tillidontneedfantasy

[tillidontneedfantasy]

A Track-by-Track Breakdown of Taylor Swift’s 10th Studio Album: ‘Midnights’

You would expect by the time a pop star has spent over 15 years in the spotlight that they would run out of steam. But on her 10th studio album, Midnights, Taylor Swift is as energized as ever. Even more impressive, the debut numbers are the biggest of her career yet, landing on a whopping 1.578 million, 1.1 million of those in pure album sales alone. These first week numbers are even larger than that of 1989, which is a huge feat.

Many pieces factor into success like what we’re seeing in this case. One is Swift’s exceptional marketing skills. Her dedicated fans will come out in droves to purchase her art, and the mysterious buzz that centered around the album intrigued the public to tune in. The star’s highly acclaimed releases of folklore (2021’s album of the year) and evermore (a 2022 album of the year nominee) during the pandemic certainly brought in a ton of new fans who perhaps overlooked her sharp lyricism before. But Taylor wants you to know that despite her magical stay in the forest and woodlands, she is in fact still bejeweled, and ready to remind everyone how much her shine still shimmers as a pop titan.

Presented as a loose concept album, Midnights centers on 13 sleepless nights throughout Taylor’s life (plus 7 songs on the “3am edition” that also fit the theme). Surely as she has been re-recording her albums as Taylor’s Versions, old feelings and memories have come to the surface that she is revisiting from a new perspective. Midnights still showcases Swift’s unmatched lyrical ability while taking us on a Jack Antonoff led synth journey.

1. Lavender Haze “All they keep asking me is if I’m gonna be your bride,” Swift laments on the opening track “Lavender Haze.” Which is funny because she spent 2019’s Lover with a bridge of wedding vows and a song about marrying her boyfriend of 6 years now, actor Joe Alwyn, with paper rings. But it is also an astute observation on how the world sees women, as she rejects “the 1950s shit they want from me.” She doesn’t want to follow anyone else’s wishes or timelines, or answer anyone’s questions, she just wants to stay staring at the ceiling with her partner, immersed in the lavender haze (a saying she caught from an episode of Mad Men). She knows that’s where she’s safest, because she’s “damned if I do give a damn what people say.” As an opening track, it delivers sonically and melodically, even in its smaller moments (the little “yeah oh yeah”s in the pre chorus are addictive), it’s a grand number.  Best lyric: “I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say.”

2. Maroon The title track of Swift’s project Red is placed at track two. So it’s no surprise that Swift placed a song with red shade as its title in the same spot. “Maroon” details all the little scarlet moments throughout the ups and downs of a relationship, some examples including wine, hickeys, the sky, and rust. The first verse shows the relationship at its peak, “laughing with my feet in your lap, like you were my closest friend,” and the second verse juxtaposes it with its breakdown, “sobbing with your head in your hands, ain’t that the way shit always ends?” The final chorus on the track holds some of Taylor’s most interesting (and sensual) vocal delivery to date, her lower register extremely impressive and underrated. Best lyric: “The rust that grew between telephones.”

3. Anti-Hero Do you remember in 2012 when everyone and their father would make jokes that Taylor Swift should write a song called “Maybe I’m The Problem” as a response to her breakup songs? Well, ten years later, she gave them something very close to what they asked. “It’s me. Hi. I’m the problem, it’s me,” she sings in the chorus of the lead single “Anti-Hero” (though not released prior to the album), which Swift claims to be one of her favorite songs she’s ever written. On folklore and evermore, Taylor sang about mental health struggles without explicitly saying that she was the subject of those songs. However, here, it is clearly autobiographical without question. As a fan, to hear her so blatantly say “my depression” in a song was both jarring and relatable. The track lays out her intrusive thoughts about herself, her maladaptive behaviors, ignoring people or pushing loved ones away instead of letting them in. While she sings “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror,” the song shows how much her music is safe haven for her to sneak a glance at her reflection.  Best lyric: “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguise as altruism, like some kind of congressman?”

4. Snow On The Beach (ft. Lana Del Rey) The dreamy “Snow On The Beach” is a romantic love ballad in which Swift is mesmerized by the fact that the person she wants actually wants her back. She can’t quite believe their love, and she’s afraid if she speaks of it, she’ll find out it was an illusion all along. Throughout Swift’s music, and especially in this song, she uses light to describe her partner, singing “I’ve never seen someone lit from within, blurring out my periphery.” While Lana Del Rey, someone Swift hails as one of her musical idols, mostly singing background vocals might seem like an odd choice, just like seeing snow on the beach, it’s “weird, but fucking beautiful.” Best lyric: “Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful.”

5. You’re On Your Own, Kid “You’re On Your Own, Kid” is a journey through Swift’s life and career thus far. The song starts by detailing an unrequited love, which leads her to writing songs in her room and playing them in the parking lot, eventually running away and pursuing her dream of becoming a star. And although her dreams aren’t rare, her success surely is. But even at the height of her success, no longer sitting by herself at the lunch table at junior high, she still found herself alone. “I hosted parties and starved my body, like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss / The jokes weren’t funny, I took the money, my friends from home don’t know what to say.” She was degraded by the public and degraded herself. And just as things got better, her life’s work that she put her blood, sweat, and tears into was sold out from under her. But the Taylor’s Versions have been able to give her some solace, “Everything you lose is a step you take.” She ends the song on a hopeful note, reminding herself that she doesn’t have to be afraid; she’s always been on her own and she’s always made it through, and she always will. And the listener can resonate too. We’re all truly on our own at the end of the day, but we’ve gotten this far; we can keep going. Best lyric: “I hosted parties and starved my body, like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss.”

6. Midnight Rain On “Midnight Rain,” Taylor highlights the differences between the life she could’ve had and the life she pursued. “He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain / he wanted a bride, I was making my own name,” she (and a distorted voice) sings in the chorus. That life of a small-town girl is far away now, and not one she ever truly wanted, but one she sometimes sneaks a peak at through postcards and time portals and wonders what it might be like. Similar to “Lavender Haze,” this track establishes Swift’s aversion to societal standards, and her embracement of constantly changing and evolving, as evident through her music and career to date. It’s a real catchy ear worm, and after a few listens you really learn to love that voice distortion. Best lyric: “He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain.”

7. Question…? While Taylor leaves many hints as to what or who some of her songs might be about, “Question…?” Has one of her most obvious clues to date, as the song starts with a sampling of her song “Out of the Woods” from 1989, a song famously known to be about her relationship with Harry Styles. Not only is there the sample, but also lyrical parallels. “The rest of the world was black and white / but we were in screaming color,” she sings on “Out of the Woods.” On “Question…?” She says, “I don’t remember who I was before you painted all my nights a color I’ve searched for since.” One could assume while going back and rerecording 1989, she may have reflected on the relationship, with questions popping up. While it seems as if Swift knows the answers to these questions already, she still wants to ask them and get the confirmation and closure she’s searching for, a very relatable feeling. Just like in life, though, she doesn’t get any explicit answers in the song, but maybe she doesn’t need them anymore, anyway. Best lyric: “Does it feel like everything’s just like second best after that meteor strike?”

8. Vigilante Shit When listing the things that kept Taylor up at night, serving as inspiration for this album, one thing she cites is plotting revenge. In the revenge fantasy “Vigilante Shit,” Swift tips off the FBI about her enemy (presumably Sc**ter Br**n) and his “white collar crimes,” and assists his ex-wife in winning their divorce. “I don’t start shit, but I can tell you how it ends,” she croons. Which, historically, is true. Swift has rarely been the instigator of a feud or fight, but when she’s targeted, she comes back on top every time. After all, karma is her boyfriend. Best lyric: “Ladies always rise above, ladies know what people want / someone sweet, and kind, and fun / the lady simply had enough.”

9. Bejeweled “Bejeweled” is an exciting and fun pop song about letting go of the people and things that drag you down and allowing yourself to shimmer again. We can surmise that “Bejeweled” represents a night during a dead-end relationship where she finally prioritized herself again and learned she can still shine on her own right. In a radio interview, Swift said that “Bejeweled” mirrored her re-entrance into the pop landscape after her folk escapades, and that she had to pump herself back up into believing that she could still do it. The track itself proves that Swift stills rules without competition. Best lyric: “And when I meet the band, they ask, ‘Do you have a man?’ I could still say, ‘I don’t remember.’”

10. Labyrinth One of the few ballads on the standard edition, “Labyrinth” tracks Taylor’s thought process as she realizes she’s falling in love again, despite all of her fears after being burned in the past. She laments her pain and acknowledges her worries. The progression from “uh oh,” to “oh no,” to “oh,” before the line “I’m falling in love,” shows her trepidation turned to acceptance, due to the length’s this person would go to just to make her smile. While there are some synth sounds that seem slightly out of place, overall it is a song anyone who is learning to open up their hearts after being hurt can relate to. Best lyric: “Break up, break free, break through, break down.”

11. Karma “Ask me why so many fade, but I’m still here,” she sings on “Karma.” The answer? One could be her incredible talent and hard work ethic. But an additional answer is because her and karma vibe like that. In this catchy pop hit, Taylor reaps the rewards of staying true to who she is while karma takes down her enemies who never keep their side of the street clean. She knows karma is on her side, and she can relax trusting that it’ll do its thing. And so far, it has served her well. In the most Taylor Swift™ fashion of all time, she compares karma to a cat purring in her lap because it loves her. And it is! It does! Best lyric: “Karma’s a relaxing thought / aren’t you envious that for you it’s not?”

12. Sweet Nothing Co-penned by William Bowery aka Joe Alwyn, “Sweet Nothing” is a love song from Swift to Alwyn. She discusses all the negative things going on around her and the way people push and shove to get a piece of her, while her partner is just in the kitchen humming, asking nothing of her, just loving her as she is. We get a brief peak into their dynamic in the truly sweet lyric, “On the way home, I wrote a poem / you say, ‘what a mind,’ this happens all the time.” To be loved for your mind rather than your status is a gift for someone like Swift. I’m sure the poems are lovely. Best lyric: “Outside, they’re push and shoving, you’re in the kitchen humming / all that you ever wanted from me was sweet nothing.”

13. Mastermind A word that has been weaponized against Taylor over the years is “calculated.” On “Mastermind,” the standard edition’s closing track, she owns the claim, singing, “I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian cuz I care.” “Mastermind” is Taylor’s confession to her partner that she masterminded their entire relationship from the first night he saw her. She confides in him in one of her most personal lyrics yet, singing, “No one wanted to play with me as a little kid / so I've been scheming like a criminal ever since / to make them love me and make it seem effortless.” She thought no one could love her unless she tricked them into it. But upon her confession, his smile proves her wrong, because he knew the entire time that she thought she was masterminding their relationship, but in reality he went along with it because he wanted her too, schemes and all. She finally found her effortless love. Best lyric: “No one wanted to play with me as a little kid / so I've been scheming like a criminal ever since / to make them love me and make it seem effortless.”

3am Tracks

14. The Great War On the first 3am track, Taylor teams back up with her other folklore & evermore collaborator, Aaron Dessner of The National. “The Great War” seems to be about a fight in a relationship, and Swift’s difficulty bouncing back from it. She lays out her lack of trust from past relationships and how that has interfered with reconciliation efforts, as she sings, “And maybe it’s the past that’s talking, screaming from a crypt / telling me to punish you for things you never did.” But despite some of these maladaptive behaviors, her partner still reached for her hand, trying to make things right. And they did it, they survived, and that survival brought back her faith.  Best lyric: “You drew up some good faith treaties / I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone.”

15. Bigger Than The Whole Sky “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” is a song about loss. Although the loss of exactly what is unclear, the grief is palpable. She searches for what might have caused such a tragedy, wondering if she was at fault. There are so many questions in grief to which we never receive answers. This song has resonated with many fans online, relating it to their own personal experiences of miscarriages, deaths, and pet losses.  Best lyric: “Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness.”

16. Paris In this fun pop song, Taylor compares the view of her partner to that of the city of Paris. She’s so in love that she might stop breathing, that she doesn't care about her friends’ gossip or what’s on the news. She’s transported into a world of romance where nothing else matters, where alleyways appear and cheap wine tastes like champagne. It’s the excitement of completely falling into someone as the rest of the world fades away. Best lyric: “I wanna brainwash you into loving me forever.”

17. High Infidelity “High Infidelity” is an intriguing track, produced by Aaron Dessner, about the end of an unhappy relationship. We can presume that she is referring to her ex, the DJ known as Calvin Harris, her previous long-term boyfriend before meeting her current partner, with lyrics like “put on your records and regret me” and “put on your headphones and burn my city.” In the song, Swift is implying that there was some type of infidelity, whether physical or emotional only is not quite clear, but either way she admits, “I bent the truth too far tonight,” and asks, “do I really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?” But she didn’t think it would matter much to him, and is surprised by his sense of betrayal and hurt, but not particularly remorseful. Best lyric: “You know there’s many different ways that you can kill the one you love / the slowest way is never loving them enough.”

18. Glitch Another Antonoff produced track written alongside Sam Dew and Mark Anthony Spears, “Glitch,” is one of the sexier tracks on the album. The concept is that Taylor can’t quite fathom how this love of hers has worked out for 2,190 days (that’s 6 years, if you didn’t know) and counting when all she’s been used to is situation-ships and dudes who give nothing. So if it’s lasted this long, it’s gotta be a glitch in the system, right? Best lyric: “And I’m not even sorry / nights are so starry, blood moonlit.”

19. Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve While “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” is arguably one of the best tracks on all of Midnights, everything Swift does is for a reason. When you listen to the song, it becomes quite evident why she put it at track 19. “And I damn sure never would’ve danced with the devil at 19,” she sings. As an avid fan, you immediately hear the echoing of the best song on her third album Speak Now, “Dear John,” which has the lyric, “don’t you think 19’s too young to be played by your dark twisted games when I loved you so?” And it becomes clear what she’s discussing: the power dynamic in her relationship when she was 19 with John Mayer, who was 32 at the time (Swift’s current age). One could assume rerecording Speak Now (which Swift has highly hinted at being the next rerelease) brought up some old feelings. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” is a powerful track filled with intense regret. She describes him as a “promising grown man,” putting a spin on the monicker often given in defense of younger men who abuse women. She likens the relationship to religion: “you’re a crisis of my faith,” “all I used to do was pray,” “gone along with the righteous.” This was a man that she idolized, and the fall from his pedestal crushed her in irreparable ways. “Give me back my girlhood, it was mine first,” she pleads with a heart wrenching ache in her voice. It’s hard to listen to this song without feeling pain for her, especially as she ups the octave for the outro, making the regret feel more urgent, more palpable. Best lyric: “God rest my soul, I miss who I used to be / the tomb won’t close, stained-glass windows in my mind / I regret you all the time.”

20. Dear Reader The 3am edition closing track is “Dear Reader,” a letter to her listeners. She gives advice about avoiding traps, starting over, keeping secrets, and aiming for the devil. But she also gives the caveat, “Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart,” supposedly referring to herself. But the best advice comes from those who have fallen, who have experience, who feel a range of emotions quite like Swift does. That’s why she is so popular; because people can relate to her words and they keep them close to their hearts. “You should find another guiding light,” she suggests. But this sign can’t stop me because I can’t read! Best lyric: “You don’t have to answer just cuz they asked you.”

Target Deluxe Edition

Hits Different The Target Deluxe Edition exclusive song “Hits Different” marks the return of Swift, Dessner, and Antonoff all together. The song feels very vintage Swift, almost like it could’ve been a recent “From The Vault” track. “Hits Different” is about a breakup that is much harder to get over than any other she’s experienced. She hears their song everywhere, she stops receiving invitations because she can’t stop slurring his name when she’s out with friends, she cries over a hat. She’s so far gone in this breakup that she thinks people are coming to take her away. Anyone who has experienced a tough breakup could probably find a lyric in this song to which they can relate. But even without being able to relate, it’s a fun, funny, enjoyable track served as a nice treat for loyal fans who actually go out and buy CDs these days. Best lyric: “I pictured you with other girls, in love / then threw up on the street.”

---

In conclusion, 16 years into her career, you best believe Taylor Swift is definitely still bejeweled, and on Midnights she shimmers more than she ever has, even when touching on long-gone relationships and peering into old wounds, being more vulnerable than she has on projects past. Each album and era seems like her peak, yet she continues to outdo herself in multiple ways. With more Taylor’s Versions on the horizon, hopefully Swift will continue to gain inspiration in various ways as a result of revisiting her old work. But if she doesn’t, we know she’s always got some tricks up her sleeve.

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: Taylor Swift is the mother I never had, she is the sister everybody would want, she is the friend that everybody deserves. I don’t know a better person.

#midnights #album review #taylor swift #lavender haze #maroon #anti-hero #snow on the beach #lana del rey #you're on your own kid #yoyok #midnight rain #question...? #question #vigilante shit #bejeweled #labyrinth #karma #sweet nothing #mastermind #the great war #bigger than the whole sky #paris #high infidelity #glitch #would've could've should've #wouldve couldve shouldve #dear reader #hits different

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘emails i can’t send’ - Sabrina Carpenter REVIEW: a star’s stream of consciousness

On Sabrina Carpenter’s fifth studio album, emails i can’t send, the former Disney star has a variety of songs where she deftly balances between taking and not taking herself seriously. She knows how to have fun but does not shy away from discomfort. While the album has a handful of great pop tracks, her sound is confused, feeling more like a copy of its influences rather than a byproduct. 

STRONGEST TRACK(S): “emails I can’t send,” “Tornado Warnings”

Carpenter is at her best when she is writing confessionally. “emails i can’t send,” the opening and titular track, is a short song about how her father’s infidelity has negatively impacted her ability to trust and feel secure in her relationships with men. Many people can relate to such an experience, and is a profound way to begin an album about relationships and honesty. 

