Author Archives: notessquared

Florida Georgia Line ft. Jason Derulo, “Women” (Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, 2019)

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By Michaela Maxey

There is little to imagine in Florida Georgia Line’s collab with Jason Derulo in “Women” as it works as an ode/tribute to their female counterpart. FGL sticks to their roots in their classic slow country beat and Jason Derulo offers his beautiful voice and varying pitch range to the track. Lyrics like, “We’re all better off with ‘em” and “Wanna thank you/ For everything, everything you do” can make any person get behind the message and overall sound of this song.

The fact that I’m so happy that there’s a song that offers thanks to women also upsets me in a way I didn’t think it would. It makes me realize that a lot of the time women are underappreciated and underrepresented in society. In my home country of Canada, it is no secret that gender inequality still exists today.

According to Statistics Canada:
– Women have retained a disproportionate share of housework, childcare and eldercare. Combining earning and caring roles is very challenging, and one of these roles often has to make a sacrifice. More often than not, this results in women working less hours so that they have more time for their families.
–  Women are more vulnerable to lower income than men. One reason is that women are paid less than men even when they have the same qualifications and work the same number of hours; Women typically earn $0.87 for every $1.00 earned by men.
–  Young women and girls under 25 years old continued to have the highest rates of police-reported sexual assault in 2016 and 2017. They account for over half of victims before and after #MeToo (from 55% to 56%).

So thank you FGL and Jason Derulo for giving us a song like this one that brings the focus to women. Although the song is not revolutionary in its sound, it’s definitely a song that everyone should listen to as we often forget just how much women do for those they love while suffering gender inequality throughout the globe.

If you’re interested in visiting the pages I found my facts, you can look here and here.

For more information involving gender inequality in Canada and what you can do to help, visit The Canadian Women’s Foundation.

Boogie – Rainy Days ft. Eminem (2019)

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By Mina Wiebe

On first listen, there’s not really anything revolutionary about Boogie’s new track “Rainy Days”, but its catchiness pulls you in. The first time I heard it I was in the back of my friend’s car after a night of drinking, and I don’t know if it was the booze or the song itself, but my initial impression of the track was that of indifference. The words “bitches” and “hoes” filled my ears, and almost instinctively, I ignored the lyrics and focused on the beat. I don’t know about you, but when I hear lyrics like “I cheat on my queen for a hoe” and “[b]itch, I’m thirsty and blessed”, I sort of assume that the lyrics aren’t going to be anything worth paying attention to. But when you look past the sexist undertones, there’s actually some unexpected substance.

The melancholic chorus tell you exactly what the song is about: “I’ve been thuggin’ through my rainy days for days”. Boogie proceeds to rap about about his past rainy days, how he came from “a place where the shit can get shady” and how his chances were slim. Although it’s not uncommon for rappers to write lyrics about their past struggles, there’s a reason they continue to do so: everyone loves an underdog who comes out on top, and that’s exactly what Boogie does with this song.

Then Eminem comes in, rapping about his own past struggles that he’s had to overcome. “I left my legacy hurt? Fuckin’ absurd” he raps, with his usual anger-filled tone. Like Boogie, Eminem has had his fair share of past struggles, particularly with facing vast amounts of criticism for his often controversial lyrics. Both artists use the lyrics as a way to vent and show people that despite the hardships they’ve faced, they’ve still managed to come out on top. Again, there’s nothing revolutionary about this, but there’s something satisfying about the success of an underdog. Some may say the song is a boastful display of arrogance, but I’d say it’s two people who have worked their asses off and are rightfully proud of overcoming their rainy days.

Andy Black, “The Ghost of Ohio” (The Ghost Of Ohio,2019)

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Lead singer Andy Black from the metal/rock band Black veil Brides just released his 2nd solo album titled “The Ghost of Ohio”. The title track that holds the same name reveals his haunted history located in his hometown Ohio. As Andy mentioned the  purpose of this concept album was to act as a soundtrack for his latest comic book. He mentions in Alternative press that “the focus was to do songs that felt like they represented, in terms of tone, the different emotions of the story.”At first listen I was surprised by the electronic and upbeat sound, since it contrast heavily to the melancholy Gothic songs I was used to listening.

