Board Thread:Off-Topic/@comment-29512888-20190415221931

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Best Songs of the Month!

Introduction
Well, it seems like I've run into another boring month. Seriously, finding a good song was such a struggle that I only got 10 contenders for this month's list. Everything else was mediocre, average or almost good but with at least one major flaw that ruins the overall quality. What a shame.

10. Louis Tomlinson - Two of Us
If I have to be honest with you, I never cared about One Direction, neither as a group nor as solo artists. They are fine enough singers, but none of their songs has left any impact or legacy in the world of music - seriously, does anyone remember any of them besides Sign of the Times? At this point, the crazy fanbase and the equally crazy hate spread towards them have taken all the spotlight instead. Thankfully, I can add another song to the list of good stuff from these guys - it's definitely not as good as Sign of the Times, but then it's hard to top that masterpiece. Anyway, here we are with Two of Us, which is a sweet piano ballad about Louis' mother, who died because of leukemia. The songwriting is easily the star, as it shows the incredibly strong bond between the two, as well as their golden hearts: Johannah (the mother) encourages her son to go on without her, proving she does not fear her upcoming death, and Louis misses her so much that he treats her as if she was alive, sharing every thought and experience with her. Oh, and don't forget about the vocals, which exude unfiltered sadness from every single word. And yeah, Louis isn't really the greatest singer alive, but it doesn't matter in this case, because sincerity is all that matters for a song like this, and he certainly sounds sincere enough for me to give him a virtual hug. Shame that the 808 bass and the faint trap hi-hats in the chorus kind of tarnish the production, but everything else makes up for that.

9. Elle Fanning - Dancing On My Own
Damn, it must have been tough being Robyn in 2017. Imagine her disappointment after hearing someone would have made a cover to her signature hit and then realizing it got completely transformed into an useless piano ballad. I usually love piano ballads, but that one doesn't work at all because that song is supposed to be victorious and bold, not melodramatic. Luckily for Robyn, Elle Fanning fixed everything for the Teen Spirit soundtrack by approaching similar dance production, which is rooted in a buzzing 80's bass and glossy synths and fully compliments the vocals, which are not as good as Robyn's but still capture their tone (especially the background ones, they're definitely the cherry on the top of the cake). Nothing else to say about it, it's just a really good pop tune.

8. Khalid - My Bad
Once again, modern R&B god Khalid makes its way in a list of mine, this time with My Bad. In a similar way to Talk, it deals with the topic of two lovers who lack efficient communication, but the story is told from the other person's perspective this time: while Talk was sung by an overly-attached girlfriend who can't breathe for more than 5 minutes without hearing her boyfriend first, My Bad is sung by the boyfriend himself in order to guarantee the girl that he still loves her, even if he doesn't answer all her calls. Thinking about it, this story could have taken a hugely wrong road by guilt-tripping the girl and screaming "STOP CALLING ME YOU FWQ8E9YRFHRH9E9HGR89GHG", but the songwriters are mature enough to not do this mistake and taking some of the blame instead. Add in some relaxing acoustic guitars and you got a gem that doesn't only work as a song in itself, but also as a response to its predecessor (and it's also much better, if you ask me). Then again, it's Khalid, what do you expect?

7. Lion Babe - Sexy Please
For those who don't know, I've attended reggaeton and dancehall dancing lessons for two years, so music that belong to the latter genre often carves its spot in my heart, and Sexy Please is no exception. Contrary to the two previous songs, it's no lyrical masterpiece (just a generic sex song), but it works because it's not too explicit and, most of all, the great production makes most of the work. The 808 combined with the tapping percussion sets the basis for a cool African-inspired vibe, and several synth tones that sway from eerie to breezy only make things better. The vocal performance is also very noteworthy, as Lion Babe showcases her impressively smooth vocal range without wasting time with useless gargles. The final result is heavily reminiscent of 90's R&B sex jams, but it also adds its own spin to the formula. The only thing majorly wrong with it is that pitch-shifted voice at the end, but I can get through it. If you can't, then you can easily skip the song, since it's at the very end, hoping that everything that happens before has pleased you enough.

6. Billie Eilish - bad guy
And now we get to the biggest deal of the month, Billie Eilish and her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?. And holy scarf, does it deserve the attention it's getting. Everything I said about Billie in the past can be found there: eerie, minimalist production, creepy whispers and cleverly-written lyrics. As opposed to Billie's previous singles, bad guy tries to cater to a mainstream audience by "pop-ifying" her trademark sound with house synths and a trap breakdown, but it still keeps the sinister atmosphere that makes her other songs work perfectly, both musically and lyrically. The star of the show, however, is obviously Billie, who mocks a guy in a creepy way and shows him it's actually her who rules. It might come off as condescending, but she fits the role like a glove, and that's why it's still enjoyable as hell. And it's not even the best song on the album: when the party's over, i love you and listen before i go are 1000 times better. Seriously, go stream that album, everyone needs to hear it.

