The Florida Project

The Florida Project is a low budget film that takes place in the tourist area of central Florida. The film follows the daily life of a single mother (Halley) and her daughter (Moonee) living in a hotel, as Halley struggles with the responsibilities of being mother. Willem Dafoe plays the manager of the hotel (Bobby) and faces his own daily struggles of running a hotel, not made any easier by Halley and Moonee. Halley is about as carefree as a person can be, which makes it hard for her to provide a good life for Moonee (especially when she acts like more of a friend than a mother to her daughter). Halley is willing to take risks for her daughter, even if it could put her in danger. Moonee is somehow even more carefree than her mother, spending all her days adventuring around the tourist area with her friends at the hotel. Willem Dafoe does an amazing job in this movie playing Bobby the hotel manager. He's just so good at playing the loving but strict manager as he cleans up after all the girls messes they cause. 

The whole film was actually shot here in Florida in an area I've gone by at least a hundred times, the Magic Castle Hotel near US192 and 535 (A nice purple and yellow monstrosity). It honestly made the movie even better to see the characters walking by and visiting places i'm all too familiar with... I wonder if this is how people in LA and NY feel when they watch movies. Even without all that I thought this movie was great because of how different it was from anything else this year. It was just a bonus that it felt so close to home. The movie actually helped changed the way I see that large tourist are of Kissimmee, i'll explain why later. 

The best thing this movie does is the dialog between the characters. There are good chunks of the movie where it's just kids hanging out with kids, and it just feels so real. The way they talk to each other and play just feels very natural and not at all fake and Hollywood like other movies and shows. They say stupid things that kids say and act like wild and hyper like kids act, it's some of the most well done work with kids I've seen. Not to take away from the adults, as they really capture a type of lifestyle that isn't really shown too often in movies. 

The movie is beautifully shot and directed, which is the reason why I can see that part of town differently now. Seeing that tourist area through the eyes of a Moonee, who is having everyday adventures in the area, really makes a place that the average person might avoid, look somehow amazing. Now a place that I always thought of as meaningless to me holds a lot more meaning and has a lot more beauty when seen through the eyes of a kid. The parts of Halleys struggle as a mom are captured really well too and it can be heartbreaking. It's a really nice film to look at from beginning to end either way. 

The Florida Project was just a great film. See the world through the eyes of two characters with a carefree attitude, but understand the consequences of that. Hangout and see the world like a child does again with Moonee, who gives one of the best child performances I've seen in a long time. See Willem Dafoe give one of his best performances. 

Overall Grade: B+

The Greatest of All Time Pop Songs II: Unnecessary Scat Edition.

The Greatest of All Time Pop Songs: 11-20

Welcome to part 2 (kind of) of my review of Billboard's greatest performing pop songs of all time! I was able to find a list on another site that i'm pretty sure is the same exact one as I was using last time. Billboard seems to have taken down the original page with the list they created, but at least now I can still continue...yay? Previously on the list, I covered mostly rock hits from the early 00's and some from the 90's. I'm hoping things will go a bit differently this time around because I really don't want to listen to Nickelback and 3 Doors down anymore. I guess it could always be worse than those two bands though, imagine a Ke$ha song being on here...

11. Maroon 5 - One More Night

Starting things of with a more recent song, New Year's Day 2012 to be exact. That's right, Maroon 5 released this on the first day of the year. I guess it's good to get the bad music out the way as early in the year as possible. This album was the first album where Maroon 5 changed completely to pop, getting rid of any rock elements pretty much entirely. Yes, the music suffered greatly for it but the band became more popular than ever because of it as well. I don't think One More Night is a bad song though, it far better than anything from their next two albums and the other big single from this album "Payphone". It still has the presence of guitars, bass and drums that actually don't sound too bad. It's a damn catchy song that will easily get stuck in your head, so it's easy to see how it could end up being on this list I guess. While it might be catchy as hell, it is missing that Maroon 5 charm from their old albums, especially when it comes to the music. It's all just OKAY, it's missing that funky bass and interesting guitar parts of their older albums. Adam's voice just sounds so much better when he's being supported by interesting music and isn't the only focus of the song. Still comparing it to all the other pop songs of 2012, this one is probably one of the better ones.

12. Avicii - Wake Me Up (Inside?)

This is the first song on the list that I didn't know much about at first listen. It's confusing for me to see a song like this listed on the greatest of all time pop songs considering I don't think I've ever heard before. I have no memories of this song and I don't have any strong opinions on it. It's an okay song that isn't as interesting as I think it's trying to be. The folksy guitars paired with the loud EDM chorus works better than I would have thought it could. EDM just isn't something I ever took much interest in. It's something that I can't listen to for long without having to take a break from it. Maybe i'm just too old too get it?  I actually much prefer the acoustic version by Aloe Blacc, I think it works better with the softer instrumentals in-between the verses. I still don't really get why this is so high on the list above other iconic songs, but it was definitely a huge hit regardless of how I feel. It was in the top 20 best selling songs for two years in a row.

