Some of you may remember a column on here called Connor’s Coffee Shop, a column dedicated to music reviews. After the man behind the reviews graduated, the reviews sort of retired. However, with the 67th Grammy Awards rapidly approaching, I thought I may revamp the column to review the songs that are nominated for the Song of the Year category.
I will give my personal opinions on each song, as well as discuss how the song was received by the public and in the media following its release and growth to popularity.
The first song I will be reviewing is: “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”
This song was written by Sean Cook, Jerrell Jones, Joe Kent, Collins Chibueze, Nevin Sastry and Mark Williams.
The instrumental parts in this song are simple but well done. This song features the acoustic and pedal steel guitar, the banjo, and the fiddle, which is heard in the background of Shaboozey’s vocals throughout the whole song. In addition, the song uses a clapping and stomping in a few verses. Overall, it makes for a simple instrumental background, which complements the lyrics very well. Lyrically the song is incredibly catchy. It has simple, memorable lyrics that are very easy to sing along to, which I’m sure contributed to its popularity. Personally I don’t really listen to this genre of music, however I have heard of this song before and I do know the lyrics. There are very few songs which have this type of vibe, which makes this hit stand out amongst others. One thing I will say though, and this is probably just my personal preference, is that the song can get pretty old pretty quickly. It is truly a great song, however after listening to it over and over again to write this review it was just a lot of the same. Part of what makes the song so memorable is that the chorus repeats quite a few times throughout the song, but that does make parts sound very similar.
In terms of how this song did in the media? On Billboard’s Top 100 chart this song tied the record for the most weeks at the No. 1 spot, competing with Lil Nas X’s song “Old Town Road.” They both lasted 19 weeks on top, which is a very impressive feat, and certainly shows how the song landed on the nomination list for the Grammy’s Song of the Year this year. It was definitely a radio hit, and a popular, well received song and I’m curious to see how it will fare at the awards ceremony in February.
The second song I will be reviewing is: “BIRDS OF A FEATHER”
This song was written by Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell.
Listening to this song the instrumental parts are very heard throughout the song. The percussion mallet parts are specifically very present, with instruments like the marimba, vibraphone, xylophone, and glockenspiel. Additionally you can hear the drums, synthesizer, electric guitar, and bass guitar. It is a very full ensemble, but it goes along well with the vocals in the song. The lyrics are very catchy, the only repetitive bits being in the chorus, but that’s the whole point of having a chorus so no complaints here. The lyrics themselves are very good, with a strong message about love, and whether it’s platonic love or romantic love is kind of left up to interpretation to the listeners. Personally I really do like this song, it’s perfectly catchy without being an earworm and it has relatable lyrics, which I love. It is the sort of genre of music I primarily listen to though, and Billie Eilish is one of my favorite artists, so I may be a bit biased.
In the Billboard Global 200, the song peaked at the top spot with 78.8 million streams globally, and it’s another one of those songs that play over and over again on the radio. It was also Spotify’s most streamed song of 2024, amassing just about 1.781 billion streams.
The third song I will be reviewing is: Die With A Smile
This song was written by Dernst Emile II, James Fauntleroy, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, Peter Gene Hernandez, better known as Bruno Mars, and Andrew Watt.
The instrumental in this song is quite basic, featuring piano, guitar, bass, and drum parts. Alone, the parts are nothing special but they do complement the lyrics well, despite being nothing unique. What is really the big kicker in this song is probably the harmonies in the lyrics. They are very impressive and make the song seem quite powerful. The message behind the song is nice, noting the singers obvious devotion to each other. The collaboration of the two popular singers definitely makes for a great song, but I have to say it doesn’t specifically stand out too much. I feel that while it’s a really good song, it may not necessarily be Grammy material. It just sounds similar to any other ballad type song, and a lot of the reason it gained traction and popularity was because it was from two very popular artists.
So far the song has been at the number one spot for one week, but that was a week ago so it may run for a second week this week or it could drop. It has over 1.5 billion streams on Spotify. I haven’t heard it as much on the radio as some other songs on this nomination list, but that could just be because of the music I primarily listen to. Regardless of my opinion on it though, I would say it has a decent chance going into this awards ceremony as it is a very popular song that has been very well received by the public.
The fourth song I will be reviewing is: Fortnight
This song was written by Jack Antonoff, Austin Post, and Taylor Swift.
