{3,000 Views Special Pt.4} This DARK album might have MATTERed a lot this year if it were released on any other day

                                                 

Hi! Wow, only one album left in my five-part 3,000 views special series after this... and then one bonus album review for the huge new album that comes out on Friday that I don't even need to say the title of because everybody already knows I'm doing it. So this album that I'm reviewing now is one that you probably had no idea I'd do an in-depth review of. And it might be because you didn't know it existed. It's an album called Dark Matter, by Pearl Jam. This album most likely would've been somewhat of a hit, if only it was released on literally any other day. For some reason, they decided to release this album on April 19, 2024... the same day as Taylor Swift's TTPD. I wanted to review this album since it's a slightly less popular album, and one that I hadn't listened to until recently because I was admittedly much more excited by TTPD, but also because it's a genre that I don't typically do album reviews of, so I thought this would be an interesting one to include in my pentalogy. Also, I just noticed that I'm already almost to 4,000 views (an obvious sign that I was really late getting these last two "3,000 Views Special" posts out). Obviously I won't do a 4,000 views special because that would be too soon and too much unnecessary work, but I already have a little something planned for 5,000 views... and it's gonna be Taylor Swift-related because apparently the crowd was chanting "more!" You'll see when I get to it. But anyway, let's get into this review.

1. Scared of Fear

My rating: 5/5 Great

So, unlike literally all three of the other albums I've reviewed for this 3,000 views series, this album starts with a very strong song. This is one of my favorite songs from the album. The lyrics are really well-written. The songwriting on this album is stronger than I expected, and a lot of it seems to be about the end of a long relationship, specifically when the other person is hurting themselves. I don't quite understand the title because it's never mentioned in the lyrics and doesn't seem to be directly connected to anything. But maybe there's just something about it I'm not getting. The production here sounds really cool, and it's got nice evolution as it goes along. I'm glad this is the album opener rather than any of these next three songs.

2. React, Respond

My rating: 4/5 Good

This one's okay, but I don't love it. So I get what the song is going for, but it just feels a bit weird to me. It's really repetitive, and the production sounds okay but it's honestly not too different from a lot of their other songs. The many... interesting ways Eddie sings the titular line also sound kinda weird, which seems to be a popular opinion about this song. Of course, a lot of these are pretty small things for me. I still like the concept of the lyrics here and it's got some good lyrics, but it's easily not one of the best songs on this album.

3. Wreckage

My rating: 3/5 Decent

This is probably my least favorite song on the album, but I guess it's still alright. I hardly ever complain about song lengths, and this album has some great long songs on it, but this one is five minutes long and that almost feels kinda forced. It's extremely repetitive, which is often not great for long songs like this. Production-wise, it starts out sounding pretty good but it doesn't evolve much at all. But it's not a bad song by any means. Most of the lyrics are still decently written and everything here sounds alright, this is just the type of song that would have been more effective if it was shorter.

4. Dark Matter

My rating: 4/5 Good

So, this seems to have been the lead single, but I can definitely think of songs that would have been much better choices. The production sounds cool, but I don't know what it is about it but it sounds just like some other song to me. There also seems to be some kind of weird vocal effect in the chorus that just kinda gets in the way of the actual song. The lyrics are fine but not the best on the album. I don't understand why this is the lead single... when it should have been this...

5. Won't Tell

My rating: 5/5 Great

Come on, this really should have been a single. This is one of my favorites on the album. The lyrics, although they're different from the common themes on the album, have actually some of the best songwriting on here. It's very relatable too. It's about unrequited love, but fearing rejection so he doesn't tell anyone. It's an interesting concept, and while the lyrics are the highlight, this song does a great job with production as well. I will never understand why this wasn't a single, because this could have easily been the biggest hit from the album... that is, if this album had any songs that become "big hits", which it unfortunately doesn't seem to.

6. Upper Hand

My rating: 5/5 Great

I think this is actually my favorite song from the album. Some of my complaints about previous songs was that the production felt too generic or sounded like other songs, but this one has a unique sound to it that's part of what makes it so amazing. It starts with a slow synthy sound, and evolves as it goes along, and it sounds wonderful. Once again, this album also has great songwriting, which shines a lot here on one of the more reflective and darker songs on here. Fantastic song, probably my favorite.

7. Waiting for Stevie

My rating: 5/5 Great

Interesting title. Apparently it's a reference to how they waited in the studio for Stevie Wonder so he could play harmonica on one of their previous songs. Don't know how that's related to this song, but it's a great song nonetheless. This is one of those songs where the lyrics are very simple but it works so well, with repeated chorus lines like "You can be loved by everyone and not feel, not feel love". In terms of production, this song is kind of split into two parts, where the ending sounds completely different. I love how the ending sounds, even though it's a transition into this next song...

8. Running

My rating: 3/5 Decent

Okay... when I listened to the album for the first time, I legit thought this was an interlude, but I looked it up and... it's a single? It's only two minutes long. Usually if I ever complain about a song length, it won't be related to the length itself as much as just whether it feels like it goes somewhere in the duration of the song. A lot of (but certainly not all) short songs tend to fail that, as they don't quite have enough time to properly evolve. While I understand why this song is a lot shorter, it would have been better if they did more interesting things in that time. Otherwise, it literally just feels like an interlude. Like with Wreckage however, it's not terrible just because it doesn't change much. There are still good things to be found here, like obviously the lyrics, which I keep mentioning because they're kinda a highlight of this entire album. But still, it falls a bit flat and could have been much better.

9. Something Special

My rating: 4/5 Good

So, this one's fine. It's definitely not a great song, but it's not bad at all. I like how the production sounds here, and it's a lot different from the other songs here. However, it mostly falls short in terms of lyrics. While I like the message here, the songwriting just feels kinda basic and not in the best way. But I guess there's nothing all that bad about it. I really don't have much to say about this one, so let's move on.

10. Got to Give

My rating: 5/5 Great

Alright, we're already almost done, and the last two tracks are great. Sure, this one may not be the most memorable song out there or anything, but it feels like a great almost-end of the album. The lyrics are, once again, pretty simple, but it works in a way similarly to Waiting for Stevie. So obviously I like the writing here a lot. The production seems to support that pretty well also. Again, not much to say, but it's just a solid song overall.

