SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 18, 2023 17:53:39 GMT -5
It’s been a long time since I’ve done a discography ranking for an artist, but I have kind of been feeling in the mood to do one with some of my new favorite artists, so I’m going to do another one! I discovered Jvke last April with the release of his single “This Is What Falling in Love Feels Like,” which ended up being in my top 20 favorite songs of 2022. One of the things that stuck out to me is that he’s kind of a one man show in the sense that he not only sings, he also writes the lyrics to all of his own songs and is quite the talented producer. Although I’m a huge pop music fan, a pop star being a social icon has never been super important to me in order to like their music. How good of a performer the artist is, or how much they fit our societal mold of the quintessential “pop star” doesn’t factor into how much I like an artist’s music. I tend to judge the music by its own merits as a piece of art, and that statement really holds true for why I like Jvke so much. There’s no denying Jvke is a pretty dorky guy, but what I love about his music is the authenticity that radiates from it. He has a distinct style of making music that has stood out to me, and his quirky style of pop makes him stand out from other TikTok artists for me. The recurring theme in Jvke’s artistry that makes me interested in him is how heartfelt and emotion-based they are. There are millions of songs about love, sadness and heartbreak, but Jvke’s songs feel like he is giving us his own authentic representations of how these things feel to him, which is neat. His lyrics are pretty simplistic, but this actually often works in the songs’ favor because they are so simplistic that the repetition causes the emotion he’s expressing to really sink in. His representations of falling in love, sadness and jealousy feel quite relatable. I don’t feel I’ve experienced deep heartbreak before (subtle diss to all my exes hahahaha), but songs like “This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like” honestly feel pretty close to what I imagine crushing heartbreak would feel like. He does such a good job creating an atmosphere of these emotions in his songs that it’s kind of like you are experiencing a little slice of the feeling along with him as you’re listening, which is probably my favorite thing about his artistry. One difference from my previous artists review series is that I’m not going to choose a “standout lyric” for each song. To be entirely honest, there were times in my previous reviews where I felt like I was just forcing myself to a pick a random lyric because no one lyric stood out amongst the others. Jvke is not a particularly vivid lyricist in most cases, and his lyrics are often kind of simple and dorky in an endearing way. Given that, I’m going to change it up and just mention lyrics if one particularly stands out to me. Jvke currently has 19 songs ( 34 as of April 15, 2024) in his discography, and I’ll be reviewing and ranking all of these one at a time over the course of the next 19 days (February 19-March 9). I’m really excited to review all of these and deviate from my previous “former Disney artist” brand that I had with the other three review series. Also, I’m not going to review each of the million remixes of “Golden Hour,” nor his remix of Daya’s “Bad Girl,” although I do highly recommend the latter. I didn’t like the production of the original “Bad Girl,” but Jvke’s production on it is amazing. It gives the song a summer bop feel, like something you’d listen to by the beach, and fixed all the issues I had with the song. I’m also skipping “Brand New Day,” which is Jvke’s song for the Clifford the Big Red Dog soundtrack. I listened to the Clifford song and it was fine I guess, but I just feel kinda goofy sitting down and reviewing a song written for preschoolers as a woman in her mid 20s lol. 34. Strings (with Max and Bazzi) 33. Angel (with NLE Choppa, Jimin, Muni Long and Kodak Black) 32. With All My Heart (with Illenium) 31. Hero (with Martin Garrix) 30. Fool for U (with Galantis and Enisa) 29. Secrets 28. This Is What Floating Feels Like 27. This Is What Slow Dancing Feels Like 26. Charger 25. This Is What Winter Feels Like 24. This Is What Autumn Feels Like 23. Broken Melodies (with NCT Dream) 22. Dandelion (with Galantis) 21. This Is What Sadness Feels Like 20. Catch Me 19. Ghost Town 18. Anxiety 17. Fire! (with Alan Walker and Yuqi of (G)-IDLE) 16. Save Your Breath 15. This Is What Space Feels Like 14. Clouds 13. Upside Down (feat. Charlie Puth) 12. Moon and Back 11. Wonder If She Loves Me 10. Don't Let Me Down (with Surfaces) 9. This Is What Losing Someone Feels Like 8. Lavender (feat. Pink Sweat$) 7. This Is What Falling Out of Love Feels Like 6. This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like 5. I'm Not Okay 4. Home 3. I Can't Help It 2. Golden Hour 1. This Is What Falling in Love Feels Like
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 19, 2023 10:20:49 GMT -5
19. Hero (with Martin Garrix)
Album: Non-album single (2022)