5. Thomas Rhett - That Old Truck
Man, it's impressive to see how much Thomas Rhett has improved over the years. He started with those horrible "country" piles of trash where he fully displays his irritatingly smug attitude accompanied by awful production, and then he disappeared... until he came back making fantastic songs all of a sudden. I don't know whether he has learned his lesson or the real Thomas Rhett has been kidnapped by the aliens while the one we're listening to now is a doppelganger, but I'm satisfied either way. Anyway, this is his latest single, and it's a damn good one. The lyrics talk about Thomas' memories as a teenager, where he spent most of the time travelling in his truck with his girlfriend, visiting places with her and even making love with her in that exact place, and the execution is obviously as flawless and heartfelt as you can imagine. His somber voice is also complemented by a great acoustic guitar riff and breezy strings, which convey a nostalgic atmosphere that everyone will fall in love with. I seriously hope Thomas keeps up the excellent work, because we need some actual country music after seeing Meant To Be' at the top of the Country Charts for 52 FIFTY-TWO F I F T Y T W O GODHUBNWIBVYFDIVGBERHBFEFEIBFI weeks.

4. Bananarama - Stuff Like That
And now we move from one 80's throwback (Taemin's Move) to another, as Bananarama make an unexpected comeback with Stuff Like That. To be fair, this one actually leans more towards the earlier part of the 80's, as a sprinkle of disco permeates the stellar production. All of the instruments sound great, but the killer bassline is really what made the song stand out to me, and the cool background vocals are no joke either. The song also deserves some extra points for not following the current music trends and making the two women come off as r/fellowkids material. Imagine how embarrassingly awful it could have been if someone else had handled the production (Diplo and Madonna, are you listening?). Sorry for the short review, but there's not much to say about it.

3. Gesaffelstein ft. Pharrell Williams - Blast Off
If you like deep lyrical meanings, then here's a little spoiler for you: this and the next two songs are nothing like that. Not that it matters, though, especially when the outcomes are still this good. Gesaffelstein had already showed some potential with Lost In The Fire, which showcased some impressive production in the style of The Chemical Brothers and early Daft Punk that was sadly ruined by some questionable lyrics about "f***ing someone straight". It seems that Gesaffelstein has fixed that mistake, because he had Pharrell write some better lyrics for him, all while he amped the late 90's-early 2000's influences up to 1000 (which is only a good thing for all that concerns me). There isn't one single second were you're not admiring this brilliant production in shock: from the bass, to the whirring synths, to the keyboards, every single element sounds flawless. Pharrell sounds great too, as he constantly alternates his masculine lower range to his trademark soft falsetto. Overall, it's one hell of a nostalgia bomb, and I'd be lying if I said it's not one of the best pop songs of the year.

2. Georgia - About Work The Dancefloor
Just for a change, we get another 80's new wave tune that pays homage to a-ha and Eurythmics with stuttering synths and liquid notes all around. And OH MY GOD THOSE KEYBOARD RIFFS AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH <3 <3 <3 <3 Seriously, there are so many of them, and each one sounds better than the other. The song could have easily been a cluttered mess, yet all of them fit each other like a group of gears in an old clock and make the song work wonders. Seriously, whoever has written this is a f923ing genius and deserves to work with more artists in the future so that the pop charts can be revived with some decent music once in a while.

1. Keyakizaka46 - Kuroi Hitsuji
MASSIVE WHIPLASH!!! After ages of praising dance beats, we finally get to the sensitive ballad you were all expecting, this time courtesy of Japan! What we have on offer here is called Kuroi Hitsuji (Black Sheep), and it's exactly about what you expect it to be: bullyism, isolation and being forced to live in a society where you don't fit. The lyrics might sound a bit too reminiscent of Simple Plan, but they work perfectly for me, and it's all because of those gorgeous vocals in unison. The fact that Japanese idols always sing together is a double-edged sword, because it can ruin any other kind of song by not giving enough room to breathe and make them sound all the same, but it works perfectly in ballads because it captures the sadness in a way that Korean ballad singers rarely (and I do mean rarely) manage to do. What really need to be shown here, however, is the fabulous production: an acoustic tune driven by a guitar riff and supported by soft drums and sweeping strings, all of which make the surrounding atmosphere even more nostalgic and in need of empathy. Songs about teenagers are usually annoying and filled with angst, but everyone can relate to this one because it displays correctly-balanced emotions: it's sad, but not to the point where you say "oh my God, this is so f887ing pathetic, I can't put up with this anymore". After all, this little black sheep needs some understanding, and who wouldn't give him a tight, sweet hug? Sorry if this description of the song sounds rushed, but I'm running to hug this guy/girl right now! Bye!

Recommendations
Speaking of hugs, I just felt like my mom has hugged me. She just told me to enjoy my youth as much as I can and not spend time with useless stuff or dangerous experiences. Another nice country ballad that deserves more than it's actually getting. I haven't listened to the entire Invasion of Privacy album, but you already know what I would have chosen as the next single between this and Money. Hmmmmmmmm... Hell yeah... Yeah go on like th- oh, come on, do you really think I'm writing down a typical sex scene? I'm just expressing my unprecedented delight in front of this song. Get your mind out of the gutter, you dirty pigs. Another visible example of why Japanese choirs work in ballads. Bonus song in honor to Nipsey Hussle. Rest in peace! 