EOY 2015 Predictions

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Otisredding
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EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Otisredding »

It's time to speculations.

What will be the best albums of the year according EOY 2015?

My prediction:

1 Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly
2 Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell
3 Julia Holter: Have You in My Wilderness
4 Joanna Newsom: Divers
5 Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
6 Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear
7 Björk: Vulnicura
8 Sleater-Kinney: No To Love Cities
9 Blur: The Magic Whip
10 Destroyer: Poison Season
Last edited by Otisredding on Wed Nov 18, 2015 8:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Maschine_Man »

1 Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly
2 Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell
3 Björk: Vulnicura
4 Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear
5 Joanna Newsom: Divers
6 Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
7 Tame Impala - Currents
8 Grimes - Art Angels
9 Adele - 25
10 Julia Holter: Have You in My Wilderness

I think we are going to see a Top 10 with at least 5 female (/fronted) acts.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Nassim »

Otisredding wrote:It's time to speculations.

What will be the best albums of the year according EOY 2015?

My prediction:

1 Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly
2 Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell
3 Julia Holter: Have You in My Wilderness
4 Joanna Newsom: Divers
5 Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
6 Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear
7 Björk: Vulnicura
8 Sleater-Kinney: No To Love Cities
9 Blur: The Magic Whip
10 Destroyer: Poison Season
I'd be surprised if Tame Impala wasn't top 3, I even think it will end up 1st. And also surprised if Julia Holter made it to the top 10. Other picks seems likely, Blur won't show in as many lists as the others, but probably very high in some (NME for instance).
I'd put Grimes and Jamie XX in the top 10, leaving Destroyer and possibly Bjork out. Dr Dre could show up quite high too.

NME #1 will probably be Jamie XX (Deerhunter got the highest grade though).
Looking at reviews, Rolling Stones' could be Kendrick but that'd be very strange, Wilco and Courtney Barnett also got 4.5 so expect them high, but it'd bet on a safer pick like Tame Impala.
For Pitchfork it's a 4 horse race between Sufjan, Jamie XX, Kendrick Lamar and Tame Impala, all got a 9.3. Would be surprised if it was Jamie XX but could go either way with the 3 others... would pick Kendrick if I had to bet.
At AVclub, Sufjan should be a shoe-in.
Uncut could pick a surprise like Deerhunter or Titus Andronicus but for them, as for Mojo, Q and Spin, I'd be on Tame Impala once more.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Pierre »

I haven't listened to enough stuff nor monitored critical reviews enough to make serious predictions this year, but I want to say that I'd like Grimes to be top 10. I'm wary of European critics reactions to her album though, the early British and French ones have been tepid (although for France, the early articles have mostly been deleted when American critics started to rave).

That said, I would be VERY surprised if Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly is not #1.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Nick »

1. Kendrick Lamar
2. Sufjan Stevens

There is no doubt in my mind that these will be the top 2. The rest of the list is a bit harder to guess, but here goes nothing...

3. Tame Impala
4. Courtney Barnett
5. Jamie xx
6. Father John Misty
7. Joanna Newsom
8. Bjork
9. Dr. Dre
10. Grimes

Honorable mention: Julia Hotler, D'Angelo and The Vanguard

As for songs...

Realiti
Let it Happen
Pedestrian at Best
Gosh
I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)
The Blacker the Berry

...will all rank highly.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Nassim »

Nick wrote:Gosh
That'd be a surprise for me. Loud Places on the other hand.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Nick »

Nassim wrote:
Nick wrote:Gosh
That'd be a surprise for me. Loud Places on the other hand.
Call it a crazy hunch about "Gosh". Come to think of it, "Loud Places" should place very highly as well...
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Future Critic »

My Predictions are:

Best Album:
01. To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar
02. Carrie & Lowell, Sufjan Stevens
03. Currents, Tame Impala
04. In Colour, Jamie xx
05. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I just Sit, Courtney Barnett
06. I Love You, Honeybear, Father John Misty
07. Art Angels, Grimes
08. Poison Season, Destroyer
09. Divers, Joanna Newsom
10. Vulnicura, Bjork
11. The Most Lamentable Tragedy, Titus Andronicus
12. Have You in My Wilderness, Julia Holter
13. Compton, Dr. Dre
14. No Cities To Love, Sleater-Kinney
15. The Magic Whip, Blur
16. Depression Cherry, Beach House
17. B'lieve I'm Goin Down, Kurt Vile
18. Every Open Eye, Chvrches
19. Fading Frontier, Deerhunter
20. Star Wars, Wilco
21. Emotion, Carly Rae Jepsen
22. Honeymoon, Lana Del Rey
23. Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper, Panda Bear
24. Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress, Godspeed You! Black Emperor
25. Sound and Color, Alabama Shakes

Not Yet Released:
25, Adele


Best Songs (which I think are much more difficult to predict):
01. The Blacker the Berry, Kendrick Lamar
02. Pedestrian at Best, Courtney Barnett
03. King Kunta, Kendrick Lamar
04. REALiTi, Grimes
05. Let It Happen, Tame Impala
06. Loud Places, Jamie xx
07. No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross, Sufjan Stevens
08. Can't Feel My Face, The Weeknd
09. I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times), Jamie xx
10. Run Away With Me, Carly Rae Jepsen
11. Gosh, Jamie xx
12. Hello, Adele
13. Feel You, Julia Holter
14. Times Square, Destroyer
15. Should Have Known Better, Sufjan Stevens
16. Dimed Out, Titus Andronicus
17. In Time, FKA twigs
18. Hotline Bling, Drake
19. Coffee, Miguel
20. Sparks, Beach House
21. Sunday Candy, Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment
22. Pretty Pimpin, Kurt Vile
23. Cause I'm a Man, Tame Impala
24. Flesh Without Blood, Grimes
25. Here, Alessia Cara
25. Leave a Trace, Chvrches
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by Nick »

