren't watching this for the song, are they?
Yes, in case you're wondering, the reason Miley Cyrus had her first #1 hit is because of Billboard's policy to include YouTube streaming in determining their rankings. Was it the right move? Well, that's debatable. But there's no question that no matter how good the song is, the reasoning behind its #1 placement is that it's riding on the coattails of the video. And oh God, is this one a doozy. Licking sledgehammers? Riding naked on wrecking balls? Did I click on a Lady Gaga video by accident?
Actually, no. That's an insult to Lady Gaga, who's crazy, but at least classy about it. This looks like Miley Cyrus is going for the sexualisation angle, but just not cutting it. "Hey, I'm licking a sledgehammer! That's sexy, right?"
It's a shame, really. Because I love this song. It's definitely the best thing Miley's ever done, and it's one of the most emotionally authentic I think I've heard out of this year. But the video just muddles the message of the song, with Miley showing off her butt and licking sledgehammers... okay, that thing is probably germy as fuck! You put that down right now before you get tetanus or something!
So, bottom line: the song works, but the video doesn't.
Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name's Eric. You can call me Eric. Seems about fair, doesn't it?
Ever since I was a little kid, I've always loved music. Not necessarily playing music, but just listening to music. Picking out songs I did and did not like. Getting excited when those songs I did like came on the radio.
That interest in music soon evolved into an interest in popular music trends. What's hot? What's not? Why? Is it any good? And so forth.
Now as I've said, I'm not a musician. I probably couldn't tell you much about the technical aspects of music. But I do know what I like and don't like, and my interest in listening to popular music and picking out some of each and the reasons why will be the basis of this blog. On Tuesdays, I will take a current song blowing up on the Billboard charts. And on Fridays, which I like to call "Flashback Fridays", I will look at a Billboard song from yesteryear, because there were many years of good and bad music that I simply must cover. You might get a song from 2010, you might get one from 1958. It's truly a mixed bag. Before I start with my critiques of pop music, I'd like to shout out to a couple inspirations which got me into music and shaped me into the person I am today: 105.3 KOOL FM. I grew up listening to this radio station as a kid, and the concept of playing music for all the world (or rather, a tri-city area) to hear endlessly fascinated me. This station played (and still does play) everything from hard rock of yesterday to current pop hits. This was my main source of music as a kid, and while I've moved on to other radio stations that suffice my needs, I still hold a place in my heart for this station. 104.5 CHUM FM. Last radio station, I swear. This one introduced me to the concept of music charts and ranking songs based on popularity. They had this segment that they actually aired on TV called the Chum Chart, where they would count down the most popular songs on their station at the moment. This also introduced me to music videos, which they would play on the segment. ADoseOfBuckley. This YouTube comedian touches on many different topics, but one he keeps coming back to is popular music, and why he thinks it sucks. This guy is the first music critic that really caught my attention, what with the digital age influencing us all. He's actually the guy that inspired me to start critiquing popular music myself. He has some controversial opinions, but check out this angry, angry man. He's strangely compelling. ToddInTheShadows and the rest of TGWTG.com. Of course I'm going to single out the music guy, but it's just not fair to neglect the rest of this wonderful website, full of wonderful critics. While ADoseOfBuckley's opinions are rooted in anger and don't really go too in-depth with the actual music, Todd really dissects a song to see what he likes and doesn't like about it. I think you'll see a lot of him in me, because my style on this blog is heavily influenced by him. Check out thatguywiththeglasses.com, preferably on a day when you don't have much to do, and it wouldn't matter if you wasted the whole day on that site. All right, enough babbling. Come back Tuesday when I kick off my blog with not one, but two pop princesses!
