Adele is an English singer and songwriter, discovered by music label XL Recordings shortly after posting a three-song demo onto MySpace. Her debut album was released in January of 2008, which initiated her four Grammy Award nominations: “Song of The Year”, “Record of The Year”, “Best New Artist” and “Best Female Pop Vocal Preformance” for her hit “Chasing Pavements” (which ended up losing to “Halo” by Beyonce.)
By June of 2008, Adele’s album was released to the US, where it reached gold by February of 2009. Over time, she grew more popular in the United States; Adele’s unique voice and jazzy sound left listeners wanting more. Her song “Chasing Pavements” is most popular, and also my personal favorite, followed by “Hometown Glory”.
“I’ve made up my mind, don’t need to think it over. If I’m wrong I ain’t right, no need to look no further. This ain’t lust, I know, this is love.”
“Should I give up, or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads no where?”
“Would it be a waste, even if I knew my place, should I leave it there?”
“I’d build myself up, and fly around in circles, wait then as my heart drops, and my back begins to tingle.”
This song has a very unique and interesting music video, although the story line seems to be a bit confusing. In my opinion, the pavements symbolize ones journey through life; you walk along, visiting places, just going forever. The pavements never end, which shows how she feels for the person she loves – she’ll just keep walking on and on, because she feels as if he’ll never love her. She’s not sure whether or not to continue her never ending journey of unrequited love.
Papa Roach is an American Rock band who formed back in January of 1993. In their earlier albums, the band had tend to stick with a heavy metal sound, which later morphed to alternative rock. Their first major label realease and triple platinum debut album was Infest, which came out in 2000. Papa Roach has sold over 10 million copies of their albums, worldwide, and are best known for their hits “Between Angels and Insects”, “Last Resort”, “Scars”.
“Scars” was the groups second single off the album “Getting Away With Murder”, which was released in August of 2004. According to the band’s music video of the song, it tells a story of Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach’s lead singer)’s “horrible night in Vegas that changed his life”.
“I’m pissed that you came around, why don’t you just go home? ‘Cause you channeled all your pain, and I can’t help you fix yourself.”
“I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut. My weakness is that I care too much. And my scars remind me, that the past is real. I tear my heart open, just to feel.”
“I tried to help you once, against my own advice. ”
“I can’t help you fix yourself, but at least I can say I tried. I’m sorry but I gotta move on with my own life.”
This was my absolute favorite song off of this album. The song tells a story where a change has taken place on this person, and he know finds himself looking back at his past and rethinking his future. He now realized that he cared too much for the people around him, leaving him as a tragedy. Once he tries to get up and going again, he is reminded of all his scars from being so open hearted, and being used, abused, and left out like trash.
I feel like a lot of people could relate to the lyrics of this song. Majority of the people in the world tend to put others before themself, believing whatever may be going on with them is more important than the events in their own life. This song shows that sometimes, putting yourself out there for others could have a bad outcome, such as being taken advantage of. Sometimes, the “right” thing to do is to put yourself first.
Nickelback is one of those bands that everyone either loves or hates. There’s rarely anyone who has “in-between” feelings for them; they’re either a huge fan of the band, or can’t stand any of their music. I fall under the “love” category: Nickelback is by far my favorite band of all time. You could name any song by them, and I’d be able to tell you what album it’s off of, and recite the lyrics, word for word. Yeah, I pretty much have an addiction to their music.
Like any other artist/group out there, Nickelback’s songs can fit into two completely different categories: The meaningful ones, with heartfelt lyrics, and the more pointless ones, often with a high amount of sexual content. One thing that I don’t understand is why artists will sing songs about how great their sex life is, then have another song, complaining how they can’t find their “one true love.” I actually find the irony of it amusing.
Nickelback’s most recent album, “The Dark Horse”, came out on November 17, 2008. Of all the songs on it, my personal favorite has to be “Just To Get High”. Along with “I’d Come For You”, “Never Gonna Be Alone”, and “If Today Was Your Last Day”, I believe this song has the best meaning to it.
“He was my best friend, I tried to help him. He gave up everything, for suffering, and found himself alone. I watched the lying, turn into hiding.”
“But I can still remember what his face looked like, when I found him in an alley in the middle of the night.”
“Tell me what you now, tell me what you’ve gone and done now. Gonna do the trick, get it over with. You’re better off to take all that you’ve got, put it on the spot just to get high.”
“Tell me what you did, where you gone and hid. Show me what you really want, watching what you got slowly circle down the drain, throw it all away, just to get high.”
This song tells a powerful story about a drug addict, doing whatever he can to score. It’s full of emotion (and not to mention an amazing guitar solo halfway through). People who know a loved one under the influence of drugs, struggling to get their life back, can feel all the pain the lyrics can bring.
