Tag Archives: music production

Living Life Golden

If you’re looking for some new music to dance to this summer, check out Living Life Golden, the new album by Elliphant.  While the album is rich of party-antics that is reminiscent of Kesha, Britney Spears, and Katy Perry, it does have some great electronic dance beats and synth work.

The album starts out strong with “Step Down,” a song driven by a heavy bass line and catchy chorus.  The song is cowritten and produced by Joel Little, who is perhaps best known for cowriting and producing Pure Heroine by Lorde.

Little is one of those rare producers where I’ll listen to a song and instantly know he produced it, regardless of who the artist is.  There’s something is his production that is unique – he tends to have intricate percussive sounds mixed with great synth/bass lines, which I think creates an enticing song.  This is noticeable in “Step Down” and in the other two songs he cowrote/produced – “Where is Home” (which I would argue is one of the best songs on the album) and “One More (feat. MØ).”  “Where is Home” is slightly different that Little’s usual aesthetic as he utilizes (to great effect) the electric guitar, something his other productions lack – he tends to focus on the bass and other synths to drive the song.

In a world of pop music that skews to the depressing, if you’re looking for something light and refreshing I’d certainly recommend Living Life Golden by Elliphant, especially her collaborations with Joel Little.


Bang Bang: I Just Realized Something

I was listening to “Bang Bang,” by Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj, and I noticed something in the production which I thought was cool but also curious.  It’s rather subtle, but they added a sax or some type of horn to the last chorus of the song.  It starts around 3:02 in the clip below:

Personally, I think the horns add power to the chorus and really fill it out.  It also seems to emphasize the beat more.  So, I’m wondering: why did they only add those horns in the last chorus?  Why not every chorus?

Perhaps it’s like that old saying, too much of a good thing…

Taylor Swift’s “Lucky” #PhillipsSongOfTheDay

I have this weird thing where I will wake up with a song playing in my head.  For the past week or so, it’s been “The Lucky One” by Taylor Swift.  I’m not entirely sure why, but I went back to listen to it, and I’m again blown away by Swift’s incredible songwriting, making it #PhillipsSongOfTheDay.

Taylor Swift is one of the greatest songwriters there is.  Since the release of her self-titled debut album in 2006, Swift has been knocking my socks off with her ability to created incredible melodies, hooks, and stories.  When I first heard her song “Teardrops On My Guitar,” I remember putting it on repeat and just being kind of in awe.  I’ve always had a passion for stories and music, but I never really realized that songwriting was putting them together.  My musical training only dealt with classical music (I’ve been playing the violin and cello since I was five), and my definition of music was pretty much going to orchestra and playing music from the 1600s (or whenever Bach and Mozart were alive).  I didn’t live a sheltered life; my parents were exposing me to all types of music since my birth (I still remember being like two and my mom playing a  Pat Benatar record for me), but I never fully realized that pop/rock/country music was in fact…music.  I know, it sounds incredibly stupid.  But, Taylor Swift is one of the few artists who writes all her music, and every song she writes is it’s own story.  She’s not here to make a political statement or preach to people on how to live their lives (like some other artists); she’s here to speak her truths through music.  Which I think is beautiful.

“The Lucky One” is truly an example of Taylor Swift’s superior songwriting and story-telling ability.  The story starts out describing a character moving out to L.A. in search of fame, and it actually working out.  Fast forward a little bit, and the character isn’t so happy with their new found fame, especially with having to deal with the press and with “feel[ing] used.”  We finally learn at the end that the character escapes fame, and “disappears.”  It has been speculated that this song is about Joni Mitchell, a music goddess and one of Swift’s inspirations.

The intriguing thing about these lyrics is the fact that Swift has this pre-chorus that she modifies throughout the song to magnify the character’s changing attitude.  For example, in the beginning, the character is excited about their success, and Swift sings “Another name goes up in lights, like diamonds in the sky,” (i.e. it’s a beautiful, incredible thing).  Then, in the second verse, the character isn’t so happy, and Swift modifies this lyric to be “Another name goes up in lights, you wonder if you’ll make it out alive.”  Finally, during the bridge, Swift relates to this character and sings, “Because now my name is up in lights, but I think you got it right.”  It’s just cool that she’s keeping the lyrical content consistent but changing ever so slightly.

