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Song of the Day #2,798: ‘The Wake-Up Bomb’ – R.E.M.

newadventuresR.E.M. officially broke up five years ago, but in my book the band’s real end came 15 years before that. New Adventures in Hi-Fi, released in September of 1996, was the last R.E.M. album to feature drummer Bill Berry and the last to sound completely like the band I loved.

Subsequent releases had their moments. 1998’s Up, the first post-Berry record, was the high water mark for that era, fueled by the band’s uncertainty about their identity as a trio. Reveal, Accelerate and Collapse Into Now had some high spots but weren’t memorable overall.

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Song of the Day #2,797: ‘My House’ – Flo Rida

flo_ridaI’ve come to dread these Billboard countdown weeks because they tend to erode my faith in the musical taste of the masses.

But this week so far has been an exception. Rihanna’s new single isn’t one of her best, but it’s far from offensive. The two Justin Bieber tracks are surprisingly effective, and twenty one pilots’ ‘Stressed Out’ works well as a modern blend of hip hop and pop.

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Song of the Day #2,796: ‘Sorry’ – Justin Bieber

justin_bieber_sorryJustin Bieber’s second appearance in the top five of this week’s Billboard chart comes courtesy of ‘Sorry,’ a song written for both his ex Selena Gomez and the world in general. Call it the opening argument in his bid for pop culture retribution.

Interestingly, his co-writers on this song also contributed to several songs on Gomez’s latest album, Revival. Sound-wise, that’s good news, because Revival is a great album ‘Sorry’ has a similar vibe.

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Song of the Day #2,795: ‘Stressed Out’ – twenty one pilots

twenty_one_pilotsAt Billboard’s #3 this week is ‘Stressed Out’ by twenty one pilots. This band is completely new to me, so I’m not sure what to expect from the song.

I like these lyrics, and the clever, non-rhyming line about wishing he didn’t have to rhyme when he sings seems familiar to me. So maybe I have heard this song through one of my daughters.

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Song of the Day #2,794: ‘Love Yourself’ – Justin Bieber

justin_bieber_love_yourselfThe Justin Bieber comeback is in full swing, the Canadian pop star having weathered his rough patch to once again dominate the charts. He sits at #2 with today’s SOTD, ‘Love Yourself,’ and will show up again before the week is out.

‘Love Yourself’ is seemingly a kiss-off track aimed at Bieber’s former flame, Selena Gomez, who has a tattoo reading “love yourself first.”

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