I happen to be really lucky, and don’t know very many people who are into drugs, at least no one I’m very close with. I can’t imagine how painful it would be to see someone slip away, because of one decision that started just as fun and games. This is one of those songs that I could listen to on repeat for hours, and it will never get old. This song deserves a music video.
Mainstream Pop music has taken over our generation; it’s constantly found on iTunes’ Top Ten Singles chart, and being played on just about every radio station there is. The one problem with this new style of music? It all sounds the same. If you turn on the radio, and listen to it for at least an hour, chances are you’ll hear a song by Lady Gaga, a song by Katy Perry, and a song by Ke$ha.
Those three artists are by far the most over played female Pop artists of today. The radio stations completely kill their songs. And, in my personal opinion, I believe all three of the artists’ music sounds EXACTLY the same. If you listen closely, they all have the same fast tempo beat, with the electronic vibe to it.
Although their music happens to sound almost identical, their voices vary quite a bit. Lady Gaga is our generations Madonna: The “new” queen of pop. She’s talented in more ways than one; unlike many of the artists of today, she can actually sing. She’s not just one of those artists who got their break because someone liked their image (Besides, have you seen her outfits? I don’t think anyone would ever be able to miss her.) She graduated from Juilliard, and has a great music background. She writes her own catchy lyrics, and is a phenomenal pianist. One thing I do really like about Lady Gaga is her music videos for each of her songs; instead of the usual 3-4 minute music video, showing the artist sing a few verses as someone else acts a scene out, Lady Gaga is very theatrical. She creates music videos twice the length of the actual song, that shows a very dramatic and unique story line.
I’d rank Katy Perry in the middle of the other two Pop artists. Again, I feel like her music is overplayed, and the radio stations tend to kill her songs. Regardless of her ridiculous lyrics, her songs happen to be very catchy, and have the fast beat and “get up and dance” type of sound. Vocal wise, I find her to be pretty talented; I like her voice, even if it may be all edited and fake. Lyrics wise, on the other hand, I’d say wouldn’t be her strongest point. Her songs like “I Kissed A Girl” and “Ur So Gay” are honestly so pointless, and yet, I find myself singing along to them each time I hear it.
And last, but not least, the one and only Ke$ha. Of all the Pop Artists out there, I believe she’s one of the most overrated (behind Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus, of course.) Even after her voice is completely edited, it still doesn’t sound good. She can’t sing, period. Her lyrics aren’t very strong, either. They all lead toward a sexual subject, making her sound desperate and easy. Even though her lyrics stink, and happen to be quite cheesy, you’ll still find Ke$ha on the Top Ten Singles Chart, and played repeatedly all over the radio.
Next thing you know, every new artist in the music industry will turn towards the “wanna be” mainstream pop star. What has the world come too?
John Mayer has always been my favorite single artist. His laid-back, raspy voice is to die for. When first starting his career, he preformed mainly acoustic rock, but recently, he began a transition towards the Blues genre. All his songs have a relaxed and mellow tone to them, making them very peaceful to listen to.
Mayer is one of the few artists who write his own lyrics to all of his songs; the lyrics happen to be very significant, as well. Lately, the JM song that I haven’t been able to get out of my head is “No Such Thing”, released back in April of 2002, from his very first album, “Inside Wants Out”.
“Well, I never lived the dreams of the prom kings, or the drama queens. I’d like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve. “
“They love to tell you ‘stay inside the lines’. But something’s better on the other side.”
“I want to run through the halls of my high school, I want to scream at the top of my lungs. I just found out that there’s no such thing as the real world, just a lie you’ve got to rise above.”
“I am invisible as long as I’m alive.”
“I just can’t wait for my ten-year reunion, I’m gonna bust down the double doors. And when I stand on these tables before you, you will know what all this time was for.”
This song could easily become anyone’s personal theme song. It’s motivating, and can brighten your mood after listening to it. The song can tell a story, from a perspective of a young high schooler, who will graduate shortly. He’s frustrated with the “typical” path most people chose to follow through high school, while chosing their career, and the rest of adult life. He plans to follow his own path, and make his own decisions; he doesn’t want anyone to stand in his way.
Don’t you hate it when you’re restricted to do the things you really want to do? To me, majority of our society happens to be that way – society tells you to do this or that, and yet, you have no choice but to do it. John Mayer plays a role of a TRUE nonconformist in this song.
Country music. My first thought upon hearing those two words is a bunch of hillbillies dancing around in their cowboy boots, singing songs about beer and their old blue jeans. As you can tell, Country doesn’t happen to be one of my favorite genres.
Growing up, I was forced to listen to my dad’s strange taste of music (which consisted of mostly 80′s and 90′s rock bands). Constantly listening to U2, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Jimmy Eat World, R.E.M, and Foo Fights as a kid is probably what turned me into the hardcore head-banger I am today. Country songs never came into the picture.
Although I’m not much of a big Country fan, I do happen to like a couple of songs by Rascal Flatts (mainly because they have a bit of a rock vibe to them). One Rascal Flatts song that really speaks to me is “What Hurts The Most”, off of their album “Me And My Gang”, which was released back in November of 2006.