Part of that honesty is admitting dishonesty. On “Tornado Warnings,” she reflects on why she might be lying to her therapist. When you tell your therapist something, you’re in tandem being forced to face it yourself, to acknowledge your own feelings and mistakes, which she is not yet able to do with this relationship. “I deserve an hour in a week to focus on my thoughts / not so obsessed with yours, I can’t hear myself speak,” she sings, showing how much he’s infiltrating her safe space, and yet, she likes it. The stream of consciousness of both of these songs feel like a therapy session, which is why they work so strongly here. Maybe she lied to her therapist, but at least she’s being truthful with the listener.

WEAKEST TRACK: “how many things”

The first lyric of this song is, “You used a fork once / it turns out forks are fucking everywhere.” I mean, enough said, right? She could’ve used literally any other object and maybe it would’ve worked. While the sentiment she is trying to portray makes sense in theory, it just doesn’t land at all, and feels like false profundity. 

THE IN-BETWEENS

Another song where Sabrina’s execution of an idea doesn’t work as intended is on “skinny dipping,” where the stylistic choice of the verses was clearly meant to feel conversational and bring something unique to the track, but just feels bland and out of place in comparison to the rest of the song, which does work quite well and has a lovely ache to it. Otherwise, the album has a good number of appealing songs, where influences such as Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, and Kacey Musgraves stand out on upbeat tracks like “bet u wanna” and “Already Over.” Her two latest singles, “Vicious” (which sounds almost identical to Selena Gomez’s “Bad Liar”) and “because i liked a boy,” are both strong songs that address her previous relationship with actor and singer-songwriter Joshua Bassett, and the fallout of the public painting an unkind picture of them as a result of the passionate response to Olivia Rodrigo’s Grammy-winning Sour album (most of which is presumedly about Bassett, making Carpenter the “blonde girl” mentioned in the smash hit “drivers license.”) The latter explores how internet culture and the power of anonymity can negatively impact someone so, sending people death threats because of a narrative they want to create for their entertainment. The entertainment of music shouldn’t be picking apart the supposed subjects of a song, but rather relating to its content and immersing in the feeling instead of projecting onto strangers. The conviction in Sabrina’s voice as she sings “now I’m a home wrecker, I’m a slut” exemplifies her ability to overcome the situation by taking her power and voice back (in a much more effective way than her attempted 2021 single “Skin”).

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “Nonsense”

“Nonsense” acts as both one of the strongest songs on the album and one of the least original. The track feels like a direct cut from Ariana Grande’s 2020 album positions; even her vocal tone and techniques imitate that of the superstar almost perfectly. If I don’t think too much about it, I think I’m listening to Ariana. All that being said, perhaps that’s why the song works so well. It is fun and infectious and would do really well on pop radio. And when she cleverly sings, “When you got your arms around me / Oh it feels so good I had to jump the octave,” it truly does feel so good. 

***

emails i can’t send is perhaps Carpenter’s most vulnerable project to date. The closing track “decode” is a nice bookend to the title track, the need not to leave a single stone unturned engrained in her by her father’s betrayal, has her racking her brain to decode every little thing that remains in the ashes of this relationship. But finally, “there’s nothing left here to decode,” she concludes. And with everything in the emails she can’t send that she’s published in these songs, there’s nothing left for us to decode either. Grade: 3/5

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: I’ve known who Sabrina is since the ill-fated Girl Meets World, of which she was the true breakout star, and have been rooting for her on the sidelines since. I think she is a very talented young woman who did not deserve the internet’s vitriol towards her last year, and has done a better job at addressing it this time through this album as opposed to what she tried to do with “Skin.”  Overall, she has great vocal ability and you can see she has the songwriting chops there, but despite this being her 5th album I feel like she still has yet to discover her own true sound. It feels like a lot of borrowing, which of course, all music is to an extent, but not in a way where I feel like I could identify like, “Oh, that sounds like a Sabrina Carpenter song.” I think the more she practices and continues to write the closer she’ll get to finding it.

#sabrina carpenter #emails i can't send #skinny dipping #vicious #because i liked a boy #already over #tornado warnings #read your mind #how many things #bet u wanna #nonsense #fast times #bad for business #decode

[tillidontneedfantasy]

a track-by-track breakdown of Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album: ‘SOUR’

On January 8th, 2021, Olivia Rodrigo took the world by storm with her debut single, “drivers license,” which quickly became a worldwide sensation. Starring in Bizaardvark on Disney Channel at 13 years old, and currently starring in the second season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series as the charming Nini, Rodrigo has the whole Disney Kid life under her belt. And now, at 18 years old, she is at the critical act of a Disney kid’s career: Showing She’s An Adult. While ultimately the last group of huge Disney stars (Miley, Selena, Demi, the Jonas Brothers, etc) have been able to sustain successful careers in the music industry, many of them struggled to shake off the expectations that come along with the Disney image. It is difficult for anyone not directly in that situation to understand the mental gymnastics it must take to survive figuring out who you are while also proving to the world that you deserve to be taken seriously- especially in a world where teenagers in general struggle to be taken seriously anyway.

But when “drivers license” lit up the planet, it seemed like everyone was ready to listen, no matter her age or her career background. Its massive success surpassed the standards of her prior (but still significant) popularity, demonstrating that this girl’s potential far exceeds the Disney demographic. Perhaps the pathway paved by her predecessors made for a smoother gateway (imagine a Disney girl saying an iteration of ‘fuck’ in their debut solo single back in the mid 2000s!), or maybe it’s partly a product of Gen Z’s outstanding social media and cultural presence. But above all, as the world consumes her debut album, SOUR, Olivia’s lyricism, strong sense of self, and ability to emote in any song she sings is why she should be taken seriously, allowing people to love it for what it is, and most importantly for WHO she is, rather than just associating it with her work as a Disney star. And with the pinnacle of the “drivers license” craze months behind us (though still wildly popular), SOUR proves that she is much more than a one-hit-wonder. Right now, she’s got about eleven of those.

1. brutal A last minute addition to the album, “brutal” opens SOUR with the exact touch of bitterness promised from the title. “brutal” is a witty lament for the beaten hopes of a romanticized teenage life as portrayed to us in movies, tv, and other pop songs. “I’m so sick of 17 / Where’s my fucking teenage dream?” she asks, the resentment laden in her voice as she continues, “If someone tells me one more time, ‘enjoy your youth,’ I’m gonna cry.” With chants of anxiety, insecurity, and poor parallel parking skills, Rodrigo is giving out a sample of the sour taste in her mouth from her life as a 17-year-old, forewarning you that it’s not all cotton candy and California Gurls like other pop stars’ pasts. While “brutal” and the album as a whole are a snapshot of life as a 17-year-old today, the experiences, the emotions, and the stories she sings of are relevant at any age.  Best lyric: “And I’m not cool, and I’m not smart / and I can’t even parallel park.”

2. traitor Olivia ends “brutal” with the lyric, “got a broken ego, broken heart / god, I don’t even know where to start,” and then immediately leads into a track setting the record straight that the muse for this breakup album- no matter how much love for him is palpable in some of these songs- is someone who completely betrayed her. “traitor” is such a compelling song not only because of how tangible Olivia’s hurt is in each note, but because it touches on the various facets of loyalty. Betrayal doesn’t always have to be the Ultimate Act™ of cheating; it doesn’t always have to be about the technicalities, but the little clues left lying around and the loopholes used as an excuse, such as “just talking” (or, as a most famous example, being “on a break”). Or it could be moving on in two weeks with someone they originally told you not to worry about, and then showing them off while you’re still hurting. She ironically points out how he’d avoid her questions or tell her she’s paranoid- all to be proven right at a cost too high to bear. With the pain in her voice when she sings, “when she’s sleeping in the bed we made / don’t you dare forget about the way you betrayed me,” you can bet he won’t. Best lyric: “God, I wish that you had thought this through / before I went and fell in love with you.”

3. drivers license Back in the height of the pandemic, Olivia spent most of the quarantine challenging herself to write a song every day. Every once in a while, she’d post a clip on her Instagram page. In July 2020, Olivia posted a snippet of a new song she’d written called “drivers license.” As a fan and follower of hers since the HSM:TM:TS premiere, I remember pressing play on that video and feeling so moved. I watched it maybe 2 or 3 times, but even months later the chorus was still stuck in my head; there was a magic to it, mostly the rawness of her emotion as she was singing and playing it. Choosing a song this personal as your debut single is a risk Olivia bravely took because she believed in herself and in the power of this song, and it paid off, showing millions of other teenage girls to believe in the power of their own vulnerability, their own hearts, their own stories. Another magical component of “drivers license” is the specificity of what she’s talking about. Getting your driver's license signifies so much at 17; another step closer to freedom, a slice of adulthood and autonomy. How exciting it was to drive by yourself to your friend’s house for the very first time and pick them up, driving around and singing along to the radio. How lonely it must have been for her to get the keys and know she couldn’t go do that with the one person she wanted in the passenger’s seat beside her most. The devastating experience of mundane things in life that become beautiful associations in a relationship, then turn into painful reminders we can’t escape, is so relatable. The sprawling confession of still being in love with someone who has moved on will be scream-sung by teens and adults alike for years to come, making “drivers license” an instant classic breakup ballad. Best lyric: “Can’t drive past the places we used to go to / cuz I still fucking love you, babe.” 

4. 1 step forward, 3 steps back “1 step forward, 3 steps back” gives a little glimpse into the fragile nature of this relationship while Olivia was living in it. The track interpolates the piano melody of the song “New Year’s Day” by Olivia’s biggest musical muse, Taylor Swift, a song originally about the certainty of sticking with someone through thick and thin until the last page; having this knowledge, and this association with those little piano notes, makes the listening experience even more heartbreaking, as Olivia’s lyrics layered over them have quite the opposite sentiment, looking for answers to quell her concerns. It echoes the content of a different Swift song, “Dear John,” feeling as if every phone call, interaction, exchange is a test, and the “right” answers are never consistent. It is painful to hear her hold on so tightly to something so volatile. I hope by now she’s found something much better than that rollercoaster. Best lyric: “And maybe in some masochistic way / I kind of find it all exciting / like, which lover will I get today?” 

5. deja vu “deja vu” had a lot of pressure riding on it as the second single, given the massive impact of “drivers license,” but with it she proved that her early success was no fluke, already showing her sonic versatility as an artist. “deja vu” is about the indignation one feels when the person you used to date is playing out significant moments from your relationship with someone else, treating them with the same novelty; eating the same ice cream in the same cities, trading jackets and singing Billy Joel, saying “I love you” in the same moment of a song, a complete sacrilege to what you once thought was special. “Don’t act like we didn’t do that shit too,” she sings with conviction. It is such a sting to see this play out; realizing nothing is truly “yours” or “ours” can make you feel so easily replaced, so unimportant to that person. She can’t drive past the places they used to go to because she still loves him, but he’s taking his new girl to all of them. But all of it goes to show for her is that she deserves a love that is unique. Besides, she should probably be with someone who knows Billy Joel on their own. Best lyric: “That was our place, I found it first / I made the jokes you tell to her / When she’s with you, do you get deja vu?” 

6. good 4 u The last single prior to the album’s official release, “good 4 u” came out guns blazing, giving Olivia her second #1 song (making her two for three). It makes sense as the successor to “deja vu” both as a single release and in the album track order, as it feels like she has begun to process that despite the deja vu her ex might get with his new girl, he’s still in it, and seems to be doing really well while she’s still lamenting the loss, crying on the floor of her bathroom. Standing up and wiping her tears, “good 4 u” is the anger stage of her grief process. Musically the track is very reminiscent of early 2000s pop-punk, and sounds almost like a sister song to Paramore’s hit “Misery Business,” even thematically, making the song even more appealing to an audience beyond her own cohort. The lyrics are biting and uncontained, even comparing him to a sociopath, a line that I’m sure will be screamed along to by thousands with extreme vigour whenever she gets a chance to tour this record. Maybe her ex is getting the help he needs from his Olivia-recommended therapist, but screaming along to this song might offer similar therapeutic value.  Best lyric: “I guess that therapist I found for you, she really helped / now you can be a better man for your brand new girl.”

7. enough for you The insecurity and doubt Olivia felt in this relationship is laden throughout SOUR, yet is most prominent in “enough for you.” This track is a heartfelt ballad penned by Rodrigo alone, her pain palpable in each note she sings as she reviews all the things she did to make this boy love her, to make him feel appreciated, to see this love through. While the subject of the song is Rodrigo’s ex, this is a sentiment that can be applied to any type of relationship in your life, be it romantic, professional, familial, or platonic, making it one of the most universally relatable tracks on the record. Perhaps the most powerful part of the song is another Rodrigo take on a classic Swiftian trick, using the bridge and final chorus of a song to twist the narrative of self-blame into one of empowerment, asserting that despite what he’s tried to make her believe, she’s not the one who’s never satisfied, that’s him, because she is enough. And when he finally realizes that, he’ll be the one who’s crying. I’m sure he is as he’s listening to this.  Best lyric: “Don’t tell me you’re sorry, boy / feel sorry for yourself / cuz someday I’ll be everything to somebody else.” 

8. happier “happier,” the song that compelled Olivia’s now producer, Dan Nigro, to reach out after seeing a snippet she posted online, encapsulates the bitterness of seeing someone you love be happy with someone else. The severe “ego crush” she sings about on “brutal” is most evident in this situation, as you still want to feel like you were the best for them, hoping that they’ll realize their fuck up when the happiness in their new relationship isn’t what they thought it’d be. “I’m selfish, I know,” she sings, acknowledging that this isn’t a particularly healthy mindset to have, yet continuing to carry it nevertheless. And who can blame her? A key point Olivia has made when discussing this album is how important it was for her to be able to authentically express emotions that are generally not nice or seen as unacceptable (especially when coming from women), as they are still natural and part of the human experience. However, she also acknowledges that these emotions can still be valid without demonizing the third party as she sings, “and now I’m picking her apart / like cutting her down will make you miss my wretched heart.” Allowing yourself to feel and express your negative emotions is important, but displacing them on others will never truly alleviate them. Best lyric: “Find someone great, but don’t find no one better / I hope you’re happy, but don’t be happier.” 

9. jealousy, jealousy What makes “jealousy, jealousy” such a standout track is not only its sonics, but its subject matter. As one of music’s most prominent Gen Z stars at the moment, Olivia Rodrigo is able to provide an accurate representation of the role social media plays in our own mental wellbeing. When what everyone posts is just snapshots of particularly good or glamorous moments, it is hard not to have a skewed perception on the quality of everyone else’s life versus that of your own. Vintage clothes, a father’s expensive car, perfect bodies, vacations and nights out with what seems like a million friends- it can often feel like life’s a competition, and whoever has the coolest photos or the most likes or followers are the winners while everyone else falls behind. The song can also be seen from Olivia’s perspective as a half Filipino woman comparing herself to the myriad of white girls who are famous just for...being conventionally pretty? Rodrigo is obviously beautiful, and while that’s easy for us to see, it shows that she also struggles with her confidence and feeling validated in her own right rather than just by likes. What’s most ironic, perhaps, is that millions of girls are probably now looking at her online and what might seem to be her glamorous life and feel the same jealousy she has felt. Even as her stardom continues to skyrocket, this track is a reminder that jealousy can get the best of anyone, no matter how picture perfect they make things seem. Best lyric: “And I see everyone getting all the things I want / I’m happy for them, but then again, I’m not.” 

10. favorite crime In “favorite crime,” Olivia reflects one more time on the nature of this relationship, comparing it to that of a criminal and an accomplice. Often, we misinterpret warning signs, like sirens sounding anytime you’re near someone, as a calling instead. Letting someone use you and abuse you because you love them so bad, letting them do anything they want no matter how much it hurts you just so you could say they’re yours, is a crime unto yourself. And although she has hindsight to see the damage they both did while together, she smiles as she says she hates him, admitting that she’d do it all again, and that she hopes he at least holds their criminality high in favor, because she still does. It is a testament to the power of loving feelings, and to the people who steal a piece of our heart and fit their memory into the wedge they left, even when they don’t deserve to stay there forever, or to have even settled in there at all, they still do. The emotion in Rodrigo’s voice as she takes the final chorus up an octave is chill inducing, the heartache and the longing and the regret and the continued love are in every note. Although the feelings might feel predominantly sour as one processes the consequences, as Olivia reviews the final few pages of this chapter in her life, she knows that to have loved and lost is, ultimately, closer to bittersweet. Best lyric: “I watched as you fled the scene / doe-eyed as you buried me / one heart broke, four hands bloody.”

11. hope ur ok While “favorite crime” could have been an apt closing track for SOUR, Olivia instead topped it off with “hope ur ok,” a love letter to friends of her past, in the LGBTQ community, or to anyone now listening. She tells the tale of a boy whose ”parents cared more about the bible than being good to their own child” and “wore long sleeves cuz of his dad,” a particularly devastating line. She sings of a girl she knew in middle school who felt trapped in a family that didn’t accept who she loved. She tells her, and then the listener, how proud she is of people living their truth and unlearning the hatred so many of us are taught or are surrounded by. The song ends with her softly singing, “I love you, and I hope that you’re ok.” What makes a successful artist of any kind is their ability to connect with their audience, to make them feel seen and understood, even by someone who might be a celebrity, someone they look up to. There is so much power in hearing this new and bright star speaking directly to the listener, telling you she is proud of you and loves and accepts you for who you are, even if other people in your life don’t. And you can tell she means it. Best lyric: “Address the letters to the holes in my butterfly wings / nothing’s forever, nothing’s as good as it seems.”

