Aw this made me smile so hard! I wholeheartedly agree with all of this.
20GAYTeen the Rate: WINNER!!
- Thread starter Trouble in Paradise
- Start date
He/Him
First of all, every Hayley song should have made top 50, maybe even top 40, especially this one.
Secondly, anyone who doesn't see this, (and Curious - what is wrong with you?) as the complete bops they are needs to have their ears checked.
Secondly, anyone who doesn't see this, (and Curious - what is wrong with you?) as the complete bops they are needs to have their ears checked.
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ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
Waiting for y’all to chuck out an MNEK song before Years & Years so I can fully unleash my rage.
she/her
Yikes, you don't wanna open that door.
But seriously, I can't speak for anyone else but for me, HNLY and Curious are just ... quite a lot less poignant and powerful than the other tracks on Expectations. They feel more bop-ish to be sure, but in a way that I think strips them of some of the depth of meaning and significance present in the rest of the album. They feel a little commonplace in comparison.
With the other songs, I either relate intensely to the emotions Hayley conveys, or else I can empathize with them even if they're not ones that I've felt myself much, or at all. But those two songs in particular just don't resonate with me. While I don't always HAVE to personally connect with a song to enjoy it, in this specific case it makes a difference, because this album meant so much to me overall as someone who just realized she was a lesbian in the last few years and is still figuring out and evaluating her identity. Wanna Be Missed and Sleepover in particular just destroy me emotionally.
Add in the fact that I also find that they don't "fit" as well with the overall dreamy sound most of the other songs (aside from What I Need, but that one has the "connection" factor) have, so they sort of feel jarring when listening to the album as a whole, and I just couldn't score them as highly as her other four tracks in this rate.
That being said! I don't necessarily dislike them, and I'm glad that other people enjoy them and connect with them so much. One of the things I like the most about these rates is seeing opinions that differ from mine, it often gives me a better appreciation of the music.
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He/Him
Sorry, I'm just salty this is gone. You didn't have to explain yourself, but thanks anyway this was beautiful.
she/her
Haha I know! But I wanted to, after reading @Blob's lovely post.
He/Him
she/her
Okay but hearing I Like That blaring through the mostly empty cinema at the beginning of Us was a MomenT! Needs top 10!
He/Him
Here to present our next cut is Old Hollywood icon Tab Hunter who once scored a number one song which is hard to get, not everyone has that. Now the question is which main artists will miss out on bringing all of their songs to the Top 50: Janelle, MNEK or Years & Years?
52. "Girlfriend"
By MNEK
7.418
Highest Scores: 10 x 6 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Sanctuary @GimmeWork @londonrain @inevitable @Music Is Life) 9.5 x 1 (@Blob)
Lowest Scores: 2 x 1 (@soratami) 4 x 1(@happiestgirl) 4.5 x 1 (@Reboot)
My Score: 9.75
I'm a little secret nobody's supposed to know
You want to keep this on the hush, keep this on the low
I'm the reason she's wondering why you're never home
Why you're never home
Yes, somehow Years & Years made it to the Top 50 unscathed including "If You're Over Me" and instead we love "GIRLFRIEND" BY MNEK!? What is wrong with y'all!? Have y'all ever dated someone in the closet?! I've thankfully never dealt with someone in a straight relationship but I've had more than my fair share of closet cases. It's also high key super important to mention that the DL is a HUGE aspect of gay black male culture but my white ass won't go into detail there. I know a lot of the negative commentary around this song centered on the idea of not liking songs about cheating, but this song feels like it's coming from a different angle.
MNEK talked with Billboard about the inspiration behind the song, first discussing the production and then expanding upon the lyrical narrative explaining:
Neither You Nor Your Story's Straight
reboot This is the first time I’ve ever listened to more than three MNEK songs in a row. Based on what everyone was saying in the rate thread, I was expecting a lot more.
Kalonite You can't rhyme 'do' with 'do'. End of
The Hot Rock Liked the vocals and instrumentation here but didn't enjoy the lyrics as much. The subject is a bit tired for me, sorry.
You Should Have Thought About That
untitled i do appreciate his take on the big r&b diva of the late 90s, but i would appreciate it even more if the production was less cluttered. i also almost burned myself while preparing literal tea and singing it, so that must be saying something
Posh Spears Lyrically good but something about the sonics leaves more to be desired, for me.
