He/Him
Summoning a grimes cull
Alt Pop 2020 Rate | #38 Higher than a motherfucker, dreaming of you as my lover
- Thread starter Cutlery
- Start date
When I think about shocking placements, this one comes to mind:
These are the earthquake drills that we ran
Under the freeway overpasses
The tears behind your dark sunglasses
The fears inside your heart's deepest gashes
49
HIGH 10 (@godspeed @2014 @Attis @soratami), 9 (@boombazookajoe @slaybellz @Candy Perfume Girl @Trouble in Paradise)
LOW 5 (@Phonetics Girl), 6 (@Ana Raquel)
HAIM learn and tell all about living a period of uncertainty while trying to shed fears with a hopeful outlook and by using the positive memories to do so. That's why a song as breezy, sax-heavy and featuring a gibberish chorus as Summer Girl has a heavy backstory. The song is Danielle's emotional response to being away on tour during the time of 2017's Something to Tell You while boyfriend and prolific producer Ariel Rechtshaid was back at home receiving a cancer diagnosis (which he is fortunately in the clear from nowadays).
In an album that's largely a love letter to L.A., Summer Girl acts as the closer that ties together the mundane and the uique memories made with a partner in your hometown, to uplift their spirits and building hope for them in their most needed moments. It's a beautiful tribute, and was a great first taste of the new music that HAIM was cooking up for 2019-20. Personally, it took me a long time to grow fond of the almost dissociating hooks, as it felt that the song, vibey as it was, didn't exactly land with much conviction on one or another emotional state. But repeated listens both in and out of season helped it grow for me and I appreciate that liberating soundscape a lot more today.
This is a fond memory of @godspeed's (10), who says: "I remember when “Summer Girl” came out, I of course thought “oh, this sounds exactly like ‘Walk On The Wild Side’” but really liked it! It was a different and genuinely thrilling new direction for HAIM following the rather underwhelming Something To Tell You. It felt rawer, more “organic” in a way, more focused on the emotion the Haim sisters were trying to put across through this song rather than its production while still having this pop appeal that is so characteristic of the trio’s music. It didn’t take long for me to be hooked on this summery and delightful song, elevated by its stunning saxophone. I’ve rarely been so obsessed with a song the way I was with “Summer Girl.” It coming out in the middle of a very warm and sunny summer definitely helped. But I think what is so great about “Summer Girl” is how sad yet hopeful this song is". Yeah that last sentence is what this song is all about, plus once again, it's touching and a full-circle moment.
The video symbolizes our trio slowly freeing themselves of a negative headspace in the midst of a difficult situation through shedding their multiple layers of clothing, until they're walking downtown L.A. in sunny summer atire. Its light-hearted and humorous, and although the first video of the era, works just as well when watched as its ending.
These are the earthquake drills that we ran
Under the freeway overpasses
The tears behind your dark sunglasses
The fears inside your heart's deepest gashes
49
HIGH 10 (@godspeed @2014 @Attis @soratami), 9 (@boombazookajoe @slaybellz @Candy Perfume Girl @Trouble in Paradise)
LOW 5 (@Phonetics Girl), 6 (@Ana Raquel)
HAIM learn and tell all about living a period of uncertainty while trying to shed fears with a hopeful outlook and by using the positive memories to do so. That's why a song as breezy, sax-heavy and featuring a gibberish chorus as Summer Girl has a heavy backstory. The song is Danielle's emotional response to being away on tour during the time of 2017's Something to Tell You while boyfriend and prolific producer Ariel Rechtshaid was back at home receiving a cancer diagnosis (which he is fortunately in the clear from nowadays).
In an album that's largely a love letter to L.A., Summer Girl acts as the closer that ties together the mundane and the uique memories made with a partner in your hometown, to uplift their spirits and building hope for them in their most needed moments. It's a beautiful tribute, and was a great first taste of the new music that HAIM was cooking up for 2019-20. Personally, it took me a long time to grow fond of the almost dissociating hooks, as it felt that the song, vibey as it was, didn't exactly land with much conviction on one or another emotional state. But repeated listens both in and out of season helped it grow for me and I appreciate that liberating soundscape a lot more today.
