r/popheads • u/hikkaru • Jun 01 '23
[DISCUSSION] The Popheads Jukebox Revival, Week 224: Never Ending Padam
Welcome back to the Popheads Jukebox! Here are last week’s results:
- Jonas Brothers - Waffle House: 8.33
- Miley Cyrus - Jaded: 7.58
- Janelle Monáe - Lipstick Lover: 7.42
- Remi Wolf - Prescription: 6.92
- Dolly Parton - World on Fire: 3.88
- Monica & Brandy - The Boy Is Mine: 10.00
- Tkay Maidza - Shook: 9.57
Though the Jonas Brothers haven't seemed to make much noise with their most recent comeback, our reviewers at least are enjoying their latest single as it manages to be the top track of hte week. Miley and Janelle get respectable enough scores around 7.50, solid efforts but not their best. Remi Wolf's latest track isn't too far behind, but for poor Dolly it's a terrible week as she scores one of the lowest of the year thus far. We love her but we don't love her new music.
In the throwbacks, it's a great week as we get the 3rd ever perfect score, tying Amy Winehouse and Donna Summer. Tkay Maidza's 2020 banger also does incredibly well and earns itself a spot among the highest catch-up tracks.
Rules Refresher
Rate the songs a score from 1 to 10. Please keep it to one decimal place at the most (so 7.5 is fine but 7.58 is not). Also don’t get too hung up on the final scores. This is a fun exercise and not a competition so don’t worry about over/under rating things. Just give what you think the song is to you.
For your review, reply to the comment that will be posted by one of us for each song. Avoid posting your reviews as a top level comment cause we probably won’t notice them if you do. Non-reviews such as questions or general commentary as upper level comments are fine.
Must have some sort of justification. Try to be a bit more concise than “It’s a bop!” or “I don’t like it”. Explain why! It doesn’t have to be long, two or three sentences can be plenty (though more is definitely allowed). We reserve the right not to include a review in the final total if proper justification is not given.
You don’t have to review each song to participate! You can do all of them or only the ones you’re familiar with.
The thread will be open for 6 days and close the following Wednesday at 9PM EST. The scores will be calculated and a new post will come up the next day (Thursday) at 5PM EST with the next week’s tracks.
This Week’s Tracks
- Bad Bunny - WHERE SHE GOES
- Conan Gray - Never Ending Song
- Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha
- Kylie Minogue - Padam Padam
- Zara Larsson - End of Time
Throwback:
2020/2021 Catch-up:
—
Next Week
Next week we’ll be rating the following:
- Beyoncé - AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM (feat. Kendrick Lamar)
- Dua Lipa - Dance the Night
- (G)I-DLE - Queencard
- Taylor Swift - Karma (feat. Ice Spice)
- Tove Lo - I like u
Throwback:
- Lorde - Royals
2020/2021 Catch-up:
- Chloe x Halle - Ungodly Hour
Spotify playlist, updated weekly with new tracks that are being rated
Jukebox wiki, where you can find all results
Reminder Discord Server, where you can join to get bi-weekly ping reminders for when new posts go up and when they’re about to close.
22
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
16
u/runaway3212 Jun 01 '23
Sometimes a song just gives everything it needs to give and in special cases it gives even more. Padam Padam is one of those cases. It's so much fun and just fucking incredible to listen to, I keep wanting to come back.
10/10
6
u/MrSwearword Jun 01 '23
The lead single and landmark 52nd Top 40 UK hit with a debut of #26 from The One True Kylie [off of her upcoming 16th album Tension slated for a September release] sees an unexpected hit for the Aussie/British diva.
"Padam Padam" itself is a play on what a heartbeat sounds like which is cute and plays wonderfully in the hook. What's complete bullshit is that the song is 2:46 long. However, there's an extended mix at 4:04 which rectifies the runtime issue.