Also, because they're monster pop songs by critically acclaimed artists, both "Hello" and "Hotline Bling" should have no trouble racking up the critical acclaim.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by ordinaryperson »

Albums
1. To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
2. Carrie and Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
3. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
4. Vulnicura by Bjork
5. No Cities To Love by Sleather-Kinney
6. Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
7. Have You in My Wilderness by Julia Holter
8. Currents by Tame Impala
9. Art Angels by Grimes
10. From Kinshasa by Mbongwana Star
Songs
1. Pedestrian at Best by Courtney Barnett
2. Coffee by Miguel feat. Wale
3. The Blacker the Berry by Kendrick Lamar
4. King Kunta by Kendrick Lamar
5. Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd
6. Gosh by Jamie xx
7. Lean On by Major Lazer feat. MO and DJ Snake
8. Know Yourself by Drake
9. Biscuits by Kacey Musgraves
10. Let It Happen by Tame Impala
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Re: EOY 2015 Predicitions

Post by GucciLittlePiggy »

I know this is a pretty stacked year, but I still see TPAB running away with number one. Upon the next update, I foresee it reaching the top 200, and it likely will be the only album this decade with a chance to topple MBDTF. And I really do enjoy Carrie & Lowell and expect it to finish second (perhaps cracking top 300), as many others have said, but I think if it were by anyone other than Sufjan Stevens, it would not be so critically acclaimed. And I would love to see Art Angels enter the top five of the year, but I think it may take several more years for everyone to warm up to it.

And nothing seems like an obvious pick for songs. You could say "The Blacker the Berry" but I think that album will be the victim of a lot of split-votes, likely landing two songs in the top 6-10 or so, similar to Yeezus. I actually think I'll give my vote for top song to "Let It Happen". I think it's a pretty safe pick for critics, as it's a great song by a well-known rock band. Also, I'm in team "Gosh" and I can't imagine it not making the top 10 and eventually top 1000 on the next update. And if "Loud Places" does overtake it, I wouldn't imagine it to hold that spot for many years to come.

edit: Well, I should say I CAN imagine "Gosh" not making the top 10, only because I think "Loud Places" has a better shot at making many of the pop-centric lists. But we will see what happens. I'll add that I think "I Know There's Gonna Be Good Times" could make the top 30.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by phil »

1. Kendrick Lamar
2. Sufjan Stevens
3, Courtney Barnett
4. Tame Impala
5. Father John Misty
6. Bjork
7. Jamie xx
8. Grimes
9. Sleater-Kinney
10. Joanna Newsom
11. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
12. Julia Holter
13. Dr. Dre
14. Titus Andronicus
15. Blur

I reckon Pitchfork may go for Tame Impala, given that Kendrick and Sufjan have both been their top albums in years past. If not, then I'd think 'Let It Happen' will win their songs poll.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Jackson »

I think Sleater-Kinney is a lock for the top ten, hard to imagine that album not being towards the top of every mainstream American list. I'm hoping Julia Holter and Joanna Newsom can sneak into the back half of the top 10, particularly over Grimes and Jamie xx.

Songs seem more wide open (particularly compared with last year) as others have noted. I'm hoping The Blacker the Berry wins. It's my favorite song of the past several years, and I think it's the clear standout of the album (and really the only track I listen to apart from the album). Its political relevance will give it a boost in many American lists, I would think.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by notbrianeno »

My predictions:

1. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly
2. Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell
3. Jamie xx: In Colour
4. Sleater-Kinney: No Cities To Love
5. Tame Impala: Currents
6. Julia Holter: Have You in My Wilderness
7. Björk: Vulnicura
8. Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear
9. Joanna Newsom: Divers
10. Deafheaven: New Bermuda

Song of the Year: "Let It Happen" by Tame Impala
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Nick »

Bold prediction time: Pitchfork will give their AOTY 2015 to Black Messiah.

Think about it. Black Messiah is a highly critically acclaimed album by an artist beloved by the critical community. Not only that, but it's the first album by D'Angelo in 14 years, AND it also touches on topics relevant to 2015 (racial issues in the United States).

But Black Messiah was released at the tail end of 2014, and so it missed the cut off for Pitchfork's end of the year list, despite scoring higher than anything else released that year (Black Messiah got a 9.4 from Pitchfork, the next highest albums, Benji and To Be Kind, "only" got a 9.2 each).

So this brings me to the 9.3s. It's no secret that Pitchfork has been handing out the 9.3s this year. Kendrick Lamar, Sufjan Stevens, Jamie xx, and Tame Impala have all got one for their most recent albums. The only other album that got a score in the 9s range this year was the new Deaheaven album, which got a 9.0. So why so many 9.3s?

It's because Pitchfork is trying to tell us something. And what it's trying to tell us is that no matter what great albums come out this year, they'll still be a hair below the TRUE greatest album of the year, an album that should've gotten their AOTY for 2014, but just missed the cut off. That album? Black Messiah, which got a 9.4.

