June served up a fairly random collection of new top 40 arrivals with a wadge of country music and a light smattering of everything else. Drake tried to threaten us all, but ultimately it was Kate Bush who stole the spotlight for this month, and who can complain at that? We begin.
“Something in the Orange” by Zach Bryan
Peak #37, Current #50
Well this is a nice change of pace. Zach Bryan is an indie country singer rapidly crossing over to the mainstream after signing with Warner last year. 2022 has already seen a top five album debut, and with this song he has a fast-rising hit. This is exactly the type of song I hope to see when I hear the words “indie country crossover”. Zach has a terrific voice, reminding me a fair bit of British singer-songwriters of the 2010s such as James Bay and Tom Odell, but with a deeper smokiness and soul contained within.
The instrumentation is simple but something about the sharp tone of the acoustic guitar and the piercing electric guitar in the back creates such an imposing atmosphere. It’s also a very well-written song with Zach portraying the loneliness of his situation in vivid detail, and a really fantastic chorus line to tie it together. Yeah the hype is kinda real on this one. Great voice, great song, fast becoming something of an indie-country classic already and deservingly so.
8/10
“Take My Name” by Parmalee
Peak #22, Current #43
Oh fuck now it’s Parmalee. Just the Way gave this nothing group a monumental career revival despite that being a painfully mediocre song, so I guess that’s given them access to the country radio carousel for the foreseeable future. To be fair this song is better than Just the Way purely based on a less annoying lyrical concept and being slightly less repetitive. That being said it’s still stiff, synthetic and entirely predictable. Parmalee are a bit like Dan & Shay if they added two extra members who contributed absolutely nothing. Inoffensive but pointless song.
4.5/10
“Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush
Peak #4, Current #9
Frequently I find this recent trend of old songs randomly having huge resurgences in popularity because of a trailer or TikTok meme to be really tedious and tiresome. This is not one of those times. It makes sense that this would happen to Kate Bush since her work is easily well-known enough to still be relevant, but she wasn’t exactly a chart-conquering superstar in her prime, at least not outside The UK, leaving her open to rediscovery by a younger generation. And with Running Up That Hill, this feels like slightly more than a fleeting moment of virality, more like a significant and prolonged re-emergence of a classic. Hell this song’s even being re-pushed to radio and I’ve heard it played plenty here in Britain where it’s gone all the way to number one.
And as for the quality of the song itself, I mean do I really have to say anything? It’s the signature and most classic song by one of the most beloved and creative singer-songwriters that the World has ever seen. The production values are impressive even to this day with the cacophonous drum rhythm, dense electronics and titanic backing vocals; it’s really songs like this that put the art into art-pop. A straightforward song in its construction, but a subtle musical touch is added every time you’d want it to be so that the song never gets stale but only grows more intense and engrossing with every moment.
Despite the enormous wall of sound around her, Kate is never overwhelmed in the mix, rather her voice is amplified as she delivers her divine plea for understanding. A classic in every sense of the word. Inventive, epic, career-defining, timeless, and just as resonant in 2022’s often bleak musical and social landscape as it ever was. Revivals like this are a bizarre oddity that we may have to become accustomed to, but in this instance it doesn’t feel silly so much as it does glorious and so richly deserved. Finally the runaway smash it always should’ve been, and if it takes Stranger Things to keep Kate Bush’s music alive in the memory I’m just about fine with that.
10/10
“I Like You (A Happier Song)” by Post Malone ft. Doja Cat
Peak #9, Current #22
So Post Malone’s new album was a dud and a flop, kind of called that one. Twelve Carat Toothache has the bleakness of Hollywood’s Bleeding but minus the good production quality and strong songwriting, along with Post warbling more than ever. I never really minded his voice before but it was annoying me on nearly every track here.
Anyway, in amongst the dourness there are naturally a few pop concessions, which don’t work either. These more “mainstream” tracks are too chipper to fit with the rest of the album, but somehow also too dark in their sound to really pop in the way that Post Malone’s best singles have in the past.
Doja Cat is evidently a far more popular artist than Post at this point so this song is carrying the performance of the record, and unsurprisingly I’m not really a fan of it. Hard to pin-point what exactly is wrong with this, but I just don’t much like any part of it. The beat is kind of annoying, Post sounds rather goofy on the hook, and Doja Cat does her usual thing that I don’t really like on her own songs but she sounds far more at home on this than Post does on his own song. The lyrics are also a bit ass. “Pull his girl like a hammy” yeah that’s not a bar and neither is “your heart’s so big but that ass is huge”.
Weird collaboration that doesn’t really work at all, just the idea of Post Malone ft. Doja Cat doesn’t feel right, they belong in different worlds. But ultimately this is more forgettable than anything else and with little else in the way of potential hits on the album, it might be a relief when this drops off and we can just move on.