The instrumental parts in this song are not the most complex, but they are still very good. I think they match the lyrics of the song very well, specifically the synth parts. There are also acoustic and electric guitar parts and percussion parts in the song. I think however the main focus of this song lies mostly in the lyrics. Similar to many of Taylor Swift’s songs, this song tells a story. One verse declares, “All my mornings are Mondays stuck in an endless February / I took the miracle move-on drug, the effects were temporary / And I love you, it’s ruining my life” This seems to express how Swift feels incredibly bleak after her breakup with this guy, to the point where she probably took anti-depressants. Those seemed to work for awhile but eventually they stopped, leading to her exclamation of her love for this guy and how that love was making her more miserable, because he is no longer in her life. At first listen it may be harder to interpret what exactly the message of the song is, however listening to the song over and over again and trying to analyze it in depth makes the message more clear. Taylor laments about a breakup and her feelings in a very unique type of sound. No other song on the nomination list sounds quite like this. She has a very breathy and soft feeling in her voice in this song, which contributes to the sort of desperation, anger, and grief she tries to exhibit throughout the song. In most of the other songs on this list I complain about repetition at least a bit, but for this song I find that that isn’t really an issue at all. Of course the chorus repeats a bit, but there are small changes which make the song seem completely unique throughout.
Personally I like this song a lot. I will say though in order to fully enjoy and understand the message behind it you have to sit down and specifically listen to the lyrics and actively try and understand them. It isn’t one of those songs that have surface level meaning, which I think makes it better honestly. I think the collaboration of Post Malone and Taylor Swift isn’t expected and seems a bit out of place, but once you listen it sounds good and seems like the perfect fit for the song.
In terms of popularity, the song certainly did well. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 just a few weeks after its release. In just the first week the song reached 76.2 million streams. It currently sits at a little over 812 million streams on Spotify. In terms of radio popularity I haven’t heard it nearly as much as some of the other songs on the nomination list, but it has been playing.
The fifth song I will be reviewing is: Good Luck, Babe!
This song was written by Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, better known as Chappell Roan, Daniel Nigro, and Justin Tranter.
I love the instrumental background in this song, which features synth, guitar, strings, and drums. The instrumental picks up right when the vocals do and they fit very well together. I personally believe that the lyrics in this song are some of the best I’ve ever heard, “You can kiss a hundred boys in bars / Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling / You can say it’s just the way you are / Make a new excuse, another stupid reason / Good luck, babe (well, good luck), well, good luck, babe (well, good luck) / You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling” In this segment of the chorus Roan sings about how a past lover of hers is trying to deny her sexuality, going as far as to having multiple relationships with guys in order to try and convince herself she is straight. Roan then vents her frustrations, saying her ex-lover is just making up excuses and wishing her good luck. This can either be interpreted as wishing her good luck in coming to terms with her sexuality, or as a more mocking phrase, sort of scoffing at the girl for believing she can keep up the charade. The verse ends with Roan pronouncing that the only way to deny that part of yourself is to completely stop the world. This segment of the song especially encapsulates the aggravating reality of dating as apart of the queer community. The other lyrics only add to the powerful meaning behind the song. I do listen to Chappell Roan’s music on the regular however, so keep in mind that I may be a bit biased. I believe a big reason that this song and this artist blew up so much is due to the under representation of queer experiences in the music industry, which only makes this song more significant to those who can relate. In this song the chorus is quite repetitive, but I don’t believe it’s too much. I think the message here is that the specific feeling being described in the song is very present and overwhelming, which makes the repeated chorus more of a symbolic choice. In case it needs to be restated I absolutely adore this song. I think the instrumental is genius, and the lyrics are on a whole other level.
In its very first week, the song reached nearly 7 million streams on Spotify. In November it reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. On the Billboard Pop Airplay the song reached number one. On top of all of that, she performed the song at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards and won best new artist. So, in terms of media popularity, this one is definitely a hit.
The sixth song I will be reviewing is: Not Like Us
This song was written by Kendrick Lamar.
The instrumental in this song is iconic. As soon as the main beat plays most people can immediately identify the song. The song features a synthesized strings part that repeats the main defining instrumental part throughout the song. It also has a prominent bass line and finger snaps, along with parts featuring brass instruments and the piano. In terms of instrumental parts, this song is probably the most renowned one on the nomination list. The lyrics are also phenomenal. The song is a diss track so the lyrics are very combative, which complements the instrumental parts well. Due to the fact that this song was a part of an ongoing rap battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, the song gained lots of traction in the media. There are some very cleverly worded verses which attack Drake, making for a very interesting song. This is another song which is very different from many of the other songs on the nomination list due to its aggressive nature, however it is still a very good song. I am also a huge fan of the famous instrumental parts as a musician myself. Overall, I personally really like the song and I don’t really have any complaints about any parts of it.