13. Ke Dollar-Sign Ha - Tik Tok

2010 Was a strange year for music and the fact that "Tik Tok" was the number one song of the year proves that. This song is obnoxious in every single way possible. The lyrics, the loud annoying music, the auto-tuned like crazy vocals and her delivery is just UGH. I can't listen to this song more than once, so I really have no idea how this got so much radio play and sales. It's weird though, because with all her obnoxious music she was able to score multiple hits on the charts and this one becoming one of the most successful songs of all time. Now when she actually drops the whole dumb party girl act and releases an album that's actually pretty damn good, she can't even score a song in the top 10. Makes me wonder just what people are looking for in their music these days. Was the fact that "Tik Tok" was so annoying the reason it was so popular? Was it because people played it to annoy their friends and family? Maybe Kesha really is a genius... In fact, I'm almost certain she is.

14. Goo Goo Dolls - Slide

I vaguely remember this song from my childhood, I know I heard it back then it was still on the radio. This song was a big hit back in '99, and I remember hearing it past that. I always find myself coming back to this song every now and it's always a treat. Though, when you listen to the lyrics the happiness this song gives doesn't really match with the topic here. The song is actually about a guy who gets a girl pregnant at a catholic school. The girl goes on to get an abortion and gets kicked out of the school, while the guy is confessing his love for her and trying to convince her to run away with him and get married. It's something I think pretty much everybody can relate too, maybe? I don't Know, It's a pretty heavy subject to be singing about in such a happy tone anyway. I guess it's supposed to be from the perspective of the guy who's madly in love. Besides all that crazy/creepy stuff, it's a great song with an interesting way to present such a messed up story.

15. Catholic Schoolgi-- i mean, Goo Goo Dolls - Name

Don't worry this one doesn't have anything to do with abortions and catholic schoolgirls...probably. It is a lot sadder though, and it shows through the music AND the lyrics this time. To me this song is all about growing older and becoming different people than we dreamed of being when we were younger. It seems to be coming directed at someone who is in pain, maybe from the realization that their dreams didn't come true or just that life isn't at all what you imagined when you were younger. It's a great song with good guitar work throughout and calmer, but still great vocals. The song slowly builds over time, eventually getting to a "happier" bridge towards the end. "Name" isn't a song I come back to very often, but it's a good rainy day song. As much as I hate to say, the Catholic schoolgirl song wins this round.

16. OneRepublic - Counting Them Stars

I mentioned this song on my last post, comparing it to the inferior "Apologize". OneRepublic was one of those bands that I could never see myself getting into when they were still new to the scene. They took a long break between their second album in 2009 and finally released a new album in 2014 with "Native". I wouldn't have paid it any attention, but once I heard the song "Counting Stars" I was very curious. Actually I didn't even realize it was OneRepublic when I heard it because it was such a cool song. This went on the be the best selling "rock" song of the year and 4th overall for 2014. It was an interesting year full of many newcomers hitting the top of the charts like; Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor, and Lorde. OneRepublic felt like a completely new act themselves with this album. This song was everywhere for quite a few months, and I never found myself getting tired of it. It's catchy, musically interesting and different than most pop songs in 2014.

17. Rihanna/Calvin Harris - We Found Love

THIS SONG IS okay. Both artists have done much better and much worse than this. It's catchy and the music isn't as annoying as other songs in this genre. The main problem I have with it is that it just seems to stay on the same level throughout it's whole run-time. There's a tiny pause near the halfway point, but besides that it doesn't really go anywhere, especially in the vocals. There's nothing much wrong with this song besides that. Passable vocals, lyrics and music make for a passable song.

18. Spin Doctors - Two Princes

I slowly scroll down the list of songs for this week and see the title Two Princes. "Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time" I whisper to myself. I listen to the song and I wonder to myself: "Is this song so bad it's good or just actually good"? "I'm pretty sure it's not good especially since I have no damn clue what this song is actually about". As If my confusion in the words wasn't enough, the song decides to breakout into the most unnecessary scat singing I've heard since Jason Mraz in "I'm Yours".

Just to be serious though, I actually like this song a bit. It's not something I would listen to frequently, maybe two or three times a year i'll put it on for nostalgia's sake. It has memorable music, especially the guitar and the solo and the melody is instantly recognizable and transports me to the 90's. There are probably 1,000 better rock songs from the 90's than this, but this still stands out as one of those memorable songs everyone remembers from that time. At least it's better than Dave Matthew, amirite?

19. Bruno Mraz - Locked Out of Heaven

When Bruno Mars first started getting big around 2010 I didn't much care for him. He made catchy pop songs that were very safe and just felt boring and generic. It wasn't until I heard the song "Locked Out of Heaven" from his second album that I really understood the talent that Bruno Mars had. Like many artists, it takes some risks in trying new things and really using your talent to really hit your stride. Bruno Mars did that when he started taking inspiration from other artists like The Police, James Brown, Boys II Men and Michael Jackson and putting it into his music. The songs don't feel like rip-offs, but they feel like homages to artists that Bruno clearly loves and takes inspiration from. "Locked Out of Heaven" has a great 80's vibe with some new modern ideas thrown in. Those two elements combine to make one of the best selling pop songs of 2013 in a year where there were an above average amount of good pop songs. I doubt that Bruno could ever be a part anything better than this song though. Not even a throwback to the old-school funk days could accomplish that. Never. 

20. Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk

Yeah I should have seen this one coming... Here is one of the best pop songs that's been made at least in the last decade. A song that came out of nowhere and stole the hearts of anybody who still has one to steal, because if you don't love this song you have no heart and you're dead inside. Everything about this song just works so well. Bruno comes across as someone who's having the time of his life singing this song and the music matches that mood so well. This song spent 14 weeks at the top spot and was the number one song overall for the year 2015 with 56 overall weeks on the hot 100 chart. This song was around for over a year in the charts, which is pretty insane. It just has so much staying power, more than I think any song has this decade. It never got old, it just kept going and going and it's still fun to listen to almost three years later. The funny part about this is, I couldn't tell you a single song other than "Uptown Funk" from that album. I don't think anyone really can without looking it up. This album had one of the most popular songs EVER and 10 other tracks that nobody will ever talk about. It's a hard act to follow for sure, but maybe Ronson can make lightning strike twice in the future. Doubt it.

That's all for this time... Here's a preview for next time:
I'll Stand with you on a mountain
Wonder if you'll call me superman
Make you my Aphrodite
Won't be able to breath for the first time
Confess I still believe
Let you touch my love for free
Play on the safe side so I don't get hurt
Be your only even if the sky is falling
[Some stupid Black Eyed Peas song]
Talk for hours (and hours) about the sweet and the sour.

Bonus points if you know any of those songs. The second one is pretty obvious though... 

The Greatest of All Time Pop Songs (According to Billboard): Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa Edition

The Greatest of All Time Pop Songs: 1-10

So I was looking through the Billboard charts the other day while doing one of my reviews and I stumbled upon a list called "Greatest of All Time Pop Songs" and I thought, "Well this should be good". So what I found was a list of 100 best performing songs from the year 1992 till late 2017 and what a weird list it was indeed. So I'm just going to take a nostalgic trip through the last 25 years of music and see how well these songs hold up and what I remember of them when they first came out. Just starting with the first ten then maybe if this isn't so painful going down until the 100th later on. I'll put a playlist of the first ten songs and slowly add to the same playlist as I go down the list of 100 songs.

So it begins... and a very strange beginning it is.

1. Real McCoy - Another Night

I honestly had no idea what this song was when I saw the name, but as soon as the first note played I was instantly taken back to the 90's. This has that sound that could only have existed in the 90's dance club scene and OH is it glorious. The low and almost talk-singing creepy male vocals paired with the over passionate female vocalists in the chorus with catchy chorus to bring up the mood. The loud bass sounds blasting throughout the song with the higher synth sounds filling in the rest of the song. It all comes together to make something so strange but unique that you could only find in the 90's. Of course the 90's club scene was never my thing (because I was a child) and this kind of music is only fun for it's nostalgia. Honestly though compared to the club music of today, this is much better and full of energy and I can see why people would have enjoyed this at a club or party setting back then. 

The reason I remember this song so well and I have nostalgia for it is because it was featured in the movie "Night at the Roxbury" in the late 90's. That was one of my favorite movies growing up and I think that's why this song is still fun to listen to now. Does this song hold up today? No, not really. It's not something I would listen to myself and I can't see it being played at any club or dance party without it being a 90's themed party/club night. I find this song to be more funny than I think it's supposed to be, with the cheesy lyrics and music it's hard not to find this funny. I do think that dance and club music needs to be this fun though, and not so serious and depressing like a lot of dance/club music seems to be today. Overall a cheesy fun song that thankfully didn't make it past the 90's

2. Santana/Rob Thomas - Smooth

Anyone that was old enough to remember the year 1999 or 2000 probably remembers hearing this song at least one thousand times or more. This song was number one for 12 whole weeks and it stuck around for what felt like an eternity in the radio and anywhere else you could possibly hear music. Every single part of this song is memorable from the drum introduction, the Santana riffs, the strange lyrics like "7 inches from the midday sun" and "my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa". There's so much going on in this song musically and it's fun to listen to each instrument separately. Of course there's the obvious guitar that cuts in and out with different riffs that fit in perfectly and don't feel out of place. The bass is busy throughout the song doing with lots of different lines to keep it fresh. The drums really get busy at the end when Santana goes into his fade out solo. Theres other percussion and keys and horns in the mix too, giving it that latin feeling. Listening to this today, it's still a great song that holds up very well. I have to imagine myself being back when this song was at it's peak and wonder if I would feel the same. Knowing how popular this song was and the massive play it was getting, would I just be sick of it or would it really stand strong? I remember liking this song even before I really got into music, but that's not really saying much when I also liked Papa Roach back then. Forget you read that.

3. Lifehouse - Hanging By a Moment

Speaking of songs that were overplayed to death on the radio in the early 2000s, here's that one Lifehouse you remember for some reason. Much like "Smooth", right from the first slide of the bass at the beginning I knew instantly what this song was. Lifehouse is just one of those bands that I think a lot of people remember from the 2000s, but don't really listen to anymore. They are still around to this day making music, though they never saw the same success as they did with this song. They did get a few hits here and there with smaller radio hits like "Between the Raindrops", "You and Me" and "Halfway Gone". "Hanging by a Moment" was actually the number one song for the year 2001, dominating at a time where alt-rock was still able to get some big hits with bands like Matchbox Twenty, Train and 3 Doors Down where massively popular in the pop charts. 

"Hanging By a Moment" still holds up in my opinion. The memorable bass sliding bass effect and bass lines, the guitars following right along and adding more to the layers and the extremely catchy melodies that will get stuck in your head for at least a week or two. It reminds of a time where we were still getting catchy rock music (and some pretty bad rock music) on the radio before hip-hop and club music took over the charts and airplay. Lifehouse is a solid band that was able to make it past the awkward music of the early 2000s and continue to make pretty good albums that were successful enough. 

