REVIEW: Blackpink- The Album

 Since I came back to this blog in 2020, I've really liked writing about kpop. Earlier this year, I wrote a series called Kpop Crash Course where I listened to a bunch of famous kpop songs, and I've also watched a lot of kpop-related videos to discover new songs in the genre. However, before all of this, one of the first kpop groups I got into was the girl group Blackpink.

Debuting in 2016 under YG Entertainment, Blackpink can reasonably be called the biggest girl group in the world. YG Entertainment is one of the "Big 3" companies in kpop along with JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment. YG already had legendary kpop groups like BIGBANG and 2NE1, as well as PSY when "Gangnam Style" was taking over the world, in their roster, so you can imagine that there would be a lot of hype for their next girl group. Prior to the release of any music, YG featured the four members of the group, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, in advertisements and music videos for other YG acts. On August 8, 2016, Blackpink released their debut project, Square One, with the singles "Boombayah" and "Whistle." 

From there, the popularity of the group has skyrocketed. They are the highest charting Korean female act on both the Billboard Hot 100 (which counts singles) and the Billboard 200 (which counts albums). With 49.7 million subscribers, they are the second most-subscribed artist on YouTube, only behind Justin Bieber, and they were also the first kpop girl group to perform at Coachella. They've also collaborated with Western artists like Lady Gaga and Dua Lipa, as well as collaborating with Selena Gomez and Cardi B on this very album. 

However, despite their immense popularity, Blackpink is only just now releasing their debut album. That's one thing that's frustrated many of their fans, known as Blinks: their discography is surprisingly small. Compared to most other kpop artists, who release multiple comebacks a year, Blackpink typically only releases one a year. I have mixed opinions on this. On one hand, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa are people, not robots. I'd much rather see them have time to breathe rather than being overworked. Kpop is a stressful industry, and I'm glad YG isn't letting them become victims to it. But on the other hand, it just makes sense from a business perspective to release music more frequently. The kpop industry seems to be very fast-paced, and the best way to keep your name in the public consciousness is to release more music. You keep the fans happy that way. Plus, I've heard that the girls themselves have wished they were releasing more music. 

I first started getting into Blackpink in early 2019, around the same time I got into Twice. I first heard their song "Ddu-du Ddh-Du" on one of the Just Dance games and I thought it was really cool and catchy. I listened around to some of their other songs and I do like quite a few of them. Their 2019 song "Kill This Love" was super badass, "As If It's Your Last" has an amazing chorus, and "Playing With Fire" is easily one of my top 5 favorite kpop songs in existence. I'm not terribly invested in the girls as people, but they seem cool. Lisa, the group's main dancer, is my bias because her raps tend to be my favorite parts of the song and she's absolutely incredible at dancing. However, I've been underwhelmed by the lack of new music, and the new music, from what I've heard, has been disappointing. I've only really heard "How You Like That" and snippets of "Ice Cream" with Selena Gomez, and I'm not impressed by either. I've also been getting into other kpop groups, and some girl groups, namely Red Velvet and Mamamoo, just surpass Blackpink for me. But I want to like this group, so hopefully I'll find a few solid b-sides. Now let's cut the rambling and look at Blackpink's very creatively titled debut album...The Album. (Seriously YG, try harder.)

This album cover is really simple, but I dunno, I really like it. 

(Oh, one thing I have to mention: When I write album reviews, I listen to the album track-by-track and give my initial thoughts on each song, scoring each from 1 to 10. At the end, I give some final thoughts. Also one thing I absolutely cannot emphasize enough: this review is based on my opinion and absolutely nothing else. Respect my opinion and I'll respect yours.) 

1. "How You Like That"

Pretty early on in my first listen of this track, something was very apparent very early on: this is basically the exact same song as "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Kill This Love." The structure is practically identical between the three songs: 

1. An introductory verse. To be fair, the first verse in "How You Like That" is sung, whereas it's rapped in both "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Kill This Love." But with everything else, the structure is pretty much the same. 

2. A nice, melodic buildup featuring good vocals from Jisoo and Rosé. 

3. The members shout the name of the song, or something close to it, i.e. "Hit you with that ddu-du, ddu-du, du!" or "Let's kill this love!"

4. A mostly instrumental beat drop. The beat drop isn't entirely instrumental, as it's intercut with the same "Hit you with that ddu-du, ddu-du, du!," "Let's kill this love!" and "How you like that!" from before. We also get some interjections, usually "yeah" in some form. 

5. A more rap-leaning verse from Jennie and/or Lisa, 

6. Melodic buildup, title drop, and instrumental portion again. 

7. Short melodic bridge from Rosé. 

8. Final beat drop, which is different and more explosive than the previous two.

9. End the song.

There are some differences between the three songs, and to be fair, I didn't notice how similar "Kill This Love" was to "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" until recently. "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was the song that got me into Blackpink, and "Kill This Love" was even better because the drop sounded like a marching band. But by the third time, it was just stale. "How You Like That" is, in all honesty, pretty obnoxious. I don't like the beat, and some of the vocal inflections are grating. I also don't like the "dumdumdumdumdumdum" parts in the final drop. As somebody who was getting into Blackpink and awaiting their next comeback, "How You Like That" just felt regurgitated, lazy, and ultimately disappointing. 3.5/10

2. "Ice Cream" ft. Selena Gomez

Fun fact, Ariana Grande helped with the composition of this track, and the song also features writing credits from her frequent collaborators Victoria Monét and Tommy Brown, the latter of whom also co-produced the track. I'd ask why Ariana didn't just sing on it herself, but honestly, I don't know if she'd do much to redeem this. I'm not gonna say this is the worst song I've ever heard period, but it's definitely the worst I've heard from Blackpink. The lyrics are just straight-up awful, mostly consisting of a bunch of bad ice cream-related puns. I'm never going to be a fan of songs that try to relate sex to food- remember all the (well-deserved) flak Justin Bieber got for "Yummy" earlier this year? The chorus is the worst kind of earworm, where it's infuriatingly catchy but so annoying. I'm also not sure why they keep giving Lisa all the rap parts when Jennie is supposed to be the main rapper of the group. Her raps are typically my favorite parts of Blackpink songs, but she's underwhelming here. Finally, why on Earth is Selena here other than star power? She's a weak singer who doesn't have a lot of presence on her own tracks, let alone this one. She adds nothing. All in all, I'd give "Ice Cream" a 2/10, and I'll stick to Twice when I want to listen to a kpop song called "Ice Cream." I know I've been harsh on these first two tracks, but it's mostly because I know that Blackpink is capable of so much more. I really hope the rest of these songs are better. 

3. "Pretty Savage"

Ughh, this song started out so strong! The piano line was really good. Then it turned to a synth and it is just...so bad. That synth tone legitimately gives me a headache. The song once again repeats the "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"/"Kill This Love"/"How You Like That" structure, and honestly, it might be the worst take on the formula. The main drop is grating and the final drop at the end sounds way too much like Jason Derulo's awful "Wiggle" song for my liking. I'm also a little uncomfortable by the way they co-opt AAVE in this song and take a lot of hip hop slang. I know it's (unfortunately) quite common for kpop to steal elements from Black culture, but it still feels icky. There are elements to this that I like, namely the guitar parts in the melodic buildup and the short bridge, but everything else is just irritating. I am a little amused by the usage of the word "bitch" throughout the song. I've only heard a few kpop songs that feature English curse words, so it's always gonna catch me off guard when somebody swears. 3/10
4. "Bet You Wanna" ft. Cardi B

I just have to ask again: why is Cardi here? I don't hate Cardi. I think she can be really fun in a lot of cases and I've been laughing my ass off at the countless "WAP" mashups that have flooded my For You Page on TikTok for a month. But like...Blackpink already has two good rappers in Jennie and Lisa. Cardi really isn't needed here. That being said, this has been easily my favorite song here up to this point. It's not their best song ever or anything, but it's pretty solid. The prominent bass in the song is amazing, and the melodies and vocals are strong. I wasn't huge on the repetitions of "I bet you wanna" but the "Something 'bout ya's taking me higher" chorus is great. Rosé's vocals are also pretty impressive, especially at the end. I've always thought of her as a vocalist who stands out because of her unique tone, not because of any insane high notes or anything, but her higher notes in this song were pretty good. I also liked Jennie and Lisa's bridge, although I didn't care for the "higher higher higher" autotuned parts. As for Cardi, her verse is fine for what it is, and I'm sure it'll help the girls break through in America. I'd much rather have Jennie and/or Lisa rap a verse and give Jisoo the bridge instead. Jisoo seems to get the short end of the stick as far as line distribution goes, and that sucks. Her voice is really distinctive. Overall, I'd give this song a 7.5/10. 
5. "Lovesick Girls"

This song is set to be the next single on the album, and honestly, I liked it just from hearing snippets on the group's Instagram story. I'm not sure how to categorize the song as far as genre or style. I think it would be best described as an electronic dance song with some guitar thrown in there. Famous producer David Guetta worked on the composition of this song, but more interesting to me is the fact that Jennie and Jisoo had a hand in writing the lyrics. The members of Blackpink typically don't write on their tracks, so it's a delight to see that's changing. Another thing that surprised me was Jennie rapping. I don't know why that did, since she's supposed to be a rapper in the group. It's just surprising since a lot of the raps are typically given to Lisa instead of Jennie. Lisa also raps here, and they both do a great job. Jisoo and Rosé's vocals are on point, and I love the chorus. This may end up being one of my ultimate favorites from Blackpink upon repeated listens. 9.5/10
6. "Crazy Over You"

This album features multiple English-only tracks so far. "Bet You Wanna" was entirely in English, and this song, "Crazy Over You," was as well. Honestly, I really hate that I brought up how a bunch of Blackpink songs all have the same structure and formula, because once I pointed that out, it's impossible for me to notice. This song has that same structure so it ultimately feels generic within Blackpink's discography. It's not bad. In fact, I like it a lot more than "How You Like That" and "Pretty Savage." The drop of the song is fine and Jisoo and Rosé sound especially fantastic. But it does feel like more of the same. This song goes in one ear and out the other. Maybe it'll grow on me with repeated listens. Maybe it'll be a "Delicate" by Taylor Swift situation, where I initially thought it was just mediocre and now laugh at how I thought such a great song was so underwhelming. But for now, I'm going to give it a 6.5/10.