11. Setting Sun

My rating: 5/5 Great

Well, we've reached the album closer. This is another personal favorite of mine, and I can't think of a better song to end the album. This is one of those songs on this album that's really long but doesn't get boring. It starts with some quiet drums but it picks up by the end and doesn't feel repetitive. The vocals are interesting here, as Eddie seems to stay mostly in a lower register here, which I haven't heard him do often, and it sounds great. The lyrics are well-written, the length doesn't take away from anything... one of my favorite songs from the album for sure.

Conclusion

Overall album rating: 87% (Great Album)

So it may be on the lower end of the "great" category for me, but the important thing is that it's still great. Every song was at least somewhat decent, and a lot of them were amazing. It's a weird album for me to review, and just a weird album in general, but I'm glad I reviewed it because... well, it was completely overshadowed by the other album that came out the same day and I thought it deserved a few listens so TTPD doesn't steal all the attention ever.

Favorite songs: Scared of Fear, Won't Tell, Upper Hand, Waiting for Stevie, Got to Give, Setting Sun

"Least" favorite songs: Wreckage, Running

That's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!

{3,000 Views Special Pt.3} I really wanted to review this album, even though it was released almost 700 midnights ago

Hi! So, this is the only "older" album in the series. And by "older" I mean 2022. Midnights by Taylor Swift. You all know Taylor Swift, and you all know that I've recently become a Swiftie, but what you may not know is that since it released, I've considered Midnights one of my top three favorite albums of hers, along with Speak Now & Red. But even one of the greatest albums by one of the greatest pop stars isn't perfect. So let's get into the review!

1. Lavender Haze

My rating: 2/5 Mediocre

*sighs* Yet another album with a very weak opening track. Trust me, it will get better. I will admit, this grew on me since I first heard it. I finally understand the concept of the lyrics, which is actually pretty solid. It's essentially about trying to ignore what the general public thinks of a relationship, and just staying in the "lavender haze", which was apparently a common slang term a long time ago meaning intense love. But production-wise, this song as a whole falls flat. It's extremely boring and empty, and never feels like it goes anywhere. There are some Taylor songs with relatively empty-sounding production, like I Forgot that You Existed, Lover, and Karma, just to name a few, that I still find enjoyable because they at least do some interesting things. This one just feels completely bland. However, it's not quite as terrible as I initially thought.

2. Maroon

My rating: 5/5 Great

Alright, here's our first of many great songs on this album. This one seems to be a fan favorite. I consider this the sequel to Red, a Taylor Swift song that I admit to liking more than I probably should. This is like the better, more mature version of Red. First of all, the title is very similar, in that it's a one-word title describing a shade of red. In the original Red, she uses color related metaphors like "Losing him was blue like I'd never known / Missing him was dark gray all alone / Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met, but loving him was red". But in this song, instead of using different colors, she just uses different shades of red to represent different aspects of their relationship, and it's done so cleverly. "The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wind into me / And how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet it was / The mark they saw on my collarbone / The rust that grew between telephones / The lips I used to call home / So scarlet, it was maroon." And that's just the chorus. Throughout the verses she uses yet more red imagery, such as wine, sunset, flowers, and rubies. I will often listen to Red and then Maroon consecutively, to show the evolution of her songwriting with a similar concept. Great song.

3. Anti-Hero

My rating: 5/5 Great

We all know this one. It's the lead single and biggest hit from Midnights. Oftentimes I tend to like singles a lot less than the rest of the album, not necessarily because of overplay, but more so because of I'm not a huge fan of the certain type of songs that tend to become more successful on radio. This is not one of those. This is a great song. It may not be the best one from the album, but it's still amazing. I'm kinda shocked this was such a hit considering it's not one of the most upbeat songs here, but I think that's great because it shows that not all songs Taylor releases as singles have to sound like Shake it Off or Blank Space.

4. Snow on the Beach (featuring Lana Del Rey)

My rating: 5/5 Great

Wow, this album has a lot of great songs. I'm not super familiar with Lana's music, but I like what I've heard. But... as many of you already know, she hardly sings on this song. She features so little that the Late Night deluxe edition of this album includes a remix of this song, literally labeled as "featuring more Lana Del Rey". I don't think I have a preference for either one, it's just a great song either way. It's about the rare occurrence of two people falling in love, comparing it to snow on the beach. It may not be my favorite from the album but it's quite great.

5. You're On Your Own, Kid

My rating: 5/5 Great

You probably already know this, but Taylor Swift tends to put a very emotive and vulnerable song as track 5 on her albums (other examples are Cold as You, White Horse, Dear John, All Too Well, All You Had To Do Was Stay, Delicate, The Archer, My Tears Ricochet, Tolerate It, and So Long London), and this is another great one. I don't love it quite as much as some people do, but it's quite fantastic. Like the title suggests, it's written from the perspective of a kid who longs for love but realizes they are on their own. The storytelling here is incredible and the atmospheric production perfectly supports it. Yet another great song.

6. Midnight Rain

My rating: 5/5 Great

Come on, why does everybody hate this song? It's so good! Literally one of my top five favorites from this album. Okay, I guess I can understand why people may not love this one as much as some of the others, because of the more basic production and pitch-shifted vocals, but like... it doesn't deserve all the hate. The production may be kind of empty, but it sounds perfect. A song like this shouldn't have crazy explosive production. I really like the synth sound it uses here. The weird vocal effects don't get in the way at all. Really the only time vocal effects get in the way for me is when they're really loud and distracting from the lyrics, which is not the case here. The lyrics in this song actually really shine. It's quite well-written, and very relatable. It's about a relationship where two people want different things, especially one where one person wants to focus more on their career. The chorus is simple but effective, and the verses are even better. I love this song so much, and I wish it was more popular.

7. Question...?

My rating: 4/5 Good

So, this one's just alright. I like the production, but it is kinda weird-sounding at times. The lyrics are well-written but I just don't quite understand what it's about. Obviously, there are Swift songs that I enjoy even though I don't entirely understand the message, such as The Bolter, and I still like this song, but... it just doesn't quite match up to a lot of the unbelievably amazing songs on this album. Still enjoyable tho.

8. Vigilante Shit

My rating: 3/5 Decent

Interesting title. So, this is another song that I don't really get. The lyrics are just about... well, revenge. Taylor has some good revenge songs, but this one is just meh. A lot of what brings this one down for me is just the production. It's got even less to it than Lavender Haze. Literally the whole song is monotone vocals over a repetitive electronic beat and just one or two occasional synth notes here and there. But the reason it gets a higher score than Lavender Haze is because even though the production does less, it sounds a bit better to me. So, this is one of my least favorite songs on the album, but it's not bad.

