Tag: Paranoia

My Sunday Song – “Bad romance” by Lady Gaga

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For My Sunday Song #409, we tackled Harrison’s next pick of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga which was an unexpected, but welcome pick. The song is from Lady Gaga’s E.P. ‘The Fame Monster’ and was written by Lady Gaga and RedOne. The song did pretty well going #1 on the Top 40 Charts and #1 on the Dance charts as well, but held to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. To say it was popular is an understatement as it sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Crazy for a single. And the video, well it has over 1.7 Billion views. That is Billion with a B.

The song was inspired by the paranoia Lady Gaga felt while on tour for her debut album. It also draws from her quite unhealthy relationships she has had and is drawn to like a moth to a flame. Too many bad romances I guess. There is a big shout out Alfred Hitchcock movies with the lines…”I want your psycho, your vertigo schtick (Schtick, hey!) / Want you in my rear window, baby, you’re sick” which also points to unhealthy attachments that meet these adjectives.

The song is pure dance pop inspired by electro pop and it is full of synthesizers and drum machines. The song has one of the most catchiest openings with the “Oh-oh-oh’s” and then the “Ra-ra-ah-ah-ah / Roma Roma-ma / Gaga, “ooh la-la”. The minute you hear that you know the song and I think if you have a car full of people, they will all sing along. There is a rap piece in the middle and she even goes French for some lyrics. All making the song a massive earworm. One of the best pop songs she has ever done.

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SOTO – ‘Divak’ (2016) – Album Review (The Jeff Scott Soto Series)

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Jeff Scott Soto has said this is a working band and not a side project and will be around for a long while. He is proving that fact by releasing a second album in just over a year after the debut. This one, called ‘Divak’, was released on April 1, 2016. The debut album, I didn’t feel was a band album as the band never really played on any of the songs. It was a solo album with a lot of guests if you ask me. This time around, Jeff makes it a band. And who is in that band? Aside from Jeff, it is the same guys from the debut artwork (as they weren’t really on the album). You get Jorge Salan on guitars, BJ on guitars and keys, David Z (Of ZO2) on bass and Edu Cominato on drums.

There are still a ton of guests, but this time they are really guests. They are additional guitarists, some solos, keyboards and backing vocals while the band handles most of the grunt work…as they should if this is a band. The album is just as heavy as the last, if not heavier. It rocks out as it is both melodic and a little proggy at times. Jeff usually does more melodic, rock and doesn’t get this heavy or hasn’t in a while, but he missed this stuff and that is why Soto exists. It fulfills his desire to really go full tilt and it certainly delivers that and more.

The album kicks off with, “Divak”, a symphonic, dramatic and totally intriguing instrumental piece. The intensity builds and totally makes you feel like you are in to an adventurous journey. The biggest problem is that it ends…it just stops. It doesn’t bleed into the next song which I think is a huge missed opportunity as this was a really fantastic piece and would’ve flowed better with that seamless transition.

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My Sunday Song – “Maybe They’re on to Us” by Needtobreathe

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For My Sunday Song #165, we are talking about the song “Maybe They’re On To Us” by Needtobreathe.  The song is off their wildly successful album “The Reckoning” which came out in 2011.  The song was not a single, but still a favorite of mine.  The album did really well and went to #6 on the Billboard charts thanks in part to this song and all the great songs on this album.

The song is about paranoia.  For the band, that paranoia is a wondering if the fans know too much about the them and will figure out who they really are and not like them.  Maybe the will stop listening and it will all just go away.  They were starting to get successful and they had a fear of it disappearing in a flash.  That is an honest fear.

I think people feel that way in everyday life as well.  You walk around in life wondering if people will realize you are just faking it trying to get by day-to-day.  Maybe they will discover you really don’t have your stuff together after-all…but honestly who really does?  I don’t think anyone.  We are all faking it a little each and every day.

Musically, I really love Bear’s vocals.  His delivery of the lyrics, his pacing and everything he sings is so purposely and perfectly placed.  There is a smooth, driving groove that takes you through the song.  Then throw in the backing vocals on the bridge/chorus that help give it that church-like/choir feel.

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