Song Review: Paris by The Chainsmokers

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Hello everyone and welcome back to reviewing mediocre pop charting music! Last week I was excited to look and see Ed Sheeran's name back in the Top 10. To my surprise not only was he not even in the Hot 100, but "Treat You Better" (Shawn Mendez's blatant rip-off of his slightly better yet still terrible other hit "Stitches") is on the 23rd spot and "Juju on that Beat (Tz Anthem)" is #11 on the charts. I bashed my head against my desk for 15 minutes (I'm not joking) in hopes of escaping the realization that this is what humanity has come to become.  Fortunately, my prayers had been answered and "Shape of You" is now sitting in it's righteous pop chart throne. I'm not going to review the #1 song in the country because I already reviewed it, nor will I review the second biggest song in the country "Bad and Boujee" by Migos ft. Lil Uzi Vert (which by the way, as a song is better than the rest generic rap but it's still terrible). Instead, I'm going to review the newest release by one of last year's biggest acts: "Paris" by The Chainsmokers. Why did I make this decision? First, the name. I asked some friends who should I review next and no one knew who Migos was, but they all liked The Chainsmokers. Secondly, after listening both songs, "Paris" is slightly more interesting than "Bad and Boujee" (and just like with Shawn Mendez, "slightly" meaning "barely").

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I don't know how many times you can say something is dull before it gets, well, dull. Music is 2016 was so bad I feel my standards for new music have been significantly lower in desperate attempts to grab whatever I can find. At least in American mainstream, the music scene was either dull ambiance with a beat which were too boring to get ANYTHING out of, or songs that actually sounded like something and sucked. So pick your poison. "Paris" is a continuation of this thread and, probably because my bar has been set so low, I don't mind it. It has more energy than most songs in 2016 and just like "Closer" it has more lyrical depth than most songs in 2016. Musically, however, there's a lot of a clutter in this song. There's too much going on and its not letting anything breath. I can't hear what the piano is trying to play, for instance. I know it's a slight variation of the 4 Chords of Pop structure (D-A-Bm-G), but when I figured out the bassline the chord progression seems to be G-Bm-A-F#m. And when I play it with the song, I can play G-D-A-Bm, G-D-Bm-A, G-Bm-A-F#m, G-Bm-A-F#/D, etc. Basically, any variation of the 4 Chords structure will sound good if you play it in the song, that's how much noise there is. I've tried to find 1 variant that sounds completely off  and couldn't find it as long as it starts with G. What am I trying to say here? Not only is this song uninspired but cluttered, almost as if The Chainsmokers knew how uncreative this song is and tried to hide with tons of tracks, sounds, riffs, and beats. Another problem that everyone has beaten until death is how they CAN'T sing. No exception here. The voice sounds sore, as if they physically can't sing. I will let this pass, however, because this has been a complaint in a lot of their songs. At this point, is not a matter of vocal talent anymore, that's just their sound. To me is like complaining about Bob Dylan's voice or Jimmy Hendrix's wah-wah and distortion. If you don't like it, that's fine, but that's their sound and changing it would result in a completely different artist. Any positives? Despite The Chainsmokers's inability to sing, I do like the vocal melodies and every time I listen to the song the more these riffs and melodies grow on me. They are very catchy but not "Closer" catchy. "Closer" will latch to your brain for days like a merciless parasite despite the verses being so forgettable. "Paris" is not that catchy but as a whole it is a better constructed song.

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The music was very uninteresting, but the lyrics did catch my eye. The song has a "desperate lovers" vibe, but I'm not sure if said lovers are going to run away to Paris, or if they are now, in times of emotional hardship, reminiscing of their best times represented by Paris. I was leaning towards a combination of the 2 options as hinted by lines like "if we go down, we go down together" and "show them we are better". Even though they sing "we were staying in Paris" it didn't seem like it was literal. I researched to see if it was a reference to maybe Casablanca or Paris of Troy who fought bravely for his love, Helena. Looking at the video, however, I did see a little dictionary entry at the beginning that read "paris \pa-rəs\ n 1: a sentimental yearning for a reality that isn't genuine 2: an irrecoverable condition for fantasy that evokes nostalgia or day dreams". This definitely fits the tone of the song, but this definition felt too good to be true. I looked up the definition for Paris in several dictionaries and found nothing, which leads me to believe that The Chainsmokers made the entire thing up. In any other medium, this would've been catastrophic. In music, however, this is fine. Having this dictionary-like visual defining what "Paris" means is them literally explaining to you what the song is about. Paris in the song is a metaphor and not the actual city. This takes the line "we were staying in Paris" a whole different meaning, and with that, the song. It still feels like these lovers are in a time of emotional peril and trying to prove themselves and everyone by reminiscing of better times, but with this definition of Paris, it makes it sound more of a delusion. Is it his, is it hers? Maybe is both of them who yearn for something that is not real and, in denial, try to find it where is not. This is A LOT of emotional depth for The Chainsmokers of all people. I expect this level of songwriting from rock and metal bands writing epics, not the duo who thought "#Selfie" was a good song in ANY way.

