I’m a little salty because I had this whole piece written up and my browser decided to go crazy. Here we go again… Things I love about “Cry for You”: -The sandpaper/velvet contrast of the Hailey brothers’ vocals. K-ci & Jojo (and Puffy Combs) are the reason Jodeci is remembered differently than Shai or Silk or… Read More “Cry For You” by Jodeci (1993)
Time for a little re-assessment. Bumping two songs from the last batch of four star songs up a notch. Also dropping back for two final “B” songs. “Butterfly”, on its face, is a prototypical big ‘90s Mariah ballad. That’s where the comparisons to “Hero” (which is awful), “One Sweet Day” (which is pretty bad), or her cover of “I’ll Be… Read More “Butterfly” (Mariah Carey, 1997)/ “Bye Baby” (NaS, 2012)
“Bruised” punches me right in the feels every time I hear it. Ben Folds drops the smart-ass guise for four minutes and delivers a relatively straightforward heartbreak song that could’ve easily been a hit for Billy Joel in the ‘80s. You gotta figure our man Ben probably knows more about busted relationships than the average person-dude’s been… Read More “Bruised” by The Bens (2006)
Might as well contain some of the elements if the opportunity arises. I wouldn’t be surprised if Diane Warren was inspired to write the former song after hearing Stevie Wonder’s 1972 classic. Forget the “who’s singing” Milli Vanilli scandal. Not to say that Frank Farian and Clive Davis’s business practices* deserve applause or anything, but how… Read More “Blame It On The Rain” by Milli Vanilli (1989)/”Blame It On The Sun” by Stevie Wonder (1972)
“Blame Game” is the song that best strikes a balance between Genius Kanye and Definitely-Off-His-Meds Kanye. Clearly inspired by a breakup, “Blame Game” is a mournful piano ballad, intro-ed by a literal sigh by John Legend. Talk about setting a tone. As mournful as the song begins, shit gets truly unhinged in the second verse. Kanye… Read More “Blame Game” by Kanye West (featuring John Legend & Chris Rock, 2010)
Bitter was the first of many stylistic shifts for Me’Shell NdegeOcello. Recorded in the aftermath of a romantic breakup, the singer/songwriter/bassist’s third album largely eschewed the socio-political funk and hip-hop jams that dominated her first two efforts in favor of intimate folk/pop with an orchestral sweep. The lyrics followed suit. Bitter’s title track is a… Read More “Bitter” by Me’shell NdegeOcello (1999)
My first real breakup coincided with the release of this song. You’d best believe that I played the ever-loving shit out of it. I did a little bit of Googling before sitting down to write this post. The piano riff at the center of “Anytime” is a pretty blatant rip of “Outside Your Door” by Me’Shell NdegeOcello, a… Read More “Anytime” by Brian McKnight (1997)
Five Star Jamz 