fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Nov 25, 2017 15:14:31 GMT -5
So.... I just had this idea of doing a weekly album review (depends on my schedule so it might end up being bi-weekly or monthly) where I review albums, but the catch is that I don't decide which albums I should listen to! YOU get to tell me which albums I should listen to! This is a part of my effort to become more of an album listener since I'm a very singles-oriented listener as of right now. I think I'll have a Google Form where I'll ask you for submissions or maybe do it through PM, I haven't really decided on the logistics of it. I might also do weekly/monthly themes (probably basic ones such as genre or groups etc.). But I just wanted to gauge your reactions first! Any feedback will be appreciated! Links to reviews:December 2017 (spilled over into January 2018) - Must Listens Before 2017 Ends1. reputation - Taylor Swift
2. ÷ - Ed Sheeran3. Witness - Katy Perry4. Love the Way You See Me - Stephanie Quayle5. The Storm - ZZ Ward6. January 2018 - Albums Nominated at the 2018 Grammys1. 2. Taking suggestions for January!
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YotamTS
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Post by YotamTS on Nov 25, 2017 15:35:50 GMT -5
Sounds like a cool idea, I definitely have one album to submit (it might be related to my profile picture ;))
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born
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Post by born on Nov 25, 2017 16:15:25 GMT -5
This is great and also a nice way to get into some new music! I'm excited :)
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Post by fearlessarrow on Nov 25, 2017 19:19:10 GMT -5
Ok so I've decided on using Google Forms for this, and you can enter up to 3 albums that I should listen to! And December's theme is: Must Listens Before 2017 EndsBasically any album you suggest has to have been released this year. As simple as that. Could be from any artist and any genre. I haven't decided whether to pick the most voted for albums (I might do that for the first album) because I wanted a balance of albums, so I might pick some at my discretion as well out of the list you will send me! The submission form is here: goo.gl/forms/JmoxGeuzLYdiCFIm1I'm going to tag people who've liked my OP, showed support on Discord, people who I tag in my personal charts, and some of my close friends on Pulse (if you don't want to be tagged please tell me!): born Mylo13 💜 YotamTS @mirza Normi Leo ✔ LBTrocks bboat11 zaclord 🌈 Doc Indie Party Rock sergejdordij .indulgecountry chicken077 DistrictTwelve
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Post by chicken077 on Nov 25, 2017 19:51:00 GMT -5
Just filled out the form! Can't wait for this! :)
I'm also not too much of an albums listener either so perhaps I'll take a listen to some of the albums you review!
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born
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Post by born on Nov 25, 2017 19:53:34 GMT -5
How will we know if you've listened to an album or not?
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MilesW1998
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Post by MilesW1998 on Nov 25, 2017 19:56:06 GMT -5
Submitted!
I kind of wish there were more recommendations, because I had like 20 to think of.
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Nov 25, 2017 19:58:22 GMT -5
How will we know if you've listened to an album or not? It's OK if you submit an album I've listened to before! Chances are I don't even remember most of the album tracks since I usually go through albums only once! Submitted! I kind of wish there were more recommendations, because I had like 20 to think of. I'll take that into account next time. If you want, you can PM me the rest! I limited it to 3 since I'll probably only be reviewing one album per week and I wanted to limit my choices.
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Mylo13 💜
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Post by Mylo13 💜 on Nov 25, 2017 21:46:01 GMT -5
Consider it filled out :)
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Post by fearlessarrow on Nov 26, 2017 1:31:57 GMT -5
Wow I've already gotten 5 lists! This is going to be hard to pick...
I was originally thinking of keeping the submissions open until the end of the upcoming week, but maybe I'll cut it off tomorrow night since there's been so many lists already...
Last but not least, thanks to everyone who has submitted a list! I very much appreciate it! There's been 3 albums that I have gotten multiple votes for so far!
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Post by sergejdordij on Nov 26, 2017 16:00:52 GMT -5
And submitted the list! Wow, hard to pick 3 albums. Also, that gives me a similar idea, I kinda wanted to do this too. I'm looking forward to your future album reviews, I might also check those albums out that you review!
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Post by fearlessarrow on Nov 27, 2017 1:34:35 GMT -5
So I forgot to ask who submitted what, so if you could let me know which ones you submitted through PM, that would be great! Sorry for the trouble!
I'll have the first album decided in the next few days!
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Post by fearlessarrow on Nov 30, 2017 1:27:14 GMT -5
I'm hoping to announce the first album sometime tomorrow! (it may end up moving to Friday since I'm fairly busy tomorrow)
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 7, 2017 11:15:11 GMT -5
So I've been putting this off for a while because my schoolwork is CRAZY this time of the year, but I'm going to announce the first album that I will review! And it is.... *insert drum roll* reputation - Taylor Swift This album was tied with Katy Perry's Witness for the most amount of votes (as well as points, I counted 3 points for #1, 2 points for #2, 1 point for #3 to use as a tiebreaker but it ended up being the same lol), and it's the perfect album to kick off this review series since Taylor's my #1 artist! Taylor also dominated a lot of conversations about pop music in the latter half of the year, and reputation is the best-selling album (in terms of pure sales) in the US this year as well. Also it's easier on my finals schedule since it's an album I've listened to before, so the newer listens will be coming when I head into winter break! During winter break I'll try to do maybe 2-3 reviews per week since I'll have more time though! My goal is to listen to at least review one pick from each person by the end of the year!