I didn’t love this song all that much when I first heard it, and I’d still say the weakest of his discography. The catchy Martin Garrix production kind of saves it, but oddly the chorus kind of gives me a Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons vibe haha.The chorus is kind of uplifting I guess but it’s just not really appealing to me. I notice that these types of “you’re a hero, everyone will bow down in respect to you!” songs are just not appealing to me at all, even stuff like “Star Walkin’” by Lil Nas X and “Hall of Fame” by The Script are not interesting to me. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel I crave that kind of respect? To me, true respect is feeling listened to and appreciated; I’ve never once felt like I want everyone to know my name or cower at the thought of disrespecting my authority. So yeah, not a bad song, it’s just that these types of “one day everyone will know your name” songs are simply not interesting to me.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 20, 2023 8:00:20 GMT -5
18. Secrets
Album: Non-album single (2021)
Jvke does a great job conveying his concepts very simply and effectively. The whistling production well-complements the romantic lyrics about being able to be vulnerable with your lover and share all of your innermost thoughts with them. While it is a sweet song, this one is kind of just there for me. The lyrics are a bit repetitive, and I felt the production could have been a bit more complex. It’s overall not a bad song, but it’s one of his least memorable in my opinion.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 21, 2023 8:22:32 GMT -5
17. Charger
Album: Non-album single (2022)
The bouncy beat of this song is infectious. Using the noise that a phone makes when you plug it and building most of the production around that is a really interesting concept, and I must say it works really well even if it’s not his best work. Jvke’s vocals are a bit rough and all over the place here, but it actually kind of works IMO. His manic, messy vocals kind of help to convey the lyrical message that life is feeling chaotic for him, so it doesn’t really bother me here. I don’t really have too much else to say for this one since it’s only 1:50 in length, but it’s a decent song even if it is pretty forgettable.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 22, 2023 9:23:34 GMT -5
16. Dandelion (with Galantis)
Album: Non-album single (2021)
There isn’t a whole ton to analyze here because it’s just the same phrases repeated over and over, but I find the otherworldly production very appealing here. I like the autotune/filter on Jvke’s voice here, and Galantis’s bouncy production works so well here. This is such a sweet song that makes you just want to get up and dance.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 23, 2023 7:26:36 GMT -5
15. This Is What Sadness Feels Like
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
While I have not felt what deep heartbreak feels like, I have definitely felt sadness, and Jvke does a good job of representing the feeling. I love the melancholy production of the song and how it seems to get progressively sadder as it goes. I really like him including the lyric “you don’t care,” because at least for me, sadness and bitterness can go hand in hand. One of the things that makes me the saddest is when I feel not understood by the ones I love most, or like a person that I want to care about me does not care. In that sense, this idea of feeling like nobody cares or nobody gets you is a really great representation of sadness. Jvke rapping in a deep voice over the heavy bass at the end is admittedly a little odd, but I guess my interpretation of that is that he's trying to represent what it feels like to fall into a depression? Depression can definitely feel like falling into a deep, dark hole where you feel sad most of the time, so I suppose it would be an accurate representation, even if it is a bit weird and offputting to have him suddenly rapping in a deep voice.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 24, 2023 9:32:49 GMT -5
14. Catch Me
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
This one is kind of an interesting one, mainly because of the production going back and forth between gentle violins to such a heavy bass that it sounds like your audio device is malfunctioning lol. The grittiness of the production works really well in connection with the lyrics, which are about Jvke expressing a raw vulnerability to his lover, saying that he needs to know whether he can trust them or not. Jvke’s vocals are at his messiest here, but as with the two other songs this happens in, it conveys the urgent anxiety and panic that Jvke is feeling very well. I love how Jvke includes subtle little elements like that in his music to make the lyrics and production connect, and it’s one of the things I really appreciate about his artistry.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 25, 2023 9:53:02 GMT -5
13. Ghost Town
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
I like Jvke’s gritty, static-y production here. The heavy bass over the soft ukulele is an interesting decision for the instrumental, but I kind of like the representation of the intense feelings (the bass) as a result of a melancholy event (the ukulele). The high-pitched filter over Jvke’s voice is also kind of interesting, and I like how it comes back in whenever Jvke says “ghost.” The song is lyrically about realizing you need to change your mindset after being in a depressive state. While I wouldn’t call it one of my favorites, the song is appealing to me in the sense that it is relatable. I was depressed a couple years ago, and ultimately what helped me seek the help I needed was this realization that I didn’t want to live like this anymore. I was sad pretty much all the time, and I ultimately realized that I couldn’t keep holding onto my mindset which was damaging to my self-esteem and well-being, which is what sparked me to make a change. That being said, depression works differently for everybody and “just change your mindset” is not an appropriate cure to suggest for depression, because that does not apply to all situations. However, this idea of realizing that you need to “get out of this ghost town” resonates with me, because it reminds me of the feeling of realizing I needed to change my own mindset in order to take care of myself and overcome my depression.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 26, 2023 9:46:12 GMT -5