9. Bejeweled

My rating: 5/5 Great

From what I've seen this one seems to be a fan favorite. While I do think it's overrated, I still think it's a great song. It's about a concept that I don't think Taylor has done much of: about facing challenges but still being able to party and have fun. The only other song that comes to mind when I think of that concept is Shake It Off. I like Shake It Off more than a lot of people do, but I like this one better, mostly because the dreamy synth production here is a bit stronger. Another great song.

10. Labyrinth

My rating: 5/5 Great

I think this is my favorite song from the original main album. There is one 3am track that I like a bit better than this, which we'll get to in a second. But this is still one of my top 30 Taylor songs I think, yet somehow it's one of the least streamed songs from Midnights. The production is just incredible. It's very dreamy-sounding, but with those occasional loud bursts of sound, and it evolves by the end. This is one of those Taylor songs with very simple lyricism, but it's really effective here. I don't think I need to say much, it's just one of the best songs on the album.

11. Karma

My rating: 4/5 Good

Another fan favorite single from the album, and one of two Midnights songs that hit #1 on Hits 1. I just checked, and Taylor's surprisingly only had five Hits 1 #1s in the 2020s so far (this, Anti-Hero, Cruel Summer, Mr. Perfectly Fine, and Willow). But that's unrelated. As for my opinion on this song, it faded on me since I first heard it, but it's still good. The production is good but it would have been better if it had a bit more evolution, and here it feels a bit boring at times. The lyrics are kinda nonsensical but that's the whole point, and it's done pretty well here. This is a severely unpopular opinion, but if I'm being totally 100% honest here, I ever so slightly prefer the Ice Spice remix over the solo version. But both of them would receive a 4/5 rating.

12. Sweet Nothing

My rating: 5/5 Great

So, I originally didn't love this one, because the production feels a bit more basic and boring. But I've grown to really like it. It's such a sweet song, and I love that she and her boyfriend at the time Joe Alwyn wrote this song together. The lyrics are, like a lot of the songs on this album, simple but effective, and the message here is great. The production here may not be the greatest on the album, but I feel like it complements a song like this very well. Great song.

13. Mastermind

My rating: 5/5 Great

Ah yes, the ultimate Taylor Swift scheming song. It's all about the beginning of a relationship and how it was all part of an elaborate trap, which her new partner has fallen into. Taylor Swift really is a mastermind, and this song proves it. This is a very random comparison, which I do a lot, but I think this song kind of reminds me of my second favorite Taylor Swift song (which I won't tell you, but I would be interested to hear anyone's totally crazy guesses), as they are both kind of about a scheme for love, although they are definitely very different songs. This one is much more mature, elaborate, and focused on said topic, while my second favorite Taylor Swift song (again, I won't reveal it but it'd be interesting to hear someone guess what it is) is more rawly overdramatic and is less about mastermind scheming but more about crazy fantasies for how love will happen.

3am edition

14. The Great War

My rating: 5/5 Great

This one seems to be a lot of people's favorite, and while it's not my favorite, I certainly understand the appeal, as it's a great song, and a great opening to the 3am edition of the album. It's about a major conflict during a relationship, which is compared here to the Great War. The production matches it quite well and obviously I love the way it sounds. I don't need to say much here, it's just another great song.

15. Bigger than the Whole Sky

My rating: 5/5 Great

Yes. This is the one. This is easily my favorite song on the entirety of Midnights, any edition, and one of my favorites of Taylor's discography. This seems to be one of most people's least favorites, simply because it's one of three contenders for the saddest song of her whole discography, along with Ronan and Soon You'll Get better, for obvious reasons. But I love sad songs, so those are all some of my favorites of Taylor's career. I won't spend too much time talking about this one, it's just a heartbreakingly beautiful song, and I love it. If you don't love this type of song, that's fine. I just personally love listening to really sad music, so this is definitely not a skip for me.

16. Paris

My rating: 4/5 Good

Okay... this is a weird song to place after that song. We go straight from the saddest song on the album to the happiest song on the album. So, I get what this one's going for. It's like the better version of Lavender Haze, about being in love and blocking out distractions in the outside world. I like this significantly more than Lavender Haze, but it's not quite great. Really the only thing that takes me out of it is the chorus. I guess she literally couldn't think of any other words that rhyme with Paris other than "somewhere-else". Ferris, heiress, Harris... nope, "somewhere-else".

17. High Infidelity

My rating: 5/5 Great

So, this song is about a concept Taylor talks about a lot in her music (cheating), but this one goes very in-depth about it. I think this is my favorite cheating-related song Taylor has made. The metaphors here are all related to music terminology, so this song is thought to be about Taylor's DJ ex-boyfriend Calvin Harris. I particularly love the line "There's many different ways that you can kill the one you love / The slowest way is never loving them enough". The distorted synth production works really well here also. Great song.

18. Glitch

My rating: 5/5 Great

I think it's worth mentioning that this is track 5 of the 3am songs. Obviously this wasn't an intentional decision, as emotionally, it doesn't function like a usual track 5. But still interesting. As for my opinion on the song itself, it's another great one. The production here is unusual, but in a great way. The glitchy sounds perfectly support the theme of a metaphorical "glitch" expressed in the song. Conceptually, it's somewhat similar to Labyrinth, about a relationship that wasn't quite meant to be. And I really like the lyrics here a lot. So, this is one of my favorites, and a very underrated track on this album.

19. Would've, Could've, Should've

My rating: 5/5 Great

This one seems to be one of a lot of people's favorites from the album. While I wouldn't consider it one of my favorites per se, it's still a great song. This song is actually thought to be about her relationship with John Mayer, which she doesn't talk about much on her recent albums as they broke up over 10 years ago. Some of the lyrics are really hard-hitting, like the repeated refrain of "I regret you all the time". Honestly, I think this should have been the track 5 on the 3am edition, but I understand why Taylor may not have been thinking as much about the order of the bonus tracks as with the main album.

20. Dear Reader

My rating: 5/5 Great

So, this seems to be the least streamed song on Midnights. I don't know why, because it's yet another great song. The lyrics here are interesting, as they are directly addressing the listener and giving life advice, but are meant to not be trusted. This is one of those songs that I don't entirely understand the message of, but I enjoy a decent amount. And I love how the understated synth-pop production sounds here. Not much to say for this one, it's just a solid song overall.