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Mylo13 💜
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Post by Mylo13 💜 on Dec 10, 2017 18:13:16 GMT -5
Yay! :)
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 23, 2017 2:55:01 GMT -5
Album #1: reputation - Taylor Swift
Tracklist: 1. ...Ready for It? 2. End Game (feat. Ed Sheeran & Future) 3. I Did Something Bad 4. Don't Blame Me 5. Delicate 6. Look What You Made Me Do 7. So It Goes... 8. Gorgeous 9. Getaway Car 10. King of My Heart 11. Dancing with Our Hands Tied 12. Dress 13. This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things 14. Call It What You Want 15. New Year's Day My review:"...Ready for It?" - 92/100 (A-) I felt like this was a nice opener for the album. It definitely sets the badass (?) tone for the whole album. Taylor's delivery on the verses can be a bit cringeworthy at times, but chorus is super catchy, especially the "baby let the games begin" part. I like how it builds up, although the first verse/first chorus can be a bit uneventful. "End Game" - 97/100 (A) When I first heard rumors about this collaboration, I couldn't imagine Taylor and Future on the same song. However, it ended up working very well, granted Future doesn't add to the song a lot in my opinion. I personally thought everyone sounded good in this song. My favorite part of the song is definitely the "big reputation" chant, which I find to be VERY catchy although I can totally see how it would be super grating to some other people. I also liked how Taylor referenced Ed's "The A Team" in the "I wanna be your A Team" lyric. I really appreciate these small details. I can totally understand how US pop radio chose this to play, it's one of the standouts from the album. I can see it faring well on rhythmic radio as well, although it's been doing better on HAC than rhythmic as of right now. "I Did Something Bad" - 88/100 (B+) The piano riff in the back really creates a creepy/haunting vibe that this song's verses have. I like the contrast between the creepy verses and the chorus that goes all out (or bombastic chorus?), although I'm not too big of a fan of shouty vocals, so that's a bit of a minus for me there. I also like the claps that are added in the second verses to create a buildup effect. The song seems to be kind of like a darker version of "Blank Space" to be honest considering its lyrical theme. This wouldn't be a bad single either. "Don't Blame Me" - 74/100 (C) Probably one of my least favorite songs from reputation. I can see the appeal of the song, but I'm not a fan of the melody of the song at all. The chorus is also a bit too slow and the song itself is a bit too unexciting for my liking. This also might be a potential single choice. "Delicate" - 98/100 (A) A very nice change of pace from 4 upbeat songs. I really like the production in this one, and the vocal effects (the echo) on this song complement the song's vibe very well. It's also nice to see a vulnerable side from Taylor here considering this whole album presents a badass Taylor in general. I also love how the lyrics are very descriptive of sceneries, it's very Taylor. "Look What You Made Me Do" - 86/100 (B) I love the pre-chorus in this song. The verses do a good job of building hype for the song, and then in the pre-chorus Taylor sings her words faster and claps are introduced, and this both makes the buildup even more intense. And the chorus falls a bit flat, and it gets old really quick. However, this song introduced us to the iconic "I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now, why? Oh, cause she's dead!" part, so all is good. "So It Goes..." - 81/100 (B-) This song is a bit tamer than her other badass tracks, and I actually like the subdued delivery (especially in the chorus) as the loud and even shouty vocals were getting old pretty quickly. Although that is a double-edged sword as the track doesn't stand out like the others do. The bridge is also a non-event, which doesn't really help either. "Gorgeous" - 79/100 (C+) Overall a catchy but kind of a throwaway track in my opinion. The production reminds me of "Out of the Woods" from 1989, and this song is one of the songs that are more similar to 1989 than other songs on the album. I get that when talking about how someone is so gorgeous it can often times be very shallow, and the lyrics reflect that, but I'm not a fan of the lyrics of this song. Not to mention the chorus is a bit too high for her. I don't really like when she says "gorgeous" in the chorus. "Getaway Car" - 100/100 (A+) THE standout track from reputation in my opinion. Another song that sounds 1989-esque. The instrumentation is perfect on this song, I love every bit of it!! This is a very particular point, but I think how clear Taylor's enunciation of the words are in the chorus adds to the song, especially when she says "No nothing good starts in a getaway car"!!!! I love how the key change is immediately after the second chorus finishes without lowering the energy level of the song (as opposed to toned down bridge and then a key change at the last chorus), it adds to the dramaticness towards the end of the song. "King of My Heart" - 75/100 (C) I don't like the vocal effects on this song, and the trap beat is kind of getting old at this point in the album. I still don't like her bombastic vocals here either, but the melody is pretty good. As you can see, I actually don't have much to say about this song... "Dancing with Our Hands Tied" - 90/100 (A-) I like how the verses and the chorus have contrast. When I'm listening to the verses, I almost get the same feeling as when I'm listening to drum-and-bass. How the drums are used in this song makes me feel like the song is going faster than it actually is and gives the song momentum. And then the chorus is synth-driven, and slows down the song for the big bang. Really cool song. "Dress" - 70/100 (C-) I just didn't find anything exciting about the song. The chorus is pretty much in the high range where Taylor's voice is thinner than usual, which I'm not a big fan of. It sounds like a filler track to me to be quite honest. "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" - 83/100 (B) This to me felt like a mix between this album's theme (the trap beat etc.) and "New Romantics". You can definitely tell by the trap beat that this belongs on reputation, but everything else sounds like it could've been on 1989. The chorus is bombastic on this one, but for some reason it doesn't bother me here. It rather gives the song an anthemic feel. "Call It What You Want" - 96/100 (A) Again, a more subdued and chill track that I really like. This was probably my favorite from the pre-release tracks ("...Ready for It?" was close though). The production sounds dreamy and fits the song very well, and the trap beat is suppressed enough to not mess with the whole chill vibe of the song. The album is beat-driven a lot of the times, so this is another fresh breath of air. It manages to be catchy at the same time too! "New Year's Day" - 90/100 (A-) This sounds like nothing else on the album, and it makes sense why this track is the closing track of this album. This is like a complete 180 from the beat-driven and production-heavy album that came before this track and goes back to Taylor's acoustic roots. The previous track being "Call It What You Want" softens the blow of the shock, but it's still surprising to hear this tacked on this album. The lyrics are very Taylor Swift, and I love how well she paints pictures of sceneries in her songs, which I think is her strong point as a songwriter! Maybe the old Taylor isn't completely dead... Overall score of the tracks: 1299/1500 = 86.6%Comments about the whole album:As an album, the trap beat and her bombastic choruses were a bit overused in my opinion, and the album seemed less diverse than her recent previous offerings. But then the upside of that is that the album was very cohesive in sound. Maybe I need to let some of the songs grow more on me or it's my personal taste, but some of the individual tracks were one of the weakest I've seen from a Taylor Swift album. I applaud Taylor for stepping out of her comfort sonically, but the album partially gives off a trying-too-hard vibe as well. Interestingly enough, the tracks I liked the most were the ones that sounded closer to her 1989 songs or the more chill, subdued tracks. Overall album rating (factoring in cohesiveness etc.): 86% (B)
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 23, 2017 3:20:09 GMT -5
I'm going to for sure do Ed Sheeran's ÷ and Katy Perry's Witness next as it got multiple votes. The schedule for December looks like this (in no particular order, and this is tentative): ÷ - Ed Sheeran Witness - Katy Perry Love the Way You See Me - Stephanie Quayle The Storm - ZZ Ward A Deeper Understanding - The War On Drugs [this wasn't the first pick from the person who picked it, but Summertime Madness has me interested in them so I'm going with this one] Harry Styles - Harry Styles Unapologetically - Kelsea Ballerini (I have to do the Kelsea RD so why not write a review with it, right?) If I have time, I'll try to pick from the rest of the picks you all submitted!! And for whoever picked Lorde's Melodrama or Kesha's Rainbow, the next month's theme is Grammy-nominated albums (for the 2018 Grammys) so I plan to review those then if you want me to!!
Here is the submission form for January (and this time I didn't forget to ask your username!): goo.gl/forms/CoU1eRCLqDQ5gvZX2
Tagging people who I tag for my personal charts/commented here/liked my OP .indulgecountry bboat11 Leo ✔ chicken077 Doc Indie Party Rock sergejdordij Normi zaclord 🌈 born DistrictTwelve Kanenrá:ke @mirza YotamTS Mylo13 💜 MilesW1998
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Post by Mylo13 💜 on Dec 23, 2017 3:56:47 GMT -5
Yay, good job Fearless!
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on Dec 23, 2017 13:00:20 GMT -5
Huh I don't exactly remember which albums I asked you to listen to but I believe ZZ was one so yay!
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Post by Bwol on Dec 23, 2017 13:08:35 GMT -5
yaasssss Getaway Car is incredible. It doesn’t get enough attention tbh.
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Post by deepston on Dec 23, 2017 15:05:26 GMT -5
Finally someone appreciating DWOHT!
