Hi, I'm Stellar, and welcome to Stellar in Neverland! I don't have any updates for this week, so I'll just move on with the rest of the post.
About a month ago, I made a post called First Impressions #1- Songs I Don't Know The Name Of (Apparently?). The post was written as a response to this video, which I saw randomly one day. I expected it to be a bunch of songs that I had heard in various places and never bothered to find the names of, but it was really a bunch of songs I had never heard of, period. This inspired me to listen to every single song in the video, give my opinions, and rate them on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being "This song is hell for my ears and I never want to hear it again" and 10 being "This song is so good I want to make a cult worshipping its greatness"). I discovered some pretty cool songs in that post and I'm still really proud of it, so I was overjoyed when I saw that the same channel uploaded a new, similar video. This one is called Songs You Might Not Know The Name Of, and it's very similar to the previous one. It even has a few of the same songs as the first video. This should be similar to the post I linked first, so I'd encourage you to read that first if you haven't. Let's get started.
1. "Honor" by DJ Cassidy ft. Grace & Lil Yachty
The only artist on this song I know is Lil Yachty, so I don't know what to expect. I'm guessing DJ Cassidy is the producer, and I'll give him some credit because the beat on this song is great. It has an incredibly catchy and funky disco vibe, and the bassline is fantastic. Grace's vocals have a retro quality to them and she sounds confident and empowered. I'm not huge on Lil Yachty, and I'd probably say he's the weak link, but his parts are actually decent. He's not as autotuned and annoying as he usually is. Overall this is a really good throwback track, and I might come back to it every so often. 9/10
2. "Be There" by Krewella
I previously talked about Krewella's other song "Fortune" in the other post. This one's pretty similar sounding to that one, but I like it a lot more. I like the meaning of the lyrics, which are about being loyal. I also like the tone of the singer's voice a lot. My favorite thing about this song is the electric guitar in the buildup to the drop, which provides a unique and interesting touch. The drop is okay, but honestly I was expecting a little more. This song is good, but I probably won't come back to it any time soon. 7/10
3. "Me Enamore" by Shakira
Other than "Hips Don't Lie" and the random Spanish songs I don't know the names of that I hear in Spanish class, I don't know that many Shakira songs. This one's entirely in Spanish (The title translates to "I Fell In Love" in English. Thanks, Google Translate!), and I understand a few lyrics here and there but I can't tell you what they're about. The beat sounds a little wonky and I'm not sure if it's in a good way. I like the chorus quite a bit, it's lively and catchy. Shakira sounds pretty good. I think she sounds pretty weird in English but the weird qualities to her voice actually work in Spanish for some reason. There's this one part at the beginning of the final chorus where there's some unnecessary autotune. I don't have a problem with autotune, but it has to fit the song and I don't think it fits here. There are a lot of things to like about this song but there are some things I'm not a fan of, so it averages out to a 6.5/10.
