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Y'all are gonna like this one. Big 80s Energy 
PopTarts Unite!
- Thread starter Teeeee
- Start date
BoilerRhapsody
Active Member
Had a really good feeling about Happier Than Ever, and it really delivered. Still doing her own thing, progressing that and also cruising on the wave of Pop Punk and Folk alongside Rebecca Black, Willow Smith, Lorde and Taylor Swift.
Piratenovelist
Well-Known Member
Can we talk about how Olivia Rodrigo sounds like paramore and Amy Shark had a lovechild?
Max Sterling
Well-Known Member
Finneas is a fantastic producer and he understands exactly how to utilize Billie's talents. I find myself as a 38 year old dude not really relating much to the writing, lyrics wise, but damn, these are good songs.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
This really tracks with a lot of the thoughts and feelings I had as a 41-year-old dude when I was checking the album out last night.
supahypeag
Well-Known Member
I'm not attacking you guys re: your connection to the lyrics. I am a 42-year old dude, so, ya know, I'm an old too. If you don't like the songs, that's fine with me.
But I have found it interesting that it seems like YouTube commenters/reviewers go out of their way more often with like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish to state that they don't relate to the lyrics yet they don't do the same with...oh...MCR's "I Don't Love You" or Willie Nelson's "You Were Always on My Mind" or Blink-182's "I Miss You." They're the same sort of emo heartbreak songs, just sung by dudes. And why the focus on "relating"? I don't (and never have) related to Cannibal Corpse's "fucked with a knife," but teenage me moshed to it in my room. My theory is that there is an undercurrent that teenage girl feelings and associated emotions aren't respectable or cool for an old person or dudes to vibe to. I could be wrong. I don't know. I relate to the music, myself. They're kinda sad and kinda pissed off.
But the point of music to me is emotional hacking. They are trying to evoke a feeling (or feelings) in their music, and I think they generally succeed in doing it.
But I have found it interesting that it seems like YouTube commenters/reviewers go out of their way more often with like Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish to state that they don't relate to the lyrics yet they don't do the same with...oh...MCR's "I Don't Love You" or Willie Nelson's "You Were Always on My Mind" or Blink-182's "I Miss You." They're the same sort of emo heartbreak songs, just sung by dudes. And why the focus on "relating"? I don't (and never have) related to Cannibal Corpse's "fucked with a knife," but teenage me moshed to it in my room. My theory is that there is an undercurrent that teenage girl feelings and associated emotions aren't respectable or cool for an old person or dudes to vibe to. I could be wrong. I don't know. I relate to the music, myself. They're kinda sad and kinda pissed off.
But the point of music to me is emotional hacking. They are trying to evoke a feeling (or feelings) in their music, and I think they generally succeed in doing it.
Max Sterling
Well-Known Member
Would it be better if I said I don't relate to the lyrics in those other examples either? I've never dealt with a break up, so I've never related to any break up songs. Unrequited love, sure, plenty to relate to there, but the break up stuff never gives me that "PREACH" feeling. I've never sung along to a breakup song with tears in my eyes, but Rilo Kiley's "Rest of My Life"? That one hit's home.
In my defense, I love the songs, the production is fantastic and she sounds amazing. I think it's a great album, but her lyrics, which are the focus of the music, don't hit me the way they would if I had experienced any of what she's talking about (though being famous at a young age and having to deal with the world knowing your business seems beyond most peoples experiences...).
I fear the person who listens to Cannibal Corpse for the lyrics... The focus for music like that is the instrumentation. As a part time metal head myself, I listen to most of it for the music, I usually can't even discern the lyrics in the extreme varieties, and only wish I could relate to power metal lyrics, dragons and swords? Hell yeah.
Jake!
