On March 20, 2020 The Weeknd released his fourth studio album titled After Hours. It consists of 14 tracks, with 3 tracks added with After Hours (Deluxe). It peaked on the Billboard 200 at #1 for four consecutive weeks, being the first to do so since Drake's Scorpion. Three singles were released for the album, Heartless, Blinding Lights and In Your Eyes. Both Heartless and Blinding Lights peaked at #1 on the Hot 100, and In Your Eyes debuted and peaked at #16. All three songs are still on the Hot 100. Today, this album will serve as my fourth album review. Let's do this.
Alone Again
Right off the bat, the first thing I notice is that the production at the very beginning is cool. Then Abel starts singing, and it kind of starts to ruin it. His voice is shrill, and has this weird aggressive vibrato thing happening to it. It's kind of creepy and slow, but the production is really good, and would be enough for me to like this if it wasn't for Abel's weird voice. Then there's a good twenty seconds where it's one note and I don't know what's happening, but then a beat comes in, and it sounds decent! He's a little mumbly, but other than that, it doesn't sound bad! I feel like the second half really saved this from being bad, but it's not good because of the first half.
5/10
Too Late
From the start here, he sounds better than he did in the start of Alone Again, but what he's singing is too high for his voice. The beat comes in later, and it starts to bring up the song, because he sings in a better octave for him. His voice has this odd effect on it that doesn't sound that great, and it just makes this song feel really weird. For the most part, I don't love this, because it's just really weird and makes me feel uncomfortable. I get he was trying to do something different with this album, but I didn't love it.
4/10
Hardest To Love
Right from the start, this is already better than the other songs I've heard. I like how the beat carries this rushed motion, making it feel like it's going really fast and it feels more rewarding when it slows down. When we get to the chorus, it's better because it's actually a chorus that sticks and I could remember afterwards. The chimes kind of sound like Minecraft music... don't quote me on that. The bridge is nice and solid, and overall, this song is one of the best from the album. Although I'm not quite sure what's happening at the end. But whatever.
7/10
Scared To Live
After I first listened to the album, this was one of the songs that I went and listened to again. I mean, you can't deny it, Abel sounds amazing in this song. The writing is actually pretty good, and definitely a contrast to most of this album. The chorus is an absolute banger, and can get stuck in your head for literal days afterward. I feel like if he were to release another single, this would be a very good choice. I love the "HEY!" and all the effects on it. When we hit the after-chorus, even though the chopped-up vocals sound a little weird, the rest is just spectacular. When the bridge slows down, it makes for a great build-up to the last chorus. For sure seek this out if you haven't heard this album.
9/10
Snowchild
So Selena Gomez requested this song. I don't quite know why. It's certainly not one of the best songs from this album. He drops a... certain word a lot in this, and it makes for an awkward listen. He doesn't sound very charismatic... like at all. The beat's alright, but other than that nothing stands out. I'd rather not listen to this again. The bridge is decent, but it can't bring this up for me.
3/10
Escape From LA
Okay, the production is admittedly really great on this song. I'm already loving that. His voice doesn't sound bad right from the start, but he is a bit mumbly, and it's kind of trap-sounding. Also, I'm not sure why everyone wants to leave LA. But that's fine. The song doesn't evolve much, although it changes a bit. For the most part this is decent, and definitely not one of the worst songs from this album... lookin' at you, Snowchild. It's a little bit on the long side, clocking in at around 5:56. I don't hate this if I'm being honest, as it starts to get a bit better near the end, with the bridge actually being pretty good. Overall, I think this is pretty good. Definitely one of the best non-pop songs on this album.
7/10
Heartless
This was the first single from this album, and has since left the countdown. So you guys know my opinion on this for the most part. It has admittedly grown on me a bit. I still don't love it, but listening to the rest of the album, this does hold up and stand out. The verses are pretty good, but I still don't love the chorus, the bassline or the writing. The beat is pretty well-made, and although this track has some high points, I think the lows outweigh it. It's definitely better than a good chunk of this album though. Therefore, I'm giving it a solid 6/10... okay maybe 5.5. Hmmm... 5.2.