This song is also classic Swift because she manages to create unique, intriguing lyrics that subtly rhyme.  Read the first verse:

“New to town with a made up name in the angel city,
Chasing fortune and fame.
And the camera flashes, make it look like a dream.
You had it figured out since you were in school.
Everybody loves pretty, everybody loves cool.
So overnight you look like a sixties’ queen.”
Does it appear that Swift is rhyming her words?  Not really.  She is just telling the story the way it needs to be told, and it naturally rhymes; she doesn’t sacrifice the integrity of the story to get it to rhyme.  Some artists, though, painfully make their songs rhyme.  A song that’s a classic example with this flaw is Bruno Mars’ song “Grenade.”  Take the line from that song, “Oh, I would go through all this pain/ Take a bullet straight through my brain.”  Colloquially, we would never say “I take a bullet straight through my brain,” we would say “take a bullet to the head” or perhaps even “chest” or “heart.”  The brain is never really an organ or body part that is referenced in everyday language.  Yet, the writers of “Grenade” (which I think Mars is one of them) chose to make this sacrifice for the song, and it’s just…awkward.  Another example from that song is when Mars sings “I’d catch a grenade for you/Throw my hand on a blade for you.”  Again, who refers to knives or shape objects as blades?  It just seems too forced to me.  Meanwhile, in “The Lucky One,” Swift writes “Now it’s big black cars, and Riviera views/ And your lover in the foyer doesn’t even know you.”  Here is a clever rhyme of “view” and “you;” it’s not forced, it’s natural.  She’s painting a scene of staying a swanky hotel and feeling lonely; she’s using common language, instead of taking liberties and forcing words to work.
As for the music within the song, the guitar strumming and steady drum gives the song a nice thought-provoking, yet real, air to it.  I’m not too thrilled with Jeff Bhasker’s production.  Compared to her other songs, this production quality is “eh, okay.”  I mean, I don’t really understand the ten seconds in the beginning of dead air.  The song, while great, would have been better if Swift worked with her usual co-producer Nathan Chapman, or perhaps co-produced it with Bhasker.  Bhasker’s production just doesn’t really feel like Swift.  Take a listen, let me know what you think:
“The Lucky One,” by Taylor Swift
You don’t need to be a swiftie or a big T. Swift fan to like her music or appreciate good songwriting.  Honestly, just spend an hour with Taylor on any of her albums, and you might find yourself standing in line for one of her concerts.  She’s that good.

The Problem with “Problem”

Today I ran some errands, and I managed to listen to “Problem” by Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea the whole time because every radio station was playing it.  And I do have to admit it’s a pretty catchy song, despite a few…um, problems with it.  Regardless, let’s call it #PhillipsSongOfTheDay.

The synthed-saxophone beats and Iggy Azalea really make this song POP; both give the song a very spirited effervescence.  They make you shake your head (or booty…if that’s your thing), and make you want to throw your hands up in the air and forget about your cares.  After all, it causes you to “realize [you’ve] got one less problem” after listening to the song.  Iggy Azalea especially has this great confidence and attitude in her rap; she seems like a cool chick to hang out with (you should check out her new album, The New Classic).  The sax really pushes the song through, giving it a good beat and rhythm to dance to.

“Problem,” by Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea


However, I do have two main critiques for this song.  First, we absolutely have no idea what Ariana Grande is singing.  I mean, this may not be a big deal, given the fact this is a song more meant for the beat, not the lyrics.  However, it does become a problem for me because when you look up the lyrics, you realize she is singing words that you couldn’t even imagine her saying.  For example, in the prechorus/hook she sings at 0:29, I thought she was saying “heaven is a place where [blah blah, something I couldn’t understand],” and she’s actually saying:

Head in the clouds
Got no weight on my shoulders
I should be wiser
And realize that I’ve got

Like, when I googled those lyrics I was like, “Damn, really?  That’s what’s going on?  Okay…”  Ariana Grande really needs to work on her diction.  I mean, we can understand Iggy Azalea, which somewhat allows for Iggy Azalea to upstage Grande.

The other issue I have with this song is a simple production decision point.  While Max Martin and Shellback are like music gods (they co-wrote/produced hits like Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.,” Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok,” P!nk’s “So What” and “Who Knew,” etc.), I have to say I disagree with what they did in the ten seconds after Iggy Azalea’s rap (2:20-2:30).  They pull back after Iggy Azalea raps “I’ve got 99 problems but you won’t be one, like what!” to an almost complete stop.  It’s rather an unfortunate 180, because they got their audience dancing along, jamming out for two and half minutes, then we’re left in an awkward dead space.  They should have just gone right into the prechorus/hook of “head in the clouds.”  That would have really kept the pace of the song, and let us continue on with our dance party.  Other than that, the production is pretty much phenomenal; as I said before, the sax really drives the song and the beats make you want to get up and forget about your problems.

