Date: Sept 9, 2006
Weeks: 7
This song starts out promisingly enough. The sound it creates is appealing. The synth chords and percussion line create a nice little dance beat. It sounds like a great start to an intriguing song.
But then the song goes nowhere. The song doesn't evolve or change. It's content to just park on that sound for 4 minutes, and hopes you like that sound enough to endure 4 minutes of it. There's barely even a difference between the verse and the chorus. The synth chords change a bit, but it certainly doesn't create sufficient variety to be entertaining.
The sound is so shallow. That's a fine sound to create at the beginning of a song, when you're building to something. But this song builds to nothing. It needs more layers of sound. I don't even know what it needs. Maybe replace the bass-sting chords with more constant bass? Add an orchestra? I don't even know. Add anything, especially in the chorus, and this would be a better song.
I'm not sure the lyrics even deserve analysis. It's basically an excuse to say the word "sexy" as much as possible, while saying things that sound sexy but aren't. "I think it's special what's behind your back. So turn around and I'll pick up the slack." I don't think it's sexy to say that you'll pick up somebody's slacking butt. "Girl let me make up for the things you lack." That's the worst pick-up line I've ever heard.
My verdict: Don't like it. Dance music is trying to accomplish a very different goal from other music, which is to create one sound that can be stretched for as long as a dance club DJ wants. It may work in that context, but it rarely works as an arranged pop song in any other context.
Showing posts with label 2006. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2006. Show all posts
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Song #919: "Laffy Taffy" by D4L
Date: Jan 14, 2006
Weeks: 1
This song has a pleasant enough sound to it. I really like the super-synthesizer that plugs away through the song. Beep beep boop! It sounds like a video game music remix, and I thoroughly enjoy those. The rapping is decent enough, and the chorus is like a chant, so they neatly sidestep the question of how well rappers can sing.
I like the overall sound, for about a minute. But it goes on too long with too little variety, and gets old really fast. Okay, beep beep boop, we get it. Add some variety. Build to something musically. But that doesn't happen.
Anyway, it's a rap song, so the music is besides the point and the lyrics are what matters, right? The chorus is "Girl shake that laffy taffy." Wait don't tell me, let me guess. "Laffy Taffy" means her butt, right? Oh. Oh no. It's something... else. Similar region, but... Sigh. They just had to be as crude as possible, didn't they? (Here's a link to it on Urban Dictionary, if you haven't figured it out and really want to know).
And then the rest of the song isn't any less crude. The first verse is filled with this kind of candy-as-sex metaphor. "Girls call me Jolly Rancher 'cause I stay so hard." It's sort of clever. It's like a dirtier version of "Sugar, Sugar" by the Archies (#219). And I think that reference is intentional, considering the occasional interjections of "candy girl," a specific lyric in "Sugar, Sugar."
Unfortunately, this concept disappears in subsequent verses. I guess one guy in this group was interested in the candy-as-sex metaphor idea, but the rappers on the other two verses wanted no part of it. They both just rap about being at a strip club, and each of them raps about how he's just so special that he plans to win over the best-looking stripper and take her back to his place. Psst, guys, every stripper tries to make every guy feel like he is the only guy in the room and she's about to go home with him. A stripper who makes customers feel that way gets better pay and better tips. You're falling for the strip club's trick, and you're about one minute away from being escorted out by security, despite your assertion that "security guard don't scare nobody."
I suppose I don't even have to say that the song is totally sexist. Would it be so sexist if they left out the strip club stuff, leaving just the candy metaphor? And if "laffy taffy" didn't mean what it does? I guess it doesn't matter, because both those things are in this song.
My verdict: Don't like it. For about the first minute, I thought this song had potential to be good. But it wasn't.
Weeks: 1
This song has a pleasant enough sound to it. I really like the super-synthesizer that plugs away through the song. Beep beep boop! It sounds like a video game music remix, and I thoroughly enjoy those. The rapping is decent enough, and the chorus is like a chant, so they neatly sidestep the question of how well rappers can sing.
I like the overall sound, for about a minute. But it goes on too long with too little variety, and gets old really fast. Okay, beep beep boop, we get it. Add some variety. Build to something musically. But that doesn't happen.
Anyway, it's a rap song, so the music is besides the point and the lyrics are what matters, right? The chorus is "Girl shake that laffy taffy." Wait don't tell me, let me guess. "Laffy Taffy" means her butt, right? Oh. Oh no. It's something... else. Similar region, but... Sigh. They just had to be as crude as possible, didn't they? (Here's a link to it on Urban Dictionary, if you haven't figured it out and really want to know).
And then the rest of the song isn't any less crude. The first verse is filled with this kind of candy-as-sex metaphor. "Girls call me Jolly Rancher 'cause I stay so hard." It's sort of clever. It's like a dirtier version of "Sugar, Sugar" by the Archies (#219). And I think that reference is intentional, considering the occasional interjections of "candy girl," a specific lyric in "Sugar, Sugar."