5.3/10
Faith
This one stands out. Is that a good thing? I'm not quite sure. For the most part, the production is really cool, which tends to be a common trend for this album. The vocals aren't great, but I think the rest of it quite makes up for it. The chorus sounds pretty good, although in my opinion, there's a little too many layers there. The beat is really great. I mean, for pretty much the entire second half of the song I was dancing in my seat. Definitely better than some other songs here, but definitely not great. Overall, it's pretty dang decent. That ending though. It hits hard. You can hear the sirens in the background, and you can tell that something happened, and he's kind of changed now. Which you'll hear throughout these next songs.
7/10
Blinding Lights
You guys know that I love this song. But I love at the beginning how it works so well with Faith there. Anyways, this is easily gonna be my favourite song of 2020. The synth-pop thing works so well, and Abel just sounds so great. This song is an absolute bop, and it deserves all the success it's getting and more. This could very possibly become one of my favourite songs ever, and it for sure deserves that title. Great song, works well with the album, and I feel like this was made to be a single.
12/10
In Your Eyes
This is the newest single from this album, and it is also very good. It's also got an 80s feel to it, like Blinding Lights, and the production is really good on this. Abel's voice works really well with this, and it's insanely catchy. I'd love to see this do well on the charts, but we'll see. The saxophone in this is really great, and the hook is amazing. Great song, although not quite as good as Blinding Lights, but it's still very good in comparison to the rest of this album.
9/10
Save Your Tears
This song is also very good! It's a little more mellow than Blinding Lights and In Your Eyes, but it's still good nonetheless. Abel also sounds good in this, and the chorus is really catchy. It's pretty chill, with pretty much just a bassline, but I think it works pretty well. This wasn't a single, but I think it could also be a good direction to go. It's catchy and pop-ish, and could do pretty well on the charts.
8/10
Repeat After Me (Interlude)
From the start, this production feels pretty cool. Abel starts singing after the first third of the song, and he sounds pretty good. With the beat and the production, I think this works really well. It's pretty short, since it's an interlude, but I still think it's pretty good. Overall, it's got a pretty catchy hook, and I think this is definitely a solid song.
7/10
After Hours
This is the title track, used as a promotional single, and I have some pretty mixed feelings about this song. The first half is really weird. It feels really creepy and the vocals have a weird vocal effect on them. But in the second part, it really picks up and actually starts to get pretty good. The production and his vocals lose the echo-ish effect, and an actual beat drops. The bassline sounds really cool with this, and overall it brings up this song a whole lot. Maybe not enough to make it too good, but enough to make it decent. The chorus is pretty catchy honestly, and he sounds pretty good. Overall, this is a solid song compared to the rest of the album. It really fits with the whole flow of this album, and the end is definitely better than the beginning.
6.8/10
Until I Bleed Out
This is the last track on the normal album. The production doesn't really stand out, and it's kind of slow. His voice is alright on this. I feel like the writing on this is really good though. It definitely stands out from the rest of the album, and aside from the end of Faith, this is when you realize that he's changed. It ends kind of abruptly though, which I don't love. Overall, it's not great as a standalone track, but it's decent as an album closer.
6/10
Nothing Compares - Bonus Track
Right from the start, I'm already kind of loving the production. I'm also not sure what that trumpet hook is from, but I'm pretty sure I've heard it before. His voice has a lot of vibrato, which makes it kind of weird. This song doesn't have much substance to it, and feels a little hollow and empty, which I don't love. It can get boring at some points, so overall, I don't love it.
5/10
Missed You - Bonus Track
This one's a bit slower but has a good beat. I feel the end of this album slowed it down a bit. Again, there's not much substance to it. The chorus feels really empty, and not much is happening. It's pretty short, which I think isn't a great thing, because it could've evolved a bit more had it been a bit longer. Overall, this song's not great.