7. "Love to Hate Me"

This song is also all in English. This song is one of the best songs here, as it has a more developed chorus. It really bugs me how many of the songs on this project have mostly had instrumental choruses. This song has a little bit of a hip-hop flair to it, but it's primarily dance-pop. I know that hip-hop elements are a hallmark of Blackpink's style, but most of my favorite songs from the group are the more dance-pop ones. "Playing With Fire," for example, does have a rap verse from Lisa (a really good one, I might add), but the production style of the song is electropop. Lisa has a rap on "Love To Hate Me" as well. Although I'm still confused at how the girls' producers keep giving Lisa the raps instead of Jennie, I can't really complain with this song, as her rap verse here is solid. I also think I like Jennie's singing as much, if not more, than her rapping. The melody of this song feels sort of dark and mysterious, and I love the way it peaks on the line "no, no drama in my life." Finally, I love the main line in this song, "you ain't worth my love if you only love to hate me." I really liked this one. 9.5/10
8. "You Never Know"

After seven uptempo songs, it's definitely a good choice to end the album with a more emotional track. The lyrics for most of this album haven't been too noteworthy, but this song has a more personal message. It's about how you can never know what somebody is going through, and how the girls, despite their fame, are going through struggles with self-worth. At least, that's how I interpret it. The very first line in the song, sung by Jisoo, translates to "On the days I force myself to smile brightly." I think of this song as being similar to "fake smile" by Ariana Grande and "Girls Like Us" by Twice, both of which are songs with the same theme that I also really love. The girls' vocals are also really strong throughout this entire song. They didn't write it, but you can tell it is personal to them. Lastly, I really love the bridge of this song, especially with Rosé gradually ascending up the scale in the melody. This is a great song to end the project on. 9.5/10

~~~ 

So how was Blackpink's The Album as a whole? Well, it certainly ended a lot better than it started. There are some really solid songs here, but a lot of middle-of-the-road or terrible songs here. Most fans consider Blackpink, Twice, and Red Velvet to be the "Big Three girl groups" because they are from the three most prominent kpop labels (YG, JYP, and SM, respectively) and they're the three most successful. With Twice in particular (and probably Red Velvet too, but I have yet to listen to a full album from them), the b-sides are different from the title track, but still feel cohesive with it. Twice songs like "Get Loud" and "Love Foolish" fit with the title track, "Feel Special," but still feel unique enough. I wish Blackpink was more like that. I think the album would be a lot better if it had more variety, less songs that use the "How You Like That" formula. 

I'm happy that the girls are able to release an album that feels distinctive to them. The girls do a great job with what they're given, and they're the most consistently good thing about the project. I have problems with the music, but none of them are due to anything Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, or Lisa do. I also think that most diehard Blinks are going to love this album, and that's great! When I write reviews, I never want to make people feel bad for liking something. If you liked the album, I'm happy for you. However, as far as I'm concerned, it was a little disappointing. Like I said before, I prefer the dance-pop style on Blackpink, so this album doesn't appeal to me as much. I will return to some of the tracks, but overall, I'm gonna give it a 6/10 and hope that I like their next project more!

Favorites: "Lovesick Girls," "Love To Hate Me," "You Never Know"

Least Favorites: "Ice Cream," "Pretty Savage," "How You Like That"

Stellar

A Quick VMA Recap

 Is it just me, or were the 2020 VMAs pretty boring?

They shouldn't have been. They were held all over New York City due to the social distancing regulations. We had performances in some impressive locations. The Weeknd began the show on a skyscraper in Hudson Yards, and a few of the performers (I think Maluma, Keke Palmer, a few others) were set up in a drive-in theatre kind of thing. Lady Gaga wore a lot of ridiculous outfits, complete with custom masks. (She said "Wear a mask, it's a sign of respect," which I cannot emphasize enough. It doesn't even have to be one of Gaga's extravagant masks! Just a nursing mask will do fine!) But due to most of the awards being prerecorded, the ceremony lacked a lot of the surprises one comes to expect from the Video Music Awards. Think about it; all of the most iconic VMA moments were unexpected and shocking, like Kanye's "Imma let you finish," Miley Cyrus's twerking, Madonna kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Nothing like that happened this year. 

The VMAs this year were dedicated to the late actor Chadwick Boseman, who died just two days before the ceremony. The ceremony was bookended by Keke Palmer's home-recorded, heartfelt tribute to Boseman and Will.i.am saying "Wakanda Forever" at the end of the Black Eyed Peas' performance. While presenting the Best New Artist award, Travis Barker also introduced an “In Memoriam” segment to pay tribute to some of the talented folks we have lost this year, including rappers Juice WRLD and Pop Smoke, Glee star Naya Rivera, and Boseman. I was surprised that they didn't include Kobe Bryant or his daughter, Gianna in there, but it was still a nice tribute. However, ABC was airing Boseman's most famous movie, Black Panther, as well as an ABC News special celebrating his life and educating about colon cancer, the disease he quietly battled for four years. There were many times during the night that I wished I was watching Black Panther instead. (I do have the film recorded and will be honoring Boseman's legacy, along with the impact of the film, on Saturday with a MOVIE TALK on Black Panther.)

The winners of the awards were mostly expected. Lady Gaga took home five awards- "Rain on Me" with Ariana Grande won Song of the Year, Best Collaboration, and Best Cinematography, while Gaga herself won Artist of the Year and the first ever Tricon Award. They hyped up the Tricon thing a lot, which didn't make sense. Ever since the first VMAs, their lifetime achievement award was called the Video Vanguard Award, renamed the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award in 1991. I'm not sure why they didn't have the award under that name...I guess because of Michael Jackson's complicated legacy? Either way, they could give Gaga the award as the Video Vanguard? The "Tricon" name just seems stupid and random. However, Gaga absolutely deserved it, and frankly, I think she deserved a lifetime achievement award from the VMAs a long time ago. Gaga has had so many iconic music videos, from "Bad Romance," "Telephone," "Born This Way," and so on. 

Most of the other awards were pretty expected. BTS won all four awards they were nominated for, with "On" winning Best Pop, Best Kpop, and Best Choreography, and the group as a whole winning Best Group. This wasn't surprising at all. The BTS fanbase, better known as ARMY, is absolutely rabid and will do anything to support their beloved Bangtan boys. This is a good thing, as in June, the ARMY quickly matched BTS's $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter- a fantastic example of celebrities and fans coming together to do a good thing. Anyways, I think BTS's awards were completely deserved. The boys consistently produce high-quality, cinematic music videos, and these awards are a great way to honor their amazing videography. 

However, the biggest award, Video of the Year, absolutely shocked me. I was so certain it was going to go to "Rain on Me. It already won a bunch of awards beforehand, and the awards are fan-voted, and both Gaga and Ariana have incredibly zealous fanbases. If it didn't go to "Rain on Me," then I expected it to go to "The Man" by Taylor Swift or "Everything I Wanted" by Billie Eilish, since both artists also have passionate stans. However, it went to "Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd. This surprised me a ton, since I didn't think The Weeknd had the same kind of fervent fanbase as Gaga, Ariana, Taylor, or Billie. But I was happy with it, since "Blinding Lights" is probably one of my favorite songs ever made and the video was my favorite of the bunch. 

But more than that, I really liked his speech. It was really short, but he made the most of it, basically saying that it was hard to celebrate with all of the stuff going on in the world. But most importantly, he said "Justice for Jacob Blake, Justice for Breonna Taylor." I always respect the hell out of celebrities who use the platforms they have to do good in the world. The VMAs is a huge stage and The Weeknd used that platform to voice his support for two people wronged by the organizations that should protect them. Jacob Blake is in the hospital, recovering from seven gunshots, and yet he's cuffed to his bed. Breonna Taylor was in her bed when she was murdered by police. And yet the officers who shot them are still running free, while the seventeen-year-old boy who killed two people at a protest in Kenosha was rewarded by the cops. We need to scream "Justice for Jacob Blake and Breonna Taylor" until those in power actually listen and give them the justice they deserve. 

Between Keke Palmer's opening monologue, many of the speeches made by winners, DaBaby's police brutality-alluding performance, the Video for Good award going to "I Can't Breathe" by H.E.R., and many of the commercials, the VMAs were very clear about their support of Black Lives Matter. However, I do feel like there was a little bit of racism in some of the categories, namely Best R&B. The award went to "Blinding Lights," which I thought was a deserving winner. However, anyone who's heard "Blinding Lights" can tell you that it's a straight-up pop song. It sounds like a mashup of "Take On Me" by a-ha and The Weeknd's own "Can't Feel My Face"- it's a clear 80s-inspired pop song. But I think that because it was made by a Black artist, MTV felt the need to pigeonhole it into the R&B category. It's very similar to what Tyler, the Creator said after he won the Best Rap Album Grammy earlier this year: “It sucks that whenever we, and I mean guys that look like me, do anything that’s genre-bending, they always put it in a ‘rap’ or ‘urban’ category. I don’t like that ‘urban’ word. To me, it’s just a politically correct way to say the N-word. Why can’t we just be in pop?" Meanwhile, the Best Pop category is mostly filled with white people, with the exception of BTS, Halsey, and Quavo, the latter of whom appeared on a Justin Bieber song. The Weeknd is mostly an R&B artist, but "Blinding Lights" is a clear pop song, so it should have been nominated in Best Pop instead of Best R&B.

One last comment on the winners is that Blackpink won Song of the Summer for "How You Like That." And look, I adore Blackpink. They have such a fierce vibe and they've made some of my favorite kpop songs. But I don't like "How You Like That" very much. It feels like they just recycled the same format as "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Kill This Love," except worse. I want to be happy that they won, but the song is just lackluster for me. Personally, I'd give the award to "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles. It was released in November, but it's still been my summer jam. Harry Styles, as well as Dua Lipa, were both snubbed in a lot of the categories, so they reportedly refused to perform, which is a shame. They've been the two most consistently enjoyable artists this year for me, so I would have loved to see them perform. 

Now onto the performers!

