POP SONG REVIEW: "7 Rings" by Ariana Grande

[@dinodm4083]

Those last lines about how old pop used to feel like a party everyone was invited to, and now it feels like VIP only... bro that was genius and encapsulates the trend perfectly.

[@rebecca8866]

I agree 🙏👏 very well said on his part!

[@candiroxxmusic]

Ava Max says hi

[@EpicB]

I miss the pop music from the late 2000s and early 2010s. The pop we had back then was fun.

[@patricklauer4452]

Naveek Darkroom yeah 😢

[@OldFantasy]

@@EpicB me too😢 I really like lorde but at the same time I was WTF did you bring with you😤😤

[@princeperot7568]

Bold move for Ariana to make a song about Sonic And The Secret Rings.

[@rejanewilson6738]

Best comment here

[@kingnewgameplus6483]

MAKE BELIEVES REBORN

[@DashieNegan41]

SEVEN RINGS IN HAND

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

She was appropriating gamer culture.

[@clodheatens821]

Great idea

[@jimdofrunetotem]

This song is literally the definition of 'Weird flex but okay'

[@caitilinploof3635]

King Razie Weirdgardium Flexiosa

[@Lycaon1765]

I think this is the best comment about this.

[@gabe_s_videos]

And further proof as to why I really hope that phrase doesn't catch on.

[@MrsRen]

...Then you look at her current single and it's even more of this

[@tiffanychavez8457]

😂 alright sis

[@itsyaboitavino3273]

7 Rings is the song you expect a money-based Disney Villain to sing for their intro

[@lessismore8533]

Ikr!!

[@catmerchant8699]

Crimson Boomer34 omg

[@LmaoMoni]

If you look at it in that context it’s AWESOME

[@garrettgrosjean8615]

Yeah...your right

[@putridmoldyman306]

If that was the context, it would be pretty amazing

[@talsterenberg8244]

Anytime a Pop star describe themselves as "Savage" I cringe.

[@dandreflowers7435]

at least in Ariana's case she had a terrorist attack during one of her concerts so I can maybe forgive this one

[@queenash96]

I think the only one who can is Rihanna

[@rubberwoody]

does eminem count?

[@TheKoyn]

Like didn't you "come up" from a cancelled Nickelodeon show? yeah, real savage 🙄

[@Cavouku]

To be fair, I have a hard time taking someone 'savage' unless they live alone in the wilderness and eat only what they kill. But I'm always willing to grant the title post-hoc. C'mon Ariana, do it for one month and nobody gets to take it from you.

[@dustinsmith7259]

So, is no one going to talk about how tight Todd's flow was at 15:52 at the "it's perfect, its flawless.." ? That was pretty sick!!!

[@Black_pearl_adrift]

I got chills

[@Minivanmusician]

It's soulless lol that was good

[@smirnoffmussolini9331]

It's like one of my favorite things Todd has ever done.

[@losxdescabezados]

I rewound it to listen to it again. He had to have done this on purpose...

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

"Is this... offensive? Disrespectful? Cultural appropriation? I don't know. Who cares? It sucks." -Todd in the Shadows, Worst Hit Songs of 2014

[@leeonthescreen]

I love your videos, it’s nice to notice you finally in the comments section

[@vince__2k]

*Sean*

[@shinohidanzetsu]

Our Todd has grown up.

[@alexanderlohner3104]

What song was that comment about?

[@vincenieva]

@@alexanderlohner3104 It was about Iggy Azalea in general

[@cosmo2590]

2019 is the year we all realize how the nightmare before christmas was about cultural appropriation all along

[@LittlePinkMew]

Daniel S so was bring it on!

[@alissacarter2191]

I read this while watching the Nightmare Before Christmas 😁

[@whodovoodoo2313]

But notice how the movie never treats the "appropriator" as an enemy or evil but simply misguided--something that people who champion ideas like "cultural appropriation" sadly fail to emulate.

[@cosmo2590]

@@whodovoodoo2313 regardless of his intentions, he almost ruined christmas for the whole world

[@putridmoldyman306]

@@cosmo2590 Doing your hair in a certain style or wearing different clothing doesnt ruin it for anyone

[@niamuhammad8589]

I kind of just took this song as a dark, vapid, nihilistic mean girl anthem. A newly wealthy person drowns out all their previous emotional problems with material objects. For example, "shopping is my NEW addiction". It doesn't work but they still emptily proclaim that it does. That is why the beat is this distorted neon version of "my favorite things". A song about how humble personal comforts can get you through tough times and now a shallow flex tune about how big expensive things will totally (not) make you happy. That could be me just trying to make the song more interesting and thoughtful though.

[@cryinglaughingemoji1741]

It's a good point. I just think songs about wealth-bragging is something that.... Wasn't for lots of people.

[@tariqthomas9090]

THANK YOU! This is the best interpretation of the song. It’s supposed to be gaudy and over the top because its all a facade. To me, it’s almost like a cry for help.

[@awookieandagerman]

My point exactly!

[@sarahkeener685]

That’s also my interpretation of the song. There’s an empty bleakness to it that seems purposeful.

[@RyanStorey1231]

I interpreted the song in a similar way. Especially considering the turbulent couple of years Ariana has had, I wouldn't be surprised if she coped by reveling in her material possessions and spending money. I can't say I blame her. Considering all of that and considering how insecure and anxious she comes across in interviews, I think that she has more than earned one song where she talks about being awesome. I see songs like this more as a confidence boost than a rich mean girl bragging about being better than everyone else.

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

Describing cultural appropriation with the Nightmare before Christmas is so brilliant that I'm shocked I've never heard anyone use that before.

[@stephaniehohn1618]

They describe it that way on The Bechdel Cast podcast, there's a whole episode on it.

[@StephenShepherdOfficial]

Likewise!

[@gabingston3430]

@@mariokarter13 I'm sure you know what that means, right? EDIT: I saw your comment further down and you elaborated it better there, pardon me.

[@cognitivedissonance8406]

@@gabingston3430 Of course he does. We all know he's talking about push-up bras, right fellas?

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

Just as a safeguard in case the comments end up getting out of hand, let me just say that I personally think a lot of people do go overboard when talking about cultural appropriation and bring racial politics into places they dont need to be... not all the time, there is definitely a time and place for discussions like that, but people can read too much into things sometimes. I'm more just trying to point out that Nightmare Before Christmas is a good way to illustrate the general concept.

[@stephaniewozny3852]

"Maria was a boring woman." Well, she WAS a nun in training, what did you expect, Holly Golightly?

[@Feasco]

But Sister Act taught us that nuns can be exciting!

[@stephaniewozny3852]

@@Feasco , I'm mostly thinking in terms of the topic of the song (aka, flexing your wealth). Sisters take a vow of poverty, which drastically shortens the list of "favorite things" you can afford. What I'm saying is, you aren't going to see a sister with a diamond encrusted rosary, you feel me?

[@Feasco]

@@stephaniewozny3852 The obscene amount of wealth of the catholic church would have me say otherwise

[@stephaniewozny3852]

@@Feasco , they sure ain't giving it to the nuns. I have a great aunt who's a nun. Trust me.

[@NihilistAlien]

@@Feasco much like Russia economy, only the very high spheres get the cash. The lower echelons like nuns don't see the color of that moolah.

[@matilyn_rf]

I can't believe Contrapoints led me back to Todd, wild crossover media in 2019

[@annep6076]

Omg. Same!

[@thereallocke8065]

It went then other way for me. Saw this video. Then on a rewatch I noticed the contra tweet. Eventually i finally saw the Opulence video and it came full circle

[@kylemoder7550]

Watched this, saw some contra, rewatched this and saw the tweet, then contra brought me back here after Opulence, then on a rewatch of thus I saw she commented. It's been a wild ride

[@scottygilmer691]

Won't hit like cause it's 666, but I enjoy all of these artists and the video in general.

[@ehjaybee85]

Hard same here.

[@bobbobinson11]

The difference between Post and Ariana is that Post is always saying the money doesn't help the sadness and loneliness. Ariana basically says the complete opposite.

[@yarsaz4347]

well it's helping her sadness even if it's not helping his so what's the problem?

[@bobbobinson11]

@@yarsaz4347 Ariana basically had her wealth handed to her, and she never represented any sort of struggle, so it just feels like a rich person bragging about how rich they are. Post feels like a person who hit rock bottom, chased success for all the wrong reasons, and is now learning the top us just as lonely as the bottom

[@yarsaz4347]

@@bobbobinson11 So you think Ariana Grande's 80 million dollar net worth was just handed to her but Post had to run for the success? Being this successful inn the music industry isn't easy and they both worked extremely hard to be where they are right now.

[@bobbobinson11]

@@yarsaz4347 I'm not saying Ariana never put any effort in, but she was put in the spotlight by producers and execs when she was a kid and already had the fame and connections needed to be a music star. Post was basically a lonely drug addict who started with a guitar and a camera.

