[cover art by OmenBoy]
I am doing something really unusual here - something, in fact, that I am fairly certain that I have never done before. I am reviewing a fanmade album (and not just any fanmade album, mind you, but a fanmade album that yours truly compiled)! There is, however, a method to my madness. The goal here is not to critique my own compiling work or anything like that. (The compiling method, in fact, is quite simple - the tracks are in chronological order of when they were released.) No, the goal here is to review Greyson Chance's standalone singles that have no home on any album or EP in one place rather than write a separate review for each single. The fanmade album, which you can stream here, is a collection of thirteen songs released by Greyson since 2014, songs that, as previously stated, are standalone singles that have no home on a larger body of work (with two songs that are kind of exceptions, which I will explain further). Without further ado, however, here is a breakdown of each song on the album:
"Thrilla in Manila" - While "Temptation" did make for the first Greyson Chance song that fans heard after his voice significantly changed, "Temptation" was only ever available to stream on YouTube and never technically got officially released, and "Thrilla in Manila" was intended to be the lead single from Greyson's sophomore album Planet X. Because he was dropped from his record label, however, the album never ended up seeing the light of day and remains unreleased. "Thrilla in Manila" was completely new territory for Chance (and remains that way to this day), as it is a funk song that, according to Chance himself, would have been representative of the overall sound on Planet X (something that you can definitely hear in another song from Planet X, "Animal in the Night," of which fans have only ever heard a live version). I remember not being much of a fan when "Thrilla in Manila" first premiered back in 2014 because it was, as previously stated, such a new style for Greyson but also because I am generally not much of a fan of funk. The song quickly grew on me, however, and became one of my favorite songs to which to work out. It lyrically, as Greyson has said, "speaks of turmoil between friends when relationships get romantic."
"Meridians" - While not, to the best of my knowledge, confirmed, "Meridians" is likely another song that was intended to be on Planet X, given that it was released as a single in relatively close proximity to when "Thrilla in Manila" was released. It is, without a doubt, one of my favorite songs from Greyson Chance's music career thus far, as it is a stunningly beautiful piano ballad with a peaceful and gentle melody that sounds almost like a lullaby. It is lyrically a reflective song, addressing a lover and reminiscing about good times from the past: "Let's go take a drive and think about our lives," Chance opens, "passing through meridians of greater times." As he does on song "More than Me" on the Somewhere Over My Head EP, Greyson Chance superbly captures the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia on this track, and reflecting on the past is something that he seems to do rather frequently in his music.
"Oceans" - Even though Greyson Chance included "Oceans" as part of his setlist when he went on tour for the Somewhere Over My Head EP and also performed an acoustic version of it on Perez Hilton's show, it is not technically his song (although he did co-write it, as he did all of his collaborations), as it is a song by tyDi and Jack Novak with Greyson as a featured artist. Greyson is the sole vocalist, however (as he is on all of his collaborations), and I tend to think of it as being from the Somewhere Over My Head era, especially since, as I said, he performed it on the corresponding tour. While "Afterlife" (the lead single from Somewhere Over My Head) is Greyson's first solo venture into electronic music, "Oceans" is his first venture into electronic music overall, and it certainly would not be the last. The song is an upbeat electronic dance song with a really catchy chorus that is easy to sing along to and is definitely a highlight.
"Anything" - Like "Oceans," Greyson Chance is technically a featured artist on the song "Anything," a song released under electronic DJ Frank Pole (who had previously done a remix of Chance's song "Afterlife"). Because Chance is the sole vocalist on these collaborations and also because he co-wrote them, however, I definitely think of them as his songs. "Anything" is such a happy, feel-good dance song that kind of makes me wish that I were in a relationship, and it offers some of Greyson's most impressive vocals of his career so far. In the song's third verse, Chance sings, "I'll pick you up where we left off, skipping all of the small talk 'cause words were never our forte, and missing you was the foreplay," which is definitely the kind of cleverly cheeky lyric that I have come to expect Greyson to write.
"London" - Released only several months after the Somewhere Over My Head EP was released, "London" is another song that I tend to think of as part of the Somewhere Over My Head era. The song, which is inspired heavily by the William Blake poem of the same title, is a beautiful piano ballad that reminds me of the likes of artists like The Fray and Andrew McMahon. The lyrics speak to internal turmoil as do many of Chance's songs. (He has even identified himself as a '90s sad boy.) "...'Cause in you, there's an angel, an angel trapped by fear. You're so trapped by fear." As someone who has a very long history with depression, I think that that is one reason why I love Greyson's music so much - I can relate to a lot of it.