This is a fond memory of @godspeed's (10), who says: "I remember when “Summer Girl” came out, I of course thought “oh, this sounds exactly like ‘Walk On The Wild Side’” but really liked it! It was a different and genuinely thrilling new direction for HAIM following the rather underwhelming Something To Tell You. It felt rawer, more “organic” in a way, more focused on the emotion the Haim sisters were trying to put across through this song rather than its production while still having this pop appeal that is so characteristic of the trio’s music. It didn’t take long for me to be hooked on this summery and delightful song, elevated by its stunning saxophone. I’ve rarely been so obsessed with a song the way I was with “Summer Girl.” It coming out in the middle of a very warm and sunny summer definitely helped. But I think what is so great about “Summer Girl” is how sad yet hopeful this song is". Yeah that last sentence is what this song is all about, plus once again, it's touching and a full-circle moment.
The video symbolizes our trio slowly freeing themselves of a negative headspace in the midst of a difficult situation through shedding their multiple layers of clothing, until they're walking downtown L.A. in sunny summer atire. Its light-hearted and humorous, and although the first video of the era, works just as well when watched as its ending.
he/him
Gross Mess.
He/Him
Garbage trash.
Girls we're at nearly an 8 average at #49, we're already hair splitting with scores and we have no one to blame but ourselves.
Well some of you might start celebrating, at least?
My therapist said I hate myself really bad
You tell me it's fine, let me cry and hug it out
48
HIGH 10 (@godspeed @Cotton Park @Dijah.), 9.5 (@Oleander)
LOW 4 (@Trouble in Paradise), 5 (@R27)
Well here's a result that I think will be a little less traumatic for the AltGP! i finally understand was the third release from how i'm feeling now and it's perhaps the most vulnerable and emotionally explicit moments, second only to enemy, which we're yet to see. Being on the more introspective second third of the album, it is surprisingly lowkey and understated as far as the hyperpop fuckery goes. We have mostly only a cute beat and very friendly keyboard melody that carries Charli, and she is very blunt about how her "therapist says [she] hates [herself] really bad". These moments interject with lyrics that have a lot to do with one of the pillars of the album, which is her spending the early months of quarantine with then boyfriend Chuck.
In i finally understand, she recognizes how in living in with a partner that she'd been on and off dating for years, and probably would have taken some time off again before the world dramatically changed for them and us, she has reflected on her ongoing personal demons and inviting him into her intimacy for a long time has also made her rethink those. This shared physical isolation is perhaps why this song thrives in the simplicity of its production yet the subtleties and openess of its content. And its catchiness certainly helps! Less sad girl existential dread and more party girl existential dread, I say. Although she's no stranger to a vumnerable slow burner moment in ballad form throughout her projects, this one is a little time capsule and I love and appreciate it for presenting itself as this lower chaos jam.
@godspeed (10) might be a little at a loss of words, but he knows what he's here to take: " Not exactly sure what I want to say about this song except that I think it’s one of Charli XCX’s best. I really love this low-key vibe from her, I think she shines when she lets us have a peak at her more vulnerable and human side". However, @Trouble in Paradise (4) is a vague hater: "I feel like other songs accomplish what this sets out to do much more successfully on this album. Given the way the album was made, I’m not surprised this would happen, but I don’t want this hanging around past half of Punisher cause some of y’all hate guitars!". When you're the @Ana Raquel of Charli's album then what? I kid, I kid.
Much like other Charli songs here, the single has had almost no live appearances, but here's a performance from TIDAL.
My therapist said I hate myself really bad
You tell me it's fine, let me cry and hug it out
48
HIGH 10 (@godspeed @Cotton Park @Dijah.), 9.5 (@Oleander)
LOW 4 (@Trouble in Paradise), 5 (@R27)
Well here's a result that I think will be a little less traumatic for the AltGP! i finally understand was the third release from how i'm feeling now and it's perhaps the most vulnerable and emotionally explicit moments, second only to enemy, which we're yet to see. Being on the more introspective second third of the album, it is surprisingly lowkey and understated as far as the hyperpop fuckery goes. We have mostly only a cute beat and very friendly keyboard melody that carries Charli, and she is very blunt about how her "therapist says [she] hates [herself] really bad". These moments interject with lyrics that have a lot to do with one of the pillars of the album, which is her spending the early months of quarantine with then boyfriend Chuck.