“I can take a few tears now and then and just let ‘em out, I’m not afraid to cry every once and a while.”
“There are days every now and again I pretend I’m okay, but that’s not what gets me.”
“What hurts the most, was being so close, and having so much too say, then watching you walk away.”
“But I know if I could do it over, I would trade, give away, all the words that I saved in my heart, that I left unspoken.”
This is one of many songs coping with the death of a loved one. Very few of the songs can confront it successfully, and with the powerful and emotional lyrics and music video, Rascal Flatts did a fantastic job of showing the meaning within the song.
The video explains a tragic story of a young couple, in love, who wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. The boy dies in a car accident, leaving the girl alone, as she tries to get through the rest of her life without him.
In the video, the couple is sitting in a car, discussing what they see in their future. The boy says “I see you.” The girl runs off, before explaining to him what she sees. After that scene, the song says “I would trade, give away all the words that I saved In my heart that I left unspoken”.
At the end of the video, the girl is kneeling beside where the accident took place, crying, and saying “I saw you.” She was referring back to how she had seen him in her future as well, although she never had the chance to let him know that.
This song is more than just an outburst of emotion, and a confrontation of bottled up feelings.
“Music is a drug ingested via the ears.” –Urban dictionary. Like most drugs, different types of music can have different effects on people. Music can easily revolutionize the type of mood you may be in; for a lot of people, music has a much stronger impact on them than anything else.
To me, music is more than just catchy lyrics with a nice beat. It’s the drug that keeps my heart beating. It allows me to drift away from reality; forget the heavy blanket of stress, anger, and anxiety suffocating me everyday of my life. Personally, I’m not into all that Electronic/Pop crap that’s taken over iTunes and almost every radio station. To me, it all sounds the same; although, you could probably say that about any genre of music, if you think about it.
Music is the drug that gets me high. (Not the prefered high, of course.) Whenever I’m feeling a little low, I plug my headphones into my iPod and slip away from the rest of the world, to the sound of Eminem’s voice. Eminem is the only rapper I’ll listen to. In fact, I believe he’s one of the few artists that can refer to himself as a REAL rapper. Unlike many of the other artists into Hip Hop/Rap, he doesn’t rap about sex, money, or clubbing; he raps about life, and the obstacles people face throughout their lifetime. He’s inspired me much more than any other artist has.
One of my favorite songs by Eminem is “Stan” (off of his album “The Marshall Mathers LP”). “Stan” has a very unique story line; Eminem raps as both himself, and a character, Stan, writing him fan mail. The lyrics of this song are very powerful and emotional.
“Dear Slim, I wrote you, but you still ain’t callin’, I left my cell, my pager, and my home phone at the bottom. I sent two letters back in autumn, you must not have got them.”
“Remember when we met back in Denver? You said that if I write to you, you would write back. See, I’m just like you in a way, I never knew my father either. He used to cheat on my mom and beat her.”
“I can relate to what you’re sayin’ in your songs, so when I have a sh*tty day, I drift away and put ‘em on.”
“Sometimes I even cut myself to see how much it bleeds, it’s like Adrenaline, the pain is such a sudden rush for me.”
“Hey Slim, that’s my girlfriend screamin’ in the trunk. But I didn’t slit her throat, I just tied her up, see, I ain’t like you. ‘Cause if she suffocates, she’ll suffer more and then she’ll die too.”
In a nutshell, Stan was one of Eminem’s biggest, and obsessive, fans. He felt like he could really relate to Em, assuming that Stan also had a rough past and childhood. Eminem helped him drift away, and feel like he wasn’t alone; hearing someone else say the exact thoughts running through you head makes it a lot more believable that you’re not the only one out there that feels a certain way.
Stan had also refered to Eminem as “Slim” in every one of his letters. Eminem has three completely different personalities: Slim Shady (the more violent side, with the “I don’t give a f*ck” personality), Eminem (the inspirational side, shown in his movie “8 Mile”), and Marshall (the side rapping about his daughters, past life, or anything else with more meaning or emotion). When comparing Slim and Marshall, you see two totally different people. Slim Shady is more a bad guy, where Marshall is understanding, and one of the few people in the world suffering from real pain.
Stan wrote to Eminem, hoping he’d get a response from someone who might know what Stan could be dealing with. He looked up to Eminem for rapping about real issues in his song. When Eminem never responded to any of Stan’s letters, his depression took over, making him feel more alone, neglected, and unloved. As “pay back”, he committed suicide by driving his car off a cliff, with his girlfriend tied up in the trunk of the car.
I feel like there are many people like Stan out there; people who suffer from mental problems, such as severe depression. People who feel alone, and unloved. People who need someone to talk to – even if it’s not someone who can relate to whatever they might be dealing with. This song tells a very inspiring story.
