Thursday, December 31, 2015

Year in Review (part 2)

In the past, my "year in review" blog posts included both my listings of favorite songs AND important events of the year. However, that made those blog posts way too long to hold reader's attention.

So this time, I'll just put my listings of my favorite songs of the year in a separate blog post, in which, it'll be this one


---------------

Obviously everyone is talking Adele, her huge sales and her hit "Hello".

But my vote for song of the year goes to .................................


...................... Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face"

 

That was the ultimate dance song for all the clubs this year!

I also predict this will be THE SONG that will be played right after midnight tonight at many clubs & block parties!

 As for Weeknd's other songs, I think Weeknd is trying to be the early 80's version of Micheal Jackson with all the scary themes for the songs! Some are just too depressing for me! I'll just stick with his club jams!

============


Taylor Swift has long been known for her "I'm mad at my ex's" songs.  

But she had a more positive loving song "Style" this year.


Taylor Swift "Style"





But for those who are a fan of her "I'm mad at my ex's" songs, there was "Bad Blood" featuring Kendrick Lamar!


Taylor Swift & Kendrick Lamar "Bad Blood"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo


-------------

I remember last year's post, I mentioned about Omarion's "Post to Be" (featuring Chris Brown & Jhene Aiko). At the time, I was so recent that it didn't hit the mainstream radio waves yet.  But it did this year, even with Aiko's "eat that booty.like groceries"  line in tact!


It was funny to read in an interview that Jhene Aiko made that because she was tired of being known for serious, depressing songs!  But that song exposed her to a larger audience who only knows her for "booty" &"groceries" line! Oh, well, be careful what you wish for!



Also last year's song that finally made the hits this year include


Walk the Moon's "Dance with Me",  which had a funny video and got airplay from not just the alternative and pop stations, but even some hip-hop/R&B stations too! It was just so good that it transcends genres



Walk the Moon "Shut Up and Dance with Me"

---

 Justin Beiber was at a crossroads this year! He went from cute teen pop star to studio gangsta throwing eggs and treating the freeways like a race track in the recent past! It was time to show that he could make a smoother transition from teen pop star to mature pop star like that other Justin ....... Timberlake!

You know what? Bieber came out with some really good stuff this year!   He started with the EDM flavored track "Where are You Know", but that was just an appetizer for the even greater tracks to come, including.......

"What do You Mean"  - a very nice smooth track. I was very impressed with this one!

"Sorry"  - this song even got the 21+ clubgoers filling the dance floors!

And he ended the year with   .............. "Love Yourself" 

----

Earlier this year, Ellie Goulding seemed like she was going to have Adele's status, especially with "Outside" and (from the movie "50 Shades of Grey") "Love Me Like You Do"

 


 Had that song came out in November (instead of January) , it would've given Adele some serious competition for top female singer of the year!

--


Nelly, who had major hits in the early 2000s, hasn't had a hit in while, making people wonder if he still has in it him. So yes he does!

Nelly collaborated with Jeremih for a song inspired by Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing". Different lyrics to modernize a classic, making it into another classic : "The Fix"



--------



Speaking of nostalgia, Owl City has brought back the childhood joys of 90s kids like myself with his collaboration with Hanson on "It's Unebelievable" 



Owl City w/Hanson "Unbelievable"



------------------------------=


The ones mentioned above are what would be mega-hits on my list



 I'll just mention the other great songs under the category headlines





Other Pop/R&B songs

Eden XO had her "Weekend" song (not to be confused with "The Weeknd") with had that bubblegum teen pop sound, with the remix coming with the King of Crunk --- Lil Jon!



-----

 Carly Rae Jepsen showed the world she's not just a one-album wonder this year, with "I Really Like You".

The video showing Tom Hanks lip-singing her voice was hilarious

---


 Natalie LaRose brought that late80s/early90s flava with "Somebody" (featuring Jeremih)



She also had a slower song featuring Fetty Wap "Around the World"



-------------


Pia Mia came straight outta Guam, and made a hit "Do It Again" featuring Tyga & Chris Brown.

That song came with some minor controversy out in the Pacific Islands, because it had the same chorus as "Let's Do It Again",  a reggae song by the Samoan singer J-Boog!  Being that Pia Mia looked Latino, but is from Guam, some people took it personal that she "stole" their favorite songs. But J-Boog gave her permission to use his song for her song!


-------


Jason DeRulo had the song of the summer "Want to Want Me"


Other summer songs like Demi Lovato "Cool for the Summer" and Afrojack/Mike Taylor's "Summer Thing" were great songs that would've had more impact had they come earlier in the summer, or maybe in May when people are getting ready for the summer!  That said, they'll still be favorites for many more summers to come!

--------
Other pop songs


Halsey sang about the "New Americana, where the youth smoke legal marijuana and are influenced by Biggie & Nirvana. She even included the hook from Biggie's "Juicy" into her song! :) 


Fifth Harmony had their girl power hit "Worth It" featuring Kid Ink

Ariana Grande's "One Last Time"

 Tinashe's "All Hands on Deck"






-----


Hip-Hop


The latest  new mega-star in hip-hop was Fetty Wap!   Coming straight outta Patterson, New Jersey!

He had hits like "Trap Queen" and "My Way" which I found the beats too depressing!