"Earn It" - "Earn It" is the first of two songs that Greyson Chance did with DJ Fabian Mazur and is easily one of my favorite songs of Chance's career thus far (if not my favorite). The melody is easily one of his catchiest, and the electronic drop in the song is one of the sickest drops that I have ever heard in any song ever. Greyson co-wrote the song with Fabian Mazur, and lyrics such as "No, I ain't got a lighter" and "Your love is like a fine wine, drinks real good when it's the right time" make Greyson's involvement in the lyrics all too obvious, as lyrics such as those definitely have Greyson Chance written all over them. The song seems to lyrically be from the perspective of someone who has gone out of his way to show someone how much that he loves him but isn't getting the effort matched in return: "I'm earning all the love that I deserve; I'm earning you, and baby, I want more." It's definitely a relatable song for me.
"Hungry Eyes" - As previously mentioned, there are two songs on pre-portraits that are technically exceptions to what I said about these songs being loose standalone singles that have no home on any larger body of work, and "Hungry Eyes" is one of them. A cover of a song of the same title sung by Eric Carmen in 1987 for the soundtrack to the film Dirty Dancing, Greyson's version (which, in my opinion, is exponentially better than the original, and I am not just saying that as a biased fan) is found on the soundtrack to the 2017 remake of the film, so while it does technically have a home on a larger body of work, that work is a soundtrack compilation, not an album or EP featuring strictly Greyson's music. This version, as I said, is far superior to Eric Carmen's original in my opinion, and one thing that I love about this cover is the retro treatment that the instrumental gets. When older songs from decades ago are covered by artists, they are often given a very modernized treatment, but Chance's cover of "Hungry Eyes" retains an '80s sound, which is definitely one of its charms.
"Seasons" - "Seasons" is the second exception (although not really). On his new album portraits, Greyson Chance included a new version of the song titled "seasons nineteen" (likely meaning that it's the 2019 version of the song) which features a lot of new lyrics and is more upbeat with electronic fuel. (It is nowhere near as good as the original one.) The original version, however, remains a standalone single, and the song just works so much better as a soft piano ballad. The song is very similar to "London" in tone, and its lyrics are very poetic: "Linked to adventures I can't see, and I'm dreamin' of some time to breathe, and I'll walk to them 'til I'm black and blue." Chance explained that the song was inspired by something that his mother told him about how his life is measured in seasons, not in chapters. Also worth mentioning about "Seasons" is that even though he wouldn't release a studio version until a good year or so later, Greyson performed the song live as part of his Somewhere Over My Head tour setlist, so it's yet another song that I tend to think of as being part of that era.
"Walk Away" - "Walk Away" is another electronic collaboration, this time with Dutch duo Sick Individuals (stylized as SICK INDIVIDUALS). As is always the case with these collaborations, Greyson Chance is the sole vocalist and also co-wrote the song. "Walk Away" is a club banger that features a relentlessly catchy instrumental with a "ooh-la-la-la..." hook, and the lyrics are thematically similar to Greyson Chance's song "Hit & Run" from his Somewhere Over My Head EP, as the song seems to be about wanting to have fun with a partner but not wanting to settle down: "...I can't understand why you hold me to promises that I never planned," Greyson sings. "If you're gonna worry about tomorrow, then you're gonna miss today. If you're too hung up on the future, then I might just walk away..." One of my favorite lines in the song is when he sings in the chorus that "I don't know how to love you when I'm sober. If you want something more, I guess it's over." I don't really support the stance of the song (or that of the aforementioned "Hit & Run" song), as I would definitely say that the speaker is the villain of the story, wanting to use his partner for casual fun but not wanting to commit. It's brutally honest, however, which is something that I love about his music.
"Low" - "Low" is definitely one of my favorite songs from Greyson Chance's catalogue so far because it is so vehemently relatable for me, lyrically touching upon feeling lost and lonely in the world and wanting desperately to find yourself: "I see a dark reflection in my dashboard [a brilliant metaphor for feeling alien to oneself]. Don't even know where I'm driving to anymore." My favorite line is the following - "They say through time, I'll find some healing, but the clock is slow" because it reminds me of something that Björk said regarding her Vulnicura album about the healing process being a stubborn clock. I also love the song because I think that, in some ways, it serves as a sequel to the aforementioned song "Hit & Run" (possibly even having been written about the same person, as I discussed here in my review of the Somewhere Over My Head EP). "Low" is a very soft and melancholy piano ballad totally and completely appropriate for its subject matter, but there is also a remix done by R3HAB that was also released as a single, and that version is considerably more upbeat. (I definitely prefer the original version, however, as, as I said, the morose and heartfelt lyrics of the song definitely call for a soft ballad.)
"Lighthouse" - This song is Greyson Chance's second (and, so far, final) collaboration with the aforementioned Fabian Mazur. Funnily enough, while "Earn It" is one of my favorite songs from Greyson's catalogue thus far, "Lighthouse" is one of my least favorite songs from his catalogue so far, mainly because in comparison to many of Greyson's songs, this melody isn't as interesting or as catchy. It is also significantly tamer and more restrained than "Earn It," which is why it kind of surprised me that it was with the same musician as "Earn It" was. I do, however, really love the imagery of the song's lyrics, using lighthouses near bodies of water as a metaphor for searching for the love of someone whose love he has lost: "I left you deep in the water. I left your heart out to drown. You call to me... I know we are drifting far away from shore, but know that I will be here evermore in lighthouses searching for you out there." Much of my epic (and failed) relationship took place near a large body of water with a lighthouse (which wasn't operable, but the image is still prevalent in my memories), so I think that that is one reason why, as I said, I really love the imagery that the lyrics of "Lighthouse" offers. I just don't find it all that interesting melodically or rhythmically.