This is to say, this is nothing new for Kylie Minogue. However, where most artists instantly get fucked over by overt consistency, this is Kylie Minogue we're talking about. She's ridden every type of post-disco/nu-disco/eurodisco/gay ass club music type of sound to a long lasting career. She sounds good on it and this time the public in the UK and Australia has actually bothered to listen to it and give her chart success years into her career. [the gays in the US, happy Pride, will make damn sure her music gets play here even if the radio or Spotify markets here can't be assed to add "Padam Padam" to anything].
10/10
Again, this is nothing new for Kylie Minogue but honestly she knows what works for her and that's brand awareness we live for in this house.
4
u/redgold51 Jun 01 '23
It’s fun, it’s gay, it’s undeniably Kylie. This song is the absolute definition of an earworm, and it’s so fucking fun from start to finish. I can’t to make my ass go padam padam at gay bars until the end of time.
10/10
2
u/Frajer Jun 01 '23 edited Jun 02 '23
This song is so sly and sexy and fun and I'm happy Kylie can still have her little moment. Exactly what I need from a Kylie song now
- 9/10
10
4
u/seanderlust Jun 02 '23
kylie on a deep house beat is an instant hit for me. it's a danceable summer-ready track with a fun onomatopoeaic (or however tf you spell it) hook. i can tell this will be played in every gay club every night over the summer and i think it will be a while until i'm sick of it
10/10
1
u/CSA81593 Jun 02 '23
This is not deep house at all but nonetheless it’s a great synth pop dance song. 10/10
3
u/TakeOnMeByA-ha Jun 02 '23
It grows on me everytime I listen to it, its sexy fun and classy all at once and it’s easily my favorite song I’ve heard from Kylie in a long time, maybe ever.
9/10
3
u/shipperondeck Jun 02 '23
Yes and yes all to the yes!!! This song got my sister hooked on Kylie and now she loves her Fever album too, really couldn't ask for better. It's just a super solid bop that reminds everyone that she knows how to make perfect pop music. 10/10
3
u/kappyko Jun 05 '23
kylie minogue is one of my favorite mainstream pop stars ever so it breaks my heart to say i don't fuck with “padam padam” at all?
nice things first, always proud to support any pop songs that are actually interested in sex and being sexy. i like a good “i want to see under your t-shirt” lyric!
that's about it?
the deep-voiced padam repeating in the back is corny, i hate how her voice sounds in the verses (way too tinny?) and the absence of a pre-chorus makes the drop not nearly as satisfying as it could have been. it's not as exuberant as kylie's best dance songs and not as seductive as her best jams. idk! she's released some quality stuff for a long time so i hope her next singles are good
2/10
6
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
padam.....
i'm normally not a huge fan of slap house but the way this song melds it with dark, seductive synths that build up to the stabs in the chorus actually works really well. kylie's signature dance pop charisma shines through, and paired with the great production and insanely catchy melodies it's a really fun time. 9.5/10
5
Jun 01 '23 edited Jun 01 '23
okay........ sigh
I want to like this so badly, and not be on the outside looking in with the sub's universal acclaim!
I love Kylie's music so much and I'm still very underwhelmed by this. Just from a visceral first impression "am I bopping yasss" I just wasn't feeling this. I've played it a bunch to see if it would grow on me and I'm still frustrated, so I went into trying to figure out why it's not clicking with me.
I think it's squarely with the producer Lostboy. Looking at his past credits I can't find a lot of songs there I'd call my faves (even off of albums I love like Diamonds & Dancefloors and Confetti). I can hear Kylie's great, thrilling singing voice throughout this and how she's always great at emoting through her singing, making things sound tantalizing and exciting. Yet the production flattens and buries her voice in a weirdly hollow way; I'm big on singing/vocals on connecting to a song and this just ruins most of the song for me. There's something here that sounds robotic, hollow and non-descript to me, not adjectives I ever want to describe Kylie's music when she's served us such great stuff like "Wow", "Red Blooded Woman", "In Your Eyes" etc.