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 23, 2017 19:19:59 GMT -5
yaasssss Getaway Car is incredible. It doesn’t get enough attention tbh. Yes @ the love for "Getaway Car"!! It's so flawless imo :) Finally someone appreciating DWOHT! I know that DWOHT isn't one of the tracks people talk about from reputation, but I think it's a pretty solid track and one of the better upbeat songs on the album! I'm glad you seem to like that song too :)
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 23, 2017 21:16:40 GMT -5
÷ - Ed Sheeran
Tracklist (Deluxe Version): 1. Eraser 2. Castle on the Hill 3. Dive 4. Shape of You 5. Perfect 6. Galway Girl 7. Happier 8. New Man 9. Hearts Don't Break Around Here 10. What Do I Know? 11. How Would You Feel (Paean) 12. Supermarket Flowers 13. Barcelona 14. Bibia Bi Ye Ye 15. Nancy Mulligan 16. Save Myself My thoughts on the tracks:"Eraser" - 95/100 (A) He's always really good at fusing two of his roots, the rapping and the more acoustic, guitar-driven sound (think "Sing" from Ed's previous album), and this one is no exception. I also find the lyrical theme to be unique, how it tells a story of how he went from singing at local churches to winning international awards and touring, but how that sometimes hurts (I'm assuming this is a reference to drinking/smoking). "Castle on the Hill" - 99/100 (A) I prefer this one over "Shape of You" which was released at the same time. Again, I love the theme of the song, how it is basically reminiscing of where he grew up and his experiences growing up as a teenager. I can imagine the scenery through his lyrics (maybe the music video helped as well) and I also love how epic the song sounds. It builds up through the verses and pre-chorus really well to explode in the chorus. "Dive" - 94/100 (A) Ed's delivery is on point so far, the production in "Dive" is more laid-back than the previous two songs, but his vocals are soulful as ever in this song. "Shape of You" - 92/100 (A-) Very catchy track. It's a new territory for Ed sound-wise, but I think he pulls off the tropical house sound pretty well. Idk how I still feel about the idea of being in love with "the shape of you" but I guess that's fine. Not the deepest song or anywhere close to that, but in an album full of slower song, this is a nice upbeat song that still fits in very well sonically with the other tracks. "Perfect" - 99/100 (A) Basically "Thinking Out Loud" part 2, but this song holds its own and avoids being a lesser remake of "Thinking Out Loud" in my opinion. I'm biased since I'm a sucker for schmaltzy tracks like this, but I love the instrumentation/production on this one a lot, I think it sets up a very nice stage for Ed to come in and enchant us with his sincere delivery and simple but yet sweet and effective lyrics. "Galway Girl" - 96/100 (A) I LOVE the Irish influence in this song (which explains why I like Martina McBride's "Happy Girl" as well)!!! The mix of Ed's rap and Irish traditional music is really interesting, not to mention that the song itself is really catchy!! "Happier" - 90/100 (A-) This is probably one of the songs along with "Castle on the Hill" that sounds the most like classic acoustic Ed. I don't think this song is anything special, but it's a nice and simple song, still very solid. "New Man" - 89/100 (B+) I feel like this track is right at his wheelhouse! It reminds me of "Don't" from his previous album. I wish the chorus was a bit more exciting, but that's just my preference. Yet another solid track from Ed. "Hearts Don't Break Around Here" - 85/100 (B) Another really sweet song that makes you feel warm inside! This song is a bit uneventful for my tastes, but I think with the right mood I'll REALLY get into the song! "What Do I Know?" - 90/100 (A-) I love how blunt he seems in his delivery of this song, where he says he might not know about what's going on in the world as well as some other people but he's going to do what he can and does best, singing songs and spreading love. I like how the production is also stripped down as I feel like it adds a bit to the light-hearted nature of the song. "How Would You Feel (Paean)" - 87/100 (B+) First of all, I love where the guitar riff that shows up in the chorus! This is also a very sweet but kind of uneventful songs from this album in my opinion, and after a rather exciting first half to the album, it kind of gets a bit boring at times, but "Supermarket Flowers" - 93/100 (A) If you've read my reputation review, you might have realized by now that I love when sceneries are described vividly in songs, and this song does it well! Being a tribute to his deceased grandmother, the production adds to the song, especially the piano (the high piano notes in the song I think portrays the concept of stopped time [death] really well for me). "Barcelona" - 92/100 (A-) This is a really fun, light-hearted track that's a really fresh breathe of air after a second-half of the album that was really solid but at times seemed to drag on. I particularly love the instrumentation on this track! And I'm pretty sure he doesn't properly pronounce all these Spanish words he says, but oh well, it's not like I'll be able to pronounce it any better haha. This song definitely does makes me want to visit Barcelona, so I guess mission accomplished? I can totally understand how this was intended to be the lead single from the album. "Bibia Bi Ye Ye" - 93/100 (A) Now we go from Spain to Ghana for another fun and upbeat track which Ed wrote with Fuse ODG! I love the message of the song too. I can understand why this couldn't make it to the standard version since it sounds so out there compared to the rest of the album. "Nancy Mulligan" - 90/100 (A-) As with "Galway Girl", I love the Irish influence on this! The story about his grandparents is cute, but I prefer "Galway Girl" melodically, and that's pretty much my only deciding factor in my preference of "Galway Girl" over "Nancy Mulligan". "Save Myself" - 84/100 (B) I really appreciate the message of this song, talking about the importance of taking care of yourself. But melodically this song does nothing for me, which is unfortunate because I really want to like this song more but I just end up getting bored listening to this song because it just doesn't excite me melodically. I tend to put more focus on melody/production more than lyrics when listening to a song, so I have to give this song a lower rating than I would've liked to. Overall ratings of the individual tracks: 1468/1600 = 91.75%Overall thoughts on the album:This is a VERY solid album, and I'm surprised that this missed being nominated for Album of the Year. My only thing about this album is that the second half of the album after "Galway Girl" drops off in energy level and I'm slightly bored at times. The deluxe version tracks are all great ("Save Myself" is too, despite my rating for it, and that's just because of my preferences melody-wise) as well. Sonically everything fits in even though the songs bring in various influences, but I think the acoustic guitar that's present in most of the songs tie the album together really well. I'm actually glad I decided to review this album, as it made me appreciate this album WAY more than when I first listened to it in March. Overall album rating: 94% (A)
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Post by deepston on Dec 23, 2017 21:19:44 GMT -5
I'll never understand how this album didn't get an AOTY nom.