"Good as Gold" - This song is, without a doubt, one of the best songs of Greyson Chance's career thus far and definitely one of the most memorable, not only because of the positive and encouraging lyrics that speak to me on such a deep level but also because it's one of the very few Greyson Chance singles to feature a music video accompanying it. (The music video, depicting and dedicated to the significantly impoverished Lakota tribe of South Dakota, is also very deep and meaningful.) The song, a piano pop ballad with a catchy and anthemic chorus that makes it one of the easiest Greyson songs to which to sing along, reminds people suffering from internal pain and depression (a topic that he, as previously mentioned, writes and sings about frequently) that they are not alone and that they are not worthless: "I know you're hurting and you're feeling sold. I know it hurts when you don't know where to go [probably a reference to "Low" in which he sings that "I am lost, and I don't know where to go..."], and when you're tied up by the past you hold, you've got to know that you are good as gold." Another aspect of this song that I love is that I don't think that he is addressing anyone in particular but rather his fans, which makes his saying that "you mean so much to me" all the more impactful. Although not as good as the original version, "Good as Gold" also has a more upbeat remix done by Flyboy.
"Twenty One" - Because I had initially mistakenly believed that Greyson Chance's single "Twenty One" (released this past December 2018) was the lead single to portraits, I actually already wrote a review of it here, so I won't comment much on the song in this post. I will say, however, that it is the final loose standalone single that Greyson Chance released before entering the portraits era, so it's only right that it closes my fanmade album. It also works as a closing track on a thematic level, since it lyrically addresses Chance's newfound status as a fully fledged adult in all possible ways, which sort of both closes a chapter of his life and introduces a new one, which is one reason why I think that I like it even more now than I did when I wrote that aforementioned review of it. (Even if I had not compiled the tracklisting chronologically, in fact, I
probably still would have put this at the end. There just seems to be
no other appropriate way to end it.)
In the spring of 2016 (already three years ago!), pop pianist sensation Greyson Chance followed up his Truth Be Told EP release with a second EP - Somewhere Over My Head. Independently released via Greyson Chance Music due primarily to his having been dropped from his record label in 2015 (which led to the unfortunate cancellation of his highly anticipated and as of yet unreleased second studio album Planet X), the EP offers five tracks - "Afterlife" (the lead single), "Back on the Wall" (the EP's third single and the only one to feature a music video), "Hit & Run" (the EP's second single), "No Fear," and "More than Me." Somewhere Over My Head marked new territory for Chance in more than one way - not only was it his first independent release, it was also his first venture into electronic music (not counting his previous collaboration with tyDi and Jack Novak - titled "Oceans" - which I am not counting because he was technically a guest vocalist on the song even though he is the only vocalist on it), with the EP comparable to the tone and sound of Troye Sivan's Blue Neighbourhood album. "Afterlife" is a perfect example of this venture; the opening offers electronic blips reminding me of Troye Sivan's "Happy Little Pill," and the lyrics speak to someone struggling with low self-esteem and depression: "Mistakes that you made in the past cutting through you like they're glass." Chance has explained that the song deals with suicide, pleading with someone who is considering it and asking them to stick around: "I just want to hold you, keep you in my world." The chorus is beautiful and incredibly catchy, and it is probably my favorite song on the EP. (It was definitely wisely chosen as the lead single.) I have to confess, however, that for the longest time, I was under the false impression that the chorus was saying, "but I was born in the afterlife; I was born in the morning." I felt so incredibly stupid when I realized that it actually says, "thought I was more than the afterlife, thought I was more than the..." The latter definitely makes a lot more sense given the song's intended meaning.
