By: Jenna Beetstra, Edna Batengas, Courtney Miller, and Natasha Tar
http://https://open.spotify.com/user/thepeaksfu/playlist/3jjK7pTR0aknbvAWtYREYF
“Boa Me” – Fuse ODG, Ed Sheeran, Mugeez
Jenna Beetstra: I absolutely love Ed Sheeran. His music, his voice, everything. So I was excited to listen to this song. It’s not bad, but I wish he had more singing in it.
Edna Batengas: All my favourite artists on one track. I freaking love this song! Downloaded it and I’ll play it on repeat. Yes, yes, yes, Ed Sheeran you have definitely won my heart. This is our wedding song, haha!
Courtney Miller: Catchy guitar riffs. Don’t know who anyone is aside from Ed Sheeran, and he’s my favourite part of it, but this is overall pretty decent. I’m impressed. Nice island, reggae feel. Bridge was nice and minimalistic.
Natasha Tar: This isn’t too bad. It’s pretty much easy listening, nothing too offensive.
“FIA” – Davido
JB: Meh, pass on this one. The tune is OK, but it’s nothing special.
EB: Eeeep, Davido, my man crush Monday all day every day! This song is definitely on fire. Loving it!
CM: The melody is pretty decent, but the entire package isn’t spectacular. It holds up but it doesn’t really go anywhere and the autotune doesn’t improve the situation.
NT: Another inoffensive song, but boring. The voice is relaxing? I dunno, meh. At least my ears aren’t being assaulted.
“Walk on Water” – Eminem, Beyoncé
JB: I’ve always been an Eminem fan. Putting him with a woman with a great voice (Beyoncé or Rihanna, etc.) is a great idea. You wouldn’t think of these two working together, but I enjoy it! Thumbs up.
EB: I was surprised to see these two on the same track. It’s Queen Bee, y’all. How can I not love it?
CM: I mean, Beyoncé. What else do you need? Eminem was a’ight but then he used some seriously shitty language and I’m out. Clearly, Queen B is the reason to listen. Those pipes, y’all, that voice.
NT: I mean, Beyoncé sounds great, but apparently Eminem is a huge asshole. It doesn’t seem like Eminem is adding all that much (except garbage) to the song. Just Beyoncé would have been nicer.
“Boomerang” – Jidenna
JB: I like his voice, but I don’t love the lyrics. The beat is pretty good, but I don’t enjoy the trumpet or whatever instrument that is.
EB: Oh Jidenna, I’m sorry I missed you when you came to Vancouver. I promise I’ll make it up to you, you can throw me like a boomerang any time . . .
CM: Slow intro is nice, his voice is strained at times and it doesn’t add a nice effect. I agree with Jenna, the lyrics could evaporate or be replaced with nonsense and it might make the song better. The bridge is the most palatable total package part of the song, but I’ll pass.
NT: The beat is interesting. Voice and lyrics are pretty darn lame. Overall, this song doesn’t go very far.
“Hands up (Raise Your Fist) – The Funk Hunters, Leo Napier
JB: I like this. It’s not what I would usually listen to, but it’s funky and fun.
EB: Meh, not too crazy about this one. It would make good supermarket background music, though.
CM: Aww yeah, this is a good time. Catchy rhythm, solid beat, definitely a funky time. Calling it now, best song of this half of NMF. 10/10 would listen again. I have hopes for Bastille.
NT: They definitely found some funk! This isn’t bad at all. I might be convinced to listen to this song outside of this so far shitty playlist.
“Caméléon” – Maître Gims
JB: I usually like French music, but his voice gets a little too high-pitched for me to find relaxing.
EB: Eyy, french music! C’est très bon!
CM: Snazzy beat, melody is varied but not ridiculous, but YIKES at that high notes section.
NT: Well, it’s French. There’s a beat. *shrug* He has a nice voice. Oh wait, it just got insanely high. Why? Egad.
“Juice” – Chromeo
JB: Too poppy for me. Pass.
EB: Boring. NEXT.
CM: “Relationships ain’t a democracy.” You should be able to decide if this is worth listening to from that first line. #ChromeoForeverAlone #ChromeoNoRomeo.
NT: The lyrics seem like they may have some value, but I don’t know. The beat is painfully average.
“Lacrymosa” (2017) – Evanescence
JB: Is it just me or do Evanescence songs make you want to wear all black and cry outside in the rain?
EB: Listening to Evanescence takes me back to my emo phase. Damn, good times, good times!
CM: Damn, that violin or whatever is tight. We’re thirty seconds in and I’m already sold. Amy Lee, y’all, that voice is so mesmerizing and trippy with just a hint of supernatural geist. Would spin again.
NT: This would be the background music for an awkward elevator encounter in a movie.
“The Day I Die” – ISLAND
JB: A little morbid for me. Definitely doesn’t make me feel happy.
EB: Man, this song just made my mood go from 100 to 0 real quick.
CM: Long intro had me in high hopes, but I fell down those long slopes when the vocals came in. I’m all about morbid, but it’s not supposed to be sung by a dead guy.
NT: Man, this guy definitely had a cold during recording. Get well soon.
“World Gone Mad” – Bastille
JB: Basically sums up how I feel about the shit that’s going on in the world right now.
EB: Bastille, I APPROVE.
CM: Bastille, light of my life, my darling British dudes. A+ musicality, excellent example of how you get your head voice right. They matched the sombreness to the seriousness of the intro and then added in that classic Bastille beat and elevated it. Love.
NT: Bastille has been hit-and-miss for me in the past, but this one’s a happy in-between. Very pretty.
“Police State” – Pussy Riot
JB: The chorus sounds like someone making fun of the way tweens talk. Not a fan.
EB: NOPE. Wasted three minutes of my life that I’m never going to get back.
CM: Nice harmonies. It’s kind of like trippy indie rock with a splash of trying to pop? I don’t know that it works all together, but I don’t hate it. I agree the chorus is lacklustre and juvenile.
NT: This is fun. Good musical layers (?), but the chorus lyrics are lame.
“Wake Me Up” – Remy Ma, Lil’ Kim
JB: I try to listen to all of the songs on the playlist with an open mind, but I just seem to dislike more songs than I like. Maybe I have a different taste than the mainstream. As for rap, I usually like my rap songs a bit faster than this one, I find this one lacking.
EB: Oh my days, Remy Ma is back. Nah, not a fan!
CM: Weird sex noise intro? And then nothing after that redeems it. Too many useless “bitches” and no substance I can detect. Rap is great when there’s substance behind it, but when there’s not, I can’t.
NT: Nice, it begins with random grunting. We’re off to a fine start. OK, tapping out. Goodbye.