Pure Genius: Lana Del Rey’s Cover of “Once Upon a Dream”

Whoever decided to have Lana Del Rey cover “Once Upon a Dream” for the upcoming film Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, is a genius.  Del Rey’s spooky performance is a perfect match to echo the darker themes of Maleficent.

Maleficent tells the story of the villainess, Maleficent, from the classic Disney film, Sleeping Beauty.  In the original story of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent places a curse on Princess Aurora because she was not invited to her christening or something, and says that Aurora will die on her sixteenth birthday.  In all honesty, I know the gist of the story, but I’ve never seen Sleeping Beauty.  Seriously.  I was doing some quick research to understand the plot so I could sound informed when I wrote this, but it got so complicated that I was like “gosh, it’s just easier to watch the dang movie,” then I realize I don’t have a copy of Sleepy Beauty handy, which means I would need to go to the library even though tomorrow is my day off (I work at a library), then I rounded the whole fiasco out by just thinking “eh, who’s got the time. ”

Anyway, I digress.  My understanding is that Maleficent is like Sleeping Beauty as it involves the same characters and setting, but it is more focused on the dark villainess, not the bright, cheery heroine.  The original version of “Once Upon a Dream” is rather optimistic and, well, darling.  Take a listen:

The original version of “Once Upon a Dream” from Sleeping Beauty:

Now, Lana Del Rey’s version, like Maleficent, takes a new spin on the old classic, making it darker and more suspicious.  When I first heard Del Rey’s version, I thought “Once Upon a Dream” was originally intended to be this brooding, haunting song; the production and performance in Del Rey’s version is so striking that it colors the song to have a different meaning.  It’s exquisite.  Take a listen to Lana Del Rey’s version:

“Once Upon a Dream” performed by Lana Del Rey:

Disney made the right choice in picking Lana Del Rey to cover “Once Upon a Dream” because it’s such an iconic song that needed to be transformed to fit this new, darker telling of Sleeping Beauty.  Lana Del Rey’s music has the subtle, nuanced way about it that makes it appear to be dark and somewhat depressing.  Even by the deep timbre that Del Rey sang “Once Upon a Dream” with gives me the chills.  I don’t think Disney could have found a better person to give a classic a dark twist, and do it so well.


If you're on the struggle bus this week, here's a clip that you may relate to (I know I did):


Tennis Court

The song stuck in my head and on repeat today? “Tennis Court” by Lorde, from Pure Heroine.  As such, this song is, for it’s second time, #PhillipsSongOfTheDay.

This song, like many of Lorde’s other songs, stood out to me upon first listen, but I’m still not entirely sure what it’s about.  I did find this interview with Lorde with VH1 describing the song:


Based on this video and further reflection of the lyrics, I personally take the song as being about growing up and trying to find your path in life.  For Lorde, she’s gained a lot of fame and attention for her music, so she has to factor that into her life plan.  For me, I’m not entirely sure what the heck I’m doing next week, let alone in life.  I know what I want to do, but who knows if that will work out.  I think this songs has resonated with me so much because of lyrics like:

“Don’t you think that it’s boring how people talk
Making smart with their words again, well I’m bored
Because I’m doing this for the thrill of it, killin’ it
Never not chasing a million things I want
And I am only as young as the minute is full of it
Getting pumped up on the little bright things I bought
But I know they’ll never own me”

“Baby be the class clown
I’ll be the beauty queen in tears
It’s a new art form showing people how little we care
We’re so happy, even when we’re smilin’ out of fear
Let’s go down to the tennis court, and talk it up like yeah (yeah)”

“I fall apart with all my heart”

“Tennis Court” also has been stuck in my head because, yet again, Joel Little has done a phenomenal job producing the song.  Strong points include the modified “yeah” throughout out the song (e.g. the “yeah” after the lyric “let’s go down to the tennis court and talk it up like yeah”), the swirling synths and beats during the chorus, and Lorde’s overall vocal delivery.  My one criticism of the song would weird/random synth that goes off around 0:05, and continues throughout the song, take a listen:

The best way I can describe the sound is that it’s kind of like that sound the scanner makes at the checkout counter at the grocery store (right?!).  Like I said, I first thought it was random and weird, it stood out like a sour thumb.  But, now, I think it adds to the beat and rhythm of the song, especially after the second chorus around the bridge (2:07-2:33).  I personally would not have thought to have added that to the production of the song, but it’s not horrible.

