OT: The Semi-irregular Music Thread | Can I Dance to It?

[Rakell67]

I kinda like this bad guy song from Billie Eilish

umm...

 

[Ogrezilla]

umm...

indeed

 

[tom_servo]

Just found this apparently cult-favorite album "1000 Gec."

Anarchist electronic 2010s pop? Vocals are a little much but the sounds are just ... *chef's kiss*. Reminds me of Sleigh Bells. This will be blasting in my car.

 

[DanielPlainview]

Billie Eilish seems like a different breed of pop star than the Katy Perry, Rihanna, P!nk, etc types. I think she's legitimately talented. Like a very depressed Adele.

 

[DanielPlainview]

As a huge Zep fan who’s spent so much money on Jimmy’s projects that I probably should have a wing of his museum-like mansion named after me, I was really hoping to like GVF...unfortunately their songwriting is like having Carnation instant milk when the real thing is right in your fridge....they just seem like a poor imitation of classic rock and I hate to say that...

They are but they're also insanely young, like 19 and 20 years old. If they ever drop the Zep rip-off routine they could be something special.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Daniel Johnston passed away today at the age of 58.

I personally find that to be pretty depressing news.

"I'm going back to the place that I used to call home
I'm goin' back to the place where the antelope never roam
Wild West Virginia, home of the naive
This boy'd be mighty pleased to see them rollin' hills"

 

[pistolpete11]

Billie Eilish seems like a different breed of pop star than the Katy Perry, Rihanna, P!nk, etc types. I think she's legitimately talented. Like a very depressed Adele.

I know almost nothing about her, but based on those videos, how is she anything like Adele?

 

[DanielPlainview]

I know almost nothing about her, but based on those videos, how is she anything like Adele?

Being a non-standard pop star who can actually sing and write her own songs. Lyrically they’re both emotionally charged, one dealing mostly with heartbreak and loss in relationships while the other is a bit more dark often veering into topics of mental illness, anxiety, and death. Stylistically and vocally they are not that similar, no.

 

[tom_servo]

Billie Eilish seems like a different breed of pop star than the Katy Perry, Rihanna, P!nk, etc types. I think she's legitimately talented. Like a very depressed Adele.

I like some Billie Eilish songs but I'm not sure she's more talented than the mentioned. Specifically Rihanna.

 

[DanielPlainview]

In what way are they equals? Or in the case of Rihanna, more talented?

 

[tom_servo]

Well I'm not the type to quantify talent in artists, but yeah I'd say Rihanna impresses me the most of those names.

 

[pistolpete11]

Being a non-standard pop star who can actually sing and write her own songs. Lyrically they’re both emotionally charged, one dealing mostly with heartbreak and loss in relationships while the other is a bit more dark often veering into topics of mental illness, anxiety, and death. Stylistically and vocally they are not that similar, no.

I listened to a few songs on YouTube. They are both female, sell a lot of records (relatively speaking), and are involved in writing their own songs. That's about where the similarities end if you ask me. They are so drastically different visually, musically, and vocally that it is a major stretch to say she is a 'depressed Adele'.

 

[K Fleur]

Rihanna’s last album was awesome.

To be fair though I like most of her music.

 

[DanielPlainview]

I listened to a few songs on YouTube. They are both female, sell a lot of records (relatively speaking), and are involved in writing their own songs. That's about where the similarities end if you ask me. They are so drastically different visually, musically, and vocally that it is a major stretch to say she is a 'depressed Adele'.

Not unless all you're looking at is their vocal style or visual aesthetics, which were clearly not my points of comparison

 

[DanielPlainview]

Rihanna is pretty awful tbh. She does not write her own songs or lyrics (not sure where anyone gets that idea) nor is she is she a very talented singer

 

[K Fleur]

Rihanna is pretty awful tbh. She does not write her own songs or lyrics (not sure where anyone gets that idea) nor is she is she a very talented singer

Isn’t that the case with a lot of “pop” stars?

The only genre where I see people still really care about who writes their songs is hip hop.

 

[pistolpete11]

Not unless all you're looking at is their vocal style or visual aesthetics, which were clearly not my points of comparison

Yes, but Adele is best known for being a powerful vocalist. Most of the Eilish songs I listened to (and the videos you posted), she barely gets above a whisper. Musically, they are very different as well. Adele is much more traditional and Eilish uses a lot of electronics. I wouldn't say just because she writes songs and isn't Katy Perry means she is like Adele.

 

[DanielPlainview]

She is like Adele is in the ways I outlined. If I were making a stylistic comparison, it might be Lana Del Rey

 

[DanielPlainview]

Isn’t that the case with a lot of “pop” stars?

The only genre where I see people still really care about who writes their songs is hip hop.

Outside of a handful, yes it's the case. The people who don't care about it I find are fans of mainstream pop

 

[Ogrezilla]

I like a lot of mainstream pop. Katy Perry and Rihanna both have a lot of good songs. I don't get why I should care who wrote the songs. I praise actors or directors for their work in movies written by other people too. I'm not sure why it is so frowned upon in music to have writers write, singers sing, etc.

 

[Deport Ogie]

I don't care much about who writes the songs but I'll always lend more credit to pop stars who can actually sing without enhancement and even MORE credit to the ones that can play an instrument.

Honestly the only thing I know about Billie Eilish is, randomly, that she is a super-nerd about The Office because I randomly came across a video of Rainn Wilson asking her trivia.

 

[DanielPlainview]

I wouldn’t say it’s frowned upon to not write your own songs. If you can, it adds to your level of talent, and generally songs are sung best by the people who write them, assuming they can sing. For example, I wouldn’t knock Elton John for not being a lyricist, but he’s a genius on piano and can sing really well. Different level of talent than what we get out of Katy Perry or Rihanna, who aren’t great live singers, don’t play instruments (Perry can play guitar a little but hasn’t since going popstar), don’t write songs, and don’t write lyrics. They’re famous because they’re sexy, can follow choreography, and have hit factory labels handing them material.

 

[tom_servo]

Rihanna is pretty awful tbh. She does not write her own songs or lyrics (not sure where anyone gets that idea) nor is she is she a very talented singer

Who cares. When it comes to pop songs, I'm looking for grooves and hooks. Plus I actually enjoy her voice and delivery. She fits in with a lot of different sounds.

 

[DanielPlainview]

It matters in a discussion about talent

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Honestly if your main concern is talent, ability to write and playing your own instruments... pop is the wrong format to discuss overmuch.

I know that sounds like a dim view on pop music. But like servo said it's main strength is hooks and groove. It's fun, bubblegum music. I don't dislike a lot of it but I don't really have any of those expectations for it, either.