My favorite performances were Gaga's Chromatica medley and BTS's "Dynamite." Gaga performed a ten-minute medley of "Chromatica II," "911," "Rain on Me," and "Stupid Love." Of course, my favorite part was "Rain on Me" with Ariana, because that performance had the only other moment in the show that shocked me. Ariana showed up, she and Gaga sounded great but it was pretty much what I expected- basically a recreation of the music video. And then right before the final chorus, Ariana decided to throw in some whistle notes, which blew me away. Ariana is easily one of, if not my favorite vocalists out there; I love how creative she is with her voice and how she constantly tries different ad-libs and high notes and never sings the same song twice. I've been a huge fan of her singing since I first heard her sing on Victorious, so whenever she flexes her insane range, it makes me happy to be alive.

As for BTS, I'm just always impressed with kpop performers. It's amazing how they manage to pull off impressive choreography while still sounding solid. They probably do use playback, but if you listen to the mic feeds, they actually are singing live, or at least singing along to playback. They don't sound perfect, at least in that mic feed, but considering that singing and dancing at the same time is pretty difficult, I'm surprised they don't sound worse. BTS just have a natural charisma as a group, and their choreography was amazing. The song they performed, "Dynamite," is also a bop. It's their first all-English song, and just earlier today, Billboard announced that it debuted at #1 on the Hot 100. "Dynamite" is the first song by a Korean act to top the Hot 100 and it had 265,000 downloads in its first week, which is the most first-week digital downloads since "Look What You Made Me Do" by Taylor Swift in 2017. I love kpop, and BTS's success here is nothing short of groundbreaking. 

After "Rain on Me" and "Dynamite," my favorite performance was probably The Weeknd's, mostly because I love "Blinding Lights" so much. He performed on a skyscraper, which was super rad. I also liked Miley Cyrus's performance of "Midnight Sky." She was probably lip-syncing, but the performance was still enjoyable- I loved the reference to "Wrecking Ball." DaBaby's medley of "Peep Hole," "Blind," and "Rockstar" was also a highlight, mostly for its direct reference of police brutality. Like I said before, I have so much respect for artists and celebrities who use their platform to speak out about important issues. Many artists, specifically rappers, have been speaking out about Black Lives Matter. Lil Baby's song "The Bigger Picture" is about police brutality, and DaBaby and Roddy Ricch made a remix of "Rockstar" called the "BLM Remix." And of course, artists like Kendrick Lamar have talked about police brutality and racism for their entire career. Hip-hop is important to Black culture and most rappers are Black themselves, so it is a cause important to their hearts. Hip-hop is also the most popular genre in the country, so their messages will be heard by millions of people, which is so important.

One artist who appeared a lot at the ceremony that I have mixed feelings on is Doja Cat. On one hand, Doja seems like a chill, funny person and it's always nice to see more female rappers in the mainstream. On the other hand, she is signed to Dr. Luke's label and regularly works with the producer. I can't in good faith support her music if she works with Dr. Luke, considering what he did to Kesha. However, her performance of "Say So" and "Like That" at the show was pretty good. The intergalactic set was fun and Doja had a ton of charisma and presence. She won the Best New Artist trophy, and I actually liked her speech a bit. She seemed kind of overwhelmed and sort of trailed off, which is exactly how I'd act in her situation. I noticed she didn't outright thank Dr. Luke, which is good- he doesn't deserve any thanks or good will. I just hope she stops working with him so I can maybe like her!

I'd say my favorite set design was probably the one they used for Maluma's performance of "Hawái," Keke Palmer's performance of "Snack," and CNCO's performance of "Beso." There was a normal stage, but they had it set up like a drive-in theatre, with some cars arranged, presumably with fans. My graduation took place at a local drive-in theatre with a similar set up to those performances, so I loved that they did something similar at the VMAs. They made a big deal of showing that the cars were Toyotas, so it was pretty much product placement, but I still enjoyed it. 

There were a few performances I really loved, but most of the performances were mediocre. However, the only one I outright disliked was the Black Eyed Peas' closer with Nicky Jam and Tyga. The first song they did was apparently called "Vida Loca." I had never heard it but it wasn't good. It basically stole the beat from "U Can't Touch This" and the "four, tres, two, uno" thing from "Fergalicious." It was lazy. Plus, they brought Tyga with them, a rapper who dated Kylie Jenner before she was a legal adult. Why is he still famous? The Peas did end their performance with "I Gotta Feeling," which is overplayed, yes, but it still has its charms. 

So overall this VMAs was a mixed bag. Nothing too terrible, but very few amazing moments. The Grammys were better. I'm not sure how to end this recap, so I'll see you Saturday.

Stellar

Looking Back At the VMAs for Video of the Year of the 2010s

 The MTV Video Music Awards are tomorrow, August 30th. I always like watching music award shows of this sort, not because I really care about the winners, but because I like seeing the performances. This year, the VMAs were supposed to be held at the Barclays Center in New York City with limited to no audience. However, due to COVID-19's determination to ruin absolutely everything for everyone, MTV decided to hold the VMAs in an outdoor format across New York. I'm excited to see how this works, and I'm excited for the performances. Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande are going to perform "Rain on Me" for the first time, which I'm pretty excited for. I’m a pop music lover who stans Ariana Grande and thinks Lady Gaga is one of the most important artists of our time. Of course I’ve had “Rain on Me” on repeat since the day it came out! I'm also excited for The Weeknd's performance of "Blinding Lights," because I'm still as obsessed with that song now as I was in February. One of the most hyped-up performances of the night will be BTS's debut performance of "Dynamite," their first all-English song. I’ve only heard the song a few times, but I’m already obsessed (I mean, it’s BTS doing their take on a Bruno Mars retro disco funk song and there’s a key change- how could I not love it?), and BTS are fantastic live performers, so it will be a treat. I'm going to do something similar to what I did for the Grammys in January and write a recap of the VMAs this coming Monday.

But for today, I'm going to look at the biggest VMA category, Video of the Year. I'm going to watch all the videos that were nominated in this category during the 2010s decade (as well as the 2020 nominees) and say if I agreed on the winners. Let's go!

2010
Nominees:

"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga (Winner)

"Airplanes" by B.O.B. ft. Hayley Williams

"Not Afraid" by Eminem

"Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine

"Telephone" by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé

"Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds To Mars

Pretty diverse bunch of songs and videos we have here. I definitely think "Bad Romance" deserved to win the most, although I personally preferred "Telephone." I loved the "Telephone" video for how batshit ridiculous it was in all the best ways. Between Gaga's ridiculous outfits (my personal favorite was the Coke can curlers), the gratuitous product placements, the many murders, and Gaga and Beyoncé's absolutely horrible acting, it brought me joy. However, "Bad Romance" is the more iconic video. I think there's supposed to be a plot about the Russian mafia and sex trafficking, but I mostly enjoyed it for the visuals. The choreography is iconic, the fashion is perfectly ridiculous, and the imagery of the clip is incredibly memorable. Also, Gaga invented the PokéStop in Pokémon Go in this video:

Another thing worth mentioning is that the "Bad Romance" video was directed by Francis Lawrence, who also directed three of the four Hunger Games movies. The more you know...

I also really liked the "Kings and Queens" video. I'm not sure what exactly the storyline was supposed to be, but the nightttime cinematography blew me away. I thought the "Dog Days Are Over" video was very eye-catching, featuring Florence Welch wearing a bunch of extravagant costumes and being joined by drummers, dancers, harpists, and a gospel choir. It had some interesting imagery, but I'd be more likely to return to it just because the song is really good. I had actually never listened to the song "Dog Days Are Over" in full, but it's very explosive and does a great job of showing off Welch's powerful, amazing voice. The final two videos in this category were "Airplanes" and "Not Afraid," both of which were mediocre to me. Despite B.O.B. being a conspiracy theorist, I love the song "Airplanes," mostly because it fills me with nostalgia. However, the video was boring. On the other hand, I'm not a huge fan of "Not Afraid" as a song, or most of Eminem's work, really. I thought the video was boring until he started flying. The CGI effects that made him fly were pretty amusing. 

2011

Nominees:

"Firework" by Katy Perry (Winner)

"Rolling in the Deep" by Adele

"Make Some Noise" by the Beastie Boys

"Grenade" by Bruno Mars

"Yonkers" by Tyler, the Creator

In 2011, they narrowed down the number of Video of the Year nominees to five, and it's definitely an interesting bunch. My favorite was definitely the Beastie Boys video, and I say that as somebody who doesn't know much about the Beastie Boys beyond "You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party." I mostly enjoyed it because of all the celebrity cameos, with Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, and Elijah Wood playing the Beastie Boys and going on a party spree throughout the town. It was basically a game of "How Many Celebrities Can I Recognize?" which I very much enjoyed, with some of my favorite cameos being Will Ferrell (with a cowbell), Steve Buscemi, Amy Poehler, and Rainn Wilson. With that last one, I was just kind of minding my own business, jamming along to the song a little bit, and then I realized "OH MY GOD IT’S DWIGHT SCHRUTE!" 

The rest of the videos were a mixed bag. The "Firework" video is kind of ridiculous in how it has Katy Perry and a bunch of "underdogs" including a cancer patient, a gay guy, and an overweight wallflower girl exploding fireworks from their souls. It's memorable and I guess it deserved to win since Katy was at her peak in 2011, but other Teenage Dream-era videos, such as the candy-themed "California Gurls" and the ridiculous 80s house party "Last Friday Night" stick out to me more. "Rolling in the Deep" is an amazing song, but the video was just blandly good. The visuals are striking, especially with the dancing in the dust, but the color palette was kind of dull. "Grenade" was probably the most boring of the five videos, as it just features Bruno dragging a piano through a city. It's okay though, Bruno did get nominated for other videos in the future, which are better. On the other hand, "Yonkers" by Tyler, the Creator was definitely the dark horse, as all of the other nominees were big names and Tyler really wasn't. He also threatens to hurt one of the other nominees in the category, saying that he will "stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus." With the violent lyrics and provocative music video where Tyler hangs himself at the end, "Yonkers" is an incredibly dark and compelling piece of work. In a category against pop superstars like Katy Perry and Adele, it really didn't have a chance of winning, but it's a riveting art piece, albeit one I respect more than I like. There were some homophobic slurs in the song, which rub me the wrong way; many of Tyler’s other songs do allude to him being some form of queer, so I have less of a problem with him using the slurs than other people, but  it still feels icky. I did like the cartoon references, especially the line "But after bowling, I went home for some damn Adventure Time." 