4/10
Final Lullaby - Bonus Track
The riff at the beginning's pretty cool. His voice comes in after, and honestly it sounds solid. Again though, it feels slow and empty. Maybe not as much as Nothing Compares and Missed You, but it still does nonetheless. I didn't love the bonus tracks, because they were all too slow and felt like they were all missing something. Overall, not a great closer. I prefered Until I Bleed Out.
5.5/10
High Points
#1: Blinding Lights
#2: Scared To Live
#3: In Your Eyes
#4: Save Your Tears
#5: Faith
#6: Repeat After Me (Interlude)
#7: Hardest To Love
#8: Escape From LA
Mid-Points
#9: After Hours
#10: Until I Bleed Out
#11: Final Lullaby - Bonus Track
#12: Heartless
#13: Alone Again
#14: Nothing Compares - Bonus Track
Low Points
#15: Missed You - Bonus Track
#16: Too Late
#17: Snowchild
Final Verdict
This album had some definite highlights and some definite lowlights. Overall, I think it told a pretty cool story, and the end was better than the beginning. Would I recommend this to somebody? Probably not. Therefore, I'd give it a C+. Hope you guys enjoyed that, and we might be back with another one if this was something you liked.
Kwaheri, everybody and see you all soon.
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Showing posts with label Album Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Album Review. Show all posts
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Album Review #3: Lover by Taylor Swift
Let’s go! Album review #3! Sorry it’s been a while, but I’ve been busy working on my next project which you can read a beautiful poem about, if you haven’t already. Just keep scrolling. It’s there. So, a few days ago Taylor Swift released this amazing album called Lover. If you care what my opinion is, keep reading. If you don’t, I don’t know why you’re even here. Alright! Let’s start this thing! DISCLAIMER: The rating system is based on the other songs in the album, I just didn’t want to make everything 9/10. Got it? Good.
I Forgot That You Existed
This song is a fantastic opener. In fact, every song here is good (except maybe one), and this is apparently getting Taylor out of the reputation era, and it does a really great job doing that. The beat is great, Taylor sounds amazing and the writing is really good too. My favorite line is: “It isn’t love it isn’t hate it’s just indifference”. Great job Taylor, I’m already hyped for the rest of the album and I’ve heard it 4 times already.
9/10
Cruel Summer
This song reminds me of 1989 Taylor. It’s not bad, but I just like Lover Taylor much better. I’ve ran out of stuff to talk about with this song. The songwriting is pretty good. The beat’s not bad. The bridge is spectacular. I love the line “I love you, isn’t that the worst thing you ever heard?”
8/10
Lover
Hmm… this song disappointed me so much. I just really don’t find it good or interesting. I don’t hate it, I just don’t like it. I feel like the song kind of drags on for a long time. The chorus is okay, but I just really can’t feel this one. I’m sorry guys, I just wish The Archer got pushed instead of this one.
5/10
The Man
The songwriting in this song is probably the best in the whole album. The message is amazing and I think more people should realize that girls can do just as much as us guys. I love how Taylor just has these great messages and people listen to it. It surprises me that this is already hitting it pretty big even though it’s not a single, but good job Taylor. The beat is also great, it’s super catchy and just everything about it is good.
10/10
The Archer
I’m kind of sad Taylor didn’t push this as a single, and it got pushed off of Hits 1 by Lover. This song is just so beautiful. It’s unique and I love it. I heard Taylor perform this live in the Town Hall, and it sounded exactly the same. Which I realize now is the point, but yeah. I really wish this hit it big, and I’m disappointed that radio stations gave up on this.
10/10
I Think He Know
This song is pretty good. The bass is really good in this song and I love that it’s spotlighted in the first verse. I don’t really like how she goes really high in the chorus, but somehow it works with the song. The rest of the song is really good. The bridge isn’t as good as some other bridges here, but it’s not bad.
