Hey look, it's time for the fall season. And as the fall falls upon us, so too does new music fall upon us. What a sweet analogy, right? Anyways, from my experience, this was a pretty good month for new music. The good tracks were great and the bad tracks weren't so bad. Again, my experience. Anyways, whatever, click here to read the last one, yadda yadda yadda let's do this.
THE TOP 3
Genre: R&B
This is one of the smoothest songs of the year. The production is great, the vocals are gorgeous, and the instrumentation is fantastic. The way the guitars, bass, synths, and drums all come together throughout the track is borderline orgasmic. This song just oozes sex appeal, and it's pulled off with so much passion, charisma, and beauty. The chorus is very catchy, the bridge is cute, and the chemistry between DRAM and H.E.R. is infectious. And that guitar solo is freaking tasty! This is just a gorgeous track. It's so reminiscent of a 90s R&B slow jam, but with a modern update. It sounds excellent from beginning to end, and I highly recommend you listen to it.
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop
If the rapper of this track sounds familiar, it's because it's Daveed Diggs, also known as Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton. Before the musical, he was in an experimental rap group called clipping. Their coming out with a new album in October, and this song fully embraces the Halloween season. The production sounds like something straight out of a John Carpenter film. Seriously, this song would fit perfectly in a Halloween film. Diggs's flow is incredible, and his gruesome story about a brutal mass murder is chilling. This song pulls no punches, and it goes in depth in describing the murder. This is a Halloween song in every sense of the word, but unlike most songs celebrating the season, this is not a novelty track. It's a fantastic, unique rap song that more people should pay attention to.
Genre: Alternative Hip Hop
I love Brockhampton. In terms of hip hop, pop, and boy band music, this group is my favorite. And "No Halo" is one of their best tracks in my opinion. I love the acoustic guitar riff that plays throughout the track. It's so incredibly soothing, and the fact that it's not a sample gives the track such an organic feel. Each member of the group sounds fantastic on this track, and they all play off each other very well. They sell this melancholic, sad energy so well, and it is absolutely captivating. Merlyn and Bearface are the standouts of the song, with Merlyn doing some of his most melodic vocalwork to date, and Bearface's emotional crooning fits perfectly. The refrain from Kevin is great, and the chorus from Matt, Merlyn, and guest vocalist Deb Never is one of my favorite ever Brockhampton choruses. This song is so down-trodden and emotional, and I love it. And the fact that this acts as the album opener is so surprising, but after listening to the album in its entirety, it makes sense. Ginger is a great album, and "No Halo" one of the highlights.
Honorable Mentions:
Genre: Alternative Rock
THE BOTTOM 3
Genre: Pop
I don't hate this song, but it's absolutely boring. The production has no flavor to it. Miley Cyrus sounds bored out of her mind. The vocal melody sounds kind of nice, but Miley doesn't sell it very well. Plus, the lyrics do nothing for me. We get it, Miley. You're edgy. Or you used to be. I don't know which anymore. It doesn't sound genuine. I don't know what else to say. This isn't awful, but it does not appeal to me. To each his own, I guess.
Genre: Pop Punk
And the award for worst chorus of the year goes to... I don't know. But "Degenerates" is up there. The vocal refrain is annoying and the surprise trap instrumental is such an odd choice. I don't think it works. And the way the verses transition into the chorus is so jarring and bad. They do not compliment each other at all. Besides that, the production lacks impact, the lyrics are corny as all get out, and the musicianship sounds too... happy. I know, it's an odd complaint. But when the instrumentation tries to go heavy, it gets kneecapped by such a cheery tone. This is an odd song, and I don't think it panned out at all. I will give this song one positive, and this is a pretty good positive in my books. The bass guitar sounds fantastic. The tone is great, the melody is pretty solid, and it fills the space in the verses very nicely. Everything else about this track is throwaway pop punk.
Trap R&B
No.
Dishonorable Mentions:
Genre: Pop
Genre: Alternative
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