While SOUR is a blurb of Olivia’s life at the time she wrote it, navigating through her first heartbreak and the perils of social media and not knowing if she’s enough, you don’t have to be 17 to enjoy this album, to feel the emotions embedded in her music. People of all ages can see themselves in Olivia throughout this album, relate it to current moments in their lives, or transport them back to the turbulence of adolescence, or put themselves in her shoes and live out her story.  People find comfort and catharsis through her words, giving us permission to scream and cry with us to survive all the brutalness out here, and that’s what makes a superstar. With so much skill and ambition displayed in a debut effort, one can only imagine how sharply her craft will continue to develop as she grows as a writer, a musician, a vocalist, and a person. Let’s just hope she’s wrong about dying before she drinks.

---

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: Yes, I am an adult woman in my mid 20s who has watched High School Musical: The Musical: The Series since it first premiered on Disney+ and I won’t apologize for that. Though I never watched Bizaardvark, I recognized Olivia from those days and knew who she was. From the first episode of HSM:TM:TS, I knew this girl was special, and automatically developed this big sister feeling towards her. I just wanted her to succeed so bad- you can find various tweets of mine from 2020 where I am begging the universe to make her the world’s next biggest star, and even asking her to release drivers license as a single- I’m glad I manifested all of that. I think Olivia is authentic, fun, and incredibly, sickeningly talented. And I can’t wait to see where her career takes her. This girl is IT!

#olivia rodrigo #sour #brutal #traitor #drivers license #1 step forward 3 steps back #deja vu #good 4 u #enough for you #happier #jealousy jealousy #favorite crime #hope ur ok #new years day #taylor swift #reputation #review #music review #pop #album #hsmtmts #bizaardvark

[tillidontneedfantasy]

A Track-by-Track Breakdown of Taylor Swift’s 9th Studio Album: ‘evermore’

“My collaborators and I are proud to announce that my 9th studio album and folklore’s sister record is here. It’s called evermore,” is how Taylor Swift introduces us to this album in its foreword. One might assume a “sister record” would entail b-sides, or tracks that didn’t quite make the cut for folklore, despite Taylor’s explanation that “we just couldn’t stop writing songs.” evermore’s release came at a strange time, upon the heels of the Folklore: Long Pond Studio Sessions film on Disney+, as well as 5 Grammy nominations for folklore. The world still captivated by folklore, it’s understandable why one might not consume evermore as critically. Even as a die-hard fan, I felt some whiplash by this announcement; I am still processing folklore! Hell, I’m still processing reputation!

If this was the Taylor from two years ago, this may have been a big enough fear of hers to hold off on releasing evermore. But as she explained upon folklore’s surprise release, life is too unpredictable now, and there are zero givens or guarantees. So she followed the same path this time (although making sure it fell in line with her birthday weekend). But it’s not just the strategic timing of the release that she’s thrown out the window for now, but also her mindset whilst making records. As she explains in the evermore album foreword,

“I’ve never done this before. In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one as soon as an album was released. There was something different with folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning. I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales. I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found. So I just kept writing them.”

This is a revelation for Swift, to let the music lead her into artistic freedom, which is what makes evermore such a triumphant return. Truly folklore’s sister record, Taylor wrote evermore with the same creative team: Aaron Dessner of The National (Swift’s favorite band), long-time pal and collaborator Jack Antonoff, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and William Bowery aka Swift’s boyfriend, Joe Alwyn (as officially revealed in the Long Pond Studio Sessions). Additionally, former 1989 tour openers and close friends of Taylor, the HAIM sisters, join the crew, along with Marcus Mumford for some dreamy backup vocals.

The production is just as wistful and mesmerizing as it was on folklore, yet the storytelling on evermore is kicked up a notch, expanding on the topics and worldbuilding established in its sister record, with even sharper lyrics and an effective and elaborate use of alliteration. The best thing about Taylor is that no matter what she does, her masterful lyricism is always at the heart of her art, and somehow, she keeps getting better. Once again, I wanted to explore the rich stories she’s crafted in this woodsy universe. This is how I’ve interpreted the album, but I hope you find your own meaning in the songs as well.

1. willow It is fitting that the opening track to folklore’s sister album, where we wade further into the forest that is Taylor Swift’s imagination and storytelling, would center on the type of tree that is a symbol of hope, belonging, safety, stability, and healing. “willow,” one of the few more obviously autobiographical tracks on the album, is a hymn of gratitude for her man (as she wants you to know, yes, thirteen times), Joe Alwyn, and how the invisible string tethering them together pulled her to him in a time when everyone else was counting her out. Though not as present on many of the other songs later to come on this record, you can feel the lightness in her heart on this song as she embraces the way in which the willow has bent, wrecking her plans, throwing her into the water and leaving her happily lost and afloat in his current. The downward key modulation throughout the last two repetitions of the chorus is beautiful and very fitting for Swift vocally, but also sounds like the feeling of finding your comfort and settling into it, basking it in while you wait for the next place the wind pulls you. Best lyric: “Now this is an open/shut case / I guess I should’ve known from the look on your face / Every bait and switch was a work of art.”

2. champagne problems On the second track of the album, Taylor dives back into the fictional worldbuilding she began to explore on folklore. While on folklore high school relationships and dramatics took center-stage, evermore graduates from adolescence to young adulthood, not that it is any easier emotionally on the listener’s heart. “champagne problems” chronicles a rejected marriage proposal between two college sweethearts at their old dorm building. Taylor sings as the narrator, a reflective, self-deprecating young woman who jokes about belonging in a madhouse and dismisses all her turmoil as champagne problems. The term ‘champagne problems’ itself could have various meanings here: their trivial concerns, the fact that their “sister splashed out on the bottle” of champagne that they will not be using to celebrate as they had hoped, or perhaps it could even hint that excessive drinking is a piece of all the ways the narrator is “fucked in the head,” as they said. Although the person she is singing to is the one who got hurt in the story, the hurt in the narrator’s heart is just as palpable and relatable, because you only have yourself to blame when you self-destruct. Best lyric: “’She would’ve made such a lovely bride, / what a shame she’s fucked in the head,’ they said / but you’ll find the real thing instead / she’ll patch up your tapestry that I shred.”

3. gold rush On her YouTube live chat prior to the album’s release, Taylor explained that this song “takes place inside a single daydream where you get lost in thought for a minute and then snap out of it.” The daydream consists of a love story so pure that the town had never seen such a thing; it could only happen in a fantasy for the narrator. How could she possibly have the gall to call them out on their contrarian shit, or end up with her Eagles t-shirt hanging from their door, when they are so coveted by all, and when she cannot withstand the thought of even competing? She sings, “My mind turns your life into folklore / I can’t dare to dream about you anymore,” a sweet little connecting piece to this album’s older sister, effectively convincing herself out of the idea of jumping into the chaos of the gold rush because even inside her own imagination it’s too dangerous. Best lyric: “I don’t like that falling feels like flying ‘till the bone crush.”

4. ‘tis the damn season According to Aaron Dessner, Taylor had written the lyrics for “’tis the damn season” in the middle of the night amidst their Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions recording after a long night of chatting and drinking with their co-conspirator, Jack Antonoff. The lyrics perfectly encapsulate the guttural ache the track evokes. It is a tale of two people who always find their way back to one another in their hometown, which acts as the ever-returning fork in the road. The path taken, back to L.A. in pursuit of her dreams, is the one she chose and continues to choose, but whenever she returns home, she takes a ride down the road not taken, just to get a taste of what could have been, even if just for the weekend. What starts off as an icy homecoming always transforms into the warmest intimacy. The success of this track is aligned with the success of Taylor’s entire career; even with such specific details, it feels so deeply personal to the listener. You know the street you’d drive along late at night laughing, the spot you’d park the car, the person who stars in every what-if. You will never really know if the road not taken is as good as it seems, but that might be ok; sometimes, the fantasy is better than the reality, anyway. Best lyric: “It’s the kind of cold / fogs up windshield glass, but I felt it when I passed you / There’s an ache in you / put there by the ache in me.”

5. tolerate it Inspired by the novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, “tolerate it” is an agonizing track from the perspective of a devoted wife who polishes plates and paints portraits and waits by the door for her husband with a battle hero’s welcome, who at best tolerates all her adoration. There are few things as painful as idolization being met with indifference, when you have all this love to give to someone who just leaves it there untouched. “tolerate it” captures that desperation for the approval you know will never arrive, but you sit and watch, waiting for it just in case you’re wrong, but you know you’re not. Best lyric: “I made you my temple, my mural, my sky / now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life / drawing hearts in the byline”

6. no body, no crime feat. HAIM “no body, no crime,” the one evermore song solo-written by Taylor, has the clearest plot from beginning to end. In the same vein as the female powerhouse country classic “Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks, Taylor is out for blood to avenge her friend, Este (named for one of the HAIM sisters). The story goes as such: Este’s husband kills her for calling him out on his infidelity, and then Taylor kills the husband and frames his mistress. The HAIM girls, who are long-time friends of Taylor’s and former touring mates, lend their vocals to reinforce the accusation on the husband and to provide Taylor’s alibi. “no body, no crime” is so far the closest we’ve gotten to a return to “country Taylor,” proving that she is still the master of a killer country tune (yes, pun intended, it had to be done I’m sorry). Best lyric: “Good thing Este’s sister’s gonna swear she was with me / (she was with me, dude) / Good thing his mistress took out a big life insurance policy”

7. happiness Written a week before the album’s release, “happiness” is one of Swift’s strongest and most reflective breakup songs. Although she writes it as though it is recent, there’s a lot of power in knowing that she’s been happily in love for four years, and that she is even better now at doing the thing that has always been best at. She is finally “above the trees,” as she sings, and is able to see it all for what it is, but her character is still in the heat of it all, trying to navigate the stages of grief when a relationship ends. We see the narrator grapple with many of those stages throughout the song. Most striking is the anger displayed in the second verse when she sings: “I hope she’ll be a beautiful fool who takes my spot next to you / No, I didn’t mean that, / sorry, I can’t see facts through all of my fury.” That section is jarring and feels like one of the most honest moments in a Taylor song, the insanely difficult emotional balancing act when we are grieving a relationship. The devastation of loss can distort our perception, and a part of that is the difficulty of understanding how multiple seemingly opposing things can co-exist in our hearts, such as happiness because of someone and happiness after them. But when you leave it all behind and finally find your place above the trees, you can find happiness after someone and also look back and appreciate the happiness they once provided. Both of these things can be true. Best lyric: “Showed you all of my hiding spots / I was dancing when the music stopped.”

8. dorothea Taylor Swift has the uncanny ability to create such developed and well-rounded characters with such little information, which is what makes her storytelling so compelling. In “dorothea,” we learn much about the title character through the narrator’s eyes, and the relationship they once had. The lyric “skipping the prom just to piss off your mom and her pageant schemes” alone tells an entire story in itself. “dorothea” is also the companion song to “’tis the damn season,” just from the other person’s perspective, which helps shine even more light on the story. The narrator of “dorothea” reveres her but wonders if she’s still the same soul in L.A. as she was back in their never-changing town. Whatever the answer, they’re still willing to support her no matter where she is, but she’s always welcome back in Tupelo by her hometown love’s side if she ever just wants to be herself rather than someone known for who they know. Besides, they’re the only soul who can tell which smiles she’s faking. And you can always return to the road not taken. Best lyric: “They all wanna be ya / but are you still the same soul I met under the bleachers? / Well, I guess I’ll never know / and you’ll go on with the show.”

9. coney island feat. The National What really started the folklore / evermore journey was Taylor’s love for The National. Taylor has cited them as one of her favorite bands for many years, and as we know, this led to her beautiful new collaborative relationship with Aaron Dessner. So it would make sense for the track written with the intention of this duet to be so well executed; you can feel the love and care Taylor put into writing this song. In her press for these sister albums, she has spoken about trying to channel frontman Matt Berninger’s writing style. But what actually happened was she just produced her own signature lyricism at its sharpest. “We were like the mall before the internet, it was the one place to be / the mischief, the gift-wrapped suburban dreams / sorry for not winning you an arcade ring over and over,” is a hall of famer Swift-ian lyric. “coney island” explores the confusion, hurt, and self-reflection when a passionate affair burns out fast because you did not prioritize that person. And to top it off, Swift and Berninger’s harmonies are achingly beautiful, transporting you right there in the story, on the bench, wondering, over and over. Best lyric: “Do you miss the rogue who coaxed you into paradise and left you there? / Will you forgive my soul when you’re too wise to trust me and too old to care?”

10. ivy Leave it to Taylor Swift to make a song about an affair sound so romantic, and so sympathetic to the narrator, that you’re rooting for adultery. “ivy” tells the tale of a woman in a lifeless marriage, likening her home with him to the tombstone that the widow in town visits each day. I like to think this is the same wife whose husband was out there building other worlds without her in “tolerate it,” because then that means she found someone who celebrates her love, who holds her pain for her, who blooms all over her; they started it, but she’s fighting for it all the way to the end, nonetheless. “ivy” showcases Swift’s gorgeous vocals and her sharp lyrics, with a melody so infectious it is bound to permanently plant its roots in your dreamland. Best lyric: “Oh, I can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland / my house of stone, your ivy grows, and now I’m covered in you.”

11. cowboy like me With the beautifully blended backing vocals of Marcus Mumford, “cowboy like me” is an entrancing love story of two con artists who lost at their own game and got conned into forever with each other. She’d gone from swindling old men for their money and fancy cars to falling victim to the danger of dancing with someone who only has eyes full of stars, and she knows she’ll pay for it. “cowboy like me” is one of the most romantic tracks on the record, proving that life never plays out quite as we plan. Best lyric: “Now you hang from my lips like the gardens of Babylon / with your boots beneath my bed / Forever is the sweetest con.”

12. long story short One of the more pop-sounding tracks on evermore, “long story short” is pretty much a summary of the long story behind reputation (2017). The song is filled with various metaphors for her reputation crumbling around her, and then finally putting her defenses down to be with her lover, someone as “rare as the glimmer of a comet in the sky.” It is a sweet ode to her boyfriend, and a gentle comfort to her past self that it will all work out. But it is also an oddly relatable example of how we shrug off our struggles and minimize them to just a “bad time,” when the time she is singing about was obviously something that deeply affected her (as will be further explored in the title track); but sometimes it actually feels good to just shrug it off as just a blip in your life, because at the end of the day, you survived, and that’s what counts- even if you’re not keeping score anymore. Best lyric: “Pushed from the precipice / clung to the nearest lips / long story short, it was the wrong guy. / Now I’m all about you.”

13. marjorie Whereas track 13 on folklore was a tribute to Swift’s paternal grandfather, evermore’s track 13 is a tribute to her maternal grandmother, Marjorie Finlay, who was an opera singer in the 50s, and passed away in 2003 when Taylor was 13 years old. “marjorie” is quite possibly the most touching track Taylor has ever written thus far in her career. Grief is one of the most difficult topics to tackle in a song; the genius of “marjorie” is that it is simple, yet not understated. Swift reflects on the profound lessons she learned from her grandmother, about the difficult balances of kindness and cleverness, and politeness and power. She curses herself for not cherishing the moments she had with her, for complaining rather than understanding in the moment how admirable her spirit was, for all the amber skies she’d love but will never see. The chorus, blunt and hard-hitting, reminds us that someone does not have to be living to be alive, to be all around, to be with us. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were singing to me now,” Taylor sings towards the end of the song, right before you hear a sample of Finlay’s opera singing in the background, a truly eye-swelling moment. It is clear that Finlay played a pivotal role in Swift’s own ambitions, as she sings, “all your closets of backlogged dreams, and how you left them all to me.” Marjorie knew she was leaving them in good hands. If you haven’t yet, check out the moving lyric video for the song, where you can see photos and video clips of Marjorie, both throughout her career and in her time with Taylor. Best lyric: “Never be so polite you forget your power, / never wield such power you forget to be polite.”

14. closure On the most experimental track musically on the record, Taylor writes off her need for closure from a relationship of some sort, whether it be romantic or platonic or business, all of which can cause hurt of equal intensity. The subject of the song is trying to make nice with Taylor, and she is just not having it, as it is not coming from a genuine place, but rather to ensure that their life remains picture perfect, or to clear their guilty conscience, or to preserve their own ego. This is a deeply relatable sentiment; as valuable as forgiveness can be, sometimes the person who hurt you just doesn’t deserve it, and all you can do is forgive yourself for blocking their number or shredding their letters. Best lyric: “I know I’m just a wrinkle in your new life / staying friends would iron it out so nice.”

15. evermore feat. Bon Iver To close out the standard edition of the album, Taylor joins forces once again with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, with whom she collaborated on the Grammy-nominated duet, “exile” for folklore. However, Swift leads most of the track this time, lamenting the difficult time she went through in 2016. The piano and Swift’s vocals are haunting, particularly when she describes this time in her life as “catching my death,” consumed by a pain that she feels will never end. If you’ve ever been depressed, you know what that feels like, and the dark places it leads you. Although she is singing about a time four years prior, it sounds so present, and it is heartbreaking to hear her in such a state. When Bon Iver comes in, the tempo of the song picks up, the piano riff becomes more erratic, like a winter storm hitting you in the face, and he voices all the anxieties of the cost of such a downfall. But through those anxieties, Taylor finds not a cure, but an anchor in love, and then the tempo slows back down. By the end of the song, Taylor has the foresight to understand that although it may not feel like it now, the pain she is experiencing is not permanent (a sentiment my therapist has been trying to instill in me for years). In her Apple Music interview with Zane Lowe, Taylor explained how the lyrics parallel the times we are in currently, and so it feels really special to have the album end with someone who knows how it feels to be imprisoned by your pain gently comfort us with the wisdom that “this pain wouldn’t be for evermore.” I hope one day soon, as we leave 2020 far behind, we can all truly believe her. Best lyric: “I was catching my breath / barefoot in the wildest winter catching my death.”

