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| Katy Perry performing "Dark Horse" at Prudential Center in July. |
Let's Get This One Out Of The Way
It's list season. I'm trying to line up some pretty interesting guests to take us through 2014 the way they saw it, and I'll be publishing a few lists of my own.
Again, I make no claim that these are "Best Of" lists. The closest thing, for the ones I write myself anyway, is more "My Favorites From Among The Things I Got Around To Hearing" in 2014. They're intended to be a reflection on the previous year and to be, maybe, a good source of recommendations from the many, many things -- especially from our guests -- that we may have missed.
I'm starting off this year's listmania with pop. The cooldaughters still haven't reached that time in their lives where music is all-consuming. I feel like CoolDaughter #1 is about a year away, and CoolDaughter #2 is four or five years behind -- that is, if it happens for either one of them at all. They do have their favorites, though. That's what I'm listing here. The rankings are based on my own mental calculation of what they seemed to be singing along to the most with a bit of my personal preferences mixed in to break any ties.
Here we go.
10. "All About That Bass" -- Meghan Trainor
This should probably be higher. It ended up being one of the biggest songs of 2014, and it has a pretty positive -- if kind of crassly expressed -- message.
I have an aftermarket satellite radio that's "always on." The kids can see what's playing even if I have the sound from the car stereo turned off. This is one of the songs where they go, "PUT ON THE RADIO!" when they see it scroll across the screen. They sing along to it with an affectation similar to Ms. Trainor's.
I hate it, though, so it's Number 10. Sorry.
9. "I Really Don't Care" -- Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd
I hear this song, and I immediately think the verse is a rip-off of "I Love It" by Icona Pop / Charli XCX. The cooldaughters love Demi Lovato, though. I could just as easily have put "Neon Lights" on here, but I like the sing-songy nature of this one a lot better. It also does a better job of capturing that yell / sing thing that Demi Lovato does, which the girls seem to love so much.
I also like it when songs include lines that CoolDaughter #1 is just starting to get. When Lovato sings, "I'll walk right by you and put one finger in the air," she looks at me smirking. CoolDaughter #2 notices from the backseat and says, "What?" Her sister just gives her a wise old, "never mind" like she's in on some grown-up joke.
8. "Fiona Coyne" -- Saint Pepsi
Built on a keyboard riff that repeats for pretty much the entire song, this is one of those SiriusXMU songs that CD1 keeps me from changing every time.
She bounces slightly in her seat after practice, her damp swimsuit probably chilling her to the bone, as she sings "Oh darlin'! Won't you believe me? I'll love you 'til the record stops, the record stops!"
7. "Shake It Off" -- Taylor Swift
I read something earlier this year that said that familiarity and repetition are just as powerful in our brains as truly loving a song. Neither of the kids greeted "Shake It Off" with the enthusiasm of anything off of Red. The relentless airplay, though, eventually broke their wills; and they sang along with it just as enthusiastically as they do with any pop mega-hit.
We all collectively cringe, though, during the spoken-word break / bridge or whatever it is. The song also contains several of the little contrivances that I never like in a Taylor Swift song: that "mmm-hmmm," the stray giggle. Coming up with our own "blankers gonna blank, blank, blank" has become a favorite minivan game.
"Flakers gonna flake, flake, flake"
"Bakers gonna bake, bake, bake"
"Taters gonna tate, tate, tate"
etc.
6. "Dark Horse" -- Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
I don't know. I kinda like Katy Perry. Even though, just like every big pop star, every word out of her mouth is like a commerical for Covergirl or something, she seems weirdly honest to me. Like her public persona may be pretty close to her actual persona. We saw her in concert over the summer, and I found the whole thing pretty enjoyable.
Anyway, "Dark Horse" is one of those songs during which CD2 really emotes. CD1 memorized the whole Juicy J rap. The video is batshit crazy Illuminati conspiracy theorist bait, so that's cool.
5. "Problem" -- Ariana Grande ft. Iggy Azalea
Big year for Ariana and Iggy. *SPOILER ALERT* This isn't the last you'll see of Iggy on this list.
Grande can sing, and the funny thing is that her speaking voice is kind of weirdly similar to her singing voice. Most of what the girls sing along with is the whispered "...one less problem withoutcha" part.
I've always felt like this song is a textbook example of this:
4. "Fancy" -- Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
The bass on this song has been scientifically engineered to access your reptile brain. Your reaction to the bass is involuntary. All about that bass.
And what's more fun than imitating Iggy's "Who dat? Who dat? I-G-G-Y?" As a matter of fact, as a reaction to typing that out, I'm doing it right now.
On the way up to the Katy Perry concert, CD1 and all her buds were going crazy singing along with this one in the "way back" of the van, and it was hilarious and awesome.
Also, Charli XCX is a pop genius.
3. "Boom Clap" -- Charli XCX
Did I mention that Charli XCX is a pop genius?
This is probably my favorite song on this list. It's just a good freakin' pop song. I had no idea that it was part of the The Fault In Our Stars soundtrack until CD1, obsessive tween, pointed it out to me.
Every time I hear Charli XCX on the radio, I think back to the fact that, last year, she was scheduled to play The Wonder Bar. The Wonder Bar. She canceled when she got added as support for Paramore's UK tour.
Would be kind of cool to be able to say, "Yeah. I saw her when she played to 100 people at The Wonder Bar in Asbury Park."
2. "Cool Kids" -- Echosmith
"I wish that I could / Be like the kookids / Because the kookids / They seem to fit in."
Kind of like Taylor Swift's "chubble, chubble, chubble" or Imagine Dragons' "wacka doodle do ay, doodle do ay" (CD2 gets credit for that one), I always sing along to this song the way I hear it.
One of CD1's absolute favorites. Like the Number 1 entry, it gives me hope that maybe she's coming around to something that more closely approximates my own musical tastes. I mentioned a while back that I surreptitiously loaded her iPhone with some "starter material," but I don't think she's listened to any of it yet.
Maybe soon.
1. "She Looks So Perfect" -- 5 Seconds Of Summer
CoolDaughter #1 bought this -- instead of some app or game upgrade -- with her own iTunes account balance. Something she's been doing more and more. Like I said, she may be catching the wonderful / terrible music bug.
I'm not sure if this band is selling themselves as a boy band or as a corporate pop punk band, but when I hear all the
It's got some "mature themes," I think. "She looks so perfect standing there in my American Apparel underwear." What are ya gonna do? I enjoy seeing the kids being passionate about a song. This one has definite stepping stone / gateway potential.
Honorable Mentions
"Let It Go" -- Idina Menzel
CD2: "I like the Adel Dazeem version better than the Demi Lovato version."
"Rather Be" -- Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne
Generic lyrics. A band name that sounds like it came out of a board room. Kids love it, though. I don't know.
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