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 25, 2017 0:54:26 GMT -5
Witness - Katy Perry
Tracklist (Deluxe Version): 1. Witness 2. Hey Hey Hey 3. Roulette 4. Swish Swish (feat. Nicki Minaj) 5. Déjà Vu 6. Power 7. Mind Maze 8. Miss You More 9. Chained to the Rhythm (feat. Skip Marley) 10. Tsunami 11. Bon Appétit (feat. Migos) 12. Bigger Than Me 13. Save as Draft 14. Pendulum 15. Into Me You See 16. Dance with the Devil 17. Act My Age My thoughts on individual tracks:"Witness" - 94/100 (A) I like the production in this one a lot! The chorus is catchy enough, which is honestly what I expect from Katy, so I think it's a nice song that went in a new sonical direction while keeping the catchiness that her songs often have. For that reason, I thought the song was a nice opener for the album. Bonus points for the whistles at the end of the song! "Hey Hey Hey" - 85/100 (B) Another catchy midtempo song here. It's good for what it is, but it doesn't exactly blow me away either. I think this would've fared well as a lead single or a followup after "Chained to the Rhythm" to be honest. It has a more cheery and even a bubbly vibe, which is more difficult to find in this album than her previous ones. "Roulette" - 90/100 (A-) The synths in the back is GOOD and even a little addicting! I think it adds a lot to the song. I can totally see why some people wanted this to be a single. Solid track. "Swish Swish" - 93/100 (A) Well the lyrics are pretty cringeworthy in this one. That being said, I don't think a lot of people listen to Katy Perry for her lyrics. I'm really digging the house sound in this song but how the song doesn't overuse it. However, I wished this song went harder considering what the song is about. And the phrase "swish swish" is a bit weak to use for that purpose in my opinion... Last but not least, Nicki's verses are FIRE in this song! " Déjà Vu" - 72/100 (C-) Here's another song with cringeworthy. The whole second verse was... very interesting to say the least. "Swish Swish" was catchier, so I was able to overlook the lyrical flaws, but with a midtempo song that's not exactly catchy, things like that can throw off my impression of the song. Also I'm not a fan of the structure of the chorus (especially how she ends each line on a high, prolonged note - when she says "same", "insane", "loop" etc.). "Power" - 77/100 (C) I would imagine that the vocal effects are on purpose, but to me it sounds a bit too overdone and grating at times. But once again, the production is good, and I like the little details like the song has, such as the drums before she says "Power" in the chorus and the jazzy horns (?, I need to get better at recognizing instruments lol). " Mind Maze" - 46/100 (F) The verses and pre-chorus aren't bad... I actually like the pre-chorus (the synth riff there is pretty good!). The chorus however is rather uninteresting after a pre-chorus that hypes the song and feels like it drags on a bit. Also there are some unnecessary autotune/vocal effects throughout the song (especially the chorus) which bothered me a bit. " Miss You More" - 89/100 (B+) I usually don't listen to Katy for her ballads, and when I do, I listen to ones that have more production ("Thinking of You", "Unconditionally") rather than the more simply produced ones ("By the Grace of God", "Not Like the Movies"). But here, I think I was looking for it since what stands out in this album is the production for me and listening to the same sound/vibe so long can only get tiring. And the song' simplicity also helps with that as well. This is a pretty solidly-written song imo. " Chained to the Rhythm" - 92/100 (A-) A song that's catchy but also has a political message that's not SUPER obvious so that you can enjoy the song without necessary thinking about its political message. However, I think it lacks a punch and it just plods along. Otherwise I would've given this an A. " Tsunami" - 85/100 (B) Once again, an addicting synth loop in the background. I felt like that was the only memorable thing about the song, but that's how much I liked that synth loop! The song is pretty catchy as well. This is solid. " Bon Appétit" - 82/100 (B-) In terms of catchiness, I felt like this was one of the catchiest tracks on the album. But beyond that, it's nothing special. Even then, I'm still surprised that this flopped as hard as it did even with the relatively lukewarm response to "Chained to the Rhythm"... "Bigger Than Me" - 88/100 (B+) Apparently this is a response (?) to Hilary Clinton's loss in the presidential elections? I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but the whole song (musically) complements the lyrics really well. My best bet is that Katy's delivery is conveying her inner struggles and reflections really well. " Save as Draft" - 84/100 (B) I know some people find the "save as draft" concept to be cringeworthy, but I actually don't mind that I can imagine how it would be hard to tell people my feelings about them and I would write and erase drafts. However, I wouldn't tell people my feelings via email tho~ (referring to the keyboard sounds towards the beginning of the song). Aside from that, I don't really find anything outstanding about the song. Nice ballad. " Pendulum" - 95/100 (A) Wow the opening already pulls me in!! The piano riff has a lot of energy, which definitely fits with the vibe of the song. It doesn't sound similar to most of the songs on here, and I could see this being a deluxe version track for PRISM tbh. For an album that lacked in energy, this is great. One of the standout tracks on this album. " Into Me You See" - 76/100 (C) It's nice but it's kind of boring... I appreciate