I feel like I apologise way toomuch for not posting so I'll make it quick. Sorry for being away for a
little over a year! And now that's over and done with, let's get right into it!
So what's been happening in the year we've been away? The answer to that dear reader is that I've been digging my teeth into the world of K-Pop. It started with one music video and now I'm here one year later with playlists full if it.
So here we go! This is my year in Kpop
f(x) - 4 Walls
Album: 4 Walls Why you should listen: It's f(x)'s long awaited comeback since the
departure of Sulli in 2014. This single caught me by surprise with
it's house vibe. Compared to their past releases, this one caught me bysurprise and it's nice to hear Amber actually singing more than rapping. Actually the whole album caught me by surprise. 4 Walls as an album is a work that I recommend as a whole. Other Notable Releases: X, Diamond (but really everything on the 4 Walls Album is gold.)
SHINee - Married to the Music
Album: Married to the Music (Repackage) Why you should listen: This was the first Kpop song that actually
encouraged me to have a look at an entire album. It is also the song
that I first recommend to other people. I have mentioned before that I love a good brass section and the chorus is all about that. And the
music video is a lot of fun to watch as well with its Halloween, Rocky Horror Picture Show-esque theme. Other Notable Releases: View, Odd Eye, (the whole album is pretty darn good anyway)
On the night of the October 27th I was going mad. Why you may ask? Because I didn't realise that 1989 was going to be released on iTunes that night, the 28th was the official NZ release date. So I spent that night listening to the three tracks I already had on a loop to mentally prepare myself. But a few hours later, on the 28th, I woke up early and walked in the rain to go get my physical copy of the deluxe album. You see, I really wanted those Polaroids, bonus tracks and songwriting voice memos. Did I overreact? Probably. But here I am, having listened to the album for about a week, and ready to tell you dear reader, if it was all worth it.
The two year mark since Red has passed and Taylor Swift is back and ready to start the 1989 era. Which means it's time for me to put the fangirl glasses down (but keep my regular glasses on) and get ready for a new track-by-track review. Bear with me because I'm still figuring out how I like to do these. I like to rate the songs individually based on what I like and what they are like musically (instrumentation, rhythm etc.). Also, bear with me as it's hard to find unpitched versions of new songs.
1989 is Swift's first official pop album, no matter how much iTunes tries to label it as country. For some reason mine was categorised as Country & Folk... okay iTunes. It's a massive gamble for someone to switch genres but Taylor has been toeing that line between country and pop for a long time. If you take a look at Red (2012) there were still some elements of country with twangy guitars but the same record toyed with elements of dubstep. So I guess it was only natural for the official switchover to happen. But let's see if it paid off. Hold on tight people, it's a long one!
by Justine
FIVE YEARS! It's been FIVE YEARS! Tokio Hotel have sure taken their time in producing their latest album Kings of Suburbia but just one listen through the album will tell you why. The twins, Bill and Tom Kaulitz, relocated to LA not long after the release of their previous album, Humanoid. Contrary to what normal people may believe about LA, it seems the city provided them with a much more "live-able" lifestyle. In Germany it didn't seem like they had much chance to leave their homes or live like everyday people (I'm guessing that's what World Behind My Wall was about). The G's, Georg and Gustav, remained in Germany but the twins seem to have found a more comfortable and free lifestyle in the US. Undoubtedly, this fuelled a new kind of creativity of which the product is Kings of Suburbia. The boys have certainly shocked with their drastically different sound but once over the initial "what the hell?!" this album is actually quite good.
Feel It All
The song starts with a soft electric sound followed by a drum beat and a rather different sounding vocal from Bill. It's not nearly as auto-tuned as the other songs on this album and you can actually hear Bill's voice. It has a fairly simple structure with a very electric and "studio produced" feel rather than their trademark "live rock band" sound. While it's not exactly a stand out on the album, I find it easy to listen to and quite likeable. It's a good opening track as it's a subtle introduction to the new sound.
