Hi, I'm Stellar, and I have an unhealthy addiction to watching stupid music-related videos on YouTube. Case in point- the trilogy of posts I made where I listen to songs I've supposedly heard but don't know the name of (most of which I've never heard, period). That trilogy was inspired by some videos you can find the links for in the posts themselves. Today's stupid music-related video inspiration for a post? 2000's Pop VS 2010's Pop, uploaded by the channel ESC MKD. The concept for this post is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. The video will show a popular song from the 2000s and a popular song from the 2010s. I will briefly talk about each song and state which one I prefer. This is NOT based off of success or impact or anything other than my personal opinion. This is based off of how I, Stellar in Neverland, feel about each song. At the end, I'll give a few bonus points for whatever categories I choose and tally up the points to see which decade is better: the 2000s or the 2010s. This might be a new series, comparing songs like this but it depends on if I find any similar videos to use for inspiration. So with that, let's get started.
Round One: "Poker Face" by Lady Gaga (2000s) vs. "Havana" by Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug (2010s)
I know I've praised it a lot in previous posts, but as time has gone on, I've realized that "Havana" is quite possibly THE MOST OVERRATED SONG OF ALL TIME. Okay, maybe that's a stretch, because it is still a pretty solid track. But I've seen a lot of people who act like it is the greatest, most catchy, original, and amazing song to ever exist when it really isn't. It's an 8/10, not a 382098492834098/10. I'm sick of hearing it in stupid music-related videos and I'm sick of them putting Camila on the thumbnail as a crappy excuse for clickbait. And while we're on the topic of Camila, I feel like she herself is incredibly overrated. Yes, she has one good song, but that doesn't mean she's the new queen of pop. She's only on her first album, she's got a long way to go before she's even on the level of Ariana Grande or Demi Lovato. Her other songs are mediocre and her voice is freaking unbearable on every other song I've heard her on, especially that "Never Be The Same" song she has out right now. And wow I'm getting off-topic, but I needed to get that out of my system. In addition to my opinion that it's overrated, another thing that hurts "Havana" in this battle is the fact that it's going against one of my favorite Gaga songs. Who doesn't know "Poker Face"? It's a modern classic, instantly memorable and honestly pretty groundbreaking. Like Camila, Gaga was hyped very early on in her career, but I think in the long run she's proven to be worth the hype and is one of the legends of my generation. Plus I wrote a Romeo and Juliet themed parody of "Poker Face" for my English class last year, and I'm actually kind of proud of it, so yeah the winner is clear for me.
Winner: "Poker Face" (2000s)
Round Two: "Toxic" by Britney Spears (2000s) vs. "No Tears Left to Cry" by Ariana Grande (2010s)
This is gonna sound odd, considering that I love Ariana to death and wrote a very positive review of this very song just last week. "No Tears Left to Cry" is great. But it just came out last week. It's not fair to compare a song that just came out to a song that is widely viewed as one of the biggest classics of the 2000s-and one of my personal favorite songs of all time. "Toxic" is timeless. The production is brilliant, even if the main riff is sampled from some Bollywood song I had never heard of until I saw a video about it. A few elements might be a little dated such as the autotune-y breakdown, but it was groundbreaking for the time. The melody is unique and catchy. The lyrics in this song have a good balance of being sexy but not too explicit, and there are actually some well-written lines here and there. Britney’s voice isn’t great, but she’s able to give a really good performance. A song like this calls for a breathy, seductive vocal tone and her limited vocal range is able to pull it off perfectly. This is a song I would describe as an “instant classic”. It’s deservedly one of Britney’s most well-known songs, as it’s easily the best thing I’ve heard from her. Is "No Tears Left to Cry" still a great song? Yes, of course, but it can't compare to a classic like "Toxic". (But if we switch "No Tears Left to Cry" for "Into You", that's another story.)