Other bonus tracks (Til Dawn/Late Night editions)

Hits Different

My rating: 5/5 Great

So, I excluded the remixes of SOTB and Karma, because they are just too similar to the original songs and the few changes made in them don't drastically affect my opinion, so it's not entirely fair to count them towards the album score. But I decided to include these two songs, because they're actual unique songs included on some editions of Midnights. The reason they don't have track numbers is because they are only placed on different versions of the album. Both of these additional bonus tracks are great songs. I'm honestly shocked this one wasn't included on the main album. It's a classic example of Taylor taking a common phrase and completely changing the meaning. Usually, if something "hits different", that means it is extraordinarily great. However, in the context of this song, which is about a breakup, she uses it to mean it was extraordinarily bad. Conceptually, the idea of struggling to move on from a relationship expressed in this song reminds me of what is easily one of my top 13 favorite Taylor songs, Death by a Thousand Cuts. Great song that should've been on the regular album.

You're Losing Me

My rating: 5/5 Great

You may not remember this, but in mid-2023, back before it was even on streaming platforms, this song was on Hits 1 for months. It was obviously not on the countdown or even Hitbound, just in the abyss for a while, but it did make one of the prank countdowns. I guess I understand why this wasn't much of a radio hit, considering it's one of her most heartbreaking songs about a breakup, comparing it to death throughout the song, but it should've been. On top of the lyrics which are obviously fantastically written, the production sounds great too. This song has just what I like to see in a good Taylor song. There's enough to it that it's not empty and it feels like it evolves as it goes on, but not too much crazy explosive stuff that it distracts from the deep emotion in the lyrics. Another wonderful song.

Conclusion

Midnights rating: 89% (Great Album)

Bonus tracks rating: 98% (Great Album)

Overall album rating: 94% (Great Album)

Interesting. This album unexpectedly got the same score as TTPD, which just so happens to be 94, which is one of my favorite numbers (don't ask why).

Favorite songs: Labyrinth, Bigger than the Whole Sky

"Least" favorite song: Lavender Haze

That's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!

{3,000 Views Special Pt.2} I wasn't necessarily expecting anyone to predict that I'd review this one but I guess I understand why

Hi! So, the second album review of my series is actually one that Bubby predicted yesterday, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan. So, obviously I like Chappell Roan, as she and Olivia Rodrigo have a lot of direct connection. Her music may not be as great as Olivia's, and a lot of it is a bit too sexual and kinda unhinged for my personal tastes, but for a rising star in the music industry she shows a lot of potential. Her massive new song Good Luck Babe is one of my favorite songs currently on pop radio. I don't really have much to say here as I only really became familiar with Chappell in the past two years, so let's get into the album review!

1. Femininomenon

My rating: 4/5 Good

Okay. This is a decent song, but definitely not one of her best. I love the way the production here evolves as it goes on, which Chappell does really well in a lot of her music. And that "play a song with a beat!!!!!" line in the pre-chorus is kinda funny. It's just not great, simply because the talk-rapping chorus and bridge are a little bit repetitive and somewhat grating, and I could have gone without the screaming. But it's still a good song overall, just definitely not one of the best songs on here. Again, trying to keep my reviews shorter, so let's move on.

2. Red Wine Supernova

My rating: 5/5 Great

Now this is a great song. It's got really cool-sounding production, and once again it's got a nice evolution to it, with the verses being more synth-poppy and the chorus falling into a more acoustic sound. The lyrics are fantastic. It's a love song, which I feel like Chappell Roan really shines on. I still sorta don't understand the point of "scream" singing at the end, but it only lasts for a few seconds and doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the song so I'm not complaining.

3. After Midnight

My rating: 3/5 Decent

Alright, this is another one that's just okay. It's got a few well-written elements to the lyrics I guess. The chorus contains the repeated line "everything good happens after midnight", a play on the phrase "nothing good happens after midnight", and it's a song about having fun at a club. Other than the titular phrase, there's really not much interesting to the lyrics, but it's alright. The production reminds me of another song but I'm not sure what it is. It's slightly overproduced but mostly sounds pretty good. Okay, it's an alright song but not much to it.

4. Coffee

My rating: 5/5 Great

So, this is another great one. It's a ballad, but it evolves a bit as it goes on. It actually reminds me of the first song I heard by Chappell, Kaleidoscope, which I heard when it made Hitbound a little over a year ago. But lyrically, it's very different. The lyrics are perfectly written, and have some great storytelling, which this album doesn't really have all that much of. It's about how she believes her partner doesn't have genuine romantic feelings for her, and says things they don't mean when they drink a lot, so she wants to meet just for coffee, to avoid things that negatively affect their relationship. But at the end, she reveals that she still has some feelings for this partner. So, it's a very well-written song, and easily one of my favorites on the album.

5. Casual

My rating: 5/5 Great

This is one of the songs that Chappell played when she opened for Olivia Rodrigo at the concert I went to, and it's a great song. It's got some pretty deep lyrics about a partner spreading rumors that their relationship is just casual, and how friends think less of her because of it, although the relationship is clearly something more. I can't say I relate to this specific situation, but it's quite strongly written. Musically, it's the kind of production style that I think Chappell should do a bit more of, as I love the way this instrumentation sounds especially with Chappell's voice. Fantastic song, another favorite from the album.

6. Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl

My rating: 5/5 Great

So, from the title I was expecting this one to be terrible. But, honestly, this is easily a favorite of mine, if not my #1 favorite from the album. Apparently, Chappell really wanted this song to make it into the Barbie soundtrack, and had the Barbie movie been released a year later that might have actually happened, considering Chappell's recent skyrocketing success as a musician. Well, it's unfortunate that this couldn't be on the soundtrack, because it would have been great. The production has a super cool synth-pop sound to it that I quite like, and the lyrics are just fun in a perfect way. Surprisingly amazing song.

7. Hot To Go

My rating: 4/5 Good

So this has recently become one of her biggest hits. This has faded on me a bit since I first heard it, and I think her live performances of it are significantly better than the regular studio version. The production is pretty good but has some weird elements at times, and the lyrics are catchy and I particularly like the writing in the verses. Really what keeps it from being great is that the chorus on the studio version sounds a bit clunky to me for some reason. But overall it's another pretty good song.

