Flashback Friday: "Paparazzi" - Lady Gaga (2009)

Hey, it's only a matter of time before I tackle the Gaga, right?

What can you say about Lady Gaga? She's eccentric, and it works. But oddly enough, I don't think she started out that way.

This was Lady Gaga's first single, and other than that breakdown after the third chorus, the song's relatively normal. Not to say it's boring, though. In fact, I like it better than a lot of Lady Gaga's songs. But then Poker Face came around...

And honestly, other than the odd glasses... I don't find this particularly weird, either. But refer to "Bad Romance". Somewhere along the line, Lady Gaga just went full-out Gaga. And along that line is a song called "Paparazzi".

Now for a while, this was my favourite Gaga song. But does it still hold up today? Let's find out.

...Well, after that annoyingly long intro, now let's find out:

We are the crowd
We're co-coming out
Got my flash on, it's true
Need that picture of you
It's so magical
We'd be so fantastical

So, as you can imagine by the title and the video, this is a song about paparazzi. And this first part does a good job of illustrating how intrusive they can be, especially for a star like Lady Gaga. That last line has me confused, though. Is a photographer trying to have a relationship with Lady Gaga?

Leather and jeans
Garage glamorous
Not sure what it means
But this photo of us

"Photo of us"? I don't typically see a paparazzo horn in on their own picture. This is starting to get creepy...

It don't have a price
Ready for those flashing lights
'Cause you know that, baby, I
I'm your biggest fan
I'll follow you until you love me
Papa-paparazzi

All right, now I'm getting it. A paparazzo so obsessed with Lady Gaga that it becomes stalker-ish.

Promise I'll be kind
But I won't stop
Until that boy is mine

Wait... you're the paparazzo? I know she was using "I" in reference to the person, but I thought that was just from a paparazzo's point of view... I didn't think she was actually referring to herself...

This is getting more confusing by the second. I feel like I understand the song, and then a new element is added that just blows me off course.

Also, can we talk about the yeehawing in the background? It sounds like Mario after he gets a star in Mario Party 8. But anyways...

I'll be your girl
Backstage at your show
Velvet ropes and guitars
Yeah, 'cause you're my rockstar

...Now he's a rock star. Well, I guess that ties in with Lady Gaga being a paparazzi-stalker hybrid. So the song continues into the second chorus, and then a bridge which I assume means that the guy gave in to Lady Gaga's stalking ways.

So after wading through the song, I can say that I still enjoy it. It's beautifully put together ("yeehaw!"s notwithstanding), I feel like Lady Gaga's vocals are top notch, and once the story finally ends, you get an idea of what it's all about, though it can be confusing. Is it still my favourite? Well, now that I've analyzed it, I'd have to put the super-fun straightforward "Just Dance" ahead of this one, but it's still up there. 

Also, if you haven't bought The Fame yet, I encourage you to do so. That's all.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

"Counting Stars" - OneRepublic

Let's talk about Timbaland for a second.

Timbaland has been one of the biggest influences on pop music of the 2000s, by which I mean he has produced countless platinum and multi-platinum albums of the 2000s. One such album was OneRepublic's Dreaming Out Loud.

Timbaland made a remix of their OneRepublic's single, "Apologize", apparently so much so that it's billed as "Timbaland ft. OneRepublic". What I'm trying to say is that OneRepublic have Timbaland to think for their success, because my God, were they generic.

That's all changed now with their most recent album, "Native", and most specifically their newest song, "Counting Stars". I'm so happy to see this in the Top 10.

"Counting Stars" made an uninteresting band interesting. It was different. It was a great change from what I've been seeing on the charts. Of course, these impressions were only made by the sound of the song. How do the lyrics stack up? Let's see.

Lately I been, I been losing sleep

Dreaming about the things that we could be

But baby, I been, I been prayin' hard

Said no more counting dollars

We'll be counting stars

Yeah, we'll be counting stars

All right, so the song starts off with dreams of fame and fortune. Not having to worry about money, just relaxing.

