Rumours of the death of Playlist Pick Wednesdays were apparently premature. New Wednesday series now starting NEXT week instead. I haven’t had time to organise it this week with the game competition deadline and everything!
Today’s playlist pick is another classic from the mid-’00s, which is a period in pop-rock for which I have been a bit nostalgic recently.
Day 86 means Now! #86, which brings us to 18th November 2013.
This is the way the world looked in November 2013 (actually December). I call this look ‘goth squeezes into too-small clothes and goes to a wedding’. Not a style highlight. Mum looks nice though!
On with the party season hits!
Track 1: Katy Perry – Roar
It’s nice and feelgood, but I find the tune a bit irritating and the theme too cheesy.
Track 2: OneRepublic – Counting Stars
Gorgeous tune, wonderful rhythm. Love this one.
Track 3: Jason Derulo and 2 Chainz – Talk Dirty
It’s very danceable, with a great beat. The trumpets are awesome too.
Track 4: Miley Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
This one is really irritating and a bit depressing.
Track 5: Avicii – Wake Me Up
The first of Avicii’s EDM-bluegrass crossovers. Great stuff.
Track 6: Storm Queen – Look Right Through [MK Vocal Edit]
Boring dance track, very forgettable tune.
Track 7: Martin Garrix – Animals
This dance tune, on the other hand, is great! Love the hook.
Track 8: Ellie Goulding – Burn
One of my favourites from this decade – it’s a stunning tune, and the atmosphere is beautiful.
Track 9: Drake and Majid Jordan – Hold On, We’re Going Home
Quite like the tune on this – there’s something a bit ’80s retro about it. The video is apparently also set in 1985, although I have to say I never noticed that when watching it at the time!
Track 10: James Arthur – You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You
Moving decades, there’s a slight mid-century tinge to the intro of this rock-edged track. The theme’s awful, but I quite like the song.
Track 11: Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?
A very welcome bit of rock in this pop/EDM/hip-hop dominated decade. Good stuff.
Track 12: Lorde – Royals
I like the theme, but I’m not hugely keen on the tune, and it’s a bit slow for me.
Track 13: Foxes – Youth
Good atmosphere, but the tune’s really boring.
Track 14: Lady Gaga – Applause
Great track – I love the edge on this. Another epic atmosphere.
Track 15: Bruno Mars – Gorilla
Again, there’s a great atmosphere on this, but it’s a little slow for me.
Track 16: One Direction – Best Song Ever
Horribly cheesy theme, generic tune.
Track 17: Jessie J – It’s My Party
Not a cover of the Lesley Gore song, despite the name. It’s got a good beat, but the tune’s very uninspired.
Track 18: The Vamps – Can We Dance
It’s a bit of a generic pop-rock track, but I quite like it.
Track 19: Lawson – Juliet
Good atmosphere and slight reggae tinge! Great to hear an actual interesting track from Lawson.
Track 20: The Wanted – Show Me Love (America)
Saccharine ballad, dull tune, though the chorus is okay.
Track 21: James Blunt – Bonfire Heart
Too acoustic-y for me, and the tune’s not very exciting.
Track 22: Lily Allen – Somewhere Only We Know
Melancholy piano cover of the Keane song, released to soundtrack the John Lewis Christmas advert for 2013. As I mentioned when reviewing the Keane version on Now! #57, I actually prefer it to the original.
It’s perfectly danceable, but there’s not much of a tune.
Track 24: Calvin Harris and Ayah Marar – Thinking About You
Boring beat, boring tune. Very generic track.
Track 25: Avicii – You Make Me
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had Avicii on track 5.
This one’s got some interesting instrumentals, but the tune on the vocals is a bit irritating.
Track 26: DJ Fresh, Diplo and Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake
Great beat – I really like this one.
Track 27: Klangkarussell and Will Heard – Sonnentanz (Sun Don’t Shine)
I find this kind of summer chillout electro really depressing.
Track 28: Lana Del Rey and Cedric Gervais – Summertime Sadness
Stunning tune, lovely melancholy theme. Big fan of this.
Track 29: will.i.am and Leah McFall – Bang Bang
Awesome jazz-inspired track, released for the soundtrack of The Great Gatsby. Really like this one.
Track 30: Ben Pearce – What I Might Do
There’s nothing exciting going on here – it’s very forgettable.
Track 31: Chase & Status and Moko – Count On Me
Very ’90s-tinged, which I appreciate, but the tune’s pretty bland.
Track 32: Tinie Tempah and John Martin – Children Of The Sun
I find the tune on the chorus a bit irritating, but the rap is good.
Track 33: Sean Paul – Other Side Of Love
Nice tune – quite like this one.
Track 34: Conor Maynard – R U Crazy
Great rhythm – happily nodding along here.
Track 35: Naughty Boy and Emeli Sandé – Lifted
Good beat, but the tune is boring.
Track 36: Rizzle Kicks – Lost Generation
Nice eerie atmosphere – good track.
Track 37: Ray Foxx and Rachel K Collier – Boom Boom (Heartbeat)
Nice tune, and the beat’s great once it gets going.
Track 38: John Newman – Cheating
Some interesting instrumentals going on here.
Track 39: Eliza Doolittle – Big When I Was Little
This one is insanely annoying – I actively dislike both the theme and the vocals.
Track 40: The Saturdays – Disco Love
Awesome classic pop feel, and great 20th century retro references throughout, with a highly recommended video to match! I remember actually being quite spooked by the accuracy of the 1999 scene in the video, as the hair and makeup is so well done it gave me flashbacks.
Track 41: Wilkinson – Afterglow
I find this tune pretty bland and repetitive.
Track 42: Showtek, We Are Loud and Sonny Wilson – Booyah
Another one that’s pretty unmemorable.
Track 43: Dizzee Rascal and will.i.am – Something Really Bad
Repeated artist alert! We’ve already had will.i.am on track 29.
Some interesting lines going on here – quite like this track.
Track 44: Ylvis – The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)