8. My Kink is Karma

My rating: 5/5 Great

This is a really strange song, and I like it possibly more than I should. Like the title suggests, the lyrics are about how she loves seeing bad things done to her ex... like, really loves it. The lyrics are kinda funny and weird in the best ways. However, unlike the title suggests, the production isn't crazy overwhelming and loud and overproduced. It actually sounds pretty nice. This is a weird comparison, but in some ways, with both the atmospheric synth production and the lyrics about loving the concept of karma, it kinda reminds me of the similarly titled Taylor Swift song, Karma... but if that song was a million times better.

9. Picture You

My rating: 5/5 Great

Wow, this album is a lot better than I expected. The acoustic jazz-ballad type production and vocal effects on this song actually really remind me of one of my favorite songs of 2023, My Love Mine All Mine by Mitski. I love the lyrics also. I think it's kind of about unrequited love, but more like wondering if another person likes her the same way she likes her. It's written really well, and like Coffee, it's one of the few songs on the album where her songwriting seems to shine more.

10. Kaleidoscope

My rating: 5/5 Great

Alright, this one. This was the first song I ever heard by Chappell. This seems to be most people's least favorite, and I do not understand all the hate. It's an incredible song. The production is simple and minimalistic, but a song like this doesn't need to be crazy. It's very effective in its lyricism. It's a very relatable song about the complex beauty of love... yeah, I will never understand why people don't like this one as much as the other songs. It's one of my favorites.

11. Pink Pony Club

My rating: 5/5 Great

So this one is seems to be the fan favorite, and another one of Chappell's massive hit songs. I can see why, as it's yet another great song. Musically, this is possibly the best use of evolution on this whole album, starting with just a piano, then picking up with some synths, and by the end it's an epic rock banger. And the lyrics match up to that perfectly. As you'd probably know by now, it's basically just a song about dancing at the "Pink Pony Club" and living out her dreams despite others' disapproval. It's a fantastically written song and I'm glad it's a huge hit.

12. Naked in Manhattan

My rating: 4/5 Good

This one's another one that I heard on the Guts tour when she opened, and... it's also just good. It's got some funny lyrics, particularly the 3rd and 4th verses, but it would have been better in my opinion if those lyrics were used in a less sexual song. Obviously that's most of my issue. The production sounds alright but not too interesting. Nothing much to say here, just your average, decent Chappell Roan song.

13. California

My rating: 5/5 Great

Wow, we're almost to the end of the album, and this is another fantastic song. The lyrics are about a unique concept that Chappell doesn't talk about much on the album. It's a song about her experience in the music industry and feeling like she won't be successful as a musician, and missing her hometown of Missouri, which I think I appreciate even more now that she's this world-famous. The production here also sounds great and has yet more incredible evolution. Yeah, I think this is my favorite song on the album, and I think it should have been the final track, after Guilty Pleasure.

14. Guilty Pleasure

My rating: 4/5 Good

So, unfortunately California was not the final track, and instead it's this really bizarre song. So, there are a lot of things done well here. Some of the lyrics are pretty good but some of it is, once again, just too sexual for me to enjoy it a lot. I like the evolution and key changes in the production, but it is kind of odd at times, and not necessarily in the best way. So, this probably shouldn't have been the final track. It's alright though, just definitely one of the weaker tracks.

Conclusion

Overall album rating: 91% (Great Album)

So, this album was quite great overall. It might not be as great as Olivia Rodrigo's albums, but most of that just comes down to my personal preference and less enjoyment for the more "sexual" songs. And it still scored in the "great" range, so it didn't affect my enjoyment that much.

Favorite songs: Coffee, Casual, Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl, My Kink is Karma, Picture You, Kaleidoscope, Pink Pony Club, California

"Least" favorite songs: After Midnight

That's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!

{3,000 Views Special Pt.1} Finally, it begins... and I don't exactly "luv" this album

Hi! So, after mentioning it in my countdown post today, I decided to finally begin the quintuple album review series. And I decided to start with the two most "predictable" album reviews of this all-over-the-place series, and save the more odd choices for last. I feel like some of you reading this may have expected this to be one of them. It's C,XOXO. So, I love Camila Cabello's self-titled debut album. I love Romance, possibly even more (First Man is one of my top 10 favorite songs of the 2010s, if not top 5). I'm not as familiar with Familia but that was a pretty good album too. But her new era is overall... somewhat of a disappointment. I think she's trying way too hard to seem "cool" just for marketing, with an entirely new look, edgier lyrics and style, countless collaborations with basically every overrated rapper ever, and a lazy album cover that's just a closeup picture of her, with her new blonde hair, licking a lollipop. I Luv It was really clunky, and I know you're probably tired of hearing everybody say this but it was an obvious Charli XCX ripoff. He Knows was another beyond underwhelming song. Hot Uptown was kinda alright, but still nowhere near the quality of even her slightly overrated previous singles like Never Be the Same, Liar, Don't Go Yet, etc, let alone even CLOSE to her best songs, like All These Years, In the Dark, Shameless, Easy, Feel it Twice, and definitely not First Man. The same person who wrote First Man also made... this album. But I thought it was at least worth a few listens, so I decided to share my opinion on every song. I gotta say, the album as a whole is better than I expected, but still not all that great. So, let's get into it.

1. I Luv It (featuring Playboi Carti)

My rating: 0/5 Terrible

So, we begin the album with the worst track, which is conveniently also the lead single. Great, a two-in-one weak first track and weak lead single. Most of my opinion still stands. First of all, the lyrics are laughably basic. The verses are just lists of random adjectives, and the chorus is "iluvitiluvitiluvitiluvitiluvitiluvitiluvit" a million times. And... this is the person who wrote First Man? The vocals are heavily autotuned and awkward-sounding, the production is just a string synthesizer going up and down over a generic beat, and Playboi Carti sounds like he was very drunk while recording his verse. Another thing about this that bugs me is a very weird and oddly specific issue that I've only ever heard in this song and Taylor Swift's Picture to Burn: that weird rapping/talking (in the post-chorus) sounds too close to actual melodic notes for me to be able to disconnect it from the music itself, which makes it sound almost like off-key singing. I think that probably applies mostly to people with perfect pitch like me. But, clearly, worst of all, this was an obvious sign of Camila changing herself to sound new and trendy, which I think is overall my biggest complaint about most of this album.

2. Chanel No. 5

My rating: 4/5 Good

Alright, this one's actually pretty decent. The production isn't completely lifeless and awkward, it's actually got a nice sound to it. The lyrics are alright, and they're not too repetitive for my liking. I certainly could have gone without the autotune, but overall it's not as clunky-sounding as in I Luv It. Overall I'd say this song is one of this album's more redeeming moments. I'll try to keep these reviews short, because my tendency to make reviews overly long makes it all the more likely that you haven't read nearly every single word of every album review I've ever created like I sometimes think while making my reviews.