4. OneRepublic - Apologize (Timbaland version)

Oh boy, I didn't expect to see this one here. I just have to say that I really find this song to be pretty overrated. This song was a big hit back in 2008, coming out as 5th best performance of that year and also doing pretty well the previous year at the 66th best song in 2007. The competition was indeed, not fierce. The number one song of 2008 was "Low" by the always amazing Flo Rida and right above this song at the 4th spot was Lil Wayne with his magnum opus: Lollipop. 

Apologize is just one of those songs that gets old after one listen. The music is boring and the vocals and melody aren't anything special. There are a few interesting things in the background done with the keys, but the song just drags on after the first chorus. Thankfully OneRepublic did go on to make some great music after about 7 years and got another big hit with the much better song "Counting Stars". Kinda weird how much better your music can be when it actually sounds like you're having fun being creative with it. 

5. Nickelback - How You Remind Me

What can I say about Nickelback that hasn't already been said by everyone on the internet and countless memes? This song isn't really that terrible, but much like the previous song, it just doesn't have anything special here. Yes the melody is memorable and catchy, but the music is so generic and boring that it really doesn't give me a reason to listen to it multiple times. Unlike early 2000's rock songs like "Smooth" and even "Hanging by a Moment", this one has nothing interesting or original. Boring strumming and power chords though the whole song. Then of course there's the fact that they pretty much ripped the music from this boring song of and copied it onto another single from the next album they released with "Someday", which is pretty hilarious. Anyway, just another forgettable from the early 2000s from the most infamous band in the world. By the way, this was the best performing song of 2002, a year that also had Puddle of Mudd in the top 10 songs of the year. I know what you're thinking and I agree. This was the greatest year of music ever. 

6. 3 (not 6.3, but this is the 6th song on the list and the band's name has a 3 in it so it looks like it's 6.3 but it's actually not, so don't get confused about this. I mean it's not that I think your dumb or anything, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't confusing to you. Because it kinda looks like it says 6.3 but it's not the 6.3rd entry on the list because that doesn't exist. I don't think you're getting it... here let me expl--) Doors Down - Here Without You

The early 2000s rock continues with one of the most popular bands back then: 3 Doors Down. Remember when it was still cool to have numbers in your band name? I honestly don't know how to feel about this song. I think at one point in my life when the song was still popular, I actually really liked this song. It's overdramatic, memorable music, and sad. That was what I was all about back then.. and probably still today. Without nostalgia to attach to this song though, I don't think this is one of those early 2000s rock songs that really holds up today. I'd say I like this better than Kryptonite by the same band (which I was surprised not to see in this spot), but that doesn't really mean much. Besides their popular songs, I don't know anything else about this band, except that they are still making music and touring the world.

The guitar is really the only memorable part musically, with all it's depressing glory. The lyrics are pretty cheesy and the strings that follow along are somehow even cheesier. It all strangely works to make this a somewhat enjoyable listen in that nostalgic sort of way. It has enough to keep it from being too boring, but not enough to make it anything worth coming back to multiple times. With songs like these I guess maybe we know why rock music was eventually gone from the pop charts. 

7. No Doubt - Don't Speak

A record breaking song back in 1996, sadly wasn't allowed to be included in the Top 100 songs of the year from Billboard because no official single was released for the song. If not for that the song no doubt (sorry) would have been number one for 1996, possibly beating out the Macarena. This song was from one of my favorite 90's albums "Tragic Kingdom" released back in 1995. The song was written by Gwen Stefani's brother back when he was still in the band. The song showed a different side of Gwen and No Doubt as they were more known for their ska-punk sound back then. 

This is one of those songs that just works on every single level. The music is so unique with the iconic opening guitar, the inventive bass lines on the chorus, Gwen's fantastic vocals and that beautiful acoustic solo. It's the kind of song that stands the test of time because of it's attention to detail in every aspect. A good melody and vocals can be enough to get a song on the charts but I feel it takes a song like this one, that gets that AND the music right, to really stand the test of time. I know it's not always the case, but I just really appreciate the way everything comes together. Sadly, No Doubt would go one to focus on a more pop sound later on and never really reach these heights again. 

8. Goo Goo Dolls - Iris

Much like the last song, Iris was a record breaking song in the number one spot for 18 weeks. The song also wasn't allowed on the end of the year charts like "Don't Speak" for the same reason. The song would probably have taken the number one spot from "Too Close" by Next, which is a song I had no idea even existed by a group I also didn't know existed. Iris is a reminder of how popular movie soundtracks used to be back in the 80's and 90's as it was part of the soundtrack for the film "City of Angels". The song actually went on to become more popular than the movie it was featured on. 

This song just feels incredible from start to finish. The guitar actually has a very strange tuning to give it the unique sound it has (BDDDDD tuning is used here, good luck doing it without popping a string). The guitar along with the nice and simple but present bass and the strings all come together very nicely. I love how the songs slowly builds to the epic guitar solo in the bridge. Overall you're left with one of the most memorable songs I've ever heard, the kind of song that sticks with you in a good way. It's something that I feel is sorely missing from the music charts of today...