2012

Nominees:

"We Found Love" by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris (Winner)

"Take Care" by Drake ft. Rihanna

"Somebody That I Used To Know" by Gotye ft. Kimbra

"Bad Girls" by M.I.A.

"Wide Awake" by Katy Perry

I'm writing these segments in the order that they're listed, so this is only the third year I've covered. But briefly looking at the other years, I can say that 2012 definitely has the strongest selection of Video of the Year nominees. All five of these videos are amazing. Although I think "Somebody That I Used To Know" would also be a good winner, as its painting-inspired video is one of the most iconic of the past decade, I have no qualms about "We Found Love" taking the crown. It has a separate Wikipedia page specifically about its video, if that says anything. It's more like a short film and it's far artsier than you'd expect from a Rihanna club song. The "We Found Love" video was controversial for how it shows Rihanna having sex and doing drugs in a toxic relationship, and while I get the outrage, I like to believe that the events of "We Found Love" are just a story, one that is told really well. 

I think "Take Care" is probably my favorite of the five just as a song. It's a moody R&B masterpiece and a high point of both Drake and Rihanna's careers. The video is very abstract and minimalist, with a very grey color palette. I liked how it intercut scenes of Drake and Rihanna embracing with various animals, including a bull, a bird, and a tropical fish. I get why somebody would think this one was dull, but I think it matches the song perfectly. The "Bad Girls" video was also really good. It shows M.I.A. in a post-apocalyptic desert being a badass. I really liked the glow-in-the-dark car in particular, because it looked rad. I also hadn't ever heard the song in full, but it's definitely a song I'd play when I want to feel like a badass. But out of all the nominees for 2012, "Wide Awake" video was my favorite. It shows a darker side of Katy than we had previously seen, but still very whimsical and fantastical. It was very Alice in Wonderland-inspired and visually stunning- a great way to close the Teenage Dream era. I thought all of these videos were fantastic and I'd be happy with any of them winning. 

2013

Nominees

"Mirrors" by Justin Timberlake (Winner)

"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Wanz

"Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars

"I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift

"Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke ft. T.I. and Pharrell

Um...is it bad that despite it being one of the most repulsive songs and videos I can think of, part of me thinks "Blurred Lines" should have won? I mean, it's a lazy, trashy video for a lazy, trashy song, but I was there in 2013. "Blurred Lines" garnered so much controversy and truly shocked people, and as much as it pains me to say, I do think it should have won because of that. Similarly, I think "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus should have received a nomination for Video of the Year (it received four other nominations, however). It's a very trashy video, but it provoked people and got them talking. I don't think the title of Video of the Year necessarily has to mean the best music video of the year, but rather the one that had the most cultural impact. And as much as I don't like "Blurred Lines" or "We Can't Stop," they got people talking. However, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Cyrus and Thicke were the ones making headlines after the VMAs, since 2013 was the year of the infamous twerking teddy bear performance. 

That being said, I think "Mirrors" is by far the best video of the nominees, and although it didn't have as much cultural impact as "Blurred Lines" or "We Can't Stop," it really is a stunning video. It almost reminds me of the first fifteen minutes of Up in how it shows stages of a couple's life. The video is dedicated to Timberlake's grandparents, and I think it shows their story beautifully. "Thrift Shop" is the funniest and most lighthearted of the five, and while it is extremely memorable (those Batman footie pajamas!), I think Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's "Can't Hold Us" video should have been nominated instead. The scope of that video takes my breath away and it's one of my favorite music videos ever. "Locked Out of Heaven" is my favorite song of the five, and while I love the grainy, 80s aesthetic of its video, it's not as interesting as future Bruno Mars videos. Finally, we have "I Knew You Were Trouble." I don't think this is a bad video, but it feels like a PG-rated version of "We Found Love," right down to the monologue at the beginning. Taylor has much better videos. 

2014

Nominees:

"Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus (Winner)

"Fancy" by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

"Drunk in Love" by Beyoncé ft. Jay-Z

"Chandelier" by Sia

"Happy" by Pharrell Williams

Going off of what I just said about "Blurred Lines" and "We Can't Stop," it shouldn't be a surprise to you that I think "Wrecking Ball" was a completely worthy winner. The way I see it, if something is parodied to death, then it has a true cultural impact, and the "Wrecking Ball" video certainly was. I mean, it had Miley Cyrus, who was the hottest celebrity in the world in 2013, swinging around naked on construction equipment. How could people not parody it? I actually really like the song "Wrecking Ball," but the video, despite its cultural impact, isn't great. Why is she licking a sledgehammer in the middle of her big, emotional number?

I think "Fancy" and "Chandelier" were the two best videos of the five. I don't like "Fancy" as a song, but I'm always a fan of a good homage, and the way the video homages Clueless is inspired. "Chandelier," on the other hand, is easily the best song of the five because it's so raw and embraces its imperfections. The video showcases Maddie Ziegler from Dance Moms performing an interpretive dance in a dirty apartment, and it's just stunning how Ziegler was only eleven when she did this, yet dances with such impressive maturity. No wonder that Sia has continued to work with Ziegler in countless other videos. As for the other two videos, I thought they were okay. "Drunk in Love" was kind of boring and too long, but Beyoncé looked fantastic and her chemistry with Jay-Z was great. "Happy" was kind of boring too, but I did like the celebrity cameos. As we saw with "Make Some Noise," featuring a cast member of The Office in your video is always a way to get in my good graces, and this video features Michael Scott himself, Steve Carell! It also features Miranda Cosgrove, Jimmy Kimmel, Magic Johnson, the minions (of course), and Tyler, the Creator! That last one completely shocked me, I had no idea. 

2015

Nominees:

"Bad Blood" by Taylor Swift ft. Kendrick Lamar (Winner)

"7/11" by Beyoncé

"Alright" by Kendrick Lamar

"Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

"Thinking Out Loud" by Ed Sheeran

There are three videos that didn't win that I have less to say about, so I'll just get those out of the way. First, there's "7/11." I love and respect the hell out of Beyoncé, but the song "7/11" is, to put it bluntly, unlistenable garbage. (As any person who's ever tried to sing "Love on Top" can tell you, Beyoncé is a world-class vocalist; why does she sound like she's doing a bad Future impression here?) However, the video is cute- it's nice to see a powerful force like Beyoncé just have fun with her friends for a minute. Then there's "Thinking Out Loud," the most boring of the five videos. The female dancer, So You Think You Can Dance contestant Brittany Cherry, does a stunning job with the choreography, and Ed clearly worked hard to keep up with her, but I find the video dull compared to the other nominees. Finally, there's "Uptown Funk," a video with a thesis of "Hot damn, Bruno Mars is just the coolest!" The video does an excellent job at making Bruno look like the coolest man on the planet, and it's pretty iconic. (Also this year, there was some drama with Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj that I can't really remember, but Bruno and Ed had a fake Twitter beef in response. It was hilarious.)

The 2015 VMAs present us with another case where the winner was undeserved because the artist had a better video. I know I said that I like videos that are essentially cameo-fests, like with "Make Some Noise" and "Happy," but the "Bad Blood" video and its countless cameos rub me the wrong way. I think the reason why is because "Make Some Noise" and "Happy" are both lighthearted videos and the main point of them is "Hey, the Beastie Boys are legends and all these celebrities love them!" and "These celebrities enjoy dancing, being happy, and/or Despicable Me 2!" Meanwhile, "Bad Blood" presents itself as a feminist anthem, but it's mostly dedicated to tearing down another woman. It's mainly just a way for Taylor to flaunt her famous "squad" as the pinnacle of feminism, despite said "squad" consisting largely of skinny white supermodels. I get the decision to give the award to Taylor Swift, since this was 2015 where she was at her peak with 1989, but seriously, "Bad Blood" over "Blank Space"? "Blank Space" is a much better song and video in which Taylor actually shows a sense of self-awareness and plays into the "psychotic serial dater" image she was (unfairly) labeled as. But mostly I just like that video because every single outfit Taylor wears in it is perfection. 

Not that it really matters, but these three are my favorites!

Coincidentally, both Taylor and Kendrick Lamar deserved to win with different videos, although Kendrick's "Alright" was actually nominated, unlike "Blank Space." Much like another video a few years later, "Alright" directly addresses the problem of police brutality. The song is from the album To Pimp a Butterfly, the fifth highest-rated album of all time on Metacritic, and both the song and the album are specifically about race, culture, and discrimination. "Alright" in particular was named the single greatest song of the 2010s by Pitchfork. But it's not just an incredible, jazz-influenced hip hop song, and it's not just a great video. It's an important piece of art. "Alright" has become an anthem for the Black Lives Matter movement, a movement that, sadly, is more necessary now more than ever. I love a good frivolous love song every now and then, but when we have such serious issues in the world, we should always hope for art that reflects those issues, and Kendrick Lamar does that magnificently. The most powerful part of the video is when Kendrick is on a lamppost, then gets "shot" by a policeman. However, as he falls, he is smiling. “Alright” is a reminder that, despite the hardships and the tragedies that Black people have seen, at the end of the day, they “gon' be alright!" We just have to keep fighting until we get there. 

2016

Nominees:

"Formation" by Beyoncé (Winner)

"Hello" by Adele

"Sorry" by Justin Bieber

"Hotline Bling" by Drake

"Famous" by Kanye West