3. Pink Xoxo (featuring PinkPantheress)

My rating: 3/5 Decent

Okay, I'm glad to see that PinkPantheress, of all people, made it onto this album where most of the features are mediocre rappers. But of course, her contribution to the album is on this interlude. I will admit, the lyrics are pretty strong. But like, this is very short, so not only does that mean the production (which sounds kinda cool I guess) doesn't go anywhere, but I sorta have no reason to listen to this outside of the album. It's a good song, but a song with this much lyrical and musical potential really should have been a full-length song instead of this short interlude.

4. He Knows (featuring Lil Nas X)

My rating: 1/5 Bad

So, I've talked about this one before. I think this grew on me a bit, but it's still yet another terrible single choice. But it's not a terrible song, just pretty bad. The production screams "Charli XCX ripoff", and other than in the bridge (which I actually like a lot more than the rest of the song), that synth sounds almost as obnoxious here as on I Luv It. But the lyrics aren't terribly written, just so out-of-character for Camila that it sort of takes away from my enjoyment of the song.

5. Twentysomethings

My rating: 5/5 Great

...okay, I didn't not expect this album to have songs like this. Production-wise, this reminds me a lot more of her early music than most of the songs on here. I really love how the instrumentation sounds here, it's a lot more acoustic and less messy and overproduced. Lyrically... well, it's hard to believe she used to be that young innocent girl whose mom made her include an edited version of Never Be the Same that removes a small drug reference on her debut album, and now she has this song with eight curse words in the lyrics? But really, the lyrics are relatable and surprisingly well-written. Great song on this mostly disappointing album.

6. Dade Country Dreaming (featuring JT & Yung Miami)

My rating: 3/5 Decent

So, this one's another one that's just kinda alright. The production's a bit weird, and the lyrics are repetitive and not super interesting, but it's better than a lot of the other songs on here. Most of what kinda saves it for me is the outro. I really like how the piano sounds on the outro, especially at the end of such a loud and very produced song like this. Not much to say here.

7. Koshi Xoxo (featuring BLP Kosher)

My rating: X/5 Doesn't count

So, similar situation to Saturn Returns when I reviewed Eternal Sunshine a few months ago. I'm not counting this towards my final album score. Not only is Camila absent from the track, but BLP Kosher doesn't really sing or rap at all. It's just a spoken interlude. I understand the point of it here, and I think it's a great inclusion to the album, but since it's just a spoken interlude, it's not really fair to rate this against the others as if it's a normal song. Alright, moving on.

8. Hot Uptown (featuring Drake)

My rating: 3/5 Decent

Okay... I've talked about this one before also. This is easily the best of the three singles, but it's obviously not a great song. The production at least does some interesting things, and the lyrics are alright. It's just super forgettable. I feel like every time I listen to this, I kinda forget what it sounds like immediately after. Well, that's definitely not the worst thing to say about a song, so I guess I don't have much of a strong opinion on this one.

9. Uuugly ("featuring" Drake)

My rating: 2/5 Mediocre

So uhhhh... at first I wasn't sure whether to even include this one or not. It's another interlude and it's basically just a solo Drake song, which seems like a weird inclusion on a Camila album. However, I decided to include it, just because unlike Koshi Xoxo, it actually has lyrics and music and real singing and real rapping. And Camila still sings a few backup lines here. Overall, this one's just meh. It's insanely forgettable, and the lyrics aren't great. Obviously I'm not a huge fan of Drake, and honestly this could have used a bit more Camila. Also, this one suffers from the same problem as Pink Xoxo in that it's just way too short for it to be a song I frequently go back and listen to. It's a bit longer, but it's still under two minutes so it hardly counts as a proper full-length song.

10. Dream Girls

My rating: 3/5 Decent

Wow, this album review has been very pink. This one is alright, but nothing too amazing. It's kinda catchy and the production sounds cool, a bit reminiscent of Familia-era Camila in a way. I don't quite understand the lyrics. She lists a bunch of people's names in the chorus, and I think this song is about memories from her childhood I guess. So it's got a good concept, but it's just not all that interesting.

11. 305tilidie

My rating: X/5 Doesn't count

Okay... I was not expecting two songs, on C,XOXO of all albums, to not even count to the album score. I actually love this one. It's quite a touching inclusion, as it's about her early days in Miami and times of happiness that have left her. But she doesn't sing on it. It's another spoken interlude. So, it's not a proper song on the album. It's great, but like with Koshi Xoxo, it just wouldn't be fair to count this as a song that affects the rating of the album.

12. B.O.A.T.

My rating: 5/5 Great

Wow, Camila made a synth song where the synth doesn't sound obnoxious! Yes, some might argue that that cacophony of synths in the post-chorus sounds annoying, but I don't think so, as you can still hear the melody, and the sound is pretty quiet and atmospheric compared to many of the other songs on the album. Lyrically, it's pretty strong. No, the "head"/"bed" and "friend"/"end" rhymes don't completely ruin it, as it doesn't feel totally forced. It's actually a breakup song, possibly about Shawn Mendes. Honestly I think this reminds me the most of her earlier music. This sounds like it could have been on Camila or Romance, and in a great way.

13. Pretty When I Cry

My rating: 4/5 Good

So, the last few tracks on this album seem to be more "returning to her roots" in a way, and if only they were the singles released before the album, I might not think she was trying to change herself for this era. This one, however, is just good. The production is okay, but it's got some weird elements that don't sound all that good. But I like the lyrics. It's another breakup song, but a more positive one about moving on strongly. Sure, that's a concept that's been done to death in pop music, but it's done well here. Pretty good song for the near-end of the album.

14. June Gloom

My rating: 4/5 Good

Alright, we've reached the end of the album. And it's another breakup song, and it's done very Olivia Rodrigo-style where she mostly talks about the ex's new partner. Who just so happens to be Sabrina Carpenter. Wow, I'm not sure I like Sabrina anymore, because she's stolen two of my favorite artists' boyfriends now. In all seriousness though, this is a solid album closer. The synth production actually sounds pretty cool and it evolves as it goes on, and the lyrics are well-written, but the outro... I don't get it. Could someone explain that outro to me? It just sounds weird and out-of-place for the end of a song like this. But it's alright, it doesn't take away that much from the song.