[@Lee-fw5bd]

Maybe it's because I haven't listened to a ton of Post, but his music does seem to give the impression that it does lead to happiness. A hollow happiness (though that just be from presentation rather than his lyrics) but happiness nonetheless. I think Ive only heard him complain about issues that the money and drugs caused like him losing his girlfriend or something

[@Shooter__Andy]

Ooooh,I get it. It's a song about greed and vanity, because 7 rings of power for the dwarven kings. Yup. Sure makes sense.

[@LordJeffries]

Seven for the dwarf-Lords in their halls of stone

[@Karan-Aujla]

@@LordJeffries Nine for mortal men doomed to die.

[@Minam0]

God I wish this was the meaning

[@christiannorton9400]

Best comment

[@sharosudo]

:0

[@ByeByeDeadName]

Todd, I know it’s probably harder for you to make these videos with the state of pop and all, but I have to say your content for the last three years has been better than ever. I know it’s probably tough on you, but it’s really paying off.

[@lyricbot8513]

Mmm it's like comedians flourishing under trump

[@Nortarachanges]

Lazy Song is still my favorite, but yeah. Todd is still making great videos even though pop is far further out of my sphere than it was back then. And then I only knew songs from working retail ^_^

[@EpicB]

While popular music has been pretty dull over the past few years Todd still entertains.

[@MetalSandman999]

I agree that Todd's content has only improved over the years, though a lot of that is probably because he has had the good sense to branch out from just current pop music. Even as pop music goes down the toilet, Train Wreckords and One Hit Wonderland have given Todd great material to work with, and should continue to do so for a while.

[@EpicB]

@@MetalSandman999 OHW and Trainwreckords should always be entertaining even if modern music is unexciting.

[@dannyhargreaves1326]

Do Sucker by Jonas Brothers. How a boy band that had some success in the late 2000s, split, had some solo success, and came back and somehow reappeared with a number 1 hit is mind-boggling.

[@caitlinbrewer4843]

We're living in such a bizarre timeline.

[@amberisrad]

i know this comment is old but it's just the power of nostalgia. not too surprising to me, nostalgia is strong

[@pixelpudding3914]

@Danny Hargreaves shanari shanari oujou sama

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

15:52 Dude, that entire bit was brilliant (sic. perfect, flawless, immaculate, airtight)

[@kyrla]

so glad i'm not alone in this, that was good progression

[@pewpewpew3212]

OXYGEN BELONGS TO ARIANA ONLY YOU DONT GET TO BREATHE

[@colorsofgravity4396]

Diamond Axe Studios Music hotel? Trivago

[@Wired4Life2]

*Reminder that "ATM machine" is redundant.*

[@destinyvoltaire]

You know, I think ATM machine takes to long to say, let's call them ATMMs. /s

[@Wired4Life2]

@Amelia Marion "Automatic Teller Machine Machine"?

[@jsaavedr1]

ATM = Ass To Mouth? Lol

[@mockerusbeats880]

@@cawmusic vlogbrothers reference?

[@cawmusic]

@@mockerusbeats880 if it is then it wasnt intentional

[@DiamondAxeStudiosMusic]

Todd your last pop song review was like 2 weeks ago. You... you doing okay, man?

[@TapDat52K]

He is working his brain overtime. It seems Todd's hopes for the future of Pop and a better year were retracted back by Ariana. She took her "mainstream track" in a different direction then where he was hoping it would go. Considering the pedestal he placed her on as one of the last "pop" artists, I can feel his minor quarrel of Arianna releasing a sleek track whose lyrics don't try to be empowering for the average listener. Just another safe rythmic beat in the "pop"-aclypse of Royals with SJW triggering lyrics which she probably wrote to only highlight her own successes in life. Cause thats what the cool kids do. Talk about how blessed they are and how great life is for them.

[@nerdfightercommenter6969]

ariana's helping to make pop interesting enough to talk about again. Who knows if we will continue to have that luck

[@googyta]

Being February, he had a shorter deadline to release the vid on patreon. The guys gotta get paid.

[@EpicB]

@Daniel33487 Wait, he promised a new Trainwreckords?

[@Jt1Torso1Winabego]

Honestly, 2 weeks is pretty good for anyone from the old TGWTG crew

[@L013-r9y]

Oh my god comparing this to "I'm on a boat" is kinda perfect?

[@AdamL6102]

God that two second snippet of Kesha actually shocks me with joy, what a colossal banger that song was. Back when pop was a party.

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

I hated Kesha’s music. It all felt scary and disorienting

[@gabingston3430]

@@jeniferjoseph9200 Praying is the best hit song of the century so far, come at me.

[@jeniferjoseph9200]

It’s very clear that I’m talking about her old music

[@gabingston3430]

@@jeniferjoseph9200 I'd make a distinction between her Ke$ha days and Kesha right now. Yeah, Tik Tok and We R Who We R are pretty dumb, but you could also blame that on Dr. "I'm a scumbag" Luke.

[@fwank49]

I didn't think I could like Kesha until I heard praying. It made me go back to her old songs and realize how good and fun they are, and how Praying is a perfect example of how so much of pop music has become all sad and slow. Also I don't care about the meaning behind praying. It doesn't change that the song sucks as a song. Is it powerful? Sure I guess. I don't listen to pop music for "powerful" though, I listen to music to hear good music.

[@jcunningham8041]

This is not a particularly short review, but it was exhilaratingly tight.

[@Betta66]

Not particularly short reviews are tight!

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Weeks of binging One Hit Wonderland and Trainwreckords really makes me forget: Todd's contemporary pop analysis is what makes him wholly unique. He reviews Top 40 pop songs like poems or movies, something usually only reserved for music years after the fact. We make jokes about Todd being late to review songs, but I would argue he's VERY early.

[@hexyoutubeaccount]

"I'll watch some friends reruns and see if it comes up" todd identifying the truest bastion of white culture

[@gabe_s_videos]

Im indifferent to Friends, but I love hearing it described as "a documentary on white privilege."

[@gabe_s_videos]

@@JimmySteller You can chalk a lot of that up to it just being a piece of light entertainment made during a highly stable American economy, but it does also speak to how the 90s were still a little tone deaf in regards to recognizing the needs of anyone outside of the "status quo." And that's including all of the really, really unfunny gay jokes.

[@bradypostma5167]

I'm white enough to have seen Friends start to finish, all ten seasons, a half-dozen times. Trust me: cultural appropriation is not mentioned. There is some talk in the commentaries of season 10 about being the only significant black character on a famously extremely white show, though. That said, the show is not just a big privilege parade, either. It was created by a Jewish woman and a gay man to talk about the world they lived in. Sure, there's way too much white privilege in particular, but they're living as underdogs in some respects, too.

[@justthecoolestdudeyo9446]

@@bradypostma5167 There are Jewish characters, but I don't think any of the main characters queer at all. Just a lot of gay jokes. A lot of the show has an extremely privileged viewpoint in many ways, but I still enjoy it though.

[@bradypostma5167]

Just the Coolest Dude Yo -- To be clear, I said one of the show's creators was a gay man. I never claimed or implied that any of the actors or characters was gay or queer to any degree.

[@ContraPoints]

omg I'm famous!

[@realcashcraft]

😄

[@chollysa7777]

The fact that there are so many comments referencing you that have more likes than the one you yourself made means people are not searching for the queen. (Angry screech) But, importantly, I'm here, my queen. Also *hwite !!!* Glad the internet is using the ContraTerms.

[@EvilQueenofHearts]

I hate this song, but if you like then I need to learn to love it. You know what's good 😁

[@Xx_L1v1ng_H3L_xX]

The fact that both my fav youtubers are here just made my day

[@exquisitecorpse__]

@@EvilQueenofHearts thats not how opinions work.

[@turbonerdo6838]

Seriously, besides for Lindsay Ellis's Pocahontas video, the Nightmare Before Christmas analogy is the best quick and simple explanation of the concept and issues with cultural appropriation. Great job. Todd.

[@tannisthapatra3654]

I think Lindsay made that comparison at some point. I distinctively remember her calling Jack a "cultural fucking imperialist"

[@thetoad8335]

@Paul Olsen Ehhh, Depends a hell of a lot on context. Eminem being part of a black industry, but being respectful towards it, understanding his position of privilege and also what it's like to struggle, is fine. But it's pretty understandable when Native American people get a little uncomfortable when the society that consistently oppressed, murdered, and stole from them decides that a "Sexy indian" or 'Tribal leader" is a good Halloween costume. At it's worst, Cultural appropriation turns centuries of significant and meaningful tradition into a product sold by the oppressor to the oppressor, simply because it seems new or exotic.

[@theoriginalsache]

Well, when you're a Native American and your iconography is made a "sexy" mockery of every Halloween and you see it year after year and you're like, "Guys, this is not cool," and then white people are like, "You're over-reacting!!! Lol!" ... it will eventually start to piss people off. Tacky, by definition, is "bad". One instance is relatively harmless. Lots of instances is super harmful and tells you that no one respects you or your heritage and you are some variety of less human. "No one cares!!!" Except... for all these people that obviously do.