But he did impress me big time with "679" (featuring the Remy Boys), 


as well as his song with  comedy rapper Lil Dicky "Save Dat Money"


Lil Dicky also had other funny stuff with "Lemme Freak" and "Sports"


----------


Wiz Khalifa started the year with making the ultimate jam for the club-goers "You and Your Friends " (featuring Ty $ and Snoop Dogg)

But then he showed that he can make serious & sensitve songs too, with his tribute to actor Paul Walker  with "See You Again" (featuring Charlie Puth)

It's great to see songs celebrating inter-racial friendships in an era where idiot activists complain about "cultural appropriation" & "micro-aggressions" any time a white person interacts with a non-white person! 

-----------------

Talking about this so-called "cultural appropriation", we have Macklemore, long targeted by anti-white haters. As mentioned in previous blog posts, anti-white idiot activist Britney Cooper went ballistic when Macklemore won a Grammy in the hip-hop category!

Well guess what Britney Cooper, YOU ARE NOT the ultimate authority in hip-hop, the Hip-Hop forefathers are! And another GUESS WHAT for Britney Cooper.......................... The Hip-Hop forefathers are totally cool with Macklemore!  

Proof? Melly Mel, Kool Moe Dee and Grandmaster Caz made appearances in Macklemore's "Downtown"


Macklemore with Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz


And you know what else? I believe Macklemore deserves another Grammy for another his song "Growing Up" (his rapping advice to his son)

If anyone doesn't like it.................. well go make a better song! 

 ----------------

 Pitbull continued his reign as  Mr Worldwide with his party song "Fun"(featuring Chris Brown). He also had "This is Not a Drill"  and a song with new teen pop star Prince Royce & legendary J.Lo with "Back it Up"


And also from Florida is .............. Flo Rida, who  came back with his club banger "GDFR"  (Going Down For Real), though I wish his "Once in a Lifetime" got more airplay, because I was really impressed with that song!



----


Usher showed that he respects a woman's choice to work in the strip club with  "I Dont Mind" (featuring Juicy J)


-------------

Every year, there's a song that comes with it's own dance! This time, it's a song that combines the dances from recent rap songs. That combo song for the year is Silento's "Whip, Nae Nae".

But don't call Silento a one-hit wonder, because he made an appearance in Dawin's "Dessert"

 -----

Tech n9ne had a long career as an underground star who had great success without much radio airplay. But just like Bay Area legends E40 & Too Short did in the 2000s, Tech n9ne finally got a mainstream hit after years of underground success.  That hit was "Hood Go Crazy" (featuring BOB & 2Chainz)

 --------------

 Did you like Nate Dogg's flow in the classic "Ain't No Fun" but weren't happy with Kurupt's ripping the mic with his misogyny in the same song?

Well, Tuxedo came to the rescue this year with "Number One", which basically has the same beat as "Ain't No Fun" but without the angry rants!  


Tuxedo also had another great song "Do It".   I wish that one had more airplay too!


---------------


Nicki Minaj was mad that her "Annaconda" didn't get an MTV award nomination and played the race card! Nevermind that Dis N Dat (also African-American female rappers) did a MUCH BETTER JOB  covering another 90's booty rap jam "Whoop There it is", but without even 1% of the recognition that Nicki Minaj has!


However, I think Nicki Minaj's "The Night is Still Young" was a much better song




The song was much more meaningful and represents making great memories with friends!  THAT should've received awards!



Nick Minaj also had  a great song with Drake & Lil Wayne "Truffle Butter" 

 -------------

Other hip-hop hits I liked


Ty $ with Charli XCX & Tinashe "Drop that Kitty"
Christina Milian w/ Lil Wayne "Do It" 
Jidenna "Classic Man" 



EDM

Zedd is back making great productions with star female singers. This time it was with Selena Gomes for "I Want You to Know"


 
Zedd w/Selena Gomes "I Want You to Know"


-------------

DJ Snake had a song with Dillon Francis "Get Low" which came out last year, but didn't hit until this year when it appeared on the "Fast 7" soundtrack.



DJ Snake collaborated w/ Major Lazer for "Lean On", a major EDM hit of the year! 


 DJ Snake also had "You Know You Like it" which had the sweet voice of Aluna George and the sick beat between the verses! 


----



Diplo w/ Sleepy Tom did an EDM remake of the early 90's R&B  sexy classic by Jade "Don't Walk Away", though the EDM version is titled "Be There for You" bu the lyrics are exactly the same!  Too bad the EDM version didn't have the orgasmic sounds of the original (hint, hint)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIJ5XvZeb-k



--------

Other EDM classics of the year


Chainsmokers "Roses"
Alesso w/ Tove Lo "Heroes (We Could Be)"
Milk & Cookie "Monster (Status Remix)"
Lost Kings /Jessame "Bad" 



------------

Rock


I used to be a major rock fan and I still like some of the classics. But rock music has faded from mainstream radio, and much of what appears in "alternative rock" stations could be better classified as "EDM" or "pop". 

Sorry rock bands, but I just haven't paid much close attention! 

But I did like Dirty Youth's "The One", which mixed the 80's style metal with some electronic sounds 



I hope some new rock band can bring the energy of Andrew WK, the heaviness of Pantera and rise to the popularity once held by Guns N Roses!   That rock band would probably have to add elements of EDM, pop or hip-hop to at least a few tracks so that it can transcend genres and get major attention!   


===========================



Anyway's my list of 2015 classics is just my opinion! Please don't take it personal if your opinions don't match mine! 

Also, some songs that might've came out this year may not hit until next year, or maybe one of those songs that I might hear on the late night radio mixes but I haven't written the title yet!

One more disclaimer: I don't have time to input links for every song  mentioned on this post! Again, dont take it personal!