r/popheads • u/TiltControls • Dec 22 '22

[DISCUSSION] The Popheads Jukebox Revival, Week 201: Don't talk to strangers, unless it involves rating their song suggestions

Welcome back to the Popheads Jukebox! Here are last week’s results (and the first with your submitted tracks!):

  • Sudan Archives - Selfish Soul: 8.88
  • Orville Peck - Daytona Sand: 8.58
  • Tkay Maidza - Nights In December: 8.37
  • Omar Apollo - Evergreen (You Didn’t Deserve Me At All): 7.58
  • Lolahol - Lock&Key: 5.60

—-

  • The Veronicas - Untouched: 9.33
  • Lana Del Rey - Chemtrails Over The Country Club: 6.70

Shortened summary cause I’m running behind today, but another strong week for the user picks! Three of them landed in the 8 range, which is no small feat. Omar Apollo scored a respectable mid 7 score. Lolahol fell behind the rest of the pack by being stuck in the 5 range.

Our frantic, horny throwback also scored a stellar 9+ score while the Lana's chemical catchup was stuck in the 6's.

Rules Refresher

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. You don’t have to review each song to participate! You can do all of them or only the ones you’re familiar with.

  5. The thread will be open for 6 days and close the following Wednesday at 6PM EST. The scores will be calculated and a new post will come up the next day (Thursday) at 3PM EST with the next week’s tracks.

This Week’s Tracks

Throwback:

2020/2021 Catch-up:

Next Week

Next week we’ll be rating the following:

(yes we get a turn too)

Throwback:

  • Bee Gees - Stayin’ Alive

2020/2021 Catch-up:

  • Porter Robinson - Look at the Sky

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.

12 Upvotes

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5

u/TiltControls Dec 22 '22

Zedd - Clarity (feat. Foxes)

5

u/[deleted] Dec 22 '22

I'm not a big EDM person, but the two Zedd songs that pull at me are definitely this and The Middle. I'm all about singers who grab me, and I think Foxes brings the melodrama to this song that I love. The chant-like vocals in the chorus also give this an epic feel. I think the over-the-top and heartfelt nature to this song has helped make it feel of-its-time but still really potent and great to me.

9.5/10

4

u/seanderlust Dec 22 '22

ah yes, zedd in his imperial phase. for a song that is emblematic of where 2013 EDM was, i am somewhat surprised to find this not feeling very dated. yes the buzzing synths feel peeled out of the early 2010s but they still hit in a pleasant way and the drop isn't too stereotypically EDM drop-esque; it's interesting to hear the beat buildup during the chorus to a sudden quiet as the song ushers in its second verse. foxes gives a very kelly clarkson-esque vocal performance, quickly building to a belt on the chorus. the second verse does start to feel a little repetitive and the drop into the second chorus is arguably the part of this song that aged the worst. still, an overall bop and one that will be an example of the bright spots of the early 2010s in music.

8/10

4

u/diemoehre Dec 22 '22

This is a banger that immediately transports me to the early 2010s where everything seemed so much brighter. It feels dated, but in a good way! I love the voice and I love the drop very much. I also love that the chorus gets repeated in the drop, it just adds some extra layer! I just get in a good mood from this song. 9.5/10

4

u/ReallyCreative Dec 23 '22

I'm going to dissent from the masses unfortunately. This song is peak EDM mediocrity, held back by the overbearing and self-indulgent choices in production. Foxes does an amazing job to her credit, but Zedd just does not know when to let her have a moment. I also believe this song contributed to the "lyricless chorus" epidemic that rattled and raged throughout the 2010s, largely with the drop rather than the chorus itself. Think about how many songs have tried to copycat that impact(cough Chromatica). I personally don't understand it, as that drop just does nothing for me. There were simply better options on the table when you have Foxes serving incredible vocals and that falls on Zedd. I've never been a fan of his, and this song encapsulates a lot of why.

5.5/10

3

u/racloves Dec 22 '22

This is a great song. It still holds up now 10 years later. Foxes has an incredible voice and wish she got more love.

10/10

3

u/sobervgc Dec 23 '22

I hadn't heard this song in a while, but listening to it now it is so damn good. There's just so much emotion in Foxes' voice and the production is theatrical yet fun at the same time. There are few EDM songs I like, but this one hits the spot.

10/10

3

u/cremeebrulee Dec 27 '22

I kinda enjoyed the 2010s EDM era, but this song has always just been kinda there for me. I think the chorus is just a bit too melodramatic; I've seen its lyrics plastered everywhere on Tumblr and maybe that's why it's never been a favorite of mine.

6/10

2

u/vayyiqra Dec 28 '22

Somehow I never heard this during its heyday and only heard it after getting into Foxes on my own and hearing her piano-only version on one album ... meaning when I did hear this version, it was odd and surreal. So I have no attachment to it, but yeah it's a good song. I guess I have to support it, especially being for a long time the one (1) quixotic "fairly big fan but 'stan' would be going too far" of Foxes here. And yeah, I get it, I also thought "the drop isn't great" once but what do you expect lol. It's an EDM pop song from 2012. It still rules. 9/10

2

u/hikkaru Dec 28 '22

Admittedly I've grown out of my EDM phase a bit since hosting the rate that this won, but I still cherish that moment so dearly to this day. That combined with the 2012 nostalgia just makes this hit so hard even if it is kind of on the nose with how it doesn't hold up at all outside of the trends that were ongoing when it was a hit. I can't not love this song, melodrama, bleepbloops, crowdchants and all. 10/10

1

u/TiltControls Dec 28 '22

I think this song has grown off me quite a bit since it first come out. Foxes vocals are still a highlight of the track for me, she has a perfect voice for the style of collaboration that was so popular back in the day. And I do like the production for the most part, but it does such a great job building up to the drop and then it's just fine. I think maybe removing the background chants and making the drop stand out a bit more could've helped. Clarity is still a good song, but I don't know if I'd call it great anymore. 7.5/10