londonrain
Staff member
So my reading of this is... all of Janelle’s tracks are safe until the top 25?
Talent.
Talent.
20GAYTeen the Rate: WINNER!!
- Thread starter Trouble in Paradise
- Start date
He/Him
The next cut is introduced by R&B singer and band leader Bobby Marchan who got his start as a drag queen/female impersonator and was actually signed under the misapprehension that he was a woman! His work in the 80's as a record executive actually helped lead to the formation and success of Cash Money Records!
29. "Hallelujah"
By Years & Years
7.834
Highest Scores: 10 x 5 (@Sanctuary @GimmeWork @happiestgirl @inevitable @Remorque) 9.7 x 1 (@Untouchable Ace) 9.5 x 1 (@londonrain)
Lowest Scores: 4 x 2 (@The Hot Rock @LE0Night) 5 x 1 (@soratami)
My Score: 7
I wanna dance 'til I'm drunk on the feeling
Dance, like it's my first time
I wanna dance 'til I speed up the healing
Get up, shake it 'til I find
Somebody like you
The time has come to say good bye to the Years & Years song I wish I liked way more than I do. I know many of you find it to be "that bop" but it's always felt like too much for me. It's fun but it doesn't really give the release I want it to. Also despite my love for the mixing of religious and queer imagery and lyrics, I think Olly's run that well dry at this point. I mean "Preacher" is just fully skippable. But that's enough of my terrible opinion!
"Hallelujah" was actually co-written with songwriting superstars Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter as well co-producer Greg Kurstin which is a clear sign of Years & Years success. In their iHeartRadio breakdown, the group had this to say about the track and it's development:
Speaking of going out and hooking up and other fun activities for Pride Month, Olly had this to say to the L'Officiel about how his rise to fame has affected his experiences going out to gay clubs:
A strong yes to all of those feelings. There really is nothing like going out dancing in a gay club. It's so liberating, when the song hits just right you feel like you're floating. Back in my single days, there was few things I enjoyed more than going to our local hole in the wall (basement) gay club and hooking up with some random. Such a invigorating and life affirming rush. I feel bad that Olly's lost that sense of freedom but also recognize that it's something so many of us never really get to feel especially at the age when it can mean so much.
Now let's hear from y'all!
The Hot Rock The hook and vocal delivery in this one was really grating for me, sorry.
Untitled i didn't really pay attention to it when i was playing the album. good but not essential
ufint I would have loved a bigger, better chorus, because this song checks every other box it needs to be amazing.
Pop3blow2 I’ll admit I’ve just never been able to get into Years & Years, but I’m trying to listen with open ears here for the sake of the rate. This is fine, I guess. Not something I’ll come back to, but I get why they are liked. While they aren’t completely for me, they are talented.
Constantino The production slaps but the lyrics give me second-hand embarrassment.
Untouchable Ace Another joyous sex bop.
29. "Hallelujah"
By Years & Years
7.834
Highest Scores: 10 x 5 (@Sanctuary @GimmeWork @happiestgirl @inevitable @Remorque) 9.7 x 1 (@Untouchable Ace) 9.5 x 1 (@londonrain)
Lowest Scores: 4 x 2 (@The Hot Rock @LE0Night) 5 x 1 (@soratami)
My Score: 7
I wanna dance 'til I'm drunk on the feeling
Dance, like it's my first time
I wanna dance 'til I speed up the healing
Get up, shake it 'til I find
Somebody like you
"Hallelujah" was actually co-written with songwriting superstars Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter as well co-producer Greg Kurstin which is a clear sign of Years & Years success. In their iHeartRadio breakdown, the group had this to say about the track and it's development:
Mikey: That one had a lot of different versions.
Olly: We tend to do that. We make a lot of different versions of the songs, but that song I wrote with Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter [who are] like pop Gods and Goddesses. That song's about when you wanna just go out and meet somebody and you don't care who it is. You just wanna go and lose yourself to the music. . . .I did do a rewrite of the lyrics and then I went back to the original lyrics 'cause I was, like, "Oh, it's not as good," and then we changed a lot of production stuff. There's so many versions.
Emre: Was that the "It's too wordy" one?
Olly: Yes. They're like "too wordy."
Now I, a stan of "Mine," love a wordy chorus but "Hallelujah" might've benefited from some trimming. I'm very curious what some of the other versions sounded like especially knowing what happened to "Hypnotised." Olly: We tend to do that. We make a lot of different versions of the songs, but that song I wrote with Julia Michaels and Justin Tranter [who are] like pop Gods and Goddesses. That song's about when you wanna just go out and meet somebody and you don't care who it is. You just wanna go and lose yourself to the music. . . .I did do a rewrite of the lyrics and then I went back to the original lyrics 'cause I was, like, "Oh, it's not as good," and then we changed a lot of production stuff. There's so many versions.
Emre: Was that the "It's too wordy" one?
