Top Ten Hit Songs of 2014

  For those of you who don't know, Billboard released their year end list. Since that has happened, I can put together my top ten hit songs of  2014. The only rule is that it has to have been on that aforementioned billboard list.

NUMBER TEN: Counting Stars by Onerepublic
  This song is Onerepublics' best song. This comes from a fan of their album "Waking Up." I definitely  hope they lean more towards this style of song more so than their normal adult alternative route.

NUMBER NINE: Pompeii by Bastille
  I really like Bastille and this song just throws in everything. It's so BIG and catchy. Their album, "Bad Blood" is a solid pop effort. On to number eight!

NUMBER EIGHT: Happy by Pharrel Williams
  The inescapable pop smash of the year. It. Is. So. Damn. Catchy. It makes you want to giddily (drunkenly, maybe?) sing along as soon as it comes on.

NUMBER SEVEN: Sing by Ed Sheeran
  Ed Sheeran showed promising growth on his "X" album. He has great potential as a songwriter. This song is just engineered to be a huge hit, and I love it.

NUMBER SIX: Come with Me Now by The Kongos
  I love that this song is a hit. It's just the right amount of sloppy and unhinged. It's what the pop charts needed.

NUMBER FIVE: Don't by Ed Sheeran
  Hi Ed. Yep, he's here twice. The first time I heard this song, I was taken back at how in your face it was.

NUMBER FOUR: The Monster (Feat. Rhianna) by Eminem
  The hook is solid, verses are solid. Probably the best rap song to be a hit this year. ("i" by Kendrick Lamar probably would have found its place here if it was a hit)

  Before we continue to the top three, here's some honorable mentions: "Bang Bang" by Ariana Grande, "Story of My Life" by Onedirection, "Break Free" by Ariana Grande, "Ain't it Fun" by Paramore.

NUMBER THREE: Chandelier by Sia
  The way she strains her voice to the limit really is remarkable. Love it.

NUMBER TWO: Habits (Stay High) by Tove Lo
  The production, the subject matter, and the fact that this song is a hit is why I love this song so much. How did this get radio airplay?

NUMBER ONE: Team by Lorde
  I love Lorde. Seriously, don't stop making music Lorde. Ever. The creepy intro vocals, the rhythm, and the poetry of this song is why it's at number one.

  Please remember this is all personal opinion. Share your favorites in the comments! Keep an eye out for my overall favorites of the year, coming soon.

Top Three Christian Rappers

  I completely understand if you rolled your eyes so quickly after reading the title that your eyes are stuck staring at the inside of your skull. Navigating religious music in general is a difficult thing. Almost two-thirds of the Christian music you find just chants: "JESUS! JESUS! WE LOVE JESUS!" Without much substance. (If you're looking for reformed theology in your rap, Beautiful Eulogy is your best bet) There are artists that deserve your time even if you don't agree with their views. Anyway, let's get going.


   THREE: SWOOPE

Swoope released an acclaimed (in the Christian community) album with "Wake Up" which I found overrated. I was left wondering what people saw in him, but then he released "Sinema" this year, one of my most listened to albums. Swoope brings mad lyrics to the table. In fact, these three all deliver great lyrics. LISTEN TO: "Before Goodnight"http://youtu.be/1Hf4BvKJOgs

  TWO: THE REP

Brandon Kagel, a.k.a. The Rep, is the most underrated rapper I've seen. Even in the Christian community. When he is on, he can stand toe to toe with anyone in the game. He released the best Christian hip-hop album -screw it, one of the best albums of this year Yet I can't find any review online. LISTEN TO: "Alcoholic",http://youtu.be/7JJ-GeKrqZk  "Murder", http://youtu.be/uc_GirO2L_o "'Till It's Over", http://youtu.be/O2TUZ4Hp2oU "Prison in my Head"http://youtu.be/u0pNCLlPfg4 "Imagine It", http://youtu.be/LysUVROa9S4

  ONE: GEMSTONES

Gemstones hasn't released a full album yet. He's released numerous mixtapes, both before and after his conversion. All of them are excellent. This man has lyrics on lyrics on lyrics, and the best pipes in the game. LISTEN TO: "Fire in my Heart",http://youtu.be/Dq_EjCU2eB4 "Circles",http://youtu.be/yrsYIxsT_OU "My Hood", http://youtu.be/djf1mTkKCbI "God is my Rock",http://youtu.be/40bs0SHATgk "Round and Round", "Don't Like",http://youtu.be/AUirubRe7aQ really, just anything. Especially from  and post "Elephant in the Room."

  I hope you found a new artist you liked from this list. I'll be releasing a Best Albums and Songs of 2014 later this month, so keep your eye out for it.

EP Review: "Foreign Land" A Lion Named Roar

   Greetings internet dwellers! I have a quick review for you guys today. It's a review of "Foreign Land" by A Lion Named Roar. The bio on their website reads: "A Lion Named Roar are men. Men that make pop music drenched in blue collar sweat and moral fiber. Although you’ll hear hushed sanctions of influence like The Killers and The Jayhawks, there are no apologies involved, because men don’t apologize." I hope that's a joke, cause that's a horrible way to get people to listen to you. "We men. Big. Strong. Eat meat. Make sounds. Call music."

   On to the music. "Foreign Land" is a six song EP of southern-blues sounding pop. The album cover is a dirt road winding its way towards the desolate desert and it's fitting, as the music contained here is great for road trips with sing along choruses while giving of a feeling of searching for something more. Chris, the vocalist, brings an earnestness to the sound. The songwriting here is really superb, and, for example, the fourth song, "Noon," tells us about a confrontation between two cowboy esque gunmen having a standoff in the desert. https://soundcloud.com/wearealionnamedroar/noon The creepy whistling in the beginning sets the tone well. "It starts again / I'm staring out across the sand / Steady with a gun in hand / It's almost noon / Gaining ground / Dust is burned upon his brow / Been riding since the sun went down / To see this through." The lyrics at the end (spoilers) impressed me as well "When the clock struck noon / There was powder smoke and / Burning lead / I was played for a fool / The grave was dug for me instead / Instead of you." This was my favorite song on the album, and it alone was enough for me to buy the rest of the EP.

   The next song is "Remember Me." The main character in this one talks of how he changed who he was to be able to get someone to love him. He wonders if: "When days are gone / And you're not around anymore / Will I remember me? / Will I remember me?" He knows the relationship isn't going to last, as he says: "I gave you my best / I put on a show / But the mask that I made is taking control / The person I was / Is not who you love / Though I tried and I tried it was never enough" Also, "Oh baby can it really be love / When I've been pretending to be what you want? / Who would ever want a lover to hold them / When they could never accept who they are?" Another great show of songwriting.

   All the songs, with maybe the exception of "Ghost in New York City", have solid writing and instrumentation. What stood out next to the songwriting and earnest vocal harmonies was the drumming. It seemed like the drumming was the driving part of many of the songs, which also impressed me. Overall, I give it a 4.5/5. It's a catchy, well written pop EP. I look forward to hearing a full length from these "Men that make pop music drenched in blue collar sweat and moral fiber."


Favorite tracks: Noon, Remember Me, This Won't Last For Long, Desert Wind.
Least favorite track: Ghost in New York City.