My true, honest feelings on why I enjoy "Bodak Yellow" and "XO Tour Llif3"

[StevieFan13]

The beats are terrific.

(OK, and their flow is nothing to sneeze at either, and there are some really intriguing ideas in the latter. But if I'm being honest, yeah. Still staying on my year-end list though).

[Nassim]

Well that’s my issue actually, the beats are very unremarkable. For Bodak Yellow add that with a terrible flow, and lame lyrics (seriously, if I want a bragging song by a female rapper involving a lot of use of the word pussy, Azealia Banks and Nicki Minaj did it way better.) XO TOUR Llif3 is at least a bit better on the thematic side, but still nothing brilliant imo.
I’m not big on that trap rap wave, in part because I think aside from maybe Migos the actual rapping is often subpar, but at least previous acclaimed songs (Black Beatles, Panda, Broccoli, Bad and Boujee that will probably make the hugest jump in AM when end of decade lists come, given how it came out too late for 2017 lists and too early for 2018 lists) all had beats you would remember and a chorus that sticks in your head. Those 2 have none of that.

[acroamor]

Nobody should have to justify liking either of these songs. They're great. Simple as that.

[StevieFan13]

Nobody should have to justify liking either of these songs. They're great. Simple as that.

Thank you. I'd like to think so, but both have received enough hate here that I kinda wanted to explain myself.

[BleuPanda]

Hmm...I wonder if people are actually reading what critics are saying about the song to justify its placement. As much as we simplify all these lists down to their rank and nothing more, pretty much all of these lists have at least a paragraph explaining each song; Pitchfork wrote 450 on Bodak Yellow specifically when they ranked it #1.

This likely goes along with DAMN.; critics aren't simply throwing a list together at random. They tend to have their justification and everything.

I don't quite get Bodak Yellow from either angle; I don't love it, but I don't get why people seem to be having such a vitriolic reaction toward it. I've just added it to the pile of recent songs like Black Beatles that make up a genre shift I'm not all that interested in yet.

[Nick]

Hmm...I wonder if people are actually reading what critics are saying about the song to justify its placement. As much as we simplify all these lists down to their rank and nothing more, pretty much all of these lists have at least a paragraph explaining each song; Pitchfork wrote 450 on Bodak Yellow specifically when they ranked it #1.

I did read the Pitchfork blurb about the song on their EOY 2017 list, and it honestly just reinforced my dislike for both the song, and the recent direction I feel music criticism has taken. Though the blurb contained 450 words, barely any of those words were devoted to the actual music itself. Instead, the blurb waxes on and on about the supposed "importance" of the song and its context as some sort of rebuke to xenophobia (which it's not). Compare that to past write ups, like for their SOTY of 2007 (LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends"), where almost all of the blurb focuses on the music itself.

And this is where my complaint when it comes to music criticism as of late comes in. Context may be an important part of art (after all, the power of a song like "A Change Is Gonna Come" or "Fortunate Son" is only reinforced by their contexts within the civil rights movement or the Vietnam War respectively), but it can't be literally the only aspect of art that a critic cares about. Sadly, this seems to be the trend in music criticism, and you can look no further than the Pitchfork blurb on "Bodak Yellow" as proof.

Now, of course, the fact that "Bodak Yellow" is the first song by a woman rapper to go #1 in America in 20 years is important in and of itself. But just think how important that would have been had the first #1 song by a woman rapper in 20 years been a song with an interesting beat, intelligent lyrics, unique instrumentals, captivating flow, technical precision, or literally anything noteworthy about the music itself. A missed opportunity indeed.

[Jackson]

Hmm...I wonder if people are actually reading what critics are saying about the song to justify its placement. As much as we simplify all these lists down to their rank and nothing more, pretty much all of these lists have at least a paragraph explaining each song; Pitchfork wrote 450 on Bodak Yellow specifically when they ranked it #1.

I did read the Pitchfork blurb about the song on their EOY 2017 list, and it honestly just reinforced my dislike for both the song, and the recent direction I feel music criticism has taken. Though the blurb contained 450 words, barely any of those words were devoted to the actual music itself. Instead, the blurb waxes on and on about the supposed "importance" of the song and its context as some sort of rebuke to xenophobia (which it's not). Compare that to past write ups, like for their SOTY of 2007 (LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends"), where almost all of the blurb focuses on the music itself.

And this is where my complaint when it comes to music criticism as of late comes in. Context may be an important part of art (after all, the power of a song like "A Change Is Gonna Come" or "Fortunate Son" is only reinforced by their contexts within the civil rights movement or the Vietnam War respectively), but it can't be literally the only aspect of art that a critic cares about. Sadly, this seems to be the trend in music criticism, and you can look no further than the Pitchfork blurb on "Bodak Yellow" as proof.

