Pharell x Jay Z. Future x Swae Lee. Russ. Fivio Foreign. Travis Scott. Lil Tecca x A Boogie.
You're welcome in advance.
One of the main reasons I started this series was to serve as a musical public servant. I would listen to the worst part of music, singles, and let you know if it's worth listening to or not.
This week my servitude is being tested because one of these singles is as bad as it gets.
How it works: Each song will get a short review followed by a Tinder-style rating of swipe right or swipe left. For Tinder context, swipe right means approval, and swipe left means rejection.
The same concept applies to this series, but instead of the swipe deciding sex or no sex, they dictate stream or no stream. Each swipe decision will also be accompanied by a general theme of the swipe.
Ex.) Swipe Right(Regret in Morning)
Disclaimer: If the intro didn't give it away, this series is freer than other articles on SoundSports. Bias will probably show. If you happen to be a recruiter trying to gauge my fit in your company, pick another article.
Pharrell Williams "Entrepreneur" (feat. Jay Z)
Am I a hater?
The comments under this song's Youtube video show listeners describing their tears and motivation to start their own vegan restaurants, yet my entire listening experience was accompanied by a look of confusion.
Questions like 'why does this song exist, why is Pharrell harmonizing "black man" for almost two minutes straight, what is Jay Z talking about, and why was this collaboration between legends wasted like this' all plagued my listens.
Also, just as there's something nasty about using the phrase 'support Black business' to promote a clear scam, there's something nasty about using Black excellence to save your terrible song from criticism.
Most music media publications won't say it because they're disproportionately white and don't want to open themselves up to racial questioning, but I'm apart of the very demographic Pharrell spent two minutes crooning.
And I have a lot of critiques.
The whisper delivery popularized by 21 Savage should be saved for creating a menacing atmosphere, not for surface-level woke lyrics from Pharrell. Jay-Z's entire verse either makes no sense, serves as capitalism propaganda or is a fallacy.
For example, when he raps, "Black Twitter, what's that? When Jack gets paid do you?"
Not only is this argument stolen from Kanye West, but it plays off the proven false theory of trickle-down economics. Whether it's Jack Dorsey or Oprah Winfrey, money going to a billionaire is unlikely to find its way back to me or my Black community.
Or maybe I'm just a hater.
Swipe: Left (Forex Trader)
Internet Money "Thrusting" (feat. Future & Swae Lee)
Déjà vu.
Here's an excerpt from last week's edition of 'Rating Singles':
"This is an all-around good song.
I mentioned how some of the best and most slept-on music comes from producer records. Look no further than "Lemonade".
Despite Don Toliver, Gunna and Nav all being big names in music and each delivering quality performances, this track will probably go unheard by the masses. So if you're looking for sleeper aux additions, here's your track."
Replace, "Lemonade" with "Thrusting" and switch Don Toliver, Gunna and Nav with Future and Swae Lee, and you have your review.
With two singles as enjoyable as "Lemonade" and "Thrusting", I wouldn't be shocked if the upcoming Internet Money project ends up being one of the best sleeper projects of 2020.
Swipe: Left (2-for-1)
Russ "Aw Aw"
The beat sounds distractingly close to Drake's "Nonstop".
Maybe that's why I can't find much to say about the single.
Unlike the last Russ single reviewed in this series, "Aw Aw" doesn't sound like bubblegum music, and while that is an improvement, that doesn't make the song good.
Aside from the production being a clear Drake rip, this track doesn't spark much emotion either way; it kind of just comes and goes. If that's your thing, more power to you, but I like my music to mean something.
I like the lights on.
Swipe: Left (Wouldn't Kiss During)
Fivio Foreign "13 Going On 30"
There were reports earlier this month that Fivio Foreign had been shot, and his response to the false reports was, "I don't stay safe, I stay dangerous."
That response told me to watch how I criticize Fivio Foreign.
Lucky for me, "13 Going On 30" isn't one of the times I have to choose between my integrity and my safety. This is a really good single.
Despite rapping just one verse, Fivio displays a level of description that should make listeners excited for his upcoming album. The song combines his patented drill sound with lyrics about his friends switching up, his family issues, and his life being "in a blender".
The track is an unexpected gem.
Swipe: Left (6 with a 10 personality)
Travis Scott "The Plan"
In last week's edition, I touched on how I feel soundtrack singles can tell you a lot about where an artist stands creatively because of the medium's clear influence and restrictions.
So what does "The Plan" tell me about where Travis Scott is at creatively?
Lyrically, Travis Scott is who Travis Scott is. There were no creative flips or sneaky double entendres to escape the restrictions of the song being for a movie soundtrack.
Sonically, Travis Scott is who Travis Scott is. His vocal delivery meshed perfectly with the atmosphere produced by Ludwig Göransson and WondaGurl. The trippy layering of the hook combined with the repeated breaks during the verse feels like what I imagine the Christopher Nolan film to look like.
With that being said, I wouldn't listen to this outside of the context of the movie.
Swipe: Left (Back Home Settle)
Internet Money "Somebody" (feat. Lil Tecca & A Boogie wit da Hoodie)
I promise I'm not being paid by Internet Money Records, but they've achieved a rare feat.
Three good singles before the album usually means one of two things:
The project is about to be a classic (see, The Weeknd After Hours).
The artist showed the best of their hand too early (see, Jhené Aiko Chilombo).
Time will tell which is true for Internet Money, but judging strictly off the tracklist, it's leaning towards the latter.
See, I told you they weren't paying me.
Swipe: Left (Baddie but Potential Scammer)
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