New Music Friday review: Boys don't cry so stick that in your country song, Girlfriend!

I am reviving New Music Friday review because the past week has delivered so much damn great new music that deserves attention and I do not want to see get lost between the cracks. Spanning Eric Church to Megan Thee Stallion to Dan Owen, we got some amazing music so let’s start with…Charlie Puth?

 

“Girlfriend” by Charlie Puth

So Charlie Puth was busy releasing music last year which, for most part, people ignored, it wasn’t good and felt like most of the songs were at least two steps down in quality from the best songs on “Voicenotes” but his new single “Girlfriend” could be considered right up there with “Done for Me” (feat Kehlani) or “If You Leave Me Now” (feat. Boyz II Men), this song has slick pop grooves that go on for miles and features some of the best hooks that Puth has written in ages, if you are looking to satisfy that sweet tooth, there’s no better place to start then with this song.

Rating: 9/10

 

“Boys Don’t Cry” by Dan Owen

UK singer-songwriter Dan Own is an artist I have been following for awhile now, his 2018 album “Stay Awake With Me” is one of my favourite albums for that year, since then he has released a folk EP and collaborated with UK country act Ward Thomas however “Boys Don’t Cry” is the lead single from a new album and well…if this is a sign of things to come…well I am looking forward to that sophomore album because for one thing “Boys Don’t Cry” still is signature Dan Owen in sound but the lyrics delve into mental health stereotypes/stupid belief that boys/men don’t cry because men crying is seen as weak and Owen acknowledges that hiding raw emotion and tears is hard to hide so wouldn’t it be easier to let that emotion out with the support of others there.

Rating: 8/10

 

“Stick That In Your Country Song” by Eric Church

Going from Dan Owen to the new leadoff single for American country rock singer Eric Church might seem like whiplash but it kind of feels natural to talk about “Stick That In Your Country Song” next mainly because it feels like Eric Church is making a statement with this song in terms of challenging the rest of mainstream country who right now aren’t releasing the most challenging material rather sticking to songs about beer, bars, girls, trucks and tailgates rather than singing about anything of substance like teachers doing it tough with very little funding or issues facing rural America. Church wants more substance to country music than the stock standard clichés typical of the mid 2010s bro country movement and stopped doing what country is so good at which was telling those stories of rural America. This song is quickly becoming one of my favourites of 2020, check it out!

Rating: 9/10

 

“Girls In the Hood” by Megan Thee Stallion

So quite honestly if I am looking for female rap, I don’t look to Nicki Minaj anymore, Nicki’s music has become more about advertising than anything that is actually music so more often than not I have looked toward Meghan Thee Stallion because yeah, I still think “Savage” is a pretty damn good song and as for her new single “Girls in the Hood”? Well it’s certainly braggadocious with Megan rapping about her lavish lifestyle, clapping back at her haters and challenging the somewhat patriarchal cannon that is rap music (could argue in music across the board honestly) all while flipping Eazy-E’s “Boys in the Hood”. Its not anything revolutionary but it’s still a great song. Hope this is a hit for her.

Rating: 7/10

 

“How You Like That” by Blackpink

If you ever want to hear a case of a song having blown it’s potential, it’s right here with Blackpink’s new single, there’s a lot to like about the verses and the bridge, there’s promise there but that chorus has to be one of the more poorly produced choruses of the year with it’s rattling electronics etc, it just doesn’t work at all. Again, before the stans get upset with me, it’s not Blackpink themselves that are the problem, it’s the production they are put over that is the issue.

Rating: 5/10

 

“Standing with You” by Guy Sebastian

So no, I am not going to discuss Guy Sebastian being apart of Prime Minister Scott Morrison or the most recent issues involving his manager, I am going to write about his new single “Standing With You”, a song that is getting traction  on iTunes right now and in the realm of Guy Sebastian songs its not quite as catchy as “Choir” or even “Before I Go”, it’s a ballad that while is growing on me, I’m not sure this is going to have any real staying power on the charts, that said given how well “Choir” did last year, that remains to be seen. Objectively the song is fine, if you like a good empowering ballad than this would be the song to go for.

Rating: 6/10

So that wraps up the new music reviews in full other songs to check out include:

• "Team" by Rory Noble
• "Greed" by Tash Sultana
•  "I Miss You. I'm Sorry" by Kita Alexander
• "Overkill" by Holly Humberstone
• "I Cry" by Usher
• "Say Something" by Eskimo Joe.

Few week updates: Trying to find time to work on my best hit songs of 1998 list, obviously with coming out of COVID lockdown has meant that there's less time to work on pet projects etc.