[@christopherbennett5858]

@Paul Olsen The US already has had issues with depictions of Native America. SOme can argue that the name "Washington Redskins" and the use of the word "redskin" could be on par with power rangers casting an East asian person as the yellow ranger. There has often been an issue of native american women being subjected to domestic and sexual abuse. Heck, it's not even exclusive towards native americans. When it comes to non-white women, there's an almost fetishist view on them either as sex objects or homewreckers.

[@spiritxdancer]

@Paul Olsen Because a lot of those things are not only sacred, but they were banned by the US for centuries in many cases. Seriously, Google search Indian boarding schools if you want a full picture of US-Native issues. Imagine if right after the holocaust, Germans got really into Jewish culture. That's basically what it's like. Then there's the separate issue of who gets to define someone's people and culture. Who says what a headless is for or how it should be treated? The people who invented them, or the people who saw them and thought they looked cool?

[@gabe_s_videos]

Weirdly enough, I feel like Todd's general discomfort talking about things like cultural appropriation make him the ideal person to talk about it. He's not dismissive of it like the people who blunder into it and prove their own flagrant racism beyond a shadow of a doubt (no pun intended), but he's also not so overly-passionate about it that his desire for people to take it seriously overshadows (again, no pun intended, I swear) what it is he's trying to educate his viewers on, nor does he just fall back on awkward collar-tugging. His was one of the best, most articulate descriptions of cultural appropriation I've ever heard and he made it clear exactly what his problems are with THIS example of it without stopping the review for a screed about what he thought was right or wrong about cultural appropriation as a whole. And I agree with his point: even if you aren't bothered by any racial insensitivity, this is a SHALLOW song, even for the kind of song that it is, and that's a reasonable grievance in and of itself. More importantly, I like how he makes it clear that this is both an IMPORTANT subject whether or not it's a PLEASANT subject: nobody talks about these things for fun any more than they pay their taxes for fun and the frustration isn't people being "too politically correct" these days, it's the frustration of this particular socio-political viewpoint is being applied to EVERYTHING, including the stuff you indulge in to take a break from it. That's not any reason to dismiss these arguments, but it IS frustrating. I also love that he used Nightmare Before Christmas to illustrate harmful cultural appropriation because it's a genuinely good example.

[@caleviwin]

The only thing though is culture appropriation falls flat in its ass when you realize EVERYONE does it. All cultures are appropriated. Deal with it.

[@nikibronson133]

Hmm

[@UBvtuber]

Oh yes, because being against the idea of only being able to use ideas and objects from your own culture which segregate society just makes you a stupid racist idiot person. Yes, life is totally black and white like that.........and no, I don't like this song either, I think it's fucking stupid and Ariana Grande flexing is not a good look for her. But back to you, blatantly writing off people who are less open to the whole cultural appropriation as just racists is exactly why people can't take this shit seriously. The reason Todd was good at this discussion is that he was more open to hearing both sides here and gave good arguments for why cultural appropriation can be so bad. On the other hand, insulting people and painting them as bad like you just did makes people want to double down and call you a stupid SJW or something: it's the worst way to get people to side with you because the ones who agree with you will love it and the ones who don't will think you're an asshole. Personally, I think cultures should be able to mix and not be confined to what's expected of them because someone will get mad, and that can lead to good or bad results, but I think it's still better than boxing people in.

[@Hotmanlion12]

Ugly Bastard Wow, bro, congratulations on somehow missing the entire point. Nobody’s saying that you shouldn’t be able to appreciate or be inspired by other cultures. The problem comes when you package that culture and sell it back to your own culture while taking all the profit and credit, while also dumbing it down and turning that culture into a parody of itself, as was literally explained in the video.

[@UBvtuber]

@@Hotmanlion12 Except I wasn't just responding to the video, I was also responding to OP's comment which basically calls anyone who disagrees with the idea as a racist person. Things are not that black and white, especially when the idea of "cultural appropriation" has ironically become appropriated to mean just anyone using pieces of other cultures regardless of what their intentions are, but still use the same condescending and insulting tone as to imply that cultures should never mix. I'm not against the term or idea entirely, but more and more, it feels like the idea is being applied to almost everything while scolding anything that gets in the crossfire. And while the OP probably (hopefully) doesn't think like that, my point was that starting his comment with a blatant insult that paints over lots of people on the fence is a really bad idea when trying to get people on your side.

[@JoshuaFagan]

This is one of your best videos, Todd. I've been thinking about why this song made my skin crawl even though my normal response to vapid bragging is just to shrug and change the station, and you nailed it perfectly. It's just so entitled and disconnected from any notion of real struggle. It's a party you're not invited to.

[@Saintnick90]

I get annoyed whenever I hear somebody say "ATM machines." It's just "ATMs," people! Automated teller machine machines? Come on.

[@BiroZombie]

Unfortunately, I still hear people saying PIN Number.

[@Duffman1800]

It flows better when you're saying it in certain sentences. Just like DC Comics, LCD display, HIV virus, etc.

[@Denji2006]

We live in a society of common redundancies. Tuna fish, cash money, hot water heater, final destination, past history, future plans, frozen tundra. It drives me fucking nuts.

[@THEBEEDOOBOP]

Little do you know it's a machine that makes ATMS.

[@DocUno1]

Redundant assholes

[@brainflash1]

"I'll watch some Friends reruns and see is it comes up." *Flashbacks of Monica's pale white scalp tied up in sea shells intensify*

[@ultimate2018]

Because white people partaking in anything non-white is automatically problematic, I guess. Yours truly, A Latino man who’s sick of this crap

[@SilverPikachu2099]

@@ultimate2018 Lmao, I love how you say that as if Latino is a race

[@ultimate2018]

WreckTangle I’m saying it to show that even minorities are getting sick of this crap.

[@MichaelBerthelsen]

@@SilverPikachu2099 Hispanic people ARE considered 'People of Colour', so...

[@SilverPikachu2099]

@@MichaelBerthelsen Hispanic isn't a race. It's a term describing people of Spanish speaking origin. And Latino describes people of Latin American origin, also not a race. Latinos are usually Hispanics, but not all Hispanics are Latinos. And on that note, there are black and white Latinos and Hispanics.

[@gaypenguinhaslimes4190]

I think part of the problem is that is sounds like a villain song, like you'd expect the mean girl to sing it, it's not sympathetic, and it doesn't connect with people because it's cold.

[@marya5925]

Ariana IS a mean girl.

[@NihilistAlien]

She's in all honesty the caricature of the popular bitch in high school. The fact that some people find her inspiring or Cool is beyond my comprehension

[@y2klove581]

That’s honestly one of the reasons why I love it i love the cold feel of the song

[@aceofflames4572]

This song would be a brilliant number for an alpha bitch antagonist in a pop musical

[@ZZZZZZDDDDADA]

It was made to make quirky girls feel special, "gee thanks just bought it 🤪😈🤑" lame ahh song

[@nikibronson133]

That was literally the most concise definition of cultural appropriation. Damn near textbook. The issue is people don't know the definition and think everything is appropriation instead of diffusion or appreciation

[@EpicB]

I suppose you can draw a libe between "appropriation" and "appreciation" but it's not always obvious. I hate these blurred lines. And I'm going to appropriate that line and dilute its original meaning because I don't appreciate that song.

[@gabe_s_videos]

Thank you so much for describing it like that! I really don't like people using it as a curse word rather than as a criticism.

[@nukeninmgt1504]

This has aged well. The term has become even more politicized and volatile when it's just a fair criticism of a lot of pop culture.

[@justinerose3396]

Using Nightmare before Christmas to explain Cultural Appropriation was genius.

[@Skelekin13]

@Jon O you sure wrote a whole lot of nonsense in response to a single sentence comment

[@Tea_Noire]

@Jon O Imagine getting so triggered over someone's harmless comment that you write a fucking dissertation, Jesus Christ.

[@Xetelian]

@Jon O His use of Nightmare before Christmas is spot on. "This asshole youtuber" yet here you are, watching this video, feeding the very monster you claim to hate. Welcome to hypocrisy.

[@gabe_s_videos]

Amazingly, this isn't the first time I've seen it used for that.

[@FuckdasketsHOPassass]

@Jon O Shut up white boy

[@TheInsaniacGuy]

The Nightmare Before Christmas analogy was used so accurately to define "cultural appropriation" that it might as well be served as the designated reference point.

[@MrNight48]

I know I will be using it from now when I have to explain cultural appropriation.

[@LagrimaArdiente]

I actually first saw TNBC be used for exactly this comparison on. Tumblr post once.

[@myheartiswriting]

I know right? I don't even support the general concept of cultural appropriation, I think it's mostly just taken out of hand and exaggerated. Nightmare Before Christmas, I was like "Oooohhhhhhh." It all makes a little more sense now.

[@planescaped]

@@myheartiswriting The problem with cultural appropriation is that most of the people who cry foul about it and accuse people of it, actually have no clue what it is. It's extremely misused to the point it is becoming worthless, a common problem in the lightspeed social media age.

