Music Review

Ozzy Wagenseil, ‘22

September 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. “Goodbyes” Post Malone featuring Young Thug: First off, if you have not listened to Post Malone’s new album, I strongly recommend it. But besides that, this song is mildly okay compared to some other songs on this album. You have the same Post Malone singing voice, and Young Thug has… his sort of singing. But the beginning of Young Thug’s verse does not sound bad at all. I do enjoy the somber beat the song displays as it is melancholic and has a nice mix of pop and rap. However, the lyrics are at best stereotypical of a song for those who are trying to forget someone. This theme is best displayed with the lyric, “I want you out of my head, I want you out of my bedroom tonight (bedroom), There's no way I can save you (save you), 'Cause I need to be saved, too, I'm no good at goodbyes.” 

Lyrics: 6/10. Singing/Rapping: 6/10. Beat: 7/10. Average: ~6/10.

9. “Talk” Khalid: I don’t listen to Khalid that much, but this song gives me a good impression of what he is like. The beat is the best part of this song in my opinion. It is very simple and that is what Khalid is trying to aim for. He makes you just want to feel relaxed and wanting to talk. His singing is very nice paired with nice beat like this, and with a very good rhythm too. The lyrics are okay; nothing that differs from other songs nowadays. The song gives no clear intention of what Khalid wants with his implied love interest. He uses lyrics like this in order to show how he feels about his love interest: “Penthouse view, left some flowers in the room, I'll make sure I leave the door unlocked, Now I'm on the way, swear I won't be late, I'll be there by five o'clock.” Overall, this song is a good listen. 

Lyrics: 6/10. Singing/Rapping: 7/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~7/10.

8. “I Don’t Care” Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber: For one thing, the beat is one of the best elements of this song. Many of Ed Sheeran’s beats are very memorable and fun to listen to, and this song does not break off from that tradition. On the other hand, it reminds me of  “Shape of You,” which is disappointing as I want to hear something different from Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber. The lyrics, however, are interesting to listen to, giving you a sense of being at a party. This may be best displayed in the first verse when Ed Sheeran sings, “I'm at a party I don't wanna be at, And I don't ever wear a suit and tie, Wonderin' if I could sneak out the back, Nobody's even lookin' me in my eyes.” 

Lyrics: 7/10. Singing/Rapping: 6/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~7/10.

7. “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 provide the song with a good and memorable chorus. The chorus goes such 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 make up for the singing that is subpar compared to Malone’s other songs, but it really is a great song despite its few flaws. 

Lyrics: 7/10. Singing/Rapping: 7/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~7/10.

6. “No Guidance” Chris Brown featuring Drake: This song has such a crisp vibe to it, which is mostly thanks to the beat. It 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 just sings in a natural smooth 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.

5. “Old Town Road” Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus: Why don’t I hate this song? The song has very dumb lyrics but I like them anyway. Best seen in, “ got the horses in the back/Horse tack is attached/Hat is matte black/Got the boots that's black to match” and “Cowboy hat from Gucci, Wrangler on my booty.” The lyrics are so dumb but who doesn’t love them? The singing is actually pretty good, but the rap has a simple flow to it, which is mildly disappointing. And, finally, the beat for this song is just really catchy. It’s just a simple guitar melody that is not that hard to play but it is so simple and meaningful at the same time. Just a good song that will be fun to listen to in the future, not to also mention the combination of country and rap being a surprisingly good combination. 

Lyrics: 7/10. Singing/Rapping: 8/10. Beat: 9/10. Average: ~8/10.

4. “Ran$om” Lil Tecca: Oh jeez. On one hand, I really do enjoy this song a lot, and it is very melodic. But it really is a shame how low I have to rank this one. The lyrics are really basic, to be honest. One line that perfectly displays this poor lyricism is, “I started from the bottom, you could see the way I stunt, I want all the diamonds, I want that sh*t to weigh a ton, The opps they tryna line me 'cause they hate the place I'm from, But them ni**as don't know me, they just know the place I'm from.” He literally rhymed the word “from” twice, so of course, it’s not good. The rapping is standard mumble rapping, so of course, you expect nothing much from it. And finally, the beat is quite nice. It does not stand out from many other rap type beats so that is why it is not ranked higher.  Lyrics: 5/10. Singing/Rapping: 5/10. Beat: 7/10. Average: ~6/10.

3. “Bad Guy” Billie Eilish: This felt very uncomfortable to listen to. No disrespect to Billie Eilish and the great singer that she is, but she uses her talents at an underwhelming level in this song. Her singing is just simple whispering (“Don’t Come Out the House” copycat…) which is disappointing as she could use her incredible vocal range more. The lyrics are typical for her style, and also very simple. This is best exemplified with the line “So you're a tough guy, Like it really rough guy, Just can't get enough guy, Chest always so puffed guy.” However, the beat was very interesting and oddly pleasing. I liked the simple kick drum sound to it, and the beat switch at the end also scaled things up and made for a good beat for this song. 

Lyrics: 7/10. Singing/Rapping: 6/10. Beat: 8/10. Average: ~7/10.

2. “Senorita” Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello: I'm sorry to say this, but I just 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 good elements. The singing could be better, but 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 can be very basic, something best displayed from this line: “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.

1.  “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 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.