9. Chainsmokers - Closer

This song is actually pretty special to me now, it was the first song I wrote one of this reviews for. Over the months, I've grown to hate and love this song. One week I hate it for it's crappy male vocals, bad drop, dumb/cringe lyrics. The next week I can't deny it's incredible catchiness and just enjoy for what it is, a dumb pop song. I think I can say that this song is fun and enjoyable despite it's obvious flaws. It's strangely the only modern pop song on this list, I would have expected Taylor Swift to be up here. Like it or not, this song represents what modern music is now. Lots of electronic sounds, with guest vocals and a simple catchy melody. It's tough to say where music is really heading these days, but I would like to see more focus on music brought back. There will always be a place on the radio for songs like this, but it would be nice to get some more songs that also focused on great music and not just vocals and catchy hooks. 

10.Donna Lewis - I Love You Always Forever

Donna Lewis? Now there's a name I haven't heard in a long time. 1996 on the radio to be exact. To my surprise I actually do remember this song, but I have no freakin' clue how. Maybe that speaks to the power of music and how a catchy song will just sleep as a memory in your brain only to be awakened 20 years later for a blog post about the best performing songs of the last 27 years. OR maybe the government used Donna Lewis' music to put these memories in the US citizens back in 1996 to one day trigger everyones memory at the same time and drive us all mad? OR maybe Donna Lewis is part of the Illuminati which led her to...

Actually what probably actually happened was: Donna Lewis wrote a ridiculously catchy song in 1996 that was played on the radio constantly and I listened to it so many times that it was put into my long term memory... that's how the brain works right? 

Actually I just have nothing to say about this song so I just rambled on about nothing to make it look like I talked about the song when I actually didn't.   

Anyway that's the first ten songs from the list of 100. And while working on this it looks like Billboard took down the list from their site like they knew I was using it, bastards. So I guess that's the perfect excuse to not continue doing this anyway. Or I could just guess the rest of the list, I'm sure I have enough experience with the list to do that...

11. Justin Bieber - Bohemian Rhapsody 

Billboard Top 10 (11/04/2017): Robot Beyonce and a Sad British Man

Hot 100 Weeks of Nov. 4, 2017. 

I usually come back to these when enough has changed in the Top 10 so that I don't have to talk about the same songs over and over again. A lot has changed over the past few weeks, though mostly just positions and not so much the songs on the list. Still, I enjoy getting to listen to some new pop songs and sharing my totally relevant feelings about them because I am an expert on all things music, especially a genre that I don't really care much for to begin with and still for some reason review. All kidding aside here's what's goin' on this week. As before there shall be a playlist at the butt of the page. 

1. Post Malone - Rockstar

Like a lot of pop music these days, this one is another song that just doesn't really stand the test of time for me. While enjoyable for a few listens in the car or just for some moody music while working on other things, it just isn't something I find myself wanting to go back to in the close future. But like all music on the charts, it's all about how long it will stay relevant and popular in streaming and radio. While it's not a bad track and it's pretty enjoyable compared to a lot of other stuff in the charts, it just doesn't feel like something that SHOULD stay up here for a long time. It might just take a big album drop like Taylor Swift's upcoming album in a few weeks to drop this one back down. Post Malone seems to be creating a big name for himself these days though and I think that's a good thing. 

2. Cardi B - Bodak Yellow 

Okay so I kinda avoided this song last time, mostly just cause I couldn't really even finish listening to the song. While it's great to see a new artist, especially a female rapper, hit the number one spot... Well this just isn't that great. I just kinda find the way she raps mildly annoying and hard to listen to. Maybe that's just cause i'm not into this kind of modern rap style with the minimal repeating music that gets annoying after 30 seconds. It's just not something I can get into no matter how hard I might try to give it a chance, and I did give it a couple listens. Still, good on Cardi B for making it this high on the charts. 

3. Logic - 1-800-273-8255

I think I said enough about this song last time and pretty much all the things I said still hold over to this week. All I can say is I hope to see more music like this getting attention. I didn't go into the music part of the song too much, but it's pretty standard pop song stuff. Repeating the same chords throughout most of the song, with small changes here and there. It's nothing special, but forgiven this time because the song carries most of it's power through the lyrics. Still maybe there was potential for this to not just be a good song, but a great song IF more attention was put into the music. 

4. Portugal. The Man - Feel It Still

The biggest surprise of the year keeps rising on the list, now all the way to number 4. It's amazing that a unique song (especially a rock song) made it this far. Slowly fighting it's way up the charts to this point, I see no reason why it can't make it to the number 3 spot. Of course the dream is that this would somehow make it to number one even if just for one week. Two years back the song "Shut Up and Dance" by Walk The Moon also shockingly made it to the top 10 out of nowhere, peaking at the number 4 spot and staying in the charts for 54 weeks. Sadly I think this might be another situation where a band gets that big hit and is never able to match it again (bands like Bastille and Jimmy Eat World come to mind). Hope it's not just a one time event.

5. Imagine Dragons - Thunder

It must be nice being a "rock" band with two singles back to back in the top 10. This would be the point where I complain about the fact that i've heard in a crap-ton of commercials and the like, but honestly this song isn't as bad with that as believer. By the way here's a list of places I heard the song Believer used in some way:

- Trailer for the Murder on the Orient Express film

- Marvel Inhumans TV Show

- Riverdale TV show

- Nintendo Commercial

- Black Panthers Meetings

- Jeep Commercial

- WWE Network
- Funerals
- Edgy Youth Groups

Some of those are just educated guesses though. 

