Musical Dissection-Taylor Swift

So yeah, Taylor Swift. We all know her. If you don't, then here's all you need to know: Taylor Swift is a 23-year old singer-songwriter who's been in the music business since 2006. Her main subject matter is how a boy broke her heart and now she's seeking some sort of closure, revenge, or validation of her feelings. You may recognize her biggest hits like "Teardrops on My Guitar", "Love Story", "You Belong with Me", and "We are never ever getting back together". Now you may also know her for a variety of other reasons, the biggest one being that she's been linked to some of Hollywood's most sought-after bachelors (i.e. Joe Jonas, John Mayer, Taylor Lautner, Jake Gyllenhaal, Harry Styles, and Connor Kennedy [although he isn't a celebrity, just a political heir]). In fact, ever since she's been famous it seems that she's been seen with one guy right after another. That's kind of what lead me to this dissection today, and before I go on, I'll answer a question you've been asking since you read the title of this post: "What's Taylor Swift doing on a segment of musical dissection?" Well, the point of musical dissection is not just for stars (or songs) that are bad, it's also for just simply picking apart a certain aspect about an artist or song that's been causing alot of stir. Don't worry, the point of this will become more apparent as you read on.

So anyway, back to Taylor Swift. So the reason why she has come before me today is because what has happened to her in the last few months. It all started when Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the Golden Globe Awards in January, where they both took jabs at Taylor's dating life and Tina stated "Don't go after Michael J. Fox's son". She and Amy continued to have a little discussion about her, garnering much laughter from the audience. Now to be clear, this wasn't meant to be taken seriously, they're comedians, it's their job to make fun of people. But apparently to Taylor, that was the straw that broke the camel's back because when she appeared on the April issue of Vanity Fair, she had a few choice words in regard to the jokes. She stated (and I quote):

"You know, Katie Couric is one of my favorite people because she said to me a quote that she loved, (from former secretary Madeline Albright), that said, 'There's a special place in hell for for women who don't help other women.'"

.......................WOW. I mean, I know why you're upset, but, really? That's probably one of the most balls-y things I've heard her say, in music or in real life. So that's what I want to dissect, why did she feel the need to say this? Is she suggesting that Amy and Tina are sexist? Well actually, that's exactly what she meant. She stated in the same interview that she felt that the fact that she, a girl, is getting picked on for being spotted with so many guys is sexist. Okay, so throwing the old "when a guy gets a bunch of girls, he's a celebrity, but when a girl does the same thing, she's a whore" would definitely be a valid argument, since Taylor is right, there are quite a lot of men in the world that date anything with legs, but yet the jokes about them are minimal or non-existent. I can see where she's coming from, and I definitely think that there are one too many internet memes about her personal life on the internet right now, but there's one key difference that she is overlooking. All of those guys who date many girls don't write a song (or many songs) about them and then go on to exploit the personal details of their relationship. By doing this, Taylor is whole-heartedly welcoming all of those jabs towards her personal life because she doesn't keep it all that personal. And once again, just look at her catalog of songs. Out of the four albums she's created, with a total of 54 songs, only 11 songs are not about love. The rest of her material talks about how a boy broke her heart or how she wants to fall in love again. And those songs are always about somebody in particular, which isn't doing Taylor any favors right now because it's no secret who the subject matter of her songs is.

Now, she also claimed that since 2010 she's only dated two people, meaning Connor Kennedy and Harry Styles. If that's not setting off the bullsh*t detector than here's another thing: she also said that Jake Gyllenhaal and John Mayer weren't actually dating her, they were just seen going to lunch and hanging out together, she denies that any romantic relationship ever happened. Um, Taylor, remember when you wrote "Dear John" from your album "Speak Now"?? That song was clearly about a relationship, not just going out to have lattes. I know that since I'm not you, I don't know all of the details of your personal life, but you make it extremely hard not to talk about it when that's ALL you sing about. As I have already stated, I do agree that it's getting extremely annoying seeing so many people constantly bash her for the same thing over and over again (I know that Taylor has bad luck with men and a bad habit of writing too many love songs without ever thinking that she is just as guilty for the failure of her relationships, I get it), but as she keeps producing album after album of the same old thing, she's not doing anything to rectify the situation. Constantly being in the public eye is difficult, we all know this, but I think if Taylor were to keep her personal relationships personal, she may not be so under-fire as she is right now.