Chance reaches very high notes in falsetto on the bridge of "Back on the Wall," an upbeat pop song that is easy to dance to. Something that I find interesting about the Somewhere Over My Head EP is that the songs are free of pronouns, which makes perfect sense because Chance likely wanted the music to be authentic and personal, but he hadn't yet come out as gay. "Back on the Wall" is one such song, as I personally interpret the title and the lyrics of the catchy chorus to be sexual: "'Cause when the night falls, your love puts me back on the wall." He also, in the bridge, sings, "If you're feeling cold, let it hit ya. We want to feel emotion, so let's feel it." The innuendo is clear to me and was definitely not the first time (nor would it be the last) that Greyson would be so cheeky in his lyrics. In his unreleased song "Animal in the Night" (which he performed live in 2014), for example, he offers lyrics such as "Tiger's creeping, ain't no sleeping for you tonight" and "feel me, touch me, lick me, bite me." "Hit and Run" is a great follow-up to "Back on the Wall" because it really does serve as somewhat of a sequel to it. In the soulful and upbeat pop song, the verses of which Greyson rapidly sort of half sings and half speaks, Greyson pleads with a lover to let him be free; he wants to make it clear that just because they had sex doesn't mean that he is ready to settle down with anyone: "Don't tell me you love me when I don't. Keep those words locked in a bottle. I am too young for that lifestyle. I'm Mr. Casual... I do what I do in the nighttime [likely a reference to "Animal in the Night"]. I'm sorry, but babe, it's my bloodline." The song is brutally honest and reflective in nature, and I think that Chance might have written it with the same person in mind as was on his mind when he wrote his later standalone single "Low." Here in "Hit & Run," he pleads for his lover not to tell him that he loves him, and on "Low," he declares, "I needed time to move around without you, but I think I'm ready to hear 'I love you'." You can definitely hear progression and development through much of Greyson's music, which is one reason why I love him as an artist and one of the main reason why I can't wait to hear his new album portraits.
Although not released as a single, "No Fear" seems to be one of Greyson's favorite songs considering the fact that he performs it even now on tour for his album portraits. It is definitely one of my favorite songs on the EP because I love the melodically anthemic and catchy chorus in which he sings, "You ain't got the right, baby, coming 'round here, but you came around, came around here." Chance identifies himself as damaged and not the ideal partner in the song, therefore expressing his surprise that he was chosen: "You found me in the dark, baby, said you like them real crazy." The EP closes with "More than Me," a waltzy piano ballad that sounds a bit like an old country song from decades ago. The beautiful song is lyrically very sad and even heartbreaking, as Chance expresses his grief and sadness over the good memories that he shared with someone that now cause him pain: "Gone are the times we sipped on good wine... Your memory near, laced with the pain." The song is a perfect demonstration of how nostalgia feels - a mixture of both pleasure because of the memories being good and pain because the memories are gone and in the past and cannot be relived. He laments at not having been enough for the person when he sings that "I needed love, but it's never the same, for I wanted more; you wanted more than me." The song changes drastically approximately halfway through, almost becoming a different song, in fact, when it becomes atmospheric and ethereal in sound. In this latter half of the song, he nods to the EP title when he sings, "When I took a step back, the realization came, you weren't looking at me; you were looking instead somewhere over my head." Somewhere Over My Head is such a brilliant musical accomplishment, but it unfortunately did not perform well, and the lack of success caused Chance to technically retire from music and go off to college, releasing a single here and there but not committing to music fully (which is why there are so many standalone singles out there). It really is unfortunate because the EP is so great and deserved a lot more attention, but I am glad that he decided to return to music, and here is to hoping that portraits brings him the attention that he more than rightfully deserves!
Greyson Chance releases his new studio album portraits on Friday, March 15th, 2019 (which is currently only three hours away, and I am so excited), and "timekeeper" is thus far the second single released from the album (the first being "shut up," which I reviewed here). Greyson said recently during a discussion of portraits that he really made an attempt to use his voice as an instrument on this album by implementing methods such as layering it, and I think that "timekeeper" serves as a perfect example of what he was talking about, as the chorus features Greyson singing one vocal track in falsetto and another one in a much lower register. The verses are backed by a heavy and steady beat and what sounds like a xylophone (reminding me a great deal of Lady Gaga's song "Look What I Found"). It is difficult for me to decide which single I prefer - "shut up" or "timekeeper." I think that I probably prefer the melody of "shut up" but find "timekeeper" to be more deep and meaningful lyrically, and I definitely relate more to it. The lyrics of the song focus on the key moments of a relationship, a relationship that Chance has confirmed is now over. The song is basically a letter to his ex-boyfriend, telling him that he isn't going to allow him to forget what they had or remember it as anything other than what it actually was: "...if you forget, the memories fade, I'll be your timekeeper." The song definitely gets a bit cheeky at times, such as when Greyson, in the song's first verse, tells the target of the song that he will "show you that first night when we just had sex, when your eyes rolled back to the back of your head." It's a fun song and a great choice to be released as the album's second single, and I cannot wait to hear portraits in its entirety, the release currently only three hours away!