how Katy is showing her more vulnerable side here. Also what is this "open sesame" lyric? It's kind of distracting in a song so soft as this one... " Dance with the Devil" - 78/100 (C+) Ooh a trap beat! This is kind of exciting. I was digging the vibe of the song, and the chorus was underwhelming. I was expecting an EPIC chorus or at least something like "Dark Horse" but... Otherwise this song is cool though! " Act My Age" - 88/100 (B+) This has a nice groove to it, and maybe the Katy that I like more than Witness Katy. The song is cheery and more light-hearted, which I think is where Katy shines best. Overall rating of individual tracks: 1414/1700 = 83.1%Comments about the album:I definitely liked this album more than I thought I did from my first listen. I totally would've given this album a D if I went by my first impression of the album. Katy's exploration of this sound was really cool, and the production on this album was really good overall! However, the album was very mid-tempo heavy, and more diversity in the tempo etc. (maybe a bit more upbeat/uptempo tracks a la "Walking on Air" or a ballad with more tempo a la "Unconditionally" would've added some variation that this album needed in order to sound less dragged out) would have been appreciated! So while I don't really mind listening to most of the tracks individually, as an album I don't feel too compelled to listen to it too much, so my album rating will go down significantly from my individual tracks rating... Overall album rating: 78% (C+)
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Kanenrá:ke
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Post by Kanenrá:ke on Dec 25, 2017 1:01:03 GMT -5
Witness - Katy Perry
Tracklist (Deluxe Version): 1. Witness 2. Hey Hey Hey 3. Roulette 4. Swish Swish (feat. Nicki Minaj) 5. Déjà Vu 6. Power 7. Mind Maze 8. Miss You More 9. Chained to the Rhythm (feat. Skip Marley) 10. Tsunami 11. Bon Appétit (feat. Migos) 12. Bigger Than Me 13. Save as Draft 14. Pendulum 15. Into Me You See 16. Dance with the Devil 17. Act My Age My thoughts on individual tracks:"Witness" - 94/100 (A) I like the production in this one a lot! The chorus is catchy enough, which is honestly what I expect from Katy, so I think it's a nice song that went in a new sonical direction while keeping the catchiness that her songs often have. For that reason, I thought the song was a nice opener for the album. Bonus points for the whistles at the end of the song! "Hey Hey Hey" - 85/100 (B) Another catchy midtempo song here. It's good for what it is, but it doesn't exactly blow me away either. I think this would've fared well as a lead single or a followup after "Chained to the Rhythm" to be honest. It has a more cheery and even a bubbly vibe, which is more difficult to find in this album than her previous ones. "Roulette" - 90/100 (A-) The synths in the back is GOOD and even a little addicting! I think it adds a lot to the song. I can totally see why some people wanted this to be a single. Solid track. "Swish Swish" - 93/100 (A) Well the lyrics are pretty cringeworthy in this one. That being said, I don't think a lot of people listen to Katy Perry for her lyrics. I'm really digging the house sound in this song but how the song doesn't overuse it. However, I wished this song went harder considering what the song is about. And the phrase "swish swish" is a bit weak to use for that purpose in my opinion... Last but not least, Nicki's verses are FIRE in this song! " Déjà Vu" - 72/100 (C-) Here's another song with cringeworthy. The whole second verse was... very interesting to say the least. "Swish Swish" was catchier, so I was able to overlook the lyrical flaws, but with a midtempo song that's not exactly catchy, things like that can throw off my impression of the song. Also I'm not a fan of the structure of the chorus (especially how she ends each line on a high, prolonged note - when she says "same", "insane", "loop" etc.). "Power" - 77/100 (C) I would imagine that the vocal effects are on purpose, but to me it sounds a bit too overdone and grating at times. But once again, the production is good, and I like the little details like the song has, such as the drums before she says "Power" in the chorus and the jazzy horns (?, I need to get better at recognizing instruments lol). " Mind Maze" - 46/100 (F) The verses and pre-chorus aren't bad... I actually like the pre-chorus (the synth riff there is pretty good!). The chorus however is rather uninteresting after a pre-chorus that hypes the song and feels like it drags on a bit. Also there are some unnecessary autotune/vocal effects throughout the song (especially the chorus) which bothered me a bit. " Miss You More" - 89/100 (B+) I usually don't listen to Katy for her ballads, and when I do, I listen to ones that have more production ("Thinking of You", "Unconditionally") rather than the more simply produced ones ("By the Grace of God", "Not Like the Movies"). But here, I think I was looking for it since what stands out in this album is the production for me and listening to the same sound/vibe so long can only get tiring. And the song' simplicity also helps with that as well. This is a pretty solidly-written song imo. " Chained to the Rhythm" - 92/100 (A-) A song that's catchy but also has a political message that's not SUPER obvious so that you can enjoy the song without necessary thinking about its political message. However, I think it lacks a punch and it just plods along. Otherwise I would've given this an A. " Tsunami" - 85/100 (B) Once again, an addicting synth loop in the background. I felt like that was the only memorable thing about the song, but that's