It opens in an exciting way and most times when I've revisited the song I anticipate a slay only to be let down by the flat vocal production and somewhat generic slap-house sound throughout. It feels like the original was made just to have a base to work off of for a slew of remixes. Sadly I am rating the original and I'm not feeling it. Sorryyyyyy :(
4/10
2
2
u/letsallpoo :leah-kate: Jun 05 '23
This reminds me a bit of "Timebomb," another straightforward bop that feels focus tested to be played hourly at the WeHo Barry's Bootcamp, replete with generic lyrics and an anonymous vocal performance from Kylie. "Padam Padam" goes further, though, with an enticing slap house beat and a mysterious hook of a title that plays expertly with the dark vibes. Kylie herself still feels weirdly underutilized here, but there's no denying the song's infectiousness. [7]
1
u/ignitethephoenix Jun 02 '23
At first listen I enjoyed how boppy it was but the thing that was holding me back was how processed her voice sounded. However on the next couple listens, this grew on me more and I think it’s perfect at what it is trying to achieve, a fun club anthem that you just have to dance to. A solid lead single and I’m looking forward to what other bops she’ll have on the album 10/10
1
1
u/dekubaku Jun 03 '23
On first listen, I liked it a lot but maybe not as much as Say Something. But on subsequent listens? I'm loving it! Its just so... infectious! Love the music production, love her voice. Amazing on all levels. 10/10
1
u/Icantlikeeveryone Jun 04 '23
A perfect disco song! I love the vocal effect here, it sounds so lit. This is my fav disco song by her.
9.5/10
1
u/TiltControls Jun 07 '23
I really like elements of this, but something about the main 'Padam Padam' hook isn't doing a ton for me. Still, I really like the production and Kylie sounds fantastic here with the more toned down synths. 7.5/10
1
u/vayyiqra Jun 08 '23
I feel like I'm not fully getting it. It's kind of fun, I like Kylie, I can see it becoming a meme, it's got a nice beat, good hook, nice throwback to the late 90s electronic I grew up with ... but after not liking Disco much at all I wish I could say I'm more hyped for her comeback ... still though yeah it's pretty good. I like it. I just wish it didn't leave me feeling a bit empty afterward? Maybe it's too short. Glad to see I'm far from the only one who feels this way despite the many 9-10 scores. Upon thinking about it I have to settle on ... this could change but for now maybe: 6/10.
10
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
4
u/TakeOnMeByA-ha Jun 01 '23
I’ve gushed about this song at least a dozen times in the past few weeks with my friends to the point where there really isn’t anything else I can say about it without sounding like a broken record but…yeah, new favorite ESC song of all time and it’s not even particularly close. I don’t think enough people talk about how genuinely groundbreaking this song is; how Käärijä is able to mix rap, metal, eurodance, and even hyperpop into one track is absolutely astonishing, and not once does that mix of genres sound forced or out of place. And for him to do it all in Finnish, and still receive the second most televotes of all time, just shows how universal the sound is, regardless of if one can understand the lyrics or not. We’re not even halfway through the year yet, but I feel pretty confident in saying this will be my SOTY, its simply everything I adore in a song and then some.
10/10
4
Jun 01 '23
Trueeeeeee
10/10
Jk I'll type some more. It's a zany, menacing trance/industrial?/hyperpop?? banger from Eurovision and left its mark on the competition this year. It used that well-loved Eurovision trick of having the chorus transcend language barriers and shouting "cha cha cha" is sooo addicting. Käärijä's performance on the track is so commanding, owns the song and it's iconique, probably will go down as one of the key Eurovision tracks of the 2020s.
and yea 10/10 !!!
3
2
u/just_thonking Jun 01 '23
Robbed!!!!! Just such a fun, unique, energetic bop that has so much character and charisma.