4. "Surefire" by John Legend
I've always liked John Legend as a person more than as a musician. Any famous person who uses his Twitter to publicly blast Donald Trump automatically gets a ton of respect from me. I don't know that many of his songs, but this is probably the best one I've heard. This is a pretty solid slow jam. The lyrics are sexy and the production has a great atmosphere. I really like John's voice, it has a really nice deep quality and tone. This song is an excellent showcase of his talents and his vocals fit the song really well. I will definitely take this song over hearing "All Of Me" for the five-hundred-gazillionth time. 8/10
5. "To Be Human" by Sia ft. Labrinth
Sia is a great, unique vocalist who has written some amazing songs like "Chandelier", but her songs aren't always my favorite. Thankfully, this collaboration with British singer Labrinth for the Wonder Woman movie is one of her better songs. Both singers here have distinctive voices and they complement each other wonderfully. Sia's signature voice cracks sound especially good. The production is very cinematic, which makes sense considering this was written for a movie. The lyrics are very stylistic of Sia, in that you don't really know what she's saying or what they mean but they're poetic in a way. I feel like Banana_Elephant (as she was formerly known) would probably like this song a lot. 8.5/10
6. "Inspired" by Miley Cyrus
I heard this song at the One Love Manchester benefit concert earlier this year, but I haven't listened to it at all since then. I appreciate the sentiment of this song more than I like the song itself. The lyrics have a great meaning about going out and changing the world and it's nice to hear when the world is falling apart. Miley's vocals are calming in some parts but she sounds more powerful and emotional in other parts. I honestly wish she used the more calming tone for all of it. The instrumental is a little boring to me since I don't like country-ish music very much. This is a fine song, but I don't love it. If I want to listen to Miley, I'll go to "Party in the USA" first, TBH. 7/10
7. "Be Mine" by Ofenbach
Like the first installment, I didn't listen to these songs in the order they're listed in. I just put them in that order because they're in that order in the video. This was the last song I listened to and it's one of the better ones in this post. The production is centered around these twangy guitars that I love. I'm always a sucker for EDM songs with real guitars, and the guitar riffs in this song are excellent. The vocals have this quirky effect to them that's sort of autotune but not really. It fits the song in a way. The lyrics are short and a little underwritten, but this is a dance song so that's expected. This song is good and I might listen to it every once in a while. 8.5/10
8. "Redbone" by Childish Gambino
This song was in the previous post, where I gave it a 9.5/10. It's the soundtrack to my favorite meme of the year, which caused it to blow up. However, unlike a lot of meme songs that get popular ("Watch Me Whip/Nae Nae", whatever the hell the "Cash Me Outside" remix is, etc.), "Redbone" is actually a legitimately great song. It has such a sensual vibe and it sounds nothing like any other song to get popular this year. The weird, trippy guitar solo-ish thing at the end is fantastic, my favorite part of the song hands down. I've listened to this song a lot lately, and I love how despite being five-and-a-half minutes long, it doesn't feel long at all. I'm bumping it up to a 10/10 because I love it and I'm feeling generous.
9. "Don't Matter Now" by George Ezra
I like this song. It has a very laid-back and catchy vibe to it. The lyrics are carefree and relatable and the instrumental is fantastic. I love me some horns, and the horns that pepper this track make it stand out. George Ezra's voice is low and calm and the way he sings the song is very easygoing and mellow. My favorite part of the song is the "doo-doo-doo"'s which are very earwormy. This song feels like relaxing at my family cottage on a lazy summer day. 8/10
10. "Little Of Your Love" by Haim
Is it bad that the only reason why I know Haim is because of their friendship with Taylor Swift? To answer my own question: yeah, probably. This is the first of their songs I've actually heard, and it's not bad. The chorus is catchy if not a little repetitive and the instrumental is funky and catchy. The vocals are energetic and there's this one part towards the end where there's a gospel choir. That part is amazing. I also like the interjections like "yeah!" and "come on!" throughout. This song is fine, but I'm not sure if it'll have that much replay value to me. 7/10
11. "Goodbye" by Echosmith
This one was in the previous post but the only time I've come back to it was for this post. I'm feeling lazy and my opinions really haven't changed at all so I'm just going to copy and paste what I said in the previous post here:
