Music Review
Ozzy Wagenseil, ‘22
December 2019
For this review, I will be using the source https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100, to which I will listen to the top 10 songs so far of the week and review them on based on lyrics, singing/rapping, and beats. And at the end, I will calculate the average ranking of that song based on those three categories. This list is also in the order that the website lists the songs.
10. “No Guidance” Chris Brown featuring Drake: This song has such a crisp vibe to it, which is mostly thanks to the beat, which has a smooth and slow emotion for whoever is listening. The song has a lovesick emotion to it that is very relatable, hence why this song feels very smooth. However, Drake’s singing is superior to Brown’s. While Brown’s singing is over the top and trying to show off, Drake sings in a natural level tone that blends well with this song. And of course, the lyrics are just trying to be smooth and slick while talking about men hitting up a girl. The best example of this is “Lil' baby in her bag, in her Birkin, No nine to five, put the work in, Flaws and all, I love 'em all, to me, you're perfect.”
Lyrics: 6/10. Singing/Rapping: 8/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~7/10.
9. “Truth Hurts” Lizzo: To be completely honest, I did not think this song was great at first. But I finally heard all of it, and it turns out I really do enjoy it. The lyrics are very creative, and I like the complete confidence she has with her delivery. Specifically, the beginning verse when she says, “I just took a DNA test, turns out I'm 100% that bitch, Even when I'm crying crazy, Yeah, I got boy problems, that's the human in me, Bling bling, then I solve 'em, that's the goddess in me.” She has a raw passion, and I love it. Another thing I like is her rapping/singing style, both of which are perfectly on the beat with the song. And finally, I find the beat not bad, but it could be better.
Lyrics: 8/10. Singing/Rapping: 8/10. Beat: 7/10. Average: ~8/10.
8. “10,000 Hours” Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber: This song seems like it can be any Ed Sheeran song ever. Only it has Justin Bieber. The song does not seem to possess any originality when it comes to other folk-pop songs. For starters, the beat is that of simple strumming of a guitar. This beat is heard from other songs along with the same genre and has no extra features that make it unique. The singing of this song is also light-toned and more or less whole-heartedness, but does not differ in tone. But it can be good, especially in the final chorus of the song. The lyrics are very generic. It goes along the line of having a deep love for your the person that you love, best exemplified by the lyric: I'd spend ten thousand hours and ten thousand more, Oh, if that's what it takes to learn that sweetheart of yours, And I might never get there, but I'm gonna try.”
Lyrics: 6/10. Singing/Rapping: 7/10. Beat: 7/10. Average: ~7/10.
7. “Senorita” Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello: I'm sorry to say this, but I do not like Camila Cabello’s voice at all. Either that or her song “Never Be The Same” really just left a bad taste in my mouth. But besides that issue, this song does have some decent elements. The singing could be better. Still, it is pretty good as Shawn and Camila do show off their vocal ranges with high notes and display the mood of the song with real compassion for one another. The beat is something that everyone can listen to; it provides a nice sound for the theme of romance and love for another person. The one thing that I find fault with is the lyrics. Sure, they show true love and romance, but they can be very basic. Take this line as an example: “Sapphire moonlight, We danced for hours in the sand, Tequila sunrise, Her body fit right in my hands, la la la.”
Lyrics: 6/10. Singing/Rapping: 7/10. Beat 8/10. Average: ~7/10.
6. “Lose You To Love Me” Selena Gomez: This song is similar, but not on par with “Someone You Loved” by Lewis Capaldi. In fact, this song is just a B-class version of the mentioned song. The simple piano is there but is also similar to other sad songs like it. It’s okay, just not great. Selena’s singing in this song is somewhat acceptable but does not bring the feeling that she wants her listeners to feel. Specifically, it does not feel like a sad song. And finally, the lyrics are basic lyrics for a typical emotional song as well. She repeats most of her lyrics, but does it in a way that’s blatantly obvious and does not flow smoothly with the rest of the song. An example of a repeated lyric is: “We'd always go into it blindly, I needed to lose you to find me, This dance, it was killing me softly, I needed to hate you to love me, yeah.” As well as that, the ad-libs just ruin the vibe of the song too.