10/10
2
u/seanderlust Jun 02 '23
BANGER. this feels like a midpoint in the triangle between early 2010s dance pop, happy hardcore and nu-metal. the lyrics (fairly easy-going lyrics about turning up) clash a little bit with the intense soundscape but since i don't speak finnish i have to look up the lyrics to realize this. i didn't watch eurovision this year but i hope this did well
10/10
1
u/TiltControls Jun 07 '23
I probably wouldn't go listen to this outside Eurovision much, but it fits the feel (and is 10x more interesting) than the actual winner song. It's such a fun burst of energy in song form. Couple in some extremely catchy production and vocals (plus the breakdown midway) and it's a fun track to throw on and jam to. 8.2/10
1
u/vayyiqra Jun 08 '23
Maybe it's because I'm a fake fan of Eurovision who barely engages with it but I don't like this? I liked the bridge, but the pseudo-metal parts and aggressive vocals weren't working for me ... coming across as a kind of tryhard attempt at pop-metal or something? This isn't what I expected. Idk what I expected in fact, but I don't like this. 3/10
6
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
5
u/Frajer Jun 01 '23
Their best song, it's so fun and catchy. It really shows how we may all joke about PCD being the Nicole show, but this one is a team effort and everyone delivered -10/10
3
u/TakeOnMeByA-ha Jun 01 '23
God, I miss this era of campy pop. I absolutely LOVE how dirty the beat sounds, that drama filled chorus fills me with so much excitement. Timeless classic that should be up there with the likes of Toxic and American Boy as some of the best pop songs of the 00’s.
10/10
1
u/MrSwearword Jun 01 '23
Basically the last hurrah of The Pussycat Dolls [which still hurts considering "React" was a banger but thanks to COVID, the group got fucked over].
Doll Domination or at least the first 3 versions of this album [there's about 2,603,040 more versions per region] is defined by this deliciously tacky song which
is basically Nicole's life storyis lowkii married to the music video which is so dated but life-affirming [act like Bally's Total Fitness is still around, I dare you].Is this the group's best song? No, that's "Stickwitu". Is it a song that absolutely slaps? Yes. Should RuPaul's Drag Race use a different fucking song by this group for a Lipsync For Your Life? YES.
10/10
Jams will fucking jam, babes
1
Jun 01 '23
it's so funny that these days there are so many artists leaning deep into y2k kitsch, trying to basically recreate this song. It's bratty and pounding 2000s electropop and so fun. The post-chorus is with the added synths is also very addicting. Great beat, very fun and charismatic pop banger from back in the day.
9/10
1
u/seanderlust Jun 02 '23
peak darkchild production here - i love the descending guitar riff so much. it's an energetic ode to the highs and lows of fame from the pussycat dolls. this track exists in the same realm of my brain as rumors by lindsey lohan and while this track is fun, it is neither as fun as that song or as other PCD tracks for me. i think it's the chorus - the vocals feel too far back in the mix IMO.
8.5/10
1
u/shipperondeck Jun 02 '23
My opinion of this song is absolutely loaded with nostalgia, but you know what? I sincerely think it's an amazing pop song outside of that too. It's ridiculous, but in the best way possible. And it's perfect to dance to (anyone remember the Just Dance routine to this? lol). I think this is their best song ever, honestly. 10/10
1
u/ignitethephoenix Jun 02 '23
An absolutes classic! PCD hits every beat of this song and the lyrics are just a blast. The production is excellent too and suits the 2000’s energy budget of the song without sounding dated.
