I’ve noticed a trend in the top Billboard songs, especially as we move into summer.
The big hits tend to either be hedonistic party anthems or touchy-feely motivational songs that could come right out of a self-help book.
As recent examples of the latter, think Pharell’s ‘Happy’ and Nico & Vinz’s ‘Am I Wrong?’ (both in the top ten) as well as today’s SOTD, Paramore’s ‘Ain’t It Fun.’
Once in awhile I come across a song in my iTunes library the origins of which are complete mystery.
Such is the case with today’s Random Weekend selection, ‘I Hear Them All’ by Old Crow Medicine Show.
When I first heard the track, I figured it must have come from a soundtrack — perhaps the Coen Brothers’ O Brother Where Art Thou? or Inside Llewyn Davis. But no… the associated album is the band’s own. And even weirder, this is the only song from that album I own.
The internet is funny.
On the YouTube clip of today’s Random Weekend SOTD, posted by some kind soul in September of 2009, a flame war broke out between somebody comparing Ron Sexsmith to Paul McCartney and a McCartney detractor.
It was a short battle, only a few posts long though it spanned a month. The Sexsmith fan accused his opponent of lacking “couth,” a nice touch.
I haven’t heard a note of this song yet and I already hate it.
At #10, with his second song in the Billboard top ten, is Jason Derulo, a man who clearly made a pact with the devil. How else can you explain his tuneless, sexist garbage dominating the charts? It can’t be that people actually like this stuff, can it?
At the ninth spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 is Justin Timberlake’s love song ‘Not a Bad Thing.’
I tend to think of Timberlake as an actor more than a musician. I’ve enjoyed his work in Saturday Night Live and Inside Llewyn Davis more than anything I’ve heard from his albums.
Still, there’s no doubt he’s a multi-talented performer.