Honestly, I think a war might have started if Beyoncé didn't win this. 2016 was, among other things, the year of Lemonade, Beyoncé's critically acclaimed magnum opus that directly addressed her husband's infidelity and the experiences of Black women. (Side note: I just want to highlight the song "Freedom," another track from Lemonade that clearly references institutionalized racism, particularly relating to Black women. Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar address those topics really powerfully, and it's a song I've listened to a lot in the past few months as a response to the racial turmoil.)  Much like "Alright," the "Formation" video references police brutality, featuring a young boy dancing in front of police officers, followed by a wall graffitied with the words "Stop Shooting Us." The video also alludes to Hurricane Katrina, antebellum and Creole culture, and Black pride. My personal favorite scene was when the line "I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros" is sung. Beyoncé's daughter, Blue Ivy, appears, wearing an afro and dancing proudly. It's a satisfying middle finger to Western beauty standards, which often tell Black girls that traditionally Black hairstyles, such as afros, cornrows, and dreadlocks, are unattractive. "Formation" and its music video are incredibly important political statements, and although their impact is far greater than any award could signify, it's still nice to see Beyoncé take home the award.

That being said, “Hotline Bling” would be my second pick to win after Beyoncé. Even five years later, I still see memes about Drake's awful dancing and facial expressions in the "Hotline Bling" video. 

I also just really like the general aesthetic of the "Hotline Bling" video- that softer neon aesthetic just works for me. I also enjoyed the "Sorry" video. It doesn't feature any dramatic plot or effects or anything, but the dance choreography was fun. Then there's "Hello," which is a good song, but the video is kind of dull. It feels like it only received so much attention because it's Adele's comeback single. The video did get parodied a lot, but I think that's mostly because of the song. 

However, the worst video of the five is, by far, Kanye West's "Famous." I didn't even watch it, I refused to, but I can say that confidently. The video features Kanye sleeping with wax figures of various celebrities in the nude, which is disgusting and clearly just to shock people. First of all, there's a sculpture of Taylor Swift. While we can argue over whether Kanye asked Taylor permission to address her by name in the song's lyrics, he definitely didn't ask for permission to put a depiction of her naked body in the music video, and that's taking things too far. He also put sculptures of Bill Cosby and Donald Trump, both of whom have sexual assault allegations. However, I'd argue that the most offensive thing about it is that he put the sculpture of Rihanna right next to that of Chris Brown- her abuser. I know I said that videos like "Blurred Lines," "We Can't Stop," and "Wrecking Ball" deserved to be recognized as the Video of the Year due to how they provoked people, and "Famous" did provoke people, alright. But there's a line between shocking imagery and going against moral decency, and "Famous" is on the latter half of that. 

2017

Nominees:

"HUMBLE." by Kendrick Lamar (Winner)

"Scars to Your Beautiful" by Alessia Cara

"Wild Thoughts" by DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller

"24K Magic" by Bruno Mars

"Reminder" by The Weeknd

A common trend for this crop of nominees is that the videos in question are good, but the artists have better videos. First we have “HUMBLE.” This is an incredible, eye-catching video that absolutely deserved to win. I loved the visual references, such as Kendrick recreating The Last Supper, and the video is full of strong iconography. I just personally preferred the “DNA." video. I mean, it’s Kendrick and Don Cheadle doing a lie detector test and going back and forth, rapping the song! It’s like with “Bad Romance” vs. “Telephone”: Although the former is more iconic, I personally preferred the latter. Then we have “24K Magic,” which is a jam, but the “That’s What I Like” video is much better. It’s so simple with Bruno just dancing, but the animation over it really makes the clip stand out. Finally, we have “Reminder.” The video is mostly just The Weeknd hanging out with some famous friends, like Drake and Travis Scott. And that’s fine, if not a little boring, but the “False Alarm” video was right there! That video was basically a first-person-shooter bank robbery and it matched the frantic energy of the song perfectly. It's super gory and violent but it's one of the coolest music videos I've ever seen. And I’d get if they didn’t nominate it because it wasn’t a huge hit, but then again, neither was “Reminder”! If “False Alarm” was nominated, it would provide Kendrick with some serious competition, but as it stands, “HUMBLE.” absolutely deserved to win.

As for the other two videos, they’re whatever. “Wild Thoughts” is very vibrant and Rihanna looks fantastic, but it’s not anything special. “Scars to Your Beautiful,” on the other hand, has a good message of embracing your imperfections, but the video was poorly edited. Intercut with the song, they have scenes of people who have struggled with body image talking about their insecurities. However, the transitions between the dialogue and the song are sloppily done. I would have nominated "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee instead of either of these videos. It's not a particularly incredible video, but it's currently the most viewed video of all time on YouTube and its impact cannot be denied. I also think "Gangnam Style" by PSY should have been nominated in 2013 for the same reason: tremendous impact. 

2018

Nominees

"Havana" by Camila Cabello ft. Young Thug (Winner)

"Apeshit" by The Carters

"God's Plan" by Drake

"This Is America" by Childish Gambino

"No Tears Left To Cry" by Ariana Grande

"Finesse (Remix)" by Bruno Mars ft. Cardi B

Before I even watched any of the videos for this year, I thought, “Yeah, they gave the award to the worst video nominated.” “Havana” isn’t a terrible video. It’s a decent homage to telenovelas and the song is pretty good. It’s just...worse than the other five videos. It might just be because I’m pretty biased against Camila Cabello because her voice is really nasally and annoying and she has this “trying too hard to be quirky and relatable” personality that I find incredibly grating. The video also features Lele Pons, an Internet personality who I don’t think is funny at all, and another influencer named LeJuan James in drag as Camila’s grandma. The video’s cute, I guess, but it can’t compare to the other nominees.

First of all, we have “Apeshit,” a video in which Beyoncé and Jay-Z hang out in the Louvre because they can. The video looks expensive and clearly has a high production value. Next we have “God’s Plan,” which would be a satisfactory winner because of all the good Drake does in the video. He gives away $175,000 to various Miami residents, and it is probably for publicity, but a good thing is still a good thing. I doubt the people who got the money were skeptical of any ulterior motives; they’re just grateful for the donations. Next we have “No Tears Left To Cry.” I’m very open about my bias towards Ariana Grande, but even with that, “No Tears Left To Cry” was a great video. It had a lot of interesting, almost trippy visuals, such as the scene with Ariana sitting on the ceiling, removing her face like a mask. Then there’s “Finesse,” which is an homage to the 90s sketch comedy series In Living Color! As I said before, I’m always a fan of homages and parodies, and although I’ve never watched an episode of In Living Color!, the video is still a fun homage that earned praises from cast members of the original series. Finally, we have the video that absolutely deserved to win the most with Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.” I can’t think of any videos that have been more analyzed and dissected than this one, as every frame of the video contains a reference to racism and the plight Black Americans have faced for centuries. While it’s fun to watch the power couple in the music industry do their thing in the Louvre or watch Bruno Mars and Cardi B get their 90s on, “This Is America” is the one nominee from this year that actually had something important to say. With this video, Donald Glover provoked people and got them talking about the gun violence, mass shootings, police brutality, and general racism that plagues our country. It’s a video that was timely then, but two years later, has only grown in relevance. 

Despite all the protests, petitions, and the like, cops continue to misuse their power and harm Black people who have, at most, committed minor felonies. This past Sunday, officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake seven times as his kids watched in the car. Blake is still alive, but he is in a serious yet stable condition. I’ve always been aware of how much of a problem police brutality is, but Blake’s shooting has particularly resonated with me on a personal level. I live two hours from Kenosha, so this tragedy has been a call to arms. This shit is happening only two hours away from me. If I didn’t care before, I sure would have cared now. I’ve seen friends of friends on Facebook argue that Blake deserved what happened to him because he has assault charges. No, he didn’t. It doesn’t matter if a person is a complete saint or a convicted felon. Nobody, and I mean nobody, deserves to be a victim of police brutality. But despite the completely reasonable outrage, many victims have yet to receive the justice they deserve. Breonna Taylor was murdered in March and the cops who killed her are nonchalantly chilling at the beach as if they didn’t commit a hate crime earlier this year. Elijah McClain was killed a year ago and his family is still begging for justice! Worse yet, a 17-year-old boy named Kyle Rittenhouse shot three protesters in Kenosha on Tuesday. He killed two people, by the names of Anthony M. Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum. Yet the police see him as an ally, despite him being a felon on multiple accounts. (Obviously, there’s the murder, but no one under the age of 18 is allowed to have an assault rifle, and he was 17.) Black people are shot and killed while going to the convenience store, white people can commit murder and the police reward them with water bottles- this is America, indeed.

In conclusion, “This Is America” didn’t win Video of the Year, despite it being a quality video that deserved such an accolade. But at the end of the day, that VMA is meaningless. Donald Glover and director Hiro Murai created a video that has far more real-world relevance and impact than any of the other videos I talked about today, with the exception of “Formation” and the two solo Kendrick Lamar videos. I only hope for the day when “This Is America” is no longer relevant because we no longer have to deal with cops using their power in the worst kinds of ways. 

2019

Nominees:

"You Need to Calm Down" by Taylor Swift (Winner)

"a lot" by 21 Savage ft. J. Cole

"Bad Guy" by Billie Eilish

"Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande

"Sucker" by the Jonas Brothers

"Old Town Road (Remix)" by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