Constantino Trend alert: Girlfriends and adultery. Daniel Beddington found ROTTING at this production.
Untouchable Ace Homewrecker
You Told the Truth
Londonrain “Neither you or your story’s straight.” Iconic.
ufint *NSYNC wishes they fucking could.
Pop3blow2 Great lyrics with his own unique take on the whole ‘affair’ pop song. Nice production choices, too.
Slaybellz I love this in all it's early 2000s glory.
Gimmework The biggest kii on the whole album. Yass MNEK drag those DL gays on grindr in the dirt!
52. "Girlfriend"
By MNEK
7.418
Highest Scores: 10 x 6 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Sanctuary @GimmeWork @londonrain @inevitable @Music Is Life) 9.5 x 1 (@Blob)
Lowest Scores: 2 x 1 (@soratami) 4 x 1(@happiestgirl) 4.5 x 1 (@Reboot)
My Score: 9.75
I'm a little secret nobody's supposed to know
You want to keep this on the hush, keep this on the low
I'm the reason she's wondering why you're never home
Why you're never home
MNEK talked with Billboard about the inspiration behind the song, first discussing the production and then expanding upon the lyrical narrative explaining:
I think “Girlfriend” in particular is definitely one of the songs that is angled towards early 2000s, late '90s, R&B pop and those kinds of songs that were prevalent in that time. I don’t think I was conscious of those songs in particular, but I’d say I definitely wanted a song that had that kind of vibe era wise in tone and all the writing. That’s the kind of stuff I listen to now.
Speaking of the writing, I feel like this is really a narrative driven album and I’m wondering are these your own stories or just stories that might arise from being a black gay man?
It’s more so from the point of view of these are my real stories. These are my true stories. I think the only song that isn’t biographical is “Girlfriend.” I don’t think I’ve been in that before, per se, where there’s a straight guy trying to be my boyfriend. But the messages I wanted to put in the album, I wanted to put things that just made people think and that mirrored their own experiences. The perspective that I come from when I sing, when I perform, is of who I am as a black gay man. So it’s a mix of all of that together and hopefully that poses as a template for some of other, younger artists which I never had.
Not to be like the martyr or king of whatever but I’m excited about what I’m doing, and the people that I can reach.
I love how unapologetically gay and black MNEK is in his writing and how aware he is of how powerful his voice is even if it's just amongst a more niche audience. He emphasized to Pride that this song wasn't based on his own experiences but was definitely 90's inspired:Speaking of the writing, I feel like this is really a narrative driven album and I’m wondering are these your own stories or just stories that might arise from being a black gay man?
It’s more so from the point of view of these are my real stories. These are my true stories. I think the only song that isn’t biographical is “Girlfriend.” I don’t think I’ve been in that before, per se, where there’s a straight guy trying to be my boyfriend. But the messages I wanted to put in the album, I wanted to put things that just made people think and that mirrored their own experiences. The perspective that I come from when I sing, when I perform, is of who I am as a black gay man. So it’s a mix of all of that together and hopefully that poses as a template for some of other, younger artists which I never had.
Not to be like the martyr or king of whatever but I’m excited about what I’m doing, and the people that I can reach.
PRIDE: Did real-life events inspire "Girlfriend?" Spill the tea, sis.
MNEK: No, it didn’t actually! When I wrote the song I really wanted to explore this story because I know it’s happened to people I know and I’ve never heard it from a male perspective in a song this brashly.
This is the most '90-inspired video I’ve seen in a minute. All that was missing was that circular lightroom. Who were your influences?
When Jordan [Rossi, "Girlfriend" Director] and I were discussing the video, we really wanted to accentuate the boy’s mind. George Michael’s "Fast Love," a lot of colour, slow-motion shots, with a strong narrative to go along with it.
Speaking of the video: it is INCREDIBLE! It's so fun and nostalgic while fully delivering on the "Girlfriend" narrative. I'll had it over to his choreographer Royston who broke down the video and working with MNEK for Attitude explaining:MNEK: No, it didn’t actually! When I wrote the song I really wanted to explore this story because I know it’s happened to people I know and I’ve never heard it from a male perspective in a song this brashly.
This is the most '90-inspired video I’ve seen in a minute. All that was missing was that circular lightroom. Who were your influences?
