Sorry for the delay on this part. I've had real-life issues get in the way of putting the review together. But no more!
#35: "Heartbreaker" by Mariah Carey feat. Jay-Z
R&B with rap. That happens quite a lot.
Music has an underlying R&B beat, but it has hip-hop drums overlaid, drowning out the decent at best synth line. As for the singing, this is far from Mariah Carey's best. Her main vocal performance is all right, although she seems to have problems picking the right spots for a big note, but her backing vocals sound like she is out of breath more than anything. Jay-Z's rap verse is pretty good, and actually serves well as a way to see the other side of the song.
The lyrics are pretty simple. Basically, she loves a guy, but he is a heartbreaker, and is playing games with her.
I like what this song is trying to do, but it's just not that good. Mariah is decent on vocals, and Jay-Z has a really good rap style, but the lyrics are way too repetitive for my tastes, and the music is a cacophony rather than something I'd want to listen to. Overall, I'll definitely take Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker" over this.
#34: "Scar Tissue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Hell yeah. I really like this band. One of the best bassists ever.
Music is mainly a slow guitar line, with a nice bass line and decent drums. As for the singing, Anthony Kiedis has two voices: singing and rapping. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since he does have a unique voice, but once you've heard him sing on song, you know how he sounds in any given song, vocally.
The lyrics are about as easy to understand as any RHCP song, but from what I can tell, they are basically that of a love song sung by a man with a rather rough past.
I may not understand the song all that well, and Anthony Kiedis may not be the strongest vocalist, but I still love this song. The music is great, and it's just a nice song to listen to. It's not the best RHCP song, but it's not bad, either.
#33: "Wild Wild West" by Will Smith feat. Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee
Yes, this is the theme song to that...special 1999 movie of the same name.
Music is...definitely different. It basically sounds like a country song being remixed by a DJ. Will Smith isn't a bad rapper, actually, and neither is Dru Hill. Kool Moe Dee is all right, I think. I'm not actually sure he did anything, though. Maybe he was that voice saying "Wild, Wild West", but that's it.
The lyrics are...well, it's a theme song. Naturally, the lyrics are basically just describing the general plot of the movie, and "hyping" you for it.
This song isn't that good. The music is more annoying than anything, and the lyrics are a bit shallow. However, with Dru Hill and Will Smith both doing quite a good job on the rap front, it still ends up being better than the movie it was made for. Granted, that's a low bar, but at least this song is merely "not bad", while the movie is "so bad, it's good".
#32: "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain
Repeat Artist!
Music has an underlying synth line, with a guitar as well. Definitely different for a country song. The singing, on the other hand, is very country. Not bad, but you can tell Shania Twain is a country singer.
As for the lyrics, this song is basically talking about guys she knows, saying they think they are something special, but that she isn't impressed. At least, not much.
This is the kind of song I should dislike. The music doesn't fit the song at all, the singing is decent at best, and the lyrics are attacking guys for various reasons, without really making it clear what it is that does impress her. Call it a guilty pleasure, though, because this song does put a smile on my face. It's just fun shallow stuff, and there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe it charted a bit high for such a shallow song, but it's fun, and that's all I really need out of a song.
#31: "Lately" by Divine
No, this is not the drag queen that inspired Ursula from "The Little Mermaid". That would be a different Divine.
Music is clearly that of a love R&B song, with a slow beat, although it does have a bit more guitar than usual for an R&B song. As for the vocals, the group has some nice harmonies, but the lead singer is a bit too...not exactly bad, but ordinary for my tastes.
This is a love song. Basically, she's been thinking about a man lately, thinking about him. However, he seems to be an ex, making a bit of a twist. And they do have the self-awareness of calling it "another sad love song" in the lyrics.
This is not a bad song. The lyrics are a bit more self-aware than many R&B songs, and making the man an ex is a neat twist. However, the song is both musically and vocally boring, which is one of the worst things a song can be. It's definitely forgettable, maybe moreso than anything else from this year.
Well, let's see what is next. Hopefully, it won't take quite so long this time.