Head Above Water is pop rock musician Avril Lavigne's sixth studio album and her first album in over five years (her last one being her self-titled album), the delay most likely due to the singer and songwriter's battle with Lyme disease. Lavigne, who is best known for hits such as "Complicated," "Sk8er Boi," "My Happy Ending," "Girlfriend," etc., made a comeback in September of last year with the album's title track and then eventually followed that up with two more singles - "Tell Me It's Over" and "Dumb Blonde" (all three of which I reviewed here). The album is overall a rather mellow and acoustic effort a bit reminiscent of Lavigne's 2011 album Goodbye Lullaby, and as I predicted would probably be the case, "Dumb Blonde" is very much the "What the Hell" or the "Hello Kitty" of this album - sticking out like a sore thumb and not fitting the album's overall sound at all. Following the title track (which both opens the album and, on the Japanese edition, closes it with a version featuring backing vocals by Travis Clark - who also co-wrote the song) on Head Above Water is "Birdie,"definitely a highlight on the album. If there is one compliment that I have to offer this album, it's that it probably showcases Lavigne's best vocals of her career thus far, and "Birdie" is a prime example of that, as she shows off a rather impressive vocal range on this song and soars and trills on the chorus. (Her vocals are, in fact, very birdlike, which is probably not coincidental.) The song opens with a beautiful piano introduction and is overall carried by a light beat and electronic quavering production. The lyrics, which use the analogy of a caged bird flying free as it's meant to, speak of breaking free from a situation (probably a relationship) that feels like imprisonment: "Like a bird locked up in a cage called love, he clipped her wings when she was born to fly. He said, 'A pretty bird, you can't sing, but I buy you diamonds and ruby rings like a bird locked up in a cage.'" While I cannot substantiate this, the song could be about Lavigne's ex husband Chad Kroeger (frontman of alternative rock band Nickelback) with whom Lavigne had previously collaborated on "Let Me Go," since the two split several years ago. The reasons for the split have not, as far as I know, been revealed in detail, so, as I said, I cannot substantiate that.
"I Fell in Love with the Devil" is another song that was potentially inspired by Kroeger (as is "Tell Me It's Over," although, again, I say potentially because I do not know that for sure). While not necessarily a highlight, I love the verses of the song as they feature a beautiful and haunting melody that reminds me a bit of the melody of "Give You What You Like" (which is possibly my favorite song of Avril's entire career thus far). As previously mentioned, "Dumb Blonde" (which features a verse from rapper Nicki Minaj) sticks out on Head Above Water as it does not belong stylistically. I have already reviewed it, but I would like to add that a solo version of the song is found on physical copies - such as CDs and vinyls - of the album, something that I immediately noticed upon first listening to my CD copy. Instead of Nicki Minaj's verse, Lavigne offers a playful Gwen Stefani like verse of her own: "If you're a strong bitch, then bring it on, bitch. Then, sing along if you don't take no shit. When it gets fucked up, don't ever shut up. You gotta stand up and fight for it." I definitely prefer Lavigne's verse to Nicki Minaj's verse, especially since Nicki Minaj's verse kind of temporarily steals the spotlight away from Lavigne by rapping mostly about herself and making reference to her own works such as her song "No Frauds" and her album The Pinkprint. The middle section of the album - containing tracks such as "Dumb Blonde," "It Was in Me," "Souvenir," and "Crush" - is by far the weakest segment of the album (with "Souvenir" and Crush" especially being throwaway tracks in my opinion), with the beginning and the ending of the album being the strongest segments. I felt really disappointed upon initially hearing the song "Goddess" because when I first saw the album's tracklisting, I saw the title "Goddess" and expected the song to be about Lavigne's strength in having overcome struggles such as her Lyme disease and her split from her husband, but it really is not; it's an acoustic lovey-dovey pop song about feeling appreciated by a lover. The opening verse ("Dark times, hard times, I didn't know who I was for a minute.") likely makes reference to such aforementioned struggles, but that is it. I do like the playful and catchy chorus, but I just overall feel really let down by its cliché lyrical content.
"Bigger Wow" and "Love Me Insane" are two of my favorite songs from Head Above Water. "Bigger Wow" is thematically very similar to one of my favorite Avril Lavigne songs - "Anything but Ordinary" (found on her 2002 debut album Let Go) - as both songs are lyrically about taking risks and wanting to experience life to the fullest. My favorite aspect of "Bigger Wow," aside from the catchy chorus, is the playful and quirky strings, somewhat similar to what is heard on "Love Me Insane." I, in fact, love that the two songs are back to back on the album because they both put the same image in my mind - looking down at the world from a colorful hot-air balloon on a sunny summer day with a few tufts of fluffy clouds in the blue sky. (I don't really know how to explain why this is the image that the songs evoke, but it is.) "Love Me Insane," as the title would suggest, is another lovey-dovey song, but I love its charming and quirky nature - especially its piano accompaniment. The album closes with "Warrior" (co-written, oddly enough, with Kroeger), basically the song that I expected "Goddess" to be. It's a piano ballad about overcoming strife due to being strong. The title track and "Warrior" seem to be the only two songs on Head Above Water that deal directly with Lavigne's struggle with Lyme disease, which is disappointing to me because I expected the album to be more of a thematic work (similar, I suppose, to how nearly 100% of Björk's 2015 album Vulnicura literally chronicles her separation from her longtime partner Matthew Barney and the aftermath of the split). Most of the album, however, is comprised of love songs that seem to be about a new lover. A demo version of "Warrior" leaked, and it is, in my opinion, significantly better than the album version. More experimental and theatrical with a tribal beat and choir, I cannot imagine how Lavigne could have possibly seen the much more basic album version as an improvement. Several other outtakes - such as "In Touch" and "I Want What I Want" - also leaked, and most of the unreleased outtakes are more interesting than most of what the album actually offers, and I am overall disappointed with Head Above Water. While, as previously stated, the vocals are undeniably great, most of the songs themselves lack the inspiration and creativity that I have come to expect from Lavigne, and this is unfortunately my least favorite album of hers thus far.
