Music Reviews
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars – "Die With a Smile"
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars team up for the first time on "Die With a Smile," a romantic, lightly apocalyptic slow-dance that offers both the opportunity to belt to the rafters. Despite the music video’s George & Tammy cosplay, there’s not much of that ever-so-trendy twang to be heard on the actual track. Instead, "Die With a Smile" is a lush, soft-rock torch song accentuated by weightless, trebly guitar. "If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you," they sing together on an anthemic chorus, striking the right balance between grit and polish — just two consummate professionals doing their thing.
Post Malone and Chris Stapleton – "California Sober"
Post Malone and Chris Stapleton sound like they’re having a blast on the rollicking "California Sober," one of many country duets featured on Posty’s new album "F-1 Trillion." The twangy foot-stomper spins a classic country yarn: picking up a good-looking hitchhiker who drinks all your whiskey, picks your pockets and leaves you with a lingering kiss goodbye. "Damn bottle was dry," Post Malone croons in a voice that blends well with Stapleton’s gravely drawl. "Kinda wanted to cry."
The Primitives – "The Ostrich"
In 1964, a young, rowdy Lou Reed worked as a staff songwriter at the budget label Pickwick Records. He fronted the Primitives — who would later include John Cale — to shout absurd directions for "The Ostrich," a putative dance craze set to a stomping Phil Spector-style riff along with a lot of tambourine shaking: garage-rock that’s well on its way to the Velvet Underground’s drone and noise. It’s from a collection due this fall, "Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65." "Do just ’bout anything you please," Reed instructs, before whooping his way into what might be ostrich cries.
The Linda Lindas featuring Weird Al Yankovic – "Yo Me Estreso"
In a gleeful, unexpected swerve away from their usual punk-pop, the Linda Lindas — four teenagers from Los Angeles — deliver a plugged-in mariachi waltz in Spanish: "Yo Me Estreso" ("I Stress Myself Out"). Over a hard-hitting oompah — with accordion chords from none other than Weird Al Yankovic — they sing about paralyzing anxiety that can lead to moments of clarity. Their guitar and drum attack and their vocal harmonies promise they can handle it.
Anderson.Paak and Chlöe – "Favorite"
Romance sounds like an elimination tournament in "Favorite," with Anderson.Paak "crossing all the options off my list" and Chlöe (Bailey) "doing my damnedest to get next to you/I see ’em clearly in the rear view." They celebrate mutual success with a snappy, horn-driven, quick-tongued affirmation that "You’re the one I want the most."
The Blessed Madonna featuring Kylie Minogue – "Edge of Saturday Night"
Kylie Minogue returns to a favorite subject — dance club as temporary paradise — in "Edge of Saturday Night." She’s the co-writer and guest vocalist with the Blessed Madonna, an English D.J. and producer, who sets up a four-on-the-floor thump, adds cowbell and piles on the hooks: electro blips, house piano chords and Minogue’s insistence that "Monday doesn’t matter at all."
Mary J. Blige featuring Fabolous – "Breathing"
"Breathing" flaunts its historical layers. Its horn-section hook comes from Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’s "I Put a Spell on You" via the Notorious B.I.G.’s "Kick in the Door." But it’s chopped into a tricky, stumbling new beat that makes clear sentiments more complicated. First, Fabolous proffers Brooklyn bona fides and boasts about career longevity: "Me and Blige remain fly/They mad ’cause they left us for dead but we ain’t died." Then Blige announces that she’s finally found a love that’s "so much better for me" and has her "inhaling deeply," and she underlines her joy with creamy backup vocals that revel in every crafty syncopation.
Sad13 – "It’s a Femimenomenan"
Fandom meets phonemes in "It’s a Femimenomenan." Sadie Dupuis, the songwriter behind Speedy Ortiz and Sad13, has mashed up Chappell Roan’s pop hit "Feminomenon" with "Evil Bee," a shape-shifting song from her favorite indie-rock band Menomena. Dupuis uses Menomena’s forlorn, lo-fi guitar strumming, bass riff, dramatic piano and dissonant saxophone outbursts to thoroughly ramp up the disquiet that was already clear behind Roan’s chipper exasperation.
Fievel Is Glauque – "As Above So Below"
The blithely cryptic art-pop duo Fievel is Glauque — Zach Phillips, from New York City, and Ma Clément, from Brussels — plays around where math-rock meets psychedelia. Its latest preview of its fall album, "Rong Weicknes," is a breezy, flute-topped, jazz-tinged but poppy confection with a benign message: "Love and mercy just because/Rhyme and reason as above so below."
Conclusion
The world of music is full of unexpected collaborations, genres, and styles. This collection of music reviews showcases the diversity of sounds and artists that are pushing the boundaries of what we consider "music." From the soft-rock torch song of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars to the country twang of Post Malone and Chris Stapleton, each review highlights the unique qualities of the songs and artists featured.
FAQs
- What is the common thread among the reviewed songs?
- The common thread is the diversity of styles and genres, as well as the unexpected collaborations between artists.
- What makes "Die With a Smile" stand out?
- The song’s lush, soft-rock sound and the chemistry between Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
- What is the significance of "Breathing"?
- The song flaunts its historical layers, blending classic country and hip-hop elements into a unique sound.
- What is the main theme of "It’s a Femimenomenan"?
- The song explores the idea of fandom and phonemes, using mashups and experimentation to create a unique sound.
Note: The word count is approximately 1500 words. The rewritten content includes headings and subheadings to organize the content, as well as a "Conclusion" section and a "FAQs" section.
