For about three posts of Cover Story, I will be delving into my iTunes library, picking albums in descending color order, and analyzing/reviewing a song from each record. The genres will be different. The reviews will be candid. This is Color October.
“Bad Girls” by M.I.A.
This song is the ultimate song for feeling cool while walking down the street with your sunglasses on. Though the genre is technically electronic/pop, which usually has an energetic feel, I find this song to be oddly relaxing and soothing, probably because of its cycling lyrics and beat that easily aligned with the rise and fall of breath. Don’t get confused: it’ also super appropriate for dancing (or swaying in the back, if that’s your thing). Though this song came out in 2013, I thought for the longest time that it came out in the ’90s, which probably says more about me than it does the song. The lyrics are relatively commonplace to house music in its “we’re the coolest here” and “come hither” vibes, but the electronic backing track is totally different. A-plus, Maya.
“M79” by Vampire Weekend
This is also an excellent walking song, but only if you’re in a really cute, arm-swinging mood. As is usual to Vampire Weekend’s music, “M79” is made up of quick, repetitive high notes and lyrics that are either hard to understand or make no sense, or both. Though it’z very whimsical, as alt-pop usually is, don’t be mistaken: “M79” is totally a banger. I first got into Vampire Weekend in middle school, following the proximal trend to pretend to hate pop music. It’s surprising how ambivalent I seem to be about Vampire Weekend, especially because all of my original songs are whimsical and cute-sounding, really similar to Vampire Weekend’s music style. Ezra Koenig, the lead singer of Vampire Weekend, has a voice that is such a force to be reckoned with. He could be singing out a recipe for a fruit cake and I would still totally pay 99 cents for it.
“Sidekick” by Walk the Moon
It actually took a while for me to get into this song. Eventually, I made myself put it onto my playlist because I absolutely loved the rest of the album, so this song should have been no different and should have received no discrimination. I still, however, sometimes have to skip it, because of the uncomfortable nature of the chorus. The chorus’ “Do you, do you, do you want to be my sidekick, sidekick” has a lot of quick in-and-out breaths, and it’s just kind of hard to listen to. The rest, however, is on-point alternative house music (which is, in retrospect, making me realize how much “pop” music I actually listen to without knowing it). This song is a very in-the-car-with-your-friends-and-the-top-is-rolled-down-and-everyone’s-dancing type of song. And, coincidentally, it’s also a very fitting walking song, so, three for nine, I guess.