16. right where you left me (bonus track) The first bonus track on evermore, “right where you left me,” captures a moment so earth-crushing, a piece of you is trapped in it forever. In this song specifically, the narrator finds herself stuck in the same corner of a restaurant where she was told by someone she loved that they had met someone else. “Glass shattered on the white cloth, everybody moved on,” she sings in mourning. We have all experienced those moments that we could teleport back to if we just closed our eyes; the scenery, what you wore, the smell and taste of the season, the very point in your body where it felt like your insides were collapsing. Or that one particular person, who is long-gone from your life but seeing them is like time-travelling back to that person you once were, ready to pick up where you left off. But as much as you want to stay in that moment forever, just in case it changes in your favor, the cold reality is that the world stops for no one. Best lyric: “If our love died young, I can’t bear witness / And it’s been so long, but if you ever think you got it wrong / I’m right where you left me.”

17. it’s time to go (bonus track) “right where you left me” was Taylor’s cry for help to get out of restaurant, and “it’s time to go” is the answer to the call, as she sings in the first line, “when the dinner gets cold, and the chatter gets old / you ask for the tab.” This song is about gathering the strength to leave situations and relationships behind that no longer serve you. She grieves the betrayal of someone she thought to be a twin from her dreams (almost definitely referring to former friend, Karlie Kloss), acknowledges that keeping a marriage together for the sake of the kids often actually has the opposite intended effect (possibly- but not certainly- something she and her brother experienced), and recounts attempting to bargain with someone consumed by greed, only able to leave with herself (absolutely referring to the end of her fifteen-year long business relationship with Scott Borchetta, her former record-label owner). But as painful as leaving all of those situations was, Taylor has gained the wisdom to understand that walking away sometimes takes as much strength as persevering. You can’t stay at the restaurant, or at the mercy of someone else forever; you have to forge your own path, even if it’s in the opposite direction of what you envisioned for so long. And even with all her past success behind her, as folklore and evermore have proved, there is so much more ahead of her. Best lyric: “That old familiar body ache, the snaps from the same little breaks in your soul / You know when it’s time to go.”

In a time where we are all trapped in our homes and in our heads, the folklore/evermore experience has been the sweetest escape. If anything, the creation of these wonderful sister records has taught me that our most powerful tool in times of distress is our own imagination. Even just the ability to close my eyes while listening to one of these tracks and feel the character’s story is a gift. The way I’ve always been able to pick up Harry Potter and escape to Hogwarts when I’ve felt alone and friendless, I can listen to folklore and evermore when I feel scared or hopeless and escape into this enchanted forest Taylor has built, where I can climb above the trees and see it all for what it is. I feel so lucky to watch Taylor’s imaginative world unravel around me. I can’t wait to see what she creates next.

DISCLAIMER – REVIEWER’S BIAS: I would literally die for this bitch.  

#evermore #folklore #review #album review #track by track breakdown #pop #folk #taylor swift #the national #aaron dessner #matt berninger #bon iver #justin vernon #haim #este haim #alana haim #danielle haim #swift #taylor #tswift #jack antonoff #marcus mumford #mumford and sons #joe alwyn #william bowery #music #music review

[tillidontneedfantasy]

A Track-by-Track Breakdown of Taylor Swift’s 8th Studio Album: ‘folklore’

Taylor Swift’s 8th studio album, folklore, starts off with the lie, “I’m on some new shit.” Perhaps to someone who hasn’t been paying attention this would seem to be true. But to those listening, folklore is the essence of her skill and success throughout her entire career stripped down for all to see, but more refined, enhanced, and impressive than ever.

Even prior to her pop-world domination with 1989 (2014), Taylor’s storytelling ability has always been her most compelling strength as a writer. In 2010, she released her third album, Speak Now, penned fully solo to prove to the cynics that she does, in fact, write her own music. And it’s damn good. Widely considered her best song, “All Too Well” from Red (2012) is a five and a half minute epic about love had and lost, all in walks through autumn trees, almost running red lights, dancing round the kitchen, and a scarf reminiscent of innocence, unreturned.  

Yet her pop prowess over the last six years perhaps leads to her storytelling being overlooked to those more focused on the music. There is a particular genius in writing a successful pop song, let alone three successful pop albums, that still has hard-hitting lyrics underneath the synth. Take the excellent “Cruel Summer” from Lover (2019) for example. The song is just under 3 minutes, and the production is so enthralling and infectious that it can take such a hold on you, you might miss the tale being told along with it about a fraught summer relationship that was actually just the beginning of her own love story.

But without the pop production, her stories on folklore demand attention. Swept up by a strong wave of creativity and inspiration, Swift secretly wrote and produced this album in around three months with Aaron Dessner of The National, one of Swift’s favorite bands, and long-time collaborator and friend Jack Antonoff. A surprise album is a new endeavor for Swift, as she generally spends months meticulously planning an album rollout. It is refreshing, and as a dedicated, long-time fan of Taylor, it is thrilling. Due to the album cover where she is standing in the woods, and the genre of the album itself, there have been think pieces regarding the “man in the woods” trope and what it means that Taylor seems to be embodying it. As a result of over-exposure, people are unable to stop focusing on her image and the way she presents herself. It’s understandable, as she is a very smart and deliberate businesswoman, and clearly cares about how she is perceived. But with this album, it is clear that none of that was at play. We are in the middle of a pandemic. Her mother has been battling cancer for years. Isolate a creative person in a dangerous world and they will dream up an escape. She understands more than ever how precious each moment is, and does not want to waste another one. The woods being the landscape for the photo-shoot is most likely attributed to the fact that it is the safest place to have one under these circumstances. She’s not pretending she removed herself from society and became enlightened, she didn’t dabble into a more alternative sound to prove anything; she is just sharing stories she wants to tell that she is proud of, and nothing more.

Of course the music of the album is important, but the lyrics are the heart of it all, and I wanted to focus on them. Upon its release, Taylor explained in a foreword that the album was a mixture of personal and fictional accounts. The beauty of stories is that once they are shared, they never live one single life; each person who consumes a story interprets it uniquely, and the story becomes a multiverse, with different meanings and outcomes than what initially drove the pen to the paper. As explained by Swift in a YouTube comment prior to the album’s release, three songs on the album are all one story, which she has dubbed “the teenage love triangle.” The three points of the triangle are “cardigan,” “august,” and “betty.” But if someone had not seen her say that, they might not have figured it out. Maybe they’d interpret each song as their own story, and connect it to their own. Taylor knows this. It is why she loves storytelling and is why she is so good at it. The album itself is a mirror ball, shimmering with every version of the stories being told, reflecting a bit of each person who listens. These are my interpretations, but they can mean whatever you make of them. 

1. the 1 The melody of this song helps set the scene; picture yourself skipping rocks on a lake, reminiscing on the one that got away. “the 1” is about learning to assimilate into a life without them, resentfully accepting that they might be moving on, too. She ruminates on what went wrong and what could have been. In a very Swift fashion, she puts the blame on herself when she sings, “in my defense, I have none / for digging up the grave another time.” Perhaps this song is fictional, perhaps it’s a revisit of a past feeling or relationship, but its relatability makes it feel real and present. She searches for explanations, restraining herself from asking, “if one thing had been different, would everything be different today?” But it’s good she didn’t ask, because she’d never find the answer, anyway. Best lyric: “We never painted by the numbers, baby, but we were making it count / You know the greatest loves of all time are over now.”

2. cardigan (teenage love triangle, part 1: betty’s perspective) “When you are young they assume you know nothing,” Swift sings in her smooth low-register on this Lana del Rey-esque single. “But I knew everything when I was young,” she asserts. They say wisdom comes with age, but there is wisdom lost, too, of what it felt like to be young; but she has held onto it. In this track, the narrator (Betty) is looking back on her relationship with someone she once loved (James, as name-dropped in “betty” later on in the album). Her insight on his character was always spot on; she knew he’d try to kiss it better, change the ending, miss her once the thrill expired and come back, begging for her forgiveness in her front porch light. As soon as she was feeling forgotten, he made her feel wanted, his favorite. The ending in question is unclear, whether she granted him her forgiveness or not. But what is clear is Taylor’s understanding of the pull of young love, the intensity, the immortalization of all the smallest of details, the longing to be someone’s favorite. It’s why we look back on it so often, read stories and watch films about it, even as we grow old. It’s the cardigan we put back on when we want to be Peter Pan and remember what it was like to fly with Wendy. Best lyric: “You drew stars around my scars / but now I’m bleeding.”

3. the last great american dynasty The story of Rebekah Harkness and her destruction of the last great American dynasty, Standard Oil, is documented in this track, as each verse covers a different part of Rebekah’s life, going from a middle class divorcee to one of the wealthiest women in America by marrying into an empire. Swift paints Rebekah as an outcast, the Rhode Island town blaming her for her husband’s heart giving out. Rebekah used her inherited fortune on her ballet company, throwing lavish parties with her friends who went by the “Bitch Pack,” playing cards with Dali (Yes, as in Salvador Dali. It’s not clear if they actually played cards together, but her ashes were placed in an urn designed by him), and feuding with her neighbors. Then, fifty years later, Taylor Swift bought that very house and ruined the neighborhood all over again, bringing with her the triumphant return of champagne pool parties and women with madness, their men and bad habits. It’s a note on how women will be blamed for tarnishing what is sacred to men rather than celebrated, specifically when its related to wealth and power. They will call them mad, shameless, loud. But just like Rebekah, Taylor learned to pay them no mind, and just have a marvelous time. It is also interesting to note that Rebekah went by Betty. Perhaps Taylor felt inspired by and connected to her and gave her a whole backstory, and thus the birth of “the teenage love triangle,” or maybe it’s just a coincidence; but that’s the fun of it all. Either way, this track is a standout showcase of how Swift has truly mastered her craft as a songwriter. Best lyric: “Holiday House sat quietly on that beach / free of women with madness, their men and bad habits / and then it was bought by me.”

4. exile ft. Bon Iver You know that feeling when your parents are fighting and it’s upsetting you but you can’t help but listen? That’s kind of what listening to this song feels like. Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon co-wrote the track, and he lends his gorgeous vocals to play a man who has been exiled by his ex who has moved on with someone else while he desperately tries to understand where it all went wrong. The bridge is particularly poignant, both proclaiming, “you didn’t even hear me out,” while talking over each other. He thinks he was expected to read her mind, but she is adamant that she gave him plenty of warning signs. Miscommunication is one of the most common downfalls of a relationship, and the emotion in Swift’s and Vernon’s voices really draws you into the argument with them, transporting you back into your own exile from people you once called home. Best lyric: “I couldn’t turn things around / (You never turned things around) / ‘cause you never gave a warning sign / (I gave so many signs.)”

5. my tears ricochet Taylor describes this song in the foreword as “an embittered tormentor showing up to the funeral of his fallen object of obsession.” If you know enough, you can put the pieces together that the tormentor is Scott Borchetta, the head of Big Machine Records, and the funeral is of their professional and personal relationship. Taylor was the first artist ever signed to Big Machine. Borchetta and Swift had to trust each other in their partnership for it to be a success, and oh, how it was. But prior to Lover’s release, Taylor announced that she would be signing to Republic Records as her contract with Big Machine had ended and Republic offered her the opportunity to own all of her masters moving forward and negotiate on Spotify shares for all their artists. It all could have ended amicably there, but then Scott Borchetta sold all of Big Machine, along with Taylor’s masters from every album prior, to Scooter Braun. Braun manages some of the biggest stars out there, and had previously managed Kanye West. Taylor publicly spoke out about this purchase, stating that she was not made aware of this before the announcement, and how much of a betrayal it was considering she had cried to Scott before about Scooter’s mistreatment of her. Taylor has continued to be vocal about this, and so she sings, “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace.” There is a lot to unpack in this song, but the main takeaway is that this betrayal hurts him just as much if not more than it hurts her, because his career was built on her achievements. He buried her while decorated in her success, becoming what he swore he wouldn’t, erasing the good times for greed, all just to be haunted with regret for pushing her out and stealing her lullabies. The pain is palpable, and it is notable that this is song is placed at track 5, the spot generally reserved for the most vulnerable on the album; it shows that there are different types of heartbreak that can shatter you just as much as those from romance. Best lyric: “If I’m dead to you, why are you at the wake? / Cursing my name, wishing I stayed.”

6. mirrorball On Lover’s “The Archer,” Taylor expresses her anxiety over people seeing through her act, her own grief at seeing through it herself, wondering if her lover does and whether he would stay with her regardless. “mirrorball” is about the act, one of the more obviously confessional songs on the album. She talks about how a mirror ball can illuminate all the different versions of a person, while also reflecting the light to fit in with the scene. Taylor’s critical self-awareness is heart wrenching, and it’s clear that the anxiety that surrounds the public perception of her is still prevalent. She describes herself as a member of a circus, still on the tightrope and the trapeze even after everyone else has packed up and left, doing anything she can to keep the public’s attention. It hurts to hear the desperation in her voice, but there’s hope in the song, too. She is speaking to someone (we can assume her long-term boyfriend, Joe Alwyn) and thanking them for not being like “the regulars, the masquerade revelers drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten.” In 2016, the height of Taylor’s fame and subsequently her farthest fall from grace, all the people who pretended to be her friends and attended all her parties celebrated her (temporary) demise, continuing to dance over her broken pieces on the floor. But he stayed by her side as she put herself back together. And so now, when no one is around, she’ll shine just for him, standing even taller than she does for the circus. Best lyric: “I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why / I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try / I’m still on that trapeze, I’m still trying everything / to keep you looking at me.”

7. seven Her voice gentle and haunting, Taylor recalls the freedom and innocence of her childhood in Pennsylvania. She asks to be remembered for how she was, swinging over the creek, before she learned civility when she would scream anytime she wanted, then letting out a very pretty one. She sings to her old friend soothingly about taking them away from their haunted house that their father is always shouting in, where they feel the need to hide in a closet, perhaps literally, or figuratively, or both. They can move into Taylor’s house instead, or maybe just to India, just be sure to pack their dolls and a sweater and then they’ll hit the road. She can no longer recall her friend’s face, but the love she had for them still lives in her heart, and she wants it to live forever through story. Just in the way that folklore itself blends reality and fiction, but the truth within it passes on, so will the purity of that love and friendship. Best lyric: “Please picture me in the weeds / before I learned civility / I used to scream ferociously / any time I wanted.”

8. august (teenage love triangle, part 2: the other girl’s perspective) If you had to assign the feeling of longing to a song, it’d be “august.” It’s when you’re teetering at the edge with someone, unsure of where you stand with them, clinging to anything they give you and doing anything just to raise your chances, “living for the hope of it all.” August, the last month of summer, its heat causing it to slip away the fastest in a haze before reality hits. This track is a display of how sometimes losing something you never had causes an even deeper ache than losing something that was yours, and Jack Antonoff’s signature production intensifies the emotion even more. It’s the story of shattered hope, and the longing for the days where it could still fuel you. Best lyric: “To live for the hope of it all / cancel plans just in case you’d call.”

9. this is me trying “this is me trying” is like a drive through a tunnel at night, hearing your loudest anxieties and insecurities echo all around you, caving in. The track is another apt insight into Swift’s struggles with her self-image, with the pressure she puts on herself, so much so that she sometimes pushes herself too close to the edge, her fears luring her out of the tunnel and down, down, down into her own cage, stunting her own growth and keeping those who care out of reach. She tells us how she was “so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere.” Every action has an equal, opposite reaction, meaning that she was pushing herself so hard, she rolled back to where she started, and now has to reset. This could be referring to the period between the end of the 1989 era and the release of reputation (2017), or a different time in her life, or just a general sentiment. It doesn’t really matter, though, because no one’s growth is a neat, straight line; growth is jagged. Just like any of us, Taylor will always have to face new obstacles, new pitfalls, new reasons to get back up. She sounds most vulnerable as she cries, “at least I’m trying,” and you feel comforted knowing someone so beautiful and successful has to push herself to try, too, and yet that motivates you more to try yourself. Best lyric: “They told me all of my cages were mental / so I got wasted, like all my potential.”

10. illicit affairs A quiet, slow-build testament of the passion, the tragedy, the secrecy, the inimitability of a romance that shouldn’t exist, “illicit affairs” demonstrates how you can ruin yourself for someone from just one moment of possibility or truth, quite like the narrator of “august” does for the hope of it all. An illicit affair can be many different things: infidelity, forbidden love, a love that can never be fully realized, a relationship that is inherently wrong but electrifying all the same. It’s a reminder of what so many of us would do just to see new colors, to learn a new language, even if the one moment of enlightenment destroys us forever. We might lose the iridescent glow but we don’t forget it; we carry it with us, but must be careful to remember its blinding effect, to remember how fatal the fall is from the dwindling, mercurial high. Best lyric: “Tell your friends you’re out for a run / you’ll be flushed when you return.”

11. invisible string Clearly the most outright autobiographical track, “invisible string” is the plucky pick-me-up needed. The song is like sunshine, as Swift endearingly links all the little connections between her and her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, since before they even met. She compares the green grass at the Nashville park she’d sit at in hopes of a meet-cute to the teal of his yogurt shop uniform shirt, and gives a nod to her smash hit “Bad Blood” from 1989 with the delightful line “bad was the blood of the song in the cab on your first trip to LA.” She reasons these coincidences as a fateful, invisible, golden string tying them together since the beginning, always destined to meet at the knot in the middle. She thanks time for healing her, (a callback to “Fifteen” from Fearless [2008]), fighting through hell to make it to heaven, transforming her from an axe grinder to a gift giver for her ex’s baby (the ex in question, Joe Jonas, and his wife Sophie Turner, happened to have their first daughter two days before this album’s release). As she has on her previous two albums, she uses the color gold to illustrate how prized their love is to one another. It’s sweet to know in all the gloom that the string has not been severed, and the trees are still golden somewhere. Best lyric: “Cold was the steel of my axe to grind for the boys who broke my heart / now I send their babies presents.”