[@CJ-nd9gg]

No that hard right? Means you guys think the race own the culture, and the race must be respected when using it's culture. Unless huwite ocf :p

[@breem2446]

My main takeaway: Ariana Grande thinks the word is spelled "stariotype."

[@daffyphack]

seems particularly weird when a musician can't spell "stereo"

[@Toxoplasmosis006]

i mean, maybe it was a typo. but i doubt it.

[@AirKangLocker]

PAULA RONDON VIDAL no....sterwotype is a typo....stariotype cant be typo if u look at the keyboard lol

[@Toxoplasmosis006]

@@AirKangLocker i've done way worse than that. i'm talking from experience.

[@nevermind8084]

PAULA RONDON VIDAL It's soo weird to me that some of your celebrities sometimes spell a word from their own language wrong. LeBron James did several times and now it's Ariana. Me a Chinese and I never messed up with spelling stereotype. My friends and I may misspell some rare ones but never a word like stereotype 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@nopenope4183]

Her skin tone is a result of a heavy tan i think. I used to watch her as a kid on Victorious and Sam and Cat and i forgot how white she really is

[@UnfortunatelyTheHunger]

Doesn't tanning one's skin that heavily very likely to cause skin cancer?

[@nopenope4183]

@@UnfortunatelyTheHunger i don't know I'm not gonna say it's a bad thing but I'm surprised people aren't offended that she's tanned her skin so dark that it's confusing to know what ethnicity she is like you know who (Rachel Dolezal)

[@zeppelin4790]

@@UnfortunatelyTheHunger She gets spray tan.

[@kendawooda]

This made me go back and see what she looked like on Victorious and damn she was as white as anyone elese

[@Haittavero]

A G Lol the reason you might think she didn't look natural is that she looks better now. And she does, but its's not the tan, it's the plastic surgery. (Not that there's anything wrong with getting plastic surgery)

[@ffjreviews9029]

I do hate 7 rings, but say what you want, at least she didn’t say “We forgive you Germany!!!” or “AND IIIIIIIII TEND TO CLOSE MY EYES”

[@c.w.8200]

You don't have to forgive Germany but aren't we all friends now? 😢

[@nikhilpranav6915]

But she did steal from the almighty god himself, SouljaBoyTellEm. #2007SQUAD staying strong 😤!

[@staraptcraft185]

Ok but who else noticed that ContraPoints watches Todd in the Shadows

[@awfulwoman]

they know each other atleast a bit- theyre within a circle of left-leaning media/political commentary youtube people who went to Lindsay Ellis’ wedding

[@PumpkinSwag]

Todd is flexing.

[@repulser93]

Djcm You didn’t know? Todd and Lindsay used to date back when they were on Channel Awesome. Her character stalked him as a running gag.

[@lilililililililililililililily]

wow these replies make me feel like an archeologist unlocking some history. Anyways OP, contrapoints just mentioned this video in her latest one

[@void9938]

Bless Natalie I was so happy to see her pop up

[@Clisare]

I think people are missing something with the line: "Whoever said money can't solve problems, must not have enough money to solve them". When you look at Ariana and what she's gone through this year, I think it's actually a comment on numbing herself with possessions... or maybe I'm reading too much into it.

[@amity4716]

That's how I feel about the song too, especially after listening to the album. The whole thing is littered with allusions to being numb and filling the void with various things, as well as longing for things to be different (fake smile, breakup with your girlfriend, imagine, etc.).

[@mochibun3890]

I agree. Also to add on, I think she may also be referencing how little compassion some people may have for her because she's rich. As in, yeah she's been through things but she's rich so she'll be fine? A lot of people think rich people should be happy because money is everything. Similar to Lana Del Rey National Anthem. Anyway it may be looking too far into it too but adding on the next line "happiness is the same price as red bottoms" that seems pretty damn ironic to me and people took it way too seriously

[@Torthrodhel]

Meh, well if it's meant to mean that then it doesn't work. Because it just feels straightforward and shitty when you actually hear it.

[@GhGh-ci8ld]

mochibun putting it over a trap beat makes the whole thing seem more like bragging. you have to take into understanding the context of the genre itself.

[@ADudOverTheFence1]

Also the synth strings in the backtrack gives the song a kind of somber and melancholic vibe to the song, at least to me.

[@ZspotMotorsport]

"Cause he's a sad boi who looks like shit, what else has he got? Let him have this... " HAHAHA ded. Great line.

[@zain1423]

Mark Pelto timestamp .?

[@ZspotMotorsport]

@@zain1423 16:05

[@mafeuk]

7 rings?? What is this? A Sonic game?

[@velvetsparrow]

THANK GOD I WASNT THE ONLY ONE!

[@iae8793]

it's only a sonic game if those 7 rings are in hand

[@blakchristianbale]

Where's that damn fourth chaos emerald

[@2kano113]

ive made that joke at him 2 seperate times on twitter and he didnt laugu

[@SparkyWaffles]

SEVEN RINGS IN HAND SPEED THROUGH NIGHTS WITH FEET IN SAND

[@MacanWigit]

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die, One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

[@that-minotaur]

So Ariana IS a Dwarf-lord? They must make her look taller with cgi.

[@EpicB]

That's a lot of single ladies to put rings on.

[@keukenkastje05]

Yep, there it is! The LoTR reference I was looking for

[@badassitudepostergirl4229]

As a theatre geek myself I laughed so hard at your take on the “hardships” of theatre acting. Not gonna lie though, I get pissed whenever I hear this song because I adore The Sound of Music and Julie Andrews. I think an interesting thing is that Ariana Grande has been trying to get into the theatre world recently, she reportedly wants to be in a movie musical and is gunning for the spot as Elphaba in the upcoming wicked screen adaptation. She preformed “The Wizard and I” at the Wicked 15th anniversary concert and it kinda sucked so the community is kinda trying to keep her out. It’s an interesting fight.

[@alexistupponce4477]

she was on broadway when she was 13 in the show “13”. i think she’s just gone away from the traditional broadway style of singing

[@Angie-ji7be]

I went to watch that performance and I actually thought she did alright singing-wise. Sounded like she actually leaned more to the Broadway-style of singing. She did get the role of Glinda for the movie, and she's at least a better fit for that character than Elphaba. I'm just more worried that she might treat the role as if she's just playing herself.

[@yuhgetintoit3190]

This sounds goofy I can't lie. I totally get not wanting people who don't understand your hobby invading it, but... Ariana quite literally got her start on broadway. This is not new for her, and she's a very talented vocalist... she's literally endorsed by Chenowith herself (which is funny to think now that she's confirmed to have the role).

[@frostflaggermus]

i like how the ending song was all like "eat the rich" because HONESTLY

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

Todd In The Shadows is a secret Marxist confirmed.

[@theitfactorjameswheezer2852]

I have 0 sympathy for both of you

[@PuppetMasterIX]

*_MAKE BELIEFS REBOR-_* Oops, my bad... Was thinking of a different 7 Rings.

[@felixfernandez6056]

YES!!

[@christmemea]

7 RINGS IN HAND

[@bayluNO]

I am so happy that I wasn't the only one who thought of this.

[@amesstarline5482]

Same here!

[@M0b1us_118]

PuppetMaster9 HELL FUCKIN YEAH!! See this guy knows (He knows, he knows, he knows.)

[@sanogoadamagyram8166]

Honestly the You like my hair just bought it thing is a thing black girls have been saying for so long. One of the most popular clapback for a black woman when she's accused of wearing hair that does not belong to them is to say well it's mine cause I bought it. So I doubt any black women felt empowered by Ariana's line since she brought nothing new to the table....

[@FreyaEinde]

Agreed. But its par for the course for pop singers. Like everybody rips from black people. I just want people to stop trying to make black people feel awkward for being black in public. Like how are we high culture and still getting low culture treatment. WTF?

[@RainyRunningRiver]

No matter your race- unless your sick fake hair is tack. Its tacky on Tyra Banks. Its tacky on Brittney Spears Its tacky on Kim Kardashian. Why do girls wear hair hats in the first place? Growing hair is easy- you dont do amything and leave it alone!

[@pinkysaurusrawr]

Black White wtf

[@sharosudo]

@@RainyRunningRiver WAT say that to someone that has alopecia

[@sanogoadamagyram8166]

@@RainyRunningRiver that last sentence made me laugh so much you clearly talking from a white point of view because black people really can't just let their hair be, it needs intense care and styling. Also not everyone can grow hair at the same length. Also you answered your question when you refered to wigs and extensions are "hair hats" it's an accessory. Also you personally find it tacky but not everyone share your opinion.

[@giselle9230]

“It’s basically just I’m On a Boat” was the best hot take of the year

[@themfwestcoast]

All i can think off when i hear seven rings is: "Seven to the dwarf lords great minors and craftsman of the mountain halls". Stop appropriating dwarf culture!

[@gabingston3430]

Ariana Grande is completely wasting her abundant talent on generic flexing that has been better done by others, rather than doing what she should be doing which is stuff like Into You and Breathin'.