Stormy Weather
SO MUCH AUTO-TUNE! I sometimes wonder how on earth Bill is going to perform some of these songs live! Not that I don't doubt he can hit the high notes (he did manage to get that extremely high note in Love and Death on their Welcome to Humanoid City Tour after all). BUT, that being said, I actually really like this song. I like the low tones at the beginning of the song and the fact that the electric guitar actually plays a role in the song. The beat is great and it has a lot of power. It's one of my favourites on the album. My only criticism would be the lack of inventive lyrics in the chorus and the poor grammar (It is "a" stormy weather? Just no...). I can imagine them rocking out to this in concert - in fact I think it would be a great opening number for their tour (*hint hint*).
by Justine
Greetings dear readers, today you will be getting more bang for your buck! Last night I attended the concert of famous, suited-up legend, Justin Timberlake along with my friend Jai. He has asked (countlessly) to guest blog so today we're giving him the chance. The first part of this blog will be my review of the concert and the second part will be his.
Straight into it then?
It's been 7 years since JT last graced the stage at Vector Arena in Auckland, and there was 13 year old me, with my family, sitting for the first time in said arena and seeing my first concert in NZ. Now, at 20 years old (*shudder*) I found myself there again, this time clad in the overpriced JT shirt I'd purchased at that last concert and with significantly better seats. We were lower bowl this time, about three rows from the floor and stage left with a freaking incredible view.
The opening act was relatively dull. It was just a DJ with his set playing an array of music and hoping to get people jumping. It was forgettable most certainly. However, it didn't make that much of a difference really - who wants an opening act that outshines the headliner anyway? (I'm looking at you PussyCat Dolls...).
By quarter to nine the show really started. The set was excellent. There was just enough room on the stage for JT and his crew to show off their superb dance moves with the Tennessee Kids (his band) directly behind looking like they were having the time of their life. A flight of stairs rose behind the band from which JT emerged atop with the stage-length screen flickering to life behind him. The opening song was the first song on his most recent album, The 20/20 Experience, called Pusher Love Girl. Admittedly, I'd only heard the song for the first time directly before the concert in my mad rush to familiarise myself with at least SOME of the new songs.
My apologies for the serious lack of posts these last few weeks! Uni is definitely cracking down with only two weeks to finals so forgive us! I'll try my best to catch up on some posts!
It seems relatively unanimous that Pitbull should NEVER be allowed to write/perform the official song to any event. Let's face it, of all the songs that could have been the official song of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Pitbull's We Are One (Ole Ola) was probably the worst option. If the song itself wasn't bad enough, the lacklustre performance at the opening was the icing on the cake. For this week's blog, I'll be looking at five songs that would have been MUCH better options for the official 2014 World Cup song.
1. Vida - Ricky Martin
I do actually prefer the Spanish version of this song (there's one in Portuguese as well - the man is thorough!) but this was the only one with a video. As you may know already, Ricky Martin sang the official FIFA World Cup song in 1998. He did a killer job then with The Cup of Life and I personally think that his song Vida this year should have been a strong contender for the official song. It has a great, upbeat tempo with a characteristic Latin party flavour. Martin is also a pretty decent live performer and he sure puts on a show so I imagine the live performance of this would have definitely outshone Pitbull's lifeless performance. The song is catchy and fun and I can definitely picture hoards of people dancing to it in the streets of Brazil!
First of all, I'm so sorry that we didn't post anything new at all last week. University is starting to wind down for the year which means due dates, due dates, due dates (say that ten times fast)! I'd hate for that to be a regular excuse that we use but that's the harsh reality of that university student life. But let's move on, shall we?
Since the first The Hunger Games (2012) movie was released, I've not only been a fan of the books and movies but also the companion soundtracks! Safe and Sound, Elastic Heart and Shooting Arrows In The Sky are still probably my favourite tracks from the first two albums.for Mockingjay - Part 1, things have started to take a different turn. Lorde is at the helm of the album and has been assigned the task of selecting the songs she thinks fit the theme of the film. It's a huge step in her career especially since she's arguably one of the newcomers taking the world by storm. She did appear on the Catching Fire soundtrack with a dark and broody cover of Everybody Wants to Rule the World. So how does Yellow Flicker Beat match-up to its predecessors?