I do think that Taylor is rather talented. She writes all of her own songs, she helps produce them and plays alot of the instruments, and her voice does sound good on in the studio. Now, in her defense, I know that she's crappy live, but her voice wasn't really meant to be loud and stately. She has a soft, girl-ish voice that just cannot be translated from studio to stage. But as for as songwriting goes, I'll admit she has chops, and she definitely does make some pretty good songs (like "Mean", the best song she's ever recorded), and her album "Fearless" is definitely one you should listen too. But, with all of her strengths aside, it's time for her to start singing a different tune. She may be "America's sweetheart", but her album sales prove that she's not that popular worldwide. Over 3/4 of her albums sold have been sold in the US, which is actually uncommon for a mainstream artist (in comparison, Madonna has sold over 200 million albums worldwide, only 64.5 million were sold in the US). And even America is getting tired of the same thing, as already proven: the internet memes, the jabs, the many references to her dating life in pop culture, she's become a lightning rod for critics and haters everywhere. I think with a change of pace, she might be able to salvage her image, but if she keeps acting out like she did in Vanity Fair, the public may punish her before she can.

She's floundering right now, due to both the media's obsession with her love life and her failure of trying to be subtle about it.

Billboard Chart Review-4/11/13

This week's chart dated April 20, 2013 actually reflects the sales week from April 1-April 7

The Billboard Hot 100:
Song                                        Position           Last Week
When I Was Your Man           1                      2          *Digital Gainer*
Thrift Shop                              2                      1
Just Give Me a Reason           3                      5          *Airplay Gainer*
Stay                                         4                      6
Suit and Tie                             5                      3
Harlem Shake                          6                      4
Can’t Hold Us                         7                      15
Cruise                                      8                      -
Started from the Bottom         9                      8
Feel This Moment                   10                    9
As predicted, "When I Was Your Man" ascends to number one this week. It was helped mainly to iTunes sales, who priced the song at $.69 this last week. It easily outsells "Thrift Shop", which spends its seventh non-consecutive week at number two. With this, Bruno Mars earns his fifth number one in the shortest amount of time since Elvis achieved this back in the 1950s. Also notable this week is that "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line and Nelly re-enters the chart at number eight in its 27th chart week. It was mainly helped by the American Country Music Awards which were held last week and achieved the highest ratings since 1998. Lastly, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis join an elite club of artists (Adele, The Beatles, Mariah Carey, Akon to name a few), to have two songs in the top ten simultaneously, as "Can't Hold Us" jumps the most places to get into the top ten. Now let's see what's happening outside of the region: Demi Lovato climbs 17-15 with "Heart Attack" (!!!!!), Icona Pop and Charli XCX jumps 24-17 with "I Love It", Ariana Grande and Mac Miller fall 10-22 with "The Way" but still earn a Pacesetter honor this week (how that happened I don't know), Darius Rucker rises 30-24 with "Wagon Wheel", Krewella earn their first top forty hit as "Alive" rises 45-40, Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift see their duet "Highway Don't Care" shoot 56-42, The Band Perry blast 94-53 with their latest single "Done.", and Brad Paisley vaults 92-69 with "Beat this Summer".

The Billboard 200:

Album                                     Position           Last Week

The 20/20 Experience             1                      1

Pioneer                                    2                      -

Wolf                                        3                      -
Based on a True Story            4                      3
I am not a human being II      5                      2
10                                            6                      -
Disarm the Descent                 7                      -
Night Visions                          8                      8
The Truth About Love            9                      7
Unorthodox Jukebox              10                    9
Justin Timberlake keeps his perch atop the chart this week, although sales decline to 139,000 copies. But, The Band Perry wasn't that far behind; their "Pioneer" sold 129,000 this week and earn their highest charting album yet as well as their best sales week yet. Tyler, the Creator, comes in at number three, New Kids on the Block arrive at number six, and Killswitch Engage land at number seven. So, with that out of the way, let's see what else has been happening: Eric Clapton jumps 59-33 with "Old Sock", Brantley Gilbert shoots 89-62 with "Halfway to Heaven" as is the Pacesetter for the week, Pink Floyd plummets 28-94 with "Dark Side of the Moon", but they do earn their 830th chart week with that album, The Band Perry's self-titled 2010 debut blasts 140-104, and the Zac Brown Band rise 131-106 with "The Foundation", John Mayer vaults 193-135 with "Born and Raised", and Papoose takes the biggest plunge as "The Nacirema Dream" is down 97-183.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis-"The Heist" Review