The song uses minimal instrumentation throughout verses that allows you to focus on the story being told. Although, he was looked down upon fans for using auto tune, I believe it was done creatively to create a ghostly sound. The auto tune created echos which gave that haunting aura. His reflective vocals sound as if he is talking to himself, and his echoed voice comes back to haunt him. The echos in his vocals emphasize the haunting concept. As well, the repeated lyric “I am the ghost of Ohio” reflects back past childhood anxieties and obsessions. He constantly assures his listeners that he indeed the ghost looking back into his mentally fearful past.

This song expresses the idea of not feeling like you belong in your hometown, but yet it’s apart of you that you can’t escape. The beauty of this song is that it can connect to those who feel out of place in their roots. The tone of this song seems cheerful despite its melancholy lyrics, and this emotion of feeling confused is exactly what Andy wants to show. Sometimes we don’t know where we belong, but we can’t escape the haunting memories that stay in our hometown.

“Two of Us” by Louis Tomlinson (LT1, 2019)

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Death is something that if you’ve ever had the misfortune of experiencing, it can be unexpected and it is final. Dealing with it isnt much better– grief can be slow and painful and takes some time for your heart and mind to heal from the loss of a loved one.

Louis Tomlinson has taken his time and is now writing this song, two years after his mother had passed away from leukemia. Instead of the song being a heart-wrenching ballad, which the song does come across as at first listen, he makes the song powerful, beautiful and hopeful. The more you listen to it and its lyrics, the less sad and more optimistic you feel.

In an interview with the artist, he came out to speak about the song, about why it was time to finally write it and why his mom was such an important person in his life, the strength he found in himself because of his mom’s love for him and vice versa.

 It feels really liberating. … just had to bite the bullet and f***ing do it. I knew I needed to write this song, but I was a bit scared of it. I’m not at the stage in my grief where I’m going to open the first verse and burst into tears … I don’t want people to get caught up in the sadness of it, the song should be hopeful.

Something that was done really nicely with this track was the simplicity that went into every layer of the song. The piano in the beginning is balanced with the synsthesized voices of the chorus behind Tomlinson’s voice, and the wave rolling up to the chorus doesn’t come crashing down hard on the track, but the upbeat drum brings a change in tone and mood, reminding the listener that the song isn’t supposed to be lamenting on the past. The organic and basic structure of the song didn’t make one element overpower the others; Tomlinson’s vocals never drastically alter as he sings, nor do the instrumentals change– everything stays relatively consistent all throughout, and makes the song a lovely sentiment allowing the lyrics and meaning to shine through just as much as the sound does.

This song is important to listen to, for that time when you’re missing that one person and you feel like the world is dealing you the wrong cards, but his message of hopefulness is what lasted with me, the idea that there’s light inside the dark, his lyrics in the chorus, “I will be the best of me, always keep you next to me/ I’ll be living one life for the two of us” reminds me to sty strong and not to dwell on the things that make me sad but to also remember all the good in my life thus far.

Tomlinson reminds his listeners that its okay to be sad an cry, its okay to grieve, but its picking yourself back up afterwards that’s really important and to dance through your life in joy rather than strife.

-Genna Dara

“So Am I” by Ava Max

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by Danielle Bulhoes

Ava Max’s song “So Am I” is a fun, poppy hit that’s pretty formulaic in its sound. Max tries to distinguish herself with her lyrics though, selling the listener on how it’s okay to be unique and different when the music to her song does none of that. It’s a very odd mixture of lyrics and melody.

I’ve heard songs that mix happy lyrics with sombre or haunting melodies, or sad lyrics with upbeat tunes. Those times, these songs I had listened to had a duality to them. I could appreciate both sides of what the artist was trying to do and how the blend of expressions allowed for a more nuanced listening of the track.

Max’s track doesn’t really do that for me. To me, it sounds like she’s trying to fit in with the ‘hipster/outcast’ crowd in order to sell her music. It comes off as a little inauthentic and contrived. It’s filled with cliched lines of how it’s fine to not fit in while the buoyant music very much tries to fit into the popular music scene.  

I think my favourite lines from the lyrics are, “Do you ever feel like an outcast? /You don’t have to fit into the format/ Oh, but it’s ok to be different/ ‘Cause baby, so am I”.

Really?