I had originally planned to write on a completely different subject this week, however, Tokio Hotel just happened to release their new video for second single Girl Got a Gun from their long awaited album (I'm talking 5 years here!) Kings of Suburbia.
The boys have announced that they will be releasing three singles before the whole album becomes available in early October. The first single released was the very un-Tokio Hotel song, Run Run Run. Now I admit, upon hearing the song for the first time, I wasn't quite sure. My favourite TH songs had always had more of a rock feel and I loved the messages in the lyrics. It took a while for the song to grow on me but eventually I was able to accept that a lot can change in five years. They grew up in that time so naturally the music should be different.
I know a fair bit of TH fans were disappointed upon hearing Run Run Run as Georg and Gustav (the G's) seem to have been excluded. The music video released shortly after only featured the twins; Tom on the piano with a cigarette close by, and Bill sitting on a speaker wearing insanely high heels and sporting a short, blonde look - significantly different from the mohawk and lion's mane us fans were used to. The video is completely in black and white with a play on light. Bill's voice sounds quite different although it's probably the result of some auto-tune. The lyrics however did seem to have some resonance with the past TH but it still took some getting used to.
Now, onto Girl Got a Gun. The single was released last week and I was thrilled to have it pop up on my phone that morning. I was a bit disappointed at the song length (2mins 46? Really?) but in any case, having earlier accepted that TH have changed, I took to this song more easily. It certainly didn't sound like anything that they'd done before but it was catchy - especially considering the chorus only consists of the words "Girl got a gun, girl got gun gun gun, girl got a gun, girl got a gun, bang bang" repeated over an over. It's like some strange tongue twister! The rhythm and beat are pretty good so no complaints there.
Naturally, having taken to the song, I simply could not wait until the release of the video! In my head I was picturing the production that was Automatic or Monsoon. I had been obsessively checking YouTube and their website until they finally announced that it would be release on the 23rd of September.
My Everything is Ariana Grande's sophomore album following Yours Truly (2013). I'm not going to bring up another singer who is known for her crazy pipes because frankly I know a lot of people are pretty sick and tired of the comparisons. But alas, Ariana has some crazy vocals that many humans are incapable of. Her rise to fame was a result of appearing on Broadway, numerous Nickelodeon entities and a successful YouTube channel. I liked Yours Truly because of the throwback feel with doo-wops and beautiful harmonies so there were high expectations coming into My Everything. Keep reading for a track-by-track breakdown of the songs on the standard edition!
I've been on a bit of a concert spree it would seem although the two concerts could not have been more different! As many of you will have read, the week before last I attended the Queen + Adam Lambert concert and last Thursday I attended...Andrea Bocelli. I have a bit of a weird taste in music, I like pretty much everything including some good old fashioned classical and opera.
My mum and I attended the concert together as she quite likes her operatic pop (she's a big Il Divo fan). We got all dressed up in our nice clothes and, with hot chocolates in hand, climbed up in the dark to our seats which, though fairly high up, gave an amazing view of the stage. The first difference that struck me was the kind of crowd present. People were drinking wine instead of beer (not that really makes you any more sophisticated in all honesty) and dressed in formal wear instead of rocker gear. Most significantly though, there were no angry drunk people...a welcome change! When we entered the stage was lit with a reddish glow and an entire, fully fledged orchestra was seated with their instruments with the conductor in front and a large choir of approximately a hundred at the back. I found this quite surprising as I expected maybe a few musicians on stage, or even just a soundtrack! But nope, full orchestra. It was quite spectacular.
An "I Want" song is a monologue of sorts that defines what the character uhhh wants. For protagonists it's usually the start of the hero's journey and shows us what their main goal for the movie will be. Villains can have "I Want" songs too ahem HELLFIRE. But since I've already made a post about villain songs, we'll be focusing on our beloved heroes! As always, this is all my own opinion and just the order of songs that I prefer. Also, I had a hard time narrowing these down so I'm going to cheat a little bit and have my honourable mentions at the end.
