 |
| Paramore returned this year. Are they back at the top of my yearly list? | Credit: Fanpop.com |
I know that this seems like a cheat because I always write about my favorite songs every year anyway. OK, fine. I will try to write something about movies or TV series that is not about ranking them (something I do annually as well) before this year ends. But for now, let us tackle about my year in music.
This year has been unintentionally similar to 2007 for me. Three of my favorite bands (Paramore, Jimmy Eat World and Fall Out Boy) released albums in both 2007 and 2013. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series. In case you do not know, the last time they did was 2007. Same goes with the La Salle Green Archers (yuck!). Fall Out Boy performed in Manila in 2007 as well. Although I was not able to watch it this time around, they were still able to rock the house in the Philippines this year.
Thus, I am writing this in the same format as I did in 2007.
December 2012: Gym Class Heroes ft. Ryan Tedder – The Fighter
Give ‘em hell, turn their heads
Gonna live-life-til-we're-dead.
Give me scars, give me pain
Then they'll say to me, say to me, say to me
There goes a fighter, there goes a fighter
Here comes a fighter
That's what they'll say to me, say to me
Say to me, this one's a fighter
Stanza parts are actually good for this feel-good song, but I have to use the chorus part because it simply is powerful. I actually liked the song after it was featured in the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ championship montage last year. I know it was a bit late for me to get into this song last year but it is better late than never.
I liked this song a lot because it delivers a strong message on fighting especially for the masochists. The song gives a resounding battlecry that you fight through it even if you are bloodied and bruised. And if you ask me if I am a masochist, yeah I am (I learned to be and it was not my choice – I actually do not like to be one). This life is going to give you lots of pain and you hope you have the optimism and determination to roll with the punches. This song helps somehow.
January 2013: fun. – Carry On
If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone,
Carry on
I thought fun.’s “Some Nights” was so last year until Jessica Mendoza tweeted this song last January. I may have been to an emo phase in my life before (especially in 2007) but I actually am fond of positive songs. “Carry On” does that as it tells us to carry on despite of all the bad things or uncertainties that happen to us. This is easily the best song from fun.’s album. Even better is to listen to their acoustic version which is simply a musical masterpiece. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ_y-WQOU-Q
I can still remember listening to this song upon knowing that my grandmother’s sister passed away last January. Same happened when my uncle died last July. And yeah, I admit that I avoid listening to this song again because I am such a superstitious guy. But from my non-superstitious side, I tell you this is just a brilliant song.
Runner-Up: Paramore – Feeling Sorry (Acoustic). Because Hayley’s voice here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBqwzT_rraA is simply beautiful even when it was about to crack.
February 2013: Paramore - Hello Cold World
It's not the way you plan it
It's how you make it happenI am actually tempted to use the chorus part because it had “it’s got me down, but I’ll get right back up” but to avoid being cliché, I am using these two lines from this inspirational song because it is so true.
I first listened to this song during Paramore’s concert in Manila. They chose this as one of their encore songs and it made me feel bad I missed out on the “Singles Club” songs. I instantly fell in love with the song even if Hayley was singing it very fast. Maybe, it was the execution of the whole song. It has that very uplifting tone in it with the high guitar notes in the melody. If you are going to describe it in Filipino, “madaling sakyan yung kanta.”
When I read the lyrics the next day, I loved it more than ever. In case you have not realized it yet, most of the songs I have discussed so far is about situations on “being beaten into a pulp but getting right back up and not giving up.” “Hello Cold World” does that with Hayley’s raspy yet likable voice to boot.
March 2013: Paramore - Looking Up/Paramore – Renegade
Could have given up so easily
I was a few cheap shots away from the end of me
Taken for granted, 'most everything
Do you think we are stopping at motivational songs here? No, we are not. This was actually from Paramore’s 2009 album “Brand New Eyes” but it was just this year that I have appreciated it. It is about chasing your dreams, having doubts on them and fighting for them. This is why I love Paramore songs. Everyone categorizes them punk or sometimes emo, but their songs are not emo at all because of the positivity behind those.