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The Chainsmokers, the artist I reviewed for no other reason other than the brand name they now are, have caught me by surprise. Musically, they are terrible. I'm not taking this back. They have an ear for nice riffs but as composers that's all they have. To me, The Chainsmokers are musically equivalent to Eiffel 65's "I'm Blue (Ba Da Dee)". One good riff and no more.  "Closer" is guilty of this deed, and "Paris" is too. Before anyone complains about how "You don't get electronic music because you don't like it in the first place", I do like electronic music. Caravan Place and Alstroemeria Records are 2 great electronic artists I can think of right of the top of my head. The Chainsmokers are just run of the mill mediocre pop sensations. However, I will admit, I did underestimated them as songwriters. I'm very pleasantly surprised to see the level of depth they can get with an admittedly cliche subject matter. My music standards might be at the bottom of the barrel right now, but "Paris" is undoubtedly a step in the right direction for Pop music.

Song Review(s): Castle on the Hill/Shape of You by Ed Sheeran

Everyone, move aside. Ed Sheeran is back. After such a terrible year for music in the mainstream, I am so happy to see that Ed Sheeran is releasing a new album this year. He is such a talented musician and songwriter so I can't wait to see what he has in store for us. Personally, I have a Love/Hate relationship with Mr. Sheeran.

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On one hand, we have his "sappy" songs ("The A Team", "Lego House", "All of the Stars", "Thinking Out Loud", etc.) which are not bad by any means. For me, they get a little old after a while. Even though they are well written (musically and lyrically), they get a little too sentimental and feels a little cheesy after a certain amount of listens. Listening to these songs is like eating high quality Premium Chocolate: everybody loves it (and with good reason), but too much of it will make you sick. On the other hand, whenever he stays away from that "sappy" sound, Ed Sheeran is more of a Fine French Wine. Some songs in this category are "Sing", "Don't", "You Need Me, I Don't Need You", "Nina", and "Make it Rain" (one of my favorites). Songs like "Thinking Out Loud" restrains him, songs like "Sing" lets him go. You can feel how he has full control and reign over his lyrics and music while in the other songs he has to find a compromise to effectively deliver the song's message. It's a complicated opinion, I know,  but that just further proofs how diverse of a musician he is. I like his work, some significantly more than others. So why all this background? Ed Sheeran released on January 6th 2 songs to promote his new album: "Castle on the Hill" and "Shape of You". These songs couldn't be more perfect to represent the chocolate and the wine.

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"Castle on the Hill" is the chocolate of the 2 songs. Although, I will admit maybe not the high end brand (maybe more like a Snickers). Lyrically, this song is gorgeous and extremely well written. Like "7 Years" by Lukas Graham, is about life and the passing of time. Unlike "7 Years" is not an ego stroking excuse of a song and it's actually about the passing of time. Throughout the song, Ed sings about moments in his life evoking very vivid images by singing the details in those moments (In the chorus, for example, a line goes "Driving at 90 down those country lanes singing to Tiny Dancer"). His voice carries that nostalgia and desire to go back to those times that weren't all good but still treasured. There's sadness, but happiness as well. "I'm sad they're gone, but glad they happened". A very beautiful and well balanced poem about the bitter and the sweet moments that is life. The problem with this song? Oh boy is this sappy... Think of that time when you drank syrup straight out of the bottle, Remember how your tongue was tingling from the sweetness? I, no joke, got the exact same reaction from this song. The music is very appropriate but I wasn't quite a fan of it. It sounds like a combination of something U2, Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, and One Republic would write. I'm really at a loss of words because the music is not bad. The lyrics and subject matter justify the musical composition, and then again, it is not a bad composition. The more I listen to it, the more I like it, actually (but I feel I'm going to get sick of it pretty quick). It's just bland, I guess. If I knew what the song was about before I heard it I probably would've said "Yeah, of course it sounds like this. What'd you expect?". The galloping kick drum? Check. A soaring synth/keyboard? A-ha. The echo-filled electric guitar? Yep. My problem with this song is that it has nothing interesting in it. I wouldn't mind so much if this were Ed's standard sound, but it isn't. I know that Ed Sheeran is above this, he can do a lot better than this. I know this for a fact, specially since he demonstrated it with his other release.