"I know Echosmith from their songs "Cool Kids" and "Bright" and I thought they sort of faded away afterward. Now they're back with this new song "Goodbye" and I actually like it quite a bit. It's got more of a poppy vibe than the other two songs I know from them, and it's all the better for it. It's very chill and a nice song to listen to. I love the lead singer's voice. It's calming and really pretty. The lyrics are also pretty good. "You cover up the poison with poetry" is in particular a really good line. This is a good song. 7.5/10"
12. "Sua Cara" by Major Lazer ft. Anitta & Pabllo Vittar
I actually like quite a few Major Lazer songs. "Lean On" from 2015 is one of my favorite songs ever. Their music tends to have a summery, danceable vibe that would sound perfect at a beach party, and that beach-party atmosphere is a quality found in "Sua Cara". I believe this song is in Portuguese, which I don't speak, so I'm not going to talk about the lyrics. The drop is interesting and I'm not really sure how to describe it, but it would be fun to dance to at a party. It's catchy and sounds really fun. The vocals are sultry and work surprisingly well with the fun beat. I don't know how much staying power this song will have with me in the future, but it's pretty awesome for now. 8.5/10
13. "Bodak Yellow" by Cardi B
This one was in the first post as well. Basically what I said for it last time is that it's okay, but Nicki Minaj could do this kind of song in her sleep so it got a 6/10. I haven't listened to it once since I wrote that post, but I honestly like it a little more than I did before. The beat and lyrics are pretty generic but Cardi B does have a solid enough flow and a boatload of charisma. And of course it is an instantly memorable song. Like it or not, it sticks with you. The chorus doesn't really have a melody but it stays in the brain until it gets annoying. It's not my favorite song of all time or anything, but I guess I like it fine enough. 7/10
14. "Provider" by Frank Ocean
Pretty much the only Frank Ocean song I've heard is "Slide", which isn't technically even his song, it's Calvin Harris's. I feel like I should know more of his stuff, but at least the one song I know from him is one of my favorites of the year. This is my introduction to his solo work and honestly, I don't know what to think. The production has a cool atmosphere and the vocals are pretty good, but the song isn't catchy and it's a little more experimental than I'm used to. There's this one part about halfway through the song where it feels like it's just going to end only to pick up again, which was jarring. I feel like this is one of those songs that's objectively very good, but it's not really my thing. 6.5/10
15. "The Spectre" by Alan Walker
This is an EDM-rave style song, and I'm sorry that I have no idea how else to describe it. It's not HORRIBLE, but I'm not a superfan of it. The vocals are unique but I'm not sure if I care for the tone of the singer's voice. The lyrics are decent, probably the best thing about it. The drop has a good melody but the tone of the synthesizer is annoying. If you like songs that sound like they could be in Sonic the Hedgehog games, you'd probably like this song. I'm not huge on it, though. 5.5/10
16. "Again" by Noah Cyrus ft. XXXTentacion
This song is by Miley Cyrus's little sister, Noah. Noah sounds like her big sister except younger and less mature. Her voice is okay, but I like Miley's voice a lot more. The lyrics are pretty good and probably the best thing about the song. The best word to describe the beat is "wonky", and I don't even care if that's not a real word. In some parts, especially the piano in the chorus, the production reminds me of "Bad At Love" by Halsey. The big issue I have with the song is XXXTentacion. He has done some truly horrible things (described under "Controversies" on his Wikipedia page, link here) and I feel like associating him was not the best career move for Noah to take. I just feel gross listening to anything coming out of his mouth. 6/10
17. "Man's Not Hot" by Big Shaq
Genius.com says this song was originally a joke freestyle rap done by British comedian Michael Dapaah (aka Big Shaq), who I have never heard of. So yeah, this isn't a serious song, so I'm not going to judge it like one. I see this song as a commentary on how a bunch of hip-hop songs have the rappers making random noises in the background ("skrt skrt", "braap", etc.), with the refrain being comprised exclusively of Big Shaq making random noises. It's a pretty accurate representation of modern hip-hop and for that I'll give it credit. I'll probably never listen to it again, but honestly it's better than most of the hip-hop songs on here. 7.5/10
18. "Rich Love" by OneRepublic ft. Seeb
What I said for "Goodbye" by Echosmith (the new parts, at least) applies to this song. Just go look there.