Coming straight from the underground of Seattle to a worldwide scale, Macklemore (Ben Haggerty) had a lot to prove with his first full length LP "The Heist". Yet again, he was already a proven star since the turn of the 21st century, performing for various audiences in his hometown. He met his long-time collaborator Ryan Lewis in 2005, and the pair have been toying around with a full length debut for an upwards of three years. This is definitely a smart move, since going from an audience of fifty to five thousand requires a few decisions about target audience, sound, and purpose for his music, most notably, the message. As Macklemore describes his music as "David Bowie meets Kanye shit", it's clear that his message is what's most important. The masses is what he aims to please, but "The Heist" doesn't quite play as popular music, even though there is plenty of bass, electro-pulses and indelible hooks. His declaration of his music might seem like a self-righteous oversell (on the Bowie side it kind of is), but truth be told, he has developed his sound well enough to know how strong it is. Upon the first listen of "The Heist", you'll find this claim to be true.

Even though "The Heist" suffers a bit from some didactic moods, it, along with Macklemore himself, is what the times need in 2012. A self styled, self-made, and ambitious star with a mission to make quality rap music popular again. If this reminds of you of Eminem, well, that comparison isn't one that "The Heist" repels. Most often, Macklore does sound like Mr. Mathers: his flow is very consistent, there are plenty of puns, there's plenty of attitude, and he's also undeniably real. And in fact, starting from the small audiences is what works very well in Macklemore's favor. He has yet to be corrupted by mainstream trends, so his debut is unaffected and genuine. It's very nice to see that he can churn out several potential hits without having to slut them up or dumb them down for the lowest common denominator. Although, this leads to the album's only flaw: it tries to appeal to a wide audience, but in the end it's still a rap album. The many guest appearances from other budding and unknown singers give each song a distinctive sound, but that doesn't change the overall style. "The Heist" will not please everyone; those who don't like rap won't change their minds and those who do will find another essential artist to add to their record collection. But, that doesn't mean there aren't some impressive moments when it plays as both pop and rap. The aforementioned "Thrift Shop" doesn't take itself too seriously and therefore delivers an anthem to those who live in the thrift stores. "Can't Hold Us" and "Ten Thousand Hours" are wall-to-wall parties for those who defy expectation and strive for a better life. Then there's "Same Love", which tackles the issue of same-sex marriage. Mary Lambert delivers the warm hook and the full-bodied piano manages to stop the album dead in its tracks; hey, Macklemore can be serious too. Ryan Lewis has already proved himself to be adept at production, as he layers it when necessary and strips it away when the track gets too heavy. Put him and Macklemore together, and "The Heist" truly comes alive with energy and style. The best part, is that the album definitely plays as a rap album, but not once does it play as just raps and beats, there's actual music at work here, something rather hard to find in the modern rap culture.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Ten Thousand Hours        2. Can’t Hold Us        3. Thrift Shop
4. Thin Line                             5. Same Love             6. Make the Money
7. Neon Cathedral                   8. BomBom                 9. White Walls
10. Jimmy Lovine                   11. Wing$                   12. A Wake
13. Gold                                  14. Starting Over        15. Cowboy Boots