12. Anxiety
Album: Non-album single (2021)
This is the point in his discography where Jvke really starts to shine production-wise. This song describes what it feels like to be anxious, and the production perfectly represents this with its ominous feel. The build-up from the first verse where the production feels like it goes from a boil to a simmer is a really cool representation of anxiety. As somebody who struggles with anxiety, I feel this song is a very simple, effective way to convey how anxiety feels. I still feel that Jvke does better at conveying certain feelings in his debut album, but this is a pretty solid attempt. I particularly like the lyric about “longing for a life with some kind of meaning.” At least for me, I will often downplay my own accomplishments in my head and feel like I haven’t done that many cool things in life, even though there’s actually quite a lot of amazing opportunities I’ve had and cool stuff I’ve done. Unless you’re a narcissist, I think a lot of our own daily lives just feel “normal” to us, which can make us insecure because we feel like our lives aren’t that exciting. For me, a lot of my anxiety is just me making things seem way bigger or scarier in my head than they actually are, or putting tons of pressure or weight on situations that aren’t a big deal. That all being said, the “longing for a life with some kind of meaning” lyric really resonates with me, because it excellently conveys the message that we often put so much weight on the little things that scare us and feel unequipped to handle life as a result, without stopping to realize how much we’ve actually accomplished and how strong we really are.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 27, 2023 10:31:40 GMT -5
11. Save Your Breath
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
This is another emotional one, both because of the depressing violin production and the lyrics. Jvke laments in the song’s lyrics about realizing his lover is falling for another man. The aspect that makes this song so sad is how Jvke sings about sacrificing the love of his life, putting the blame on himself saying he is holding her back, because he has put her so much on a pedestal that he won’t admit it’s her fault. It’s so romantic that it gets me a little teary eyed haha. One thing I really appreciate about Jvke is that despite his plethora of sad songs grouped together here, he manages to give all of them their own distinct appeal. The middle part of the album has the theme of sadness and insecurity, but the songs are all unique enough that they don’t blur together, which I think is great.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Feb 28, 2023 9:06:08 GMT -5
10. Upside Down (feat. Charlie Puth)
Album: Non-album single (2020)
Okay, so I will admit he has so many songs that convey much better emotion and are better written than this one. This one is still a favorite for me because of how freaking catchy it is. It’s one of those songs that you can just sort of turn your brain off and enjoy, and for that reason, it’s among my faves of his. Jvke’s first song discusses the feeling of being head-over-heels in love for someone, and the excitement one feels when they are first falling for someone. The smooth, bouncy beat here is so much fun, and the dreamy feeling of the production really matches its message of falling in love. The lyrics are also so cute and romantic here. What I really love about this song though is how well Jvke and Charlie Puth fit together. I think this could have easily fallen into the category of “random TikTok artist collabs with a famous artist for popularity” but they actually have decent chemistry here together. Charlie and Jvke’s similar voices work really well together and sound quite alike. Although one could certainly write this off as cringe, I just have to give a shoutout to the lyric “Go crazy! Go stupid! She’s smart like an A+ student!” for being so dumb and dorky that it’s admittedly freaking adorable how bad it is lol.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 1, 2023 7:29:57 GMT -5
9. Moon and Back
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
I really like the gritty, bass-heavy production of the chorus. The echo-y feel of the production here feels very dreamy, and I like the addition of the violins here. The lyrics discuss Jvke feeling smitten with his lover, saying that he loves them infinitely and using galaxy-themed lyrics to express this. He does an amazing job creating a very romantic vibe for this song, and while it’s not necessarily super memorable lyrically, the production is where this one really shines.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 2, 2023 14:10:57 GMT -5
8. Wonder If She Loves Me