10. One Jump Ahead (Reprise) - Aladdin
Aladdin wants people to find out that there's so much more to him! Unlike it's original, it's much slower and shorter. Part of me wishes it was a bit longer but I even though it's only a few lines long, it's incredibly effective and one of the most memorable scenes in the film. Fun fact, a song called Proud of Your Boy was deleted early on in the development of the movie and it would have made an amazing addition to this list. Fortunately, it made it into the Broadway production and it's pretty much amazing. You can check out Adam Jacobs (Aladdin on Broadway) singing Proud of Your Boy with the legendary Alan Menken on the piano HERE. (Prepare your tissues!)
The arena was packed to capacity. Young and old, everyone was there. My brother and I sat together in the right section of the arena, me in my darker-than-normal eyeliner, (p)leather jacket and with a bottle of coke in hand (as always), and my brother as expressionless as ever. The stage was bathed in a purplish glow with the Queen logo printed on the sheet that was hiding the stage from view.
Our view of the stage!
Despite being quite high up in the stands, the view was something (although I could have done without the speakers blocking some of the screen). With a crowd of uh...older...people who possibly haven't been to a concert since the 80s, there was some unrest at around 8pm when the band was supposed to grace the stage. They clearly aren't used to the waiting game artists like to play with us. We even had a delightful older gentleman (who was probably drunk before he got there) who began to shout very loudly "WHY ARE WE WAITING?"...stay tuned, this guy becomes important later.
So firstly, my apologies for failing to post last week. Life of a uni student I guess. In any case, I thought I'd do a bit of catching up by posting two reviews this week.
After five years of anxious waiting, catching snippets of them in collaborations, scanning their website for the mention of a new video or even just one of their "thank you for voting" videos, they are FINALLY back. I'm no hard core rock fan but Tokio Hotel has always had a special place with me. I love that their songs have substance and carry important meanings. Their earlier work (i.e. Scream) had excellent songs like Don't Jump (my personal favourite) which was anti-suicide, Forgotten Children about immigrant children that are neglected in the streets and Break Away about refusing to conform to the norms and being your own person.
In 2009 they reappeared on the scene with a new sound and new look (mostly Bill's hair really). Gone was the massive black and white lion's mane now replaced by black and white dreadlocks (what?) for their video Automatic. He'd changed it again by the time they did the video for their second single World Behind My Wall from the long awaited album Humanoid. Admittedly, I only became a fan in late 2009 when I first heard Automatic. I rushed to YouTube and found myself falling in love with their music. I didn't waste time buying Humanoid (in English and German) as well has Scream and some songs from Zimmer 483. I even made sure I got my copy of the Welcome to Humanoid City Tour DVD because sadly, they never seem to tour in NZ. Their performance in the 2009 EMA Awards had me hooked - all that fire and the double meaning to the song World Behind My Wall (I'm referring to the 20 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall). Beautiful.
And now, after a very long absence, Tokio Hotel have decided yet again to grace us fans with something new to feast on - a new season of Tokio Hotel TV! Veteran fans will remember the old series which followed the lives of band members Bill, Tom, Georg and Gustav as they trekked through America on their Scream tour. They boys have been hard at work creating a new album, getting a myriad of new tattoos and piercings and collaborating with fellow label mates, Far East Movement (If I Die Tomorrow is a pretty awesome song!). Of course Bill has been changing up his hair a ton and experimenting with some new clothes which I'm sure fans are going to LOVE.
The first episode of the new Tokio Hotel TV aired on Wednesday 6th August (which was Thursday at like 3am for us Kiwis) and boy was I excited! The boys were finally reunited in LA and work really seemed to underway for the new album. The twins seem to have had an even bigger role in the production of this album although it seems as though Tom's been doing most of the work. The G's, who remained in Germany despite the twins moving to the US, rejoined for the final touches to the album and of course the photo shoots!