Looks like we're yet again going to deal with some heavy topics with this bunch of videos. First of all, we have "You Need to Calm Down," the winner for this year, and I'm going to try to make my case without coming off as insensitive. I'm walking on eggshells here. For those who don't know, "You Need to Calm Down," both its song and video, are clearly and obviously about the LGBTQ community, and the video features countless drag queens and other LGBTQ public figures, such as the Fab Five from Queer Eye and Ellen DeGeneres. I absolutely, 100% support LGBTQ rights and I think homophobes are worse than scum. However, this video rubs me the wrong way. While it's so important to celebrate pride and I'm sure Taylor's intentions were completely sincere, I do feel like this video comes off as stereotyping. It plays a lot into the "flamboyant and fabulous" stereotype for gay men, and the decision to portray the homophobes as poor and poorly educated hillbillies seems pretty elitist. Most of the really dangerous homophobes are those in power. The decision to put Katy Perry in the video also seems nice at first as a way to show that they've made amends from their stupid feud, but it completely takes away from all the activism the video did, as all the gossip sites are going to focus on Katy rather than the LGBTQ celebration. Finally, since this video did come out during Pride month, it does kind of feel like Taylor is using pride as a fashion statement or just for publicity. I'm sure that's not the case, but it feels that way. TLDR: The intentions for this song and were very good, but good intentions do not make a good video, and the execution for "You Need to Calm Down" was flawed. And for the record, although I'm coming off as negative and "hating" on Taylor: I don't really hate her. She has some amazing music videos; "Blank Space" is my personal favorite, but "Look What You Made Me Do" had a really good, creative video too, despite the song not being my thing. I just wish her two Video of the Year wins were for better videos. 

Then there's "a lot," the second video I have more than a few sentences to say about. It's another video that deals with Black struggles, and it's a very well-done video. I like how it shows 21 Savage having a family reunion in a luxurious mansion, with everyone wearing fancy clothes and looking poised. But as it shows them living lives of luxury, it cuts to the "real" them, in much grittier situations such as jail or a funeral. I also like the song quite a bit. I had always thought 21 Savage sounded really bored and dull, but here, it actually makes sense for him to sound so lifeless; he's just burnt out from all the shit he's seen, such as the deaths of his younger brother and best friend, as well as that whole fiasco he had with ICE, which is a problem that did not need to happen. (Stellar says Abolish ICE.)

As for the rest, I like most of them. Personally, I would give the trophy to "Thank U, Next" or "Old Town Road." With the former, of course, I'm biased towards Ariana and it's one of my favorite songs by her, and I love the chick flick homages and celebrity cameos. I do prefer the "God Is A Woman" video, but "Thank U Next" was more iconic in pop culture, breaking the record for most viewed video in 24 hours at the time. As for "Old Town Road," that song was a true phenomenon and the video captured everything about the phenomenon perfectly. Lil Nas X is a perfect hilarious gay cowboy who I will defend to the death and so many of the scenes were wonderfully absurd. My favorite is when Lil Nas and Billy Ray Cyrus perform the song at an elderly bingo game. The song did win the new "Song of the Year" award, which it 110% deserved. Next there was "Bad Guy," which was a perfectly sarcastic and sinister accompaniment to the song. However, for Billie Eilish videos, I preferred "When the Party's Over." It's so minimal, but the image of Billie crying jet-black tears is haunting and striking. Finally, we have "Sucker," which is an okay video for an okay song. It's always nice to see the Jonas wives (Priyanka Chopra, Sophie Turner, and Danielle Jonas) hanging out together, and they're wearing some extravagant couture here. 

Now, the 2020 nominees! We won't have a winner for this until tomorrow, so I will make predictions and give some thoughts on the nominees!

"Everything I Wanted" by Billie Eilish

"Godzilla" by Eminem ft. Juice WRLD
"Life is Good" by Future ft. Drake

"Rain on Me" by Lady Gaga ft. Ariana Grande

"The Man" by Taylor Swift

"Blinding Lights" by The Weeknd

I definitely think “Rain on Me” will win. The other artists have powerful, vocal fanbases, namely Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish. But “Rain on Me” is a video by two artists, each with one of the most fervent fanbases on the planet. Both the Little Monsters and the Arianators have probably been voting like their hearts depend on it. And as much as I’ve been acting like these awards are based on quality and/or impact, they are essentially popularity contests. That’s how Camila won in 2018, despite having the worst video; because her fans voted the most. I love the song a lot and I’d love to see Ariana take home a Video of the Year trophy, but honestly, I think it’s one of the weaker videos nominated. The choreography is great and Ariana and Gaga look fantastic, but a lot of the green screen effects look cheesy and cheap. 

I’m not sure which video is my favorite. My favorite song of the six is “Blinding Lights,” followed by “Everything I Wanted.” I think of both of those songs as good “driving through a big city at night” tracks, albeit in different ways. Coincidentally, both videos do feature night driving scenes, exactly what I’d imagine while listening to the song. “Everything I Wanted” features Billie and her brother, Finneas, calmly driving at dusk into an ocean. It’s a very sweet tribute to their brother-sister relationship. Meanwhile, the “Blinding Lights” video is all racing through Vegas at midnight at a hundred miles an hour- exactly what the song sounds like. If it were my choice, I’d probably give the trophy to “Blinding Lights,” just because I love the song so much and the video matches the 80s intensity of the song perfectly. I also really liked “The Man” video. In the video, Taylor transforms into a man (named Tyler Swift, of course) through some incredible prosthetic makeup. It’s basically a clever commentary on all the shit men can do and get away with, and for bonus points, Tyler Swift is voiced by The Rock. Who doesn’t love The Rock? Then there’s “Life as Good,” and as amusing as it is to see Drake and Future work a drive-thru, this video doesn’t deserve to win. How can we name a song called “Life is Good” the Video of the Year in 2020, a year where life is absolutely not good? Finally, we have “Godzilla.” I do think this is probably the worst video nominated, as a bunch of the effects look silly. However, I wouldn’t complain at all if it won. The song “Godzilla” was the first song released posthumously to feature Jarad Higgins, better known as Juice WRLD. Juice was my younger brother’s favorite artist and he was pretty devastated when his death was confirmed. I wasn’t a diehard fan of him, but I recognized his talent and was heartbroken to see him go out at the age of 20 when he had so much more potential to do great things. By all accounts, Juice seemed to be a good person (something that’s pretty rare in the SoundCloud rap-sphere), and his music resonated with countless young people. It would be nice to see “Godzilla” get the award, but Jarad has still left behind an incredible legacy and impact, with or without the trophy. May he Rest In Peace.

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The VMAs will be on MTV and all its sister networks if you’d like to watch them; they’re also going to stream online, which is how I’ll probably watch them. On Monday, I’ll write a recap and some highlights, so tune in for that if you’re interested.

Stellar

Top 20 Twice Songs

First of all, I'm very sorry that I didn't post last week. The thing was, I had my post for last week 95% done on Saturday and was all ready to post it, but my Internet went out Saturday morning and wasn't fixed until Tuesday night. I will post what I wrote for last week at some point, but I have a schedule planned for the rest of this summer and I'd like to stick to it, thank you very much. I'll save that post for when I don't have any better ideas. That being said, today is my best friend's birthday! She's written stuff for my blog a few times; most recently, she wrote the segment on Inception for my "MOVIE TALK: Why 2010 is Such a Fascinating Year for Movies (Part One)" a few weeks ago. We have a lot of the same interests and beliefs, and we've texted each other pretty much every day this quarantine period. Our topics of conversation range from admiring the TV shows we like to airing our grievances about people who have done us wrong to expressing horror at the state of the world in 2020. One of our favored topics is the kpop girl group Twice.

Top row, left to right: Jeongyeon, Sana, Tzuyu, Dahyun, Mina
Bottom row, left to right: Nayeon, Chaeyoung, Momo, Jihyo

I've already talked about Twice more than a few times on my blog. For those who are unfamiliar, Twice are a South Korean girl group who were created on the survival show Sixteen by JYP Entertainment. There are nine members of the group, all of whom I love for various reasons, named Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu. Twice has been called “The Nation’s Girl Group” in South Korea due to their incredible success. They have sold nine million albums in South Korea and Japan, won the Mnet Asian Music Award (or MAMA, basically the Asian version of the Grammys) for Song of the Year in 2016, 2017, and 2018 (for “Cheer Up,” “Signal,” and “What is Love?” respectively), were honored as a Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in South Korea, and have inspired a passionate fanbase, known as Once. 

The thing about Twice is that I didn’t love them right away. I knew my best friend was a fan and I had heard songs like “Dance the Night Away” and “TT” and liked them, but their cutesy style was cloying to listen to for multiple songs in a row. However, once they matured up their sound in 2019, I became a full-fledged Once. I loved the edgier style they had, and the songs they were coming out with were incredibly appealing to me. I went back and listened to some of their old songs and watched some videos, and I really liked those too. I also learned a lot more about the members’ personalities and I fell in love with their dynamic as a group. Although I like other kpop acts like Blackpink, Red Velvet, Mamamoo, and BTS, Twice are by far my favorite group. With the other groups, I love a lot of their music, but I really don’t know much about their personalities. However, it’s different with Twice. I’ve never met them in person, I probably never will, and I haven’t even seen every single video they’ve ever released. It's a testament to Twice's bond as a group and bond with their fans that I still feel like I know all nine of them like they're my friends.

I’m not gonna say that everyone in the world will like Twice. Bubblegum pop music like this has its fans, but I understand why someone would think it’s annoyingly chipper. But it works for me. And to pay tribute to a group I love so much, as well as to celebrate the friend who got me into them, I’m going to count down my top twenty favorite songs from them. I cannot emphasize the “favorite” enough: this is not based on any sort of objective criteria, like sales, YouTube views, or awards. Frankly, I think judging music objectively is stupid. Life’s too short for us to live in bubbles and act like there’s a metric of objectivity to the things we consume. This is based on the songs I like most, and there’s nothing you can do about it! And with that, I just want to state that when I talk about stuff I love or hate, I am never trying to change anyone’s opinion. This blog is just a way for me to talk about the things I like, and I like Twice. 

One last thing before we begin: I love self-promotion, so here are my two reviews of Twice's Feel Special and More & More mini-albums. A few of the songs from those two albums will be appearing on this list!

REVIEW: Feel Special EP by Twice
REVIEW: More & More by Twice

Now let's get started!

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20. “Touchdown” (Page Two)
I didn't realize it until recently, but this song is sort of like Twice's version of a High School Musical song. It reminds me of "Get'cha Head in the Game" and "I Don't Dance," specifically. I love High School Musical and literally made a list of my favorite songs from it last month (link here!), so the fact that "Touchdown" reminds me of those childhood favorites definitely makes it stand out. The song is fun and flirty lyrically, but is still a powerful dance number. The band geek in me absolutely loves the brass sections. The bridge is also really great, with Nayeon and Jihyo sounding fierce and confident. 