While Believer was played out very fast, Thunder got old even faster. This song just has nothing really to offer past a few listens. The dead verse that leads to the slow and boring chorus that repeats the same lines over and over with no emotion. Then the pointless bridge that just quickly falls into the chorus again. The song finally starts to pick up for the last 15 seconds, but it's too late to save this song. GOD IS THIS SONG ANNOYINGLY CATCHY. Look, I want to hate this song so badly... so, so badly. I just can't do it because of its catchy-ness. This is not a good song in any way. Just. really. annoyingly. catchy. Imagine Dragons is great.

6. J Balvin - Mi Gente (W/ Beyonce)

Okay so this happened. Another latin song in the top 10 right after Despacito leaves the charts. The only mistake this one made was getting Beyonce for the guest and not Justin Bieber, as everyone knows Justin Bieber is the one that gets you number one singles. This song definitely lacks all the charm that Despacito had this whole summer. Very annoying club beats and whiny music that gets old in less than 1 minute, which sucks cause it goes on pretty much the entire song. Add the part where everyone has to introduce themselves along with catchphrases and you got yourself a cliche club song. It was pretty cool to hear a robot version of Beyonce speaking Spanish though, that alone gets a 10/10. 

7. Demi Lovato - Sorry Not Sorry

So this song is... okay, I think. One thing I really appreciate about this song is that it didn't have a rap verse after the second chorus like every hit female pop song in the last five years or so. Demi Lovato is an artist I really don't have any strong feelings for, I don't love her or hate her. Really I don't find her music to be anything special, but she does have a few songs that are fine. "Cool for the Summer" was a song I really enjoyed back in 2015, but besides that nothing else. "Sorry Not Sorry" is a fine song, but there's nothing here to bring me back after very few listens. Yeah the music is more interesting than a lot of pop music these days because it actually changes for the verses, pre-choruses, choruses and the bridge. The chorus is the weakest part of the song in my opinion, just screeching vocals yelling the overused lines "Baby I'm sorry (not sorry)" and "Being so bad got me feeling so good". The whole ex Disney child star trying to be the bad girl/boy thing is really overdone. What you get is another inoffensive pop song that's not the worst, but really doesn't bring anything new to the charts or Demi's catalog.

8. Sam Smith - Too Good at Goodbyes

Right from the first word spoken I knew this was going to be Sam Smith doing his "I'm very sensitive, isn't it sexy?" Sam Smith thing. But joking aside this is another decent song by Sam Smith. I've never really loved a Sam Smith song, but I totally see the talent in his vocals and I feel like his talent could be elevated with some better music behind him. The music starts off slow and pretty boring, but thankfully picks up near the end of the song and it works well. Lyrically it's an interesting topic about being so guarded and used to pain that he's afraid to get close to someone even though he loves them and wants to be with them or vice versa. I'm not sure exactly was was missing here, but in the end it's a fine song to choose as a first single. There's potential here for some good to great music and I hope to see it soon from Smith.

9. French Montana - Unforgettable

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhjk Sorry. Feel asleep on the keyboard. Somebody get this guy a personality already.

10. Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do!

It looks like I'm not the only one who thought this song was complete garbage. Only being on the charts for 9 weeks and already sliding off the Top 10, only being in the number one spot for a shorter 3 weeks. Compared to her two huge hits from her last album "Shake it Off" and "Blank Space", which held on the number one spot for what felt like an eternity (Blank Space was on top for at least two months I believe). This song does NOT get any better with multiple listens, in fact it actually gets worse as you realize this is in fact actually a real song written by a real artist. Listening to the other singles released so far isn't helping me have any more hope for her new album dropping in less than two weeks. Albums and singles are important to staying relevant in the pop world, Taylor should know this as her last album pretty much launched her to the top of the music industry and that top spot can go away pretty fast. In the pop music world it's all about what's happening now and not what happened before, and while a strong back-catalog and diehard fans can help you stay relevant after some bad releases, people will always quickly move on from you once they see you aren't making anything they connect with anymore. Still that won't happen over just one bad album, at least not for Taylor. It will take many bad decisions from Taylor to really see her drop from the spotlight at the moment. The big question now is, will this be the only single from her new album to hit number one? Probably not, but I kind of hope so.

Billboard Top 10 (10/07/2017): The Death of Summer Edition

Pop Music Will Always be the Best Music.

Billboard Top 10 for Week of Oct. 7th

The summer season has finally reached it's end and now we get to enjoy some falling leaves and cooler weather... well someone in the world will anyway. This also means that the charts will be making big changes as all the big fall albums will be dropping from all the artists that are going to try to dominate the rest of the year and possibly a lot of next year with the singles from these new albums. The last time I wrote anything about these charts was back in June when Despacito was dominating the charts for the whole summer and nobody could bring it down. Of course it took a giant mega star's comeback to bring it down with the big return of Taylor Swift (which will be covered later). Now that the charts have pretty much completely changed I guess it would be a good time to try this again. I'm hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.  (also check out the songs on my Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page if you want to, if not that's okay. I mean I took the time to put it down there in hopes you would use it, but it's cool if you don't. I mean seriously, it took me one whole second to put it down there, the least you could do is click on it. JUST DO IT ALRE--)

1. Cardi B - Bodak Yellow

Oh.