But let's put aside this argument for a moment and ask ourselves, if not Black Messiah, then what album? Well the two most critically acclaimed albums of 2015, by far, are the newest albums by Kendrick Lamar and Sufjan Stevens. These albums did get a 9.3 each from Pitchfork this year, which would mean that they'd be easy front runners for their AOTY pick. But, these artists also released albums that got AOTY back in 2005 and 2012. I could easily see Pitchfork deciding not to give these artists the AOTY because of that fact alone (as of now they have never given the same artist AOTY twice or more).

So what about Jamie xx and Tame Impala, the next most obvious choices? Well, while both of those albums were highly acclaimed by critics, they've both been met with some mixed reaction from fans, and I could easily see a significant amount of Pitchfork staff holding mixed opinions about these albums. Pitchfork are notable for giving their AOTY nod to an album with high amounts of acclaim from both critics and fans, eschewing the more "controversial" picks. With that in mind, what album is left for AOTY?

Black Messiah.

I rest my case.
Last edited by Nick on Thu Nov 19, 2015 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by bootsy »

Nick wrote:Bold prediction time: Pitchfork will give their AOTY 2015 to Black Messiah.

Think about it. Black Messiah is a highly critically acclaimed album by an artist beloved by the critical community. Not only that, but it's the first album by D'Angelo in 14 years, AND it also touches on topics relevant to 2015 (racial issues in the United States).

But Black Messiah was released at the tail end of 2014, and so it missed the cut off for Pitchfork's end of the year list, despite scoring higher than anything else released that year (Black Messiah got a 9.4 from Pitchfork, the next highest albums, Benji and To Be Kind, "only" got a 9.2 each).

So this brings me to the 9.3s. It's no secret that Pitchfork has been handing out the 9.3s this year. Kendrick Lamar, Sufjan Stevens, Jamie xx, and Tame Impala have all got one for their most recent albums. The only other album that got a score in the 9s range this year was the new Deaheaven album, which got a 9.0. So why so many 9.3s?

It's because Pitchfork is trying to tell us something. And what it's trying to tell us is that no matter what great albums come out this year, they'll still be a hair below the TRUE greatest album of the year, an album that should've gotten their AOTY for 2014, but just missed the cut off. That album? Black Messiah, which got a 9.4.

I rest my case.
It would be pretty awesome if they did but I'm not expecting it. Black Messiah deserves some recognition and it would be pleasant surprise to get that honor.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by notbrianeno »

Nick wrote:Bold opinion time: Pitchfork will give their AOTY 2015 to Black Messiah.

Think about it. Black Messiah is a highly critically acclaimed album by an artist beloved by the critical community. Not only that, but it's the first album by D'Angelo in 14 years, AND it also touches on topics relevant to 2015 (racial issues in the United States).

But Black Messiah was released at the tail end of 2014, and so it missed the cut off for Pitchfork's end of the year list, despite scoring higher than anything else released that year (Black Messiah got a 9.4 from Pitchfork, the next highest albums, Benji and To Be Kind, "only" got a 9.2 each).

So this brings me to the 9.3's. It's no secret that Pitchfork has been handing out the 9.3's this year. Kendrick Lamar, Sufjan Stevens, Jamie xx, and now Tame Impala have all got one for their most recent albums. No other 2015 albums released thus far have gotten any score in the 9 range. So why so many 9.3's?

It's because Pitchfork is trying to tell us something. And what it's trying to tell us is that no matter what great albums come out this year, they'll still be a hair below the TRUE greatest album of the year, an album that should've gotten their AOTY for 2014, but just missed the cut off. That album? Black Messiah, which got a 9.4.

I rest my case.
I've seen speculation about this on Reddit, and it seems entirely possible given the improbability of four 9.3 scores.

However it is important to note that Pitchfork's AOTY isn't necessarily the album with the highest score that year.

2002: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (10) and Source Tags & Codes (10) take second and third place behind Turn on the Bright Lights (9.5).

2003: Meadowlands (9.5) and Boy in da Corner (9.4), don't even place in the top ten albums of the year!

2004: Silent Shout (8.6) takes first while Return to Cookie Mountain (9.1) comes in second followed by Ys (9.4) !!!!!

2013: Modern Vampires of the City (9.3) takes first followed by Yeezus (9.5). Reflektor (9.2) comes in at number 10, behind several albums with lesser scores.

2014: To Be Kind (9.2) and Benji (9.2) come in sixth and seventh place, behind Lost in the Dream (8.8), LP1 (8.8), and RTJ2 (9.0) in third, second, and first place respectively.

So while this is an interesting, and entirely likely theory given the oddity of four albums with the same high score, historical data suggests that we can't count on score alone in determining placement of Pitchforks AOTY list.

On the other hand, it is entirely without precedent to see such a high scoring album like Black Messiah (9.4) come in after the 2014 lists were completed, and I couldn't imagine Pitchfork not giving it some form of special recognition.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Nassim »

notbrianeno wrote:
On the other hand, it is entirely without precedent to see such a high scoring album like Black Messiah (9.4) come in after the 2014 lists were completed, and I couldn't imagine Pitchfork not giving it some form of special recognition.
Beyonce got a 8.8 after year end lists and did not make it to the following year's top 50 albums (but got to #14 on their 2010-2014 list)
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Nick »

notbrianeno wrote:
I've seen speculation about this on Reddit, and it seems entirely possible given the improbability of four 9.3 scores.

However it is important to note that Pitchfork's AOTY isn't necessarily the album with the highest score that year.

