Why “Girls Like You” is Simply Good
One of the wonderful things about music is that there’s no one right way to make an amazing song. In fact, oftentimes, two equally great songs can have polar opposite strengths. Lyrics can be stunning in their complexity, or breathtaking in their simplicity. A vocal performance can be touchingly subtle, or earth-shaking and powerful. The music […]
You’ll Feel Something Again with AJR’s “Sober Up”
Nostalgia is one hell of a drug. I’ve really only just started my adult life, and already, pretty much any wistful song about childhood is enough to get me staring out into the middle distance with misty eyes, thinking about Lego castles, fighting my brothers with stick swords, and coming up with ways to play […]
How “Uptown Funk” Became the Ultimate Wedding Song
When you’re in your mid-to-late-twenties, you quickly learn how many weddings you can fit into a single summer. My wife and I lucked out this year; we only had three to go to, but over the next few years, I fully expect us to average about five or six a year. And don’t get me […]
“Say Something” Is Still Really Catchy
I first heard the song Say Something, by A Great Big World, in 2013, while watching my first, and last, Victoria’s Secret fashion show. It was the lone bright spot in what I learned was a supremely overhyped, deeply uninteresting American tradition. Wasn’t my thing. But hey, the song was pretty good. So good, in […]
How “Meant to Be” Uses Slant Rhymes
Meant to Be, by Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha, has been burning up radio air time this year. If you listen to country stations, you’re probably tired of it. If you listen to pop stations, you’re probably tired of it. If you’re like me, and you listen to country stations and pop stations, you’re […]
The Underrated Flow of “Whatever It Takes”
This is not a review of an Ed Sheeran song. But allow me to gush about him for a second to make a point. Ed Sheeran’s amazing. He’s got all the talent in the world, he’s a genius song writer, and he worked his way up through hard work and determination. I could go on […]
How Maren Morris’ Vocals Make “The Middle”
Sometimes the context of a performance makes all the difference. Hitting a homerun in professional baseball is cool, but hitting a leadoff homerun in the first game after one of your teammates died and sobbing as you round the bases? Chills. Whitney Huston’s performance of the Star Spangled Banner at Super Bowl 25 was great, […]
The Many Melodies of Pink’s “Beautiful Trauma”
When you’re writing a pop song, you really only have three jobs. 1. Write a melody for the verse. 2. Write a melody for the chorus. 3. Add a kinda slowed down and slightly different melody, and play it as a bridge before the last chorus. That’s it. That’s a pop song. So when a […]
“Sorry” Shouldn’t Apologize for Being Good
There are lots of things in life that are easy. Beating Floyd Mayweather in a spelling bee is easy. Not living up to your potential and slowly growing to hate yourself more and more every day is easy. Your mom is easy (got ‘em!). But I’m not sure that there’s anything in this world easier […]
Why I Love “I Love the Way You Lie”
If I’m being completely honest, I’ve never been a fan of Rihanna’s music. Like, I don’t hate it, but if I was on a road trip with someone and they were like, “Do you want to listen to Rihanna or something else?” I’d probably choose “something else” every time, and take my chances. And I […]