Winner: "Toxic" (2000s)
Round Three: "Jenny From The Block" by Jennifer Lopez (2000s) vs. "More Than You Know" by Axwell Ingrosso (2010s)
Okay now. Here we have a song I've heard in snippets but never actually heard in its entirety (wow, I live a sheltered life) going against a song I've straight-up never heard of. "Jenny From The Block" definitely sounds like your standard early 2000s song. The beat's pretty slick with some cool flute elements and even a complete switch-up in the song's latter half. The chorus is obviously iconic, where even people who have never heard the song in its entirety can sing it word for word. Jennifer Lopez isn't a particularly noteworthy singer, but she sounds pretty good here, and the message of how she's not changing despite her fame is admirable. In contrast, "More Than You Know" is a standard current EDM song. It's a song where the beat is most important thing, and it is a pretty great beat. I like the guitar in the intro and outro, the aggressive bass in the verses and the horns in the drop. I'm not sure who the singer is, but his voice is pretty good. There's one part where it has the normal vocals layered with a vocoder and it sounds really awesome. I like both of these songs more than I was probably expecting to, but I'll give the edge to "More Than You Know" because I prefer its style.
Winner: "More Than You Know" (2010s)
Round Four: "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake (2000s) vs. "I'm The One" by DJ Khaled ft. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne (2010s)
Battle of the Justins! In one corner, you have "SexyBack", which is a weird song. It's a lot more experimental than you'd expect from a pop song, and for the time, the overuse of autotune was somewhat groundbreaking. JT's vocals are entirely processed and he doesn't even really sing, it's more of a talk-singing thing. It's definitely a song that can take some getting used to, but I kinda like it. It's not my favorite song ever, and it's more of a guilty pleasure than anything. I like the interjections from the song's producer Timbaland, as well as the part with the funky guitar towards the end. It's interesting, which is something I can't really say about "I'm The One". "I'm The One" is a fine song, but it's nothing notable. The most interesting thing about it is the list of guests, which meant it was pretty much guaranteed to go #1. You have Bieber, who in recent years has made his name as a go-to featured vocalist for EDM-pop, Quavo, who has been huge as of late both on his own and with Migos, Chance the Rapper, who's an up-and-coming-ish Grammys favorite, and Lil Wayne, who is one of the biggest rappers of the millenium. Plus you have DJ Khaled doing his standard "ANOTHA ONE!" "WE THE BEST MUSIC!" shtick. What this battle comes down to is whether you prefer an experimental-but-hard-to-get-into song or a safe-but-not-really-bad one. Honestly I think I'm gonna give the point to Khaled and Friends, because relistening to this song now I realize that I actually really like Bieber's hook.
Winner: "I'm The One" (2010s)
Round Five: "Crazy in Love" by Beyonce ft. Jay Z (2000s) vs. "Wolves" by Selena Gomez and Marshmello (2010s)
Come on. This isn't even fair. To even suggest that Selena Gomez, who can barely hold a note without the help of pitch correction and is a mediocre performer, is at all in the same league as Beyonce is blasphemous. I'm not even one of those psychotic stans who believes Beyonce is the second coming of Jesus Christ or whatever. I'm just a normal, smart person who knows talent when she sees it. Beyonce is the total package. She's the best performer currently working, able to sing and dance better than all of her contemporaries and able to define pop culture with everything she does. She's an icon and Selena just can't compare. But we're not talking about who's overall better as an artist or vocalist. We're just comparing these two songs. And even then it isn't fair. "Wolves" is not a memorable song. It's generic EDM-pop that blends in with everything else on the radio. "Crazy in Love" is the opposite of that. Between the iconic horn line that was made to be strutted to, Bey's fierce vocals, the ultra-catchy "uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh-no-no"'s, and the chemistry between future power couple Jay and Bey, "Crazy in Love" is a song that demands you listen to it. And I'm glad to, because it's probably my favorite Beyonce song and one of the best debut singles from an artist ever.