Old, but I'm not that old

Young, but I'm not that bold

And I don't think the world is sold

I'm just doing what we're told

...?

Did any of that make sense? Any of it at all?

I-I-I-IIIIIII feel something so right

By doing the wrong thing

And I-I-I-IIIIIII feel something so wrong

By doing the right thing

Okay, so now we have rebellion in the mix...

I could lie, could lie, could lie

Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

....?

No seriously, I'm having huge problems with understanding this. These random lyrics seem so disconnected. Nothing seems to flow.

I feel the love

And I feel it burn

Down this river every turn

Hope is a four letter word

"Hope is a four letter word"? Um... so is love. Maybe that would have flowed better?

God, this song is just falling apart before my eyes. How much worse can it get?

Take that money

Watch it burn

Sink in the river

The lessons I learned

I can't... what is... why... stop!

Wow, that was actually kind of stupid. It's so vague and meaningless that I can't extract any feeling from it anymore. The only things saving this song from complete damnation are the chorus, and the fact that it's damn catchy. But unfortunately, after the chorus it ceases to make any sense and devolves into gibbering madness. And not even interesting gibbering madness, just cliché-filled madness. Sorry, OneRepublic. I tried to root for you. But I guess this apology means nothing to you after trashing your song, because

it's too late to 'pologize.

I know, I know.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

Flashback Friday: "The Loco-Motion" - Kylie Minogue (1988)

You know, sometimes songs just aren't meant to be remade.

Everybody's doing a brand new dance now

Yeah sure, let's start there. This remake goes off the assumption that the loco-motion is a brand-new dance. This remake was released in 1988. Anyone else see the problem here?

Look, I can only suspend my disbelief so much. And this is where I draw the line. It'd be like if Eminem was still referencing the Spice Girls. You have to move with the times, and the very idea of remaking this song fails that concept.

Not that I hate the song. As a cheesy dance song, it does its thing, and I will admit that at least the cheesiness translates well into the 80's. But I can't get past the time difference between the actual dance craze and this remake.

Okay for those who don't know, "The Loco-Motion"'s first incarnation was by Little Eva in 1962.

You know, back when it actually was "a brand new dance".

Then after that the only other version that ever really got big was Grank Funk Railroad's version.

Personally, this is the version that I was most familiar with as a kid. Now that I've grown up, it has for me the same problem as Minogue's version. I have to say that out of the three, Little Eva's sounds the best to me. Minogue's sounds too over-saturated, much like other 80's hit songs, and Grank Funk Railroad's version has a really out-of-place guitar solo (although I will admit the "railroad train" thing does translate well into Grand Funk Railroad).

It's not that I hate cover songs. In fact, I think there's a few that are actually better than the original. But when it comes to cover songs, you have to pick 'em right. And I don't think "The Loco-Motion" was a good choice to cover.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

"The Monster" - Eminem ft. Rihanna

Is Eminem as we all knew, loved, and revered him, finally back?

Back in late August of this year, Eminem released "Berzerk", the lead-off single off of his new album, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. With a title like that, you have to wonder if the sequel will be as good as the original. Are we talking Home Alone 2 or Evan Almighty?

Well, "Berzerk" is a definite change from Eminem's persona as of late, which seemed to be broody and angry. And while that was certainly better than most of the shitfest that was Encore, there was still a spark missing. Eminem wasn't any fun anymore. Where were the likes of "The Real Slim Shady" and "My Name Is"? It was almost like Eminem was trying to cash in on his "Lose Yourself" side, and while that is an excellent song, too much of that can really depress a guy.

That's what Eminem used to be good at: balancing silliness and seriousness. When Encore came around, it went from being silly to being stupid. In songs like "My Name Is", yeah, Eminem had lines about not knowing which Spice Girl he wanted to impregnate, but God dammit, his flow and his rhymes made it all work. In "Just Lose It"... well, he just lost it.