And that message of being different and not having to “fit into the format”, is the most effective when paired with a high energy pop beat that’s probably being blasted through a neon-lit club right now?

“So Am I” by Ava Max is an okay track that’s perky and fun, but the lyrics are seriously out of place here, creating a disconnection between the form and the message. It is ok to be different, but I don’t think the best way to be different is to conform to popular music just to sell your single.

Hozier, “Almost (Sweet Music)” (Wasteland, Baby!, 2019)

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by Chelsea Ives

Classic 1930’s and 40’s jazz songs are artfully embedded in the lyrics of Hozier’s new song, “Almost (Sweet Music)”. The song pays homage to a number of classical artists such as Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald by integrating song titles, lyrics, and the names of these iconic artists throughout the song. Hozier has created an intriguing and satisfying melody which is pleasant to the ear and the soul.

The Irish indie-rocker keeps his toes in soul, blues, folk, and R&B music for inspiration. The fourth song on Hozier’s newest album, “Almost (Sweet Music)” is a refreshingly different and expressive song, which truly gives fans the history of his inspiration. Opening with hand claps and a catchy beat, the song is a clever mash-up of jazz/soul song titles and artists who influenced Hozier himself in his musical tastes while he was growing up. Sometimes referencing only the artist, sometimes just the name of a song, and sometimes both: “Do I owe each kiss to lip and cheek as soft as Chet can sing ‘Let’s Get Lost’” in the second verse, Hozier pays tribute to Chet Baker’s song, “Let’s Get Lost”.

In an interview with Entertainment, Hozier said that “Almost (Sweet Music)” was “a fun song writing challenge. I was also eager to point to some of the music that shaped my formative years […] it was a way to leave little bread crumbs for younger fans to follow a path to check those songs out”. You can hear a playlist of the songs Hozier pays homage to here.

Hozier released his newest album early March 2019 entitled, Wasteland, Baby! The album touches on important themes such as politics and religion. Billboard recorded this as the first rock album to top the Billboard 200 so far in 2019. It is Hozier’s second studio album.

Hozier’s, “Almost (Sweet Music)” appeared on his newest studio album, Wasteland, Baby! Released March 1, 2019.

Billie Eilish “wish you were gay” (2019)

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           Even though Billie Eilish’s new released track, “wish you were gay” sounds like a simple ballad, there are so many hidden elements in it that are heard each time you press the play button. What makes this track unique is that it is written by Billie and her brother, and it gears away from her “possessive act” in her other latest released track “Bury A Friend.” It is gentle and warm with pinches of twisted characteristics that follow throughout.

           “Wish you were gay” begins with nothing but Billie’s tenderly soft vocals and a raw acoustic guitar to follow; however, this changes quickly after the first verse is sung because it drops a reverb and a sub-bass that causes a rippling effect throughout the rest of the track. The tempo is easy to follow because it is a slowed down “boom boom clap” that is heard in Queen’s admired song “We Will Rock You.” The tempo also works as a metaphor for the hidden audience that can be heard engaging and cheering on Billie through her breakup story. My favorite lines in the track are “I just kind of wish you were gay/ To spare my pride/ To give your lack of interest an explanation” because that way Billie, me, you, and everyone on the face of this earth as a legitimate excuse for their breakup. The track ends like the beginning, soft vocals and acoustics, but fades out with the sound of an audience’s warped clapping. It leaves you wondering what the next song on the album is going to be.

 Billie’s upcoming album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is set to release this March 29th. With two really well thought out songs already released from this album, I am curious to hear what other hidden elements are included in it.

-Maria

“Empty” – Juice WRLD (Death Race For Love, 2019)

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Upcoming rapper Juice WRLD has just released his highly anticipated second studio album “DeathRace For Love” yesterday on March 9th. The rapper first came onto the scene in 2018 when he released “Lucid Dreams” and has been putting out massive hits since. On the newest album, he explores themes of love and heartbreak, and the song “empty” in my opinion perfectly captures what a new listener to Juice WRLD can expect from his music.