Conclusion

Overall album rating: 62% (Decent Album)

Okay. This album may not be the greatest thing ever, but that's mostly just because a lot of it, except the last few tracks, seemed too forced and out-of-character for a Camila album for me to fully enjoy it. But I still love most of Camila's music. This album just isn't doing the same thing for me, which is why it gets a lower score than any of her other albums would have.

Favorite songs: Twentysomethings, B.O.A.T.

Least favorite songs: I Luv It

That's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!

Trust me, I will review five albums soon enough, but for now... Hits 1 8/10/24

Hi! I've been kinda unmotivated to post my album review series lately, but I think this week I randomly am a bit more motivated so it's coming in the next few days. But for now, this was a very boring countdown. So let's get into it.

Exits:

Myles Smith - Stargazing

Countdown:

#30: Upsahl - Summer So Hot (Debut)

#29: Alex Warren - Carry You Home (-1)

#28: Hayes Warner - Predator (+2)

#27: Camila Cabello & Drake - Hot Uptown (=)

#26: Halsey - Lucky (+3)

#25: Knox - Treadmill (-2)

#24: Charli XCX - 360 (+1)

#23: Crash Adams - Hotel Party (+3)

#22: Gracie Abrams - Risk (+2)

#21: Tommy Richman - Million Dollar Baby (-4)

#20: Meghan Trainor - Whoops (+2)

#19: Billie Eilish - Lunch (-1)

#18: Hozier - Too Sweet (-8)

#17: Ariana Grande - The Boy is Mine (+3)

#16: Marshmello & Kane Brown - Miles on It (-1)

Extra: Jessie Murph & Teddy Swims - Dirty

#15: Gracie Abrams - Close to You (+1)

#14: Benson Boone - Slow it Down (+5)

#13: Madison Beer - Make You Mine (+1)

#12: Mark Ambor - Belong Together (=)

#11: Taylor Swift - I Can Do It With a Broken Heart (+2)

#10: Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso (-1)

#9: Billie Eilish - Birds of a Feather (+2)

#8: Eminem - Houdini (-1)

#7: Dasha - Austin (+1)

#6: Dua Lipa - Illusion (-2)

#5: Teddy Swims - The Door (=)

#4: Chappell Roan - Good Luck Babe (+2)

#3: Post Malone & Morgan Wallen - I Had Some Help (=)

#2: Sabrina Carpenter - Please Please Please (=)

Last year's #1: Crash Adams - Give Me a Kiss

#1: Shaboozey - A Bar Song (Tipsy) (=)

Debuts:

Our only debut was Summer So Hot from Upsahl coming out of the abyss. This is a really weird song but it's alright I guess.

Biggest Jump: Benson Boone - Slow it Down (+5)

Biggest Drop: Hozier - Too Sweet (-8)

Missed song: Camila Cabello - Shameless

Recommendations for Hits 1: Shawn Mendes - Isn't That Enough, Gracie Abrams - Free Now, Chappell Roan - Red Wine Supernova

Hitbound:

Jessie Murph & Teddy Swims - Dirty

Katy Perry - Lifetimes (Debut)

MGK & Jelly Roll - Lonely Road

Megan Thee Stallion & Yuki Chiba - Mamushi

Charli XCX - Apple

Role Model - Scumbag

Khalid - Heatstroke (Debut)

Madison Beer - 15 Minutes

Beabadoobee - Beaches (Debut)

Shawn Mendes - Why Why Why (Debut)

Finneas - For Crying Out Loud (Debut)

Kesha - Joyride

Dasha - Didn't I

All Time Low - Dear Maria (ATL's Version) (Debut)

Maren Morris - Push Me Over

Joe Jonas - Work It Out

Well, Katy Perry is back with another single that'll probably flop harder than J Christ. Lifetimes is just another song that sounds like every other Katy Perry song. It really doesn't have much to it that's interesting, and I'm not too excited for her upcoming album as it seems to be more of the same things that Katy keeps doing over and over. Well, this song is just kinda there.

Khalid is also back with Heatstroke. This is a super forgettable song but the production sounds pretty good here and the lyrics are alright. This song is decent but not something I'll be listening to a lot.

Yesssssssss Beabadoobee made a song with production that doesn't sound like a childrens' song! Beaches has a super cool rock sound to it that I didn't expect to work well with her voice but it actually kinda does, and the lyrics are still great like usual. I don't expect this to debut the countdown but I hope it does nonetheless.

So, Shawn Mendes just released two songs this week, and both of them are great. I prefer the other one, Isn't That Enough, but Why Why Why is still a great song. The lyrics are quite well-written and the production works really well. Still wish Hits 1 picked up on Isn't That Enough but I understand why they didn't.

Finneas is here with For Crying Out Loud. This is not what I expected from a new solo Finneas song, but I really like it a lot. The lyrics are on-point, and the production sounds fantastic. This is totally random but the melody kinda reminds me of New Romantics by Taylor Swift (which is also a great song).

Uhm... so when I saw that ATL re-recorded their song Dear Maria (Count Me In), and that they were making a whole album of re-recordings called "Forever Sessions", I got the idea that this was some kind of Taylor Swift situation (they even called it "ATL's Version", which obviously sounds similar to "Taylor's Version"), but I guess it's just to commemorate their 20th anniversary. Pretty sure I won't be listening to this album because it comes out on the same day as Short N Sweet. This is just alright, once again nothing too special.

Dropouts:

Charli XCX & Billie Eilish - Guess

Lisa - Rockstar

Benson Boone - Death Wish Love

Cyril - Stumblin' In

Gracie Abrams - I Love You I'm Sorry

Paul Russell & Meghan Trainor - Slippin'

Guess was another terrible Charli "song" that even Billie couldn't save, and I will never understand the appeal of Brat. Rockstar was also pretty bad. Death Wish Love is very forgettable and far from Benson's best. And the last three deserved better.

Summer so blurbs:

Stargazing was the only countdown exit this week. I'm fine with that.

I swear, at this point almost every single song in the bottom half of the countdown is doing nothing but spinning around and filling space.

Other than Too Sweet making a huge drop from the top 10, there was basically no interesting movement this week.

Can we... please please please get a new #1 soon? A Bar Song is growing on me, but like... Please Please Please exists also. Hopefully that can be the next #1.

That's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!

