Time to get this over with.
#95: "#thatPOWER" by will.i.am feat. Justin Bieber
Oh, the sacrifices I make my eardrums go through for the sake of these reviews.
Music is definitely reminiscent of will.i.am's BEP days. However, it is actually a fairly decent beat for all that, and I could easily see this in a club. Justin Bieber's singing, though...he's clearly taken the wrong lessons from will.i.am, thinking that Autotune is the way to success, while will.i.am is as good as always, meaning not at all.
The lyrics to this song are meaningless. I mean, look at the title. That's pretty much what the lyrics are. It does quote Daft Punk at one point, which made me go "Wait, what?", but is otherwise meaningless club dreck about being alive and having that power.
I told myself I'd be honest with these reviews, so I will. I actually somewhat enjoyed this song. The singing is pretty bad, but the music is actually quite fun, and the lyrics are inconsequential enough to not matter. This is a club song, and as far as club songs go, it was pretty solid. Nothing more, nothing less.
#94: "Get Your Shine On" by Florida Georgia Line
This is a country duo who first hit it big last year with "Cruise". However, that song did not manage to make the year-end charts, so this is my first time covering them.
Music has some decent electric guitar, along with a light piano line. Country-pop at its normal. As for the singing, they harmonize well together, but the main singer is a little too country for my tastes. The accent is a bit distracting.
Lyrically, this song is another "country hitting on girl" song, telling her to slide her sugar shaker over and get her shine on. No, I am not exaggerating. Those are actual lyrics to the song.
This song is very, very country. Beyond that, there isn't a whole lot to say. The vocals are a little too accented for my tastes, but the music is nice, even if the lyrics are almost cringingly country. No other genre would even attempt to use "sugar shaker" as a euphemism. If you like country, then you probably wouldn't mind this song. Even then, though, there are better options.
#93: "Downtown" by Lady Antebellum
Back to back country!Still, I like Lady Antebellum, so there's nothing wrong with that.
Music is very country, with a twangy acoustic guitar, and a just-as-country electric guitar joining in before long. As for the vocals, she has a very pretty country voice. Maybe not the most original voice, but still a good one.
As for the lyrics, this is basically an "our love is changing" song, asking why her man doesn't take her downtown for a stroll anymore. Basically, he isn't taking her on walks like they did when they were first dating.
This song isn't bad. The music is nice, and the singer is quite good. But seriously lady, you are complaining that he doesn't go on walks with you any more? What are you, 16? I just can't get that. There are plenty of other problems that relationships could have. Why is this such a big one? Not a bad song if you can get past the lyrics, but it's hard to ignore them when the complaint is this superficial. I mean, she does seem to imply that he is telling her he will and then doesn't ("I'm counting on your cancellation, when I should be counting on you at my door"), but other than that, her entire complaint seems to be "You never take me anywhere!"
#92: "Wanted" by Hunter Hays
Re-review!
Music is quite simple, being a piano line, although a rather nice one. Vocally, I can't say that Hunter Hayes is a bad singer, but he still needs a bit of maturing before he'll be anything more than a generic teenage country artist.
This song is a country love song. Basically, he wants to make the girl feel wanted, wrapping her up and kiss her. She's pretty, but he knows her beauty runs deeper than make-up, and all that.
I feel about the same this year as I did last year: baffled as to how this was one of Todd in the Shadows' top 10 worst hit songs of 2012. Don't get me wrong. It's definitely generic, but that's all it is to me. Yeah, the lyrics are a bit chaste, but I don't see how that makes him seem too innocent and goody-two-shoes, ruining the song. He just sounds like a teenage boy making teenage country love songs. It's not a great song, but the piano line is nice, and the lyrics are sweet and innocent without sounding too "goo-goo love" for my tastes. I've heard better, but I've heard far worse as well.
91: "Bugatti" by Ace Hood feat. Future and Rick Ross
I have a feeling this is a bragging rap song, based on the title and featuring Rick Ross.
Music intro sounds suspiciously like the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" music that plays when the contestant is answering the question, but the rest of the music might as well not exist, since is just that intro, with a squealing synth line and hip-hop drums. Ace Hood is actually quite talented, showing quite a lot of skill at rapping fast, yet cleanly, and hitting the rhymes quite nicely. Future is a bit too Auto-tuned and lazy as a rapper, while Rick Ross is...well, Rick Ross.
This is a bragging rap song, rapping about how big the artist is, and how they are banging all kinds of chicks, and waking up in a brand new Bugatti, a very high-end sports car. Do have to give them credit for not using Ferrari, though.
This is a decent rap song that could have been great. While I bagged on the music a bit, at least it was something different by rap standards, and Ace Hood is quite talented for someone new to the rapping field. However, Future dragged down the song while Rick Ross failed to add anything. Also, if I hear one more rapper have a bragging song before they have actually established that they have anything to brag about, I'm going to...do nothing, probably. But I'll do it in an annoyed fashion!
That list wasn't as bad as I feared, actually. I didn't really dislike anything on there.
Previously: #100-96 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.836723-2013-Billboard-Top-100-Review-100-96]
Next: #90-86 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.836810-2013-Billboard-Top-100-Review-90-86]
#95: "#thatPOWER" by will.i.am feat. Justin Bieber
Oh, the sacrifices I make my eardrums go through for the sake of these reviews.