2002: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (10) and Source Tags & Codes (10) take second and third place behind Turn on the Bright Lights (9.5).

2003: Meadowlands (9.5) and Boy in da Corner (9.4), don't even place in the top ten albums of the year!

2004: Silent Shout (8.6) takes first while Return to Cookie Mountain (9.1) comes in second followed by Ys (9.4) !!!!!

2013: Modern Vampires of the City (9.3) takes first followed by Yeezus (9.5). Reflektor (9.2) comes in at number 10, behind several albums with lesser scores.

2014: To Be Kind (9.2) and Benji (9.2) come in sixth and seventh place, behind Lost in the Dream (8.8), LP1 (8.8), and RTJ2 (9.0) in third, second, and first place respectively.

So while this is an interesting, and entirely likely theory given the oddity of four albums with the same high score, historical data suggests that we can't count on score alone in determining placement of Pitchforks AOTY list.

On the other hand, it is entirely without precedent to see such a high scoring album like Black Messiah (9.4) come in after the 2014 lists were completed, and I couldn't imagine Pitchfork not giving it some form of special recognition.
I've thought a little about this, and you do raise some good points, but I also think there are a few things to consider counter-argument wise.

Pitchfork before, say, 2007 or so was a pretty immature website. And I don't just mean that in the "young" sense of the word, they really were an immature website. They were the website that posted the infamous "Kid A" review, one of the most mocked reviews in modern music criticism, they were the website that gave out 10s like candy on Halloween to bands like Save Ferris for no particular reason. Joke reviews were their specialty, just look up their review for any Tool or At the Drive-In album. But around 2007/2008/2009 things began to change, Pitchfork started to drop the whole jokey shtick and got a lot more professional (although the infamous "monkey peeing into its mouth" Jet review and the "sorry" Black Kids review were still from around this time, you could tell that they were, slowly, changing), and say what you will about them today (and I could say my fair share of negative things) but they really are a totally different website than when they started. As such, I don't think it's entirely accurate to compare pre-2007 Pitchfork to post-2007 Pitchfork.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by notbrianeno »

Nick wrote: I've thought a little about this, and you do raise some good points, but I also think there are a few things to consider counter-argument wise.

Pitchfork before, say, 2007 or so was a pretty immature website. And I don't just mean that in the "young" sense of the word, they really were an immature website. They were the website that posted the infamous "Kid A" review, one of the most mocked reviews in modern music criticism, they were the website that gave out 10s like candy on Halloween to bands like Save Ferris for no particular reason. Joke reviews were their specialty, just look up their review for any Tool or At the Drive-In album. But around 2007/2008/2009 things began to change, Pitchfork started to drop the whole jokey shtick and got a lot more professional (although the infamous "monkey peeing into its mouth" Jet review and the "sorry" Black Kids review were still from around this time, you could tell that they were, slowly, changing), and say what you will about them today (and I could say my fair share of negative things) but they really are a totally different website than when they started. As such, I don't think it's entirely accurate to compare pre-2007 Pitchfork to post-2007 Pitchfork.
I understand there has been a huge tonal shift in Pitchfork's writing and scoring process since the mid 00's, I was just mostly observing the evidence that numerical scores upon initial release are an imperfect indicator of an album's placement on EOY Pitchfork lists, a trend that has shown up even in recent years.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Harold »

Not a prediction, but an update - game's over already, folks:

With four eligible album lists posted in the EOY forum (as of Monday afternoon), I have begun work on the spreadsheet, and To Pimp a Butterfly is already #1. It's #2 on both the Mojo and Uncut lists; Julia Holter is actually #1 on both of those lists, but Kendrick landed at #11 on the American Songwriter list, which omits Holter entirely. (Needless to say, neither album is on Decibel's list.)

I realize that it's entirely too early to call this for Kendrick already, but let's be realistic - nothing's going to catch TPaB. And rightly so. If Black Messiah had been released in this calendar year, it might have been close, but this seems like a lock.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by whuntva »

^Saw it coming.

I won't complain too much though. It was my #3 overall for the year.

In a matter of time, Kendrick could challenge Kanye for the decade crown.

Songs is a harder nut to crack. Maybe "Let it Happen", maybe one of Kendrick's songs, maybe "Pedestrian at Best", but it seems there will be very divisive picks in that category.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by notbrianeno »

Thinking about the songs race today, there's a case to be made that "Can't Feel My Face" could very well win, given its success among indie, rap/r&b, and pop critics.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Nick »

notbrianeno wrote:Thinking about the songs race today, there's a case to be made that "Can't Feel My Face" could very well win, given its success among indie, rap/r&b, and pop critics.
"Can't Feel My Face" will rank highly, but I don't see it cracking the top ten. The album it was off of was released to middling acclaim, and that's a pretty big factor (at least from what I've seen) for grabbing the coveted SOTY on the critic's lists.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by PlasticRam »

TPAB doesn't have much replay value in my opinion.
I feel like that
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by GucciLittlePiggy »

PlasticRam wrote:TPAB doesn't have much replay value in my opinion.
I had the complete opposite experience. Each listen revealed new layers to the album and several listens in I'm still discovering more gems in the beats, the lyrics, and the nuance of K Dot's delivery. It has more replay value than most albums I've heard.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by PlasticRam »

