| Pharrell Williams – Entrepreneur Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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The first feeling that comes into my mind after listening and internalizing the lyrics in this song is that anything is possible. It does not matter what others tell you, if your will is strong enough, through the blackness that is one’s entrepreneurial nature, you will breach with a brightness that will see soar through all tribulations. Pharell is trying to encourage the young blacks around the world and any other youthful member of the society that Covid-19 is not the end. It is an opportunity for expansion and personal growth in the business industry. Their official video shows a whole family whose children are assisting expand their family business and seeing better outcomes after leaving their jobs due to the pandemic. He says that you should risk it all and try to vacate the prison that the pandemic has tied us. He implores that we think outside the box “Third eye dilate”: in the video, the lyric coincides with a young man who has led to the establishment of over 20 businesses that are thriving. Jay-Z, in his words, is trying to drum support for fellow African entrepreneurs. He indicates that making it through the market is not easy, but any success is making a difference to the community, family, and to you. Overall, it is an inspiring song that helps rise from the darkness and black energy surrounding the pandemic and finding new means of caring and providing for those who depend on us. Start where you are and promote the community, then proceed to take over the world. Best entrepreneur motor! |
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| Drake – Laugh Now Cry Later Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Drake’s new song, “Laugh Now Cry Later” is the first single off of his new album, Certified Lover Boy. This new hit sounds surprisingly similar to other hit songs he has had in the past. The song “Laugh Now Cry Later” is the result of present Drake mixed with the Drake’s from his previous hit songs. The song follows a familiar trend of both lyrics, sound, and emotion from work previously done by Drake. “Laugh Now Cry Later” is the result of when one of the world’s biggest pop starts is leaning only on his past performance and acknowledgement as a cultural icon. When listening to the song for the first time, be prepared to head back in time and be reminded of Drake’s past hits, sort of like a trip down memory lane mixed with déjà vu. | |
| Juice WRLD – Come & Go Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Juice Wrld Come and Go is a tragic reminder of the effects personal insecurities can have. Juice had a tragic accidental overdose in December 2019. He was only twenty one, but he had already had his fair share of addictions and along with evil girls, and love, it’s one of his constant themes. If we take a look back to Lucid Dreams––the song that rose him to prominence––it’s all about a girl that played with his emotions and left. He feels so beaten from this experience he turns to Xanax, a legal, yet highly addictive anti-anxiety medicine to make him feel better. It doesn’t. At some point he even thought he was better off dead “You were my everything/ Thoughts of a wedding ring/ Now I'm just better off dead (Uh, uh, uh).” I’ve been in his situation before. When I was young and stupid my first real girlfriend broke up with me and for months I would get black out drunk. I couldn’t sleep, so I drank to feel peace, and rest. This is where Come and Go differs. The song is not about an evil woman anymore, it’s about the right one. He thanks god and accepts all the pain he previously felt as obstacles that he needed to surpass in order to grow “I'm thankin' God that he made you part of the plan/I guess I ain't go through all that Hell for nothin'.” However Come and Go is not a happy song. Wrld is still taking pills, not only that, but he is insecure about himself because of what happened in his past “You tell me ain’t nobody better than me/I think that there's better than me.” If Lucid Dreams was about the mistakes you make after a break up, then Come and Go is about the difficulty of accepting yourself after all those mistakes. This is why the two songs are intertwined. One song reflects a troubled history, while the other shows growth, and doubt. Without Lucid Dreams there will be no Come and Go. We have all felt in some way or another undeserving. Whether it be of love, or a better life, but you shouldn’t. Wrld shows us that struggle, even if it’s painful, leads to growth. I hope the album ends with Wrld accepting he was worthy of love all along, because he was, as are you. |
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| Juice WRLD – Life's a Mess Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Life's a Mess is definitely not my type of song choice. It's got an interesting tune, but it's not a song that hooks me to keep listening to it. However the lyrics are catchy and meaningful. Identifying how the world is unjust and such a mess and through trials and tribulations we can succeed in finding true love. Which is ironic because Juice WRLD's death occurred and then this song was released after 7 months of him passing. It's really unfortunate this was his last song and that there will be no more music from this very talented singer. In addition, Halsey contributes so beautifully to this song with her amazing voice. The music video to this song is also phenomenal. The video of the artist painting Halsey and Juice Wrld hugging with light brush strokes is so impressive and yet heartbreaking. |