They haven't given too many hints as to what the new album will sound like but I have been catching a few snippets of tracks here and there. So far so good! With any luck they'll release it soon and put us all out of our misery. And hopefully they'll go back to making a ton of music videos instead of just two. Come on Bill, I know you love getting all dressed up for them!
If you're a fan like me, do check out their YouTube channel for the new series which airs every Wednesday/Thursday (depending on where you live). If you're not, check them out anyway, they're pretty freaking awesome!
The people who know me know that I've always loved Taylor Swift's music. One look at my iTunes and it's pretty obvious. I may or may not have woken up early to watch the live stream on Monday (or Sunday, depending where you live). Taylor explained how she woke up everyday during the production of the album, NEEDING to create a new sound for herself. Inspired by the vivaciousness of the late 80s and armed with infamous co-writers, 1989 (her birth year) was born. Just to show how much of a freak I am, as soon as she mentioned 80s music, I was screaming in my head "IT'S GOING TO BE NAMED AFTER YOUR BIRTH YEAR ISN'T IT?" I even embarrass myself.
Shake it Off is Taylor's first single from her fifth studio album, 1989, set to be released worldwide on October 27th. Long gone is the curly-haired, cowboy boot wearing, country singer as Shake is her biggest departure from the genre she once originated from.Taylor even admits that 1989 is going to be her first solely pop album, so anyone who says "omg wtf this isn't country," ...she doesn't even claim herself to be country anymore. Taylor teams up with Max Martin and Johan Shellback another time (and certainly not the last) after writing singles together such as We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together and 22 from her previous album. The trio wanted to achieve something like they had never written before and well, they sure achieved that.
Watch "Shake it Off"
Shake it Off is a horn heavy song that follows the trends of many of today's songs. There's something about a good horn line that instantly makes it better followed by a this... sick... beat. I've always loved big bands! It's a mish mash of all of the elements on the radio with one hell of a catchy chorus. It shouldn't work... but it does!. It's something so left-field for Taylor but I guess shocking people is one way to grab people's attention. My only issue is that Taylor's voice can come off quite shrill in the verses and it does catch you off guard. But man.. those lyrics will stick in your head like nobody's business!
The lyrics are nothing too serious with mentions about haters and fakers, complete with a spoken verse rap with a twist of cheerleading chants. It's a far cry from the love songs that she's known for. They're positive and uplifting with a bit a tongue and cheek towards herself. No one makes fun of Taylor Swift like Taylor Swift. "I go on too many dates but I can't make them stay," shows that she doesn't take herself too seriously and despite everything the media throws, nothing can touch her.
How ballerinas drop it low.
I'm going to admit that I may have watched the video way too many times. I haven't been in the best of moods for a while and this definitely put a smile on my face and had me laughing. Taylor explains the concept of the video as just throwing herself into the middle of a group of professional dancers and just seeing what happens. We all know she's an awkward dancer and it's adorable. Taylor tries her hand as a bunny-hopping ballerina, a "less than hip" hip hop dancer, trying to tut, twerk, work magic with silks in modern dance and at some sort of ode to Lady GaGa. If anything it teaches her audience that you can't take yourself too seriously and do what makes you the most comfortable while you're finding out where you belong.
Expectations vs. Reality.
My favourite parts of the video were Taylor "tutting" and the elegant leap she does as a rhythmic gymnast. Work that ribbon! We've all been that awkward dancer at a party who most definitely won't win So You Think You Can Dance... because we most certainly think we can't. Also, the ending with the group of fans was a cute touch! These were all hand-picked fans from instagram, twitter, facebook etc. who were sworn to secrecy after appearing in this music video. But seriously, HOW DID THOSE FANS KEEP THAT SECRET FOR TWO MONTHS?
Oh yeah and this song may have been on repeat the whole day yesterday and today... maybe.
FUN FACT(S): Taylor also hosted a pizza party after her live stream for her fans. She invited them over to her NYC apartment to hang out. WHO DOES THAT?! (Also according to fans who were there: she has a large photo of Ed Sheeran pulling the middle finger and owns Frozen on Blu-Ray.)