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
I love the old timey kid talking at the beginning haha. I personally think this would have been a good choice for a single instead “This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like,” but oh well. This is one of my favorites from Jvke just because it’s so catchy. I like the contrast of the bass over the sad violins to represent the anxiety and sadness about Jvke wondering if his love interest cares about him as much as he does about her. I don’t have much to say about this one, but the production really sticks out to me for this one.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 3, 2023 7:38:50 GMT -5
7. This Is What Falling Out of Love Feels Like
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
I recently got into this one after revisiting it because I accidentally misread the thread in the Pop forum, thinking it said this one was getting pushed next, whereas it was actually “This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like” (he has so many songs with such similar titles that it’s easy to get them a little confused haha). Maybe this is a weird comparison to make, but honestly the appeal of this one is that he kind of sounds like a watered down version of Harry Styles in the chorus, which intrigues me. (I’m wondering if maybe my mind is associating them because of the ”it simply doesn’t hit the same” lyric vs. “you know it’s not the same as it was” from “As It Was”?) While I feel this is probably the least powerful of the “Feels Like” titled songs, the chorus (“it simply doesn’t hit the same”) is kind of an earworm. I’ll find this stuck in my head for quite a while after I listen to it because of how catchy it is. Definitely a new favorite of mine, even if it’s not the most memorable of these tracks.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 4, 2023 9:43:48 GMT -5
6. This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
I’m a little surprised they picked this one as the next single, but I’ll be interested to see how it performs. It’s great that it already made the top 50 on Pop after going for adds on Tuesday! The lyrics are very simple and repetitive, but the sentiment of heartbreak is conveyed really well here. The song represents heartbreak so well that it doesn’t even fully hit you at first. He expresses the sentiment so simply that it doesn’t feel sad at first, but it kinda makes you progressively sadder over the course of the song. The repetition of “pretty little liar, whatcha gonna say? Told me that you love me, lying to my face!” conveys that sinking feeling of heartbreak and loss where you continue to become more and more depressed and hurt. I really like the production as well! The heavy bass combined with the invigoration in Jvke’s voice makes you as the listener really feel the combination of the pain, anger and sadness that he is going through, which elevates the track beyond the generic sad song it could have been. While it is a very small detail, another touch I really like in the song is the echo of birds chirping at the end over the dark melody. It provides a haunting contrast to “Golden Hour” and “This Is What Falling in Love Feels Like” where we also hear that same sound effect of birds chirping. It feels like a representation of Jvke remembering how head-over-heels he was, and those memories making him feel even heartbroken over his ex-lover’s betrayal. Major props to Jvke for conveying this sentiment so effectively here; he did a perfect job expressing this in a way that felt authentic to him yet relatable to others.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 5, 2023 10:16:27 GMT -5
5. I'm Not Okay
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
A recurring theme in these reviews is how excellently Jvke expresses emotions, and this song is one of the best showcases of that. The first verse is very melancholy and hopeless, as Jvke discusses how heartbroken he is losing his lover. It then slowly changes into kind of a grungy frenzy, and Jvke’s vocals become rougher and messier. I feel like the rough vocals actually work great for expressing the sentiment of how out of control and manic Jvke is feeling. Sad heartbreak songs are usually lamenting and hopeless-feeling, but I really like the little twist Jvke puts on it here to represent that emotions are often fluid, and you may be feeling many different things at once. I especially like how the last line almost sounds kind of crazed, where he manically says “I’m not okay…but that’s a-o-k with me!” It’s such an interesting little representation of the concept of accepting that you are feeling out of control right now, but knowing things will eventually get better. The fluidness and rapid changes in production here are fascinating to me, and they make this song very memorable.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 6, 2023 10:03:41 GMT -5
4. Home
Album: Non-album single (2021)
One of the appeals of Jvke for me is how sweet and heartfelt some of the songs are, and this is one of his most heartfelt. The production is super gentle and atmospheric here, and Jvke’s emotional lyrics complement this perfectly. Jvke talks about how his lover feels like a home to him, because he feels so comfortable and able to let his guard down completely when he’s around them. The chorus is really catchy and lyrically one of his best IMO. “If home is where my heart is, then leaving you makes me homesick” is such a relatable feeling to anybody who is ever been in love, and while it is a very simple lyric, the simpleness of the song is part of its appeal. Jvke’s mild vocals combined with the gentle, soft production sounds so good and makes for an emotional listen.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 7, 2023 8:07:08 GMT -5