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"Shape of You" is by far the better song. It has a nice beat and xylophone sounding riff that is very catchy, in a good way. Although, is it me, or does that xylophone riff with that island beat sound a little bit like "Cheap Thrills"? At the very least I noticed that "Cheap Thrills" is on F#m scale while "Shape of You" is on an C#m scale and both of them are on a similar tempo so mashing them up wouldn't be that hard of a task. His work on the backing vocals is outstanding. The harmonies, the hums, the "Oh I, oh I, oh I"-s, Ed's vocal work is simply spectacular and his delivery is pitch perfect.  I'm not sure if this is a love song or a song of a one night stand or a combination of both, but he delivers the right tone. His voice carries a groove that matches the music with a slick confidence. Unlike "Castle on the Hill" this song just gets better with every listen, exactly like wine with each passing year.

Lyrically, as mentioned before, it seems to be about a girl. What started out as a one night stand is evolving into something more. Once again, Sheeran's songwriting is spectacular with a great amount of visual imagery. I wouldn't call this a "love song" because that's not the vibe I'm getting from the lyrics. Story-wise, this song is very similar to Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" where the narrator falls in love with a prostitute. However, in "Rebel Yell" the narrator maybe confusing what he's feeling for love but it is clear that he thinks it's love. In "Shape of You", the narrator seems conflicted with lines like "Push and Pull like a magnet do, although my heart is falling too" and "I'm in love with your body". The narrator is having feelings for the girl, but he is aware that they are purely physical... or are they?  This is what makes the song great. "Rebel Yell" is a good song but "Shape of You" is interesting. There is flavor to uncertainty like this, and furthermore, to an uncertainty so relatable. This song introduces you into a scenario that we all have experienced at some point in our lives. These feelings result in a story very 'Sweet and Sour', and just like the narrator in the song, we want it all. If this is the quality of writing Mr. Sheeran is bringing to us this year, then I can't wait to see what's next.

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A Year End Retrospective: 2016

Good Riddance, 2016!  I think everyone can agree that 2016 was a terrible year, and I've seen people on social media (Facebook, mostly) trying to lighten the mood by sharing videos highlighting all the good moments of 2016. Let's be honest, the year was still terrible. True, there have been good moments throughout the year but the bad outweigh the good. SPECIALLY when it comes to the music.

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Since I started this blog, I forced myself to pay more attention to the pop charts and the radio. While doing that, I still listened to songs on the internet and playing in public spaces. I can confidently say that in 2016 I've heard hundreds of songs that were released this year. MAYBE 3 of the ones popular in US were good. I chose a terrible year to start reviewing pop music and feel extremely sorry for all the magazines and websites that have to do a Top 10 Best Songs of the Year. The problem with all these songs was that they all seemed "Song-less". Rather than music, a lot of it sounded like Ambiance with a beat. The songs that had some sort of riff and/or melody usually followed the writing skills of Eiffel 65's "Blue (Ba Da Dee)" which is basically repeat a riff from the beginning all the way to the end. Repetition is important in music, I get it. However, it's hard to explain when it's done right without listening to it. The minority of songs that slipped into the Top 100 that sounded like ACTUAL songs had major problems like bad lyrics, singing or subject matter. The other "song-less" songs had the additional problem of sounding like nothing or barely something. "Sorry" by  Justin Bieber is a terrible song with god awful lyrics and a sense of smug arrogance that you know he doesn't mean anything that he is saying. Not to mention that his delivery is not necessarily bad, it's just weird. I'm not a fan of his "under his breath" singing. Zayn's "Pillowtalk" however had a better vocal delivery, the writing was ok (just cliche), and subject matter uninteresting. "Sorry" is still a better song than "Pillowtalk" because at the very least, it sounds like A song.