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| Jason Derulo – Savage Love Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Jason Derulo has teamed up with TikTok sensation Jawsh 685 (Joshua Stylah) to make an explosive new track, “Savage Love”. The track is based on the beat from Jawsh 685’s viral track on TikTok, “Laxed(Siren Beat)”. While the track started out with Derulo using the beat without Jawsh 685’s permission, he has now been given official clearance to use the track by listing Jawsh 685 as the artist. The use of the viral TikTok beat has helped propel this song to epic heights and popularity and shows how using popular social media can help make a number one song. “Savage Love” is a song that shows how Derulo’s love interest is not treating him right, and he will continue to love her no matter what. “Savage Love” is an explosive example of how mixing social media trends with music can contribute to a hit song. | |
| Kanye West – Wash Us in the Blood Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| Kanye West’s new single, “Wash Us in the Blood”, presents a view of America of both race and faith. His look at America shows that it is divided, and this track is focused on representing his mindset on these events. America needs a blood rain to save black Americans from evil as water is no longer strong enough to wash away the sting of the past. Kanye focuses on his faith to invoke God throughout the song, touching on his musical roots in blues and gospel. This is the first time we have heard Kanye rap again since his song, “Jesus is King”. In this track, Kanye raps in short bursts with a drawl at the end. The end result is almost that of a preacher adding a jolt of energy behind Kanye and the song. “Wash Us in the Blood” is Kanye’s way of sharpening his anger, resulting in a powerful song that represents what he hopes is a lesson for America and a revelation. | |
| Beyoncé – Black Parade Lyrics | 5 years ago |
| On June 19th, also known as the holiday Junteenth, Beyoncé dropped BLACK PARADE, her newest song that vividly talks about black pride and the importance of black heritage and culture. After listening to the song once, I couldn’t think of a better day to drop the song than Junteenth as the topic fits hand-to-hand with the day of celebration. The Beyhive, as she likes to call her fanbase, couldn’t hold in their excitement as Beyoncé sings about her hometown, African roots, and hints of her womanhood in her new song. Throughout the song, she uses words such as “Baobab” which is a sub-saharan tree in Africa. A line after that, she sings “Ankh charm on gold chains, with my Oshun energy, oh. Drip all on me, woo, Ankh or the Dashiki print” which contain words that are unfamiliar to those that don’t know much about Africa. Ankh refers to an ancient symbol from Egypt, Oshun is one of the Orisha goddesses from Nigeria, and Dashiki refers to a colorful African shirt. While rhyming and flowing, she puts together words that can be linked back to African culture which is creative- she could’ve just said the word “tree” instead of the specific tree of Baobab or taken the words “Ankh” and “Oshun” out of the sentence, but she decided to use them to make her audience want to look up what those words mean and why they’re important to the African culture. This effort shows her emotions and how she feels about her true roots from Africa. All around the song, from the chorus to different verses, items that lead to the African culture can be found hidden within sentences- this is important because there aren’t that many songs out there today sung by A-list celebrities that mention anything from the African culture. For Beyoncé to be singing about her womanhood and her roots from Africa is inspirational to many that are from Africa and that don’t have a favorite singer that represents their home country and origin. Many are thankful and happy that Beyoncé has, yet again, blown the minds of many by combining current social issues, national issues, and worldwide issues- such as COVID-19, police brutality protests, and woman’s rights’ movements- into a catchy song that speaks “a thousand words” in just a couple of minutes. | |
| XXXTENTACION – Skin Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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The speaker is intensely angry, and yet the girl’s emotions, her desperation, her hopelessness, come across in XXXTentacion’s flat vocal expression, gradually mounting in feeling until it burns out by the final lyric, “I am the heart marksman.” He sings this last line quickly as if he wants to get it off his tongue as soon as possible, like a confession. I relate to the girl’s experience in this song, in her pain, and how it makes her give up and distance herself from her partner. I also appreciate the amount of self-reflection in the lyrics; it made me connect with the song more and relate my relationship to their dynamic. I registered a double meaning from certain parts of the song, most notably “You play the victim, I'll play it sane,” which I think could apply to both the girl and the speaker’s dynamic, and the at first mysterious antagonistic character referred to only as “you,” whom the speaker blames for the tragedy permeating the song and their lives, for turning the girl into a “stump,” which is slang for a girl who’s beautiful but has no personality, meaning in the context of the song that this “you” antagonist was abusive and had beaten the hope and soul out of his girlfriend, leaving her a passive shell. The speaker wanted to end the girl’s suffering, whom I assume is a relative or loved one, and take revenge on her behalf. However, he is still haunted somewhat by what he had to do to end that suffering, though he understands (though it may just be self-justification) that ultimately it was his abusive actions that led to the song’s events. Thought I had assumed they were together, I don’t entirely get the sense that this is necessarily a romantic relationship, either, as the lyrics ring of affection and protectiveness but not precisely romantic passion. By the end of the song, I’m somewhat convinced that the “you” in the song is the speaker referring to themselves, and they are punishing themselves for being abusive towards their partner. The only solution they can see is to commit suicide; “If you don't exist then my pain can be rid’, meaning that the only way their girlfriend can be happy is if he gets rid of himself. He’s shocked into action seeing her in such a broken state and is repulsed by himself, dissociating from that “abuser” side of himself. I loved this song a lot, as it had many layers, and it takes a few listens to grasp possible meanings, which I like in music. Once again, another masterpiece by XXXTentacion! |