GucciLittlePiggy wrote:
PlasticRam wrote:TPAB doesn't have much replay value in my opinion.
I had the complete opposite experience. Each listen revealed new layers to the album and several listens in I'm still discovering more gems in the beats, the lyrics, and the nuance of K Dot's delivery. It has more replay value than most albums I've heard.
Oh okay. I was actually half-asking whether anyone had the opposite experience, and I got my answer. For me the first listen was the best and after that the next listens weren't as good, but I have to try it again I think. Only four times I've listened to it.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by BleuPanda »

That's interesting. Almost everyone I know in real life had the opposite experience; many actually hated the first listen but grew to love it in time. I loved it the first time and it moved into my all-time top 10 after the third listen (I refused to rank it until confirming it was really that good). It's been 8 year since my last top 10 entrant (the most recent being Sound of Silver at #2), so it's a welcome addition. It's one of those albums that fully captures the zeitgeist of its era while also being sonically phenomenal. That combination should make an easy #1.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by PlasticRam »

BleuPanda wrote:That's interesting. Almost everyone I know in real life had the opposite experience; many actually hated the first listen but grew to love it in time.
Critics loved it from the moment it dropped though.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by BleuPanda »

I mean, I listened to it 3 times in the first 2 days, and I'm sure plenty of those critics did the same.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by bootsy »

PlasticRam wrote:TPAB doesn't have much replay value in my opinion.
Strongly disagree with this. It gets better upon each listen but as you said it's your opinion. Nothing wrong with it.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Rob »

notbrianeno wrote:Thinking about the songs race today, there's a case to be made that "Can't Feel My Face" could very well win, given its success among indie, rap/r&b, and pop critics.
Seriously? I haven't followed the reception of The Weeknd or that song, but I have heard it many times on the radio and thought of it as just another generic pop song that in two years will be forgotten. In fact, as commercial hits go this is one of the least like-able of the year in my opinion. What on Earth is it that makes this a contender for year-best?
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by whuntva »

The ONLY gripe I have with TPAB is that it feels very political. I don't really like politics, but I can appreciate Kendrick here and I know there is a true artist. Great album, even if the message seems a bit heavy-handed.

Still, it is my #3 album this year, behind only Tame Impala and Florence + the Machine, which is nothing to sneeze at.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by jamieW »

Rob wrote:
notbrianeno wrote:Thinking about the songs race today, there's a case to be made that "Can't Feel My Face" could very well win, given its success among indie, rap/r&b, and pop critics.
Seriously? I haven't followed the reception of The Weeknd or that song, but I have heard it many times on the radio and thought of it as just another generic pop song that in two years will be forgotten. In fact, as commercial hits go this is one of the least like-able of the year in my opinion. What on Earth is it that makes this a contender for year-best?
It's funny, because I'm one of the huge pop fans on the forum, and have said repeatedly that I'm disappointed with so many of the pop songs the critics deem to be acclaimed, when I feel there are so many better out there. However, I get "Can't Feel My Face," since I do feel it's one of the best pop songs of the past several years. I've heard too many songs to mention that attempt to channel Michael Jackson, but this is one of the few I thought would've made Michael proud. I'm also a sucker for songs with dark lyrics that are obscured somewhat by a catchy musical arrangement. With all of that said, I far prefer the much darker, more brooding "The Hills," which I fear will not get any attention, since "CFMF" seemed to appeal to a wider audience.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by PlasticRam »

I like Can't Feel My Face too; in fact it's my favorite by The Weeknd. But I can't imagine it being top 5 songs of this year cos it's just so poppy.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by PlasticRam »

bootsy wrote:
PlasticRam wrote:TPAB doesn't have much replay value in my opinion.
Strongly disagree with this. It gets better upon each listen but as you said it's your opinion. Nothing wrong with it.
Yeah I mean I kinda wanted to find this out whether there would be people who disagree with my assessment and there is so I listened to it again and it sounded pretty dope so now I put it in my top 200 all-time again and it might rise in the future.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Nick »

Rob wrote:
notbrianeno wrote:Thinking about the songs race today, there's a case to be made that "Can't Feel My Face" could very well win, given its success among indie, rap/r&b, and pop critics.
Seriously? I haven't followed the reception of The Weeknd or that song, but I have heard it many times on the radio and thought of it as just another generic pop song that in two years will be forgotten. In fact, as commercial hits go this is one of the least like-able of the year in my opinion. What on Earth is it that makes this a contender for year-best?
Agreed completely. I really liked "House of Baloons", but his last two albums have been complete bores. I'm sure his newfound mainstream breakthrough will score him some cred with the critics when it comes to singles though.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by GucciLittlePiggy »

The Weeknd's were the only top 40 hits I enjoyed this year (granted, I don't listen to much of the top 40 these days). I wouldn't necessarily call his pop crossover a welcome change since his latest album was almost entirely filler, but his vocal delivery and his production crew certainly led to a few of the better singles of the year. None are likely to crack my personal top 50, but I can totally see "CFMF" making the critics' top ten, even though it would be poised to fall down AM over the next few years. I'll say, though, that like most pop singles I hated "CFMF" when I heard it on the radio but after giving it the headphones treatment it improved dramatically.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Nick »

Re: TPAB

I knew the album was special about halfway through the first song, and by the time I got to "King Kunta" I knew that if the album kept up its level of quality, it would undoubtedly enter my top 3 albums of the year. Well now the year's over and "To Pimp a Butterfly" is my AOTY by a pretty wide margin. How wide of a margin? The widest margin that has existed between my AOTY and my second place AOTY since 2009. Currently my top 2 albums of 2015 rank like this on my all time albums list...

130. Kendrick Lamar- To Pimp a Butterfly
281. Tame Impala- Currents

While my top 2 albums of 2009 rank like this...

65. Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion
328. Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest

Generally speaking, it takes a while for albums to move up into my top 100 of all time, but I could see "To Pimp a Butterfly" moving up there in a year's time or so. It's tough to say now though. It's a great, great album, but if I'm going to hurt a sacred cow, then I'd might as well get it over with.

"To Pimp a Butterfly" is a really, really, really DENSE album. If music was food, this album would be a 5 course meal, appetizers, deserts, and even some coffee with creamer at the end. It's a nearly 80 minute long jazz/rap/funk/r&b album that has barely any conventionally "catchy" songs, and deals with some incredibly heavy topics. It's 16 songs long, and the final song is a staggering 12 minutes in length. Basically, you really feel the entire weight of this album on you when you're listening to it, and all that weight, all that density, it can be overwhelming at times. This album wouldn't be hurt by shedding one or two of its weaker songs, and even though I'm convinced that it's a masterpiece, it's not a perfect album by any means, and I can entirely understand those who claim that it has little replay value.

Of course, the idea that a work of art can be great while also containing little repeat value is not without precedent. For movies, one might cite "Requiem for a Dream" or "Schindler's List". If someone cited "To Pimp a Butterfly" for music, I wouldn't fully agree, but I wouldn't fully disagree either. It's a fantastic work of art, but the general sense of impenetrability to it all might prevent it from moving up that much higher on my all time list, and probably goes a long way to explaining why I prefer "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" (currently #55 on my all time list) over it.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Henrik »

whuntva wrote:The ONLY gripe I have with TPAB is that it feels very political.
For me it's the opposite. Musically, rap generally has too much lyrics for me to really enjoy, but it's a powerful way to deliver political (or socially conscious) messages.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Rob »

jamieW wrote:
Rob wrote:
notbrianeno wrote:Thinking about the songs race today, there's a case to be made that "Can't Feel My Face" could very well win, given its success among indie, rap/r&b, and pop critics.
Seriously? I haven't followed the reception of The Weeknd or that song, but I have heard it many times on the radio and thought of it as just another generic pop song that in two years will be forgotten. In fact, as commercial hits go this is one of the least like-able of the year in my opinion. What on Earth is it that makes this a contender for year-best?
It's funny, because I'm one of the huge pop fans on the forum, and have said repeatedly that I'm disappointed with so many of the pop songs the critics deem to be acclaimed, when I feel there are so many better out there. However, I get "Can't Feel My Face," since I do feel it's one of the best pop songs of the past several years. I've heard too many songs to mention that attempt to channel Michael Jackson, but this is one of the few I thought would've made Michael proud.

I wouldn't call myself a pop fan in general, but I do think there is better work in the genre nowadays than people give it credit for. However, one annoyance I have with current pop is the way they reference eighties music. No, "reference" is too weak a word, "copy" is much better. Usually when an old style becomes popular again at a later time it gets modernized. Think about how Amy Winehouse clearly took inspiration from the old songs from the fifties but performed them in a way that could only be done now. This is missing in the 80's revival in current pop. They do not simply refer to the old songs, they seem to want to be exactly like them. Perhaps I'm just not the biggest eighties fan, but many of those tracks seem already dated on the day they are released. In Dutch pop music this problem is even bigger, by the way. The eighties revival here is just taken one step too far.

The problem with Can't Feel My Face for me probably is that it not only seems like a uninspired callback to a period and style I have maybe too little affection for, but also to an artist I do not particular care for. I'm also reminded of Michael Jackson when I hear the song. How could I not, with a guest vocal (I don't know by who) that sings "But I love it" in exact the same voice as Jackson did. Michael Jackson has a couple of songs I really like, but most of the rest I can't stand. I guess Can't Feel My Face is just a combination of elements I'm not fond of.

Having said that, I hope that the number one song of the year will be something a bit more innovative than a faithful tribute to a star from the eighties. I'd rather have a single take the top spot that feels absolutely 2015. Of course there is no clear winner yet, so I guess a compromise could win. I feel like that happened last time. Seasons is a fun track, but doesn't particularly feel like a year-defining track, as far as such a thing could be possible. Love it or hate it, Two Weeks by FKA Twigs felt more new to me, to just pick another high-ranking song.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by jamieW »

Rob wrote:I wouldn't call myself a pop fan in general, but I do think there is better work in the genre nowadays than people give it credit for. However, one annoyance I have with current pop is the way they reference eighties music. No, "reference" is too weak a word, "copy" is much better. Usually when an old style becomes popular again at a later time it gets modernized. Think about how Amy Winehouse clearly took inspiration from the old songs from the fifties but performed them in a way that could only be done now. This is missing in the 80's revival in current pop. They do not simply refer to the old songs, they seem to want to be exactly like them. Perhaps I'm just not the biggest eighties fan, but many of those tracks seem already dated on the day they are released. In Dutch pop music this problem is even bigger, by the way. The eighties revival here is just taken one step too far.

The problem with Can't Feel My Face for me probably is that it not only seems like a uninspired callback to a period and style I have maybe too little affection for, but also to an artist I do not particular care for. I'm also reminded of Michael Jackson when I hear the song. How could I not, with a guest vocal (I don't know by who) that sings "But I love it" in exact the same voice as Jackson did. Michael Jackson has a couple of songs I really like, but most of the rest I can't stand. I guess Can't Feel My Face is just a combination of elements I'm not fond of.