Music is definitely reminiscent of will.i.am's BEP days. However, it is actually a fairly decent beat for all that, and I could easily see this in a club. Justin Bieber's singing, though...he's clearly taken the wrong lessons from will.i.am, thinking that Autotune is the way to success, while will.i.am is as good as always, meaning not at all.
The lyrics to this song are meaningless. I mean, look at the title. That's pretty much what the lyrics are. It does quote Daft Punk at one point, which made me go "Wait, what?", but is otherwise meaningless club dreck about being alive and having that power.
I told myself I'd be honest with these reviews, so I will. I actually somewhat enjoyed this song. The singing is pretty bad, but the music is actually quite fun, and the lyrics are inconsequential enough to not matter. This is a club song, and as far as club songs go, it was pretty solid. Nothing more, nothing less.
#94: "Get Your Shine On" by Florida Georgia Line
This is a country duo who first hit it big last year with "Cruise". However, that song did not manage to make the year-end charts, so this is my first time covering them.
Music has some decent electric guitar, along with a light piano line. Country-pop at its normal. As for the singing, they harmonize well together, but the main singer is a little too country for my tastes. The accent is a bit distracting.
Lyrically, this song is another "country hitting on girl" song, telling her to slide her sugar shaker over and get her shine on. No, I am not exaggerating. Those are actual lyrics to the song.
This song is very, very country. Beyond that, there isn't a whole lot to say. The vocals are a little too accented for my tastes, but the music is nice, even if the lyrics are almost cringingly country. No other genre would even attempt to use "sugar shaker" as a euphemism. If you like country, then you probably wouldn't mind this song. Even then, though, there are better options.
#93: "Downtown" by Lady Antebellum
Back to back country!Still, I like Lady Antebellum, so there's nothing wrong with that.
Music is very country, with a twangy acoustic guitar, and a just-as-country electric guitar joining in before long. As for the vocals, she has a very pretty country voice. Maybe not the most original voice, but still a good one.
As for the lyrics, this is basically an "our love is changing" song, asking why her man doesn't take her downtown for a stroll anymore. Basically, he isn't taking her on walks like they did when they were first dating.
This song isn't bad. The music is nice, and the singer is quite good. But seriously lady, you are complaining that he doesn't go on walks with you any more? What are you, 16? I just can't get that. There are plenty of other problems that relationships could have. Why is this such a big one? Not a bad song if you can get past the lyrics, but it's hard to ignore them when the complaint is this superficial. I mean, she does seem to imply that he is telling her he will and then doesn't ("I'm counting on your cancellation, when I should be counting on you at my door"), but other than that, her entire complaint seems to be "You never take me anywhere!"
#92: "Wanted" by Hunter Hays
Re-review!
Music is quite simple, being a piano line, although a rather nice one. Vocally, I can't say that Hunter Hayes is a bad singer, but he still needs a bit of maturing before he'll be anything more than a generic teenage country artist.
This song is a country love song. Basically, he wants to make the girl feel wanted, wrapping her up and kiss her. She's pretty, but he knows her beauty runs deeper than make-up, and all that.
I feel about the same this year as I did last year: baffled as to how this was one of Todd in the Shadows' top 10 worst hit songs of 2012. Don't get me wrong. It's definitely generic, but that's all it is to me. Yeah, the lyrics are a bit chaste, but I don't see how that makes him seem too innocent and goody-two-shoes, ruining the song. He just sounds like a teenage boy making teenage country love songs. It's not a great song, but the piano line is nice, and the lyrics are sweet and innocent without sounding too "goo-goo love" for my tastes. I've heard better, but I've heard far worse as well.
91: "Bugatti" by Ace Hood feat. Future and Rick Ross
I have a feeling this is a bragging rap song, based on the title and featuring Rick Ross.
Music intro sounds suspiciously like the "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" music that plays when the contestant is answering the question, but the rest of the music might as well not exist, since is just that intro, with a squealing synth line and hip-hop drums. Ace Hood is actually quite talented, showing quite a lot of skill at rapping fast, yet cleanly, and hitting the rhymes quite nicely. Future is a bit too Auto-tuned and lazy as a rapper, while Rick Ross is...well, Rick Ross.
This is a bragging rap song, rapping about how big the artist is, and how they are banging all kinds of chicks, and waking up in a brand new Bugatti, a very high-end sports car. Do have to give them credit for not using Ferrari, though.
This is a decent rap song that could have been great. While I bagged on the music a bit, at least it was something different by rap standards, and Ace Hood is quite talented for someone new to the rapping field. However, Future dragged down the song while Rick Ross failed to add anything. Also, if I hear one more rapper have a bragging song before they have actually established that they have anything to brag about, I'm going to...do nothing, probably. But I'll do it in an annoyed fashion!
That list wasn't as bad as I feared, actually. I didn't really dislike anything on there.
Previously: #100-96 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.836723-2013-Billboard-Top-100-Review-100-96]
Next: #90-86 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.836810-2013-Billboard-Top-100-Review-90-86]