Board Thread:Off-Topic/@comment-29512888-20190708141626

Ok, I only need one more episode to get the late job finished. Here we go!

Introduction
Sorry to disappoint you, but June hasn't been particularly generous, either. It's a shame, really, because I just can't go on like this. Anyway, here we go.

7. Keane - The Way I Feel
Back in the early 2000's there was a child called Chibi King, a.k.a. Dance4life628. He was sweet, funny, playful and curious towards the world around him. However, all of this curiosity was not appreciated by everyone, as most children made fun of him because he was allegedly fat and stupid. The situation got worse and worse until one day, when his entire class started to repeatedly bully him for no reason in the most cruel ways: from spreading rumors, to beating with random objects, to calling names and so on. Because of this, that sweet child died and got replaced by another child who was the exact opposite: he didn't say a word, he spent his entire time locked himself in his own room and he was afraid of everyone and everything. Lots of people noticed that, and they started to encourage him to go out and show his true self to the world, but it was impossible: the old self was completely gone, and there was no way to get him back. Or maybe there is? He actually thinks he's improved quite a lot throughout high school, but there can be still improvements here and there. Anyway, this band must be the Illuminati or something, because they literally rewrote this story in their own song, and they did it fairly well. I mean, how could they even know about his existence?

6. Ed Sheeran ft. Khalid - Beautiful People
So Ed Sheeran has been promoting a few collaborations meant for his No. 6 album and, while some of them might be a bit tacked on, this one actually works. Akin to I Don't Care, the artists try to sell a down-to-earth image of themselves by showing that they and their lovers do not fit into the crowd but are actually proud of that, by stating that they do not want to be those people who claim to be "beautiful" by having booze and fame but actually suffer inside because of that. I Don't Care already pulled off that concept pretty well, but this one made things even better thanks to more organic production and a better vocalist in Khalid. I mean, he doesn't really add much to the narrative, as he states the same exact things as Ed, but at least he doesn't need layers of AutoTune; plus, he's always great, so some Khalid is always welcome, as long as he fits.

5. The Knocks and Kah-Lo - Awa Ni
So the girl from Bad Boy, the most underrated JD2020 routine so far, has put out another song with an electro group called The Knocks, and the result is pretty much the same: a lo-fi-inspired dance jam with a summery vibe to it, with the addition of house elements that knock just as much as The Knocks' name implies. Just like Bad Boy, this song is way too underrated for my taste so please stream it a couple times and I will be a happy man :)

4. Madonna - God Control
Madonna is known for wasting her talent and reputation over years of mediocre songs made purposefully to fit in the younger generation, so you know how much I cared about her new project Madame X. Then she put out this other song and I nearly fell out of my chair because... well, this is something else. As opposed to her previous singles, God Control takes a more experimental route thanks to an unconventional song structure, which starts slowly and then rises in a crescendo of anxious strings through most of its runtime, until it goes back down. However, what really fascinated me is the lyrical content, which tackles the topic of gun control in America. Madonna plays with the homophone "God" by showing the current situation in her country: the authorities do not do enough to stop the abuse of guns, but they cannot be contradicted because they're like deities and they can resort to violence to affirm their egocentric ideas. Guns are so widespread that people can't even send their children to school peacefully, because they don't even know if they will come back home alive, so everyone feels like the government lies to them by showing a fake sense of safety through easily accessible weapons. The only reason why this is a bit lower than it should be is the odd vocal melody in the chorus, which sounds like a nursery rhyme, but it's still a great song overall, and I truly appreciate the effort of Madonna speaking for her entire country. Let's hope things will change soon!

3. The Chemical Brothers - Eve of Destruction
And now let's move on to something more... light-hearted, I guess. I can't really use that word well because the song talks about an eve of destruction, but the production is as upbeat as Chemical Brothers can get, with obviously the oddest choices and quirks they can come up with. I haven't heard their latest album but, if this song is an overall indicator of its quality, then I'm in for something great. Oh, and there are also vocals from Aurora, another female artist who is cool and deserves more spotlight at the moment. That should be enough to make you stan this song (hopefully).

2. The Academic - Superlike
As upbeat as they have been, however, The Chemical Brothers just couldn't beat this song by their less known colleagues, called The Academics. The only reason is the music itself, which borrows a lot from 80's rock and even a bit of early Coldplay to make a truly rocking tune that stands the test of time. The lyrics are cheesy as hell, but there's enough sincerity in the performance to ignore that, and the excellent beat makes things even better. Although not better than...

1. Luke Combs - Even Though I'm Leaving
After three good country songs last month, Luke Combs decided to fill the quota with an amazing ballad called Even Though I'm Leaving. The project already starts off the right foot with its lyrics, which are about a father and his child: at first, the boy is afraid of the world and sees his dad as a metaphorical shelter, cultivating a very close relationship to him. That is until he is enlisted for the army: he pretends to be confident and in need of no one, but his heart actually aches at the thought of leaving his father and possibly losing him. Once his fathers hears this confession, he reassures once again that he will always be a shelter for him, regardless of his age, and he will always exist in his heart and his memory. That is already great in itself, but the amazing guitar and the flawless vocals kick in and make things even better thanks to the unlimited ooze of raw emotion. It's rare to find such good songs in mainstream country these days, but there are still some gems buried in the trash, and I'm glad I found one. Thanks Billboard for helping me find it, and please keep it long enough in the Hot 100!

Recommendations
Thank God good stuff exists in Eurovision. It's a bit too repetitive at the end, but at least the retro flavor is on point as usual. Once again, Kylie impresses with her ability of bringing quality pop music without coming off as a washed-out mom. Speaking of moms, Lily tries to encapsulate the feeling of not being able to spend more time with her children, and the results are definitely well-done. I particularly like how the situation is described from the daughter's perspective. We close this month's episode with a cool Japanese electronic track by J-EDM goddesses Perfume. 