Hello everyone! This is the Chart Critic signing in for my second Billboard Breakdown on theodysseyonline. Last week I covered A Tribe Called Quest's new album, my top 20 songs of the week, and Drake's announcement of his More Life project. This week, we'll be looking at a new #1 album on the Billboard 200, my top 20 songs for this week, and who I think the biggest snub from the Grammy nominations was. Let's get to it, starting with All About Albums.
All About Albums: Metallica's Hardwired... to Self-Destruct
The fact that I am reviewing a Metallica album a week after reviewing an album from A Tribe Called Quest in 2016 shows just how weird of a year it has been for music. Metallica has long been one of the most popular heavy metal bands in the world, and their discography dates all the way back to their debut album Kill 'Em All in 1983. Now, while A Tribe Called Quest's latest album was their first together in 18 years, this project from Metallica "only" comes eight years after their last LP as a group. Hardwired also marks their tenth studio album, as well as their sixth straight to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
As far as the actual album goes, I enjoyed it. In all honestly, after my first listen through it, I wasn't really feeling this 12-song project. I felt refreshed by the heavy metal aspect of it, but the long songs began to drag and I felt the vocals were a little weak. However, after a second listen, I found myself finding more and more songs that I enjoyed, and not only did I begin to really enjoy the fact that these songs packed so much into the six-plus minutes that they were, I began to feel that the vocals were actually what tied the album together for me. Things start off with the title track and lead single "Hardwired," which is by far the shortest and most mainstream song on the album. That doesn't make it a bad song, though, and it also doesn't mean it had no place on the album. From the second "Hardwired" began I knew I was in for an album unlike any other to hit #1 in 2016, and I thought "Hardwired" set the tone for the album in solid fashion. Track #2, titled "Atlas, Rise!" is probably my favorite on the album. The drums, performed by forever member Lars Ulrich, sound excellent on this song, and in a world gone electronic, it was really refreshing to hear someone pounding on the drums the way Ulrich does (on this song and the whole album). "Now That We're Dead" and "Moth Into Flame" are the next two tracks, and I thought they carried the momentum from "Atlas, Rise!" well. "Dream No More" and "Halo On Fire" round out the first half of the album, and while I don't think they are quite as strong as the two prior to it, I still think they are good songs. The second half of the project is very solid as well, with "Confusion," "ManUNkind," and "Spit Out The Bone" standing out to me. "Here Comes Revenge," "Am I Savage?" and "Murder One" are the other three tracks from the record, and while I initially thought that they didn't quite match up with the rest of the songs, the extra listens I gave them made me feel the opposite way. Basically, I felt like the record didn't miss with any song, which is similar to how I felt about ATCQ's We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. Metallica left me wanting to see them perform these songs live, and that is a feeling I don't normally get from listening to an artist's album.
What I would like to do with each album that I review is to name one song that I would choose if I had to try and convince someone to give the artist and album involved a listen. Essentially, I am picking my favorite track, but also the one I think defines the artist and the album the best. For this project, I have it narrowed down to "Atlas, Rise!" and "ManUNkind." The latter track showcases some of my favorite lyrics and vocals from lead vocalist James Hetfied, but "Atlas, Rise!" has to take the cake for me. I think every member sounds great on this song, and if I had to try and convince someone to listen to Metallica's new album over three decades after their first, this would be the song I'd use.
Top Tracks: My Favorite Songs of the Week
What I would like to do with the Top Tracks portion of the Billboard Breakdown is to present my favorite songs from the week's Hot 100 Chart. In order to do this, I make sure that I have listened to each song on the chart, and then I break it all down in a way where I can find my Top 20 songs. I like to do this with the Hot 100 because it keeps me listening to all genres of music, and what and who is currently popular within them. So, without further adieu, here are my favorite songs (in no particular order) from the week of December 10th, 2016:
#1 - "Fresh Eyes" (Andy Grammer)
A very fun and excellent track from the underrated Andy Grammer
#2 - "Bad Things" (Machine Gun Kelly x Camila Cabello)
These two have been killing it with their live performances of the song on Jimmy Fallon and James Corden
#3- "Scars To Your Beautiful" (Alessia Cara)
One of the most beautiful songs of 2016, and the best part is it doesn't sound like Cara is trying too hard to accomplish that feat
#4- "Heathens" (twenty one pilots)
I love how twenty one pilots found a way to make a song for a movie soundtrack without moving away from their identity as a band
#5- "All Time Low" (Jon Bellion)
Bellion masks heart-breaking lyrics in a fun-sounding song to make one of my favorite Hot 100 tracks from 2016
#6 - "Ride" (twenty one pilots)
Speaking of favorite tracks from 2016, "Ride" stays towards the top even if it is starting to dive down the charts
#7 - "This Town" (Niall Horan)
Even though the lyric video for the song has a shockingly low amount of lyrics, I still really enjoy this track
#8 - "Mercy" (Shawn Mendes)
Hopefully radio doesn't kill this song like it did with "Stitches" and "Treat You Better"
#9 - "Love Me Now" (John Legend)
Still a very underrated song in my opinion, and the lyrics are more insightful and intriguing than I initially thought
#10 - "Love on the Weekend" (John Mayer)
A new song on the charts that I am quickly starting to really enjoy
#11 - "In The Name Of Love" (Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha)
Sometimes going for a lot of powerful vocals can hurt you, but Bebe Rexha pulls it off here in a fantastic collaboration
#12 - "Sucker For Pain" (Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons w/ Logic & Ty Dolla $ign ft. X Ambassadors)
This song has been out for awhile, but it earned new appreciation from me when I realized just how sweet Lil Wayne's verse actually is
#13 - "24K Magic" (Bruno Mars)
An excellent lead single, but not even my favorite Bruno song of the week (see directly below)
#14 - "Versace on The Floor" (Bruno Mars)
This is the Bruno that I know and love, and I think it is one of the best R&B songs I've heard all year
#15 - "Capsize" (Frenship & Emily Warren)
I don't know too much about Frenship or Ms. Warren, but I know I really love this song
#16 - "Infinite" (Eminem)
A remix of an Eminem song from 1996 that shows him rhyming better than just about anyone in the hip-hop game today
#17 - "What They Want" (Russ)
The song gets better with each verse, and the last two really set this song apart from other rap tracks on the Hot 100 chart
#18 - "Say You Won't Let Go" (James Arthur)
A solid love song with solid vocals and a heart-breaking music video
#19 - "That's My Girl" (Fifth Harmony)
A surprisingly empowering track from a group that I'm expecting to blow up even more than they have already
#20 - "A Guy With A Girl" (Blake Shelton)
Surprisingly the only country song in my Top 20 this week, but it's probably my favorite single off of Blake's If I'm Honest album
Rant.: The Biggest Snub of the 2017 Grammy Nominations
The rant section of these Billboard Breakdown's is where I take a recent news story in music and give my reaction in the form of once sentence. By keeping it to one sentence, I challenge myself to get my viewpoint across quickly. This week, we're talking about the 2017 Grammy Nominations released just a couple of days ago, and who I think is the biggest snub from the list.
"Alessia Cara absolutely should have been nominated for a Grammy, whether it be for Best New Artist after each of her singles from her debut album Know-It-All hit at least the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart (and two of them hit the Top 15, with one peaking at #5), or even for Song of the Year, with her songs "Here" and "Scars To Your Beautiful" being arguably better written songs than some of the tracks nominated in the category."
That's all the Chart Critic has for this week! Check back next time to see a new album review (blatant hint: it's The Weeknd's Starboy), a new Top 20 song list, and another quick rant. Happy holidays!