Late last year, indie pop musician MARINA (actual name Marina Diamandis and formerly known as Marina and the Diamonds) released her new single "Baby," her second collaboration with electronic group Clean Bandit (the first being the single "Disconnect"). As is the case with "Disconnect" (as well as other Clean Bandit songs such as "Solo" with Demi Lovato and "Rockabye" with Anne-Marie and Sean Paul), MARINA takes the lead on vocals (this time with a little bit of help from Luis Fonsi) even though it's technically a Clean Bandit song and not a MARINA song. "Disconnect" ended up being a loose standalone single, and "Baby" ended up on Clean Bandit's second album What Is Love?, so it came as a huge surprise to me when MARINA unveiled the tracklisting of her upcoming fourth album Love + Fear, revealing that "Baby" would also be on her album, meaning that "Baby" (not "Handmade Heaven," which I reviewed here) is technically the first single released from Love + Fear. "Baby" is an uptempo pop song with a very distinctive Latin flavor, not only because of the Latin rhythm but also because of Luis Fonsi's Spanish lyrics. (His solo verse approximately halfway through the song translates roughly to "Hey, I know you still like me no matter what you say. I can also see in your eyes that you do not just want to be friends. You have my heart; you are my obsession. I am yours always." MARINA recently announced that the vinyl edition of Love + Fear will feature a solo version of the song that does not feature Fonsi's vocals, which will be exclusive to the vinyl. I don't know if it will be featured as a bonus track or will replace the original version, but I am thinking the latter.) Diamandis provides her typical soft and porcelain vocals to this song, and I especially love the part of the song when she sings, her voice seeming to teem with genuine regret, "...and it's such a shame you'll always be the one who got away." The song is essentially about a love triangle, with the primary speaker expressing regret that she has to move past a former lover because she is with someone else now. What I don't understand about the song's meaning is why there is so much conflict and indecision. If, for example, she truly does find it such a shame that her lover "got away" but the only real conflict is that she is "someone else's baby" (someone who isn't even remotely the focus of the song and whom we know nothing about), then why doesn't she call things off with her current lover so that she can be with the person with whom she truly wants to be? I have been kind of stuck on that ever since first hearing the song, but I digress. It's a great, catchy song, and I am ultimately glad that MARINA is including it on Love + Fear, which is due to drop on April 26th, 2019.
The new film A Star Is Born marks Lady Gaga's second major acting effort, the first being her phenomenal role as the Countess Elizabeth on American Horror Story: Hotel. In A Star Is Born,
Gaga portrays Ally, a young woman dreaming to be a musician, alongside
Bradley Cooper who portrays Jackson Maine, a country-rock musician
struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The two meet at a drag bar
and fall in love, and the plot focuses on their relationship developing
as Ally rises to stardom with Jackson's encouragement. The movie is not
really a musical but does feature a great deal of music since it's about
two musicians, and Gaga recorded thirteen new tracks for the soundtrack
(all of which are featured in the film, although some more extensively
than others). Bradley Cooper also recorded a few solo songs for the
soundtrack, but I am going to focus exclusively on the songs to which
Gaga contributed (primarily for purposes of time), starting with "La vie en rose" (French for "life in pink"). This song, a cover of a very old song
originally sung by Edith Piaf, is sung by Ally near the beginning of
the film when she gives a rather sensual performance at the drag bar
where she meets Jackson. The slow jazz song is not new territory for
Gaga, as she has performed it live in the past and even officially
released a live recording of it on a compilation album
to celebrate Tony Bennett's 90th birthday. It is sung passionately
here, but my only complaint is the same complaint that I have with many
of the soundtrack's tracks - it is a direct rip from the film and
therefore features sounds from the film such as applause. I wish that
the soundtrack consisted of only the original studio recordings, but
that is unfortunately not true of some of its tracks.