I can barely post the video without cringing. How does one go from this

"We ain't nothing but mammals..." Well, some of us cannibals
Who cut other people open like cantaloupes
But if we can hump dead animals and antelopes
Then there's no reason that a man and another man can't elope
But if you feel like I feel, I got the antidote
Women wave your pantyhose, sing the chorus and it goes

to this?

Chubba chubba chubba chubba chubba chubbie
I don't have any lines to go right here so chubba teletubbie!

Regardless, after Encore, Eminem rightfully took a musical hiatus until 2009's Relapse, which I think was even worse than Encore, but anyway, after that came Recovery, which was a noticeable step up, but as I said, there was still something missing. What happened to the fun yet clever Eminem?

So now we come to 2013, and Eminem's got a new album out. We've got  3 charting singles in the Top 20 from that album, the highest of which is his second song featuring Rihanna, "The Monster". Being that I'm always hip on the new trends (uh, do people still say "hip"?), let's go with that one to review.

Unfortunately, there's no video out yet. The third song in a row where I don't post a video. I hope you guys can handle it.

The song starts off with Rihanna's chorus, which really helps to set the mood for the song. Then we get into Eminem's first verse. Slay me, Eminem!

I wanted the fame, but not the cover of Newsweek
Oh well, guess beggars can't be choosy
Wanted to receive attention for my music
Wanted to be left alone in public excuse me
Been wanting my cake, and eat it too
And wanting it both ways
Fame made me a balloon cause my ego inflated
When I blew seep and it was confusing
Cause all I wanted to do is be the Bruce Lee of loose leaf

Hey, I dig it. There are a couple lyrics in the first verse that are a little off...

It was like winning a huge meet

A huge meet? Kind of weak. But overall, it's a great start to the song. Rihanna blows me away with the extended chorus as we get into the next verse, which has a few more problems than the first. For one, there's an impromptu yodeling. No rhyme or reason, just yodeling. I'm having "Just Lose It" flashbacks (although at least it's yodeling and not farting/Peewee Herman).

But despite these minor moments of WTF, Eminem's second verse does stack up to his first. You really feel for Eminem as he relates the many things he struggles with in life, even in his fame. What I'm trying to say is, this is how you do it, Jay and Justin. (I really should have put "Cry Me a River" in that review somewhere.)

The third verse stacks up as well, with much of the same greatness that the previous two verse had. So overall, this song is fantastic. I'd put it above "Love The Way You Lie" in terms of Eminem/Rihanna collaborations. While "Love The Way You Lie" did have shining moments, I didn't believe the drama in that song as much as I do here. And I guess that was really my problem with "Recovery"-era Eminem: it all seemed like he was phoning it in and trying to play off his previous success of "Lose Yourself". But here, I believe that what he's saying is important and relevant in his life. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE HE'S NOT YELLING EVERY LINE IN THIS SONG, TOO.

It's safe for me to say that between "Berzerk" and this song, Eminem's almost back at his peak. It's not embarrassing for me to call myself an Eminem fan again. Whatever monster came out in this song, it sure devoured the monster of atrocious songwriting and boring slog.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

Flashback Friday: "White Room" - Cream (1968)

Let's take a look at the British Invasion, shall we?

Maybe later. Right now, more specifically, let's talk about Cream.

Now, if you weren't listening to The Beatles in the late 60's... well, you might have been listening to The Rolling Stones. Or The Monkees. But maybe you were listening to Cream. And that maybe was enough to make "White Room" a Top Ten hit, along with "Sunshine of Your Love", and make Cream one of the most influential blues bands of all time. But what made them so great? Well, there's only one way to find out. There's actually probably multiple ways, but let's go with analyzing "White Room".

The song starts off, quite literally, with a bang. Of the drums, that is. And this odd instrumentation that I can't put a finger on, but really doesn't sit well with me. Then, on to the first verse:

In the white room with black curtains near the station. 
Black-roof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings. 