Well-Known Member
Hey pop nerds, I need some recs! I've been expanding my taste into this genre a lot more lately, and I wanna hear some more stuff I might not find on my own. I've really been digging Billie and Olivia lately. Also have always loved Adele, Lucius, Lorde, Fiona (not totally sure if she's considered pop or not but whatever). I definitely seem to like more emotional albums in the genre. Oh, I also really enjoyed the last Harry Styles album. I'd love to hear some recommendations 
Wes C. Attle
Well-Known Member
Dua Lipa, Robyn, Carly Rae Jepsen, Sky Ferreira, Clairo, Charli XCX, Annie, Caroline Polachek, Rina Sawayama, Jessie Ware, La RouxHey pop nerds, I need some recs! I've been expanding my taste into this genre a lot more lately, and I wanna hear some more stuff I might not find on my own. I've really been digging Billie and Olivia lately. Also have always loved Adele, Lucius, Lorde, Fiona (not totally sure if she's considered pop or not but whatever). I definitely seem to like more emotional albums in the genre. Oh, I also really enjoyed the last Harry Styles album. I'd love to hear some recommendations
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Bennnnn
Well-Known Member
emotional albums you say…Hey pop nerds, I need some recs! I've been expanding my taste into this genre a lot more lately, and I wanna hear some more stuff I might not find on my own. I've really been digging Billie and Olivia lately. Also have always loved Adele, Lucius, Lorde, Fiona (not totally sure if she's considered pop or not but whatever). I definitely seem to like more emotional albums in the genre. Oh, I also really enjoyed the last Harry Styles album. I'd love to hear some recommendations
Also I’d recommend Charli xcx, Taylor Swift (give her new ones a try - I think you’d like them), Haim. Other people on here can help you much more than me, but those are big recommendations on my end.
RowBearToe
Well-Known Member
Some of the ones you named are some of my favorites as well (Olivia, Adele, Harry Styles)! I'd recommend Jonas Brothers - Happiness Begins, Maren Morris - Girl (more pop country, but whatever, it's great), Sam Smith (the first 2), Shawn Mendes - Shawn Mendes (and really all of them are great). Happy listening!Hey pop nerds, I need some recs! I've been expanding my taste into this genre a lot more lately, and I wanna hear some more stuff I might not find on my own. I've really been digging Billie and Olivia lately. Also have always loved Adele, Lucius, Lorde, Fiona (not totally sure if she's considered pop or not but whatever). I definitely seem to like more emotional albums in the genre. Oh, I also really enjoyed the last Harry Styles album. I'd love to hear some recommendations
supahypeag
Well-Known Member
I agree with everybody else's recommendations. If you're into Olivia Rodrigo's stuff, you should check out Conan Gray. He's friends (or at least friendly) with Olivia IRL, and Dan Nigro (Olivia's producer and main co-writing partner) works with him. (Dan also has worked with Caroline Polachek, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Sky Ferreira). Camilla Cabello and Tate McRae also have put out some bops.Hey pop nerds, I need some recs! I've been expanding my taste into this genre a lot more lately, and I wanna hear some more stuff I might not find on my own. I've really been digging Billie and Olivia lately. Also have always loved Adele, Lucius, Lorde, Fiona (not totally sure if she's considered pop or not but whatever). I definitely seem to like more emotional albums in the genre. Oh, I also really enjoyed the last Harry Styles album. I'd love to hear some recommendations
Wes C. Attle
Well-Known Member
Forgot to include this one (took me a while to remember her name):
Kiesza
Wait for the chorus, one of the best from last year!
Kiesza
Wait for the chorus, one of the best from last year!
A little late, but I think supah's point wasn't whether or not you relate to given lyrics, but why so many dudes feel obligated to point out that they don't relate to the lyrics of young women, when they don't bother to point out the fact with other artists.
Max Sterling
Well-Known Member
I mean, I guess I just don't agree that they (we? I?) don't point it out with other artists. But as for it seeming disproportionate, statistically a traditionally raised dude will generally not relate to the perspective of a lady. The same way I, as Canadian white presenting dude, don't relate to most rap lyrics. I still enjoy many rap artists, but I've had conversations with people about how lyrically sometimes those songs make me feel awkward. As with many extreme metal bands. If I can figure out what they're saying, I'm usually not like "oh yeah, I do want to wear human flesh and summon a demon" and I've had those conversations as well with metal heads.
We're talking about pop in this thread, a field saturated with young women. And in conversations with men, about pop, written by young women, you're going to get those takes. The same way if you were having conversations with white guys about rap, or vanilla normies about black metal.
Jake!
Well-Known Member
Holy shit, that Carly record is so good! Listened to it today as I was running errands, and it put me in such a good mood. I remember everyone loving it when it came out, I just never got around to it. Regretting the time I lost!
Also, I loved those two Taylor records. I actually bought Evermore today at the store!
Getting to all the other recommendations from everyone soon!!