"This song is by OneRepublic, whom I only know a couple songs from but really enjoy. This one is different-sounding from the other songs I've heard from them since it has more of a tropical vibe to it. I like it quite a bit. The drop has an amazing groove and the lyrics are really good. This song has a pretty trendy sound and I can see it getting pretty big. 8/10"
19. "Cola" by Camelphat ft. Elderbrook
I've never heard of either of these artists, so I had no idea what to expect from this song. Honestly I think this is the song here that's surprised me the most. I like this quite a bit. The lyrics are repetitive but charming. The beat is laid-back but it gets weirder as the song progresses. The vocals are chill as well. The song has a bit of a 90s-house throwback vibe that makes it interesting. This song will probably grow on me in the future and it's a good song just to listen to. I can see it becoming a sleeper hit. 8.5/10
20. "Only 4 Me" by Chris Brown ft. Ty Dolla $ign & Verse Simmonds
I talked about "Questions" by Chris Brown in the first post. I mentioned this there but OH MY GOD CHRIS BROWN IS A TERRIBLE PERSON. I don't like most of his music, but even the ones I like, I feel dirty for liking because I feel like I'm supporting an abuser. I looked it up and the album this song is on is 45 tracks long, which is just...shocking. Who would want to listen to Chris Brown for 45 straight songs? Okay, now that my bias is out of the way, "Only 4 Me" is still a pretty terrible song. The only tolerable aspect is Ty Dolla $ign, who actually sounds decent and has an alright flow. Verse Simmonds has the first verse and his voice is annoying. And of course Chris Brown is despicable as always. The chorus isn't catchy and the song feels super-repetitive. The beat has this annoying noise in the chorus and the lyrics are generic and objectify women. Not every song in this post is great, but I would suggest listening to any of the other 34 songs before listening to this one. 3/10
21. "Collide" by Rachel Platten
I listened to "Broken Glass" by Rachel Platten for the other post and thought it was okay. I said it was probably the best of her songs, but honestly I think that title still belongs to "Stand By You". That song's actually pretty good even if I don't listen to it often. "Collide" is not as good as "Broken Glass" and I'm not a fan of it. This song is about sex, and coming from Rachel Platten it just feels awkward. Her other songs were about things like empowerment and being loyal to your friends, and the transition from those topics to sex is a little jarring. Rachel also sounds kind of weird. The production feels like a filler track from Witness by Katy Perry, and considering I loathe that album, this does nothing for me. 5/10
22. "Let Me Go" by Hailee Steinfeld ft. Alesso & Florida Georgia Line
I've heard this song on the radio a few times and it's okay but nothing special. It's more of the same tropical-inspired music that's been extremely ubiquitous over the course of the past two years. I guess Hailee does fine but I don't know what Florida Georgia Line, a country act, are doing on a tropical house song like this. The beat and lyrics aren't anything remarkable either. This song is basically an inferior knockoff of "It Ain't Me" by Kygo and Selena Gomez, and considering I adore that song (if I make a list of my favorite songs of the year, it will easily make it), I have no use for this. 5.5/10
23. "Motorsport" by Migos ft. Nicki Minaj & Cardi B
I knew exactly what to expect from this song just from looking at the artists on it. I expected a total trap banger and that's exactly what it is. If you don't like trap music, you won't like this at all, but I have some tolerance for it so I do. The Migos verses sound like every other Migos song, but I don't mind. Cardi's verse is pretty solid and a better showcase of her talents than "Bodak Yellow". However it's Nicki who steals the song. Some people will tell you Nicki's annoying and talentless, but I am not one of those people. She consistently has great flows, is creative, and has a ton of personality, and she goes pretty hard on this beat, which I like a lot. It sets a dark, menacing tone. The most noteworthy thing about this song is that it has two female rappers, and it's nice to see that they both do well. 8/10
24. "Golden God" by Machine Gun Kelly
The only song I know Machine Gun Kelly from is "Bad Things" with Camila Cabello, and I don't really like that song much. Honestly, I think I might like this song even less than I like that song. At least "Bad Things" had a catchy hook. With this song, it's hard to tell what the chorus even is. The beat is okay but it's a little generic. The lyrics are pretty much just him bragging about how great and successful he is, but they're also pretty generic. He also uses the r-word, which was just unnecessary. This song might have been okay if the beat was more interesting or there was a better chorus, but the use of that word is inexcusable and makes the song irredeemable. 4/10