how much I liked that synth loop! The song is pretty catchy as well. This is solid. " Bon Appétit" - 82/100 (B-) In terms of catchiness, I felt like this was one of the catchiest tracks on the album. But beyond that, it's nothing special. Even then, I'm still surprised that this flopped as hard as it did even with the relatively lukewarm response to "Chained to the Rhythm"... "Bigger Than Me" - 88/100 (B+) Apparently this is a response (?) to Hilary Clinton's loss in the presidential elections? I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but the whole song (musically) complements the lyrics really well. My best bet is that Katy's delivery is conveying her inner struggles and reflections really well. " Save as Draft" - 84/100 (B) I know some people find the "save as draft" concept to be cringeworthy, but I actually don't mind that I can imagine how it would be hard to tell people my feelings about them and I would write and erase drafts. However, I wouldn't tell people my feelings via email tho~ (referring to the keyboard sounds towards the beginning of the song). Aside from that, I don't really find anything outstanding about the song. Nice ballad. " Pendulum" - 95/100 (A) Wow the opening already pulls me in!! The piano riff has a lot of energy, which definitely fits with the vibe of the song. It doesn't sound similar to most of the songs on here, and I could see this being a deluxe version track for PRISM tbh. For an album that lacked in energy, this is great. One of the standout tracks on this album. " Into Me You See" - 76/100 (C) It's nice but it's kind of boring... I appreciate how Katy is showing her more vulnerable side here. Also what is this "open sesame" lyric? It's kind of distracting in a song so soft as this one... " Dance with the Devil" - 78/100 (C+) Ooh a trap beat! This is kind of exciting. I was digging the vibe of the song, and the chorus was underwhelming. I was expecting an EPIC chorus or at least something like "Dark Horse" but... Otherwise this song is cool though! " Act My Age" - 88/100 (B+) This has a nice groove to it, and maybe the Katy that I like more than Witness Katy. The song is cheery and more light-hearted, which I think is where Katy shines best. Overall rating of individual tracks: 1414/1700 = 83.1%Comments about the album:I definitely liked this album more than I thought I did from my first listen. I totally would've given this album a D if I went by my first impression of the album. Katy's exploration of this sound was really cool, and the production on this album was really good overall! However, the album was very mid-tempo heavy, and more diversity in the tempo etc. (maybe a bit more upbeat/uptempo tracks a la "Walking on Air" or a ballad with more tempo a la "Unconditionally" would've added some variation that this album needed in order to sound less dragged out) would have been appreciated! So while I don't really mind listening to most of the tracks individually, as an album I don't feel too compelled to listen to it too much, so my album rating will go down significantly from my individual tracks rating... Overall album rating: 78% (C+)More or less how I felt about the album. For me it was a let down because I loved her first 3 albums.
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 25, 2017 1:16:11 GMT -5
Witness - Katy Perry
Tracklist (Deluxe Version): 1. Witness 2. Hey Hey Hey 3. Roulette 4. Swish Swish (feat. Nicki Minaj) 5. Déjà Vu 6. Power 7. Mind Maze 8. Miss You More 9. Chained to the Rhythm (feat. Skip Marley) 10. Tsunami 11. Bon Appétit (feat. Migos) 12. Bigger Than Me 13. Save as Draft 14. Pendulum 15. Into Me You See 16. Dance with the Devil 17. Act My Age My thoughts on individual tracks:"Witness" - 94/100 (A) I like the production in this one a lot! The chorus is catchy enough, which is honestly what I expect from Katy, so I think it's a nice song that went in a new sonical direction while keeping the catchiness that her songs often have. For that reason, I thought the song was a nice opener for the album. Bonus points for the whistles at the end of the song! "Hey Hey Hey" - 85/100 (B) Another catchy midtempo song here. It's good for what it is, but it doesn't exactly blow me away either. I think this would've fared well as a lead single or a followup after "Chained to the Rhythm" to be honest. It has a more cheery and even a bubbly vibe, which is more difficult to find in this album than her previous ones. "Roulette" - 90/100 (A-) The synths in the back is GOOD and even a little addicting! I think it adds a lot to the song. I can totally see why some people wanted this to be a single. Solid track. "Swish Swish" - 93/100 (A) Well the lyrics are pretty cringeworthy in this one. That being said, I don't think a lot of people listen to Katy Perry for her lyrics. I'm really digging the house sound in this song but how the song doesn't overuse it. However, I wished this song went harder considering what the song is about. And the phrase "swish swish" is a bit weak to use for that purpose in my opinion... Last but not least, Nicki's verses are FIRE in this song! " Déjà Vu" - 72/100 (C-) Here's another song with cringeworthy. The whole second verse was... very interesting to say the least. "Swish Swish" was catchier, so I was able to overlook the lyrical flaws, but with a midtempo song that's not exactly catchy, things like that can throw off my impression of the song. Also I'm not a fan of the structure of the chorus (especially how she ends each line on a high, prolonged note - when she says "same", "insane", "loop" etc.). "Power" - 77/100 (C) I would imagine that the vocal effects are on purpose, but to me it