Olly: Yes. They're like "too wordy."
Speaking of going out and hooking up and other fun activities for Pride Month, Olly had this to say to the L'Officiel about how his rise to fame has affected his experiences going out to gay clubs:
“When the music was right and I was with the right people, I felt invincible,” he says, his eyes a little glassy. “Sometimes, I wanted to hook up, and I felt like if I was in a good place I could do that! It could feel empowering one minute and confusing the next; [experiencing] other queer bodies being around me, where it felt like anything could happen.” Fame, sadly, has changed that for him. Olly says fans are rarely intrusive when he’s spotted in a nightclub, but nevertheless, he’s forever going to be seen as ‘Olly from Years & Years’: “Now, there’s an element of being on show, and that’s not what I want from a messy night out!”
A strong yes to all of those feelings. There really is nothing like going out dancing in a gay club. It's so liberating, when the song hits just right you feel like you're floating. Back in my single days, there was few things I enjoyed more than going to our local hole in the wall (basement) gay club and hooking up with some random. Such a invigorating and life affirming rush. I feel bad that Olly's lost that sense of freedom but also recognize that it's something so many of us never really get to feel especially at the age when it can mean so much.
Now let's hear from y'all!
The Hot Rock The hook and vocal delivery in this one was really grating for me, sorry.
Untitled i didn't really pay attention to it when i was playing the album. good but not essential
ufint I would have loved a bigger, better chorus, because this song checks every other box it needs to be amazing.
Pop3blow2 I’ll admit I’ve just never been able to get into Years & Years, but I’m trying to listen with open ears here for the sake of the rate. This is fine, I guess. Not something I’ll come back to, but I get why they are liked. While they aren’t completely for me, they are talented.
Constantino The production slaps but the lyrics give me second-hand embarrassment.
Untouchable Ace Another joyous sex bop.
Honestly as long as Janelle continues to wreak havoc on the rest of this rate I'm fine, talent wins!
I mean, there's a 4 way tie for second in the album poll & Janelle still has more than votes than those 4 albums put together (& those albums ain't no joke). Talent.
Also, well played with the Jeff Buckley title in this reveal @Trouble in Paradise ... I was clicking all on that thread like 2 seconds after seeing it the queue!
Also, well played with the Jeff Buckley title in this reveal @Trouble in Paradise ... I was clicking all on that thread like 2 seconds after seeing it the queue!
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
I'm screaming at Holland making it this far. But in a good way.
Four of the extras deserve to be in the top 15 actually.
D
Deleted member 29256
Lower The Tone for top 5!
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
Anyone calling for St. Vincent can get out of the rate.
He/Him
Report cards are done, tomorrow is our "Moving Up" Ceremony so depending on how much work I get done on the end of year slide show (and how much wine I drink) I'll try to get an elimination up. If not, I'll go for a double header Wednesday night!
He/Him
Introducing our next cut is former Icelandic Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir who was the first openly lesbian leader of a government!
28, "Body"
By MNEK
7.849
Highest Scores: 11 x 1 (@londonrain) 10 x 4 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Blob @Cutlery @slaybellz) 9.7 x 1 (@Untouchable Ace) 9.5 x 2 (@dylanaber @Music Is Life)
Lowest Scores: 4 x 3 (@Reboot @kalonite @KingBruno) 6 x 1 (@The Hot Rock)
My Score: 7.75
Cheek-to-cheek, mouth-to-mouth
Lost in translation every time I'm around you
I want to know what you're about
Don't worry about the words not coming out
"Body" has put up a great fight for an album cut from one of the lesser known main artists of the rate, but it's time has finally come! "Body' was the hardest MNEK song for me to rate because it exists so perfectly within the context of the album. I mean the throw back lines to the seamless transitions, it feels like a part of a whole more than it's own thing. Which ends up feeling sort of unfair cause it is a great song on its own right! The vocals and production are superb and almost make me forgive some of the clumsiness of the lyrics.
MNEK's long awaited debut album was entitled Language which is referenced within the lyrics of this song. MNEK has spoken about how he knew for a long time that his album would be titled "Language" and spoke to Dazed about how the album came together:
One aspect of MNEK's work that I don't talk about enough is his production! He's not only an incredible writer, singer, and performer but he also does all his own production! "Body" is such a production masterpiece. He talked with The Spectrum about the ways in which other producers have influenced his own work:
Now let's hear y'all in harmony!
Kalonite I can't get over that terrible body language pun - it really drags down what was already a largely meh song for me.
Slaybellz That chorus is just so good.
Reboot Melodically this song is all right, but the lyrics are nothing special.
Untitled cackling at the lyrics. so earnest and beautiful
The Hot Rock A cute mid-tempo song. Not a standout by any means but I'd never skip it.
Untouchable Ace I'm getting Disney Princess vibes
And our 11 Giver Londonrain
In my top five songs of 2018 and with good reason. On the album it flows so effortlessly as part of the Colour/Body/Honeymoon Phaze section that it sounds a bit cut off here, but I still adore it. What a song.