KEEP
9/10
(Oops... I don't even know if we do funny decimals for ratings.)
In case you didn’t know, I’m the resident Disney fanatic.
Whether it’s music or movies or the musicals on Broadway... I’m your girl. So
here’s something a little different today. I’ve put together a few songs from
the Disney films (*Edna Mode voice * NO SEQUELS) and just to clarify, this is
purely my own opinion! I’d love to hear about other songs that you feel should
be on this list too! So let’s get started…
10. Prince Ali (Reprise) – Aladdin
It's the end for Aladdin's Prince Ali sham through a short, but really catchy song ending with Jafar's infamous maniacal laughter. He uses his newly granted magical powers to expose Aladdin as a street rat and sends him flying. Like a real Disney villain he enjoys the misery of others... while singing a song. At least it's unlike your traditional villainous monologues. One wonders what would have happened if he got his own song in the original... I imagine it would be full of amazing puns.
Farewell ex-Prince Ali!
9. Cruella de Vil – 101 Dalmatians
When one thinks of 101 Dalmatians, this song is definitely one of the first things to pop into your mind. Unlike the rest of the songs on this list, this song is sung completely by one of the protagonists, Roger. We are first introduced to the "wretched, wretched" woman herself, Cruella when she visits Roger and Anita. Judging from his lyrics she's not exactly a daaaaarling. Growing up I always considered this as one of my favourite parts in the movie and let's be honest, Roger creeping about and making a racket with all the instruments makes the whole scene.
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will...
8. The Mob Song – Beauty and the Beast
The song title is pretty self-explanatory, pitchforks, and torches a-blazing. I've always appreciated the Broadway-like tunes of Beauty and the Beast and I love how The Mob Song utilises the entire cast. It's a piece of lyrical genius and full of great, memorable lines that basically tie the themes of the movie together. "We don't like what we don't understand, in fact it scares us..." It sets up the idea that the villagers are just reacting because the Beast is automatically associated with terror and destruction. Therefore, their first instinct is it kill it before it kills all of them. And to top it all off it's lead by Gaston, the who isn't the villain the eyes of the villagers.
KILL THE BEAST!
7. Friends on the Other Side – The Princess and the Frog
Now here's where the creepiness levels start to go up a few notches. In this scene, Dr. Facilier calls upon the help of his voodoo friends by showing a naive Naveen his future through tarot cards. He goes from a sketchy shaman to a frightening voodoo, hoodoo witchdoctor in one number. I love the animation of the cards and it must be voodoo if he can deal them like that! Plus, Keith Davis' voice is hypnotising yet also menacing. When the transformation sequence begins, the bass kicks in and the colour scheme changes, adding a daunting feel. Naveen MUST have been distracted by Dr. Facilier's smooth voice and fluid card tricks. The poor Prince probably only realised he was in deep trouble when it was too late. Dr. Facilier definitely earns some villain points with his creepy skull mask exit as the scene fades to black.
Are you reaaaaady?
6. Mother Knows Best + Reprise – Tangled
Mother Knows Best is one of the most manipulative and abusive villain songs. At this point, we know that Gothel was the old lady who kidnapped the baby in the opening but the poor girl is left in the dark. To an innocent and gullible Rapunzel, it may seem like Gothel is merely warning her about the dangers of the outside, but there are hints of Gothel's true intentions. For example, she holds Rapunzel's hair to her face when she sings about keeping her "safe and sound." The reprise is probably one of my favourite reprises in the Disney universe. If you compare the two, Gothel already looks much older and more dangerous when Rapunzel refuses to go back to the tower with her. The first she sings, Mother Knows Best is light and upbeat but the reprise is the complete opposite as she attacks Rapunzel for her naivety in a more harsh manner. Also, they're both undeniable catchy!
Skip the drama, stay with mama!
Don't be a dummy, come with mummy...