I'm sure Billboard will do a Top 100 Best Songs of the Year list (if they haven't already) so I'd say just take a look at that and you'll see pretty much everything I hated about this year. The list may include, but not limited to, "Work" by Rihanna (ft. Drake), "Panda" by Desiigner, "Sweatshirt" by Jacob Sartorius, "Work From Home" by Fifth Harmony (ft. Ty Dolla $ign), "Pillowtalk" by Zayn, "7 Years" by Lukas Graham, Meghan Trainor (anything she's in, really), "Treat You Better" by Shawn Mendez, etc. These are songs I absolutely despised. They literally made me sick when I heard them (no, I'm not using "literally" for emphasis. My body really felt nauseous while hearing these songs). However, the grand winner has to be "Work" by Rihanna (ft. Drake). This song sounds awful, she sounds awful, everything is awful in it. It is beyond words. How can people even like this? This is the worst singing I've ever heard, and this includes drunken karaoke. How can you be autotuned out of key? And one thing that pisses me off is that I know Rihanna can be a good singer, so I usually put the blame on Drake because it does sound like more of his song than Rihanna's. You want an example? Listen to Calvin Harris's "This is What You Came For". The worst part of it all is how catchy it is. That chorus will drill into your head just by thinking of it. How did it even get release? Were the producers drunk or high when they gave this song the thumbs up? They were definitely on something.

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It wasn't all hate and sickness, though. A lot of the year was simply "meh", mediocre, ok, indifferent, or forgettable. Again, there's a LOT of songs in this category considering that most of pop music in 2016 sounded like people abusing sleeping pills. Some of them are "Black Beatles" by Rae Sremmurd (ft. Gucci Mane), "This is What You Came For" by Calvin Harris (ft. Rihanna), "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake, "24k Magic" by Bruno Mars, and "Ride" and "Heathens" by Twenty One Pilots (I will most likely get myself crucified for these last 2 but save your energies. I might do a Band Overview on Twenty One Pilots later so at least hear me out before you kill me). Again, these songs are not particularly bad, I simply didn't like them, because they were bland, boring, uninteresting, or served as nothing more but background noise. Basically, I don't mind these songs if I'm forced to listen to them. "Closer" by The Chainsmokers (ft. Halsey) is kind of in a gray area for me because I DESPISE this song, but it's entirely for emotional reasons. I can't find a single problem with it when I think about it musically and objectively. I feel the chorus is the only real good part of the song. It's well written and it's a nice melody that carries the emotional climax of the song, as it should. The verses, however, are pretty forgettable as they seem to serve as backstory and nothing more. "Closer" is getting an emotional response from me so it has to be doing something right.

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Where there good songs? Yeah, a couple. "Cheap Thrills" by Sia is probably the first one that comes to mind when I think of this. I hated The Weeknd but his song "Starboy" is growing on me, and so did "One Dance" by Drake (ft. Kyla & Wizkid). Another song that I wasn't sure about but now I really like is "I Took a Pill in Ibiza (Seeb Remix)" by Mike Posner. "Girls Talk Boys" by 5 Seconds of Summer had it's problems but it's still an amazing song. "Kiss the Sky" by Jason Derulo, I heard it in a movie theater and surprised that it didn't even chart in the US (it hit number 9 in New Zealand). WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, USA!? This song should've made AT LEAST the top 10. This song SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING. I love the beat, the bass, the groove. This song makes you feel good, makes me want to dance (and I'm terrible at it). It's just a great song that apparently none of my peers ever heard. So what's the best song in 2016?  "Kishikaisei" by Wagakki-Band. Were you expecting a song from an artist previously featured in the Billboard Hot 100? Well, the songs and artists that make it into the Hot 100 are a "good product" but not good art. There's nothing wrong with commercial art, which is what I think pop music is, but there has to be some sort of quality. I've been rambling on how these songs don't have substance. The reason behind it is because if you make it into the Hot 100, you don't have to proof anything anymore. Artists like Drake, Shawn Mendez, and Rihanna can give us not even the minimum effort and still have a commercial gain because their name and image has become a marketable brand worldwide. Other Bands and Artists around the world don't have this luxury of writing a lazy song and call it "Avant Garde" and be popular. This is why, the best song in 2016 is NOT a song featured in the Hot 100.  "Kishikaisei" translates to "Resuscitation" and that is literally what it feels like listening to this song. Not only is it one of the best written, best composed, best produced, and most unique sounding songs I've heard this year, but it also has an outstanding amount of energy that after time in this wasteland of the barely living corpses of pop music it brings you back  ready to face the challenges ahead. It is too bad that the song was not as popular as any of the songs listed above. After such a terrible year, a resurrection is exactly what we need to move towards a better future.

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