Song selection topic for "Kaitlyn's Song of the Week"

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Hmm...so I definitely have one that I eventually started favouring above others, but it only really stuck out after 10+ listens, so I'm curious if Gref/Alex will agree or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we-VfNnbzzY
Shania Twain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx1RSj4biO4
Kesha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqL4mGcSblY
Charli Taft

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jaaDUfLH4o
Johnathan Young ft Malinda Kathleen Reese

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyglnLD2joM
Pentatonix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMHVfCyElW0
Rameses B

[Ranmilia]

Shania Twain - Simple, bouncy.  The video distracted me a bit, couldn't help but notice the racial profile, but I don't know enough about Twain to say what it means.

Kesha - Hits the same notes as Shania Twain for me, but I preferred Twain.

Charli Taft - I liked this!  Nice and melodic singing, good synths, fun times. 

Johnathan Young ft Malinda Kathleen Reese - More Phantom from these two.  Heard it before, but it's still good.  Very Yamanevania feel.

Pentatonix - Good cello.  Otherwise didn't do a ton for me, Pentatonix kinda hits that known quantity groove for me.

Rameses B - I haven't watched Rick and Morty, so mostly just taking the musical angle on this one, which is eh, generic psytrance.  I listen to those "3 hour relaxing psytrance" mix style things on youtube, this wouldn't stand out in one of them. 

Neat selection!  Top 3/bottom 3 is the notable divide for me.

Charli Taft > JY & MKR > Shania Twain > Kesha > Rameses B > Pentatonix

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Yeah, Charli Taft was my top as well, but it took me a while to realize it.  Guess I don't need to wait for Grefter on this one, since Alex and I agree on #1.

What's interesting is that this is a K-Pop label that normally only has Asian stars singing in Korean (which had me confused).  Turns out she's a producer at SMTown, and composed/produced a bunch of their songs behind the scenes.

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There was actually a Cradle of Filth song in contention for the top 6 this week cause they added Gregorian chanting.  (Didn't make it though--think it's a fairly strong top 6).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DojqyA3Ma2k
9 Muses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0DjcsK_-HY
Lorde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmmG1jw7lyI
Roses & Revolutions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajY4ATBRKO4
Caleb Hyles and RichaadEb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMf0mjsIk-A
Sunset Neon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBkHHoOIIn8
Portugal. The Man

[Ranmilia]

9 Muses - Trashy, but entertaining.  I am a sucker for good use of distortion + whispery vocals.

Lorde - Was okay, didn't find it too memorable compared to the rest.

Roses & Revolutions - Decent, doesn't establish its groove enough for me to get into it.

Caleb Hyles and RichaadEb - Better than the original!  Hard to fairly evaluate this... I like it though, especially the heavier chorus bits.

Sunset Neon - Simple, effective.  I feel dumb not having much else to say.  Was good.

Portugal The Man - Dunno if I'm burnt out (likely) or this group just doesn't play to me, yet another one that washes over me and doesn't leave much impression, other than the video being interesting.

Prolly more my taste not syncing with MC's here.  I didn't dislike any of this, but also wasn't too into anything.

9 Muses > Caleb Hyles and Richaaad > Sunset Neon > Portugal The Man > Roses & Rev > Lorde

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On vacation this week, so probably picking a song we skipped from a previous week, but here's a few of the songs I listened to on Friday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd5dcjXzuGk
Kesha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csYjk5m4_PY
Starcadian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyM8pMH2OF0
Lights

[Ranmilia]

Kesha - Ehn.  Didn't like it as much as the Kesha a couple weeks ago, which I didn't like as much as Shania Twain, etc.

Starcadian - More my groove.  Doesn't bowl me over, but a pleasant experience.

Lights - Good beats, liked this.

Lights > Starcadian > Kesha

Plenty of goodies in past weeks as well.

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Mmm...think I'm still tired from pulling an all-nighter; not actually sure if the finalists this week are good or not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LX2kpeyp80
Miley Cyrus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enu3Oy6_L-I
Exit Eden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx5acxwdnlk
Blood on the Dance Floor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBuAiQQGyQE
sonamoo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6LAzgZi8N8
Pristin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr1758cmM5I
The Doubleclicks

[Ranmilia]

Miley Cyrus - Was okay.  Didn't really stand out to me.

