July came in went, like all months, and like all months, it had songs to listen to. I'm going to completely honest. I didn't listen to a lot of music this month. Yeah, I made that same excuse last month, but I listened to even less music this month. I was VERY busy with work, and honestly, it started to take an effect on my mental health. But, I'm back, and after a little bit of late night cramming on the last day of the month, I've listened to enough music to make a top and bottom three with ONE honorable and dishonorable mention each. Yeah, I know I try to give multiple extra tunes for you, but most of the music I listened to this month didn't really stick out in either way. So, to quote my mom, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit." Click here to read the last one. Let's do this.
THE TOP 3
Genre: Hip Hop
There's something about this track that's so charming and uplifting. Part of it is due to the amazing beat; mixing pianos, brass, and this really cool synth line that doodles its way throughout the instrumental. Part of it is Brian's fantastic flow and inspiring lyrics about his upbringing. This is such a likable song. It's got great flow, instrumental, and lyrics. I also like the way that the music and lyrics coast on without a hook or break in momentum. It just goes without stopping until the end. Sometimes it slows down for a nice somber moment, but then it goes right back to the pace it started with. It's griping from start to end, and it makes for a great rap song.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Hey look, Chelsea Wolfe is back. Following her June single "The Mother Road" comes "American Darkness." It continues the ambient, moody, dark, orchestral folk sounds of the previous single. This time around, the music build is a lot subtler. In "The Mother Road," the music starts soft, but then it builds into this grand, glorious orchestral climax. With "American Darkness," the quietness is very consistent throughout the song. It never builds to a big climax, but I think this track is all the more strong for it. The acoustic guitar sounds great, the sampled eerie vocals in the background add to the dark atmosphere, Chelsea's vocals are gorgeous, and the piano chords playing in the latter half of each verse just adds to the overall creepy vibe. I really love what Chelsea is doing with this album. It's serene and pleasing, yet dark and somber. It's an interesting contrast that I find beautiful. I'm excited for this album.
Genre: Hard Rock
I will admit that part of the reason this is number one is for nostalgic reasons. Back in middle school and high school, I was a HUGE fan of Alter Bridge. Their album "Fortress" was one of my favorite album for quite a while. While I don't listen to them that much anymore, I still think they're incredibly talented musicians, and I can still jam to a lot of their music today. After hearing this track, it's clear they've still got it. The riff sounds amazing, and it matches perfectly with the surprise synth lead. Myles Kennedy is, in my opinion, one of the best rock singers working today, and he sounds as incredible as ever. The chorus is catchy, the musicianship is great, and the energy is pumping. This is just an overall really solid rock song. My only gripe is that the production isn't very good. However, I'm willing to overlook it here because this song brings me back to simpler times. Yeah, I know, nostalgia goggles. I don't like using them that much, but I got to use them here. This is classic Alter Bridge. What more do you want?
Honorable Mention:
Genre: House
THE BOTTOM 3
Genre: Alternative Pop
I actually like this song quite a bit... well, at least, the original. The production is dark and bassy, Billie's vocals are captivating, and the goofy synth melody at the chorus is incredible. This song is weird, groovy, eerie, and a lot of fun to listen to. So why is this remix in the bottom 3? Two words: Justin Bieber. I know Billie was and is a huge of Justin Bieber, but his vocals ruin the song. His ad-libs are stupid, and his vocals are so uninteresting. They add absolutely nothing to the track. In fact, they take away the initial darkness of the song. His voice sounds like the generic pretty boy popstar, and they stick out like a sore thumb. Billie's melancholic and almost scratchy vocals match this production perfectly. Not Justin's. Also, I'd prefer not to hear "skrrt" and "so icy" in a song ever again okay thanks bye.
Genre: Trap
I can't take Jaden Smith as a rapper, I'm sorry. He tries to act so tough on this beat, which I will admit is pretty cool, but it sounds so corny. His voice is so monotone and boring, and his "feature," which is just him with lots of autotune, is annoying. I can see right through this BS. This is just boring and dumb. Oh, and the last half of the track gets really aggravating with the autotuned singing. It's kind of amazing how uninteresting this track is. So, in that respect, it's kind of impressive. But yeah, this is boring. No thank you.
Genre: Pop Rap
I'm honestly not sure if this is a single or not. The reason I'm classifying it as a single is because music review Anthony Fantano, aka TheNeedleDrop on YouTube, put it on his Weekly Track Roundup when it was released, so... there you go, I guess. Plus, I had to put it on here because of how truly awful it is. The beat is fine. It's somewhat pleasing, despite those weird, annoying chipmunked vocals playing through the melody. What completely kills the track is Chance himself. His vocals are straight up migraine inducing. The hook is stupid, the lyrics are stupid, and the way this song is executed is stupid. I'm happy that the man is happily married, but come on. This is hot garbage. This is the kind of song that actually gives you a headache as you listen to it. I do not plan on listening to the full album. I know this album is getting panned, and I'm somewhat of a masochist when it comes to bad media, but I don't want to listen to this. There's only so much torture I'm willing to take.
Dishonorable Mention:
Genre: Emo
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