Music and Disappointment
Posted by | Filed under Music
The Top 10 Billboard hits don't change much each week, but I'll go ahead and review what I haven't already. If there isn't a short review under a song, that means I've reviewed it in the past.
Honestly, guys, I absolutely hate having to "thumbs down" all of these songs. I mean, all of the songs in the top five are thumbs down. That's ridiculous and it hurts a little to have to put down so much popular music. But when you read the lyrics to the songs, there's no other way. I can't give a thumbs up to a gay pride song or to a song with the f-word in the title or to a song entirely about casual sex and lust. I just can't.
I don't like the stereotype that Christians can't listen to any popular secular music. I listen to a lot of secular music. But what's the most popular right now isn't positive or appropriate. Whatsoever. That makes me sad.
1. THUMBS DOWN: "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga
2. THUMBS DOWN: "F*** You (Forget You)" by Cee Lo Green
3. THUMBS DOWN: "S&M" by Rihanna
4. THUMBS DOWN: "F**kin Perfect" By P!nk
5. THUMBS DOWN: "On the Floor" by Jennifer Lopez
6. ISH: "Grenade" by Bruno Mars
7. ISH: "Blow" by Ke$ha
First of all, I love the beat to this song. Amazing dance beats just get to me. When I first saw the title to this song, I'll admit I started to feel nervous, but in some ways, I was pleasantly surprised.
I wasn't a big fan of the first verse, that said, "Drink that Kool-Aid. Follow my lead. Now you're one of us," after the cult massacre that happened in Waco a while back I don't like the idea that partying with Kesha is compared to giving up your free will and joining a cult of sorts. Several times in the song, it says, "Let me see them Hanes." Since Hanes is a brand of underwear, I don't like that at all. And finally, I don't like what seems to be the major theme of this song: partying and not caring what anybody else thinks. "We're taking control. We get what we want. We do what you don't." That's a self-centered, apathetic attitude that can only bring eventual harm to yourself and to those around you.
Overall, however, I'm going to give the song an "ish." While I'm not a huge fan of several of the lyrics, Kesha abstained from cussing and explicit sexual references, which is better than a lot of her songs. The song is catchy but not downright dirty. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not you'd like to add it to your playlist.
8. ISH: "E.T." by Katy Perry, featuring Kanye West
9. THUMBS DOWN: "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You" by Enrique Iglesias
10. THUMBS UP: "Firework" by Katy Perry
Honestly, guys, I absolutely hate having to "thumbs down" all of these songs. I mean, all of the songs in the top five are thumbs down. That's ridiculous and it hurts a little to have to put down so much popular music. But when you read the lyrics to the songs, there's no other way. I can't give a thumbs up to a gay pride song or to a song with the f-word in the title or to a song entirely about casual sex and lust. I just can't.
I don't like the stereotype that Christians can't listen to any popular secular music. I listen to a lot of secular music. But what's the most popular right now isn't positive or appropriate. Whatsoever. That makes me sad.
1. THUMBS DOWN: "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga
2. THUMBS DOWN: "F*** You (Forget You)" by Cee Lo Green
3. THUMBS DOWN: "S&M" by Rihanna
4. THUMBS DOWN: "F**kin Perfect" By P!nk
5. THUMBS DOWN: "On the Floor" by Jennifer Lopez
6. ISH: "Grenade" by Bruno Mars
7. ISH: "Blow" by Ke$ha
First of all, I love the beat to this song. Amazing dance beats just get to me. When I first saw the title to this song, I'll admit I started to feel nervous, but in some ways, I was pleasantly surprised.
I wasn't a big fan of the first verse, that said, "Drink that Kool-Aid. Follow my lead. Now you're one of us," after the cult massacre that happened in Waco a while back I don't like the idea that partying with Kesha is compared to giving up your free will and joining a cult of sorts. Several times in the song, it says, "Let me see them Hanes." Since Hanes is a brand of underwear, I don't like that at all. And finally, I don't like what seems to be the major theme of this song: partying and not caring what anybody else thinks. "We're taking control. We get what we want. We do what you don't." That's a self-centered, apathetic attitude that can only bring eventual harm to yourself and to those around you.