25. "Ghostface Killers" by 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin ft. Travis Scott
I love a good rap posse cut every once in a while. "Mercy" by Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, and 2 Chainz is one of my favorite rap songs. This is a rap posse cut so I should love this, but I don't. I'll give credit to the beat, which is pretty good if not a little boring. The rappers are all pretty boring though. Travis Scott's probably the best one on here since his voice is unique and he has the best flow. The other two both have monotonous voices and sound really bored. The lyrics aren't anything special. I feel like I should like this song more than I do. 5.5/10
26. "No Roots" by Alice Merton
I had no idea what to expect from this song since I don't know the artist, but honestly this is amazing. This is an indie rock song, and it's incredibly catchy. The bassline is fantastic and the electric guitar interjections are pretty cool. Alice Merton has a really unique voice. She sounds confident and her vocals fit the sound of the song as well. The lyrics are autobiographical and tell a story but are still fun to sing along to- or at least they will be once I listen to this song a bunch of times and memorize them. At this point I've only heard the song once so I don't know them, haha. I want to see more songs in this vein get popular and I'm definitely going to add it to my playlist. 9/10
27. "Curve" by Gucci Mane ft. The Weeknd
This song features The Weeknd, who is one of my favorite artists even though I don't know that many of his songs. His voice sounds laid-back and very familiar and his contributions are probably the best part of the song. The beat is pretty generic and it's nothing I couldn't get out of any other trap-rap song. Gucci Mane's verse isn't memorable but I don't object to it. I guess this song is okay, but it's boring to me and I can't see myself coming back to it. 5.5/10
28. "Kiwi" by Harry Styles
I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH. I first heard it during Harry's Carpool Karaoke on the Late Late Show with James Corden, thought it sounded great, but didn't think to look up what it was called or anything because I'm an idiot. Harry then made it a single and OH MY GOD IT'S SO GOOD. If you think you won't like this song because Harry was in One Direction, you still need to listen to it. This sounds nothing like his work with 1D, it sounds more like a classic rock song than anything. The guitars are loud and powerful, Harry's voice is a natural fit for rock music, and it's incredibly catchy. The chorus is literally just Harry screaming "I'M HAVING YOUR BABAYYYYY, IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESSSS" and it's amazing. The only complaint I have is me wondering why the song is called "Kiwi" when it doesn't say anything about kiwis in the lyrics, but that doesn't even bother me. Harry's two solo singles ("Sign of the Times" and this one) have been better than pretty much every One Direction song I've heard, so now I want to check out his self-titled solo album. This song is to this post what "Feel It Still" by Portugal. The Man was to the last one- a fun rock song that I'm obsessed with and will have on repeat until I hate it. 10/10
29. "Tip Toe" by Jason Derulo ft. French Montana
I actually like Jason Derulo a lot, more than I probably should. "Want To Want Me" is one of my favorite songs ever, and he has some other really good ones too. This is my first time hearing "Tip Toe", his new single, and I like it. It sounds a little like "Swalla", his previous single from this year, with hints of 2014's "Talk Dirty" in the bridge. Both of those songs are really big guilty pleasures for me, and I feel like this one will be as well. The lyrics are pretty bad, but they don't hinder my enjoyment of the song at all. It's catchy and upbeat and I can see it becoming a hit. 8.5/10
30. "You & Me" by Marshmello
Right off the bat this song caught me off guard. It sounds like a pop punk song from the 2000s at first, with an energetic electric guitar riff and a pop punk-sounding singer. It's an interesting contrast between the pop punk elements and the EDM elements, but I'm not sure I'm a fan. The lyrics are also really repetitive to the point where it gets annoying. I wish this song had more lyrics. At this point I've also noticed that A LOT of the artists on the songs in this post had songs in the last post. I bring this up because I definitely prefer Marshmello's collab with Khalid, "Silence" from that last post. It's a lot more straightforward. 5.5/10
31. "Barbies" by Pink
