Board Thread:Off-Topic/@comment-29512888-20190704130810

Hi! Let's catch up quickly on May 2019 with what I consider the best it had to offer!

Introduction
While improving over April, May still hasn't been a particularly exciting month, as most of the music on offer was pretty generic and forgettable. Thankfully, some gems still shined through the mush, and I'm happy to show them to the world!

Honorable Mention (yes, just one)
This song is so surprisingly unknown that I can't even find the lyrics around the net, and it's a shame because it's cool and it deserves to reach some public attention.

10. Aurora - The River
After reaching the Honorable Mentions in January with Animals, Aurora finally goes up with The River, which also falls in her typical lane of experimentation. This time around, the production is loosely based off mountain folk music, with hollow yodels and handclaps, giving the song an ethereal atmosphere that is heavily reminiscent of Billie Eilish. Lyrically, it's about doing helpful things to others, because it will invite them to do other nice things and start a "river" of kindness. It might sound a bit too optimistic, but it's still a message that I fully support - there are many times when we don't do anything to solve problems because we feel powerless, but we don't have to be superheroes, we just have to do the best we can, and all of this will consequentially grow to bigger results until everything is solved. Let's hope we can change some small things thanks to this song!

9. Thomas Rhett - Blessed
After an amazing 2018, Thomas keeps some of its momentum going with the album Center Point Road, which features this video-less single called Blessed. Much like most of the tracklist, it's a heartfelt country ballad rooted in acoustic guitars and soulful vocals, which are all dedicated to his beloved one and what a huge blessing she is for him. Although his latest singles are not as great as last year's gems, I'll still take this gladly over most of the stuff this month, thanks to the huge amount of emotion it has.

8. Shawn Mendes - If I Can't Have You
While staying in the topic of singers who had a terrible start but improved right afterwards, we have Shawn Mendes and his current Top 20 hit If I Can't Have You. I usually don't like giving popular songs spotlights in this series because you all know them and you might already have a negative opinion due to their overplay amounts, but this one sticks out from most pop music this year thanks to a rocking chorus inspired from The 1975 at their best. It's amazing how those piano notes can have so much punch combined with those strumming guitars, and Shawn also has this quantity of energy in his voice, which is energetic but not unlistenable like in his first songs. There are some clingy lines in the lyrics that push it a bit far away from the closest spots, but the great chorus still makes up for that.

7. DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle and John Legend - Higher
HOLY FOSGHDUGFUERIVGFYGVUFG DJ KHALED HAS FINALLY MADE SOMETHING GOOD AFTER YEARS OF SUCKING MALE GENITALS I CAN'T BELIEVE IT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHBVJFHNUOVHUOHVGF - whew. Sorry, I had to. Anyway, this his one of the singles from his new album, and it's actually quite good for once. It is about all the hardships that Nipsey had to face in his childhood, such as his grandmother's 13 pregnancies and the lack of economical funds - he had to fight a lot and strive for a decent life but, in spite of that, he's reached a successful career and he's going to celebrate with everyone. And, as if that wasn't enough, John Legend steps in and brings an amazing chorus with his flawless piano skills. And yeah, it's a posthumous release and I usually despise such things, but this one was actually recorded before Nipsey's death so I can accept it anyway. Overall, I'm glad DJ Khaled has come up with this superb song, and I'd love to see what he will bring next t- *plays other singles* FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

6. Thomas Rhett ft. Kelsea Ballerini - Center Point Road
And now we go back to Thomas with another single off his album, this time with the collaboration of Kelsea Ballerini. Much like the other one, it's also an acoustic guitar ballad with impeccable vocal performances, but it elevates above the other one mostly because of the interplay between the two singers. Their relationship works even more when you read the lyrics, which are about reminiscing their old times together: they no longer drive on that road together, but they will keep such memory in their hearts and move on peacefully. It's not easy to get over an ended relationship, but you have to do that, and these two singers have gathered all their maturity to come up with such a brave decision. Imagine how annoying and disturbing it could have been if they had went the opposite direction.

5. Kylie Minogue - New York City
Along with Shawn and Thomas, another artist who had a great (but less recognised) 2018 was Kylie Minogue, who has consistently churned bop after bop since Dancing. Her latest cake is called New York City, and it delves into poppy disco territory with a slick bassline and tappy percussion that engages the listener right since the first millisecond. Lyrically, the idea is about wanting to see a lover while being away from them - much like Shawn's Lost in Japan, which is also a good song that deserved more recognition, and why shouldn't you take inspiration from underrated bops and make them even better? Oh, and it's great to see how this woman is in her 50s yet she doesn't sound like a lame mom trying to impress younger audiences - am I right, Michelle Hunziker?