The Band Perry-"Pioneer" Review

It's hard to believe that three years have passed since The Band Perry's debut in 2010. It's not surprising though, the lead single "Hip to my Heart" was a Country-only hit and they didn't acquire mainstream success until "If I Die Young" flew up the charts in 2011. "All Your Life" came in late 2011 and "Postcard from Paris" kept us occupied in 2012. So, come 2013, with "Better Dig Two" released as the lead single, something become instantly clear: The Band Perry prove that you can pull off the same trick twice. They gracefully avoid the sophomore slump by creating a record that's a little more cohesive, fresher, and more enthralling than their debut. They achieve this by giving sole custody of the mic to lead singer Kimberly Perry. It makes sense: she's the heart, soul, voice, and hook of the band anyway. But that doesn't mean she can't let her other brothers/band-mates shine in their own right in "Back to Me Without You". Their camaraderie is still very apparent as they manage to balance the guitars, drums, and vocal parts so that no one element over-bears more than necessary. Just like their debut, "Pioneer" is filled with assured and subtle material that has flares of attitude and sweet sentimentality. It shifts between these two sides constantly, as it starts off with "Better Dig Two", leads into the equally as compelling "Done.", and then the gears shift and the first ballad "Don'e Let Me Be Lonely" is introduced. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but with all of the changing in moods also comes a sort of whip-lash, making it unable to fully appreciate one song before another one starts playing. Some tracks you can glide over easily, like the title track and "I Saw a Light", the music is strucutrally sound, but lacks hooks. However, this makes it easier to love "Chainsaw", a fiddle shredding number that has all of the pieces of another cross-over hit. Whenever The Band Perry sticks to the fun times and vibrancy, they strike the biggest chord. Their dogged seriousness, however, becomes a bit too much after repeated listens. Still, "Pioneer" holds its own even when it drags, and it remains a humble listen. Although, one should hope they continue to grow as artists, as they deliver some great songs here, but still feel like they could've been even more powerful and even more driven than they already are. For right now, after three years of waiting, "Pioneer" is an accomplished successor to their breakthrough at the start of the decade.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:
1. Better Dig Two      2. Done.                                  3. Don’t let me be lonely
4. Pioneer                    5. Forever mine nevermind     6. Night gone wasted
7. I saw a light             8. Mother like Mine                9. Chainsaw
10. I’m a keeper          11. Back to me without you   12. End of time

Billboard Chart Review-4/4/13

This week's chart dated April 13, 2013 actually reflects the sales week of March 25-March 31.

The Billboard Hot 100:

Song                                        Position           Last Week

Thrift Shop                              1                      1

When I Was Your Man           2                      4

Suit and Tie                             3                      3

Harlem Shake                          4                      2

Just Give Me a Reason           5                      6          *Airplay Gainer*

Stay                                         6                      5

Radioactive                             7                      15        *Digital Gainer*

Started from the Bottom        8                      7

Feel This Moment                   9                      8

The Way                                  10                    -

Well it looks like Thrift Shop isn't giving up! Even though it experiences declines all across the board (except for sales, it sold 284,000 copies last week). However, it still posts a slight lead over "When I Was Your Man". I definitely think it will take the top spot within the next week or so, since it has received strong airplay and hasn't declined in any other areas. Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" finally arrives in the top ten in its 31st chart week, which is the third slowest climb to this region ever. But the biggest news this week is: Ariana Grande debuts at number 10! Her duet with Mac Miller titled "The Way" sold 219,000 copies last week. She was the break-out star on the Nickelodeon show "Victorious", so its exciting to see her shine bright! As for the rest of the chart: Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors" climbs 13-11 and is the Pacesetter of the week (he might get his next top ten next week), Macklemore and Ryan Lewis jumps 27-15 with "Can't Hold Us" (and they too might see their next top ten in a couple weeks or so), Demi Lovato rises 21-17 with "Heart Attack" (!!!!!!), Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel" lunges 38-30, Krewella rises 51-45 with "Alive", J. Dash's "Wop" blasts 82-52, Jason Aldean climbs 80-63 with "1994" (my birth year!), and Hadouken's "Levitate" vaults 100-69.

The Billboard 200:

Album                                     Position           Last Week

The 20/20 Experience             1                      1

I am not a human being II        2                      -

Based on a true story              3                      -

Native                                     4                      -

Precious Memories II              5                      -

Delta Machine                         6                      -

The Truth About Love            7                      5

Night Visions                          8                      6

Unorthodox Jukebox              9                      3

Comedown Machine              10                    -

So as you can see, we have alot of new top ten debuts this week (haven't I said that before?). We have a whole slew of high-profile releases, as Lil Wayne comes in at number two (at least he didn't get number one), Blake Shelton takes 3rd place, OneRepublic takes fourth, Alan Jackson settles for fifth, and Depeche Mode comes in sixth. Also, The Strokes score another top ten with "Comedown Machine". Justin Timberlake stays at number one with "The 20/20 Experience" selling 300,000+ copies this week (down 68%). With all of the new arrivals, a lot of albums had to fall, let's see the rest of the chart: Thompson Square's "Just Feels Good" debuts at number 13. Astonishingly, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" is our Pacesetter this week, skyrocketing 114-28 in its 829th chart week, Dido's fourth album "Girl Who Got Away" debuts at number 32 (really America? That album is awesome!), Colton Dixon rises 119-41 with "A Messenger", P!nk shoots 106-47 with "Greatest Hits...So Far!!!", The "Rock of Ages" soundtrack vaults 176-91, Fleetwood Mac's "Greatest Hits" jumps 199-124, Blake Shelton's 2011 album "Red River Blue" rises 182-130, and taking the biggest fall this week is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's "Specter at the Feast"; it plummets 35-194.

