frances.mp3

I know this is so basic of me to say but I do like Taylor's Swift's music, though she's not my favorite artist. But I will admit that her country pop style is typically the kind of country music I listen to. ‘Tim McGraw’ is from her first album and it's a good song. Not my favorite, but not her worst. There's nothing too spectacular about this song in particular. The musical accompaniment doesn't surprise me at all. It's a very slow, mellow song. Of course, there is some build up, but nothing that stands out. I think what makes the song special are the lyrics. The song tells the story of their relationship, in a very plain but poetic way. I'm aware that sounds a bit contradicting, but what I mean to say is that there are very little, if any, metaphors or analogies. Most of the lyrics tell exactly what she wants to say, but in a very flowery way. I think the lyrics help categorize this song as country because the song itself has a pretty heavy pop influen...

I didn't actually know that this song was sung by Tina Turner. I don't know if that was because I just wasn't paying attention, or I truly didn't know. This song is incredibly popular and has been covered numerous times, which is how I had heard about it. This original version is a lot more slower than what I'm used to hearing. Most covers have sped it up, and made it more lively. I feel like the original falls somewhere between pop and r&b. Tina Turner sings it with emotion, and has a bit of a rasp when she sings. Which I feel like is uncommon. Female singers usually tend to sing in smooth clear crooner-esque styles, so I guess it's refreshing to hear something so different from that. While I know Tina Turner is a hailed celebrity in Hollywood, I don't know if I prefer her original version of the song. It may be due to natural bias towards the covers I grew up hearing, but the song didn't grab my attention in any way. The musical accompaniment didn...

 I'll be honest, reggae music isn't exactly my cup of tea. But this song managed to catch my attention. Probably because it's so different from what I usually listen to. One of the things that caught my attention was how different it was from the original Bob Marley version. I think he was right to not copy the original completely, just because the point of view and the meaning of the song have different impacts on Clapton and Marley. So I appreciate that he changed it up a little bit without making the song completely unrecognizable. There is definitely a bit more blues and pop in Eric Clapton's version. Furthermore, the tempo isn't very fast and the accompaniment isn't as attention grabbing as Bob Marley's version. Though I do like that he kept the female backing vocals. It adds another level of texture and keeps the song interesting. I think the point of the song was to bring light to what African Americans experience in their daily lives. Though the song...

I've never been one for traditional, old school country, but I'd have to say Dolly Parton may be the one and only exception. And I really only listened to her because I kept hearing her name so often, that I was like "Okay, I have to at least give her a listen." And now I love her music. Granted, I only listen to a handful of her songs, so I'm glad this class introduced me to "Here You Come Again." Despite being country, the sound leans into the pop genre with country elements. Which may be why I enjoyed this song so much, since I listen to more country pop than pure country. At least that's how I would describe how it sounds to my untrained ears. It's really pleasant to listen to. The chorus comes quite often, and there's nothing too surprising about the instruments. Yet despite being repetitive, it doesn't sound monotone. I think her style of singing and the bouncy melody is what keeps it interesting. The melody plus the lyrics of the c...

  Ahhh you gotta love the Beatles. I grew up listening to them, and couldn’t pass up the chance to use them for my listening blog. Just because of my nostalgia and love for the Beatles, the song relaxes me and makes me feel happy. However, while you listen and read the lyrics, the song has a slightly darker connotation. It seems positive at first. A person is trying to get through their life, and their friends help. Though with further listening they sing, “I get high with help from my friends.” Then with further analysis, it seems like the song is really about coping with the struggles of life with the use of drugs and getting high. When you think of that slightly darker meaning of the song, then the sound of the song kinda goes along with it. The instruments aren’t super active. Only in the beginning is there this loud blaring noise (an overlap of various instruments and vocals) that grabs your attention. Then the song mellows out, and that attention grabbing sound never returns....

     I absolutely love this song. I grew up listening to this song with my mom so whenever I hear it, my mind gets transported to my childhood. I get this nostalgic and happy feeling. But even without those memories, I think the intention of this song was to make the listener feel happy and hopeful. To accomplish that, the song is very light and upbeat. The singing too is also done in an airy and high voice. The tempo of the singing matches the melody, and it is completely the opposite of a mellow song. The lyrics also match the mood of the song. It's all about waiting for love, and being excited for it-no matter how long it takes. It romanticizes love. It very much feels like a young girl is waiting excitedly to feel romantic love, and her mom is telling her "You can't hurry love," yet despite it, the young girl is still excited.       Speaking of said lyrics "You can't hurry love." I think that's my favorite part of the song. The lyrics and tune of...