When Jordan [Rossi, "Girlfriend" Director] and I were discussing the video, we really wanted to accentuate the boy’s mind. George Michael’s "Fast Love," a lot of colour, slow-motion shots, with a strong narrative to go along with it.
In the video, we see MNEK become increasingly frustrated by his love interest’s commitment to keeping their love closeted. Oh, and the fact that he has a girlfriend who wants him home to celebrate their anniversary… not ideal.
Losing patience with this secrecy, MNEK’s song acts as an anthem for self-worth. As he fiercely quips that he’s ‘the little secret nobody’s supposed to know’, it’s not hard to hear his message, it speaks for itself!
It’s important that the choreography within any video supports the artist’s message and when they’re as strong-minded as MNEK, you can’t hold back.
When we’re working on a project, it’s never one-sided; he knows what he wants and we typically start by sitting down to spitball some ideas until we find the perfect starting point.
You know what's truly not ideal? This song leaving before the Top 50...now who can I blame for that?Losing patience with this secrecy, MNEK’s song acts as an anthem for self-worth. As he fiercely quips that he’s ‘the little secret nobody’s supposed to know’, it’s not hard to hear his message, it speaks for itself!
It’s important that the choreography within any video supports the artist’s message and when they’re as strong-minded as MNEK, you can’t hold back.
When we’re working on a project, it’s never one-sided; he knows what he wants and we typically start by sitting down to spitball some ideas until we find the perfect starting point.
Neither You Nor Your Story's Straight
reboot This is the first time I’ve ever listened to more than three MNEK songs in a row. Based on what everyone was saying in the rate thread, I was expecting a lot more.
Kalonite You can't rhyme 'do' with 'do'. End of
The Hot Rock Liked the vocals and instrumentation here but didn't enjoy the lyrics as much. The subject is a bit tired for me, sorry.
You Should Have Thought About That
untitled i do appreciate his take on the big r&b diva of the late 90s, but i would appreciate it even more if the production was less cluttered. i also almost burned myself while preparing literal tea and singing it, so that must be saying something
Posh Spears Lyrically good but something about the sonics leaves more to be desired, for me.
Constantino Trend alert: Girlfriends and adultery. Daniel Beddington found ROTTING at this production.
Untouchable Ace Homewrecker
You Told the Truth
Londonrain “Neither you or your story’s straight.” Iconic.
ufint *NSYNC wishes they fucking could.
Pop3blow2 Great lyrics with his own unique take on the whole ‘affair’ pop song. Nice production choices, too.
Slaybellz I love this in all it's early 2000s glory.
Gimmework The biggest kii on the whole album. Yass MNEK drag those DL gays on grindr in the dirt!
londonrain
Staff member
Girlfriend? Out before the top 50?
Wow. The lack of taste jumped OUT.
Wow. The lack of taste jumped OUT.
I didn't say anything cause I know MNEK has some pretty hardcore stans, but I'm really glad that's out, it's one of the only three songs in the rate I rated below 3. I'm really not a fan of the 90s boyband sound at all, and the lyrics are just so bad. I mean
But imagine if she knew you were -ing me
And acting irresponsibly
While she's home learning recipes
really.
But imagine if she knew you were -ing me
And acting irresponsibly
While she's home learning recipes
really.
londonrain
Staff member
The "while she's home learning recipes" line especially. Not only does it sound incredibly clunky, but the emphasis on the woman being at home, and cooking no less, while she's being cheated on just doesn't really sit well with me.
londonrain
Staff member
But isn't the point in part that DL men are essentially buying into a heteronormative ideal that necessitates that men must pair up with women because there are clearly defined gender roles that need to be fulfilled in order to be a "real man" or a "real woman"? The emphasis is on the fact that this guy is creating this very stereotypical idea of a heterosexual relationship to cover for the fact that he's actually gay... and the girl is buying into it.
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
...
He/Him
I am loving this conversation about what one is willing to ignore about oneself and our partner to fit into a box. This reminds me of what a certain Goddess once sang:
Pour ne pas vivre seul
Moi je vis avec toi
Je suis seule avec toi
Tu es seul avec moi
Pour ne pas vivre seul
On vit comme ceux qui veulent
Se donner l'illusion
De ne pas vivre seul
Moi je vis avec toi
Je suis seule avec toi
Tu es seul avec moi
Pour ne pas vivre seul
On vit comme ceux qui veulent
Se donner l'illusion
De ne pas vivre seul