Exit Eden - I like me some Gaga and I like me some Exit Eden.  This is a pretty straightforward "put our sound into this song" cover though.  I might still prefer the original... but then again this is probably scoring high anyway.

Blood on the Dance Floor - This is a miss for me.  Laughed at some of the lines, but yeah.

sonamoo - Decent, standard stuff, doesn't stand out much.

Pristin - Also in the standard enjoyable Kpop range.  I liked it better than the sonamoo.

The Doubleclicks - Great cat, extremely cute.  I wish to pet it.  There was also a song but it kind of barely existed.

Eh.  Lots of "okay but doesn't stand out" here.

Exit Eden > Miley Cyrus > Pristin > sonamoo > Doubleclicks > (.Y.)

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OK, well, this week should probably be won by "the song that broke the PSY record", cause that's a thing.  There's a bunch of good music this week though; worth getting opinions on it if next week is slow (which it might be; holiday weekend in America generally means less American music).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsKIAO11q1Y
Martin Garrix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yraHHCcr6sg
Austin Mahone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqUPGa15Oto
Unleash the Archers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpZ9N032M6Q
Hailey Rose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tmd-ClpJxA
Taylor Swift

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfk7YZJtmeo
Amaranthe

[Grefter]

Okay so 4/5 I was going to say "There is Unleash the Archers with a film clip you know exactly why I like it and there is somet other stuff"

Then I watched Taylor Swift and I wanted to talk some shit.

Then there was Amaranthe and now I have to like talk about all the tracks I guess.

Martin Garrix - even doing a clean intro to a party track still writes a party track.  It is fine.

Austin Mahone - This is fine, but I could just listen to the Modjo original which has a disco beat.  I guess good job at reviving a great 17 year old song, but eh?

Unleash the Archers - I like everything they do it seems.  A film clip focusing especially on them actually playing the instruments?  You know I am in for a good time.  Absolutely in love with that bass and the guitarist playing it.  Very very good.

Hailey Rose - This is actually pretty solid.  The film clip feels like an early 90s indie rock thing but then the song is just a pretty good party track.  Its better than fine but we have some Things This Week.

Taylor Swift - Okay you have heard me rag on Taylor Swift for repeating stuff way way too much in a song.  She can take a good half a chorus and then just like repeats it again to make a full one.  This is probably that problem peaking.  There is just so very little to actually make up the lyrical content of the song.  It is more a presentation or a statement than a song.   Worst of all, it isn't nearly as good as previous songs that functioned as statements.  Like... compare this to Blank Space?  This is so much flatter and just has so much less going on.

There is also a bit of a thing of someone that gets a reeeeealllly creepy white supremacist following putting out a song of "Look at What You Made Me Do" in current political discourse, but that is me being overly sensitive.  I am pretty whatever even before that.

Amaranthe - I... don't know what the fuck with this song actually.  Like Amaranthe are usually pretty good but when pitted against Unleash the Archers I would sort of go with Unleash the Archers being better at a similar kind of deal, since they tend to be a bit better technically and are of a style of metal that tends to just got a bit better, it is that weird space between melodic and speed metal that I really dig.  Amaranthe are more a straight Nu Metal throwback.  Straight poppy metal with Drop D guitars and growling.  But then the chorus?  That is a fucking dance beat.  Like out of nowhere a danceable house beat.  It is kind of garbage?  But it is kind of awesome?  I don't know how to think of it.  I really fucking dig the novelty of it.  Like I don't know if I would go throw it on like I would with Unleash the Archers, but while it is on I am having way more fun.

So lets go with novelty.

Amaranthe > Unleash the Archers > Hailey Rose  >>>>>>> Austin Mahone > Taylor Swift > Martin Garrix.

My write up doesn't do Hailey Rose track justice, I think it is quite good.