12. mad woman Throughout her entire career, Taylor Swift has defiantly defended female rage, all the way back from throwing a chair off a platform on her Fearless Tour during the impassioned “Forever & Always,” to her patient, vengeful reliance on karma in reputation’s lead single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” to her most recent tackling of the matter on Lover’s last and final single, “The Man,” where she explores society’s acceptance and encouragement of angry men yet disdain for angry women. “The Man” is catchy and upbeat, and a fun thought experiment into how Swift’s career would be perceived if she was a man, something that is even more interesting to think about now as she releases an album in a genre heavily dominated and lauded by males. But on “mad woman,” she further explores the creation and perception of female rage, though masked under a smooth, haunting piano melody, her vocals subdued, taunting. In the album foreword, she describes the inspiration behind this song as “a misfit widow getting gleeful revenge on the town that cast her out.” This could be the continuation of Rebekah “Betty” Harkness’s story at her Holiday House in Watch Hill, RI, and how she further alienated herself from the rest of the neighborhood as they cast stones at her for the collapse of the last great American dynasty. (Or perhaps Daenerys Targaryen’s descent as the Mad Queen played a part in the song’s inspiration, as Swift has spoken of her love for Game of Thrones and her character specifically.) Taylor herself could also represent the widow, her music and masters as her love lost, and the men behind the crime as the “town that cast her out.” In the first verse she sings, “What do you sing on your drive home? / Do you see my face in the neighbor’s lawn? / Does she smile, or does she mouth ‘fuck you forever’?” It’s the first f-bomb of Taylor’s career (though a much more playful one will come two tracks later in “betty”) and it speaks volume. Taylor has received a lot of condemnation for expressing her anger at their transaction, for calling out their greed for what it is. Some view Swift’s stance on the ordeal as petty and trivial; they see the men as orchestrating a good business deal, and Swift as the girl throwing a tantrum. Ask any woman, and they can tell you about a time a man told them they were crazy for being justifiably angry; it only makes us angrier. “No one likes a mad woman,” Taylor states, “You made her like that.” Swift underscores that here, how they will poke and poke the bear but then blame it for attacking, as if they had never provoked it at all, and how dare it defend itself. Just as they blamed Rebekah for her husband’s heart giving out, they somehow manage to blame Swift for not being allowed to purchase the rights to her own work. And yes, she’s mad, but the song is measured and controlled; she’s used to her anger now, and knows just how to wield it. Best lyric: “Women like hunting witches, too / doing your dirtiest work for you / It’s obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together.”

13. epiphany This is another track Swift provided some background on, stating it was inspired by her “grandfather, Dean, landing at Guadalcanal in 1942” during WWII. The first verse paints this image, while the second verse depicts a different kind of war, happening right now, fought by doctors and nurses. She speaks of holding hands through plastic, and the escape folklore has granted you suddenly lifts. Watching someone’s daughter, or mother, or anyone suffer at the hands of the COVID-19 pandemic, just as watching a soldier bleed out, helpless, is too much to speak about. As she points out, they don’t teach you about that vicarious trauma in med school. We are living in a tireless world with barely any time time to rest our eyes, but too much going on while we’re awake to make sense of any of it. “epiphany” is a cinematic prayer, pleading for some quiet in order to find an answer in all the noise. We’re still waiting for that glimpse of relief. Best lyric: “Only twenty minutes to sleep / but you dream of some epiphany / Just one single glimpse of relief / to make some sense of what you’ve seen.”

14. betty (teenage love triangle, part 3: james’s perspective) It makes sense that a song reminiscent of Fearless would exemplify some of the best story-telling on folklore. The final puzzle piece of the teen love triangle, “betty” is a song sung by Swift from the perspective of the character of her own creation, James, attempting to win back his true love, Betty, who he slighted in some way. He proclaims that the worst thing he ever did is what he did to her, without explicitly stating it. Though the infamous deed is unclear, here’s the information we collect from this song: James saw Betty dancing with another boy at a school dance, one day when he was walking home another girl (from “august”) picked him up and he ended up spending his summer with her yet still loved Betty, and though he ended things with his fling and wanted to reconcile with Betty, he had returned to school to see she switched her homeroom (James assumes, after saying he won’t make assumptions. Classic men). So in order to make it up to her, he shows up at her party with the risk of being told to go fuck himself (the second and charming “fuck” on the album! Which is repeated!). Upon his arrival, there is a glorious key change (ala “Love Story”) and all the pieces fall into place for the listener; we realize Betty is the girl singing in “cardigan” as he lists the things he misses about her since the thrill expired, like the way she looks standing in her cardigan, and kissing in his car. He’s 17 and doesn’t know anything, but she knew everything when she was young, and she knew he’d come back. The way I see their story conclude is that she led him to the garden and trusted him, but as they grew older they grew apart, but the love she had for him never faded completely. Listening to this song is like being back in high school, whether you were the person who did someone wrong or the person so willing to forgive in the name of young love, or Inez, the school gossip, you’re right there with them. The other great thing about this song is that it is sung to a girl, and though it is set up so we understand it is most likely from a boy’s perspective, it doesn’t have to be. It’s really great that girls in the LGBTQ community can have a song in Taylor’s voice to fully connect to without changing the pronouns or names (even James, which is unisex and is one of the names of the daughters of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Taylor’s close friends, mentioned in this song). That is the beauty of folklore: the infinite ways a story can be told, perceived, retold from a different perspective, and told again. Maybe you’ll hear it from Inez. Best lyric: “But if I just showed up at your party / would you have me? Would you want me? / Would you tell me to go fuck myself, or lead me to the garden?”

15. peace One of the most beautifully solemn songs of her career, “peace” echoes the same fears explored in “Dancing With Our Hands Tied” from reputation; will the person she loves be able to weather the ever-present storm that comes with the life of a superstar, but also dwells within herself? Will holding him as the water rushes in be enough? Will giving him her wild, a child, her sunshine, her best, be a fair consolation? Presumably another confessional track and about Alwyn, Swift puts him up on a pedestal, praising his integrity and his dare to dream. She proclaims that she would die for him in secret, just as she told him she’d be on her tallest tip toes, spinning in her highest heels, shining just for him in “mirrorball.” She highlights some of the greatest gifts of love, such as comfortable silence and chosen family. She knows what they have is special, but she also knows the value of peace, the ultimate nirvana, and does not want to deprive him of that. It is so deeply relatable- to me, at least- to feel like you can give someone so much of yourself but know it still may never be enough, and to fear either losing them or robbing them of something better. But looking at what they have together, maybe peace is overrated. Or maybe, she’s looking for peace in the wrong places. The calm is in the eye of the storm, and sometimes, there’s nothing more freeing than throwing away the umbrella and soaking in the rain. Best lyric: “I never had the courage of my convictions / as long as danger is near / and it’s just around the corner, darling / ‘cause it lives in me / no, I could never give you peace.”

16. hoax The truest enigma of the album, the closer, “hoax” is a devastatingly dark ballad about the uncertainty, or perhaps incredulity, of someone’s love for you, a love that is your lifeline. The lyrics are ambiguous, which gives way to a plethora of interpretations. Perhaps she is speaking about a hypothetical situation that has yet to happen (and hopefully doesn’t) in which someone she loves and trusts betrays her. Maybe she is talking about a relationship, real (hopefully not) or fictional, in which despite the torment it brings her she holds onto it for dear life. I’m most inclined to believe that the song represents her difficulty in accepting that someone is willing to love her through such dark periods, that their love must actually be a hoax, but she chooses to believe in it anyway and uses it as the motivation to rebuild her kingdom, to rise from the ashes on her barren land. And even through the downs that come at some point in every relationship, she can still see the beauty in it all. Yes, their love is golden, but waves of blue will crash down around any partnership, because life does not exist without them. So even when things are as blue as can be, she’s at least grateful it’s with him. Best lyric: “Don’t want no other shade of blue but you / no other sadness in the world would do.”

Although we still have yet to hear the deluxe track, “the lakes,” as a fan of Taylor for almost 12 years, it feels so obvious that this is her strongest work yet. The storytelling I fell in love with on Fearless as a teenager (which, much like folklore, was highly inspired by imaginary situations and real emotions) is even sharper now as we have both grown into adults. The music on this album might not be everyone’s speed, and that’s okay. But it allowed Taylor to dip back into what made Fearless such a success: using pieces of her own truth and the whims of her imagination to develop a multi-faceted narrative that becomes universal. During her Tiny Desk concert, before performing “Death By A Thousand Cuts” from Lover, Swift explained the anxiety she felt around the possibility of stunted creativity when people would ask her what she would write about once she was happy. Taylor has released an abundance of beautiful, fun, complex love songs since the start of her relationship almost four years ago now. But “Death By A Thousand Cuts,” which is a fan favorite, helped her prove to herself that she can still write a killer breakup song while being in a happy, fulfilling relationship; the song was the last track written for Lover and was inspired by the film Something Great on Netflix. And so it makes perfect sense that Taylor used folklore to continue exploring this new avenue for songwriting. All of her discography and all of her life experiences have culminated to the folklore moment: as all the best artists do, she will never stop finding inspiration in hidden corners of this dark, mystical, wondrous universe, and falling in love with new ways to share those wonders. And that love will be passed on.

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: I love Taylor Swift more than any person in my life, yes including my parents, they are aware and have accepted this fact long ago ❤️

#taylor swift #folklore #the 1 #cardigan #the last great american dynasty #exile #bon iver #my tears ricochet #mirrorball #seven #august #this is me trying #illicit affairs #invisible string #mad woman #epiphany #betty #peace #hoax #1989 #fearless #red #speak now #lover #cruel summer #jack antonoff #aaron dessner #the national #folk #alternative

[tillidontneedfantasy]

so a folklore review? 🤔👀

i really want to, but ofc taylor did this when i signed up for a 6 week sitcom spec writing course 2 weeks ago lmao so im like using all my free time to focus on that however i still wanna write something maybe, but i don’t think i’d do it in my usual format- prob a track by track breakdown like I did for Lover. If I do it it won’t be up for a little but I wanna try!!

[tillidontneedfantasy]

do you listen to hayley williams/would you do a review of her new album?

i am planning on listening to it this weekend!! ive been working all day and im a therapist so ive been on the phone / video and so im just chilling right now. i work tomorrow too but then im off so im gonna listen to it in the next day or two and if i like it enough i will write a review!! if i really dont like it tho idk if i’ll have the motivation to tho cuz i love hayley and wouldnt wanna write a piece about not liking her music just cuz it wouldnt be fun for me...but we shall see!! :))

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘Future Nostalgia’ - Dua Lipa REVIEW: Changing the game through timeless pop.

Pop music is important. It distracts us, it brings us joy, it makes us dance, it attaches itself to memories forever. This is Dua Lipa’s blueprint for her sophomore release, Future Nostalgia. It’s there in the name; she wants her music to be everlasting, so that it can be branded with one of the fondest descriptors possible: nostalgic. 

Quite an ambitious objective, but not surprising for 2019′s Best New Artist Grammy winner. There is great pressure that comes with such a title, but Dua has proved herself worthy of it on Future Nostalgia. She does not just want to be the best new artist, but one of the best artists, period. “You want a timeless song, I wanna change the game,” is the opening line of the album and title track. Luckily, we all win in this scenario; although the song itself might not be the game changer, there are plenty of tracks on the album that are game changers because they have a timeless feel to them, which is not something many of her contemporaries are doing. 

Future Nostalgia’s only drawback is that there is not much lyrical depth; despite misconception, pop music can explore profundity, especially considering the subject matters of love and heartbreak, which are prominent themes of the album. However, I can accept and respect pop music that operates closer to surface level as well, especially when it’s done as well as it is on Future Nostalgia; I mean, I’m not complaining.

STRONGEST TRACK(S): “Don’t Start Now,” “Pretty Please”

Has there ever been a lead single as strong as “Don’t Start Now”? Co-writers and producers for the track include Ian Kirkpatrick, Emily Warren and Caroline Ailin, all of whom penned her excellent breakout song, “New Rules” (sans Lipa) in 2017. The song is split into three segments- verse, pre-chorus, and chorus- all of which sound distinctly different from the others, yet feel like such a natural equation. The bongos in the chorus and the later addition of a string section over the synths, leading to a full and rich final chorus just throw you for such an exciting loop, it is impossible to not have fun listening to this song. On top of the melodic genius of the song, its straightforward lyrical message is just as empowering as the music itself. “Don’t Start Now” is Dua’s expression of liberation from the pain of a heartbreak, and a warning to the breaker in question not to come crawling back when he sees how much she is thriving, and boy, is she!

Despite the enormous success of both “New Rules” and “Don’t Start Now,” Kirkpatrick and Ailin only work with Dua on one other track of the album, “Pretty Please,” and it should come as a surprise to no one that it is the next strongest song on the record. Penned alongside singer-songwriter phenomenon Julia Michaels and co-produced by Juan Ariza, “Pretty Please,” a track about needing the sweet relief of a lover, is one of the album’s few breathers. And in it, Lipa is asking for a breather herself: “when my mind is running wild, could you help me slow it down?” she asks, and then the song brilliantly does just that when she sings the next line, “put my mind at ease,” before returning to its original speed. There are other great musical tricks sprinkled throughout the song, such as a sound that mimics the feeling of the line “trickle down my spine.” The track continues to build musically but is never too much, it’s always just right. 

WEAKEST TRACK: “Boys Will Be Boys”

She tried with this one. She really did. Look, I love a song with a strong feminist message as much as the next girl, but this one was just a swing and a miss. The first verse of “Boys Will Be Boys” starts off strong, quite accurately depicting the fear women face on a daily basis, the way we have to alter our behavior to keep ourselves safe. But with each verse, it feels less sincere and more contrived, with lyrics such as “in case you needed it mansplained” and “if you’re offended by this song, you’re clearly doing something wrong.” Additionally, it is an odd closer for an album full of fun pop songs; it’s possible it is there as a warning for anyone who might get to the end of the album and think negatively of how she asserts her femininity and sexuality in a way throughout that is universally accepted when men do the same. And while the intended message is indeed important and true, it lacks the necessary delivery.

THE IN-BETWEENS

The delivery on the lust-filled, dance-inducing tracks are much more effective. “Cool,” an incredibly infectious song about losing control around the person you’re into, experiments with Dua’s vocal abilities and range, with pointed squeaks at the end of her words and a gorgeous switch into her lower register at the beginning of the final chorus. “Physical,” the second official single, is an intense and wildly fun song that could work as the soundtrack for a long drive, a night at the bar with friends, or in a workout class. While the album very successful achieves sonic cohesion, it can sometimes get a bit tiresome; “Hallucinate” feels like it was made simply to be played at festivals, and although the lyrical sentiment of “Love Again” is nice enough it could have been a moment for a more subtle musical departure. 

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “Levitating”

Never thought I’d be such a fan of a song that uses the term “sugarboo,” yet, here I am. No track on the record quite captures the concept of “future nostalgia” as well as “Levitating” does, with its futuristic sounds and lyrics that I can imagine we will be singing forever (yes, even the “sugarboo” bit!). In every way, it perfectly encapsulates the pure elation that comes with meeting someone and feeling a heaven-made connection. Every element of this song makes it a necessary single choice: it’s extremely catchy, it has a perfect tempo for anyone of any age to dance to it, “yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!”s, and lyrics in the hook that are perfectly spaced out to remember and chant (”you! moonlight! you’re my! starlight!”). Bruno Mars WISHES he wrote it; it feels like a song for which everyone would get up at a wedding to dance for years and years to come. I, for one, will get up every time, at least.

***

It’s impossible that Dua could have predicted while creating her album that this would be the state of the world at the time of its release. Many artists with new projects have decided to cancel or postpone their releases until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is understandable for a myriad of reasons, from the inability to properly promote the work to feeling as if it just might not be the appropriate time. Although it might feel like there is little to dance about right now with the world crumbling around us, Future Nostalgia gives us reason, now and for the future, when we can hopefully look back and remember an album that provided us levity in our darkest hour. So stay indoors, facetime your sugarboo, and thank whatever the hell you pray to for pop music. Grade: 4/5

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: I have been a casual fan of Dua since “New Rules” exploded on Tumblr in 2017, but not much more. However, I have a specific fondness for her, as my favorite client of all time was a huge fan of her shortly after, so when I listen to Dua it reminds me of her. I hope she’s loving this album and that it’s bringing her joy and comfort in this uncertain time. I’m a huge proponent for female pop artists and the meticulousness of their craft, and I think Dua has done an excellent job of taking constructive criticism and improving, utilizing her strengths in a way that blur out her weaknesses. The release of “Don’t Start Now” felt like a turning point in her stardom, and this album is the proof. I really would like to see some stronger lyrical work from Dua, as I feel there are little to no moments on the album where I feel impressed or particularly moved by any line, and although I love and support fun and light pop music, I think it’s also very possible to have upbeat pop music with much sharper lyrics. I think she kind of tried but the few times she did they didn’t quite land. If she had a couple of songs stronger on the lyrical front, this would have been a nearly perfect album for me. But for a sophomore effort, this is great. It feels like a nice breath of fresh air in a time that’s filled with anxiety-ridden gasps, and I’m grateful for it. 

#dua lipa #future nostalgia #don't start now #cool #physical #levitating #pretty please #hallucinate #love again #break my heart #good in bed #boys will be boys #emily warren #ian kirkpatrick #julia michaels #new rules

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘Heartbreak Weather’ - Niall Horan REVIEW: Isn’t broken, but can still be fixed.

