Our (Arguable) Top 10 in Music

A column where our opinionated music critic reviews the current top 10

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This list of songs surprised me – some in a positive way, others not so much. This list is full of newcomers and they are some of the hottest. Ariana Grande is even here twice! Let’s dive in and see what people were listening to in the last 10 weeks.

1) High HopesPanic! At the Disco – I’m really into this song for a couple of reasons. First, they come right in with the chorus and grab your attention with an energetic catchy melody and beat. Second, this song has a really positive message about aiming high and focusing on your goals and not on your obstacles. Third, they found a neat way to orchestrate a pop song with some classical instruments along with modern electronics.

2) Thank U, NextAriana Grande – Self-appreciation and gratitude radiate from this song. It’s wonderful to hear from an artist about her emotional personal struggles with a positive perspective. Through this calm but bopping track, we hear Grande reflect on past relationships, acknowledge what she gained from them, and move onto the next subject. She also touches on how she deals with fame multiple times and praises herself on how she’s handled it all. This is the right kind of message we all need to be spreading, and Grande has found a wonderful way to do it- singing a great song.

3) Wow.Post Malone – I like the tune and had high hopes for the lyrics but was a little disappointed. Even the tune is a little simple, but I’ve heard much worse from this genre of music. Some of Post Malone’s songs have been flooded with raw emotion, but this one doesn’t give us anything to make us dive below the surface. This song isn’t very interesting, which can also be attributed to its limited lengths in some respects.

4) Eastside Benny Blanco, Halsey and Khalid – I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect with this combinations of artists, but as I heard the first bar with the guitar, my ears perked up, I recognized Kahlid’s soothing melody, and I was completely on edge when the grooving beat brought the intro to life. The cycle repeated with Halsey, and the song was overall uplifting and not pressing any deep messages, keeping it light. My only issue is the overuse of auto-tune on most of Halsey’s sections.

5) Wake Up in the SkyGucci Mane, Bruno Mars, and Kodak Black – This song is like a low-key party song: it’s relaxed and smooth but has a pulse. I like the smooth beat which really complements Mars’ vocals (the only one of the three singers I really enjoyed), and overall the song is fun to listen to. This song serves as background noise, though, since there is no substance to what they are singing about. I don’t exactly think this song is top ten worthy, but I don’t have anything super against it.

6) Money Cardi B – This song sounds like an amatuer DJ testing out his soundboard with a track of Cardi B on it. There is no balance or purpose to the random sound happening throughout the three minutes. There is also no message or story or reasoning behind the lyrics. I respect some of Cardi B’s raps because they have heart, but this is just a wash of talking with the word “money” thrown around, being masked by the random assortment of DJ noises.

7) Mo BambaSheck Wes – Not to be rude, but the singer sounds very intoxicated. The words are sloppy, not in tune, and the lyrics in the whole first half are just a cycle of profanities and irritation. To be fair, the background music is not the worst and might have been able to provide the foundation to a decent song. It’s a shame it was all flattened by the mechanic bass and messy singer. I think this song is solely in the top ten because of how frequently people use it to make fun of things: not for actual enjoyment or any pleasure to the ears.

8) Going BadMeek Mill ft. Drake – There were a few moments where Drake sang a little with a melody, and I got excited, but then it would cut back into the nothingness. I find the background tune irritating, but it reflects well with the nonsensical rapping. I saw no particular reason why they decided to start and end the song the way they did. I felt like we started already in the middle of the song and cut off in the middle of the jabbering, which is unfortunate because that meant there was no hope for the song to get better. This is just a ball of sound that has somehow been played frequently enough to be in the top 10.

9) BreathinAriana Grande – I like the progression of energy throughout the song. It makes the pauses for vocals more dramatic later when the energy is high. The auto-tune is not overused and is appropriate when utilized. I feel like there could be a little more substance, but overall this song just makes me want to dance because of the solid foundation of the beat and the somewhat simple lyrics. I can see this song being played in many scenarios, for its versatility and lack of concrete sound functionality.

10) Shallow Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – This song is always playing when I turn on the radio, which isn’t a problem for me because I enjoy singing along. I like the gradual build up and love the powerful chorus. The acoustic feel lets the melody glide along, and the lyrics flow and help complement the harmonies. I think they do a good job of keeping the song aligned with the message. Also – who knew Bradley Cooper could sing?!

We want to hear from you! Let us know what songs you think will make it into the top 10 next issue, or what songs you want to see reviewed in the paper by emailing [email protected] or leaving us a note in our dropbox on the second floor.