"My Dear Melancholy"

"My Dear Melancholy" - The Weeknd

Sup party people. I realize I've really, really, really neglected my precious baby website as I've aged - and not intentionally. Life happened. Life is weird, and I can only handle so many things at once (as most people are equipped to do.)

ANYWAYZ I'm going to change that. Or, I'm going to say I'm going to change it but secretly do nothing. Choose your own adventure.

Let's start by talking pop music. Did you know The Weeknd is Taylor Swift with better hair? NO, REALLY, I promise. And if you haven't cried at least *once* while having sex to "1989," then who are you? Don't answer that actually. Hi Mom.

The Weeknd dropped his EP "My Dear Melancholy" last week, and I was fortunate enough to first hear it with my Lyft driver. I was going to ask my Lyft driver more about the album and what he thought of it, but then my Lyft driver was like, "Can you look up the times for the new "God Isn't Dead" movie?" so we ended up having to find him a time to see that film after he dropped me off at my apartment, so yeah that happened instead.

The Weeknd is pretty ace in "My Dear Melancholy." He's as brooding as ever, but not quite as dark as he was when "Trilogy" first hit my radar in the early 2010s (I was like "zomg he sampled Beach House!") I'm sure if you dig back a decade on here you can see my younger self geeking out about it. "Starboy" was a solid effort, but "My Dear Melancholy" recalls that more old-school Weeknd. It meets somewhere in the middle - it's certainly a pop effort, but it's also slower and more emotional.

I will always find an excuse to post this song.

The real highlight of "Melancholy" for me is "Wasted Times" (runner-up: "Hurt You.") DAMN. This dude is hurting. Bella Hadid and Selena Gomez get a lottttt of shade in this EP. But apparently Selena didn't want his kidney?!!! Oh well whatever, drama sells, again example A: Taylor Swift.

Electronic whiz kid Nicolas Jaar even produces a track on "Melancholy," which offers a nice indie credibility to this project. Hey, if you haven't yet, check out "My Dear Melancholy." I can assuredly tell you this is my first favorite release of 2018, and I sure wasn't expecting that to be the case.

It is a little short, but what it lacks in length it makes up in quality.

AND NOW, I wait for the comments about free ringtones. Ready4u.

(And just because I love this cover)-

"Mon Soleil" - Ashley Park

If there's anything people take away from my piss-poor legacy, I hope it's what a huge, unabashed fan of "Emily in Paris" I am and will continue to be. People love "90 Day Fiancee," "The Bachelor," and other garbage - allow me "Emily," which is at least harmless, kind of goofy fluff (which does, unfortunately, lean into some stereotypes, as the country of Ukraine knows ). I have already watched Season 2 twice. And honestly my favorite part of this show (despite my crush on Camille Razart and Lily Collins channeling Audrey Hepburn hardcore ) is Ashley Park. This woman has superstar written all over her. She's a bona fide Broadway star, and "Emily in Paris" has served as her pivot into the zeitgeist. "Emily in Paris" is also showcasing her vocal prowess front and center this season, with her covering BTS, "All By Myself," "Sympathtique," and Marilyn Monroe. But the real standout performance is th

"Anchors" - AM Higgins

Here's a nice breezy, almost sensual song from AM Higgins (the solo project of musician Annie Toth) to start your Tuesday off right. Her debut album "Hymning" will be out November 5th on Victorialand Records. The album was mixed by Casey Foubert, a frequent collaborator of Sufjan Stevens. The album "captures the first years of moving from an American city to rural France." Sounds like "Hymning" will be a welcome escape from the world we live in right now, especially considering that Annie Toth counts poets Mary Oliver and Thomas Merton as influences.

Summer Playlist - 2022 Edition!

It's truly the little things in life that make a world of difference. And for me, that means my summer playlist! Behold, I have put together 2022's edition. It includes cuts from artists like: - Mitski - Uffie - Johnny Orlando - Kylie Minogue + Jessie Ware - Florence and the Machine (who put out a fantastic album this year after a long dry spell of kind of "meh" records. Her pairing with Jack Antonoff worked out quite well!) - Bilal - Harry Styles (he has some catchy music!) - KATE BUSH DUH - And of course, Lana. It's also available on Apple Music, but since I recognize a lot of folks use Spotify, here's that link. Enjoy!

The Useless Critic 2.0

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