Random fact, my iTunes is playing the song "Paper Aeroplane" by KT Tunstall after "Tennis Court," it makes a kind of delightful transition…the accordion of "Paper Aeroplane" contrasts nicely from the synths of "Tennis Court"

Lorde’s New Single.

Glory and Goreshould be next single from Pure Heroine.  While “Team” is currently burning up radio here in the US, it is starting to fall on the iTunes top selling singles and the Billboard Hot 100, an indication that the single’s life is coming to an end.  While it is still in the bottom of the top ten in both iTunes and Billboard, it is time to think ahead.

“Glory and Gore,” while being a fan favorite, has started to gain traction with a wider audience.  I think perhaps it’s because it was used in a promotional campaign for the History Channel’s show Vikings:

I’m not entirely sure if that’s the only reason for it’s popularity (I don’t know if “Glory and Gore” was used in any other ads or promotions…I’m good, but not that good), but it has gone to number 40 on the iTunes Top 100:

"Glory and Gore" is currently #40 on iTunes, as of 2/25/14

“Glory and Gore” is currently #40 on iTunes, as of 2/25/14

The only other Lorde songs on the iTunes Top 100 are “Team” and “Royals,” her two hit singles.  Yesterday “Glory and Gore” was at number 41, so it’s position has been rising on it’s own accord (i.e. without any radio airplay or live performance promotion).  Given the fact that the History Channel, while a brilliant network, probably doesn’t serve a lot of viewers within Lorde’s target market (i.e. teens and college kids (although I know a lot of kids my age love the History Channel, so maybe it’s wrong to assume only older men watch the History Channel…)), if “Glory and Gore” is given the promotions within the given target then Lorde may have herself another Top 10 hit.

I also base this on the fact the song is one of the catchiest and more listened to songs on Pure Heroine.  With her usual dark and mystical vocals, “Glory and Gore” charms the listener within the first five seconds.  More specifically, during the chorus, Lorde and producer Joel Little added a background vocalized “oh, oh” which really draws the listener in.  Even her imagery within her lyrics of “gladiators,” “battles,” and “saviors” evokes this kind of brave fighter attitude that my generation espouses.  Don’t believe me this song is worth a listen?  Just listen to the clip in the Vikings commercial in the above YouTube clip and you’ll be listening to “Glory and Gore” on repeat!


“Glory and Gore” is now #28 on iTunes (cough, cough):

"Glory and Gore" is now #28 on iTunes Top 200, 2/26/14

“Glory and Gore” is now #28 on iTunes Top 200, 2/26/14



Quick poll for my fellow Lorde-ites:


Tomorrow Things May Change…

I think I’ve said before that I tend to listen to music that reflects my mood, but lately I’ve been in a really weird mood that I feel is only embodied in the song “Tomorrow” by Avril Lavigne (thereby making it #PhillipsSongOfTheDay, Lavigne’s first).

I used to be the kind of person that had to know literally what a song would mean; my dad and I would often go on car rides, listen to music, and analyze what a song was precisely saying (my dad is freakishly good at doing this).  Recently, though, I’ve decided that I can’t digest exactly what a song is supposed to say, but I know what the song means to me.  For example, I’m kind of obsessed with Lorde’s music right now; I loved the song “Team” from the first time I heard it, but I remember telling my dad on one of our car rides “I love this song, but I have no idea what it means.”  I then thought about why I loved the song – I felt it displays a strong sense of camaraderie and sense of belonging to people who are different and stand out (people like me).  I don’t know if that’s what Lorde intended, but that’s what I got from it (and that’s all that matters to me at this point).

Anyway, I digress whenever I talk about Lorde.  For me, “Tomorrow” tells the story of the feeling just before getting over someone/something and moving on; you’re in the process of accepting your situation:

“I don’t know how I’ll feel,
tomorrow, tomorrow,
I don’t know what to say,
tomorrow, tomorrow
Is a different day”

Clearly here Lavigne is espousing that she doesn’t know how she’ll get over this person or feeling, but she knows things will change in the future (as the future is a “different day”).  It’s kind of an unusual song in that it’s not about breaking up with someone and it’s not about having moved on about some; it’s like you’ve been wounded, but the scab just formed and you’re not healed just yet.  It’s a transitional song.