This song’s climax is also very fitting as Hayley sings “I can’t believe we almost have give up!.. We’re just getting started.” So positive and so true. Usually, dreams get crushed early on because of our doubts, insecurities or outright pessimism. But if you fight for those, who knows? Your dream might come true.
As for “Renegade,” I actually did not bother that much with the lyrics but because it is so Paramore-ish, it was not hard to not like it. It was not released this year, but it is never too late to appreciate a good song. Also, you have Hayley belting some good ol’ high notes in this song. That is always a win.
April 2013: Fall Out Boy - The Phoenix
Hey young blood, doesn't it feel like our time is running out?
I'm gonna change you like a remix
Then I'll raise you like a phoenixFall Out Boy is back! They released “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark” initially but I liked “The Phoenix” better then because 1) I have a tendency to like the less popular song, 2) the progression of this song is stronger and 3) oh yes, it has the feel of ‘rising up from the ashes (duh!)’ which is something similar to the motivational thing I have been riding all year long.
May 2013: Paramore: Still Into You/The Shins – Simple Song
And baby even on our worst nights
I'm into you (I'm into you)
Of course, I need to have this Paramore song in this list, right? This is Paramore’s most popular song this year after all.
In all honesty, I actually did not like the song when I first heard it. It was polarizing because it was far from the usual heavy rock band I am used to listening. But then, Hayley’s voice always charms me even if she sings the phonebook (American Idol cliché reference alert!).
That has been Paramore’s self-titled album this year. They have deviated from their punk rock style and have evolved into a combination of pop-rock/ska/reggae/soul band. Not all things stay the same. Musical bands – even if they put in their signature style in their songs – also evolve. Smashing Pumpkins did that post-Mellon Collie. Fall Out Boy became more mainstream-friendly during ‘Infinity on High.’ Heck, even the Beatles added more flavor to their music (remember ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band?’)
Paramore was due for this musical change. I did not like it at the start but it suddenly grew on me. And that was when I realized that for better or for worse, I am still into the band.
Remember walking a mile to your house,
A glow in the dark
I made a fumbling play for your heart,
And the act struck a spark.
You wore a charm on the chain that I stole,
Special for you.
Love's such a delicate thing that we do,
With nothing to prove,
Which I never knew.Thanks to “How I Met Your Mother.” I have found a huge appreciation for this song. This was used on the final sequence of the previous season finale where it ended with the revelation of the Mother. This song is a purely uplifting love song as its imagery shows how love makes things easier for the persona. (My life in an upturned boat/Marooned on a cliff/You brought me a great big flood/And you gave me a lift) And more importantly, the song progresses well with small touches of a climactic build-up similar to how The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” goes but it moves with a subtle consistency that feels right until it reaches the final part.
June 2013: Vampire Weekend - Diane Young/OneRepublic - Counting Stars
Irish and proud, baby, naturally
But you got the luck of a Kennedy
So grab the wheel and keep holding it tight
‘Til you’re tottering off into that good nightVampire Weekend just upped the ante this year with their album “Modern Vampires of the City.” “Diane Young” is their initial single from it and it caught my fancy similar to how “Oxford Comma” did a few years back. But to be honest, I was more into how they executed this song than its lyrics. I liked how they switch the pacing for this and the climactic execution they had for this in the end. I will be discussing a lot of Vampire Weekend in the next entries so let us go to the next song on the list.
Lately, I've been, I've been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I've been, I've been praying hard,
Said, no more counting dollarsBack in 2008, I would not have envisioned myself listening to OneRepublic. Right now, I actually have listened to a lot of their hits. This song is pretty much straightforward on how it is more important on how one should value spending time with the one you love than concentrate on the money. I think I still have that romantic sense from a few years back so this is right on my wheelhouse.
I checked [cheated] SongMeanings.com and found out that this song actually feels more like a drug thing. What? Really? But.. [reads the lyrics again] Yeah, it really is about that.
#Fail
July 2013: Vampire Weekend - Ya Hey/OneRepublic - If I Lose Myself
Oh, the motherland don't love you
The fatherland don't love you
So why love anything?