[Ranmilia]

Martin Garrix - 1:15, a little later than usual.  Seems pretty formulaic.  Not really into the harsh buzz on the break sections.  Cool strings though.

Austin Mahone - Nice singing!  Minimal but not bad.  Not sure it really carries enough for a title, but it gives me a positive impression of the artist, so.

Unleash the Archers - Strong solos, strong vocals, really gets the classic metal feel going.  Obviously benefits from being a long song in a genre I like, but yeah, is good.

Hailey Rose - Wow, great atmosphere, synth vibes right up my alley, lyrics that I actually like (rare!)... I dig everything about this, it comes together very well.  Makes for good listening outside of a party context, for me.

Taylor Swift - This is also a lot better than I expected.  Seems like she's trying for the same sphere as Lady Gaga?  The chorus doesn't quite hit my brain, I like the "bad dreams" hits much more than "what you made me do"... actually I like every other part of the song more than the chorus.  Not bad, certainly in the zone where I could take it as a winner other weeks.  But I'm getting ninja'd by Grefter who points out the same thing with the chorus/lyrical beats feeling lackluster.

Amaranthe - Also very nice.  Left me wanting more, in a mostly good way.  Great blend of metal and dance-ish stuff, good energy, gets my head bobbing.  I do like my head to bob for longer in such a good groove, so I think it comes in a bit below Unleash, but yeah.

Some nice stuff here for sure, top three are really close and I could take all of the top four easily as winners.  I don't know anything about the white supremacist stuff though...

Hailey Rose > Unleash the Archers > Amaranthe > Taylor Swift > AUstin Mahone > Martin Garrix

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Hmm...not that much line up between me and Gref/Alex.  (The song I had above Taylor Swift was Martin Garrix, which was dead last for both of them).  Between Amaranthe, Hailey Rose, and Unleash, I think I started with Hailey Rose as the highest of the three and ended with Amaranthe as the highest of the three?

I'm thinking Taylor Swift is still the correct pick though; song is actually fairly catchy.

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Oh, forgot to email myself the finalists this week; going by memory...and managed to dig up them all, whew.  Not a super strong week, though, so we might be going with a previous week?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_GcbZlDnns
Dreamcatcher

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD6VAZFHWLY
Exit Eden

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFc9PZrroOk
Perfume

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGRv8ZBLuW0
EXO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj08Ni3tklw
Beck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO8VVJ_j7T0
Eluveitie

[Ranmilia]

Dreamcatcher - I liked the synth, would listen again.  Pretty typical fare though.

Exit Eden - Good cover.  Better than I expected.  Yeah just... good all around.  I could take this.

Perfume - Cutesy.  Much like Dreamcatcher, I liked it but am unsure it would stand out enough. 

EXO - Amusing video, eh song.

Beck - Had some very strange moments with this where I couldn't tell if it was a song or an advertisement... even when I wasn't watching the video, which amplifies that feeling.

Eluveitie - I wish this was 2-3x as long, but it greatly appeals to me nonetheless.

Not the strongest of weeks, but I'm not unhappy with the top two.  Comparable to the metal from last week, which is probably the consideration?

Eluveitei > Exit Eden > Perfume > Dreamcatcher > EXO > Beck

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Comparable to the metal from last week, which is probably the consideration?

Yeah, probably.  (The metal songs were 3/1 and 1/3 from Gref/Alex last week, I think I slightly preferred Amaranthe of those two.  That said, Hailey Rose I think also scored moderately high with everyone so also potentially an option?)

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Hmm...there was a clear frontrunner for me this week.  Not sure if it's a song that Gref/Alex will like as much as I do, though; we'll see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy6vBxqlapw
Kelly Clarkson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfY83cOukuc
T-Pain and KHS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dL5ELSufDM
DJ Earworm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAsN4lSa7O0
Blake Shelton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N4tXf3Ensw
Beast in Black

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3QYhciTkOk
331Erock

[Ranmilia]

Kelly Clarkson - Video's way better than the song, which was kinda repetitive for me.

T-Pain and KHS - Great singing, definitely impressed.  It's an exhibition mashup, though, so the lyrics leave a bit to be desired. 