All right, so we start off with a decently-set setting. Dreary. So much so even the starlings don't feel like singing. 

Silver horses run down moonbeams in your dark eyes. 
Dawn-light smiles on you leaving, my contentment. 

Um... okay. I have no idea what the whole "silver horses" thing is about, but it sounds like the guy singing's happy that this other person is leaving. So we've got a plot now. All right.

I'll wait in this place where the sun never shines; 
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves. 

Okay, hold on a second. If the sun never shines, how can there be shadows in the first place? I get that we're still going for the dreary mood here, but context within the natural world is important too. Of course, shadows are also running from themselves, so who am I to judge what's normal here.

You said no strings could secure you at the station. 
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows. 
I walked into such a sad time at the station. 
As I walked out, felt my own need just beginning. 

So now you're unhappy that she is leaving? Pick one!

And soon enough, that creepy ahing and oohing comes back, as we head into the third verse. This one seems to detail a reunion with this woman, but again, mixed emotions.

Consolation for the old wound now forgotten. 
Yellow tigers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes.

Honestly, it's just confusing more than anything, especially when it switches so often. Overall, if I had to look at this song and determine what made Cream so great, I'd have to go with the guitar licks, because there's not much more about this song that I liked. Without the guitar, this song would have been painfully dreary, and sometimes it still is. I can take creepy songs, but the combination of the dreary mood, the confusing lyrics, and the lack of any energy barring the guitar makes this a bit of a miss for me. Sorry Cream fans, but I'll stick with my Beatles.

That was one song! One song!

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

"Holy Grail" - Jay-Z ft. Justin Timberlake

Caution, people: Bromance ahead.

Yes, it was only a matter of time before Jay-Z and JT got together to form some kind of dream team. First Jay-Z collaborates on Justin’s album, and now the reverse is true.

My opinion of both artists, coincidentally enough, is the same: good, but massively overrated. Jay-Z’s had his share of great songs, but some of the time he’s appearing on guest parts in songs and not doing much. Timberlake’s well-established in the pop world, but sometimes he comes off as too self-indulgent for my tastes (heck, that goes for Jay-Z too). So what do I think of their latest collaboration? What do I think of the lead single off of an album so monumentally great it couldn’t stick to one historic symbol for its title? What do I think of the greatest pairing in music since Lennon and McCartney?

It’s… okay?

All right, the first step you need to take to listen to this song is to forget everything you know about Justin and Jay-Z. Specifically, the fact that both of them have made fame their submissive bitch. Why? Because this song is the two of them complaining about fame, and oh God, if you can’t suspend your disbelief, you will just shake your head.

Timberlake: You take the clothes off my back
And I let you
You'd steal the food right out my mouth
And I watch you eat it

Okay, who is “you”? Are you suggesting that fame is stripping you of your basic necessities? Because I’m pretty sure the opposite is true.

Timberlake’s first verse kind of slogs along, to be honest. And even if it didn’t, it’s still difficult to believe that JT believes what he’s saying. Look at this.

You curse my name
In spite to put me to shame

JT… in a world full of celebrity scandals, hasn’t your slate been pretty much clean? Hell, I even checked to see if there was anything I missed, and the only thing I found is that some video of his was removed from YouTube for being “explicit”.  Big whoop. Don’t feed me this.

Wanna know another problem with JT’s verse? Some of it doesn’t even make sense in any context.

Have my laundry in the streets
Dirty or clean

Your laundry? Why? Why does it matter whether it’s dirty or clean?

But the absolute most infuriating thing about this verse is this mumbly sentence in the background, which I’m told is saying “Thanks for warning me.” It sounds so snide, especially, need I remind you, coming from someone who’s made fame his bitch.

This is getting more ridiculous by the second. Let’s skip to the chorus.