8/10
Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince
Best song on the album. I LOVE everything about this song. I love how Taylor recorded herself multiple times to get the “Go! Fight! Win!” cheer in the bridge. The chorus here is amazing. The songwriting, putting into a high school is genius. Taylor sounds great in this and just everything about this song. The piano in the chorus is 10/10. Let’s go back to the bridge. I love how emotional this gets. The cheers are great, and that last line literally gives me the chills when it just stops. I love this song and I really want her to release it.
11/10 (I’ve never given this to any song before)
Paper Rings
This is a really close second for me. I love how they did everything retro here. Even the counting before the first is great and fitting. I like the tambourine a lot and that vocal effect that’s on Taylor’s voice. “EH! OH! UH! 1,2,1,2,3,4!” 10/10 backup vocals. *enthusiastic clapping* The bridge is also really good too. (When is it not? It’s Taylor Swift for goodness sake)
10/10
Cornelia Street
This is also a really good one. (Man, we’ve had a pretty good streak) This is how you make a Taylor Swift song. Her voice is great in the chorus and the songwriting is pretty good again. I think she’s got a good thing going here. I have a feeling this song is gonna be released.
9/10
Death By A Thousand Cuts
The guitar in this song is really great. I literally can’t stop jamming to this. The (chimes? I think) sound pretty great. The chorus is great, Taylor sounds great. (Yeah, this is pretty much the entire review just saying everything is good) the bridge is probably the best part of this song. You can really hear the emotion in her voice. I really like this song. Probably not as much as other songs in the album, but it’s still good.
8/10
London Boy
Not sure about the talking in the beginning, but that’s alright, she makes up for it. The chorus is pretty good and I love the “Darlin’ I fancy you” line. Yeah. Not much else to say about this one, (except that the bridge is good, but that’s kind of a given by this point) so let’s just wrap it up!
I Forgot That You Existed
This song is a fantastic opener. In fact, every song here is good (except maybe one), and this is apparently getting Taylor out of the reputation era, and it does a really great job doing that. The beat is great, Taylor sounds amazing and the writing is really good too. My favorite line is: “It isn’t love it isn’t hate it’s just indifference”. Great job Taylor, I’m already hyped for the rest of the album and I’ve heard it 4 times already.
9/10
Cruel Summer
This song reminds me of 1989 Taylor. It’s not bad, but I just like Lover Taylor much better. I’ve ran out of stuff to talk about with this song. The songwriting is pretty good. The beat’s not bad. The bridge is spectacular. I love the line “I love you, isn’t that the worst thing you ever heard?”
8/10
Lover
Hmm… this song disappointed me so much. I just really don’t find it good or interesting. I don’t hate it, I just don’t like it. I feel like the song kind of drags on for a long time. The chorus is okay, but I just really can’t feel this one. I’m sorry guys, I just wish The Archer got pushed instead of this one.
5/10
The Man
The songwriting in this song is probably the best in the whole album. The message is amazing and I think more people should realize that girls can do just as much as us guys. I love how Taylor just has these great messages and people listen to it. It surprises me that this is already hitting it pretty big even though it’s not a single, but good job Taylor. The beat is also great, it’s super catchy and just everything about it is good.
10/10
The Archer
I’m kind of sad Taylor didn’t push this as a single, and it got pushed off of Hits 1 by Lover. This song is just so beautiful. It’s unique and I love it. I heard Taylor perform this live in the Town Hall, and it sounded exactly the same. Which I realize now is the point, but yeah. I really wish this hit it big, and I’m disappointed that radio stations gave up on this.
10/10
I Think He Know
This song is pretty good. The bass is really good in this song and I love that it’s spotlighted in the first verse. I don’t really like how she goes really high in the chorus, but somehow it works with the song. The rest of the song is really good. The bridge isn’t as good as some other bridges here, but it’s not bad.
8/10
Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince
Best song on the album. I LOVE everything about this song. I love how Taylor recorded herself multiple times to get the “Go! Fight! Win!” cheer in the bridge. The chorus here is amazing. The songwriting, putting into a high school is genius. Taylor sounds great in this and just everything about this song. The piano in the chorus is 10/10. Let’s go back to the bridge. I love how emotional this gets. The cheers are great, and that last line literally gives me the chills when it just stops. I love this song and I really want her to release it.