If you were a fan of One Direction, you know that from their creation on The X Factor until the band’s “hiatus,” Niall Horan was always the one member most verbally and visibly grateful to be there. A nice boy from Ireland, just happy to be a part of something. His passion and love for music have always been evident, and that above all is what helps maintain his spotlight as that of other members’ fade. 

It also helps that he’s talented. Niall was originally the one member of the band to play an instrument (guitar) and is credited as a co-writer for each and every song on his sophomore solo effort, Heartbreak Weather. Aside from a few head-scratcher lyrics such as “if honesty means telling you the truth” (what else would it mean, Niall?) from the album closer, “Still,” and a general lack of rhyming structure (or rhymes at all) on a handful of songs, Horan’s storytelling and earnestness mostly sticks the landing. 

Although Heartbreak Weather is pretty much on par lyrically with his debut, Flicker (2017), the production advances him, giving this effort the edge. There is a decent balance between slow and up-tempo songs throughout the album. From the undeniably infectious title track, “Heartbreak Weather,” to the forlorn “Put A Little Love On Me,” there is a little something for everyone, enough to satisfy anyone looking for a taste.

STRONGEST TRACK: “Small Talk”

People write off pop music as an artificial and inauthentic art form, but the truth is that it is incredibly difficult to write what would be considered a great pop song due to its multitude of demands: easily understood storyline, memorable and quality lyrics, high replay value, and a hook so catchy that even people who don’t like it will be humming it under their breath or absentmindedly tapping their foot when they hear it in public. “Small Talk” perfectly meets all of these standards. The song is a journey from start to finish, continually building upon itself throughout with groovy instrumentals and subtle harmonies. When the chorus kicks in, the track is just unstoppable. “Small Talk” tackles the one night stand in an appealing way, which is a very difficult feat! In the second pre-chorus, Horan sings:

“I wanna run wild / let passion get too much Let ourselves get burned by the fire We’re walking on wire / but nothing feels higher When I see that look in your eyes”

Not only do these lyrics sum up that feeling when you’re just enraptured by someone and are eager to throw caution to the wind, but they also encapsulate the way the production makes you feel as you listen. And then want to listen again.

WEAKEST TRACK: “Nice To Meet Ya”

Where “Small Talk” succeeds, “Nice To Meet Ya” fails. The lead single for Heartbreak Weather is fun and all, but especially when following a song of the same subject, it needed to do something different, but it did much less. It is repetitive without purpose, but at least it offers pleasantly smooth vocals from Horan.

THE IN-BETWEENS

Horan shines through the brightest on the upbeat to mid-tempo tracks. The feel-good title track, “Heartbreak Weather,” about how someone can come into your life unexpectedly and change your whole perspective is one of the strongest on the album. He channels the “stan” Twitter energy of asking people to run us of over with a truck when we find them unbearably attractive on “Cross Your Mind” with lyrics like “Pull my heart right out my chest, drive a train through/ Still get up and forgive you” and “Leavin’ me in pieces, but I swear it’s worth it every time.” On “New Angel,” a mellow song that sounds fit for a summer car ride explores the search for someone new to save him from ruminating on the past. Slower tracks such as “Dear Patience,” a plea to himself to not fuck things up by going too fast, and “Bend The Rules,” about half-truths and doubt in a new relationship, are both fine but forgettable. The strongest ballad is “San Francisco,” which effectively showcases Horan’s ability to evoke emotion through his lyrics as he reminisces on the sacred beginnings of a relationship and regrets whatever got them far away from the special city to where they are now. From a songwriting perspective, if Horan continues to build upon that skill, he won’t be begging to take him back.

PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “Small Talk”

For all the reasons listed under the strongest track category. A sister song to the highly successful single “Slow Hands” from his debut, “Small Talk” has even more potential than its predecessor to dominate radio airwaves and Spotify playlists to come.

***

When looking at Horan’s future career trajectory following the release of Heartbreak Weather, it seems to be unclear where he’s headed. At this point, he must be feeling an enormous amount of pressure to succeed commercially (and understandably so!); he has had high-performing singles as a solo artist and most definitely wants to build on that momentum, but he has not quite received the respect and embracement from the community and critics that his bandmate, Harry Styles, has. You can feel that pressure in certain spots of the album, where it feels as if Horan is trying to emulate the sound of the past success of One Direction (“Everywhere,” “Bend The Rules,”) or the current success of his friend Ed Sheeran (“Black And White,” “No Judgement,” “Dear Patience”). The co-writers for this album are people Horan had collaborated with in his One Direction days and on his solo debut, which makes sense; if something’s not broken, why fix it? But on the gleaming sonic moments that sound new and authentic for the star, such as “Heartbreak Weather” and “Small Talk,” it becomes clear that sometimes fixing things that aren’t broken is the best course of action. Niall has the talent, but he has the potential of being stuck in one spot artistically forever. If he taste tests a few new collaborators and explores his musical potential, and continues to hone his lyrical skills, then his path forward will be wide open. Grade: 3/5

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: As a casual One Direction fan back in the day, Niall was ALWAYS my favorite member. When it is so evident that someone loves what they do and that they never take it for granted, it’s impossible not to want to support them. Niall has always been humble and gracious. Although he’s not quite where Harry Styles might be at, he’s doing pretty damn good for someone who was never necessarily the “star” of the group. I think Niall has so much talent and potential, he just needs to push himself artistically a bit more. He’s still young and figuring this whole thing out; I’m sure he’ll get there. But for now, his music is fun, enjoyable, and pleasant to listen to, so no real complaints from me! Number 2 objectively on the best post-1D solo career, but number 1 in my heart.

#niall horan #heartbreak weather #1d #one direction #album review #pop music #pop #black and white #dear patience #bend the rules #small talk #nice to meet ya #put a little love on me #arms of a stranger #everywhere #cross your mind #new angle #no judgement #san francisco #still

[tillidontneedfantasy]

hello friends! i know i’ve been gone for a bit but now with quarantine im ready to write again hehe...thinking of posting a review of Niall Horan’s new album to post monday or tuesday...hope you guys read it! :)

[tillidontneedfantasy]

Congrats to the 2020 Album of the Year!!!! So deserved 💚

‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?’ - Billie Eilish REVIEW: Making ‘Em Bow One By One

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

An interesting question you pose there, Billie. When I fall asleep, I usually dream about being a part of the Harry Potter universe and trying to defeat Voldemort with the golden trio. But unfortunately, I don’t go there every night. I mean, believe me, fighting off The Dark Lord can be scary sometimes. But sometimes I go to even darker places, and it always takes a few moments when waking up to believe I’m really in my bed. Much of Billie Eilish’s debut album invites you into the dark parts of her subconscious, and sometimes her extreme consciousness, to which she goes. Of course, “asleep” could also be interpreted as, well, dead. Which is a nice way to phrase it. Ideal, really. How wonderful would it be if death was just an eternal nap? No one would ever be afraid to die.

Maybe that’s what Billie believes it is, and why she seems so desperate to go there on WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (WWAFA,WDWG?) For a then-16-year-old girl, I wish she wasn’t so tired. “ilomilo,” “bury a friend” and most concerning, “listen before I go,” explore her friends who have been taken from her, and her desire to join them. I’m glad she hasn’t.

So is she. In a now traditional Vanity Fair video, Billie answers the same interview questions three years in a row, exactly a year apart. Expect The Fourth Year one October 18th, 2020. It is one of the most fascinating videos I have ever watched. Though the same at the core, there is a different version of Billie in each year. Which is to be expected, as she is a teenager in the limelight. But the video of year 2, which was around 5 months prior to WWAFA,WDWG?’s release, Billie openly admits to being in a very dark place, discussing how her friend had died. Her posture and affect are noticeably different in years 1 and 3. In the third and latest installment, Billie is an upgraded, happier and more comfortable version of the previous two. You can hear the change in her voice, see it in her face. In response to the question, “What’s most important to you right now?” her answer is, “Maintaining my happiness, which I have been experiencing for the first time in many years….I wanna stay happy. That’s a big goal for me.”

Billie Eilish is one of the biggest breakout stars of the past few years. Her following is enormous, and though fans vary in age, many of them fall in her cohort. Generation Z is special in many ways: morbidly funny, proudly outspoken, self-aware, and unafraid to be different. Billie Eilish is all of these things incarnate, the perfect spearhead for this generation and what they represent. She dresses how she wants to dress and makes the kind of music that she wants to make, refusing to follow the molded expectations of young up and coming female stars before her. In that music, she also does what very few artists, young or old, have ever done: candidly explores mental illness and suicidal ideation.

These issues have become more and more prevalent in today’s society, yet they are still extremely stigmatized. Like many teenagers, I experienced the sadness and darkness Billie is singing about. I’m almost 25 now, but I can imagine how 15-year-old Cass would feel hearing this album and seeing Billie as she is in the third year of that Vanity Fair interview. Understood. Not alone. And hopeful, hopeful that things get better. At that age you feel like everything is the end of the world, because it is developmentally and socially some of the most difficult years in the human experience. And to hear someone you look up to say, “I feel this way, too,” and then see them continue fighting, and happy that they did…that can change someone’s life.

Thankfully, Billie still injects some levity into the album. The musical hook in “bad guy” feels like a defining moment for Gen Z the way the musical hook in “Toxic” was for us Millennials. “all the good girls go to hell” unflinchingly decrees that God Is A Woman™, and “my strange addiction” has cuts from The Office, Eilish’s favorite show, interspersed throughout the song. Gen Z is taking over, and Billie’s one hell of a ringleader.

STRONGEST TRACK(S): “i love you,” “xanny”

The phrase “I love you” has never felt so intimate as it does coming from Billie’s mouth in the penultimate track on WWAFA,WDWG? Sandwiched between two tracks where all together they form a sentence (listen before I go, I love you, goodbye) “i love you” is the most mesmerizing and most vulnerable, not just of the three but of the whole album. As a listener, you are dying to know what’s hidden between the lines. Why doesn’t she want to love this person even though she clearly does? What did she do to make him cry? Why are you, the listener, crying right now? With the smallest breath, the quietest whisper, the emotion Eilish emits is enormous. Every once in a while you hear a song that you feel will never leave you, and “i love you” has all the makings to be everlasting.

As does the message in “xanny,” a dynamic song that mostly sounds like an old-time jazz track, although infuses a blaring noise over the chorus, as if you are standing right next to the booming stereo at the party setting in which she speaks. The layering of hums in the background and at the end of the song provides a necessary subtle softness, making it all the more beautiful. The track is a statement from Eilish that she has no interest in the lifestyle that so many kids her age- famous or not- lead, partly because she does not understand the appeal of its effects, and partly because she does not want to invest herself in someone willingly bringing harm upon themself, as she previously has. “I can’t afford to love someone who isn’t dying by mistake,” she asserts. Of course, most things in moderation are good and fine, but there is an ever-persistent pressure for young people to use substances, for easier social interactions or easier claim to desirable social status. There is a plethora of music out there promoting the party lifestyle, but very few saying, “hey, it’s okay if you’re not about this, you’re still cool,” and so a celebrity as big as Billie abstaining from it, and providing a reasonable explanation, gives a figure of understanding and solidarity to all the outliers.

WEAKEST TRACK: “8”

Not a bad song by any means, “8” is just the least memorable on an album filled with extremely intriguing and standout tracks. There is an interesting choice of vocal styles that alternate throughout, one of which it sounds as if Eilish is emulating the voice of a little girl. She is asking the subject to just give her some common courtesy and hear her out. “Who am I to be in love / when your love never is for me?” she asks, in the most compelling moment of the song. It is a difficult line to walk, knowing someone doesn’t owe you anything but wanting them to anyway. Although the song is effective, its replay value doesn’t quite match with the other contenders.

THE IN-BETWEENS

Although Eilish is authentic in her own right, you can see the draw of inspiration from unique artists before her. Lorde’s imprint is all over “you should see me in a crown,” a catchy song about ruling the world and making everyone bow down to her with the sound of a knife sharpening at the top, and “listen before i go” is reminiscent of Lana Del Rey’s morose romances. “when the party’s over,” written solely by Billie’s brother, collaborator, and best friend, Finneas O’Connell, is a beautifully quiet moment in the middle of the album, with absolutely gorgeous high notes from Billie. The song is succinct and poignant, noting the inner conflict between wanting a friend to be more than just that and yet feeling the need to keep up boundaries to protect your heart; but when has that done anyone any good?

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “my strange addiction”

In the age of Netflix, The Office continues to grow in popularity with younger viewers who missed it on air. Who better to bolster the movement than Verified The Office super fan, Billie Eilish? In “my strange addiction,” Eilish and O’Connell draw inspiration from the classic episode, “Threat Level Midnight,” where Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) has finally finished his movie and is ready to premiere it to the office. In his movie, Scott’s character, Michael Scarn, teaches the entire bar how to do his signature dance, “The Scarn.” “No, Billie, I haven’t done that dance since my wife died!” the song begins, which is a real line from the episode. “my strange addiction” borrows from the track for “The Scarn,” which is simply genius. Everyone is doing “The Scarn,” fictional or nonfictional, even NFL player Trey Quinn, who did the famed routine for his touchdown dance. Not only will “my strange addiction” convert The Office fans to Billie Eilish fans, but just imagine the amount of TikToks there could be of people doing “The Scarn” to this song…think about the meme potential, Billie! *Ed Helms voice* There’s a whole crowd of people out there who need to learn how to do the “my strange addiction.”

                                                                   *****

Billie Eilish, and her debut album, WWAFA,WDWG? is impressive in a multitude of ways: she is raw, candid, silly, wildly intelligent, and most importantly, full of a lot of love, no matter how much she claims she does not want to be. Perhaps most impressive is that the only writers and producers credited on this album are Eilish and O’Connell, ages 18 and 22, respectively, at the time of this review, yet 17 and 21 at the time of its release, which means they were 16 and 20 at the time of writing and production. For two young people to create such an impactful album on such a massive scale on their own is a rarity, and has not been seen since the beginning of Taylor Swift’s career, and look at where she is now. Billie’s music might be different, but her trajectory seems quite similar. At Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony in December of 2019, Swift was honored with Woman of the Decade while Eilish was honored with Woman of the Year. Both artists paid homage to the other in their speeches, harkening back to Swift’s 2014 Woman of the Year speech where she alludes to a future Woman of the Year recipient learning piano and singing in choir; Swift had said back then that we need to take care of her, and Eilish tearfully thanked the room for doing just that. As Swift continues to fight against the system to pave the way for female artists, the clearing is all Billie’s. If Billie continues to maintain ownership of her voice, as I’m sure she will, it looks like the woman of the next decade is a lock. The crown looks great on Billie, and I cannot wait to see where she takes us while we’re all awake. Grade: 4.5/5

DISCLAIMER – REVIEWER’S BIAS: The first time I listened to WWAFA,WDWG? the only tracks that really captured my attention were “bad guy” and “my strange addiction.” I wanted to like it so bad, but I felt like I was missing something. Maybe that’s because I listened to the album at work and did not take it in properly. But I also felt like she was whispering too much, which made it difficult for me to stay interested. So I did not revisit it. However, over this past year, despite not listening to her music, I started to form a big-sister-type love for Billie, feeling as if I must protect her at all costs (any man over the age of like, 20, reading this: stay the fuck away from her you sickos!!!). I loved how she embraced her individuality and did whatever she wanted. I watched many interviews of her on YouTube (one being the Vanity Fair one, where she talks about how the criticism that she whispers a lot is hurtful yet true- Billie, I’m sorry!!) and found her to be so intelligent. To me, her and Taylor Swift (my number one love) are two sides of the same coin, or two paths to the same destination. What I mean by that is that as a lover of music and as a girl going through a difficult time, sometimes you need positivity to counteract the negative feelings, other times you need to lean into the sadness to release it all; though they both possess a bit of both, Taylor is more of the positive route, Billie more of the sad route. The thing is, you need both options. Billie reminds me of Taylor so much; she writes all of her own music (with her brother as her only co-writer), she has blown up at such a young and vulnerable age (if WWAFA,WDWG? wins AOTY at the Grammys, Billie will be the youngest ever recipient since Taylor won for Fearless at the age of 20), and she is committed to saying and doing what she wants to do the way she wants to do it. After listening to the album a few more times leading up to the Grammys to write this review, I get it. I truly get it. I’m sorry it took so long. And although her super soft vocals are definitely effective, I still want her to project more. The girl has a gorgeous voice; she should use it! But also she doesn’t need my advice, she’s doing fine. Keep whispering, baby girl. I feel very nervous for Billie, because when a woman reaches the top this quickly, everyone gets ready to push her off just as fast, and the fall can be fatal. But I believe in her ability to stand her ground. Please protect Billie at all costs!!!!

[tillidontneedfantasy]

'Norman Fucking Rockwell!' - Lana Del Rey REVIEW: Beautiful, Insane, and American-Made

"L.A. is in flames, it's getting hot / Kanye West is blond and gone / 'Life on Mars' ain't just a song," is how Lana Del Rey describes the most devastating losses of our time; climate change and Kanye West becoming an "enlightened" Trump (and Christ) supporter. An astute appraisal. Despite the fact that the world through Lana's (and many others) eyes may be deteriorating, she continues to enrich her own world of music. Her sixth studio effort, Norman Fucking Rockwell!, is her most critically acclaimed album to date, topping many, if not all, end of the year lists. Even on this decaying land, we are always changing and adapting and evolving (or in some cases, devolving). Lana Del Rey has evolved splendidly over this decade, and has become one of the most notable sources of inspiration for young female artists.  Norman Fucking Rockwell! is filled with much more source material, particularly for singer-songwriters, as the songs bleed into another and tell the tale of a woman trying to find a love that is secure and safe, something many of us wish for and all of us deserve. At this point, Lana is tired of holding it all in, as seen on the admission "Fuck it I love you." Considering Lana's authenticity has been questioned throughout much of her career, this unabashed honesty is what makes Norman Fucking Rockwell! such a feat.