Winner: "Crazy in Love" (2000s)
Round Six: "I Kissed A Girl" by Katy Perry (2000s) vs. "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift (2010s)
I bet the idea of putting a Katy Perry song against a Taylor Swift song was completely intentional, and we all know why. I'd say I overall prefer Katy. Yes, she has her bad songs (especially in her later career) and her personality can be extremely cringeworthy. Plus she's one of the most problematic figures in music. But when Katy's at her best, she's responsible for some of my favorite pop songs. Taylor, on the other hand, is a good writer technically and a great businesswoman, but she comes off as fake, her good songs aren't as good as Katy's good songs, and her bad songs are unbearable. I talked about "Look What You Made Me Do"in my Reputation review, so go read that if you want the full details. But long story short, I think "Look What You Made Me Do" is worse than any Katy Perry song. It's lazy, badly written, annoying, overindulgent, and exists solely to cause drama. "I Kissed A Girl", on the other hand, is a song that aged pretty poorly and is a good example of Katy being problematic. On first glance, it looks like it's showing some much-needed LGBTQ+ positivity, but then you realize the narrator is just making out with a girl because she's drunk and bored. It's obnoxious and really problematic, but hey, it's catchy and sounds pretty good. At the very least, the rock instrumentation is better than...whatever "Look What You Made Me Do" is. Am I biased? Yeah, probably. But Katy wins this, even though her song here isn't good.
Winner: "I Kissed A Girl" (2000s)
Round Seven: "Beautiful Day" by U2 (2000s) vs. "Perfect Strangers" by Jonas Blue (2010s)
I will always associate the song "Beautiful Day" with the movie Nim's Island, because it's the song that plays in the credits. Nim's Island was one of my favorites as a kid, and it's where I first heard the song. I know a few U2 songs from my mom, and while it's not my favorite song I've heard from them (that honor goes to "Where The Streets Have No Name" or "With or Without You", in case you were wondering), it's still a pretty nice song. It's one of those songs that just makes you happy to be alive whenever you hear it. It's going up against a song I've maybe heard in small parts, but never in its entirety. It's the kind of tropical-inspired EDM that's been huge in the past few years, and despite the fact that it's a very recent trend and genre, the song feels really nostalgic to me. I have no idea why, but the melody of the prechorus and chorus itself just remind me of something I would hear as a kid. I really love the chorus, especially with the repeated "come on, come on, come over"'s and especially those deep, brassy horns. I'm going to call this battle the "Nostalgia Battle", because on one hand we have a song that gives me legitimate nostalgia, and on the other we have a song that gives me unexplainable nostalgia because I've never heard it before. And surprisingly enough, I think I'm going to go with unexplainable nostalgia on this one, even though both songs are really good.
Winner: "Perfect Strangers" (2010s)
Round Eight: "Buttons" by the Pussycat Dolls ft. Snoop Dogg (2000s) vs. "Work From Home" by Fifth Harmony ft. Ty Dolla $ign (2010s)
"Buttons" is one of those songs that I've heard parts of in various places, but never really cared about enough to look up in its entirety. And listening to it in its entirety...is it bad that this makes me a little uncomfortable? It's one of those songs that tries way too hard to be sexy, sounds really dated, and isn't all that catchy or memorable. None of the girls sound that good, and the Christina Aguilera-esque vocal runs at the end are trying too hard. Snoop Dogg doesn't really add much either and mostly just makes a bunch of lame cat/dog puns. It actually makes sense that the video pairs "Buttons" against "Work From Home" because a lot of what I said about "Buttons" applies to "Work From Home" too. I mean, they're both songs by girl groups that try too hard to be sexy, have filler rap verses, and bad vocal acrobatics at the end- thanks for that, Camila. There are some differences, though, mainly that "Work From Home" is mindlessly repetitive and catchy because of that. Maybe it's just that I've heard "Work From Home" so many times (seriously, this song was EVERYWHERE in 2016) and am therefore more familiar with it, but I guess I'll give it the edge, even though I'm not much of a fan.