11/10 (I’ve never given this to any song before)
Paper Rings
This is a really close second for me. I love how they did everything retro here. Even the counting before the first is great and fitting. I like the tambourine a lot and that vocal effect that’s on Taylor’s voice. “EH! OH! UH! 1,2,1,2,3,4!” 10/10 backup vocals. *enthusiastic clapping* The bridge is also really good too. (When is it not? It’s Taylor Swift for goodness sake)
10/10
Cornelia Street
This is also a really good one. (Man, we’ve had a pretty good streak) This is how you make a Taylor Swift song. Her voice is great in the chorus and the songwriting is pretty good again. I think she’s got a good thing going here. I have a feeling this song is gonna be released.
9/10
Death By A Thousand Cuts
The guitar in this song is really great. I literally can’t stop jamming to this. The (chimes? I think) sound pretty great. The chorus is great, Taylor sounds great. (Yeah, this is pretty much the entire review just saying everything is good) the bridge is probably the best part of this song. You can really hear the emotion in her voice. I really like this song. Probably not as much as other songs in the album, but it’s still good.
8/10
London Boy
Not sure about the talking in the beginning, but that’s alright, she makes up for it. The chorus is pretty good and I love the “Darlin’ I fancy you” line. Yeah. Not much else to say about this one, (except that the bridge is good, but that’s kind of a given by this point) so let’s just wrap it up!
8/10
Soon You'll Get Better (feat. Dixie Chicks)
*genuinely cries* Aw man, these songs. It’s like Supermarket Flowers by Ed Sheeran. I can’t listen to it without crying. It’s a great song, but it just makes me sad every time I hear it. You can really hear the emotion in Taylor’s voice and I bet it was really hard for her to record it, since it’s about her mom. She’ll never release it, but I really like it. I literally can’t type right now, so I’ll just wrap it up with a 10/10.
10/10
False God
So apparently I’ve heard this song before. I remember the saxophone, but that’s about it. When I heard this song come on, I was like, “False God? Is that even a song on the album?” Yes. It is. All that being said, it’s not bad, it’s just not that memorable. The chorus is pretty good. I forgot what the bridge sounds like, but I bet it’s good. I find it weird how whenever she says “Love” it comes out “Lah” I just listened back to it and there is no bridge. Come on, Taylor.
7/10
You Need To Calm Down
Ah, yes. The song that everybody hates for no apparent reason. It’s a really good song guys, just accept that fact! The beat-thing-weird-I-don’t-really-know-what-to-call-it at the beginning sounds really good. Taylor sounds straight-up amazing in the chorus and I just really love it as a whole. I’d really like to see it hit #1 on the countdown. It’s getting there, just not yet.
9/10
Afterglow
BASS DRUM! Not a bad song, actually. Taylor sounds really good in the chorus and it’s really catchy. I love the vibe of this song, and it fits the album really well. So far, this has been a really good album and I’m so happy it lived up to my expectations.
9/10
ME! (feat. Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco)
So, I actually bought the album off of iTunes, and I had bought this song previously when it was a single, but now this song is just gone, so I’m reviewing it without hearing it, but it’s okay ‘cause I’ve heard it a lot. Yes, this is the song that should’ve been bigger. But because of one line, it wasn’t. Taylor and Brendon have great chemistry here and It’s just a lot of fun and I don’t know why it wasn’t bigger than it is.
10/10
It's Nice To Have A Friend
I don’t actually really like the vibe of the song or the backup vocals that much. It’s not bad, I get what the appeal might be, but I’m just really not feeling it. It feels really slow for me. There's really not much to it. The trumpet feels really out of place, and I don’t know. I’m just not feeling this one.