3. I Can’t Help It
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
With the recent trend of reimagining old hits, such as “I’m Good” and “Hold Me Closer,” this would have been the one I would have chosen as a single, as it is a reimagining of “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” The bouncy dance-pop production sounds so good here! The lyrics he created for the verses complement the re-made chorus so well, and it avoids the trap of feeling like a generic remake through how well they flow. This was one of my favorites on the album since it first came out, but it’s worn on me a tiny bit since.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 8, 2023 9:52:33 GMT -5
2. Golden Hour
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
I admittedly didn’t love this one as much when I first heard it, but it grew on me over its pop radio chart run. Jvke does an excellent job writing very sweet, romantic lyrics, which the violin production complements excellently. I also like how vivid and descriptive some of the lyrics are, particularly “she’s got glitter for skin” and “radiant beam in the night.” It makes me so happy this went top 10 on pop radio. He definitely deserves the success and I’m hopeful “This Is What Heartbreak Feels Like” can chart high as well.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 9, 2023 8:40:07 GMT -5
1. This Is What Falling in Love Feels Like
Album: This Is What ____ Feels Like (2022)
This is the first song of Jvke’s that I ever heard, and it’s my favorite. I have to admit, on my first listen, I was a bit peeved by the fact the song structure is just chorus, short verse, chorus, song over lol. However, this quickly became my favorite Jvke song for how sweet it is. The violin sounds in the background sound so romantic and sweet. While Jvke’s vocals in the verse are kind of dorky here, I find it to be dorky in a charming way. Although I am probably the song’s biggest defender on this forum, even I will admit this isn’t the most well structured song and there are lots of flaws, like the length and his goofy-sounding vocals. However, the cheerfulness of the song and the production make this my favorite Jvke song, proving that sometimes favorites don’t have to be perfect. This is a really pleasant, sweet listen and definitely fills me up with good energy whenever I hear it.
That does it for this rankings! I'm going to take a short break this week and next week as I'm currently traveling, but I plan to go through another artist's discography beginning the week of March 19! I hope you had as much fun reading these reviews as much as I did writing them!
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Post by SabrinaFan on Mar 21, 2023 7:05:06 GMT -5
8. This Is What Losing Someone Feels Like
Album: Non-album single (2023)
I forgot to mention that as Jvke puts out new material, I will be ranking and reviewing them as well, just like the other discography reviews I've done. Since I can't edit post order, I've added a running list of my rankings to the OP.
I definitely was not expecting Jvke to release an outtake from “This Is What ___ Feels Like,” but this is really good! This does not feel at all like an extra and it feels like it could have easily fit on the main album. The standout aspect of this track is Jvke’s powerful vocals, particularly his belting in the chorus. Jvke excellently conveys the heartbreak and regret that come with the feeling of losing someone in this track. This writing of the song is particularly interesting to me, because it is written in a way that feels like Jvke is chastising himself for all the things they didn’t do when he was with the person. The concrete little details such as wishing he went out for coffee with them on a Saturday, and wishing he picked up a call that he’d missed, really helps the listener visualize the deep-seeded remorse that Jvke is trying to get across in the song. The line “cuz when you love someone, you tell them that you do!” is very powerful to me, as once again, it feels like Jvke is talking to a past version of himself with this song, and beating himself up that he did not say he loved them enough when he had the chance. I really like the buildup of his vocals as the song transitions into an explosive chorus, which is a great representation of the remorse of thinking about all the things you wish you would have said to somebody that you lost.
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Post by SabrinaFan on Apr 8, 2023 11:56:40 GMT -5
21. With All My Heart (with Illenium)
Album: Non-album single (2023)
This is a bit late, but I wanted to finish up my Em Beihold reviews before I circled back around to this one that came out a few weeks ago. “Good Things Fall Apart” by Illenium was my favorite song of 2019, so I had high hopes for this collaboration. To be honest, I was a bit let down by it. The song lyrically discusses devoting yourself wholeheartedly to your lover, despite your flaws and mistakes. It felt like a generic EDM song and didn’t quite match Jvke’s usual style. The drop is kind of nice, but it needs a bit of an extra kick. I found this very unmemorable.