28, "Body"
By MNEK
7.849
Highest Scores: 11 x 1 (@londonrain) 10 x 4 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Blob @Cutlery @slaybellz) 9.7 x 1 (@Untouchable Ace) 9.5 x 2 (@dylanaber @Music Is Life)
Lowest Scores: 4 x 3 (@Reboot @kalonite @KingBruno) 6 x 1 (@The Hot Rock)
My Score: 7.75
Cheek-to-cheek, mouth-to-mouth
Lost in translation every time I'm around you
I want to know what you're about
Don't worry about the words not coming out
MNEK's long awaited debut album was entitled Language which is referenced within the lyrics of this song. MNEK has spoken about how he knew for a long time that his album would be titled "Language" and spoke to Dazed about how the album came together:
How did your own solo debut, Language, start coming together?
MNEK: I wanted to really tell like a sonic story; I was very influenced by The Velvet Rope by Janet (Jackson), and Archandroid (Janelle Monae) and The Writing’s on the Wall (Destiny’s Child), and how those albums went from highs to lows but then were really glued together (as) a body of work.
It felt like it made sense in so many ways to choose this title. It was me learning the language of being a recording artist, me learning the language of making a debut album, and who I am, separately from my collaborations. I’ve loved it, I’m having so much fun singing, and creating videos and exploring this side of me.
The TASTE on display in those album choices! I really encourage any voter who hasn't given Language a complete listen to do so cause he's so right in saying that the album tells a whole story and is a cohesive body of work. It's also interesting to note how MNEK is exploring not just the language of romance but the language of business, art, and self-discovery within the album and his experiences.MNEK: I wanted to really tell like a sonic story; I was very influenced by The Velvet Rope by Janet (Jackson), and Archandroid (Janelle Monae) and The Writing’s on the Wall (Destiny’s Child), and how those albums went from highs to lows but then were really glued together (as) a body of work.
It felt like it made sense in so many ways to choose this title. It was me learning the language of being a recording artist, me learning the language of making a debut album, and who I am, separately from my collaborations. I’ve loved it, I’m having so much fun singing, and creating videos and exploring this side of me.
One aspect of MNEK's work that I don't talk about enough is his production! He's not only an incredible writer, singer, and performer but he also does all his own production! "Body" is such a production masterpiece. He talked with The Spectrum about the ways in which other producers have influenced his own work:
You said you watch these documentaries. I saw that you actually studied producers like Darkchild and Max Martin. In tracks like “Body,” you experiment with some pretty tight vocal layering and “Free” shows you pairing yourself with a vocoder effect. Where did you pick up on the importance of vocal layering? Was it through studying these producers?
MNEK: The truth to the vocal layering is that I love to sing. It's really as simple as that. When it comes down to my favorite singers, it’s people like Mariah and Beyonce. Their knowledge of their voices and their knowledge of how to harmonize themselves is just so inspirational. But on top of that, it has been listening to the work of these producers that I look up to from Jam and Lewis to Darkchild to Jermaine Dupri to The Neptunes. These are all people that I really admire and have made some of my favorite records of all time. I guess it was natural. Vocal production is just almost more important to me than the musical production because there’s so much that can be done with the vocal and so much that can be said… It’s something that I pay attention to because it makes a song.
This hits on what's so special about MNEK, he is an amazing producer but he's also producing his own vocals which are also incredible. He's not just an amazing singer who is able to harmonize with himself but he's a talented producer who can make those harmonies into a great song!MNEK: The truth to the vocal layering is that I love to sing. It's really as simple as that. When it comes down to my favorite singers, it’s people like Mariah and Beyonce. Their knowledge of their voices and their knowledge of how to harmonize themselves is just so inspirational. But on top of that, it has been listening to the work of these producers that I look up to from Jam and Lewis to Darkchild to Jermaine Dupri to The Neptunes. These are all people that I really admire and have made some of my favorite records of all time. I guess it was natural. Vocal production is just almost more important to me than the musical production because there’s so much that can be done with the vocal and so much that can be said… It’s something that I pay attention to because it makes a song.
Now let's hear y'all in harmony!
Kalonite I can't get over that terrible body language pun - it really drags down what was already a largely meh song for me.
Slaybellz That chorus is just so good.
Reboot Melodically this song is all right, but the lyrics are nothing special.
Untitled cackling at the lyrics. so earnest and beautiful
The Hot Rock A cute mid-tempo song. Not a standout by any means but I'd never skip it.
Untouchable Ace I'm getting Disney Princess vibes
And our 11 Giver Londonrain
In my top five songs of 2018 and with good reason. On the album it flows so effortlessly as part of the Colour/Body/Honeymoon Phaze section that it sounds a bit cut off here, but I still adore it. What a song.
This is just plain wrong...