6/10
Daylight
For the album closer, it’s really good. I’m not exactly sure it would do so well as a single, but it seems that’s what’s gonna happen. Taylor’s voice sounds great, and I love a pretty song like this from her. Overall, just a really solid song and a great way to end the album. With a great bridge. ;)
8/10
Final Words
This is probably the best Taylor Swift album ever. I’d love to see her do more like this, but since she does a different style every album, that’s probably not gonna happen. I’d just like to end with these words.
“I wanna be defined by the things that I love. Not the things I hate. Not the things I’m afraid of. Or the things that haunt me in the middle of the night. I, I just think that you are what you love”
-Taylor Swift 2019
Tuesday, June 25, 2019
Album Review: TIM by Avicii
Recently, some people (not sure who) released a bunch of pre-recorded songs of Avicii’s after his tragic passing a few years ago. The album, TIM, has features from Aloe Blacc, Chris Martin and many others. Today, I will be reviewing that very same album in my second album review.
Peace Of Mind (feat. Vargas & Lagola)
For the album opener, I think this is a good kick-off. It gives you a lot of hype and really starts the adventure that is this album. Although, as a stand-alone single, I don’t really like it. It just seems kind of underwhelming. The vocals are not very good. The production is pretty good, but I just don’t feel like this song does very well by itself. But in the album, it fits really nicely.
Peace Of Mind (feat. Vargas & Lagola)
For the album opener, I think this is a good kick-off. It gives you a lot of hype and really starts the adventure that is this album. Although, as a stand-alone single, I don’t really like it. It just seems kind of underwhelming. The vocals are not very good. The production is pretty good, but I just don’t feel like this song does very well by itself. But in the album, it fits really nicely.
5/10
Heaven
The uncredited Chris Martin from Coldplay handles the vocals on this track. I feel like this song is a really great tribute to Avicii. The production is spot-on and the vocals are really good because Chris Martin. This song stands alone really well and was #1 on Spotify for a pretty long time. This song envelops what Avicii was and what he will always be. It’s also really long. Which is really good because the song is great.
9/10
SOS (feat. Aloe Blacc)
This was the first single released from this album and it did okay for a little while before flopping everywhere. I feel like this collaboration was really supposed to be on the album since Wake Me Up with Aloe Blacc was Avicii’s biggest hit. This song is really good. I like the chorus a lot. It’s really catchy. I like whatever instrument is making the noise in the chorus. It fits really well with the song.
9/10
Tough Love (feat. Agnes, Vargas & Lagola)
The vocals here are really good compared to the first, but that’s because of Agnes. And I feel like there’s more singing. This song is pretty catchy and I love the (I want to say fiddle?) at the start. The beat works really well with the song and the vocals. I really like when their vocals overlap near the end. This song is really good and again just helps make the album.
8/10
Bad Reputation (feat. Joe Janiak)
This song isn’t really memorable. Joe’s vocals aren’t really all that memorable and this song just doesn’t really stand out in the album. The production isn’t as good and I know Avicii can do better. I mean, the song isn’t at all bad, it just doesn’t stand out.
6/10
Ain't A Thing (feat. Bonn)
Yes. I really like this. The vocals really stand out. But that’s the thing. I feel like the vocals stand out too much. There’s not much production here. I still really like it though. Bonn’s vocals are really good and the song itself is really catchy.
7.5/10
Hold The Line (feat. A R I Z O N A)
Not sure why your artist name would be Arizona with spaces but whatever. This song is also pretty good. The vocals are decent. The production in the chorus is breathtaking though. I just really like it for some reason and I want more of it. This song is really good. I feel like Avicii hit a home run with this one.
9/10
Freak (feat. Bonn)
The opening of this reminds me a lot of SOS, but that’s okay because SOS is spectacular. This song is really good and Bonn sounds really good and mixed with more production it just makes this much better than Ain’t A Thing. I feel like this is a big step up. It helps make the album what it is.
8/10
Excuse Me Mr. Sir (feat. Vargas & Lagola)
Geez. Avicii had a long session with these guys. I don’t really like the electronic vocals from them though. It just doesn’t seem great. I mean, it’s a bit better with Avicii, but the vocals just really bring this one down for me.