"Shallow" (the soundtrack's lead single and most popular song, with Gaga even having performed it live
at the 61st GRAMMYs recently) is no exception. In the film, the song is
heard sung between both Jackson and Ally the first time that Ally
performs for a large audience, which is essentially what launches her
career as a musician, and all of the applause heard throughout the film
scene is also present in the soundtrack recording. The soundtrack
features some of the dialogue heard in the film in between the songs
(including a track titled "Parking Lot" that features Ally singing a
verse from "Shallow"), but there is a streaming only version of the soundtrack that excludes the dialogue, and that version does feature a radio edit of
"Shallow" that excludes most of the applause, but applause is still
heard when Ally first crescendos the first time that she sings the
chorus. I, however, absolutely love "Shallow" as it is definitely one of
the strongest songs that Gaga has ever written and is well deserving of
the praise that has been heaped upon it (including several award
nominations and wins). Her powerhouse guttural vocals are some of the
best of her career thus far (especially during the memorable buildup
heard in the film trailer),
and her voice sounds great alongside Bradley Cooper's gruff voice. The
song is a folksy country pop song featuring acoustic guitar (as well as
what is probably the dobro, giving it a bit of a twangy flavor),
strings, and percussion - a minimalist approach that works perfectly. I
especially love the line at the end of Gaga's first verse: "Ain't it
hard keepin' it so hardcore?" This is Ally encouraging Jackson to soften
up and let her in, and the song demonstrates the relationship between
the two of them in so many ways. I love how the word "shallow" is
intended to have more than one meaning - as not only far from shallow
water but also as far from people who judge based on appearance,
significant because Ally says that she has been called ugly many times
throughout her life, which has held her back from pursuing a career as a
musician.
"Music to My Eyes" and "Diggin' My Grave"
are back to back duets between Gaga and Bradley and are both
country-rock songs, with "Music to My Eyes" much softer than the
aggressive "Diggin' My Grave" (which, although, a fun song, does little
to demonstrate the relationship between Ally and Jackson, as it is
essentially about someone who is angry with their lover for spending too
much money). "Music to My Eyes" fits Ally and Jackson perfectly because
the phrase being changed from "music to my ears" to "music to my eyes"
indicates the basis of the relationship between Jackson and Ally - not
only their love for each other's music but also their physical
attraction to each other, significant because Jackson is likely the
first person to tell Ally that she is beautiful. These two songs are the
first two Gaga songs on the soundtrack that are strictly studio
recordings with no applause or sounds from the film, and also interesting is that Gaga is only heard singing on them on the soundtrack; in the film, only Jackson is heard singing them. "Always Remember Us This Way"
is a beautiful song sung only by Lady Gaga. It
did take some time to grow on me, but once it did, I realized how
beautiful that it is and now really like it. As do a few of the
soundtrack's tracks (as previously stated), the track features a bit of
applause, but it isn't as pronounced as some other tracks. The song is a
soft country-rock song about being in love with someone and remembering
the good times when you have to be away from them (which foreshadows
the film's ending, but I won't discuss that here out of respect for any
potential readers who have not yet seen the film.) Gaga's voice in the
verses here has been compared to that of Shania Twain, which I can
definitely hear, but the melody of the chorus reminds me a great deal of
the melody of the chorus of the song "Silence Looks Good on You" (sung by Rachel Taylor), which is very likely a coincidence but is something worth mentioning.
"Look What I Found" is one of my favorite songs from the A Star Is Born
soundtrack. Another Gaga solo, it is upbeat and piano driven, which is
probably one of the reasons why I love it. (Gaga's talent on the piano
is one of the reasons why I initially fell in love with her a decade or
so ago.) In the film, Ally's manager encourages her to move away from
the country-rock style of music that she had been making with Jackson
and move toward a more radio-friendly pop sound, and this song is really
when you first begin to hear that transition take place. I love this
song because you can hear Ally's happiness both in the melody and in the
lyrics as she expresses how she has finally found someone who loves her
for who she is: "Look what I found - somebody who loves me!" "Heal Me"
is a soft and soulful song with an R&B beat, and Gaga's vocals soar
gracefully in the song's angelic chorus. The lyrics remind me a great
deal of Lady Gaga's hit single "The Cure"
because both songs are essentially about the same subject but from
different perspectives, with "Heal Me" being from the perspective of the
person in need of being healed and "The Cure" being from the
perspective of the person doing the healing. (This is especially
interesting given that both songs share many of the same songwriters -
Lady Gaga, DJ White Shadow, Mark Nilan, and Nick Monson.) The next song
on the soundtrack is another duet between Gaga and Bradley Cooper - a
piano ballad with a jazzy rhythm titled "I Don't Know What Love Is."
Although not really a highlight on the soundtrack for me personally, it
is still a good song, and Bradley Cooper's verse is actually my
favorite part of it: "If I had the courage, I'd know just what to do.
Sometimes I have to crawl, and everyday I fall tryin' just to stand by
you." His voice just works really well in this song, and I love the
lyrics here. I also love the lyrics of the chorus: "I don't know what
love is, but I think it might be you."