Winner: "Work From Home" (2010s)
Round Nine: "Hung Up" by Madonna (2000s) vs. "Anywhere" by Rita Ora (2010s)
Considering Madonna is essentially the biggest pop star of all time and I'm something of a pop music nerd, it's kind of a shame that I'm not very familiar with her work. Like, I know a bunch of her songs, including "Hung Up", but I've never listened to most of them in their entirety. The most prominent thing about "Hung Up" is its sample of "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" by ABBA, a song I only know from Just Dance 2014, tbh. I really like what they do with the sample, giving it a modern dance update. The melodies are really good and unique. Despite being over five minutes long and being quite repetitive, it doesn't outstay its welcome and is overall a really solid dance track. It's going up against "Anywhere" by Rita Ora, a song I haven't heard. I used to have this weird bias against Rita Ora, but then I realized there's nothing really wrong with her and I was dumb. "Anywhere" is by far the best song I've heard from her, being unique yet familiar. The lyrics are about wanting to get away with your lover and the dreamy sound of the song fits the wistful mood perfectly. The post-chorus is made up of chopped up vocal loops and it's an inventive and quirky sound that makes me smile. Rita also gives a really strong and expressive vocal performance. Both songs in this matchup are strong dance-pop songs, but I'm going to give the edge to Rita. I just feel like her song is more creative, even though Madonna's is great too.
Winner: "Anywhere" (2010s)
Round Ten: "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay (2000s) vs. "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction (2010s)
I love "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction. In my mind, it's one of the most wonderfully cheesy songs ever written. Everything about it is innocent bubblegum teen-pop perfection. But really, this isn't even a contest for me. "Viva la Vida", despite not being my absolute favorite Coldplay song, is still one of my favorite songs of all-time. It is a sheer masterpiece. It has a memorable and gorgeous string riff that takes my breath away, introspective lyrics about a king's fall from grace, an iconic and melodically wonderful chorus, and even a solemnly beautiful outro. The entire song feels larger-than-life and completely epic. I was obsessed with the song three years ago, even making an absolutely horrid cover of it that I sent to my friends and would prefer not to share here. And three years later, that love still stands. This is probably the battle in here with the most obvious winner for me, even though I still love One Direction.
Winner: "Viva La Vida (2000s)
Round Eleven: "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey (2000s) vs. "The Way I Are" by Bebe Rexha ft. Lil Wayne (2010s)
According to Wikipedia, Billboard named "We Belong Together" the song of the 2000s decade and topped the charts for an insane 14 weeks. So how have I never heard this song in its entirety? I guess it's decent enough, but its wild success feels weird to me. This doesn't sound like a chart behemoth, it sounds like a song that tops the charts for like, two or three weeks and then fades away. It has a weird, intricate melody in the verses and more of a slow-burning feel to it than a massive chart-topping earworm. It's still pretty good, mainly because of Mariah's vocals. I don't even know that many of her songs, but I can say it's probably justified to call Mariah one of the greatest vocalists of all time. The one long note she belts at the end is really impressive. In comparison, "The Way I Are" (despite the stupid title...seriously, why did they think the bad grammar was a good idea?) is a lot more fun and feels more like a typical chart-topper, even though it didn't even chart on the Billboard Hot 100. It's a lot more generic, though, with generic lyrics about dancing and a repetitive chorus. It goes in one ear, stays in your head for a little bit, and then goes out the other. Despite being a ballad, I would say "We Belong Together" is more memorable, so it gets the point.
Winner: "We Belong Together" (2000s)
Round Twelve: "Yeah!" by Usher ft. Lil Jon and Ludacris (2000s) vs. "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" by Shawn Mendes (2010s)
Another obvious victory is obvious. Back in October when I talked about my homecoming experience, I stated that "Yeah!" was a school dance staple. However, I don't think that sums up just how much of a banger it is. If you actually look at the lyrics, "Yeah!" is about the wonderful topic of cheating on your girlfriend with one of her friends. However, the beat is so hypnotic and Usher's vocals are so smooth that you have no choice but to ignore that. Lil Jon's ad-libs are wonderful and Ludacris's rap has so many quotable lines. This is a song that gets everyone to the dance floor instantly and if you hate it, you also hate fun. "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back" is also a good song, probably Shawn's best. It perfectly captures the feeling of young love and the melodies are fantastic. I was obsessed with it last summer. However, it's just not as good as "Yeah!". But to be fair, very few things are. Peace up, A-Town down.