5/10
Heart Upon My Sleeve (feat. Imagine Dragons)
I really wanted to hear this one when I saw the song list and it did not disappoint. I was a little worried it wouldn’t feature the band at all, but it does. These guys do really well with DJs. This song is amazing and is so intense and I love it all. It really tells a story through the whole song. Dan Reynolds sounds really good as usual, and the whole thing is just really good.
10/10
Never Leave Me (feat. Joe Janiak)
This song is better than Bad Reputation. The chorus is really good and it’s a lot more memorable. However, his voice still isn’t very memorable and that’s my issue with these songs with him. I just find the vocals underwhelming. To make a good EDM track, you need a good vocalist.
7/10
Fades Away (feat. Noonie Bao)
This is a really good closer to the album. I like how it starts off really quiet and gets bigger through the song. I love album closers that actually manage to be just that: an album closer. It feels more like an experience than it does just songs.
9/10
Album Ranking
#12: Peace Of Mind (feat. Vargas & Lagola)
#11: Excuse Me Mr Sir (feat. Vargas & Lagola)
#10: Bad Reputation (feat. Joe Janiak)
#10: Bad Reputation (feat. Joe Janiak)
#9: Never Leave Me (feat. Joe Janiak)
#8: Ain't A Thing (feat. Bonn)
#8: Ain't A Thing (feat. Bonn)
#7: Freak (feat. Bonn)
#6: Tough Love (feat. Agnes, Vargas & Lagola)
#5: Hold The Line (feat. A R I Z O N A)
#4: Fades Away (feat. Noonie Bao)
#3: SOS (feat. Aloe Blacc)
#2: Heaven
#1: Heart Upon My Sleeve (feat. Imagine Dragons)
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Album Review: Happiness Begins by the Jonas Brothers
You’re probably gonna see many more album reviews on my blog, and well, to start it all off, we have an album by the Jonas Brothers that surprised me a bit. Happiness Begins is an overall mellow album (aside from the first two songs) celebrating the big return of the Jonas Brothers. And well, yeah! Here we go!
Sucker
Ah, yes. The big return of the Jonas Brothers. This song was everything when it was first released. It’s still going strong on a bunch of radio stations but especially on Hits 1. Which overplays it way too much. For the song in general, it’s pretty good, but I feel like it was given more success than it deserved. I mean, it’s a great summer jam, and I’m glad it exists, but I just feel like it was overplayed into the point of no relevance.
6/10
Cool
This was the second single from this album following Sucker and it still hasn’t taken off. I feel like it’s just a cheap knock-off of Sucker. They feel almost identical, and it just kind of makes the song feel unoriginal and boring for a song off of this album.
4/10
Only Human
This is pretty much the last upbeat song on the album. That being said, this song is pretty good. The little jingle that plays at the beginning and through the song is really catchy. This whole song is really catchy. I don’t think it’s strong enough to be a single by itself, but I like it a good amount. This shows how they should make upbeat songs and release stuff like Cool.
7/10
I Believe
This is when I got surprised when first listening to the album to see that there could be mellow songs like this on an album with Sucker on it. This song sounds really good. The chorus is pretty good. The song itself isn’t that catchy, but that’s okay because this song marked the point where the album started to get really good. The last chorus sounds really good too.
7/10
Used To Be
This one is pretty good, I guess. The beat is okay. I like when in the chorus they all go at different pitches. I just find this song mediocre. It’s not as good as some of the following songs. It’s kind of boring and there’s just not much to talk about with this one.
Sucker
Ah, yes. The big return of the Jonas Brothers. This song was everything when it was first released. It’s still going strong on a bunch of radio stations but especially on Hits 1. Which overplays it way too much. For the song in general, it’s pretty good, but I feel like it was given more success than it deserved. I mean, it’s a great summer jam, and I’m glad it exists, but I just feel like it was overplayed into the point of no relevance.