"Is That Alright?"
is a piano ballad sung solely by Gaga. The song is a love song
featuring a powerful and emotional melody in its chorus in which Gaga
belts, "I want you to look right in my eyes, to tell me you love me, to
be by my side. I want you at the end of my life. I want to see your face
when I fall with grace at the moment I die. Is that alright?" (The song
is especially emotional after seeing the film and knowing how it ends,
but I, as I said before, don't want to spoil the ending, although if you
have seen prior adaptions of A Star Is Born, then you already know.) "Why Did You Do That?"
is another one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack, especially
because it is so damn catchy. Gaga's typically powerhouse vocals
(Seriously - how does she have those pipes when her spoken voice is so
soft?) carry this soulful pop song through as she affectionately
pretends to be angry with her lover for making her fall in love with
him: "Why did you do that to me?" she repeatedly protests. One line in
particular reminds me of the meaning behind Kelly Clarkson's song "Miss Independent"
(the meaning being falling in love causing your need of and love for
independence to dissipate) - "...'cause ever since I met you, I've been
prayin' on my knees that you would always stay around, that you would
never leave, but I'm the kind of girl that always needs to be free." In
the film, Jackson does not seem to like the song, criticizing it during a
particular scene. He tells Ally that a line near the beginning of the
song - "Why'd you come around me with an ass like that?"
- is crude and is indicative that Ally is sacrificing her artistry for
fame. Although the line was written by Ally in the universe of the film
(which is indicated as such when she comes to the line's defense and she
and Jackson argue about it), it, in real life, was penned by iconic
songwriter Diane Warren, with whom Gaga previously collaborated on "Til It Happens to You." With it being such an earworm, I am surprised that it hasn't been released a single.
I tend to think of "Why Did You Do That?" and "Hair Body Face"
as sister songs on the soundtrack not only because they are back to
back (even on the soundtrack with dialogue, and I also placed them back
to back on my fanmade Lady Gaga album Ally)
but also because they are both upbeat radio-friendly pop songs that
stick out in comparison to most of the other songs that the soundtrack
has to offer. In some ways, Lady Gaga is Ally. Gaga, like Ally,
started with a more soulful and rock-star approach to music before
transitioning to more radio-friendly pop music before hitting it big,
and also like Ally, Gaga comes from an Italian family and suffers from
insecurities about her appearance. "Hair Body Face" is essentially about
those insecurities, which is one reason why I love it - even though it
was likely written for Ally, it is also very much relatable for Gaga
herself. (Gaga even previously used her hair as a symbol of her
confidence and autonomy on the Born This Way track "Hair.")
The song, as previously stated, is an upbeat pop song with an
R&B-esque rhythm, and its lyrics relay a certain confidence in
oneself that arises from being accepted for who you are by the person
whom you love: "I'm not mad as long as I am perfect in your eyes," she
reasons. "Before I Cry"
is likely, in the universe of the film, Ally's response to the
aforementioned argument between her and Jackson, an argument that turns
nasty especially when Jackson uses her insecurity against her when he
calls her ugly: "I can't believe the things you said," Gaga sings,
opening the song. The song's lyrics plead with the speaker's lover to
try to make amends so that their relationship can be salvaged. It's a
slow pop-soul song in similar fashion as "Heal Me," and while not a bad
song by any means, it is one of the weaker tracks on the soundtrack in
my view; it just doesn't click with me like some of the other songs do.
Gaga's final song in both the film and on the soundtrack is titled "I'll Never Love Again." Ally gives a live performance of the entire song at the very end of A Star Is Born, and the soundtrack features both that version and an extended version.
"I'll Never Love Again" is a soft piano ballad, with the staccato piano
notes seeming to weep alongside Gaga's soft and gentle melody, the
lyrics of which speak about feeling like you have already met your
soulmate and therefore feel no need to ever search for anyone else.
Parts of the song remind me of Christina Aguilera's usual R&B/soul
style, and the melody of the chorus is tremendously similar to that of
R. Kelly's song "I Believe I Can Fly."
I am also reminded of Lady Gaga's song "Speechless" because the chorus of that song features the same line - "I'll never love again" - and I also feel like the meaning of "Speechless" fits perfectly alongside this film. I definitely appreciate the narrative purpose of this song in the film, and I
definitely got teary-eyed during Ally's performance of it at the end of
the film. All in all, I am very impressed with what the soundtrack to A Star Is Born accomplishes
- showcasing Lady Gaga's already established ability as a songwriter
and powerhouse vocalist and debuting Bradley Cooper's talent as a raw
and guttural vocalist (with the film itself revealing his directing
talent). It is so strange when I think about the fact that Beyoncé was
originally set for the female lead role before that version of the film
(which Clint Eastwood was set to direct) was canceled because it would
have been a very different film with a very different soundtrack - not
only because Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have very different singing voices
but also because Lady Gaga had a hand in writing all of her songs with
the exception of "Diggin' My Grave." The soundtrack is essentially an
album's worth of material, and as a massive Gaga fan (or should I say
little monster?), that is definitely rewarding. (I am sure that there
are some fans who might even consider the soundtrack a Lady Gaga album,
which, in some ways, it is.)
[cover art by OmenBoy]
Because Greyson Chance has so many standalone singles that have no home on any EP or album, I decided to group them together into an album's worth of material. Listen here!