[@reecelalzzz]

Hey an actual critique that i can get behind wish todd had said that instead of all the other quesntionable bullshit

[@YeeSoest]

She's a very young woman. Almost a girl still. That's probably why she has tk make one of these from time to time but yeah, this one hopefully isn't considered representative of her work in the future, i hope the petulent kid phase is just a phase

[@galaxion1013]

You heard the album though? This and "break up..." Are the odd ones out. The others are mostly talent

[@whodatninja439]

7 rings isnt the only song on the album lmao

[@azazelop5223]

YeeSoest she’s 25, she shouldn’t be acting like a child.

[@SnowLeopard784]

Sonic the Hedgehog had seven rings years before Ariana.

[@kieranstark7213]

Sonic Team called. They want their seven rings back.

[@TetrisShark70]

And that song is at least 3X better. It's a shame the game it came from was one of the worst of the franchise.

[@YouCanCallMeXoe]

And years before Cheater Brady

[@cuearesty]

I love hate this song. I love the beat, but I dont wanna listen to its lyrics. The first time I did, my chest just tightened. Im all for my independent sisters, but I cannot buy shit with this economy, and its just depressing to listen to, especially coming from someone young and already unattainably rich. Im FOB, and never felt more aware of being an immigrant restarting my life, and got no chance in hell to live the rest of my life comfortably... I couldn't get a constant job nor compete with people who have lived all their lives in the US. I thought I was the only one who felt uncomfortable with this song. Contrapoints sent me here, and I got a kick seeing her featured albeit briefly.

[@anniekii6601]

@Kalevi Urpilainen that wasn't even the point. Dont come at her for how she dresses, her body her choice. The comment was about the unattainability of the money she's speaking of, but, personally, I don't mind it, even though I'm not financially well-off. So please don't bring her clothes or her way of expressing herself into it, it's irrelevant and juvenile.

I guess you gotta know what inspired the song to get the song But some of us are broke but still admire the song

[@hinglemccringleberry7265]

I love that beat too. I think it was heavily inspired by alpha by vangelis. There is also an early 2000s hiphop song named nie nett sleepwalker remix that is similar

[@theaddictofgaming9174]

I don't think the beat is very fun. I love the bridge, though, and the Two Chainz version makes the song more bearable, because, man, that bridge is fire.

[@caoisekamay1175]

@ I dislike this argument because it implies that people who don't like the song just don't 'get' it or 'understand' it. I'm sure many people who dislike the song DO get it, but 'getting' something doesn't automatically mean you like it. I don't think the backstory of the song helps it at all. I don't speak for all broke people, but Todd's right on this. This type of song just does not work coming from someone as wealthy and privileged as she is (especially now).

[@mythicalcreaturecomforts]

Dolly Parton's always been kinda proud of her wigs

[@Clay3613]

@@TheJollyMisanthrope 100% All Natural White Meat

[@ericpeterson8732]

Dolly Parton: culturally appropriating since the 1950s...

[@LillianWard-mw4qe]

The interesting thing with Dolly’s wigs is that she’s completely anonymous when she takes them off.

[@Benjamin-lq1sf]

Todd In The Shadows > Sleep

[@heelstevenmaggle5615]

I don't know, Sleep are a pretty good band.

[@TheCursedHikari]

7 Rings 7 Years Todd must not like the number 7 being used in song titles

[@witnessme4352]

"Seven Years" by Saosin is a masterpiece. What are Todd's thoughts on that one?

[@anone.mousse674]

Witness Me 7 Years by Lukas Graham.

[@MisterH37]

I always liked "Seven Days" by Sting

[@witnessme4352]

@@anone.mousse674 I know. I was just wondering what he thought of a completely different song by Saosin with the same title.

[@someone___1240]

Hope he doesn’t dislike seven by sunny day real estate.

[@studiokastle]

Beyonce: “I see it, I want it. I stunt, yellow-bone it. I dream it, I work hard, I grind till I own it.” (Formation, 2016) Ariana Grande: “I want it, I got it. I want it, I got it. I want it, I got it. I want it, I got it.” (7 Rings, 2018) There is a clear difference between how the two songs approach getting what you want from life.

[@studiokastle]

strontiumXnitrate so beyoncé didn’t work for her notoriety and success at all? okay.

[@Jon.A.Scholt]

Is nobody else going to mention Ariana Grande spelling stereotype as "stariotype" @13:00. Dear god

[@mastermarkus5307]

I did. You're on the internet, girl, you can look this shit up!

[@grahamkristensen9301]

I speak from experience: Ariana Grande's social media feed is a Grammar Nazi's worst nightmare.

[@blackmagnetictape]

it's a me, stariotype

[@Mello.]

blackmagnetictape *doot doot doot du du du doot*

[@TimmyTickle]

@@grahamkristensen9301 My thoughts exactly

[@Stratocasterlaserblaster]

Can we appreciate Natalie Wynn in the Twitter responses?

[@CB-Gamer]

Something something mouthfeel

[@Calpsotoma]

Hail Sobek? Hail Sobek.

[@sudevsen]

Yuh

[@babypurplebat2610]

Why is no one talking about the mouthfeel?

[@jean-lucm9115]

What was her responses

[@Kneong]

IDK, I miss happy and brainless pop music. It was something that was at least good enough to be radio change worthy, now I mainly just go to npr

[@philnousjase5464]

Carly Rae Jepson - Now That I found You. I needed it too

[@puckbryn3583]

any plans to cover Lizzo? there should be

[@ramonabelowthree]

Probably on the year end best list

[@galleryofrogues]

Puck Bryn Doing reviews on good songs isn’t as entertaining. Her stuff is good and she’s very likable so it wouldn’t make for very entertaining content.

[@YouCanCallMeXoe]

@@galleryofrogues I'd be down for one on the sexiest fat flute player in existence, so long as it wasn't Truth Hurts. Not because it's bad, but because it wouldn't feel right, reviewing a song two years old, that somehow got to the top of the charts, despite a plethora of other, more recent songs being more appropriate to talk about.

[@galleryofrogues]

Burnt Orange Duly noted.

[@Tea_Noire]

Funny that you mentioned this sounds like a Beyonce song, because if you slow it down, Ariana's voice on this song sounds exactly like Beyonce lol

[@sentirionll9894]

Ariana misspelled stereotype as stariotype.

[@iamwontolla]

With an "ari". Because she bought the word "stereotype", and now it belongs to her.

[@joewoods9612]

She also misspelled her 7 Rings tattoo. Or her 'small barbecue grill' tattoo

[@multitudeofidols]

So glad someone else noticed. When I first saw it, I paused and just glared at it for about a minute before I resumed play.

[@0sarah0911]

yeah and its been a meme on the gossip blogs for a while lmao im glad someone outside of the blogs noticed it

[@sentirionll9894]

@@Ciborium she grew up american. She doesn't speak italian or even have an italian accent

[@MarbleOceans]

Powerful women singing about how rich and powerful they are is hardly subversive anymore

[@breesantos2885]

Yeah, mainstream music culture is really tiring in this aspect. it's been amped up with Cardi B's rise (tbh Beyonce has been selling out for years, and Jay to an extent also); the idea of associating women's empowerment with accumulating riches is misguided and just a smoke screen to subdue actual progress. like it's fucking annoying when any criticism of one of these stars is "wow ur just jealous. get that bag, queen!!1!" because the addition of another woman to the wealthy elite, especially while doing nothing original and having others write your songs, is something we should all celebrate. Cardi's public image says it all- she has more money than anyone could need, but she still gets a shit ton of criticism, hate, isn't taken seriously. So imo it's not much different from a trophy wife situation, like medieval shit where women were confined to the house and had fancy dresses and jewelry lavished on them by husbands, but weren't allowed to speak out or deviate from the social norms.

[@IAmHermaeusMora]

Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their Halls of... Oh, that is not where this is going...

[@dontsmileatme9025]

" then Royals showed up and all the super hero's died" XD

[@tedzards509]

The Thanos snap after that was just perfect

[@danstiver9135]

Oh lovely, another pop song that relies ENTIRELY on the melody of a better older song that it's sampling. And OF COURSE it has a trap beat and is just about bragging on and on. This is generic crap.

[@jordanjamison9235]

You nailed it. This comment is the only review needed of this trash ass song.

[@planescaped]

I really, really liked Thank U Next, so I figured I listen to this song what with it being her next hit... Holy hot garbage batman this song was bad... It's meaning, message and lyrics don't really matter when the song itself burns the ears. >__>

[@Selrisitai]

I wish this were Todd's review.

[@308473mb]

Preach it.

[@Myndir]

@@ChristieBrewster Playing with vapid materialism is about as old and tired as glorifying vapid materialism.

[@EpicB]

I can't speak for the accusations of cultural appropriation but if this is what Ariana Grande's idea of glam rap is she's not very good at it.

[@EpicB]

Or maybe this is an R&B version of Fancy.

[@RLACDC2000]

2:17 uhhh, duh She's referencing the 7 world rings in Sonic and the Secret Rings for the Nintendo Wii and that game's theme song "7 Rings in Hand", it's kind of common sense ma dude.