Previously: #40-36 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.830452-1999-Billboard-Top-100-40-36]
Next: #30-26 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.832768-1999-Billboard-Top-100-30-26]
#35: "Heartbreaker" by Mariah Carey feat. Jay-Z
R&B with rap. That happens quite a lot.
Music has an underlying R&B beat, but it has hip-hop drums overlaid, drowning out the decent at best synth line. As for the singing, this is far from Mariah Carey's best. Her main vocal performance is all right, although she seems to have problems picking the right spots for a big note, but her backing vocals sound like she is out of breath more than anything. Jay-Z's rap verse is pretty good, and actually serves well as a way to see the other side of the song.
The lyrics are pretty simple. Basically, she loves a guy, but he is a heartbreaker, and is playing games with her.
I like what this song is trying to do, but it's just not that good. Mariah is decent on vocals, and Jay-Z has a really good rap style, but the lyrics are way too repetitive for my tastes, and the music is a cacophony rather than something I'd want to listen to. Overall, I'll definitely take Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker" over this.
#34: "Scar Tissue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Hell yeah. I really like this band. One of the best bassists ever.
Music is mainly a slow guitar line, with a nice bass line and decent drums. As for the singing, Anthony Kiedis has two voices: singing and rapping. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since he does have a unique voice, but once you've heard him sing on song, you know how he sounds in any given song, vocally.
The lyrics are about as easy to understand as any RHCP song, but from what I can tell, they are basically that of a love song sung by a man with a rather rough past.
I may not understand the song all that well, and Anthony Kiedis may not be the strongest vocalist, but I still love this song. The music is great, and it's just a nice song to listen to. It's not the best RHCP song, but it's not bad, either.
#33: "Wild Wild West" by Will Smith feat. Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee
Yes, this is the theme song to that...special 1999 movie of the same name.
Music is...definitely different. It basically sounds like a country song being remixed by a DJ. Will Smith isn't a bad rapper, actually, and neither is Dru Hill. Kool Moe Dee is all right, I think. I'm not actually sure he did anything, though. Maybe he was that voice saying "Wild, Wild West", but that's it.
The lyrics are...well, it's a theme song. Naturally, the lyrics are basically just describing the general plot of the movie, and "hyping" you for it.
This song isn't that good. The music is more annoying than anything, and the lyrics are a bit shallow. However, with Dru Hill and Will Smith both doing quite a good job on the rap front, it still ends up being better than the movie it was made for. Granted, that's a low bar, but at least this song is merely "not bad", while the movie is "so bad, it's good".
#32: "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain
Repeat Artist!
Music has an underlying synth line, with a guitar as well. Definitely different for a country song. The singing, on the other hand, is very country. Not bad, but you can tell Shania Twain is a country singer.
As for the lyrics, this song is basically talking about guys she knows, saying they think they are something special, but that she isn't impressed. At least, not much.
This is the kind of song I should dislike. The music doesn't fit the song at all, the singing is decent at best, and the lyrics are attacking guys for various reasons, without really making it clear what it is that does impress her. Call it a guilty pleasure, though, because this song does put a smile on my face. It's just fun shallow stuff, and there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe it charted a bit high for such a shallow song, but it's fun, and that's all I really need out of a song.
#31: "Lately" by Divine
No, this is not the drag queen that inspired Ursula from "The Little Mermaid". That would be a different Divine.
Music is clearly that of a love R&B song, with a slow beat, although it does have a bit more guitar than usual for an R&B song. As for the vocals, the group has some nice harmonies, but the lead singer is a bit too...not exactly bad, but ordinary for my tastes.
This is a love song. Basically, she's been thinking about a man lately, thinking about him. However, he seems to be an ex, making a bit of a twist. And they do have the self-awareness of calling it "another sad love song" in the lyrics.
This is not a bad song. The lyrics are a bit more self-aware than many R&B songs, and making the man an ex is a neat twist. However, the song is both musically and vocally boring, which is one of the worst things a song can be. It's definitely forgettable, maybe moreso than anything else from this year.
Well, let's see what is next. Hopefully, it won't take quite so long this time.
Previously: #40-36 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.830452-1999-Billboard-Top-100-40-36]
Next: #30-26 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.832768-1999-Billboard-Top-100-30-26]