"Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez
So this one is kind of interesting as Gigi Perez is an American singer/songwriter who notched her first ARIA singles charting song courtesy of it going viral and given my history with viral songs being rocky at best...I was concerned about what we'd get from this but as it turns out we got a decent torch song out of it! I don't precisely love it, the details feel a bit too broadly sketched but I won't mind if it sticks around. Good song.
"The Emptiness Machine" by Linkin Park
Oh boy, I was dreading having to review this song because there is no easy way to talk about the return of Linkin Park given the death of lead singer Chester Bennington and now the controversy around new lead singer Emily Armstrong and her contentious religious beliefs because the controversy kind of overshadowed the song a bit however it makes sense because "The Emptiness Machine' is basically a nothing of a song that really takes away from the talents of the band members other than Armstrong, why is Mike Shinoda singing when he is a better rapper than singer? The instrumental also just sounds stale...like the band are trying on a shoe that just doesn't quite fit. I think forgetting this song exists might be the best thing for everyone.
"It's Ok I'm Ok" by Tate McRae
So Tate McRae is clearly trying to fill the hole in 2020s pop music that was left by Britney Spears and yet I am left weirdly annoyed by her newest single which somehow bas less flavour than that of cardboard or dry museli because at least Britney had a deal of charisma but Tate McRae cannot sell this at all and the hook might the most annoying hook on a song I've heard all damn year. Yeah, Tate McRae keeps striking out for me,,,,next!
"Dancing In The Flames" by The Weeknd
The return of The Weeknd fels one of the biggest events of the back of half of this year which is in part why I am tonr on this opening salvo for his upcoming new album and honestly? I am not that impressed, the song sounds like a pale facsimile of songs that The Weeknd has done better in the past, the instrumental doesn't represent what dancing in those flames represent in terms of danger, it almost feels weirdly to fluffy coming from The Weeknd of all people so yeah not a fan of this and I wanted to be.
"Talk Talk" by Charli XCX feat. Troye Sivan
So this is a song for Charli XCX's Brat remix album and given this is actually one of the songs from Brat that I was not a fan of (Yes, I have heard "BRAT"...I get the appeal but it's just not for me) and yeah, this just doesn't work, it just sounds like a pile up of noise that neither Charli or Troye sound good over. Think I'll be moving on from this.
"Diet Pepsi" by Addison Rae
Oh god. We really are now so bereft of pop stars that we turn to some social media personality turned wannabe singer Addison Rae for a song that tries to evoke diet Lana Del Rey vibes and while this per isn't terrible, it sure does make me want to go back to Lana Del Rey's last album and listen to that instead.
Worst of the Month: "It's Ok I'm Ok" by Tate McRae
Best of the Month: "Sailor Song" by Gigi Perez (A rough month overall and this wouldn't get BOTM in an otherwise stronger month but the song is pretty good)