[@mixwidman5458]

Maybe the seven world rings were themselves a reference to J. R. R. Tolkien. Or Snow White, which may be what Tolkien was referencing. Or maybe Ireland.

[@TetrisShark70]

Why of all the sonic games for ariana to mention it had to be one from the dark age? I guess a song about SA2 or S3&K wouldn't have sold.

[@Nakia11798]

The mean-girl vibe this song gives is the reason I don’t like Ariana in general. Even thank you next sounds sarcastic when you listen to it directly after this one.

[@MixMasterLar]

Did it at one point not sound sarcastic?

[@planescaped]

Thank-u next is really cunty and self-centered if you listen to it, but it's a good song, so it gets away with it. This... isn't a good song, and it's vapid meaning doesn't help.

[@landminelover926]

planescaped How is it cunty and self centered?

[@nerdfightercommenter6969]

It seems like thank you next was one of those meant to be sarcastic break up songs that benefitted by being surprisingly sincere. The sarcasm was on purpose and it is a famous trope but the kindness is what made it a unique and great song

[@randomnerdery6511]

@Aguest I've said it since Ariana left Nickelodeon and started doing music full time, that she seems like a colossal bitch. I like a few of her songs, because I have reached the point in my life where I can admit when a good song is a good song regardless of who records it, and she's recorded some good songs. "7 Rings" is not a good song, but it's one hell of an earworm, and I think that THAT is why it's doing so well: it just gets stuck in your head, running on a constant loop. BLECH.

[@Blackfoxloki]

I love how you used Nightmare Before Christmas perfect metaphor

[@aitch9053]

It is a pretty spot on metaphor for Cultural Appropriation, but I'm still left wondering what it explains in the "real world". Like stealing another religion's holiday and making a mockery of it, ok I get that. But I'm not seeing that or anything like it anywhere.

[@altrocks]

@@aitch9053 In the real world it usually looks like black kids and adults facing punishment for their culturally and historically appropriate hairstyles while white people get to don those same hairstyles without punishment (and often gaining praise for being radical, outside the norm, etc). There's also corporate versions where cultural artifacts, arts, etc, are generally devalued or considered inferior (to European culture and arts, usually) but then get made into fashionable trends that make the company billions of dollars while the people who invented it get nothing.

[@aitch9053]

​@@altrocks Sorry, I'm kinda slow with this stuff - seriously. And thanks for taking the time, cause I just don't get it. But you're being kind of vague here. Are you saying black people get punished somehow for wearing afros or dredlocks while white people wouldn't face the same scrutiny? In what situations? Is there such a thing as a "historically appropriate" hairdo? I mean outside of a historical reenactment or something? And I really don't get how some cultural item could be "devalued or considered inferior" yet everyone wants to buy it? You mean some corporation ripped off another person's idea and they never got paid or recognized for it? That's got nothing to do with race, though, it happens constantly to everyone, especially if they're poor. The only example that comes to mind even remotely would be something like Elvis making a way for the white culture of the time to listen to rock and roll, but even that was looked down upon by the majority of people. And it gave name recognition to a whole list of artists that never would have been popularly known otherwise. Also it was 70 years ago and really doesn't seem applicable today. What ever happened to "the melting pot of American culture"? Now it has to be "to each their own" and that's that? I must be autistic or something, can you give me some current day real examples?

[@altrocks]

@@aitch9053 White girls wearing dreadlocks is not considered inappropriate for work most of the time, but black children and adults are regularly punished by schools, workplaces, and government bodies for wearing those hairstyles. For white people it's a fashion thing, but the way black hair works is very different and it requires different care and styling because of that. Unless you straighten the hair, it does not act like other hair types. It's a manifestly unfair situation. And for cultural products being devalued, but profited from, look at Mexican cuisine, especially in America. Do you know of any 5 Star Mexican restaurants? I can think of several that specialize in other ethnic food traditions like Italian, Japanese, etc. Mexican food gets Chipotle and Taco Bell. It's looked down upon and that has a negative effect on the people who cook traditional Mexican dishes. They aren't accepted into the overall culinary pantheon of the country past a certain point. It's something that's been noted numerous times by people like Anthony Bourdain in the past. Despite Mexicans and Central Americans making up a huge portion of the cooks in this country, their own culinary history is looked down on. That doesn't stop Taco Bell or Chipotle from taking in millions in profit by bastardizing their food and mocking their culture. These things are happening all the time in cycles. The poor cultures of the world get raided by fashion houses and trend setters who claim the ideas as their own and then sell them, often to very well off people, while giving nothing to the people who they're stealing from. There's no copyright law that covers this kind of thing most of the time, either, so they generally have no legal recourse to even do anything. But if you make something that even references an American work that's under copyright you'll be facing thousands of corporate layers who will deprive you if the means to survive through lawsuits and C&D orders. The whole system is skewed towards those who are already wealthy and powerful.

[@aitch9053]

@@altrocks I totally agree, "The whole system is skewed towards those who are already wealthy and powerful." The rest of it I've read thru half a dozen times, and I just don't have the energy to point out where I think you're looking at some of this the wrong way. I mean that seriously, I've been sick the last week. All I can say is I'm extremely grateful that you took the time to explain your views to me, and helped me understand the mindset of where these types of complaints are coming from. A lot of these subjects are so nuanced, the only way society is ever going to work thru them is people like you willing to calmly explain it and be willing to have a discussion, respect for that. Thanks again, hopefully some day soon I'll be able to get back to you properly.

[@GirlWithHeadphones18]

shoutout to todd for tackling the hard topics and offering rlly insightful and thought out commentary while still following up said commentary w dialogue like “as for post malone bragging about being rich - it’s all the man has. please let him have this.” ur an icon man, we love u

[@PumpkinSwag]

Gi-Gi-Gi-Gia Camole I agree. I think he feels the same way I do about cultural appropriation. It’s not that people shouldn’t be allowed to borrow from cultures they’re not a part of, but they can and should be criticized based on how well they do it. In other words, don’t criticize cultural appropriation. Criticize BAD cultural appropriation.

[@oof-rr5nf]

exactly

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

Is nobody gonna comment on how amazing that Lorde/Thanos joke was? XD

[@thatkidwiththehoodie]

It’s been two years and I still can’t get enough of that gag lmao

[@syystomu]

I feel like Johnny Depp pretending to be Native American with a dead bird on his head is on the side of offensive rather than just distracting but I do agree with the sentiment there and I can think of other examples

[@gabingston3430]

I think that Johnny Depp does have Native ancestry if I'm not mistaken.

[@bingsby9085]

He is native american.

[@SonofSethoitae]

@@bingsby9085 He's supposedly Creek or Cherokee, while Tonto is supposed to be Comanche. They're pretty different, ethnically and culturally.

[@zeffery101]

​@@SonofSethoitae lol. Native Americans have been categorized into one group so much that its crazy how different each tribe is. But their populations are so small now that, it is justifiable imo. I mean, I think its less cultural appropriation if he's a Cherokee rather than 100% white. I don't think the Comanche tribe would be offended. Plus as the Cherokees were pushed west, they had to share reservations. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comanche#Cherokee_Commission

[@nikibronson133]

@@Ciborium there is no such thing as "good appropriation". The word appropriation itself holds a negative connotations. The word you were look for about the Chinese dress was cultural appreciation. Maybe even cultural diffusion. But thats the thing. People dont know the definitions or the what the words mean. People overuse and misuse cultural appropriation so much.

[@Zvwry]

As a black 16 year old female who wears wigs (there’s a difference between wigs and weaves) I was actually happy with that line (“you like my hair?, gee thanks just bought it.”). I put a lot of effort and money into making my wigs look as natural and nice as possible because it’s a hobby for me, it’s what I’m interested in, hair braiding and wigs. But I like that she stated that like because there is a huge stigma that only black girls wear extensions, wigs and sew ins which is incorrect. I wish more white/ Asian people spoke out about wearing the wigs and weaves so that others don’t look at a black girl with long thick hair and automatically think it’s not their’s because of a stereotype

[@reecelalzzz]

Thats a good outlook on the world we should share our culture to benefit us all as a whole. its should be empowering to you im glad you see it that way

[@PrincessNinja007]

As a cosplayer, no one believes that's my real hair lol

[@Shadowplay4Cats]

People should just get off women's butts about fake or natural hair/nails/whatever already. You're allowed to have a preference, but keep it to your damn self. If a black woman wants to wear a wig, or flatten her hair, or wear a weave, good for her and none of your business. If a black woman wants to not do all that, same. Same goes for every woman, but black women get crap because apparently it's a big deal to people. It's so insulting that it becomes a topic for speculation and gossip. I almost forgot why I wanted to reply to you specifically :P. I love wigs and I aspire to be you.

[@Zvwry]

Shadowplay4Cats aw thank you, keep working on it! Wigs are great, and when it looks the way you want to it’s so rewarding. My Instagram is @zvwry I wear wigs in some of those pictures, if you need any help dm me I can give u tips!

[@TheOwlQueen]

I wear wigs and any time someone compliments me, I tell them it's a wig. I really hate the stigma against it.