Now, of course, the fact that "Bodak Yellow" is the first song by a woman rapper to go #1 in America in 20 years is important in and of itself. But just think how important that would have been had the first #1 song by a woman rapper in 20 years been a song with an interesting beat, intelligent lyrics, unique instrumentals, captivating flow, technical precision, or literally anything noteworthy about the music itself. A missed opportunity indeed.

Couldn't agree more and that is exactly what annoys me (and many others) about Pitchfork's writing, and that's true on many of their selections I agree with.

Where did you get that stat about chart performance? Fancy was a US #1 hit in 2014. I'm not sure what makes a song like Bodak Yellow highly acclaimed when Fancy was not, btw.

[Nick]

Hmm...I wonder if people are actually reading what critics are saying about the song to justify its placement. As much as we simplify all these lists down to their rank and nothing more, pretty much all of these lists have at least a paragraph explaining each song; Pitchfork wrote 450 on Bodak Yellow specifically when they ranked it #1.

I did read the Pitchfork blurb about the song on their EOY 2017 list, and it honestly just reinforced my dislike for both the song, and the recent direction I feel music criticism has taken. Though the blurb contained 450 words, barely any of those words were devoted to the actual music itself. Instead, the blurb waxes on and on about the supposed "importance" of the song and its context as some sort of rebuke to xenophobia (which it's not). Compare that to past write ups, like for their SOTY of 2007 (LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends"), where almost all of the blurb focuses on the music itself.

And this is where my complaint when it comes to music criticism as of late comes in. Context may be an important part of art (after all, the power of a song like "A Change Is Gonna Come" or "Fortunate Son" is only reinforced by their contexts within the civil rights movement or the Vietnam War respectively), but it can't be literally the only aspect of art that a critic cares about. Sadly, this seems to be the trend in music criticism, and you can look no further than the Pitchfork blurb on "Bodak Yellow" as proof.

Now, of course, the fact that "Bodak Yellow" is the first song by a woman rapper to go #1 in America in 20 years is important in and of itself. But just think how important that would have been had the first #1 song by a woman rapper in 20 years been a song with an interesting beat, intelligent lyrics, unique instrumentals, captivating flow, technical precision, or literally anything noteworthy about the music itself. A missed opportunity indeed.

Couldn't agree more and that is exactly what annoys me (and many others) about Pitchfork's writing, and that's true on many of their selections I agree with.

Where did you get that stat about chart performance? Fancy was a US #1 hit in 2014. I'm not sure what makes a song like Bodak Yellow highly acclaimed when Fancy was not, btw.

I can't recall where I read the stat, but you're right, "Fancy" did go #1 in the US. Maybe it was first #1 by a black woman rapper in 20 years?

[StevieFan13]

We don’t speak the name Iggy Azalea ‘round these parts.

[prosecutorgodot]

Fancy > Bodak Yellow

I find "Bodak" boring. At least "Fancy" has a ridiculously catchy hook.

[Dexter]

Cardi B is the first female rapper to rule without any other billed acts since Lauryn Hill in 1998. After Hill, Lil' Kim ruled for five weeks in 2001 with Christina Aguilera, Mya and P!nk on "Lady Marmalade"; Shawnna reigned as featured on Ludacris' "Stand Up," which topped the Dec. 6, 2003, chart; and Iggy Azalea's introductory Hot 100 hit, "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX, led for seven weeks in 2014.
source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/colu ... al-the-man

I'll probably cringe when the next songs update comes because it's most likely "Bodak Yellow" will enter the top 1000.

[Nick]

Cardi B is the first female rapper to rule without any other billed acts since Lauryn Hill in 1998. After Hill, Lil' Kim ruled for five weeks in 2001 with Christina Aguilera, Mya and P!nk on "Lady Marmalade"; Shawnna reigned as featured on Ludacris' "Stand Up," which topped the Dec. 6, 2003, chart; and Iggy Azalea's introductory Hot 100 hit, "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX, led for seven weeks in 2014.
source: https://www.billboard.com/articles/colu ... al-the-man

I'll probably cringe when the next songs update comes because it's most likely "Bodak Yellow" will enter the top 1000.

I don't know if you've checked the latest EOY songs spreadsheet, but it looks like this piece of hot garbage is headed straight for the top 500.

[acroamor]

Wow, it looks like a bunch of people in this thread aren't making money moves.

[StevieFan13]

Wow, it looks like a bunch of people in this thread aren't making money moves.

I don't really care if they cry.