No wait... this is definitely a typo, it's gotta be.

1. Post Malone - Rockstar (w/ 21 Savage)

Ah, there you go. 

I've listened some of the tracks from Post Malone's album (Stoney), and there's actually some pretty good tracks on it. This new single "Rockstar" isn't too bad either. Out of all the tracks though, this is one of the weaker ones i've heard from him. The whole hip-hop star comparing himself to a rockstar because of his drug and party habits thing has been done to death and it doesn't do this song any favors. Besides the weak lyrics, it's still an above average trap song by pop standards. It's not difficult to listen to like a lot of trap songs, maybe that's because Post Malone is actually a pretty good artist who's got a lot of potential for making some great charting songs. 21 Savage also does a good verse near the end of the song, which is good since i'm tired of guest verses that bring down decent songs. Overall a pretty good song, i'd recommend listening to other Post Malone songs if this interests you in any way, there's some good ones on his most recent album. 

3. Sailor Swift  - Look What You Made Me Do 

Poor Taylor Swift didn't even last a month on the number one spot, losing out to Post Malone and... Well this was her big comeback single from her new album that's coming out later this year. I can admit that I really enjoyed her last album "1989" and it still mostly holds up today. I was definitely curious to see what this new album was going to bring from Swift. Would it be another "1989" style pop album? Would it bring back some more of her country roots into it? Would it just be something completely new? Well so far it looks like it's the last one. 

So this song is a massive disappointment on many levels. The main one being the terrible, terrible chorus. The music is also terrible though. Then there's the cringy bitter lyrics to go along with all the bad music and melody. Top it all off with the awful over dramatic line "I'm sorry the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now. Why? Cause she's dead!". Now I haven't heard all of Taylor's music, but out of the songs I HAVE heard, this is for sure the worst. Hopefully it's just one bad song from an overall good album, but I guess time will tell. 

4. 1-800-867-5309 (Alessia) - Logic

Wow. It's so strange to see a song that actually has something important to say in the Top 10 chart. So I really like this song, it's quiet uplifting lyrically. The music is pretty simple and it's nothing special, but I think that's okay when the song clearly has a message it wants to spread and it's a message that I think everyone can agree with. It's a short story about a person who's decided they want to end their life, but call a suicide hotline for one last try. By the end of the song the phone call has given the person enough light for them to realize that suicide is never an option and to keep going. Normally a song like this I would call average, but the lyrics and the meaning behind it all are great and it's great to see something like this getting big attention. 

5. Despacito - Luis Fonsi (w/ Daddy Yankee)

Now that summer's over this giant hit is going to start slowly going away. While it's been overplayed to death and it's probably a good thing it's going away now since this song really should stay in the summer, it was nice to see something different take over the charts for a while. Yes, it had been a very long time since a Spanish language song was in the top spot and who knows when it will happen again, but it's just time to put this one away for now. This song also showed that Justin Bieber has some sort of magic touch, since he always seems to have a  long lasting song in the Top 10 every season for the last year or two. Anyway this song really isn't that different from what Puerto Rico's been making since forever, but still nice to see it get some fame.

6. Unforgettable - French Montana

It must take a lot of talent to be this boring. This just feels so monotone and dull, it just drags on and on. The vocals are boring and annoying at the same time. Pass. 

7. Belieber - Imagine Dragons

I think I actually liked this song at once, but wow it got old quick. Especially when you hear it in sporting events, commercials, movie trailers, tv shows and protests (probably). This song IS EVERYWHERE. Imagine Dragons songs are always everywhere though, whenever they release a new single you can bet it will be played at NBA shows and movie trailers and car commercials. Anyway that's more a rant about how commercial the band is versus the actually quality of the song. It's hard to separate the annoyance of that sometimes. This is a decent Imagine Dragons song, it's what you would expect from the band at this point. It's one of the better songs from the album they released a few months ago, which wasn't good overall. I would be happy just to hear a rock song in the top 10 for once, but there's actually another great one already on here... (foreshadow!). Believer is a song that I got a few enjoyable listens from, but it just doesn't stand the test of time... that time being like 2 weeks.

8. Rake It Up - Some wank pheasant (Yo Gotti)

I can't. I just... I can't. 

9. Attention - Generic white guy

Well there was potential here from a musical standpoint. A nice guitar and bass guitar in the chorus could have been something cool. Still when you give it to someone as boring as Charlie Puth there's only so much that can be done with it. Charlie isn't an artist who can elevate the music, he's an artist who needs good music behind him to make him at least somewhat interesting. That's what you get here, a somewhat interesting idea that's brought down by Puth's boring personality, lyrics and vocals. very enjoyable bass though. 

10. Feel it Still - Portugal. The Man

It's not too often I see an artist I genuinely love in the top 10 of the billboard charts (reminds me of when WALK THE MOON made the top 10 recently). Portugal the Man is one of those bands that never really got the attention they deserved and they've been around for longer than a decade now. I really liked their new album "Woodstock" a lot, it's a very fun and cool album to listen to. It's pretty shocking in a good way to see this song make it all the way up here on the charts. This is one of my favorite songs of the year even outside of the charts and every time it comes on I can't help but to listen to it all they way through. It's super catchy and smooth, and it's simple but meaningful at the same time. Catchy bass line and I love those horns at the end of the guitar lines. Super happy to see something like this on the top 10 and they totally deserve it. 