[@dontsmileatme9025]

I want u to do a review on a Billie Eilish song

[@gabe_s_videos]

I've got my own feelings about her and I'd love to hear Todd's.

[@ecliptik8020]

you have to pay for requests

[@DJsocial7102]

@@ecliptik8020 you cant request song reviews I'm pretty sure

[@johnbestavros6915]

Says the Billie Eilish fan account.

[@Hola-tq4pg]

2019 is almost over and he still haven't say anything

[@annabeinglazy5580]

I actually kinda liked the "you like my hair, just bought it" - maybe because Im a white german chick. Over here is that weird notion that you must be "natural" and effortless all the time. Makeup, nails, you name it, all must be flawless but all must be "natural". Hair and nails must be the most loaded of them because you can easily see if theyre fake. At home, hair extensions were seen as kinda slutty, cheap (plastic) stuff that shallow people clip into their hair to get some boy. Yet girls should have perfect long hair all the goddamn time. Basically I guess I grew up around a bunch of people with too much time to be bored and obnoxiously judgmental. To hear a brash "yupp, my hair is fake, do you think Im Rapunzel?" is hilarious to me. But I fucking hate the "money solves all your problems" bs. Maybe it wasnt meant that way but to someone who doesnt know her or her album, it just comes across as the brattiest, braggiest and coldest line I have ever heard. You got issues? Have you tried chanel bags? If that is really how she copes with her problems, then I pity the girl.

[@Alonzi.]

I mean Is there a problem that can’t be solved with money except loneliness?

[@michaelkpp7285]

@@Alonzi. how about the fucking human condition?

[@do.re.mi.2713]

there are racial undertones however because this pressure is emphasized for black woman much more and because ariana is white it just sounds like she is being insensitive to those struggles

[@sommerblume9671]

@@michaelkpp7285 Oh calm down. Rather be well off and depressed than broke and depressed, especially in this current economy. So tone deaf.

[@goingunder2548]

Tbh that line makes me feel a bit queasy because I've read/watched a bunch of stuff about extremely poor women in some South Asian countries who have to grow their hair, cut it off and sell it, for it to be bought and worn by other people who can afford it. I'm sure Ariana is only living in a bubble as much as the next celebrity but it kinda makes it seem like she's so privileged she probably isn't even aware that's a thing that happens. Just makes listening to the whole song... kind of sad.

[@ashleystrawn3411]

That Thanos snap edit....

[@Mr96POP]

The moment I saw it was “7 rings,” I just HAD to watch immediately. I’ve already said my thoughts on the song in my review, but it’s always nice to see other perspectives even when we ultimately have similar thoughts.

[@107613cw]

when you referred to her like a bully if was like: Yeah! that's it, she just feels like she's bullying people who don't have this kind of money

[@Wired4Life2]

"You don't get to breathe." *And yet...Ariana still encourages herself to keep on breathing.*

[@kieranstark7213]

DON’T TELL PEOPLE NOT TO BREATHE ARIANA GRANDE!!!!!! 👿

[@vivienneeliza4986]

The lyrics to me is not that bad...just Ariana rapping sound hella awkward, it sounds like a 6 years old is rapping

[@anouk356]

Mumble rapping even....

[@RayatoTV]

Bold statement perhaps but I think these are two episodes are your best. My brother asked me to describe Pop Music in the past 10 years since he was abroad and didn’t follow the trends. I told him to watch the Halsey & 7 Rings reviews and he said “damn this guy is good.” Good job, Todd!!!

[@emmanuellyloyola2030]

The "changing of Sound of Music's lyrics for the song" Panic! At The Disco did it first

[@jouflow]

No, shut up. Big Brovaz did it first.

[@Jonqen]

Wich song?

[@Cherry_Magenta]

@@Jonqen There are two artists listed in this thread so I'll answer both. Panic!'s Sound of Music sample was in "Build God, Then We'll Talk" (Easily their best song if you're curious) Big Brovaz sampled it in "Favorite Things"

[@breezybrad]

Emmanuelly Loyola who caresssssss

[@FOXHOUND-wv5lk]

Using The Nightmare Before Christmas as an explanation for cultural appropriation was a great touch

[@Nymphonomicon]

Except that the entire argument of cultural appropriation is horseshit. It operates entirely on bad faith that if you, as an outsider dare touch any aspect of another culture beyond your own you WILL mess it up because you're just such a selfish dumby-dumb that you can't possible understand what it means. It's nothing more than dogmatic tripe and is exactly the type of thing that discourages people from engaging with other cultures.

[@myeyesarespiders]

Never thought about Nightmare Before Christmas as having cultural appropriation themes, great video as always

[@sharosudo]

I loved that analogy

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

A interesting deconstruction of a movie about celebrating different cultures From Halloween to Christmas

[@Grace-tg4oy]

This is probably one of the more naunced and respectful takes on appropriation I've seen in a while. Love the Nightmare Before Christmas analogy.

[@ThatOneGuy0006]

This is respectful and nuanced!? He sounded like he was about to say that segregation should come back because he didn't like Ari's hair extensions.

[@Lee-fw5bd]

@@ThatOneGuy0006 did he? What gave that impression?

[@qwertyTRiG]

Lindsay Ellis has an amazing video on cultural appropriation too.

[@perrydimes6915]

@@ThatOneGuy0006 no, he didn't. you're being hysterical. take a break and go outside.

[@japansace]

Before this review, I didn't even know the line "You like my hair? Gee, thanks, just bought it" referred to hair extensions. I thought she was just talking about an expensive haircut or something.

[@gabe_s_videos]

I thought she was referring to a sofa or a Krabby Patty. Aw, poop, you've let me down.

[@Bradford659]

I immediately figured that out. It lyrically sounds like she buys her hair.

[@Lucy-zl8ly]

You didn't mention the Japanese tattoo, where she essentially said she doesn't care what it means, she just likes the look.

[@DonSMDT]

“Japanese BBQ grill finger”

[@coreenadunham8199]

She actually said the opposite, saying she checked in with her tutor and she corrected it slightly, saying at least she was trying to be as accurate where as any other typical wrong Chinese tattoo usually doesnt get fixed.

[@tenjou0]

The Japanese tattoo wasn't entirely innacurate though. "Shichirin" is a type of barbecue, but the 2 kanji separely do mean 7 and "rings", it's just that the Japanese change it up sometimes. Many Japanese people have pointed out that it does make logical sense to someone who doesn't speak Japanese, especially since "gorin" is 5 rings and is spelled similarly. You also shouldn't forget that the Japanese constantly wear shirts covered in Engrish on a daily basis.

[@nerdfightercommenter6969]

Honestly I don’t see a problem with it. If it’s meaningful to her than why not? Why is having it more accurate going to affect anything if it would have the same meaning regardless. She’s also not particularly profiting off of it and it’s not offensive...I don’t see the problem

[@oddwimpod3617]

_That Japanese Man Yuta_ actually did a very interesting video about the whole thing kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2GVmItsf7aCeqs

[@tileslockhart7214]

I really enjoyed this video! To the people arguing that Todd shouldn't have talked about race or they don't believe in x, y, z - all I'm going to say is regardless of your feelings I like when people who are critical of a medium take in the whole conversation about the subject and bring it to me. I agreed with a lot of Todd's thoughts here but mostly I appreciated that he made sure to address them even if he was unsure because they were RELEVANT to the song and to people's response to the song. I always like how careful Todd is in getting his info together and I think it's silly to ask the man not to address things that affect a song.

[@SuperJNG18]

Gonna nitpick and say she was, and is, in fact, a theatre nerd. She was in 13 on Broadway, was in that Hairspray live TV thing you forgot existed, and she's chill with Jason Robert Browne. There you go. Carry on!

[@superneko99]

Being on Broadway when ur 13 isn't very nerdy tho.

[@SuperJNG18]

mae In terms of general attitude and expertise, I’d call her a nerd (and being on Broadway, no matter your level of success, is fundamentally nerdy in the best way)

[@gabe_s_videos]

Yeah, so? I'm chill with JRB, what's the big deal? (Ok, I'm not really. I went to the same theater camp as him and was in a production of "Parade," and I got to sing along with one of the numbers from it when he gave a concert there).

[@dru-is-here]

I always thought that the meaning of this song was like “she recently suffered several deep personal setbacks so she’s throwing herself into partying, shopping, and hanging out with her friends.” Kinda like when a couple breaks up and one of the people starts posting a bunch of stuff on social media about becoming a savage and how much better their life is post-relationship. That’s what it sounds like to me, but I could be wrong.

[@DereBear]

Dru-Is-Here that’s the whole third verse, idk how he missed that

[@caoisekamay1175]

To me that interpretation feels like a reach. The lyrics only vaguely hint at money not being able to buy happiness, and the production of the song doesn’t hint at any melancholy feelings. And even if you grant that generous interpretation of the song, l don’t think it makes it better. Breakups and sadness are a universal problem. Retail therapy isn’t. Only rich people have the income to splurge in order to make themselves ‘feel better’. That’s why this song rubs me the wrong way. Even if she is heartbroken, it’s still tone deaf to the billions of people who can’t afford food.

