Watch-for-it Wednesday: "I'm Ready" - AJR

What in the hell is going on with this song?

No, seriously. Is this a prank? Or am I actually hearing SpongeBob SquarePants on a quasi-hit song? 

For the two of you out there that don't know this, SpongeBob SquarePants is a beloved cartoon watched by millions of children across the world. And now the titular character (heehee, "titular") has one of his most famous catchphrases sampled in this song. Which catchphrase might that be? This one right here. (Hint: It's not "Go SpongeBob!")

...Why? Why on earth would they ever do that? Are they trying to use the weirdest sample possible in order to win some ill-conceived Guinness World Record? Who the hell are AJR anyway? Let's see.

AJR are a group of brothers: Adam, Jack, and Ryan. They are an indie pop group that compose their own beats and write their own lyrics, all in the living room of their apartment. That's pretty impressive on its own, especially in these times, but they've also opened for the likes of Demi Lovato and The Wanted. So, yeah. These guys are legit. Now on to the next question: What possessed them to use a SpongeBob sample in their song?

Well, it looks like for some of their songs, AJR likes to build them around a sample that's a little off the wall. And for this one, it looks like SpongeBob fit the bill. I'm not sure how well the sample works, but the rest of the song is great. It's got this great melody with the piano on the verses, and the clapping in the chorus, and then the drum beats... it really is a good song. Just, that sample... it's too weird, like intentionally so. It puts me off of the song just a little. I want to like the guys, but I'm torn between SpongeBob and music. I'm sure the rest of you have encountered this problem somewhere in your life.

Hot 100 Success:

Will they have it?

The music video is an interesting one. It continually shows AJR's success on social media... then at the end of their video, it shows that this success was all in their heads. So, it's really a matter of what side of the video comes true. I think the former side is prophetic: I can see these guys being a more talented version of One Direction, which we've already had this year, but hey. Battle of the boy band-compared, anyone?

Should they have it?

I do like these guys, even if I disagree with some of their more outlandish music choices. Yeah, I'll root for 'em. Go AJR!