BEST TRACK: "Norman fucking Rockwell"

A brutal yet beautiful love song to her imperfect, immature muse, "Norman fucking Rockwell" sets the stage for a dreamy, bittersweet love letter of an album. She describes her lover as a 6"2 man-child who blames the news for his shitty poetry. Likening him to Norman (fucking) Rockwell himself, he colors her blue, seemingly exasperated by her as well. Not uncommon among the artistic community, he seems to be a narcissist, as Lana sings, "You talk to the walls when the party gets bored of you." Yet, despite her litany of complaints, she wants no one but him, as she declares, "Why wait for the best when I could have you?" Maybe because the best objectively doesn't exist; we all have flaws, and if you can love someone despite them, and vice versa, then it doesn't get better than that.

WEAKEST TRACK: "Bartender"

Sonically, "Bartender" is plucky and enjoyable, but overall, the track is easily dispensable to the album. She speaks of trucks and a variety of beverage choices and her love for her bartender, and if I didn't know any better and just read the lyrics I would assume it was a country song; honestly, it would have done both her and the country music community best to sell it to some country singer and profit off of the royalties.

THE IN-BETWEENS

One of the strongest aspects of this album is its gorgeous production, most notably on the haunting "Cinnamon Girl," a track that explores Lana's history of fraught relationships, stating to her muse "if you hold me without hurting me / you'll be the first who ever did." She continues this theme of searching for the person who will not keep her at arms length, but rather pull her into them forever, on "How to disappear," a breathtaking track with some of Lana's most compelling vocal work of the album. Although pleasing to the ears, some songs feel inconsequential, such as "California" and "The Next Best American Record."  At times, the album might seem to drag, as it does on "Venice Bitch," a nine and a half minute beautiful song that loses its magic after about five. Lana still injects her staple morbidity in the touching "Happiness is a butterfly," when she casually states, "if he's a serial killer, then what's the worst that could happen to a girl who's already hurt?" which is quite an alarming thing to say, yet somehow makes sense, and so is the brilliance of her lyricism.

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: "Love song"

One of the most tender tracks on the record, "Love song" has mass appeal, to the cynical and the hopeless romantics. "I'd just die to make you proud" she proclaims, and wouldn't we all for the one we love? Much more eloquent and poignant than Ed Sheeran ever could, the song illustrates the typical picture of romance, head upon a chest, together in the backseat of a car, using stars as a metaphor for the self...but then it asks the very question at the core of love: "Is it safe to just be who we are?" I hope both of their answers were yes.

****

Ultimately, the album's overall theme is a pendulum between love and loneliness, yet finally stops swinging at the closing track, "hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but I have it." This track encapsulates Lana's current emotional state at this point in her life, most particularly in the final lines of the song:

"They write that I'm happy, they know that I'm not But at best, you can see I'm not sad But hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have Hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have But I have it Yeah, I have it Yeah, I have it I have"

The meaning of "hope" here can be interpreted in many ways. Maybe hope is dangerous for the person hoping, because it could set up expectations that will never get met. Or maybe it's dangerous for everyone else, because the person who yields hope can have unimaginable power. I believe to look at it as the latter. We live in a society where so many people are tearing each other down in an attempt to make them feel hopeless and helpless. But rebellions and revolutions are built on hope. The road to recovery from mental illness is paved by hope. If you have hope, you can do anything. And Lana has it. Watch out. Grade: 4/5

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER'S BIAS: I have never been a fan of Lana or particularly interested in her music- I particularly hated "Summertime Sadness" no matter how often it was in my head. This album got such rave reviews, and I love Jack Antonoff, her main collaborator on the album, so I knew I had to listen. I definitely enjoy a handful of songs but overall her music still does not resonate with me as much as I’d hope. However, I can still acknowledge that it is objectively good, and I did absolutely love the production. I respect her uniqueness and her as an artist very much. Maybe one day everything will click for me- we just haven’t gotten there yet.

#Lana Del Rey #NFR! #norman fucking rockwell! #mariners apartment complex #venice bitch #fuck it i love you #doin' time #love song #cinnamon girl #how to disappear #california #the next best american record #the greatest #bartender #happiness is a butterfly #hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have - but i have it #jack antonoff #music #review #grammys #aoty #norman fucking rockwell

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)’ - Lizzo REVIEW: Blame It On Her Juice

“Why men great 'till they gotta be great?” has got to be the most pressing question of our time, and it’s crazy that no one has asked it before Lizzo did on her hit “Truth Hurts.” Lizzo feels like the pop star we've been waiting for so long, but really, she's the one that's been waiting on us, and very patiently, may I add. Although you might not have heard of Lizzo until 2019, she's been in the game since 2013. Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) (2019) is actually Lizzo's third studio album. So why the hell did it take us so long to take notice? When Lizzo released “Juice” as the lead single for Cuz I Love You, her first album with a major record label, she may have had some insight on the matter when she said, “I'm like chardonnay / get better over time.” Better over time, or ahead of her time? Why not both: her two high-charting singles of 2019 were "Truth Hurts," a song only included on the deluxe edition of Cuz I Love You that was initially released in 2017, and "Good As Hell," which was the lead single off of her 2016 EP Coconut Oil. Multiple factors play into the delayed rising popularity of these two tracks, such as Netflix and TikTok, but we should all be ashamed at how behind we have been; Lizzo is playing chess while we're all playing checkers.

And so here she is today, in 2020, about to attend the Grammys with a whopping total of 8 nominations, occupying a spot in all 4 of the night's biggest categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the year for "Truth Hurts," and Best New Artist. Three out of the four of these nominations would normally make no sense, considering there is an eligibility period for the Grammys, but a lot of technicality loopholes made it possible, and deservingly so. No DNA test- or Grammy Award, for that matter- is necessary for us to know that Lizzo is 100% That Bitch™; Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) is sufficient proof.

BEST TRACK: "Juice"

When the best track on an album is also the best to witness live, you know you've got a winner. It is impossible to stay still or think a single negative thought while listening to "Juice," and every performance Lizzo has put on of the track has been a marvel. In her first televised performance of the song on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she pulled out a flute and took the world by storm. Nothing like a wind instrument to top off an already perfect pop song. In the misery of our current society, "Juice" is a necessary mood booster. 

WEAKEST TRACK: "Boys”

This short track that is sonically reminiscent of “SexyBack” is groovy but adds little to the body of work. It is repetitive without purpose, and although it is congruent with the album’s overall message of acceptance (”from the playboys to the gay boys /Go and slay, boys"), having a track specifically dedicated to the male species on an album so empowering for women feels redundant. 

THE IN-BETWEENS

Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) shows Lizzo's eclectic abilities as a vocalist and musician, ranging from the funky "Crybaby" to the sultry "Lingerie.” Most of the album consists of self-love anthems celebrating the parts of Lizzo- and her listeners- that others might (and do) attempt (and fail) to use against her, such as her race on “Better In Color,” her weight on “Tempo,” and her femininity on “Like A Girl” (which contains quite a delightful moment where she refers to Serena Williams as “Serena Willy”). However, Lizzo does explore interpersonal and romantic love as well. On “Jerome” she puts her foot down and refuses to pick it up until her man- supposedly Jerome- grows the fuck up, and on the epic title track, “Cuz I Love You,” Lizzo is overwhelmed by all the love she is feeling for someone, as she previously thought she was “love-impaired.” Clearly, she’s not, as her self-love is overflowing; so if anyone is lucky to receive some of that love, they better recognize it. Jerome, I’m looking at you. 

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: "Soulmate"

The most impressive thing about "Soulmate" is how cleverly Lizzo injected her sense of humor into the track. I honestly laugh out loud at half of the lyrics in this song, because they are genuinely funny.  "The old me used to love a Gemini / like a threesome fuckin' with him every night," she starts off. Have you ever heard a better opening line to a song before? In the second verse, when describing her relationship with herself, she says "you know the sex is fire," implying that pleasuring herself is better than what men have given her in the past. As the spotlight has been shining on Lizzo, she has used every moment to preach self-love and acceptance, and "Soulmate" embodies that message perfectly.

***

Lizzo is such a necessary artist because she embraces who she is unapologetically. People who are uncomfortable with a bigger woman loving herself will ask why her weight needs to be celebrated or a part of the conversation at all, but this isn’t about them. There are plenty of people out there being told that the way they are is unacceptable, which is precisely why Lizzo made the album cover a picture of her au naturel. Because at the end of the day, the way you were made was beautiful, and Lizzo wants her music to be your constant reminder of that, even if our culture has ingrained in us otherwise. The entertainment industry practically endorses products that encourage eating disorders, and so having someone like Lizzo show that you do not have to look one certain way to achieve your dreams, be successful, and- most importantly- be happy, is vital, and can save many lives. As a slim white woman with more than enough representation in the media, Lizzo’s music makes me feel better about myself; I can’t imagine the immense impact it must have on someone with little to no representation at all to finally have a positive light cast upon them. As she sings, “If I'm shinin', everybody gonna shine.” And if it bothers you that much to see people give themselves the love that they deserve and of which society has deprived them for so long...well, it ain’t her fault- blame it on her juice. Grade: 4/5

DISCLAIMER - REVIEWER’S BIAS: I first heard of Lizzo through her hit “Juice,” and boy has watching her rise throughout the year been exciting. I find her to be so incredibly talented, and it is so nice to see a woman preach self-love and acceptance when we are constantly yet implicitly told to dislike and change ourselves. It is so rewarding as a music lover and consumer to see someone’s hard work pay off; I hope Lizzo’s rise to the top brings her only smooth sailing from here on out. I plan to continue celebrating everything about her along with the rest of the world. And to anyone who still has shit to say about her body....that’s a you issue, sweetie. As a wise philosopher once said, haters gonna hate, and it doesn’t look like Lizzo is gonna let that stop her anytime soon. I hope it never does.

#lizzo #cuz i love you #cuz i love you deluxe #like a girl #juice #soulmate #jerome #crybaby #tempo #missy elliott #exactly how i feel #gucci mane #better in color #heaven help me #lingerie #boys #truth hurts #water me #review #music #grammys #pop

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘Thank U, Next’ - Ariana Grande REVIEW: I think we’re ALL so fucking grateful for her ex

Only 6 months following the release of her fourth studio album, Sweetener (2018), Ariana Grande released her fifth, Thank U, Next (2019). According to Grande, the entire album was written in the span of two weeks with a group of her close friends and collaborators. Inspiration comes at you fast, and boy, did the latter part of Ariana’s 2019 call for some more art. And sometimes the only way to process tragedy is to create something beautiful from it.

Thank U, Next sometimes feels like an invasion of privacy, most specifically on “ghostin’,” a track about grieving the tragic loss of her ex-boyfriend and talented rap star, Mac Miller, while still trying to show love to her then-fiancé, SNL’s Pete Davidson. As beautiful and heartbreaking as the song is, it wasn’t even supposed to make the album, and any listener can understand why, but Scooter Braun insisted. Another intimate track about Miller that Grande did want to share, “imagine,” is a breathtaking daydream of the kind of life they could have shared together. Though much of the album is somber sentiments hidden behind playful melodies, exploring the difficult few years Grande has had to undergo in the limelight at the height of her fame, Thank U, Next is, at the end of the day, a celebration. “7 rings,” (which samples The Sound Of Music’s “My Favorite Things”), “NASA,” and the titular track, “thank u, next” explore Grande’s success, her star-power, and the important lesson she’s learned that she doesn’t need anyone but herself; she’s “so good with that,” as are we.

BEST TRACK(S): “thank u, next,” “in my head”

Pop artists and label executives will study the release of “thank u, next,” for many, many years to come. Discussing all of her most significant and high profile relationships in one verse, throwing shade at her own father in the bridge, the early 2000’s iconic empowered female romcom throwbacks in the music video, and just the title itself, “thank u, next,” all encapsulate a significant pop cultural moment. With this track, Ariana spins tragedy on its head and challenges us all to be positive about what’s to come, to find success in failures (”God forbid something happens / ‘least this song is a smash!”), and to be grateful for our past and the lessons it has taught us.

She isn’t as grateful on “in my head,” a track that reviews her blind spots in a failed relationship. The song begins with a voicemail from her friend, who lovingly but sternly tells her, “You’re in love with a version of a person that you’ve created in your head, that you are trying to but cannot fix…the only thing that you can fix is yourself.” The music is a bit distorted, just like her perception of this person. She claims that her imagination is “too creative,” seeing only the best of him, and that “they” (presumably her friends, just like the one leaving the voicemail) only see the bad, using the biblical tale of Cain and Abel to contrast their perception of this person. Just as her friend reprimands her, she is trying to help someone grow who isn’t willing to do the work themself. “I saw your potential without seeing credentials / maybe that’s the issue,” she contemplates in the outro. We all have had that experience of giving someone too much benefit of the doubt because we love them so blindly, believing we could be the ones to change something within someone somehow without them putting any of their own efforts forward; “in my head” is a good reminder that we usually can’t, nor should we try.

WEAKEST TRACK: “break up with your girlfriend, I’m bored”

Considering the mature content and storyline of this album, “break up with your girlfriend, I’m bored” feels like five steps backward. To make this track the closer instead of “thank u, next,” feels like a complete misfire. Despite its commercial success, this song offers the least out of everything else on the record; the most exciting part is the sample from *NSYNC’s “It Makes Me Ill,” which more than anything makes me feel the overwhelming urge to go listen to No Strings Attached (2000).

THE IN-BETWEENS

The fact that Sweetener was released only half a year prior to Thank U, Next, is present throughout the album, and although Grande went through events that made her evolve personally, she did not have quite as much time to catch up sonically. Songs such as “bad idea” and “make up” are very fun, but do not push her sound forward in any way. However, on most other tracks, that evolution is present in the lyrical content. One topic covered in "needy" and “fake smile” is Ariana’s difficulty balancing her fame and her mental well-being. “Fuck a fake smile" she declares. While this is especially true for Ariana, considering there are cameras constantly flashing her way and so much expected of her, this applies to all listeners as well: it’s okay to not be okay sometimes, and you don’t have to mask your pain for anyone, nor should you. As the process of creating art shows, being honest about your struggles makes the fight against them all the easier.

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “NASA”

Immediately following her admission to being needy, she turns the tables around and asks for some space, reminding the subject of the song that she's a star, hence the clever title. "NASA" is an extremely enjoyable track and has all the makings of a successful single: impossible not to dance (or at least bob your head), easy to sing along, not too serious yet still empowering. The main takeaway is that Grande is not going to let anyone drag her under with them, and neither should you.

***

All of that being said, I would like to take a moment to destroy the notion that only despair and pain can inspire art. This simply is not true. The reality is that sadness is easier to access and explore than happiness; we have more words for it, more concrete situations that define it, more stakes in it. I wish Ariana Grande never had to go through any of the things she has in the past few years. But there are two ways that we can handle adversity: let it defeat us, or defeat it. Grande chose the latter with Thank U, Next. Not only is this a great example to set for her fans of all ages, but it is a great precedent for herself, too; the best use of your past is utilizing it as a means to move forward, and so, she marches on. But hopefully there’s some joy-inspired music on the horizon. We’re so fucking grateful for your ex(es) too, Ariana, but we’re ready for what’s next. Grade: 4/5

DISCLAIMER – REVIEWER’S BIAS: I have watched Ariana Grande go from performing on Broadway in the musical 13 to becoming a breakout star on Nickelodeon’s Victorious to becoming one of this generation’s biggest pop stars. I find Ariana’s voice to be phenomenal and for her music to be quite enjoyable. “Into You” is an all-time pop jam. I wasn’t a huge fan of Sweetener, so receiving Thank U, Next so quickly thereafter was a nice pallet cleanser for me. I feel like I spent the entire past year worried about Ariana, as there are many videos of her online crying throughout her shows, barely able to even sing. What I hope more than anything for Ariana is to be able to find the right balance for her to do her job and preserve her mental health so that she can continue to create more pop cultural moments for us all to look back on for years to come.

#ariana grande #thank u next #imagine #needy #NASA #bloodline #fake smile #bad idea #make up #ghostin #in my head #7 rings #break up with your girlfriend #pop #Album of the Year #review #music #grammys

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?’ - Billie Eilish REVIEW: Making ‘Em Bow One By One

WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

An interesting question you pose there, Billie. When I fall asleep, I usually dream about being a part of the Harry Potter universe and trying to defeat Voldemort with the golden trio. But unfortunately, I don’t go there every night. I mean, believe me, fighting off The Dark Lord can be scary sometimes. But sometimes I go to even darker places, and it always takes a few moments when waking up to believe I’m really in my bed. Much of Billie Eilish’s debut album invites you into the dark parts of her subconscious, and sometimes her extreme consciousness, to which she goes. Of course, “asleep” could also be interpreted as, well, dead. Which is a nice way to phrase it. Ideal, really. How wonderful would it be if death was just an eternal nap? No one would ever be afraid to die.

Maybe that’s what Billie believes it is, and why she seems so desperate to go there on WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? (WWAFA,WDWG?) For a then-16-year-old girl, I wish she wasn’t so tired. “ilomilo,” “bury a friend” and most concerning, “listen before I go,” explore her friends who have been taken from her, and her desire to join them. I’m glad she hasn’t.

So is she. In a now traditional Vanity Fair video, Billie answers the same interview questions three years in a row, exactly a year apart. Expect The Fourth Year one October 18th, 2020. It is one of the most fascinating videos I have ever watched. Though the same at the core, there is a different version of Billie in each year. Which is to be expected, as she is a teenager in the limelight. But the video of year 2, which was around 5 months prior to WWAFA,WDWG?’s release, Billie openly admits to being in a very dark place, discussing how her friend had died. Her posture and affect are noticeably different in years 1 and 3. In the third and latest installment, Billie is an upgraded, happier and more comfortable version of the previous two. You can hear the change in her voice, see it in her face. In response to the question, “What’s most important to you right now?” her answer is, “Maintaining my happiness, which I have been experiencing for the first time in many years….I wanna stay happy. That’s a big goal for me.”