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| Lady GaGa – Sour Candy Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Lady Gaga and BLACKPINK come together to bring us some good music during this quarantine that we're all suffering through, and we certainly needed it. "Sour Candy" is a song where the singers compare themselves to, you guessed it, sour candy. This metaphor works well because it feels new. Love is always described as sweet. The stereotypically ideal girlfriend is a "sweet" one. But love, and women, can also be sour, but that doesn't make them any worse or less desirable. In this way, the song is a reminder of the nuances of love and of people. That being said, the song doesn't take itself too seriously. The first line of the chorus, "I'm sour candy, so sweet then I get a little angry, yeah" evokes the mental image of dancing Sour Patch Kids, which really fits the vibe of the music. Upbeat and high energy throughout, this is a song you can and should get up and dance to while you're stuck at home. It may bring a bit of life back into your soul. Gaga and BLACKPINK keep up the sour candy metaphor for the rest of the song, but as they keep going, the image of Sour Patch Kids disappears as the lyrics get more suggestive. It doesn't take a stretch of the imagination to see the meanings behind lines like "Come, come, unwrap me." Right now, a lot of us are probably feeling starved of human touch, and lines like these just hit different. K-Pop group BLACKPINK adds a refreshing touch to what might've been a regular Lady Gaga song. Not that there's anything wrong with a regular Lady Gaga song, but it's always good to shake things up a bit. The intercutting of Korean lyrics with the English lyrics was an interesting and unexpected twist. And the Korean lyrics don't detract from the English ones. They actually enhance them and give them context in a larger worldview. BLACKPINK added their own touches to the song while keeping the Lady Gaga vibe intact, which is impressive. This song can serve as an introduction to K-Pop for American listeners of Lady Gaga. |
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| Pearl Jam – Dance of the Clairvoyants Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Pearl Jam never had their "left turn" moment. No Kid A. No Achtung Baby. They never seemed all the interested in surprising people. After the dizzying, irreplicable success of their first two albums, the band consciously downsized, leaving the zeitgeist behind for a fiercely loyal, if slightly smaller, fanbase. They've maintained that audience by delivering reliably written and engineered rock records. There's really not much difference between 1991's Ten 2013's Lightning Bolt stylistically or sonically. So when the gated, processed drums begin on Dance of the Clairvoyants, it feels like a departure for a band not known for them. But the innovation doesn't go much further. I like Eddie Vedder's stilted, jittery David Byrne impression in the second verse, and the lyrics feel like they're building to something. He sings about time loops and missing time, but the ribbon he ties at the end of the chorus, "I'm in Love with clairvoyants/cuz they're outta this world" is both imprecise and tossed off. The line comes off as cute, whereas his preceding lyrical windup was swimming in murkier and more interesting waters. The song is from the upcoming Gigaton album. While it's refreshing to hear a band push against their sonic guardrails, I hope they go even further into the unknown on their full-length. It would be nice to hear what a full left turn would sound like from a band that's been on the same course for almost three decades. |
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| Halsey – You Should Be Sad Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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The boldly titled “You Should be Sad” from artist Halsey starts out with a decidedly Country-esque vibe. A single acoustic guitar strums arpeggios, while a lap-steel haunts the background with a beautiful, reverberated tone. The vocals start off quite suddenly, with Halsey describing the details of a recently-ended relationship. She disparages the ex-lover in the song, suggesting that she was eager to leave, and glad for all the regrets that she never made. The striking lyrics weave very well around the simple musical production. “I’m so glad I never ever had a baby with you / 'Cause you can't love nothing unless there's something in it for you” Halsey croons, spewing palpable venom in a truly wonderful vocal performance. The simple structure of the song helps to keep the message truly ingrained, though it leaves one wanting for a little more substance from the tune. A steady kick drum makes up the majority of the percussion, and while the guitar is well-mixed and pleasant enough, it becomes truly grating after the 16th repetition, saved only by the aforementioned lap steel, which vibes along in the background. Most of the production seems to concentrate on the vocals, with several vocal harmonies mingling in from time to time, giving the song a larger, stadium-like atmosphere. The ending showcases these vocals, ending with a somber choir echoing the chord structure of the song, and the song is over almost as quickly as it starts. The production displayed on Halsey’s records truly shows an artist unwilling to sacrifice substance for simple pop refrains, leaving the listener constantly curious about what’s around the corner, and showing true mastery of genre diversity. With a great set of pipes, and some hardworking musicians, we can expect a long career for Halsey. |