Having said that, I hope that the number one song of the year will be something a bit more innovative than a faithful tribute to a star from the eighties. I'd rather have a single take the top spot that feels absolutely 2015. Of course there is no clear winner yet, so I guess a compromise could win. I feel like that happened last time. Seasons is a fun track, but doesn't particularly feel like a year-defining track, as far as such a thing could be possible. Love it or hate it, Two Weeks by FKA Twigs felt more new to me, to just pick another high-ranking song.
It’s crazy that I never thought about it before, but I think you caught me in a bit of hypocrisy here. On weekends, I’ll still listen to “classic” 1980’s editions of American Top 40 with Casey Kasem just for the pure nostalgia. A couple of weeks ago, when they were playing “Rock This Town” by the Stray Cats, I told my wife that, while I love music from the 1950s, I never liked the Stray Cats because all they did was rip off music from the decade without adding anything new to it whatsoever. Meanwhile, in the past year, I’ve praised “Style” by Taylor Swift and “CFMF” by the Weeknd because they “remind me so much of the eighties,” which is the decade in which I grew up! Obviously, my feelings toward these songs won’t change—as music lovers, we like what we like. But your post definitely made me laugh for not noticing this inconsistency in myself before. I do believe that, the next time I hear the Stray Cats, I might have to give them a break…
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by PlasticRam »

I'd just like to add to the conversation that Kanye was prolly the first rap artist to kinda bring back that 80s sound and
The Weeknd has said that he has been influenced by Ye. That Kanye influence Image
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Rob »

jamieW wrote:Obviously, my feelings toward these songs won’t change—as music lovers, we like what we like. But your post definitely made me laugh for not noticing this inconsistency in myself before.
I think we simply are more forgiving towards songs in a style we like, even if it isn't completely original. We all have our little inconsistencies and I don't think it is real hypocrisy. Perhaps I wouldn't have mind the eighties pop sound of Can't Feel My Face at all if I had more compassion for that type of song.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Henrik »

Rob wrote:
jamieW wrote:Obviously, my feelings toward these songs won’t change—as music lovers, we like what we like. But your post definitely made me laugh for not noticing this inconsistency in myself before.
I think we simply are more forgiving towards songs in a style we like, even if it isn't completely original. We all have our little inconsistencies and I don't think it is real hypocrisy. Perhaps I wouldn't have mind the eighties pop sound of Can't Feel My Face at all if I had more compassion for that type of song.
If it sounds like an MJ song, does that make it an 80s song? Because I don't hear it. The production is totally 10s to me.

This is definitely a style I like, so I have room for lots of minor variations. But name one song in 2015 that sounds completely original!?
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by notbrianeno »

Didn't expect to cause this much uproar with the suggestion of "Can't Feel My Face." I will add, however, that "Get Lucky" was the most acclaimed song of 2013, pop in both success and genre, as well as a throwback to an earlier era, and I don't see how any of these reasons would rule CFMF out for the SOTY title. All of the other acclaimed artists this year (Kendrick, Sufjan, Julia Holter, etc) delivered on the soon-to-be-classic albums end, but lacked one "iconic" song in the critical eye to gain attention as a contender for SOTY. In my mind, "Let It Happen" and "CFMF" are the two most realistic possibilities for SOTY.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Nick »

notbrianeno wrote:Didn't expect to cause this much uproar with the suggestion of "Can't Feel My Face." I will add, however, that "Get Lucky" was the most acclaimed song of 2013, pop in both success and genre, as well as a throwback to an earlier era, and I don't see how any of these reasons would rule CFMF out for the SOTY title. All of the other acclaimed artists this year (Kendrick, Sufjan, Julia Holter, etc) delivered on the soon-to-be-classic albums end, but lacked one "iconic" song in the critical eye to gain attention as a contender for SOTY. In my mind, "Let It Happen" and "CFMF" are the two most realistic possibilities for SOTY.
I can think of two large differences between "Get Lucky" and "CFMF", which may explain why "Get Lucky" is super acclaimed, while "CFMF" (in my opinion) will not be the SOTY (or even make the top 10 SOTYs).

For starters, in the past 25 years, every single SOTY has come from an album currently in the top 1,000 albums of all time- with three exceptions. The first two exceptions are "Creep" from 1992 and "Music Sounds Better with You" from 1998, the first of which came from an unranked album, while the later was a standalone single. The third exception? 2008's "Blind", which came from an album that just barely missed the cut off (Hercules and Love Affair's self-titled debut ranks at a respectable 1159 on the all time albums list). So in the past 15 years, every single SOTY has come from a highly acclaimed album (let's define "highly acclaimed" as anything ranking 1,500 or higher on the all time list).

"Beauty Behind the Madness", with a 74/100 on Metacritic and a total lack of ranking on Otisredding's Megacritic (out of the 205 albums from this year Otisredding has ranked, The Weeknd's failed to make the cut), it's pretty safe to say that the album will not become "highly acclaimed" (chances are it won't even be a bubbler, though it might).
If "CFMF" became the SOTY, it would buck a 15 year tradition, which I just can't see happening.

The second main difference between "Get Lucky" and "CFMF" is that Daft Punk had a rock solid history of acclaim prior to the release of "Get Lucky". With multiple songs in the top 500, and a couple more in the 501-1000 range, Daft Punk were no strangers to critical success with songs. On the other hand, The Weeknd has a couple songs on AM, but none of them rank all too highly, and his only real claim to acclaim was a highly acclaimed mixtape he released 4 years ago. Everything else he's released since then (two more mixtapes and two studio albums) has been met with total critical indifference. Whereas Daft Punk had set a huge precedent for themselves in terms of critical acclaim, The Weeknd has squandered any critical goodwill he achieved with "House of Balloons".