4. Bjork - Tabula Rasa
And then there are things that don't sound like anything else in this world and you just have to give them points for originality. Take, for example, Bjork, who has been following this lane since her debut and has never resorted to selling out or adapting herself to the pop crowd. A clear example of this is her latest song, which is called Tabula Rasa and features deep, echoey electro sounds that capture a floating atmosphere. Lyrically, iy reflects on her past relationships, which she describes as a condition of slavery between her and her former husband and reflects upon the entire world to show other subjugated women that they're not alone. After that, she sweetly talks to her daughter and invites her to "create a new world" with the new values of equality and justice, hence the title. It's a shame how so many women are still treated as if they were worth less than men, and I hope this song will help us change this situation because it's 2019 and we can't go on like this.

3. Lady Antebellum - What If I Never Get Over You
Remember Center Point Road, which is about moving on from a past relationship peacefully? Well, this goes more onto the other side, which is about how hard it actually is to move on. It might sound easy at first - cut contacts with each other, distract yourself with your hobbies, meet other people... But, whatever you do, there will always be a memory of him/her that ruins your day and brings you back to the start against your will. Technically, I should appreciate Center Point Road more because it accomplishes that task, but this one is better because it feels more relatable to me, as I also had to move on from my crush. After I found out he actually has a girlfriend, I tried to do everything I could to see him as least as possible, but it was way harder than it seemed because I just saw him everywhere and thought of him anytime I could. Now that school is over, I guess things are easier for me, but whenever I see a guy that looks like him, I start to imagine it's actually him and what would happen if we saw each other. The answer would be "nothing" because he has never cared about me (and he never will), but love is a b so I'm still here writing about this problem. Sorry for making your brain explode with my drama, and let's move on as I should... but not before giving Lady Antebellum a round of applause!

2. Kacey Musgraves - Oh, What A World
Holy absolute damn, this really was country's month! So much good stuff in the genre, including the non-singles from Thomas' album... and what about closing it with this amazing ballad from Golden Hour, one of the best albums of 2018? "Ballad" actually isn't a fully correct term because... well, it is a ballad, but it also features some electronic elements a la Daft Punk, such as that beautiful vocoder effect they always use in their songs. Seriously, who would have thought it sounds so good in a non-EDM song? It just captures the emotional feel perfectly, as Kacey sees the world and realises what a mess it's become. It's a very dreadful sight, but she can't do anything besides finding some positive things in it and trying to do her best to improve it. It's a situation anyone can find themselves in, and I'm glad someone has decided to open their vulnerability to the world to show that even VIPs, who seem to be unaffected by psychological problems and news, suffer as much as "common" men. And now, straight to #1, which is...

1. Of Monsters And Men - Alligator
Well, now here's something was definitely NOT expecting. Not only has the band behind Little Talks, one of the best Hot 100 hits of the decade, returned, but they have also given us a mind-blowing masterpiece. It is about fever dreams, as it can be seen by the seemingly disconnected lyrics, which are sung with such a burning passion that it's impossible not to feel sorry for the vocalist. The real star of the show, however, is the perfect production, which features echo-y guitars that go as hard as they can, airy synths and an overall dreamlike atmosphere that makes each listen one hell of an emotional ride. That is why this song wins - it doesn't just sound innovative, but it also injects such innovation to the senses, and I just can't help giving prizes to music artists who treat music as a true form of art rather than just music. Let's see if this will be the greatest song of the entire year, and, in the meanwhile, congratulations to these geniuses!

Recommendations
I was about to feature this weird reggae thing in the February list, but then I realised the lyric video is from January so it was no longer eligible. Oh well, at least it can still make it onto the final chart! Oh, and it also has great political messages, don't forget that. Most appropriate song title ever. Not their best song ever, but then the quality bar is set really high for them so it's not a surprise. Generally not a fan of the Greatest Showman soundtrack due to it not being as imposing as promised, but this one is actually an exception to the rule (and probably the only one, which is quite sad if you think about it). Not to be confused with Crash, but then both are good so you will be forgiven if you mistake one for another. Oh, and Usher is hot as f in that thumbnail - not that he isn't hot in another situation, but still... 