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| Halsey – Alanis’ Interlude Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Upon first listening to Halsey and Alanis Morissette’s new song, Alanis’ interlude, I was immediately struck by how generationally appropriate it is. Moving into the future, there is a tangible trend towards the fluidity of attraction and pushing for true freedom of sexual expression. There is an urgent desire in modern generations to eliminate the historical habit of boxing people into categories that suppress their desires and cause them to hide in the bathroom stalls. Here, in this song, are two women passionately begging not to be boxed in by these defined gender norms. That is why the teaming of these two artists for this song is so engagingly symbiotic. Alanis Morissette has built a career on songs which actively complained about the shortcomings of traditional relationships and sexual encounters during a generation still entrenched in traditional gender and sexual labeling. Meanwhile, Halsey is growing her career representing a younger generation who take pride in their ability to liquify gender norms and relationship definitions while hovering on the cusp of actual, true sexual freedom. A common binding principle, this desire to live and love freely, has drawn these two women together to fight side by side for change of the sexual status quo. Let this new generation guide us into a more accurate definition of what it means to be free in our desire to be loved. These are urging society to behave progressively for the very reason laid out in the final lines of the song, sung hauntingly by Alanis, “‘cause he and she is her, and her and he are love, and I have never felt the difference...tired of all these labels.” |
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| Eminem – Darkness Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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Unannounced album releases. Controversial themes and lyrics. Edge-of-your-seat, woven ballads. Monumental risks for most artists, but par for the course for Eminem, who just dropped Music to be Murdered By to instant fanfare and fury alike. Marshall Mathers is competing for headlines… with himself, after releasing his 11th studio album, thanks to the divisive track, Unaccommodating, in which he appears to make light of the bombing during an Ariana Grande concert in London back in 2017. Critics have much more fodder than that “bombs away” line, as the track, Darkness, is also thrusting Em directly back into the (spot)light. Following in the vein of Stan, Cleanin Out My Closet and Guilty Conscience, Darkness demands your full attention and satisfies a microwave society with a captivating tale that few could tell, much less even attempt. Listening to the song is only half the story here, however. Whether intentional or otherwise, Eminem has also managed to revive storytelling through music video. Sure, millions of listeners still watch on YouTube or other web-based platforms, but this video is reminiscent of MTV’s must-watch yesteryear. In fact, the casual listener may not even realize Slim Shady was portraying the Las Vegas shooter until the very end, because of the sharp grit, the double-entendres and the Simon & Garfunkel sampling. Do yourself a favor and watch the video, too. It’s the exact opposite of a rabbit-hole trigger. There is an impact that this song will leave, and it’s only just starting to take shape. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHQC4fAhcbU |
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| Justin Bieber – Yummy Lyrics | 5 years ago |
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When I interpret Bieber’s new “Yummy” lyrics, I feel like I’ve honestly developed food poisoning from his spoiled, over-sexualized lyrics. He uses too much overt sex and lasciviousness to hint at his sexual relationship with his model wife, Hailey. For example, he proclaims, “Any night, any day Say the word, on my way Yeah babe, yeah babe, yeah babe In the mornin' or the late Say the word, on my way.” As far as the writing, I feel like it’s much too forced in the carnal and sexy attempts here. He really seems to lack creativity in this one as he calls himself as “stallion” of sex, as noted in: “Bona fide stallion Ain't in no stable, no, you stay on the run Ain't on the side, you're number one Yeah, every time I come around, you get it done (You get it done).” Perhaps this metaphor might appeal Kentucky Derby or equestrian fans, but it’s honestly not crossing the finish line for me aesthetically. Besides, it definitely confuses me, especially when he is allegedly so religiously devout. His lyrics in “Yummy” to me are more crummy and indicative of “Sex in the City” vibes than true artistry. |
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| Lady GaGa – Shallow Lyrics | 7 years ago |
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As I listen to the words of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper on the song “Shallow,” I’m reminded of several moments in my life when I took a leap of faith during a time of fear. There have been many times when I felt so drawn to something or someone, but for whatever reason, I was too afraid to open myself up to the new opportunity. However, when there’s a desire that runs so deeply within you, it’s hard to walk away from it. Much like the two lovers in this song, I remember how liberating it was to say “no” to fear and to simply dive in. We’ve all experienced times when we are longing for change, attempting to fill a void that can only be filled with the one thing that scares us the most. The singers remind us that no matter what you want out of life and no matter how scary it appears to be, go for it. It can be going after the love of our life or chasing a long-lost dream – dive in head first! The chorus begins with a special line that I believe many can resonate with when reflecting on life’s course. It says, “I’m off the deep end, watch as I dive in. I’ll never meet the ground.” Imagine fearlessly diving deep into a love so pure with the confidence that nothing can “drown” you – no negativity, no doubt, no person. “Shallow” represents that kind of bravery that is needed to step into a new chapter of fulfillment. Life truly happens AWAY from the shallow. |
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