19. “Say You Love Me” (Yes or Yes)

With most of these songs, I can explain why I like them, but with this one, I really can't. It just has that je ne sais quoi for me. It's cute and upbeat like many of Twice's signature hits, but not tooth-rottingly sweet like some of their singles tend to be. Honestly, the song it most reminds me of is "Domino" by Jessie J, as they both have a similar-sounding guitar part. This song has a very catchy chorus, with the "you got something I want, I got something you need" part being a major earworm. In kpop, groups typically release a single (known as the title track), then release an album or EP/mini-album along with the single, and the songs that aren't the title track are called b-sides. In this case, "Yes or Yes" was the title track, and while it is more upbeat and feels more like a title track, I think "Say You Love Me" could also be a solid title track.

18. “Feel Special” (Feel Special)

The "Feel Special" era was the first I really experienced as a Once, so it's always going to have a special place in my heart. Despite the fact that Mina was missing from much of the promotional events due to her anxiety, it was still a great era for the group. The b-sides on the Feel Special album were amazing (we'll look at a few of them throughout this list) and the aesthetic of the era was so high-fashion and luxurious. But in kpop, a good era wouldn't be a good era without a killer title track, and "Feel Special" is one of their best. For most kpop girl groups, there are two kinds of concepts or themes that groups generally follow; a cute concept, like most of Twice's singles up until 2019, or a girl crush concept, which is edgier and more badass, like most of Blackpink's work. But the thing I like about "Feel Special" is that it doesn't try to do either. The song is about that special person who makes the girls feel like a million dollars, and I really like how the song can either be about a lover or a close friend. I also like how, despite the fact that none of the girls wrote on it, the lyrics still feel personal to Twice and their experiences. Mina's verse ("I just wanted to hide, didn't wanna face the world") in particular really resonates, considering that she left Twice's 2019 world tour due to extreme anxiety. Also, if you will, I'd just like to obsess over how perfect the outfits in the "Feel Special" video and promotional photos are. 

That dress Sana is wearing (third one from the right) is what I wear in my dreams. I know it's not a white, traditional dress, but if I had the opportunity, I would get married in that. 

17. “The Best Thing I Ever Did” (The Year of "Yes")

I'm not a huge fan of Christmas music. I mean, I love Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" as much as the next person, but most Christmas songs just bore me. However, I love Twice's "The Best Thing I Ever Did." Other than a few references to December in the lyrics and some jingle bells in the production, there really isn't much that makes this feel like a Christmas song, which is only a good thing. It's not an uptempo track, but it's not quite a ballad either. It's a very sweet song, with the "best thing I ever did" being that they met the one they love. Just like with "Feel Special," the lyrics can be about a guy or about their relationship as a group. The music video definitely supports the latter interpretation, as it sees the members of Twice reflecting on their past adventures as a group and playing in the snow together- while wearing some adorable preppy outfits. 

I'm very much a fan of the preppy vintage Chanel style. 

16. “Girls Like Us” (Fancy You)

It's not too terribly common for the members of kpop groups to write their own music, but the members of Twice actually write the lyrics for some of the b-sides. The group's leader and main vocalist, Jihyo, wrote the lyrics for "Girls Like Us," although British singer Charli XCX had a hand in writing the music for it. The message of this song is about how as girls, we all face our own insecurities, but we need to remember that we're beautiful, smart, and strong. I really love the rap breakdown, in which Chaeyoung reassures us that we're not alone in feeling insecure, but we'll find happiness soon enough. The production of the track features a very catchy and bouncy piano, and the "whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh" in the chorus is addictive. It has a retro style to it with the piano and some whistling in the background, but it still feels modern and fits in with the other b-sides from Fancy You.

15. "Likey" (Twicetagram)

Do you ever have a song where you can totally understand why somebody would hate it, but you still love it? That's me with "Likey." I know that if I played it for certain people in my life, they'd hate it and think it was the most annoying song ever recorded. However, it's always been one of my favorite title tracks from Twice. It's bright, bubbly, and really cute. Sana in particular sounds really cute on the chorus. The song is about trying to get noticed by your crush on Instagram as well as trying to keep a glamorous image on the site. One of the most memorable and catchy parts is when Momo sings about BB cream and lipstick. I also love the rap breakdown. The "Likey" video is one of my personal favorites they've ever done, due to a combination of their outfits being really cute, Dahyun dabbing, and Momo's amazing dance break. The thing I like about "Likey" is that it knows what it is. It’s cute, catchy bubblegum, and it doesn't need to be anything else. Also, allow me to to obsess over Twice's music video fashion once again:

All of these are perfect casual summer looks. I specifically like Jeongyeon's outfit, (second from left), as her outfit has a very "San Francisco in the 1970s" vibe to it. 

14. “Oxygen” (More & More)

Twice's most recent single, "More & More," was fine, but definitely one of their lesser title tracks for me. However, I loved a lot of the b-sides on the mini-album, including "Oxygen." When I first reviewed the mini-album, I gave this song a 9/10. I really liked it, a 9/10 is nothing to sneeze at, but when there were a few 10/10s on the album, it wasn't an absolute favorite. However, it definitely grew on me with repeated listens. While I like a few songs from the album more, "Oxygen" is definitely the one I've replayed the most. For whatever reason, the beat to this song reminds me of the music from Coconut Mall in MarioKart. It strikes a balance of being upbeat yet relaxing. I've always loved the chorus on this song, with the members singing "I really really really really want" in a rapid-fire style. Chaeyoung's bridge is the highlight of the song for me, though. I love how effortlessly she transitions from rapping to singing in her part. 

13. “Sweet Summer Day” (More & More)

Is it safe to say that I knew this song would be on my list within the first ten seconds I heard it? Due to it being the final song on the More & More mini-album, I expected this song to be a more chilled-out, slower song to end the album. But when I heard those drum hits, I was surprised in the best way possible. "Sweet Summer Day" is Twice's attempt at a new jack swing song, a style of R&B hip hop that was most popular from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. Although I haven't really heard many of the original new jack swing songs and artists (Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Madonna all released music in the style in the 80s and 90s), I love songs like "Call Me Baby" by EXO and "Finesse" by Bruno Mars and Cardi B, which try to recreate the style for a modern audience. I don't think I ever expected Twice to dip into new jack swing, but the style fits them like a glove and I would love for their next comeback to sound like this. The song was written by Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung and it sounds like a perfect summer day at the beach, complete with seagull sounds. It sucks that I couldn't go to the beach this summer, but this song is a good substitute for that. 

12. “Get Loud” (Feel Special)

Like "Girls Like Us," Jihyo wrote the lyrics to "Get Loud." When I first saw the title to this song, I thought it was going to be a shallow club song, but that's not really the case. This song is actually about overcoming struggles and being fierce. The thing that most stands out to me about "Get Loud" is the powerful percussion. It reminds me of the drums you'd hear at a Brazilian carnival. I've always thought that the songs from Feel Special have a nighttime atmosphere. I'm not really sure how to explain it. This song in particular just feels like the perfect song to listen to when hopping from party to party in a big city. Since Jihyo wrote this song, I guess it makes sense that she stood out to me most in this track, since her repetition of "it might get loud" is the catchiest part of the song for me. 

11. “One in a Million” (Twicecoaster: Lane 1)

As of March 2020, "One in a Million" is Twice's most streamed b-side, garnering over ten million streams. It's a huge fan favorite, as well as a favorite for the group, as their signature catchphrase is "One in a million! We are Twice!" This song is a dedication to their fans and a reminder to love yourself because you're beautiful and perfect just the way you are! The themes of this song could be sappy in the wrong hands, but when Twice does it, it comes off as very heartfelt and sincere. It's easily my favorite Twice ballad for its excellent blend of acoustic guitars and synthesizer production, but mostly because of the girls' vocals. Jeongyeon's high note at the end of the bridge blew me away. 

10. “Trick It” (Feel Special)

My favorite thing about the Feel Special album, other than its cohesion, is how all of the b-sides were written by the girls. This song, "Trick It," was written by Dahyun. Since Dahyun's one of the group's rappers, it makes sense that the song is more hip hop-influenced than the rest of the tracks, but it's still mostly electropop. The production on this song is some of the best I've ever heard on a Twice track. I didn't notice the triangle in the beat until very recently, but I love that. This song feels like a rollercoaster, with the epic, pounding chorus feeling like a giant drop every time. I also loved Dahyun and Chaeyoung's catchy rap flow ("I can tell you all about it!"), the "uh huh, uh huh, uh huh" hook, and Mina's soft, pretty vocals before the chorus. 

9. “Sunset” (Yes or Yes) 

I love "Girls Like Us" and "Get Loud," but as far as I'm concerned, "Sunset" is my favorite song Jihyo's written for Twice. It has a laid-back, 80s feeling to it. The synthesizers are very retro and the melody is classic. I can imagine listening to this song on a cool summer night. While a lot of these songs have an unexplainable "night drive" quality to them, this is more for cruising by the beach in a vintage Chevy Impala- with a sunset in the background, obviously. The girls' vocals are also in top form here. I especially liked Jeongyeon's voice here. Her parts were short, but she sounded amazing on this song. Barring "One in a Million" and "The Best Thing I Ever Did," most of these songs are are uptempo bops, but "Sunset" is a laid-back, relaxed song. It's a nice change of pace. 

8. “Hot” (Fancy You)

One aspect of kpop fandom that can't be overlooked is the concept of biases. Your "bias" in a group is just a fancy way of referring to your favorite member, and although a good fan of any group should love all the members to some extent, it's okay to have a bias. Oftentimes, one of the first questions kpop fans ask each other is "Who's your bias?" For Twice, my bias is the group's main dancer, Momo. Momo is my bias mainly because of her incredible dance skills (the "Crazy in Love" toxic relationship dance with Mina always gives me chills), and her cute, food-obsessed personality, but she's written some great songs to boot. She co-wrote the lyrics to "Hot," a b-side on the Fancy You album. This song is perfect for when you want to feel sexy and confident, with Tzuyu singing "Everything from my head to toes is already perfect" at one point in the song. Sonically, this song feels like driving at 80 miles an hour on a Las Vegas highway. The production in the chorus is impeccable. I also love the intro, which sounds like an acapella-style bass voice, as well as the bridge, where Mina sings "catch me if you can" and just sounds so sensual and alluring. 