[@elkawade2536]

I can give you an example of a song that does this better. “Sorry” by Beyoncé. She sings about her and her ladies drinking and partying but at the end she has this haunting part about “left a note in the hallway / by the time you read it I’ll be far away .... he only want me when I’m not there, better call Becky w the good hair.” She’s genuinely hurt and bitter and she’s fully acknowledging how she’s partying and staying out late to hurt jay for cheating on her. Like, *chefs kiss.* Lemonade generally seems to have inspired Ariana in her approach to her public breakup, first in “thank u next,” and now this one, which is less relatable bc she’s trying to make it abt aspirational wealth and flaunting, pretty much hiding her insecurity abt the breakup. Doesn’t really come off as genuine plus it’s no longer aspirational

[@saviitrius]

There was an attack at one of her shows in 2017. If this song is supposed to be an expression of coping with trauma by excessive purchasing, I don't think the trauma in question is only due to a breakup.

[@MissFinefeather]

...the Nightmare Before Christmas metaphor was absolutely perfect! Good job! :O

[@EpicB]

It's an interesting metaphor but now I'm just wondering how we can cram Christmas and Halloween into one holiday.

[@babypurplebat2610]

I really appreciate that you don't tell anyone to like or subscribe at the end of your videos! It seems like you're the only one who doesn't.

[@babypurplebat2610]

@Giacomo Delfin I personally think it's because it makes the end of the video flow better.

[@babypurplebat2610]

@Gi-Gi-Gi-Gia Camole I mean he has a big enough following where he doesn't need a sponsor (check his patreon).

[@mzumii457]

Review Sunflower by Post Malone ft. Swae Lee

[@crispysteve42]

if you just want to see a review of that Rap Critic did one

[@monicajshea]

crispysteve42 it’s not a rap song tho

[@laurabii99]

Sheady ...how does that cancel out the fact that rap critic reviewed it lmao

[@mzumii457]

@@crispysteve42 Ik Rap Critic reviewed it but I feel like Todd goes more into more detail and gives more opinions

[@MandyandSiren]

Contrapoints mentioned this video in her newest upload ur famous now

[@zoegranville7607]

that's what led me here, but also it was suggested after her video on Opulence

[@Cationna]

...can't we just all agree that consumptionism is a horribly unhealthy thing to "aspire" to, whatever your ethnic background? When you're poor, you dream of the power that money brings: power not to struggle so much, not to worry about tomorrow, not to always be denying yourself and your loved ones - and power to make your voice heard and your wishes respected. This song and songs such as this one are that power fantasy for us. But the truth is, they end up reinforcing the conviction that wealth defines your worth and that your enjoyment of life is directly connected with your ability to buy all the shit you like. This is exactly the fantasy advertisers want us to embrace, so that they can keep on selling us inconsequential things and making money off of the gullible masses. That way the rich get even richer and the poor stay poor, chasing material things instead of freedom from the whole sick system. And I absolutely say that as someone who also lusts after pretty shiny inconsequential things and longs for Aesthetic rather than real, consistent agency and consequences for my decisions. And who also can't get this song out of her head. Our society is broken.

[@ZafiroRiverSpirit]

Cationna thank you! I'm glad to hear someone say this. Also, Todd doesn't seem to realize that race isn't what gives you power or privilege; it's wealth/job status. White people as a whole are not privileged; only rich who're people. And they are privileged in the same way rich black peoples are. And no matter what your race is- you can be successful with hard work, education and connections. With this success, you can do good or you can become obscenely wealthy by hoarding money, which is not something I think anyone should aspire to. Honestly, I think this song as equally as hollow as any rapper bragging about their wealth. It doesn't matter at all that Ariana is white. Cultural appropriation doesn't even exist. The more we focus on race, the more we divide people and create more racism. The real problems of this broken society are created by wealth disparity, not race. People are focusing on the wrong issues (like race and gender) and making everything worse without focusing on real problems like fixing homelessness and poverty, curing ailments and restoring the environment. We are absolutely screwed as a species, and this bullshit social justice movement distracting us like ADD squirrels from real problems is the nail in the coffin.

[@danirojas498]

Cationna mic drop

[@CoryMck]

I skimmed this, but I give it the post modernist neo-Marxists thumbs up of approval.

[@janrupertalfeche8959]

Oh, you mean consumerism.

[@lrm9298]

This is real talk👏

[@StealingFocus]

I love you so much Todd, and I hate to be "that guy" but Ariana Grande started her career in a goddamn musical. On Broadway. Written by Jason Robert Brown. It's called THIRTEEN. It's AWFUL. She did a stupid freakin' PANTO at the Pasadena Playhouse about 7-8 years ago. Her drama geek creds are off the charts. If any pop star was gonna rock an R&H sample, she has arguably the best claim since Sara Bareilles.

[@hattyporter8639]

Yeah, thanks for being that guy, because I would have been exactly that if you hadn’t done it first. I’m 90% sure that she has Wicked entirely memorized and would play Elphaba in a heartbeat.

[@stephaniewozny3852]

While she may have theater geek cred, there's still the disparity between her and other theatre nerds.. For a lot of them, Broadway IS the endgame. Ariana got there by the time she was a teen. I'd argue that's a PRETTY big leg up if you have aspirations to be in show biz.

[@rojax_thevoicetm2385]

@@stephaniewozny3852 maybe she's just that good?

[@stephaniewozny3852]

@@rojax_thevoicetm2385 , I'm not saying she's not good. She's clearly got the pipes for it. But to say luck, and being in the right place at the right time, doesn't play a part is being disingenuous.

[@rojax_thevoicetm2385]

@@stephaniewozny3852 When I was 17 me and my friends joined the Thespian Society. By that age, she'd already been acting professionally for like 2 years. What if she really is just something special?

[@MnMsandOreos]

Didn’t Ariana get her start on in the original Broadway production of 13? Don’t accuse her of appropriating theatre kid culture when she grew up in that world. Thank u, next. (No but seriously great video)

[@itspricila]

MnMsandOreos not to mention she loves musical theater she has sampled it in the past like in popular song from her 1st album

[@TacticusPrime]

The point of that was that she was successful and famous basically immediately. She vaulted from Broadway to television and then directly into pop stardom.

[@cocacolaxable]

I'm sorry... but Ariana's spelling of "stereotype" as "stariotype" just destroyed me😂 Girl should invest in some books while she's at it lmaoo

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

Because Stereotype is such a better spelling

[@juliamaria3807]

Because on the internet people dont misspell everything on purpose all the time

[@jessiehermit9503]

Looks Freudian to me.

[@jadenthemusicfreak]

I must've missed that, where was it

[@crustaceandroolcube]

Buy matching bookshelves for my thesauruses 🎵

[@Lowkey-NoPressure]

Aw, Todd sounds genuinely sad that Ariana disappointed him. :( I think the rest of the album is awesome at least. Would look forward to you reviewing imagine, or break up with your girlfriend, or bloodline

[@katie4391]

Fake smile & ghostin are golden aswell

[@bowsercastle]

In my head is so weird sounding that its so good. I love it so much.

[@Savannah-]

To be fair, Ariana has been publicly criticized for her hair being fake. And even when she's not being criticized for it it's still a huge point of discussion when she comes up. Before she started doing the obviously fake long ponytails people speculated all the time about if she was wearing fake hair. Knowing that context, I don't really see the race part of it come into play. It might be if her wearing weave wasn't something so many people gossiped about or tried to make a bad thing. Yeah, I recognize it's an issue that affects black women in a unique way, but I don't think what Ariana did should be criticized. I think it can be used as a moment to also discuss the unique way this issue affects black women.

[@Melissa-wx4lu]

I don't really understand why she would be criticized for having obviously fake hair. I mean if I were her I would be like.... "duh it's fake. 1. it's part of my costume 2. If it were real I wouldn't be making any music because I would be spending much of my free time maintaining this shit." Hair is hard to take care of correctly. Weaves and wigs are smart.

[@JMysticStar7]

I'm black and could be considered "woke" and I love this song. It's not offencive in the least. I think a lot of black women are still bitter about being bullied about their hair. I have long hair and people are usually surprised that it's all mine😂. It's so strange and annoying because a quick search for natural hair on KZbin could dispel this assumption. ( I went off on a tangent....)

[@estellevu8076]

Something that could be added, is that there are plenty of people, such as cancer patients and the elderly that wear wigs and such.

[@TheSongwritingCat]

I was surprised he didn't know this/bring it up. The story about her damaged hair leading to the extensions has been floating around for years. She also mentions lashes and that makes it seem like it's more about constructed beauty from drag makeup in particular to the whole trending Instagram look that has taken over the beauty community. If you were going to make an argument about exploitation, it would make more sense to talk about Asian women whose hair is usually used to construct natural hair pieces than the cultural appropriation of black hair culture.

[@AnjanaBSubba]

Why is anyone being criticized for fake hair? This is fucking hilarious 😂😂😂😂