One thing the chorus does right is it presents both sides of fame better than the verse. There’s like, one line in the verse where Timberlake confesses his love for fame and he even says he doesn’t know why he loves it so much. I even enjoy the ending of the chorus, where he mixes the two conflicting emotions with a “Holy Grail” metaphor joining with sipping from the cup till it runneth over, which admittedly is meant as a positive expression for having more than you need, but I think it works here as a metaphor for having too much of a good thing. It’s pretty deep, and I’d argue that the chorus is the best part of the song.

But then, uh, Jay-Z starts out with this:

Jay-Z: Blue told me to remind you niggas
Fuck that shit y’all talkin' about
I'm the nigga

Okay, I spent the longest time trying to figure out who “Blue” was, then I realized it was his one-year-old daughter of all people. Not only is this baffling, it’s needlessly vulgar if he’s referencing his one-year-old. If he really wants this line, aren’t there other people he can reference? Almost anybody would be better.

Caught up in all these lights and cameras
But look what that shit did to Hammer

Okay, so Jay-Z’s afraid he’s going to follow MC Hammer’s route and become bankrupt. *snort* Sorry, I can't hold my laughter. Jay-Z… I think you’ll be okay. But just to continue along here, what other celebrities do you want to mention that have fallen victim to the cold, grasping claws of fame?

But look what it did to Tyson

Mike Tyson? Sorry, I just can’t bring myself to feel sorry for a rapist. Who’s next?

Momma please just get my bail
I know nobody to blame
Kurt Cobain, I did it to myself

…Okay, yes, Kurt Cobain has been tortured by fame. Very tortured, in fact. But could you get any more random with this reference? What does Kurt Cobain have to do with any of the surrounding lines? I mean, are you following it up with anythi-

And we all just entertainers
And we're stupid, and contagious
Now we all just entertainers

I... don’t know whether I like that or not.

I mean, on one hand, it comes out of nowhere, and seems to only serve the purpose of bringing a shred of context to the random Kurt Cobain reference. But on the other, it still seems to work with the tone and message of the song due to the way it’s presented.

So after that... moment, we have the chorus again, and then Jay-Z launches into his second verse. This is where he gets into more reasons why fame can be a pain in the butt sometimes; reasons such as

Now I got tattoos on my body

What? So? Come on, what else ya got?

Psycho bitches in my lobby
I got haters in the paper
Photo shoots with paparazzi

All right, I can get behind this. Yes, rabid fans, “haters” and the paparazzi can all be annoying collections of people. So, maybe there’s more hope for this song than I thought. Go on…

Can't even take my daughter for a walk

Yes, because of the paparazzi. Okay, I got that.

See 'em by the corner store

Yes… anything else?

I feel like I'm cornered off

OKAY OKAY I GET IT YOU’RE NOT TOO FOND OF THE PAPARAZZI IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE AT ALL

Enough is enough, I'm calling this off

Couldn’t agree more. You’re talking about this repetitive verse, right?

Who the fuck I'm kidding though?

*groan*

I'm getting high
Sitting low
Sliding by
In that big body
Curtains all in my window

Oh, looks like Jay-Z’s had a change of heart, which explains the last line. Still, it's really sudden. A pause between the transition might have been nice.

I think back
You asked the same person
If this is all you had to deal with

Okay, another problem I have with this song is this perpetual pronoun confusion. Is “you” supposed to be fame again? And if so, fame is “asking” Jay-Z a non-question:

You asked the same person
If this is all you had to deal with
Nigga deal with it, this shit ain't work
This light work

No matter how much you want it to be one, Jay, it's not a question. (Although the “camera snapping” line right after is a nice touch in line with the double meaning of “light”.)

The verse goes on to chastise Jay-Z for denouncing fame, saying that he’s faring much better than people who aren’t famous. And that helps to salvage his part, actually. Too bad the same can’t be said for Justin, who’s still complaining after Jay-Z’s verse. Christ, the bridge after the chorus is a massive chore to sit through.