Overall Thoughts: I'd say it's not such a bad start for the fall season. The songs were kinda all over the place in terms of quality, but I think the good slightly outweighed the bad this time. Of course this is probably because of how excited I was to see Portugal the Man on the list. Still, there are more than enough decent songs on here to make up for the garbage that was Taylor Swift, Cardi B and Yo Gotti. Welp, see you next season/year. 

Baby Driver

Baby Driver

The latest movie by one of my favorite director's Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim, Hot Fuzz) is a crazy film about crazy people doing crazy things. In all seriousness, Baby Driver follows the story of a boy name Baby, yes baby, who is a getaway driver for a crime boss who has him working with different teams of crooks in different heists. Baby has a strong connection with music, and can only drive if he's listening to his music... actually he's pretty much listening to music at all times. This connection with music is an important part of who he is, but it's a mystery as to why it's so important to him and confuses his colleagues. When Baby meets the love of his life Deborah, who is a waitress at a diner, he tries to find a way out of his life of crime and spend the rest of his life with her. It's not going to be as easy as he thinks with his partners in crime standing in the way.

Baby Driver is a crazy movie, but that's what it's trying to be and it does it very well. Most of the characters are over-the-top and some actually ARE crazy, but it's so much fun to watch. Lots of great performances from actors like Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez Jon Bernthal and Kevin Spacey who all play the crazy criminals Baby has to work with. There's lots of great tension between the criminals and Baby as they wonder who he is and why he's there. Jamie Foxx in particular was great at playing his character. The writing and Foxx's acting did a good job at making you really hate his character, which is what they were going for. It's easy to tell that the actor's had a good time making this movie by watching it.

The star of this movie though is of course Baby himself played by Ansel Elgort, who i've never really heard of until this movie, but he was really good as Baby. Playing a stranger than normal character who has headphones on throughout the whole movie, he did a good job at selling his problems and his true desires for his life. I understood Baby's struggle through the movie and I was cheering for him throughout. I've never really seen many characters like him in film, especially as the lead character, so I found it really refreshing to watch him as the lead. His character IS a bit strange, but it doesn't feel out of place with the rest of the movie. He actually ends up being one of the more normal characters by the end of it. He's a character I easily related with as the film went on, which made the action better.

The action itself is the best part of the movie because it's done so well. You get the sense of danger, stakes and tension from those scenes and it's so exciting to watch. The driving stunts are all done very well too, nothing feels fake and you really feel like you're a part of it thanks to the way it was all shot. Baby is supposed to be a getaway driver for a big crime boss, and they do a good job with the driving sequences to show you why he was chosen to be the driver. Music is used as a big part of the action too, since it's a a huge part of Baby's character. A good use of a song can really add to the excitement and craziness of a getaway.

I had a lot of fun watching Baby Driver, it's a great movie to sit down with some popcorn at a theatre and just enjoy. It's crazy, it's weird and it's never boring. Movies like these are what I enjoy seeing the most in the theatre, because it's fresh and new and tries different things. Sometimes that doesn't always translate to a good film, but in this case it doesn't just make a good film... it makes a great one.

Overall Grade: B+

The Big Sick

The Big Sick

The Big Sick is a comedy from Amazon, starring Kumail Nanjiani. The films is based on the real-life relationship between Kumail and his wife Emily and was written by both of them. The story follows Kumail, who is a stand-up comedian in Chicago, as he gets closer to a woman named Emily he meets at one of his shows. They grow close quickly and unexpectedly, but two big things stand between both of them. One is Kumail's family, who are very traditional and want Kumail to follow their traditions and have an arranged marriage. The other thing that stands between them is Emily's sudden illness that brings Kumail to spend time with her parents. I don't want to reveal too much about the story, because I found it better to go into the movie with little knowledge and enjoy everything as it was revealed.

This is one of the best comedy films I've seen in a long time, I found myself in love with almost every second of this film. Not only is it ACTUALLY funny and gets laughs, but it's actually very heartwarming and sweet at times in a way that isn't too over the top or overly cheesy. The characters are all likable in the film especially the main cast. The chemistry between Kumail and Emily (played by Zoe Kazan) works really well, and in a short time you really get why they like each other and you do want them to be together. The other two characters you spend a lot of time with is Emily's parents who are played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano (who everybody loves) and they work really well together and work great with Kumail to create some really funny scenes, probably the funniest parts of the movie are when all three are together.

The main conflict of the movie comes from Kumail's family, who are from Pakistan and are very strict about their Muslim religion and traditions for their family. Kumail wants no part of that though, as he doesn't follow those traditions anymore and wants to do things his own way. They film does a great job at showing the love Kumail has for his family and the guilt he feels that he doesn't follow their traditions. It also does a great job at not making his parents look like villains in the story just because of their beliefs. The movie handles the tough scenes between them well adding a lot of great humor and heart to the story. There are some cliche moments in the story, the kind that you see in other romantic comedies, but it didn't take me away from the movie and there aren't many anyway.

Overall this is a really fantastic film that came out of nowhere for me. It has great writing, a great cast, great chemistry, lots of heart and lots of laughs. It's a film worth checking out if you want to laugh and enjoy a more simple story with memorable characters. Kumail brings one of the funniest performances of the year, probably the best i've seen so far. It's something different, and if you're looking for something different than give this one a shot, it deserves it.

Overal Grade: A.