“Ya Hey” has got to be one of the most controversial songs in this list because I am a Catholic. Not only am I a Catholic, my family supports the Church strongly as well. You would have a better chance of inserting a cow inside a needle hole than me giving up my Catholic faith. For better or worse, I am also sticking with my faith despite the emergence of anti-religion ideologies in the present time. Vampire Weekend’s newest album actually tackles it a lot with “Ya Hey” and “Unbelievers.” I actually like both songs because they are compelling and these actually made me contemplate a lot. I do understand the ideas behind them. “Ya Hey” is about God (Ya Hey = Yahweh) and Ezra (Vampire Weekend’s vocalist) described God pretty well there. “In the dark of this place, there's the glow of your face” describes God as our Hope in the darkness of this world. “And I can't help but feel that I've made some mistake” describes us committing sin. “So why love anything?” is a question as to why God forgives people no matter how often and how grave their sins are.
“Ya Hey” can be interpreted as “Why does God let these bad things happen and He has the gall to say that His name should not be known” or “Despite bad things happening, God shows His unconditional love to us. Yes, disasters and bad stuff happen. We usually ask ourselves, why does God let it happen? It is because we cannot easily understand Him (as the song says, who could ever live that way). He has his reasons.” Aside from that, God does not interfere with science usually, right? He still operates on the same border as this Earth’s limitations. Just imagine if God just interfered (via miracles) with science on a daily basis: people not helped by God would be whining “Why not them?” all the time. Obviously, I pick the second interpretation for this song.
“Ya Hey” is one of the songs that delivered a profound message to me and made me contemplate more about my faith. It helped me see God more on a positive matter so all is good.
I stand up just to see
Of all the faces,
You are the one next to meI was already listening repeatedly on “If I Lose Myself” as early as June (heck, I even watched OneRepublic perform it with Katharine McPhee in “American Idol” early in the year). This is simply just a cool love song that resonates well for me.
August 2013: Imagine Dragons - It's Time/Fall Out Boy - Just One Yesterday
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am?
Who else did not like this song this year?
I’d trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday
Fall Out Boy’s “Save Rock and Roll” album was one of my most anticipated albums this year. I have listened to their songs back and forth since April. But because I am such a Paramore fanboy, I focused more on Hayley’s band during those times. Sure, I had my FOB songs on my playlist. Songs like My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark, The Phoenix, Where Did The Party Go? and Save Rock and Roll were there last summer. But the song that grew on me through time? “Just One Yesterday.” It is actually a bitter song about a failed relationship (something that I actually could not relate that much because I left most of my angst from my college years). However, the melody of this song was just so good and the way Foxes’ voice blends in the background was splendid.
I also love singing the line “I’d trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday.”
September 2013: Paramore - Ain't It Fun/Vampire Weekend - Hannah Hunt
Where you're from,
You might be the one who's running things
Where you could ring anybody's bell and get what you want
You see it’s easy to ignore trouble
When you’re living in a bubbleSpeaking of songs that resonated quite later, I bring to you Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun.” Back in April this year, I did not like it that well at my first listen. Maybe, I was not yet that accustomed to Paramore’s musical change. But as months go by, this song has become my favorite. I am more a rock music guy but I have to admit that Hayley delivers soulful songs well.
This song’s lyrics are also quite great because it gives off the vibe of “Hello Cold World” in a more realistic and darker side. It is genuine because it exclaims the point that life is tough. Some people live through life well-pampered. They always have their way. But sooner or later, they will realize that life is not as easy and giving as it seems to be. I learned this the hard way early on in my life but I also got the spoiled person treatment before that so this song was easy to relate to.
Favorite part of the song? In the few early lines when Hayley sings “Don’t go crying to your Mama, ‘cause you’re on your own in the real world.” Paramore hits the home run in these lines. Life is tough. Paramore provides us a reminder that life is hard and sometimes you have to suck it up, be humble and just roll with the punches.
