What's up everyone? This is the Chart Critic wishing you all Happy Holidays! Last week's Billboard Breakdown saw a review of The Hamilton Mixtape, a brand new Top 20 songs of the week, and a rant about all the drama surrounding Fifth Harmony. This week, we're reviewing J. Cole's 4 Your Eyez Only (the most recent #1 on the Billboard 200), we're giving another new Top 20 songs of the week, and we're discussing the issue with Billboard's most recent magazine cover. Let's get to it, starting with All About Albums.
All About Albums: 4 Your Eyez Only by J. Cole
Before J. Cole announced the release of his newest project 4 Your Eyez Only, I never realized what a polarizing figure Cole was in the rap game. Just by simply scrolling through my Facebook news feed, I can see that half of my friends think of Cole as one of the best Hip-Hop artists going today, and the other half think of him as boring and overrated. Personally, I had only seen and heard good things from Cole following the impressive success of 2014 Forest Hills Drive and his performance of "Be Free" on David Letterman. As all of you probably know, 2014 Forest Hills Drive had no features and still went double platinum, and 4 Your Eyez Only once again has no guest artists on it. I was even more intrigued to give this album a listen as a result, and I now feel confident answering the question as to just how good or bad this project from J. Cole is.
Here's the thing: the quality of 4 Your Eyez Only really depends on what kind of music fan you are and how you listen to it. I don't mean it has to do with whether or not you're a fan of mumble rap or conscious rap or anything like that, I mean that the album is at its best when it is listened to as an album. If you listen to the tracks from 4 Your Eyez Only out of order or not in continuation, then the whole point of the album may get lost on you. However, if you listen to the album straight through and listen to Cole's messages throughout, then the album begins to take its shape. People and critics will say that Cole tackles topics like death, drugs, and love on the album, and while he does, his discussion of these topics goes much deeper than the surface. This is not J. Cole's album, this is James McMillian Jr.'s album, just told by J. Cole. McMillian Jr. is a friend of Cole's, who died at age 22 as revealed in the song "Change." The only way to really realize that is to hear songs one through ten in order, and that concept really shifted my opinion on this album.
I won't lie, I was a little disappointed by this album at first. J. Cole is not necessarily known for "bangin'" songs or anything like that, but I felt like the album was missing direction and intrigue at first. I then realized the James McMillian Jr. concept behind the project, and like I said, that turned my opinion of the album around. While I think this album is best when listened to in full, there are still songs that stick out to me on their own. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" may be the shortest on the album, but it may also be favorite, and "Neighbors" and "4 Your Eyez Only" really capture what J. Cole and this album is all about. I think this album is good, great even, but I'd be lying if I said it's because each song is exciting and fun to listen to. Each song absolutely has its place on the album, and that's why this album is a great album, but while the two-part "She's Mine" series and "Ville Mentality" are crucial in telling McMillian's story, I'd admittedly consider skipping them if I revisited the album or saw them appear on shuffle. That doesn't take away from the quality of the album, though, and I'll reiterate once again that this project is a good/great one, and it exemplifies what makes J. Cole who he is, which is one of the most successful and polarizing hip hop artists today.
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 would choose "For Whom the Bell Tolls," as I think it satisfies both production-wise and lyric-wise. "Bells getting loud, ain't nowhere to hide/tired of feeling low, even when I'm high/Ain't no way to live, do I wanna die?/I don't know" are some of my favorite bars on the project, and Cole spits them in a way that can also satisfy the opinions of those who think of him as a "boring" rapper. The song opens the album well, and I looked forward to starting with it each time I listened to this project.
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 31st, 2016:
#1 - "I Feel It Coming" (The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk)
Yet another track from Starboy that I can't get enough of
#2 - "Million Reasons" (Lady Gaga)
I love the idea behind this song, and the desperation Gaga shows for her lover to give her just one reason to stay
#3 - "Starboy" (The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk)
Sometimes hit songs can get worse the more you listen to them, but I've found that Starboy has gotten better instead
#4 - "Water Under the Bridge" (Adele)
Just like "Send My Love," this song shows a little bit of a different side of Adele, and I think it sounds great
#5 - "Scars To Your Beautiful (Alessia Cara)
I'll admit it, I'm becoming a big Alessia Cara fan
#6 - "False Prophets" (J. Cole)
Cole details his disappointments in his former idols in a seething yet articulate way
#7 - "Party Monster" (The Weeknd)
There's more layers to this song than at first glance, which is typical for a Weeknd song
#8 - "Heathens" (twenty one pilots)
If it wasn't for twenty one pilots, rock music may have had a forgetful year in the mainstream
#9 - "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (J. Cole)
Due to its length, it may not be as noteworthy as certain songs from J. Cole's album, but the lyrics and delivery make it one of the best for me
#10 - "Neighbors" (J. Cole)
There's a lot of socially aware bars in this song that you expect from J. Cole, and for me, that's a good thing
#11 - "Bad Things" (Machine Gun Kelly x Camila Cabello)
Props to these two for hitting the Hot 100 Top 10 with this song
#12 - "everybody dies" (J. Cole)
Yet another excellent [diss] track, and it's one the rap game may have needed in my opinion
#13 - "Cold Water (Major Lazer ft. Justin Bieber & MO)
Another example of Bieber' pop/R&B style meshing wonderfully with an EDM background
#14 - "Darlin' Don't Go" (Sundance Head)
I didn't pay too much attention to the voice this year, but this performance from Sundance Head made me wish I did
#15 - "Die For You" (The Weeknd)
Always look forward to this track when I listen to the Starboy album
#16 - "Rockabye" (Clean Bandit ft. Sean Paul & Anne-Marie)
It only took two weeks for this song to grow on me
#17 - "Redbone" (Childish Gambino)
If there's a Gambino song in the Hot 100, it will probably be in my Top 20
#18 - "Dirt On My Boots" (Jon Pardi)
This song caught my ear when I first heard it, just like "Head Over Boots" did
#19 - "Fresh Eyes" (Andy Grammer)
I wish this song was climbing the charts, rather than falling down them
#20 - "At Last" (Sundance Head)
An exceptional voice is made better when someone knows how to use it, both of which apply to Sundance Head
Rant.: The Misconception of The Weeknd
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 Weeknd, and how he was featured on the cover of one of the recent issues of Billboard Magazine. I'm not discussing the fact that The Weeknd was on the cover, but rather the tagline that said The Weeknd dominated 2016 with songs about "sex and drugs (and more sex)."
"Yes, The Weeknd most certainly has his fair share of songs, and popular ones at that, about sex and drugs, but not only does he have many songs that aren't based on those concepts ("I Feel It Coming," for example, is about him taking love more seriously), the songs that fall under the category of 'sex and drugs' can have deeper meanings ("In The Night," "Party Monster," and "Love To Lay." are examples), and they should be recognized as having such, while The Weeknd himself should also be recognized as a more complex artist."
That's all the Chart Critic has for this week! Check back next time to see a new album review, a new Top 20 song list, and another quick rant. Happy holidays!