Like on many of his other tracks, Juice WRLD doesn’t tend to stick to one method of vocals. Throughout the track he switches back and forth from singing to rapping and often switches up his flow every few bars. This accompanied with the amazing producing makes for an interesting sound and although the song would appear to be sad to anyone looking at the lyrics, Juice WRLD keeps a very upbeat, buoyant sound, primarily due to his powerful singing. In fact I think this is what has made Juice WRLD so popular especially among the younger generations, is his ability to rap about sad things but not produce sad emotions in his listeners. For Example, on the track Juice WRLD says things like  “Empty, I feel so goddamn empty/I may go rogue/Don’t tempt me, big bullet holes” and while this sounds quite depressing, you wouldn’t feel depressed while listening to it. Juice WRLD is great at successfully making his songs relatable and compelling to anyone feeling sad while also not creating more sadness for his listeners, which makes his music perfect break up music.

Overall, although Juice WRLD isn’t a lyrical or even musical genius by any means, he makes music that is real to him and yet stays fun as well, “Empty” is just another track where he successfully does this.

“Record Shop” – Said the Whale (Cascadia, 2019)

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By Michaela Maxey

Said the Whale released their sixth studio album Cascadia on February 8th, and it’s unlike anything they’ve done before. This album has essences of folk, alternative rock, and indie, making each track unique as they constantly vary between these genres. Yet, “Record Shop” sticks closer to the rock sound their known for and makes it seem a bit out of place on the album. Nonetheless, it’s a solid track that anyone can nod along to.

The track explores a love for music that makes it easy to escape into another world. As the narrator in the track faces heartbreak, he’s able to find some sort of peace at the record shop. Ultimately, being there and listening to music is the one way that he can feel better. Although the song is somewhat metronomic in its delivery, there is a sweet harmonizing in the middle that is a nice and unexpected twist. This harmonizing makes the track feel inclusive by creating a unity amongst the bandmates while inviting the listener to join in and celebrate with them. As the track winds down, the keyboard becomes a bit imperfect in its sound and the volume slowly fades to nothing. Somehow, Said the Whale has perfectly captured the image of the needle of a record player moving across the record. They also reenact the brief moments of silence between tracks on a record and truly make me forget that I’m listening to it through Spotify.

For all music junkies out there, there’s no doubt that this song will resonate with you. Said the Whale captures our dilemma with the simple lyric,“I wish that I could drop a million bucks.” Until the time comes that we can drop some serious cash at our local record stores, we’ll have to stick with Said the Whale who seem to truly understand the plights of a music junkie.


Cage the Elephant, “Ready to Let Go” (Social Cues, 2019)

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By: Julia Ristoska

Cage the Elephant return with their new single “Ready to Let Go” from their upcoming fifth studio album Social Cues which will be fully released April 19th. This upbeat song can be portrayed as a perfect “I am moving on from my relationship” anthem. This song is about failed relationships and learning as a individual you must learn to take control of the situation and move on. This connected deeply to lead singer Matt Shultz who just recently divorced his wife of seven years. Although the song “Ready to Let Go” talks about moving on it wasn’t such an easy journey for Matt. In the Rolling Stone article his band mate and brother mentioned that during the making of the album Brad confessed, “we’d think he was getting back to normal, then he would melt down.There was a fair amount of self-medication and intense isolation.”

His emotional instability that developed after the divorce reflects in the song. The drums are bouncy, the guitars are bright and polished which reminds me of Arctic Monkeys. Yet the instrumentation creates a cheerful tone. However, when focusing on his voice the strong and aggressive way he pronounces each word creates a very angry tone. It can be taken as passive aggressive, and makes you wonder if he moved on or saying he did just to trick his mind in believing so. The structure and lyrics of the draws listeners attentions since there is a sense of melancholy behind it despite it being a catchy radio friendly tune. Unlike their older songs like “trouble” the lyrics has a melancholy undertone as he sings, “don’t you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it// I’ma strike these matches, never had control//I’m ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself?//I’ma spread these ashes, never had control/I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready to let go.”

There is an emotional core in his lyrics that shows his relationship unfolding. Matt was very clever to structure the lyrics that has a hidden message, and requires multiple listens to get the story. In the beginning he even alludes to Pompeii, which is significant since it’s a trip he and his wife decided they needed a divorce.

There is a wave of emotions in the song and if you listen closely you can feel the pain of the breakup. However, if you came across the song on the radio it’s easy to bob your head to, and not pay attention to its meaning. The catchy instrumentation almost acts like a bandage to cover his sorrowfulness.