Unfortunately, this concept disappears in subsequent verses. I guess one guy in this group was interested in the candy-as-sex metaphor idea, but the rappers on the other two verses wanted no part of it. They both just rap about being at a strip club, and each of them raps about how he's just so special that he plans to win over the best-looking stripper and take her back to his place. Psst, guys, every stripper tries to make every guy feel like he is the only guy in the room and she's about to go home with him. A stripper who makes customers feel that way gets better pay and better tips. You're falling for the strip club's trick, and you're about one minute away from being escorted out by security, despite your assertion that "security guard don't scare nobody."
I suppose I don't even have to say that the song is totally sexist. Would it be so sexist if they left out the strip club stuff, leaving just the candy metaphor? And if "laffy taffy" didn't mean what it does? I guess it doesn't matter, because both those things are in this song.
My verdict: Don't like it. For about the first minute, I thought this song had potential to be good. But it wasn't.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Song #920: "Grillz" by Nelly (featuring Paul Wall and Ali & Gipp)
Date: Jan 21, 2006
Weeks: 2
I can easily imagine where grills originated and how they became a fad. Somebody, faced with the embarrassing prospect of getting adult braces, had way too much ego wrapped up in being cool, and way too much disposable income. They figured that if they put some bright decorations on their braces and refused to be embarrassed, they could own it and stay cool. Fellow nerds take note, the ability to own your uncoolness and turn it into a trend is what separates us from the truly cool.
It's easy to imagine how it spiraled from there. People who needed braces wanted the fancy and cool braces. Then people who didn't need braces wanted them anyway, and the trend culminated in this rap song at the top of the charts.
It's one thing to make a pop song that captures and promotes a cultural trend, like a dance or a fashion. But this song's intent is made clear in one particular line: "Call me George Foreman 'cause I'm selling everybody grillz." Yep, the song is upfront about it: it's an ad campaign designed to sell a product. In fact, the rapper of this particular lyric, Paul Wall, apparently owns a fairly significant grill business. This is starting to feel like a local business owner making a TV commercial rap about his products, but with higher production values and better talent.
The backing track to a lot of rap music is usually pretty minimal, but that doesn't mean it can't be entertaining. I'm a sucker for songs that use a good sample for a backing track. My favorite rap song is "O.P.P." by Naughty by Nature, entirely because of their excellent sampling of "ABC" by the Jackson Five (#233). But this song features a repetitive series of synthesizer tones and drum taps. It's not the worst backing track I've ever heard, but it's not very good either.
The vocals aren't bad. Nelly and his guests don't have unpleasant voices, and they generate a pleasant rhythm. The woman singing the chorus, Brandi Williams (who isn't credited as a featured artist despite carrying the chorus), does all right in a role that could easily come off whiny or obnoxious. The singing and rapping is the best part of the song. Any of these people could easily make a decent song if they just focused their efforts on another topic and found better music to back it up.
My verdict: Don't like it. "You see my grandmama hate it." And so do I.
Weeks: 2
I can easily imagine where grills originated and how they became a fad. Somebody, faced with the embarrassing prospect of getting adult braces, had way too much ego wrapped up in being cool, and way too much disposable income. They figured that if they put some bright decorations on their braces and refused to be embarrassed, they could own it and stay cool. Fellow nerds take note, the ability to own your uncoolness and turn it into a trend is what separates us from the truly cool.
It's easy to imagine how it spiraled from there. People who needed braces wanted the fancy and cool braces. Then people who didn't need braces wanted them anyway, and the trend culminated in this rap song at the top of the charts.
It's one thing to make a pop song that captures and promotes a cultural trend, like a dance or a fashion. But this song's intent is made clear in one particular line: "Call me George Foreman 'cause I'm selling everybody grillz." Yep, the song is upfront about it: it's an ad campaign designed to sell a product. In fact, the rapper of this particular lyric, Paul Wall, apparently owns a fairly significant grill business. This is starting to feel like a local business owner making a TV commercial rap about his products, but with higher production values and better talent.
The backing track to a lot of rap music is usually pretty minimal, but that doesn't mean it can't be entertaining. I'm a sucker for songs that use a good sample for a backing track. My favorite rap song is "O.P.P." by Naughty by Nature, entirely because of their excellent sampling of "ABC" by the Jackson Five (#233). But this song features a repetitive series of synthesizer tones and drum taps. It's not the worst backing track I've ever heard, but it's not very good either.
The vocals aren't bad. Nelly and his guests don't have unpleasant voices, and they generate a pleasant rhythm. The woman singing the chorus, Brandi Williams (who isn't credited as a featured artist despite carrying the chorus), does all right in a role that could easily come off whiny or obnoxious. The singing and rapping is the best part of the song. Any of these people could easily make a decent song if they just focused their efforts on another topic and found better music to back it up.
My verdict: Don't like it. "You see my grandmama hate it." And so do I.
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