That being said, I'm not going to totally count out "CFMF" just yet. The song is a huge pop hit by an artist that critics have shown a liking to in the past, and even if he's pissed away most of his critical goodwill, I can still see "CFMF" making a respectable showing on the EOY song's list. I would predict the song to land somewhere in the 11-20 range though, not the top 10, and certainly not the coveted SOTY. If I had to place my bets on a single song that'll get the SOTY, it would be "Pedestrian at Best", with "Let it Happen" and "The Blacker the Berry" as a close second and a close third.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by notbrianeno »

Nick wrote:
I can think of two large differences between "Get Lucky" and "CFMF", which may explain why "Get Lucky" is super acclaimed, while "CFMF" (in my opinion) will not be the SOTY (or even make the top 10 SOTYs).

For starters, in the past 25 years, every single SOTY has come from an album currently in the top 1,000 albums of all time- with three exceptions. The first two exceptions are "Creep" from 1992 and "Music Sounds Better with You" from 1998, the first of which came from an unranked album, while the later was a standalone single. The third exception? 2008's "Blind", which came from an album that just barely missed the cut off (Hercules and Love Affair's self-titled debut ranks at a respectable 1159 on the all time albums list). So in the past 15 years, every single SOTY has come from a highly acclaimed album (let's define "highly acclaimed" as anything ranking 1,500 or higher on the all time list).

"Beauty Behind the Madness", with a 74/100 on Metacritic and a total lack of ranking on Otisredding's Megacritic (out of the 205 albums from this year Otisredding has ranked, The Weeknd's failed to make the cut), it's pretty safe to say that the album will not become "highly acclaimed" (chances are it won't even be a bubbler, though it might).
If "CFMF" became the SOTY, it would buck a 15 year tradition, which I just can't see happening.

The second main difference between "Get Lucky" and "CFMF" is that Daft Punk had a rock solid history of acclaim prior to the release of "Get Lucky". With multiple songs in the top 500, and a couple more in the <a href="tel:501-1000">501-1000</a> range, Daft Punk were no strangers to critical success with songs. On the other hand, The Weeknd has a couple songs on AM, but none of them rank all too highly, and his only real claim to acclaim was a highly acclaimed mixtape he released 4 years ago. Everything else he's released since then (two more mixtapes and two studio albums) has been met with total critical indifference. Whereas Daft Punk had set a huge precedent for themselves in terms of critical acclaim, The Weeknd has squandered any critical goodwill he achieved with "House of Balloons".

That being said, I'm not going to totally count out "CFMF" just yet. The song is a huge pop hit by an artist that critics have shown a liking to in the past, and even if he's pissed away most of his critical goodwill, I can still see "CFMF" making a respectable showing on the EOY song's list. I would predict the song to land somewhere in the 11-20 range though, not the top 10, and certainly not the coveted SOTY. If I had to place my bets on a single song that'll get the SOTY, it would be "Pedestrian at Best", with "Let it Happen" and "The Blacker the Berry" as a close second and a close third.
Great analysis Nick! I agree with a lot of this actually. I'm basing my prediction mainly on the assumption that most of the "big" artists this year have multiple acclaimed songs which will split their support for example, "King Kunta" "Alright" and "The Blacker the Berry" could divide up Kendricks vote and cost him the top spot. I think the same could happen with "Pedestrian at Best" and "Depreston," in addition to the fact that I don't think Barnett has quite a large enough voting bloc as it is to take the SOTY. "Let It Happen" seems to be a more likely shot at the critics coalescing around a single artist/song, with CFMF being my semi-wild card pick to do the same.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Rob »

notbrianeno wrote:Didn't expect to cause this much uproar with the suggestion of "Can't Feel My Face." I will add, however, that "Get Lucky" was the most acclaimed song of 2013, pop in both success and genre, as well as a throwback to an earlier era, and I don't see how any of these reasons would rule CFMF out for the SOTY title.
I actually thought about Get Lucky as well in this discussion. It is rather obviously a throwback to the music of Chic. I mean, they even got Nile Rodgers to help them. But somehow it felt fresh and still unmistakably Daft Punk, instead of just a rehash. The same way that Amy Winehouse fell in a readily recognizable old-school genre, but was also clearly something new.

In contrast, Can't Feel My Face felt stale and outdated to me the minute it was released. I have to admit that Henrik is somewhat right that it still sounds something like a 2015 song, though mostly in a technical way. I guess it is all just a matter of perception, but to me Weeknd has created a forgettable, uninspired song with no identity to call its own. That last point is probably a worse crime than being outdated to me. But to each his own.
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Re: EOY 2015 Predictions

Post by Romain »

Nick wrote:I can think of two large differences between "Get Lucky" and "CFMF", which may explain why "Get Lucky" is super acclaimed, while "CFMF" (in my opinion) will not be the SOTY (or even make the top 10 SOTYs).
For my part, I can see a HUGE difference. Even though I did not want listen "Get Lucky", I had to... it was everywhere, all the time, in all areas (internet, TV, radio).

In the other hand,I still have not heard the other song, for an almost unknown band that have never aired or on TV or radio for the common people.

It's a big difference, no ? (I hope the words are not too hard, I have somme difficulties with the nuances in english ;-) )
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