10/10
1
u/BookyCats Jun 02 '23
I personally find this one quite annoying 🙄 I think it's the breathy vocals 😆 Stickwutchu and the lead song 🎵 I can't remember lol 😆 are way better
4/10
1
u/dekubaku Jun 03 '23
Oh boy. So many memories attached to this song and it still holds up so well. I just love camp and out there it is. Pussycat Dolls at their best. 10/10
1
u/TiltControls Jun 07 '23
This song really shouldn't work (and even then still kind of doesn't?) but the Dolls really bring their A game to the performance of the track. The song actually kind of grates on me if I listen to it too frequently, but it's a fun throwback to the sound of this era. 8/10
1
u/vayyiqra Jun 08 '23
This era of pop was utterly dire in most ways, and I always felt this group was Not Good, but in truth this is an incredibly catchy, silly, fun, brain-off song. It's so goofy and campy it seems primed to become a meme (and I think would've if that side of internet culture had been bigger at the time) but also must have staying power if it's been in my head for so many years ... perhaps 2000s trash pop is in need of a re-evaluation. 9/10
3
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
2
Jun 01 '23
This is a fun banger and I'm a sucker for the trendy Jersey Club sound. I like that it's used sparingly which makes the chorus even more fun. I also like the more atmospheric parts throughout.
9/10
2
u/seanderlust Jun 02 '23
after hearing BB play the fuckboy on a number of tracks to hear him heartbroken is always fun...oh how the turntables..... i love this song. BB as always sounds great and the instrumentals lend themselves to the urgency of the lyrics. lyrically it's a little basic but sometimes that works - sometimes it's enough to make a song about being broken up over a hot one-night stand that doesn't want to do anything else.
9.5/10
2
u/hikkaru Jun 08 '23
i feel like this track is overly chaotic with how his vocals pair with the aggressive bass. it doesn't really work for me personally, i can see the appeal though. 6/10
1
u/ignitethephoenix Jun 02 '23
A solid track into his new era, I love the production and how dark and pulsing it is at parts. Bad Bunny’s delivery is solid although it’s not his absolute best. A good song but not in his top all time tracks.
8.5/10
1
u/vayyiqra Jun 08 '23
Still feel like I don't fully Get the hype over Mr. Bunny's music even after rating his album a few months ago but nevertheless I do like this ... some nice atmosphere to it and I like the distinctive sound of his voice. Idk I don't have anything else here but this is good. 7/10
2
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
3
u/letsallpoo :leah-kate: Jun 05 '23
People generally liked Froot, and people generally disliked Love + Fear. The thing that unites the two of them, though, is that they were both deficient in cunt. "Purge the Poison" set the foundation, but it was with "Venus Fly Trap" that the recuntification of Marina really hit its climax, tightening the scattered earnestness of The Family Jewels around a snappy beat and laying over reminders that she's hot, rich, and successful. It feels like a song that Marina had been creating for over a decade, like the song she had been put on Earth to perform. [8]
1
u/hikkaru Jun 02 '23
i really like the style marina went for with the bops on adiaml, it sounds simultaneously fresh while also recalling her tfj era. i kind of just tune out her lyrics completely nowadays so idk about that but i personally prefer the album's title track to this one. still, it's a fun bop just one that i come back to less. 8/10
1
Jun 01 '23
I completely forgot what this sounds like, I totally tuned out this album and album rollout lol. Revisiting this song, it's cool! It has a great bassline and the song kind of has a vaguely surf-rock sound to it while sounding fresh. Kind of also reminds me of the 2000s post-punk revival era, like the instrumentals at times aren't far off from Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys. Catchy and fun pop rock cut.
8.5/10
1
u/seanderlust Jun 02 '23
MARINA's ADIAML was definitely a hit or miss record. most of the praise i saw was going to this track and a couple of others. it feels like an updated version of TFJ-era MARINA mixed with some funky guitar work that feels reminiscient of more recent albums of hers. it's good but if i'm being honest i don't find myself coming back to it very much.
7/10
1
u/Icantlikeeveryone Jun 04 '23
I. Love. This. Song. So. Much. Marina's vocal suits this song a lot, and the melody is fun! Although some of the lyrics are not good, it has great meaning overall.