In i finally understand, she recognizes how in living in with a partner that she'd been on and off dating for years, and probably would have taken some time off again before the world dramatically changed for them and us, she has reflected on her ongoing personal demons and inviting him into her intimacy for a long time has also made her rethink those. This shared physical isolation is perhaps why this song thrives in the simplicity of its production yet the subtleties and openess of its content. And its catchiness certainly helps! Less sad girl existential dread and more party girl existential dread, I say. Although she's no stranger to a vumnerable slow burner moment in ballad form throughout her projects, this one is a little time capsule and I love and appreciate it for presenting itself as this lower chaos jam.
@godspeed (10) might be a little at a loss of words, but he knows what he's here to take: " Not exactly sure what I want to say about this song except that I think it’s one of Charli XCX’s best. I really love this low-key vibe from her, I think she shines when she lets us have a peak at her more vulnerable and human side". However, @Trouble in Paradise (4) is a vague hater: "I feel like other songs accomplish what this sets out to do much more successfully on this album. Given the way the album was made, I’m not surprised this would happen, but I don’t want this hanging around past half of Punisher cause some of y’all hate guitars!". When you're the @Ana Raquel of Charli's album then what? I kid, I kid.
Much like other Charli songs here, the single has had almost no live appearances, but here's a performance from TIDAL.
You might be pleased to know that tomorrow we hit 8+ averages! But more from the main albums is to come
He/Him
WAIT HOW DID I MISS THIS FUCK
This is sending me when the rate opened like a year and a half ago fff
He/Him
Ffffd I see that now. But I never posted in here which means I never saw it which is so weird cause this is so far up my alley.
I really like I finally understand but after the last like 5ish eliminations I'm fully resenting Charli's presence here in general so good riddance!
You're slithering, slithering, slithering into my heart, yeah
You're changing my, changing my, changing my, changing my mind, yeah
47
HIGH 10 (@Ana Raquel), 9.5 (@klow)
LOW 4.5 (@sfmartin), 6 (@boombazookajoe @Attis)
And we break into the great 8s! As far as standard album closers go, Snakeskin does the job and then some. Rina takes inspiration from the orchestral and melodramatic, including a borrowed melody from Final Fantasy's victory fanfare and an interpretation of Beethoven's Pathétique aka Piano Sonata No. 8 with greater intentions. This piano piece was the one song Rina remembers her mother used to play while growing up, and it's the backdrop to her closing the album saying that, as a 60-year old, "I’ve realized that now I want to see who I want to see, do what I want to do, be who I want to be". Always a powerful inspiration to hear older women being confident, wise or giving no fucks whatsoever honestly.
Though I may be getting a bit ahead of myself, as it's good to recapitulate what the song is about in the first place. Rina compares her songwriting to a snakeskin handbag; a brand new, manufactured, luxury item that is ready to be shipped off and slapped with a brand's name and logo to be sold, worn by other people and commercialized. It's an interesting way to portray the musician exchange, because it shows the process as cold and even portraying unsustainable or cruel undertones; the way an animal would be killed for its valuable skin. So those moments of pouring and processing one's trauma for mass consumption are not cast under the typical relatable light. Yet there is still an acknowledgement that for Rina, this has been a conscious decision and she is playing the game, too. And if she wasn't, we wouldn't have received a second, even more open and confessional album from her just last year!
It feels like @R27 (7.5) is lamenting the unconventional structure of the track and lack of tangible verses: "It's pretty epic sounding and I'm tempted to give it a higher score, but ultimately, it feels more like an outro than a proper stand-alone track". Understandable! On the other end though, @Ana Raquel (10) is here for a disruptive statement piece: "The structure of this is a work of art". Oh I know you were an Anime Rate voter for sure.
@godspeed (7.5) once again drags the first boot of the rate: "I’m glad Rina Sawayama didn’t take the most predictable road and decided to leave us on the cute but underwhelming balladry of “Chosen Family.” This is the over-the-top finale SAWAYAMA deserved and although I’m not the biggest fan of this album I can only applaud this fitting and great closing track". Yes! See the light a bit. Finally, @Trouble in Paradise (6.5) isn't appreciative of that dubstep-lite breakdown before the chorus: "The melodies here are overpowered by the production".
she/her
Not this messy bop! Should have thrown the Bad Friend out on its basic ass instead.
she/her
Am I that easy to read!!
Repent! She didn't sound like Charli in Bad Friend to be done like this
Maybe!!