Winner: "Yeah!" (2000s)
Round Thirteen: "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira (2000s) vs. "New Rules" by Dua Lipa (2010s)
To be honest, I'm probably more familiar with the Spanish version of "Whenever, Wherever" because I know I've heard it in my Spanish class. However, the English version is equally as good. The production is top-notch, with a great Spanish-rock vibe and even some cool pan-flutes. Shakira brings a quirkiness in both her unique vocals and lyrics ("Lucky that my breasts are small and humble so you don't confuse them with mountains" is such an odd lyric you can't help but love it). Plus the song is ungodly-catchy, with a really well-written chorus and instantly memorable "le-lo-lo-le-lo-le"'s. Then we have "New Rules", which...honestly, a lot of what I said about "Havana" applies to "New Rules", albeit not as severely. I do think this song has become pretty overrated over time and I'm sick of seeing Dua on the thumbnail of every pop music-related video as an excuse for clickbait. That being said, I also still really like "New Rules" and Dua herself. I love how confident and empowered she sounds on this song, and her husky vocal tone makes her stand out. I also really like the overall message of this song, where she's actually showing maturity by not getting back together with the scumbag who broke her heart. Plus the music video is really fantastic and creative and deserves its immense recognition. Honestly, I think I'm gonna call this round a tie because both songs are equally great in my opinion. Here's my "new rule" which will apply if I make this a series: I'm allowed one tie per post, and each competing "team" (in this case decades) will get one point.
Winner: "Whenever, Wherever" (2000s) AND "New Rules" (2010s)
Round Fourteen: "Umbrella" by Rihanna ft. Jay Z (2000s) vs. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen (2010s)
"Umbrella" was a game-changer for Rihanna, completely elevating her career from just another generic pop girl to a powerhouse of the industry. And her star just keeps on growing even a decade later, as she's one of the most famous people on the planet. "Umbrella" is another classic 2000s pop song that sounds timeless. It has a fantastic melodic composition with a really catchy and memorable chorus. Rihanna gives one of her best vocal performances to date and sounds smooth and sincere, especially on that bridge, which is my favorite part of the song. Jay Z's intro is a little unnecessary, but he does give the song an aura of coolness and swagger that adds to it. Meanwhile, "Call Me Maybe" is a song I honestly find really mediocre. Yes, it's catchy, but it's not really interesting or creative. It's just a shallow bubblegum pop song you can get from any pop star. Okay, I'm probably just salty because Carly Rae Jepsen has made some fantastic music (I'm still obsessed with "Cut to the Feeling", by the way) and sucks that she's always going to be remembered for this mediocre song instead of something like "Cut to the Feeling". But I digress. Either way, "Umbrella" still wins.
Winner: "Umbrella" (2000s)
Round Fifteen: "Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil Kim, Mya, and Pink (2000s) vs. "Closer" by The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey (2010s)
I'm not sure why these two songs are going against each other, since they're nothing alike. Wouldn't the 2010s equivalent of "Lady Marmalade" be "Bang Bang" by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj? I mean, both songs have an all-star of powerhouse female artists who get to show off in their own respective ways. Despite my status as an Ariana stan, I actually think I prefer "Lady Marmalade", because, to be honest, I've never really liked "Bang Bang". All four of the performers kill it on this fantastic retro-inspired production, and it's maybe the only time in existence where Christina Aguilera's signature "HEYOHWHOAYEAHYEAHOHYEAHOOOH"-ing doesn't feel grating. Christina, Pink, and Mya all get to show off (although none as much as Christina, obviously), and they all sound awesome. Lil Kim's rap verse is also really confident and empowering, and it's all based around a super-catchy and memorable chorus, even though the chorus is nonsense. On the other hand, neither of the people singing on "Closer" are really that good. For whatever reason I like Halsey, it's not because of her voice, and the Chainsmoker dude straight-up can't sing. However, "Closer" is one of the biggest instant-classics of this generation. Everything about it is iconic, from the opening "hey" to the sing-along-worthy chorus to the simple drop which is literally three notes, maybe even less. The Chainsmokers are kind of scumbags, but they made a really good pop song here. It's not my favorite song ever or anything, but just like, as a pop song, it succeeds immensely. This battle is actually "closer" (I hate myself) than I expected, but I'm gonna give it to "Lady Marmalade" because I just like how fierce it is, honestly. And wow, I wrote a lot about these two songs.