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Post by SabrinaFan on May 18, 2023 10:34:09 GMT -5
22. Angel (with NLE Choppa, Jimin, Muni Long and Kodak Black)
Album: Fast X Soundtrack
I have to say that Jvke collaborating with the “Shotta Flow” guy and a member of BTS was not on my bingo card for this year haha. I was really debating about whether or not to check this one out, as I am not the biggest fan of Kodak Black, as a person or as an artist. However, this collab is so bizarre that I decided I wanted to listen through at least once, just for the novelty of it.
After listening, I honestly can say this isn’t too bad. NLE and even Kodak's verses are nice enough, and Jvke, Jimin and Muni all sound good in the chorus. My biggest gripe with this is that it feels a bit chaotic with all the different artists. “Fantasy” from Lauren Spencer-Smith, Gayle and Em Beihold is another weird collab that has grown on me in recent weeks, and I think that’s because I feel each of them had a very defined part of the song. With this song, there are so many artists involved that they’re kinda just all jumping in randomly. First Jvke does the chorus, then Jimin does a tiny section of the end of the chorus, then we get a verse from Kodak, followed by Muni Long singing the chorus, and then Jvke, Jimin and Muni Long all do the chorus together at the end. Even if all of their contributions sound good on their own, it makes the song feel a bit chaotic to have them all jumping in at random times. I also felt Jimin kind of got robbed here, he just got a tiny little section of the first chorus and that’s his only solo part in the whole song, beyond background vocals in the final chorus. Overall, it’s a pleasant enough listen, but it’s quite unmemorable and I can’t say I’d ever return to it.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on May 21, 2023 21:00:52 GMT -5
20. Fool 4 U (with Galantis and Enisa)
Album: Non-album single (2023)
Apologies, I had kept intending to get to this when it first came out a few weeks ago, but I did not have a chance to get caught up on this until now. It is interesting to see Jvke doing so many collaborations with other famous producers recently. The lyrics are catchy, and I think Jvke and Enisa have good chemistry together. I am not as sold on the filter over Jvke’s vocals in the chorus. I feel they felt cute and light/airy in Galantis and Jvke’s previous collaboration, “Dandelion,” but it does not work as well here. Thus far, I have not been a huge fan of his collaborations with other producers. Part of the charm of Jvke producing his own music for me is that the lyrics are so interwoven to represent a certain feeling, whereas in these collabs with other big producers, it feels a bit lackluster having Jvke’s voice over a traditional dance beat. It is missing the magic and uniqueness of the package deal Jvke brings to his songs when he is both the producer and vocalist for them. “Dandelion” is still a bop, but the other producer collabs have been decent-yet-forgettable. Not including “Dandelion,” this one has the most memorable hook to it, thus placing it above the Illenium and Martin Garrix collaborations.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Aug 5, 2023 9:39:18 GMT -5
24. Strings (with Max and Bazzi)
Album: Non-album single (2023)
With the exception of maybe “Angel,” which has grown on me, I honestly am not a huge fan of the recent collabs Jvke has done. This one is better than “Hero” and “With All My Heart,” but it still falls kinda flat for me. The production is…fine, I guess; it’s not really memorable to me. While good chemistry is important in a song, it’s equally important for the artists to have distinct personalities, and nobody really does here. They all sound so much like clones of each other that it’s hard to tell them apart lol. If you asked me what part Jvke sang without looking it up, I believe it’s the second part of the first verse, but the fact that I’m not even sure without looking it up definitely goes to show that all artists involved here needed much more distinct personalities than they had. The lyrics are definitely sweet though, and that is the strongest aspect of the song. I will say though that the “ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-OOH!” in the chorus sounds more like Max making goofy noises, rather than angelic like I think he was going for. Overall, I could see this growing on me slightly, but it’s a very forgettable entry of all these artists’ discographies IMO.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Sept 14, 2023 8:59:21 GMT -5
18. This Is What Autumn Feels Like
Album: Non-album single (2023)
