By Chase L. Manson
THE ROUNDUP
“Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift
7 out of 10
A few years ago Taylor Swift experimented with electronic music and produced hit singles such as “We are Never Getting Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
However those songs had a little bit of country flare.
After the success of these singles, Swift decided to abandoned her country image and exchange it for a pop persona. Thus her new single “Shake it Off” was born.
The song is brilliant in its composition. It is catchy, fun and lighthearted; in a way a perfect pop song.
But the problems aren’t with the song, it is with the artist.
Normally, Swift is very engaging as a singer but here she is bland.
To be honest, if you were to put someone else in front of the mic I probably couldn’t tell the difference. The song is nothing new and Swift’s flat persona does not help.
Also, Swift’s vocals are so processed. They are so saturated with synthesizers and AutoTune it comes off as lazy and rushed.
In the end, I don’t hate this song.
It has a lot of things to like and it is very enjoyable. I just have a strange feeling I have heard this before and Swift’s persona is just to fake and too boring.
“Come Get it Bae” by Pharrell Williams and Miley Cyrus
4 out of 10
This is a downright weird song, that makes little to no sense.
The song plays off of the new pop culture word “bae,” which stands for before anyone else. It is used to signify a significant other.
This song beings with 70’s guitar playing, cord which at first is kind of cool but after a few seconds its grating and annoying.
The lyrics are horrid. All Williams and Cyrus do is repeat the title of the song. It makes you crazy after a while.
Their singing is pretty bad too, with Williams in this uncomfortable falsetto that AutoTune defiantly engineered.
Cyrus’s vocals are just as awful, maybe even worse. Her “southern” accent is so intrusive in this song it’s just a nuisance. Williams is tolerable but Cyrus is unforgivable.
I am very upset with Williams. His last two singles “Happy” and “Marilyn Monroe” were excellent, in this song he has fallen off the wagon.
Hopefully he can come back up but with Cyrus by his side, it is highly unlikely.
“Bang Bang” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minja
9 out 10
This is a great pop song and a Niciki Minja song done right.
The chorus is catchy and the singers add their own personality into it.
The song features obvious Motown, soul and electronic inspirations. This sounds like a weird combination but in a way it works.
All three women shine on this track and don’t overshadow one another. They share their respective parts equally and bring something different.
Jessie J brings a soul and funk aspect that is unique while Grande and Minja bring a fun and lighthearted atmosphere to the track.
I can’t really find fault with this song but just a few nitpicks. My major nitpick is that it is kind of a overproduced to the point where it is a gimmick by the record label.
But if it is, the record label has worked it magic and it is a great song. They just give me what I want and expected to hear which is the sound of sweet, sweet music.