Stuck In My Skull 557 -- "Team"

Song: "Team" || Artist: Lorde || http://youtu.be/f2JuxM-snGc ||

Comments: Hello and happy Monday, everyone! Let's get the week started off right. I've been holding this song back for awhile now, because I wanted to wait until the furor and fervor over this album died down a bit. This song was the third of four singles released from this ten-track album, and in the end I think it and the rest of this album took a lot of unfair criticism for being too 'pop-y.' I have to say, I completely don't agree. I think the album as a whole is an excellently-produced collection with a humongous variety of styles being showcased by the young Newzealander. Even though this song has been out for quite awhile now, it still manages to get stuck in my head on a regular basis. It's got a powerful, percussion-driven beat that plays off of Lorde's impressive vocal abilities nicely, giving her an excellent canvas to express a handful of themes. All in all, it manages to sit on both my workout and relaxation playlists, and is just what I needed to get my Monday started. Give it a listen, and don't forget to like us on Facebook!

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Stuck In My Skull 518 -- "Glory and Gore"

Song: "Glory and Gore" || Artist: Lorde || http://youtu.be/vEHHh8IBhpY ||

Comments: Hello everyone and happy Friday! Today's song is one of the lesser-known songs off Lorde's album Pure Heroine. Unlike "Royals," "Team," and (to a lesser degree) "Tennis Court", "Glory and Gore" was released as a single several months later and thus has been robbed of radio play. I think this is truly a shame, because this song is amazing. To be honest, I think the entire album is amazing, but this song (along with "Tennis Court") tends to get stuck in my head fairly often. It's an excellent synthpop track that clocks in around 72 BPM, so dancing to this is basically out of the question. And that's fine, really -- not every track needs be a dance number. The Wikipedia article on the song goes so far as to call out 'chillwave' influences, which I think is going a little too far. This one is nothing but social commentary and satire, and it does a brilliant ob o making a point. Seriously, give this song a listen if you haven't already, I think you'll enjoy it.

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Stuck In My Skull 506 -- "Tennis Court"

Song: "Tennis Court" || Artist: Lorde || http://youtu.be/D8Ymd-OCucs ||

Comments: Hello everyone! Sorry the last two weeks have been so barren -- I'm going through a pretty chaotic time and kind of between stages in life, so things have been a bit loopy. To make up for it, I'm planning five entries for next week in the form of a theme week!

For today, though, let's talk about this song. I woke up with this song stuck in my head, and it hasn't left all day. I really enjoy the lyrics to this song, which make for a pretty solid social commentary. In addition, the bass in this song is amazing. Loud and omnipresent, the bass is a perfect platform for the fairly intricate percussion that keeps the song moving, and I can't get enough of it. Frankly, the entire album is excellent, each track having its own style. In the case of "Tennis Court," all I hear is masterfully-produced minimal electronica. Well done, Lorde, well done.

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AMANDA-- "ROYALS" by LORDE

Happy Friday all! I dare you to get today's song out of your skull. I sure can't. If you listen to mainstream radio now and then, you may have heard of Lorde. The Kiwi artist basically came out of nowhere and is  taking the charts by storm with her hit single "Royals." You don't hear many tracks like this. The approach is simple but very effective. In terms of the vocals and beat, Lorde goes big and these ultimately drive the song and the point home I think. What point might that be? Well, I recently read an article describing the song as an overt criticism of the materialism found in contemporary music, specifically hip hop (as compared to Macklemore's tongue in cheek hit "Thrift Shop"). I don't disagree with this assessment of "Royals" which is certaintly more serious in tone and content. Lorde appears to be rejecting the life of excess so many pop stars today embrace and celebrate. It's all superficial bullsh*t in her eyes. I may be reading too much into it, but this commentary is very interesting coming from someone who has made into the business at such a young age. I expect to see many great things from Lorde in the future. Anyway, don't be surprised if you find yourself snapping your fingers and singing "Everybody’s like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece" for no apparent reason. Yeah, it's that good. Enjoy!

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