sounds a bit too overdone and grating at times. But once again, the production is good, and I like the little details like the song has, such as the drums before she says "Power" in the chorus and the jazzy horns (?, I need to get better at recognizing instruments lol). " Mind Maze" - 46/100 (F) The verses and pre-chorus aren't bad... I actually like the pre-chorus (the synth riff there is pretty good!). The chorus however is rather uninteresting after a pre-chorus that hypes the song and feels like it drags on a bit. Also there are some unnecessary autotune/vocal effects throughout the song (especially the chorus) which bothered me a bit. " Miss You More" - 89/100 (B+) I usually don't listen to Katy for her ballads, and when I do, I listen to ones that have more production ("Thinking of You", "Unconditionally") rather than the more simply produced ones ("By the Grace of God", "Not Like the Movies"). But here, I think I was looking for it since what stands out in this album is the production for me and listening to the same sound/vibe so long can only get tiring. And the song' simplicity also helps with that as well. This is a pretty solidly-written song imo. " Chained to the Rhythm" - 92/100 (A-) A song that's catchy but also has a political message that's not SUPER obvious so that you can enjoy the song without necessary thinking about its political message. However, I think it lacks a punch and it just plods along. Otherwise I would've given this an A. " Tsunami" - 85/100 (B) Once again, an addicting synth loop in the background. I felt like that was the only memorable thing about the song, but that's how much I liked that synth loop! The song is pretty catchy as well. This is solid. " Bon Appétit" - 82/100 (B-) In terms of catchiness, I felt like this was one of the catchiest tracks on the album. But beyond that, it's nothing special. Even then, I'm still surprised that this flopped as hard as it did even with the relatively lukewarm response to "Chained to the Rhythm"... "Bigger Than Me" - 88/100 (B+) Apparently this is a response (?) to Hilary Clinton's loss in the presidential elections? I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but the whole song (musically) complements the lyrics really well. My best bet is that Katy's delivery is conveying her inner struggles and reflections really well. " Save as Draft" - 84/100 (B) I know some people find the "save as draft" concept to be cringeworthy, but I actually don't mind that I can imagine how it would be hard to tell people my feelings about them and I would write and erase drafts. However, I wouldn't tell people my feelings via email tho~ (referring to the keyboard sounds towards the beginning of the song). Aside from that, I don't really find anything outstanding about the song. Nice ballad. " Pendulum" - 95/100 (A) Wow the opening already pulls me in!! The piano riff has a lot of energy, which definitely fits with the vibe of the song. It doesn't sound similar to most of the songs on here, and I could see this being a deluxe version track for PRISM tbh. For an album that lacked in energy, this is great. One of the standout tracks on this album. " Into Me You See" - 76/100 (C) It's nice but it's kind of boring... I appreciate how Katy is showing her more vulnerable side here. Also what is this "open sesame" lyric? It's kind of distracting in a song so soft as this one... " Dance with the Devil" - 78/100 (C+) Ooh a trap beat! This is kind of exciting. I was digging the vibe of the song, and the chorus was underwhelming. I was expecting an EPIC chorus or at least something like "Dark Horse" but... Otherwise this song is cool though! " Act My Age" - 88/100 (B+) This has a nice groove to it, and maybe the Katy that I like more than Witness Katy. The song is cheery and more light-hearted, which I think is where Katy shines best. Overall rating of individual tracks: 1414/1700 = 83.1%Comments about the album:I definitely liked this album more than I thought I did from my first listen. I totally would've given this album a D if I went by my first impression of the album. Katy's exploration of this sound was really cool, and the production on this album was really good overall! However, the album was very mid-tempo heavy, and more diversity in the tempo etc. (maybe a bit more upbeat/uptempo tracks a la "Walking on Air" or a ballad with more tempo a la "Unconditionally" would've added some variation that this album needed in order to sound less dragged out) would have been appreciated! So while I don't really mind listening to most of the tracks individually, as an album I don't feel too compelled to listen to it too much, so my album rating will go down significantly from my individual tracks rating... Overall album rating: 78% (C+)More or less how I felt about the album. For me it was a let down because I loved her first 3 albums. I LOVE her first 3 albums too, and I was let down by this album as well. I bought this album because I love Katy but...
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Post by Willow Rinadoobee Breakfast on Dec 25, 2017 3:53:21 GMT -5
Well......that was different.
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Post by sergejdordij on Dec 25, 2017 17:42:42 GMT -5
Nice album reviews, fearlessarrow! You even got me inspired to do album reviews sometime next year!
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Bwol
Platinum Member
yup
Joined: August 2016
Posts: 1,705
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Post by Bwol on Dec 25, 2017 20:31:10 GMT -5
Wow lol I hate almost every track on the album. Love her previous 3.
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