7. “Chillax” (Summer Nights)

When Twice released "Dance the Night Away," JYP Entertainment chose to reissue the band's previous album, What is Love?, with a few new songs instead of releasing a new album, with the new reissue being called Summer Nights. One of the three new songs was "Chillax," and although I love "Dance the Night Away" for its summery vibes, I think "Chillax" is even better. I'm normally not a fan of artists using modern slang in their lyrics, but, despite the fact that the song uses the slang in its title, "Chillax" is cute and charming. The tropical production of this song is very youthful and the chorus is irresistible. I love a lot of the little quirky moments throughout this song, such as Chaeyoung going "yeah, boy!" before her verse and the crowd cheering in the second verse. Nayeon really dominates this song, and as much as I'd like to complain about the line distribution being unfair, she does a great job, with her high notes sounding very strong. 

6. “Make Me Go” (More & More) 

Similarly to "Sweet Summer Day," I knew "Make Me Go" would appear on my favorites list as soon as the chorus started. Nayeon wrote the lyrics to this one, and even though I really liked "Rainbow" from Feel Special, which she also wrote, I never imagined that Twice would ever make anything like this. When I reviewed More & More, I said that "Make Me Go" reminded me of Dua Lipa's recent output, specifically the song "Break My Heart." That could not be more of a compliment, as I've been obsessed with every song I've heard from Dua's recent album Future Nostalgia. The chorus is so unexpected for Twice. Most of their choruses are high- the members sing in higher ranges and the production is very treble-heavy. But "Make Me Go" sees the members rap-singing in their lowest registers with that incredible bassline anchoring the song. "Make Me Go" is the most mature, seductive, and funky song the group has ever released, and I'd kill for them to make more songs like it. 

5. “Knock Knock” (Twicecoaster: Lane 2)

In July, I made a list of songs I love by non-American artists because I was (and still am) salty at my country for...everything, pretty much. On that list, I had a whole section of kpop songs, and "Knock Knock" was the Twice song I picked. I said that I didn't really love "Knock Knock" until I watched the Avatar: The Last Airbender finale at the end of June, which is insane, I know. The entire time I watched Aang and his friends fight for the fate of the world and experience some dark, emotional events, my head was just looping "Knock Knock" over and over again for some unknown reason. From there, I realized that I loved the song. It's like I was saying with "Likey": It doesn't try to do anything weird or daring, it's just a cute, almost retro pop song. While I love songs where the artist takes risks and tries something new, there’s something I have to commend about a song that doesn’t do anything crazy and just focuses on being the best it can be. The guitar on this song is really addictive for me, and the chorus is so cute. I think Sana definitely shined the most in this song, as my favorite parts of the song are all her little quirks and moments. Her voice definitely fits Twice’s cuter concepts, and the way she says "someone else!" and the title of the song both make me smile every time. 

4. “Breakthrough” (&Twice)

It's common for kpop groups to release Japanese-language singles in order to break into the Japanese market. Sometimes, they switch the language of a previous song (for example, Twice released Japanese versions of songs like "Cheer Up" and "TT"), and sometimes they'll release a new song entirely. Most of Twice's Japanese originals are forgettable to me, but I loved "Breakthrough" after my first listen. Twice released two Japanese songs on June 12, 2019, representing a dual concept. "Happy Happy" was cute, but it was more in line with what you'd expect from Twice. "Breakthrough," on the other hand, was a fiercer, more mature side of Twice that was a natural progression from their previous Korean single "Fancy." It has razor-sharp synthesizers, a pulsing chorus, and a fierce, smooth atmosphere. The music video is a perfect accompaniment to the song, as it features bright neon lights and the girls in power suits. It's a song I play when I want to feel like a boss. 

3. “Heart Shaker” (Merry & Happy)

One of Twice’s most iconic title tracks is 2018’s “What is Love?” The song won the prestigious Song of the Year award at the 2018 Mnet Asian Music Awards and its music video, which saw the members paying homage to famous movies like La La Land and Pulp Fiction, has 415 million views. While the song is iconic, it did feel like a rehash of their previous single “Heart Shaker,” which I’ve always preferred. This is my favorite “cutesy” Twice song ever. There are just so many parts to it that I love. The introduction lets you know exactly what you’re in for: a completely adorable sugar rush. I love Tzuyu’s pre-chorus, with Dahyun and Chaeyoung providing cute interjections (“Love is timing!”). I love how Jihyo’s powerful high note transitions into Momo, Tzuyu, and Chaeyoung singing with the stomp-clap breakdown. I love how every single Once has agreed that Nayeon is singing “Is Sana gay?” in the first line. (She’s actually singing “isanghage,” which is Korean for “wonderfully,” but I’m still going to sing “Is Sana gay?” every time I hear the song.) The instrumental is really good. I specifically like the electric guitar parts towards the end, which make the song stand out from Twice’s other title tracks. The chorus is similar to the one in “What is Love?” but it feels a lot more fleshed out while still being catchy. “Heart Shaker” was actually the song that got my best friend into Twice, and it’s a great first impression, as it tells you what the girls are all about. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how absolutely adorable the fashion is in this video! While videos like “Feel Special” and “Fancy” feature more extravagant fashion, the outfits in “Heart Shaker” can be recreated by anyone for a cute, casual look. 

Seriously, anyone can pull these off or put their own spin on it. White sweater, denim bottoms, sneakers, you're good to go!

2. “Fancy” (Fancy You)

Although I love all of Twice's title tracks in some way, "Fancy" is without a doubt my favorite. There's just so much about this song that I love that I don't know where to start. This song was very significant to Twice's career, as it signified a new sound for the group. Twice had their signature cutesy bubblegum songs, but many felt it was starting to get old and the songs were blending together. "Fancy" showed a more mature side of them with a darker and sexier production style, while still maintaining the catchy hooks that made Twice so famous. It's still Twice, just a more sophisticated version of them. "Fancy" is packed with so many little moments that delight me every time. I particularly love the way Sana sweetly sings about chocolate ice cream in the prechorus, the way Chaeyoung says "bang bang" in her verse, Jihyo's epic high note before the final chorus, and especially the way Chaeyoung goes "fancy, ooh" at the end of the chorus. (I think that more than any other era, Chaeyoung really got a chance to shine in "Fancy.") The beat is infectious, bright electropop, and the music video is another personal favorite from the group. Let’s geek out over Twice’s music video fashion one last time:

Sorry this isn't a great picture, but it's the best I could find of all of them together. I think Jeongyeon's outfit (farthest right) would probably be the one I'd most want to wear, but Chaeyoung's outfit (fourth from left) was probably my favorite. That green houndstooth set would look terrible on most everyone else, but I couldn't take my eyes off of her in the video. 

The choreography, especially with the signature hand-gesture, is something I often attempt when I'm home alone. They actually put this song on Just Dance, and I (and many other Onces, just read the comments on this video of the dance) were horrified to see that they completely changed the choreography. Anyways, "Fancy" has been the first song on my playlist for a year, so I've heard it hundreds of times, but I still haven't gotten sick of it. What could be better? 

1. “Love Foolish” (Feel Special)

I just need to preface this by saying that I texted my best friend the following in June: "I'm at a grad party for some cousins in (town I will not share). One of my relatives doesn't seem to know what 'Six Feet Apart' means so if I die, just know that I want 'Love Foolish' to be played as they bury my body in the ground." I was joking, obviously, but the fact that I said that at all should really say something about how much I love this damn song. When I read the track listing for Feel Special, I had the highest expectations for "Love Foolish," since it was written by my bias, Momo. I heard part of it in the car when driving with my friend, and it kind of blew my mind. Then I heard the whole song and it blew my mind even more. Production-wise, "Love Foolish" is so experimental and different for Twice. It does use chipmunk vocals, which I normally don't care for, but the way the beat warps the chipmunk vocals is inventive and fun. The song just feels like you could either vogue or strut down the runway while listening to it. Outside of the production, this song is like "Fancy" in how it has so many irresistible moments. Momo's rap is a highlight, especially when she says "naega mani ani," which actually means "Do I know a lot?" but I always sing it as "they got money, unnie." I love the chorus, which is actually kind of similar to the one in "Make Me Go" due to the way they're sung. The way Chaeyoung says "I hate you" especially makes me smile- never have I been so delighted to hear somebody say they hated me. Nayeon’s high note before the final chorus is awesome too. Really, as much as I’m tempted to say “oh, this girl did the best job here,” I can’t. All nine girls sound fantastic on this track. I have eighteen hours and forty-nine minutes of music on my current Spotify playlist, which is a lot of songs, and naturally, I’ve skipped most of them at one point or another, because sometimes, I’m just not in the mood for a certain song. But I’ve had “Love Foolish” on my playlist for close to a year, and I have never skipped it. My favorite pieces of any media are always the ones I can experience over and over again. My favorite movie is Tangled because I’ve seen it hundreds of times and it still holds up. My favorite book is The Outsiders because I enjoy it every time I read it. And my favorite Twice song is “Love Foolish” because it’s the one I am always in the mood to listen to. With a lot of these songs, like “Sweet Summer Day” and “Make Me Go,” I say that I want Twice to make more songs in those styles. However, I don’t want them to make another song like “Love Foolish.” That sounds like a bad thing, I couldn’t mean that as more of a compliment. No matter how hard they could try to recreate the magic, they would never be able to top the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of “Love Foolish” for me.

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That's all I have for this week! Next Sunday, August 23, is the three-year anniversary of when I made this blog, so I will be posting something to celebrate either Saturday or Sunday. See you then!

Stellar