Lyrics: 7/10. Singing/Rapping: 7/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~7/10.
5. “Roxanne” Arizona Zervas: Well, at least the cover art for this song is dope. As a melodic rap song, it does pretty much fill the standard expectations of what it has to be. The autotune on its own is enough to hint at the contents of the song:setting expectations low. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the rapping is just generic and shows no signs of effort. And, oh my, the bar may already be low but Arizona Zervas does his best to lower it from there . Telling a story of a girl you meet at a party also shows how low-effort and generic the song is. And there are lyrics as well that stand out - as annoying to the listener. For instance, “She from, Malibu, Malibu, If you ain't gotta foreign then she laugh at you, Malibu, Malibu, Spending daddy's money with an attitude.” However, there is an upside to this song which is the beat. The beat is very simple, but at the same time, it is very calm and soothing, giving you quirky feelings about life.
Lyrics: 6/10. Singing/Rapping: 6/10. Beat: 7/10. Average: ~7/10.
4. “Memories” Maroon 5: For a Maroon 5 song, this is not that bad. It is certainly better than some other songs they have released. What’s really good about this song is the beat. The beat has nice guitar picking. And that’s just it. It is simple and brings a nice tone to one’s state of emotion at the moment. And no extra instruments are distracting the listener from the guitar. Surprisingly, Adam Levine’s voice is not as annoying as it is in other songs by Maroon 5. His voice is calmer and seems to greatly express the modest tone of memories. It makes one remember all the good things about life and how they were able to enjoy it And finally, the lyrics do convey a great feeling of remembering those in your life, whether they are here. It is not like being sad or happy, just harboring those treasured thoughts. The lyrics that can explain this well is, “Here's to the ones that we got, Cheers to the wish you were here, but you're not, 'Cause the drinks bring back all the memories.”
Lyrics: 8/10. Singing/Rapping: 8/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~8/10.
3. “Good As Hell” Lizzo: Lizzo has just made her mark in music history with this new song. The song is just so… wonderful. There’s no other way it can be put. The beat alone is so enjoyable. The fanfare with the piano and the trumpets blasting in the background can make anyone feel good after having a bad day. She also puts her singing to good use, showing her empowering and motivating attitude. Her best is seen at the end of the song when she holds a note for a long time. And finally, the lyrics are very well written. Just reading them makes one feel invincible. The lyrics that stand out the most are “Boss up and change your life, You can have it all, no sacrifice, I know he did you wrong, we can make it right, So go and let it all hang out tonight.” Her motivational attitude makes sure that when you are down, you will never be alone. And that might be why this song is one of the best.
Lyrics: 9/10. Singing/Rapping: 9/10. Beat: 9/10. Average:~9/10.
2. “Someone You Loved” Lewis Capaldi: Wow. This song is very depressing. Sad boi hours. The piano playing is very standard and is similar to other piano riffs, but that does not mean it isn’t pretty raw and emotional. It makes one feel very emotional and down. Speaking of sad, the lyrics are just that. Lewis Capaldi’s chorus delivers a lot of raw feelings. The chorus states: “Now the day bleeds, Into nightfall, And you're not here, To get me through it all.” This guy needs a big hug with what feelings he’s suffering. Finally, the singing, of course, is diverse with low and high ranges, especially evident in the chorus and the third verse. In all, this is just a beautiful, sad song.
Lyrics: 9/10. Singing/Rapping: 9/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~9/10.
1. “Circles” Post Malone: The debut song for Post Malone's new album is very good. The beat, for starters, is a nice guitar melody with the perfect blend of drums and other instruments, providing the song with a new Post Malone style. The lyrics of the song, while slow and dull, do give the song a memorable chorus. The chorus goes as follows: “Seasons change and our love went cold, Feed the flame 'cause we can't let go, Run away, but we're running in circles, Run away, run away.” These two parts of the song makes up for the singing that is subpar compared to Malone’s other songs, but it is a great song despite its few flaws.
Lyrics: 7/10. Singing/Rapping: 7/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~7/10.