I’ve just been getting lost in this song because of it’s beauty and the fact I honestly relate to it.  What stands out to me is when she says she wants to “believe” in this person, but feels that she can’t; there’s a breach in her trust of this person:

“And I wanna believe you,
When you tell me that it’ll be ok,
Yeah, I try to believe you,
But I don’t”

I don’t really know why I’ve been feeling exactly like this, but I think I’m in a transitional moment in my life where I want to believe in everyone and everything, and trust that everyone is my friend, but I’ve had a lot of friendships/relationships that did not pan out.  This is not a “oh, poor Phillip moment,” this is me stating how music really brings out different emotions in me and makes me reflect on my life; that’s the magic of music.  For example, if you asked me before listening to “Tomorrow” if I was happy with my life, I would probably have said yes.  It’s not exactly perfect at the moment, but it could honestly be a whole lot worse.  But upon listening to “Tomorrow,” I’ve realized that there is a big thing missing from my life, which is why I know I’m not at the top of mountain of life…if that makes sense at all…

Furthermore, I find “Tomorrow” to be such a beautifully composed and performed song.  In particular, I think the acoustic guitar is so warm and, want for a better word, fulfilling.  It just adds the right tone, a sort of rawness.  Also, I think the “hey yeah yeah”‘s during the bridge are just perfect.

Another reason why I’m in awe of this song is the fact that it was never a single, but it’s as though it was.  I kind of feel like Avril Lavigne’s album Let Go is my generation’s album.  I just remember growing up and everyone having a copy of that album and singing along to it.  Whenever you mention this song or play it, people tend to know it.  It’s odd, usually that only happens with singles.  Like you know all Beyoncé’s or Rihanna’s hits (songs that were singles), but can you name a song  of theirs that wasn’t a single but still a well known song?  I can’t.  It just goes to show how much success Lavigne had with Let Go, and it marks her as a great musician (at that time).

So, yeah, “Tomorrow” by Avril Lavigne is #PhillipsSongOfTheDay, and here’s to hoping tomorrow things may change!

A+ for Ed Sheeran

I was busy writing other posts, doing homework, watching tv, and listening to music (I’m a very talented multitasker) when I decided I wanted to stop and just commend Ed Sheeran for his song “Lego House,” which should have been #PhillipsSongOfTheDay but never has.  So it’s official today: “Lego House” by Ed Sheeran is #PhillipsSongOfTheDay.

I was first introduced to Sheeran’s music when his Grammy nominated song “The A Team” was available on iTunes as the Free Song of the Week, and I was taken with his vocal ability (he really can hit those high notes, I saw him perform live and, man, he got really up there) and the rawness of his music.  I didn’t really become a full fledged fan until I heard “Lego House,” which is just a phenomenal song, and saw him perform live.

The reason “Lego House” has deserved to be #PhillipsSongOfTheDay is because it is a wholesome sounding song.  From the soft guitar melody to Sheeran’s warm vocals, the song is like a tonic on a sad, rainy day.

“I’m out of touch, I’m out of love

I’ll pick you up when you’re getting down

And out of all these things I’ve done

I think I love you better now

I’m out of sight, I’m out of mind

I’ll do it all for you in time

And out of all these things I’ve done

I think I love you better now”

The thing that really makes this such a phenomenal song is the background vocals, which I assume are done by Sheeran.  Hats off to the person(s) who engineered/created the background vocals specifically during the chorus, particularly in the lines “I’ll pick you up when you’re getting down” and “I’ll do it all for you in time.” During these lines, Sheeran’s background vocals harmonize the last word of each line (“down” and “time,” respectively) and holds it out longer than the lead vocal.  I’m not entirely sure how to explain it, but if you listen for it during the chorus, you’ll pick up on it.  But, whoever thought of the idea to have Sheeran hold out those words, kind of like a faint sigh, is just a genius. Pure genius.

Listen for the background vocals here (and, yes, that is the same guy who played Ron in Harry Potter):

Watching Sheeran perform live was a real honor and inspiration because he performed without a band.  It was just him and his guitar.  It wasn’t an acoustic session; Sheeran is his own band.  He uses a foot pedal to record/loop different sounds he makes on the guitar, so he would bang out a beat on his guitar, step on his foot pedal, make another sound on his guitar, step on his foot pedal, and so on.