5. Savages – Pocahontas
War is about to break out between the Native Americans and the English, John Smith is about to be executed and it's up to Pocahontas to stop the hatred amongst the people. One of the most controversial songs from Disney is Savages from Pocahontas. I'm actually not too sure if this one is counted as a villain song but hey, Ratcliffe sings some pretty thought provoking lines. I can say that I was part of the group of children who were completely oblivious to the lyrics and message in the 90s. Revisiting the songs when I was a bit older was nothing short of an eye-opener. The difference with this song is that both the Native Americans and the English claim that the other party is more dangerous. There are so many elements to this song that make it memorable. Especially how it cuts to each camp every line or so or even with Pocahontas singing her own tune over the top of the chanting of SAVAGES, SAVAGES.
They're not like you and me, which means they must be evil!
4. Be Prepared – The Lion King
Mufasa is the king of the Pridelands but not for long if Scar has a say... or song about it. Scar's voice is enchanting, sultry, captivating and at times hypnotizing as he sashays his way around the hyenas. Instead of the traditional villainous monologue we get a whole song about Scar's plan to kill Mufasa and Simba therefore making him the, wait for it... LION KING. Although, in my opinion it may not have the catchiest lyrics, it definitely has a contagious beat. As if it wasn't eerie enough, let's add a pinch of Nazi allusions and a dash of Communism references too! This is another display of me being completely oblivious in the 90s... yay.
My teeth and ambitions are bared... be prepared!
3. Gaston + Reprise– Beauty and the Beast
This is the second time a song from Beauty and the Beast has featured in my countdown but Gaston goes in a different direction in comparison to The Mob Song. The whole song is a pick me-up for the narcissistic but dejected Gaston after Belle refuses to marry him. LeFou tries to keep Gaston's spirits up by proving that there's no man in town half as manly as the one and only Gaston. This song is probably one of the main reasons why Gaston is one of my favourite Disney villains of all time (that's a whole other list for another time!). If we compare this to The Mob Song, it spends its entirety praising the actual villain in the story while the latter depicts the Beast, one of our heroes, as a vicious monster. To quote Belle "he's not a monster Gaston, YOU ARE!" It's a great drinking song and seriously, how does the man not have high cholesterol from the amount of eggs he eats a day?
As a specimen yes, I'm intimidating!
No one plots like Gaston, takes cheap shots like Gaston!
2. Poor Unfortunate Souls – The Little Mermaid
After King Triton destroys all of Ariel's treasures, she's ready to be a part of the human world and escape the rule of her father. She then seeks out the help of Ursula, the sea witch and hopes her magic will give her a pair of legs to walk along those streets with the humans. Poor Unfortunate Souls comes in at a very close second in this top 10! From Ursula's over-dramatic performance, to the moment where Ariel signs her voice away, to the BODY LANGUAGE! Poor Unfortunate Souls has become an iconic scene/song in Disney history. It's often been pointed out that the song is full of terrible messages to send to Disney's target audience about the relationships between men and women. She insists that "it's she who holds her tongue who gets her man." Don't worry ladies, Ariel does prove her wrong in the end. Ursula is manipulative, strategic, cunning and deliciously evil.
BODY LANGUAGE!
1. Hellfire – The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hellfire is a clear winner and I often wonder how Disney even got away with this. It's another of Disney's most controversial songs as it toys with ideas about hell, damnation and lust. We start off with Heaven's Light, Quasimodo's song about his love towards Esmerelda and suddenly, we transition to the dark and heavy themes of Hellfire. Frollo prays to Mary and questions why he lusts for Esmerelda, a gypsy, who he believes to be the vermin of Paris. Terrifying hooded figures appear all around Frollo and sing mea culpa (throught my fault) as he pleads and tries to explain that his infatuation with Esmerelda was caused by the devil. He imagines Esmerelda dancing in the fire and is completely captivated by her image but blames her for being a temptress. In the end he decides that he'll burn down all of Paris if she doesn't choose him. Hellfire is the perfect combination of villainy with jaw-dropping lyric, frightening visuals, and taboo themes. To top it all off, Frollo is hair-raisingly creepy yet you also want to smack that smirk off his face.
f(x) - 4 Walls