Overall, however, I'm going to give the song an "ish." While I'm not a huge fan of several of the lyrics, Kesha abstained from cussing and explicit sexual references, which is better than a lot of her songs. The song is catchy but not downright dirty. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not you'd like to add it to your playlist.
8. ISH: "E.T." by Katy Perry, featuring Kanye West
9. THUMBS DOWN: "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You" by Enrique Iglesias
10. THUMBS UP: "Firework" by Katy Perry
Tags: billboard, blow, born this way, bruno mars, cee lo green, e.t., enrique iglesias, f you, firework, fking perfect, forget you, grenade, jennifer lopez, kanye west, katy perry, ke$ha, kesha, lady gaga, on the floor, P!nk, pink, rihanna, s&M;, tonight i'm lovin you, top 10 music reviews
Good for you! And I completely agree with all your ISH ratings:) I view them as songs I wouldn't put on my IPOD, but wouldn't mind listening to in the car!
If you see the other version of Tonight (I'm Loving You) its not loving its f******g you.... haha, i figured you mite add that to your blog description on it.
I never liked any of this music to begin with. I'll stick to my Zune playlist.
Lady Gaga does have talent... she just scares me. A lot. (I've had nightmares about her).
It's surprising how much of the music in the US is similar to the music in the UK. Just a thought, I have no idea how many of your readers are UK based, or non US based, but on the weeks where there's no or few new songs, would you consider reviewing some of the UK's hits too? Artists like Jessie J spring to mind.. [Obviously, if that's too much work, then don't, tis just a suggestion- I hate to think of how much work goes into this blog!!] (:
Suzanna, that's a good point. The ISH songs aren't bad enough for me to deliberately turn a radio station when I hear them, but they aren't good enough for me to spend any money on them either.
Sierra, yikes! Thanks for letting me know.
Lissa, what's sad is that I would like Lady Gaga's music if it weren't for the bad content. I love that style of music.
Anny, that's a great idea. I'm actually just about to take a break from the Billboard Top 10 for a few weeks, but when I start up again in a month or two, I may alternate weeks between US and UK charts. I'm not sure which website to visit to see that kind of thing.
Although iTunes and Amazon now give us the ability to buy single songs from an artist rather than entire albums, I have never bought just a single song; I still either buy the entire album or nothing at all.
In a way a single song is a complete work of art in and of itself (in the same way that an episode of a TV series is a complete work of art), but the song is also just a piece of a larger work of art--the album (as an episode is just a piece of a larger work of art--the season or the entire series). When I purchase a new album, I usually listen to the whole album--from beginning to end--at least twice before adding it to the shuffle on my MP3 player. The artist develops themes throughout the album that can only be picked up on when listened all the way through--sometimes even the order of the songs is important.
Secondly, if I don't like an artist enough to purchase the entire album, why bother buying even one song?
My point is that a single song cannot be separated from the rest of an artist's work. Even if a particular song contains no objectionable lyrics or sexual references, that song still must be viewed within the context of the artist's worldview and her larger oeuvre. The question you should be asking yourself, as a Christian, is, "If I object to many of the other songs by an artist, should I really be listening to this song by that artist?"
I agree with you, Matthew, to an extent. I personally don't care usually care to buy an entire album if I only like one or two songs by the artist. It saves money, since I'll only be adding my favorite songs to my playlist. If I don't like the content of an artist's music in general, I won't buy his songs at all, but some Christians do (my sister, for example). That's a big reason why I've been reviewing these songs. If Christians want to listen to clean hit songs, even if the majority of songs by those artists are inappropriate, then I'll try to show them which songs are clean... or fairly clean, in some cases, and let them decide for themselves. I don't think I've purchased one song I've reviewed yet since I haven't been a huge fan of any of these artists, but my sister has. I would rather my sister purchase clean songs than inappropriate songs, even if I'm not personally a fan of the artist.