If I can't trust you, then dammit, Hannah
There's no future, there's no answer
Though we live on the US dollar
You and me we got our own sense of timeOn the purest sense, this was a well-executed song by Vampire Weekend. The silent beats at the start progressing to a very well climactic sound invokes a beautiful feeling for me. It is a breakup song, but so what? I liked how it sounded. I am a huge fan of great lyrics, but sometimes you just want to enjoy the song by just listening to it.
In case you are wondering, this song’s lyrics are actually brilliant.
October: Fall Out Boy - The (After) Life Of The Party
I'm a stitch away
From making it
And a scar away
From falling apart, apart
The blood cells pixelate
And the eyes dilate
Kiss away young thrills and kills
On the mouths of all my friends
Wow. We have here a 2007 song in the house! Furthermore, it is about something that I actually could not fully relate at that time. But for what it’s worth, I really liked how Fall Out Boy performed the hell out of this song. But if you really want to ask me why I decided to listen to this that time, it was simple: I wanted to relive 2007 as much as possible because I badly wished the Boston Red Sox would win the World Series championship just like in 2007. As soon as La Salle won, it was right on cue: I wanted this year to end up like 2007 did.
November: Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark/Fall Out Boy - Miss Missing You
So light em up up up, light em up up up,
light em up up up, I'm on fire
Honestly, I just wanted to be pumped up when the Sox were about to win the World Series. I know it is quite late to put this as my favorite song of the month by then but I didn’t pick it early on (making this qualify). I discussed a lot about reliving so much of 2007 in my previous month entry but when the Red Sox won Game 5, I could sense that this is it: This is 2013. I need to listen to something that is also about 2013. Screw those superstitions and jinxes. I am riding with the momentum.
Want to be pumped up? This uptempo song does wonders.
Sometimes before it gets better,
The darkness gets bigger,
The person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger
“Miss Missing You” was one of the songs that eventually grew on me because I went on all Fall Out Boy/Jimmy Eat World playlist last October. It is far from the usual uplifting sounds I started the year with, because come on, what do you expect? This is Fall Out Boy.
“Miss Missing You” drives home the point of how you get over a failed relationship regardless if you have been with a girl or you just got flat out friendzoned. It was not what I was actually feeling then but for the sake of relating to the lyrics, that was how this song delivers it. Sometimes, it is not a matter of what you are feeling right now, but it is more on how genuine the feelings a certain song invokes.
My favorite line in this song has to be “The person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger.” This is so true when a romantic relationship fails. And yes, ouch, this line hurts but it is so true, right?
Another good line: “Maybe I'll burn a little brighter tonight, let the fire breathe me back to life.” That’s what you want to feel when love shits on your life, right? Instead of revenge, you just want to shine brighter.
Aside from these, this song was just that uptempo song I needed to listen to then, with or without its context.
Runner-Up: American Authors – Best Day Of My Life. Should be one of the songs of the month but putting three would have been overkill. And yes, in case you want to know if I wanted to listen to something positively driven last month, this was it. OK, I actually did not analyze the song’s lyrics unlike when I analyzed Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today” back in college but I do think this is really a positive song. Am I right? I don’t want to have another #Fail at the end of this paragraph.
Sorry if you felt that my song choices this year mostly revolved around three bands. I actually listened to more songs from other bands than those but I just wanted to keep it real on what I really overplayed in my iPhone’s playlists throughout the year.
Song of the Year: Paramore - Ain't It Fun. Not only was its message so good, I never get tired listening to this for months (from June onwards).
Album of the Year: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City. You thought it was Paramore’s album, right? Wrong. Paramore actually released a very strong album. I still listened to most of the tracks (come on, it’s Hayley’s voice. It’s a no-brainer). However, Vampire Weekend’s album was more poignant. The awesome combo of Unbelievers, Ya Hey, Diane Young, Hannah Hunt, Step and Worship You was too hard to pass up on. It also helps that they deliver a more unique sound.
Band of the Year: Paramore. They evolved and were able to pull it off. I admit, this was a toss-up between them and Vampire Weekend, but before a lightning strikes me, I am picking Hayley Williams’ band. They had a gutsy effort of releasing a different kind of music after all. Also, Paramore performed excellently in Manila this year so that pushes them to the top.
No comments:
Post a Comment