6/10
Cool
This was the second single from this album following Sucker and it still hasn’t taken off. I feel like it’s just a cheap knock-off of Sucker. They feel almost identical, and it just kind of makes the song feel unoriginal and boring for a song off of this album.
4/10
Only Human
This is pretty much the last upbeat song on the album. That being said, this song is pretty good. The little jingle that plays at the beginning and through the song is really catchy. This whole song is really catchy. I don’t think it’s strong enough to be a single by itself, but I like it a good amount. This shows how they should make upbeat songs and release stuff like Cool.
7/10
I Believe
This is when I got surprised when first listening to the album to see that there could be mellow songs like this on an album with Sucker on it. This song sounds really good. The chorus is pretty good. The song itself isn’t that catchy, but that’s okay because this song marked the point where the album started to get really good. The last chorus sounds really good too.
7/10
Used To Be
This one is pretty good, I guess. The beat is okay. I like when in the chorus they all go at different pitches. I just find this song mediocre. It’s not as good as some of the following songs. It’s kind of boring and there’s just not much to talk about with this one.
6/10
Every Single Time
This one is pretty forgettable. I’ve listened to the album like three times and it still feels new every time I hear it. It’s again just kind of mediocre compared to songs like Don’t Throw It Away. But I mean, at least it’s not bad. It’s songs like these that just make the album near perfection because none of the songs are bad, and they just all follow the same vibe. (Except for Sucker and Cool.) I feel like it just helps make the album feel complete.
7/10
Don't Throw It Away
Best song on the album. Hands down. It’s super catchy and sounds really good in the chorus. This song is just a representation of the whole entire album. You could just listen to this song and really want to listen to the rest. I feel like this would make a really good single, and I’d love to see them release it.
10/10
Love Her
This song is really good and again just a really good representation of the album. This is also one of my favorites from the album. The chorus is really good and whoever is singing in the second verse sounds really good. The guitar in this song really helps make the song what it is. Just a really solid song.
9/10
Happy When I'm Sad
Correction: this is the last upbeat song on the album. I like it better than some of the first few, but it’s not as good as the last two. But, that’s okay because, in all honesty, I think they’re gonna release this one. And I’m okay with that, because it’s a good median between the first two and the last two that I reviewed.
8/10
Trust
Whoever is singing in the chorus does not sound like himself. But that’s okay, because it helps make the song what it is. This song is pretty good. Honestly, this whole album just took me by surprise, especially this one. But, I like it for that.
8/10
Strangers
Nick Jonas back when he was solo. This is what this song reminds me of. They probably came to some sort of compromise and decided to do a song like this. I don’t really hear the others and I can just pick out Nick and it makes me wonder if this was a Nick Jonas that the others just really liked. That being said, this song is pretty good, I liked Nick when he was solo, but it was just mediocre.
8/10
Hesitate
And this one reminds me of Shawn Mendes. But that’s okay! Because I like Shawn Mendes! This song is really beautiful though, and it was a really good addition to the album. Again, every song just flows together to make a really good album. This song is really awesome and they made a really good decision putting this in their album.
9/10
Rollercoaster
This is another really sweet song and- wait did they release it? I don’t know. Chase recommended it, so I’m not sure what that means. But, I feel like if they did release it, that was a really good idea because this song is a great replacement for Cool. This song is really good.
10/10
Comeback
This is another forgettable song that fits seamlessly into the album, which sounds weird, but makes sense if you listen to it. I honestly don’t remember much about it, so I can’t give a very detailed review of it, but I know it’s pretty good. It’s also a really good album closer and feels like it really wraps up the whole experience, which I just realized is the point of the song, so I’m bumping it up to a 8/10.
8/10
Ranking of the Album
#14: Cool
#13: Sucker
#12: Used To Be
#11: Every Single Time
#10: Only Human
#9: I Believe
#8: Happy When I'm Sad
#7: Trust
#6: Comeback
#5: Strangers
#4: Hesitate
#3: Love Her
#2: Rollercoaster
#1: Don't Throw It Away
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