Billie Eilish is one of the biggest breakout stars of the past few years. Her following is enormous, and though fans vary in age, many of them fall in her cohort. Generation Z is special in many ways: morbidly funny, proudly outspoken, self-aware, and unafraid to be different. Billie Eilish is all of these things incarnate, the perfect spearhead for this generation and what they represent. She dresses how she wants to dress and makes the kind of music that she wants to make, refusing to follow the molded expectations of young up and coming female stars before her. In that music, she also does what very few artists, young or old, have ever done: candidly explores mental illness and suicidal ideation.

These issues have become more and more prevalent in today’s society, yet they are still extremely stigmatized. Like many teenagers, I experienced the sadness and darkness Billie is singing about. I’m almost 25 now, but I can imagine how 15-year-old Cass would feel hearing this album and seeing Billie as she is in the third year of that Vanity Fair interview. Understood. Not alone. And hopeful, hopeful that things get better. At that age you feel like everything is the end of the world, because it is developmentally and socially some of the most difficult years in the human experience. And to hear someone you look up to say, “I feel this way, too,” and then see them continue fighting, and happy that they did...that can change someone’s life.

Thankfully, Billie still injects some levity into the album. The musical hook in “bad guy” feels like a defining moment for Gen Z the way the musical hook in “Toxic” was for us Millennials. “all the good girls go to hell” unflinchingly decrees that God Is A Woman™, and “my strange addiction” has cuts from The Office, Eilish’s favorite show, interspersed throughout the song. Gen Z is taking over, and Billie’s one hell of a ringleader.

STRONGEST TRACK(S): “i love you,” “xanny”

The phrase “I love you” has never felt so intimate as it does coming from Billie’s mouth in the penultimate track on WWAFA,WDWG? Sandwiched between two tracks where all together they form a sentence (listen before I go, I love you, goodbye) "i love you" is the most mesmerizing and most vulnerable, not just of the three but of the whole album. As a listener, you are dying to know what's hidden between the lines. Why doesn't she want to love this person even though she clearly does? What did she do to make him cry? Why are you, the listener, crying right now? With the smallest breath, the quietest whisper, the emotion Eilish emits is enormous. Every once in a while you hear a song that you feel will never leave you, and “i love you” has all the makings to be everlasting.

As does the message in “xanny,” a dynamic song that mostly sounds like an old-time jazz track, although infuses a blaring noise over the chorus, as if you are standing right next to the booming stereo at the party setting in which she speaks. The layering of hums in the background and at the end of the song provides a necessary subtle softness, making it all the more beautiful. The track is a statement from Eilish that she has no interest in the lifestyle that so many kids her age- famous or not- lead, partly because she does not understand the appeal of its effects, and partly because she does not want to invest herself in someone willingly bringing harm upon themself, as she previously has. “I can’t afford to love someone who isn’t dying by mistake,” she asserts. Of course, most things in moderation are good and fine, but there is an ever-persistent pressure for young people to use substances, for easier social interactions or easier claim to desirable social status. There is a plethora of music out there promoting the party lifestyle, but very few saying, “hey, it’s okay if you’re not about this, you’re still cool,” and so a celebrity as big as Billie abstaining from it, and providing a reasonable explanation, gives a figure of understanding and solidarity to all the outliers.

WEAKEST TRACK: “8”

Not a bad song by any means, “8” is just the least memorable on an album filled with extremely intriguing and standout tracks. There is an interesting choice of vocal styles that alternate throughout, one of which it sounds as if Eilish is emulating the voice of a little girl. She is asking the subject to just give her some common courtesy and hear her out. "Who am I to be in love / when your love never is for me?" she asks, in the most compelling moment of the song. It is a difficult line to walk, knowing someone doesn't owe you anything but wanting them to anyway. Although the song is effective, its replay value doesn't quite match with the other contenders.

THE IN-BETWEENS

Although Eilish is authentic in her own right, you can see the draw of inspiration from unique artists before her. Lorde's imprint is all over "you should see me in a crown," a catchy song about ruling the world and making everyone bow down to her with the sound of a knife sharpening at the top, and “listen before i go” is reminiscent of Lana Del Rey’s morose romances. “when the party’s over,” written solely by Billie’s brother, collaborator, and best friend, Finneas O’Connell, is a beautifully quiet moment in the middle of the album, with absolutely gorgeous high notes from Billie. The song is succinct and poignant, noting the inner conflict between wanting a friend to be more than just that and yet feeling the need to keep up boundaries to protect your heart; but when has that done anyone any good?

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “my strange addiction”

In the age of Netflix, The Office continues to grow in popularity with younger viewers who missed it on air. Who better to bolster the movement than Verified The Office super fan, Billie Eilish? In “my strange addiction,” Eilish and O’Connell draw inspiration from the classic episode, “Threat Level Midnight,” where Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) has finally finished his movie and is ready to premiere it to the office. In his movie, Scott’s character, Michael Scarn, teaches the entire bar how to do his signature dance, “The Scarn.” “No, Billie, I haven’t done that dance since my wife died!” the song begins, which is a real line from the episode. “my strange addiction” borrows from the track for “The Scarn,” which is simply genius. Everyone is doing “The Scarn,” fictional or nonfictional, even NFL player Trey Quinn, who did the famed routine for his touchdown dance. Not only will “my strange addiction” convert The Office fans to Billie Eilish fans, but just imagine the amount of TikToks there could be of people doing “The Scarn” to this song…think about the meme potential, Billie! *Ed Helms voice* There’s a whole crowd of people out there who need to learn how to do the “my strange addiction.”

                                                                   *****

Billie Eilish, and her debut album, WWAFA,WDWG? is impressive in a multitude of ways: she is raw, candid, silly, wildly intelligent, and most importantly, full of a lot of love, no matter how much she claims she does not want to be. Perhaps most impressive is that the only writers and producers credited on this album are Eilish and O’Connell, ages 18 and 22, respectively, at the time of this review, yet 17 and 21 at the time of its release, which means they were 16 and 20 at the time of writing and production. For two young people to create such an impactful album on such a massive scale on their own is a rarity, and has not been seen since the beginning of Taylor Swift’s career, and look at where she is now. Billie’s music might be different, but her trajectory seems quite similar. At Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony in December of 2019, Swift was honored with Woman of the Decade while Eilish was honored with Woman of the Year. Both artists paid homage to the other in their speeches, harkening back to Swift’s 2014 Woman of the Year speech where she alludes to a future Woman of the Year recipient learning piano and singing in choir; Swift had said back then that we need to take care of her, and Eilish tearfully thanked the room for doing just that. As Swift continues to fight against the system to pave the way for female artists, the clearing is all Billie’s. If Billie continues to maintain ownership of her voice, as I’m sure she will, it looks like the woman of the next decade is a lock. The crown looks great on Billie, and I cannot wait to see where she takes us while we’re all awake. Grade: 4.5/5

DISCLAIMER – REVIEWER’S BIAS: The first time I listened to WWAFA,WDWG? the only tracks that really captured my attention were “bad guy” and “my strange addiction.” I wanted to like it so bad, but I felt like I was missing something. Maybe that’s because I listened to the album at work and did not take it in properly. But I also felt like she was whispering too much, which made it difficult for me to stay interested. So I did not revisit it. However, over this past year, despite not listening to her music, I started to form a big-sister-type love for Billie, feeling as if I must protect her at all costs (any man over the age of like, 20, reading this: stay the fuck away from her you sickos!!!). I loved how she embraced her individuality and did whatever she wanted. I watched many interviews of her on YouTube (one being the Vanity Fair one, where she talks about how the criticism that she whispers a lot is hurtful yet true- Billie, I’m sorry!!) and found her to be so intelligent. To me, her and Taylor Swift (my number one love) are two sides of the same coin, or two paths to the same destination. What I mean by that is that as a lover of music and as a girl going through a difficult time, sometimes you need positivity to counteract the negative feelings, other times you need to lean into the sadness to release it all; though they both possess a bit of both, Taylor is more of the positive route, Billie more of the sad route. The thing is, you need both options. Billie reminds me of Taylor so much; she writes all of her own music (with her brother as her only co-writer), she has blown up at such a young and vulnerable age (if WWAFA,WDWG? wins AOTY at the Grammys, Billie will be the youngest ever recipient since Taylor won for Fearless at the age of 20), and she is committed to saying and doing what she wants to do the way she wants to do it. After listening to the album a few more times leading up to the Grammys to write this review, I get it. I truly get it. I’m sorry it took so long. And although her super soft vocals are definitely effective, I still want her to project more. The girl has a gorgeous voice; she should use it! But also she doesn’t need my advice, she’s doing fine. Keep whispering, baby girl. I feel very nervous for Billie, because when a woman reaches the top this quickly, everyone gets ready to push her off just as fast, and the fall can be fatal. But I believe in her ability to stand her ground. Please protect Billie at all costs!!!!

#billie eilish #finneas o'connell #wwafawdwg #when we all fall asleep where do we go #bad guy #xanny #you should see me in a crown #all the good girls go to hell #wish you were gay #when the party's over #8 #my strange addiction #bury a friend #ilomilo #listen before i go #i love you #goodbye #grammys #taylor swift #pop #music #album review

[tillidontneedfantasy]

‘Fine Line’ - Harry Styles REVIEW: Finding His Balance

“When I played it for the label, I told them, ‘This is the first single. It’s two minutes, thirty-five. You’re welcome,’” Harry Styles recalls when discussing “Lights Up” in a track-by-track breakdown of his second solo studio effort, Fine Line, with Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield. Thank you, indeed. “Lights Up” was an excellent first single choice for a number of reasons, now all the more clear in the context of the album. Though oddly structured and not particularly radio-friendly, it’s interesting, catchy, short and to the point: as much as you try to hide who you are, once the lights are up, those watching will know, so you might as well shine; but do you know?

Just as importantly, does Harry? Fine Line is a vague exploration of the self, both personally and musically, filled with cryptic platitudes and slick guitar riffs. However, the one aspect of himself Styles seems to be most acquainted with, and thus most comfortable sharing, is the “dark running through” his heart that cannot be extinguished by all the lights; in fact, it is amplified. Perhaps Styles finds it difficult to be honest in his relationships, but Fine Line is sprinkled with dark confessions, most notably in a series in the middle of the album (immediately following “Lights Up”): “I can tell that you are at your best / I’m selfish so I’m hating it” in “Cherry,” a track of spewing bitter jealousy; “There’s no one to blame but the drink and my wandering hands” in “Falling,” a heart-wrenching ballad for the books; “I’m just an arrogant son of a bitch / who can’t admit when he’s sorry,” in the pleasant-sounding yet morose ditty “To Be So Lonely.”

Those confessionals are the strongest demonstrations of Styles’s songwriting potential, and are the meat and bones of Fine Line’s takeaway: losing someone you once loved can cause you to almost lose yourself. Hopefully, you find yourself along the road to healing; but Styles often leaves the listener wondering if he really does know who he is now or not. What we do know is two things: 1) The end of his last relationship caused a lot of pain and introspection and 2) The man likes to have sex. Understandable points. Good equation for a successful album.

BEST TRACK: “Fine Line”

The title track and closer, “Fine Line” immediately invokes emotion as soon as it begins, and it only intensifies throughout its six-minute and eighteen-second duration. As the song moves along, new elements are subtly and meticulously added, layered in with his low and almost careful singing in a way that sounds like nature. Around four minutes in, the song really starts to come alive, the instrumentation building and building towards an outro that reaches a crescendo at Styles’s final “we’ll be alright,” and then perfectly finishes with high-pitch vocal notes that feel like freedom before it drifts out with a few light piano notes. While its message about maintaining balance on the fine line between the extremes of love resonates, the real victory of this song is its ability to move you with just the music. Despite its length, it always feels like it ends too soon.

WEAKEST TRACK: “Golden”

While a pleasant-sounding opener and a good tone-setter for the rest of the record sonically, “Golden” could have been cut in half, with about twenty fewer repetitions of the title, and used as more of brief introduction or interlude instead. In contrast to the closer, “Fine Line,” which is the longest song on the album and includes just as much- if not more- repetitions of its title, it serves a purpose in that song, whereas in “Golden” it feels like filler. This monotonous track is the most prominent example of how often Styles’s lyrics seem to be lacking; he surely has the ability to improve, he just needs to access it.

THE IN-BETWEENS

Luckily for Styles, the production on this album is so outrageously good that it’s enough to keep you interested throughout. “She,” a six-minute psychedelic rock song is an epic trip (I mean, Styles’s guitarist, Mitch Rowland, wrote it on mushrooms, go figure) into a daydream with the perfect woman who doesn’t exist. “Canyon Moon” is a road-trip-ready, light, feel-good song where his musical influences are rather apparent; Styles cites Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, and Nash as his muses, and another idol of his, Steve Nicks, claims it to be her favorite track on the record, a lovely feat. The pre-released singles “Lights Up,” “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Adore You” are sincerely all pop perfection, more mature and refined from his 1D days. The most experimental track, “Treat People With Kindness,” is interesting but falls short for a song that feels like years in the making, considering it has been a phrase Styles and his fans have claimed for the past few years. Although it is clear that Styles’s intention with the song was to spread a positive message which focuses on being kind and not taking life too seriously (though he proclaims that “if our friends all pass away / it’s okay,” and…I don’t know, is it really okay, Harry?!?) it feels like he could have done more with it. One particularly good line is towards the end of the track when he sings, “all we ever want is automatic all the time,” and perhaps he could’ve taken his own advice and given a song with such a grand title a bit more effort.

BEST PROSPECTIVE SINGLE: “Falling”

A close second to “Fine Line,” “Falling” is one of the strongest in Styles’s solo discography and more impressive considering he wrote it in about twenty minutes in a towel. In this beautiful ballad, Styles opens his heart, grabbing the listener’s in the process. “What am I now? / What if I’m someone I don’t want around?” he sings in a panic. This moment of self-reflection after the end of a relationship truly settles in as reality and you can no longer look away from your mistakes is painfully relatable. This track is the most honest of the bunch, and thus feels necessary. With all the previously mentioned pop jams already aptly released as singles, “Falling” feels like the wisest choice going forward to keep the momentum; listeners love a man openly grieving a heartbreak and taking responsibility for his actions (even cheating, I suppose, as is mildly implied in the first verse…I mean, this is your mans? Good thing his regret sounds sincere at least), and the unbelievable tone of his voice when he belts the last word of the bridge, “and I get the feeling that you’ll never need me again” is just the icing on the cake.

                                                                   ***

It is always a difficult task for a former group member to come into their own as a solo artist, and very few have done so with the admiration and reverence that Styles has accrued thus far. With his self-titled debut solo record in 2017, Styles made it clear, as most group-departing members do, that he had a sound different from that of his claim to fame in One Direction. His seriousness as a musician was now established through the positive reception of his debut, and thus his success allowed him to have a little more fun on Fine Line. It also allowed him to get a little more candid and authentic, knowing that the world has accepted him with open arms and has been begging for more. Styles mostly delivers with Fine Line, but in some ways it feels unfinished. The musical production is intriguing and exciting, and by far the best thing about this album, but is still somewhere between a regeneration of classic inspirations and a sound unique to Styles himself; all he needs is a little more time to find his own signature style (no pun intended) rather than just creating a conglomerate of musical elements from his influences and signing his name. But in the meantime, the music still holds up. The real conundrum is the lyrics, which are well and fine, but do not effectively communicate the truth hiding behind the sentiments yet give you just enough to let him get away with it. If he had given us just a bit more, Fine Line could have been a true triumph. However, this is only his second album, and being a confessional songwriting superstar while still preserving your right to privacy is, well, a fine line to walk (I had to, I’m sorry!), but I’m sure he’ll find his balance in no time. Grade: 3.5/5

DISCLAIMER – REVIEWER’S BIAS: I was a very casual One Direction fan during their peak of fame. I think Midnight Memories is a great pop album and I stand by that. I’ve always been more of a Niall girl, but I have never been able to completely resist Harry’s charisma; I’m only human. I listened to his debut album in 2017 maybe twice, three times at most, and just thought it was fine, but not particularly impressive. But since then it’s been impossible to deny his talent and star power. I was very intrigued by “Lights Up,” and with every single release I had found myself enjoying the songs more than I wanted to admit. I think Fine Line is a really great album. Sonically, it is in my exact sweet spot of the kind of music I absolutely love, so I was doomed to like it from the start. What stopped me from giving it a grade of 4 or higher though was that even with multiple listens I struggle to understand what the hell this guy is trying to say in his music. Many times, it takes me reading what die-hard stans say to understand what message he’s trying to send. Unfortunately, that is a failure to me. I know plenty of people love cryptic and ambiguous lyrics or poetry, but as a consumer, I want to be able to understand the story or the message with at least a couple of listens. Of course, lyrics can and should be left up to interpretation, but sometimes I don’t even know what he wants me to interpret! From my perception, this is just a reflection of Harry holding back from truly saying what he wants (with few exceptions, such as “Falling”). I think he is so talented and has so much potential but just needs a little more time unlocking it. I’m excited to see what he does in the future.

#harry styles #fine line #one direction #golden #watermelon sugar #adore you #lights up #cherry #falling #to be so lonely #she #sunflower vol. 6 #canyon moon #treat people with kindness #tpwk #music #pop #stevie nicks #joni mitchell #crosby stills and nash #1d

[tillidontneedfantasy]

your review is really well written!!

thank you so so much!!!! :)))