I admittedly was not expecting Jvke to put out any more songs in the “This Is What ____ Feels Like” series, although he is on tour now, so I’m guessing he likely is performing this on tour and decided to release a studio version. On first listen, I do like the song, but my feelings are a bit mixed. On one hand, autumn is one of my favorite seasons (yes, I enjoy dressing in layers and having a pumpkin spice latte every now and then lol), and I love the peaceful feeling associated with the season, so I will admit that a song about how the season feels is appealing to me. At the same time, the song feels a bit more gimmicky than the other “This Is What ____ Feels Like” tracks. A big part of what I love about the project is the rawness and vulnerability in the emotion that the feeling that he’s singing about on any given song. However, here, the mentality feels like he’s trying much harder to feed the TikTok algorithm. The lyrics are mainly shallow metaphors that compare autumn to one’s heart getting colder following the demise of a relationship. Some of the lyrics in general feel a bit more gimmicky and like they are trying to be a 10-second soundbite that’s going to go viral on TikTok. One such example is a lyric in the chorus, “Like the trees in the autumn breeze, it’s ironic the way that you leave,” a pun which is sure to have dads chuckling from coast to coast. The track overall feels a bit more cobbled together and less organized than the other tracks, and I would consider it good, but not great. I could see it growing on me a little, but I can’t see myself ever finding this track as memorable as the ones that made the original project.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Sept 25, 2023 17:49:07 GMT -5
12. This Is What Space Feels Like
Album: Non-album single (2023)
This is a bit of a different sound for him, but I like it! I will be curious if he’ll continue the whole “This Is What ____ Feels Like” pattern for his titles after this album cycle is done lol. This song feels a lot more rap-oriented than his previous singles, but I think it works well with the message of the song. Jvke sings about putting on a confident front in the verses, feeling like he needs to keep going even though he is burnt out. Jvke raps the verses, sounding a bit tougher than he typically does with his more lighthearted style of rapping, which is a great representation of the confident front he is putting up for others. It flows nicely into the chorus, where Jvke’s vocals become more anxious and chaotic, as he belts “I just need some space.” Jvke’s delivery sounds out of breath with multiple pauses in between, which I thought was a unique way to represent his mental exhaustion. I liked this quite a bit better than his recent singles. The jumpy production in the chorus here sounds excellent, and the song’s message is very relatable. This definitely fits on his This Is What ___ Feels Like project much better than “This Is What Autumn Feels Like” did. I will be curious to see if he keeps putting out songs that didn’t make his debut album as he continues his tour.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 19, 2023 18:05:21 GMT -5
20. Broken Melodies (with NCT Dream)
Album: Non-album single (2023)
So I’ve been slacking a bit on these reviews, as this came out about a month ago and I haven’t found the time to review it until now. On first listen, this is pretty cute! I really like the dynamic production here, especially where it gets jumpy to match the vocal delivery in the chorus. Speaking of the chorus, it’s super catchy and is definitely an earworm! I’d never heard of NCT Dream prior to this song, but I think they have pretty good chemistry here with Jvke. The song is a bit forgettable and I can’t see myself returning to it often, but this is pretty cute for what it is!
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 19, 2023 18:10:38 GMT -5
14. Fire! (with Alan Walker & Yuqi of (G)I-DLE)
Album: Non-album single (2023)
Alan Walker’s previous productions have been very hit or miss for me, so I wasn’t sure what to think going into this. After listening to it, the production indeed lives up to its title, because it is straight fire! Jvke and Yuqi sound really good together and I like the song overall, but what brought this down for me is that it ends abruptly. The two verses are very short, so much so that at first I thought Jvke’s verse was just an intro to the song, and all of the sudden it’s just over after the second chorus lol. That said, I do really like this one and don’t have any complaints other than how abruptly it ends. It’s cool to see him experimenting and doing collaborations with different DJs before he starts on his next project!
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Jan 13, 2024 22:15:09 GMT -5
22. This Is What Winter Feels Like
Album: Non-album single (2024)
It’s kind of amusing to me that he keeps going with the gimmick of naming all his songs this way lol. I’m on my second listen of this as I type up this review, and this doesn’t really do anything for me. The production is cool, but it doesn’t particularly scream “winter” to me. What initially piqued my interest in his discography is how the specific emotion represented in each song felt diaristic, in the sense that the listener was getting an intimate view into his emotions. However, the post-album ‘Feels Like’ tracks have felt less intimate, and more like the lyrics are built around gimmicky puns for TikTok virality (in this case, the repetition of the wintery pun “don’t come back cuz I’m cold” seems to be the gimmick). That said, I do find this cute, but there isn't anything particularly memorable about this and I can’t see myself returning to it much. Although both tracks about the same quality imo, I think I like his other seasonal song "This Is What Autumn Feels Like" a little better, as the production feels a bit more like it fits the season compared to this one. Also, I’m going to call it now that in a few months, I’ll be reviewing “This Is What Spring Feels Like” lol.
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