You get the air out my lungs whenever you need it
And you take the blade right out my heart just so you can watch me bleeding

You don’t get much more primadonna than this. I mean, holy crap Justin, sorry to hear that fame is watching you bleeding as you enjoy a successful comeback with your new album. Give me a fucking break.

Overall, this song has its good and bad. At its worst, it’s fake, overdramatic, and irritating. At its best, it’s an interesting commentary that shows both signs of fame. At its weirdest…

And we all just entertainers
And we're stupid, and contagious
Now we all just entertainers

It’s… it’s that.

Both artists are responsible for some good and some bad, but given the reputation these two need to hold up, you’d think they would come up with a better lead-off single than this. Makes me wonder if Jay-Z’s album title deserves even one mention of religious symbolism, let alone two.

Finally, why don't I have the video version of this song? Because the remix on it is atrocious. Take my word for it, don't even bother.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

Flashback Friday: "Back to December" - Taylor Swift (2010)

Well, it’s only a matter of time before I cover Taylor Swift, right? You all know Taylor Swift. That girl that keeps on dumping guys and writing songs about them? I bet you can’t wait for me to dig deep into her exhausted landfill of songs!

Well, see, those songs are Taylor Swift at her worst. But Taylor Swift at her best is actually quite tolerable. And today, I’m going to review one of her more tolerable songs, “Back to December”.

Now, this isn’t vindictive Taylor Swift at all. Rather, this is remorseful Taylor Swift at full blast. A Taylor Swift that admits her own faults. A genuinely heartbroken Taylor Swift. Most importantly, a Taylor Swift I can get behind.

The Taylor Swift in the above song is false, cloying, and well distanced from emotion. I don’t believe that this flavor-of-the-week guy’s words hurt her for a second, because in the chorus, she starts bragging about this “big ol’ city” she’s gonna live in, away from him. She’s not brought down by this guy; she can kick him down with this scathing song at any time. Look at this.

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life

He’s the mean one?

Okay, I get it, girl power. But Taylor Swift doesn’t have enough clout to pull it off. Someone like Beyoncé, though I greatly dislike a number of her songs, is at least believable when she’s taking down a man. Taylor’s got too many lovey-dovey, almost childish songs to be taken seriously when she’s standing up for herself. It’s kind of sad, really.

But enough Taylor Swift bashing, because I picked a Taylor Swift song I kind of like. Now, I’m not saying that girls are always to blame in the relationship. I fall for songs like this all the time, guy or girl. Bruno Mars had a song like this earlier this year, and it may be one of my favourites of the year. Call me a sap.

I’m not trying to say that I dislike revenge-on-ex songs either. But they have to be angry for me to like them, not smug like “Mean”. Here’s an example:

Now this is a song with pure, unadulterated, fire-in-the-belly anger. I almost feel the nails when Alanis scratches them down someone else’s back.

Man, I’m really getting off track here, aren’t I? Okay, how about we start talking about the song I was planning to talk about?

The song starts off with Taylor Swift greeting this ex-flame (who is rumoured to be Taylor Lautner, but I really couldn’t care less) and telling how they engage in small talk. Then we get to this line:

Your guard is up and I know why.

and that’s when we figure out that this isn’t going to be a “Mean”-esque song at all. In fact, Taylor Swift’s the one to blame. And that’s what makes it work. I can get behind feelings like guilt, and regret, and empathy. I can’t get behind a breakup song full of smug.

So the song continues, and it’s refreshing to hear from Taylor Swift. I kind of want to know a little backstory (like why would Swifty dump this guy in the first place?) but at the same time, I think it would ruin the message of guilt that she’s sending. So it’s just fine that we have little to no explanation behind the breakup. In fact, it makes it better. It makes more sense why she feels remorseful. I feel like anyone who’s regretted a breakup can instantly relate to this song.

