The Pop Thread

135e9ae4d19e7816e0ffdd9a95922a0c.1000x1000x1.jpg


Heard the new Lorde album Melodrama today.

It's another score for her. Glossier production compared to Pure Heroine with some retro synths and strings, it's way less minimalistic in nature though not particularly busy still. Lorde's vocal melodies are still at the forefront completely, they're never overshadowed by the production. A balanced and varied album; there are some downer, sad tracks on here but the album hits gold when it's more upbeat; all the highlights belong to the latter approach. It doesn't quite have the vast amount of great tracks Pure Heroine did, but it's still a pretty damn good record.

Highlights: "Sober", "Homemade Dynamite", "Hard Feelings/Loveless"
 
Pretty good album. Darker than Pure Heroine but it works. I thought the album flowed really well for a pop record. It often feels like not much thought is given to sequencing in pop, but this one flowed almost like a prog album.
 
For my return to the forum I will say Melodrama is great. Have had it on repeat lately. Can't believe I was gone for a Maiden tour cycle. Oh well. I joined a conservation corps in March and haven't been able to spend much time on my phone at all.
 
This is the best pop song I've heard thus far. It's hella catchy, very well structured (the album version is slightly longer than the video) and I don't get tired of it as easily as most pop songs. It's one of those love-from-first-chord moments. The orchestral intrumentation is beautiful and there is something gorgeous about how the vocal overdubs are mixed. But a lot of it has to do with her character and the fact that this song signifies the coolest period of her career.

Fun fact: some of her moves in this video were included in World of Warcraft, which is how many people came to know her.
 
Last edited:
Nice NP, I've heard a lot about that one. I also heard she made a song about her vagina tasting like Pepsi, kinda odd hahah

EDIT: new Lorde video Thursday, she's been teasing it on instagram
 
I remember the widespread use of "ah yeah!" in 90s pop, the forced inclusion of a rap segment that sounded totally out of place, and obligatory use of the word 'ecstasy'. There was also a bit of melody (usually keyboard) that got used on everything from acid house to indie.
 
Interesting, I didn't know that so many chart-topping songs were written by the same guys. The loudness part though - compression is an essential tool and the audio comparison that was played doesn't prove anything. No professional mixing engineer would have a track sound like that compressed version.
 
I agree that the compression part is certainly the weakest, though I definitely understand what the point is: everything these days is at the same volume. Why is a singer's voice the same when they are belting during a chorus as it is during a whisper-talked intro/verse/bridge? That literally doesn't make any sense. But if the volume drops out for a second, you'll lose a lot of attention. It's a sad reality, honestly.

This video certainly inspired me to put as much texture into my songwriting as possible just so I don't sound like this stuff.
 
Max Martin writing everything hardly explains why modern pop sucks. Because he's written the vast majority of the few enjoyable songs in modern pop. I actively call myself a fan of his instead of the artists he writes music for.

I say that as someone who always pays attention to who writes the songs, which is why I know who people like Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Shellback, RedOne, Danja, Bloodshy & Avant, The Neptunes etc. are.
 
Last edited:
The key changes are cool but I think the verses are the magical part of this song. Sadly, the second verse is omitted from the video. Besides, I don't normally consider Beyonce that beautiful but the clip at 0:23 is some drop dead gorgeous stuff, especially in combination with the music.

 
Good song. I've been getting into Poppy a lot this year. Her debut Poppy.Computer is my album of the year with Melodrama by Lorde as a close second. Poppy is an art project used as a vehicle to not only create smart dystopian pop, but to also sharply critique idolism and a number of other ideas and topics popular in modern pop music. Some of my favorites:

 
NP:
81pwsDn3TXL._SL1400_.jpg


I've been listening a lot to Taylor Swift lately. Like, a lot.

I already considered myself a half-Swiftie because I've loved 1989 since I first listened to it 2-and-a-half years ago, and was even obsessing over reputation ever since she released "Look What You Made Me Do" last year, but I used to dismiss her earlier work since I've never really liked country music.

What a mistake that ended up being...

On an unrelated note, I never knew there was a pop thread in this forum! I might start posting here more often. :p
 
Dityn DJ James said:
Good song. I've been getting into Poppy a lot this year. Her debut Poppy.Computer is my album of the year with Melodrama by Lorde as a close second. Poppy is an art project used as a vehicle to not only create smart dystopian pop, but to also sharply critique idolism and a number of other ideas and topics popular in modern pop music. Some of my favorites:

Click to expand...
I missed this. I like the Poppy album. Almost Frank Zappa levels of satire there. Although I think sometimes it drifts into being a genuine attempt at what they're attempting to satirize if that makes sense.
 

Not really new, but I've had this going 'round in my head today. Sia's voice was like nails on a chalkboard when I first heard her, but after being subjected to her Christmas album last year, I started to appreciate her a lot more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top