4.5/10
“Damn Strait” by Scotty McCreery
Peak #39, Current #59
Scotty McCreery back with another pop-country ballad reminiscing over a past relationship. The title is a pun based around country legend George Strait, and the lyrics contain several cleverly worked references to his songs, very similar in style to Eric Church’s iconic Springsteen.
There is however one problem with that comparison, which is that I knew all the songs referenced in Springsteen, whereas I know fuck all about George Strait. I’m not American, I was born in the late 90s, I don’t know the guy. I mean I’ve heard his name but I couldn’t tell you a single thing he did. I’ve been back through all the old Billboard year-end Hot 100s to immerse myself in music history, but George has no such hits as country music had very little impact on the all-genre chart during his peak, so I’m simply oblivious to him.
I still think the song is pretty decent thanks to warm instrumentation, strong melodies and Scotty’s likeable delivery, but my complete blind spot for George Strait’s music kind of kills any deeper connection I might’ve had with this.
6/10
“Get Into It (Yuh)” by Doja Cat
Peak #31, Current #31
Noooo I was joking for fucks sake. Back in February when reviewing Woman, I expressed exasperation at how long it had taken that song to climb the charts and how long all these mediocre Doja Cat singles were sticking around for. I then made the JOKE that I was looking forward to reviewing this song in six months’ time. Well it hasn’t quite been six months but here we are with this nothing of a song reaching a new peak after 29 weeks on the chart.
And for what? A cheaply produced piece of pop-rap that sounds like it was improvised in the recording studio. Wasn’t really worth caring about a year ago, certainly isn’t now.
5/10
“Cash In Cash Out” by Pharrell Williams ft. 21 Savage & Tyler, The Creator
Peak #26, Current #73
Bit of a random collaboration this, but one where all three artists are versatile enough that it makes some kind of sense. Good Lord this beat is annoying. Blown out bass and horrible squeaky vocal sample over and over, fuckin’ headache man and it just never relents. The verses are alright but that beat is nearly unlistenable for me. This seems like something that debuted high off name recognition anyway, can’t see it having any staying power.
4/10
“Rock and a Hard Place” by Bailey Zimmerman
Peak #24, Current #72
I must be really out of the loop these days because I didn’t have a clue who this is. He had a breakthrough single earlier this year with Fall in Love, which paved the way for this new track to land an astonishingly high debut.
I think Fall in Love is the slightly better song, but this track is pretty decent as well. Bailey definitely has a bit of a Morgan Wallen thing going on with his slow, growly delivery but that’s not exactly a bad thing as far as I’m concerned and Bailey makes it work well enough. The lyrics chronicle a relationship on the rocks and do so with rugged emotion and intensity.
Sadly I think this falls some way short of greatness. The verses are way too short, far shorter than the chorus in fact which is always a structural trope that I dislike, and the bridge is completely non-existent, just going for that cliche thing of stripping back the instrumentation for ten seconds before it comes crashing back in. I like the sounds and feelings on display here but the actual song leaves something to be desired, at least to me. Still, a somewhat promising breakthrough and if we can push Fall in Love up the charts as well then all the better.
6/10
“Yet To Come” by BTS
Peak #13, Current #68
So BTS are going on a break. Or rather the individual members are pursuing solo projects but they’re very clear to say that this is NOT a “hiatus”. What the difference is between taking a break to do their own thing vs going on hiatus is, I’m not exactly sure, but it seems to have done enough to reassure the fans.
Teaming that announcement with the release of a song talking about “the moment is yet to come” may end up looking ironic in a few years when they never reform, but whether or not this is a swan song for the group, I think it is actually quite good. There is something rather beautiful about the sound of the whole song, with a really pretty hook, soothing piano, and an overall sound that seems to hark back to their earlier days, which is a nice touch for a parting song. I’m not a fan of the group but this still has me feeling something, and is easily the best song of theirs I’ve reviewed to date. Almost makes it a shame that they’re done for a while. Almost.
7/10
“Glimpse of Us” by Joji
Peak #8, Current #8
I might be forgetting something but I think this is the first Joji track that’s landed on my schedule so far. I never heard of him in his Youtuber days and whilst I have liked his most popular songs since diving into the music world, I’ve also found them to be a little overrated to be honest.
And as for this song, I really don’t get the hype at all. To me this just sounds like a regular piano ballad. Sure it’s well-written and kind of pretty in its presentation, but it’s also quite sedate and basic. I feel like we haven’t had a sad piano ballad hit for a while so this is just a convenient song to be a hit right now. Clearly I’m missing out on some deeper connection that everyone else is getting from this, but the vocals are barely a whisper and the flat melody does nothing to pull at my heartstrings. Don’t mind it but don’t understand its popularity at all frankly.
5/10
“Sunroof” by Nicky Youre & dazy
Peak #33, Current #33
Ah a random summer hit from some complete nobodys, the first of the year. These guys have a combined total of five songs on Spotify (Dazy is the producer) but this was somehow released on Columbia Records and is the sort of cheap but harmless chirpy pop song you expect to encounter every now and then.