Sheeran performing during Taylor Swift's Red Tour

Sheeran performing during Taylor Swift’s Red Tour

He even tried to get different sections of the audience to perform different harmonies (I believe I turned to my dad, who was with me at the time and said, “God, where’s my sheet music…am I on pitch?”). It was a blast because it was just a guy and his guitar.  #TheMusicainIWantToBe


The Juxtaposition of Lana Del Rey

This is how I work: when it’s sunny and warm outside, I’m happy.  When it’s cold and snowing, I’m sad.  Pretty basic.  I don’t care about the research I’ve read at school, the weather affects my mood, because I hate Massachusetts Weather.

It’s currently the most depressing time of the year for me here in arctic: winter.  The past two months literally have had below freezing temperatures.  It’s just been so dark and cold, and so much snow.  Sad face.

Given the fact that I listen to music mostly based on my mood, and that I’ve been so deflated because of this weather, you’d think I’d listen to music from the ever so effervescent Lana Del Rey (sarcasm), especially her album Born to Die.  But the thing is, that’s really a summertime album for me.

I’m not kidding.  Last summer, one of the albums I had on repeat was Born to Die, and had her songs “Born to Die,” “Video Games,” and “Summertime Sadness” (both the standard and Cedric Gervais Remix (which just won a Grammy)) on repeat on my iPod, especially when I was out biking in the beautiful sunshine.  Today, while at work shelving books, I realized I hadn’t listen to the stunning Lana Del Rey’s music in months, so I decided to dedicate an hour to Born to Die.  It didn’t last; the album kept reminding me of summer and I thought “huh, this is a summer album.”

If you’ve heard the album or any of those songs, they’re not upbeat songs; they’re not songs that would provide you much motivation while exercising or songs that would cheer you up.  So why are these slow, somewhat melodramatic, and rather ethereal songs more compatible for my summer?

The somewhat magical thing about Lana Del Rey’s music is that while it’s depressing-sounding, it does not make the listener depressed.  In a weird way, her musical content is rather bold in that she sticks to themes and strong opinions of heartbreak that others stray from; I doubt anyone would tell their boyfriend, even in song form, that they were “born to die,” or that, rather poignantly, “I think I’ll miss you forever/ Like the stars miss the sun in the morning sky.”  From her lyrics and her music, Lana Del Rey’s listeners pick up her darker emotions and either relate to them or simply understand them.  Take her summer hit, “Summertime Sadness,” the lyrics, on the surface, would appear rather optimistic for Del Rey.  With such lines like “I just wanted you to know/That, baby, you’re the best” and “Oh, my God, I feel it in the air/ Telephone wires above are sizzling like a snare/ Honey, I’m on fire, I feel it everywhere/Nothing scares me anymore,” one would expect this love song to be about the height of romance with no depressing undertones.  But when you add swirling strings and ambient tones to Del Rey’s crooning, you get a rather depressing song about heartbreak.  While the song truly is about a breakup in that Del Rey is listing out all the positive/wonderful things about her relationship that she’ll miss like we miss the summer during winter, the production of the song could have been manipulated to create a more positive experience for listeners.  Take Colbie Caillat’s song “Realize” for example.  The song, like all of Caillat’s signature songs, sounds positive and happy like the sun-kissed home she’s from (she’s from California/Malibu/Hawaii type place).  Her vocal performance and the acoustic nature of the song leaves you smiling, wanting to lay out in the sun with your significant other.  But, upon closer examination of the lyrics, it’s rather a heartbreaking story about unrequited love, especially emphasized with lyrics like “If you just realize what I just realized/ Then we’d be perfect for each other/ And we’ll never find another,” and “It’s not the same/ No, it’s never the same/ If you don’t feel it too.” This is a case where the production/performance of the song changes the scope of the song to be more positive for the audience.  Lana Del Rey, however, does the opposite in that she purposely keeps her music in Born to Die on the negative side to emphasize her misfortunes.

I honestly don’t know why I associate Lana Del Rey’s music with the summer.  I do feel like some music is seasonal, and logic and my past experience would sort Lana Del Rey as a winter’s artist, songs not to be listened to during the upbeat summer.  But that’s not the case.  Perhaps it’s just me; perhaps LDR should be listened year round.  Let me know with poll below!