Song of the Day #4,258: ‘Like Egypt Was’ – Michael Penn

This song appeared on Michael Penn’s 1997 Resigned, the singer-songwriter’s third album, and third great album at that.

Penn would release two more albums over the ensuing eight years and then hang up his pop music hat for good. Or at least it seems that way, 15 years later. Maybe Penn will surprise his once-devoted fans with a new album release one of these days. I won’t hold my breath.

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Song of the Day #4,257: ‘Beautiful People Beautiful Problems’ – Lana Del Rey w/ Stevie Nicks

This is the third Leap Day since I started my Song of the Day blog back in 2008. That was a leap year as well, but I started posting songs in July so February had already passed.

My previous two Leap Day posts surprisingly contain no mention of the date. In 2012, I featured The Shins’ ‘Saint Simon’ during a week of unrelated songs (I did a lot fewer theme weeks in the blog’s early days).

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Song of the Day #4,256: ‘Blinding Lights’ – The Weeknd

Yesterday I hoped for a strong finish to my latest chapter of ‘What the Kids are Listening To,’ and my wish was granted with Billboard’s #15 track, ‘Blinding Lights’ by The Weeknd.

The second single from his next album is an 80s-fueled synth-tastic bop, and right up there with Dua Lipa’s ‘Don’t Start Now’ as the best song I’ve featured over the past two weeks.

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Song of the Day #4,255: ‘Yummy’ – Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber claims the 14th spot on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Yummy,’ the first single from his upcoming album Changes. It has been five years since Bieber’s last album, the well-received Purpose, so expectations are high.

If ‘Yummy’ is any indication, we shouldn’t get too excited. This is a repetitive and nonsensical song, and another disappointing entry in one of the bleakest ‘What the Kids are Listening To’ segments.

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Song of the Day #4,254: ‘BOP’ – DaBaby

DaBaby owns the 13th spot on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 with his track ‘BOP.’ This is the second hit single by the Charlotte, NC, rapper, following last year’s ‘Suge.’

My older daughter has sung DaBaby’s praises, as has President Obama, who included ‘Suge’ on his year-end list of the best music of 2020. So he comes highly recommended by people I love and admire.

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