So, there’s my opinion. Maybe I’ll get a chance to tear into a bad Taylor Swift song, but for now, it’s a happy ending. Almost a love story. I just said “yes”.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

"The Fox" - Ylvis

This should not have been a hit.

But I guess that’s just the kind of age we’re living in! The digital age, where a song that asks that eternal question, “What does the fox say?” can become a hit! Oh, life is wonderful.

All right, I don’t hate this song. Sure, it’s stupid. Unfathomably stupid, in fact. But if you think that any part of this song is meant to be taken seriously, then I’m sorry, but you’ve fallen for the joke. Anyway, at least it’s a fun kind of stupid, and not just stupid-abysmal.

Something else to note about the song is that it takes a strangely uncomfortable turn in the second verse when one member of Ylvis seems like he’s professing his love and attraction to the fox.

Big blue eyes
Pointy nose
Chasing mice
and digging holes

Tiny paws
Up the hill
Suddenly you’re standing still

Your fur is red
So beautiful
Like an angel in disguise

Again, probably not meant to be taken seriously, but still… whaaaaa?

Thankfully, the moment soon passes when he starts talking about horses and Morse code and whatnot.

But if you meet a friendly horse, will you communicate by mo-o-o-o-orse, mo-o-o-o-orse, mo-o-o-o-orse?

Yeah, I don’t know. It’s not a cognitive song, as I’ve said. Doesn’t exactly get the neurons whirring up there. It’s pretty funny the first few times (mostly due to those ridiculous sound effects), but wears out its welcome fairly quickly. And that’s all there is to say about “The Fox”. A joke song that started out on a Norwegian talk show. We don’t get much weirder than that when it comes to popular Billboard songs.

But just so I’m not ending this here, let’s talk about why this song became a Billboard hit in the first place.

In early 2013, Billboard issued a new policy about their charts that would include YouTube streaming in the data they would collect. Why did they do this? Well, let’s take it back to 2012, where as we all know, the number 1 song on everyone’s mind was…

What? No, no. I’m talking about Gangnam Style.

This song was everywhere… but mostly on YouTube. Parodies upon parodies have been made, and the video itself chalked up a billion views in six months. It’s sitting pretty at 1.8 billion last I checked… not that I really care that much or anything, but it’s nice to remember the video that trumped “Baby”. Now, let’s ignore the sheer absurdness of this happening in the first place and use it as an example of why Billboard changed their policies. Because this song was everywhere… but never made it to number 1, being effectively chartblocked by that Maroon 5 song. Let’s be honest: “One More Night”‘s popularity paled in comparison to “Gangnam Style”. There’s no way that “Gangnam Style” did not deserve number 1 at that moment in time. And that, I believe, is why it happened.

That’s the long and short of it. America, this is the price you pay for accurate representations of song popularity. Being Canadian, I don’t have to deal with this nonsense. Peaking at number 19 is enough for us. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to get that ring-ding-dinging out of my head.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!

Flashback Friday: "Head Over Heels" - Tears for Fears (1985)

Don’t you just love the 80’s?

The 80’s, where fingerless gloves had their heyday. Where New Kids on the Block weren’t afraid to hang tough. And where we had New Wave and synthpop in full blast. And today, I'm going to talk about a song from one of my favourites of those genres, Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears had some fantastically put together songs in their heyday of the mid-80's. There's the one just mentioned above, "Shout" (my personal favourite) and this one, "Head Over Heels"

Right when "Head Over Heels" starts out, you know it's going to be a great song. The synth buildup to the guitar solo is just masterful. And the lyrics have kind of an eerie stalker vibe to them, that some people might mistake for a love song. The 80's liked to do that.

And it's just a beautiful song. Despite the subject matter, it sounds mystical, like you're going to be taken on a journey into a passionate romance. And the breakdown at the end is great too.

Yep, a brilliant song from a brilliant band. Too bad on Tuesday I won't be able to say the same... but that's another story.

Agree? Disagree? Comment below!