A mini Hits 1 catchup post - Weeks of 7/20-8/3

Hi! Well, I've been super busy over the past few weeks with travel and other stuff, but I'm finally returning. As a celebration of 3,000 pageviews, I have selected five albums to post full reviews of, and once again, I won't tell you what these albums are, but before that series is released, I want to get caught up on the Hits 1 countdown and Hitbound for the weeks that I missed. So, let's get into it.

Week of July 20

Countdown

Exits:

Taylor Swift & Post Malone - Fortnight

Olivia Rodrigo - So American

Djo - End of Beginning

These were all solid songs but lasted a long time, especially End of Beginning.

Debuts:

Katy Perry - Woman's World

The Kid Laroi - Girls

Myles Smith - Stargazing

I've reviewed these in the past, and none of them are super interesting songs.

You and I starblurbing:

Lunch made a massive drop for some weird reason.

Finally Miles on It made decent movement into the top 15. I hope this performs well.

Not too thrilled to see Belong Together climbing so quickly. Am I the only person who noticed that the verses sound very similar to A Bar Song (Tipsy)?

Please Please Please finally entered the top 10, which was great to see.

Wow, Houdini somehow made a big jump even after the large drop last week. One of many songs on the countdown that just can't decide where to go.

Somehow Espresso held the #1 spot even after significantly dropping in airplay.

Hitbound

Debuts:

Joe Jonas - Work It Out

Gracie Abrams - I Love You I'm Sorry

Benson Boone - Death Wish Love

Charli XCX - Apple

Paul Russell & Meghan Trainor - Slippin

Hayes Warner - Predator

Alessia Cara - Dead Man

Wow, a lot of debuts. It was actually a shockingly good Hitbound. First of all, I wasn't too thrilled to see that Joe Jonas had a song on here, but it's actually pretty good. Work It Out has solid (but forgettable) production, and the lyrics are pretty good.

W O W HITS 1 ACTUALLY PICKED UP ON ONE OF THE SONGS I KEEP RECOMMENDING. It's about time that happened. Anyway, I Love You I'm Sorry is now the next single from The Secret of Us, and I'm so glad it is. If you want a full review, you can see it on my TSOU album review from a few weeks ago.

Benson Boone is here again with Death Wish Love, from Twisters: The Album. This is alright. He sounds good and it's got good production, but the lyrics aren't too interesting.

What's this, a decent Charli XCX song? The production on Apple admittedly sounds alright, and I actually quite like the lyrics with the apple metaphors. The main thing holding it back is the chorus, which is super repetitive, and it sounds like she's still saying "apple", which would make much more sense, but she's actually saying "airport"(?) Okayyy this is fine I guess.

Paul Russell & Meghan Trainor collaborate on Slippin', and this is great. This has really cool production that reminds me of the better songs from Timeless, and the lyrics are well-written and relatable. Great song.

Unlike most people, I actually really like a majority of those lesser known artists who Hits 1 "refuses to give up on", like Presley Regier, Havana Winter, etc. Hayes Warner is another one of those people, and her new song Predator is great. The production is super cool, and the key really goes with it well. The lyrics are on-point and she sounds fantastic. Another great song.

Alessia Cara is back with Dead Man. I like the lyrics and she sounds great here, but it just seems a slight bit overproduced.

Dropouts:

Alex Warren - Carry You Home

Gracie Abrams & Taylor Swift - Us

Henry Moodie - Bad Emotions

Bibi & Jackson Wang - Feeling Lucky

Imagine Dragons - Nice to Meet You

Carry You Home grew on me, and fortunately it eventually debuted the countdown. Us and Bad Emotions deserved better. Feeling Lucky was solid but I didn't see it doing anything. And good riddance to Nice to Meet You, it was getting very annoying.

Week of July 27

Countdown

Exits:

Meghan Trainor - Whoops

Whoops was great so I'm glad it ultimately wasn't gone forever.

Debuts:

Alex Warren - Carry You Home

Grew on me a lot, like I said earlier.

I will blurb you home:

Not much action at all this week, and Espresso held #1 yet again somehow. Alright, already moving on.

Hitbound

Debuts:

MGK & Jelly Roll - Lonely Road

Halsey - Lucky

Role Model - Scumbag

Post Malone & Luke Combs - Guy for That

Lucky is another new fantastic Halsey song and I'm excited for her upcoming album, Lonely Road is the perfect country singer/emo rocker collab I've always needed, and the latter two are very forgettable.

Dropouts:

Eminem & Jelly Roll - Somebody Save Me

Katseye - Debut

Isabel Larosa - Favorite

Lawrence - Whatcha Want

Other than Somebody Save Me, these won't be missed. But I do think Favorite is in the abyss now.

Week of August 3

Countdown

Exits:

Katy Perry - Woman's World

The Kid Laroi - Girls

David Guetta & OneRepublic - I Don't Wanna Wait

I'm shocked but not disappointed at the underperformance of the first two, and it's about time IDWW is out of here. So overall the exits were a W this week.

Debuts:

Hayes Warner - Predator

Halsey - Lucky

Meghan Trainor - Whoops

All of these are great and have been previously reviewed.

Whoops, you blurbed up:

Looks like Risk is on its way out. I'm alright with that.

I'm not alright with Million Dollar Baby in the top 20 however.

Can Miles on It keep going up please?

Well, Too Sweet and Espresso FINALLY took their inevitable hard falls off the top two spots, and Please Please Please is FINALLY up to #2 and looks pretty likely to be the next number 1. But for now, our #1 song is *laughs* A Bar Song (Tipsy). Okay, I'll admit, this song is growing on me a lot, but Please Please Please is way more deserving of the top spot.

Hitbound

Debuts:

Charli XCX & Billie Eilish - Guess

Maren Morris - Push Me Over

Madison Beer - 15 Minutes

Megan Thee Stallion & Yuki Chiba - Mamushi

Jessie Murph & Teddy Swims - Dirty

Guess is literally a song about underwear and legit shouldn't even exist, Push Me Over and 15 Minutes are solid songs but are somewhat forgettable, Dirty is really good and reminds me of some of the better Cowboy Carter songs, and Mamushi is predictably really annoying and possibly worse than Guess, the chorus is tasteless & boring, and Yuki Chiba's flow sounds disinterested & off-beat.

Dropouts:

Alessia Cara - Dead Man

Flowerovlove - Boys

Post Malone & Luke Combs - Guy For That

These were alright but not super memorable and I didn't expect them to become hits.

Well, that's all for now! Byeeeeeeeeee!