Playlist

OK, so I know I haven't updated in a while but I couldn't help but get this off my chest. There have been a few songs lately that I keep placing on repeat when I drive to work or to school elsewhere that I am absolutely in love with right now. Most of them are the typical pop music but I don't feel the least bit ashamed to admit that I love this stuff. Music is music to me, and I don't believe in this whole business that Montyoum puts into words so well.

"Throughout my life I've dealt with the issue that if one person likes something enough. There will always be people who will want to contradict that. It's a reflex mind you. But to me the idea of disliking something because it's popular is just as bad as liking something because it's popular. Why not genuinely trust your natural reaction?

...But this also bring ups the question of individuality. People take solace in that they're taste for something is a symptom of their individuality. Therefore when something they like becomes popular, this is somewhat threatening to their identity. I guess a bitter question would be, would your tastes change again if the thing you liked then became popular as well?"

I recall back in high school when I had people tell me that the music that I liked to lisened to were things they used to like...until it becam popular. Oh please I feel like I'm at an age now to make up my mind.

I honestly cannot bring myself to like the Black-Eyed Peas song, "Boom Boom Pow" no matter how many times I made myself listen to it. No matter how many times you make me listen to 3OH!3, no I don't want to do the Helen Keller and talk with my hips. However, I love nearly every single song that Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift releases and that hasn't changed since they hit the radio.

It's just I remember a time when I was insecure with the music that I listened to. I made myself listen to and purposedly sought for music that I knew other people would not be able to tolerate because that was my way of trying to push my individuality on other people's faces. The whole 'see, I'm not like you all' sort of pushiness got me into trouble with some people and now, I'm just content to what I have.

According to people who think my taste in music is rather questionable because I don't know the names of every single indie group in the universe, this is my playlist for now that I can't seem to put down and why.

1. Eminem - Beautiful

I remember the first time I heard this song, I felt my heart race because I felt like every part of this song spoke to me. I'm so glad Eminem made his comeback and this has to be my favorite song off of his album. I don't know why he didn't craft a song like this sooner but I absolutely am in love with this song and put myself into every word of his lyrics. It's amazing how well he pulls this song together, which I thought was going to be extremely corny but it ended up not being that way at all. In my opinion, anyone who thinks Eminem is overrated and this song is too sappy for them, does not have a heart. But I think if you're beyond 40 years of age (like my parents for example), then I understand you calling this rubbish.

What made me love this song so much is that it takes that good old cliche of walking for a mile in someone else's shoes and he puts a fantastic spin on it. Not to mention, the Rock Therapy samples that Eminem places in the beginning and at the end of the song really struck a nerve in me because you felt those words be so true. I haven't had a song like this connect in the longest time.

Lately I've been hard to reach
I've been too long on my own
Everyone has a private world
In which they could be alone
Are you calling me
Are you trying to get through
Are you reaching out for me
Like I'm reaching out for you

2. Keri Hilson, Kanye West, Ne-Yo - Knock You Down

I really did not like this song the first 80 times I heard it. And now suddenly in the last 3 days, I adore this. I really loved Ne-Yo's solo in this song and for when I think about this song, it felt much more desperate than any Pussycat Dolls' ballad for some reason. This was kind of strange since Knock You Down is much more upbeat than ballads that sing for a desperate, unstoppable love, this felt much more deep. Keri Hilson delivers once again.

Ne-Yo's part was my favorite. I love his analogies and the insert of "Miss Independent" in his solo.

I've never thought I
Would hear myself say (ooh)
Ya'll gon head
I think I'm gonna kick it with my girl today (Kick it with my girl today)
I used to be commander and chief
Of my pimp ship flyin' high (flyin' high)
Til I met this pretty little missle, that shot me out the sky (ohhh shot me out the sky)

(Hey) Till now I'm crashin, I don't know how it happened
But I know it feels so damn good
Said if I could go back, and make it happen faster
Don't you know I would baby if I could
Miss independent (ohh, to the fullest), the load never to much, she helpin me pull it
She shot the bullet that ended that life
I swear to you the pimp in me just died tonight

And the part that I liked that Keri Hilson sings is:

"If it hurts
Better make it worth the fall"

I'm not sure why, but those 2 lines were the best of hers in that song.

And Kanye's part only stood out to me at the beginning in which he goes:

Keep rockin', and keep knockin'
Whether you Louis Vouiton-ed up or Reebok-in'
You see the hate, that they're servin' on a platter
So what we gon' have - dessert or disaster?

3. Cobra Starship - Good Girls Go Bad (feat. Leighton Meester)

Not only can Leighton Meester act, she can sing. Well. I love the flirtiness in this song and the whole battle of the sexes that goes on between each of their solos. And it's the kind of battle and flirtiness that hints at harmless boy-girl fun but without the overt sexuality that is way too common in all of pop music today.

4. Lady Gaga - Second Time Around

I know, I know, this just leaked onto the Internet, like, today. However, as much as I am not particularly fond of Lady Gaga's flaunting promiscuity, I really admire her talent. She has an amazing sense of style and she can do no wrong in terms of musical performance, producing her music, writing her own music, and making her someone exciting to watch. I always love seeing pictures of her out and about town because her sense of style is so wonderful and I wished would be mimicked more often even if she isn't wearing pants. I could care less.

This song sounds different from her other music but it's nonetheless great and I love all the little intricacies and provocative lyrics she has. I guess I can't make up my mind about her.

5. Beyonce - Halo

I don't know what it is about this song. I stopped listening to it for a while. Then, the other day, this song started playing on my iPod and I didn't realize this was the following song. I fell in love with it again because there's something that's inspiring in a larger-than-life kind of way. Maybe it's Beyonce's voice or the music in the background or both.

6. Mr. Hudson - Supernova (feat. Kanye West)

OK, so I know this leaked today too but as of far, I've already heard this song 9 times in a row and I'm beginning to like it more and more each time. British singers don't know how to make bad music. It seems like every single song they produce is unable to let me down. I don't know why I don't get into British music more often. They even make Kanye West sound better than usual and I am a Kanye fan. This is his 2nd time on the list already and I haven't even gone through my entire playlist yet.

7. Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror

This Michael Jackson week so obviously there's a no way I could not place something of his in here. I'm embarassed to admit that I didn't know this song was a Michael Jackson song. I remember hearing this a lot as a kid when my mom drove me to elementary school. I remembered the words to this song and sang it. Then, just two days ago just before I bought the Essential Michael Jackson, I was wondering why this song and not something else like "Thriller" or "Smooth Criminal" were not #1. Then, when I clicked for this song, I was thinking "OMG, this was a Michael Jackson song?"

8. Jackson 5 - I Want You Back

One more MJ song. I can't stop singing this inbetween helping out patients at CVS/pharmacy and singing this in the shower or whenever I'm bored. I don't even like this song that much but this is a playlist of songs that have been stuck in my mind. I haven't been able to stop singing this song this entire week.

9. Paramore - That's What You Get

Don't get me wrong. I don't like Paramore. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the vibe of the whole band I received when I watched the Misery Business music video. However, I think Rock Band was responsible for me falling in love with this song and to this day, remains as my favorite and only Paramore song I like. Well, Crushcrushcrush was alright, but That's What You Get is the only thing that keeps me from dismissing Paramore as a whole.

10. Meese - Next In Line

There must be something special about today because I am suddenly flooded with a bunch of music that I really click with. Yes, I found this off of iTunes free single of the week but that doesn't change the fact that I really enjoy this band. I might look into them later but as for now, the vocals are very calming. I'd love to find this guy and ask him to sing me to sleep :).