This song was wildly popular in the media, the song broke a record, spending 21 weeks at the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart. It also reached number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. It was a Tiktok sensation song as it is a part of the rap-battle series, and it spurred the media to talk about some of the news that Lamar drops about Drake. The song recently reached over 1 billion Spotify streams, and has been very popular since its release.
The seventh song I will be reviewing is: Please Please Please
This song was written by Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff, and Sabrina Carpenter.
This song features synthesizer, piano, guitar, bass guitar, and drum parts. The introduction of the song has a synth part that is very unique and I haven’t quite heard anything like it in any other songs. In fact there are many instrumental parts that are very unique in this song. In between some of the lyrics in the chorus there are unique little instrumental solos that serve to accentuate the lyrics, but are also impressive in their own right. In terms of the actual lyrics, they are quite catchy, as almost all of the songs on this list are. The chorus is very repetitive, but like Roan’s song, I believe it is a symbolic choice, due to the begging nature of the song. I do listen to Sabrina Carpenter on my own time, and although I do like this song I will say it isn’t my favorite from this specific album. I just don’t love the overly repetitive chorus, and while I can respect that it is a style choice for this specific message, it doesn’t mean I have to be in love with it. I will say that I like the song very much, I just think she is better out there. I respect the song because of the interesting instrumental parts and because in general I like Carpenter’s voice, but lyrically it isn’t anything revolutionary.
The song spent two weeks on the Billboard Top 100 at the number one spot a week after its debut at the number two spot. It also topped Billboard’s Global 200 chart. Overall, the song has been very popular and another one of those songs that plays over and over again on the radio. The song has almost 1.2 billion streams on Spotify, and overall has been very well received by the media.
The eighth and final song I will be reviewing is: TEXAS HOLD EM’
This song was written by Brian Bates, Beyoncé, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro and Raphael Saadiq.
This song has a very unique instrumental sound, featuring banjo and acoustic guitar along with a stomping beat in the background. There is also a prominent part above halfway through the song where a whistling tune is heard along with a viola solo. Overall the instrumental gives the song the country feel. Hearing these lyrics, this song could easily be in another genre with different background instruments, but the banjo gives it the stereotypical country sound. The vocals are very well written and they flow very well through the song. There are many lines which have very nice harmonies that give the song a lot more depth. This song also has a unique feeling, where at the end of each line in the chorus Beyoncé sort of raises her voice really high and drops it very quickly, creating a really cool and unique echoey sound. I think compared to a lot of songs on this list, the lyrics don’t have nearly as much meaning, but that’s okay. Songs don’t always need to have a message to be good, and this is an example of that. It isn’t super deep, but it is a well written song that I find quite pleasant. Usually I’m not the hugest fan of country music, however there is the odd song out that occasionally I find quite good, and this is one of those examples. I just really like Beyoncé’s voice and I think this song displays that very well, and it has a good instrumental foundation, which I’m always a sucker for. The song is also very catchy and easy to sing along to.
This song reached number one on both Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and Billboard’s Global 200 Chart, as well as number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. Since its release it has accumulated a little over 600 million Spotify streams, which is vastly impressive but oddly less than most other songs on the nominations list.
To preface, the category Song of the Year is awarded specifically on song composition, so it may not necessarily matter how popular the song has been, but more so how well written it is. Out of all of the songs on this list there are certainly some that stick out more than others from a compositional standpoint. TEXAS HOLD EM’ is certainly up there, having a very unique sound to it. BIRDS OF A FEATHER is also a competitor, with its full instrumental ensemble and lyrics that tell of a different kind of love than most songs sing about. Good Luck, Babe! also has a very standout message and lyrics that may put it up there. I would love to see it win at this Grammy’s just because it really does have a completely different idea then most mainstream music and it has been a revolutionary development in the music industry. After listening to all of these songs my favorite remains Good Luck, Babe!, but I didn’t predict that to change just because I do listen to Chappell Roan so frequently. A song I wasn’t expecting to love so much was TEXAS HOLD EM’ but I actually ended up loving it and I do think it has a very good chance of winning this award just due to its instrumental parts and beautiful harmonies. At the end of the day though I am not an expert, but I do look forward to seeing the results of this category.