Winner: "Lady Marmalade" (2000s)
Round Sixteen: "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne (2000s) vs. "Starving" by Hailee Steinfeld and Grey ft. Zedd (2010s)
Um...I don't really like either of these songs. On one hand, you have "Girlfriend", which is nauseatingly catchy but also very annoying. It's also about a cliche in music that needs to die: "Dump your current girlfriend/boyfriend and get with me because I'm way better than they are!" Avril just sounds bratty and like the vapid popular girl in your cliche bad teen movie. Meanwhile, "Starving" is really close to being a good, if not a little generic, song. Yeah, the lyrics are pretty dumb, but I like the melodies a lot and Hailee's a pretty good singer. But then we get to the drop, which is really annoying and terrible. Zedd's normally one of the better EDM producers with quite a few songs I like, such as "Clarity" and "Stay", but I don't like the drop on this song at all and I have no idea what happened. I guess I'll give the edge to "Starving" because its lyrics don't make Hailee sound like a brat, but it's still not very good.
Winner: "Starving" (2010s)
Round Seventeen: "So What" by Pink (2000s) vs. "That's What I Like" by Bruno Mars (2010s)
And we end with another weird comparison (how are Pink and Bruno similar?) that results in another obvious victory, at least for me. I've actually talked about "So What" before on here, mainly in the 30-Day Music Challenge, but in a few other places as well. It's my favorite Pink song because of how bada** and awesome it is, while also having an emotional core. It's how I imagine myself acting after a breakup, being mostly like "I'm so much better without you!" but also admitting the sadness and disappointment with how they treated you. Plus it just sounds awesome. On the other hand, I was obsessed with "That's What I Like" around this time last year, but it shrunk on me over time. With its 90s R&B-inspired production, soulful vocals, and sweet lyrics, it's a good song, but Bruno's done way better songs like it. "That's What I Like" is basically just a weaker version of "Treasure", with both songs being retro-inspired jams with sweet lyrics. Plus "Versace on the Floor", the follow-up single, is also a better version of this song even though it's more sexual. To cap things off, Pink wins this one easily.
Winner: "So What" (2000s)
Now that we're done with all the faceoffs, let's do the Bonus Rounds. Well, these aren't really rounds, they're just bonus points. The four "awards" for this are the "This Is My Favorite Song In This Entire Post" Award, the "This Is My Least Favorite Song In This Entire Post" Award, the "I've Never Heard This Song Before But I'm Going To Add It To All Of My Playlists" Award, and the "This Song Should Have Won But I Prefer The Other Song A Tiny Bit More" Award. Obviously, Fall Out Boy inspired the award names, or at least the lengths of them.
This Is My Favorite Song In This Entire Post: This one's going to Coldplay. "Viva La Vida" is just the best, man. "Yeah!" is a very close second, though. +1 point for the 2000s.
This Is My Least Favorite Song In This Entire Post: "Look What You Made Me Do", obviously. I don't love every song here, but nothing can compare to this one in sheer horribleness. +1 point (or should it be -1?) for the 2010s.
I've Never Heard This Song But I'm Going To Add It To All Of My Playlists: I can't decide between "Perfect Strangers" or "Anywhere", but either way, +1 point for the 2010s.
This Song Should Have Won But I Prefer The Other Song A Tiny Bit More: Even though I said this matchup was really obvious, I'm going to give the point to "What Makes You Beautiful". Yeah, it's nowhere near as good as "Viva La Vida", but it's still wonderful. +1 point for the 2010s.
Overall Scores:
2000s: 12 points
2010s: 10 points
WINNER: 2000s
I don't actually know enough about 2000s music to say which decade is genuinely better, but based on the songs in this selection, I say it's the better decade. As for my next post, after months of waiting, I think it's FINALLY going to be The Stellar Adventures of Catalina in Neverland #3. It will be up next Wednesday. I'm Stellar in Neverland, and I'll see you then. Peace!
Stellar
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