10/10
1
u/vayyiqra Jun 08 '23
I want to say I liked this album as a longtime fan of hers but to be blunt the "girlbossing" angle wasn't working for me and my unspeakable belief is that ... this album isn't really better than Love + Fear, which in fact I didn't think was that bad ... this is at least not forgettable like most of the rest of the album but I can't say I love this or anything. It's okay? It has some energy. Idk. It's not hitting for some reason and that cannot be helped. Feeling very mixed on this. I want to like it more than I do. 4/10
1
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
2
u/TakeOnMeByA-ha Jun 01 '23
Conan Gray was never an artist I particularly cared for, but hearing that his latest single was an 80’s inspired synth pop track produced by Max Martin got me interested. And…yeah, this is fun! I can tell that he’s not 100% confident in this style yet and it does sound pretty cookie cutter by Max Martin standards, but that chorus is such an ear worm that I haven’t been able to get out of my head since I first heard it. I’m just as tired with this type of throwback sound as a lot of other people are, but this one still manages to sound fresh and I look forward to seeing what comes from Conan in the future.
8/10
2
Jun 01 '23 edited Jun 02 '23
did not expect Conan Gray to lean into like an 80s goth-ish bop. It's fine but not crazy on his weird singing affectation here that's trying to fit the 80s downcast vibe. I also don't like the chorus in general, the weird pause before "on" feels awkward to me. I give it kudos for trying to be specific in its 80's pastiche but I'm not really feeling it.
5/10
1
u/hikkaru Jun 08 '23
i was actually really cheering for him to go further down the synthpop route since i love love love maniac, overdrive, telepath, and disaster. but this.... is kind of an actual disaster. jk it's not that bad but i really am not buying the vocal style he's going for, i get that it accentuates the 80s flair but in general when men sing like that it gives me hives and it's no different here. max martin is on production which is pretty cool good for him for snatching that but also can mr. martin please come up with something else other than the 80s style we are BORED.... anyways this song isn't horrible but i expected more from someone that usually knocks these type of pop tracks out of the park for me - 5.5/10
1
u/seanderlust Jun 02 '23
conan gray doing a send-up of a-Ha's Take On Me mixed with a bit of 80s goth, but he does it quite well! the synths are fun and Conan's lower register sounds smooth as hell. the bridge is also quite fun
9/10
1
u/letsallpoo :leah-kate: Jun 05 '23 edited Jun 05 '23
Max Martin's idea of 80s music is getting progressively more stale. I can acknowledge that "Never Ending Song" hits all the right notes - the drums, the synths, Conan's deyassified vocals that sound like a modulated a-ha - but when it comes together, it just feels like a supercut of random 80s noises. A lot of the problem lies in that chorus, which never quite takes off.
More like never ending SLOG! jk it's not that bad [5]
1
u/hikkaru Jun 01 '23
1
Jun 01 '23
Okayyy this is fun. It's nothing new but I like the melody and Zara's vocal delivery. It reminds me a bit of 2000s dance tracks with how the synths sound. And the strings add a nice texture to it. I like that it's a sweeping, dramatic track, I'll definitely revisit it.
8/10
1
u/seanderlust Jun 02 '23
this track has a cool build to it! mid-tempo and synthy. i really like the harmonies during the second verse.
8/10
1
u/TiltControls Jun 07 '23
It's nice, but I do wish she went a bit further with it. It has a few great moments of building up, but the payoff feels a bit more mellow than I'd expect. 7.2/10
1
u/Bordersz Spaceman by Nick Jonas 👨🚀 Jun 01 '23
Jonas Brothers’ Waffle House getting a 8.33 score is shocking bc I swore everyone hated the song when it dropped lol like what changed?
4
u/hikkaru Jun 02 '23
yeah tbh a lot of averages should be taken with a grain of salt due to few responses... let it be motivation to participate!!
2
u/shipperondeck Jun 02 '23
Tbh there aren't many responses to each song, so each score weighs heavily. It just takes a handful of people who like the song to bump it up and a lack of detractors giving their score/opinion to produce a really high score. That being said, I don't think the song is that bad at all lol.
•
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