I think it’s pretty alright. It’s catchy and it conveys summer vibes, and that’s about all you can say for it really. Not sure that Dazy was really deserving of the producer credit given how thin the instrumental sounds, but that’s not really a big issue for a song as intentionally basic as this. Kinda bops if you have low standards.
5.5/10
“The Kind of Love We Make” by Luke Combs
Peak #18, Current #18
Luke Combs has released his latest collection of songs, continuing in the familiar lane of neo-traditional, heartfelt music that he has established himself in. This is the single, and I just sort of think it’s alright by his standards.
Of course the vocals and instrumentation are at the level you’d expect, but Luke again defaults to a predictable song structure and melody that doesn’t spark much excitement. As for the content, it’s trying to be intimate and sexy which is not something that Luke’s bellowing growls conveys all that effectively. I guess I was never going to be crazy about this single anyway as it’s really one for his female fans, but yeah I don’t think it’s his best work. Still solid enough for mainstream country, but not a track I’ll actively go back to.
6/10
“BREAK MY SOUL” by Beyoncé
Peak #15, Current #15
There may be nobody in the music industry who has higher expectations set for her than Beyoncé. Every time she comes back with something it seems like it has to be a completely flawless game-changer or people will hate on it. I don’t really understand where this mentality comes from because as far as I’m concerned Beyoncé is a brilliant singer and performer with a fairly unimpressive discography. A few classic singles released a very long time ago and one legitimately great album in Lemonade, but the rest of it? Meh.
The reaction I’ve seen to this has been fairly luke-warm, but I think this is perhaps a song where the less you expect from Beyoncé the more you’ll enjoy it. Whilst others may have been hoping for some grand statement à la Black Parade, personally I’ve found such songs to be self-indulgent and not something I’ve ever warmed to, but this quite enjoyable by contrast. It feels like a Beyoncé song that isn’t explicitly about Beyoncé, which is a nice change as far as I’m concerned.
Detractors have pointed to the sound of this record as being derivative or even stale, but whilst I’ll agree that a house song sampling Show Me Love isn’t the most innovative thing in the world, I do think this is a very well made version of what it is. The sample is of course great, the piano bounces along nicely, Beyoncé has the vocal presence to offset the standard nature of the instrumental, and the yelled vocal samples Big Freedia really add to the energy as well. It’s a classy and expensive sounding song, everything sounds full and lively, and that’s what you need for this sort of anthem.
It does run a little long and is maybe a bit overly repetitive, but those traits are pretty standard for this type of club music that is ultimately meant for the dancefloor more than anything else. All in all, I was actually pleasantly surprised by this. Like I say, if you go in expecting miracles then you’ll be disappointed but for a more casual listener like me who thinks her mainstream pop songs like Crazy in Love and Halo are probably her best work, this is a nice return. Most I’ve enjoyed anything from her since Lemonade, easily.
7.5/10
“Jimmy Cooks” by Drake ft. 21 Savage
Peak #1, Current #1
Sigh. Well Drake’s done it again. He’s put out another half-assed shrug of an album that somehow produces a number one single. You know it really is incredible how Drake has the ability to suck the life out of everything he turns his hand to. The most successful rapper of his generation doing a complete 180 and putting out a house record, even if it’s not good it’s surely got to be at least interesting right?
Well no, it isn’t. Literally about a minute into the first track I could already feel the life draining from me. The most obvious point is that we didn’t actually get a rap-dance album which could’ve been interesting, instead Drake just lifelessly croons over these beats in the exact same style as he did over trap beats on Certified Lover Boy last year. That’s what makes it so funny when people try to defend this crap by saying “you wanted Drake to step out of his comfort zone and now that he did you hate on it”. Please tell me what about this project was out of Drake’s comfort zone? There is zero difference between his delivery and lyrics on this project than on his previous three or four offerings. The only difference is the production, and even then these are just very ordinary sounding house beats, it’s not like he’s performing over some crazy next-level glitchy trance music, everything is just ordinary.
Which brings me to this song, where I really have to laugh. Drake or his label must’ve suspected that this surprise release wasn’t going to stick the landing so we get this completely unrelated rap track tagged on as the final song on the album. I assume the idea is that you bore people so much with the rest of the album that when they hear a song that isn’t complete ass and has some actual rapping on it after sitting through fifty minutes of sleep-inducing tedium they will be tricked into thinking this song is pure fire. Well looks like that trick worked because this is a number one hit now, allowing Drake and his fans a cheap out to all the criticism.
Well I’m not so easily fooled so I’ll call it how it is; this is a completely average rap song attached to a bad album that it doesn’t match with at all, thereby ruining the only thing that Honestly Nevermind had going for it – consistent vibes. Move along please, nothing to see here.
5/10
June average: 6.0/10
Worth listening to: “Running Up That Hill”, “Something in the Orange”, “Break My Soul”
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