Linkin Park - Yeah that's Linkin Park with clean vocals. It is nice to hear them doing tracks where they let the Hahn just kind of take lead (I don't know if that is normal these days?), because Cure for the Itch was my favourite thing on Hybrid Theory. That said, I don't really follow them so not tons of attachment. It kind of comes of as a bit generic, they are keeping up with modern trends which is cool, but not much going on here that speaks to me.
Pentatonix - Okay so this is probably the strongest contender of the week, but it is also competing with itself. It is the strongest contender because it is Imagine which continues to be a great song in spite of Lennon's deteriorating legacy. It is still at heart at minimum a humanist anthem, but me being me I really focus on the No Countries and No Possessions because you know, Socialism. Part of the strong appeal of the original song is that it slowly builds into what it finally is, starting off really minimalist Piano + vocals with just Lennon's range, then adding in a really small drum fill to connect the dots in bass line of the Piano so that in the third chorus you can bring in the strings to fill out the body. It isn't like super minimalist one man and a Piano like it pretends to be, but it is a very good trick that it pulls on you. Pentatonix do a good job of putting it in their style and of course I appreciate the message (for all that it has the subtlety of a brick, but A Capella can't do subtle, that is like literally the thing you can't do with it. It is inherently a showy song delivery), but do I think the style fits the song? I dunno, it doesn't work for me, but I think some of that is just because it is Imagine and it is so iconic. Can you even do a "good" cover of it that isn't a straight riff on Lennon? Does the core song override all of that? I dunno yet!
Rebecca Black & KHS - I am happy Rebecca Black gets to keep doing stuff in music even if it is mostly just on the back of memes. She got to make her generic party track that Friday was supposed to be, so good for her. It doesn't do much for me. It is okay!
Jonathan Young, Caleb Hyles & The Completionist - I don't know much about Hamilton, wrong side of the world etc. SO far this is probably number 2 though? It is a pretty solid late 90s style rap/rock or Metal track. It is delivered well and is a genre I have a soft spot for.
331Erock - Its nice, but it is also guy that is good at guitar doing instrumental guitar. Kind of dime a dozen. IT is nice that in modern era these guys can get money on Youtube instead of just as guitar techs though.
Dreamcatcher - K-Pop by the way of Avril Lavigne. Its nice enough, is in the top 3 I think? My only real thing here is in response to If We Were a Song is
I am a Song!.
Mrf, I am not super invested in any of them, but for somethign I am not super invested in there is a bunch of stuff I kind of have opinions about and it is all really close?
Checking what Alex said to see, I am not helping much here since most of mine is just around the same as Alex's middle part.
So .... if I said
Jonathan Young, Caleb Hyles & The Completionist > Pentatonix > Dream Catcher > Rebeccas Black & KHS > Linkin Park > 331Erock I guess that would do?