Nelly Furtado-"The Spirit Indestructible" Review

Right on schedule, three years after her last album, 2009's "Mi Plan", Nelly Furtado fires up again with another album, this time titled "The Spirit Indestructible". Although, it takes a moment to realize that it's been a full six years since her last English studio album, 2006's "Loose". That's an eternity in the pop world, and of all the acts to come out in 1999-2000 (P!nk, Britney, Christina, etc), Nelly has been the one with the least amount of commercial success. However, that is definitely no fault of her music, which equals (and sometimes far surpasses) that of her contemporaries. Then again, what makes Nelly Furtado a unique individual is that she doesn't make music with the masses in mind. Despite the Timbaland-helmed "Loose", what's always been her trademark is her originality. In fact, even her sex-up makeover in 2006 wasn't pure calculation, rather, it was just another way for her to explore different genres. That change of pace was well needed, since its predecessor "Folklore" failed to generate true success. "Loose" has proved to be a pivotal moment in Furtado's career, not only for the change of sound, but also the first time where she saw a world outside of herself. She began to allude to her inner turmoil, not chronicle every minute of it, and thus created more universal songs. This transitioned well into "Mi Plan", and so conventional wisdom would dictate that "The Spirit Indestructible" would just be an English version of that album, and essentially just offer the same.

In a sense, that is correct. "The Spirit Indestructible" contains plenty of world beats and it accepts many cultures, but the heavy-footed hooks, the thumping bass and window rattling choruses suggest that Nelly isn't about to leave the club culture behind. So, she tries to find a compromise between those two extremes, and manages to shove everything she can into twelve tracks. This requires heavy exertion, which is blatantly obvious, and it also requires a collaborator with much knowledge of the club. Not wanting to simply re-write "Loose", Nelly opts to work with Rodney Jerkins, whose been churning out hits for pop stars since the 90s, but also brings in Salaam Remi and Michael Angelakos to helm a couple tracks. This spells out "The Spirit Indestructible" to be her most adventurous effort, as well as her most impenetrable. Both statements are true: never before has she experimented with world music the way she does here. Also, this is an album that's not as stubborn as "Folklore", and it manages to do what it strives to be. Although, all of this work to create an all-encompassing record leads to quite a few stumbles, such as the stretch from "Miracles" to "Enemy". All three tracks are very trying, they're all ballads and they have that tendency, but something's missing in either Nelly's delivery or the cold production that makes them not appealing. Then there are the club-made singles like "Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)" that try really hard to imitate Rihanna, but end up being a comedic (and most often hilariously satiric) track instead. Having too much ambition can drag an album down as well, and this fact is something that Nelly still has to learn. But even with all of its clumsiness, "The Spirit Indestructible" ends up being a worthwhile listen. From the excellent opener "Spirit Indestructible" to the riveting closer "Believers (Arab Spring)", there's something to be said of Nelly Furtado's execution. This isn't straightforward world-pop, this record is far too complex.

Unlike her contemporaries in 2012, Nelly has crafted a truly fascinating record, one that's too awkward for its time, but that doesn't mean it's not good. It may not reach the blinding heights of "Promiscuous" or "I'm Like a Bird", but it maintains a listener's interest. And it's hard not to at least appreciate "The Spirit Indestructible" because it's a very rare thing in the 2010s: a major label record that doesn't sink to modern trends, mocks the mainstream while wanting to wallow in it, and it has the unmistakable signature of an artist. All of these qualities don't make this album great, but they make it a cohesive and aspiring album, not just singles-n-filler.

Recommended Tracks in Bold:

1. Spirit Indestructible          2. Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)

3. High Life                            4. Parking Lot             5. Something

6. Bucket List                         7. The Most Beautiful Thing

8. Waiting for the Night        9. Miracles                   10. Circles

11. Enemy                               12. Believers (Arab Spring)

Spongebob Would Approve

Happy April Fool's!!

HAHA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