DJ Earworm - Better mashup, less impressive singing.

Blake Shelton - Well produced, earwormy. 

Beast in Black - An earwormy love song, similar to the Blake Shelton.  Guitar solo kicks it up. 

331ERock - Not bad.  I've heard sooooooo many takes of this song though, mostly in a metal-ish style, that this doesn't stand out much.

Well, the metal stands out to me, but that's fairly predictable...  2-4 here are all quite close.

Beast in Black > T-Pain/KHS > Blake Shelton > DJ Earworm > 331ERock > Kelly Clarkson

[Grefter]

Pretty much agree with Alex barring dropping country down in the dirt.

Beast in Black > T-Pain/KHS >  DJ Earworm > 331ERock > Kelly Clarkson > Blake Shelton

Not much more to add.  T-Pain singing clean is fine.  Would rather it just be an acoustic T-Pain sung track?  Not sure where it is a mash-up, but presumably watching his series on mixing that it is part of answers that?

Beast in Black - Blind and Frozen is just an okay metal track in a week that doesn't speak to me though so *shrug*

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Well, sometimes when I like a metal song, Grefter says it's not up to his standards.  Looks like we're completely unanimous on Beast in Black though!  (Which was a rock solid #1 for me all week).

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Kind of a brutal week where there were too many songs that really wanted to be top 6.  Casualties included Bjork, Sia, Avicii, Shakira, Imagine Dragons, Carly Rae Jespen and various interesting K-pop entries.  Anyway, the top 6 to choose from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIbj45hPpWc
Metalite

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YAAyUFL1GQ
Fall Out Boy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UnTrK_6SOc
KHS and Natasha Beddingfield

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5E6RTDA7oc
Gary Numan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBTBc2OA9fw
Dropgun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m5zEM2T5Fg
Justice

[Ranmilia]

Metalite - Good descriptive name, this is metal but light and peppy.  Not quite in tune with some of the rhymes but that's the only bad thing I can say about it.  Strong and catchy.

Fall Out Boy - Also strong, also catchy, good video.  I dig it.

KHS and Natasha Beddingfield - The vocals get a bit overwhelmed by the strings and piano here.  It's fine but not going too far against strong competition.

Gary Numan - Another good song.  More to my tonal preferences, but lacking a bit of the memorable oomph of Metalite/FOB.

Dropgun - Can't stand that style of vocals, so this is a miss for me.

Justice - Nice song, good beats.  Uh, the video is extremely NSFW though.  Quite good, but, yeah. 

Yeah, strong week.  Gary Numan at 3rd feels too low, and yet!  I'll give it to the plushies I guess.

Fall Out Boy > Metalite > Gary Numan > Justice > KHS/Natasha > Dropgun

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Hm, welp, Alex and I share an #1, might as well go with that.

(We disagree pretty significantly on #2 and #3 too, which were like Natasha Beddingfield and Dropgun for me; we both had Justice around 4th though!)

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Might be good to get Grefter's opinions on last week's songs, as I've been home sick for most of this week, so we're probably going to grab something from last week (or earlier).

[Grefter]

Gary Numan would be my pick of last week, I am super stoked to see him still putting stuff out riding that dark 80s synth trend that we ran into last couple of years.  I was hoping it would blow up way more, but if it got more people looking at Gary Numan then I am stoked.  Did you know he is a rock star and he has his pilot's license?

Fall Oit Bou is second, the clip reminds me way too much of a Snow Patrol track that even sounds similar and I like more.

Metalite and Justice are both the kind of things I like but kind la ehhhh not feeling today.  Metalite is dance mixed with Metal again but I like how much rougher it was last time and twice kills the novelty some.  Justice is my jam usually and live versions of EDM tracks are great, but I just think it isn't a strong Justice track. 

KHS stuff I just clearly approach wrong and I think it is entorely a labeling / presentation thing.  They are covers that have been recomposed with a different instrumental line, which is cool.  Calling it a mashup and it being distributed through the composer/producers channel just feels oblique.   Not wrong, just a completely different framing than normal.

Dropgun, found meh.