Pink is a huge pop star who everybody knows at least a few songs from. I won't say I like or even know every song she's made, but she has some really good ones. My favorite is "So What", which is just awesome. I haven't heard this new song "Barbies" yet, but it's pretty solid. It's an acoustic guitar ballad and the melody sounds pretty. Pink's vocals are also very calming and pretty. I think Pink's an amazing vocalist who doesn't get half the credit she deserves as a singer. The lyrics are reminiscent of "Stressed Out" by Twenty One Pilots, with a similar theme of wanting to go back to the simpler times of your youth. I'm a sophomore in high school and I'm terrified of growing up, so I can definitely relate. I still don't think Pink will ever make a better song than "So What", but this is good. 7.5/10
32. "Letterman" by Wiz Khalifa
Jesus Christ, this song has my twelve-year-old brother written all over it. My brother likes a lot of Wiz Khalifa's music, especially that "We Dem Boyz" song, so he would probably adore this song. It reminds me of the aforementioned "We Dem Boyz", and although I don't like that song much, I dislike this one even more. The way Wiz Khalifa sings the chorus is just annoying, and the beat isn't memorable at all. I wasn't paying attention to the lyrics but I can assume they're just generic. I'm getting sick of all these boring and uninteresting trap songs. 4.5/10
33. "World Gone Mad" by Bastille
I only know a few songs from Bastille, including "Pompeii", which is one of my favorite songs of all time. I wish I knew more of their work since I like every song I've heard from them. This is probably my least favorite of the songs I've heard, but it's still pretty great. I love the contrast between the acoustic elements and the bombast in the production, and I adore the lead singer's vocal tone. There's just something so intriguing and captivating about his voice. The lyrics are okay. I like how they provide political commentary and are relevant in these dark times, but they feel a little underwritten and repetitive. This is still a really solid song, and I'm totally going to listen to more Bastille in the future. 8/10
34. "Darkside" by Ty Dolla $ign & Future ft. Kiiara
I thought this song would be another generic trap-rap song just like we've heard a ton of in this post. Surprisingly, this song isn't super-generic. I pretty much only knew Kiiara from that "Gold" song last year, which is a terrible song. I didn't expect her to do much here, but she does the chorus and she sounds great, like a better Selena Gomez (don't kill me). The chorus is dark but still catchy. The two rappers admittedly sound similar but they both do pretty well. The beat is pretty cool and I love the synth melody at the end. The lyrics are surprisingly deep and fit the atmosphere of this song. This isn't the best song I've ever heard, but it's shockingly listenable. 8/10
35. "Female" by Keith Urban
We end with country music...sigh. The production is okay, but it sounds like any other country ballad, and I guess the vocals are okay. I like the female backing vocals scattered throughout the song. Where this song really falls flat is in the lyrics. I'm a feminist, and I don't have a problem with the overall message. It's just that they feel pretty condescending coming from a man. The chorus is just him listing off different names for women, and it feels a little gross. I'd rather have more songs performed by women in country music than songs about women. Not to be sexist, but I just like country music performed by women more tbh 5/10
We're done...finally. I really loved writing the first edition of this post. Even if I didn't love every song, I still had fun going out of my comfort zone. I can't say the same for this post. Whereas most of the songs in the first edition were unique and memorable, the songs in here weren't always as memorable. I blame that on the unnecessary amount of generic trap-rap songs in here. While I like some trap songs, most of the ones in here weren't great and bored me to tears. I felt like I was describing every other song as "generic" and I hated that. The songs were overall just not as strong to me as the ones in the previous post. There were some good ones in there, though. The #1 song I would recommend here is "Kiwi", which is just a jam. LISTEN TO IT. Next week might be another First Impression like this one, since there was a similar video by the same channel that was released before the other two I did posts on. It would feel wrong of me to just skip over it, so that's probably what I'll do. Either that or I have another idea for a list that is, shockingly, not entirely music-related! This was a long post, so props to you if you read it all, and just know that next week's will probably be just as long. I'm Stellar in Neverland, and I'll see you next week. Peace!
Stellar
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